AN: Okay so I'm really really sorry for the long ass update but I've been in writers block hell for the longest time. That, and life is kicking my ass as usual. Like the previous chapter, I edited the past chapters so I can get a feel of the fic again as well as make any changes if I needed to. The only major one is that Aquors aren't professors anymore, but TAs. Seems more believable imo, but I do know of professors who are friends with their students (I've actually played LoL with my bro's professor lol). Anyways, I hope this 15k update is enough for now. Sorry if there's any mistakes, but I hope you all enjoy!

By the time Nozomi had arrived at the beach house to help Nico set up, the sun was glowing. The sky was fortunately cloudless, and Nozomi couldn't help but look up and appreciate how pleasing its shade of blue compared to that of the ocean. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and felt the sea breeze blow gently against her. She smiled serenely, loving how tranquil the scenery was.

After all, it was the calm before the storm.

"Nozomi, I need to use the restroom so I'll go ahead." Eli spoke up from beside her and Nozomi opened her eyes, looking at another beautiful embodiment of blue. Warmth seeped into her heart at how soft they were and she couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Alright." Nozomi responded after a moment, blushing lightly when she caught herself staring. Eli said nothing and just shot her a knowing smile, leaning in to kiss her cheek before walking away.

Nozomi watched her leave, her eyes glued to her outfit. It was a fox costume Nico had designed for Eli since Eli (and Maki) hated dressing up for Halloween. It was simple but cute: a white fur shirt, blue skirt, hat with ears, and tail attached to the back. The getup made Eli a bit embarrassed because she wasn't used to wearing such clothes, but Nico had guilt tripped her into wearing it, telling her that she spent several months working on it (well, Nozomi found out that it only took her a month, but Eli didn't need to know that) and that she should have some holiday spirit, especially after midterms.

On the other hand, Nozomi was wearing a modified shrine maiden costume. The robes weren't as long as a typical shrine maiden outfit, but that was expected from a college student. Halloween was more about showing off rather than sticking to the traditional concept of horror, especially when it came to college students.

According to Nico, there wasn't much for Nozomi to do other than set up decorations, but she still wanted to help out because she wanted to make sure her plans would succeed. Unfortunately, she couldn't add any of her own decorations because of Nico's vehement protests. Something about not wanting drunk people to shit themselves or puke all over the place. It was a shame, especially because Halloween was Nozomi's favorite holiday.

'Maybe we can decorate the outside. It's not like anyone would be paying attention inside.' Nozomi thought with a hum. 'And I still need to talk to a couple of people about Nicocchi and Maki-chan. Hm...'

Too immersed with her thoughts about certain plans, Nozomi failed to hear someone walking behind her.

"Well, if it isn't Captain Nozomi." an amiable voice spoke up from behind and Nozomi turned around.

It was Watanabe You, one of the more sociable and popular TAs in the university. She was in charge of the discussions and workshops that dealt with fashion majors, which only exemplified her popularity because of how all the girls would talk about her. She was also ridiculously charismatic and her outfits were always on point, and it made Nozomi wonder how she could stay sane with all the work she had to do.

Nozomi almost forgot that You was going to be at the party. Nico told her that she wouldn't have been able to throw a party at her beach house if she couldn't watch over. Her reasons were understandable, considering how Nico almost burned a house down the last time she threw one.

"Ohayousoro!" You greeted with an enthusiastic grin and Nozomi returned the smile.

"Ohayousoro, Watanabe-senpai!" Nozomi greeted back and You walked over, punching her shoulder gently.

"It's You-senpai to you. And here I thought we were close." You said with a playful smile and Nozomi laughed.

"Right, You-senpai. Is that your costume though?" Nozomi asked amusedly, looking at her choice of clothing. She was wearing black short shorts, a red and white letterman jacket with a white t-shirt, and a hat that had the word "You" on it. Despite how much it made Nozomi cringe, it made You look like a freshman in college. That, and it reminded Nozomi of someone who wouldn't stop annoying Maki.

"I was trying to look like Shiro, that one frat boy from the science department. That kid has the fashion sense of a horny teenager. What are they called again? Fuck boys?" You responded with a small smile and Nozomi laughed hard, making You's grin widen as she straightened her jacket. "So I'm guessing this is passable?" You asked with a well practiced sleazy smirk, giving Nozomi a horrible wink while leaning back and shoving her hands into her pockets.

"You look exactly like him, You-senpai!" Nozomi exclaimed, laughing at her antics. She knew Maki would hate her outfit more than anything else.

Wait. Maybe she could make something out of this. Hm...

Nozomi decided that she'll think about it later. If she were to directly use You in her plans, then she would need to revise them. With a mysterious smile, Nozomi asked, "What's up with that hat though?"

"This thing?" You reiterated as she looked up before taking it off and waving it around. She didn't seem to mind Nozomi's smile, most likely because she was used to it already. She'd seen the same expression on her best friend's face many times before, after all. "Whenever I make something, I like to put my name on it."

"Is it a designer thing?" Nozomi asked and You nodded with a proud smile as she put it back on. With a whistle, Nozomi continued, "This place is huge, You-senpai. How'd you afford all of this?"

The area was secluded enough to hold a party without annoying the neighbors, but it wasn't too far from somewhere if something were to happen. Everything was also ridiculously big. The beach house looked more like a mini-mansion and it even had its own parking lot. There was also a small port with a boat next to it, making Nozomi wonder how a grad student could make enough money to buy all of it.

"Well, I am a designer. I sell a lot of stuff online and it's usually sold out pretty quick. This university's the only one that allows for TAs in almost every major and even though it doesn't pay much, it helps spread my name around." You replied with another proud smile. However, her expression became uneasy and Nozomi looked at her curiously. With a hesitant smile, she continued, "Mari also helped pay for it as long as I gave her a set of keys and let her do whatever she wanted here."

Nozomi raised her eyebrow at that and You shrugged, "I get the place cleaned every week so don't worry. But I don't think I want to know what she does here though."

"Ohara-senpai seems more like the type who would have her own beach house. Ah, but I wonder why she's in grad school and not taking over her family's business." Nozomi mused out loud, knowing that Mari was wealthy and had a lot of influence in the business world, much like how Maki was.

"She's a daddy's girl and convinced the old man that having a masters would look good, but all she really wanted to do was bother Kanan and Dia even though being a grad student is ridiculously tough." You replied with a laugh as if she herself wasn't a grad student before ushering Nozomi towards the beach house, "Enough talk. Let's go set up now."

"Yes, yes." Nozomi said with a giggle and the two walked in.

The lights were all set up and there was some decorations set up already, although Nozomi wondered why they would put some in the living room when no one would be paying attention. They had to at least put them in the rooms upstairs—that's where the real fun started, after all.

You led Nozomi to the kitchen and she immediately recognized Nico, who was dressed up in a rather revealing devil outfit and mixing some drinks with Mari and Kanan. Both were also TAs at the university and were also as popular as You, especially because they were some of the friendlier TAs.

Nozomi immediately connected the pieces and silently grinned. Well, this was an unexpected but welcome surprise. They would prove useful for Nozomi's plans, especially if they were going to help You out. Another set of eyes would be extremely beneficial.

Nozomi initially thought it was weird how some of the TAs tended to establish a friendly relationship with students, especially at such a large university as theirs. She thought that there would be too many faces and names to remember and that the amount of work they had to deal with would be too much, but in the end she realized that it was just how they were. They seemed to possess a natural intellect and were probably experts at time management. Nozomi herself would know, considering all the times Mari had invited her out to gossip about some students.

"Don't worry about it, Nico! You're a pretty bomber head so you'll be fine." Mari exclaimed and Nico stopped pouring to look at her weirdly. Nozomi tried to refrain from laughing; Mari was probably one of Nozomi's favorite TAs even though she's never had her for a class. She met her through some mutual friends and she easily got along with her. Nico claimed that it was because of their shared tendencies to grope their friends, but it was really more than that. Really.

"Isn't that, like, sorta sexual harassment right there?" Nico asked Kanan, who just shrugged and kept pouring.

"You get used to it after a while. She doesn't mean any real harm." Kanan replied and Mari pouted. She put down a bottle and tried to move closer to Kanan but she glared at her, "Touch my breasts and you'll be knocked out long enough to miss the party."

Mari just flashed a peace sign and exclaimed, "It's joke!" before returning to what she was doing earlier.

"Aren't you like, supposed to be in a relationship or something by now?" Nico grumbled and Mari just giggled.

"Who's to say I'm not?" Mari answered with a wink and Kanan rolled her eyes.

"She's lying." Kanan said before whacking Mari on the head, "Don't make up any rumors."

"But that question was also directed towards you." Nico replied with a smirk and Kanan blushed lightly.

"That's my business, not yours."

"Sure, sure…"

"Ohayousoro! Nozomi's here." You greeted and the three stopped pouring simultaneously, making Nozomi giggle.

"Hello!" Mari greeted back in English while Kanan and Nico just waved at her.

"Hey you three." Nozomi said with a smile. "Need any help?"

"Yeah, just some decorations left." Kanan replied and looked around, "Is Eli not back from the bathroom yet?"

"She has been gone for a while." Nico commented before snickering, "What if she saw one of the decorations and fainted. That'd be—"

"—an extremely rare occasion. You know I'm hard to faze, Nico." Eli finished with a pointed look as she entered the living room. Nico stuck her tongue out at her and started grumbling about the dark but Eli ignored her, walking over to Nozomi and kissing her on the lips. She was surprisingly okay with PDA and initiating contact, not that Nozomi was complaining. "Hey."

