Inside Your Mind

30 - Aizawa

How long will it last, baby if we dance?

Shouta Aizawa had no idea why he let Yamada drag him along. Maybe it was because they had been friends for so long, maybe he just really didn't feel like putting up with his nagging, but here he was. In the middle of a bunch of students on a Saturday evening, getting drunk. He was thinking about how he could be at home right now, sitting on his couch with a book in his hand and his cat curled up beside him.

Instead he was surrounded by people who were mostly between 18 and 25 years old, wearing that stupid suit that was way too warm for a place like this and he had already had one or two drinks too many. In his head he kept cursing Yamada for dragging him along to this, but if he was honest, he just wanted to help out his friend who was supposed to be chaperoning this whole thing.

Which was a joke in itself, because Yamada was not good at keeping an eye on students. It just wasn't a thing he did. Getting blackout drunk? That sounded more like Yamada. Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. He had already seen one or two people from his first year course here and a couple of his other students. He'd prefer it if he just wouldn't see anyone he knew.

He quickly finished off the rest of his whiskey, as he heard the familiar voice of one of his students. He tried recognizing her by her voice, but it wouldn't work. And the problem was that she had spotted him.

"Mr. Aizawa! I didn't think we'd see you here!" she called out to him. His eyes started twitching, as he turned around and saw the girl with short, pastel pink hair in front of him. She was in a simple, black dress.

"And why is that, Miss Ashido?" he replied, trying not to say anything weird. Aizawa was an incredibly capable drunk, but he just completely lost his filter. And he knew that people (Yamada and Kayama) liked to take advantage of that.

"I dunno, you just don't seem like the party type. You seem like the grumpy stay-at-home type. So what are you doing here?" Ashido asked. Aizawa sighed. She was right, he wasn't the type to go out much. And he definitely wasn't ready to entertain Ashido who was a handful when she wasn't drunk.

"I'm getting another drink. You better do well in your exams, Ashido." he muttered and walked away towards the bar. He really needed that drink. He looked around over his shoulder to make sure that Ashido wasn't following him. Thank God, she wasn't. Aizawa knew getting another drink probably wasn't a smart decision at the moment, but it was the only decision that would grant him some peace of mind.

It took him a while and some bumping into people, before he had finally made it to the bar. He said down on one of the stools, burying his face in his hands. Why did he let Yamada tell him it might be fun to come here? Here he was, bored out of his mind, with a bunch of teenagers, way too drunk and in a suit that was way too warm for this kind of weather (not to mention the stuffy air inside).

"Looks like someone over there really needs your help right now." he heard someone say. It was followed by a warm and hearty laugh. Aizawa didn't want to look up. He just waited until some steps came closer, before lifting up his head and looking at the bartender that gave him a polite smile.

"Can I get you anything, Sir?" he asked.

"Another whiskey, please. Black Nikka Clear. No ice." Aizawa answered and handed him his empty glass. The bartender nodded, taking the glass off him and turning around to the bar. He got a fresh glass from a shelf and the bottle of whiskey, filling the glass in a quick and languid motion.

"That's 380 yen, when you're ready, Sir." the bartender said to him. Aizawa got his wallet out of his suit pants and pulled out his credit card. He handed it to the bartender who left with the card and brought it back a few seconds later. Aizawa had started sipping on his drink, unsure if he should really down another one.