Chapter 211. Two's Company, Fifteen's a Party (The Amnesiac)

Alright. Time to see what I can get from this journal...

"Let me know if you want to talk about anything you wrote down," Leslie says, still clutching your arm.

"Thanks, Leslie," you say, leaning in to kiss her nose. "Hopefully I'll remember some more."

"I know you will," she grins reassuringly.

Waving goodbye, you step out of her room and walk down the hall.

Four years ago, I started dating Rae, and I met all her friends for the first time.

I wonder what I would have thought to write here...

You continue mulling over what could be in the diary as you enter your room and walk over to your bed, preparing to settle in and read your journal from cover to cover.

"Hey, Rae," you shoot her a glance, seeing her talking to chat.

You plop onto your bed and prop your pillow up.

"Ah!" She yelps, turning back in surprise. "Babe! You came!"

"Huh?" You sit up. "What do you mean?"

"You... just..." She shakes her head in confusion, gesturing to her laptop.

"OH!" You blurt. "I just walked in, in front of... your viewers..."

You look over to the chat messages. They're barely discernible from your spot on the bed, but even if you were closer, the speed at which they're flying by would make it impossible to see.

"Everyone's excited to finally see you're still alive!" Rae says, grinning ear to ear.

"Oh, haha..." You nervously rub the back of your neck, grateful you weren't still on camera.

"Wait, what is THAT!" Rae yelps, standing up and craning her neck.

"Uhh.. it's-"

"Hold on!" She sits back down. "Give me a minute, chat."

She presses a few buttons on her keyboard, muting her microphone and changing her stream scene. She quickly skips over to you to get a better look.

Huh... how did I know which buttons control the mic and camera?

"Your diary!" She gasps, leaning down. "Where was it?"

"Leslie had it," you say, your attention drawn back to the old bound book. "Only this one, though. The rest are still AWOL."

"Oh, wow... and you're going to read it now?" She places her hand on your cheek, gently rubbing it.

"Yeah, I want to see how much I can remember." You place your hand on top of hers and bring it forward to give her palm a kiss. "Is it ok if I do it here?"

"Of course! As long as you don't mind me streaming."

"Not at all," you grin.

She puts her other hand on your cheek and squeezes it for a moment, then pulls back.

"Let me know the deets once you're done!" Rae skips back to her desk.

"Sure thing."

Alright, let's get started...

You flip open to the first page.

02/19: I decided to get a journal. I've never kept one before, but Rachel convinced me to start. Speaking of Rae, I know we've only been dating for a month now, but she really seems like everything I could want in a woman. Beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed, kind-hearted... the list goes on.

I really hope things work out between us.

Maybe one day my future self will read this and know the answer. Wow, that's really trippy...

Your past self's words heave a weight off of your chest as you feel something unlock inside of you. You look up at the woman sitting ten feet away from you, staring intently into her screen, and feel a wave of undiscovered emotions crash onto the shore of your mind.

...

Two hours later, you put the book down, clutching your head.

"Are you done?" Rae asks, perking up from her desk, where her stream had ended half an hour ago.

"Yeah," you groan. "My brain feels so... weird. I shouldn't have read it so quickly."

"Aw, baby..." She crawls into the bed with you, resting her hand on your bicep and leaning on your shoulder.

"I remembered so much..."

"Oh!" She cries out, sitting up. That's amazing!"

"Yeah, it is, but... it's all from four years ago. It feels strange having such a gap between then and now."

"Then that means we just have to find the rest of the diaries!" She resolutely exclaims.

"Actually, maybe we shouldn't yet," you say, rubbing your temples.

"Why not?"

"I want to meet everyone. There are still a lot of people you've been keeping away, right? I want to meet them all before I spend more time digging into those journals."

She slowly nods. "Ok. Ok, yeah, that's fine. I'll get Lily and the rest of her roommates over today."

You close the book and place it on your nightstand. "Today? I'm sure they're busy, don't rush them-"

"Babe," she cuts you off, staring sweetly into your eyes. "They would drop everything to see you. We all would."

A comfortable tingle rests on your neck as Rae gently strokes your neck. The thought of how much support you had makes you feel at ease, despite the remaining gaps in your memory.

You look back at Rae, the two of you quickly getting absorbed in each other's gaze. The atmosphere around you dips into an intimate space, the kind that only exists between familiar lovers. You put your hand on her cheek, gently rubbing her delicate, pampered skin with your thumb.

