Make You Mine /// First Lie: Who am I?
Title: Make You Mine
Pairing: Akanishi Jin x Kazuya Kamenashi //Akame//
Genre: Romance, AU
Rating: PG-13 and up.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. I don't make profit with this.
Summary: The first impression counts and Kazuya's first impression of Jin is not the best. However, Jin is determined to get to know Kazuya - and Kazuya makes up a few lies, which suddenly become huge...
A/N: English isn't my mother tongue, but I've been living in the UK for quite a time, so I basically write and speak well. You're welcome to correct any mistakes, though. Of course.
Oh God.... Apparently, I am on another Multichap here. I didn't plan it like that, as always, I actually didn't plan much.... But this seems to be too much for a oneshot.
*gets bricked*
*head desk*
I hope you'll enjoy it! ♥
First Lie: Who am I?
“Hey there.”
Kazuya raised his head slightly, looking up from the glasses he was washing.
For over four months he had been working in this place now and it was actually the first time someone approached him.
He had never thought that would happen. After all, he didn’t work at the bar, serving drinks, wearing one of those pretty suits.
He had applied for a job here, because it had fitted his schedule at university - which didn’t allow him any jobs in the days. And working in a night club had seemed like the perfect solution.
Now, he wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
Running around this crowded place, picking up glasses, washing them behind the bar - it was a tough job and left him tired and exhausted in the days.
Kazuya gave the stranger across him a glance, before he looked at his hands again, washing the glasses. “Hi.”
“What’s your name?”
Why was it one of those drunk idiots hitting on him? Kazuya ignored it and just went on with his task.
“Hey!” The man leaned in, trying to drown out the loud music. “I’m talking to you.”
Kazuya just lifted his head again, giving the man a polite smile, before he turned and grabbed one of the beer crates to go for another round of collecting glasses.
He pushed through the masses of dancing and drunken people to get to every corner of the room and pick up empty bottles, some trash, glasses and whatever needed to be taken out.
When he came back to the bar, the stranger was still there, watching him.
It wasn’t anything, Kazuya could ignore and so he glanced at the stranger again and again, finding the man constantly watching him.
He didn’t even look good. His eyes were half-closed most of the time, his face round and his hair too long. In short, he wasn’t Kazuya’s type.
“You know”, Kazuya finally said, as he cleaned the counter of the bar space and emptied a few ash trays. “There are hundred good looking people in this room and you just keep watching the wash up boy.”
“Because the wash up boy has just the prettiest smile.” The stranger smiled, taking a sip from his glass.
Kazuya frowned slightly. He couldn’t remember smiling at the guy at all.
“Will you tell me your name?”
“You’ll have forgotten it by tomorrow anyway”, Kazuya answered.
The stranger apparently thought about it for a moment, then he nodded and gripped one of the napkins lying on the counter and pulled out a pen. “Write it down. And your number; I’ll call you.”
Kazuya gave him an amused look. “Why don’t you write your name and your number and I’ll call you?”
“Okay”, the man answered and leaned in, writing quickly, before he shoved the napkin into Kazuya’s direction.
“Thank you”, Kazuya said politely, hoping he was now off the hook.
“I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Kazuya just nodded; then he carried on.
Sometime later, he noticed the stranger had disappeared. With a relieved sigh, he threw the napkin into the bin, without having looked at it once.
He saw the guy in the very moment he came into the room.
It had been a week, since he had talked to Kazuya and he hadn’t shown up any night after that. Apparently, he was working during the week and thus, could only go out on weekends.
Kazuya had not thought he would recognise the guy, but it had been like his whole presence was drawing Kazuya’s attention.
Looking away, Kazuya ignored it. Of course he would pay attention to a guy who had hit on him before. That was only natural.
As he turned again, the guy stood at the bar, directly across from Kazuya.
“You didn’t call.”
It was difficult to make out his voice over the loud sound from the hip hop music playing. Kazuya frowned slightly.
“Ah. Yes”, he answered. “I forgot.”
“You’re not interested”, the man corrected him.
Kazuya had to admit that tonight, he looked a lot better than last week. His hair wasn’t as messy, his eyes clear and Kazuya noticed that his lips had a nice shape.
“Apparently, I am not”, Kazuya agreed.
“You have a boyfriend, don’t you?”
Kazuya blinked twice. As it was still early in the night, he didn’t have much to do and couldn’t excuse himself with work that needed to be done. He kept his hands busy by folding up some napkins. “What gives you that impression?”
“You’re not interested in me.” That seemed to be reason enough.
Kazuya frowned. “What if I had a girlfriend?”
The stranger smiled and leaned his arms onto the counter. “You’re not after girls.”
“I am not?”
“No, you’re into guys.”
Kazuya wanted to laugh, but it got stuck in his throat. What kind of guy was that? He just shook his head slightly.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?”
It was probably easiest to nod and say he had. Kazuya was about to do that, but something kept him from it. He swallowed once, sorted some glasses in front of him. “Yes, I do”, he answered eventually.
“In that case, I have to work hard on getting you interested in me.” The man smiled fondly.
Kazuya tilted his head lightly, gave him a confused look.
“So, what is your name?”
