Right Person, Wrong Time || Keisuke Baji & Manjiro Sano

Page 11 Insecurities

As we make our way through the city streets towards the warehouse, I continue to imagine small scenarios on how I'm going to bring up the fact to Keisuke that I want to have sex. My face burns up from all my thoughts.

"We're here," Mikey announces as he parks directly outside of the entrance next to Draken, Takemichi, Chifuyu, and Kazutora's bikes. Only they were allowed in the very front, all the other guests had to be dropped off or find parking in the dirt lot. Which was already pretty packed.

Before entering I could already feel the music bass through my body and hear it muffled just standing outside. Strobe lights of different colors seep through the door lining and windows. I see the majority of everyone is inside, except for Mitsuya and Keisuke. I assume Mitsuya would arrive late since he hadn't texted either one of us yet.

Mikey helps her off the bike and takes the helmet from her. "Stay by my side before you go off searching for Emma and Hinata."

"Does this mean the bet has begun?" She asks,

"It started the moment you lost the bet loser," Mikey says winking at her with a laughing grin while holding the door open for her, and tying the top half of his hair up.

When they walk inside the loud warehouse there's a crowd of intoxicated teens dancing, cheering, and recording one another taking shots, smoking or simply fumbling over their own two feet. Outside the crowd you have more groups, the horny couples who can't keep their hands off one another, the random couples arguing, and the sober ones choosing to observe from afar. On the other side of the warehouse, there are three tables for pool and five for beer pong, for those interested in playing.

The ones who weren't too far gone and noticed Mikey walk in would yell just loud enough for him to hear them praise his presence. Random guys would high-five him or pat him on the shoulder as he passed them, while the girls eyed Mikey down like apex predators do with their prey. The even more ballsy ones would reach out to touch him and stroke his back, arms, and shoulders. Hoping to snag just a millisecond of his attention.

But Mikey never acknowledged them. He was set on getting to the Dj booth where three of his friends waited.

Hiroko walked by his side at his pace receiving her fair share of admiration and envy. She felt relief that no guys or girls reached out to touch her. While she continued to look around in hopes of spotting Hinata or Emma, then she suddenly crashes into a tall figure.

"Who the fuck?" A guy spits out pissed, rightfully so because of my distraction.

"Ow! Dammit. I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying any attention." It's that guy from the plaza, Sanzu.

"Huh? Oh. You're that girl from earlier today. Baji's girl, right?" Sanzu asks apathetically. Wearing a white hoodie, black jeans, and red and white dunks. His long pink hair was styled up in a ponytail with one distinct hairpiece framing his face. Carrying a minimalist red fanny pack across his chest and not sporting the black mask like before.

I nod and tell him my name, "Hiroko Miura..." with a smidge of sass in my voice from not loving his tune. Stealing a quick glance behind him wondering if Keisuke had arrived and not told me yet.

"He's not here. Only Senju and I have made it so far."

"How did you know I was looking for Keisuke?"

"Hmph~" Sanzu steps closer to her and leans down towards her face. Causing Hiroko to feel uneasy. "Don't you think it's a bit pathetic that a stranger knows you as 'Baji's clingy girlfriend'"

The emphasis on pathetic and clingy struck Hiroko deeply.

"Hiroko!" Mikey calls out to her from within the crowd.

"Oh look!~ Can't forget about your side piece over there. That is what everyone's stories are showing lately, right? HAHA."

No one has ever spoken to her in that manner much less with a sneering chuckle. When Mikey caught up, Sanzu was gone and Hiroko stood in the same spot spaced out.

"Yo! How did you get left behind?"

What an ass. Can't believe that's the type of people Keisuke stands us up for!
Although, Sanzu is not all wrong... I have wasted so much precious time always stalking Keisuke's socials. Stalking on girl's profiles after he likes a few pictures, constantly searching and asking for him, constantly not being present at the moment with my friends because I'm wondering who he is with, where he's at, and what he's doing. I am pathetic...

I'm so hung up on the idea of what we used to be that it's ruining me. This love is ruining me. Whenever I want to talk about our problems he just shoots them all down and tells me it's all in my head... and I stupidly accept it just to avoid further conflict.

These past two years I've grown to be so insecure, what is it going to take to finally change?

"Hiro? Did you hear me?" Mikey asks again with more concern than the first two tries. Reaching out to turn her by the shoulder, she snaps out of it.

"Hm? I'm sorry Mikey. I thought I saw someone from my class. Turns out it wasn't though. Let's go!" I rather lie than repeat any of that to Mikey. My problems aren't worth ruining his party.