Archive of Our Own

The thing is, Iruma doesn’t know why he’s here. (Scratch that, she did know but admittedly, its for a stupid reason. At least it felt like a stupid reason?) Either way, it began a two weeks ago with his parents and the first, and last, argument they had ever had.

As soon as she walks through the door of his cramped, unkempt apartment (that he can barely afford for himself and his parents), his mother’s shrill voice was calling out, “Iruma dear, how much money do you have right now? We were hoping to create a new business adventure soon that will require some upfront money.”

After working a ten hour shift and barely having time for a two hour nap before having to go to a different job, the last thing he wanted to talk about was her parent's "jobs." Her bags were deeply sunken in, his body ached everywhere, and she was two seconds away from passing out. But of course, it could never be easy when his parents entered the picture.

Twenty years living like this, he didn’t even bother asking what their newest scam would be. He knew that just going along with it would be the easiest way. “I have 4,668 yen currently. If you can wait a couple days for my pay check, I’ll have even more for you two-”

Her mom quickly walked in front of him, took the money from his pocket then called out to his dad, “Oh honey, Iruma gave us money to help us buy supplies! What a good boy he is.”

Irumi flinched at the word boy but once again ignored it for the sake of getting sleep. Iruma’s father came in from the kitchen to admire the money she gave them. “Our Iruma sure is perfect, isn’t he? What a perfect child you are Iruma!”

Iruma tried not to let the compliments affect her; he knew logically they were empty words. She shouldn’t feel fulfilled from them. And yet, there was a part of himself that craved the false love. Outside of these two, there was zero affection at all so hollow words and touch had to be better than nothing.

“I’m going to go to sleep now, I have another shift later today.”

She started walking to her room which wasn’t much of a room to begin with. It was a spare closet that barely fit him and was always extremely cold or hot depending on the weather. The apartment only had one bedroom officially, hence Irumi’s living situation, but it was the best he could afford for all three.

Their miserly, flaky attitude was the reason they had never lived in one place for long but Iruma being the legal age to work somewhat stable jobs allowed them their new living situation. It came at the expensive of always having to work in order to pay the rent, scant amenities, basic necessities, and his parent’s outlandish fantasies and enormous debts but Iruma was grateful for the change despite this. The temperature was consistent, he wasn't rained on, and there was no fear of being hunted by animals!

Plus, living here at least made her feel slightly more human in a way she never got to experience previously.

Iruma had only gotten a few steps in before his mother sang, “Iruma!” Holding back a sigh, he turned towards her with a fake smile. “Would you be a dear and help us out? There is so much planning and organizing we must do and an extra set of hands will help us out. You’re such a good boy Iruma.” She already started talking as if he had agreed, walking to the wobbly dining table, expecting her to follow.

In a life full of obedience, Irumi surprised herself, “But-” Her mom's body froze in shock and his dad straightened, turning towards him slowly. The seconds of silence hung oppressively. “… But I’m tired and I have another shift. I need to sleep.”

Like machines, their full attention shifted to him, gazing into hers with an intensity that sent chills down his spine. Rarely if ever did his parents do this— these days they hardly bothered to perceive him for longer than five minutes. Now, the weight of their stares sucked the warmth from the very room.

“Iruma, we really need your help. Please dear, we’re begging you.” His dad’s sing song voice went right for the kill.

Iruma’s eye couldn’t stop twitching after hearing those simple three sentences. For anyone else, these words would have little power. Paper thin begging, really. But Iruma was not anyone else and his spasming eye quickly started to water.

“Please Iruma, I know we ask so much of you but it’s because we trust you honey! You know we love you, don’t you?” In perfect harmony, her mother joins in. She beckons him closer to give her a hug, an infrequent action between him and his parents.

Her cheek felt wet, now on both sides, and his hand added to the jerky body movement. Involuntarily, he took a step forward, then another. A puppet on a string, her body was no longer her own. Maybe it had never been.

Maybe since birth it was always owned by them and he was cursed with a consciousness.

Their arms felt cold. Somehow, despite being made up of flesh and blood, it was always so cold. It was too tight, too plastic. But it was some of the only human touch he ever had. So he stayed put.

“That’s right, we love you Iruma. I’m sorry we have to ask this of you; we promise to make it up to you.” An obvious lie if there ever was one. Still, her father pet her hair gently and he closed his eyes, basking in physical affection.

The family would have stayed like this too, in this false sense of perfection, if her mother didn’t open her mouth.

“Our Iruma sure is helpful, isn’t he honey! We’re blessed to have a son like him.” Irumi's eyes fly open.

Iruma is willing to admit that she rarely had self-love. How could he with his childhood the way it was? Other children learned they could do anything they set their minds to and Irumi learned he can do anything people asked of him. She didn't know if she had desires, never mind the fact that he wouldn't be allowed any either way. Sad, sure, but he found that the truth often was.

In spite of this, Iruma discovered one thing about himself that he actually did care about; her gender identity.

For one of her many jobs, he had been forced to don a dress and the identity “Irumi” in order to entertain a rowdy crowd for a concert. The singer had a minor health issue right before and she needed time to recover. Luckily the crowd wasn’t huge, she wasn’t the big celebrity she is now, and Iruma happened to be working as a stage hand. The manager had an extra costume and for some reason extensions that eerily matched his blue hair. She persuaded him embarrassingly fast when she begged and said she’d pay her more.

Still though, it was… eye opening. It was the first time that she understood that maybe she wasn’t just a tool for others with no opinions of her own. Instead, he had a new precious part of himself that would flourish if she let it. Something entirely his to cherish.

Over the last two years, he has made it his mission to do anything she could to explore her gender identity. He would hide some money for herself to buy second hand dresses and accessories or cheap makeup. He took a job at a hair store to get a discount for his own hair extensions. She learned how to do nails and sometimes skipped sleeping to practice a high pitched voice.

And even though it was a difficult decision, she decided to come out to her parents as genderfluid. He was desperate for someone, anyone, to use his other name and pronouns.

But when he finally mustered up the strength to talk to them, neither cared. They didn’t have a reaction. She poured her heart out only for them to say, “okay.” Okay was the response he got for hours of practicing what he’d say to them. Okay. Then they went back to planning their newest get-rich quick scheme.

Idiotically, she convinced himself that was their way of showing support. Instead, they just forgot about it entirely. They didn’t change their behavior at all even though he told them multiple times afterward. Her dad partially abided, when he bothered to remember, but his mother never did. Her brain refused to remember anything about him, even this. He means so little to them.

It was the final nail on the coffin. Years of lying to herself that his parents loved him unraveled like cheap thread.

Even still, she didn’t know what to do. What could she do? Run away from the only people he had ever known? Then he would be alon- He couldn’t force himself to finish the word.

So she stayed. But the resentment grew. And now, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Iruma pushed out of their arms, tears fat and dripping to the floor. “No.”

His parents, arms still opened from the embrace, shared a confused look between each other. “… No?”

He held his violently shaking hand to hid chest and focused on the ground. “No, I’m not going to help you two.”

Brows furrowed in frustration, her dad asked, “But why not? Iruma, you know how much we need your help. Please, we need it.”

“That’s right Iruma. We are begging you!”

Twisting her head back and forth, Irumi raised her hands to her ears to stay grounded. “I’m tired today. Actually, I’m tired everyday. And you two just constantly ask for my help even though you know this!" His voice, while muffled for himself, was raspy as if she had been screaming for hours. "I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Now angry, his mom took a step forward to lord over him. “Suzuki Iruma, you will help us. Don’t you know we love you! How dare you be so selfish, don’t you want to be a good boy Iruma.”

Her neck twinged with how fast her head snapped up. “I have told you I am not a boy, I am genderfluid! I have told you over and over again but you will never listen!” A heat he had never experienced before filled her chest. This was an emotion he had never felt, could never dream he would be capable of. But its smoke could not be extinguished.