Having no idea, why the guy was that persistent about him, Kazuya looked at his hands again, folded napkins. “Nakamaru.”
The stranger nodded. “Somehow, that doesn’t suit you. Are we formal or am I going to get to know your first name, too?”
Kazuya started to like the game and knowing he made a fool out of that guy, he gave him a sweet smile. “You have to put some more effort, before I’ll tell you.”
Slowly, the room had filled with people and it got busier. Kazuya turned to do his job, ignoring the man for a while.
The bar was placed in the middle of the room, the dance floor around it. People gathered around the bar to take a break or just sit and talk for a while. Kazuya noticed the stranger changing sides, so he could watch Kazuya. He ordered a drink and didn’t take his eyes off for a minute.
When a girl approached him, he smiled at her coolly and Kazuya saw him pointing into his direction, saying a few words and she left again.
It left Kazuya gaping. The man gave him a wink, before he finished his first drink.
“So, Nakamaru”, the man said, after a few hours, as Kazuya cleaned the counter, “why are you working in a place like this?”
Kazuya couldn’t really hear him. It had been fun for a while, but that guy seemed a bit too serious about all this.
“Why not? It’s a good part-time job.”
“Aren’t you aiming for a full-time job somewhere?”
Kazuya shrugged. “No, I am fine like this. I can sleep all day.”
The stranger made a face of disapproval, but didn’t say a word.
New tactic, Kazuya planned in his head and shot him a glance. He just had to appear very, very unappealing and the guy would give up soon.
“I wouldn’t mind getting a job interview for you at the company I am working at.”
Kazuya smiled politely. “No, thanks. I like my life this way.”
“So, what’s your first name?”
Kazuya rolled his eyes and turned, ignoring him again.
He was gone a while later, as it was almost four in the morning. Kazuya scanned the room, but couldn’t make him out anymore.
Probably, this had been enough already and the guy had finally given up. But he should have known he was wrong with that assumption, when the stranger just popped up at the bar a while later.
Kazuya gave him a surprised look.
“What time do you finish today?” The man took his usual seat at the bar, watching Kazuya washing some glasses.
“Usually, at about seven.”
“And you start what time? Eleven at night?”
Kazuya nodded.
“That’s quite a shift. Aren’t you getting tired?” The stranger smiled at the barman, as he asked if he wanted to drink anything. “No, thanks, I am fine.”
Kazuya frowned slightly and waited, until the barman was gone again. “How can you endure this place without being completely drunk?”
“How do you endure it then?”
“I am working here, that’s different.”
The man shrugged. “Well, it’s the same reason for me: you are working here.”
Kazuya felt himself blushing and he turned quickly, taking a beer crate and disappeared into the crowd, doing his job. If someone saw him talking so long with a guest, it would definitely have bad influence on his reputation. After all, he was here to work and he had to do the job properly.
What kind of guy was he? Why was he so persistent about Kazuya? Couldn’t he just give in and finally leave?
Kazuya should probably just ignore him from now on, as paying attention to that guy just fired him on. Then again, everything Kazuya had told him so far had been nothing but lies, however.
When he came back to the bar, throwing out empty beer bottles and placing glasses to the wash up, he saw the stranger talking to someone; a blonde guy in black clothes and a black hat. He wore a lot of rings and looked rather dangerous to Kazuya.
He started washing the glasses, arranging them in a shelf and noticed his stranger threw him glances every now and then. Kazuya tried to hide his curiosity about the other man.
Now, Kazuya started to wonder who exactly he was. He had just thrown out that napkin with the number, without looking at it - he didn’t know a single thing about the man who was after him. That made everything even scarier and Kazuya turned away quickly.
“I need to go.”
Kazuya blinked at that; the statement made in a loud voice to drown out the music. He looked over his shoulder and saw the stranger and his friend standing at the counter.
Raising a brow, Kazuya nodded. “That’s none of my business, is it?”
The man smiled. “I’ll be coming back.”
“Don’t put yourself out on my account”, Kazuya said and stepped closer.
“Do you still have my number?”
“Why would I?” Kazuya frowned. “I told you I have a boyfriend, didn’t I?”
“In that case”, the man said and opened his wallet, got out a business card. “Keep this. You can drop by anytime to see me.”
Kazuya wondered what exactly that guy had not understood of everything Kazuya had said. “I...”
“See you, Nakamaru”, the man just said and raised his hand slightly, before he turned and walked off together with his scary looking friend.
Frowning, Kazuya took the card, looking at it.
Redline Hotels and Restaurants, he read and blinked his eyes twice, staring at the card. One of the most noble and expensive hotel companies in Japan and that guy worked there?
Kazuya found himself gaping, as he read on.
Akanishi Jin, Co-Manager.
“This is not true!”
Nakamaru fetched the card from Kazuya’s hand and grinned widely.
Kazuya shrugged and put his head to the table. It was ten minutes until their lecture would start and he was afraid he would just fall asleep. It was Thursday and he had worked all night. On mornings like this one, Kazuya realised that he couldn’t work every night. He had to cut it to every second or otherwise, he wouldn’t manage his studies.
“It is”, he answered his friend.
