A continuation to Wait, That's Not My Name
AN: Well. I didn't expect a sequel. And you know what they say about sequels. They tend to ... be less original. Anyway, here's part 2! A very, very procrastinated piece of work.
I Can't Believe It
Yazawa Nico rolled around on her bed, occasionally letting out an annoyed grunt while looking at her phone, which was resting beside her pillow. It had been 4 hours, 27 minutes ago that she had exited the coffee shop, and was pestered by Nozomi and Eli, well, Nozomi in particular, about the red-haired barista whom she had 'harassed'.
4 hours 27 minutes ago
"Are you kidding, Nicocchi?" Nozomi exclaimed once they got out of the store.
Nico raised an eyebrow, still not really used to her nickname. However, she had accepted the fact that Nozomi only bestowed nicknames to those she was closer to, so she ignored it for now. "I wish I were. I don't even know what to do now." The beverage was warm, and perfect for this weather, but right now she didn't want to drink something that would make her flush even more. She was sure if it wasn't winter, her palms would be sweating so much that the ink would smudge and she would never ever get a chance like this again.
"Well, when people give you their numbers, you either call them or throw the number away. I suppose you'd want to save her number."
"I could do without the sarcasm, Eli." Nico rolled her eyes as the trio turned right and followed a small path to an apartment.
"I could do without the embarrassment." Eli muttered, and Nico scowled.
Nozomi quickly brought them up the stairs and ushered them into her house. Well, if Eli would just accept moving in, it would be their house.
It was a simple home, with two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. The balcony was a small space, where a few barren pots set, waiting for warmer days. Eli sat down on the couch, Nico sitting on the armchair beside it. Three people could fit on the couch with some room to spare, but the white furniture was forever hogged by Nozomi and Eli, and their… their disturbing antics.
Nico shuddered as she eyed the seemingly perfect couch. She was pretty sure that she had caught the two of them doing something that would remind her never to ever sit on it again. As expected, Nozomi sat right beside Eli, leaving the other half of the couch free. Three red paper coffee cups sat on the glass coffee table, one with scribbling on its cover. That was ignored, as Eli swooped down to cup Nozomi's fingers in her own.
"Did you get burnt? Are you okay?" Eli asked, stroking Nozomi's fingers and scrutinizing them.
Nozomi laughed, and shook her head. "I'm fine, just an accident at work. I guess the other workers are unhappy that I'm leaving." She smiled, but Eli frowned.
"I knew I should have asked you to quit your job earlier, and work with me or something." She sighed, and kissed Nozomi's red knuckles.
"It's fine, being a hairdresser was fun, but my colleagues were just a little bit competitive." Nozomi giggled at Eli's actions.
Nico snorted. It was absolutely disgusting how romantic they were. If only Eli's fans knew how mushy their idol was. Of course, Nico was better. She knew how to maintain her image.
The playback of Starbucks entered her mind.
Well, most of the time. Nico looked back to the couch and nearly gagged. While she was daydreaming, Eli's lips had moved higher and higher, and she was now engaged in a snogging session with Nozomi, their hands on the back of each other's heads, trying to merge both of them into a single entity via their lips.
"Wow, our drinks will be getting cold. Colder than our lips." Nico cleared her throat, and the couple moved away, Nozomi covering her mouth and Eli grinning like an idiot.
"Nico is right." Eli took a sip of her drink and licked her lips. "Now to settle her dilemma." Eli took another sip as the others waited for her.
"Well?"
"Just save her number first, Nico." Eli looked at the cup. "Or shall I take down her number first?"
Nico's eyes widened and the armchair squeaked back. Nozomi smiled.
"I'm pretty sure Elicchi will steal your barista away."
"Oh no, you don't." Nico snatched her drink over, and took out her phone. "Maki from Starbucks. Happy?"
A finger on her lips, Nozomi shrugged. "That doesn't sound very friendly. Business-like. How about…" She took over the phone, and tapped away. "This?"
"Maki-chan xoxo" Nico looked at Nozomi dead in the eye, determined not to let her embarrassment show. "No." Her fingers moved again. "Maki. Is that good enough?"
Nozomi shrugged, her hands raised to shoulder level. "It's good enough, but how about calling or texting her?"
"I-I'll do that later!" Nico hissed, and took a swig of the beverage from her cup. It was warm and overwhelmingly sweet. She wondered if Maki would be the same.
Current time
Nishikino Maki sighed as she slipped out of the Starbucks she worked at, wrapping her scarf round her neck, her red hair tucked into the loop. Her manager and friend, Sonoda Umi, walked out wearily, glad that the busy day was over.
"I can't believe you did something so shameless." Umi grumbled as she fumbled with her cold was numbing her hands, and she was so, so tired. "Giving your number so freely to a stranger!"
"Well, she was cute. Did you see how flustered she was? Obviously overwhelmed." Maki smirked as Umi finally got her gloves on.
"And you must be charmed by that graceful attempt at flirting." Umi tucked her hands into her pockets, and the both started walking at a brisk pace. Transport would be paid for, but since their apartments were nearby, walking was much more efficient than waiting for a cab.
"She's just cute when she's flustered. It's subjective, Umi."
"It's still shameless." Umi mumbled, and Maki raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I don't think you would have gotten Kotori's number at the café if she didn't pass it to you."
Umi nearly slipped.
"You were so mesmerized and nervous whenever 'that pretty grey-haired maid' passed by our table. Then she served us our drinks and her number, for 'The cute blue haired girl'." Maki reminded Umi, whose ears were now bright red. "Pity you found what Kotori did shameless."
"O-okay, I got it already!" Umi scowled, and walked ahead of a triumphant Maki.
"Ah, hold on, I've got a call." Maki flipped open her phone, and Umi trooped back.
"Nishikino here." She held the phone to her ear expectantly, only to hear absolute silence, then a small, muffled squeak.
"Who is it?" Umi whispered, but Maki shushed her.
"Is this Nico-chan?" Maki asked again, and the line went dead.
"Did she just hang up on you?" Umi asked in disbelief. Maki hardly, well, never gave out her number to anyone, and when she did, the person settled on a prank call. Amazing.
"Huh." Maki's hand reached for her hair, when she stopped. "It's another incoming call from Nico-chan."
'Nico-chan, huh?' Umi stared with a sort of amazement and slight jealousy at the unsaved number. After years of knowing Maki, she knew the red haired girl never addressed people with honorifics, unless status demanded it. But 'chan' was a first.
"Nishikino speaking. Is this Yazawa Nico?" Maki's eyes lit up. "Yes, of course I remember your name."
Umi tugged onto Maki's sleeve, pleading her to walk on before it got darker, and colder.
"Yes. Yes. Believe me, the attraction is mutual." A squeal forced Maki to jerk away from the phone. "Yes. Yes, you may take me out on a date." Umi half-dragged the grinning Maki.
"Yes. I am free on Saturday." A pause. "Yes, I'm sure." Maki's tone remained the same, although her expressions were livelier than the Christmas decorations strung around the nerighbourhood.
"See you, Nico-chan." Maki looked back at Umi, who shook her head in defeat.
They had agreed to meet at the fountain, and Nico nearly fell into the frozen fountain when she actually saw Maki turn up. Out of her tacky Christmas decoration and barista uniform, Maki looked really, really hot. Her hair was now freed from her loose ponytail, and was hanging around her shoulders.
"Ah, Nico-chan." Nico shuddered, and pulled her coat closer to her body. Maki interpreted that another way, or perhaps chose to, and removed her scarf, wrapping it around Nico.
"It's not good to catch a cold on our first date." Maki stated, and Nico felt more warmth than the scarf – which smelt like Maki – should have provided. Maki nonchalantly reached for Nico's hand, and the dumbfounded black haired girl tottered after her date.
A movie, and dinner. That sounded pretty great, but Nico had never imagined Maki to choose a romance drama. The emotions and tension in the film was at its peak, and Nico could fill the waterworks about to start. Beside her, Maki looked impassive as ever, eyes fixed on the screen but hand creeping towards where Nico's was resting.
A loud sob was heard, and that startled nearly the whole theater. Nico had jumped, and pulled her hand away, missing the frown that passed Maki's face. Maki brought her hand back to her seat, and continued to watch the over-exaggerated typical romance play out on the screen until the movie ended.
Nico had insisted they had dined somewhere not that pricey, keeping in mind that her date was a barista, and the restaurant she frequented with Eli would probably be out of their combined budget. Maki had reluctantly agreed, and so they found themselves seated at a modest French-themed café instead.
"The desserts here are good. Judging from your taste in coffee, I'm guessing you have quite the sweet tooth, Nico-chan?" Maki asked, and Nico nodded, not trusting her tongue. "You have been oddly quiet, as compared to the previous time we met." Nico nodded again, and Maki tried once more.
"Why were you so flustered then, and so silent now?" She watched as Nico's hands trembled, and wondered if she had messed up.
"I- You're a sorry sight for eyes!" Nico sputtered, and both of them froze after the words set in.
"Oh my god, I – I didn't-" Nico buried her face in her hands, while Maki's gaze faded out of focus, her state of utter shock not breaking until the grey haired waitress came over with their main dishes.
"Thank you, Minalinsky." Maki looked at the waitress, and sighed.
While Nico was still not looking, the waitress squeezed Maki's shoulders, and mouthed 'Don't be so nervous.', before leaving with a wink.
"Nico-chan, the food has arrived." Maki pointed out to the girl who probably wanted to teleport far, far away.