"What are you thinking?" She asks.

"..."

"..."

"What did I do to deserve all this?" You whisper.

She finally breaks from your gaze. She looks down for a moment, biting her lower lip as she thinks carefully about her words.

"I think..." She looks up, squeezing your hand tighter. "I don't think any of us deserve what happens to us. Things just... happened. You happened to me. I happened to you."

"..."

"Wait." She places her finger on your lips, gently coercing them closed again. "I'm not done."

You nod, puckering your lips to give her finger a small kiss.

"We've never really talked about this, but I know you've thought about how strange it all is," she says. "To wake up in this world, surrounded by your... harem." She grins at the word. "Which it's not, just to be clear, but it might feel that way now."

You subtly nod and shrug, admitting the word had occurred to you before.

"The difference is that we're all our own people," she continues. "We have our lives, our careers, our hopes and dreams. It's just that we want you in them. I want you in my life, no matter where I go and no matter what I do. And so does Leslie, and Miyoung, and Ar-"

She stops herself.

"Sorry, ahh..." She winces.

"It's ok," you reply, wrapping your arm back around her shoulder. You sink into each other's comfortable warmth.

"You're right. It is strange, but I'm getting used to it. And I want you in my life too. And Miyoung, Leslie, Sydney, and... well, Aria too. But maybe that won't happen."

"Speaking of Sydney..." She furrows her brows. "Are you going to start dating more of our friends again?"

"...I don't know," you sigh. "I can't lie, I'd like to, but I also feel a bit scared, since I still don't remember why we broke up in the first place."

"Mmm... how about this? I'll call over some friends today, then the rest sometime soon. Then we'll find your diaries, and once you remember a lot more, you can make that choice."

If I can remember why I broke up with them... it'll make everything a lot clearer.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan."

"Great! Just try not to fall in love with anyone before then," she smiles. "Except me, of course."

"Oh, honey, I'm already there," you laugh, making her smooch you on the lips.

...

You remain comfortably settled into the bed, with your arm around Rae, and her warm head lying on your chest.

"Shit!" Rae looks up from her phone in alarm.

"Huh?"

"They're almost here!"

"Wait... what? How?"

"I told you, babe, we'd all drop everything to meet you..." She smiles.

You pull your arm back, letting her get up.

"Um, so..." She purses her lips. "I'm gonna be completely blunt with you. You need to jerk off before they get here."

You freeze, needing a few extra seconds to process her words.

"W-why?!?"

"Because they're hot as fuck, and I don't want you thinking any dirty thoughts."

"O-oh! Because... wait, why?"

"Because they'll act on it, babe!" She juts her chin out and pouts. "I want this to be a chance for you to meet them, have dinner together, and get to know them. But if you start having horny thoughts, they'll start having horny thoughts, and it'll just end in you bending one or two or all of them over somewhere."

"..."

"..."

..fuck it. At this point, I can't say I don't believe her.

"Ok... fair."

"Alright, great!" She immediately jumps back to normal.

"Wait, so I need to jerk off?" You ask again.

"No, no, you're right. I'll get Miyoung in here to help you out while I prepare for them," she says, sounding like a busy boss while her thumbs dash across her phone.

"Wait, wha-"

"Byeee!" She waves as she steps out in a blur.

"..."

What is going on...

Mere moments later, a figure slowly enters the room.

"Miyoung?" You awkwardly whisper. "Did Rae send you in here to...? Listen, you don't need t-t-to..."

You stutter your way to a halt as Miyoung pulls her shirt over her head in a clean sweep, and unclasps her bra, letting it drop to the floor. Her perky, beautiful breasts pop out, and you realize you've never really gotten the chance to experience them.

"Come over here," she points to the edge of the bed, snappily tying her hair back with a hairband.

"Are you serious?" You ask in awe.

"Come on!" She smiles, softly biting her lip in adoration at the attention you were clearly giving her. "We don't have much time."

You slide forward as she sinks down to her knees.

"Mmm~, I'll take good care of this for you..." She places both hands on your pants and yanks them down, letting your rock-hard erection pop out. She grabs both of her breasts and pushes them on either side of it, instantly enveloping it in warmth.

"Holy shit, Miyoung..." You groan as she quickly starts pumping her chest up and down, wasting no time.

