"I need a new challenge."
It was a beautiful day and as usual Hitomi Kanzaki was thinking about making new music. Everywhere she looked she tried to look for new inspiration but was coming up empty. It was like her well was dry.
Hitomi was a musician. A very sought after musician at that. She had played in various symphonies, had many solos, travelled, and basically had the life that any person in the music industry would want.
Mostly she was in the classics genre as a violinist. And she loved what she did... Mostly. Now her big problem was finding something new. She still loved playing her violin but there were only so many times that she could play Bach's Air on G String and not feel bored.
She sighed as she decided to abandon the walk that she was on and go back home. She wasn't finding what she was looking for here in the park, and doubted that she would any time soon.
When she returned to her apartment, it didn't look very homey, which is why she had left for the walk in the first place. She had been on tour for the past six months and having just moved into the place before she left, it still felt strange and not quite home yet. It was lacking her personal touches and was looking sparse in terms of furniture as this apartment was bigger than the one that she had lived in before.
Hitomi had just plopped down on her couch, contemplating turning on the TV, when her phone rang. She reached for the cordless which was conveniently in front of her on the coffee table. She glanced at the caller ID quickly and noticed that it was her friend Yukari.
"We're going out tonight."
Hitomi had barely gotten out her customary, 'hello,' when Yukari had verbally accosted her. "Uh, okay?"
"Well, now that you're back from that tour, you can enjoy a night out with your friends, and I won't take, 'no,' for an answer." As usual, Yukari was being her pushy self. Normally, Hitomi didn't really like going out to clubs and the bar scene. She would like to sit at home, especially since she had to travel a lot.
"I don't kn-" She was interrupted by Yukari before she could even finish her thought.
"You're coming out. I haven't seen you in months," she said. "Plus, it's the opening of Amano's club. It'll be fun."
Amano was Yukari's fiance. They had been a couple since high school, and Hitomi had been friends with them for just as long. There was a point in their friendship when she thought that she was attracted to Amano, but it passed as most infatuations tend to.
Hitomi knew that there was no getting out of going to the club now. The fact that it was the place that Amano and his brother had put together kind of cinched it for her. They were in development when she had left, so it seemed like a stroke of good luck that she was going to be able to attend the opening.
"Alright, I'll be there." Yukari was beyond excited. She rattled off the address for the club and assured her that she was going to be on the 'list,' whatever that meant.
She hung up the phone and collapsed on her bed, having moved to her bedroom over the course of the conversation. She turned her head over to look at her closet and groaned. She didn't even know if she owned anything that would be even remotely okay to wear to a club opening.
She rolled off the bed and went to the closet. It was time to find something suitable to wear.
It was about ten o'clock at night and as Hitomi walked to the busy bar she could hear the pounding of the bass from down the block. She didn't think anything of it when, she was just trying to get to her friends and try to have a nice evening.
She probably took way too long to find something that she deemed suitable to wear to the opening. Most of the contents of her closet were for concerts, overly formal, or just something she would lay around the apartment in, overly relaxed. She didn't quite own anything that fit in the middle. So Hitomi ended up going to the women's clothing store in the local mall for a new dress to wear out for the night. The saleswoman at the store had somehow talked her into buying the black mini-dress that she was wearing. Under normal circumstances she never would have bought it for herself, but the clerk cited something like, "all women should have some sort of 'little black dress' in their closets." Hitomi just rolled with it and got out of there as quickly as possible.
As she approached the club, she noticed how long the line to get in was. Apparently the opening was high anticipated and Hitomi couldn't help but be really happy for her friends.
Hitomi was standing around, looking for any sign of Yukari or Amano, and so far she was coming up short. She groaned, inwardly. Yukari had said that she would meet Hitomi outside the club and so far, she hasn't shown up yet. Sometimes the woman could be a little on the flakey side, so Hitomi didn't think too much into it.