Nakamaru was slightly older than him and a really good friend. They had gotten to know each other at University, but since then, they had spent a lot of time together.
“He is a manager in that Hotel, I can’t believe it”, Nakamaru said and gave it back. “You should definitely meet him.”
Kazuya frowned. “No.”
“Can you even imagine...”
“I don’t care for his money or position”, Kazuya just interrupted Nakamaru. “He’s not my type.”
“I’ll google him.” Nakamaru got out his mobile phone.
Rolling his eyes, Kazuya adjusted his position and waited.
Nakamaru shrugged after a while. “Is this him?”
Kazuya looked at the picture. Dark brunette hair, brown eyes, sharp features, dangerous look - that was him. He just nodded.
“Well, he doesn’t look bad.”
“I’m not saying he looks bad. He’s just not my type.” Kazuya shrugged. “He looks like a troublemaker.”
Nakamaru grinned. “And as you’re one yourself, you decided it’s better not to date one on top of that.”
Kazuya remembered that he yet had to tell Nakamaru he had used his name. “About that...”
The room fell silent as a professor came in and Nakamaru gave Kazuya gesture that said later, so Kazuya just put his head back to the desk.
Apparently, he was in trouble.
He should have gone home to sleep. It was irresponsible of him to actually come here, but his curiosity had driven him.
Kazuya knew he shouldn’t be here, but when he entered the huge front lounge of the hotel, he forgot about it and could only stare.
He had never been in a place like that and suddenly, he felt greatly misplaced in his torn jeans, the dirty boots and the simple shirt.
“Welcome, Sir.” A Porter approached him with a gentle smile. “May I help you?”
Kazuya wanted to answer, but every word got stuck in his throat, right beneath that big, heavy lump.
“Sir?”
Kazuya bowed lightly and choked out a simple “Thank you, I’m fine”, before he moved on. He fled from that Porter in his uniform that looked more expensive than anything Kazuya could ever effort and just hurried into another lounge.
Gentle classical music was playing here and Kazuya stopped again.
What was he doing in a place like this?
He looked around the room, the dim light, the round tables with low armchairs and comfortable looking pillows. Only a few people were here, having drinks.
Kazuya spotted the bar at the other side of the room. The walls were dark brown, as well as the tables, the armchairs cream white and every here and there some gold shone through.
This place had style, Kazuya thought and went over. For once he wanted to be able to come to a place like this and feel that he belonged there.
He sat at a stool at the counter and looked at all the different bottles at the shelf. When a small door next to it opened and two men came in, he could hear their conversation.
“That one was no good”, one of them said. He had brunette hair and a gentle face. Kazuya assumed he was the bartender, as he wore a white shirt and black trousers, a white cloth tucked beneath his belt and a black bow tie around his neck.
The other one was a porter. “You can’t deny all of them.”
The bartender shrugged. “If none of them is good enough. I need someone efficient and smart here, not those lazy, slow lames.”
“But we need someone in this position; I can’t come and help out whenever it gets busy. I am a porter, after all.”
“Akanishi-san left it to me to pick a person and I won’t pick one that can’t keep up with Redline’s standards.”
The porter sighed and rolled his eyes, before he left.
As Kazuya noticed the bartender saw him, he pretended to be enfolded in his own thoughts and hadn’t heard a thing.
“I am sorry to have made you wait”, he said and smiled. “What may I serve you?”
“Eh...” Kazuya shrugged. “A coke?”
The man smiled and nodded, before he turned.
Kazuya watched him filling ice cubs into a glass and had to admit that even the way he poured coke into a glass had a significant elegance.
“Thank you for waiting.” The bartender placed the glass in front of Kazuya.
The music played quietly and Kazuya looked at his watch, noticed that it got busier in the bar, as it got later.
He watched the bartender mixing cocktails, pouring drinks and couldn’t hide his admiration. It all looked so professional and smooth and elegant, completely different from how those guys in the night club he worked at did the job.
This was a profession.
The bartender smiled at him, after a while. “Are you interested in these kinds of things?”
Kazuya jumped a bit at that and swallowed thickly, before he trusted his voice. “I am working at a bar, too.”
“You do?”
“Yes, but it’s completely different from this. It’s a night club”, he explained. “It’s not as classy as it is here. And I am only a wash up boy, however.”
The bartender gave him a thoughtful look. “What’s your name?”
“Kamenashi”, Kazuya answered. “Kamenashi Kazuya.”
"I’m Yamashita“, he got as an answer. “And I’m in the position of the head bartender.”
Kazuya didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded.
“If you have an interest in this, why don’t you apply for a position of a bartender here?”
“Excuse me?” He stared at Yamashita, blinking his eyes. “Me?”
“I am looking for a capable man right now and you seem to have experience and interest.” Yamashita shrugged.
“But I don’t fit this place. And I didn’t have any schooling for a job like this.”
Yamashita shrugged. “Well, I am probably just desperate, as I really have to find someone. I am sorry to bother you.”
Kazuya hesitated for just a second. “But...”
Yamashita turned back to him and smiled. “Yes?”
“If I hand in an application, would you really let me try?”
“I don’t need an application. How about you come here tomorrow night at six? I’ll give you instructions. You start at seven on a trial basis.”
