[VERY MUCH OPEN] The Night of your Life

"Actually, an Italian place sounds really good.
I know of one a friend recommended, but I think it's pretty pricey.
But of course, that's Miss Motozaki's call."

"I don't mind if it's expensive," Sayuri says, shrugging. "I have plenty of money."

<Expensive restaurant=Fancy restaurant=Quiet restaurant>

Chiharu leaned forward out of her corner beside Hawke to say, "Unless if anyone has any objections, Toshiaki, would you be so kind as to give the driver directions?"

"It's called… 'Le Bernardin,' I think," he said, making out Jitsuo's questionable rendition in katakana.

Well, maybe I should have dressed up after all.

"Sounds like it's a really exclusive place though. It'll be tough getting a reservation on short notice.
And maybe we should head back first so some of us could change into something a little more proper."

Fortunately, they hadn't traveled that far yet. It would be easy to return to the dorms shortly and still be in Sendai by 10 pm.

Figuring that something like this wasn't completely out of the question, Mizo was now glad he'd dressed in some of his nicer clothes. A nice polo with a blue and silverish grey argyle pattern sweater vest, and a good pair of slacks. However for comfort sake he'd still worn his favorite pair of low top, dark green Chuck T's.

Kaim simply stayed silent, in a voice of approval. He didn't mind Italian, a type of food heavily marketed in the West.

I'm in a pair of black jeans, black t-shirt, and a white-striped, black collared shirt with the middle two buttons done.

Figured I was going to be going to a party so I was going to look good doing it.

So, you could say I'm half-ready for the place look-wise.

I'll have a bit of explaining to do to my parents on why I don't have as much money for myself as I should later, though...

"Woo! Sound's good!"

I look at Kuriko since she has been kind of quiet and that is unusual for her.

Probably has to do with earlier...

"What about you?"

Toshiaki looked around the roomy interior of the limo, noting the dress of his fellow partygoers.

It's not a jeans-and-button-down place. Or even a slacks-and-polo place.
This is a black-tie or little-black-dress sort of place.

You'd think more private school students would understand dress etiquette.

"Bunch of teenagers arriving at a posh restaurant dressed like this? I think we'd be turned away on sight." Hawke says with a grin, "Let's put it to the vote, Le Bernadin or just a pizza joint? I know a good one in the mall." He looks towards Chiharu, nodding to remind her of the late-night trip to the city a few months ago.

"The latter probably wouldn't mind inebriation."

"I don't think it should be decided by us really. This all is supposed to be for Motozaki, we should allow her to decide."
<Hopefully her opinion won't be easily swayed by the others>

Well, it has been a while since I've had a nice evening out.
Then again, I'd probably be able to enjoy hanging out with everyone at the pizza place too.

"I agree, this is Motozaki's choice," he said after a moment.
His deep, confident voice was a more-than-capable second to Chiharu's statement.

"I think we should at least try our luck at the restaurant first," says Sayuri. "If they turn us away, we can always head to a pizza parlour or something instead."

Kaim voiced his agreement through his silence. His memories were nagging him and he was trying to avoid thinking about it. Alcohol and food hopefully would help. He checked the money he had given from his parents.
Yup, I got enough.

Toshiaki considered his own budget.
… and that makes… well, if I grab some cash from my room, I should be fine. I can afford one night out, after all.

"Sounds like a plan. All right then."

"Home to change, or...?"

This is gonna be good. Matsura seems to be a bit of a downer though. Toashi seems a bit uptight. I'm sure they'll came down... maybe.

I look down at my outfit.

Again, it is half-way there but not quite.

"Probably home to change if it isn't too much trouble..."

"I'll go ahead and call in the reservation."
They should have an opening by then. Or rather, one can be made.

He grabbed his phone and began dialing, putting on his best high-class Tōkyō accent.
"Good evening, sir. Yes, I would like to make a reservation… name of Endō… yes, I can hold."
Old connections pay off after all.
"That is correct… party of 10… 10 o'clock… thank you, sir. Good evening."

"Got it. Guess we lucked out," he said plainly.
Of course, Jitsuo would hardly know about a place like this. But it would be a family friend's recommendation, true enough.

"Looks like we did something good in our previous life." Kaim commented passively.

Sayuri allows herself a satisfied smile. "Excellent. Do we have time to go back and change, because I get the feeling some of us want to?"

"I'm fine with how I am."
At this rate I'll start drinking before we even get there... Kaim thought.

"Maybe, but a restaurant like this expects a certain standard of dress," Toshi said flatly.
"We should head back and change; we'll easily be there by 10 anyway."

I don't think I'm much good for dressing up properly for something. I can probably figure it out, though.
I don't have much money, though, and a restaurant that expects people to dress to a certain standard will probably do similarly with payment.

Maybe this was a bad idea...

I will, in fact, have the chance to turn back. That's not something I expected, but I'm not actually sure that I like being given a decision like this again.

Toshi noticed Kimura's nervous expression and could guess well enough what the issue was. Having his phone in his hands, he quickly tapped out another message.

[If money's a problem, I'll cover it. No worries.]

Fortunately, he handled his savings well enough that he could afford to have a nice dinner out or spot a friend on occasion. He may not have come from the kind of family that could pay Yamaku's considerable expenses in full – thank the Hakamichi Foundation for that scholarship – but he was far from destitute.
That in mind, someone else being excluded from tonight's party because they couldn't afford it was the last thing he wanted.

Upon hearing that I have a message, I check my phone, just a confused as last time as to who could have sent me a message and why.
It's Endo again, offering to pay for the meal if I can't.

[I'll try to pay for some of it myself. Thank you.]

I smile as I send the message, only in part due to the pleasantly surprising act of kindness.
I just had a secret short conversation in a place filled with other people, and I find that kind of amusing.