A/N: I'm back people! Yes I am alive and well, if you were wondering. I know that I owe you guy an update but things got complicated during the process of making the 14th chapter of my fanfic but here it is, this is my Christmas present to you guys and I hope the this year I'll try to write faster and better. Note that this is just part one of the update since I ended up making it too long, but don't worry I'm just finishing up some small details on the second part. Please don't forget to leave a review because it motivates me to continue writing and point out my errors.
Enjoy!
Give Me a Break
Chapter 14: Bad Luck Streak
Reisi was leaning on the wall by the balcony with a cigarette in-between his middle and index finger, taking a drag. He wasn't quite sure on how many cigarettes he smoked in the past hour, he lost count after his eight stick. Releasing a cloud of smoke above his head he was thinking, more on reflecting, on the stupidity of his actions that lead to his girlfriend walking out on him and practically broke up with him on the spot. Also regretting the fact that he shared a couple of drinks and kisses with a criminal, in which he blames it all in the alcohol. Crushing the remains of his cigarette on the ash tray, he pulled out another stick as he quickly lights it up, inhaling the tobacco and exhaling out all of the stress building inside of him.
"God…" Rubbing his temples, he leans back on the wall behind him. "What am I going to do with myself?"
As Reisi continuously points out the stupidity of his actions to himself, he notices a bottle of wine on top of the table with a pair of wine glasses across one another. Munakata then realized that it was Akane whom had placed it there. He remembered that Akane is fond of drinking wine at night while watching the city view under the moonlight and talk all night long. Judging by the set up he can tell that Akane was looking forward to having a drink with Reisi that night, but shit happened and they weren't able to do so. Guilt then started building inside him.
Taking a seat, he then took the bottle into his hands.
"Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes"
He read the label that was in French aloud, he struggled a bit on the pronunciation of the words but it was clear enough. Munakata laughed at himself because he remembered the time when he was in Paris, Akane would always correct him on his pronunciations and even make him repeat the words until he gets it right but he usually got things wrong and she just eventually gave up on him.
He popped open the bottle, poured onto his glass and the glass that was meant for Akane in hope of her coming back home.
Raising his glass, he proposes a toast.
"Cheers to my stupidity."
"Stupid Reisi!"
Akane mumbled to herself as she walks the down the street, hugging herself and continuously pulling her coat for warmth. She started to point out how stupid she was for walking out of her own apartment in her nightwear and coat in the middle of a cold and harsh night. Akane thought about crashing into her friend Mitsuki's place but she realized that her friend was out of town and she'll be coming back in the morning, she even thought about going to Saruhiko's place but after what happened earlier with him she started having second thoughts, then she began to realize how little her personal relations are with people and how much it sucked.
Out of desperation, Akane thought of going back to her original home for the night. She ended up laughing at the idea because she swore never to comeback four years ago, unless it was completely necessary. It's not that she didn't like her relatives there and how she was treated there, there is just something in that house that she didn't want to remember, a memory that haunted her up to this very day.
She then thought about staying in at a hotel but realized that she had forgotten her wallet, giving herself a slap in the face mentally for doing so. Then she thought of at least trying to contact some people on her contact list in which she would consider a "friend." Patting onto the pockets of her coat and reaching in to each pocket, she soon realized that she also did not bring her phone with her.
Cursing aloud, she soon caught the attention of passersby. She stormed her way around the city finding a way to spend the night away from her apartment because she refuses to go back to her apartment and face the problem in which, in her opinion, her boyfriend started.
"That good for nothing block-of-ice, it's all his fault!"
Weariness began to kick in to her as she takes a seat on one of the swings in the park, she felt her feet began to sore from all of the walking and stomping around town. She gave a little yawn and rub on her eyes, she thought of sleeping on one of the park benches but refuses to because she didn't want to give up her dignity.
"Who needs sleep anyway, I managed to survive many days without sleep! This is just nothing to me."
That is only when she had some sweets in her mouth and a pile of work to do, but currently she doesn't have any of those at the moment. Now boredom is that one that is killing her other than the feeling of drowsiness. Now she doesn't have anything to do but play around the swing as she waits for the sun to rise while freezing herself in the cold and merciless night.
"…What was that?"
She felt like she heard a grumbling sound, at first Akane thought it was her stomach but it was way too loud to hers. Then she heard it again and saw a flash of light from the sky as dark clouds started to gather above her, covering up the moonlight with a massive amount of heavy looking clouds. She thought her bad luck streak was about to end.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me"
Then it started to rain.
Within the city of Shizume lies a local pub known for its American-like facade and its amazing drinks known as Homra. But other than its drinks and classy reputation, the place is also known as the home base of the Red clan which goes by the name of HOMRA, which the name of the place gives it away.
"Man, it's so boring right now!"
