That is absolutely the last time I ever go to some stupid party. Ugh.

People are disgusting.

All at once, she dropped her gaze; her lips curved in the makings of a bitter smile. She’d never known her knees to be so irrevocably fascinating—she’d never spent much time staring at them before. Why would she have? She’d never been one to avoid confrontation. Never been one to back down from a fight. Never been one to shy away from what was bothering her.

And yet here was a situation which required all three of her. She didn’t know whether to laugh, or to cry. Pathetic, really.

So… She was all alone then, was she? Her mood darkened. Some friends.

She shifted in her seat, so that she was sideways and somewhat nestled against the armrest. Her eyes gleamed dully in the low light. She might’ve gotten up for a drink, if doing so weren’t acknowledgement of what she’d seen.

It was hard not thinking about it. Painful. Her chest constricted tightly in confirmation.

It was with a sullen expression that Tadako Fukazawa stepped up to the porch to down her obligatory glass of alcohol. Scarcely deigning to look Jiro in the eyes, she wordlessly accepted a cup, tilting back her head and all but chugging the noxious liquid. Only a quiet gasp belied her discomfort.

Clutching her handbag closer to her side, she took a hesitant step, and then another. When at last she was convinced that she would not keel over where she stood, she turned and strode briskly inside.

Weaving her way through the sea of people—not a pleasant task, she noted with some distaste—she sought out some corner of the room where she could stand and gather her bearings, unmolested. Unfortunately, such a haven did not exist; everyone was crowded so tightly together that she could feel the breath of another trickling down the back of her neck.

A shudder racked through her body. It wasn’t that she couldn’t tolerate enclosed spaces, but rather… It was getting warm, and a wave of nausea had just settled deep in the pit of her stomach. Fighting back the urge to retch, she elbowed her way to the bathroom. By some stroke of luck, she found it vacant.

Slipping inside, she quickly locked the door behind her. The last thing she needed was someone barging in on her. Bending over the sink, she allowed the water to run a moment before cupping her hands and splashing some on her face. Only too late did she realize that she would have to reapply a good portion of her makeup, but she found that she did not quite care—not in the face of this blissful relief. Rooting around in her purse a moment, she popped a peppermint into her mouth and got to work on making herself presentable. Fortunately, she did not wear much makeup to begin with.

At some point in time, there was a loud bang on the door, followed by a slurred string of curses. She shot herself a sardonic smile in the mirror before opening her mouth and demanding, quite impolitely, that whoever it was go off and find another bathroom. And then she waited an extra five minutes, just to be a bitch.

Realizing that some of the crowd had begun to disperse, either out back or upstairs, she had an easier time of navigating. Her sour expression began at once to slip away when she spied Kaya. In fact, she was unable to keep a grin from her face. It was only when she’d begun to cross the room that she realized her friend was otherwise occupied.

A strange feeling welled up inside her as she watched the other girl stumble off with Takeshi in a drunken haze. It was not that she wasn’t familiar with it. Oh, no. Tadako was quite used to this feeling. That she could feel such a sudden, aching bitterness towards someone like Kaya, though…

Had the other girl even once wondered where she was? Why she hadn’t she waited, for that matter? She’d certainly jetted off right quick.

Forcing down this sudden blaze of fire and brimstone, Tadako sucked in a breath of stale air and did her best to compose herself on the spot. It certainly wouldn’t do to walk around, looking upset. The sleazebags would think her easy prey, and then she’d have to spend her whole evening fending off lewd advances.

To her credit, she was able to force a smile—however menacing—and retreat into the comfort of an armchair. Crossing her legs with care, she leveled the occupants of the room with a haughty stare. Of the lot, there was only one or two whom she recognized. She leaned back in her seat and heaved a long-suffering sigh.

Why exactly was it that she’d come, again?


[I can't be held accountable for discrepencies.]

Oh ho ho ho ho. I just bought the cutest pair of shoes. Ever. Half-price, too.

Fuck. I lost it.

... Shit.

I think I'm over whatever was plaguing me. At least, I can get out of bed now without the world spinning 'round. Still feeling a bit weak, but otherwise I can't complain.

In any case, I've been doing some thinking. About myself, I mean. And... The results weren't very conclusive. Hm.

Mmm... I'm not feeling too great. If my parents hadn't forced me to attend, I think I would have stayed home from school today. Contrary to popular belief, I was not in a bad mood; I was merely trying to keep from spreading germs.

So... Maybe I'll go to that party. Maybe. Not all that fond of getting rip-roaring drunk, but I figure that somebody has to keep Jiro from making an ass out of himself. And... Who knows, it could be fun. It all depends on the date of my match, really. There is absolutely no way I'm jeopardizing my chances.

In any case, Nyamo, I've decided that the two of us have got to go shopping together sometime soon. I must know where you get your shoes. And besides that, it's just so much more fun with two people ♥...