A Cocktail With a Scent of Chlorine
It was reaching roughly 9PM after the slow walk from the cemetery, both Ami and Michiru were completely down with the only noises that they made were breathing. They both missed Makoto, more so for Ami who thought that she would outlive her. The turquoise haired woman wanted to guide Ami as she had no one else and she didn't want her alone, especially since there was a chance that the blue haired fragile woman would have killed herself since Makoto meant the world to her but to her, it was the universe. They have returned near Azabu-Juban, Minami-Azabu to be exact and it was full of stores, restaurants and bars having their lights on as it was night time. When they left to reach the cemetery for the funeral, it was a foggy morning.
Michiru asked, "It has been a long day, do you want to go to a bar for a strong drink?"
"I do not drink alcohol", firmly spoke Ami. "I might have to though if there is no other choice..."
Not too far from where they were and on the border between there and Moto-Azabu was a cocktail bar called "Bar Lupin", there were a few guesses why it could have been called that. Had Makoto had been still alive she would have thought of flowers. It looked quite small but did manage to stand out, at least in terms of Japanese buildings making it look more like it came from Spain or Italy than Japan with its orange painted wall and a wooden balcony, there was also a glass window and a sign outside listing the prices of the drinks in Japanese, English and unusually French, Spanish and Italian. They had managed to get outside however it was locked from the inside, unusual since it was the perfect time to open a bar was at night with the only explanation was that the owner was ill.
Suddenly some keys were heard as it was inserted into the door as it was jingling then what sounded like a door handle opening with its metallic banging. Then the door was open.
Michiru nodded as she went in with Ami following, "Thanks Motoki."
Inside the bar was very neat and tidy, not a sign of spilled drinks and even the wooden floor looked polished. The bottles of expensive brands such as Black and Iruka, Jenny Walker, Sternov, Bacali, Mumbai Sapphire were both in a wooden cabinet as well as on the shelf and they were the genuine brands of rum, vodka, whisky and gin that he stocked. The bar itself was in marble. There were only 20 stools in the bar however they were spread out with eight of them being around the bar itself, there were two wooden chairs by the window. Ami was impressed with the interior as to her it looked like a safe place. They had saw Motoki and it was a transformation of him, earlier today he had a black suit but now he had a light blue shirt with some black trousers and wearing a red bow. Despite what happened, he looked cheerful. Not because the death of Makoto was a good thing, he did miss her kindness and her strength but he knew that he had to move on since the death of Mamoru really hit him hard and if he didn't become an owner of a cocktail bar, he would have most likely had been a salary man in a depressive routine job.
Looking to find the bar almost empty, Michiru asked, "What did happen to Rei?"
"She was down earlier but then suddenly got ill... Developed signs of diarrhoea", strongly spoke Motoki however it sounded negative.
Looking at the bar stool where Rei had sat down on, Motoki blamed himself thinking that there was something wrong with the drinks, like the balance was off or put too much water in the drink.
"I am sure that it wasn't one of your drinks Motoki", explained Ami. "Rei often had diarrhoea, both of the verbal and the medical kind."
The bartender blinked then smiled knowing that it wasn't his fault. After all Ami knew Rei longer and more personal than he did. They even dated but the relationship broke down. Rei to this day thought that she was too harsh on Ami however she didn't tell anyone, not that there were many people for her to tell. Ami however doesn't seem to miss cleaning the toilet after Rei when they were together or the accidents that Rei had. The black haired woman wanted to apologise and make up but she was too stubborn to admit her faults, Ami kept thinking that she did something wrong. Michiru wasn't the only perfectionist around, both Ami and Rei wanted the best too.
Motoki while leaning on the bar asked with a grin, "What would you like to drink ladies?"
"Just a Black Russian for tonight", requested Michiru in a depressed tone.
Straight away Motoki got out a small tumbler glass and put two ice cubes into the glass, then he poured one lot of vodka then two lots of coffee liqueur. Normally he would have mixed the ice with the coffee liqueur and the vodka mixing it with a cocktail shaker to serve however he knew that Michiru was there and wanted to do it properly to pleasing the perfectionist. She softly smiled and nodded that Motoki had done it just right as he smiled in return. Ami just stood in silence in two ways, one was that she was unable to decide what to drink and the other she felt embarrassed asking for water or orange juice in a cocktail bar. Still depressed from losing Makoto, she no longer had a secondary stronger voice to help her. It had passed five minutes and no decision was made as Motoki removed the glass that had Rei's sake inside and tipped the remains. Motoki wanted to prove that his bar suited Ami as he knew that she was non-alcoholic from knowing her, the only person that he knows who was still alive outside of Shingo and Hotaru who he doesn't know very well.
Motoki soft smiled, "Oh Ami... I knew losing Makoto really hurt you, you two have been best friends for years. I just don't serve alcoholic drinks in this bar, I can do mocktails too and you could do with a drink or two."