He countered her by prowling towards them, forcing them to stagger backwards. “But you don’t care! You never cared. I do everything for you. I am the one working four jobs right now to pay for rent and food. I am the one who bought this apartment. I am the one who does anything around here. While you two waste the money I give you for your stupid ideas! And do I get a thank you? Do you appreciate the things I do for you?” A small part of her realized she was being loud, loud enough to alert neighbors. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not now when everything was finally coming out.

“I-Iruma! You better calm down right now or-”

“Or what! What will you do? You have already taken my entire childhood away from me, so what will you-”

His face flies right as pain sluggishly sets in. For a moment, she couldn't comprehend what happened. Where did the pain come from?

Then he saw his mother’s hand hovering in the air and the oppressive silence from earlier came back tenfold. Everyone stayed frozen until Iruma whispered, “Get out.”

“W-Wait Iruma, she didn’t mean to, I promise. Right sweetheart?” His dad’s panicked voice tried to calm down the situation but it was far too late.

“Get out.”

“Iruma, I-I didn’t mean to! You have to believe me, I would never-”

“Get out.”

“Iruma please, we can talk this out-”

“Get out!”

She forced the door open and with all the force her frail arms could muster, pushed them out. They resisted but adrenaline was on his side.

“Don’t you dare Iruma, at least try to figure this-” “Iruma, stop being like this, you know I never meant-” Their words blended together but he was beyond caring. Once they were shoved out she used her body to pry the door shut as he locked them out. They banged on the door and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone called the building manager. Somehow, he had to control the situation before her parents found a way to twist the narrative.

Thinking quickly, he stepped away from the noise to pull out his old, worn flip phone and called the manager to tell her a simplified version of the story. And that his parents would no longer be living with her.

It felt too dramatic, too quick, of a choice. Everything was happening quickly, he didn’t have time to question his decision. But she also didn’t want to get kicked out of her apartment and knowing this parents, they will make her look like the villain.

After an hour, in which he feared for his safety if they broke the door down, the banging had quieted, more than likely forced to by a neighbor. With a wispy inhale, Irumi crumpled to the floor. They were gone, possibly permanently now, and he didn’t know what to do with himself but cry.

After the fallout of the fight, Irumi has been struggling to create some semblance of a “normal” life without his parents. What was normal, though? Could Iruma even achieve such a thing? …Did she deserve to? These questions haunted him as time passed.

Her parents were now barred from the apartment building, a choice that seemed to bring great joy to the building manager. Apparently she (and all his neighbors) hated the two since they were very rude and annoying. At the start of their eviction, they had started loitering outside in order to talk to Iruma. But after acting as a pseudo mail carrier to pass along his parent's belongings, she told them that if she found them outside the building again, she would call the cops. And that was that. For now at least.

There were good and bad changes to his new life. Less money was needed which allowed her to quit one of his jobs. His parents’ greed required constant feeding and entire paychecks would be handed to them for their flippant wants. Now, he was able to get slightly more sleep and cut down on expenses.

But the apartment was quieter, empty, with only Iruma to fill it. It dawned on her that she didn’t have anyone. His parents, the emotional and physical vampires that they were, drained him of any opportunities she could have to make friends. By twenty, she had no one she could rely on and had already suffered too many jobs to count.

So he decided to do what other adults in their twenties did to meet people. And now he’s here. At a club. Right before midnight.

He had worn the nicest dress he owns, a night blue sparkly one with a square neckline and one slit at the bottom. Matching them were simple flats and a light dusting of eye shadow with a bold red lipstick. It was a bold departure from her usual outfits since it was so sleek but she decided to go all out for tonight. Plus, she had never had an opportunity to wear this dress since it was mostly an impulse purchase that he lucked out on finding in a thrift store. (And he admittedly to slightly wanting to wear it to spite his mom who happened to have seen it the day she bought it and said she shouldn't waste money. Iruma shouldn't waste money.)

Irumi knew by heart that first impressions meant everything and that was why he had to get this right. All he needed was the right time to go up to someone.

But how do you even start up a conversation? Or relate to them, especially with his background? It’s not like he can start talking about the newest TV show or had interesting facts. Unless they wanted to know the most efficient way to get rid of a hoard of rats that infested a home (which for all the work you put in, only gets you about 7,000 yen). She doesn’t like her chances of meeting someone who finds him engaging. Maybe he should just leave?

“Sorry for the wait, we are packed full tonight. What can I get you started with first?”

He’s startled from his thoughts by a masculine voice. She hadn’t noticed the bartender in front of him, who he had barely seen since getting here with how many people were fighting for his attention. Now though, she could see he was a raven-haired man about her age with short spiky hair. He had gold studs in his ears and an eyebrow piercing as well. Just by looking at him, Iruma felt the strong urge to not bother someone so stylish.

“Oh, hi! Um, I’ve never actually tried alcohol before, could you maybe help me decide? Or if you would be too busy for that, I understand, you have a lot of customers. Actually, don’t worry about it I’ll figure it out myself. Or just no drink? So I don’t bother you? Or-” Before she could continue his nervous ramble, the bartender’s eyes softened and he leaned against the bar.

“Hey hey, take it easy. Don’t worry about it, my coworker just came in so I can devote some time to helping you. I’m Jazz by the way, what’s your name? I’m guessing this is your first time here?”

Oh, he was really nice! He seemed way too cool to talk to her but Jazz actually seemed down to Earth. “Y-yes, it’s my first time here. My name is Iruma. O-Or you can call me Irumi, I go by either name. I came here because I wanted to try something new and maybe meet some new people? But I think I was too ambitious by coming here first, I think I’m too nervous to talk to someone.”

Jazz smirked, his eyes getting a suspiciously mischievous glint. “Well lucky for you, alcohol can take the edge off those nerves of yours. How ‘bout I mix you a drink and take it from there, sounds good?

“Oh, uh, sure! But I’m still not sure what I want to try.”

“Since it’s your first time drinking anything with alcohol, I’ll make you something that doesn’t have much in it. Do you like more savory, sour, or sweet drinks?”

This stumped Iruma slightly; when was the last time he tasted a beverage besides water? He rarely had money for food, nonetheless non-essential drinks.

Still, he thinks there was a job she had about a year ago as a food tester for a hole-in-the-wall cafe. It didn’t pay actual money and he almost never takes on volunteer work since his parents spend his money too quickly. But it gave out free food and Irumi decided to go for it. The food was delicious, better than anything she had ever tasted. (Which possibly didn’t say much since he regularly had to eat grass as a kid but either way.) One of the drinks they had served was very fruity and refreshing and it blew his mind that drinks could have a dynamic flavor.

While she sadly couldn’t remember the flavor now, she always wanted to go back one day if she had the money. A pipe dream of course, but it kept him going for a few weeks following that.

With that in mind, he responded, “A sweet, fruity drink please. I uh, don't have a preference on the type of fruit.”

“Got it, coming right up!”

The bartender pulled two bottles from behind the shelf. One bottle had bubbly clear liquid and the other had a light pinkish yellow hue with the label depicting white peaches. He grabbed a cup poured some of the white peach beverage then the carbonated one. Jazz passed it across the bar and propped his face on his elbows that lay on the counter. “Give it a try, I hope you’ll like it.”

Unsure, Iruma grabbed the glass and tried a small sip. His eyes widened and quickly took a larger gulp. “Mmmhm, it’s really good!”

Jazz’s answering smile was bashful but excited. “I knew you’d like it! It’s pretty simple to make, just sparkling water and white peach liquor. The liquor doesn't have a high alcohol content either so its a great first drink for you. The peach taste really comes through, right?"

“Yeah it does! It’s so delicious, thank you so much. I still don’t know if I’ll be able to talk to anyone tonight but at least I got a great drink out of it,” Iruma giggled.

Jazz was about to respond when a stressed out man with long bleach blond hair in a ponytail interrupted. His hair was somewhat messy in what came across as an intentional style based on the two hair spikes that was dyed black at the tips to resemble lion ears. He wore a stylish black mask that seemed to be more for style than function.

“While I do not mean to interrupt, Jazzy, I need your help over here. More customers just keep coming in.”

