Ten Minutes To Change My Mind (W/Azuma)

It would be a lie to say that Azuma Kinnosuke's night had started when he walked into a club. No, it started far deeper into this evening than that event. Going to a nightclub once in a while was a part of his life, after all: the intimate, raw, but non-precise social contact that came with it was a nice experience for him: after all, he usually tried to avoid real conversations, but kind of needed human interaction to stay sane. Thus, nightclubs were perfect. Anyway, back to this little tale of ours.

The events of the night really started with the DJ's choice to play Vegas Lights. Azuma detested most of Panic!'s recent music, in all of its melodramatic glory. He personally believed that they had produced music of a far higher quality when trying to be theatrical in regard to real life situations, as they had done on their first two records. Of course, much like people, music changed, sometimes for the worse. Put simply, he couldn't really dance to this kind of thing. With this in mind, Azuma walked away from the blanketing mass of unknown faces that surrounded him on the dance floor, and towards the nearest alternative point of interest. In this case, said POI just so happened to be the club's bar. Most of the stools were taken, with psychedelically colorful drinks and empty champagne glasses littering the bar counter in numbers that no well-intentioned health inspector would dare hope to see in a licensed establishment such as this one. As such, there was only really one spot that was available to Azuma.

As he sat down, a few seconds passed before he noticed. Noticed what, you may ask? 

Holy everloving fuck, who in the world am I sitting next to?

Well weren't those thoughts more composed than usual? Unnaturally straightforward and overconfident in his own mind after the few drinks he'd already had, Azuma certainly was no stranger to thinking thoughts he wouldn't usually have running through his head, or at least in such blunt terms. Regardless, at this point, he wasn't even sure if it was the alcohol that had caught him off guard on that one: chances are, his reaction would have been the same while completely sober. The stunningly beautiful young woman next to him wore casual clothes much like him: she clearly had come here just to have fun, or, even more likely, because she didn't know what else to wear. It was at this moment that a realization flew into view for Azuma.

Wait, she's a wallflower, isn't she?

Things did match up, after all. The girl was in the furthest corner from the dancing, in the only seat at the bar that had been at least a whole seat away from anybody else, and judging by the fact that her cocktail, what appeared to be a cosmopolitan, was nearly full at left at a counter instead of with her on the dance floor, one could only assume. 

Because of this, and, almost certainly the alcohol running through his bloodstream, Azuma found himself making another awfully forward thought and accompanying decision: the difference this time was that it involved intimate social interaction, the thing he came to nightclubs to avoid. Regardless, in a not-quite slur that mixed intrigue with blatantly obvious attraction, Azuma spoke the first of what would come to be many words between these two individuals.

"You look rather lonely: do tell me why a beautiful girl like you is hiding away in a corner like this?"

Okay, so maybe that had sounded more smooth (and less creepy) in his head, but it was the sentiment that counted, right?

Words: 607

Aiko was taking the second or third sip of her drink when she noticed a man with hair that stood out from the rest of the people she saw around him, even after taking into account the fact that she was inside of a nightclub. Vibrant turquoise hair or not, she doubted that she would have noticed the man if he hadn't been making his way towards the bar. It wasn't often you saw people leaving midway through a song: there was almost always a brief gap between songs, and that was the opportunity many people used to go grab drinks. In Aiko's mind, this meant one of two things. Either this man didn't like Vegas Lights, in which case she would have to murder him, or he wanted to sit down and couldn't wait, in which case she didn't really care.

(Un?)fortunately for Aiko, she was only right on one front, as there was another angle she had failed to cover. As the man approached the bar, he took the only available stool at the whole thing: a seat next to her. Upon his sitting down, a few seconds passed in which nothing but silence passed between the two. After all, what else should she have expected from a stranger? 

Nothing. He's just another boy: mind you an alright looking one, but still, just another boy. 

Aiko was zero for two at this point, all without knowing it. That was impressive by any standard of unluckiness, even hers. Finally, after those seconds passed, at least Aiko became aware of her two mental missteps. This only occurred because the man next to her, with more confidence than she could have EVER expected, decided to ask why a "beautiful girl" like her was hanging out by a bar all alone. 

Well, at least he was honest? Aiko blinked a few times to make sure that she was awake. No, definitely not dreaming. It wasn't that the experience was really surreal or anything of the sort... it was just an obscure event. Usually, she'd have been afraid of getting this much attention from somebody, so it was already an abnormal situation for her in the first place. Maybe that was why instead of ignoring the man, she decided to reply. The tone she used to speak was portrayed in a matter-of-fact, albeit soft way: she didn't really have the heart to be a jerk to the guy.

"You know, before you compliment a girl, you should at least ask her name."

With that, a slight blush on her cheeks, Aiko turned away and finished off her Cosmo, awaiting the man's next response. Hailing the bartender, she spoke once more.

"I'll have another cosmo, please."

She definitely needed another drink at this point. 



Words: 459

Had he been brushed off that quickly? Wow, that had been even faster than usual. He wasn't often exposed to rejection in general. Albeit he didn't gun for girls often either, but regardless, he was used to success in most of his endeavors towards women. Thus, this situation was an oddity to him. Usually, he'd just ask the girl's name like she had asked him to, being the respectful, mildly timid boy with familial issues and ghosts in his head that he was. Unfortunately for her, this point in time didn't fall under the "usually" umbrella under any circumstances. Azuma was buzzed, and all in all, far too into the upbeat vibes of the evening to bother with pleasantries... at least for now. 

No, for now, he would toy with her a little longer. He'd get to her name eventually, and hopefully, she'd get his, albeit sooner. It would be no good to drive somebody like this away so quickly.

Then again, the only first impression I've gotten of her is based on her looks entirely. Maybe this is just some silly middle-school infatuation? 

Azuma looked the girl in front of him over once more while pondering upon his recent thought, and then came to a conclusion shortly afterward.

No, this is worth pursuing. I'm sure of it. I'm not sure WHY I'm sure of it... but I am. 

Who knew, maybe Azuma's gut instinct was wrong, but something (probably said gut instinct) was telling him otherwise. Regardless, he had a few ideas in mind. Alas, thus began the odyssey of overconfidence that would come to plague his evening. The first step he took was one that was hopefully in the right direction: more conversation. He was feeling talkative tonight, so maybe the girl was as well. The tone he used was inquisitive in nature, legitimate interest practically dripping from his words despite the fact that he wasn't even asking a question.

"Who says it was a compliment? I was simply stating that you looked lonely and that you were beautiful. I mentioned two facts and nothing else; not much room to argue there."

Azuma paused for a second, gauging the woman's interest in his words, before deciding to follow up his initial statement with a question: as you might have guessed, the tone carried over.

"So...what brings you to a club? You're not on the dance floor, so I suppose you got brought along by some friends?"

Yes, the tone did carry over, because for once in his life, Azuma Kinnosuke felt motivated to learn about something, or in this case somebody. Alcohol or not, that was a surprising development in regards to his usual personality. Who knew that good looks could drive a guy as mad as this?


Words: 461