｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
"Bye, guys. Thanks for letting me stay over. I hope I wasn't a bother." I said, giving Pema and the rest of her family a hug.
"You're never a bother, Y/N. Come back any time you want." Pema smiled.
I smiled gratefully and gave the kids their hugs. Once I said goodbye to everyone, Korra walked with me down the dock and to the ferry.
"Is there gonna be any practice this weekend?" Korra asked me.
"Oh. Right. Probably not." I said, reminding myself that were dropping out of the tournament.
"Why'd you say it like that?" Korra chuckled.
"It's nothing. Just some money issues the boys and I have to work through. Nothing serious." I assured her.
I was about to walk onto the ferry before I get Korra's hand tug at mine back. I looked at her.
"Hey, come on. You can tell me." Korra ushered sweetly.
I couldn't resist. "'Kay, fine. Mako and I haven't earned enough money for the championship pot. So, we decided to drop out." I explained disappointingly.
"Oh no. I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" She gently rubbed her thumb on my hand.
"I um- no, it's okay. We can always participate next year." I assured her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm sure. Besides, you don't need to be worried about that. You've already got your hands full with Avatar training." I told her.
"Yeah I know. I wish I could help out." She then looked over at the family standing at the end of the dock.
I smiled. "It's okay, Korra." I lifted myself to kiss her cheek, leaving her face feeling hot.
"I'll see you around. Bye." I said quietly. She smiled sheepishly and waved at me. I walked on to the ferry and waved to the family one more time before I went back home.
Arriving in Republic City, I remembered it's Monday and that I had work in the afternoon. I checked the clock on the side of a building and saw that I had two hours before I had to be at Narook's.
I quickly made my way to the arena where Mako and Bolin were sleeping in. Keep in mind, it's two o'clock in the afternoon.
These guys have probably sleeping for almost half a day.
I walk quietly past them to my room to change into my uniform.
Leaving my room, I heard Bolin stir in his sleep.
I looked over at the couch and saw him sprawled out all over the couch and drool coming from his mouth.
Poor guy hasn't slept well since he was kidnapped. Last good nights sleep he got was the night he came home and collapsed on the couch.
I look at him one more time before heading out the arena and to the noodle shop.
It wasn't too busy this afternoon but the restaurant progressively got more and more crowded as it grew later in the night.
"And here are your last two bows of seaweed noodles. Can I get you guys anything else?" I asked a family that I had just finished serving.
"No, we're okay. Thank you." The mom said.
"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else." I smiled before walking up to the hostess for the night.
I walk up to the front to see if I have a new table.
"Did anyone else come in for me to take their orders?" I asked, walking to up Blossom.
"Yeah, a couple at table five. You can take that one. And they look pretty skinny so you're not gonna working that table for too long."
"You are so mean!"
"Realistic!" She interrupted.
I laughed before looking over to the waiting area. I saw Mako sitting and bouncing his leg up and down rapidly.
"Mako." I called out.
He looked up and quickly walked over to me. "Oh good. There you are." He says immediately.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have a date with that Asami girl in like... an hour?" I said, glancing up at the clock.
"Ooohhh who's Asami?" Blossom interjected.
"This fine ass girl we met yesterday. And Mako got a date with her." I smiled. She goes "oouu" and stared up at him.
"I need help. Do I smell bad? Should I have taken a shower?" He lifts an arm and shoved his disgusting arm pit in my face.
"Ew what the fuck? You came here just to ask me that?" I shoved his arm away in disgust.
"And what made you think you didn't have to take a shower?" Blossom asked him, looking up at him and holding her head in her hands.
"I'm just nervous. I haven't been on a date with a girl this nice in a while." He said.
"You'll be fine. Just go home, take a quick shower- and I mean faster than lightning. Girls hate when you're late to a date." I told him.
"She's right." Blossom said.
"Thank you. And then run down to the restaurant."
"Oh but try not to sweat." Blossom said.
"Oh yeah don't. Take the bus." I said.
"Alright then. And gimme one of these." He reached behind the counter into the bowl of peppermint candies and grabbbed a fistful.
I immediately slapped his hand, making him drop them all back.
"Uh-uh. No, You are gonna go home brush your teeth like a normal person. Now go cause you have fifty minutes to go home and get ready." I told him.
He sighed and nodded understandingly.
"But just in case, take one." Blossom took a candy out of the bowl and put it in Mako's hand. He said thank you and rushed out of the restaurant.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed two menus for the couple I was going to be serving.
"I'll be back." I muttered to Blossom.
That's not her actual name, by the way. It's a nickname because she won't tell any of us anyways. It's okay, Blossom's a cool nickname.
I continue to place orders and serve customers all night.
I don't know why people like seaweed noodles so much. I've never been too much of a fan.
Around midnight, the restaurant finally said goodbye to their last few customers and locked the doors for the night.
As Blossom and I were stuck cleaning up, I heard urgent knocking at the front doors.
