"Your drinks are here, sir. "The young waitress arrived and placed the drinks in front of everyone.
The mood shifted instantly.
As the glasses touched the table, Ichigo and Suzu exchanged a brief gaze.
"Let's start, shall we?" Suzu said to Ichigo, lifting a huge beer glass.
"Don't mind if I do." Ichigo picked up his glass as well.
"Oh, don't leave us behind," Yui said with a smile, as everyone else raised their drinks.
"Here's to the newcomer," Ayaka said.
"CHEERS!"
Glasses clinked together. Laughter and chatter filled the air, wrapping the table in warmth.
For the first time, it truly felt like the beginning of an amazing adult life
After two glasses of beer, Ayaka and Yui were satisfied. They set their glasses down on the table and started eating.
"Hah… that was some nice booze. But I'm done for today," Yui said with a satisfied smile. "Someone has to stay alive to pay the bill."
"Yeah, same here," Ayaka added as she placed her glass down. "I'm not very good with alcohol anyway."
"What? That's it?" Ryo slurred, already on his fifth glass. "Low tolerance and low height, Miss Ayaka."
Ayaka's eye twitched.
The next moment, she smacked Ryo. He collapsed face-first onto the table, still drunk.
"Haha! This moron actually had the audacity to say that to Miss Ayaka's face," Yamada laughed.
Ayaka's gaze slowly shifted to him."…You want some too, brat?"
Yamada coughed. "N–No, Miss Ayaka. Anyway… those two are already on their tenth glass."
"Yeah…" Ayaka sighed. "Where are they even storing that much alcohol?"
Ichigo and Suzu sat across from each other, faces flushed red, desperately trying to keep their bravado intact.
Yui chuckled to herself. Ayaka sighed again.
"Hic— You done yet, Suzu?" Ichigo smirked, clearly overdrunk. "That your limit, huh?"
"Oh?" Suzu scoffed, wobbling slightly. "I was thinking of getting another glass, but it looks like you can't keep up—hic."
They locked eyes.
Neither of them willing to back down. 🍻
"Ugh… we need to stop these drunkards. I don't want to look after them when they start pouring out everything they drank," Ryo said, getting up from his half-dead state.
"What did you say, you chicken butt?" Suzu snapped, completely drunk.
Yamada burst into laughter hearing such language from Miss Suzu."C–chicken what…? Hahaha!"
"Stop it, you moron. It's not that funny," Ryo snapped, his face turning red from embarrassment.
He turned away, only to see Yui and Ayaka struggling to suppress their laughter.
After five more glasses, Yui and Ayaka stopped us from continuing the match, declaring it a draw.
"N–nohhh… mhhh, I can drink more—hic," Ichigo said with a drunken expression.
"It's enough, you moron. You drank way too much. We need to go home now," Ryo scolded.
Suzu stayed quiet, a cigarette in her mouth, while Yui and Ayaka started to pack up.
"Hey, Ichigo… are you a virgin?" Suzu suddenly asked.
Everyone choked and turned to Ichigo, waiting for his answer.
"I would've not been one, if it wasn't for Yui getting in my way whenever I tried to get a girlfriend during college," Ichigo replied bluntly, with no expression.
"B–because of me!? I never asked you to stay single!" Yui exclaimed.
Ryo and Yamada exchanged a glance.
Liar, both thought at the same time.
"Let's go now. Ichigo, drop Suzu home on your way," Ayaka said calmly.
Just as Yui was about to intervene—
"Yeah, yeah. Ichigo, do that. Let's leave now," Ryo barged in and started shooing everyone out… except Suzu and Ichigo.
"Uhh… you're drunk, Ichigo?" Suzu asked, staring at the ceiling.
"Yeah… a bit. Enough to walk and talk at least."
"My home's near our office, but in the opposite direction from here. I don't think I can drive."
Sigh. "No way I was going to let you drive anyway. We'll take a taxi. If we get caught driving drunk—and on top of that, you don't even have a license—ugh… just thinking about it gives me shivers."
Just then, the waitress arrived with the bill.
"Sir, cash or card?"
"Card," Ichigo replied.
"Wait… I was the one hosting this party," Suzu intervened.
"Uh, shut up. It's fine. You can do it next time. It was my welcome party anyway," Ichigo said.
"Alright, fine," Suzu gave up, clearly drunk and exhausted.
After paying, we still sat there for fifteen minutes, not wanting to move due to laziness.
"What's the time?" Suzu asked with a dead, sleepy expression.
"Just look at your wristwatch."
"That's too much of a hassle. There should be a clock behind me—look at that and tell me."
"How do you know there's a clock on the wall behind you?"
"I can see its reflection on the glass behind you."
"Then just see the time too."
"Ughh, I can't see clearly. It's all blurry. I don't have my specs on."
"You have specs?"
"Yeah. Got a problem?"
"No."
"Then just tell me the time."
"Eleven."
"AM or PM?"
"Night."
"Wanna die?"
"…PM."
"Let's leave."
"Alright."
