College AU where Umi and Eli and decide they go to a club for the first time.

A/N: For the anon that asked for a more Kotoumi centric (with Nozoeli) fanfic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lovelive! or the characters.

"This was a bad idea."

"Lighten up, Umi. We've barely been here for five minutes."

"But look at this place! It's too scandalous! Everywhere! And everyone!"

Eli had to physically struggle to lower her childhood friend's voice before people could hear her over the loud music. Eli knew very well how easily Umi could get embarrassed by such... "adult" scenes. The navy haired girl cowered in a corner by romantic comedy kiss scenes, for crying out loud. It was an actual wonder that Umi had actually brought up that they go to a club. What had made her friend to make such a decision, Eli still had to find out. Though she did have an assumption that either Honoka or Nico was behind this... only those two actually succeed in riling up Umi.

"Come on, let's go to the bar and get a drink at the least."

Eli dragged Umi, the poor girl who still seemed traumatized. When they reached the bar, however, Umi immediately recovered. That is, she regained enough energy to hold her ground, but glowing red as a monkey's butt. Eli didn't need many clues to figure out why.

"Hello! My name's Kotori and I'll be your bartender for the night!"

Kotori Minami. The girl that Umi's been crushing on since day one.

"Uhm hi. Yeah, can we get just two glasses of beer for now?"

"Sure! But let me know if you're up for a fruity cocktail. Those are my specialties!"

Eli quietly judged her friend who barely whimpered a "thank you" to the giggling bartender. Eli sighed once the bartender gave them their drinks and went off to serve a different customer.

"If she's the reason why you dragged us here, you could at least hold a decent conversation..."

Umi spluttered at Eli.

"Hey you're one to talk, Eli! You still haven't asked that Nozomi out for a date ever since you purposefully took a class that you would never ever take if she wasn't in it!"

"I..! I'm just waiting for the right time! I don't think it's appropriate to bring that up when we're working on the project..."

"Sure... because you're so invested on the project during those group meetings, aren't you?"

Eli's face was glowing as red as Umi's did a few moments ago. But before she could refute Umi's last remark, someone hugged her. Someone kissed her on the cheek. Someone familiar.

"Elichi darling! Where have you been? I've been waiting for a good while now!"

Umi was just as puzzled as Eli was when Nozomi bursted out of nowhere and was very, very intimately close to her friend.

"I told this man I already had and was waiting for a special someone but he just won't go!"

Something seemed to process quickly in Eli's mind as the blonde looked up and now realized an unknown man was uncomfortably close. Without thinking, Eli circled her arms around Nozomi protectively and pulled the girl even closer into her embrace. She had a predatory face that screamed "get lost" and had even growled the slightest at the creep. He seemed to have gotten the idea and quickly retreated into the crowds.

Nozomi let out a sigh.

"Thanks for helping me, Elichi."

"Huh? Oh.. oh! Of course! That guy was creepy!"

"What happened?"

"Hm? Oh, Umi. I didn't see you there. I was too comfy in Elichi's embrace."

"Eh? Oh. Ah! Right. Sorry."

Eli quickly detached herself from her crush and immediately missed the feeling of Nozomi in her arms. Nozomi merely laughed softly as she usually did when she teased Eli.

"I was trying to maneuver my way to the DJ who is my friend from high school... And then that guy grabbed me out of nowhere, which is common on the dance floor but... He was one of the more insistent cases that was harder to get away from."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Eli automatically got closer to Nozomi, treading her fingers lightly. Umi noticed the slight tremble in Eli's voice despite the loud music that surrounded them.

"No... I found you before he could. The worst damage he did was mere discomfort."

"Even so...!"

"I mean, I got to give a kiss to you on the cheek thanks to him."

Eli blushed. Umi silently remarked how Eli was no different than she.

"Anyways... would you like to dance with me? It's my way of saying thanks."

Oh. Umi thought. This was Eli's chance, Umi noted. But the blonde seemed to have broken down since the mention of the peck on the cheek earlier. As the noble friend she was, Umi gave Eli a slight push, effectively putting her closer to the emerald eyed girl. The sudden movement seemed to have put some lights back in the blonde and Eli stammered a yes.

Umi reclaimed a seat by the bar as she saw her friend join the dance floor, closely attached to Ms. Toujou. Even from afar, it seemed like Nozomi had a good hold on how to seduce the ever dense Eli Ayase. Umi quickly turned her gaze away as soon as the two were... erm... mm.

Umi chugged her glass of beer.

"Looks like you've done a good job as a wingwoman."

Umi almost spat out her beer at Kotori's sudden appearance.

"Wi... wingwoman?"

"Mhm! Your friends over there are enjoying themselves quite a bit."

Umi felt her ears burning but she couldn't help following Kotori's gaze to look back at the two. She peaked over her shoulder and immediately regretted it. Sex on the dance floor was not unheard of, according to dear old Nico, but that was the last thing she wanted to have witnessed. Especially if one of those people were her childhood friend and that friend's crush.

Umi chugged the rest of Eli's beer.

She covered her mouth as she let out a slight burp as a result of two chugs in a row.

"Wow... I didn't know you were the chugging type."

"I'm... I'm not. Not usually. I don't drink. I mean, not that I don't drink. I don't chug. I... ugh..."

Umi just buried her face into her hands as the bartender giggled. As embarrassed as she was, Umi couldn't help thinking it was worth it if it meant she could hear and see Kotori's glee this up close.

"You're Umi Sonoda, right? We're in the same history class on the change of clothing styles in modern Japan?"

"Mm.. Mhm."

Umi hadn't expected Kotori to know or notice her really. She had sat behind the ash haired girl on the first day of class and since then had always favored that seat. She could still focus on the lecture while being able to... admire.. Kotori, without making it seem obvious.

Perhaps not as much as she had thought.

"If I'd known you were going to come to the club that I bartend I would have given you the best dates to come. Well, tonight's actually one of the better nights since DJ P is in."

"I.. I see."

Umi chastised herself for being a wordless blob at the moment. Here she was, her crush initiating conversations with her for the first time, and all she could do was answer in two words or less. What's the use of her literature major when she couldn't articulate them in times of importance like now.

"Ah... sorry. I must be boring you. How about I give you my signature cocktail? It'll be on the house."

"N..no! You interest me a lot!"

Umi needed a second before she processed what she had said.

"I mean! Your conversations interest me! They're interesting to hear! N..not that you're not interesting, of course. You're fascinating. I mean not fascinating as in I see you like a specimen. I just see you in class and you're just... I mean I don't stare at you in class.. Agh, wait."

Umi just slammed herself onto the bar and buried herself in her arms, hoping she'll just disperse into nothingness. Maybe with the amount of heat her body's emitting she'll evaporate into steam and that'll be the highlight of the night.

Kotori laughed.

"You're interesting, too, Ms. Sonoda."

When Umi felt a few pats on her head, she slowly looked up. Kotori was leaning forward towards her, with a big smile on her face. The smile that Umi fell for in the beginning.

Feeling another blush rising, Umi's eyes looked down again.

"You.. you can call me Umi."

She was still too embarrassed to look up, but she definitely could feel the smile radiating off of Kotori.

Tonight wasn't a bad choice after all.