A Sober Night

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I'm very sure..." Kyoko was as drunk as she was back in her freshman year in Osaka Institute of Health Sciences. She even started referring to herself in the third-person point of view. Her friends were with her tonight in a bar in Kyoto. It's 9:00 PM and everyone (mostly) was reaching their peak.

Beside Kyoko is Hanami, who is equally drunk, but unapologetically noisy, ranting about her daily classes in the Liberal Arts. She's had eight shots of sake.

Next to her was Reimi, on his second cup, wary of his low tolerance. He was listening to Hanami, trying to be there for her. But the noisy environment and the constant blasting of J-Pop in the speakers turned her voice into incoherent ramblings.

And Reimi's boyfriend, Keiji, was fast asleep against the wall. Talk about a knockout.

Lastly, there was Pietro, whose iron will had lasted every shot and bottle of alcohol offered and ordered tonight. He looked like he was done with the place.

Kyoko looked long and hard at Pietro, whose face began warping at the center. It looked funny, turning into spirals, "like a vanilla sundae..." she giggled.

"Okay, no more for you." Pietro said taking away the cup of half-filled sake away from her reach.

"No~!!! I need it..." Kyoko's arms outstretched trying to save her alcohol from her evil boyfriend.

"No! And I won't get you another round." Pietro declared half-defiantly, half concerned.

Kyoko moaned and grunted and wailed in complaint, rolling half-assed on the table. While, Pietro moved away the tray of chicken wings from her path. And, in a sudden, Kyoko recalled she had finals tomorrow. "I have to...study for finals tomorrow...'' She began curling into a fetal position against her seat and the wall with her head against her knees.

Kyoko recited the contents of her questionnaire hysterically."In the event of discovering a victim, flat on the ground, unconscious, what should the respondent first do in order to assure their safety?...B. Check their breathing and pulse for any sign of problems..." "CPR stands for...Cardiopulmonary resuscita-"

"Hey, hey Kyoko, listen to this-" Hanami interrupted. She shook Kyoko in an attempt to get her attention.

"WHAT!" Kyoko demanded. She shot her head up. "Oh...Hanami, what's up?" She followed. Her tense anger quickly disappeared and softened at the sight of her best friend.

"My- I was so busy last month...kept working past 12 midnight, only to shift to my online job of drawing commissions till 6:00 AM! Barely got any sleep!" Hanami ranted. "And, and, and this professor of mine from Art History keeps looking at me weirdly!"

"That sounds terrible." Kyoko remarked. Her face half dead from alcoholic consumption, but somehow she's doing her best to listen. The music was really loud though.

"Yeah! And, when I passed him by after class, he made a comment saying that I looked pretty today, like! THAT'S. NOT. CREEPY. AT. ALL!" Hanami exclaimed. She chugged down a glass of sake in one go and pounded the shot glass in the table. Hanami looked like she was about to collapse. Reimi immediately tended to her, telling her not to overdo it.

"I don't care!" Hanami complained. "I can't believe they just cancelled college classes like that! All my hard work..." Hanami teared up. Reimi hugged her to comfort her worries.

"It'll all be okay, Hanami. That professor won't lay a hand on you anymore. You're safe. And, now you can rest. There's no more college stuff to worry about too."  Reimi said in exchange. He knew Hanami just felt vulnerable and tired, thus the ranting. This was all he can do. Hanami sank her face deeper in his clothes, to hide the tears developing at her eyes. Kyoko couldn't muster a word from her mouth, surprised by all the noise around her. The alcohol is getting to her...

Pietro, watching all this unfold, with a worried smile, could foretell that something dumb is about to occur. It could be Kyoko's unhinged chaos or Hanami's self-destruction (which seemed like it was solved then and there), but he wasn't willing to sit idly and find out!

"Alright, that's enough. We should go." Pietro said picking up his belongings. And as if he anticipated everyone's reactions, he followed with, "NO BUTS!" like a nagging mother.

