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You were already late when the neon lights of the karaoke bar finally flashed in the distance.
It would be the first time you were late for a gang meet up, especially one like this – bets between Mark and Brown never ceased to amuse. Adding Naoya to the mix, trouble was bound to stir up. The girls would obviously be there to watch; only Nanjou and Reiji never cared much for their shenanigans, yet they somehow ended up joining in anyway.
However, you arrived late. Very late, despite not wanting to miss this in a lifetime.
Blame it on your poor planning. Caught up in getting ready to leave, you ended up missing your train. The Mikage underground station bustled with people and you couldn’t find any of your friends, so they must have left a long time ago. You got on the next train and arrived safely, then ran all the way from the station to the karaoke bar. As you ran, potentially ruining all the effort you put into your appearance that day, you simply hoped that there’d still be some fun left to watch.
Panting, you reached the karaoke bar and pushed the door. It opened with a creak. The lobby was empty – not many clients in the middle of the week – so you took a step forward to ask staff about a booth for ten people reserved by Mark. Before you could lift a finger, you noticed a familiar face in the corner.
“Toudou?”
Indeed it was him, Toudou Naoya, the quiet boy with a pierced ear, and somehow the central person in your group. He raised a hand to greet you, nonchalant as always. You blinked, surprised by his presence in the empty lobby. He couldn’t have possibly left the group just to pick up a latecomer… but then again, why would he be standing here all alone if the party had already started?
For a moment you felt like the whole gang had decided to pull a prank on you.
“Where’s everyone?”
“Not coming tonight.”
“Huh?”
Silence fell in the lobby. You bit your lip, anticipating more explanation, but it never came. As you stared at Naoya in disbelief, he stared back, face expressionless. Only for a split second you swore the corner of his lips twitched.
“Is this supposed to be a joke?” Realising Naoya would not make this any easier, you urged him. “We had an appointment with everyone. What about the bet? If I don’t witness you guys singing your guts out for an all-you-can-eat at Peace Diner, my night’s going to be ruined.”
At this point you were grasping at straws, hoping to make some sense of the situation. Frustration bubbled up inside alongside unpleasant nervousness. You told yourself you were simply upset with the unexpected change of plans and not at all with being left alone with Naoya of all people.
Thankfully, he finally decided to aid you in your dilemma.
“It doesn’t have to be ruined.” Anticipation flashed in Naoya’s eyes as he smiled. He had a nice smile, you’d always thought so, even though he showed it so infrequently. “How about you and I make a bet?”
“What? No way,” you snorted. “Betting you might be fun to watch, but not to actually do. You think I haven’t kept a score between you and Mark?”
“He’d have won more if he had my experience at the casino.” As if already deciding you would accept his suggestion, Naoya approached the karaoke counter. “A booth for two for two hours, please.”
Too shocked to act, you stood there with your legs glued to the floor. Something incomprehensible was unfolding right before your eyes – something not quite to the level of the SEBEC incident a few months ago, but close.
“Hey, wait up!” Only when Naoya received the booth number and headed for the lift to get there, you trotted after him. “We’re seriously not waiting for everyone?”
He didn’t even glance in your direction. “No need.”
The lift door closed, leaving you to your own astonished reflection and Naoya’s stoic one.
The ride was only two floors, yet it felt like an eternity. Even though it was Naoya who would previously refuse to look your way, now it was your turn to struggle to look at him. Most often, your gang would meet up together or in groups, rarely one-on-one. For some incomprehensible reason, tonight crashed into you with such an opportunity, a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Your gaze met Naoya’s in the mirror, and you quickly looked away.
People flocked to him despite his aloofness, and not without a cause – he was good-looking, charismatic and composed. Someone like Nanjou or Yukino might appear more suitable to act as a leader, yet Toudou possessed that particular detachedness from most things that allowed him to keep his cool. Because of it, even a stubborn Ayase, even Reiji accepted Naoya as someone worth following.
Naturally, girls liked him too. Even within your group you could count at least two…
Ding! The lift stopped, pulling you back to reality.
Upon reaching the designated booth, you landed powerless on the sofa, while Naoya grabbed the microphones and started scrolling the song selection. Laid-back as always, if he noticed your troubled state of mind, he chose to ignore it. Watching him with your eyes half-closed, you slowly accepted the absurdity of the situation. Abandoned by the rest of your friends, alone with Naoya, you were apparently about to accept a bet on a singing duel. Could you even beat Naoya? Contrary to a popular belief, he sang quite good.
You concluded it didn’t matter. Winning or losing, it was all the same, as long as this bizarre party started anyway.
Having found a song to his liking, Naoya left the device and turned his attention to you. Something in his expression – excitement, perhaps – melted your own nervousness into a careful joy.
“We can start with a duet if you feel like warming up.” He handed you a microphone, his nice smile threatening to return. “La La La Love Song. What do you say?”
A snort escaped your lips. Out of all the recent popular songs, he had to choose the cheesiest one. But it was a decent choice, perfect for a duet before starting the real competition.
Accepting the microphone, you stood up from the sofa.
“So what are we betting? My standards are a bit higher than just food.”
For the first time that night, Naoya chuckled. “Well, let’s do it this way. If you win, I’ll take you wherever you like. If I win, I pick the place.”
You glued your eyes to the screen to avoid looking directly at Naoya after such a smooth, yet bold suggestion. So you two would be going out either way? You certainly hoped Ellie or Maki wouldn't have your head after all this. Because they’d know for sure, one way or another. Keeping secret was never a strong suit withing your gang.
Before pressing play, you glanced at Naoya again.
“Say, are you sure the other guys just randomly decided they didn’t want to come?”
With a small smile, Naoya swirled the microphone cable around his finger. “I’ll tell you if you beat me.”