Kazuya stared at him. “Is this a night job?”
Yamashita shrugged. “At times. When it’s busy. But usually it’s a seven to one shift.”
That sounded like heaven, Kazuya thought.
“I’ll be here.”
Kazuya was dead tired, when he started his shift in the night club on Saturday night.
The night before had went quite well, but it had been busy and they had only finished at about half past four in the morning.
He would have slept the day through, but he had to attend one class and a meeting.
However, it was worth it, because Yamashita had been very satisfied with him and was about to talk to his bosses to get Kazuya the position.
He would earn much more than he did here and still, had less work. That was what he had been looking for and he was just so close to getting there.
The only problem was Akanishi Jin.
If that guy showed up tonight again, Kazuya had to tell him the truth. After all, if it hadn’t been for him, Kazuya would have never ended up in that hotel, at that bar.
He would have never been offered that job. And Akanishi would be, in a way, Kazuya's boss; so he would find out anyways.
If he had an actual interest in his employees.
However, when he saw Akanishi coming into the room, he was too busy and for most of the night, he couldn’t let that guy catch his attention.
He felt like he run twice as much as usual, helping out with other things, doing his own job and keeping the bar clean.
Only, when it was about five in the morning, it got quieter and Kazuya got a moment to just relax.
“Seems like a busy night”, Akanishi commented. “I could help you relax later on.”
Kazuya really wasn’t in the mood for that right now, so he just gave him a tired smile and turned, taking a sip of his water.
It was shortly after six, when Kazuya finally left the club. Akanishi was gone by that time and he was kind of glad about that.
It had been his last night, from tomorrow on, he would work in the hotel bar - only on weekends. Kazuya bid one of the doormen a goodbye and shuffled down the stairs. He would have to wait for the next bus to get to a train station and that alone meant, he would need another hour, before he’d get home.
However, it was finally Sunday and he could sleep until afternoon, as he would have to finish an assignment only then.
When someone threw an arm around his shoulder, Kazuya jumped and held back a shriek.
“You look tired.”
Kazuya looked up at Akanishi and gave him a glare, before he fetched away from his hold. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve waited for you to finish.” Akanishi smiled and Kazuya hated how he could look so fresh and awake, when he himself most likely was a complete mess.
“I’m starting to get scared of you”, Kazuya commented.
Akanishi grinned and gripped Kazuya’s arm. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”
“That’s exactly why you scare me.” Kazuya tried to pull his warm from that grip. “I don’t want you to drive me anywhere.”
“Is anyone coming to pick you up?”
“Yes”, Kazuya answered instinctively.
“Your boyfriend”, Akanishi noticed.
Kazuya had almost forgotten that he had lied about that, too. “Exactly.”
“I’ll wait here with you.”
“No!” He pushed Akanishi away. “Mind your own business. Why are you doing this?”
Akanishi shrugged. “I’ve seen you and I wanted you. So, I’ll take what I want.”
Kazuya couldn’t answer for a good ten seconds. “Pardon?” He laughed slightly. “I’m not a piece of clothing!”
Akanishi shrugged. “Obviously not.”
Rich kid, Kazuya thought and rolled his eyes. “Well, you see, this is not how things are working. I am not something anyone could just take when they want it. I decide what I want for myself.”
He heard the sound of an engine from behind himself and with a shocked expression Kazuya turned. “Ah, crap! That was my bus!” He saw it driving off and sighed, making an annoyed face.
“So, after all, no one was going to pick you up”, Akanishi said.
Kazuya rolled his eyes. “I’ll just wait for the next one.”
“Let me drive you home”, Akanishi offered. “You need to rest.”
Kazuya knew he shouldn’t accept the offer, but he was tired and the next bus would only come in thirty minutes. “If it’s no bother for you, you could take me to the train station.”
Akanishi’s face lit up and he pointed at a black sports car at the car park. “Come on.”
Kazuya didn’t know how he had gotten into this, but he knew he shouldn’t complain, so he followed Akanishi.
“So, are you going to tell me your name now?”
Kazuya glanced at him, as he buckled his seatbelt. “Why?”
“Because I want to get to know you better.”
How could that guy sound so innocent and arrogant at the same time? Kazuya really didn’t get it. “I’m not interested in you.”
“Well, I am working on making you.”
For a moment, Kazuya hesitated. He could explain everything now; could tell him that he had lied about his name and that he had gone to Akanishi’s hotel and that he would start working there next Friday.
Instead, he heard himself answer: “Yuichi.”
Akanishi threw him a look and smiled. “Nakamaru Yuichi.” He tilted his head, thinking. “That name sounds too plain for someone like you.”
Kazuya looked out of the window. “Word!”
Akanishi laughed, as he pulled in at the train station. “ If your boyfriend’s too lazy to pick you up, I can take that job from now on.”
Kazuya stared at him and knew he wouldn’t see him again. He had lied too much already to be honest now.
“Thanks for the ride.”
He opened the door and got out.
“I come see you next week, Yuichi.” Akanishi winked at him. “See you then.”
Kazuya nodded. “See you then”, he answered.
It was supposed to be his last lie.
