Tomio finishes placing the pepperoni on the pizza which has been layered with tomato sauce and sliced mozzarella. There is a little area in the kitchen with all sorts of toppings in baskets, but he's keeping it simple this time around. He grabs the tray holding the pizza in place as he sticks it into a traditional brick oven heated with burning timber, just as he was trained to do in his family business. Across the kitchen, Fio is preparing drinks with glass cups and serving sweet tea that has already been mixed with sugar.
"So far so good." Tomio checks the oven as the pizza cooks, watching the cheese melt with the tomato and pepperoni slices. "Thanks for helping out Fio. I'm pretty certain our new friends are going to love our little get together."
"Oh it's nothing Tomio. I'm just serving drinks." Fio gushes over the compliment, failing to be humble with herself. "You should totally consider hiring me after this right?" Fio laughs to herself awkwardly.
"I would if you were open to it. How come you never worked Fio?"
"I'm not exactly good anything else other than gaming and computers. I hate to break it to you Tomio but I can't imagine myself being efficient in even the simplest tasks because then I would go crazy."
"You seem to be doing fine with the drinks."
Fio eyes doze off to the floor. "But this is for us Tomio. For Longhorn squad and for the girls of Armadillo Squad. I can't imagine doing this for people I don't know. Strangers just make me uneasy you know.
"We were once strangers to you. Kimberly, Rami, and especially those girls from Uni we played yesterday."
"That's true..." Fio looks back up to Tomio who is still watching the pizza in the brick oven. "But you guys approached me first online. I'm just lucky to live close by."
"Well you never pushed us away. That's pretty admirable Fio."
"You think so?"
I'll make sure to let the others know what you done. They'll appreciate it. And hey Fio..."
Fio turns around to look at Tomio who is leaning by the stainless steel counters next to the brick oven as he continues to wait for the pizza.
"If you ever are interested in working here, I can always vouch you to my boss or coworker. But I understand if you're not ready to start working. I mean, we are all are kind of underachievers right?" Tomio admits with humble self deprecations.
"Thanks Tomio! You're the best! I am sure your lover is lucky to have you around."
"Wh...what?! Lover?!" Tomio stutters. "W...what lover?"
"You said you know that girl from Armadillo Squad...Emi right? I sort of noticed you were very sweet to her yesterday."
"Oh....Emi...Ha...yeah. We're used to know each other since we were kids. Our parents kind of knew each other and that's kind of how we met. I wouldn't say got anywhere close to being lovers. We were just good friends...for while."
"A while Tomio?"
"All I know is that something happened with Emi that caused her to despise me." Tomio shrugs and sighs. "But that was a long time ago. We were in middle school and you know how puberty and all that makes you act up and do dumb shit sometimes."
"Don't feel to bad Tomio. I'm an adult and I still do a lot of things that are cringe and dumb as a NEET."
"That's what you think. You're our squad sapper and technician Fio. I didn't even know there were some quality of life settings for Mil-Sim Story until you told me. I was handicapping myself and getting severely motion sick from VR."
"Oh...haha...well that's just what I know after playing for hours past midnight. Sometimes I just collapse with the headset on and fall asleep in-game."
Tomio chuckles with Fio's honest remarks about herself. "That's the thing Fio, you're incredibly dedicated."
"True but I wish I could dedicate myself to something impressive like Kimberly and Rami are with their band and music." Fio listens as she can hear the two practicing their guitars in the dinning area outside as they wait for the pizza. "They have been playing for so long, they make it look easy."
"Ever thought of joining them? They are looking for a pianist in their group."
"I don't even know how to play anything"
"Can you sing?"
"Um...I sometimes like to sing anime OPs and EDs, but not professionally.
"Nobody starts off as a professional. We all have to start somewhere. And that's what exactly we're going to propose today."
"You're going to propose to Emi?"
"What?! No!....I mean...yes...but it's not what you are thinking. You told me about that competition for the Fall season of Mil-Sim story. I was referring about that."
"Oh yeah. We do need a secondary squad to team up with for the large scale multiplayer maps for the tournament. They seemed pretty good for a bunch of newbies. I especially like that Japanese girl."
"She left that much of an impression on you?"
"Yeah. I never was out played like that before. But I am curious since she's Japanese...like actually from Japan. I always wanted to go."
