people pleaser | nishimura riki

23. leave

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

With all honesty, Aira never expected herself to hang out with her once-upon-a-time bully. However, she did feel proud. Glad that he has changed for the better and no longer the jerk he used to be. In fact, there were times were she realised that he could also be a gentleman: paying for her food, complimenting her, laughing at her no-so-funny jokes...

She was glad to not judge someone by their past.

Upon finding him again as she had to take a bathroom break, she suddenly had the urge to creep up on him and scare him.

And so, being only a few steps away, she was ready to pounce like a predator to an oblivious prey.

She was prepared.

Until she heard her name.

That was when she realised he wasn't talking to himself, but was on the phone.

"You better get that $50 ready." Sato chuckled. "Aira is so easy to please. No wonder she was always so agreeable."

If the old her heard that she was just a dare, she would've been depressed for at least a month. How could people have the heart to treat others as a joke? Cruel.

"I really thought Nishimura had changed her but you know, people don't change that easily."

He was right.

He was right about the fact that people cannot change that easily. Sato himself, was a living example. Aira had overestimated his personality and heart.

Or maybe it was because she had hoped that he would change.

Because that way, it would be more convincing that she had changed too.

Nonetheless, she wasn't too phased by it.

It wasn't like she was expecting much out of this day anyway. That's what's great about having low expectations.

Instead of confronting him or acting as if nothing had happen, she decided to walk away.

Perhaps she knew he didn't deserve her time..or she was avoiding her problems.

Though she wasn't that impacted by Sato's lame motive, it was still pathetic. From walking in with company to walking out alone, it was lonely. Despite trying to distract her thoughts from overthinking, it was hard when in every direction she faced, people with their friends were laughing and celebrating together.

She would've called her three friends or Remi, but she didn't want to disturb their time. Not especially when she was treated as a dare.

The only reason her bubble of thoughts dispersed was due to the commotion happening in front of her. As she realised she was caught in a wave of people, it was almost impossible to make her way out of the crowd without physical contact. Being pushed from left to right, she just wished to be back home.

"Hey excuse me-" Aira tried stay polite despite the lack of listening by other people. They were too immersed in the performance in front of them.

Trying again to escape, she had suddenly felt her feet being caught over someone else's. There was one way or another.

Either she grabs onto a stranger, potentially be yelled at, but save herself OR fall on someone else, and still be yelled out.

However, before she could even make her decision, she suddenly felt an arm snake around her waist before pulling her back up.