"Hey to you." Nozomi greeted with a small smile before leaning in again to kiss her. When she pulled away, she briefly heard Nico's gags.

"Get a room." Nico said with a disgusted look and Nozomi laughed.

"It's only been a week, Nicocchi. What would you expect to happen?"

"Lots of things since this is coming from the person who squeezes boobs as a form of punishment. Who knows what kind of kinky shit you're into."

"Alright you two, settle down." Eli intervened with a stern look before putting an arm around Nozomi. She looked at the various containers, boxes of beer, and beer kegs and whistled, "That's a lot of alcohol."

"What's a better way to enjoy the end of midterms than overloading alcohol? I'm joking, it's only because of you all. Knowing how popular you are, it's bound to get crowded." You said, putting an arm around Kanan and winking, "But as far as anyone knows, we're all just a bunch of adults having fun. School is a subject that will not be discussed." You laughed but seemed to remember something and frowned. She continued, "Oh, but if I see anyone doing drugs I'm kicking them out. I heard what happens in the frat parties up the north side."

"Maybe you shouldn't have had this place built here since some of the fraternities and sororities are within driving distance, although I think they would know better than to bring drugs here." Kanan brought up as she leaned into You, humming thoughtfully, "I thought students would be uncomfortable with us since we're basically their teachers, just younger."

"Maybe they're into some teacher roleplay kinda thing." Mari commented with a wink and laughed when Kanan shook her head, obviously appalled at the statement.

"First of all, I'm not interested. Second of all, I've got too much shit to do." Kanan responded uneasily and Mari laughed again, as if she expected that response.

"Will you be drinking tonight?" Nozomi asked and Kanan shrugged lightly.

"I won't drink too much. Since I lost a bet with You, I have to play chaperone and make sure no one gets alcohol poisoning and the like." Kanan answered with a frown as she remembered her duties. She shrugged You's arm off and You snickered.

"Don't act as if you hate it. You know I can't drink too much either. I'm technically sharing the host role with Nico here." You said as she patted Nico's head, making Nico glare at her, "Oh come on, you're my favorite student."

"Doesn't give you the right to pet my head like some kid." Nico grumbled and Nozomi snickered, "Shut up, tits."

"Yes, yes." Nozomi replied with an amused grin, "Will any of the other TAs come?"

"I doubt Ruby and Hanamaru would come. Chika's got a lot of work to do and Riko said she was too tired to go out." Kanan said nonchalantly as she threw some bottles in the recycling bin nearby, "I know Dia is coming to make sure things don't get too overboard. Yoshiko said she's coming, which isn't surprising because she's actually diligent with her work, but she'll probably get wasted."

"She gets tipsy pretty easily, so someone needs to keep an eye out for her unless you want there to be a scandal of some sort." Mari piped in with a wink, making Kanan roll her eyes.

"She already does weird things at school. What's the worst she could do here?" Kanan asked, making You laugh.

"I don't think we want to find out. But yeah, we'll keep an eye on Yohane, got it." You reiterated before looking at Nozomi and Eli, winking as she said, "You two go put the rest of the decorations up. If you do anything in the rooms, just clean it up."

Eli blushed at her implications and Nozomi laughed. On the other hand, Nico made another disgusted face.

"Don't encourage them. I don't want to wake up to those two fucking around at home." Nico seethed and You grinned widely.

"You're just jealous cause you can't do the same with Maki. Don't worry, by the end of tonight, you two will be together." You replied mischievously as she shot Nozomi a poorly hidden wink, making Nozomi grin widely.

"Oh hell no. What are you and tits planning?" Nico asked and Kanan laughed nervously. "What the hell? You're in on this too?"

"Don't forget me!" Mari piped in and Nico groaned. She went to the side of the counter and got one of the disposable shot cups. She filled it up and took a drink, coughing immediately after.

"I can't do this shit sober." Nico grumbled as she coughed, "Need more coke in this one."

"Alright!" Mari exclaimed in English and Nozomi laughed.

"We'll be going now." Nozomi announced as she took Eli's hand and walked over to a box in the living room, which contained some fake webs, bats, tombstones, and electronically lit pumpkins. When Nozomi looked around, she saw that there was enough fake webs and decided that outside could use some decorations as well. "C'mon Elichi. Let's put some of these outside."

"Alright." Eli replied as she let go of her hand so she could pick up the box. The two left and put some of the fake spider web on the railing. They placed some of the bats hanging around and put some tombstones and pumpkins in the sand. When they were done, Nozomi stood back a little with a proud grin, looking at the house with satisfaction.

"That's the best we could do with these decorations." Nozomi said as Eli walked up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Only because of you." Eli whispered into her ear, making Nozomi giggle and smile, "You're so cute when you do that."

"Do what?" Nozomi asked playfully and Eli smiled.

"When you smile like that. It makes my heart race." Eli mumbled as she kissed Nozomi's neck. Nozomi giggled again before distancing herself from Eli, laughing fully when she saw the pout on her face.

Eli had become a lot more affectionate and clingy since they had started dating, especially because they spent most of their time studying together. By studying, Nozomi meant actual studying, although they did spend some time cuddling and talking about each other (and maybe some kissing) whenever one of them got too tired. It was still pretty easy to tease Eli though, especially because she was as cliche as a shitty romance novel.

Nozomi didn't mind the change at all. It was nice to see someone who was usually frowning say romantic things and blush. Rin was right; Eli really was just a big softie under her calm, intimidating demeanor, much like Umi and Maki.

"You know, I could do without the cheesiness." Nozomi brought up but Eli just smiled warmly.

"But it's the truth." Eli replied as she leaned in close enough to graze her lips against Nozomi's. She leaned her forehead against hers and mumbled against her lips, placing her hands on her waist and squeezing them lightly, "If only I asked you out when I realized how I felt about you."

"We're together now and that's all that matters." Nozomi murmured, deciding not to tease Eli about her cheesiness again before pressing her lips against Eli's.

"Go get it girl!" Mari interrupted with a shrill cheer, making Nozomi break apart from Eli and laugh. Eli just blushed and avoided eye contact.

"Is everything set up inside?" Nozomi asked as she held Eli's hand and walked over to Mari.

"Yes. The candy and snacks are all ready. We even made some Jell-O shots! Oh, and the lights for outside are set up as well." Mari exclaimed excitedly, making Nozomi giggle.

"We need to make sure no one gets into the water. I don't want any lawsuits or search parties on our hands." Kanan said as she opened the door and stood next to Mari, "It's a Halloween party, but drunk people do the stupidest things."

"But swimming is fun!" Mari bit back and Kanan laughed softly.

"Don't mind her; she just hasn't been in a party in a while." Kanan replied with a small smile, nudging Mari with her hip, "Remember back when we partied like crazy?"

"Remember? I'm gonna relive them!" Mari responded with a laugh but Kanan blushed lightly, shaking her head.

"Just don't do anything scandalous with the students." Kanan said and Mari giggled.

"Don't act as if you don't remember what happened back then." Mari whispered as she moved closer to Kanan, who blushed more at the sudden proximity. Kanan rolled her eyes and pushed her away.

"T-That happened l-like once. Anyways, we've got a couple hours to waste. You two want anything to eat?" Kanan responded as she changed the subject and looked at Nozomi and Eli, ignoring Mari in the process.

Nozomi blinked at their antics before inwardly shaking her head and looking at Eli, who shrugged. With a smile, Nozomi nodded and said, "Sure. Better to drink with a full stomach than an empty one."

"We can talk over what's going to happen tonight as well." Mari added mischievously and Nozomi grinned.

Tonight was going to be one of the best nights Nico and Maki would ever have.

The party was in full swing by the time the clock struck 7, which was very early considering how parties usually started later. Despite this, there seemed to be no shortage of people despite how huge the place was. Nozomi knew that it mostly because of Nico's popularity as a party girl and that her parties were lit (sometimes literally), but the fact that Nozomi and the rest of the group were going was a part as well. She only hoped that Eli, Umi, and Maki's reputations would save them from drunken flirts, knowing from firsthand experience how annoying they could be.

Well, Umi didn't need her reputation. Not with Kotori by her side.

"Shouldn't you be with Eli?" Umi asked and Nozomi giggled. She was wearing a rather dashing prince costume, one that made all the girls turn their heads only to look away because of the princess attached onto her arm. As Nozomi looked closer at the outfits, she could tell that they were well-made. Both costumes seemed to look comfortable despite the exquisite design, especially Kotori's. Nozomi knew she had nice legs, but damn, she had nice legs.

Kotori smiled amusedly as she gave Umi a peck on the cheek. She pulled her closer so she could say, "Don't worry about them, Umi-chan. Why don't we go get a couple of drinks?"

Nozomi laughed at how red Umi became and winked at the two, "Don't have too much fun now!"

"You know we will!" Kotori called back as she led Umi to the kitchen. She held up her free hand discreetly to show Nozomi a set of keys, presumably for one of the rooms upstairs.

Nozomi cheered for her once more before laughing again. She looked around the living room and sat down on one of the free couches, mildly amused at all the people talking, drinking, and dancing to the loud, catchy music. She was surprised that no one tried to flirt with her yet, but she guessed that it was because no one wanted to deal with Eli's wrath and that it was too early for drunken flirts. She took a sip of her margarita and sighed, enjoying the buzz she was getting. Mari really knew how to make a cocktail.

"Nozomi-chan!" Nozomi turned around and grinned at the familiar face.

