Itzel found himself in that situation in a confused way and looked at the pub with strangeness.
"Your friend said today is your birthday!" Ren said.
"Aiden…" Itzel said, looking at him in despair. Aiden walked through the place with a victorious expression.
Lauren appeared with her drink in hand and looked at her boyfriend, Ren, clinging to the birthday boy. A friendly and enigmatic smile appeared on her face as she warned:
"Love, let Itzel breathe!" she said, whose meaning was "get a clue," from the sweet yet firm tone of her voice.
"He's totally stiff! Let's get him going!" Ren replied.
Adonis raised his hand, waving with a cheerful smile. Maureen came right behind him, excited, congratulating, raising her arms, showing her expressive side. Iker arrived as well and said nothing, he distracted himself watching Maureen and judging her exaggerated way.
Itzel, who did not like to expose anything from his personal life, was unable to respond to any of the greetings, he only stared in silence, but his expression showed his discomfort.
Noticing his colleague's discomfort, Iker approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What's with that face? You're the one who wanted to celebrate being one year closer to death! Smile!" he said, his deep voice full of mockery.
"I didn't want anything, I was dragged here!"
The party went on, but ended up splitting into two groups. At the tables, eating cold cuts and meat boards, were the birthday boy, his roommates, and his battle companions. Everyone drank cocktails, draft beer and beer, except for Adonis, who drank soda.
On the other side, Iker and Aiden sat at the bar table, enjoying stronger and more refined drinks. The smell of fruit and alcohol was part of that environment.
Iker was the same age as Maureen, but very different in personality. This showed in his choice of a more reserved place, away from the younger ones' conversations.
Aiden, on the other hand, was the same age as Itzel's roommates, however, his appearance, already more adult since adolescence, distanced him from typical behaviors of that age, and he preferred calmer company to talk, even though he was not a shy person.
"Hanging out with our group, Iker?" Aiden asked, drinking a shot of whiskey.
"I prefer it! With you I'm not an untouchable prince," he explained, elbows on the table and hands together, holding his chin.
"Here is your drink, sir!" said a male voice, smooth, serving an elegant drink while the two talked.
"'Sir?'" Iker repeated out loud, pulling the drink closer to himself. His gaze shifted sideways toward the bartender, clearly showing his discomfort.
"Can I help you with anything?" the bartender replied, a young man with black hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile. He did not seem like a talkative person, but he was polite and kind to customers.
"Your name and your number," Iker asked, after staring at him for a brief moment.
The young man looked at him with a neutral expression, then turned his back, pretending he had not heard anything.
"And Aaliyah?" Aiden asked, with a slight smile and a discreetly incredulous look.
"Detail, detail…" Iker replied, waving his hand dismissively.
The hours went by, between drinks, food and conversations, and everyone sang happy birthday to Itzel. The inhabitants of Finalia imitated the singing and clapping of Earth's natives. The warm and friendly atmosphere of lively conversations spread throughout the place. Until the early morning arrived and it was time to say goodbye.
"BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! SEE YOU!!!" Maureen said, clearly drunk, leaving with Dylan and Kenta, who only waved, they had drunk less, but were also affected.
"Is she okay?" Adonis, the youngest and the only completely sober one, found his friend's exaggerated behavior strange.
"She is… I think…" Itzel replied, embarrassed by the situation.
Behind them, Aiden waved at the three with a discreet laugh and his eyes closed. Even though he had been drinking, he did not seem affected by the alcohol.
"Adonis! I'm taking Lauren home, want a ride? It's on the way!" Ren invited, approaching him.
"Oh! Yeah, I'll take it!" Adonis agreed, instantly more cheerful just thinking he would not have to walk back.
The three left and Itzel and Aiden remained side by side. The birthday boy then felt comfortable enough to deal with some matters with his friend.
"Aiden! I'm closing a deal to rent a house, I thought you'd prefer it over living in an apartment," he said, turning to give the news. "But it's small!"
"Thank you! I do prefer it!" he replied. "Ah!"
Searching his pocket, Aiden took out a wrapped package tied with ribbons and handed it to Itzel.
"I bought you a gift."
Itzel took the package in his hands, removed the ribbon and opened it, checking the contents carefully.