You look down at her, immensely turned on by how devotedly she was using herself to get you off, making up for her boobs' smaller size with her intensity.

She looks up at you, her gaze filled with lust. Her pretty eyes scan yours, making it impossible to think about anything else.

"Do you like this, Master?" She whispers.

"What the...?!?" You groan, your cock twitching at her words. You nearly see stars as she dips her tongue down, momentarily swirling it around your tip. Your hand clutches the bedsheet tightly as her soft lips caress your cock, lovingly kissing it.

"I know all your fantasies..." She continues whispering. "I can do everything you like..."

Your head is spinning, and your brain feels low on blood from how much is being diverted to your lower half.

"Keep going..." You mutter.

You put your hand on her head. She takes a breath and slides down your cock, sheathing it in her mouth as her lips and tongue dance across it. She hums, gently vibrating it.

You gasp as she finally hilts it in her throat, deepthroating you completely without a hint of a gag.

The sloppy sounds that come from her throat as she pulls out and pushes back in again make you crave her even more.

"How in the hell are you doing this to me..." You heave, looking down at the girl currently giving you the most intense, explosive blowjob you'd ever had.

The door opens, and Leslie quickly steps in and closes it behind her, smiling widely as she sees you.

"I heard someone needed to be taken care of..." She says, crossing her arms. "Sorry I'm late..."

Her voice turns raspy as the sight before her starts to take hold of her, drawing her closer.

"Leslie..." You turn to her, your head incapable of anything other than lust. "Come here."

She runs to you, the look in your eyes exciting her into action. She leaps onto the bed, catching you by your shoulders and aligning your lips for a kiss. Her hand slides down your chest and underneath Miyoung's sloppy, incredible blowjob, to massage your balls with just the right pressure.

She moans into your mouth as you grab her boobs through her shirt, craving her body.

"I want to fuck you right now," you mutter, swapping deep kisses with Leslie while the two girls speedily bring you to the edge.

Leslie bites her lip, looking down at her watch.

"Later," she promises.

"Fine. Agh, I think I'm gonna..."

Rae's high-pitched voice faintly meets your ears, along with a few other voices you don't recognize.

"Shit, they're here. Miyoung, move over," Leslie demands, as she drops onto her knees and licks her lips.

You gasp as Miyoung fluidly moves to one side of your shaft while Leslie takes the other, both of them moving out of sync to please every inch of you.

You grab both of their heads and sink your fingers into their hair as a familiar dominant flare overtakes you. You control their pace, syncing their heads up as you pump them back and forth, letting their warm, wet tongues bring you to the edge as they nearly make out through your cock.

Your cock twitches one final time, then Miyoung breaks out of your grasp and takes the tip in your mouth, taking it deeper just in time for you to shoot your seed into the back of her mouth.

You buck your hips, puffing out her cheeks as you deliver everything you have into Miyoung.

"Ahh~" Leslie groans in secondhand pleasure, briefly reaching down with her lips once more to help massage every last drop out of you.

Your cock pulses a few more times inside Miyoung, a feeling that makes her thighs quiver as she diligently takes it all in.

"..."

"...ok..." Miyoung croaks out, after swallowing and clearing her throat. "Let's go downstairs."

She starts to stand up, but you keep your hand on her shoulder for a moment.

"Miyoung."

"Huh? Oh... was that not enough? I can-"

"No, that was more than enough," you chuckle. "I..." You sigh, realizing you weren't yet capable of standing up.

"As soon as we get the time, I'm gonna give you the best fuck of your life. Consider it a reward."

Her eyes light up, and the corners of her lips fold into a grin.

"Ok..." She innocently smiles. "I'll be waiting~"

"Aw, man, I should've come earlier..." Leslie mutters.

"You're invited too, Leslie."

"Oh! Yay!"

...

"Alright! Lily, Jamie, and Emily are waiting downstairs!" Leslie announces. "Are you nervous? Scared? How do you feel?" She gets in your face, examining you closely.

"Relax, Leslie," you chuckle. "You look more nervous than me."

"I'm not!" She instantly blurts out.

"..." You squint.

"...fine, I'm a little nervous," she groans, pouting.

"Why?" You gently place your hand on her hip.

"I don't know! It's just... " She holds her breath, trying to find the right word to exhale on. "You know what, no! There's no reason to be nervous!"

She's kind of making me nervous...