The raven haired man seemed bummed by this, frowning slightly despite himself. “Aw man, it looks like I have to wrap it up here. Well, if you need another drink you can always count on me; I’ll act as your big brother to guide you! But some quick advice,” He searched the club for something then pointed behind Irumi. His eyes followed to the hand’s target and his eyes widened. Sitting in one of the booths was a group of friends. They all seemed rowdy but interesting. But the ones that immediately captured her attention was a tall pink haired man and short green-haired woman.

She couldn't make out too many details from where he was, but he found herself enchanted by them. They were just so pretty…

“Those are my and Allocer’s, the other bartender’s, friends. They can be pretty wild but I promise they are super nice. You can go over and say hi, tell them Jazzy sent you! That way you will already have an in with some new people,” he winked.

Even as Irumi spoke, his gaze never strayed from the two strangers. “Oh um, are you sure they will be okay with that?”

He did some finger guns and grinned back at her, “Trust me, I have a feeling they are going to like you. But anyway, I have to go help out my friend. I hope to see you around!”

Then he was left alone with his drink and a crushing decision. Him? Go talk to those cool people? While yes, this would be a great opportunity for her, it was too much pressure! He should have just stayed home like his parents would have told her to instead of coming here.

Yes, it’s so much easier to just follow his parents demands and not question them. Sure his parents only cared when it benefited them. And yes, she was always by herself, which he was totally fine with! Never having friends, always stressed, feeling worthless any second he wasn’t working…

Iruma stared down the bottom of her drink for a solid minute then all of a sudden chugged it down. Her brain felt dizzy from the sudden flood of alcohol but she forced himself to shake it off. He called on Allocer to fix him another one on his new tab then treaded over with a fresh cup over to the table.

He tried not to linger on the complementary duo in the corner and instead focused on the extremely buff blond man with a shoulder length blond mullet. He wore a purple cropped turtle neck over layered with a collar of dangling chains and another necklace with three different pieces of metal. His black leather pants matched his jacket that had studs covering the shoulders.

Irumi didn’t know why, but in spite of his intimidating presence, she figured this was the best one to talk to first. Maybe it was because he was in the middle of the group or because in spite of his punk-y outfit, he had a laughing, jolly expression.

The two locked eyes and Iruma clutched her drink tighter as she approached the group. The stranger’s chuckling paused as the rest of the group noticed him too. Everyone’s focus on him made him anxious but her minor liquid courage from earlier propelled her to speak.

“Uh, hi! I am Iruma. You can also call me Irumi. T-the bartender, Jazz, told me to come over and i-introduce myself. How… how are you,” he gestured towards the entire group stiffly, “Doing?”

He winced at his robotic voice, internally panicking about whether she already ruined his chance with this friend group. There was brief moment of no response that made sweat drip down her back before the muscular man beamed at her.

“Welcome! It is so nice to meet you, you are new yes? Me and my friends frequent this place often and I have never seen you.”

Letting out a soft exhale, he hesitantly smiled back. “Yes, I am new here. I was hoping to make some friends. Obviously if you don’t want to talk to me that’s fine though, I could always leave now. I’m probably bothering you aren’t I? I-it’s fine, I can just go.” She started to walk away before waiting on a reply when a soft hand grabbed his wrist. When she turned around, bright green eyes were shining in excitement at her.

It was the girl he couldn’t help but notice earlier and she was close, so close. She was wearing a red two-piece set, a spaghetti strap shirt with lace around the neckline and the skirt ending at mid-thigh. (Not that Irumi was paying too much attention! She was just right next to him so he couldn’t help but notice of course!) She also wore green shoes that had faces on them and for some reason gave the impression of watching him. She had long straight green hair with bangs and on both sides of her head braided buns.

From her expression, he could see she had scarily sharp teeth which for anyone else would be off-putting but she had such a lovely smile. Iruma’s heart raced.

“Hi, I’m Clara! My right foot is Conner and my left foot is Murph. I love meeting new people and making new friends, we can chat right now! I like your pretty dress by the way, you look so good in it! Sit down next to my friends, we are all super duper nice I promise. Except for Azz-Azz sometimes, he can be so rude, especially to strangers. But don’t worry, I’ll protect you from him. We can also-”

As soon as Clara (and Iruma’s mind was abuzz at knowing the fascinating girl’s name) started talking, she couldn’t seem to stop. She was talking too fast for her to register everything she was saying but she did catch the compliment on his dress which made his face a soft pink. Before she could talk more, however, the other attractive person scooted forward and clasped a hand around her mouth.

He was taller then Clara and Iruma, both of whom were about the same height. He had pink hair a quarter down his back with antenna hair that extended into the rest of his hair. His white shirt was slightly shear and opened enough to get a peek at his chest. (Which Iruma felt completely normal about!) His black slacks had a brown belt with shoes that matched the color. He gave the impression that he usually wore more formal clothing but dressed down for the occasion. He was also down right stunning and the combination of the two made Irumi’s breath hitch.

“Stupid Clara, your insistent chatter will scare her away.” He regarded her, remorsefully, “I apologize for my Clara, she was a habit of talking endlessly to strangers.” Despite his harsh words, his words were dripping with soft affection. Oh, so they were dating.

Irumi wasn’t sure how he felt about that, his emotions were a mixture of disappointment, sadness, and… something else. A feeling she had never felt before. Realistically, there was no way either of them would be interested in her to begin with. They were good-looking, basically models, and Iruma was just… Iruma. Plus, he should really stay focused on just making friends, he was hardly in a position to start a relationship.

However, intertwined with his negative thoughts, she was inextricably curious about the idea of these two being together. He could already tell they had such different personalities but they made it work somehow which made them intriguing. (A subconscious part of her wondered how well all three of them could mix.)

Realizing he was staring, he quickly tried to deflect the man’s comment, “Oh no, don’t worry about it! It was actually nice to know that you may be open to talking with me, I’m… actually not close with a lot of people.” Aka, no one. “W-would you mind if I sit here? You can say no of course!” She shut her jaw tight to prevent herself from rambling any further than that.

The tall man scrutinized her briefly but it left Irumi dazed to have those sharp magenta eyes on her. Then he silently questioned the friend group with a single raised eyebrow and when no one objected, answered, “Yes, we wouldn’t mind you joining. If Jazz says you are trustworthy, I have little reason to object to you being here. I am Asmodeus Alice by the way. You may call me Asmodeus, but my friends call me Azz.”

As Asmodeus and Clara scooted over (which the pink-haired man did while subtly wiping his hand that Clara apparently licked), they peered inquisitively at Iruma. It took her a second to realize they meant for her to sit down next to them and he turned red as he hesitantly joined them. The seating was already very tight with such a large group, some sitting on top of each other, making Iruma have very little to sit on. Still, there was no way Irumi was going to complain and have them rescind their offer.

The blond he never got the name of took charge of introductions, “Hello Iruma, my name is Sabro! You have already met my friends Clara and Azz. Next to them is Elizabetta and on her lap is Lied. To my left we have Gaap with Agares sitting on him, Kerori, Soi, and finally Camui. It is nice to have you join us.”

Everyone at the table gave some form of hello and Iruma returned it with a short, uncertain wave. The short blond with black zigzag dyed hair, Lied, was over excited at his appearance, “Yes, another short person in the group! I’m surrounded by giants in this group, it’s so annoying. With you here, it balances the scale.” He dramatically looked towards the heavens, pretending to cry tears of joy.

Elizabetta giggled as she lightly pet his head, “I think it’s cute you’re short, honey.”

He blushed and started fidgeting with his hands. Before he could offer a flustered response, Soi bugged in to antagonize,“You know she’s only saying that to prevent you from going on another drunken tirade about it, right?”

Lied’s face became redder from embarrassment and anger. “Hey, you should be on my side!”

Soi’s facial expression didn’t change much from it’s blank expression but had a voice dripping of slyness. “I don’t know what you mean. After all, I’m taller than you, aren’t I?”