The blue haired woman was thinking what to have, she didn't fancy tomato juice so a Virgin Mary was off the cards, a gunner is actually a cocktail due to the bitter used and she didn't want anything that had bitter lemons.
"Then I'll have a Shirley Temple even if she disliked that drink", dully sighed Ami.
With a tiny nod, Motoki had started making the mocktail as he got out a freshly chilled bottle of ginger ale from the fridge underneath and opened the bottle to pour half of it into a cocktail glass. Then he grabbed a bottle of grenadine and tipped a small amount to change the colour from a brown-yellow to more of a pink. Finally he had put a Maraschino cherry inside the drink along with the straw and put it on the coaster where Ami was.
After Motoki had served Ami the mocktail, she just stared at that cherry and cried. Makoto always loved cherries and Ami knew that fact to heart with even the name of the preserved cherry sounding vaguely like Makoto Kino, Michiru looked at the depressed woman and put her hand on her neck thinking that Ami is all alone in this world. Makoto was her rock and she knew how helpful she was after Haruka died otherwise she would have been forever depressed and wouldn't matter if she lived the next day. After a quick blink, Michiru had a memory from a long time ago.
Before Haruka had accidentally knocked Makoto over in her motorbike and even before the turquoise haired girl even saw the strong blonde, Michiru once saw Ami but was unaware of her name. They went to the same swimming pool even though they never had met. At the time Michiru was pressured by her peers from her family to everyone she knew around her to date a man in the future. It was why Michiru was cold at Makoto for a while because she didn't like that idea. In all honesty Michiru was actually confused sexually, she was asexual as in that she had no interest in people at all. All she wanted to do was to push her creative side from her art and her music. She was fine if she didn't have company, she was peaceful that she was alone. It was harmony if she got time to herself.
That all changed when a certain blue haired girl came into the swimming pool that same day. She came in with her pale yellow swim suit. Michiru kept looking at her, she was confused. "Why am I attracted to this girl?" That shade of blue in her hair, unique compared to everyone else in the area. Her petite figure, athletic yet feminine with no signs of strong muscles and yes even her soft bum despite having no sexual thoughts. They would have spoke except that there was a problem that they both had, they were shy.
After that, she was unable to find that blue haired wonder as her swimming classes were different than Ami's. When they went at a weekend, it was different sessions. Ami's was early morning while Michiru's were at the afternoon. It was then that she developed a taste for women however it took until seeing Haruka for the first time that it became love at first sight. She did wonder what happened to her and honest thought that she was in a relationship with Makoto, she never asked until now.
"Oh Ami, I have a question to ask you if you feel comfortable?"
Ami just nodded as she started to drink her Shirley Temple from a straw.
Michiru clearly specified, "Did you ever go to the Juban Leisure Center to swim?"
"I did", was all Ami could say as she was stressed and upset.
Looking at the cocktail Michiru explained, "Years ago when I was having my swimming classes, I saw someone who was petite and elegant with short blue hair but I never saw her again or asked who she was."
It was a shock for Ami, Michiru was at the same place as her and she didn't realise it at the time who it was either.
Ami in a soft tone explained, "I do recall a turquoise haired girl who was older than me during one session who kept looking at me, it is one strong coincidence that we attended the same class."
"If you are indeed her", wondered Michiru then looked at that blue hair and figure matching both her memory and what had just said, "No... scratch that thought, you are my first crush."
Ami just blushed as it was so unexpected that she was anyone's first crush, especially from a woman. There was a possibility that she was drunk from the Black Russian cocktail however Michiru had barely sipped her drink having only two slurps full. Michiru at this point was tempted to kiss her however she was scared how she will take it. She knew that Ami believes in slow love and so does herself if it wasn't for Haruka and her commitment. Haruka and Makoto were both parallels, both pushing Michiru and Ami into love yet Makoto pushed Ami to Ryo while Haruka flung herself to the turquoise haired woman. The blonde was surely feminine but yet very masculine that it thrown people off the scent, it was enough to fool people including Makoto at first. Haruka had she still been alive remembered that it took weeks before Michiru was able to kiss, with Makoto she loved Ami as a best friend but they both know that they never managed to have a passionate kiss. Only a kiss if Ami was poorly or upset but not out of love. Ami kept expecting Makoto to make the move but she never did. Not because she was scared like Ami had thought but because her heart lied elsewhere.
Being shy herself, Michiru just smiled back even though deep down, she wants that relationship with Ami. After all she was as beautiful now as she was at the swimming pool.
While watching his glass, Motoki accidentally dropped it on the floor as he discovered that Ami was Michiru's first crush in love. He froze into shock as it was under his nose the entire time since they had their similarities but their best friends and partners caused it to side track. Embarrassingly he was listening to Lovin' You (Lucky) on his phone however it was such a low volume that Ami and Michiru was unable to hear the song.