The gentle rays of dawn began to shine down onto the streets as the earthy autumn air rushed into Colt's nose. Drawing in another deep inhale, he gazed into his phone.

5:39 huh?

"We got lost like a hundred fucking times..." groaned Jax.

"This is why I said that we should follow my senses." muttered Hisa, "I could've gotten us back in a minute or two."

"You're the reason we got lost in the first place."

Before long, the barren yet welcoming sight of the streets of Dakota's apartment came into view. Standing outside of the gate were Dakota and Yuri, both dressed in tracksuits.

Hisa gently passed Hemiko off to Colt, rushing over to jump in Dakota's arms. "Hey guys, we're back! I missed you!"

Embracing her, Dakota spun her around in a circle, "I missed you two!" Her attention was swiftly pulled to Colt, "Uh, who's the girl on your back?"

"Oh! That's my bestie!" Hisa was practically beaming with excitement as she said every word.

"Bestie? What's her name?"

"Hemiko." Hisa squealed, "Isn't she cute?"

"Yup." Dakota poked Hemiko's nose, accidentally waking her up. "Oh-My bad. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Hemiko climbed down from Colt's back, "I-I'm Hemiko. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Samesies." Dakota turned to the stairs leading into the complex, "Yuri! Come welcome our family home!"

Yuri rolled her eyes as Colt walked over to her.

"What's up Hot-T-" Keeping himself from using her nickname, he simply laughed, earning a playful flip off from Yuri.

Shaking Hemiko's hand, Yuri smiled. "I'm Yuri, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well."

No matter how hard he tried, Colt just couldn't take his eyes off of Yuri. After everything that happened in the forest, seeing her smile filled him with a warm sense of joy. They were only gone for a little over a day, but it felt like forever.

"What are you looking at?" asked Yuri.

"N-Nothing," he averted his gaze, "I just spaced out."

Yuri shook her head and stood next to him, "Where did you guys even go?"

He leaned into her ear, "I'll tell you later."

"It's a secret?"

"Sort of..."

Hisa swung her axe around with no care for anyone's safety. With her battecries, and frequent pauses to narrate exactly what she was doing, she must've been reenacting a fight she had. of course, the only person cheering was Hemiko.

Jax was too busy struggling against Dakota as she played with his face.

We made it.

We made it back home...safe and sound.

"Yuri and Colt, come over here!"

They both walked over as Dakota called out them, pulling everyone into a big group hug.

"I love my family."

"We love you too Dakota!" Hisa playfully cried.

Yuri and Jax both shook their heads, while Hemiko and Colt laughed.

"Wait-" Hemiko glanced between everyone, "Family?"

Dakota nodded her head, "Mhmm."

"Um...Ms.Dakota? Can I join your family?"

An awkward silence surrounded them all. Just as Hisa was about to open her mouth, Dakota grabbed a hold of Hemiko's head.

"What kind of question is that? You're already a member!"

"Thanks." Hemiko smiled as Dakota continued to rub her head.

"So...I've been thinking about things while you guys were away." Dakota playfully twiddled her thumbs, "Do you guys want to have a party?"

"Yes!"

Both Colt and Hisa rejoiced, as Jax and Yuri hissed in annoyance.

"What time are you guys okay with?" asked Dakota.

"Shouldn't we wait until later?" asked Yuri, "They just got back."

Dakota walked over to rub Yuri's face, "Aw...You're worried about everyone..."

"Shut up. Can I go into my room now?"

Dakota pouted, "What happened to our daily workout routine?"

Hisa threw her arms up into the air, "Let's throw the party at night! That way I can get energized!"

"I agree. I'm spent..." Jax yawned before falling to his knees, "We've been running for hours..."

Dakota looked at everyone and tilted her head, "Were you guys training or something?"

"Yes!" interjected Jax.

Following suit, Colt sought to change the subject, "I'm cool with the party and all. Night time works for me as well."

"Alrighty, we'll start at eight o'clock at night!" Dakota clasped her hands together and smiled, "Come to my room!"

And with that, the time was set. Everyone went back to their rooms, besides Hemiko, who decided to move in with Hisa.

As soon as Colt reached his room, he fell asleep upon contact with his bed.

In an act of charity, Yuri lent him the comfortable bed.

-

8:00 PM

After a refreshing shower, Colt changed into the outfit he chose for the big night.

Nothing too major, but his favorite t-shirt branded with a cyan teddy bear on the front. It was a gift from his mother he received right before heading out to college. Tossing in some torn jeans and gym shoes, and he was ready.

Digging through his chest of watches, he chose the one bearing a flashing cascade of diamonds on it.