Whatever, let's just go downstairs and see them.

You walk down the stairs with Leslie and Miyoung silently cheering you on from behind. The three girls were situated in the kitchen, two of them sitting, and the third leaning on the counter beside them.

"Hi!" Lily is the first one to speak up, and you wave back at her cheery face.

"Hey, Lily," you reply, warmed by her bright smile.

The other two girls stare at you a bit shyly, and you examine them closely as you walk.

The girl sitting cross-legged beside Lily was a slim-figured woman with dark hair that curled into streaks of violet at the ends. Her dark crop top fits her curved tightly, revealing her long arms and flat midriff. Her fashion sense is noticeably attractive, and even the colors of her mascara and lipstick match the rest of her.

"This is Jaime!" Lily says, breaking her hesitation.

"Hey," Jaime nervously speaks, the corners of her lips curving into cute dimples as she smiles.

"Hi, Jaime," you respond, feeling her name work through your mouth for the first time.

"And this is Emily!" She continues, beckoning across the room.

You finally turn your attention to the final girl. Her clothes were much baggier, with a large sweater pulled sideways over one shoulder, exposing the pale skin of her slim neck and collarbone.

"Hi," she lazily lifts her hand and slightly tilts it to the side before setting it down again. The movement sends a ripple through her shoulder-length, jet-black hair, and you can't help but stare.

"Hey, Emily..." You reply, the name feeling strange in your mouth.

"Do all your introductions have to be this awkward?" Rae calls out from the adjacent living room, out of sight, but clearly not out of earshot.

"Not helping, Rae..." You mutter, making Jamie grin.

"So... is there anything you want to ask us?" Lily asks, crossing her hands in front of her.

With three sets of eyes on you, all belonging to very attractive yet unfamiliar women, your brain starts to stagnate.

"Um..."

Uh...

"..."

"How did we first meet?" You ask the question as soon as it comes to mind. "I know I didn't meet any of you four years ago when I met Rae..." You observe.

"How do you know that?" Lily leans forward curiously, resting her elbows on the table.

"Well, I remembered most of my life from back then because of my diary."

"Oh, you found them?" Miyoung's voice suddenly comes from behind you, startling you.

"Yeah! Well... only one. Leslie had it. The rest are still missing, but from reading what I wrote, I remembered so much of my life. And I'm pretty sure I never met any of you."

"Yeah! I met you three years ago, back when Rae started to share you," Lily nods.

"...share me?"

Her eyes widen, and she awkwardly clears her throat.

"I mean, uhh... I just meant-"

"It's true!" Rae yells from the living room again.

Jaime stifles her laugh. "She means... we all met you for the first time. It was only later that some of us started to..."

"Started to FUCK!" Rae happily completes her sentence, making all of you roll your eyes.

"Ok... so Lily, we've never dated, right?" You ask, paying close attention to her reaction.

"Yup! We've always been good friends."

"And... for you two...?" You turn to the two dark-haired girls. "Did we...?"

"...yeah."

"...yes."

Jaime averts her gaze, sitting up straighter. Emiru looks more relaxed, but the tension in her pose is evident.

"It's ok," Emily speaks up, breaking the stillness. "Don't feel bad about asking, it's just... well..."

"We were both dating you," Jaime jumps in upon Emily's hesitation. "Until you broke up with everyone."

"The purge..." Emily mutters to herself.

"Ok..." You nod solemnly.

Until I broke up with everybody... that's what I keep hearing over and over again.

And I still don't remember any of it.

As you sink into your thoughts, silence fills the room.

"Why don't we all do something together?" Lily pipes up again. "Like... game night! We haven't really done one of those in months."

"Oh! I'd love that!" Jaime lights up. "A true reunion!"

"Did someone say game night?!?" Leslie pops her head in from the stairwell.

"Yeah!" Miyoung voices her agreement. "With board games!"

"We should call everyone over! Just like we used to!"

"We could start now!"

"But wait! What about everyone else?" Leslie asks.

Her words catch your attention but go mostly unheard by everyone else due to the excited commotion.

"How many more people haven't I met?" You ask her.

"Four. Hyoon, Brooke, Janet, and Jodi." She counts off on her fingers.

You beckon for Leslie to come down the stairs, while the other girls remain chatting away, setting up plans.

"How many of those four did I date?" You whisper.