----------------------------------
Thanks for reading! ♥
Pairing: Akanishi Jin x Kazuya Kamenashi //Akame//
Genre: Romance, AU
Rating: PG-13 and up.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. I don't make profit with this.
Summary: The first impression counts and Kazuya's first impression of Jin is not the best. However, Jin is determined to get to know Kazuya - and Kazuya makes up a few lies, which suddenly become huge...
A/N: English isn't my mother tongue, but I've been living in the UK for quite a time, so I basically write and speak well. You're welcome to correct any mistakes, though. Of course.
Oh God.... Apparently, I am on another Multichap here. I didn't plan it like that, as always, I actually didn't plan much.... But this seems to be too much for a oneshot.
*gets bricked*
*head desk*
I hope you'll enjoy it! ♥
First Lie: Who am I?
“Hey there.”
Kazuya raised his head slightly, looking up from the glasses he was washing.
For over four months he had been working in this place now and it was actually the first time someone approached him.
He had never thought that would happen. After all, he didn’t work at the bar, serving drinks, wearing one of those pretty suits.
He had applied for a job here, because it had fitted his schedule at university - which didn’t allow him any jobs in the days. And working in a night club had seemed like the perfect solution.
Now, he wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
Running around this crowded place, picking up glasses, washing them behind the bar - it was a tough job and left him tired and exhausted in the days.
Kazuya gave the stranger across him a glance, before he looked at his hands again, washing the glasses. “Hi.”
“What’s your name?”
Why was it one of those drunk idiots hitting on him? Kazuya ignored it and just went on with his task.
“Hey!” The man leaned in, trying to drown out the loud music. “I’m talking to you.”
Kazuya just lifted his head again, giving the man a polite smile, before he turned and grabbed one of the beer crates to go for another round of collecting glasses.
He pushed through the masses of dancing and drunken people to get to every corner of the room and pick up empty bottles, some trash, glasses and whatever needed to be taken out.
When he came back to the bar, the stranger was still there, watching him.
It wasn’t anything, Kazuya could ignore and so he glanced at the stranger again and again, finding the man constantly watching him.
He didn’t even look good. His eyes were half-closed most of the time, his face round and his hair too long. In short, he wasn’t Kazuya’s type.
“You know”, Kazuya finally said, as he cleaned the counter of the bar space and emptied a few ash trays. “There are hundred good looking people in this room and you just keep watching the wash up boy.”
“Because the wash up boy has just the prettiest smile.” The stranger smiled, taking a sip from his glass.
Kazuya frowned slightly. He couldn’t remember smiling at the guy at all.
“Will you tell me your name?”
“You’ll have forgotten it by tomorrow anyway”, Kazuya answered.
The stranger apparently thought about it for a moment, then he nodded and gripped one of the napkins lying on the counter and pulled out a pen. “Write it down. And your number; I’ll call you.”
Kazuya gave him an amused look. “Why don’t you write your name and your number and I’ll call you?”
“Okay”, the man answered and leaned in, writing quickly, before he shoved the napkin into Kazuya’s direction.
“Thank you”, Kazuya said politely, hoping he was now off the hook.
“I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Kazuya just nodded; then he carried on.
Sometime later, he noticed the stranger had disappeared. With a relieved sigh, he threw the napkin into the bin, without having looked at it once.
He saw the guy in the very moment he came into the room.
It had been a week, since he had talked to Kazuya and he hadn’t shown up any night after that. Apparently, he was working during the week and thus, could only go out on weekends.
Kazuya had not thought he would recognise the guy, but it had been like his whole presence was drawing Kazuya’s attention.
Looking away, Kazuya ignored it. Of course he would pay attention to a guy who had hit on him before. That was only natural.
As he turned again, the guy stood at the bar, directly across from Kazuya.
“You didn’t call.”
It was difficult to make out his voice over the loud sound from the hip hop music playing. Kazuya frowned slightly.
“Ah. Yes”, he answered. “I forgot.”
“You’re not interested”, the man corrected him.
Kazuya had to admit that tonight, he looked a lot better than last week. His hair wasn’t as messy, his eyes clear and Kazuya noticed that his lips had a nice shape.
“Apparently, I am not”, Kazuya agreed.
“You have a boyfriend, don’t you?”
Kazuya blinked twice. As it was still early in the night, he didn’t have much to do and couldn’t excuse himself with work that needed to be done. He kept his hands busy by folding up some napkins. “What gives you that impression?”
“You’re not interested in me.” That seemed to be reason enough.
Kazuya frowned. “What if I had a girlfriend?”
The stranger smiled and leaned his arms onto the counter. “You’re not after girls.”
“I am not?”
“No, you’re into guys.”
Kazuya wanted to laugh, but it got stuck in his throat. What kind of guy was that? He just shook his head slightly.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?”
It was probably easiest to nod and say he had. Kazuya was about to do that, but something kept him from it. He swallowed once, sorted some glasses in front of him. “Yes, I do”, he answered eventually.
“In that case, I have to work hard on getting you interested in me.” The man smiled fondly.
Kazuya tilted his head lightly, gave him a confused look.
“So, what is your name?”