"Hey Ushio-chan! Nice outfit." Nozomi remarked and Ushio giggled, twirling around to give her a full view of her witch costume, "Where's your cute girlfriend? I thought you were supposed to introduce her to me."

"Cute? Is that what you've been calling me?" A voice asked from behind Ushio, who turned around to give the person a kiss on the cheek.

"But it's true! Sumiko-chan is the cutest!" Ushio gushed without hesitation and Sumiko blushed.

"Mou, Ushio, you're embarrassing me." Sumiko said, averting her eyes as both Nozomi and Ushio laughed.

"Well she is cute." Nozomi commented, looking at how flustered Sumiko was. Sure she was tall and seemed more like the cool type, but seeing how embarrassed she got was adorable. Kind of like how Umi would get. Scratch that. Exactly like how Umi would get. The similarities were...uncanny. "You've always had a good eye, Ushio-chan."

"Of course! I'm into cute girls after all." Ushio responded, sending Nozomi a wink as Sumiko blushed even more.

"Mou, you two..." Sumiko could only respond lamely, making Ushio giggle. She took the cup of beer in Sumiko's hand and drank it before pulling Sumiko down so she could sit next to her.

"I thought you'd be used to this by now." Ushio commented and it seemed like the blush on Sumiko's cheeks would be permanent by the way things were going.

Sumiko sighed and drank the other cup in her hand, "I wish I could get used to it."

"You two are adorable. It sort of reminds me of Kotori and Umi." Nozomi brought up with a cheeky grin and Ushio gasped.

"They were dressed up as a princess and prince, right?" Ushio asked and Nozomi nodded, giggling at how there seemed to be stars in her eyes, "Wow, those costumes were so pretty. And they were so pretty." When she saw the frown on Sumiko's face, she continued, "But Sumiko-chan is the prettiest girl in the world!"

Nozomi silently snickered at Sumiko's flushed face. Those two were almost exactly like Umi and Kotori. Their personalities, physique, and way of thinking were almost similar. A burst of cheers interrupted her train of thought and she looked over to where it came from.

'The kitchen? Weird.' Nozomi noted before turning her attention back to the couple next to her. Ushio began to fill her in about how she and Sumiko met and Nozomi listened attentively, genuinely interested. Whenever she came across Ushio on campus, she would always tell her about how amazing her girlfriend was and Nozomi wanted to meet her ever since. When Ushio finished, Nozomi couldn't help but laugh at Sumiko.

"You really do remind me of Umi-chan." Nozomi remarked with a giggle and Sumiko blushed. It was true; the two were athletic, intimidating, and ridiculously dense. However, before she could say anything more, Ushio got a text.

"Oh, Kiyori-chan is here! Let's go greet her, it's been so long!" Ushio exclaimed. She turned around to give Nozomi a hug, "I'll talk to you some other time, Nozomi-chan."

"Of course! Text me anytime." Nozomi responded with a wide grin. She waved at the two as they left before drinking the rest of her margarita. When they were gone, she sighed with content. It was always fun to hear other people's love stories, especially if they were embarrassing.

'Does that make me a sadist?' Nozomi thought contemplatively. 'I do like to tease Eli a lot. Seeing her squirm is amusing, to say the least.'

Nozomi held in a laugh at the newfound knowledge she just discovered. Well, this only made her more excited for the future.

"Hey, Nozomi!" Someone called out and Nozomi stopped sipping mid-drink. Only a minute had passed and someone else wanted her attention. Well, it was a party and Nozomi did know most of the people so she should've expected this type of fast paced conversation. She turned her head at the person calling out at her and smiled when she saw You plop down next to her.

"How are the seas, Captain?" Nozomi asked and You laughed, recognizing the double meaning.

"Thankfully empty. Kanan's taking care of it and Mari is guarding the kitchen so I don't have to worry about alcohol poisoning. But I'm surprised to see you alone; I thought Eli would be all over you by now." You brought up playfully and Nozomi giggled.

"She's outside talking to her little sister on the phone. She told me it was nothing serious though." Nozomi said and You nodded with understanding, "How's everything going on your end?"

"Good. Everyone knows that I'm not allowing any sleepovers and most of the people here used a taxi or have a designated driver so I don't have to worry about any DUIs." You answered, waving at a student who called out to her. The girl blushed before chatting with her group of friends once more.

"Still as popular as ever." Nozomi commented amusedly and You shrugged.

"It's been like this ever since I was a kid." You confessed with an embarrassed smile. Before she could continue, she got a text message. "Ah, Dia is here."

"Is she dressing up too?" Nozomi asked, recalling how Kanan and Mari didn't have a costume. Instead, they were wearing casual clothes, although not as casual as You's. You's outfit made her giggle whenever she thought about it.

"Dia? Nah, not her thing." You replied and was about to continue when something caught her eye. With a grin, she nudged Nozomi and pointed across the room, "Kotori and Umi seem to be having fun."

In the middle of the living room was what Mari dubbed the "Lap Dance Chair". Umi was currently occupying it, her face extremely red despite the darkness of the room. On the other hand, Kotori was delightfully giving her a sensual dance. Her face was flushed and Nozomi knew that it was the alcohol's doing; she probably took too many shots at once.

Nozomi watched with a snicker as Kotori strutted slowly around Umi. When she was in front of her, she trailed her finger from her forehead down to her nose then stopped at her lips. She then brought her fingers down to her chin and forced Umi to look up at her, smiling teasingly as she gave her a wink. She started dancing sexily, turning around so she could give Umi front seat tickets to Assville.

If Nozomi didn't have a girlfriend herself, then she definitely would have wanted to get in on it because let's be honest, Kotori seems innocent but there's something about her that states otherwise. And Nozomi's always loved mysteries.

"You should probably deal with those two before they do something they'll regret." You advised with a loud laugh but stopped abruptly, gasping as she realized something, "Shit, I forgot I came here to look for Yohane. Dia's supposed to help me keep some order in here but she barely—"

"Hey guys, Yohane-senpai is gonna jump into the ocean using a glider she made!" A random guy exclaimed and a crowd of people cheered, rushing out to follow him.

Nozomi laughed at how wide You's eyes widened and nudged her, "You still got some work to do, Captain."

"You got that right." You said with a sigh as she got up and downed one of Nozomi's shots, which was conveniently placed on the table next to her, "I'll be taking this, if you don't mind. Text or call me when it's time for Nico and Maki, will you?"

"Of course." Nozomi replied, humming with amusement when another student called out to You, "Where is Nicocchi though?"

"Probably in the other room playing beer pong. I gotta go now though." You answered with an uneasy smile as she waved to the student before running off. Immediately after, Nozomi heard loud cheers and directed her eyes to the middle of the room again. She burst out in laughter when she saw Kotori straddling Umi and kissing her. She could literally see Umi's resolve cracking as the seconds passed by; it was obvious from the way her hands had an iron grip on Kotori's hips. Whether if it was because she wanted to do more or if she held onto her in order to stop Kotori from doing more, Nozomi didn't know. However, before things could get too intense, Dia came in and pulled them apart.

"Alright, I'm sure neither of you would intentionally give a free show. Get a room, will you?" Dia intervened but Kotori only giggled, wrapping her arms around her prince and kissing her neck. The people around them blinked and shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to do because one of the stricter TAs was present. Dia raised an eyebrow at them and sighed. She rolled her eyes and continued with a smile, "You gotta give the others a turn after all."

Everyone cheered and drank at that and when Dia chugged a beer, they cheered even more. Soon enough, the chair was occupied and the lap dances started once again. Nozomi saw Umi take Kotori towards the kitchen, most likely for water considering how Kotori was practically attached to her. Nozomi wondered what happened that got Kotori so drunk before shrugging and checking her phone for the time.

A roar of laughter caught Nozomi's attention and she shifted her eyes towards one of the couches on the side. She raised her eyebrow at the crowd of people surrounding it and walked there, carefully carrying a shot cup in her hand. When she got there, the people started laughing again and Nozomi understood why within seconds.

"And then she ran straight into the tape! She looked like a complete idiot and she got so angry at me but it was worth it!" Honoka exclaimed and the people around her bursted into laughter. However, one of the guys protested.

"No way! Umi has, like, eagle vision or something. She caught me staring at Kotori's ass from the other side of the cafeteria."

"That's because you're too obvious when you stare, Joji." Honoka commented as she rolled her eyes before continuing, "Oh, and please don't stare at Kotori-chan's ass. I mean, I know she's easy on the eyes, but it's weird when you mention it to me."

"What's going on here?" Nozomi asked with an amused grin once she was finally able to wedge her way through to Honoka. Honoka immediately brightened up and jumped off of the couch to give her a tight hug. Nozomi held her hands up, making sure she didn't spill her drink. The crowd around her nodded approvingly.

"Nozomi-chan!" Honoka said with a devious smile and Nozomi giggled, knowing that expression all too well, "We're just talking about that one prank I pulled on Umi-chan a couple weeks ago."

"Ah, the classic tape prank." Nozomi remarked and waved her free hand to Tsubasa, who was sitting on the couch with a red cup in her hand, "Hey Tsubasa-chan. Looking good as usual."

"Hey Nozomi. The same applies to you." Tsubasa responded with a polite smile and Nozomi made a move to sit next to her while Honoka sat on her other side, "Honoka was just talking about past pranks and such."

"Some were Nozomi-chan's idea!" Honoka added with a grin, "Speaking of which, isn't something supposed to be happening tonight?"

Nozomi laughed at how the crowd became excited, "It's nothing special, really."

"Hey Honoka!" someone called and the three looked at him. He smiled uneasily and continued, "Sora just challenged you to a drinking contest."

