Sorry I didn't update last week, had a bit of writer's block. That being said, this chapter may not be completely up to par because of that. Try to enjoy anyway
When Izumi opened her eyes she couldn't place where she was at first. The light gleaming through the window was familiar and as she awoke more she remembered. She was at Elena's house, had been for a week now but she was really having a difficult time adjusting. Elena's house was huge; Izumi's room alone was bigger than any place she had ever lived in before. She rolled out of bed and into HER OWN BATHROOM! Living with Elena was like living in a dream, and Izumi wondered how long it would last. She showered and dressed in clothes that Elena had gotten her. She knew that these clothes were worth a lot and she vowed that she would find work and start paying her back for all her kindness.
She went downstairs to have breakfast with Elena before she went to school. After Elena left Izumi would go out and look again for a job and then go to the Host club.
"Good morning Izumi," Elena said, looking up from her meal. It never ceased to surprise Izumi how much food was in the house.
"Good morning Elena," Izumi said, sitting next to her friend and putting her bowl on the table that she had swiped from the kitchen. Izumi didn't like be waited on, while Elena insisted that she was her guest, Izumi was more comfortable doing things herself. Izumi poured herself some cereal and milk and dug in.
"Did you sleep well?" Elena asked, just as she asked every morning. Izumi wondered how anyone could sleep badly in that huge fluffy bed, but she never asked.
"Yes," she said, swallowing her food and nodding.
"I'm glad," Elena smiled and too another bite of her toast.
"Oh, hey, before I forget," Izumi smiled widely, "The Host Club is having a ball this Friday. You and Tori should come!"
"I don't know," Elena chewed on her bottom lip, her cheery mood disappearing.
"It'll be fun, and I'll make sure Hikaru doesn't even know you're there is that's what you're worried about," Izumi said, she really wanted her friend to come. Izumi didn't really have any other girlfriends and she knew Elena really enjoyed hanging out with the Host Club, "You're allowed to go out and have fun."
Elena looked down at the rest of her food.
"I'll think about it," she said quietly after a moment.
"That's fine," Izumi reached out a hand and placed it on the other girl's shoulder and gave a small squeeze. Elena looked up at the clock.
"I'll see you later," she said getting up, "I need to get to school."
"Okay, I'll be there later," Izumi waved as Elena left. She quickly finished her breakfast then went into the kitchen to find Aiko.
"I'll be going now," Izumi said, bowing politely to the older woman who ran the house and practically raised Elena.
"It's a little early," Aiko said raising an eyebrow as cut carrots and threw them into a pot on the stove.
"I'm going out to look for a job today," Izumi said, "then I'll go to the Host Club and be back at the regular time."
"Be careful, dear," Aiko said, grabbing another carrot and watched Izumi go. When the strange girl had moved in Aiko hadn't known what to think, but Izumi immediately started helping around the house and refused any payment saying it was the only thing she could do. Aiko didn't know Izumi's full story and she suspected Elena wanted it kept that way. Aiko obliged and had grown fond of the young blonde, but she worried too. It was obvious that she didn't come from money and Aiko wondered where the girl would end up in her search for a job. But there wasn't anything Aiko could do except to continue to chop vegetables for supper.
…..
Izumi knew that if she wanted a job she was going to have to work under the table, since she had no ID or birth certificate. She wasn't planning on doing anyone 'favors' but she also needed someone who would look the other way when hiring her.
She walked until she found a pretty seedy looking area and walked into the first bar she saw. It was called The Oyster's Pearl, however the inside was anything but pearly. A thick cloud of cigarette smoke hung in the air and even though it was just after lunch and the place had probably just opened, there were already customers.
Izumi walked up to the bar and sat on one of the stools, the guy behind the bar came over. He was an older gentleman with gray hair and a comb over and hard gray-blue eyes.
"What'll it be, Kid?" he asked, not bothering to ask for ID.
"Give it a second," Izumi said looking over at one of the other bar patrons. He met her eyes and she gave him a wink. He smiled back.
"Hey Old Man, why don't you put my friend's drink on my tab," the guy was much older and had greasy hair and a beer gut, which is how Izumi knew he'd bite.
"I'll just have a soda," Izumi smiled politely at the old man, who nodded but looked dubiously over at the greaser as he pulled a stool up next to Izumi.
"What brings you here?" Greaser asked, Izumi resisted the urge to gag at the smell of his breath.
"The real question is what brings you here?" Izumi countered, ten minutes later Greaser had his head on the table crying his eyes out.
"She cheated on me!" he sobbed, "10 years of marriage down the drain!"
"Did you ask her why?" Izumi asked.
"No, I was just so angry!" he thumped his fist on the table.
"Then you should ask her, but don't yell at her," Izumi said, "Obviously she felt like something was missing in your relationship and so she went looking for it elsewhere. If you really want to fix things with your wife you are going to have to ask her for her side of it, not just blame her for your pain." Greaser was silent for a moment as he took that in.
"You're right, we have kids for heaven's sake! We just gotta talk," he looked up at Izumi, "Thank you, I'm going to go find her right now!" He jumped up and Izumi pulled on his sleeve, he looked back at her.
"Don't forget you're bar tab," she smiled at him and he knocked his palm against his forehead.
"Thanks," he threw down some money and ran out the door.
"That was impressive," the bar tender said, coming back over to her, "I've been trying to get him to talk to me but he just wouldn't open up.
"Sometimes things just need a woman's touch," Izumi said, smiling at the old man. Izumi knew how to get guys to open up; she'd had plenty of practice…
"We don't really get many women in here," he said, picking up a glass and wiping it down.
"What a coincidence, I've been looking for a place to go to," she said, taking a sip from her drink, "unfortunately I haven't got any money." She sighed deeply, "See, I'm new in town and I haven't got any papers to get a job so I've been having to rely on the kindness of strangers to get by," she took another sip and watched the old man's reaction. He seemed to slow down in his polishing on the glass, thinking.
"I could use an extra hand around here," he said slowly, "nights get a little rowdy and I'm getting up there in age. Would you be interested?"
"You mean that?" Izumi smiled brightly, "I'd love to!"
…
When Izumi arrived at the Host Club hours later there was a skip in her step. She had found a job! She had spent the rest of the day learning the different drink mixes and getting to know the old man who was the owner of the place. His name was Satoshi Takahashi; he had grown up in rural Japan but had moved to the city once he became of age. He had three children whom he didn't see very often and his wife had died 8 years earlier. Satoshi was a kind man and Izumi was so glad she was able to work for someone like him.
"You're in a good mood today," Kyoya said as she entered Music Room 3. He was typing away on his computer, but he looked up when she came in.
"It's been a good day," she skipped over a placed a kiss on Kyoya's cheek. He pulled back, startled and Izumi giggled.
She sat down across from him at the small table he was working at and clasped her hands on the table.
"There is something I need to talk to you about," she said, Kyoya glanced up from his work again and raised an eyebrow, "I invited Elena to the ball this Friday and I want to make sure she has a good time." Kyoya stopped typing and gave her his full attention.
"That could be difficult," he said, crossing his arms.
"That's why I'm coming to you and not Tamaki, you handle difficult rather well," Izumi smiled at her use of flattery in Japanese, she had really picked up the language quickly.
Kyoya smirked and adjusted his glasses.
"Well, you're not wrong about that. I'll see what I can do," he said, going back to his work. Izumi smiled, today was a good day. She had a place to live, a job, and now she was going to be able to help her friend have a little fun. A day like today made the trek here worth it, because for once Izumi felt like a normal girl and that was the most precious of all.