To which Kyoko strongly emoted, "You're such a killjoy, PP!" She stood up in protest.

"I think that's a good idea..." Reimi praised, still comforting Hanami.

"BUT! THE NIGHT'S STILL YOUNG!" Kyoko exclaimed to the two. She wobbled towards Pietro and raised her arms to block him. "I won't let you...pay the bills..."

"Oh, you will?" Pietro smugged. Taking a glance at Kyoko, he could tell she will fall with the slightest push. Her face bright red and movements so sluggish, he couldn't believe she could still be this determined. So, he pushed her. "We're going."

"Hey~!!!" Kyoko cried. "Come back here! Or- or!"

"Or you what?" Pietro responded. "You'll bite me?"

Kyoko did just that. In a moment's notice, when Pietro stretched his arms defiantly, there appeared a wild Kyoko biting his hand. Her teeth sunk into his flesh, as if showing dominance. Pietro, bewildered and in pain, shook his hand loose from her grasp; quite easily too. Kyoko was surprised. And in succession, Pietro karate chopped Kyoko's head.

"Bad." Pietro said, disgusted.

Kyoko slipped from the confusion. She lost her sense of balance then and there. Reimi and Hanami watched in total shock. Pietro, surprised, thought to himself, "how can this girl get into this much trouble!" And in a split second, his body reacted to save Kyoko from slamming into their table. He dropped his sling bag and ran to catch her. His hands wrapped around Kyoko and pulled her towards his embrace. What a save! (What a sight too...)

Kyoko sunk underneath his tall exterior. Her eyes darted around in embarrassment, and also because the alcohol was overwhelming.

Pietro looked around, and it seemed everything was okay. "Whew~"

SLAM! A table flipped!!! Its sound cracked through the bar's vibe, enough to overpower the speakers, albeit for a moment. Glass was shattered, metal bent, and a body dropped.

The music stopped. Everyone looked. And in this string of chaos, Pietro couldn't muster the courage to move from his spot. He thought if he didn't move, no one would notice.

"Look! Over there!" Reimi pointed at the source of the commotion.

A person was found lying on the ground around a mess of broken glass cups, spilled beer cans, and sushi. The person looked like he was in his mid-50s, somewhat well-off, losing hair, and unconscious.

"That's Tanaguchi-sensei!!!" Hanami exclaimed. Her eyes noticed his distinct long-sleeved white polo shirt with a fountain pen in its chest pocket, and sensei's mole, big and plump, proudly on his nose. "He's the pervy prof!" she declared. Hanami abruptly stood up and approached the professor. "I'm gonna beat you up for what you said to me!" She rolled her sleeves up and assumed a boxer's stance, punching the air in anger.

Bar staff were quick to take action. They immediately stopped Hanami from approaching the unconscious old man.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Hanami protested.

Pietro and Kyoko examined the professor.

"He looks like he's out cold. Knocked out from too much alcohol and whiskey probably." Pietro noted.

"He's dead." Kyoko declared nonchalantly.

"DON'T JUST SAY THAT!!!" Pietro yelled. He had a second look at the professor. He noticed something.

"Yeah, see, he's not breathing..." Kyoko stated.

A sense of panic swept the crowd in the bar. The staff behind the counter began calling the ambulance in a hurry. Reimi and Pietro especially felt obligated to help. They hurried to his aid. Reimi advised that they move the man aside, away from the glass shards. Some people came to help Pietro and Reimi carry the old man to an open space. They laid him flat on the ground, and Pietro checked his pulse.

"He has no pulse!" Pietro panicked. He shot his head around to Kyoko and yelled, "What do I do now?!"

"Perform CPR." Kyoko replied.

The answer was obvious. Pietro hurriedly look at this old professor from his friend's university. He scanned the chest, visualized the action of performing CPR in his mind. He hyped himself up "You can do this!"

"Kyoko, help! I don't know how to do this!" Pietro cried.