"Are you kidding me? Do people not know how to read the sign?" I muttered angrily while wiping down the tables.
I slammed the rag on the table and went to see who was at the door.
Mako was slamming his fist on the door eagerly and he was wearing a fancy ass suit.
I scoffed while unlocking the door to let him in. "The fuck, Mako?! We're closed. I'm not giving you any free leftovers." I grumbled.
"I know, I know. I'm not here for that. I have the best news!" I said, excitedly walking in and sitting down at a table.
I rolled my eyes before locking the door again and catching up with him.
Mako sat down at a table Blossom happened to be in the middle of wiping down.
"Oh. Hello. Can I get you something to drink?" Blossom chuckled confusingly.
"A water would be nice." He said.
"Alright-"
"No! Don't get him anything, Blossom." I said quickly. She goes and gets it anyway.
"But I'm thirsty." Mako whined.
"I don't care. You can drink water when you get home." I snapped.
"Whoa. What crawled up your ass?" Blossom chuckled with a smirk as she was in the kitchen.
"Nothing crawled up my ass, Blossom! I'm just mad that Mako comes up here an hour after closing time when he knows he's not supposed to."
"He said he had news, right? It's probably important." She walks back and hands him the drink with a straw.
"Yep. And you're gonna love it. So, sit down. Both of you." Mako gets and shoved me into his seat while Blossom sat in the seat across from me.
"Okay so... you will never guess who Asami actually is. She is the daughter of the most successful industrialist in the city, Hiroshi Sato."
My jaw drops. That must mean Asami's loaded.
"Are you serious?" Blossom interjected.
"And the best part is she invited both of us to meet her dad in one of his factories tomorrow!" He added.
"No way! That's amazing!" I exclaimed, jumping up from my seat.
"I know!"
"It's so cool you guys get to visit one of Hiroshi's factories. Isn't he, like a billionaire?" Blossom interjected.
"Yeah, he's loaded. And that means Asami is too~" I teased Mako.
"Stop it. She didn't even mention it until the waiter mentioned her last name. I had to ask her about it." He tells us.
"Ooouu so she's modest as well? Sounds like a dream." Blossom said.
Blossom and I giggled to each other when Mako rolled his eyes.
I only had a few minutes left of cleaning to do, so Mako stayed in the restaurant.
"Bye guys." Blossom said before locking the door from the outside.
"Bye, Blossom. See you later." I said to her. Mako waved to her and she waved back before she walked in a different directions than us.
｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
"Do I just wear my normal clothes or.." I ask Mako, who's laying down on my bed.
"Sure. We're not going to dinner with her dad or anything." He said.
"Oh. Right." I chuckled. I leave my casual clothes on and fixed my hair.
"Where's Bolin?" I asked him.
"At the air temple. He's hanging out with Korra.
I think he likes her." He said casually.
There it is again! That pit of jealousy. Except this time it's bigger. And I can feel it seeping into my heart.
"Oh. Cool. Bolin said that to you?" I asked Mako, trying not to let the jealousy sound in my voice.
"I said 'I think.' Calm down." Mako teased.
"Shut up. It was just a question." I spat.
"Whatever. I bet she sees Bolin as a friend anyway." Mako started to get up and leave the room and I followed him.
We left the arena and rode the bus to the factory Asami told us to go to.
Hiroshi owned lots of factories all over the city, so it was kind of hard to find the right one.
We finally found it after three bus rides and fifteen minutes of walking.
We walked in main entrance where Asami greeted us.
"Hi guys. I'm glad you made it." Her sweet voice chimed.
She went to give Mako a hug and held his hand.
We greeted each other and then she led us all through the factory.
She showed us to the place where they actually put together the sato-mobiles.
"Look. My dad's just over there." Asami pointed to a man faced away from us.
I walked next to Mako and Asami. "Hey, dad." She started to walk toward the man.
The man turned around and smiled when he looked at us.
He was kind of short for a grown man. Like, he's almost exactly my height, if not a little shorter.
He had black and grey hair with silver details and had gold round glasses. I kind of want them...
"I'd like you to meet my new boyfriend, Mako and his sister, Y/N. They play for the Fire Ferrets. Guys, this is my dad, Hiroshi Sato." Asami said, introducing us to him.
"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Sato." Mako started, skating his hand proudly.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you two. I've heard a few great things about you. And you too, Y/N." He shakes my hand.
"Really?"
"Absolutely. All my daughter can talk about is how much of an impressive pro bender you are." He told me.
"Hm. I didn't know that." I before I looked at Asami and she was smiling innocently.
She's cute. No wonder Mako fell so hard for her.
Literally.
I then looked up at Mako and smile proudly. I knew I was the better bender compared to those two.
"So, what do you think of my little operation here?" I looked around the factory. So many small parts moving moving together to make something bigger.
It's kind of loud in here but still, really impressive.
"It's very impressive, Mr. Sato." Mako stated.
