The Falling Star: Part 1

Chapter 8: Delphinus

    After work Hiroto and Mindy waited outside for Tadahisa, who told them that he would be a moment. They had changed out of their uniforms, and were wearing the same outfits that they always did.

"Do you know this person very well?" Mindy asked, pacing around and looking around at people and stands.

"We went to school together." Hiroto replied, "But we never really hung out back then. We're mostly just acquaintances."

He was leaned against the wall of the store smoking a cigarette and massaging his sore muscles with his other hand. He had done the same workout Pan had requested of him that morning, and he was certainly starting to feel it.

"Maybe you two will become friends today." She suggested, "That would be nice."

Hiroto simply made a noise in response and took a drag, looking over at the door and waiting for Tadahisa to come out of it. Eventually he did, wearing his own normal clothes, a black denim jacket with a green undershirt and jeans. Hiroto narrowed his eyes when he saw someone else come out behind him, someone else that he knew. Chiba was walking slightly behind Tadahisa, looking visibly nervous and avoiding looking at him. She was wearing a white dress that had flowers on it and a pink cardigan over it, with white flats. It was obvious that she had the most sense of style out of the four of them, either that or she thought the outing was going to be something different.

"Hi, Uchiyama." She said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Before Hiroto could make any form of response, Mindy enthusiastically approached her.

"Chiba!" She said, taking the girl's hands, "You're coming too?"

Chiba was taken aback at first, but it seemed she'd come to know Mindy well enough to expect such an action, and relaxed quickly.

"Yeah." She said with a warm smile.

Hiroto finished his cigarette and stomped it out, before pushing himself off of the wall.

"Do you have a plan in mind for today, or are we just wandering around aimlessly?" He asked.

"Well, I was thinking we could do some karaoke." Tadahisa said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Karaoke?" Mindy tilted her head and looked at him.

"I don't do singing." Hiroto said, quick to shoot the suggestion down.

"I thought you might say that, so I figured we could just go to the bar instead. Have a few drinks, see where the day takes us." Tadahisa said.

Hiroto might have argued against drinking so early, if he hadn't done just that only a few days prior. Instead he glanced at Chiba, who didn't appear overly crazy with the idea.

"Does that sound good to you, Chiba?" Hiroto asked.

Chiba perked up and smiled, scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah, that's fine with me." She said.

Mindy shifted her gaze from Chiba to Hiroto, a frown having formed on her face.

"Are you guys talking about alcohol?" She asked, "I don't like that stuff."

"You don't have to do any actual drinking." Tadahisa said, "Some people just go to bars to hang out."

Mindy thought about the matter for a moment, and looked at Chiba one more time.

"...fine." She concluded, and they began following Tadahisa to the bar.

"So...do you go to the same college as Kawakami?" Chiba asked, attempting to make small talk with Hiroto.

"I'm not a student." He replied dryly, "I don't see the point in it."