Kyoko kneeled beside him. "Remove his polo first. It'll get in the way." She instructed. Her face was resolved in that instant. Pietro noticed not a hint of intoxication in her eyes. He quickly followed her words, unbuttoning the professor's polo shirt, while she examined the wounds. They weren't that bad, just some scratches from the glass and small bruises on his arms.

"What now?" Pietro asked.

"Apply compressions to his chest." Kyoko wrapped her hands together, with the right hand under the left. She began pushing on the professor's chest, exactly at the center. She watched the professor's reaction, and nothing came about. "I have to blow air in him." She said. Kyoko immediately assumed a position, pinching the old man's nose and tilting his head up straight to receive air. She combed her hair back through her ears, assuming it was in the way, and began descending to the old man's lips.

Pietro watched in horror. "Wait, this guy is a pervert! This is probably what he wants!!!" Pietro thought in shock. He stopped Kyoko from performing the action. "Wait!!! I'll do it." He commanded.

"Wha- this is no time-"

"I want to do it." Pietro confidently said.

Kyoko gave him a weird look, as if assuming something.

"Look! I wanna learn too!" Pietro cried. "I actually just don't want her to kiss him..." he thought. He repeated the same steps that Kyoko did and assumed position to give air to the professor.

"You have to blow hard." Kyoko said in a deadpan manner. Almost as if she's judging her boyfriend.

Pietro's heart raced at that moment. The thought of kissing an old man has never crossed his mind. But, here he is, about to experience his first. It's just like back in high school, he probably imagined. And as he inched closer, he began to whiff the smell of the professor's alcoholic breath. Its stench was sharp, mixed with the fresh smell of wasabi and fish. It was familiar, but it was horrible. He could almost barf, but he hesitated, not when Kyoko's lips are on the line. "Let's do this!!!" Pietro hyped himself mentally.

And a passionate kiss was shared.

Pietro blew as hard as he could. The professor's chest expanded.

"One more." Kyoko said.

And one more breath was shared. Pietro quickly let go of the professor, and Kyoko continued giving chest compressions.

The professor started breathing again!

Kyoko checked his pulse. The heart responded, albeit slowly, faintly, at the very least, returning to normal. Kyoko was relieved.

The professor gagged. He spat out a small chicken bone. It flew far. This surprised Kyoko and Pietro altogether. And the professor woke up because of it.

Kyoko slowly looked at Pietro, joyful. Tears in her eyes. She hugged him. "We did it!" And, everybody cheered. The most eventful moment of that night had passed. Kyoko was glad that she was able to save a life.

And yet, a feeling of discomfort slowly crept up her body. It was swelling like it was about to burst. Kyoko realized what this feeling was. She was about to vomit.

Later that evening, things grew peaceful as the crowds began leaving. The bar staff were clearing the mess. While, Hanami and Kenji were fast asleep in their seats. The professor rested against one of the walls, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. His energy had not recovered from the hangover, but he was doing better. Pietro and Kyoko were in the restroom.

This was when Reimi noticed a piece of clothing near the incident. He grabbed what appeared to be a brown coat out of curiosity, when he heard an object slip out of its pockets. Reimi then darted his eyes towards a black pocketbook on the ground. He picked it up and flipped it around. It was apparently a passport, one for Exodus. The passport had the image of the United Nations imposed on its glossy cover with the words, "Passport" and "Exodus Migration Plan - Japan" written in bold and capitalized letters. Reimi flipped it open and a photograph was sandwiched between its pages.

The photograph was a standard family one, consisting of three people in front of a white background. Looking at it, there was an old man situated in the middle. His hair was combed and waxed, at least what remained of it on the crown of his head. He had a sly smile, like that of a conman, but without the confidence of such. A young woman was on his left. She was bright and energetic, posing with peace signs and a wide smile. She wore a school uniform. And lastly, there was an older, more dignified woman to his right. She had the joy drained from her face. She gave off a stern mother caricature. She looked like she was younger than the old man, but one can tell. Her facial features were refined and cut deep across her skin. She wore a business attire. Reimi noticed the kanji for their names were scribbled above the women, reading as "Suzumiya" and "Mami" respectively with the date "03/21/99" at the bottom right corner. They looked happy together.