"Three. Hyoon, Jodi, and Brooke."

"What about Janet? Were we casual?"

"Well... I don't know. You two didn't really know each other well for a long time, so I don't know if you had much of a relationship with her."

"Ah... ok..."

You turn your attention back to the room, trying to catch pieces of the whirlwind discussion taking place. Rae and Miyoung had joined in, and Leslie was joining them.

"We'll have Monopoly too!"

"And Twister!"

"We're NOT playing Twister, Rae. We all know what happened last time..."

"Ugh, you girls are laaaame!"

"Besides, game night means board game night! Only board games allowed!"

...

Seems like they're pretty excited about this. I'll leave them to it...

You step into the living room, giving yourself a moment to breathe and think.

Rae used the word 'harem' earlier...

That's honestly what I started to think this was.

And I know it's not, but...

Goddamn, they're all so hot!

And I've dated WAY more of them than is normal... and at the same time, too...

"Hey."

You whip around, startled by the unfamiliar voice.

"Emily!" The name still felt weird in your mouth.

She purses her lips into a line. "Can you not call me that?"

"Oh, sure. What do you prefer?"

"Emi is fine."

"Emi. Gotcha." The name finally clicks, and you realize why her full name sounded off. "That's your nickname?"

"Yeah, I just think it's cute. You had some other nicknames for me, but those were a little more... explicit." She takes a second to think of the word.

"..."

Not sure whether to inquire or back off, you remain silent.

"I definitely shouldn't have said that," she cringes.

"Well, now I have to know," you grin, making her groan and duck away.

"Nope!" She shakes her head. "Nooooope!"

You giggle along with her, thinking about what names you could have given her.

Maybe I'll remember one and surprise her with it later...

"I'm really glad you're back," she sighs, putting her hand on your arm. "I can't imagine how this must all feel. I've been doing research on amnesia to try and learn about your symptoms. I just want to help you however I can, I..."

She pauses, swallowing the rest of her words, and leans back slightly, lifting her hand away from you.

"Is something wrong?"

"No it's just that... saying all that, I sounded really..."

"Sweet..." you finish.

"Fucking cringe."

You snort a laugh as she remains deadpan for a moment, before finally smiling along with you.

"I'm not usually like this, I swear," she sighs.

"Hey, it means a lot to me that you care about me-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You talk too much," she blurts, her cheeks momentarily gaining color.

"Huh?" You gasp.

"Just kidding. Come on, we can-"

"Emi! Where are you?!?" Someone calls from the kitchen.

"Oh..."

"Looks like they need you."

She stands up and turns back to face you.

"Do you want to... hang out with me later? We can... I don't know, just s-"

"Emi! Where did you go? Are you two fucking in there!?!"

She rolls her eyes.

"...I have to help them plan. Join us when you want."

"Sure. And... yes, I'd love to hang out with you." You smile.

For the first time, you see a genuine grin grow on her face, and she turns back to head into the kitchen.

As she throws the door open, Lily pops her head in.

"Hey, Lily," you wave as she steps in.

"Hi!" Her cheery attitude is refreshing.

"Did you want to talk about something?" You ask.

"Yeah! I just wanted to ask how your therapy is going."

She sits down beside you, right where Emiru was sitting before, crossing her legs and resting her hands in her lap.

"Oh, I stopped going to physical therapy a while ago, I feel almost normal."

"Not your physical therapy. Your psychiatric therapy."

"Oh... I... I don't have a therapist."

"You... what?" Her tone quickly drops.

"...do I need one?"

"You got into a car accident, that traumatized you, left you in a coma, and gave you amnesia, and you don't think you need a therapist?!?"

You look down at the floor.

"...it never crossed my mind."

"Do you know how stupid you all are?" She yells.

"Hey, that's-! Wait... all?" You stop as you look up, seeing her head turned toward the wide-eyed Miyoung, Leslie, and Rae, standing on the other side of the open doorway. The rest of the girls are silent behind them, instantly muted by Lily's wrath.

"Huh?!?" Miyoung gasps. "What happened?"

"None of you thought therapy was a good idea?" She asks, beckoning to you.

"Oh, shit," Rae mutters to herself.

"Did NONE of you think this through?" Lily stands up, infuriated. "I thought you said you were going to take good care of them, Rae!"

"I am! I just... I didn't..."

Lily sits back down with a huff. "I shouldn't have stayed away for so long. I should've known..."

