Acceptance [WMatsui fanfic]

Chapter 2

This Saturday, it was almost midnight when Jurina followed Mayu inside The Blue Moon, and they took a seat at a table near the stage. Her eyes followed with little interest the stripper currently dancing on stage, wondering why on earth her best friend had thought it was a brilliant idea – after celebrating her twenty-third birthday at a fancy restaurant – to finish the day at a strip club.

Jurina placed her lips against the tip of her bottle of beer and took a quick sip, a small sigh leaving her lips as she directed her attention towards her best friend who was watching the girl undressing on stage. More than once, she had tried to change her mind about coming here, but Mayu wanted to hear none of it.

"Remind me. Why did you want to take a table so close to the stage?"

Jurina had done her best to stay quiet since they entered the club half an hour ago, but she couldn't help it anymore. Not only had she not come to the club recently – somehow not finding the place appealing anymore since Akane had left for Osaka three months ago – her best friend had rejected the idea when she had suggested to occupy her usual table, situated in a quiet, secluded area of the club.

Sure, this new table offered a great view of the stage, but Jurina never liked being in the spotlights.

"To enjoy the show," Mayu replied casually, her eyes not leaving the girl who had just finished her performance and was now leaving the stage. "It's a mystery how you can see properly from so far."

Jurina let out another sigh, leaning her back against the red leather sofa. "You never came to the club before. Why tonight?"

"Why not?" Mayu shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to see for myself the place my best friend has been coming to so often?"

"I haven't been coming here in a while," Jurina reminded her. "Not since–"

"I know," Mayu nodded. "Not since Akane left. Well, maybe it's time you start coming back to this place."

Jurina arched an eyebrow, her beer pausing a few inches away from her lips as she was about to take another sip. "What?"

"I know you miss her," Mayu replied, tilting her head towards her. "But you have been quite stressed, and also a little moody these past months. I'm sure there are other interesting girls, here."

Jurina gaped at her friend, now understanding what her objective was by bringing them here. "Are you telling me you used your birthday as an excuse to lure me into this place? Because you knew I couldn't refuse you anything today?"

Mayu's lips tugged into a wry smile. "What if I did?"

Jurina stared back at her in shock. So this was a set up? Vaguely, she registered in the background a male voice announcing on the speaker the arrival of the next stripper, but she didn't pay attention to anything he was saying. "Mayu, I'm not looking for a replacement to Akane."

"Alright," Mayu replied, a little too fast for her liking. "Then we're just here to have a good time."

Jurina didn't really want to stay here, but it appeared her best friend truly had no intention of leaving, given the fact her attention was now directed on the stage as the music for the next show was starting to play in the air. Nevertheless, she refused to relent quite yet. "You really don't want us to go to a bar or something?"

"No," was Mayu's swift reply to her suggestion. "I'm totally fine here."

Jurina groaned at her incredible stubbornness, guessing it was no use insisting when she didn't detect an ounce of hesitation in her friend's voice. Her gaze fell distractedly on the stage, watching the new girl who had just appeared.