"Please, just call me Hiroshi." He said kindly. "So, I understand you're both dirt-poor."
I was taken back a bit. Those seemed to just spit right out of his mouth. He didn't even think about, damn.
"Well, I wouldn't say dirt poor but..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment.
"Don't worry. It really is nothing to be ashamed of. I also came from humble beginnings. Let me tell you the story of how this all started." He said.
"When I was your age, I was only a shoe shiner. And all I had to my name was the idea of a sato-mobile. Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic." He boasted.
Well, I wouldn't say "boast." Hiroshi wasn't a prideful man. He was pretty humble with his success.
"That man gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground." He tells us.
He then held his hand out to the factory. "And I was able to form all of Future Industries entirely off of that one selfless loan!" He exclaimed.
I chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Dad, stop bragging." Asami chuckled and gently shoving his side.
"Heh." Hiroshi laughed and turned to face us.
"Just tell them the good news already." She said.
Mako and I looked at each other confusingly and then at Hiroshi.
"What good news?" Mako asked.
"Well, going back to what my daughter has told me about you two and all of your hard-earned success in the pro-bending area, she's also mentioned your team's current uh... financial stumbling block."
"You two really like to gossip, huh?" I joked.
"Oh, no. It's not like that." He chuckled. He circled around us and put his arms on our shoulders.
"See, I'd hate to see either of you lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short of a few yuans. Which is why.." He walked to Asami and turned to look back at us.
"I've decided to sponsor the Fire Ferrets in the tournament!" He said.
My eyes widen as Mako grabs my left shoulder and starts shaking it excitedly.
"W-what?! You're serious?!" I laughed.
They both nodded happily.
Mako and I start laughing and jumping around in our spots like children. We then thanked Hiroshi and his daughter rapidly.
"Thank you so much, Asami! You have no idea how much this means to us." I said, pulling away from squeezing the life out of her.
"No problem! Just think of it as a favor from a friend." She held my hands in hers and smiled.
I smiled happily and pulled her in for another hug.
"There is just one catch. Your team has to wear the Future Industries logo on your uniforms." Hiroshi said.
"I'll tattoo it on my chest if you want, sir!" Mako joked. Hiroshi howls with laughter like it's the joke of the century.
Oh lord, the second hand embarrassment.
"He's kidding. He's terrified of needles." I whispered to Asami.
She giggled to herself while Mako glared at the back of my head.
"No but seriously. I can promise you the Fire Ferrets will make the most of this opportunity." I told them.
｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
While we were leaving the factory, we thanked Asami one more time.
"It really is no problem, guys. I know how important this tournament is to you and to everyone who enjoys watching them. If you guys ever need anything else, just come to me anytime." She said.
"I swear, you're the nicest girl I've ever met." I said before giving her one more hug.
"Thank you, Y/N." She pulled away and looked over to Mako.
"So, I wanted to ask you if you're going to the gala later tonight?" She asked us.
"Gala? What gala?" I laughed. I was never invited to fancy events like that so being asked something like that just caught me slightly off guard.
"My dad mentioned that Councilman Tarrlok is organizing a gala in Avatar Korra's honor. I thought since you two knew her, you'd be attending." She said.
"Korra hasn't said anything to us about it." Mako shrugged.
"Thats because he's still organizing it. So, would you guys want to go with me and my dad? And your brother can come too!" She asked.
"Yeah sure! We'd love to, but I don't really have anything to wear.." I admitted.
"Really? Nothing?" Asami asked. I shook my head and smiled awkwardly.
"Not to worry. We can go shopping together. Mako, I'm kidnapping your sister for the day." She smiled at him and took my wrist, starting to lead me out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk.
"Wha- at least bring her back!"
"Yeah, yeah. I will. What do you say?" She looked down at me and I just nodded blankly.
"Perfect. We're gonna have lots of fun, I promise!" She said enthusiastically.
I chuckled and followed her out of the factory while Mako went back home.
I thought we'd be walking to the bus stop but Asami turns the corner of the factory to a Sato-mobile parked near the sidewalk.
"Oh, I thought we were taking the bus." I muttered.
"Come on, we're gonna hit up the nicest shops around the city. My treat."
"Oh no, I can't ask you to do that-" I started before interrupted.
"Next time we go shopping together, I'll let you pay. I promise." She assured.
I smiled. "Deal." She clapped her hands excitedly and then turned the keys to start the engine.
Once she drove the mobile through the streets, I got a feeling of exhilaration when the air started blowing through my hair and onto my face.
I let my arm hang out as she drove through the streets, giggling softly.
I heard Asami chuckle beside me. I couldn't tell if she was making fun or just enjoying my reaction to having fun in the mobile.
We drove around until we arrived to a huge square with many different stores and restaurants.
"Alright, one important question before we start." She said while taking her seatbelt off.
"Okay. What is it?"
"Suits? Or dresses? Don't worry, I'm prepared to look for either."
