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Atsushi was new to many things. That much was true. Which led him to.. This . A party thrown by Dazai to celebrate how their entire group made it through their finals. Yosano had an arm around him, as she basically tiered each drink that people had brought. (And judging by how she’s acting? He’s certain that she’d tried them all.) And this was only brought on by the fact that he’d - offhandedly for the record - mentioned that he’d never really drank or, hell, even done the less offensive act of kissing someone else.
Which led him to this. Yosano’s dragged him around this party, apparently thrown by Dazai. Apparently Ranpo dipped out, so she latched onto him to drag around instead. (If the good luck text he’d gotten from the older student was anything to go by.) Regardless, he’s unfortunately in Yosano’s clutches, and he probably won’t leave them until later. Later being whenever Kyouka (and Kouyou) arrive, and she drags him away.
Part of Atsushi wants to pull away from her before then, but then he’d disappoint her. (And there’s got to be a reason that Ranpo lets her pull him around, too.) So he settles himself to his fate. And besides, it’s not like he knows half of the people Dazai even invited. Especially since this party was initially meant for only their club. (Judging by how Kunikida had dragged the other off early on, when the first few people who weren’t in the club arrived, Dazai never said he’d invited anyone else.)
Shaking his head, Atsushi returned to trying to listen to what Yosano was saying. Sure, he didn’t know the appearance of half what she was saying, but as long as he tried to understand, he’d be fine. .. Right? As soon as he tunes back into their one-sided conversation, he’s being dragged over to wherever the drinks are. Part of him knows that taking whatever Yosano gives him would be best, but he’s also well aware that peer pressure is a thing, and does he really want to be drinking right now?
It’s his first time. Actually, it’s his first actual party , too. Sure, he let the others’ teasing about him being an ‘alcohol-virgin’ get to him, but he wasn’t too sure that he’d actually wanted to drink. Especially surrounded by a ton of Upperclassman he doesn’t know. And especially before Kyouka arrives to pull him away from Yosano. (Sure, he could carry it around but Yosano would expect him to take a sip at one point.. Right?)
Eventually a red solo cup is shoved into his hand, and before he can even look at what’s in it, he gets a verbal answer from Yosano. ... She gave him spiked punch, of all things. He doesn’t really like normal punch that much. (Though that might be because Dazai made his cup with salt the first, and only, time he’d drank some.) Still, he takes a tiny sip, under her watchful eye, before he’s dragged across the party again.
... Atsushi forgot how much it sucked being friends with Upperclassmen. Who are friends with other upperclassmen. Who he doesn’t know. And is being forced to interact with. (Don’t get him wrong! He likes meeting new people! When they’re not confined to the social standards of a party.) Besides, half the people Yosano has introduced him to were all either some sort of not-sober and he doesn’t remember half of their names. And he doesn’t remember half of their faces, either. But that might be because half of them didn’t even look in his direction at all. Which was.. Okay, he guesses. (To be fair, he’d much rather have his.. What did Dazai call it.. Situationship..? here. But that’s an impossibility, frankly.)
This was a party with that entire club banned, as claimed by the host himself. And... Okay, Atsushi does understand, even if they’re both on good terms, a party is the perfect place for that to go to flames. (Even if there are a few exceptions, like Kouyou coming alongside Kyouka, but that’s due to the younger girl insisting on her sister coming. .. And Dazai making her promise that only Kouyou would come out of her siblings.)
Still.. Atsushi is awaiting the time he’d be able to get out of this mess. He adores Yosano, she’s much like a sister to him. In fact, he sees most of his fellow club members as placebo siblings. That’s just how close they’ve grown, ever since Dazai dragged him to a meeting one day. (He’d mentioned wanting to join a club! Just not Dazai’s! And.. Well, he’d rather not change a thing.) But.. Even if he does see her as a sibling, it’s not like he enjoys being dragged around by the arm throughout a house he’s pretty sure isn’t Dazai’s..
Okay.. Maybe it is Dazai’s. There’s scorch marks around the stove, and, well.. Atsushi remembers Dazai freaking out in the groupchat about setting the kitchen on fire. And Kunikida rushing over to stop him from throwing water onto the gas stove. .. Right! The groupchat. He can always text Kyouka to ask her when she’s arriving.
.. Now how is he going to grab his phone when Yosano’s got a death grip on his hand and he’s holding a red solo cup that he’s not risking putting down. He’s not stupid. (The three lectures Kyouka [and her siblings] gave him before he left her place are drilled into his head perpetually.) He does not want to deal with the three of them if they find out he willingly drew his gaze away from his cup. And he’s not risking putting it into his mouth and holding it riskily between his teeth.
The shirt he’s wearing he is pretty damn sure is one that he was gifted by Ranpo after the shoulders got too tight for him, and he’s not about to stain a gift! (.. Okay, maybe he was given the shirt because he doesn’t own too many clothes, and he’s certain Kyouka blabbed to Ranpo about his lack of them when she’d dragged him to a promotion at a local cafe.) Still! You can’t blame him for not wanting to ruin the shirt!
With that in mind, he gives up on texting Kyouka. Or checking if she’d texted him, for that matter, too. Not until Yosano drops his hand. And she seems set on keeping him nearby, if the fact that every time he stops to catch his breath, or he even turns away, she tugs on his arm. (Gently! She’s not hurting him!) Which. Okay. He knows she’s probably concerned or whatnot, but.. he’s pretty sure he can handle his first party alone without her! (.. Okay.. He can’t just lie to himself like that but.. Still.)
Besides.. He is kind of enjoying Yosano’s company. Especially since he barely knows anyone here. (Outside of Dazai, Kunikida and the Tanizakis, but he hasn’t seen them in a while. In fact, he hasn’t seen them since he arrived.) Ranpo apparently had more important things to do, and Kyouka’s arriving far later on. Slowly, he takes another sip of his punch. It tastes good. .. Even if it’s spiked. And not made with salt.
“Nuh-uhhh. She’s banned.” Dazai’s voice finds Atsushi’s ears from across the room.
Looking over across the room, he sees said upperclassman blocking Kyouka and Kouyou from entering, or well, more specifically blocking the older teen from doing so. He’s not.. Surprised. Dazai did ban the other club from coming, and Kyouka had said she didn’t care explicitly to the guy’s face. ... Well, at least she had the sense to not bring her brother, is all Atsushi can think, once the two talk their way in. (He pretends he does not see the bottle of wine pressed into Dazai’s hands from Kouyou, because he’s finally going to be dragged away from Yosano.)
It takes the two a few minutes, but Atsushi is soon pulled away from Yosano once she’s distracted by Kouyou’s appearance at a party she was, originally, banned from. (And he lets Kyouka take a sip of his punch before they both agree to simply pour it down the drain and go find Kenji.) Sure, now he’s had his first ever drink, but he.. really doesn’t care for it? At least, not enough to keep drinking at the moment.
Wait... Does Kenji have a.. chicken?