"Figured. I haven't been there myself. I know some of my family did that's not in my budget at the moment. Besides, the states are my home. I grew up here and everything."
"Yeah. I just thought she was an odd cookie to run into...but a very sweet cookie. I'll try to get to know her better when she gets here with the other girls. I should probably check on Rami and Kimberly. I'm all with the drinks."
"Sure. I think you can go ahead and take the drinks too. Emi and her friends should be pretty soon. Thanks for the help Fio. Talking with you is very entertaining you know. You should take it easy with your anxiety, you got us after all."
"Longhorn squad is all I need Tomio. And maybe the Armadillo girls if they want to team up with us too. I could probably retire into permanent NEETdom if we won that prize money from the Tournament."
"Sounds like a good goal to me Fio. Hm....the pizza is almost done. We gotta hurry before Emi and the others get here."
Emi's eyes are glued on the road ahead of her. Thankfully, it's the weekend and there's no traffic around this time before 12 PM so it's a fairly relaxing drive for her and her passengers. Chiara is ridding shotgun to avoid getting car sick like she usually does with Hikari and Mai riding in the back seat, filling up all four seats of her Mini Countryman. Despite being a smaller SUV, It's incredibly roomy for the girls to sit comfortably. Hikari seems to enjoy having a seat on her own even in the back seat. Most of the girls are dressed casually but with a bit of effort on their looks. Especially Emi who decided to wear a blouse and a skirt for the occasion, which is not something she usually wears.
"It's a bit funny to see you all dressed up Emi." Mai remarked as she looks for a song to stream through Bluetooth on her Android phone. "You sort of came off as a tomboy kind of gal to me."
"I don't usually have a reason to dress up. It's not like I get invited to lunch like this often." Emi smiles back through her rear view mirror at Mai. "I like to be comfortable most of the time. Even when I go to class."
"Yep. Same same." Mai agrees as Hikari scoffs.
"It wouldn't kill you to at least try to dress decently."
"Are you going to take me shopping for some nice clothes Hikari?" Mai smirks at Hikari.
"I don't have a license or a car...and even if I did, what makes you think I would spend my own money to make you look nice."
"Aren't you worried about your own image when you're seen hanging around me?" Mai asks with a bit more seriousness in her tone.
"I think you try thrift shopping Mai." Emi suggests. "It won't break your bank account and you can find some nifty stuff there. This outfit I am wearing is mostly thrift stuff I found for cheap."
"Hmph....imagine that. Buying used clothes. I'd rather..." Hikari murmurs to herself almost wanting to laugh in disgust.
"I think you look very pretty in your outfit Emi." Chiara says to Emi.
"Thanks Chiara. I'm glad you agree."
"Man...I really need to get comfortable with wearing something other than t-shirts and jeans." Mai mutters to herself. "I don't know anything about fashion."
"I can go shopping with you Mai. There's a thrift store not too far off from our campus we can walk to if you're not busy."
"A fine suggestion Chiara!" Mai happily replies. "I can trust your artsy types to help me look better than the guys already think I am!"
"Pffft. As if." Hikari mocking snarls at Mai. "You can count me in too Chiara. I don't want to see Mai still dressing like she's homeless."
"It's called being comfortable over looking good Hikari!"
The girls laugh at the little back and forth between Hikari and Mai. "You two...you both really are an odd couple aren't you."
"I wouldn't even considered Mai's friendship if she wasn't so smart."
"Without me, you would have still been stuck in Pre-Calculus."
"Why you little gremlin..."
"Alright. That was fun...but were about to pull up for our lunch party. Try to be on your best behavior you two." Emi speaks as if she's talking to her own children.
"Uh....yes..m'am..." Hikari and Mai reluctantly agree.
Emi pulls up onto a small parking lot. There's plenty of parking space and other than her car, there is a Fiat 500 Abarth and a Ford Transit with curtains visible by the windows on the on the side. The restaurant Itself looks quite small and humble with a stony exterior and little square windows. There is a little overhang by the entrance which has a glass door vaguely hinting at the interior of the restaurant. The door is laser engraved with the address, opening hours, and the name of the business: "Giovanni's".