"You get up."
"You get up first."
"Together."
"Alright."
Saying that, Ichigo and Suzu stood up together. We both walked outside, and after a while, got into a taxi.
"Ugh… tell the driver your address," Ichigo said.
"Don't wanna."
"Huh?? Then how am I supposed to drop you off?"
"Just don't drop me, then."
"Please, I beg you," Ichigo said dramatically. "Just tell me your address so I can drop you off and go back home safely."
"…Alright. I'll tell you," Suzu said. "But on one condition."
"Huh… fine. What's the condition?" Ichigo asked, sitting beside her in the back seat, while the driver tolerated our behavior like this was an everyday occurrence.
"Starting now, don't call me Miss Suzu. Call me just Suzune… or Suzu."
"W–what?" Ichigo was taken aback by the request. "S–sure… if you say so, Suzune."
"You chose Suzune, huh?" she muttered. "Everyone calls me Suzu."
"I called you Suzune. That's fine, right?" Ichigo said, his cheeks slightly red—whether from alcohol or something else was unclear. "Now tell us your address."
After that, Suzune gave the driver her address, and the taxi started moving.
"You can be quite a handful sometimes," Ichigo sighed.
"Light it up," Suzu said in a commanding voice.
"Huh? You want me to light up the car?" Ichigo replied calmly.
The driver nearly jumped. "S–sir, please don't light the car!"
"I meant the cigarette, you morons," Suzu snapped at both of them.
"Oh."
Ichigo and the driver said it at the same time.
After fifteen minutes, the taxi slowed to a stop.
A tall apartment building rose before them, its lights scattered across the dark sky like stars. Ichigo paid the driver and stepped out, the night greeting them with a calm, cool breeze. The city was unusually quiet—too quiet. Peaceful.
Suzu clung to his arm, her grip tight and unsteady. She was clearly drunk… and already half asleep.
"H-hey… wake up," Ichigo muttered. "Just walk to your place. I've gotta get home too."
"Mmh…" Suzu murmured, eyes closed. "Let's sleep on the road tonight."
Even Ichigo was too tired to argue.
"…Just tell me the floor."
"Twenty-one."
He sighed. "The hell you live so high up?"
As he started moving, Suzu suddenly tugged him back.
"Hey." She looked up at him, her eyes glassy with alcohol. "Pick me up. Carry me."
"T-that's—" Ichigo scratched his cheek. "Geez… you know you'll make me blush if you say things like that."
She laughed softly. "Would I know?"
With a resigned sigh, Ichigo bent down and lifted her into his arms.
"Uh… am I doing this right?" he asked nervously. "It's my first time holding a girl. Am I… touching somewhere weird?"
Suzu smiled, her cheeks faintly red. "It's my first time being carried too, you know. You'd better take responsibility."
"D-don't say such nonsense like that you moron!" Ichigo choked, laughing awkwardly as he walked toward the elevator.
The lift doors opened with a quiet chime. Inside, a large mirror reflected them clearly—him holding her bridal-style, her arms loosely around his neck.
Both froze.
Their faces heated instantly.
Suzu quickly buried her face against Ichigo's chest to hide her embarrassment.
"Hey," Ichigo scoffed, stepping inside. "Don't act like you are the only one embarrassed here."
He shifted her slightly. "Press your floor. I don't have a third arm."
She reached out and tapped 21.
The ride up felt painfully long. Forty-five seconds of pure silence.
When the doors opened, the city stretched out below them—an open hallway with glass railings, lights glittering far beneath their feet. Suzune had already fallen asleep again.
Ichigo walked until he found a door with a nameplate.
Shimotsuki Suzune.
"…Guess this is it."
He gently shook her. "Hey. We're here. Where is your key acrd"
"Hm… find it yourself, Mr. Genius," she muttered, smirking.
He carefully set her down and and looked under the flower pot, and found the keycard.
Beep.
The door unlocked.
Suzu blinked. "H-huh? How did you—who told you?"
"I just guessed it might be under flowerpot," he replied casually.
She stared at him.
"…Stop looking at me like that. It's your fault for hiding it so obivious."
He stepped inside.
The apartment was spotless. Too spotless. It felt untouched—almost lifeless.
"Do you even live here?" Ichigo asked.
Suzu leaned against the wall. "I do… but I usually stay at the office. Days. Weeks. It's been two weeks since I last came home."
Ichigo let out a quiet sigh.
"No matter how busy you are, take breaks," he said gently. "Now that I'm on the team, I'll cut your workload in half."
Suzu smiled—warm, tired, genuine.
"Looks like I got myself a reliable junior."
Ichigo supported her as they walked toward the bedroom. Just as they reached the bed, Suzune lost her balance—
—and pulled him down with her.
They landed together, the mattress sinking beneath them.
Silence. Only the clock's ticking was hearable.
Their breaths overlapped, she pulled them close.
Ichigo froze.
"…S-Suzune?"
She didn't answer.
"Sleep with me tonight" she smiled softly with drunk face.