"AND FUCK! YOU! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" Ino-san bursts her lungs out, and the song ends.
Ino-san leaves the mic on the table and sits in her place.
"Ok…" says Hamano-san still puzzled by Ino-san's apparently hateful performance, and then she turns towards me. "Did you like our recommendations, Khanna-san?"
"I did," Izumi-san replies. "Except Ino's; she was only yelling."
"And you never yell, right?" Asks Ino-san with a hoarse voice; she immediately tries to clear her throat. Then she grabs my glass of water and drinks it in a single gulp.
"Um… that was my glass of water," I inform her.
"Ask for another one," she says with a sore throat. "Stop crying."
"I'm not crying," I reply. "I'm just telling you that was my glass of water."
"I heard you the first time," she replies. "Shut up. You can have my tea instead."
"But I want water; if I wanted tea, I would have ordered tea."
"Just shut up already!" Ino-san yells at me, makes a painful expression and tries to clear her throat. "It's just a glass of water. Can't you just let me have it? Oh, yeah, I remember now: you can't, because you never help out anyone. And why should you? It's not like you care I have a sore throat.
"You're such a diva, Ino-san," Hamano-san intercedes for me. "And if you hurt your throat screaming like that it's totally your fault."
"What happened?" Izumi-san asks. "She hurt her throat? Hahaha, how dumb you are, Ino."
Ino-san shows both Izumi-san and Hamano-san her middle finger.
"Hahaha, baka Ino," Izumi-san says. "But so you don't end like that, Sotoka-chan, you should—
"What did I told you it's going to happen if you ask me again to get a glass of water?" Hamano-san interrupts her.
Izumi-san puffs out the cheeks and looks clearly angry, but she doesn't say anything.
"But anyway," says Hamano-san, "I'll get you another glass of water, Khanna-san. Don't you worry."
"It's fine, really." I say. "I'm not thristy right now."
Ino-san turns towards me and stares at me surprised and/or confused and/or really mad.
"Really?!" She yells and clears her throat painfully. "Are you kidding me?" She asks now in a much lower volume. "You're not thirsty but still you were on and on about that glass being yours."
"I only said it was mine," I reply.
"Did you think I didn't know that?! You wanted me to drink my hot tea?!"
"Why did you ordered it, then?" asks Hamano-san—and she's totally right. "What were you thinking?"
"I didn't think I was going to yell that loudly!" she yells and clears her throat painfully.
"Why not?" I ask. "You knew the song, and it demanded it."
"Yes, but I didn't know I was going to be so mad at you!" Ino-san yells even louder; then she makes a really painful expression and tries to clear her throat.
"Are you mad at me?" I ask. "Why?"
"Because you're weird and annoying, and stop speaking to me! Ah, fuck!" Ino-san has a really painful expression; she puts both her hand on her neck and clears her throat loudly and repeatedly.
"Here," Hamano-san gives Ino-san her soda. Ino-san takes a sip and immediately spits it.
"It's strawberry. Gross," she says and gives the soda back to Hamano-san.
"Want a sip of my Coke?" Izumi-san offers Ino-san her Coca-Cola. "But don't drink it all 'cause it's for me and Sotoka-chan, if she wants it."
"I want an ice bucket! And onion rings!"
"Sounds good," Hamano-san says. "Hey, do we order some snacks?"
"Yes!" Yells Izumi-san. "What you want, Sotoka-chan? Some nachos?"
"Or hot wings?" Hamano-san proposes.
"Or all of the above," Izumi-san proposes.
"Yeah, why not?" Hamano-san stands up and heads to the intercom. "Hi, we want an order of nachos, hot wings, onion rings, a glass of water and an ice bucket. Do you want something else, Khanna-san?" She asks me.
"No, thanks," I say and bow accordingly.
"Well. That will be all. Thank you."
Hamano-san comes back sits down.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"So anyway…" Hamano-san takes the tablet. "Who else wants to sing?"
"Me, me!" Izumi-san takes the tablet from Hamano-san and searches for a song.
