Come meet me in my father's office. Alone. I'll be waiting~

Dia looked at the message and read it again. What could Mari want this time? And why did she have to be alone? And when the hell did that girl leave the room anyway?

All members of Aqours were gathered together to celebrate the New Year. Though all of them decided to celebrate New Year's eve with their respective families, they all agreed to have a sleepover the following day. It was the first and probably last time in a while that they can be together like this with the 3rd years graduating and Mari and Kanan deciding to go overseas to pursue their own dreams.

Deciding to get it over with, the eldest Kurosawa carefully moved from her place on the couch, making sure not to wake her younger sister with her movements. She expertly navigated her way around the other sleeping members to get to the door. They were all gathered in Mari's entertainment room watching a marathon of u's concert DVDs. She was the only one left awake after the 4th live. She didn't even know how the others were able to even feel sleepy while watching the best girls in the world sing and dance. Then again, it was the 2nd day in a row that they stayed up late and most of them probably didn't get enough sleep during the day.

Dia had been to the Ohara Hotel too many times to count to know where the different rooms were. She remembered quite well where her set destination was since it was a place she, Kanan and Mari avoided like a plague in their youth. Mari's father was a nice man but they didn't dare disturb the man when he was there. Even with their young minds, they could understand that nothing good happened in that room since not a single person who entered left with a happy expression.

She could feel a similar feeling akin to what she felt in her childhood but there was no way she would be scared of Mari. Rather, she was afraid of what the girl had in plan. With Mari, it could literally be anything.

"Ciao bella~ I've been waiting for you." The brunette sighed at the greeting of mixed Italian and English much like the one who spoke the words as she entered the room. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, the scent of coffee and expensive perfume waffling in to her nose.

"Mari-san…." she starts with a threatening tone, though made no move to detach the blonde from her. "to what purpose did you call me here for?"

"Oh Dia~ why do you have to be so formal? We're not in school and no one else is here. Let loose a bit."

Mari finally lets go of Dia and walks over to one of the cabinets inside the room. "Today is your birthday and you're finally 18. So this calls for a very special celebration that only us adults can do." She looks back at her childhood friend and sends her a sly grin capped off with flirtatious wink.

"W-What are.. Are you talking about Mari-san?" Dia's face was now as red as her sister's hair. "We can't do that! Not… not that don't want to and you're very attractive but… but we're friends, best friends even and… and I don't want to ruin that with a one… one night…"

Hotel heiress was confused at first, having a hard time understanding though her friend's ramblings and stuttering. She almost laughed her head off when she did finally get what Dia was trying to say.

"No~ No Dia. That's not what I had in mind at all. Though I wouldn't mind doing that as well." Mari says with another wink. "This is my surprise."

She turned back and opened the cabinet before her with as much dramatics as she did when she opened the curtains when announce that she was Uranohoshi's new director.

"This is my father's collection but he gave me full access to it when I turned 18. And today, I'm sharing it with you. So what do you say Dia? Would like to sit down a have a drink with the 'very attractive' Ohara Mari?"

Her invitation was met with silence.

"Uhm Hello? Dia? Earth to Dia? Can you hear me?"

"Mari-san…"

"Yes?"

"You mean to say… you asked me to come here to humiliate me and get me drunk?"

"Well… humiliate you was not part of the plan. And I really wouldn't call it humiliating… more of entertaining. Though I guess the humiliating part would be there but it would probably be after we get drunk, not before. And we'll probably not remember it in the morning anyway."

"Mari-san…"

"Yes Dia, ready to get hammered?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Aww…. You're such a Debbie downer. Oh wait! You're a Dia downer. I should write this down."

"MARI-SAN!"

"You keep on yelling my name like that and people would start thinking that we're doing something… indecent."

"MARI-" Dia let out a cough when she realized she would fuel the blonde's teasing even more. "Anyway, I would not be participating in any illegal activities with you."

"Hate to break it to you Dia… but despite your belief, having fun is totally legal."

"Mari-san, are you aware of the legal drinking age in Japan?"

"18! I mean it's the same in every country right?"

Dia brings her phone out and taps away. A minute later she shows the screen to Mari.

"20?! But that too far away. Let's drink now. Nobody would know anyway."

"As I've said before, I would not be participating in any illegal activities. Besides, I don't understand the charm of drinking or getting drunk. From what I've seen and read, you'll feel awful in the morning and the taste is not even good." She was able to consume small amount of sake and wines in social gatherings her parents have set or brought her with. She was not a fan.

"But Dia, you're going to Tokyo for college! It's like a requirement in college to go to parties and get drunk. You're going to miss half of your life if you don't go."

"I'll live."

Dia was stubborn but Mari could match her well with this regards and she knew the latter would not give up so easily.

"But Dia, you're going to Tokyo University right? THE Tokyo University. The same one where most of u's went, including your idol, Ayase Eli."

Uh oh….

Mari did not just use the "Ayase Eli" card.

She can't let her guard down.

"W-well… yes. But she already graduated years ago."

"But her sister, Ayase Alisa, still goes there right?"

Damn you Mari!

The blonde probably knew she hit a nerve and continued with her attack.

"What if… you meet Ayase Alisa? You would want to be friends right? What if she invites you to a party with lots of alcohol? You would have to drink to impress her else you wouldn't be able get close enough to her to meet her sister. But if were you're first time drinking… you would definitely not last and embarrass yourself…. Your chances of meeting Eli will be-"

"Fine! FINE! You win. I'll drink with you."

"Yay!" Mari rushed towards her childhood friend and dragged her towards the cabinet not risking having her change her mind. "So what were would you like to start? Papa has a wide range liquor. Maybe some tequila or gin? These are quite popular drinks in college. But brandy is good too. Rum? Whisky? Vod-"

"Vodka?" Dia had read different accounts about Eli being a fan of vodka. Then again, she wasn't sure if this was true or just a allusion to her being quarter Russian.

"Oh~ you want vodka? Well these are quite strong but they don't have much taste. It'll be better have it mixed but I'd have to call our bartender."

"No bartender. No one else is to know about this."

"You want it straight? Shiny!" Mari then picks up a bottle of vodka and pours some of it's contents in two glasses.

"Cheers?" the blonde offers one of the glasses to her childhood friend as she raises her own.

Dia looks down at the clear liquid and sighs. She sets her shoulders straight and clinks her glass with Mari's.

"Cheers."