Chapter One: Jobless and soon to be Useless
"It's not your fault that your attractive but I must admit, it's your fault that we're now homeless," –Inui Sadaharu
"Why do I have to work even on weekends?" the man mumbled annoyingly to himself as ray of sunlight hits his eyes from his open windows. He stretched his hands to reach the table beside his bed and picked up the glasses lying neatly on it. He put it on but removed it once again remembering that he still hasn't washed his face.
After washing his face he decided to prepare the breakfast first before taking a bath and then going to work and so he cooked a breakfast for two as silently as possible so that he won't wake up his roommate. By the time he was done preparing the food on the table, another man entered the dining area. The man wore thick glasses that one cannot even see his eyes; he has this unkempt jet-black hair and good body figure that he himself actually does not even know of. He was currently holding the laundry basket and was about to throw it all out in the washing machine.
"Ah Tezuka good morning, I thought you don't have any work this weekend?" Inui greeted him and asked him at the same time. Tezuka sat on the chair and sipped his coffee before answering the man with the laundry basket.
"The president wants me to submit the report today. I can't do anything about it though,"
The man fixed his thick glasses before leaving the kitchen to continue his laundry work as Tezuka ate his breakfast in silence. The apartment echoed remained considerably silent with the exception of the sound coming from the washing machine and Tezuka's faint footsteps as he takes his step towards the door.
"Inui," he called out. The man appeared in front of him, his arms still soaked in foamy detergent. He waited for Tezuka to speak.
"I'll be back by noon because today is also my payday and …can I ask you something?" Tezuka spoke, his voice raising a notch on the last part. Inui gulped hard sensing the worst scenario that may happen to him.
"Why was your experimental deluxe juice it placed on the milk carton?" he asked thinly. Inui froze for a moment realizing the mistake he had done when he ran out of flask in his laboratory.
"I, uh… will try to get rid of it as soon as possible," he said hastily. Tezuka turned around and open the knob of the door.
"No need…"
"Eh?"
"I drank it all by mistake and it taste like vinegar with a tint of horrid soy sauce and it felt slimy as it goes down my throat," Tezuka spoke nonchalantly as he describe it in details. Inui was left on the room dumbstruck.
"I hope he has a strong stomach now,"
"Excuse me madam, where is Akazawa-san?" I have important matters to discuss with him," Tezuka spoke in a forced polite way. He looked at the woman sitting across him; her legs crossed revealing a provocative part under her skirt. Tezuka refrained himself from glaring as he stood far from her as possible as the space could offer him.
"Ah so polite of you to regard me a madam… just call me by my first name, my husband wouldn't mind," she whispered in his ears when she approached Tezuka.
"You like this now, do you Tezuka-kun?" she said playfully as she made her advances and caressed his chest through the fabric of his shirt. She was about to touch Tezuka on his lower part when Tezuka snapped and pushed her away from him. The woman, wearing high heels that time, fell on the floor. Unfortunately, that was also the exact time when Akazawa-san entered his office.
"What happened?" he asked her wife as he helps her get up. The woman tried to hide the humiliation Tezuka shoved right on her face as she faked crying on Akazawa's shoulder.
"Yoshirou…he… he tried to rape me while you were not here,"
"What did you say?" Akazawa grabbed Tezuka on his collar and glared at him. Tezuka didn't even explain the matters seeing that there's only one thing going to happen.
"YOU'RE FRIED!!!"
"No, I mean YOU'RE FIRED!!!"
Nonetheless, Tezuka still bowed to Akazawa before he closed the door and cursed outside out of Akazawa's earshot.
"Fried huh,"
Tezuka walked towards his apartment's place looking defeated and utterly exhausted having no money to pay for the fare. But before Tezuka could even reach the floor of their apartment, he saw Inui outside the lobby trying to fix a couple of boxes with him.
"Why are you outside? And why are there so many boxes around here? Don't tell me—" Tezuka stopped in mid-sentence as he looked down on Inui with an intention to kill him.
"We don't have any more money that's a fact," Inui announced as if it was only the natural thing in the world, being kicked out of their apartment that is.
"It's true; it's actually partially my fault. My manager fired me a while ago,"
"Ah it's the tenth time already. The same thing always happen ne? It's not your fault that you're attractive but I must admit, it's your fault that we're now homeless,"
"You're the one to talk; you waste your money doing some crazy experiment in the laboratory you build in our apartment that's why the rent is so high compared to the other rooms!"
"Ah what's done is done," Inui said smoothly. Tezuka just glared at him for a silent response.
"Don't worry, I've already asked Oishi to let us sleep on their place for the moment, they've called the truck already so don't worry," Inui and Tezuka fixed their belongings as the truck came to pick them up.
"But Tezuka, I've been thinking…why not use that face of yours with something worth its value?" Inui suggested as his eyes glinted maliciously behind his thick glasses. Tezuka looked at him for explanation.
"You…what are you talking about?"
"Well you could be a strip dancer, the amount they'll pay you is quite high, maybe you can also work as a host at the club near—"
Tezuka didn't even let Inui finish his sentence as Inui fell on the ground after receiving Tezuka's deadly blow.
"Please put his body beside the boxes too," he requested the people helping them move.
"Hoi, hoi! Oishi!! Tezuka-chan and Inui-chan are already here!!" a bouncing hyper-active red headed guy whooped in air. He dragged Tezuka in the living room as Inui followed them silently, too afraid of Tezuka.
