ENG - My best friend's sister ᵐᶦᵏᵉʸ ˣ ᵒᶜ

70

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Meiyo POV

We stop in front of a building from which loud music is coming. Skeptically, I cling to Mikey's top while still sitting in the back seat of his machine.
Although I have a hunch, I still dare to ask, "Where are we?"
"I've been here a lot when I was going through difficult times," he explains quietly, getting off the bike. I get off as well, still a little skeptical. He turns to me, brushes aside some of my strands that have come loose in the breeze, and looks at me.
"Don't judge it, okay? The people here are really nice, even if their taste in music leaves something to be desired," he says. This remark makes him laugh himself, and his laugh is contagious. I can't suppress a slight smile either. "And if it gets too much for you, we'll leave right away, okay?" he adds.

I take another look at the building in front of us, and I can't deny that it makes a slightly suspicious impression from the outside. The music blaring from inside makes my heart beat faster, and a slight shiver runs down my spine. When I look back up at Mikey, I notice that he's still watching me.
Inside, a part of me bristles. I don't really want to go in and would much rather disappear back into my bed. But then I remember Mikey's words about coming here earlier when he was going through difficult times. An inexplicable curiosity spreads through me. I hardly know anything about him, and this might be a way to learn about him.

Taking a deep breath, I nod to Mikey. "Okay, let's go," I say. My own voice surprises me a little - it sounds more determined than I expected. A smile spreads across Mikey's face, and he grabs my hand to pull me toward the door.
At that moment, my heart beats faster in my chest as we get closer to the door. Mikey confidently leads me past the massive doorman, who just gives him a quick nod as if they were old acquaintances.
We follow a long, narrow hallway that finally ends in a staircase that should take us underground. With each step, the music gets louder, and my nervousness grows. This is my first real party or celebration, apart from the one on the beach at camp, and I have absolutely no good memories of that one! I swallow hard and feel my stomach tighten.

Mikey pulls me closer to him in front of the last door, as if sensing my nervousness. He whispers in my ear, "I'm here, relax." I try to follow his advice, but can't help but quietly grumble. "You're not going to leave me alone for a second, are you?" The words come across my lips almost as a plea.
"Never babe," he assures me, opening the last door in front of us.
The music is now blaring painfully in my ears, accompanied by bright flashing lights from the spotlights. People are dancing wildly on the dance floor or standing against the walls, almost eating each other. There is also an exaggerated smell of alcohol. Intimidated by the situation, I cling tighter to my friend's arm.
Mikey leads me through the crowd, being greeted repeatedly by faces I don't know. His familiarity with this place is obvious, and his mere presence seems to lighten the mood even more. The music pulses through my body, and I can barely focus on my own thoughts.

When we arrive at the bar, I look around. I've never seen so many alcoholic beverages in one place in my life.
"Mikey! You haven't been here in a while, what's up?" a boy comes up behind the bar and greets Mikey.
"That's right, it's been a while," they start talking. Mikey and he seem to be acquaintances and start a conversation that almost sounds like a shouting match due to the deafening music.
Finally, the bartender turns to me. "And I see you have a new girl," he remarks, introducing himself, "I'm Kokonoi, but you can call me Koko, I'm glad."
A new girl? I realize that Mikey certainly had someone before me, but the emphasis on this Koko really scares me. It overwhelms me, and I look uncertainly at Mikey, who just makes a head movement that I guess is supposed to signal me to introduce myself. A little awkwardly, I hold out my hand and say as loudly as I can, "I'm Meiyo." Kokonoi looks at my hand in confusion for a moment, then starts laughing, grabbing it and shaking it heartily.
"Koko, make us something to drink. But something lighter for her," Mikey almost orders.
"A sweet drink for the lady and for you the usual, right?" he continues to ask and starts pulling bottles from the shelves without waiting for a response from Mikey.

While we're obviously waiting, I look around the room - or rather the hall - helplessly. I would probably never come to a place like this voluntarily. The air is stuffy, it reeks of alcohol and sweat, and the music is way too loud and definitely not my taste. It would be a miracle if I left this place without hearing damage.
A short time later, we're holding our drinks and I'm looking skeptically at my blue drink. It's extremely blue, almost unreal. After my last experience with alcohol, I never really wanted to drink again. But why not? I don't have to overdo it like last time, besides, I didn't want to be so stuffy....

"Come with me babe," Mikey says and takes my hand to lead me through the crowd again. We go up a flight of stairs, where Mikey is greeted by a bouncer and let inside.
It's definitely more pleasant up here. The walls are covered with acoustic foam that keeps out the noise from downstairs. We are in a room above the dance floor, and huge windows give us a view of the crowd below. I suddenly feel like a VIP.
"Mikey! When did you get back here?" asks a young man walking toward us. I've seen him before, but can't put my finger on where.
"Sanzu," Mikey greets this boy as well. Sanzu quickly notices me and seems surprised. I feel uncomfortable and immediately turn away to sip my straw. To my surprise, the blue drink tastes really delicious. Mikey leans down to Sanzu and seems to say something in his ear that I obviously shouldn't hear.
"Have a seat, then," Sanzu finally says, sinking down onto a circular couch where other people are already sitting. Mikey sits down next to him, and I take a seat next to him. And again, Mikey is already being greeted by everyone; he seems to be really familiar here.

I feel uncomfortable; everyone here seems to know each other, and I am a stranger - an outsider.

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