This turned Lied’s anger to rage as he tried to reach across the table with Elizabetta easily keeping him at bay. “We are the same height you dick!”

Sabro laughed merrily as the others left them to their argument. Gaap, a tall man with white shoulder length hair, black mask, and dark blue kimono, took over the conversation from Lied. “So Irumi, tell us about yourself. Do you go to a university?”

University, right, a normal thing for a twenty-year-old to attend. The idea of going to one never entered his brain, not after barely passing school because of his frequent absences and grades. If it wasn’t for the government almost getting involved, she wouldn’t have done so period. And with how her parents are, he immediately had to work after graduating and hasn’t thought about school since. She doesn’t even know what she would study to begin with.

“Um, no. After high school I immediately started working to uh, help out my family.”

“Sabro kind of did the same too! Though, I guess that’s just because his career doesn’t require long schooling, right Sabro?”

Tuning back into the conversation, he beamed at Gaap. “Of course, I became a firefighter as soon as I could! Had to take a test to become a firefighter and it took me a year to study. Then I passed with flying colors!”

Clara chimed in, “But Sabro, didn’t you say the written portion was rather difficult for you?”

Flinching slightly, he laughed nervously and admitted, “Yes, that portion was rather difficult admittedly. Even though I was good in school, the questions asked on the test were difficult. However, the physical portion was a breeze!”

Gaap motioned towards Kerori who strangely seemed familiar to her. He doesn’t think he had ever seen her, her short snow hair and and light blue eyes were unfamiliar to him, but something about her made him believe he already met her. “Then we have Kerori who actually started working while in school and continued!”

She cut in abruptly, “Though don’t think you will pry my job out of these lips so easily! I will need to get to know you better to see if you are trustworthy.” Strange, but she respected that she wanted to maintain her privacy, she was new after all. And while he is sure she didn’t work as much as he did, it was nice to see someone else who worked as a kid.

“Elizabetta and Lied also aren’t in school. Elizabetta is a model and Lied is a video game streamer!”

After hearing his name, he smugly leans both elbows on the table to lay his head on it. “Yeah, not to brag but I’m pretty good. You may have heard of me, I’m King Lied on Youtube and Twitch. I’ve got one million followers on both platforms might I add.”

Under his breath, Purson whispered, “And yet none of them believe you are dating a model.”

Eyebrow twitching, Lied pointed a finger back at his fellow short friend. “H-Hey! Most of them believe me!” He trailed off, quietly adding, “It-It’s just that some think that she’s a paid actor.”

Feeling bad for all the teasing he was getting, despite it all being in good fun, Iruma prodded, “Well, it’s cool you have so many followers. I don’t really watch streamers but I bet you’re a great one.”

Lied’s face turned light pink and he gained a shy smile. “Thanks! If you ever get into watching them, make sure to look me up!”

Irumi didn’t have the heart to tell him she didn’t have a phone capable of watching him or any other device.

Gaap seemed to be done telling him about the non-student friends so he bashly asked, “What does everyone else go to school for?”

Clara waved her arm around excitedly, almost knocking Iruma out the booth if she didn’t plant her feet in time. “Oh, oh, me me! I’ll tell you what I’m going to for school for first.” Her full focus was on Iruma and he felt his heart stutter. “I am studying to be a nursery school teacher! I plan to teach the lil' kiddos. I’m great with kids because I have five little siblings! I helped my mommy take care of all of them growing up.”

Cute and sweet, Clara’s answer charmed him more than it should have. Asmodeus seemed to be of the same opinion since he lightly brushed her hair with a gentle look. “My Clara is truly excellent with children. When she first met my little cousins, they cried when she had to leave and begged me to extend her visit for longer. She has a gift.” The soft expression was interrupted with a sly smirk as he taunted, “It’s probably because she still acts like a child that she can relate to them.”

Pout in full force, she threw back, “I don’t act like a kid, you just act too serious Azz-Azz! But I guess that’s what I get for dating a boring business major,” she teased.

Rolling his eyes, he tilted his head towards Iruma. Asmodeus seemed slightly closed off to her as an outsider, like he didn’t know what to do with her. His gaze was intense, piercing, contrasted to his loving and open expressions with Clara and is friends respectively. But just like Clara, he was drawn to him. Their contrasting personalities made him smile to herself.

“So you’re a business major Asmodeus? What do you plan to do with your degree?”

“I will take over for my mother once I have graduated. My family owns high end restaurants across Japan and some internationally. This includes our most famous restaurant, Restaurant Cri de Guerre,” he said offhandedly.

Irumi didn’t know anything about luxury restaurants but the fact that he just met someone who would someday own one was unreal.

“W-Wow, that’s amazing. I don’t think I would ever get the chance to try the food, but I bet it’s really good!”

Asmodeus paused briefly, taking in Irumi's excited expression, then softly blushed. He cleared his throat to glance away from him. “Hmm, well maybe if you stick around I- I mean we could take you.” For some reason, Clara elbowed him when he said I. Clara and Asmodeus both regarded him imploringly and she startled when she realized that Asmodeus didn’t mean the whole group would take him, they would.

“O-Oh! Uh, well, I wouldn’t want to intrud-”

“You wouldn’t be intruding at all! Since you said you wanted to make friends it would help us learn about you!” Clara chimed in.

Her boyfriend affirmed the sentiment, “Yes, we would be thrilled to have you come with us at some point.” He awkwardly stared just past Iruma’s face as he spoke but he seemed genuine in his words.

Iruma’s face felt hot, way too hot, and he knew he must be red to match. But he still managed a strained, “Then sure, i-it would be nice to go with you two in the future.” From the corner of his eye he could see the other friends giving them strange looks. Some looked knowing while others were confused. But either way, all their eyes on them made her feel uncomfortable. “What does everyone else do for their majors?”

Gaap smiled brightly, “Well I am an acting major! I also take part in the kendo team on campus and compete in matches. I plan to do traditional Japanese theater in the future.” He then looked down to his shorter boyfriend who hasn’t talked the entire time Irumi has been at the table. Iruma could only now see that he was passed out. “Oh, don’t mind my partner, he’s constantly sleepy. Usually he’d be slightly more awake but he has been studying hard for an exam he has coming up. He’s an architect major!” How he could sleep with the loud music and talking was anyone's guess.

Then it was Purson’s turn, “I’m a music major, I play the trumpet. I am also apart of the school’s orchestra and would like to join a professional symphony.”

“And I am also a business major like our fellow Azz-kun,” Camui replied. Camui hadn’t spoken much either but he seemed more focused on eying up potential women to shoot his shot with.

“What about Jazz and uhh, the other bartender’s name. S-Sorry, I forgot what it was,” Irumi nervously asked.

Asmodeus took over this time. “Jazz is training to be a beautician, he wants to specialize in hair styling. He’s working here in order to pay for it.” (There seemed to be some sort of hidden story behind that but Iruma could tell it wasn’t a happy one so he decided not to ask about it.) “As for Allocer, our other friend and bartender, he’s studying history. I believe he plans to go into teaching, maybe as a professorship down the line.”

After hearing everyone’s majors and career paths, they seemed like such an odd ball group. Only two of them even shared a common degree and yet somehow they were all very close to each other.

It begged the question, “How did this group meet? You all seem so different.”

They all eyed one another as if they didn’t realize how weird they may seem to an outsider. Clara seemed happy to explain to her, however. “We all met at the same high school! We have been bestest of friends ever since!”

Sabro softly smiles, wrapping his long arms around as many of them as he could. “It’s true, we have been friends for at least six years. After graduating, we try to honor a promise we made as a group to continue our friendship past school. It hasn’t been easy, but that is why we try to do frequent hangouts together.”

Elizabetta gazed happily at everyone in the group. “Admittedly, we were all considered really weird in school. We were all outcasts in our own ways. It felt natural that at some point we would come together and become friends.”

“Which is why we were always called the misfit group by our classmates. They tried to use it as an insult but we decided to roll with it. We are all a group of misfits here,” Lied chuckled. Reminiscing about the past brought about a gentle aura around the friend group as they reflected on their past.