"Hell yeah!" Honoka cheered as she abruptly stood up. She grabbed Tsubasa's hand but before she dragged her away, she grinned mischievously and said, "Don't have too much fun, Nozomi-chan!"

Once she left, the group of people started to disperse, some to follow Honoka and others to wander off. Some stayed behind to make small talk with Nozomi and the topic drifted from pranks to advice. Within minutes, she had two girls drunkenly crying on her shoulder, saying something about their crushes and how they would never fall for them. With an amused smile, she comforted them (with her handy tarot cards, of course) and made sure their friends came by to take care of them.

After comforting about four different people and reaching her third shot, Nozomi excused herself to go to the kitchen and drink some water, waving at Mari in the process. She raised an eyebrow at a person passed out against the wall with his friends around him and checked her phone, which indicated that it was nearing 8:30. She briefly wondered what was taking Eli so long before shrugging it off, knowing that she didn't have any reasons to not trust her.

Deciding that she had enough of the stuffy atmosphere, Nozomi went outside to see what the people were doing there and relax. Feeling the sea breeze was one of her favorite pastimes, and she had always gotten in trouble for staying out late because of that.

When she went outside, there was a line of beer kegs as well as a bunch of chairs and tables with people lounging around, smoking, and making small talk, making Nozomi briefly wonder why Nico would hold the party at a beach house. Sure it's fun because of the beach, but people were wearing costumes so they wouldn't probably be swimming. Well, the house itself was huge and it wasn't too far away from the other parties for those who party hopped, so Nozomi guessed that it wasn't too bad of an idea. Plus it was You's place. Nozomi knew a good amount of people who had a thing for her.

"I've been seeing you way too often. And without your girlfriend too." A somewhat deep voice called out and Nozomi turned around, about to reject the guy but paused. She tried to refrain from laughing but the giggles came out regardless.

It was You again, practicing her interpretation of Shiro. Her hat was at a 45° angle, her hands were shoved into her pockets, and her lips were pulled into another sleazy smirk. Nozomi just rolled her eyes, knowing that You was playing around.

"Where's Yohane-senpai? Shouldn't you be taking care of her?" Nozomi asked, changing the subject effectively as You laughed uneasily. She took her hat off to sheepishly rub the back of her head.

"Actually, she's—"

"—You-chan! C'mere, baby. Lemme touch. Mhm." Yohane slurred as she appeared out of nowhere, arms wrapped around You's neck. She tried moving them downwards but You grabbed them, making her giggle, "C'mon. Jus lil' bit, sexy. Puhfect. Puhfect lil minion f-for dis fallen angel."

"You think everyone is sexy when you're drunk, Yohane." You said with a sigh and tried to pull Yohane off of her when she started kissing on her neck, "Watch your mouth. You'll make someone angry."

"Who cares bout Dia? I can, I can do what I want."

Nozomi blinked at the TAs before her, not knowing how to react. Usually they kept some degree of their professionalism, no matter how small. But now, the scene before her was void of any of that, making Nozomi wonder if their workload was taking its toll on them after all. It was only when Kanan came by that You was saved.

"Now, Yoshiko, calm down—" Nozomi raised her eyebrow at that, wondering why she introduced herself as Yohane when her real name was Yoshiko. She guessed she would ask You later.

"—Ooh, Kanan is here! Mhm, so smexy!"

Or so Nozomi thought. Kanan just rolled her eyes as Yohane clung to both her and You's arms, obviously feeling them.

"Do you want to take her to one of the rooms?" Kanan asked and You shook her head, a blush on her face.

"She's already kissed me like three times. It's your turn now." You protested and Kanan raised her eyebrow.

"I know. I saw. You clearly enjoyed it." Kanan responded with a knowing look and You blushed.

"I-I did not! She's just, you know, great at kissing." You replied with embarrassment and Kanan chuckled lightly, taking her hat off to ruffle her hair.

"Yes, yes. We've all been kissed by Yoshiko at some point. I'll take her then." Kanan said before leaving, Yohane giggling drunkenly all the while.

"C-Call me later, l-little demon~"

"Well, that's done and over now." You responded with a sigh, the blush still on her face.

"Why does she call herself Yohane? And does she usually get like that when drunk often?" Nozomi asked curiously and You laughed uneasily.

"Yohane has this weird persona thing and I just like to indulge her a bit. And as for drinking, she's always been like that. She seems like the last person to get affectionate but she does. Unfortunately, it's when she's drunk and as you can see, she gets a bit extreme." You responded casually but Nozomi still caught the blush on her face. She then changed the subject, "Where's your girlfriend?"

"She should be back by now, but she hasn't texted me." Nozomi replied, slightly concerned. Shaking her head as well as her worries, she continued with a small giggle, "She's probably looking for me. The place is big after all."

"That's true. Well, I don't want to hold you anymore. Maki should be arriving soon and I'm sure there's some guests I have to greet." You said as she looked at her watch. She patted Nozomi's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile before leaving.

Nozomi decided then that she would go back inside and set her plans in motion. She walked over to one of the rooms where the beer pong game was going on, grabbing a shot along the way. She walked in just in time to see Nico win third game; Nozomi knew because of all the spectators cheering "Three in a row!".

"Hah! You owe Nico-Nii $20 now!" Nico exclaimed, a small blush apparent on her cheeks. The guy across from her groaned and pulled some money out of his pocket.

"Only got like, uh, $3 on me." He replied somberly and Nico pouted.

"Why would you bet that much if you don't got the cash?"

"Well, it's just, uh, that you're, uh, small—"

"—yeah, yeah. I'm short so I get drunk easily. Heard that before." Nico waved him off, walking over to get the money from him, "You owe me $17, Arai. Don't forget to drink some water and chill a bit before going to Ryuji's party."

"Yeah, yeah." Arai waved goodbye before stumbling off to his laughing friends, and Nozomi decided then to show herself.

"Won another beer pong game Nicocchi?" Nozomi asked with a grin as she walked over and put an arm around Nico, who just rolled her eyes. "I don't understand how you can drink that. It tastes like crap."

"It's an acquired taste." Nico replied wisely, making Nozomi giggle.

"I think you mean 'I only like it because I was socially pressured to drink it and now it's not so bad'?" Nozomi teased and Nico rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Where's the tall idiot? Thought she'd be all over you by now." Nico said, changing the subject as she checked her phone for the time.

"That's not important here, Nicocchi." Nozomi said with a knowing smile.

"Tch, since when was that big, dumb oaf not important to you?" Nico asked as she rolled her eyes. She then turned around and squished Nozomi's cheeks, "You better be careful now."

"Why's that, Nicocchi?" Nozomi asked amusedly and Nico let go of her cheeks, rolling her eyes again.

"You think you know Eli, but you don't. She misunderstands. Easily." Nico vaguely stated, making Nozomi blink, "Don't come crying to me when the two of you fight over some stupid shit."

"What's this about?"

"I knew having some TAs here would start some rumors, but shit spreads like wildfire. Please, keep your hands to yourself." Nico said, drinking water in between her sentences. Nozomi looked at her and laughed loudly once she connected all the pieces.

"Oh, please. You've got it all wrong."

"I know. Make sure blondie gets it too."

"Well, I've heard enough about me. Now, about you." Nozomi changed the subject with a wide grin and Nico groaned, "Aw, don't be like that. It's not as bad as it seems."

"That's what you always say, but it almost always ends up being worse than I think. Why don't you just let me have my fun in peace?"

"You know, if you wanted to party so hard, you should've joined one of the sororities."

"Do I look like I got 'slut' written on my forehead."

"Nicocchi, that's rude."

"Right. Sorry. I meant that I have standards."

"Well," Nozomi started, pausing when she felt her phone vibrate. She then took a shot of something that tasted more like rubbing alcohol and winced before continuing, "what if we started one?"

Nico paused and then looked at her as if a light bulb went off. She groaned and sat down on one of the chairs, putting her hands over her face.

"Why did I not think of that earlier?"

"Because all of that alcohol messed up your brain."

"As if you're any better, tits."

"Woah, is Nico already done for the night?" One of the guys asked when he saw Nico's slumped figure and Nico stood up. Nozomi laughed; any sign of Nico showing weakness was always immediately noticed during parties. It sure sucked to be popular. Well, she was also the host and she wouldn't be a good one if she got trashed.

"What the hell are you talking about? We're just getting started! If your costumes don't get fucked up by the end of tonight, then feel free to sue me!" Nico responded loudly. She turned around, took a beer, and chugged it, making everyone cheer and laugh. Nozomi giggled with amusement, choosing only to pour herself some water. What a declaration Nico just made. "We'll talk later, tits."

"I'm not sure about that." Nozomi replied with a grin, although it was unheard by Nico's ears.

Nico went somewhere and soon after, the music changed. It sounded like raunchy ghetto music where people grinded on each other rather than danced, but it wasn't like people actually danced anyways. Well, Nozomi was glad that You was a good samaritan and made sure every room had more than enough supplies for "unexpected fun".

Nozomi walked over to the living room and looked around, looking for Eli. With a thoughtful hum and an unsuccessful search, she grabbed a tray of shots, courtesy of Mari, and walked over to one of the couches. While she checked her phone for any new messages, she couldn't help but overhear a conversation some guys were having nearby.

"Dude, she's like, so damn thicc."

"Yeah bro, she's thick as fuck."

"Nah, bro, you gotta say it right: thicc."

"I am, you shit head: thick."

"Nah, you ain't saying it right: thicc."