Tatara Totsuka, known as the least violent member of HOMRA, complained as he seated himself on the couch facing the bar with his legs crossed.
"Why not do some of the things you do, like try filming or something?"
Kusanagi Izumo, the good-looking bartender and underground informant of HOMRA, suggested as he does his bar inventory. He was filling up the empty spaces on the shelves with new bottles of alcohol that just came in this morning, feeling proud of himself because the new bottles he purchased gave more life to his alcohol collections.
"Well it's already late at night right now, everyone is asleep, and there's nothing to document since it's just the two of us here"
Letting out a sigh, he lays down on the couch try to think of an activity that is not dull and would satisfy him to sleep. But so far he doesn't have anything.
"So you're saying my new collection of alcohol is not worth documenting?"
Izumo pretended to be offended as he finishes up the last box, wiping it lovingly as he cleans off the dust from the packaging and places it on the shelves.
"It's not that," Tatara said. "It's just that I don't think the others wouldn't appreciate watching you geek out your love for alcohol, let's face it you are really an alcohol geek."
That statement struck Izumo to the core as the feeling of annoyance started to build up within him but then he accepted it as a fact since he admits his geekiness towards alcohol, since it's his passion after all and that's why he even thought of putting up a pub in the first place.
"Guess you're right." Izumo sighed. "Say can you do me a favor?"
Totsuka quickly sat up and jumped to his feet, finally something to do.
"What is it that you request, sire?" He joked.
"Can you go out and buy me some pack of cigarettes? I'm starting to run out since Mikoto took some of my supplies"
The bubbly vassal laughed. "That's King-san for you!"
Totsuka turned his heels for the door, with his jacket at hand and an umbrella because he felt like it was going to rain later on; he gave Izumo a wave and closing the door behind him.
"Fucking hell!"
Akane cursed as runs through the rain, looking for a shade or any place where it isn't wet. She started to think that it would be better if she would just swallow her pride and go back to her apartment to face the devil himself, but she'll have to kill herself before doing so. Running around the whole park she stopped in the middle of the walkway trying to catch her breath, her vision started to blur out of exhaustion and the rain began pouring even harder.
"God damn this rain, I really need to get out of this rain"
Luckily she found a playhouse that is big enough for her to fit in, picking up her pace as she runs her way to it while attempting to not slip in the process. The feeling of relief comforted as she sits herself on the elevated playhouse. Taking off her coat she realized that even her white nightgown was drenched that even her black undergarments are revealing through the fabric. Akane started to cursing as she attempts to dry off her coat by squeezing out the water, then she made a mental note that when she won't be the one to walkout of her own apartment next time that she should just kick the person out, literally.
"Guess I should've listened to Mitsuki because I wouldn't be the one who's walking under the rain in the middle of the night"
"Oh my"
Tatara looked up at the sky as he reaches out his hand feeling the pouring of the rain.
"I guess I should take an alternate route back then"
He opened his umbrella as he jumps off the shade of the convenience store and to the opposite direction with a plastic bag filled with cartons of cigarette that Izumo asked. Totsuka headed for the park because it's a shorter route back to Homra. Walking down the walkway in the park, he felt a bit scared because the place looked creepier with the rain making the streetlights look a big dimmer. He tried to sing it off so that he won't wet himself in fear.
Passing by the playground, he felt like he saw something from the corner of his eye, like a lady in white seated on top of the slide. The hairs of his skin started to rise up and his legs began to shake.
"Don't look; no matter what happens don't you dare look"
Totsuka had his eyes tightly shut as he continues to tell himself not to look, but he needed to make sure if it was a real ghost. Curiosity fled over Totsuka and he managed to turn his head, he was about to scream in fear until he realized that it was a real person that was seated there. He walked towards the woman with caution, wondering why she's there in the first place. Then Tatara finally got close enough to see the woman clearly finding out that she was asleep, he noticed that her clothes were completely drenched from the rain and her skin looked pale. He tapped the woman's shoulder to wake her, he like couldn't let a person like her freeze and get herself sick, he thinks that the woman went through something bad which led her to go out at this hour.
"Hey miss, are you alright?"
He heard a groan from the woman as she slowly opens her eyes. Then in a snap he felt a great force on his neck, something was gripping –choking him. It was the woman. She gave him a murderous look; pair of purple irises were staring down on him to his death.
"Who the hell are you!"
The woman gripped even tighter on Totsuka's neck, squeezing him to his death. Totsuka dropped his umbrella and Izumo's cigarettes as he tries to struggle his way out of the woman's grip. He looked at her face and realized something.
"Those eyes, that hair and that voice… It can't be"
It is Watanabe Akane.
"W-wait, A-Akane it's m-me!"
That voice seemed familiar to Akane, she looked at the person she's strangling closely and realized it was Tatara Totsuka.