"Lily..." You start. "I'm sorry, I-"

"No, no!" She instantly rebuts. "Don't apologize - it's not your fault. It's all of them," she juts her chin behind her.

She takes a deep breath, during which no one dares move a muscle.

"How about I take you with me to my next appointment, and we'll see if we can get you signed up."

"Oh, sure..." You nod, scared to even think about crossing her.

"Great! You know what, why wait until then? Let's go today!"

"Uh... what about game night?" you quietly object.

"Then... tomorrow!" Her hopeful smile doesn't falter.

"...why are you in such a rush?" Rae asks. "I get that therapy is a good idea, but everything's been fine in the weeks they've been back. We can afford to wait another few days."

Lily inhales sharply, her eyes widening and her chest rising as flaming words form in her lungs. But she slowly sinks back down, not letting them escape.

Is everything really fine?

The thought suddenly pops into your head.

It seems like everything has been ok, but...

What about that time the car alarm caused me to have that awful flashback?

And after Aria broke up with me, when I passed out screaming and never even remembered what made me feel that way?

...am I really fine?

"Let's go tomorrow," you blurt.

"Tomorrow?!?" Emi frowns. "But I wanted to..."

Lily shoots her a glance you couldn't see, but you can nearly feel the searing heat of it.

"Ok, ok," she relents. "Fine."

...

Sitting in the cramped waiting room, the oppressive atmosphere of the facility starts to weigh on you. Lily stands at the front desk, sorting out the details.

Your eyes flick toward the translucent glass in the center of the wooden door, seeing movement behind it.

Out comes an incredibly gorgeous blonde, wearing a pencil skirt and formal button-up shirt. Her eyes quickly meet yours, and her eyes furrow for a moment, before jolting up in surprise. She looks away in an instant, turning her attention to the file in her hand as she hands it to a receptionist.

Woah...

"Are you ok?" Lily whispers.

"Oh! I didn't know you were back already..." You sit up straight, tearing your eyes away from the woman.

She sighs. "Yeah, I just finished, but after seeing that..." She juts her head in the woman's direction. "I need to go back and make sure of something."

"Make sure of what?"

"That you get a male therapist, obviously."

"..."

"..."

"Is that really necessary?" You ask, already knowing what her response would be.

"Listen," she whispers sternly. "That woman there... you two have a history."

"...what? Who is she?" You whisper.

"I don't know. But I know you once did."

"How?"

"It's..." She sighs, trying to find the words. "I just know, ok? I've been your friend for long enough! I know when we come across someone you've... been with..."

"What?!? We've...!"

"Keep it down!" She grabs your arm. "The look on her face. I've seen it before. Remember your doctor? The one who tended to you during your weeks in the hospital?"

"What? What does that have to do with..."

Wait, she acted kind of similarly. A little surprised, with a faint blush. Now that I think about it, it was almost like she recognized me, but didn't want to let it show...

But that must be a coincidence, right?

There's no way I...

"It's not a coincidence," Lily says. "Before you started dating Rae, you were..."

"..."

"..."

"...what?" You emphasize. "Don't leave me hanging on that, please."

"You were wild." She carefully selects. "You had a lot of flings, a lot of parties, a lot of... sex..."

"...how do you know this?" You quickly ask, unable to meet her eyes. "We didn't know each other back then."

"You told me all about it one time when you were drunk."

"But... I was drunk! I might've been-"

"Trust me, I interrogated you," she says, patting your head as you groan into your hands. "So can I get you a guy therapist, or not?"

"Yeah, sure..." You sigh.

Lots of flings, parties, and sex? That doesn't sound like me. Maybe the last four years of faithful dating kept that in the past...

Well, maybe not the sex part.

...

"How was it?" Lily asks as she guides you toward the door.

"It was... alright. Very chill. Just introductions and stuff. I don't really know if it'll help me remember anything, but it's not hurting me."

"It's not just about helping you remember. It's also about helping you deal with your thoughts and emotions."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Let's go back now - I'll drive. There's a surprise waiting for you at home~" She teases.

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm..." She smiles, clearly not willing to divulge more.

...

Lily quickly opens your front door, curiously looking inside. You follow her in, stepping into the sight of the living room more full than you had ever seen it.

"Hey babe! We, uh... decided to speed things up a little," Rae tells you. "Since we all wanted to have a game night with friends, we brought everyone over!"

