"It looks like our guests will be here in around ten minutes," Kurusu stated as he walked into the kitchen, "How's the preparation going?"

"Just fantastic, Darling!" Miia replied, happily wiping her hands, "Romance Master and I just put the finishing touches on the doro wat!"

"Here's to hoping it tastes good," I said, wiping the sweat off my brow. Despite Miia and I having to take a crash course in making the Ethiopian dish, it had only taken us two hours to cook. While the result may not have been the best doro wat ever cooked, Kurusu's dish would be the main course, and ours would provide those feeling a bit adventurous with a side option.

For her part, Miia was a bundle of nerves and excitement the entire way. She did her best to contain her tail, which tended to fidget and knock over objects in the kitchen. Despite this, she couldn't help but take photos of our progress every few minutes, a habit I was initially okay with until I needed an extra pair of hands. Nonetheless, her joy was contagious, and it was impossible not to feel pride in our work. Overall, it was a fun experience, which was the ultimate goal.

"I'm sure it'll be great," Kurusu assured us before looking over at the other side of the counter, "How's the salad coming, Cerea?"

"Well, Master," she answered, proudly smiling as she surveyed her work, "I believe I have created an ample amount of food for our guests. I am truly grateful for your trust in allowing me to handle the preparations."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," he promised, beaming at her, "I'm just happy to see you all work so hard at cooking!"

While Miia and Cerea gazed adoringly at him, I opened the fridge and drew a six-pack of beer. I placed it on the counter with a satisfying clink, captivating the attention of the other three.

"Starting early?" Miia pried as I grabbed a bottle opener.

"I figured, why not?" I shrugged. "As the hosts, we're perfectly entitled to having a beer or two before our guests arrive. You guys in?"

Cerea shifted uncomfortably as Kurusu took a bottle; her voice was tight as she said, "As I have informed you, I have never tasted alcohol before. I'm not sure how I will react to it..."

"No better way to find out than with friends you trust," I countered, smiling brightly at her. I offered a freshly-opened bottle with a reassuring nod, "Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Mm... considering your expertise in the area, Aki," Cerea eventually conceded, taking the drink from me, "I think I'll take a chance and try it out. I'm sure you won't steer me wrong."

"That may be the nicest way to refer to someone as an alcoholic I've ever heard," I muttered, "but I'm far from an expert. I'm a bit of a lightweight, and I've only been drinking for the past four years."

"Still, that is more experience than I," Cerea admitted after a soft chuckle.

"Perhaps," I snorted before offering a bottle to Miia, "How about you? You more than earned it after working so hard."

"Does it taste like wine at all?" Miia asked, hesitantly taking it from me, "I've had some back home before."

"No way," I replied, shaking my head in disbelief. "You never know, though, with all the different drinks and cultures around the world – there might be a beer that tastes like wine, or even a wine that tastes like beer!"

Miia hummed, eyeing the bottle, before shrugging and smiling. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Kurusu raised his bottle, "Shall we?"

Blushing from the praise, Miia excitedly raised her bottle to meet his. "To try new things!" she cheered.

Not to be outdone, Cerea quickly followed suit. "To boldly going forward!"

Kurusu laughed. "To a bright future together!"

Hoo boy that got both their faces rather red.

Rolling my eyes but smiling all the same, I joined in. "And to a kickass party tonight!"

"Cheers!" we all chorused as one.

I eagerly guzzled down several gulps of my beer, watching the others intently as I did so. Miia brought the bottle to her lips faster than Cerea and only slightly hesitated after her first taste of the amber liquid. As for Cerea, her ears flicked in surprise as she winced at a sip.

"I. Hm." Her face contorted as she struggled to find the words. "I can safely say I have never tasted this."

"Try not to overthink it," I suggested as I checked the time on my phone, "Damn, the others are cutting it pretty close...."

Kurusu rested his elbow on the counter and said, "Papi and Suu have only been gone for half an hour. The forest is quite large, so they might be taking their time searching for Kii."

"Most likely," I sighed, scratching the back of my head in bewilderment, "But Mero and Rachnee have been away for some time now without explaining. Strangely, Mero didn't even leave a note like she usually does."

"No doubt, Rachnera's influence is not a good one," Cerea interjected, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "I can't comprehend why a dignified lady like Meroune would ever choose to associate with someone like her."

"Hey now, that's uncalled for," Kurusu told her, frowning, "Rachnee is a very nice person once you get to know her."

"She abducted Aki before she came here," she countered, "Or are we going to pretend that never happened?"

Damn, I should have been more mindful that Cerea had been struggling with trust issues toward Rachnee for a long while. Even though I lived with both of them and interacted with them daily, I carelessly overlooked this difficulty. In the original story, Cerea and Rachnee managed to settle their differences once Cerea expressed her concerns, and Rachnee kindly assured her that she had no intention of hurting Kurusu.

I had hoped that with time, Cerea would understand that Rachnee meant no harm and eventually accept her; thanks to the butterfly effect that didn't come to pass, the problem remained unresolved for longer than it should have.

"I've completely forgiven her for it," I stated emphatically, leaning against the wall, "She had been going through a difficult period since coming to Japan, so I can completely understand why she acted like that, and I don't hold any grudges."

"Having ill things done to you does not excuse doing ill things in turn," Cerea pressed, clearly determined to drive her point, "You should not have had to suffer because she lacked the strength of will to-"

"Cerea," I interrupted, my voice rising angrily at her words. "By that logic, I should loathe many people for the hurt they have inflicted upon me. Kii, for example, has done far worse than Rachnee ever did, yet I have no qualms about asking her to join us for dinner tonight. Not to mention Preya, Draco, and even..."

I stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. To my shock, Miia had been watching us anxiously since the argument started.

I took a few more deep breaths, trying to steady my shaking hands and slow my speeding heart. Cerea's words had triggered something inside of me - an intense emotion that was fuelled by the resentment and hurt I felt from Doppel's actions earlier. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep my emotions in check.

Yes, I saw the irony. I was talking about forgiving those who'd wronged me while still being upset over someone who'd done so.

Thankfully, Miia had been quick enough to sense my distress and intervened before I could take things too far. I wasn't sure where she had acquired such strong intuition, but I was grateful for it and wasn't about to question it now.

"... Are you unwell, Aki?" Cerea asked, watching me worriedly, "I apologize for causing you distress; it was not my intent...."

"Just," I shook my head, "Forget about it, okay? This is supposed to be a happy night. Let's talk about it later. After the party."

Ding-dong!

Thank god, Saved by the bell!

"I'll get that," Kurusu said, already walking off, "And good call!"

"Perhaps 'tis for the best," Cerea agreed, nodding slowly, "I merely wanted you to know how I felt." At that, she went to follow Kurusu, leaving behind an awkward air.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. I hadn't wanted to kick off the night on a sour note.

Miia wrapped her arm around me and said, "Don't worry; once more friends get here, you'll feel much better. Come on, let's put a smile on that face!" She grinned, her eyes twinkling with encouragement. "Cheer up, buttercup!"

"That's my line," I snickered, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, "But I appreciate it. Today has been more challenging than usual, so Cerea's comment got to me more than it normally would."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think Rachnee is a good person," Miia told me, "If she was so mean, she wouldn't have helped Mero out when she was sad and lonely."

"That's right," I nodded. With a pleasant surprise, I realized I was already feeling much better. I raised my bottle toward her. "Here's to that and to making sure tonight is a good one."

"Yay!" After the obligatory clink-clink, we both partook in yet more beer.

"So you like it, then?" I asked.

"Mm, yeah," Miia said with appreciation, examining the bottle. "It took some getting used to, but it's not as strong as wine, which is a pleasant surprise. I appreciate you letting me try it!"

"I'm all about broadening my knowledge and experiences," I said, pushing off the wall and leaning forward, "Now let's go and meet whoever is here."

"Aye, aye, Romance Master!" She gave me a mock salute and shot out her forked tongue playfully, prompting a laugh out of me.

For all the doubts she had about herself, Miia was a sweet and good person. I only hoped she knew that much. Kurusu was a lucky guy.

"Well, if it ain't Aki!" greeted a boisterous bartender as Miia and I entered the foyer. Sasaki gave me a wild grin as he hefted up the two large bags in his arms. "Ready for round two, eh? Ha!"

"Hell yeah, I am," I chuckled, taking his offered hand in a firm shake, "Glad to see you could make it."

"Ah, well, I could hardly turn down an invite from dear lil' Kimi," Sasaki replied, nudging Kurusu and nearly bowling him over. "Haven't had yer family's famous cookin' in ages!"

"Sorry about that," Kurusu chuckled amiably while tenderly massaging his arm where Sasaki had struck him, "It's always a bit chaotic around here."

"Bah, just like yer parents, always runnin' 'round," Sasaki chuckled, "By the by, weren't ya just introducing me to Miss...?"

"Centorea Shiantus," she said, bowing to him, "A pleasure."

"Pleasure's mine, Centauria," Sasaki replied, "Uh, did I pronounce that 'un right?"

Cerea's nose wrinkled ever so slightly. Come to think of it, his rough way of speaking probably reminded her of centaur men.

"Centorea," she repeated.

"Centorea," he echoed slowly, nodding to himself, "Well, case no 'un's told ya already, I'm Seiji Sasaki! And how 'bout you?" he asked, rounding on Miia.

"Uh, I'm Miia," she offered, smiling nervously, "Nice to meet you."

"Same here," Sasaki replied, "Gotta say, ya two are the firs' liminals I've talked to. So please, pardon me if I say somethin' taboo or accidentally trip over some cultural no-nos; I don't wanna cause no offense. Lemme know if I do somethin' wrong."

Miia and Cerea exchanged a look of surprise, clearly not expecting such kindness from a man like him. Miia was the first to come to her senses. "Thank you, but don't worry about it. Things like this happen sometimes."

"Heh, ain't that the sad and sorry?" Sasaki snorted, slipping out of his shoes and stepping further inside. Once he got a better look at the house, he whistled. "Hot damn, yer parents are gonna flip their shit when they return to a friggin' mansion! Yer gonna have to show me around, Kimi; I might get lost 'round this joint...."

"The kitchen and living room are still in the same place," Kurusu laughed, taking the lead, "Right over here."

"Great! And hey," he leaned over to the girls to whisper conspiratorially, "Ya ever wanna hear some good stories about Kimi when he was a kid? All ya have to do is ask. Got some good shit from back in the day, ha!"

"Really?~" Miia whispered excitedly, eyes wide, "I wanna hear about Darling as a kid!"

"I must admit to being curious about Master's past as well, "Cerea added.

I wasn't sure what was more priceless, Sasaki's shock at hearing Kurusu's pet names or Kurusu's rising horror that Sasaki had heard them at all. Guess he hadn't factored in that when he invited his godfather.

"Darlin'?! Master?!" Sasaki exclaimed, waddling after Kurusu as fast as he could, bags flopping beside him, "What kinda show ya runnin' over here, boy?!"

Nodding, I decided to chug the rest of my drink. It was going to be one of those nights.

To be continued...