Emi is the first to enter, gently pushing the door open as the others follow behind her. It's been a while since Emi has been here. Tomio's family restaurant was one she used to frequent when she was younger and closer to to Tomio. Everything is exactly as she remembered. It's a mix of a sports bar with a cafe style layout with little tables all around. Behind the bar is access to drinks and the kitchen area which Tomio has brought Emi to whenever their families would get together. The dining area is warm in temperature and in lighting, just barely enough light to give it a dark contrast but not totally dark to not see anything. The red brick walls are decorated with photos of various Italian landmarks and memorabilia. The bar in particular has photos of Tomio's family history dating as far back to the 1800s. The most recent photo is a photograph of Tomio in a high school graduation ceremony with his mom and dad standing by his side. There's a couple of new additions. There's a flat screen TV at the bar, probably for sporting events and streams as well as a little podium for musical performances. Emi catches a glimpse of two people sitting on stools as they put their instruments away, one acoustic guitars and an acoustic bass. It's the girl with glasses, wavy light brown hair, and a taller Hispanic guy of the same age with long black hair, both dressed in plaid and jeans. "Hey Tomio! The girls are here."
"Perfect! The Pizza is fresh out of the oven. Let's get this party started Kimberly." A voice calls from the kitchen as Tomio and Fio come out from behind the bar, holding drinks and a pan of freshly cooked Pizza. He places the pizza on the bar alongside the drinks which Fio places in front of each stool. "It's good to see you in person again Emi."
"Tomio. You seriously reserved the entire restaurant just for us?"
"Yep. My dad said it was alright as long as we clean up after ourselves. Don't worry about the expenses. It's on the house for now.
"That's really considerate of you Tomio." Emi says a bit flustered. "Thank you. You really did have to go all the way for us."
Hikari, Chiara, and Mai join the bar as do Ramirez and Kimberly. Fio and Tomio grab a stool from the kitchen and eat on the other side of the bar facing everyone else."
"Ah~...it looks so mouth watering...thank you!" Chiara voice gleams with anticipation as she savors the potential taste of the Pizza.
"I have to agree with Chiara. And honestly, I appreciate this warm hospitality. I wouldn't mind paying next time. It's the least I can do."
"Hey, no worries about it." Tomio smiles and starts serving the slices to everyone.
Everyone starts to have their slices and drinks. The girls of Armadillo squad are ecstatic to have such a good meal after their first week of Uni.
"Tomio..this is just as delicious as I remember."
"Aha~....so...good...nomnomnomnom...."
"I have no complaints."
"I'm going to have trouble fitting in my clothes after this."
"We're lucky to be close friends with Tomio." Kimberly adds as she finishes her bite from her slice. We get to have good food and a place to preform on a regular basis. His family is even kind enough to let us park our camper in the parking lot."
"You mean that white van we just saw outside?" Mai seems to have her thoughts confirmed for her. "You...live in a van?"
"The both of us do." Ramirez implies. "I bought it with the money from our performances and our jobs. We don't have to worry about rent or property taxes."
"Van living huh? Shoot...I grew up in a trailer park but that's a whole new concept to me. You're kind of like modern nomads huh?"
"Yeah. You could say we're kind of like that. Neither of us can afford to rent our own place, even together with our expenses so it's the best we can do at the moment." Kimberly explains as she rubs the back of her head a feeling a bit embarrassed."
"It's a bit of a long story...but it's not all that bad. We've got all of the necessities we could realistically need and have just enough space for our laptops and instruments. It did take a while to make it homely."
"Rami and Kimberly just kind of showed up here and started preforming their music." Tomio nods at the two as he sips his sweet tea. "They make our restaurant more lively and they occasionally get tips from our customers. It's just another part of our mutualism other than being avid Mil-Sim Story players. We've played since launch, but nowhere near as extensive as Fio here."
"Heh...yeah...I'm not like the others here. I'm don't really have any hardships of my own...I sort of...um...leach off my parents."
"A Hikikomori?" Hikari asks Fio.
"Well...I usually go by the term used on online forums known as NEET. Not Employed, Educated, or in Training...but I liked the term Hikikomori too." Fio grins almost trying to not fangirl over the fact she's talking to a Japanese girl.
"Well that certainly explains a lot."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I honestly don't know Fio. I have to be honest and admit I'm a bit of a spoil too...as much as I hate to affirm Mai's opinion about my family upbringing.
"Yeah. She's embarrassed to admit her parents own an entire chain of Hospitals in Japan. It's kind of funny how she's friends with a lowly bum like me." Mai jokes lightheartedly.