"Hm. I'm not sure. I think dresses are pretty but would they look good on me?"
"While you do strike me as someone who prefers suits, we're gonna try just a few of each. Is that okay with you?"
I nodded. We got out of the mobile and walked to one of the first stores. It was a cozy department store with dresses and skirts all over display and women looking around, carrying bags in their hands.
I felt weirdly out of place. All the women shopping here were dressed in fancy and profesional clothing, like they were going to work.
While here I was with my unkempt hair, dirt on the bridge of my nose, and the clothes I wear almost every single day.
I started fixing up my hair and brushing off any dirt on my face while walking behind Asami.
I awkwardly followed Asami all throughout the store until she found a dress that she thinks will fit "my style."
She found a boxy blue dress that came with a pair of long gloves and a bowl-hat? I don't know what it's called but I thought the shape of it resembled a bowl.
Asami had me try it on in the dressing room.
"Let me know if you need help with anything." She said from outside the curtain.
"Okay!" I called out. I quickly out on the dress while carefully trying not to damage it.
Once I put it on, I continued to put on the accessories and opened the curtain to see Asami sitting on the stool, waiting for me.
"Oh you're done. Come here, there's a mirror where you can see yourself in."
I walked out of the little dressing room and looked at myself on the mirror attached to the wall.
I examined myself and thought it looked good at first but the longer I looked at it, the more I hated the dress.
"Do you like it?" Asami asked.
"Not as much as I thought I would. I think it's the hat." I proceeded to take off the hat to see if I'd look better without it.
"No. I think it's the dress. It's.."
"Boxy." I finished.
"Exactly." She nodded.
"Do you atleast like the color? I could pull another dress that's blue." She asks.
"Uhmm.. not really." I winced.
She smiled while getting up. "Don't worry about saying if you don't like it or you do, the point is to find something you'll love."
I nodded awkwardly. "Go back in there and change, I'll be back with another dress." She said.
"Okay." I went back into the changing room, taking off the dress and the accessories.
"Hey, Y/N. I found this nice white dress. Try it on." Asami's voice rang through the curtain. I stuck my hand out from an opening in the curtains and she handed me the dress.
I looked at it. It's not that bad. But it's kind of short. Like mid-thigh short. Oh well, I can't judge a book by it's cover, right?
I slipped on the dress along with the accessories Asami slipped under the curtains. A pair of long gloves and a pearl necklace.
"This is such a pretty necklace!" I called out from behind the curtains.
"Really? You like pearls? I just picked them cause they were white and went with the dress." Asami said.
I opened up the curtains and walked out in front of the mirror. I saw that the dress just barely reached my knees and was a little inappropriate for such a sophisticated event.
"Yeah no. It'd look good for a party but not for a gala. What do you think, Asami?" I turned around.
"Yep. Totally agree. You look good though." She smiled.
"Aw.." I jokingly wave her off.
"Okay so, do you want to try on more dresses or should we look for suits now?" She asked.
"Let's try suits. I dont think I'm comfortable wearing a dress in front of so many other people." I admitted.
"Oh, that's okay! I completely understand. There's a store next to this one that sells suits. Just change out of the dress and we'll go over there." She smiled.
I agreed and went back into the room to change. We put everything back and we're about to leave before I set my eyes a collection of pearl accessories on display.
The thing that caught my eye the most was a pair of pearl and chain drop earrings along with small and simple pearl studs on a mannequin head.
Even though I loved the pearl necklace I tried on earlier, they looked a bit of bulky on my neck. But these earrings weren't so....
I didn't realize how long I was standing here, admiring the jewelry before I saw Asami walking toward me.
"There you are! I had already left the store and I looked behind me and you weren't there!" She laughed.
"Oh crap, I'm sorry. I was just looking at these and got distracted." I chuckled.
"Aw, these are so pretty." She held the pair of earrings up to my right ear.
"And you have double piercings, so you can wear both." She pointed at my ears.
"Yeah. Okay come on. I'm sure there's other cool accessories I'll like in another store around here." I told her.
She pondered for a moment but then nodded, putting the pair of earrings back and leading me out of the store.
"Don't you think it's kind of gross that pearls come from oysters?" I asked Asami, making conversation.
"Oh yeah. I gag just thinking about oysters." Asami puts her hand up to her throat.
I laughed at her gesture. "Isn't seafood all you rich people eat?"
"Not all rich people! Oyster flesh is gross, the smell of fish is repulsive, all of the crawfish I've tasted like crap, and octopus is self explanatory." She said.
"Damn. Not even shrimp?"
"I said all crawfish. No exceptions." She joked.
"What?? Seafood's the best! Well, except for fish and octopus. I understand that. At the restaurant I work at, the octopus fritters taste and smell like shit." I told her.
We both laughed and continued to talk about food we both disliked while walking through the outlet store.
Then we started to open up more about ourselves and started growing close, but we did only meet two days ago. She doesn't have to know anything extra.
