"Fine Line"

"Deep in my heart I'm concealing things that I'm longing to say. Scared to confess what I'm feeling - frightened you'll slip away." - Evita

Chapter 35: Admitting?

So much for standing on my own two feet.

As soon as we arrived, the young host (and also newest addition to Club Prism) who escorted us into the club and opened the door for us having left us after wishing us a wonderful time, Asuka had taken the liberty of pushing me into the arms of Niou who had sauntered up to meet with his "favorite girls," as he put it. Somehow, I got the feeling she just used me as an obstacle to obstruct Niou's path- whatever it may be. But she did always express how Niou was her least favorite host and person in the world, finding him annoying to great lengths although I never asked. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with Niou, other than him criminally exuding sensuality from every single pore of his being.

It always set my face burning red, much to my chagrin.

So that was the exact color of my face as Niou grinned down at me, having just caught me after that sudden (and rather rough) push from Asuka. My face was redder than Marui's hair.

Speaking of Marui, I was disappointed to find that he had company when we arrived. He along with Jirou, Akaya, Oshitari Yuushi and Gakuto had been booked by a group of girls visiting from overseas, and was recommended this host club by a friend of theirs. The girls had tolerable Japanese, but they mainly communicated in their native language with each other(it sounded a lot like a mix-up of Korean, Mandarin and Japanese), and they talked in English with the hosts as well, if their Japanese did not suffice. They need not had to however, for the five hosts with them graciously spoke to them in English to help them along and lessen their suffering. Although Akaya looked slightly annoyed about it, and Niou explained to me that out of all the hosts in here, Akaya is the worst at English; the girls they were with however, found him speaking terrible English cute, so it worked to his advantage in a strange way. Club Prism, being a well-known host club which catered to the rich, elite and famous thus had an international stream of customers as well, and it was required of their hosts to know how to speak English, a universally known language. It was also better for the resumes of people applying as hosts here to know other languages as well. According to Niou, Atobe knew the most languages out of all of them (only fitting, as he was the club head and owner), speaking not only English, but also French, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Korean. My eye twitched as Niou listed the languages off to me- I had enough trouble with certain Japanese kanji's as it is, and my English was worst than Akaya's!

Aya was off talking with Yagyuu and another customer who had Yagyuu as her nominated host. She was nice enough to share him with Aya for the night…

Rinko was miffed that Oshitari Yuushi was occupied, and that she couldn't share him like Aya is doing since he's with a group gathering. So she has taken to chatting up Yukimura at the bar (that man still scares me somewhat).

I was, of course, stuck with Niou, as my friends dispersed quickly and suddenly, before I could even detach myself from him. Niou was great fun to be around- despite his sultry and much too open attitude- with his flexible attitude and the many 'tricks' that he pulls on the customers, other hosts and myself. They called him the Trickster host, and if they ever had need of a performer, he is always first to be nominated. The things that he does never fails to pull a laugh from me- they were amazing and just plain hilarious at times. Although I did not appreciate it much if he tricked me. I do enjoy watching him do it to others though….perhaps I was unconsciously a sadist.

However, no matter how entertaining or eye-catching he is, the one who caught my eye was not this silver-haired sex God, but the bubbly red-head from across the room. Once in a while, occasionally, sometimes, often…fine, really often, I found my eyes trailing on their own accord to take a peek at Marui, sitting at a tall glass table at the other side of the room.

A frown made its own way across my lips without my intention, and something within me was really unsettled and restless as I watched Marui flirt up other girls. Then my eyes trailed to the faces of the group of girls he was with; with their bright eyes and silky hair and long legs…

"Hmm? Checking out other girls? I didn't know you swung that way, Kumiko-chan~ Though I should have suspected so with the way you act around men, puri~" My eyes widened in surprise and I moved back, astonished to find Niou looking up at me so suddenly. I hadn't even noticed that he moved!

"I-I'm not l-lesbian or anything like that, Niou-san!" I quickly said, face beating up a fiery red.

"Oh really~?" He leaned in closer to my face and I leaned back instictively. "Got any proof of that for me?"

"Eh, w-well…" I didn't know how to answer that. Proof? What kind of proof? How am I supposed to prove something like this? My eyes shifted to the side again and away from Niou's intense blue gaze, happening to land on Marui once more in my nervousness.

I hadn't noticed Niou's gaze spark with curiosity before following the path my eyes had taken. I did notice the mischievous smirk that graced his lips.

"Oh ho~I see, piyo~!" He whistled lowly into my ear and an "eep" escaped me.

"S-see what?" I bricked myself mentally for my constant stammering.

He leaned in to my level and towards my face again, only this time he kept a hand on my shoulder, preventing me from moving backwards. I was worried. His expression was one of seriousness, and lacking in the usual mirth I was used to seeing on him.

Just as I was about to break from the tension- he smiled at me; a genuine smile that I never once imagined Niou doing before, and patted me on the head.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"The apple of your eye, of course."

He straightened back up and headed towards the bar. "I'm going to go get you a drink~piyo."

I watched him walk away, and swallowed. D-did he knew?

Was I that obvious?