“Honestly, if it wasn’t for Clara, none of us probably would have been friends though,” Kerori added.

This surprised her as she was distracted away from her napkin doodle. “M-Me?”

“Of course Clara, we only met and became friends because you were so bold in approaching us.”

“It is true. You played a much larger role in our friendship group than you believe. I for one am extremely grateful for all you have done to bring us together,” Sabro declared, beaming at the green-haired woman. She subsequently blushed brightly at the compliments but nothing could hide her bright smile.

Despite the heartwarming recollection, Iruma couldn’t help but feel tremendously sad. He didn’t have any memories of spending time with friends. She couldn’t recall the faces of any classmates and she certainly never hung out with the coworkers who barely talked to him unless it was necessary. She never had what they had, not a single person.

And here he was, an outsider, pushing himself onto them. They already had an established friend group, who’s to say he will even fit in. What if she messes it up or causes problems? Or worse. What if she will forever be an interloper to this group that have known each other for years?

The fear started to settle in his brain and he grew afraid that it will become easy to spot. Stumbling quickly from his sliver of booth, she asked, “Does anyone want another drink? I think I need another one.”

Everyone jumped at his abrupt movement but was easily distracted by his question. A few wanted another drink but most seemed content to casually drink since this was a chance for them to hang out rather than get sloshed.

Still, Irumi felt like more alcohol would calm her nerves down. By this point, she felt off— her body felt heavier and he felt emotions stronger— but he was sure he could handle another glass or two. After all, Jazz said it didn’t have much alcohol in it so it would be fine to indulge.

After hearing the order list, she quickly realized she wouldn’t be able to carry it all on her own. Before he could come up with a plan, he already had volunteers.

“Since that is a lot of drinks, me and Clara will provide you with aid,” Asmodeus declared as the pair slid out the booth with him.

Nervous to be alone with the two, Irumi rushed to say, “Oh! Um, you don’t have to, I could find a way to do it myself.”

“He he, you don’t have enough hands silly.” She gasped loudly, moving around him to inspect him. “Unless you’re secretly a giant spider demon monster! Are you going to burst out new arms?”

Jumping in fright at her loud volume and being so close to her, he denied being one which seemed to disappoint her greatly.

Asmodeus gracefully sauntered over to the short duo gesturing towards the bar. “Since you are not a… spider demon monster," he reluctantly echoed, " That means that you will struggle significantly without help and we are offering it. Come, let us order and collect them together.”

Iruma fought with herself. It was a simple and easy request, a kind one even. But it wasn’t just the fact that they were gorgeous that made her want to deny any help. It was the fact that Iruma wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of help.

He gave so much of himself to others and people just took, took and took until there was nothing left. It was just a part of her life, he didn’t know how to live any other way. The idea that anyone, especially these two, wanting to do something kind for him was jarring. Sure, it was also to help their friends, and maybe that was the only reason for it. But for some reason, he got the impression that they actually cared. Why though? Why would anyone care for him?

Despite her reluctance, she didn’t want to be rude and couldn’t come up with an excuse to say no.

He followed them and after they placed the order (making sure to say hi and talk very briefly with Allocer) there was a short awkward pause before Clara broke the weirdness.

“So Iruma, we talked about what we did for school or work but what do you do?”

Wincing slightly, he settled his gaze across the room to the dance floor. “Oh… well right now I have three jobs. B-but I’m hoping I can quit another one soon! They don’t pay a lot though so I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”

“You work three jobs Irumi-chi? That’s so much working!”

Shoulders slouching in, she could feel the anxiety creeping in. She couldn’t work better jobs because she didn't have a higher education, his high school grades were bad, and his job history was all over the place. Due to his parent’s flippant wants, he didn’t often work at one place for long and when employers saw his resume, they saw him as unreliable. Even suspicious at times. Plus, she didn’t have any reliable references and her work experience could make her under or over qualified (sometimes both) depending on the context.

The only jobs he could work at are the ones desperate for it and this left him with either extremely dangerous ones that paid well or reliable but cheap paying ones. And Iruma had already worked at too many death hazards for a lifetime.

“Yes, I am often working. It’s pretty rare I even have a day off actually, the stars must have aligned in my favor this week. Until recently I had four jobs.”

Almost perfectly in tandem, their eyes became large and mouths agape at his confession. When they both yelled, they were in perfect sync, “Four!”

The other club goers gave the three annoyed looks but Clara and Asmodeus didn’t even notice.

“Y-Yeah but like I said, I was able to quit a job so it’s been much better! I can even get four hours of sleep most days!” Irumi hoped the lighting and his makeup made it difficult to see the heavy bags under his eyes.

Clearly this was not as reassuring as she’d hoped it’d be because they repeated four in the same credulous tone. Luckily before either could push for more information, Allocer came back to hand them their seven drinks.

Once they were back at the table, the drinks were distributed and Iruma settled back into his previous spot. She had only been sitting down for a few seconds, however, before someone walked too close and almost knocked him off. If it wasn’t for Clara’s arms stabilizing him, he would have tumbled onto the slightly sticky floor. Her very soft arms…

“Iruma-chi! I didn’t realize you had so little room, you easily fell off!”

“O-oh, I just didn’t want to bother you, it was fine before now.”

“That can’t be comfy though. Oh, I know!” Without letting him know what her plan was or giving him a chance to protest, she pulled him into her lap with surprising strength.

Blinking slowly, he realized all at once he was now sitting on top of her and her arms were wrapped around him. She flushed a bright red and squirmed to try and break free from her grasp.

“C-Clara!”

“Hehe, don’t worry Irumi-chi, you are light so you can sit on my lap, no problem!”

“That’s n-not the issue,” he argued as he looked shyly towards the prim and proper man sitting beside them. The one that was her boyfriend and probably wouldn’t like a virtual stranger being so close to his girlfriend.

But strangely, he didn’t seem to be upset at the physical affection. Instead, he was quietly observing them in curious contemplation. When he noticed Iruma’s gaze, he cleared his throat and turned his head the other way. “I have learned by now that reigning her in is a hard endeavor. As long as you are comfortable with it, I see no reason to object.”

“Bu-But doesn’t it make more sense for her to sit in your lap?”

Rather than answer his question, she returned with her own, “Is Irumi-chi not okay with being this close?”

Her expression held an adorable pout as she gazed up at him. She found her breath leave him briefly as her beautiful green eyes bore into his. He had only just met her, but he couldn’t bare the thought of upsetting her.

“Oh, uh, no. It’s fine. If- if you two are okay with it then… then so am I,” she cautioned. Clara squealed and held him closer making him feel more like a teddy bear than a person. It was nice, though, to be close to a real person outside of her parents. A real person that was nice and almost unbearably warm. A warmth she had never experienced before.

He found himself leaning into her and for the first time in a long time, possibly ever, he felt his body slowly relax. He comfortably drank his beverage and felt even looser from the effects.

The group broke out into smaller conversations, many Iruma couldn’t follow. They required background information into the lives of the speakers, history he wasn’t privy to. Before she could get too in her head about this, though, Clara and Alice turned back to him.

"So Irumi, you never mentioned what your jobs were."

Shocked that they would still want to continue the discussion after their reactions, he shyly replied, "Oh, we don't have to keep talking about that, its nothing interesting anyway."

"No, we want to know more about you Iruma-chi."

"Agreed. Sorry if our responses made it seem like we were shaming you or your choices, we could have handled that better. We are curious nonetheless, however."

Face turning aflame, he looked down at his hands. "O-Oh. Um, well thank you. I-uh, I work at a gas station as a cashier and stocking the shelves. I also work at a clothing store kind of doing the same thing and as a waiter at a small restaurant."

Eyebrows raised, Asmodeus said, "Those are quite busy jobs. I understand why you don't have much time for yourself."

"Yeah, super duper busy! Why do you work so much?"

"Well…" How did he explain his situation without telling them the full story? Her brain was starting to feel foggy the more she drank. "My parent's spent a lot of money so I started working to help out. We never built up any savings and now I have to work a lot in order keep my apartment."