She began to make her way to the end of the line. If Yukari wasn't going to meet her, she might as well try to get in the conventional way. She noticed someone making his way over to where she was. Normally she wouldn't really think anything of it but it seemed like he was looking right at her. Hitomi couldn't help but think that he was quite attractive. He was dressed casually in dark coloured jeans and a dark shirt.
The mystery man came to stand beside her, and he seemed a little out of breath. "Please tell me you're Hitomi Kanzaki," he said.
Hitomi gave him a puzzled look and nodded, "Yes, I'm Hitomi." She didn't know what to think. How did this guy know her name? Who was he?
"Oh, thank god." The mystery guy heaved a relieved sigh and grabbed Hitomi's wrist, "Come on, you're friends are over this way, in the club."
Hitomi was beyond confused and he stubborn nature kicked in when she refused to move an inch and go anywhere with this person. "Excuse me, but I have no idea who the hell you are," she pulled her hand out of his grasp when he stopped, looking more than a little shocked with her.
"I'm Van," the dark-haired man explained, "Yukari gave me what can only be explained as a vague description of what you look like and sent me out here to find you." He smiled awkwardly, "So, yah... That's about it."
Hitomi couldn't help but smile back at him. "Yukari got into the wine a little early didn't she," Hitomi quipped. She watched as Van seemed to relax and laughed a bit at her attempt at a joke.
"You could say that," he said, "Come on, we can get in over here." He nodded toward the front entrance and where the line started. He didn't move to take her hand again, and Hitomi followed along a few steps behind him.
When they reached the front of the line Van went and said a few words to the bouncer, that Hitomi couldn't hear, and the next thing that she knows, she's being led into the club.
The space for club was fairly large, or at least seemed that way because it was very open, like the entire room was supposed to be the dancefloor. There were some tables around, so you could set a drink down, or rest from dancing. It was definitely supposed to be a dance club. There were coloured lights blinking to the beat of the music that was playing. There was already a bunch of people out dancing in the middle of the room and one of them was Yukari.
Hitomi waved to her friend to try to get her attention, as the music was quite loud. Yukari was 'in the zone' as Hitomi liked to call it. Of the two of them, Yukari liked to go out clubbing, if only just to dance. It took a little while, but Yukari looked up and started to make her way over to where Hitomi was standing. Hitomi turned to thank Van for helping her out, only to find him gone.
"It's about time you made it lady!" Hitomi smiled at her friend, she could tell that Yukari had a few drinks before. "Come on, you have to come and dance!"
Hitomi liked dancing. She liked dancing at home where no one could see her not in public. As a musician she did have a natural rhythm, but she didn't like people watching her too much, which she found kind of ironic. In the past if she was going to be dancing at the bar, she would have to have some sort of alcohol in her system.
She knew, though, if she didn't dance then Yukari was going to hound her for the entire night.
"I'm going to get a drink," she yelled. Yukari gave her the thumbs up letting her know that she was heard and understood, and Hitomi took that moment to move to where the bar was.
The bar itself was lined with people trying to get their drinks. Hitomi managed to find a space at the bar and watched as the two bartenders were working to get in the drink orders.
As she was waiting she heard someone come over the loudspeaker to announce a new DJ. "Give it up for DJ Fanel!" Hitomi only half paid attention the music that was playing before but now, she was fully aware of the beat, the drops, and just everything. She didn't really listen to a lot of dance music that was played in clubs, but this was really good. She had a feeling that it was a mix made by the DJ, and if it was then whoever it was, was quite talented.
The song was still playing when Hitomi got her drink and as she listened to it she got the best idea for new next project. There had to be a way that the two styles could meld together. She was slowly getting excited about this project and she hadn't even really started anything yet. She made her way through the crowd to where she could see Yukari and her other friends. Hitomi decided that she was going to have a good time tonight and begin research how she was going to accomplish her new task tomorrow. For now she went into the middle of the dance floor with Yukari, forgot about anyone watching, just danced and immersed herself in the music.