"I wouldn't call you a lowly bum...maybe a hick...but not a bum. You're very smart Mai."
"Aw...thanks Hikari!"
"That's not a compliment. That's just a matter of fact."
"So what are you doing all the way over here in America?" Fio asks Hikari.
"Studying of course. And potentially working my way up the medical field in this country."
"But what's wrong with Japan?"
"What's wrong with America?" Hikari asks Fio back to which she grumbles a little.
"I...well....okay well the thing is?" Fio pauses before making her admission. "It's been my dream to go to Japan someday."
"I suggest finding a better dream." Hikari says bluntly. Fio feels her heart sink a little and it's clear to Hikari that it probably wasn't best to say it like that. "I'm sorry but...it just seems baffling why anyone would want to come to Japan? It's not that special"
"Not special?" Fio tilts her head, looking both confused and a bit disheartened. "Japan has always felt like a fascinating place with a rich culture like anime and vidya, so it seems like a dream destination for someone like me."
"Japan is not like your animes if that's what your looking for. But who am I to say anything about what you should do with your life." Hikari sips her tea and sighs. "It's not like I lived there for most of my life."
"I still want to travel to Japan Hikari. I doubt my parents would lend me enough money since I have a habit of spending it all..."
"Oh great...another whale spender." Mai groans glancing back and forth between Fio and Hikari. "I swear you two are like sisters separated by continents."
"Mai, don't...." Hikari shakes her head. Look, we're both pretty wealthy Fio. The difference is I am doing something with my life. You're a Hikikomori that has to figure out something to do with your life other than sit around and spending money on games."
"But Hikari, you just blew a load of money on some stupid gear that doesn't even work." Mai interjected as a means to tease at Hikari's sense of superiority.
"You bought a SIG P320-Spectre Comp? That's the gun you took me out with. That's a nice pistol."
"It certainly is Fio. Thank you." Hikari smirks at Mai who nibbles on her slice of pizza who looks at her with contempt.
"I use a Laugo Arms Alien. It's one of the newest and most advance pistols in the game."
"Sounds fancy. How much did you buy it for?"
"7000 credits"
"7000 credits!!! Nani!" Hikari jaw drops as she blinks her eye. "Mai! Why didn't Flint have one of those? I gotta have one now!" Mai shrugs with no reply.
"It was a limited time sale...so only those who had a lot of credits or saved up for one bought them the moment they came out."
"Aw..." Hikari sips another bit of her tea. "I'll tell you what, if Flint ever gets them back in stock, you tell me about it and I'll teach you Japanese or something."
"Heh...we got a deal then!" Fio smiles as she offers her hand to shake. Hikari shakes it back firmly.
"Good. Okay...you can let go now. You're gripping my hand too tightly."
"Oh...sorry." She lets go and chuckles nervously.
As Hikari, Mai, and Fio engage in their own conversation between each other, Kimberly watches Chiara quietly nibbling on her pizza, her eyes soft with thought. She’s noticed that Chiara tends to hang back during conversations, often listening more than she speaks. Gently prodding, Kimberly leans over. "Hey, Chiara, you're kind of quiet. What’s on your mind?"
"Ah...well not much...I'm just enjoying this pizza."
Kimberly laughs. "It's alright, we don't bite. I'm glad you're enjoying your meal. You told me last time you're a music major right? I figured I let you in on our little act that Ramirez and I have going."
"Are you talking about your band?"
"Yep. I think it would be something interested in expanding your musical resume...so to speak."
"Not that either of us know anything about resumes to begin with." Ramirez says with a shrug.
"That's true Rami. But I think it would be super cool if we could have a pianist preform with us on Friday nights. It won't get in the way of your studies and it's a day before the weekly tournament events for Mil-Sim Story."
"Tournament Events?" Chiara asks curiously.
"Oh...we're getting a bit of ahead of ourselves Kimberly. Tomio." Ramirez calls him over the counter. "You might want to give them the run down of our proposition."
"Well..." Tomio stretches his arms as he prepares to make his offer. "Since everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, I think I should just go ahead with what I wanted to ask you girls. Emi. You're the squad leader for Armadillo Squad right?"
Emi hesitates. "Well... Mai was supposed to be our leader since she's played the game longer than any of us."