Once his mouth opened, she couldn't stop. His eyes widened at the information he revealed, more than what was necessary, but at least he didn't tell them the whole story. She quickly took a big sip to focus on anything but at them.

"They don't help you pay for it?" Clara questioned.

"No, they… recently moved out. Now it's just me working to pay the bills." If one could call coming up with unethical scams working.

"But what about the future? Wouldn't you like to go to college?"

"Um…" He contemplated the idea. Building a future, having something to look forward to every day. A job he was happy to go to or maybe just content with. A singular occupation that had normal hours where she could get seven, maybe even eight hours of sleep. Maybe she would make friends there too, coworkers who cared and went out to drinks with, kind of like this established group. What a life that could be.

A life he wasn't destined for. "I don't think college is in store for me. I wouldn't even know what I would study or want to do."

Asmodeus leaned towards him with a raised eyebrow, "I didn't ask if it was in store for you or what your major would be. I asked whether you'd like to go," he lightly chided. Irumi froze from the gaze, breath stuttering. "Ignore the possibilities and think about your desires. If you could, would you?"

Blue eyes never straying from pink ones, Iruma unthinkingly said, "I… I think so. Like I said, I don't know what I would major in but it'd be nice to not have work three jobs." The man's smile made Irumi's heart skip a beat and it took a bit before he realized what he admitted.

Clara budged in before he could question herself, "If you truly, really, feel that way, we can help you!" She cackled in his ear, covering her mischievous expression with her hand, "It may not seem like it, but our group have a ton of connections. We could help you with a great school! Oh, oh!" She excitedly squirmed in the booth, shaking Iruma with her. "And don't worry about not knowing what to do in college, a lot of us didn't know either."

She giggled nervously, shaking her head sluggishly, "W-While that's super nice of you, especially since we just met, I don't really have the money for it," again, unthinking, "My parents have a lot of debt they put in my name."

It was like Iruma could feel her eyes widening in slow mode. Why did he say that?

Conversely, their bodies reacted quickly, directing concerned looks at him. "Debt?"

Almost like the day he kicked his parents out, words started spilling, "Yeah, they never really worked and spent a lot of money and I had to work to pay it off. And their future purchases. And any ideas they came up with to get rich. And our apartment and food and-" Stop talking Iruma!

He forced a hand over his mouth, looking down at the table to avoid their eyes. Jeez, is this what alcohol does to you? Why does anyone drink it then if it makes them spill all their secrets to beautiful people you want to learn about?!

Two separate hands grasped onto her, one on her shoulder and the other on her arm, and squeezed comfortingly. "Iruma-chi, that sounds mega stressful. But now you have us! We only just met but I like you a lot! A lot, a lot! So we can help you."

Asmodues concurred, "My Clara is right, we can help you. I am sure we can come up with a way to help you. After all, if you join our friend circle you will become a misfit. And we stick together no matter what." Irumi's eyes started watering, head titling up to check the sincerity in their words. Both seemed to be telling the truth, there wasn't a flicker of deceit (and she believed herself to be an expert on lies even if he went along with them in spite of his knowledge). "Really? You mean that?"

The body underneath him made an soft squeal, wrapping her arms around him, "Of course, misfits stick together!"

"But I-" She fidgeted with her hands, trying not to let the hug fluster him (and failing despite his wants). "What if I'm not a good fit for your friend group? You all seem more outgoing than me…"

The pink haired man snorted, failing to prevent the sound from coming out, "Hardly! I assure you, there are quite a few of us who are awfully shy or hate talking to others. When the other misfits are around, it makes it easier, we have an understanding. But if its anyone else-"

"They would freeze up!" Clara finished. She chuckled, directing her eyes at her boyfriend even as she whispered to Irumi, "Like Azz-Azz for instance. We turns into a big ol' grumpy pants around new people. He will refuse to talk to them unless they are chatting about a topic he likes. And not to brag but that usually means ME!"

In response, his face turned bright red as he faced her with a shaky finger, "W-What nonsense are you telling him! That is completely unfounded lie." She countered by pointing back at him, "So you are saying Jazzy fibbed about you completely tuning out people until they mentioned my name?"

Caught out, he cleared his throat. There was a pause before he answered, "…Yes. A totally fabricated scenario." Very convincing.

The short duo laughed together at him and Iruma allowed himself to relax again. Even after telling them a little about her situation they still wanted to talk to her! To help him? Why, he didn't understand, but it brought happiness to his heart.

Somehow, someway, he found nice, good people.

Irumi continued talking to Clara and Asmodeus as it got later and later. But she could barely notice the time, they were just so fun to talk to. She felt like she didn't have to worry as much about messing up or saying the wrong thing. They kept talking and joking and laughing at the silliest things.

He never thought he could have this.

And there was so much he had learned about them! Clara's large family had lived largely in the country when she was really young before moving to the city and still owned a small house there they have had for a few generations now. Her father was always traveling for work but sent home post cards, candy, and various trinkets from his travels. When she was younger and even now, he always made sure to find time to call home no matter how late it was for him. While Clara wanted to stay in Japan, she hoped to visit some of the locations her dad had gone to see them in person.

Whereas Azz was an only child like Iruma with a mom he seemed slightly embarrassed but proud of. He tried not to brag about it but he was wealthy. Extremely wealthy. Yet despite this, his mother had wanted him to go to a public school rather than a private academy because she feared he would continue to shut out his peers. Apparently Asmodeus had been an intelligent but closed off child. At the time, he didn't understand why he was being sent to a school "beneath" him but he grew to enjoy his time there and was grateful for his mother's choice.

Iruma surprised himself by opening up too. She didn't want to go into too much details, it felt too soon for that and she was mortified at the information he had already given. But they took the time to discuss so much about themselves and he felt it was only fair to return the favor.

He talked about his parents being constantly gone when he was young, in search of riches, and he had to be mature from a young age. She briefly mentioned working when she was a child since his parents didn't bother to and about barely going to school until it was enforced. He even discussed how he had actually kicked them out recently and quietly confessed he wasn't sure where to go from here. The path seemed so unclear and scary.

And they listened. And they were so compassionate, yet non-pitying, that she felt tears well up at their responses.

While they talked, she finished her drink and was asked about one more. He hesitated, contemplating how he felt. Her entire body was loose yet hefty, like she was swimming through water, and his brain felt clouded. But not enough to forget where he was or who he was with. Just enough that her many, many troubles seemed smaller. He giggled more too, something he never did, but couldn't help when around Clara's silly antics and Azz's unexpected, dry jokes.

After contemplating it, he decided he had enough drinks for one night. He already had more than he believed he would ever get from this adventure.

In the middle of talking to the couple about hobbies (one of Clara's being juggling?) a particular song came on that shot Irumi up.

Now, Irumi didn’t know many singers admittedly. In fact, her knowledge was almost nonexistent. But after the concert where she had to perform as Irumi, he found himself curious to listen to the actual artist. After all, while it was an unintentional, he owned her for figuring herself out. She quickly found herself hooked, however. Kuromu made music that typically leaned into her devil, mischievous persona and it was very catchy. So catchy that he often found himself singing to the songs as he was shelved boxes or other menial tasks at work.

Needless to say, she was his favorite singer and her song Little Imp was his most loved single. It was one of the songs she performed that night; she could hear her perform it after she changed back into her stage hand outfit. He remembered being blown away by her stage presence and became a fan ever since.

When the first few notes of Little Imp rang out, it was like a dog hearing food be put into its bowl. His drunken self immediately needed to dance to her song.

“I know this song! I love Kuromu, she’s my favorite singer!” Kerori seemed to flinch when the song came on but especially after Iruma screamed the confession. In his current state, however, he didn’t question why she acted weird about it. “We should do something, like…” His eyes trailed across the club and spotted the dance floor. She gasped, “We should go dancing!”

Clara was immediately on board with this idea, “Yes, yes, yes! That’s a great idea, let’s dance Azz-Azz!”

