Chapter Text
The Beer Night!
The winter is a cold season that awake the desire of the people to stay warm at home and relax the entire day under a kotasu. Unfortunaly, many people can't enjoy this routine during the week, especially those who have to work or study.
"Yaaawn! I though that the week would never end, but friday finally arrived." Misaki streched her arms in relieve, staring at the moon which just raised in the sky while she walk away from the college.
"Waiting the entire week just to drink the entire night and complain your problems. What a health life style you have there, isn't It?" Arisa said sarcastically, wondering how long Misaki will last living like that
"You have no room to judge me Arisa. You don't have to deal with three idiots daily and tiresome college works. There's so much stress in my shoulders that my I started to get backache." Misaki replied with a tired voice. She need at least a night for herself to recover from the 300 page report that her teacher asked for on monday within 3 days and the crazy things her band does that she aways need to keep on watch to avoid them to set fire at Kokoro's pool... Again.
"I get that you have hard weeks, but why I'm the only one do you call to drink with you? I have more things to do besides take care of a drunk person that only complain about her life."
"Of course I can call someone like kanon-san, who wouldn't mind to listen a friend complainings, but Arisa, we're are the two sides of the same coin. You also know the pain of deal with idiot bandmates by yourself." Misaki declared with a inspired speech, grabing Arisa shoulder and pushing her closer.
"Ok, ok, i get it. But you should at least find another way to releave your stress besides going on a drinking spree." Arisa embarassed accepted the praise, removing Misaki's hand from her shoulder to get some distance.
The two collegues keep walking in a path illuminated by the lights of the commercial district of the area, going toward to their usual bar.
The street was lively as ever with the shopkeepers openings their stores for the new income, college students arriving to enjoy the night and a depressed down headed teal-haired girl alone on a park bench?
Getting closer, the two of them realized that the familar person on the bench was actually Hikawa Sayo.
"Sayo-senpai? Are you alright?" Misaki asked really worried about her senpai. She's one of the last person Misaki know she would expect to be desolated into a bench.
Sayo raised her head in surprise, not expecting for someone call for her in that place. "Oh! Okusawa-san, Ichigaya-san, good night for you two."
"You don't think is way to cold for being here alone? Arisa asked surprised by the guitarist odd behavior.
"I'm alright. I'm just thinking... About life..." Sayo tried to convince them that's nothing wrong, but she couldn't help that her replie sounded like of someone who just lost It's soul.
Neither Misaki and Arisa would be dull enough to buy that lie. It was obvious that something bad happened to her, so they traded a glare and nodded in mutual accordance, agreeing to help her. Abandon their senpai in such state would give them a bad taste in the mouth for the rest of the night.
"Sayo-san, you want to drink together with us?" Misaki asked Sayo, sitting beside her on the bench.
"Are you sure? I don't wanna to interrupt your plans. I'm alright being just by myself."
"You don't need to worry. You seen to had a hard time and there's no better way to wash you problems away than a good beer, besides, Arisa was complaining that I don't call more people to hang out."
"That's not what I mean when I said that, but It works too."
"If It's alright to you, I gladly accept the offer." Sayo got up from the bench with a small smile, joining the two girls who invited her to avoid her worrys for a while.
Now with another member, they once again went towards the usual bar to enjoy their night.
The group, without any hurry, was calmily walking alonside the pavement. That situation remained like that until thay saw once again a familiar figure with aprouching them by the opositte direction of the sidewalk.
"Oh! What a coincidence~." The one who they randomly encountered was Aoba Moca.
"Aoba-san, what you're doing here? You don't have movie nights with Afterglow on friday?" Misaki friendly asked her, wondering why she's there right now.
When Misaki started the college she got a lot closer of Moca. Since they shared the same train to get at the college they aways end up talking a lot with each other almost every day, knowing well each other on the process. So she coudn't help but to feel curious about her circunstances.
"Unfortunally, most of us were busy tonight and some other stuff happened." While replying Misaki's question, Moca quickly gazed at Sayo for a few seconds without anyone realize. "In resume, Moca-chan have nothing to do tonight."
"Well, I hope you find something to do. See you on monday."