"Oh! I got it: thicc."

The group of somewhat drunk guys cheered and Nozomi couldn't help but laugh herself. Is that really what all guys talked about?

"Yeah, but like, I heard Nozomi was on the volleyball team in high school."

"Yeah, dude. You see her bod?"

"Yeah, bro. Volleyball girls got dat ass though."

While Nozomi was used to guys talking about her like that, it didn't mean that she was comfortable with it. She got up and was about to slap the person who said it in the face, but someone beat her to it.

"Don't talk about Nozomi-chan like that, nya!" Rin exclaimed angrily as she pushed one of the guys. She was about to go further but Hanayo held her back.

"R-Rin-chan! Don't hurt them." Hanayo intervened and Maki scoffed.

"Yeah, they're just bummed because they can only get a girl when she's drunk." Maki said and one of the guys glared at her.

"Watch your mouth, Nishikino."

"What are you going to do? I'm sure you know who Nozomi is dating." Maki replied, smirking when she saw him hesitate, "That's right. I think you should leave now."

They picked up their fallen friend and left, glaring and grumbling all the while. With a wide grin, Nozomi went to them and slung an arm around Maki and Hanayo, a shot cup in each hand.

"Nice to know you girls have my back." Nozomi said happily, making Hanayo and Maki blush.

"Nozomi-chan, nya!" Rin exclaimed and she joined the hug. Nozomi laughed and drank her shot, handing Rin the other. Rin cheered and drank it.

"What took you so long?" Nozomi asked and Maki's blush darkened, making Nozomi grin evilly, "Got something to say?"

"N-No!"

"Maki-chan's embarrassed because she took forever to put on her costume." Rin teased and Maki just averted her eyes. Nozomi hummed thoughtfully as she looked her over.

The costume looked amazing, as expected of Nico. The wings were a nice touch (and a bit questionable since it sort of got in the way), but the outfit seemed to hug her body in all the right places. Now that she looked at Maki, she realized how attractive she was. Well, not that she wasn't attractive in the first place. Nozomi was just used to seeing her wear a hoodie and sweats all the time. Now she understood why Nico called Maki a "waste of talent". On the other hand, she also wondered how Nico got her measurements. Well, it wasn't like she couldn't convince Nico to tell her, so she put it on her mental list of things to find out.

"Well, we'll be off now. I wanna have some fun now since my birthday is on the 1st, nya!" Rin exclaimed and one of the guys, a 3rd year in engineering, nearby turned his head.

"What? It's your birthday on the 1st, Rin?"

"Yeah, nya!"

"Aww shit, that's during a school day. But wait, we could celebrate now!"

Nozomi laughed at how excited the two got and squeezed Hanayo's shoulder in comfort, but the poor girl became more anxious when the guy rounded up some others.

"Hey guys! It's Rin's birthday on the 1st but it's a school day! Let's give her an early celebration!"

"Really? Hey, let's get the early celebrant some drinks!"

"Yeah!"

Within seconds, Rin and Hanayo were rushed away by a group of people that they probably didn't know. Nozomi laughed at the scene before turning towards Maki, who was disgruntled at the fact that her friends left her. Even more so that she was left with Nozomi of all people. With a wide smile, Nozomi took her hand and led her to the couch she was sitting on earlier. She offered Maki a shot and she took it, drinking it with a composed face.

"Shouldn't you be with Eli?" Maki asked and Nozomi shrugged, a casual smile on her face.

"You're not the first person to ask me that."

A burst of laughter brought their attention and they looked over to where it came from. It was Honoka, without a doubt. She was one of those people who would make friends with everyone at a party.

From what Nozomi could tell, she was telling stories again. Despite how she acted, Honoka was actually pretty observant and always caught small details that no one else would find. It's one of the reasons why she was such a great prankster.

A set of cheers shifted their focus towards the middle of the living room. Nozomi started laughing and took her phone out for pictures while Maki sighed and shook her head with disappointment.

Kotori and Umi were at the Lap Dance chair again. It seemed like deja vu with the way Kotori would teasingly strut around Umi, touching her slightly before moving away. With a small blush and a glazed look, she straddled Umi and moved her ass in a circle, but when Umi attempted to place her hands on her waist, she got off of her. She turned around and gave Umi a sly wink before heading upstairs, making a clear show of the keys in her hand. Umi immediately rushed after her, ignoring everyone's cheers.

Nozomi knew better, though. Umi was most likely just going to make sure that Kotori was okay; she seemed like she had way too much to drink tonight. Well, at least she wasn't puking all over the place.

"Alright, time to get this party started!" a sultry voice exclaimed from the entrance and the two looked over to see Anju and Erena walk in with a couple others.

"Hell yeah! Anju and Erena are here!" A crowd cheered and Anju grinned widely.

"See, babe? I told you coming to Nico's party was a good idea. And here you thought the half hour drive wasn't worth it." Anju said to Erena, who just sighed as she placed a protective arm around her when she noticed some guys looking at them.

"I know, just don't overdo things. I don't want a recap of last time." Erena stated and started to lead her towards the kitchen.

"Aw, honey, I won't spike your drinks again." Anju replied and changed directions, leading her to a seat nearby. She straddled her lap and forcefully put her chin up. With a smirk, she leaned in and said, "I'll give them to you by mouth."

The two kissed and the people around them cheered. Anju seemed like she already had alcohol in her system, Nozomi noted with amusement. Once the two started doing more than shoving their tongues down each other's throats, the people around them started to dissipate to give them some privacy because it would be weird to stare.

"Are parties always like this?" Maki asked with a slight frown, her eyes stuck to her phone ever since Anju sat on top of Erena, and Nozomi shrugged.

"Some are more hardcore than this, but if you're talking about Nico's kind of parties, then yeah. There's a lot of drinking, touching, and stripping."

"Stripping?!"

"Yup. If you look over to your right where Anju and Erena are at," Nozomi started with a tour guide voice and Maki looked over horrifyingly, making Nozomi hold back a laugh. With a mischievous grin, she continued, "you'll see something we call heavy petting. Straight ahead is the 'dance floor', and slightly to the right of that is what Mari dubs the 'Lap Dance Chair'. And of course, to your left, where that huge crowd is hanging out by the table, is where you can see a fine view of—"

"—I d-don't need to know!" Maki interrupted with a blush, pointedly looking somewhere else. Nozomi only laughed even more before handing her another shot, which Maki drank in one sitting.

"But seriously speaking, Nicocchi's popular because she's a natural at socializing. Well, also because no one expects someone like her to hold her alcohol well, but that isn't the main point." Nozomi said as she stealthily texted You. It was time for her plan to start.

"I already know that Nico-chan attracts a lot of unwanted attention." Maki grumbled, and if it wasn't for Nozomi focusing on her voice she wouldn't have heard, "Ugh, why is it so loud?"

"It's a party, Maki-chan. If you don't like the noise then go outside."

"But even with the heaters it's cold and people are smoking so it smells like shit. And if they aren't smoking, they're chugging down the beer kegs upside down like idiots."

Nozomi bit back a grin when she felt her phone vibrate. She checked the text quickly before turning her attention back to Maki, who seemed to be uncomfortable at the sight before her. With a small laugh, she ruffled her hair, "Well at least you know now that the party scene doesn't fit you."

"And what about you?" Maki asked with slight curiosity (only a little, because the redhead sure loved keeping her face as neutral as possible) and Nozomi shrugged.

"If I feel like going, I'll go. Depends on how much work I have." Which was usually quite a bit, but Maki didn't need to know that.

"Yeah, Eli rarely goes out to parties. It's only Nico-chan who does. She's always been outgoing." Maki commented with a frown and reached over to take a shot from Nozomi's tray.

"The clear ones aren't mixed." Nozomi mentioned but Maki just raised an eyebrow at her before drinking two of them, wincing slightly at the taste before her face reverted back to that of indifference. Well, she tried to. She looked more sullen than anything else.

Then she took two more shots in succession, making Nozomi laugh.

"You look like the first half of an anti-depressant commercial." Nozomi pointed out, giggling when Maki glared at her. It seemed like Nico was still a bit of a sore subject with her. "Oh, come on, don't be like that."

"Whatever. I just don't understand why Nico-chan always goes to parties." Maki spoke as she leaned back into the couch, sighing deeply in the process, "She needs to keep her GPA up for scholarships and aid."

"Well, since freshmen year a lot of people seem to want to bet with Nicocchi for some weird reason regardless of whether or not they're sober. So, party hosts usually invite her out because things usually...happen. It's amazing how charming she could be, you know." Nozomi responded, holding in a laugh when Maki's frown grew deeper. Jealousy was plastered all over her face and she couldn't say anything to deny it. However, she couldn't have Maki feeling too extreme so to calm her down a bit, so after a couple moments of listening to the pounding (and questionable, because it went from chill, spooky music to Honoka's type of music) music, Nozomi asked, "So, what are you planning tonight?"

Maki eyed her suspiciously and Nozomi put her hands up in defense, giving her an innocent smile. With a small sigh, Maki answered, "I did want to talk to her, but how can I when she encouraging those idiots to chug alcohol?"

Maki made a good point, Nozomi thought as her eyes drifted towards a table where there were bottles of beer. Nico was cheering some guy on as he chugged a bottle and when he was finished, the crowd cheered even more. Then, out of nowhere, You appeared and wrapped an arm around Nico, sleazy smirk and angled hat in place. She whispered something in Nico's ear and Nico blushed madly. She tried to shrug off You's arm but she held on, still whispering who knows what into her ear.