Asmodeus was less enthused about the idea than they were. “I am not a… club dancer, you know this Clara. Plus, the two of you are drunk and it’s already getting quite late. Perhaps it’s time to head ou-”

“Boo! Azz-Azz isn’t any fun, you never dance with me. I always have to dance with the other misfits because you are too boring to.” Clara clearly knew how to work her boyfriend’s nerves since the words seemed to get to him more than Iruma would expect. And like a shark smelling blood in the water, she attacked where it hurt, “Please Azz-Azz, can’t you do it for me.”

The puppy dog eyes she used should count as a military-grade weapon. Iruma felt herself melt just at the sight and he wasn’t even the target. But no one could deny it was as cute as it was effective and the tall man quickly folded. With a solemn sigh, he agreed, “Alright, we can go dancing. We will be back in a moment everyone,” he announced to the group. They said their goodbyes, with a few cheeky smiles thrown their way, then the three left.

Did Irumi know how to dance? Not unless someone counted dodging various dangerous objects and animals as dancing. The alcohol made him forget this little detail about himself, though, and Clara was fun enough for that fact not to matter to him. As soon as they got to the dance floor, she was letting herself feel the music, drawing her in too. Especially when she pulled her tight to her person to dance together.

Asmodeus danced a little bit but mostly he acted as a shield against the more rowdy, handsy, crowd. Yet he was there and so was Clara, and Iruma couldn’t recall a moment in his life where he had this much enjoyment. In this moment, her troubles were far away, they couldn’t touch her. Not while these lovely two humans were next to him.

When Little Imp faded away to songs Irumi was unfamiliar with, they stayed dancing together for a few more. Eventually, a song with a slow tempo and heavy base came on and the three ended up closer together, sharing the same breath. Their dancing became swaying then just standing as they soaked up each other's company. Iruma opened his mouth to say something (what he didn't know) before someone bumped into Azz, almost taking all three to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where your going!" He exclaimed to a very wasted individual who barely seemed to comprehend what was said to her. Sighing, "Oh nevermind. Let's go you two, I'm sure the rest of the group is ready to leave and waiting on us."

They shared an uncannily similar whine at this but he still dragged them back to the booth. Most had started grabbing their things and the few that were ready started making their way to them.

"Had fun now didn't we?" Kerori smugly asked.

Not noticing the tone, Irumi enthused, "A lot of fun! I have never done anything like this before in my life!"

While not the response she expected, she grinned at his pure honesty. "I have a feeling you are going to have no trouble being a part of our group."

Heart fit to burst at that, she started to sing a Kuromu song as she held onto the arm Asmodeus hadn't relinquished from his waist. She did another confusing face he was beyond trying to analyze.

Soon the rest of the misfits had gathered their belongings and various members that had gone off. (Camui, in particular, was being dragged away from trying, and miserably failing, to pick up two women by Sabro.) The group collectively pulled together their money to pay off their tab, including Irumi despite her opening her own tab.

He tried to fight off the generosity even though he was astonished by how much he had wracked up with four or five drinks. But it was still hers to pay and she hated to feel like a burden to the group, especially so early into knowing each other.

The group, however, fought him on it.

"Iruma-dono, we would do this for any misfit! We know not all of us have the same funds as each other so we give as much money as we want to help someone else pay for drinks," Gaap reasoned.

"Plus, you can always make sure to pay other people back by paying for food or heck, even just helping them out in the future!" Lied continued. "It's a system that works for us to ensure everyone can come hang with no pressure. Low on funds? No problem 'cause someone has got you covered."

Iruma wanted to fight harder on it but in truth she really couldn't afford to spend this much. He didn't realize how expensive the drinks were and if he could save some money now, he could afford groceries. So she reluctantly agreed.

After the payment had been situated and paid (making sure to say various byes to Jazz and Allocer), the eleven spilled out of the club. Those that had planned to be a designated driver or only had one drink started leaving, some with other misfit members. First Sabro and Camui. Then Elizabetta, Lied, and Kerori. Then Purson. Then Gaap and Agares (who was only slightly awake and was basically being carried by Gaap). Finally, only Irumi, Clara, and Azz-kun remained.

Sad to leave but knowing he had to, he started to pull away from the couple. "Well I guess I have to go. Thank you two for the best night I've ever had. Maybe… I could get your phone numbers? O-only so I can make sure we keep meeting of course! I forgot to ask for the other's numbers."

As she tried to pull away, however, Clara and Azz tightened their hold on her. "While I would love to share our numbers with you Irumi, I must ask. How are you getting home?"

Feeling danger in the air but unable to dodge it, he tried his best to avoid the question, "Great, let's share numbers then we can head off."

Their grip was made of stone.

"Iruma-chi, how were you going to get home?" The two now utilized their piercing gazes. "You weren't planning on driving home were you?"

"N-No. I don't… have a car actually…"

The taller man leaned closer, eyes hardening. "With no car that begs the question even more. The buses have stopped running and the trains are almost done too. By the time you get to the train station they will be closed." He laughed without humor, "Don't tell me you planned to walk home."

Sweat pulled down his dress.

"Irumi-chi, walking home while drunk is a big no no. It's dangerous, who know what could happen to you, especially since this was your first time drinking. Even if you took the train, it could be a huge risk. So that wasn't your plan, right?"

"… I'm not that drunk."

That was definitely the wrong words to say. Because no matter how much these two loved to bicker, when they combined powers no one was free.

After a few minutes of them listing what if situations or and why it didn't matter how drunk he was, he finally burst out, "But I don't have a choice! I walked to get here and it would be too expensive to pay a driving service."

Clara broke out of her scolding, to smirk as she ticked her finger back and forth. "Oh Iruma-chi, did you forget about us? Azz-Azz has a car! He only had one drink and made sure to eat before. He can take you home!"

"And speaking of which, did you eat before coming here?" Learning her lesson from last time, she elected to not answer that question. Which still got him a long winded lecture.

They herded him into the very expensive looking car Azz-kun owned, taking the back seat alongside Clara. Why she wanted to be in the back she was unclear, especially since she made sure to tell her she was more than happy to take the passenger chair. She mentioned something about making 'Azz-Azz play chauffeur' and that was that.

It was nice though. Really nice. She filled the car with chatter, opened her phone to show Iruma silly videos, and Azz made sure to join in even while his focus never strayed from the road. At some point, she laid her head on his shoulder and unlike two hours or so before, he didn't get in his head about it. A quick look at Asmodeus showed that he was already looking back at them with a peculiar but affectionate stare. It caused her face to flush.

Before driving Irumi back to her place, Azz made sure to stop by a fast food restaurant to buy food for all three and they stayed in the parking lot. Asmodeus joined them in the back to distribute the food and eat it together. (Only after he pulled out a plastic sheet to cover every inch of the backseat so not even a tiny crumb could dare messy his vehicle.)

Iruma couldn't stop himself from giggling at the sight of him eating a cheap cheese burger from a paper bag, so different from his upper class persona. While Azz may come from an absurd amount of wealth, clearly going to a regular school has brought his standards down. Clara made sure to laugh along with her when she blurted out his thoughts, sharing stories of the early days of knowing him.

"Azz-Azz was always so grumpy, he barely knew how to play! In fact, the only way I could get him to was to say he was too much a scardey cat. And then BOOM I could get him to act like a midwife in play pretend," she mocked as she repeatedly poked him.

He swiftly, yet still gently, took hold of her probing hand. "Well we were in high school for goodness sake, too old to be playing as such."

"Nu-uh, you are never too old! That's just a goofy, stupid lie they make up so adults are no longer fun." Raising an eyebrow at that layered statement (even if he would never say it), Azz questioned, "And who's they?"

"Oh Azz-Azz. Silly, silly, Azz-Azz. You'll grow up and learn one day, promise." Which caused a loud, angered, "I am older than you," as Clara took the opportunity to steal some of his fries.

As the two fought over the food, Iruma watched, face in pain from smiling and laughing so much. He only barely managed to choke out, "How did you two meet?"

