Asagao After

PBG 6: Double Date

"Mai... I don't know... I haven't even seen him all day."

Mai pulled her green sweater over her shoulders. "Hana, he's probably off overthinking this morning and being all embarrassed. Trust me, he'll love it."

I wrapped my arms around myself. I had occupied myself that day by going around with Mai while she guided me guided me through Hana's Memory Restoration Plan, or the HMRP as she called it (pronounced hemmerp). I visited Satch in the library and thanked him for giving me such a good book recommendation. Then I went and got over my fear of Jacque for, apparently, the second time. Jon had never looked so proud. Mai and I had ice cream with the Continue boys as a reference to the incident that happened earlier that, frankly, I was glad I didn't remember it all the way.  Finally Mai took me to Jirard and Shane's room, where Jirard practically exploded with joy over showing off his IBK collection to me again and Shane curled up against his drawing desk and pretended not to be there.

I didn't remember everything or everyone all the way just yet, but it was a start. Mai was working really hard, and she was determined to end the day with the only two people I had left to see.

"But... But I'm not PBG's girlfriend right now Mai. I barely remember him. It just wouldn't be fair."

Mai spun around and grabbed me by my shoulders. "This is going to be awesome. I promise. Don't worry Hana, this is just what you need." She smiled warmly at me and I forced the best grin I could muster back to her. I'll be fine.

Mai straightened and put her hands on her hips. "Right! So the guys are going to meet us at the train station. Jared and I planned everything. PBG, like you, doesn't know anything. So you're just gonna have to trust me, ok?"

I nodded and followed her out the door. The sun had started to sink below the trees making the air considerably cooler. I walked faster to warm myself and keep up with Mai. Before I knew it I was inside a train compartment nauseatingly close to PBG and across from the dazzling Mai and Jared who were both wrapped up in their own conversations.

PBG and I had been silent for the past ten minutes. We were both very red. I was in a panic. what was I supposed to do? WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!

Mai noticed my silent distress and grinned. She elbowed Jared and jerked her head in my direction. They giggled together and Mai pulled something out of her bag.

"My DS...?" I stammered. Mai beamed. "Yup! We have a pretty solid train ride ahead of us, so Jared and I sneaked your copy of Animal Intersection into your bag so PBG can remind you how to play."

Jared waltzed over and presented PBG with his copy as well. "Have fun you two..." He smirked. I booted up my game to give my hands something to do. PBG was already moving his character around, hitting rocks and shaking trees. I glanced back at my game. A girl with pink hair winked up at my screen. Her house was so well furnished, and everything was so pretty when I walked outside. Did I do that?

"You, uh, have a lot of golden peach trees." PBG muttered. "Y-yeah," I replied awkwardly. "Can you remind me how to, ah, do that?" I replied dumbly, glancing at his screen. PBG's avatar was displaying his find, a fossil, to the player. PBG chuckled a little. "Of course." he grinned.

We stayed like that for an hour at least, his hands guiding mine around the buttons and his shoulder supporting my head. It felt natural, like I've been with him all my life. Eventually I had remembered how to play and PBG became content just to watch. I played until my eyes were sore, it was so fun! I think I've always loved games like this...

Something soft hit my head. PBG exhaled a sigh onto my forehead. Oh no. If I don't move fast he'll end up on top of me even more than he already is. I slowly shifted to the side, but that only threw off a balance that I didn't know I have. Not wanting to wake PBG, I let his sleeping weight crush me until I was laying on the seat cushion a he was practically using me as a body pillow.

"Mai." I whispered as loud as I could. "Help!" I took a couple more distressed cried to pull her attention away from Jared and towards me. She snorted and buried her face in Jared's shoulder to keep herself from making too much noise. Jared quickly clued in and grabbed his phone.

"Just... help me!" I said as loud as I would dare. Jared clicked his tongue and snapped a picture. I rolled my eyes and he took another. Then, after he was done taking pictures, he and Mai pulled me slowly onto the floor. PBG shifted a little, but for the most part seemed unfazed.  I curled up by the window and played my game while Mai and Jared talked and PBG slept. I found myself glancing at PBG more frequently than I would have liked, why was he so distracting?

After a few short minutes the train rolled to a stop. Jared shook PBG awake while Mai and I gathered the bags. Why hadn't I noticed how large they were? We stumbled off the train as a group, fighting drowsiness more than other passengers. One quick car ride later and the four of us stood in front of a dark building with a bid 'closed' sign stuck on the front.

Mai winked at me and strut up to the door and knocked. "Hey Todd! I'm ready for that favor!" Before I had time to process Jared had thrown a blindfold over my face. "No peeking you two! Come on." And with that I was being pulled away. I could tell by the way my shoes were clicking that we went from outside to inside back to outside. "You can change later, but we wanted you guys to see this first." Mai giggled.

The blindfolds were removed. I gasped. Candles were everywhere, illuminating the space. A small table with food was set up by the door. And in the center of it all, a hot springs, steaming happily. Something in my brain clicked. I had been here before.