The outlet store we were now in was a more of a department store. And it was bigger than the one we were just in.
It had perfume, jewelry, hats, antiques, dresses, suits, ties, etcetera. Anything you could think of that had to do with clothing was here.
"Whoa. This place is huge. Where do we start?" I asked Asami.
"We're gonna start over here." She pointed to the women's section of clothing.
I assumed it'd be all dresses and skirts but the more I walked through this part of the store, the more I saw how many other options there were for me to wear.
"Oouu, what's this?" I stopped in front of a mannequin wearing a dark red blouse top and black dress pants.
Asami walked over to me and looked at the outfit that the mannequin was wearing.
I ran my fingers down the silk material of the blouse and was amazed at how soft it was. "I wanna try this one. Can I?" I asked.
"Sure. It's right here. The dressing rooms are this way. Come on."
I nodded and picked up a blouse and a pair of dress pants from the table that was next to the mannequin.
I took them with me while I followed Asami to the dressing rooms.
I went into a small room and closed the curtain before trying on the clothes I had picked.
I may not know anything about fashion but I know that this outfit would look amazing with those pearl earrings I saw in the other store.
I eagerly changed out of my clothes and into the blouse and pants.
After I finished getting dressed, I pushed the curtains aside and stepped out of the room before seeing Asami seated at in a chair next to the entrance of the dressing rooms.
"Damn, Y/N! I think we've found your style!" She exclaimed, standing up.
I chuckled before going over to look in the mirror to look at myself. The dark red blouse fit perfectly and matched well with the black dress pants.
"wait, it's missing...." She muttered and before leaving the dressing room. She came back a few seconds later with a black belt in her hand.
"Here, this will compliment your waist." She said while handing it to me. I slid the belt through the loops and buckle it at the front before looking up at my reflection.
oh my god, did I look HOT-
"Do you like? or do you love it?" Asami laughed.
"I love it! I really do, I look... different? I don't know how to describe it. I mean, how do you usually feel when you wear fancy clothes?" I asked Asami.
"It doesn't matter how I feel. It matters how you feel. Do you feel pretty? Like you can do anything?" She stood behind me and put he hands on both my shoulders, looking at my reflection.
"Well... I definitely feel much more comfortable than when I was wearing those dresses." I told her.
"Was it because you thought you didn't look good in them?"
"No, I thought I looked good too but they just didn't feel like.. me. Does that make sense?" I turned around to to look at her.
"Oh totally. It's a universal experience." She says.
I smiled and looked at my reflection again. I put my hands in the pockets of the pants and then looked at Asami's face in the mirror.
"Yeah. I want to get this one." I said immediately.
"Yay! Okay, go take it off and I'll meet you outside." Asami said. I nodded and went back to the dressing room to change out of the outfit.
Once I finished, I folded both of the clothing pieces neatly and walked out of the rooms, meeting up with Asami at the entrance of the rooms.
Once she paid for everything and we left the store, I felt my stomach rumble. I was confused as to why I was feeling hungry but then remembered I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Which was six hours ago.
"Hey, Asami. How long do you think it takes for one to go hungry after eating a meal?" I asked her as we walked out of the store.
"I guess for the average person, I'd say three, four to five hours. Why?"
"Oh, I'm just kind of hungry. I haven't eaten since this morning."
"This morning?! Y/N, It's five fifty-five in the evening!" She scolded.
"I'm not starving or anything-"
"Nope, come on. Let's get you something to eat." She took my wrist and dragged me away from the doors.
"ack- wait, Asami!" I chuckled before she let go of my wrist, muttering a quick sorry.
"I know a place with good food. Let's go grab a quick meal and meet up at City Hall. " I told her.
"Oh. Okay, yeah. That works too. Let's go."
We walked back to her mobile and I placed the bag with my outfit in it on the floor of the backseat.
I plopped myself down in the passenger seat and realized how my my feet were hurting from walking around.
Asami didn't sit down in the drivers seat yet and looked like she was contemplating something, muttering quietly to herself.
"Is everything okay?" I asked confusingly.
"Yeah. Just stay here. I'll be right back." She said quickly. She took her purse and went into the first outlet store we walked into when we first arrived.
Just as quickly as she walked in, she walked out, holding a small paper bag in her right hand.
I watched as she climbs in and turns the engine on. "What'd you get?" I asked.
"Nothing too big. Just... these." She pulled out the pair of earrings I admired from the store.
"Asami! No, why do you-" I gasped as I held the earrings.
"You already spent so much money!"
"It's fine, Y/N! It's just a silly little pair of earrings. Don't tell me they wouldn't look great with your outfit." She said, buckling her seatbelt.
"I mean they would but.."
"I promise I won't buy you anything else unless you ask me to. I just couldn't help it. They're so pretty!" She exclaimed.
"Well, did you at least get yourself something?"
