My day had started like any other day. It was the middle of January, and outside there was only snow and biting cold. I stood at my post, the register for the CD section of Sir ReadaLot's, a popular bookstore chain. I flicked at my nametag; every day at work was so dull that one time I stacked a mini-fort using CDs. After a brief yawn, I looked over to see who came into the CD department. I usually don't pay too much attention to my customers unless they come to me with questions or recommendations. But something seemed very different about the five young gentlemen who came into my section of the store on this chilly day…
The first man I noticed had black and blonde hair, the blond running in a streak near the center. The way his eye makeup was placed made his eyes appear almost cat-like. His neck was marked with what looked like claw-marks painted on in black. He was dressed like a rockstar; in fact, all five men were dressed in a very dramatic manner. The second had almost shoulder length hair bleached a sandy blonde; his eyes decorated in a dark blue shadow. I wasn't sure what to make of his shirt, it was cut off on one shoulder. The two were talking, but were doing so too quietly for me to hear.
Next, in came two more individuals looking as strangely kept as the first two. This third gentleman had his hair worn in dark colors with very soft blonde highlights. His eye makeup wasn't quite so heavy, and although he wasn't smiling, he looked as if he were content with himself somehow. He was wearing an outfit that had plenty of ringlets and leather. The next man looked particularly youthful; his hair was brown, choppy, and layered in an unusual manner. His eyes looked worried for some reason. He was wearing a choker and a vest, and was carrying a cookbook under his arm. I wondered what the cookbook was for, but I suppose that everyone needs to know how to cook something in order to survive…
The last man to come to the CD section walked in by himself. He seemed a bit detached, as though lost in thought. I admired his hair for a moment, streaks of blonde and brown, with something resembling a mohawk along the top. His eye makeup was soft on top, and a bit heavier in the bottom corners. His eyes had a look of longing, like he desired more out of life but he didn't know quite what it was or where he would find it. He was dressed rather plainly than the others; a black shirt and vest with barbed wire print; he had on a pair of white pants with black barbed wire print to match. I wasn't quite sure why, but I felt a little nervous when I noticed this one, something about him lit a spark in my soul. What caught my curiosity the most, however, was the strange bandana –like cloth he had covering his nose. Why was he wearing it? Did he have a cold? Did he even have a nose? I guess it doesn't really matter.
"Hey, Ruki!" The shout brought me back to my senses. The second gentleman addressed the first one by that name; Ruki. I quickly committed it to memory. The two started talking, and I tried to listen. I could only understand a few words and phrases here and there; they were speaking Japanese. I understood the gist of their conversation. They were looking for Cradle of Filth's "Thornography" CD. I walked over to them, my gate swift and brisk. Trying to look my best, I flipped through some CDs and picked out their selection. I held it out to Ruki. "Is this what you're looking for?"
"Wakarimashita? …Arigatou Gozaimasu" was the response I received. They probably weren't expecting me to know enough Japanese to be helpful; these guys were in the middle of Michigan, after all. I nodded to them. The fifth gentleman, the one who looked so lost a moment ago, looked at me and motioned for me to come. Blushing slightly, I approached him cautiously. He asked me in the best English he could muster if we had any of the Sex Pistols' rare recordings. My face softened, and I shook my head. I felt so terrible! I motioned for him to follow, and I guided him to my register. Using the computer at my desk, I showed him that we could special order it. He gave me his information so that we could place an order. "Reita…what a cute name," I thought to myself as we finished the transaction. I noticed the address he was sending the CD to was in Suginami, Tokyo. As much as I was crushing on this individual, I probably would never see him again. Still, I couldn't help but try to make conversation…
"I like the Sex Pistols; they are very good." I said it softly; the other gentlemen probably didn't even hear me speak. Reita nodded and half-smiled. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how to express it. We stood there; he was staring at me and my face was turning beet red. The youngest of the men came over and said something I didn't understand in Japanese. Reita laughed and gave the young one a playful shove. The baby of the group held out his hand to me. "Kai desu. Reita ga (some word I had never heard) desu yo!" I shook his hand and half-nodded. Reita was glaring at Kai, but he didn't look too angry. Maybe it was because I didn't understand Kai. Confused, I looked down toward the carpeting in the store. I didn't know what else to do at this point.
Kai ran over to the others, "Uruha! (Something in Japanese; I know he said for his friend to come see something.)" I sighed; the man with the sandy blonde hair came over to see what was going on. As he passed by the third individual, he whispered "Aoi" and motioned for him to come, too. Before I knew it, there were five strange Japanese men looking at me. They were discussing something, but I didn't know what. So many questions ran through my head. Where is my manager? Did I leave the stove on this morning? What are these guys going on about?
Ruki said something; everyone agreed except for Reita. Reita said something similar to "shut up" and something about Kai's face. Kai didn't take to it well. He said something similar to a retort, I heard the words "hai" and "kanojo" . I was getting way too frustrated trying to figure it all out. I went back to my desk and took a seat. I decided to start processing some orders and ignore them. Unfortunately, that did not last long. Uruha came up to me and asked when I get off in broken English. I was only in for another half an hour, and I told him so. He rushed back over to the others, and more Japanese poured out of their mouths. Suddenly, Ruki rushed off. I didn't care where he went off to at this point.