Saying good-bye, Misaki tried to pass trough Moca to get back on the track, but Moca took a step and got on the way. In response, Misaki tried to avoid the girl in front of her, but once again Moca get in the way, stopping her to go futher.
"*Sigh *- You want to come with us?" After being stopped many times, Misaki just gave up and surrendered to Moca's will, inviting her to not waste more mental integrity that was already low after the week.
"If you want so much being beside Moca-chan, It can't be helped."
"You aways pick up girls on the street when you hang out?" Sayo questioned Misaki and Arisa about the suspicious behavior they're showing.
"In my defense, today was the first time this hapenned." Misaki quickly defended herself, besides her also don't knew to explain why those things are happening today.
"I only hope that we don't find another person on our way. I have a bad feeling that the things will turn really chaotic If more people join this 'team'." Arisa expressed her worrys while they come back to their path.
"Me and my big mouth." Arisa cursed herself, regretting for saying those words earlier.
In front of the group there's a familiar white-haired foreigner girl who was once again just casualy walking and bumped into them by accident.
"why are you four together? Perhaps that's some kind of bushido secret mission?" Eve confused by the sight of such unusual group, completely misunderstood the situation with something really more exiting than what It actually is.
"There's no secret mission. We're just goint to the bar to drink after a long week." Misaki is already used to deal with her bandmates crazy thoughts, so she quickly denied Eve's misuderstanding with all her madness managment skills.
"So you guys are going to have a hang out to celebrate a week of battles just like the samurais after big conflicts. That's so bushido! Can I join your celebration?"
"Sigh... Ok, you can join us, but you need to walk fast, because I don't want to have any other random encounter before we arrive." Arisa was already tired of dealing with so many people just to get in a bar that's just 15 minutes from the college, so she just let Eve join them without any struggle.
After so many interruptions, taking somehow the double of the time It should really be, the group finally arrived at the bar which Misaki and Arisa frequent.
Opening the bar's door, they could see a mixed japanese and classical western style establishment. There are a classic bar counter and many tables of each style.
"Whoah! That bar is trully beatiful." Eve's eyes widened by the amazing sight. She was sure delighted by the japanese part being like the bars of the historical movies she saw.
"I have to agree. When Okusawa-san said we're going to a bar just to drink I wasn't expecting something so stylish. Sayo agreed with the prevois statment, expressing her surprise by her low expectations being shattered.
"That bar is one of the bests near the college and the owner is my acquaintance, so me and Ichigaya-san aways have the same table booked only for us every friday." Misaki explained why she choosed specifically this bar.
"That means we don't need to pay anything, right~?" Moca was already with a big smile just by imagining eating a lot without spend one cent.
"That's not Hazawa cafe Aoba-san, so is better to choose wiselly what you gonna order."
After ending the talk they finally went to their table. Everyone ordered beer, exept Eve that ordered sake, so after waiting for a bit their drinks arrived.
"I'm not used to drink with friends like that. What you usually do during the night?" Sayo asked a little embarassed. She felt a bit dislocated in such enviroment, didn't knowing to act propely in such event.
"You just need to complain about your life or listen another people complaining about their's" Arisa replied her senpai, joking about how her and Misaki usually spend the night.
"But you don't need to worry about It right now. Let's just drink as we desire." After putting down Sayo's worrys, Misaki lifted her beer mug to start the night.
Following Misaki's action, everyone brought their drinks together to toast, setting then the beginning of a long nigh-.
Darkness...
Misaki was surounded by darkness. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing changed. She don't know why she's there and how she can escape from this situation. She could only wait while enveloped by this cold darkness.
Misaki then keep into her motionless state until a signal finally came. A light, Misaki could see a small light source comming above her. That was enought to switch on Misaki's desire to leave that darkness.
As Misaki tried to reach the light, she realized that the drakness is way more cold and dense than she though. She was somehow digging her way out, reaching the light that grew more and more as she open the path by herself.
After so much struggle, Misaki finally arrived at the light, but wehen she get out of the darkness she saw that she was in a completely white environment with some trees that seens familiar. After processing a little, Misaki realized that she was in a park she knew and that she was burried in a really big snowdrift this whole time.
But there's a thing she still don't get...
"why I'm here...?"