Having no idea, why the guy was that persistent about him, Kazuya looked at his hands again, folded napkins. “Nakamaru.”
The stranger nodded. “Somehow, that doesn’t suit you. Are we formal or am I going to get to know your first name, too?”
Kazuya started to like the game and knowing he made a fool out of that guy, he gave him a sweet smile. “You have to put some more effort, before I’ll tell you.”
Slowly, the room had filled with people and it got busier. Kazuya turned to do his job, ignoring the man for a while.
The bar was placed in the middle of the room, the dance floor around it. People gathered around the bar to take a break or just sit and talk for a while. Kazuya noticed the stranger changing sides, so he could watch Kazuya. He ordered a drink and didn’t take his eyes off for a minute.
When a girl approached him, he smiled at her coolly and Kazuya saw him pointing into his direction, saying a few words and she left again.
It left Kazuya gaping. The man gave him a wink, before he finished his first drink.
“So, Nakamaru”, the man said, after a few hours, as Kazuya cleaned the counter, “why are you working in a place like this?”
Kazuya couldn’t really hear him. It had been fun for a while, but that guy seemed a bit too serious about all this.
“Why not? It’s a good part-time job.”
“Aren’t you aiming for a full-time job somewhere?”
Kazuya shrugged. “No, I am fine like this. I can sleep all day.”
The stranger made a face of disapproval, but didn’t say a word.
New tactic, Kazuya planned in his head and shot him a glance. He just had to appear very, very unappealing and the guy would give up soon.
“I wouldn’t mind getting a job interview for you at the company I am working at.”
Kazuya smiled politely. “No, thanks. I like my life this way.”
“So, what’s your first name?”
Kazuya rolled his eyes and turned, ignoring him again.
He was gone a while later, as it was almost four in the morning. Kazuya scanned the room, but couldn’t make him out anymore.
Probably, this had been enough already and the guy had finally given up. But he should have known he was wrong with that assumption, when the stranger just popped up at the bar a while later.
Kazuya gave him a surprised look.
“What time do you finish today?” The man took his usual seat at the bar, watching Kazuya washing some glasses.
“Usually, at about seven.”
“And you start what time? Eleven at night?”
Kazuya nodded.
“That’s quite a shift. Aren’t you getting tired?” The stranger smiled at the barman, as he asked if he wanted to drink anything. “No, thanks, I am fine.”
Kazuya frowned slightly and waited, until the barman was gone again. “How can you endure this place without being completely drunk?”
“How do you endure it then?”
“I am working here, that’s different.”
The man shrugged. “Well, it’s the same reason for me: you are working here.”
Kazuya felt himself blushing and he turned quickly, taking a beer crate and disappeared into the crowd, doing his job. If someone saw him talking so long with a guest, it would definitely have bad influence on his reputation. After all, he was here to work and he had to do the job properly.
What kind of guy was he? Why was he so persistent about Kazuya? Couldn’t he just give in and finally leave?
Kazuya should probably just ignore him from now on, as paying attention to that guy just fired him on. Then again, everything Kazuya had told him so far had been nothing but lies, however.
When he came back to the bar, throwing out empty beer bottles and placing glasses to the wash up, he saw the stranger talking to someone; a blonde guy in black clothes and a black hat. He wore a lot of rings and looked rather dangerous to Kazuya.
He started washing the glasses, arranging them in a shelf and noticed his stranger threw him glances every now and then. Kazuya tried to hide his curiosity about the other man.
Now, Kazuya started to wonder who exactly he was. He had just thrown out that napkin with the number, without looking at it - he didn’t know a single thing about the man who was after him. That made everything even scarier and Kazuya turned away quickly.
“I need to go.”
Kazuya blinked at that; the statement made in a loud voice to drown out the music. He looked over his shoulder and saw the stranger and his friend standing at the counter.
Raising a brow, Kazuya nodded. “That’s none of my business, is it?”
The man smiled. “I’ll be coming back.”
“Don’t put yourself out on my account”, Kazuya said and stepped closer.
“Do you still have my number?”
“Why would I?” Kazuya frowned. “I told you I have a boyfriend, didn’t I?”
“In that case”, the man said and opened his wallet, got out a business card. “Keep this. You can drop by anytime to see me.”
Kazuya wondered what exactly that guy had not understood of everything Kazuya had said. “I...”
“See you, Nakamaru”, the man just said and raised his hand slightly, before he turned and walked off together with his scary looking friend.
Frowning, Kazuya took the card, looking at it.
Redline Hotels and Restaurants, he read and blinked his eyes twice, staring at the card. One of the most noble and expensive hotel companies in Japan and that guy worked there?
Kazuya found himself gaping, as he read on.
Akanishi Jin, Co-Manager.
“This is not true!”
Nakamaru fetched the card from Kazuya’s hand and grinned widely.
Kazuya shrugged and put his head to the table. It was ten minutes until their lecture would start and he was afraid he would just fall asleep. It was Thursday and he had worked all night. On mornings like this one, Kazuya realised that he couldn’t work every night. He had to cut it to every second or otherwise, he wouldn’t manage his studies.
“It is”, he answered his friend.
Nakamaru was slightly older than him and a really good friend. They had gotten to know each other at University, but since then, they had spent a lot of time together.