"I'm sorry for Eiji's behavior, here have a seat both of you," he offered. He quickly glance at the two of them and looked at Inui twice making sure he's not just imagining.
"Is that blood running out of your nose?" Oishi asked incredulously.
"Uh yeah," Inui mumbled uncomfortably. Tezuka's hardened gaze at him was gone now and was looking around at Oishi's house.
"Here, put the icepack on your swollen face you look horrible,"
"Oishi, I apologize for disturbing your peaceful home like this, barging like barbaric barbarians that has no place to go,"
"Te-Tezuka… what's with the barbarian thing?" Oishi whispered and laughed nervously. Tezuka spoke somewhat in a commanding voice.
"Rest assured, we'll take full responsibility of sharing the rent here," Oishi shook his head smiling.
"It's really alright, I don't pay rent here. My parents bought it a long time ago and left it to my care now,"
"Well then at least let me look for a job to help you with the things you need on this house," Tezuka offered.
"Well that's alright, I'll help you look out for a job. I'm currently working at Oshitari-san's firm and I could ask him if he has some connections needing for a job,"
"Thank you for your support Oishi,"
"Well then enough of the melodrama! Let's watch TV for tonight! I want to watch a live telecast concert," Eiji squealed in delight as he hopped on the sofa and reached for the remote control and choose the channel he wanted to watch. Oishi and Tezuka settled themselves on the sofa as well. Inui walked on the kitchen area to prepare for some coffee.
"What are you watching Eiji-kun?" Oishi asked lightly as he takes the cup Inui offered to him. Tezuka and Inui seemed to be engaged in a conversation.
"Hm, tonight is Fujiko's live performance at the Tokyo Dome so I want to watch it before the program even starts!"
"Ah, is that so," Oishi laughed pleasantly seeing Eiji's excited face. The program started after the commercial break and Eiji was already squealing along with the audience from the concert.
"Wah! Eiji not so loud! You'll inconvenience the neighbors," Oishi said persuasively but his words didn't seem to reach Eiji's ears as he looked starry-eyed on the TV. Oishi sighed in defeat and watched the T.V together with Eiji. Oishi stared at the screen and blinked. He thought he had seen a pure being descending from the stage—though obviously in truth the person is only tied into a harness. He has this slim, fragile figure and long slender legs his arms long and delicate too, his hazel brown hair dangling just above his shoulders and eyes that seems to depict the color of the endless sea. His face held an eternal smile—the smile which made the audience ballistic and mad.
"Wow, he looks even more mesmerizing," Eiji commented as he sighed in delight watching Fuji finally on the stage and carefully removing the harness.
"I can't deny that he's dazzling," Inui spoke all of a sudden startling the two of them. Inui focused his gaze on the screen and the three of them watch Fuji sing on of his songs.
Without asking for the true reason of sadness,
I tightly held you,
The moon's light illuminated you
I simply invited the love
It's painful I can't sleep.
The fact the you were crying in a glimpse
Just when did I realize it?
Were you simply lonely? Is this feeling a fragile dream?
Don't say anything more than that.
If I love, I'll be hurting as much as I love
My thoughts have lost their life
Even though everyone wishes for love,
They keep on passing by each other.
You are the same,
It's painful isn't it?
Don't cry. No one blames you for loving someone
No one can stop the feelings of becoming to love someone;
I'm like that too so
It hurts that you can't slip away.
If I love, I'll be hurting as much as I love
From tomorrow onwards, what should the both of us do?
What repeats is the days that haven't changed for the better
You have to walk but…
I want you to know that I want to be by yours side.
-"Secret Sorrow" from X/1999
The show was cut off by another commercial and Eiji snapped out of his trance and suggested something exciting to his opinion.
"Oishi, I want to see Fujiko in person!! He'll have his autograph signing at his studio right? Please can we go can we go?" he pleaded or more like pestered Oishi.
"Alright, just keep your voice down, Inui will you also go with us?" Oishi looked at Inui for moral support and Inui agreed to it unwillingly too.
"Ah, Tezuka will go too right?" Oishi announced but stopped talking when he saw Tezuka already sleeping, his arm crossed on his chest.
"Ah, too bad Tezuka didn't even see a glimpse of Fuji, I pity him," Eiji said in a singsong voice.
"He'll see him someday Eiji,"
NEXT ON CHAOS AND COMPLICATIONS:
"Are you alright?" he offered his hand to help the other guy get up but the latter slapped it away. He tried to stand up by himself but staggered in the process. Tezuka held him firmly on his shoulder.
"I ask you once again, are you alright?" his voice more persistent and demanding.
"Just leave me alone please, I'm begging you," the guy pleaded as his thick sunglasses fell on the ground only to reveal a pair of melancholic sapphire eyes. Tezuka looked at him as if he knew him somewhere before. Just meters away from them, a panting man shouted on top of his lungs, looking at them angrily.
"FUJI!!!"
(--,') Tezuka and Inui engaged in a serious conversation.
"Why did you punch me a while ago?" Inui interrogated Tezuka.
"I just feel like doing so,"
"Well why don't you consider doing a stripper's job?" Inui insisted.
"Do you honestly want to die early Inui?"
"No, I just feel like doing so,"
"Why are you repeating my line?" Tezuka asked in the brink of snapping his vein.
"Well I mean I just feel like you know teasing you, heehee,"
"I'll poison you someday Inui, you just have to wait,"