I continued to process paperwork from my desk, taking random peeks at Reita as I did so. I am not very stealthy, however, and Kai noticed me trying to get a good look at Reita. "Look!" Kai cried out; he then proceeded to point out my attempts to get a good look at Reita. Reita turned, and as he did so, I looked back at my papers. Then, Reita called Kai a baka, and Kai called Reita a bonkura. Their childish argument seemed endless. Ruki returned to my department, but…he brought my manager with him! My manager came to me, told me to go ahead and clock out early, and took my spot at the desk. Ruki motioned for me to come, and I followed the group of gentlemen out to the front of the store.
Once there, I asked what was going on. The guys wanted me to come with them somewhere. Although I normally don't accept rides from men I had just met, I had a really good feeling about these guys. I hopped in their rental car, and they took me to a nearby hotel. The guys said they had been staying in a room here for two days, and would be here two more. I didn't understand right away why this was relevant. During the ride, I was sitting on the driver's side in the back; Reita had chosen to sit next to me. Or maybe it was coincidence. I tried not to let my feelings show. He kept trying to talk to me about mundane things, I could only mumble and look away. My face felt hot, my hands were clammy, and I tried to keep the graphic mental images in my head; there was no reason to pursue someone I would never see again.
Once in the hotel room, Aoi and Ruki sat down on one of the Queen sized beds and began explaining who they were. From what I could understand, the guys are a Japanese band called the GazettE. They play a form of rock known in Japan as Visual Kei. That was about all I understood. Ruki was the vocalist, Aoi and Uruha play guitar, Reita was the bassist, and Kai plays drums. I told them that I sing a little and play guitar, and the next thing I know Ruki pulls out an acoustic guitar and asks me to play something. I made the proper tunings, and played "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana. I probably would have played something more impressive if I had thought that I could pull it off. I was much too nervous for something elaborate. The guys applauded; Kai said something and everyone laughed except for Reita, who only smiled a little.
The whole situation felt slightly awkward. Four of the gentleman went into the adjoining room, leaving Reita and I to ourselves. I went to a chair in the corner of the room and took a seat. I tried to pretend that I was the only one in the room, but then, Reita spoke; he simply said "I like you". I didn't know what to say to that so I just said "Arigatou." Even if I wanted to say something else, I would have choked on those words. Reita came over and gave me a quick hug, which was surprisingly gentle for someone with so much muscle. I stood, looked him in the eyes, and found sincerity and sweetness staring back at me.
My eyes fell; I found myself looking at the hotel room's carpet this time. Aoi came in the room; he said "Summimasen", grabbed his jacket and walked back into the other room. I asked Reita what they were up to in the other room. Reita motioned for me to follow. We joined the others and found Kai was playing Guitar Hero III on medium. Reita told me that Kai had only been playing for three days. I asked for a go, and shocked them with a 98 percent on "Through the Fire and the Flames" by DragonForce on hard. When they asked how long I owned the game, I replied "I don't". Uruha then asked if anyone had any vodka. I told Reita that I don't like to be around others when they drink. Kai must have heard me; he said "I only go for ringo juusu…no wait, appuru juusu!" Reita told the others he would sit this drinking session out; he didn't want me to have to go home yet, and he didn't want me and Kai to be the only sober ones around.
As Uruha opened a bottle of Smirnoff, Reita led me back to the room we had been alone in before. He could see I was tired, and I could tell he was also. He pulled back the covers on one of the beds, handed me one of his robes, and told me I could take a nap if I wanted. I went into the hotel room's bathroom and got dressed. When I came back out, I found that Reita was lying in the bed in a wife beater and boxer shorts. I walked over to the bed and let down my hair. I climbed into bed, being careful to do so without looking provocative. Reita set the timer on his cell phone, wrapped his arms around my waist, and fell asleep within five minutes. Our nap was entirely uneventful.
Before I knew it, I heard the buzzing of Reita's cell phone alarm going off. I mumbled and wriggled my way out of his arms. Adjusting my robe, I took a look around. Kai was sleeping in the bed next to ours, Ruki was dead asleep on the floor, so Uruha and Aoi were in the adjoining room. Reita growled softly and turned off the alarm. I looked at the clock in the hotel room. It read 2:30 AM. I stood, stretched, and put my clothes back on. Reita grabbed the keys to the rental car. We walked out to the vehicle; the air was cold and I shuddered. During the drive, Reita asked me what we were to do about our situation. I sighed; to be honest, I really didn't know if we really had a choice. It is, after all, a fourteen-hour flight to Japan. Reita told me to open the glove compartment. When I did so, I found what looked like an all-access pass to a concert. Reita told me that the band was playing in town tomorrow night and that each member had been given an extra pass to give to someone special. Reita picked me…He…picked me! I blushed; it seemed we were moving along quite quickly, but I could tell Reita's intentions were pure. I mean, it was nearing the end of our first time together, and he hadn't kissed me yet. I was more than willing to take things at his pace.
He pulled into my work's parking lot. He asked if I was awake enough to drive home. I told him yes. Reita filled me on the details of tomorrow's concert. He said that the band would be arriving at about three, and that I could come as early as then. The concert itself wasn't scheduled to start until six, but there is a lot of preparation to be done. He told me that bis would be opening for them. I smiled and nodded; I had little idea that the two bands were labelmates and pretty good friends. Reita gave me a hug and told me good night, and I drove home.
Upon reaching my room, I laid down in my bed and closed my eyes. I wondered, "what will happen to me tomorrow? After the concert, will I ever see Reita again? Why am I so attached to this man when I just met him?" Without an answer to any of these questions, I had trouble falling asleep. My mind was just reeling; I played out the scenarios in my mind. I hoped that tomorrow night I wouldn't have to say goodbye for good…