Of course, Maki acted first and thought later, and within a blink of an eye, Maki was across the room, pushing You off of Nico.

"Hands off." Maki hissed with a glare and Nico blinked.

"Woah, calm down." Nico said, although Maki was still glaring at You and kept Nico behind her. But when Maki couldn't get it through her head that the person she was looking at wasn't the person she was thinking about, Nico became irritated.

"Maki, are you serious right now?" Nico asked and Maki turned her head to look at her with confusion. With her eyebrows raised, she motioned at You, "You just pushed You-senpai off of me, not Shiro."

"C'mon Nishikino, I was just teasing her about something." You defended herself and Maki blushed hotly, realizing that she just embarrassed herself in front of others, "Go drink some water, maybe you've had too much to drink."

"Not enough to deal with this brat." Maki muttered and Nico slapped her arm.

"I heard that." Nico seethed and the people around them laughed, finding the whole thing amusing. Nico looked around the room and made eye contact with Nozomi, who just smiled innocently. When Nico flipped her off, Nozomi just laughed and motioned for her to do something about the situation. Nico rolled her eyes and shrugged Maki's arm off of her.

"Look, Maki, we need to talk," Nico started and the crowd around her started making noises but she ignored them, "and I'd rather we do it somewhere private."

"Here's the key to the room at the end." You offered and Nico took it before dragging a confused Maki upstairs, ignoring the loud cheers coming from the crowd. You made eye contact with Nozomi and gave her a thumbs-up. Nozomi saluted in response; You gave them what was probably the best room.

With a wide grin, Nozomi stood up and walked over to kitchen. Not all her plans were extravagant, especially when it involved alcohol and jealousy. Things just tended to operate on its own when it came to those two as long as the atmosphere was right.

Humming along the music, she wondered where Eli was before shrugging it off. She was sure the blonde was busy doing her own thing. They didn't need to be together all the time. After all, what was a relationship without trust?

"Why'd you bring me here?" Maki asked Nico once they reached the room and Nico rolled her eyes.

"Because I said that I wanted to talk to you privately." Nico restated for the second time that night. Signing, she threw the keys on the counter, "Are you okay? I'd rather not do this when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk! I'm just slightly inebriated." Maki protested with a huff and Nico snorted. Well, she wasn't too drunk, Nico noted.

"Says the one who mistakes You-senpai with Shiro, a guy with orange hair."

"Well I'm sorry I acted before thinking first! What if it was some disgusting guy trying to make moves on you?"

"But it wasn't. And I'm not into guys."

"But what about that guy in high school—"

"—It was an experimental thing, Maki." Nico interrupted with an exasperated groan, holding her hand up to her head because of her growing headache. She went over to the drawer and pulled out a water bottle, drinking it while ignoring the other...contents inside. How much money did You have? Nevermind that, she knew some of the stuff inside was Mari's idea as well. "I thought you knew by now that I was completely gay."

"How can I when some guy is flirting with you every other week?" Maki retorted with a frown and Nico resisted the urge to laugh.

"I never flirted back. Hell, I rejected them all. Have you ever stopped to think that I rejected them all because I wasn't straight?" Nico responded as she set the bottle down. With an amused grin, she moved closer to Maki, who sat still in contemplative silence. At her reaction, Nico laughed and continued, "Wow, I knew you were dense, but I didn't know you were that dense."

Maki glared at her before sitting on the bed, turning around and facing the other way. It was then that Nico realized she was wearing the costume she made for her. With a small smile, she sat next to her.

"You're looking pretty...angelic despite what happened earlier." Nico commented as she nudged Maki, her smile growing when Maki blushed.

"I-It was the only costume I had, so don't feel special!" Nico snorted; typical Maki reaction.

"It was the only costume you had cause I made it for you, you dolt."

"Stop calling me—" Maki said as she turned around angrily but her voice caught up in her throat when she saw just what Nico was wearing (well, more like what she wasn't wearing) and just how close she was. With an audible gulp, she turned away once again.

While Nico wanted to do nothing but make out with her (why the hell did Maki have to look so damn irresistible?), she also knew that she had to make it clear how she feel about her otherwise Maki would think it was the alcohol's doing.

But the way that Maki looked right now was so tempting. She was so beautiful with the angel outfit she made for her, so adorable with the way she averted her eyes and blushed out of embarrassment. Nico literally had to restrain herself from jumping Maki; that's how deep she was in. Well, she did drink a lot tonight, but not enough to blame all of her stupid actions on alcohol.

"Maki, I didn't bring you up here to sit down on a bed and listen to other people having fun both up here and downstairs." Nico started slowly and she saw Maki's blush deepen, no doubt at the soft rhythmic banging coming from one of the rooms. Good thing the walls here were somewhat thick; Nico needed all the privacy she could get. "We really need to talk."

"About what?"

"About us."

"Of all the times, why during a party?"

Nico asked herself that question many times ever since she heard about Nozomi's plan, and each time she thought about it, she remembered why Nozomi had planned for everything to come out tonight.

"Because I want to stop fighting as soon as possible, and the soonest chance was unfortunately tonight. Because, like the stubborn idiot you are, you would ignore me otherwise. Not to mention, you're also the type of idiot who jumps to conclusions first without thinking, as shown from what happened earlier." Nico listed off in a matter-of-fact tone and Maki turned around to glare at her, "I'm not wrong, am I?"

Maki's glare faltered and Nico sighed; she honestly missed Maki so much. Midterms was hell for her, particularly because Maki was avoiding her at all costs. It felt wrong to cook a meal for two. It felt wrong coming home to an empty house. It felt so wrong to wake up knowing that she couldn't talk to Maki because she avoiding her.

Sure she'd only known Maki since they had met in high school but ever since then, they were somewhat inseparable. Nico would take some time off just to visit her even after she graduated high school (along with Eli of course). But once she started living with her, she realized that she couldn't imagine a life without her. She couldn't even imagine a moment when Maki wasn't eating breakfast as if she were half-asleep or studying while throwing playful insults at her.

Oh shit, maybe Nico did drink more than she thought she did. She was thinking of the cheesiest shit about Maki. But then again, all she felt was a good buzz. The alcohol was probably just enabling her to slightly lose her inhibitions.

"I missed you." Nico whispered sincerely as she leaned in. Maki froze when Nico rested her head on her shoulder, and she could literally feel the doubt radiating from her. "It's not the alcohol talking, Maki. I really missed you."

Nico looked up to try to convey her feelings and saw Maki's face soften. With a defeated sigh, Maki pulled Nico away to look at her properly. Biting her lip, she said in the softest voice possible, "I'm sorry."

Nico blinked, surprised at the sudden apology. Maki continued as she ran her fingers through her hair, "I really am an idiot who jumps to conclusions. I knew you weren't lying to me, but the possibility of you on a date with someone else without telling me just made me so—"

"—Angry? Furious?" Nico finished obviously but Maki shook her head.

"Jealous." Maki whispered as she averted her eyes and Nico gaped at her slightly. Well, she knew that Maki liked her but she never would've guessed that she would admit it.

"I-It's not the alcohol talking either Nico-chan. I'm in love with you. Have been since high school," Maki confessed softly albeit shamefully, and Nico could've sworn her heart was going to burst at how adorable she looked, "and if you don't want to be friends, or even live with me anymore, then it's okay."

Maki was still looking the other way, her face crestfallen despite the burning blush on her face. Nico knew she shouldn't feel giddy, but hey, the person she's liked for three long, agonizing years just confessed to her.

"Hey, hey, it's all right." Nico said with a calm voice when she saw Maki's eyes tear up, "Hey, look at me."

When Maki absolutely refused to look at her, Nico gently turned her head around. Ignoring the surprised look on her face, Nico leaned in and kissed her softly before leaning back.

"You're not the only one who's been in love since high school." Nico whispered and Maki's expression immediately brightened up.

"Y-You really mean it?" Maki asked, her voice with a hint of insecurity. Wanting to wash it all away, Nico nodded and leaned in once more.

"I would rather have you than all the fame and luxuries in the world." Nico said softly before pressing her lips on Maki's once again.

Maki immediately kissed her back, her arms wrapping around Nico's back tightly. Nico moved her hands lower, trying to take off the wings of Maki's costume and throwing them somewhere when she did. When Nico felt Maki's lips part slightly at her actions, she took the chance to push her tongue inside. She'd never French kissed before, but there was always a first time for everything. Once they pulled apart to breathe, Maki blushed and looked the other way, making Nico laugh.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" Nico asked as she leaned in with a seductive smirk.

"N-Nico-chan, y-you—" Maki stammered and tried to move away but Nico kept inching closer.

"—What? What did I do?" Nico asked teasingly. Was it coincidence that she was wearing a devil costume? Nico didn't know. But if there was one thing she did know, it was that she didn't want to make Maki uncomfortable, so as much as she didn't want to, she backed off. "I'm just joking, Maki. If you don't want to move too fast, I'm fine with it."

But it seemed like Maki had other plans tonight.

"N-No, it's ok." Maki responded as she caught Nico's hand. She looked at Nico with an uncharacteristically shy look and meekly asked, "C-Can you do it again?"

Nico felt like her soul straight up ascended to another plane. Maki looked so damn adorable and embarrassed and holy shit, she'd be damned if she didn't do what she asked.

Licking her lips nervously, Nico moved closer to Maki. After affirming that Maki really wanted to do what they were doing, she leaned in and closed the distance once again.

Has Nico ever kissed anyone before? Yeah. Has Nico ever kissed anyone like this before? Tongues wrapped, hands roaming, bodies pressed? Never, and her self-control was slipping by the second.