"So before we start, we want you to get introduced to everyone," Sydney jumps in. You smile at her presence.

You look around, counting fifteen girls: some are standing up, some are lying on couches or the carpet, along with the five still-boxed board games ready to be reopened. However, all of their eyes are fixed on you.

So this is everyone.

Jeez.

Your eyes fixate on one person, the last woman you expected to show up.

Wow. Even Aria's here. I haven't seen her leave her room in a long time.

"This is Janet," Sydney says, jutting her head and nodding in her direction.

"Hiya!" The brunette girl pumps her fist in the air, slightly jiggling her visible cleavage through her solid white top. As expected, she's beautiful, and her bright smile brings a similar one to your lips.

"And this is Brooke," Sydney moves on before you get the chance to respond.

"Hey," Brooke tilts her head cutely, putting her flat hand to her lips and blowing you a kiss. Her wavy blonde hair shines in the dimming sunlight, and her shapely eyes draw you in.

Your cheeks turn slightly red, evoking coos from some of the girls.

"This is Hyoon," Sydney turns to the other side of the room.

The dark-haired beauty is sitting cross-legged on the couch. Despite her oversized sweater and large wirey glasses, her elegance and alluring appearance is obvious, and the small wave she gives you, with the tips of her fingers poking out of her big sleeve, puts butterflies in your chest.

"And finally, this is- OH!"

You whip your head toward Sydney, barely catching the blur of movement taking place right in front of you. The body charging at you suddenly latches onto your sides, making you yelp and stumble backward.

"What the-?!?" You cry, suddenly realizing the force that had pushed you was now keeping you from falling, clinging tightly onto you.

"This is Jodi..." Sydney purses her lips.

"Mmm..." Jodi quietly hums into your chest. You have no idea if it's a sound of happiness, sadness, or something else, but you slowly wrap your arms back around her.

"Hi, Jodi," you whisper. "Are you ok?"

She pulls away, finally revealing her face from underneath her voluminous hair.

"Yeah," she breathlessly whispers. "Sorry..."

"It's ok," you comfort her, seeing the vulnerability in her pure eyes. The rest of the girls look on sympathetically.

"Can we talk? Later?" She asks, her hands still warming your sides.

"Of course," you promise. A few strands of her dark hair fall in front of her eye, and you gently push it back over her ear.

"..."

Jodi's lips part, and she steals a quick glance at yours.

"..."

"Ok!" Leslie takes charge, quick to break the tension. "Let's start with the rules!"

...

"Wait, so we have to switch between four different board games? Ugh, my brain is getting tired already..." You groan.

"Them's the rules!" Tina cheers. "We all get to play all of the games, and to spice things up, we rotate every 30 minutes and start playing from where our teammates left off!"

"Yup! It's super fun!" Poki clasps her hands together.

"If you say so..."

"Oh, and don't worry," Janet jumps in. "Most of these girls are lightweights, so once the alcohol comes out, you won't be the only one with no idea what's going on!"

"Ah!" Celine gasps. "That's big talk coming from you, JanJan!"

"Wha-! What are you trying to say!?!"

...

Three hours in, you realize how right Janet was. There were dozens of empty soju bottles lying all over the place, their contents sitting inside the bloodstreams of you and the girls.

"Hyoooon, it's your mooove!" Tina calls, attempting to sit up straight, and instead crashing sideways onto your lap.

"Uhhhhh... pawn g6..." Hyoon drawls.

"We're not playing chess, you moron," Lily groans, making you burst out into alcohol-aided laughter.

The other three groups of games were going equally smoothly. To your left, the monopoly board is currently half-covered by a heap of spilled $500 bills.

"Ughh, who let my bank account out onto the board?"

Emiru guffaws, slapping her knee at her own joke. Jodi bursts out laughing, doubling over and nearly collapsing onto the board.

"Ugh... can someone roll the dice for me?" Hyoon asks.

"It's 'die'," Aria drunkenly points a finger upwards.

"Huh?" Brooke rolls over at the sound. "Who said die? I don't wanna diiie yet..."

"It's two die," Aria repeats. "Not dice..."

"Aria, it's 'dice'. Die is just one," Imane mutters, stumbling across the room with her eyes fixed on you.

