After the 4th period ended, someone grabbed my arm in front of the crowded school gate. When I stopped and turned around, a friend was peering into my face with a smirk.

"Hey, come hang out with me for a bit after this."

*"Come on, it'll be quick. A senior from the club gave me a coupon for that izakaya in front of the station. I won't say it's totally free, but it'll be so cheap it might as well be!"

Saying that, they pushed me forward forcefully, and I headed toward the station nearest to the university without finding a chance to refuse. We stepped through the noren curtain of a cheap chain izakaya on the second floor of a building in the bustling shopping district. The shop was filled with noisy heat and the smell of oil.

Guided by the staff, we headed toward a semi-private sunken hearth seating area in the back of the shop.*

*"Yeah, the seats in the back."

The moment I took off my shoes and stepped through the curtain, my feet came to a dead stop.

At the sunken table, several flashy-looking male and female college students I didn't recognize were already chatting happily with glasses of soft drinks and sours in their hands. Plates of french fries and edamame sat on the table.

Noticing Guest freezing up, the friend flashed a sly grin without a hint of guilt and gave my lower back a firm shove.

"Sorry, I didn't mention it, but this is a mixer."