"Oh my god!"
She quickly let go of his neck as he fell to the ground, desperately gasping for air. Jumping off from her place, Akane ran to Tatara's side muttering apologies and aided him.
"Totsuka-san, I am so sorry. I didn't know it was you, I thought you were some rapist lurking around at night so it was kind of an instinct. Are you alright?"
Coughing. "Y-yeah, I guess I'm alright"
Totsuka picked himself up along with his umbrella and purchases; he put the umbrella over him and Akane.
"I'm sorry again"
Akane turned away with her lips in a form of a pout and Totsuka laughed, he finds her quite cute.
"It's alright," He pats her hair and smiles. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"I kind of got myself locked out of my apartment" She lied.
"I see, don't you have a spare key?"
Akane got stuck at the moment as she tries to think of another lie to back that one up.
"Um –yeah I do but I kind of misplaced it somewhere and –um yeah…"
"Why didn't go stay in a hotel or a friend's house? Isn't that better than staying here, in the cold and rain?"
She started to get irritated. "Then why do you think I'm still here, you idiot! I left my phone and wallet at home so I had no choice but to go here"
"Then why don't come with me then"
Totsuka took her hand.
"Why would I do that and where are you taking me?"
Akane gave Totsuka a suspicious look, he may be an innocent human being but because he's part of HOMRA she starts having doubts and second thoughts.
"I'm taking you to Homra, don't worry I'll make sure nothing will happen to you, I promise you that." He gives her a reassuring smile. "I'll take care of you"
For a second there Akane felt her cheeks burn but she assures herself that it's just some fever kicking in not a blush.
"Well, I guess it would be better than this crappy place"
She knows that she'll regret this soon but it's better than staying in the park while it's raining, besides it's Homra which means there's alcohol there something that Akane couldn't disagree on.
Izumo was coming down from the second floor when he heard the door bells of the pub ring as the front door opens and heard Totsuka announces his return.
"Kusanagi-san, I'm back!"
Then he heard other noises other than Totsuka, he started to get pissed as he thinks that he brought another animal in his precious bar just right after cleaning it.
"Totsuka, how many times do I have to tell you that you're not allowed to bring in anymore animals-"
Kusanagi stopped as he sees Totsuka not with an animal but a woman, not just a woman but Watanabe Akane.
"Well it's better than an animal" Izumo put on a smirk.
Izumo looked at Akane from head to toe and noticed that she was drenched from the rain; he also noticed her clothes were sticking to her skin and it's revealing her undergarments. He was starting to enjoy the view.
"Oi, what are you staring at?" Akane started getting disturbed by Izumo's stare.
"Nothing. Just enjoying the show, what size are you C, D, E? You seem bigger than that cold-hearted woman"
"Pervert!"
Covering herself up with her coat, blushing madly out of embarrassment.
"Kusanagi-san!" Totsuka called out.
"I'm just kidding!"
Kusanagi said as he gives Akane a wink and smiled at her teasingly. Akane on the other hand blushed even more as she turns her head away, trying to hide the blush forming on her cheeks but it was too late because her face was all red and Izumo could see it clearly.
"What brings pretty face here and why are you all wet?" He jokes. "If you wanted to get wet in the first place, you should have called me instead and I know that you'll enjoy my method better"
Akane tried to control the anger boiling within her but she just had to snap. Forming a fist on her hand, she aims for Izumo's face so that he could have a piece of her mind. But Izumo caught her first and leaned in close to her, close enough to feel her breathing.
"You fucking scumbag, let go of me! You're beginning to disgust me!"
"I think you're really asking for it, princess"
The two of them continued to argue while Totsuka just stood there, amazed on how the two of them interact with one another. But he thinks that the situation was getting out of hand so what he did is that he jumped in between to break the two from their argument.
"Alright guys, that's enough" He turned to Izumo and asked nicely. "Why don't you get Akane a towel and might as well some clothes, Kusanagi-san"
Izumo sighed and nodded. "Alright" Then he turned to Akane and winked. "Be right back, sweet cheeks. Better not miss me"
Akane put on a sour look on her face. "Oh god, I feel like I'm going to puke"
A/N: Phew! That was a really stressful comeback. To be honest I actually wrote about six digital drafts and two hard copy drafts within my hiatus period, yes my mind was that conflicted during that time. It's funny that this one just took me three days and the first day was the worst because I only managed to make about four to five sentences but the following days I finally managed to finish it. I already have the full story in my and I was able to share it to my great friend Creatorginsane and we're both excited to finish it. Some say that it's worth making an animation, you don't know how flattering that sounds. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and also I wanted to say thank you for being silently hopeful for an update, I occasionally monitor my number of readers and I am happy that you guys are still reading it. I love you all. Anyways, belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!