"Nah...don't sweat it Emi. You were pretty good with my absence." Mai casually adds, waving her hand in a gentle manner. You got the looks of a squad leader anyways."
"Does that answer you question Tomio?"
Tomio shrugs and nods. "I guess so. Anyways, I thought your team was pretty good for a bunch of newbies. To think you all just met yesterday with each other, yet you managed to pull of a close victory on us."
""I’ve known Chiara since high school." Emi glances at Chiara. "And Mai and Hikari knew each other before meeting us, so we already had some connections. I guess it helps that we all go to the same university."
"I think you girls have something going for you as a squad. Assuming you actually had fun yesterday."
Hikari, Chiara, and Mai nod as Emi looks back at them for approval. "Well, I didn't hate it other than losing to you."
Tomio laughs at Emi's answer. "Ha...well that's understandable. I just thought I'd ask because our team is considering taking the game more seriously starting next week. There's a tournament going on in-game where squads from all over the world will compete to win the fall season championships."
"It's kind of a big deal. Especially if you make it pass the entry matches. It's all on live stream and there's a lot of sponsorships and stuff you can get out of it." Fio mentions to the girls.
"To be more specific, a monetary prize. We didn't compete in the summer tournament event back during the launch of the game, but the 1st prize winner won a total of one million dollars after making it to the top of the tournament ranks."
"I heard about that." Mai interjects much to the surprise of the other girls. Raptor squad won that entire event in one swoop. I saw that last match myself on a stream. Supposedly, they are going to participate in this next tournament as well."
"So you know about the tournament Mai?" Tomio asks.
"Yeah...but at the time, I didn't have a squad to participate myself. Most of the other players didn't take me seriously with my Type 56 SKS." She sighs. "I swear, some people just don't have any tastes. It's always meta this and meta that. But I did see the tournament back in the summer and Raptor Squad is no joke. They would put both of our squads to shame."
"Well. Do know this tournament is going to be a dual squad event?"
"Yeah. It's two squads working together instead of one."
"So let me get this straight Tomio." Emi clears her throat before speaking. "You want to team up with our squad?"
"Bingo."
"But...we're just college girls...I mean the only one who's really knowledgeable about this game is Mai and even she admits it's not something that's possible with the way both our squads operate. Not to mention...we're all trying to study for our classes too."
"Classes shmasses...what about them?" Kimberly scoffs.
Tomio cuts in. "Kimberly. They are serious about their studies. I wouldn't judge them for that if they mean it."
"Sure...whatever..."
"The tournament events are going to be weekly every Saturday. So you don't have to worry about them interfering with your studies. I can promise you that."
"And this one million dollar prize Tomio...?"
"It's going to be split between all of us each Emi."
"Quick. Mai. What's one million divided by eight?" Hikari asks.
"Oh...uh....125 Thousand each." Mai answers after a moment of mental math.
"That's not much...but it can totally cover our entire tuition."
"That's assuming we can even win the tournament Hikari. I am sure your parents can easily just pay it off."
"Sure, but it would be nice to not be a leech off my parent's income for once."
"So what do you say Emi? Would you like to team up with us?"
"Tomio..." Emi ponders as if she should play alongside Tomio's team. "It's been so long since we last saw each other..."
"The past is the past Emi. I'm willing to give you a second chance to be your friend again. Just like old time."
Emi’s expression softens, guilt tugging at her. "You really mean that? I was the one that left..."
"We were dumb middle schoolers Emi." Tomio assured Emi that he's not offended by her behavior from that time. "I think the two of us were just confused from what we were both going through."
"Perhaps..." Emi mummers to herself before looking to Chiara who has been quietly observing the conversation. "Chiara. Would you be down to do this tournament with them? I don't have any reservations."
Chiara looks at Emi...she hesitates a little before nodding her head. "If you are okay with all this...then I am okay too Emi. I had fun the last match...and it would be nice if we could win this together....all of us."
"Then it's settled...Tomio...the girls of Armadillo squad would like to join you for this tournament."
Tomio closes his eyes briefly and grins. "I knew you would accept it Emi. Thank you. Even if we don't win anything, it's just something we can do on the weekends." He opens his eyes to look at Emi. "I really did miss you Emi."
Emi's eyes drift off in shame, but Tomio attempts to lighten the mood.