Can't forget my shades.

I don't know why I'm so excited, it's not like I'm going to a house party or anything. I'm just hanging out with friends.

The inner highschooler within him began to cheer.

Right around the age of fifteen, he had turned into a party freak. Compared to then, when he simply went alone and had fun with complete strangers, he was now actually heading out with some friends.

I hope Yuri comes too...

Stepping outside of the room, he came to an abrupt stop as he crashed into Yuri. Before she could topple over, he reached out and caught her.

"M-My bad."

Her idle gaze remained, being just as impossible to read as before. "Look at you, Zombie."

Helping her back to her feet, his eyes were locked onto her, maybe the idle stare was infectious.

A cyan teddy bear was printed onto her t-shirt, mirroring the same shirt he wore. Beyond that, her pants and shoes were practically identical as well. Tracking back to her face, there was a subtle touch of makeup, with clear lipstick.

She gently stepped away, "What are you staring at? Do you like what you see?"

"Maybe I do."

She flicked him on the nose, "You stole my style."

"Nah, I think you stole mine. It's okay though..."

"What's wrong? You're acting weird..."

"N-Nothing." Heat converged in his face as he drew in a deep breath, "I was just gonna say that you look pretty."

Her face lit up a bit before she turned to walk down the stairs in the hall, "Thanks...You look good too."

Colt ran after her, "Hold on, I want to walk with you."

"Nuh-uh. They'll think we came together..."

He sighed, "We share a room, y'know? I think it would be obvious that we came together."

Rolling her eyes, she continued her journey downstairs, "I changed in another room just to avoid this."

"Is it that embarrassing to be associated with me?"

She paused, "No. It's something else."

The air stagnated as they both fell silent.

"Whatever..." She pat his chest as she carried on, "You look stupid."

Colt followed, "How harsh, I don't think I'll ever be able to feel confident again."

They eventually reached the first floor.

Colt looked around Dakota's entrance, and surprisingly, there were no decorations set up. She did come off as a minimalist when it came to things like this. For someone who hated speaking when it wasn't absolutely necessary, decorations would be no more than an afterthought.

He held the door open for Yuri as she walked in, following right behind her.

Dakota sat on her couch, holding an alcohol bottle branded Kinky Mist. Ditching her typical comfortable wear, she wore a jean jacket and black leggings, tying a red checkered shirt around her waist.

Downing another chug of her drink, she waved their way. "Yo. You cats ready to move out?"

Yuri joined her on the couch, "Move out?"

"Yeah girl, we aren't staying here all night. We're going to a club!"

Yuri facepalmed, sighing in defeat.

"There are clubs out here?" asked Colt, "This place is like a wasteland."

Dakota nodded her head, "Not here, but there are a ton of clubs out South-Ooh...You guys are matching! How cute..."

Yuri shoved Dakota by her shoulder, "It was a cosmic coincidence."

"If you say so." Her sarcastic tone carried a tone of playful doubt in her voice.

Before long, Hisa and Hemiko stepped into the apartment.

While Hisa wore a white hoodie with some red camouflage pants, Hemiko wore a pink and white varsity jacket with a pair of black shorts.

"Hemiko." Dakota took another shot to the head, "This is gonna be the first time you went to a club, huh?"

She tilted her head to the side, "A club?"

Dakota leaned forward, "How old are you, Hemiko?"

"I'm..." She briefly glanced at Hisa, "17."

"Good. Because the club we're going to needs you to be at least 17 years old to enter." Dakota reached over to her counter, retrieving another bottle of alchohol. "Where's Jax?"

Just as the question was posed, Jax stepped into the apartment. He wore a black and green tracksuit with a set of greed LED visors.

"My apologies, I lost my glasses." He looked around the room and smiled, "I guess none of you held back when it came to getting dressed."

"Are those things prescription?" asked Colt.

Jax groaned, "I can see without my glasses, I'm not some blind rat."

Pulling out her keys, Dakota ran over to the door. "We're heading out guys! This is gonna be so much fun!"

The gang made their way down the abandoned streets of the city, anticipating the night ahead of them. Yuri's attention was completely absorbed in her phone, Hisa was trying to hype Hemiko up for the club, while Dakota took turns singing different songs flashing in her head.

Colt nudged Jax, "So...How old is Dakota again? She looks about 19."

"She's twenty one."

"A fresh adult. That's why she seems so close to us, she's so damn young."

"Yup. And if you were curious, Yuri is twenty one as well."

Colt scoffed, "Why did you say it like that?"