Or was he just super smart?

I hoped it was the latter, although judging by my luck and lack of acting skills, it was probably the first….

Movement from Marui's group caught my eyes, and I looked up to see that the girls were getting ready to leave, and the hosts were doing their job by giving them the red carpet treatment all the way to the door.

I was so focused on watching Marui and the other hosts bid the foreign girls goodbye that I hadn't notice the breathing from beside my ear, fluttering strands of my hair against my face.

I tensed and jumped when I did notice however."Niou!"

He raised an eyebrow. "So you CAN call people without honorifics. That's good to know; else you'd be a very boring and formal person, Kumiko-hime~"

I flushed at his words and the sudden switching of the usual –chan honorific to –hime, knowing he did this on purpose just to rub his words in more.

His arms suddenly slid around me and a grin split across his handsome face. "Looks like the gaijins are gone~ why don't we pay the now-free hosts a visit, puri?"

I stuttered, unable to get any words out as he slid me off my chair and steered me towards the group of hosts that was recently freed up; towards Marui who is now free and available…

"B-but why?"

"Oh, no reason at all. You just looked bored hanging out with me and although I am hurt by that, as a host, the feelings of the princess always comes first~ perhaps Akaya here, or maybe Marui, can be of a better company?" He said this all with a obviously faux sad look; I could see the telltale shadow of a smirk on his lips. He was trying not to break out laughing, I know it.

That was it I guess. He knew. He obviously knew.

Knew that I li-...felt something towards Marui.

"How did it go, my fellow hosts~?" Niou purred as we arrived to where Marui, Akaya, Gakuto and Jirou are. Oshitari Yuushi had already left somewhere, thank the heavens. He still freaked me out, especially the way he stares at our legs…or am I the only who who feels that he is staring at the legs of girls? Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive…

When they shot him questioning looks, he continued. "How did it go with those foreigners? I hope you guys met their expectations; we don't want to set a bad international record afterall puri~" With me still in front of him and his hands still on my shoulder, Niou went on with his unique way of interacting. He turned me to face whoever spoke, and whoever he spoke to. And to be honest, I was almost getting tired of being turned here and there (and dizzy too) but...

And I didn't know what happened after that, but Aya jumped in soon after, then Asuka, and then Rinko and suddenly everyone was gone again and I was left with Marui who just stared down at me blankly. I think he felt as confused and shocked as I did at what just happened; or rather, what we missed that left us standing here.

I shifted under his gaze, before squeaking out a quiet "Hi."

He blinked and then grinned at me. "Yo, Kumiko-chan~"

My eyes widened. Wh-what?

His sudden change in behaviour –yet again- baffled me. During the last few days of the cruise, he was all awkward and reluctant around me….and now…

It's like normal again.

He just went on and on about things and I just listened, followed wherever he went, drank and ate whatever he offered, did whatever he did- but I didn't know what it was that he had been doing and saying, cause neither was I listening, nor was I paying attention.

I was just so…shocked.

Is he…bipolar?

Or am I just reading too much into things?

He handed me something, I don't know what, and I drank it. I briefly registered a bittersweet burning taste in my throat, but all I took notice of was his suddenly…hyper, egoistic, charming and….annoying self.

I didn't know why I was so shocked; probably because this was not how I expected him to be like, considering the way we parted when we last met. But then, what was it did I expected then?

Time trickled by, and still Marui entertained me like a good host.

And I still did nothing.

For a moment, anger flashed through me- anger at myself and at Marui.

Why must he make things so difficult? Why is he so difficult to understand! And why am I such a useless bitch that can never do anything on my own?

In my temporary insanity that is anger, I turned and started a brisk pace towards the ornate stairs that led up to the roof.

"O-oi!" I heard Marui call out behind me, and then the sound of his footsteps quickly following mine.

I threw the door leading to the roof open, and a blast of cold night air hit my face.

I stepped out to the center, not daring to go to the edges due to my fear of heights. So I kept my eyes straight in front, on the view of the city and its lights.

The city lights glowed bright and strong against the cooling veil of the night, and sounds billowed out from every corner and every street.

The city I live in is such a place of wonder and bustle. You can't turn on the local news and not see something exciting that has happened. I like to believe that this city is a place of possibility and wonder, where anything can happen as long as the people wishes it- like a self-reinforcing prophecy.

I love this city where my parents brought me up.

A pop. "Hell of a sight, isn't it?"

I nodded my head.

Marui took a few steps forward, stretching his hands out before placing them behind his head. "I can see why you wanted to come up here. It's pretty refreshing~ It was getting a bit stuffy in there to be honest; I didn't expect so many customers tonight to be honest." Marui spoke in his usually nonchalant and casual manner, and I watched the wind ruffle the red strands of his hair from the back.

"Marui."

He turned to regard me. "Yea?"

My lips quivered for a infinitesimal amount of time.

"I like you."

There. It is done. I said it.

And I didn't stutter too...

Wow.

This story is going down the pits =( And I'm so stressed from exams and life. Sigh. Sorry I sped it up guys. But I am really...tired T_T

...reviews? OTL