Reimi read the names aloud. And, the professor overheard this.

"Hey! Hey hey! Give that back right now! The old professor yelled. He attempted to get up from his place, but the strength in his legs were not there. He was still rather tipsy.

At that moment, Kyoko and Pietro returned from the restroom. Kyoko's face flushed out of energy, mostly from vomiting. Though, that did significantly make her less drunk.

Pietro pats Kyoko's head, asking "Feeling better?"

Kyoko nods. "Mhmm. A bit."

"Give me back my belongings, young man!" The professor cried. He tried crawling his way to Reimi in a vain attempt of retrieving his possessions.

"Sir, you shouldn't be moving right now!" Kyoko interjected. She rushed to his aid and held him in place.

Reimi immediately apologized. He bowed down several times and vowed to return his belongings right away.

Reimi returned the coat along with the passport and the photo. He looked like he just violated someone's privacy.

"I can't believe I almost got robbed! In a bar of all places!! The nerve!!!" The professor complained.

"Uhmm...that's where most people get robbed though!" Kyoko, Pietro, and Reimi thought.

"Sorry, sensei, but we did not mean any harm tonight." Pietro responded.

"Yeah, we even saved your life!" Reimi added.

"Tch. I was better off dead anyway. I won't get to see my-" The professor began breaking into tears. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and sneezed. "MY DAUGHTER AND WIFE!" He cried. The professor cried into his hanky, then looked at the three young people in front of him. "What do you still want?" He asked defensively.

"Well, it's not like we can leave you alone. We're waiting for the ambulance." Pietro answered.

"LIKE I SAID, I was better off dead! Why'd you even do anything to help me. I'm just a lonely old man...without my-" The professor cried again.

Kyoko sensed there was something else deeper to the professor's woes, so she asked.

"It's a long story." The professor began a long tale of how he and his family were all confirmed to board the Starships in Mongolia two weeks after the announcement of Exodus was made. Of course, this entailed a long strenuous procedure of documents and requirements asked of them by the world government, which he went to detail. But, they succeeded. And, they were designated to board their flights last week, which they did. The problem was, the professor wasn't allowed onboard last minute. He thought there was a miscommunication between the Japanese government and the overseas branch. However, he found out later on that he was sanctioned with catcalling and sexual acts of harassment. This deterred authorities from letting him onboard.

"You probably deserved that." Pietro stated.

"No, he definitely did." Kyoko argued.

"I'm truly ashamed of myself. There's nothing in this world that can save me from that. There's no excuse." The professor confessed. "BUT, I CAN'T ACCEPT BEING SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY!!!" He professed. "What will my Suzumiya do without a father!"

"Probably not become like you?" Kyoko quipped.

"Hey, Kyoko." Pietro nudged, suggesting that Kyoko hold back her insults for the time being. Kyoko reluctantly kept quiet.

"Of course, I didn't let this sit out just like that." The professor said. He continued his story. He went back to Japan after the cases were sanctioned five days ago. And, he filed a protest against the Japanese government along with a few other people who were also rejected from traveling. They were told to file an official letter of complaint in order to finalize their grievances. And that was that. No reply had been given since.

"And the flight is tomorrow!!!" The professor cried. His tone turned depressed.

The three started to connect the dots together. They can see why the professor was here wasting his life away. His defeated eyes say everything. Pietro consoled the professor, saying that there might be another chance. Reimi helped out too, cheering the professor and all that.

"Being apart from your family, huh?" Kyoko thought. For the first time that evening, no perhaps since last month's announcement, she began reflecting on her actions. She has made no plans for a passport, much more on anything about getting onboard the starships. She's not sure what she really wanted then and there. "Am I no better than the pervy professor?" She critiqued. "Or, is he better because he wanted to be with his family...?"