She grabs your shoulder as she makes it to your side and sits down next to you. Her hand immediately snakes around your neck and pulls you in for a kiss. You practically fall onto her as she tugs you into her.

"Ohhhh..." Aria cups her face. "Hehehehe, oopsy..." She giggles, leaning back onto Jamie, who was somehow still sitting upright, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she gently dozes.

Despite your inebriation, the sight of Aria's giggles as you pull away from Imane cuts through for a moment, warming your heart in a way you didn't realize you needed.

A timer sounds from out of nowhere, and Rae, lying absently on the floor, raises her hand to the heavens and screams.

"SWIIIITCH!"

Oh lord... what is even happening anymore...?

"We need more alcohol," Tina mumbles into your lap, patting your thigh.

"I need some dick," Brooke mumbles to herself.

...

"Ow..."

You groan before you can even think about the blinding pain in your head.

Last night was chaotic...

You slowly sit up, covering your eyes.

Wait... this is Leslie's room.

How did I make it here? The last thing I remember is... we were all drunk... and then...

...

You slowly remove your hands from your eyes.

But if I'm in Leslie's bed, then that must mean...

You look down, realizing for the first time that there was a hand on your leg, that had slipped down when you sat up.

You look around you, sighing as you see the situation you had gotten yourself into.

She's not Leslie.

And neither is she.

...and neither is she.

None of the three girls lying around you were Leslie, but from their frizzed hair and covered bodies, it was hard to tell just who they were.

You slowly lift up the blanket. The sight of three nude bodies serves as the final confirmation of your suspicions.

Who is this?

You start with the girl whose hand is on you. Gently pushing back her hair and leaning over, you slightly gasp at the sight.

Emi...

Wow. She's really pretty.

Damn, why did I have to drink so much? I want to remember last night...

You admire her for a second longer, only pulling away once she shifts in her sleep. But her hand squeezes you, and she releases a soft groan as you try to pull away.

You lean over to plant a small kiss on her forehead, and you manage to get her hand loose.

You gently turn around to the second girl, whose hair you similarly pull to the side.

Brooke? Huh, no wonder the blonde hair stood out...

Well, I never got much of a chance to get to know her, but I guess I'll find out once she wakes up...

And for the last one... Hmm, a dark-haired one.

Brooke lies between you and the third girl, making it impossible to reach over and see her.

You scoot forward, lifting Emi's hand and slipping out of bed. You softly walk to the other side, leaning down to see the face of the hidden girl.

Your knees collapse. You barely manage to push yourself up again before your entire body hits the ground.

Oh my...

You have to stop yourself from leaping out of the room, as a dark tension takes over your heart.

Aria...?

Her eyes drowsily flutter open, and you can't move a muscle.

"Babe..." She tiredly groans out, still half-asleep. "What are you doing in my room- AAH!"

She instantly clamps shut, her relaxed yawn instantly turning taut as she stiffly sits up. The blanket falls, and she quickly pulls it back up over her exposed chest.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, nearly shaking as she stares you down, glancing once at your nude body.

"...look around, Aria..." You sigh.

She releases a shaky breath and squeezes her eyes shut, not needing to heed your advice to know exactly what you meant.

"Can you get out of here so I can get dressed?" She whispers.

"No."

"...what?"

"We need to talk, Aria." You shake your head, suddenly filled with the desire to push her on the subject. "You've been avoiding me like the plague for days, and I'm not having it anymore. Especially not after... waking up like this."

"..."

She stares at the floor.

"Can we please just talk about everything?" You turn away from her, your frustration reaching a peak. "I... I just miss you, Aria..."

Your final words slip out before you can think to stop them, and your cheeks faintly blush as her eyes snap up at you.

"..."

"..."

A faint spark in your mind tells you what's about to happen. But it still feels surreal to watch it: Aria shoulder's slumping, her head lowering, and her body quivering in an all-too-familiar way.

Then the first tear comes out, drifting smoothly down her face, pushed along by a second one. She wipes them away before they can escape her, and covers her eyes with her hands in a feeble attempt to stop the rest.

You step forward, compelled by her soft whimpers, and wrap your arms around her. You keep them tight, expecting her to push away in an instant. But she melts into your arms, only sobbing harder as she puts her arms around you and buries her face in your torso.

She finally pulls away, just enough to be able to speak.

"i have something to show you..."

As your gaze meets hers, you finally notice the fiery, unsettling blaze raging in her eyes.