"Look at this! Feather earrings! There are several!" he said, excited.
"I thought you might want to vary a bit. And see how careful they are? They wrap gifts with packages and bows," Aiden said, praising local customs.
Despite the hour, there were still customers in the place, the waiters were already tired, but kept working hard.
"HEY, RILEY! TWO DRAFT BEERS AT TABLE 05." one of the waiters called.
"Coming right up!" the bartender who had served Aiden and Iker replied.
Paying attention to the environment, Iker heard the call and the response. That way, he got the information he wanted, the bartender's name was Riley.
"Iker, let's go!" Aiden called.
"In a bit we'll have to work already," Itzel said, with a hint of complaint.
Everyone went home and slept very little, since they had to deal with their responsibilities early in the morning.
April 29th, Thursday, 8:14 AM, M School
Classes were already in progress, it was halfway through the first period. Miyu walked through the hallway on the first floor holding a stack of books that the teacher had asked her to return to the library.
She was in a hurry to finish the task and return to class, so her pace was quick. Her steps stopped when she came across the tall red-haired boy in front of her. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"You're just getting here now, Adonis?" she asked, her confused gaze fixed on him.
"Hm? Oh, hey, shorty! Yeah, I stayed out late at a party yesterday, so I overslept," he replied, his sleepy voice and teary eyes from tiredness not preventing him from giving her a light smile.
"Shorty"!? Miyu felt her cheeks warm, that word, and the way Adonis said it, made her remember that afternoon at the ice cream shop.
"It's not right to stay up late. And if you do, you have to meet your responsibilities," she corrected him, even as her heart beat faster.
Her tone was so gentle that Adonis did not even notice he was being scolded.
"You could've texted me, since you care…" Adonis suggested, while taking the books from Miyu's hands.
"I don't even have a phone. Besides, it's not my responsibility."
After returning the books, they went to their classrooms, where they attended class with their classmates. The first part of the school day had three 45-minute classes, which went on until 10 AM, when the bell rang, signaling break time.
Sitting cross-legged on the ceramic bench in the courtyard, Yukino rested her face on her hand. Her facial expression, usually neutral, now had a slight smile and furrowed brows. It was hard to understand what she was feeling, it seemed like a mix of happiness and nervousness, at least that was what Akiko thought when she approached and asked:
"Yuki!? What's with that face?"
"Oh, my birthday is coming…" Yukino replied, softening her expression, returning to her usual lack of expression. "My favorite singer is coming here! I'm thinking of ways to save money."
"Relax! We'll help you!" Akiko offered, her eyes full of joy and her hands clenched near her face, showing her excitement. Yukino rarely talked about her personal tastes.
"Oh! No need, I'll manage!"
On that same day, in Finalia
While life on Earth felt light and festive, Finalia was the opposite. At Ayami's base, where a deafening silence ran through the corridors, the atmosphere felt heavier and heavier. With most of her warriors on Earth, the calmness of the place hid agony and impatience.
The sound of metal cutting something could be heard. The workbench in the room, covered with strands of green hair, revealed an abrupt change in appearance.
It was Yesenia, who after her battle still showed burn marks across her body. Her hair had also been damaged, and now she had gotten rid of much of it, leaving it uniformly short.
In the mirror in front of her, she stared at her battle scars with a severe expression. Her new look reinforced her serious appearance. She remained there, for a few minutes, without moving a single finger.
"Did boredom make you cut your hair?" a mysterious female voice echoed behind her.
Quickly Yesenia turned around, checking the place to find the owner of the voice. It was her companion, Heidi, who had returned to the planet after spending a few days on Earth.
"How long has it been since you were called for a mission?" Heidi asked, provoking her, approaching from behind and wrapping her arms around her body.
"I only had that one…"
"That group from Maureen…"
"Oh, you did a mission with them?"
"Yes, with Aiden! He's strong! But they're strange. They get comfortable too easily, it feels like they're playing house," she complained, adjusting her hair.
"And you have a plan, I see."
"Mhm! We attacked a group of students, and they counterattacked with Potentia. I got information at the inn, I already know the city and their age, I just need to find out where they study. So I suggest you get ready."
Heidi finished giving the information, stepped in front of Yesenia, wrapped her arms around her and kissed her lips. It was time for them to act together.