Jax sighed, "Dude, you aren't fooling anyone with that. It's obvious you have a thing for Yuri. You guys even coordinated your outfits."

"We're not-Nevermind. But I don't have a crush on her." Sensing that Jax's position was not shifting, he carried on, "I mean-She's pretty, but I don't think I have a thing for her."

As the words left his mouth, the urge to retract them fell over him. He was the one answering Jax, so why was he being left with more questions?

Confusion and guilt swelled within him, was he telling the truth?

Jax dismissively waved his hand, "Say what you want, I guess."

Following the flow of the conversation, Colt piqued his mind. "Do you have your eyes set on someone?"

"I...I do, but she isn't around here, so don't ask." He turned to Colt, "Since you claim it isn't Yuri you like, is there someone else?"

"Can't say I do."

The sounds of large crowds filled Colt's ears in an instant, the city was here.

The streets were crowded with hordes of people, with neon lights and tall buildings surrounding them. The ground vibrated as cars rolled past them, blasting music at top volume.

Colt's eyes lit up as he took in the view, "Now this is a city!"

"Hell yeah!" Hisa threw her arms in the air and ran ahead of everyone. "Come on guys!"

Yuri watched as she faded into the crowd, "You don't even know where you're going!" Her attention was swiftly pulled to Dakota, "And you're gonna be drunk before we get there."

Dakota chuckled, "You should've done the same thing. Drinks are too damn expensive!"

"I don't need to be tanked to have fun..."

Colt moved next to Yuri and rested his hand on her shoulder, "You sure?"

"Shut up."

"Hot-Tot..." He gave in to his curiosity, "How do you party? I can't imagine you at a club."

She scoffed, "What are you, the party police? I bet this is your first time going to a club."

"Nah. I've snuck my way into many clubs in my life. I can be your guide if you're too scared to be alone."

"Ok. Why don't you guide me then?"

"Huh?"

"What? You're the one who proposed the idea. Guide me."

"Okay." Standing firm, he nodded his head, "You got it."

Squeezing past a few streetwalkers, Hemiko searched for Hisa, "Um...Ms.Dakota? Is Hemiko going to be alright? I can't find her."

"Don't worry. She's fine."

On cue, Hisa rejoined the group with a brown paper bag in her hand, "I'm back, and I have treats!" Digging into the bag, she pulled out several packs of brownies in ziplock bags.

"What the fuck!?" Yuri moved away from Hisa, "You're going to kill yourself."

With the suspicious packing, one look at the "sweets" told all Colt needed to know. "H-Hisa, where did you get those?"

"I bought them from the corner store silly. Do you want one?"

"I'm good."

They sell edibles at corner stores here?

Hisa turned to Jax, only to be denied as well. "Man, you guys are boring! Hemi-"

"No! She doesn't want any either you psychopath!" Jax covered Hemiko's eyes and moved her away from Hisa.

Following Dakota, they reached a large line, stretching around the corner as far as the eye could see.

Despite the long wait ahead of them, excitement was in the air. Anxiety set in on Colt, in a good way.

The booming speakers from inside the club blared out into the streets, prompting people to sing and dance along with it.

Hisa cheered as she started rocking in tune with the song, "I love this song!"

"There we go. The party starts out here!" Dakota and Hisa both stood in each other's faces dancing and singing along with the song.

Hemiko's eyes widened as she watched the spectacle unfold before her, "Um...I-Is this what music is? It's amazing!"

I'm glad she's already fitting in.

Before long, Dakota and Hisa managed to get the entire line riled up along with them, only serving to amplify the festive radiance of the night.

The wait to get inside flew by.

The bouncer opened the doors for them, and it was game time.

A conglomerate scent of perfume, cologne, alcohol, burnt rubber, and smoke all rushed into Colt's nose the moment he stepped inside. Save for the flashing lights spinning on the ceilings, there were no other sources of light to speak of. Most of the people he passed by looked no older than he did, and for the first time since coming to the Seishin District, besides the apartment complex, Colt felt at home.

Hisa instantly jumped into the crowd, dragging Hemiko along with her, Jax had disappeared, and Dakota made a beeline to the drinking bar.

Yuri groaned as she grabbed onto Colt's arm, "It's too crowded in here..."

"Someone's nervous." teased Colt.

Despite his snarky remark, a tranquil ease set in on him within her grasp. Going from a few cold stings back when they first met, to this, it was a nice change of pace.

"I'm going to murder you...I'm just trying not to get knocked over."

"Alright, if you say so." Colt guided Yuri through the dense crowd to a table that was off to the side in the back. Away from the cascading lights and frantic partying, an oasis within the storm. "Let's sit here for now."

