The night is young, why not have more fun?

With a light bounce in her step, Ann turned away from the chaos unfolding down the street and started walking in the direction of her home. She hummed a little tune to herself, swinging her purse at her side.

She made it about ten steps before her earrings shimmered again. Ann paused mid-stride, her foot hovering above the ground.

“Actually...” she said to no one in particular, a warm smile spreading across her face. “I don’t really feel like going home yet.”

She pulled out her phone, the screen illuminating her features in a soft blue glow. Her thumb scrolled through her contacts without any conscious thought, landing on a name she hadn’t considered an option earlier.

“Futaba!” Ann said, her voice brightening. “I should try to hang out with her tonight!”

She tapped the contact and brought the phone to her ear, already walking in the opposite direction of her apartment. The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered, sounding slightly muffled, as if Futaba had been caught mid-bite of something.

“Ann? What’s up? It’s kinda late.”

“I know, I know,” Ann said, grinning. “But I just got out of a movie and I’m feeling super energized. Wanna hang out?”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by the distinct sound of a chip bag crinkling. “Hang out? Like... outside? At night?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun! We can grab some snacks, maybe go to the arcade or something. You’ve been cooped up in your room all day, haven’t you?”

“How did you-” Futaba started, then sighed. “Okay, yeah, I’ve been in my room all day. Sojiro’s out, and I’ve been grinding this new game, but I hit a wall on the boss fight.”

“Perfect! Then you need a break! Where should we meet?”

Another pause. Ann could practically hear the gears turning in Futaba’s head, weighing the anxiety of going out against the appeal of spending time with a friend.

“...There’s a convenience store near my house that’s open late. They have soda floats right now. We could meet there?”

“Soda floats it is!” Ann said, already changing direction. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Don’t you dare bail on me!”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Futaba mumbled, though Ann could hear the hint of a smile in her voice. “Just... don’t make me wait too long, okay? You know how I get when I’m alone in public.”

“You won’t be alone for long. See you soon, Futaba!”

Ann ended the call and slipped her phone back into her purse, her pace quickening with newfound purpose. The cool night air felt invigorating against her skin, and she found herself practically skipping down the sidewalk. The thought of hanging out with Futaba had completely eclipsed whatever had been on her mind moments ago. Something about the redhead’s quirky personality always put Ann in a good mood.

As she walked, she passed a small group of people huddled around a phone, laughing and pointing at something on the screen. One of them glanced up at Ann, nudging their friend and whispering something. The other hurriedly locked the phone, and the group quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in the ground.

Ann paid them no mind, offering them a smile as went on her way, completely oblivious to the fact that the video they’d been watching featured a very naked brunette who had sprinted down the street just minutes earlier.

Ann felt a surge of warmth spread through her chest. Tonight had already been so much fun, hanging out with Makoto, and now she was going to hang out with Futaba. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of trouble they could get into together.