“He is a manager in that Hotel, I can’t believe it”, Nakamaru said and gave it back. “You should definitely meet him.”
Kazuya frowned. “No.”
“Can you even imagine...”
“I don’t care for his money or position”, Kazuya just interrupted Nakamaru. “He’s not my type.”
“I’ll google him.” Nakamaru got out his mobile phone.
Rolling his eyes, Kazuya adjusted his position and waited.
Nakamaru shrugged after a while. “Is this him?”
Kazuya looked at the picture. Dark brunette hair, brown eyes, sharp features, dangerous look - that was him. He just nodded.
“Well, he doesn’t look bad.”
“I’m not saying he looks bad. He’s just not my type.” Kazuya shrugged. “He looks like a troublemaker.”
Nakamaru grinned. “And as you’re one yourself, you decided it’s better not to date one on top of that.”
Kazuya remembered that he yet had to tell Nakamaru he had used his name. “About that...”
The room fell silent as a professor came in and Nakamaru gave Kazuya gesture that said later, so Kazuya just put his head back to the desk.
Apparently, he was in trouble.
He should have gone home to sleep. It was irresponsible of him to actually come here, but his curiosity had driven him.
Kazuya knew he shouldn’t be here, but when he entered the huge front lounge of the hotel, he forgot about it and could only stare.
He had never been in a place like that and suddenly, he felt greatly misplaced in his torn jeans, the dirty boots and the simple shirt.
“Welcome, Sir.” A Porter approached him with a gentle smile. “May I help you?”
Kazuya wanted to answer, but every word got stuck in his throat, right beneath that big, heavy lump.
“Sir?”
Kazuya bowed lightly and choked out a simple “Thank you, I’m fine”, before he moved on. He fled from that Porter in his uniform that looked more expensive than anything Kazuya could ever effort and just hurried into another lounge.
Gentle classical music was playing here and Kazuya stopped again.
What was he doing in a place like this?
He looked around the room, the dim light, the round tables with low armchairs and comfortable looking pillows. Only a few people were here, having drinks.
Kazuya spotted the bar at the other side of the room. The walls were dark brown, as well as the tables, the armchairs cream white and every here and there some gold shone through.
This place had style, Kazuya thought and went over. For once he wanted to be able to come to a place like this and feel that he belonged there.
He sat at a stool at the counter and looked at all the different bottles at the shelf. When a small door next to it opened and two men came in, he could hear their conversation.
“That one was no good”, one of them said. He had brunette hair and a gentle face. Kazuya assumed he was the bartender, as he wore a white shirt and black trousers, a white cloth tucked beneath his belt and a black bow tie around his neck.
The other one was a porter. “You can’t deny all of them.”
The bartender shrugged. “If none of them is good enough. I need someone efficient and smart here, not those lazy, slow lames.”
“But we need someone in this position; I can’t come and help out whenever it gets busy. I am a porter, after all.”
“Akanishi-san left it to me to pick a person and I won’t pick one that can’t keep up with Redline’s standards.”
The porter sighed and rolled his eyes, before he left.
As Kazuya noticed the bartender saw him, he pretended to be enfolded in his own thoughts and hadn’t heard a thing.
“I am sorry to have made you wait”, he said and smiled. “What may I serve you?”
“Eh...” Kazuya shrugged. “A coke?”
The man smiled and nodded, before he turned.
Kazuya watched him filling ice cubs into a glass and had to admit that even the way he poured coke into a glass had a significant elegance.
“Thank you for waiting.” The bartender placed the glass in front of Kazuya.
The music played quietly and Kazuya looked at his watch, noticed that it got busier in the bar, as it got later.
He watched the bartender mixing cocktails, pouring drinks and couldn’t hide his admiration. It all looked so professional and smooth and elegant, completely different from how those guys in the night club he worked at did the job.
This was a profession.
The bartender smiled at him, after a while. “Are you interested in these kinds of things?”
Kazuya jumped a bit at that and swallowed thickly, before he trusted his voice. “I am working at a bar, too.”
“You do?”
“Yes, but it’s completely different from this. It’s a night club”, he explained. “It’s not as classy as it is here. And I am only a wash up boy, however.”
The bartender gave him a thoughtful look. “What’s your name?”
“Kamenashi”, Kazuya answered. “Kamenashi Kazuya.”
"I’m Yamashita“, he got as an answer. “And I’m in the position of the head bartender.”
Kazuya didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded.
“If you have an interest in this, why don’t you apply for a position of a bartender here?”
“Excuse me?” He stared at Yamashita, blinking his eyes. “Me?”
“I am looking for a capable man right now and you seem to have experience and interest.” Yamashita shrugged.
“But I don’t fit this place. And I didn’t have any schooling for a job like this.”
Yamashita shrugged. “Well, I am probably just desperate, as I really have to find someone. I am sorry to bother you.”
Kazuya hesitated for just a second. “But...”
Yamashita turned back to him and smiled. “Yes?”
“If I hand in an application, would you really let me try?”
“I don’t need an application. How about you come here tomorrow night at six? I’ll give you instructions. You start at seven on a trial basis.”
