I hope all of you who read this are well. : ) Thank you for the reviews! I'm ecstatic that some of you found the first chapter to be worthy of reading and/or interesting. In effect, chapter two appears. Ta-da! Now, onward...
Chapter 2:
Wind whipped around his face, twisting loose strands of auburn hair wildly. Bright moonlight lit up his pre-destined path. Not as if he really needed moonlight to see. Strong strides that seemed fluid and effortless carried him briskly towards his final destination. The vast majority of those who brushed past him would never notice the slight tense form to the young man's shoulders, or the hint of a frown crease between his perfectly spaced, hazel eyes. Kaname Kuran was not happy.
You'd think being the owner of a conglomerate such as Kuran Corp. would come with its perks; including guaranteed car service whenever needed. Now, this has never been a problem in the past. If Kuran-sama wanted to be driven somewhere, it happened, no matter what. The story of today broke this everlasting mold. Kaname's usual driver came down with pneumonia and the luxury sedan that Kaname usually had the pleasure of riding in was "out of commission" according to his subordinates. "Of course, an alternative will be found immediately," some random underling sputtered nervously. While Kuran's patience-meter slowly dwindled. After waiting for the "alternative" for over forty-five minutes, the peeved youth stormed out of his upper floor offices to the pure dismay of all of his employees.
A meeting with numerous governmental figureheads should not be taken lightly. Although Kaname proved to be more powerful than every member of this "little" international meeting, Kuran Corp. couldn't control everything. Thus, tardiness could not be accepted. Of course, local mass transit provided the transportation he needed. Millions of people used the subways every day. The schedule and routes couldn't be that difficult. Well, so Kaname thought. Of course, he had never used the subway. The thought was preposterous but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Sleek shoes abruptly stopped. Wide, guarded eyes searched the complex subway schedule for his route. 8:45 PM. He had approximately nine minutes and twenty seven seconds to purchase a ticket and reach the platform: a feasible plan. Kaname twisted in a one-eighty (making sure none of the near-by humans noticed the too-quick motion) and grazed the sprawling, underground haven for the living average, hoping for a nearby ticket booth. There. Quick steps carried him to the dingy booth, where a young, blotchy faced boy rested his head sleepily in the palm of his hand.
When the boy did not raise his head to acknowledge Kuran, he impatiently rapped on the glass with his slender knuckles. "Excuse me," Kaname said. Even through the hustle and bustle, his voice penetrated the air, a dagger in the night.
"Wha…" the kid started, "Oh, sorry dude. Must'a dozed off. What can I getcha?" he drawled out. Kaname most certainly did not have the patience for this sort of lackadaisical attitude.
"I need one roundtrip ticket to Central Station at 8:45 PM," he bit out sharply.
"Cuttin it a little close, ya think?" the boy teased.
"Just tell me the cost! I have no time for such needless comments."
" 'Kay, chill dude. $7.50, there and back." Kaname silently remarked whether or not this would be considered a relatively reasonable fare in comparison, because he honestly had no idea. Not that it really mattered; he controlled an endless flow of cash. The internals of his wallet were always well endowed. Now, if only he could locate said wallet, everything would be…
"Ohh….damn it all," Kaname groaned in defeat. He left in such a whirlwind. He didn't even notice that his left pocket felt lighter than usual. While he rushed out of his office building, he failed to realize that his wallet and cell phone slipped out of his pocket. Both, at that point in time, were probably in the hands of his faithful assistant, Seiren. Three words blinked inside his mind. What. An. Idiot.
"Somethin' wrong?" Kaname covered his surely blushing face with his right hand while his left, albeit pointlessly, stayed deep inside his left pocket.
"Please excuse me for being so abrupt earlier. It seems that I have no form of payment at this point in time," Kaname mumbled dejectedly.
"Give him his ticket, Zach. I'll cover it," an anonymous voice sounded from behind.
"Oh, hey Zero! Could'n see you behind this guy. How ya' doin'?" the newly named Zach responded cheerfully.
"Peachy, thanks. But hey, this guy seems to be in a hurry, so…?"
"Oh, right. Well, here you go mister. Lucky for you this nice guy showed up."
"Lucky indeed," Kaname stumbled. Who would have thought? Such a kind gesture for someone he had never met in his life. Kuran looked into the face of his recent savior. He possessed such exotic looks. Too see this young man adorning the latest high fashion billboard in the city would not seem out of place. For his eye-catching looks, a most unusual cross between a frown and a smirk adorned Zero's face. His nearly translucent skin revealed a light pink tint that dusted his high cheekbones.
"If you don't mind, I'm sort of in a hurry myself," Zero said shortly. Kaname embarrassedly realized that he was staring.
"Of course, and thank you. I only wish I could repay you for you kindness," said Kaname.
"Not a big deal." With that, the boy with the violet eyes paid swiftly and stalked off towards his destination.
-
After one wrong turn, Kaname finally managed to locate Platform 3. Technically speaking, the clock showed one minute past the last quarter of eight o' clock. The doors to the subway stood open, though, so Kaname wasted no time in entering the faux-lit cab, lined with shabby, plastic seats. People who actually arrived on time occupied practically every available spot. Kaname pin-pointed an opening towards the end, directly across from a particular silver-haired boy.
Generally speaking, Kaname could turn on the charm like no other and make mindless conversation without really trying. At the core, his true nature leaned more towards the introverted and loner type. He didn't particularly enjoy being around others; often, although his poise covered for him, he felt uncomfortable and out of place among most people, even his peers. The fact that he would be forced to sit opposite of the young man who had just paid for his subway ticket, made Kaname believe that the less than ten minute subway ride had the potential to be quite awkward.
Kaname slipped into the open seat noiselessly, hoping not to attract unwanted attention, especially from the boy sitting across from him. Fortunately, Zero seemed to be enraptured by a daily newspaper that he picked up on his way to the station. Unfortunately for Kaname, Zero also had a keen awareness for the emotions of the people near him. Tools of the trade, he supposed. Without looking up from the newspaper, he could feel the discomfort rolling off the person opposite him in waves.
Kaname's heart lurched when a fierce gaze lifted from the print in front of it and decided that he would be its next target. A shapely, pale eyebrow rose in a questioning look. Well, Kaname thought, so much for the unnoticed part. He was caught.