Natsuzora Cider is on!

Today is the day we're having a meeting with our new member. I hate the word meeting because it sounds too formal and corporate, while we just hanging out casually so we get to know each other. Hanako insist on calling it a meeting because it's important for our band, she spent too much working.

I arrived in the cafe about 5 minutes before the schedule, but Hanako and the new member is already there. Hanako I get it, but the new member? I don't. Maybe she just doesn't want to make a bad first impression by being late, and I'm just overthinking it.

I sit beside the new member and greet her, "You're early, how long have you been waiting?"

Her bright-almost blinding eyes looks at me, "Half an hour ago!" shout her cheerily.

"You're very early. But I'm sorry, we'll wait longer because Olivia." said Hanako jokingly.

"Why though?" the new member asked.

"She's always late."

"But you know the weird thing is, she's super quick when she's coming to my house, and usually don't tell me why she's coming."

Hanako pulls out the menu, "what you guys ordering? all on me."

I'm ordering, "yakisoba, and lemon tea for me." I just like noodles in general, slurping them feels good for some reason. "Oh right, we haven't even introduce each other yet. so you might already know me, I'm Ruru, and she's Hanako."

She's reading the menu intensively, like she's studying night before exam. I tapped her shoulder and she got surprised, I don't know there is people who reads menu like that. "My name is Shiina Akari, I'm a high schooler in my second year!"

Hanako suddenly changing pose like someone giving a job interview. She stares at Shiina like she's trying to break her. "How do you find us, or Ruru?"

"Hey, it's not a job interview." Me interjecting her interview. I don't want our new member to be scared because of her.

She seems doesn't fazed at all, "I found a music video from her just randomly appearing in my homepage. It was... I think it was 'I fell in love with my cat or something."

Oh shoot, I don't know if Hanako has ever heard it, but the title sounds very embarrassing. I wrote it when I was in high school, I felt like only my cat is kind to me and I just wrote it in a spur about how much I love being with her when I'm finally home.

"You don't have to play along with her!" I shouted with my cheeks as red as tomatoes.

Hanako is laughing out loud, "I know what's the song about." then laughs again.

My head is boiling from embarrassment.

Shiina grabs my arm and blinded me with her bright eyes again, "It's a good song!"

I'm cooling down a bit. I'm overthinking it, and she's my friend anyway, why am I embarrassed about that, we did a lot more embarrassing together for sure.

"Are you done with your orders?" Hanako asked. Shiina nodded. Hanako called the waiter and give him our orders and also paying in front.

Olivia, after I don't know how long, finally here. "Did I miss something?" She asked.

"Yeah, flustered Ruru." said Hanako while trying to hold her laugh.

Olivia sits beside Hanako, "goddammit, if only I was a bit earlier." she sounds very disappointed, while I'm rejoiced that Olivia missed it. "So, you guys have ordered something?"

We nods at her.

"So, it's on you, right?" said Olivia as she turn to Hanako.

"You're late, pay it yourself." Hanako says coldly.

Olivia looks around at us, trying to get someone to pay her foods, without much success as we just act don't care. She sighed, and ordered a cup of iced coffee and french fries. After that she just sit there silently, like she's in the middle of a class.

"You're not going to introduce yourself to our new member?" Hanako asking Olivia.

"U-um, hi. I'm Olivia, nice to meet you." She was fine just now, but she suddenly nervous and shy.

"I'm Shiina Akari, nice to meet you!"

Olivia just flinched from being blinded by Shiina's brightness. Though I get why, most of the time she only see me, a dark bottomless pit.

"Now that Olivia is here, let's discuss where and when we record the new song." says Hanako now with more serious tone. She's basically our manager at this point.

"I'm free whenever, don't have much plan. Though, I prefer if it's nearby." I answered.

"I'm only free at weekends, because, college." says Olivia with much lower tone.

"I'm free!" Shiina said.

"Aight, so weekend at somewhere nearby, I'll let you guys know when it's set. Speaking of which, I should probably add you to the group chat." Hanako sounds like business, well she used to run a business.

We traded our numbers and added her to the group chat.

The "meeting" is done, and we're also done eating. We chatted a little bit, Hanako told Olivia why I flustered, and we're basically sharing stupid stuff we did back then. Like when Olivia forgot to do her homework so she pretend to be sick but her mom dragged her to the school.

"Let's take a picture together." I said to them, before we're leaving. Shiina and Hanako stand next to each other while me and Olivia on the left side looks like it's a dark vs light battle.

I upload it on socials, with much excitement of what's to come. I'm also very excited, having people that got my back, its such a wonderful feeling to finally not being all by yourself.