"Yep. This. I saw it on the table next to the earrings." She pulled out a cuff bracelet that shimmered gold.
"Oouu pretty. You got an outfit to go with this?" I asked, looking at the bracelet I took from her hand.
"Yeah. I already have a red dress at home. I just needed a bracelet to top it off."
I looked down at the pair of earrings and smiled. I didn't like that Asami kept spending money on me but these earrings are so cool!!
I can't wait to wear them tonight. Hopefully, they'll impress Korra.
｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
I told Asami to drive to Narook's restaurant because I knew that I could use my employee discount.
After we ate our food and talked for another hour, we decided to go home and meet up later at City Hall for the event.
She offered to take me back to the arena but I assured her I could walk because it was only a few minutes away from the restaurant.
"See you later, Asami! Thanks for everything." waved as I left the restaurant.
"Bye, Y/N." She waved back as she got in her mobile and drove away.
I put the bag of earrings in the bigger bag containing the clothes and ran home, excited for tonight.
I climbed up the stairs and walked into the attic where Mako and Bolin were lazily eating in t-shirts and sweats.
"Hey, guys. Asami took me shopping and it was more fun than I anticipated and.. why aren't either of you getting ready?"
"Why are you in such a rush? The party isn't for another three hours." Bolin said.
"What? No it isn't. It starts in and hour and a half." I looked at the clock on the wall and it read that there were three hours left until nine o'clock.
"Bo, did you change the batteries on the clock like I asked you to this morning?" I sighed
"No? I forgo- ohhh..."
"That's why the clock reads six instead of eight o'clock. It's broken." I grumbled, walking over to my room and throwing the bag on my bed.
"Okay, Bo. Go get ready. You take the longest out of all of us." I told him.
"Aw, what? But I'm eating." He complained.
"You can eat later. Just go!"
He rolled his eyes and put his plate down on the coffee table, getting his clothes from the dresser and hastily stomping down the stairs of the attic.
"So, how was your little girls shopping trip with Asami?" Mako joked.
"I know you're just trying to make fun of me but it was actually really fun." I said.
He laughed while putting his plate in the sink. "Well, what'd you buy?"
"Nothing, Asami wouldn't let me. She got me a blouse and some dress pants and some accessories. Let me show you the earrings she got me too."
Mako walks over and leans on the doorway. "Here." I pulled out the earrings and showed them to him.
"Oohh, these are nice! Are they real?" He takes them for a second.
"I think so." He handed them back and I put them back in the bag. While I was putting it back, my hand brushed up against something else that felt familiar.
I pulled out Asami's cuff bracelet, assuming she just forgot it.
"Ooh, that's pretty." Mako asked.
"I know. But it's Asami's. She must have left it in the bag. I'll just give it to her later." I put the bracelet back and Mako handed me the pair of earrings.
"So, how do you like Asami so far? Is she nice?"
"Super. She treats her friends really well. And she's funny and interesting. And she's not the prissy and rich girl I had anticipated she'd be. She was super generous, she even paid for our meal."
"That's great. I'm glad you guys get along so well. What about her dad? What do you think of him?"
"I mean, he's super nice for sponsoring us. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. I guess uh... Never mind. Forget it." He sighed and left the doorway of the room.
I wondered about what he wanted to ask me but I shook off the feeling and looked at my outfit in awe one more time.
I haven't dressed up in a while and I'm kind of excited!
After we all get ready and dressed, I start to put on an overcoat as we start heading out the door.
"Do you think they'll have food there?" Bolin asked, putting his finished plate in the sink.
"You just ate-"
"I noticed, Y/N. But that doesn't answer my question." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
I smacked my teeth. "Boy, if you don't move.."
He quickly runs from the kitchen and down the stairs of the attic, past Mako and I.
"He's so annoying." Mako muttered behind me.
"Where do you think he gets it from?" I chuckled sarcastically.
"You think you're so fucking funny, huh?" He said flatly.
He starts mocking me and we both howl with laughter through the halls.
We walked down the stairs and down to the lobby where Bolin was already waiting for us.
The three of us walked out of the arena and to a bus stop that was heading to City Hall.
"Since when did you have double piercings?" Bolin asked, messing with my earrings as we sat down.
I swatted his hand away and he muttered an "ow" and rubbed his top of his hand.
"Since I was like, thirteen. Why?"
"Does it hurt?"
"No. It's just a hole in my ear."
"That sounds like it hurts." He chuckled.
"I mean, it kinda did when I got them. But it doesn't hurt cause it's a small hole."
"Isn't it kind of weird that girls will stick holes in their ears just to wear jewelry?" He asked Mako, who wasn't paying attention to our conversation.
"No? It's normal, idiot." He said next to him.
"Right but-"
"Bolin, if you want to wear earrings, just say it and we'll go look for some." I joked, putting my hand on top of his.
"No, that's gay." He said, a little too loud.
A few people turned around to glare at us and Bolin's face burned red.
