[Yuri]

I woke up to the most horrible headache I’ve ever had in my whole life. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that I was in a foreign room. The walls were colored cream, the furniture white as coupon bonds, the floor held a smooth timber touch, and the ceiling glittered with something that makes it look like seeing tiny stars in broad daylight. I shifted in bed, shuffling inside the velvety blanket I was surrounded in. I came to realize, I was left wearing my white inside shirt from last night and a pair of pink shorts. My blue flannel and denim pants were nowhere to be seen inside the room. After a sudden epiphany, I held onto my chest, arms crossed, and realized that I waSN’T WEARING ANY BRA!!!! JUST WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I?!!?!

It was a herculean task for me to get up and see for myself my current location. Nevertheless, I painstakingly stood up and tried to find my center. Before I could take a step, a dog came rushing in from the door and ran towards me. It cutely barked and my bare feet. I couldn’t handle the preciousness of this lil’ munchkin. I stoop down slowly, to not trigger my nausea, and petted this white marble just as it wanted. God must be good, trying to cheer me up early in the morning after a terrible night. It stayed that way for a few minutes, just me and the adorable dog.

“His name is Prince.”

A girl who was wearing an oversized navy-blue shirt with her hair tied into a messy bun, leaning on the door frame with her arms crossed, informed me with a smile. I only looked at her for a second and shifted my gaze to Prince once again. It was morning, and I was also nauseous, I wasn’t in the mood to start an argument in this state. So, I kept my tongue and continued petting Prince.

“You probably feel queasy right now. I prepared breakfast for your hangover. If you’re not into digging into charred carbon crust, aka burnt toast, it would be best if you at least drink my cure for that.”

“I won’t touch any of that. Where are my clothes?” I unintentionally, rudely spoke. I guess being rude to her was the work of my instinct.

“Good morning to you too. God, aren’t you and my sister know how to darken a bright morning, huh.” She seriously… seriously said as she walked out away from my visibility.

Surprisingly, I felt guilty. I thought she and her sister were close and in good terms. It was strange, but I went after her and left Prince who was unaware of what’s currently happening, lying on the floor.

“Hey” I softly called after her.

“I have a name.” She grumpily said undetected from my vision. I tried to follow the sound.

“There you are.” I saw her holding a plate of burnt toast, about to slide it off onto the trash bin.

“WAIT!” I exclaimed with my stretch in front of me.

She stopped in her tracks, looked at me with one brow raised, and waited for what I had to say next.

“I was being overly rude. I’m sorry.” I looked at the floor, not wanting her to mistake this gesture as an acceptance of her presence.

“Definitely.” She replied sarcastically.

She placed the plate on the countertop, opened the fridge, and took out a tumbler that hid its content with pink glitters.

“Drink this, if you’re really sorry.” She handed me the tumbler without giving me a look. She went near the plate of burnt toast and sprang herself onto the countertop next to it. She took a slice and munched on it like a little kid with unsynchronized swinging feet. It was her house, I assume, but she continued scanning the kitchenette like it was somebody else’s property.

“Uhm… you’re eating burnt toast.” I pointed out.

She hummed as an answer, still munching on the brittle burnt toast.

“I can’t drink this without knowing what it is while you eat burnt toast like it tastes normal.”

She sighed and stopped eating. She placed her elbow on her thigh and swung the toast she had in hand at me while her free hand keeps on pointing the toast with her open palm.

“This. This does not taste normal at all. But since it works like a carbon water filter to my body, I eat it for internal cleansing after Nectar.” She reasoned out.

“What about this?” I shook the tumbler at her, likened to what she did with her toast.

“That is a personal hangover remedy that I came up with. Don’t worry, I already drank mine. It’s only salt, sugar, water, orange juice, and a bit of mashed banana. Ich sha lifeshaver, I’m chellin yhoug.” She explained with toast in .

I stood there awkwardly. I eyed the kitchenette just now since I was too caught up trying to have a normal conversation with this little devil who’s pretending to be a little kid. I saw my clothes folded neatly at the couch, it looks like she just had them cleaned. I didn’t like the thought of sitting down, then standing up after. The thought of it makes my head heftier. So, I went near her and leaned on the countertop adjacent to where she was sitting. I opened the tumbler and sniffed it suspiciously.

“I’m not trying to kill you, Yuri. You need salt and banana for electrolytes, orange and sugar for energy, and water for everybody knows what.” She impatiently explained.

I shook my head once. Looked at her with compressed lips. Sighed a deep breath. And took a swig of the drink.

“Gooood, right?” She was waiting dramatically for my response.

“Not bad.” I lied. It actually tasted a lot better than what I was expecting.

“Not bad?! What?!” She had her arms help her show how surprised she was. This woman literally makes everything dramatic with her arms and hands.

I laughed. Taking another sip of it, having in mind the faster I drink this, the faster I can go home.

“Uhmmm. Yuri?” She called out my name, with cheeks flushed, preventing her eyes to be on me.

“Yeah?” I raised my eyebrows for what she had to say.

“Uhm. Well, i-if… If you don’t mind. Could you kindly put on your flannel?”

I squinted my eyes since I didn’t know why she was acting this way… until it hit me.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME LAST NIGHT?!?!?” My face completely scarlet, my arms trying to cover any exposure on my body even while holding the tumbler in one hand, and my voice raspy due to the morning effect.

“YAH! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING I SWEAR!” She defended herself, both of her arms raised up, yep, with the eaten toast in one of her hands.

“THEN WHY AM I !??!?!”

“WHAT?!?! YOU’RE NOT!!!?”

“YAH!!! TIPANYA!!!!! GIVE ME BACK MY…” I shut my mouth up. I suspended my lower lip and frowned involuntarily. It would sound excessively awkward if I ask her about it.

“WAAAAAAH, Yuri-ah! Just give me a moment to explain!” She frustratedly requested.

This time, I bit down on my lower lip to suppress both my burning curiosity and humiliation. She took my silence as an approval to proceed in explaining. She was brushing off crumbs from her legs and hands, ready to jump off the countertop and get nearer to me, so before that happens, I gestured that she should stay seated there. She understood, thankfully.

“Do you still remember what happened in Nectar?”

“I-uhhh, I passed out I guess? It’s a bit blurry, despite of how embarrassing it sounds.” I instinctively rubbed the back of my neck.

“Hmmm. Well, you did pass out. Do you know what happened with the deal?”

“No. I don’t remember. Things just went blank, a moment after, I woke up in your bed. No bra, no pants, new shorts.”

She showed a miniscule sign of uneasiness when I mentioned the no’s. What a ert.

“It was our last glass. I went to clink glasses with you and have a final chug down to get things settled. I knew by the looks of it that you gulp harder. You were probably at least 10ml ahead of me.” Tiffany explained.

“So… what happened? Did I win?” I asked cluelessly.

“You… could’ve won. You choked on your drink. You, hehe, threw up on me.” Tiffany embarrassingly said. She felt it too, the humiliation.

I weakly leaned on the counter on my back, dropped my face down to be hidden by my hands for the heat I was feeling. Whew, I dug my own grave.

“Okay, so I passed out and you took me home. Wait. Wait a minute. Did you win, though? Or was the deal voided?” I looked up from my covering hands, searching for a silver lining.

She flashed an awkward smile.

“I finished the drinks in less than the agreed time limit.”