Kazuya stared at him. “Is this a night job?”
Yamashita shrugged. “At times. When it’s busy. But usually it’s a seven to one shift.”
That sounded like heaven, Kazuya thought.
“I’ll be here.”
Kazuya was dead tired, when he started his shift in the night club on Saturday night.
The night before had went quite well, but it had been busy and they had only finished at about half past four in the morning.
He would have slept the day through, but he had to attend one class and a meeting.
However, it was worth it, because Yamashita had been very satisfied with him and was about to talk to his bosses to get Kazuya the position.
He would earn much more than he did here and still, had less work. That was what he had been looking for and he was just so close to getting there.
The only problem was Akanishi Jin.
If that guy showed up tonight again, Kazuya had to tell him the truth. After all, if it hadn’t been for him, Kazuya would have never ended up in that hotel, at that bar.
He would have never been offered that job. And Akanishi would be, in a way, Kazuya's boss; so he would find out anyways.
If he had an actual interest in his employees.
However, when he saw Akanishi coming into the room, he was too busy and for most of the night, he couldn’t let that guy catch his attention.
He felt like he run twice as much as usual, helping out with other things, doing his own job and keeping the bar clean.
Only, when it was about five in the morning, it got quieter and Kazuya got a moment to just relax.
“Seems like a busy night”, Akanishi commented. “I could help you relax later on.”
Kazuya really wasn’t in the mood for that right now, so he just gave him a tired smile and turned, taking a sip of his water.
It was shortly after six, when Kazuya finally left the club. Akanishi was gone by that time and he was kind of glad about that.
It had been his last night, from tomorrow on, he would work in the hotel bar - only on weekends. Kazuya bid one of the doormen a goodbye and shuffled down the stairs. He would have to wait for the next bus to get to a train station and that alone meant, he would need another hour, before he’d get home.
However, it was finally Sunday and he could sleep until afternoon, as he would have to finish an assignment only then.
When someone threw an arm around his shoulder, Kazuya jumped and held back a shriek.
“You look tired.”
Kazuya looked up at Akanishi and gave him a glare, before he fetched away from his hold. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve waited for you to finish.” Akanishi smiled and Kazuya hated how he could look so fresh and awake, when he himself most likely was a complete mess.
“I’m starting to get scared of you”, Kazuya commented.
Akanishi grinned and gripped Kazuya’s arm. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”
“That’s exactly why you scare me.” Kazuya tried to pull his warm from that grip. “I don’t want you to drive me anywhere.”
“Is anyone coming to pick you up?”
“Yes”, Kazuya answered instinctively.
“Your boyfriend”, Akanishi noticed.
Kazuya had almost forgotten that he had lied about that, too. “Exactly.”
“I’ll wait here with you.”
“No!” He pushed Akanishi away. “Mind your own business. Why are you doing this?”
Akanishi shrugged. “I’ve seen you and I wanted you. So, I’ll take what I want.”
Kazuya couldn’t answer for a good ten seconds. “Pardon?” He laughed slightly. “I’m not a piece of clothing!”
Akanishi shrugged. “Obviously not.”
Rich kid, Kazuya thought and rolled his eyes. “Well, you see, this is not how things are working. I am not something anyone could just take when they want it. I decide what I want for myself.”
He heard the sound of an engine from behind himself and with a shocked expression Kazuya turned. “Ah, crap! That was my bus!” He saw it driving off and sighed, making an annoyed face.
“So, after all, no one was going to pick you up”, Akanishi said.
Kazuya rolled his eyes. “I’ll just wait for the next one.”
“Let me drive you home”, Akanishi offered. “You need to rest.”
Kazuya knew he shouldn’t accept the offer, but he was tired and the next bus would only come in thirty minutes. “If it’s no bother for you, you could take me to the train station.”
Akanishi’s face lit up and he pointed at a black sports car at the car park. “Come on.”
Kazuya didn’t know how he had gotten into this, but he knew he shouldn’t complain, so he followed Akanishi.
“So, are you going to tell me your name now?”
Kazuya glanced at him, as he buckled his seatbelt. “Why?”
“Because I want to get to know you better.”
How could that guy sound so innocent and arrogant at the same time? Kazuya really didn’t get it. “I’m not interested in you.”
“Well, I am working on making you.”
For a moment, Kazuya hesitated. He could explain everything now; could tell him that he had lied about his name and that he had gone to Akanishi’s hotel and that he would start working there next Friday.
Instead, he heard himself answer: “Yuichi.”
Akanishi threw him a look and smiled. “Nakamaru Yuichi.” He tilted his head, thinking. “That name sounds too plain for someone like you.”
Kazuya looked out of the window. “Word!”
Akanishi laughed, as he pulled in at the train station. “ If your boyfriend’s too lazy to pick you up, I can take that job from now on.”
Kazuya stared at him and knew he wouldn’t see him again. He had lied too much already to be honest now.
“Thanks for the ride.”
He opened the door and got out.
“I come see you next week, Yuichi.” Akanishi winked at him. “See you then.”
Kazuya nodded. “See you then”, he answered.
It was supposed to be his last lie.
----------------------------------
Thanks for reading! ♥