"Khanna-san, do you want to sing us a song?" Hamano-san asks.
"I'm sorry," I say and bow accordingly.
"No worries," she tells me.
Some anime cartoons and a verse in japanese appear on the screen.
And Izumi-san starts singing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The same staff member from last time opens the door.
Looks around the rooms.
And comes in.
"Hi. Here's what you ordered," he puts a tray with nachos, hot wings, onion rings, a glass of water and a bucket of ice on the table. "Enjoy," and he leaves.
Ino-san immediately takes the bucket of ice and puts one in her mouth.
Izumi-san takes a nacho full of cheese and eats it.
"Mmmmmm! So good, Sotoka-chan! Want some? Say 'ah.'"
"What?" Hamano-san asks while she turns towards Izumi-san, but Izumi-san smears a nacho full of cheese in her mouth. "No, stop it, Izumi-san," Hamano-san takes a napkin and wipes her lips and cheeks.
"Why? I'm feeding you," says Izumi-san quite naturally—and judging from her reaction, this may be a lot more common than you thought; I mean, what practical uses something like this could have? Why would someone feed someone who doesn't need it?
Or maybe it is something that couples do, even though they would have no reason to do so, but most of their actions doesn't make any sense, such as holding hands in places that are not crowded and where there's no risk the risk of separating, or like hugging and cuddling constantly even when they do not need body heat or it is a celebration —birthday, anniversary, etcetera— where hugs are part of formalities, or how to kiss and caress despite the fact that these activities only serve to spread diseases, and, of course, like trying to reproduce when they have no intention of reproducing.
And yes, I know, couples do these last few activities because they get pleasure from them, but honestly I don't think it's worth risking themselves to diseases or pregnancies for a shot of dopamine.
But, anyway, if something defines couples, it's that they don't act rationally.
Maybe that's why they get together, in the first place.
"And why are you doing it?" Asks Hamano-san displeased. "I can get nachos myself."
"Yes, and I can feed them to you," replies Izumi-san.
"Why do you insist on feeding me?"
"'Cause that'll make you happy, and I wanna make you happy."
"And why would that make me happy?"
"Um…" Izumi-san seems to be thinking about it. "I dunno, but that's always happens on my manga and anime."
"Because they are weird," says Ino-san quietly, and her voice is partially clearer—so it seems her ice teraphy's working fine. "Like you, miss otaku.
"I'M NOT AN OTAKU, YOU BAKA!" Izumi-san yells.
"Says the one who's imitating her weirdass animes."
"SHUT UP, INO! AND I DIDN'T DO IT JUST 'CAUSE IT WAS ON MY MANGAS AND ANIMES, BUT 'CAUSE MAYBE IT MADE SOTOKA-CHAN HAPPY!"
"That will only make otakus happy because they're weird."
"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT AN OTAKU!" Izumi-san yells—even though Ino-san didn't accused her of being one. "YOU'RE SUCH A NUISANCE, INO! AND I'M NOT AN OTAKU!" Izumi-san takes the tablet, chooses a song, and it plays immediately.
Some anime cartoons appear on the screen and start dancing.
"And you go again with the otaku stuff," says Ino-san.
"SHUT UP, INO!" Izumi-san yells.
The first verses start appearing onscreen, and Izumi-san starts to yell them out as hard as she can.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's get out of here," proposes Ino-san, and, judging by the clarity and volume of her voice and by the fact she's now eating all the onion rings, there's a big chance her sore throat is gone.
"Don't you want to sing?" Hamano-san asks Ino-san.
Ino-san shows her the middle finger.
"What?" Hamano-san asks with a smile. "You can sing one without all that yelling.
Ino-san shows her the other middle finger.
"Man, you're so grumpy today," Hamano-san says, and then she turns towards me. "Don't you want to sing the last song, Khanna-san?"
"No, thanks," I say and bow accordingly.
"Come on," she insists. "You've never come."
"It's just that you may not like the song," I confess.
"So?" Asks Hamano-san boldly. "It's just a song. We won't get mad at you for that. Look at Ino-san: she sang her horrible song and nobody said anything.
Ino-san shows her the middle finger.
"But Izumi-san did say she didn't like it, and you too, Hamano-san, like 10 seconds ago you called the song 'horrible.'"
"Well, yeah," Hamano-san smiles nervously, "but this won't happen to you because you are not going to sing one of those songs, right?"
"I only know oldies," I confess.
"Oh, that's nice. Those are really good."
"I only know the song my dad listens to."
"Yeah, I used to be like that until couple years ago," she says.
"Really?" I ask. "So you know The Steves?"
"Yes, everybody know them," says Hamano-san surprised by my question.
Oh, it seems I worried for nothing—this happens a lot—but the fact people know them doesn't mean they like them.
But this doesn't seem to be the case with Hamano-san, because she would have said something if she didn't like them.
Even though she doesn't seem very excited, to be honest.
Anyway, I take the tablet and look for Maybe I'm in Love by The Steves.
I find it, and it plays immediately.
The classic guitars of Nick Wilson y Brian Jonston start playing.
Hamano-san grins, takes both mics and gives me one.
"I love this song!" Says thrilled and stands up. "Come on."
I stand up and put myself beside her.
"I WANNA SING WITH YOU, SOTOKA-CHAN!" Izumi-san yells.
"Ok," says Hamano-san. "Let's share a mic," she turns towards Ino-san. "Don't you want to sing too, so we all sing?"
Ino-san stares at her with disdain and turns elsewhere.
"As grumpy as always," Hamano-san says to her.
The following verses appear on the screen, and we proceed to sing them. Hamano-san and I follow the rhythm of the song, and Izumi-san is quite off most of the time—it seems like she doesn't really know the song, but if that's the case, why would she want to sing? It doesn't make any sense.
♫ I don't know what to really think ♫
♫ I don't know what else to do ♫
♫ Every time I'm doing anything ♫
♫ I end up rememb'ring you ♫
♫ You're the only one who catch my eye ♫
♫ You are always on my mind ♫
♫ 'Cause maybe ♫
♫ Maybe ♫
♫ Maybe ♫
♫ 'Cause maybe I'm in love ♫
[Guitar solo]
Hamano-san, Izumi-san and I start dancing: Hamano-san raises her arms and swings her hips with the rhythm; Izumi-san bounces constantly and moves her arms up and down, and I try to imitate Hamano-san, but it's really hard to keep up with her.
Suddenly, Hamano-san touches my shoulder. I turn towards her, and she point at Ino-san with her gaze.
Ino-san's still sitting; she's just lightly moving her shoulders up and down with the rhythm.
"Ino, Ino, Ino, Ino, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Yells Hamano-san and claps with the rhythm, and Ino-san immediately stares at us and shows us the middle finger. Hamano-san smiles mockingly. "How grumpy, Ino-san."
And we sing the next verses.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's sing a song just you a me, Sotoka-chan!" Proposes Izumi-san.
Suddenly the classic guitars of Nick Wilson and Brian Jonston play the first notes of Maybe I'm in Love.
Hamano-san, Izumi-san and I turn towards Ino-san; she is on her seat and has the tablet in her hands.
"What?" Ino-san asks. "This song is not that bad."
Hamano-san takes both mics.
"Here," Hamano-san offers a mic to Ino-san.
"Who said I was going to sing?" Asks Ino-san. "I just wanted to hear it again."
"Ok, but we're singing it," says Hamano-san.
"Like I care. Just don't get close to me."
Izumi-san and Hamano-san ignore Ino-san's petition and get closer to her.
I, nonetheless, keep my distance—Ino-san's mad enough with me (for reasons I still don't understand and, therefore, don't make any sense. Besides, pick on her doesn't benefit me in any way whatsoever.)
The first verse appears onscreen:
♫ I don't know what to really think ♫
Hamano-san, Izumi-san and I start to sing.
And Ino-san just closes her eyes and listens—and I believe she sometimes whispers part of the lyrics, but I'm not too close to her to find out.