Nico gently pushed Maki on the bed, liking the way the redhead moaned into her mouth and tugged at her hair. She ran her hands up and down her sides, groaning when she felt Maki push herself against her more. Pulling away to breathe but not wanting to stop her motions, Nico started kissing on Maki's neck. She sucked hard, wanting to leave a mark even though she knew Maki would get angry. She relished in the soft whines Maki made as she made her way down to her collarbone.

"A-Ah, Nico-chan!" Maki whimpered when Nico's hand slipped under her costume to squeeze her waist. Nico just smirked at her sensitivity before moving back up to kiss her again. Maki boldly wrapped her legs around Nico's, allowing Nico to grind on her. The two broke off their heated kiss to moan loudly before diving right back in again.

"I've wanted to do this for so long." Nico murmured against Maki's lips when she pulled away and Maki moaned in response.

"Then let's do it." Maki whispered as she trailed her hands down to Nico's exposed back, scratching them slightly.

"Right now?" Nico asked with a groan as she bit Maki's neck, wanting to leave as many marks as she could.

"A-Ah! Y-Yes." Maki responded breathily but Nico abruptly stopped, making her look up with confusion, "Nico-chan?"

"Are you sure about this? There's no going back." Nico asked hesitantly, feeling doubt seep in. What if they were moving too fast because of the alcohol? What if they regretted what happened? What if—

A finger on her lips stopped her train of thought. Nico blinked with mild surprise and when she looked down, she couldn't help but blush at the sight of Maki's state. Her hair was messy in a way that it looked sexy, her neck was littered with marks, her lips were bruised from all the kissing they had done, and her eyes were filled with so much desire and affection that it made Nico's heart speed up even more.

"I've wanted to do this for a while too, Nico-chan." Maki said softly as she pushed a stray strand of hair behind Nico's ear. Maki bit her lip and Nico saw the hesitance in her eyes but she shook her head slightly and continued, "I've wanted you for the longest time."

Maki took Nico's hand and led them to her lips. With a seductive gaze, she put two of her fingers in her mouth and wrapped her tongue around them, coating them with saliva and making Nico groan at the feel of her warm tongue. She let them go a moment after, licking her lips in a somewhat teasing fashion.

That was all Nico needed. Gone was her self-control. Gone was Maki's top. Gone was hers.

As Nico's lips meshed against Maki's, her hands roamed around. She squeezed Maki's waist before moving a hand upwards, slipping her hand underneath Maki's bra to massage one of her breasts. At eliciting a moan from Maki, Nico used her other hand, the one that Maki put in her mouth, to grab her thigh. She squeezed it before pressing Maki's lower body against hers even more.

She could feel her lips bruising from the amount of kissing they were doing. When she pulled away to breathe, she licked them and decided that it wasn't that bad. She moved away to get rid of her ponytails but Maki was impatient because as soon as she was done, she found herself being pulled back down.

While Maki was busy kissing her, Nico felt that her skirt was in the way. She removed it swiftly, knowing where the zipper was because she designed it. She broke the kiss briefly to take off her own and threw it somewhere behind her. Meanwhile, Maki busied herself by squeezing Nico's ass, making Nico groan. Maki then pulled Nico in for another kiss but stopped it abruptly to suck on her neck. She wanted to gain the upper hand somehow.

While Nico was distracted by her ministrations, Maki undid her bra and threw it somewhere. It was only when Maki started massaging one of her breasts that Nico noticed what Maki had done. She faltered and Maki flipped them over, giving Nico a devilish smirk as she licked her lips and looked her over.

Nico blushed heavily, panting as she felt one of Maki's hands touch her cheek. Maki then leaned forward and kissed her, using one hand to gently pinch one of Nico's nipples and the other to steady herself. Wanting to show that she was the one in charge, Nico gently raised her knee up and rubbed it against Maki, who stopped the kiss to moan loudly. Nico then took the opportunity to flip her over so that she was on top, somehow taking off her bra in the process.

This time, Nico took a couple of seconds to appreciate her handiwork. Maki's hair was in disarray and her lips were definitely bruised. There were several hickeys along her neck and Nico couldn't help but lean down and kiss each one. At Maki's whine, Nico couldn't help but giggle softly. Maki truly was a spoiled, impatient brat.

Slowly, she dragged one of her hands down to Maki's panties and started to massage her center, softly groaning at how wet she was. Licking her lips, Nico gave Maki a teasing smirk as she slowly went down, kissing her neck, then her breasts, stomach, thighs—

"Nico-chan!" Maki whined and Nico grinned widely, wanting to play a little game.

"What do you want?" Nico asked and Maki groaned, putting an arm over her head and refusing to make eye contact with the devil below her.

"You know what I want!"

"Do I really?" Nico teased and relented when she whined again. She didn't know what Maki's boundaries were and decided to test that out another time since it was their first time.

Nico took off Maki's underwear as well as her own and threw it somewhere behind her. She brought Maki's legs up to her shoulders, lightly giggling at Maki's surprised gasp. She massaged her legs, trying to get her to relax.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you'll feel so good that you can't help but scream my name." Nico whispered sultry and grinned when Maki shuddered before promptly digging into the best meal she'd ever have in her life.

And in the hours that progressed, both Maki and Nico reached heights of ecstasy they never have been able to reach before.

'Nicocchi's probably not coming back anytime soon.' Nozomi thought with a small grin as she checked her phone. About half an hour passed since Nico left. The guests didn't seem to mind (or notice), especially because Honoka and Rin were present.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" the crowd chanted as Honoka and Rin each drank a bottle of Smirnoff. The beer pong game was momentarily stopped in favor for Honoka and Rin's drinking competition and the crowd proceeded to cheer even more when Honoka won.

"Hah! I, I win Rin-chan!" Honoka slurred as she threw her arms up. She stumbled in the process but Tsubasa caught her, sighing as she shook her head.

"C'mon, love, you've had too much to drink tonight." Tsubasa said as she attempted to get Honoka to at least drink some water. Honoka took it with a girn.

"It's, it's not even 10 yet, Tuba-chan. I ain't gon stop now!" Nozomi snorted at Tsubasa's nickname; she could never get used to it.

"Nya! It was only one bottle." Rin agreed as she leaned on Hanayo, a wide grin on her face that replicated that of Honoka's.

"R-Rin-chan! I thought you said you wouldn't go all out tonight." Hanayo said as she steadied Rin. Rin only had a couple of beers beforehand compared to Honoka, who looked like she had way more than she should have.

"But they're celebrating my birthday, Kayo-chin." Rin whined and Nozomi saw this as her moment to intervene.

"Now, now. If the two of you get shitfaced now, then you wouldn't be able to remember what's going to happen for the rest of the night." Nozomi interrupted with a smile, putting an arm around Honoka and Rin, "The party ends at 3; you've still got at least five hours to sober up and do...other things. Even more so that our favorite prince isn't in sight."

Honoka and Rin took the hint and they grinned mischievously. On the other hand, Tsubasa and Hanayo became even more worried.

"You're right, nya! Kayo-chin, come with me, I wanna try something out." Rin responded cheerfully as she stumbled off somewhere while dragging Hanayo, who was crying out for someone to save her. A part of the crowd went after them, no doubt to see what Rin was going to do. Probably something stupid.

"Tuba-chan! Hold my beer, I, I wanna do somethin too!" Honoka exclaimed as she shoved her beer bottle onto her hands and Tsubasa sighed.

"Honoka, wait, don't do something stu—"

It was too late. Honoka already ran off somewhere, prompting Tsubasa and a considerable amount of people to run after her. Curiously, Nozomi followed them as well only to laugh at what Honoka was doing.

She found Dia and was arguing with her about something, most likely about the music since she was the one people went to for song requests. Eventually, Dia relented and let Honoka plug in her phone.

When the music stopped, the people groaned and complained. However, it started again and started playing Honoka's style of music, which Nozomi knew the crowd would definitely love.

"Hump me!"

Nozomi blinked.

"Fuck me!"

Nozomi blinked again.

"Daddy better make me choke!"

Nozomi tried really hard to fight off the impending grin, but she just couldn't. She laughed loudly knowing that if Umi were present, she would immediately make it her life goal to stop Honoka's atrocious choice of a song. On the other hand, Dia just sighed and went off to make sure no one was taking advantage of anybody. As Nozomi expected, the 'dance floor' had gotten especially rowdy, including the song chooser herself. She was on a chair shaking her ass while Tsubasa was trying to get her down. Nozomi just shook her head, took pictures, and went back to the kitchen with a wide grin.

She went to Mari, who was (surprisingly) keeping a dutiful watch and making sure that people didn't hog all the beer from both the kegs and the packs. Anyone who wanted something stronger had to get through her.

"Evening! What do you want tonight, pretty lady?" Mari asked with a wink and Nozomi giggled.

"A Mai Tai sounds pretty good."

"Here you go!" Nozomi took the iced drink and was about to leave when Mari stopped her, "I heard your girlfriend came back. Best if you check the living room, right side."

At Mari's hesitant smile, Nozomi decided to drink the shot there and then before going into the living room. Why did Mari look as if she didn't want to tell Nozomi where Eli was? Nozomi found out within seconds.

She saw Eli from across the room, talking with a couple of clingy girls who would reach out to touch the fur of her outfit before smiling flirtatiously. Eli, as oblivious as ever, let them, thinking that they really were just fascinated with Nico's work.

Nozomi sat down on a couch, observing how Eli would react to the girls. They would give her a drink and Eli would resist before taking it under the pressure. Nozomi sighed, knowing that Eli most likely didn't know what was going on.

'Ugh, I don't wanna deal with this right now.' Nozomi thought with a groan, trying to suppress her jealousy. She knew Eli wouldn't cheat on her, but why hasn't she pushed those girls off yet?

She knew she needed to talk to her. Hell, she hadn't seen Eli for most of the party, and that made her even more insecure. But once she had the resolve to get up and do something about it, someone drunkenly stumbled and sat on the couch next to her.

Nozomi blinked at the person in the maid outfit, recognizing her from one of her classes when she was a 2nd year student. Tohru, if Nozomi recalled correctly.

"H-Hey, why do, why do we cook bacon and bake cookies? S-Shouldn't we like, cook cookies and bake bacon?" Tohru managed to slur against the loud music and Nozomi momentarily forgot about her current predicament, laughing at the woman's statement. "L-Like, how come we, how come we can say drink a drink but can't food a food?"

"Tohru! What are you doing?" Someone dressed up in a tie exclaimed as she ran up to them, panting slightly. Nozomi eyed her and faintly recognized her as one of those tech students. She smiled softly when she saw the concern in her eyes, "I told you not to drink too much."

"B-But you're the one w-who always gets gone when we, when we go out." Tohru whined and Nozomi snickered when the woman blushed with embarrassment.

"Fine, fine. I get it. You want to get back at me, so there." The student said and Tohru shook her head.

"Not enough." Tohru responded with a cute pout.

"Then what would be enough?" The woman replied with exasperation.

"Well, if you, if you start kissing me more then I guess you could be, uh, forgiven." Tohru responded distractedly and at this point, Nozomi got up, an amused smile on her face.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Were we bothering you, Nozomi-san?" The student asked and Nozomi looked at her curiously, making her lightly blush again. "Right, sorry. I'm Kobayashi from the Computer Science department."

Something clicked in Nozomi's head as she shook hands with her. So that was the name of the indifferent techie who's girlfriend was friends with Rin. Nozomi couldn't believe that she didn't connect how the Tohru in her class was the same as Rin's Tohru.

However, her earlier problem was immediately remembered when she felt Eli's gaze on her, and in a rare moment of indulgence (most likely fueled by the alcohol she consumed), Nozomi decided that she wanted to be petty.

"Say, Kobayashi-san, Tohru-san can you do me a favor?" Nozomi asked as she moved closer to Kobayashi, wrapping an arm around her. "Just play along, alright?"

Kobayashi and Tohru looked at her curiously albeit warily as she sat Kobayashi down next to her so that Nozomi was in the middle. Nozomi left her arm around Kobayashi and leaned closer to Tohru.

"I'm trying to make my girlfriend jealous. You down?" Nozomi murmured to Tohru's ear, who grinned widely and nodded her head. Nozomi did the same to Kobayashi, who just sighed and shrugged. She knew from Rin that Nozomi wasn't a bad person. As long as it kept Tohru in one place, she couldn't care less.

"Now I know why people call you the Queen of Gay." Kobayashi muttered when she saw Nozomi's charming grin. Tohru just giggled and snuggled up to Nozomi, liking how warm she was.

"Ah, I'm not that charismatic. If anything, I think your girlfriend is." Nozomi said as she winked at Kobayashi, who blushed slightly. "To think that enthusiastic Tohru could land such a smart, indifferent girl."

The three promptly got to know each other better, asking each other different questions until Tohru got tired and started sleeping. Nozomi got up to help Kobayashi steady her and smiled softly at the way she looked at her; it was filled with concern, but she saw the love hidden underneath.

However, the sight made her remember her original goal and as she was about to turn around to look for her dense girlfriend, she freezed when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She felt the hand turn her around and was about to deck the person if it weren't for the impassive blue eyes staring at her.

"Hey." Eli simply said.

"Hey." Nozomi simply replied.

"So," Eli drawled out as she motioned for Nozomi to sit back down on the couch, "who were you were talking to?"

Nozomi knew she was just being polite, trying to hide her real emotions behind the indifferent mask she used to have back when she befriended her. She sighed, knowing she screwed up. Nozomi vowed to never resort to pettiness.

"Just someone I had for a history class; she's actually friends with Rin too." Nozomi replied as she forced herself to relax, seeing the traces of anger slipping from Eli's face as the blonde tried to calm herself down. Nozomi gave her a placating smile and continued, "They're dating, and I was just asking them how it happened since it seemed so unlikely."

"Really." Eli said with an eyebrow raised and Nozomi rolled her eyes.

"Yes, really." At Eli's unimpressed stare, Nozomi relented, "Okay so maybe I was flirting with them since you were doing nothing about those group of girls flirting with you."

Eli sighed and shook her head, realizing how stupid their situation was. She turned towards Nozomi fully and put her hand out. Nozomi just looked at it with a curious look before Eli took her hand and stood up.

"Come on, let's get some fresh air." Eli said and Nozomi got up, following her outside. She smiled weakly at Mari's wink and cringed when she felt the cold blast of the sea breeze.

"Why are we outside?" Nozomi asked as Eli led her to the fence of the balcony, ignoring the various people chugging beer like no tomorrow. She glared at some people smoking and they fled to the other side in a hurry.

"Whenever I would fight with my parents, I would usually go outside and walk around." Eli admitted as she stared at the dark sky littered with stars, "The cold helped me feel, well, less of anything."

Nozomi kept quiet, choosing only to stand next to Eli. When she felt confident enough to, she moved closer to her and held her hand. The action made Eli look at her and Nozomi smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I was being an idiot for trying to be petty." Nozomi apologized but Eli shook her head.

"No, it's my fault. I didn't push them off." Eli said with a frown. "They kept asking me about the costume and Nico, so I really thought they wanted her and not me."

Nozomi laughed at that and laid her head on Eli's shoulder, "We're just two idiots, aren't we?"

"Just two idiots in love." Eli responded softly, making Nozomi turn her head up at her. With a small smile, Eli moved closer and gave Nozomi a chaste kiss. Nozomi smiled into it, turning to wrap her arms around Eli's shoulder as Eli rested her hands on her hips.

When they broke apart, Nozomi whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too." Eli murmured back as she nuzzled her nose with hers.

Nozomi brushed her fingers against Eli's golden hair as she pressed her lips against Eli's for a second time that night. After a couple of moments, she broke it off with a small smile, loving how Eli's eyes seemed to be brighter than ever. She burrowed her head on Eli's shoulder and giggled when Eli wrapped her hands around her waist tightly. In that moment, it was only them. It was as if they were the only ones in the world—

"HOOOOONNNNKKKK!"

—until Honoka crashed the moment. Literally.

"Honoka!" Tsubasa yelled when Honoka nearly rammed into Eli and Nozomi, who ducked in time. Honoka was, surprisingly, safe and sound. She fell into the sand below but was alright, as indicated by her loud laughter.

"That was awesome! Do it with me too, Tuba-chan!" Honoka exclaimed and Tsubasa sighed. She vaulted over the railing and landed safely near Honoka.

"Don't do that ever again! I got scared." Tsubasa replied with concern as she helped Honoka up, but her girlfriend just pouted.

"S-Sorry Tuba-chan. It was, was suuuuuuuper fun though." Honoka said with a drunken giggle and Tsubasa sighed.

"I know, but I get scared when you do things like that." Tsubasa responded gently before hugging her, "If you're going to be a daredevil, then at least be sober."

"Fine, fine." Honoka mumbled as she snuggled into Tsubasa's hug, "I love you Tuba-chan."

"And I love you too, Honk."

Nozomi blinked at the scene that was happening below her before laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Seriously. She and Eli were having a moment only for it to be literally destroyed by Honoka's gliding, with which Tsubasa seemed to be used to at this point.

"C'mon, Elichi. Let's go inside." Nozomi said as she tugged Eli's hand. Eli looked at Honoka and Tsubasa once more to make sure that the two were okay before complying. Nozomi couldn't help but smile at how compassionate Eli had become.

Then she was forced to look away from her girlfriend at the sound of someone vomiting all over the porch.

Scrunching her face up from the sight, Nozomi looked at the state of You's beach house and couldn't help but hold in a laugh. It seemed like the hosts had a lot to clean up and if Nozomi was right about what was happening between Nico and Maki, then tomorrow would be very, very fun.

But for now, Nozomi had some other things on her mind, one of them being the woman she wasn't able to spend a lot of time with. And Nozomi knew just exactly how to make up that lost time. With a hand in the pocket Kotori made for her, she clenched a set of keys and led her curious girlfriend to the rooms upstairs.

Let's just leave it as them being the reason why people would later come to believe that You's beach house was haunted.

AN: Here's to hoping those NicoMaki and NozoEli scenes didn't seem forced. I really wanted to show that Maki doesn't always top Nico (indirectly ooshima tomo lol) and that nothing is perfect in a relationship. And tbh, I think that's as spicy as it can get lol. As for Aquors, idk them really well so they'll prob not show up after this chapter. I'll prob give em a mention every now and then. Anyways, I s2g I'm not dead. In fact, I may drop a KotoUmi fic soon ;)

Well, I'm putting this to like 3 chapters left. My new years resolution is to finish this fic before the end of the year, but we'll see how that goes lol. I'll prob transfer it to ao3 as well once I get the time but who knows if I'll ever get any since I'm actually goin off to college next week :')

Anyways I hope y'all liked this chapter! Reviews and criticisms are always much appreciated as well. And I love you all for waiting on me :')