"Ah." Nico managed to say. She reached for her knife and fork, and looked as though she was about to cry. The great Idol, Nico, on the verge of tears because her tongue refused to behave in the presence of a hot barista. Why Maki had such an effect on her was beyond her knowledge, but she was messing this date up big time. They had barely made conversation, and Maki was being so nice to That Creepy Customer From Starbucks. And Nico was clearly being a klutz who was undeserving of such kindness. Maki probably went out with her out of pity, even though she said that the attraction was mutual. That would explain her stiff face, her lack of eye contact. This date was a complete failure, and Nico felt more and more dismayed.
"So.." Maki started, her knife barely grazing her duck confit. Nico looked up, lip quivering.
"I'm a sorry sight, huh?" Maki smiled weakly, and despite her confident demeanor, her hand shook and the knife clashed against the plate. She winced, and sighed.
"I'm so sorry, I- I'll leave after this. I must be a terrible date." Nico apologized, and put her fork and knife down.
"N-no!" Maki gripped the table, and Nico sat down to evade the stares of curious diners. "No. Please stay." Maki said, softer this time.
"It's alright, you're doing this out of pity, right? Just being nice." Nico sniffed, and Maki felt frustration, hurt, and guilt swirl inside her heart. A pang of pain shot right in as Nico's first tear fell. Her first tear that wasn't even let free during the sappy movie.
"It isn't like that. I… I really want this. I want to be here, with you, but, not like this." Maki looked at Nico, who looked more and more broken.
"I don't want you crying. I had hoped this date would be fun, but, but I was too nervous." Maki admitted, her hand reaching for her hair, and twirling it.
"Nervous? But … but you seemed so disinterested." Nico wiped her tears away.
"I.. I'm just pretty nervous. I tend to clam up and become more stoic when I get nervous." Maki mumbled, and stretched her hand across the table to reach for Nico's. "But believe me, I really want to give this, give us a shot."
Nico blinked, and more tears came out, causing Maki to panic.
"Oh no, what- what did I do, did I do something? Say something?"
Nico just continued to cry, and with their splendid combination of tears and frantic apologies, Minalinsky had to escort the two to a more private table. When they finally settled down, Nico spoke again.
"I'm just so happy, I thought I had messed this up, just like how I did when we first met." Nico confessed, and Maki shook her head.
"Never. That… that was probably when I actually decided to give you my number. You…" Maki looked away, her fingers still interlaced with Nico's, duck confit and grilled salmon forgotten. "You looked really cute then. And you still do."
Nico nearly slammed her head onto the table as she too, tried to shield her reddening face. "I- I'm glad. Thank you, Maki."
"You're welcome, Nico-chan." Maki mumbled back. "You don't have to be so nervous around me."
"Yo-you too, you don't have to hold back with me." Nico took a deep breath. "I wanted to say you're a sight for sore eyes and I'm sorry, but I guess I messed that up."
"What the heck, I don't get it!" Maki giggled, and started laughing. Her laughter, a clear, melodious sound to Nico, got the red eyed girl laughing as well, and both of them were promptly escorted out by Minalinsky, who could not pardon her friend and her date.
"I don't get it…" Maki breathed outside, sitting on a bench, with a warm can of hot chocolate in her hands.
"I can't believe we were chased out." Nico sighed, and gripped her can drink to her chest.
"I can't believe how stupid we were." Maki added.
"I can't believe you were nervous." Nico continued, sighing, and taking a calculated risk by swaying to her right and leaning against Maki.
"I can't believe it either." Maki sighed, and smiled. "I can't believe I still kinda want to kiss you now."
"What do you mean you can't believe!" Nico shot up, nearly headbutting Maki in the chin. "Why, I'll let you know how many people are dying to taste my lips, I'll-" Maki leaned in, and pecked Nico innocently.
"I didn't get to taste that properly." Maki hinted, and Nico grabbed Maki's head, leaning in to kiss the red haired girl furiously. She broke apart, turning away.
"So did it work this time?"
"Indeed. I can't believe I still want more." Maki grinned, and Nico's head retuned to meet Maki's gaze, before their lips touched again.
"I can't believe their first date just went like that!" Eli brushed aside the long Christmas decorations that were obstructing her view.
"I can't believe we forfeited our meal too." Nozomi sulked. 'Teasing Nico' time wasn't supposed to interfere with their dating, but lo and behold, here they were, lurking behind a clump of trees and Christmas decorations, spying on their friend and her date. She looked up, and grinned.
"Elicchi! Look what's above us!"
"Shh, Nozomi, I'm trying to – oh they kissed!" Eli gasped, and turned to Nozomi, tears in her eyes. "Nico did it! She did it!" Her eyes wandered up to where Nozomi's finger was pointed. "Oh."
"Yeah, and now it's time for us to do it."
END
AN: Due to time constraints and work schedules, I will end up writing much, much less than I already do. However, I do hope to update Ice and Stone, and AKP. Thank you for reading!