Here is second chapter of Close up the Hole in my Vein :) Hope you like it! Placebo – Nancy Boy
The streets are cold for a late September evening. The Summer has barely ended, so we left our jackets in my apartment. We had only walked 100 meters away from my apartment before we were defeated by the cold and returned for our jackets. We are on our way to our usual place. It isn't some big boom blasting club, where sweaty people are fighting in the bar queue for drinks. Our place is a bar we had found one night when I was thrown out of a club. The fight had been started when some airhead tried to steal my wallet. Looking down every street we cross on our way to the park, listening to the sound of our feet crushing the dead leaves on the pavement, it is a pretty beautiful, you know? Tokyo.
This city can be breathtaking at times. When I look at the orange, red, brown and green colored leaves on the trees in the autumn-time, I think of the days I spend in Kyoto with my parents. Just the memories of my dad and me, playing around in the fallen leaves with my mother laughing and cheering, as I stuffed leaves down my father's coat, the memory leaves me with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Those days were everything to that little boy, but they are gone now. In the wintertime, I admire the crystal white snow falling silently from the sky. Memories of the massive snowball fight I had with Yokozawa in our first year of college. I had fallen asleep while studying for my finance test the night before, and the jackass thought it would be funny to wake me up by dragging me out in the snow, while I was only wearing my favorite band t-shirt and boxer briefs. It was quite funny since I won the fight in the end. He should just have kept his eyes where he could see me.
The summertime in this city can be unforgiving with its searing heat but is welcome when you see all the butterflies almost everywhere, and those fluttering things can be just as breathtaking as snow. The summer sweat is dripping of off your skin, while you're sitting in the park with your friends drinking cold beer and playing ball.
Then there, of course, is spring. That's the special one. Another love of mine. The blooming flowers on all the trees; the animals that have been hiding all winter showing up, all the streets in the city are slowly getting more and more crowded with people enjoying cold drinks. And the thing that stands out the most is the beautiful sights of the biggest and most blooming sakura tree you can find. Covered in the pinkest colors you could ever dream of. And yet spring I also hate the most. And the trees, the flowers, the happy smiles. They always remind me of him. By only looking at those trees, the pink flowers, my mind skips five years back to when I was a seventeen-year-old kid, with a fifteen-year-old boyfriend. Senpai. His voice runs through my mind every day. It is haunting me, and I'm afraid that one day I'll be in the need of an exorcism.
But until that day, here we are; two seniors in college on our way to our usual bar. Yokozawa's mission: Keep an eye on me, (even though he would never admit it). My mission: Get laid.
I know I'm a mess, but a mans has got to have his fun, or I'll just sink lower than I already have. I'm only a few steps away from being at the official bottom of the food chain. Feeling like a wounded puppy sometimes, growling and biting the hand that tries to feed you. But I understand them. Getting kicked to the ground, then struggle to get yourself up and then get kicked to the field again, well after so many times you just don't give a shit anymore. "Don't do some dumb shit like you so often do, tonight," Takafumi said to me before opening the door to the bar. "Sure thing Takafumi," I plastered my 'let's party all night' face on and almost kicked the door open.
On our way over to the bar I flirt a bit with the cute wardrobe girl, she can't handle it and starts giggling. I know that she's checking me out. I'm wearing my dark blue jeans with a washed of color, and a plain tight black t-shirt on with a logo on the neck cape. It's a very tight shirt so that you can see my abs through it. My outfit gives off the whole ''Yeah, I know that I look good, but don't give a shit' expression. Yokozawa and I make our way to the bar but before we got there, his hand caught my wrist. "Go find us a seat at the bar, or are you just going to do your fucking things like always?", and then he left to use the restroom; I shrugged it off and went to go order our drinks.
As I reach the bar I notice that there weren't as many people in here today. There were only about, let's say, fifteen people? A good night usually has about fifty and a rough one thirty at least. Sitting at the bar glancing around the room, watching drunk faces interacting with each other. I know what is going to happen tonight, and I won't let anything stop it. I won't let myself go home alone this evening, sleeping in an empty bed alone. But I do hate it when they haven't left in the morning. I don't like seeing their faces in the sunlight. I only want to wake up next to him. Shit… I sound like an emotional wreck... After waving the waiter my way, a slightly tall man greeted me. Not taller than me; but taller than the ordinary Japanese man; he looked about the late thirty's I'll say?
"Good evening Sir, can I take your order"? "Hello to you, I'll take two beers; the house's special." "Yes sir and would you like to pay right away"? "Sure, say why is it like a ghost town in here"? "The bar a couple of streets away has a 30% off the drinks night, so it's gonna be pretty rough for me tonight." "Quite the competition huh"? "Haha, yes maybe we will pull that trick someday. Here's your beers and that will be 1.392 Yen* thank you". I pull out the cash from my wallet, handing him 1700 Yen. "Here you go; keep the change"! I say with a charming smile. "Oh thank you, Sir"! He bowed to me and left so he could serve the next guest. I follow the waiter with my eyes, and my sight lands on the guy the waiter is taking orders from, and damn he is adorable.
No, adorable is the wrong word and still the right one to use. He is handsome and quite a hottie. Wouldn't mind taking him home. A light brown mop of hair, that looks like he just rolled out of bed, and it's sexy as all hell if you asked me. But it isn't his mouth, hair or body that attracts me. There is something that makes him stand out from the others. His eyes, my god, those eyes; I have never seen anything more breathtaking than them. They are the most beautiful green color. They look like polished emeralds. But there is something else in them. It isn't the color or the shape. They just remind me so much of him, and the memory creeps down my back like a cold shower that wakes you up in the morning. So here I am, making my way towards him, and I am the picture of confidence. He notices me, and I lock my eyes on his from each of our sides at the bar.
He looks like a little bunny on the trail. Seeking a place to hide from the big bad wolf, and that is what I am right now. A wolf. Making its way towards its prey, and I will not lose. I am only a few steps away from him. Okay Masamune, take your position and get ready for the countdown.
5: I am now five feet away from him. 4: four more steps and you'll look like a pussy turning around again. 3: three more steps and why are my hands starting to sweat? 2: two more steps and fuck it, it's probably just the drugs and alcohol. 1: the final step; and I am now standing right next to him. He is sitting there a little slouched in his seat, fidgeting. Poor guy, he probably thinks I'm a drunk jerk looking to start a fight. He won't look at me. Well, then I have to introduce myself and break the ice. I stand next to him so our shoulders are barely touching and I turn my face so I can look at him and say;
"Hello, I'm Takano Masamune. May I buy you a drink"? He looks a bit startled and nervous at me. He clears his throat and finally responds; "Hi, I'm Onodera Ritsu, and um yes if you insist, you may buy me a drink." I can't help but smirk at the answer. But I get slightly startled for a second there. Ritsu? Haven't I heard that name somewhere else before? I shrug it off, maybe I'll ask later. "Well hello, Onodera, very pleased to meet you." I send him an award-winning smile, that can make every girl and a few guys giggle in excitement. He just stares baffled at me for a moment, and then answers with a small smile on his lips;
"Yeah, you too Takano-san."
This is looking to be a great night.