He joined her as she sat down with her phone, "What're you playing?"

She briefly glanced his way, sighing. "Sugar Smash."

"People still play that?" He silently retracted his question seeing her glare.

"No. I do. It's a good game. Don't you hate the whole idea of trendy stuff?" She looked at him again before looking back to her phone, "Don't think I'm just being my normal bitchy self...I just think that the whole idea of things being really popular for a week before dying out sucks. Do you hear the music in this club?"

"Yeah."

"This club plays mostly music from the 2000s and early 2010s. There's nothing wrong with progression, but the old things shouldn't just die out. Y'know?"

"I feel you there. I hate those old guys who always get on the internet and trash modern music, but the music from a few years back still stands the test of time too."

A gentle smile formed on her face, "You just earned a point in my book, Zombie."

Upon their first meeting, he knew that Yuri's "rough" exterior hid all of her wonders on the inside. She was mostly outspoken, but she had a strong heart. First impressions are important, but taking the time to truly know her before judging her made things all the more better.

Before long, their conversation carried itself as if it were its own living being. Yuri eventually sat her phone down, investing in their time together as well.

"Uh...Yuri? Do you want to da-"

"Um...Excuse me?"

Two young women made their way over to their table. Yuri immediately went back to her phone, while Colt decided to indulge in them.

"What's up?"

The blonde haired girl spoke up first, "Well...me and friend Keyani think you're both hot. Do you guys want to dance with us?"

The brunette, who Colt assumed was Keyani, was blushing behind the blonde girl.

"Uh..." He looked at Yuri, who was still avoiding them, "Sure. We're down.. Just...give us a second."

"Goodie!" The two girls stepped back onto the dance floor.

Yuri slammed her phone onto the table, "I don't know why you said that, I'm not going."

"Come on," he whined, "It'll be fun."

"No. We don't even know them..."

"That's the point of a party. It's the time to just get together with a bunch of people you don't know and dance!"

"But...I don't want to dance with some stranger."

"Look," he reached over to take her phone, "I know that I'm annoying you, but you'll thank me later! Every introvert needs an extrovert to pull them around."

"Really?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I guarantee it'll be fun! We can't just sit at a table and talk all day. We already do that at home."

"You can go dance with them." She took her phone away from him, "They're pretty, so I'm sure you want to dance with them."

His stomach twisted at that remark, "Y-Yuri, I want to go out there with you. Isn't that what we said we'd do? It was our promise."

She dropped her phone, facing him only after she recomposed herself. "Y-You were still thinking of that? I thought you-nevermind." She huffed before rising out of her seat, "I guess I can go."

"Thanks! You're gonna love it!"

Venturing over to the girls who invited them, Colt wrapped his arm around Yuri's shoulder. "We're ready, ladies."

The alluring aromas of their perfumes numbed his mind, but even through their dancing, all he could see was Yuri standing still.

Pulling her closer, he leaned into her ear. "Close your eyes and dance if you're nervous."

With a reddened face, she took his advice, slowly turning over into a trance of dancing as well.

Things were going great...until a breakbeat song turned on.

A wave of sparks coursed through Colt's veins, prompting him to start dancing in tandem with the music. In the midst of his breakdown, a crowd began to circle around him, cheering and tossing money into the circle.

He could hear Hisa and Hemiko cheering within the endless sea of noise.

After some time, Colt took his exit from the circle, letting more people join in his absence.

Keyani and her friend went off to the bathroom for a moment, so Colt was free to his own desires again.

Where did Yuri go?

In his search, he came across Jax leaning against a wall, speaking to a young lady.

Waiting until the young lady stepped away, for obvious reasons, he walked over.

"I see you're pulling chicks over here." teased Colt.

Jax shook his head, "I guess you would see it that way."Yo!"

"That wasn't her hitting on you?"

"It doesn't matter, I simply entertained her until she grew bored of me." muttered Jax, "It's easier that way than straight up telling her to get away from me."

"Okay, but even more importantly, why aren't you on the dancefloor? Even Hemiko's out there."

Jax scoffed, "Hisa is torturing that poor girl. And I'm sitting on the side because I don't want to get bombarded."

"That's a lame reason. Getting bombarded is part of the experience bro."

"I noticed you and Yuri..." Jax leaned off of the wall and chuckled, "You have a way of dragging people into hell if you wanted. You and Hisa are the same in that regard."

"Hm, I guess you're right."

Colt and Jax stepped onto the dance floor, joining the ground at the turn of the next song.

It was so strange. Most of the people in the club had no way of knowing who the other partygoers were, but they continued to dance with each other. Everyone was unified by music.