Mako smacked the back of his head and I just looked away from him, slowly scooting down the seat as if I didn't know who he was.
We arrived at City Hall and at the same time, a sato-mobile pulled up in front and a man in a fancy suit stepped out of the driver's seat.
In the back, I could see Asami and her dad stepping out the car.
"Hey, Asami!" Mako called out. It's so cute how his mood lights up when he sees her.
"Hey, guys." She waved. She walked over to us, giving Mako a hug first.
She pulled away and looked at me. "Oh my gosh, Y/N! You look amazing!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me.
"Aw, thanks Asami!" I chuckled, hugging her back.
She pulled away from me before glancing at Bolin.
"Oh, you must be Bolin. It's nice to finally meet you." She shook his hand and Bolin smiled nervously.
"You too! Is that your dad over there?" He said, pointing to Hiroshi.
"Yep. Dad, come over here." She told him.
Hiroshi looked over at us and walked over.
"Evening, Bolin. It's nice to finally meet another one of the Fire Ferrets." He shook Bolin's hand and Bolin anxiously smiled.
"Really nice to meet you too, sir!" He shook the man's hand up and down aggressively.
"okay, chill, bo. don't overdo it." I muttered behind a smile.
He nodded and let go of Hiroshi's hand.
"So, should we go in?" Asami said.
We all agreed to go in and walked up the steps.
Two huge banners of Korra hung on either side of the main entrance doors.
Mako and I gave each other the same glance and continued to walk in through the doors.
There was lively jazz music playing while many people dressed up were talking amongst each other, many of them holding drinks in their hands.
I looked around. The place was gorgeous. All of this for Korra? It's kind of random but I guess a show of gratitude never hurt anyone.
Oh, wait.. He's probably still trying to get her to join his task force..
I took off my overcoat and hung it over my arm before someone poked my shoulder gently.
I looked behind me and a man who looked like a server was standing there.
"Your coat, ma'am." He said in a posh accent.
I looked down at the coat in my arms and then back up at him. "What about it?"
"You're supposed to give it to him. He's gonna hold it for you." Asami whispered.
"Oh!" I quickly muttered, handing the overcoat to him. He took the coat and walked away.
"Do I get my coat back later or..?"
"Of course you do. Just ask for it when you're ready to leave." Asami laughed.
I nodded understandingly. Mako, Bolin and I just followed around Hiroshi for the majority of the party, mostly conversing with Asami and getting to know her better.
And luckily for Bolin, the waiters were serving a few appetizers here and there. And Bo had to try every single one of them.
"Oh my goh- you've gotta ty dis, Y/N." Bolin said, his mouthed stuff.
He handed me a miniature piece of bread that had two cucumber slices laying on top of it.
The presentation of the appetizer made it look more appetizing but it still was just bread and a vegetable.
I took a small bite and cringed at the mixed taste of cucumber and cream cheese.
"You don' like it? I'll eat it!" He took the already bitten snack and stuffed it in his mouth the second it wasn't full.
"Disgusting." I muttered to myself.
"What? These are so good!"
"No, you. You're disgusting." I chuckled.
"I'm gonna go find Asami and Mako." I sighed, walking away from Bolin.
I looked through the crowd for the couple and finally found them, along with a few more other people.
I recognized them immediately as Pema, Tenzin, Korra and Tarrlok, who seemed to be talking to them.
I made my way towards them and stood next to Mako, who's arm was hooked with Asami's.
"Hey, guys! When did you all get here?" I asked them.
"Evening, Y/N. We just so happened to arrive." Tenzin said in his usual cold tone.
"Nice. Hi, Korra!" I smiled.
"Oh hey, Y/N." She said mindlessly, like her head was somewhere else.
I tilted my head. "Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You- uh- you look beautiful, by the way." She blushed.
Sometimes I forget who's Y/N in this story.
"Oh, Thank you. And so do you." I smiled.
"And I love your bracelet." Korra reached for my hand.
"Oh yeah, it is really pretty but it's not mine, it's Asami's." I took the cuff bracelet off of my wrist and walked over to Asami's side.
"Oh that's right, I left it in the bag." She said.
She slid it onto her wrist and it fit perfectly, also complimenting her skin.
I looked at Korra and her face was scrunched up. She did that when she was irritated or upset or something.
Aww, she's jealous. I smirked at her expression and walked away from the group queen ones of the kids called me over.
For the rest of the party, I mostly hung around Korra and Bolin because Asami and Mako were off talking to the other party goers.
It was more fun than I thought. I got to know successful people that worked in Republic City and I felt great while wearing my new outfit.
Around the end of the evening, some of the guests started to take their leave and the food and drinks were starting to be cleared up.
I grabbed a glass of some brown drink before they cleaned it up. "What's this?" I asked Mako next to me.
"I dunno. Drink it and find out." He answered. I shrugged and took a sip, but not before Asami warned me.
"Oh, that's alcohol!" She winced.
