001 • needLe

003 | Two Is Still Lonely

"Where are you taking us?" Ichika yelped.

I only laughed. "She's going to treat us some bubble tea, idiot!" I yelled, as Saki continued to pull us. "Aren't you listening?!"

"Ow Saki-"

"Here we are!" Saki cheered.

There is a stall selling bubble tea in front of us.

"Hello there girls!" The seller said with a smile. "What would you like?"

Saki smriked, then turned to us. "So~ what do you two like?"

"Caramel," Ichika said at once.

"I'm just here to accompany you two," I said with a chuckle. "I don't really want-"

"Come on!" Saki pouted. "This is a once in a lifetime treat from me!"

I rolled my eyes to the heavens, chuckling. "Geez, I didn't even do anything with you two other than jumping out windows,"

"Now that's funny," Saki giggled. "But look, you're also our friend!"

I didn't want to mention Honami and Shiho. It could ruin the moment.

"Fine," I said. "Okinawa,"

"One strawberry, caramel, and okinawa bubble tea please!" Saki requested.

The seller nodded, before busying themselves with the drinks.

Friends? I thought to myself. I'm not part of this world. I might leave soon.

I shook off the thought, as the seller served our bubble teas.

Saki handed us our bubble tea. "All right," she said, clearing her throat. "Let's celebrate my joining the soft tennis club with bubble tea. Cheers!"

"You what?" I questioned.

Ichika smiled slightly. "Well, while you are doing your own stuff, Saki somehow managed to sign up in the club before we went out,"

"Oh~" I smirked. "Cheers,"

"Cheers!"

The three of us clinked our cups, before stabbing our drinks with it.

"Gahh!!!" I yelped, as my bubble tea leaked out of the lid where I stabbed my straw, creating a fountain.

"Oh!" Ichika looked surprised, while Saki hid her laughter. "Look- come with me to my home later, I'll find you a new set of clothes,"

"Nice of you, Hoshino," I grinned. "Thanks,"

Ichika smiled back at me before turning to her childhood friend. "It's good that you found a club you like," she said.

Saki removed her lips from her straw. "Thanks for tagging along and checking them out with me!" she said happily.

"You know..." Ichika said seriously. "You should take it easy at first. The club captain said it's very relaxed club, but you haven't done any sports in a while,"

"True!" Saki agreed. "The club captain and student advisor seemed really nice, didn't they? Well... I was worried they'd be against me joining a sports club since I'm probably not going to be much use after being ill for such a long time,"

"Saki, you shouldn't think like that," Ichika grumbled.

Saki only brushed it off. "Anyway, becoming a member of a school club is the first step in my wonderful high school life!" She said cheerfully. "And the next step is... this!" She shook her empty cup in front of us.

"A bubble tea cafe?" Ichika questioned.

Saki nodded. "Yup!" she said. "I've been wanting to go for bubble tea with friends after school for so long! I missed the peak of the bubble tea craze, but never mind! Well... back when everyone was talking about how awesome bubble tea was, I was subsisting on bland hospital food," she finished in a bored tone.