Then again, that's the pure magic of music in the first place.

Hisa and Hemiko came in, creating their own four man dance unit.

After a few more songs, Jax managed to sneak away again, while Hemiko rushed Hisa to the bathroom to help her vomit.

Colt on the other hand resumed his search for Yuri.

They did dance together, but it just wasn't enough. It only served as a precursor for the fun they could have.

Thankfully, he found her sitting down at the same table they were at before.

He sat down next to her and rubbed her back, "Why'd you disappear? I thought you were having fun."

She smiled at him, "I was, but I had to take Dakota to the bathroom. She's fucking blackout drunk already...By the time I came had to take Dakota to the bathroom, and by the time I came back, you were gone."

"Oh, my bad."

She dismissed his apology by shaking her head, leaning into him. "I had a feeling you knew how to dance, but damn."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself."

She giggled before taking a sip of her alcohol, "You shook off those other girls?"

"Nah. They went to the bathroom too."

"So...You're alone now?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "Mhmm."

Again, his heart was about to beat out of his chest. He had never done drugs in his life, but the trance like state he enters when speaking to her must be how it feels to be under the influence. Everything was about her, for her.

Even on the dance floor, he wanted to impress her with his dancing.

Luckily, he did.

Jax's words from before continued to echo throughout the chambers of his mind.

Do I like Yuri?

These feelings weren't being brought out from a lack of attention. In fact, they were entirely foreign.

Was it more than just liking her?

Whatever the case, the butterflies in his stomach just wouldn't leave.

"Colt, do you want to dance again?"

Snapped from his inner thoughts, he perked up. "Hell yeah!"

Venturing back out to the dancefloor, they were surrounded by complete strangers, who were also yelling in the thrills of the party. Despite this, Colt only saw Yuri. Their surroundings were no more than a blurred array of images, further highlighting her beauty.

Being packed into the floor like a can of sardines, they were forced up against one another, but neither of them cared. They simply danced to their hearts' content.

Yuri's eyes were no longer closed either.

The party raged on for a few more hours, with Hisa leading Hemiko through more hijinks, Jax managing Dakota in her drunken state, and Colt never leaving Yuri's side.

Colt and Yuri finally came to a stop, not because they wanted to, but because the club was closing down for the night...or morning, given that it was two in the morning.

She held onto his arm as they both made their way down the stairs of the building.

"Where are we going now?" asked Colt.

"Home you idiot." She laughed and pulled him down the street, "The club's closed."

"Aw...That sucks."

The walk was nice and quiet. The cool midnight breeze soothed Colt's skin as the ambience of the abandoned city soothed his mind. The only thing that his attention could stay on was Yuri. She seemed magical, like a being out of his reach. Even if they were holding hands.

Jax lead everyone else back home, saying that he wanted Colt and Yuri to have some time to themselves, or whatever. Colt's mind was too faded to remember.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

She nudged him and smiled, "Mhmm. Thanks for forcing me into dancing."

"I told you you'd be thanking me...I wish we could have went longer though." He scratched the back of his head, and sighed, "I'm not gonna complain though, I had a ton of fun!"

"Same."

Yuri came to an abrupt stop, leading Colt into bumping into her. "Wh-What's wrong?"

"Uh..." She lowered her head to hide the intense blush on her face, "I want to do something."

"What?"

Cupping his face, she stared into his eyes with her own hazy eyes. "D-Don't move..."

No way...

He closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever was about to happen.

Each second was an eternity. In the cool atmosphere, her warm, trembling hands spread a fierce heat through his face.

Was she drawing this out on purpose? Perhaps.

After what seemed like forever, his misery came to an end.

The sensation was fleeting, but it was just enough to make him want more. Time froze around them as her tender lips came into contact with his. His heart began to thump out of his chest, and as Yuri nuzzled closer, he could feel hers as well.

The light peck broke down into a more passionate kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

It took everything within him to maintain his composure.

She reluctantly pulled away from him, leaving a trail of saliva between their lips. "There. Will that do?"

"W-What was that for?" His already unstable consciousness was floating through the air as he dug his hands into his pockets to hold himself together.

"I wanted to do it. D-Did you like it?"

He idly nodded his head.

It was the only response he could muster up at this point. His mind was running at one hundred miles a minute, with no signs of slowing down.

She took his hand and resumed their walk home, "Let's get back before everyone starts worrying."

"Ok..."

The sweet alcoholic taste of her lips lingered on his, nailing it into his head that the kiss did indeed happen.

When they finally reached their room, the only thing either of them could do was sleep.