I looked at her a bit strange as i finished half the glass. I took in the spicy liquid as she continues to stare at me weird.
"What?" I laughed.
"Nothing.. I didn't think you could take liquor so well." She chuckled.
"Oh.. right." I look at Mako and we just share an uncomfortable look before I put the glass down.
I guess Mako didn't tell her we grew up in a gang.
Us three found Bolin talking to some girl and we gathered to the front.
Asami has expressed she wanted to go home so we all were left waiting for Hiroshi to stop talking so we could take our leave.
That's when I noticed that Korra disappeared a while ago and I haven't seen her in almost half and hour. I looked at the crowd around me and couldn't spot her.
Suddenly, three small red figures ran past me along with a gust of air. "Oh, hey guys. Come here." I said to the airbender kids.
Laughing, except for Jinora, they ran back to me. "Have you three seen Korra anywhere? I lost her a little while ago." I asked them.
Meelo and Ikki shook their heads rapidly before Jinora raised her pointer finger up slightly.
"I actually saw her and Tarrlok get away from the crowd. Oh, see look. They're over there." She pointed to the top of the steps.
That's when people from the crowd with notepads and cameras came rushing up to the steps, bombarding Korra with many questions at a time.
"Oh, okay. Thanks, little lady." I smiled sweetly. She blushed lightly and her siblings dragged her away.
"Aw, that's cute." I heard Asami mutter.
"Huh? What is?"
"That 'little lady' has a crush on you. It's adorable." She said.
"I guess, but its just a little kid crush. It's not gonna mean anything in a few years." I said dismissively.
Asami chuckled to herself and the three of us walked up to the crowd of journalists and reporters.
I watched as Tarrlok shoved Korra forward, almost forcing her to answer their questions.
I watched in discomfort as the crowd questions became more and more inappropriate for Korra to answer.
"As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?" One of them asked.
Just as she was about to say something, the same guy interrupted her with another question. "Why are you backing away from this fight?"
"What? No, I've never backed away from anything in my life." She spat.
The tensions grew thick and the questions just kept on flowing. "How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?" Another one asked. "Are you afraid of Amon?"
And just like that, Korra got fed up with the questions, yelling her answer to the crowd.
"I'm not afraid of anyone! If this city needs me, then I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon."
My eyes widen a little. She had already decided not to join Tarrlok. And the look on Korra's face is like she's being pressured into something she doesn't want to do.
The lights of the cameras started flash brightly left and right. Bolin, Mako and I glanced at each other, feeling uneasy about what just went down.
Soon, the guys and I finally decided to take our leave and go home. Hiroshi offered to take us home but we kindly refused.
As we were leaving City Hall, I saw Korra sitting on the steps of the front entrance by herself.
"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up real quick." I told them. They nodded and went ahead to wait at the nearby bus station.
"Korra. Hey, is everything alright?" I asked, sitting down next to her.
"Not really. I just want to go home already. It's been a long night." She sighed.
"I'm sorry. I saw what happened with the reporters. Why'd you change your mind about the task force?" I asked.
"Amon needs to be brought in as soon as possible, before anyone else looses their bending. I have a duty to protect the city."
She said that like she had practiced that answer already. I could she was repeating someone else's words and not coming up with her own response.
"Are you sure that's the whole reason? You were pretty focused on your training yesterday. I mean, Tarrlok was basically forcing you to answer those questions. I feel like you're doing this more because he said so instead of you actually wanting to."
"I do want to, Y/N. I have a duty to protect this city. What kind of Avatar would I be if I just stood by and did nothing?"
"You know you have a tendency to repeat yourself accidentally around me, right?"
"ok, you know what.." She blushed slightly before she stood up and started to walk back up the stairs and away from me.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I was just playing." I quickly stood up and followed close behind her, taking her hand and tugging it.
She turned around with her face scrunched up. "Look, you don't owe this city anything. Besides the Avatar's duty is to protect the world or something like that, I dont know." I chuckled.
She chuckled lowly. "Whatever, if you feel that you need to join Tarrlok and stop Amon, then go right ahead, no one is stopping you. Well, maybe Tenzin will. But just know if you feel like you're being pressured along the way, there's no shame in calling quits." I told her.
She nodded and rolled her eyes. "It's annoying how good you are at giving advice." She muttered loud enough for me to hear.
We both laughed with each other as a crisp winter breeze brushed up on us swiftly. Korra shivered, still crossing her arms.
"I should go inside. See you around, Y/N." She waved at me and started to walk back up the steps.
"Bye!" I said. I watched her walk inside.
I blushed and happily skipped down the steps, running to the bus stop where Mako and Bolin were still waiting for me.
My cheeks and the tip my nose were pink, partly because I was blushing but mainly because it was cold as fuck right now.
Just as I arrived, the bus did too and we went home, exhausted and freezing.
｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
A/N: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long! Hope you enjoyed it either way. Have a good weekend and stay safe, lovelies ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