Chapter 20: Stop Teasing Haru!
"Yeah. Also, Haru's nee-chan," Kiyoshi answered before drinking from his glass.
"Nee-chan?" Sakura's eyes widened as she glanced at the man beside him, who only shook his head in disagreement. "I thought you're an only child?"
Mei took a sip from her glass, "She's just everyone's big sister. I call her nee-chan too, and you'll prolly call her that too when you two meet!" and grinned.
"But Haru gets the special treatment," Kiyoshi took another cigarette stick from the pack and placed it in the corner of his mouth.
Haru shook his head once more, "Mm… Kyoko's like a very late childhood friend, and she was a freshman in college when I met her during my last year in high school... I went to the same college as hers and that's when I met Kiyoshi."
"She basically raised him like her own child," Kiyoshi lit his cigar and puffed some smoke.
"Eh?" Sakura blinked and looked at Haru who was already staring at the starless night sky.
Haru looked back at her, "Don't listen to Kiyoshi. She's my first ever friend, and she just treats me like her little brother."
"You two must be really close then," Sakura commented and smiled at the thought of Haru and Kyoko's sibling-like relationship. She thought Kyoko must be a responsible and successful woman, but also caring and reliable at the same time.
'Oh how wonderful it is to know someone from your childhood and still be friends with that person,' Sakura mused, then noticed that he didn't get his glass of beer, "Aren't you going to drink, Haru?"
Kiyoshi glanced at Haru as he waited for his reaction, but the latter only glanced back at him. "Actually... that's mine."
"I'm sorry?"
"That guy can't handle his liquor."
"Even just one glass?"
Kiyoshi puffed some smoke before speaking, "Don't dare him, Sakura. I ain't bringing him home."
"A bottle is fine," Haru eventually grabbed his share of beer and took a swig of it. He didn't want to be embarrassed in front of Sakura and thought that a glass wouldn't hurt him.
Kiyoshi and Mei faced each other and laughed after seeing what he did.
"Hmm?" Sakura mumbled confusingly before sipping on her glass.
"A woman can really change a man's ways, huh?" Kiyoshi commented.
As much as possible, Haru won't drink. During college, Kiyoshi had witnessed how wasted Haru was whenever Kyoko pranked him to drink juice, but it was actually mixed drinks or worse, hard liquor. Haru was too kind, so the guy would still agree despite knowing how low his tolerance to alcohol is. For Kiyoshi, both were pain in the ass, but those were the good old days, and he would always take care of them whenever they're boozed up.
"Speaking of Haru," Mei glared at the man she was talking about, "Why weren't you smiling in your selfie with Sakura?'
"Well… I….-"
Sakura butted in, "He told me he's not good at it, and that he's not photogenic," and playfully rolled her eyes at him.
Mei examined their selfie, "How can you smile sweetly with other customers when they ask for a picture, but can't do the same with Sakura?"
Kiyoshi cupped his girlfriend's chin and turned her head to face him, "Stop staring at their selfie and stare at me instead."
"It's unfair for my friend!" she whined.
"I wasn't prepared," Haru reasoned out and continued swigging his alcoholic beverage. It was the truth tho. How could he react properly when he was still in a state of surprise when Sakura asked for a photo together?
"So… you're prepared when a customer asks for a picture with you, but not with me?" Sakura feigned a sigh.
Haru almost choked from his drink, and it took him a moment before he could speak again. "Should we take a group photo then?" he looked at Sakura, his cheeks tinged with slight redness.
"Oh, someone's getting brave. Thanks to the alcohol," Kiyoshi snickered.
"Stop! You've been teasing him!" Mei chuckled as she hit his arm, and then searched for a good angle where all could be seen on the screen. "Ready? 3… 2...1… cheese!"
Sakura played along with Kiyoshi's teasing and cheerfully posed with a peace sign, but her eyes widened in surprise when Haru leaned his head against hers, catching her off-guard with the sudden gesture. He placed his arm on the backrest of her chair and smiled charmingly once Mei captured their photo.
Mei checked their picture, "This is what I'm talking about! Good lord, you look so dashing even when drunk!", and showed the photo to Haru.
"I'm not yet drunk-"
"I thought you care about Sakura, Mei Mei?" Kiyoshi grabbed Mei's phone from hers. "Sakura wasn't even smiling here."
"Then they're quits," Mei grinned whilst also showing a peace sign to her friend, who was already flushing from slight embarrassment.
Sakura thought Mei was on her side. She even thought that she would capture another photo of them, but she appeared to be very satisfied with her shot, especially capturing Haru's irresistible smile. Nonetheless, she took this lightly and chuckled at her friend's remark.
"I swear, if you open an account and start posting your photos with your latte art, you and Cafe Ai would really be more known!" Mei gushed over.
"We all know she wants to keep it lowkey," Kiyoshi shook off the ashes into the ashtray and continued drinking his beverage.
Haru, satisfied with everyone's reaction, rested back on his seat and finished his first glass of beer. A few more hours have passed and from one glass of beer, he already had four. The night grew colder as fine drops of water started pouring down from the cloudy and starless sky.
He sat closely to Sakura, and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Sakura…"
Sakura glanced at her side, and despite the smoke coming from Kiyoshi the whole time they were together, she could still smell the familiar creamy and earthy scent of his hair, "Hmm?"
"Let me... take you home tonight..."
And the dashing drunk man, whose cheeks were redder this time, showed a dimpled smile to the pink haired lady sitting next to him.
Upon seeing that, Kiyoshi immediately stood up and went to Haru's side. He was pleased to see his friend enjoying his drink, but the sheep becomes a sheepdog whenever he gets intoxicated. He tugged his arm and also signaled his girlfriend to pay their bills. "Hey, Haru. You're drunk, let's go home."
Haru even moved closer to Sakura as he swat Kiyoshi's hand away from him, "No, no… no... You go ahead. I'll take her home... safely-"
"Cut the crap! You're gonna pass out halfway anyway, and we don't want Sakura carrying you and sending you back home," Kiyoshi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It's going to rain soon, so f*cking stand up," he pulled Haru's arm again, but the other kept on resisting.
Mei and Sakura couldn't contain their laughter as they witnessed the cute squabble between the two.
"Don't worry, he just gets too clingy whenever he gets drunk. Ain't he too cute, tho?" Mei murmured to Sakura after giving her card to the waiter.
"Oh my god," Sakura said with mouth agape. " I thought Kiyoshi was just joking!"
She shook her head, "That's why Haru doesn't drink or only drink a bottle whenever drinking out."
"How many times have you seen him like this?"
"Can we really consider this being 'drunk'?" Mei chuckled. "He hasn't gotten wasted as far as I know, but I've only seen him drunk once." After seeing his boyfriend struggling with Haru, she finally went to their side and interfered, "Haru! Come on, we'll take you two home."
"If only Sakura said yes…" Haru mumbled as he lowered his head.
Kiyoshi slapped his forehead, and Sakura saw it, making her laugh softly. She wore her handbag on her shoulders, held Haru's arms, and helped him stand up, "Yes, you can take me home, Haru. Let's go. We don't want to get drenched in rain."
Author's Note:
1. 'Nee-chan' means older sister.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
iridescentdream
iridescentdream Our male lead is drunk ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ Are you excited with what's going to happen in the next chapter? ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ
--
P.S. To my lovely readers, for a better reading experience, my advice is to read Chapters 20, 21, and 22 in one sitting, unless you like cliffhangers. ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ
--
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Comments and reviews are highlighy appreciated. If you like this story, please add it to your library! ʕ ´•ᴥ•` ʔ
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone