Hirakawa Aki

“Ataktsuki! Hirakawa! You guys have been in there foreverrrrr! What’s taking so long?” My close friend and classmate, Taeko, whined from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Just a sec’! This uh, zipper really doesn’t want to cooperate!” I called back from inside.

“Seriously… I was ready in like ten minutes… There’s no way it should take you this long.”

“Some of us want actual costumes, and not “cat girl.” Half of your getting ready time was spent on your phone…”

“...Geez… fine.” She let out a sigh that was muffled by the door. “I’m headin’ to Tsubasa’s house. Just meet me there you two! Okay?”

“Okayy” "Sounds good” We replied in unison.

The sound of footsteps started at the door then quickly got further and disappeared. We were alone now—expected to be at the party shortly.

I turned away from the door and slowly put my eyes back on the other person in here with me, Hirakawa Aki.

“Please, it’ll be so much fun. Why don’t you wanna go…?” I asked for what felt like the tenth time.

“Seriously… You’re so persistent.” She tucked a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind an ear. “I told ya I’d consider goin’ if you weren’t makin’ me wear a stupid costume!”

“W-well it’s a Halloween party after all…” I kept my sny-comment quiet. “B-besides, it’s my same friends you’ve seen at school. What’s the issue?”

“I jus’ don’t like dressin’ up. Not for you, not for anyone.” Aki crossed her arms and flicked her head away in a huff. Despite her viciously mean girl appearance, some of her mannerisms are seriously cute…

We’ve reached a stalemate…

The duo costume I picked for us wasn’t even anything crazy, it was just her. I wanted to go as cops and robbers—a simple idea, yeah, but what we were going to was just some close friends. So the costume didn’t have to be anything special.

I stood next to her gazing into the bathroom mirror. While I was dressed in my orange jumpsuit with my little name/id-plate, Aki still wore her school uniform.

She’s not going to budge an inch on this, is she?

Aki crossed her arms, and due to our height differences, was able to comfortably rest her elbow on my shoulder.

“So? I guess I’ll jus’ headin’ home then.” She threw up a lazy wave and stepped towards the door.

I didn’t want to do it… it was like pulling out the nuclear option. Playing the secret card that shouldn’t even be part of the deck. Do I feel bad for doing this…? Maybe? But Aki left me no choice!

Before I spoke, I loosely put some of my black hair between my fingers. “I-I’m making this part of our agreement. You have to c-come to this with me.”

She stopped in her tracks.

Should I have done that…?

After what felt like an hour of silence, she spoke. “For real?”

“Y-yes for real.”

“Haaa— you know? Sometimes I really feel like that nice girl at school is fake. You can be so much trouble sometimes.”

I didn’t respond. But I stood astutely behind what I said. Aki turned back towards me and a smirk crept across her face—like a shark smelling blood in the water. I knew it was probably because mine had gone beet-red.

“You’re really going to go to my parents, over me not wanting to come to this little hangout?”

“Mhm… T-that’s right.”

It took her only one step, and she was right up in my face. “And I have to wear the cop-lady get-up?” She pointed to it hanging on the door.

“Yes…”

“Fine. Fine-fine-fine. You win this time I guess.” She put her hands up in mock-surrender.

“Huh? Seriously? I-I mean, g-good. That’s right…” I pointed a finger at her. “Besides, this isn’t just for me, everyone else wanted to see you too, okay?”
“Hahaha what?” She laughed. “You just stood up to me now you’re purposefully trying to make yourself sound like an idiot?”

It hit me how corny I sounded just a moment ago. Around Aki it feels like my face is like an oven on pre-heat, always ready to go to make temperature.

Once again, I flushed a light shade of pink. “B-but I’m being serious! I promised everyone I’d bring you and they were so excited! I-I just phrased it in a weird way.”

“Yeah yeah~” Aki gave me a dismissive wave.

I hadn’t realized it because I was so focused on previously sounding like an idiot, but she had already stripped off her cardigan and was unbuttoning her dress-shirt.

My eyes darted around, searching for anywhere else in the bathroom to look.

Why am I getting hot again…? it’s just embarrassment from before… It has to be. I mean, I’ve changed with other girls countless times in the locker room or for clubs or for you know… whatever else… So why is it this time—

I was yanked from my thoughts when Aki undid the last button of her shirt and slipped it off of her shoulders. It really made me feel like some perverted guy from a manga when my eyes instantly locked onto her white, floral-patterned bra.

It’s because it wasn't what I was expecting!

Now that I think about it though, what was I expecting…? Skull’s and bones? A cross? She’s a girl, too, so of course she’d own stuff like that floral-pattern bra.

“C-could ya’ not… stare so much…”

“What?” I slowly moved my gaze up to her face—it was a very noticeable hot pink. “O-oh! S-sorry! I wasn’t meaning to stare so uh, intensely. I uh, just didn’t expect you to like… frilly… stuff—things… clothes… like that.”

“Is there an issue with that…?” Aki still refused to meet my gaze.

“O-of course not.”

A long sigh escaped her lips before muttering. “Geez. Why’d you have to make this so awkward?”

I really had no response for that.

Aki, despite her reservation about the situation, reached for her skirt’s waist-band. Her hands paused, and our eyes seemed to naturally, unfortunately, know to lock onto each other.

“You really have no shame, do you, Akatsuki?”