Caught out, they froze then turned to him. Clara recovered quicker, shoving the fries she pilfered into her mouth as she thought, "Hmm, well we both had to pick up books from a teacher for class. I had just picked mine up and was trying to show him all the fun games I brought to school that day!"

"Oh please," Azz cut in, "He couldn't you out faster. I just got there and he shoved my school supplies in my hand then pushed us out together to get you off his hands." She stuck her tongue out at him as she ate the last of her chicken nuggets. "Then she forced me to endure her game as she mentioned earlier. But then those awful boys showed up…"

Clara got sadder, turning away from Irumi, "Before meeting the other misfits, I had hung out with these boys who would play with me. I hadn't found anyone who would and… everything I did seemed to turn people away. But if I gave them money and snacks they would stick around. Even if it wasn't always fun games…"

Bullies. Iruma was familiar with then in some shape or another. Sure, not in school (she was basically a nobody for her entire school journey) but he encountered them in many jobs. He usually just took it, too nice to fight back and he left jobs too quickly to let himself be boggled down with it. After all, worrying wouldn't put food in his belly or survive the next day.

But the idea that this sweet, funny, welcoming person would be subjected to it…

She reached out his hand to place it on her arm, almost at the same time that Azz did. They shared a glance over her shoulder. "While I did find her antics annoying, I couldn't stand to let them continue their cruel tricks and I engaged them in a friendly conversation to ensure they would never talk to her again."

"He was covered in bruisy wusys and his clothing was messed up. But he refuses to tell me what happened," she whispered to Iruma. The business major cleared his throat loudly and displayed an innocent smile. "And that's how we met! Then we got closer and closer until I gave up with him getting all my incredibly obvious hints that we should date and asked him out!"

"O-Obvious?! You once dressed up like a pomp pomp as some deluded attempt to ask me out!"

"Well at least I wouldn't leave flowers with complicated messages, I don't know flower secrets!"

"It's called the language of flowers you nincompoop!"

This prompted another round snickers.

"What about you Irumi-chi?"

Startled from shoving the rest of his food into his mouth, a muffled questioning hum left his throat.

"I mean, have you ever dated?"

Almost suffocating, immediately regretting not taking a smaller bite, she reached for his drink as Clara forcefully hit her back. "W-Why do you ask?"

"Duh, because I just told you the epic love story of me and Azz-Azz! But I wondering about you." She got closer, placing her head back on his shoulder and looked up at him with her sparkling eyes. His face tinted yet when she tried to look away, she only flushed more at Asmodeus' intense focus.

"Uh well… to be honest no." He hesitated, conflicted, before adding, "I've never really had friends before. Never had the time." He smiled sadly, "Never thought I could have friends."

Their hopeful eyes shifted to forlorn. "Iruma-chi…"

"That's why!" He cut her off, surprising himself with his new found energy, and grabbed both their hands. "That's why I'm really happy for today. I know I said it earlier, but this truly has been the most fun I've ever had. And it was in no small part because of you two. I would really love to keep hanging out with you more!"

"Iruma…" The pair shared a glance, smiled brightly, then clasped his hand just as tightly. "We would love to meet with you again too."

She didn't have to see herself to know that she had the most blinding smile that has ever crossed his face.

"Yeah! Irumi-chi has been the best, you helped to get Azz-Azz to dance with me and you are small enough to be on my lap! The absolute best," the young woman enveloped him in a big hug.

Rolling his eyes, he pulled the two short individuals towards himself, "And I adored talking with you. Clara and me have had many enjoyable nights out, including with our friends, but I admit today had a distinctive sparkle. One I want to repeat."

"Oh that reminds me!" Clara pulled out her phone to hand it to Iruma. "Put your number in! I can't wait to text you the best memes I see, you'll actually appreciate them."

Iruma was all too happy to type in his name and number. Clara texted right away to make sure they had each other phone numbers then texted Azz hers too. She even went so far to make a group chat for just the three of them. It may have been too enthusiastic to anyone else, but it was perfect to him.

All good things have to end at some point though, and after sitting in the parking lot for an hour or so, it was time to go home. The ride back wasn't quiet though, Iruma could tell there rarely was a silent moment with the ball of energy sitting beside him. She kept on rambling even as yawns interrupting her speak, mumbling about getting to visit a classroom recently to learn from her mentor teacher.

Eventually, the luxury car parked outside her apartment. It was an old place, slightly run down, but well loved. He was lucky when it came to landlords, she was a lovely older lady. The building manager, in fact, was her daughter and cared deeply about maintaining the place. When looking for affordable places, she had resigned herself to living in a place with owners who barely heard your complaints like he so often had heard about. But for once, fortune smiled on him.

These days, she would be eager to get home, especially now that she has been able to slowly start decorating it the way he wanted to. (He never knew the joy of having a space to yourself exactly the way you wanted it to look!) But knowing it was the end and she would have to scramble to get some sleep before her next shift was heartbreaking. Still, she didn't regret missing out of sleep, couldn't regret it.

This was the best day he's ever had.

There was a pause in the car where no one wanted to talk until Azz, ever the responsible one, broke it, "We are here Irumi. I know we already said it earlier, but I liked spending time with you. I know you work often, but we will find a time to meet again." Will. Not "maybe" or "we'll try." Will find time. So confident. So certain.

"Yeah, and I will text you all the time, Irumi-chi! Oh! And if we can't meet we can talk on the phone for a long time too!" Again with will. Gosh, Iruma wouldn't say she optimist— not by a long shot— but they could make her into one.

"Wonderful, I look forward to it." A pause. Iruma wrestled with himself, afraid, before he channeled the little bit of liquid courage still inside him. Reaching over, she pressed a quick smooch to Clara's cheek then on Azz's. "B-Bye, I can't wait to see you again," Irumi stuttered, running out the car as soon as the deed was done.

She couldn't believe she did that, why did he do that?! Was he crazy? Had the alcohol taken away his sanity? Her face burned as she remembered their soft faces, the brief glance he caught at their surprise. Did he ruin his shot at seeing them in the future?

The tornado of thoughts circled her head as she opened the door to her apartment and followed him as he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas. But right as he was about to settle for what promised to be an unrestful sleep, she noticed her phone had a message. Flipping it open with trepidation, knowing it could only be two people.

that wasnt very of nice of u to 🏃 off like that iruma-chi

me and Azz-Azz couldnt give u a smoochie back!!!!

but im stil glad u did any way

we werent sure if u felt the same way

His heart felt like it would stutter out of his chest. They had wanted to return the gesture?

u still there?

hello???

irumi-chiiiiiiiii

azz-azz said youre probably 😴

i guess we have been out all night

well when u see this

know that you are in BIG trouble

and next time we see each other

know that you are getting a thousand kisses

for now have these

💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

good night iruma-chi!

As if that wasn't enough to explode his mind, Azz-kun texted him as well. Proper but poetic, it fueled her overactive heart.

Good night Iruma. May we meet in our dreams and enjoy each other's company as much as we did tonight. See you very soon.

Letting out a very embarrassing squeal, Iruma covered her red face and rolled back and forth on his futon. Gosh, this was mortifying. Look at him, getting so giddy over some text messages. Text messages! From people he just met!

But she couldn't help himself, she never felt like this. Never felt a connection with anyone so strong, it felt like they had known each other for years. A couple of hours was all it took for him to be a mess and way over his head.

Yet when she calmed down enough to read the messages again, the excitement rushed over her again and again.

For the first time, she didn't feel… alone. While extremely new, he now knew people that were cool, and fun, and nice. Really nice. And they wanted to keep talking to him. Even when it was obvious she was a barely hanging by a thread, they wanted to see him in the future.

And more than that, she had an adorable couple in her phone that liked her and promised to give her a return kiss on the cheek? What was his life?!

It took a long time to relax enough that sleep began to sink its claws into her. Even as it did, her thoughts stayed on Azz-kun and Clara imagining the places they could go together and wondering when they could meet next. And he questioned, just briefly, if this was what people meant with the term soulmates.