Without a moment to spare, the ambulance arrived, and Kyoko's thoughts were put on a hold. Medical personnel quickly entered the bar and placed the old man on a stretcher. He was escorted out swiftly. One of the medical staff thanked Kyoko who was informed of her swift response in the situation.

"Planning to be an emergency responder someday?" The medical staff asked, his tone enthusiastic.

"Doctor." Kyoko replied softly.

"Well, we definitely need that more than ever these days." The man answered. He gestured a farewell and left. Soon, the ambulance zoomed away and the blaring sirens faded from earshot.

A moment of silence passed the three then.

"Let's get a taxi and call this a night." Pietro smartly said.

"Wait, before that." Reimi's stomach rumbled. "I have to go."

With that, Kyoko was left alone with her thoughts once more. Just a bit later, she wondered outside. There was a small veranda extending from the side of the bar, overlooking the city. She glued her hands on the railing and took a glimpse of the night sky.

She could make out some stars, despite the heavy light pollution. She began drawing a line across the blank sky assuming that's where the Milky Way's belt will be. Jealous, she was, that the stars don't have to worry about such trivial problems.

Her eyes eventually rested on a fixed star, which was apparently next to where the asteroid is supposed to be, still naked to the human eye. "Right there." she murmured. She extended a finger out to the sky and traced a line from the asteroid to her heart. Kyoko felt a looming fear over her shoulders, but she brushed it off. "I'll be okay. I'll be okay..." she whispered.

"Kyoko?" Pietro asked from inside the bar. He slowly walked out of the entrance and noticed that Kyoko was deep in thought. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She reluctantly answered.

"You know, uhmm..." Pietro began. He scratched the back of his head, slightly worried. "That professor got me thinking, like, maybe we should reconsider for a passport...?"

Pietro scrambled to find the right words before Kyoko would even reply. "W-we could try again elsewhere. Maybe at Tokyo? Or, or we could try another agency? It doesn't have to be the same one. Or, yeah, maybe even a fixer if we can find one in Japa-"

The earth began to shake. A low grumble before quickly erupting to a full-blown earthquake! The two lost their footing and fell to each other's way. "Ow!"

Something was happening that night. A flash of light pierced the Kyoto night sky, visible from where the two were standing. It was small, but it was immediately followed by other beams of light like an exhibition. And a loud alarm went off from the mountains. Sirens in Kyoto followed suit.

A starship emerged from the mountains' belly! It was the source of the earthquake. It stood mighty and proud against all the lights. An engineering marvel.

"A starship here in Kyoto?!" Pietro was perplexed. He held on Kyoko's arms. The shaking was too unbearable for both of them, recently intoxicated.

The starship began launching. Its engines roared. And no later than a minute, the vessel began to lift off. Its rockets fired intensely, producing a loud boom that echoed through the city. Cars started going off. Dogs barked and howled. And, the air was drowned by sound. Soon, everyone was awake. The ship's exterior stressed as it continued its ascend. It quickly began to speed off into the night sky, further, and further away from the earth.

Kyoko and Pietro regained their bearings and tried to chase the starship. Only the railing stopped them cold. It was a bittersweet moment. Kyoko could see the starship slowly disappear, as if to never come back. And it probably wouldn't. But who knew the answer to that. No one did. Not for Kyoko, nor for anyone still left behind this fateful night.

"Argh! There's too much going on!!!" Pietro complained, ruffling his head, frustrated. He stomped his feet and threw his hands around. "Like what gives!"

Kyoko took one last look at the ship, the ship that was sailing away. She could imagine all her worries fade too. As if in reverse, not hopeless, but rather, hopeful. A certain welling of joy built up in her mind she couldn't explain. In short, she was happy the ship's gone. "Yessssss~!!!" She screamed. Kyoko rejoiced at what she thought was a good thing. Her body did a quick dance.

"What- Kyoko!?!?" Pietro bewildered by his girlfriend's reaction. "Why so happy...?" He said dejectedly.

She only beamed a smile.