He gestures to Fio. "Let’s toast to our new alliance."
"You got it Tomio!" Fio says enthusiastically as she grabs the pitcher of tea from the counter.
"We are really doing this Hikari?" Mai asks Hikari with doubt in her voice.
"Of course we are. Our friends offered us a free meal and drinks and you're going to turn down such a fun offer like this?"
"I mean...I always wanted to join the last tournament...but I'm a bit realistic with our capabilities. I don't think we are ready."
"Do you suggest we start practicing or something?" Emi ask Mai.
"It's mandatory. Especially for you all since you haven't been playing as much as I had or Longhorn Squad."
"We can help with that." Tomio suggest as he let's Fio fill up everyone's' cups. "I can spare a Friday night to tell you some of the basics you'll have to know."
"That last match we played together was more of a skirmish." Ramirez added. "The tournament battles are larger, there's more to the battles than just shooting and combat."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. It's a military combat simulation game Emi. You thought it was just Counter Strike in VR? You haven't experienced the full thing yet."
Everyone takes their glass of tea and rasises it slightly as they huddle around the bar. "Here's to..." Tomio stops as he realizes something. "Shoot....we don't have a team name."
"Well...normally, a group of three or more squads makes a platoon. So we have to come up with a platoon name for our team name." Ramirez informs the group. "We're all from Texas right?"
"Everyone but Hikari." Mai mentions.
"Mai..."
"How about Lone Star Platoon?" Emi suggests interrupting Hikari.
"That's alright by me." Hikari comments.
Everyone else nods in agreement.
"Great. Here's to Lone Star Platoon! Cheers! Cin cin!" Everyone taps their glass together before taking a sip in celebration of their alliance.
Later that afternoon, after a few hours of casual conversation, pizza, and drinks, it was getting late and the university girls are ready to call it for the day. As the girls say their goodbyes and get ready to head back to Emi's car. Tomio stops by to talk to Emi one last time.
"Thanks for stopping by Emi. It's good to see you again in person."
"Oh Tomio...I should be the one thanking you. To be honest..." Emi leans her back on wall as she relaxes herself a bit. "College wasn't exactly what I was expecting so far, but I'm glad I got my weekend all figured out thanks to you and the girls from my Uni."
"You certainly made some good friends. I mean other than us of course."
"Chiara was the only friend I started this week with Tomio. But I'm glad she's getting some socializing too. She's not as comfortable with most people. I mean...aren't we all like that sometimes?"
"Yeah...was that something you felt when you stopped talking to me back then?"
"No...it had nothing to do with any anxieties I had."
"What caused it then?"
"I don't know Tomio..." Emi knew but wouldn't admit it. "It's just like you said. We were dumb middle schoolers. It was probably puberty or something."
"I'm just glad to have you back Emi. I always thought you were pretty cool."
"Me? Cool? Nah..." Emi scoffs and giggles. "I wasn't cool at all. I just...did whatever I had to do for myself."
"I mean, you weren't like other girls and you got pretty fit over the years too."
"Yeah...I guess so. Thanks."
"But yeah....um don't forget, Friday night, join us in VR so we can help your squad train. Because the following day is going to be our entry match for the tournament."
"Of course Tomio. I won't forget. I look forward to it."
"Oh and Emi..."
"What's up Tomio?"
"You and your friends are always welcome to hang out her again."
"Thanks Tomio." Emi smiles and almost blushes. "You're a good guy Tomio....anyone would be lucky to...."
"Huh?"
"Ah...shoot, I forgot what I was going to say...anyways. I'll see you soon Tomio!"
"You too Emi! Ciao!" Tomio waves back as Emily leaves the restaurant doors. Mai, Hikari and Chiara are waiting outside.
"Is Tomio like...your ex or something?" Hikari asks with a hint of suspicion.
"Wha....N...No of course not. We never dated. We were just childhood friends.
"Yeah...suuurrre...." Mai says smuggly as she nudges Hikari.
"Seriously? You two actually agree on something for once and it's all on me?!
"Oh come on Emi..." Hikari grins too. "We're all girls here...you can tell us."
"So this is what I am going to put up with as your squad leader? Keep it up and you two are totally waking home. Come on Chiara, let's drive home."
"Hey wait up!" Hikari and Mai follow suit and enter Emi's SUV after Emi and Chiara had done so.