As the chatter of the group increasingly started to sound like white noise, Aiko leaned against the plush back of the booth, hoping that her expression wasn’t betraying how utterly disinterested she was.

Her friend, Kaede, had begged insistently for Aiko to come to this mixer, claiming that she needed the courage because the man Kaede had been hopelessly crushing on from afar would be there too. So, to help her out, Aiko begrudgingly agreed.

But, despite the comfortable atmosphere of the pub, Aiko had been finding the night uneventful and fruitless. None of the others in the group had caught her attention and Aiko had resigned herself early on to sitting back, idly sipping her drink, offering small smiles and nods when necessary.

In fact, she was just considering leaving when a new voice broke into the conversation.