28 DAYS [MakoHaru]

twenty six → 12/17

Chapter Twenty-Six: December 17th

One week earlier

The moment Makoto enters Sousuke's wild house party, he knows agreeing to this was a huge mistake.

His chest tightens in apprehension as they pass through the French-style front doors, immediately welcomed by a cacophony of sights: people he doesn't recognize dancing, illegally drinking, empty plastic cups and beer bottles sitting everywhere, all the lights dimmed. The music is so loud, Makoto feels like his head is going to burst.

After a moment, he realizes Nagisa has already disappeared somewhere and he's lost Rei along the way, so he decides to play it safe until Haruka gets arrives and locates the snack table. The kitchen counter is covered with bottles of all kinds of liquor, and Makoto quickly rushes by it to get to the fold-out table, which is stacked high with chips, candy, cookies, and other preservative-filled goodies.

Makoto grabs a red velvet cupcake, deciding to sit outside where it was at least a bit quieter. He makes his way to the back of the house, eventually locating a sliding glass door, which leads to an extravagant stone patio and a glistening pool. A bunch of people have already gathered around the pool, laughing and chatting amiably.

He finds a spot on a bench by the garden and eats the cupcake quietly, watching the chaos in the backyard unfold. He notices a guy and a girl talking rather loudly and the next thing he knows, he hears a high-pitched squeal of surprise and a large splash, followed by a scream of some guy's name. Looking up, he sees a teenage girl in the middle of the pool, completely drenched and mascara running down her face.

The impending weight of social anxiety falls on his shoulders and he fumbles with his cell phone, deciding to send Haruka a text. I'm here. In the backyard, he says, pocketing the device immediately.

About half an hour passes and Makoto's mood quickly deteriorates when he realizes he has no text from Haruka - believe him, he checked eight times - and hasn't seen him at all. Eventually he heaves himself off of the bench and trudges back into the house.

Only one thought is on his mind as he makes his way towards the kitchen and towards that counter filled with miscellaneous alcoholic beverages: I don't want to remember any of this, he thinks as he fills a cup and drowns his sorrows in the putrid taste of vodka.

Nagisa finds him several drinks later, wallowing in alcohol and sadness. "Mako-chan, why so glum?" He pouts, a soda in hand.

"Haruka hasn't responded to my text," Makoto practically blubbers. "He ditched me, because he doesn't like meeee."

"Aw, that's not true," Nagisa pats him on the shoulder, though it ends up landing in the middle of his back, considering how short the blonde is. "Come on, I know something that will cheer you up."

"Wha-"

"Let's go!" Nagisa cheers excitedly with a bubbly giggle, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the house, earning a shout of surprise and two stumbling drunk teenagers trying to find their way through the maze of the mansion.

- - - -

Makoto doesn't know how he got all the way across the house - he certainly cannot remember walking - but the next thing he knows, he's standing on a coffee table next to Nagisa, belting the words to an English song.

At the moment, Makoto is so drunk he can barely speak Japanese, let alone a language he's hardly conversational in.

They're in a den-like room, where karaoke has been set up for partygoers. The flat-screen TV is connected to YouTube, and there are kids on the giant L-shaped couch watching the two as they, admittedly, humiliate themselves. Luckily, they are all too drunk to care.