Chapter 4: The bar :)

In the hut, when Chou, Toshii, Tenkai, Mitsuyoshi and Gracia were eating dinner, Tenkai decided to open up a topic to avoid making the night cold "I was assigned as the manager of some bar in the city." Gracia smiled and Tenkai's son, Mitsuyoshi grinned. "Congratulations Father!" They both greeted Tenkai. "Ehh? Congratulations, Tenkai! Keep up the hard work!" Toshii said. Chou asked Tenkai "Congratulations, Tenkai-san, I need to be a working student so I can have my own income. I'm going to ask if that bar has a job to offer me, I can do probably anything just to improve and prove myself at the same time." Toshii was amused of Chou's determination "Err, does it have a job to offer for me too?" Gracia smiled and looked at the three of them, Mitsuyoshi kept eating and looked at them too. "I believe I have found the guys perfect for these two jobs. Toshii, since you work bare handed, you'll be a DJ. And Chou, I know you're a great guitarist so be ready because you will play the guitar again starting tomorrow. I expect those talents from the both of you." Tenkai remarked. Gracia clapped her hands and Mitsuyoshi wished them good luck.

At Karen's place, her grandfather came by. "Karen, I'm going to stay here for months now or maybe a year. I have a bar near your house so it'll be easy when I stay here." Karen was glad because she has her grandfather with her now. "That's okay grandfather. I'm glad you're going to stay with me." Her grandfather smiled and Karen looked at her picture frame and sighed, "I still love you, I can't destroy you. I want you back, but I have pride too. Remember, I love you." She went up her room and wiped her tears away. She tucked in her bed and kissed the picture of his last boyfriend good night.

Morning came. Toshii and Chou woke up early because Chou was going to Kyoto High. He was a graduating high school student. They ate breakfast with the Akechi family, this time with Akechi's wife. They went to school and afterwards they went with Tenkai to go to the bar.

"Hoy! Tenkai! Are we there yet?" Toshii kept complaining "Toshii! I'm not called Tenkai in the city! I'm known as Mark, understand?" Tenkai said slowly, "How come you have so many pseudonyms? Huh?" Toshii questioned annoyingly, Tenkai glimpsed at Toshii but didn't answer back. "Here we are." They arrived at the bar, it was little but it was neat. It was simply made for the night life.

"Like it?" Tenkai asked Toshii and Chou, "Love it!" Toshii shouted, Chou just nodded and noticed a familiar person running towards them. "Toshii-san! Chou-san! You're here! I'm so glad!" Ranmaru shouted gladly. "Ram?! You're here! Wow! Yahoo!" Toshii shouted cheerfully. Chou didn't react.

As the costumers kept flowing on the bar, they all enjoyed their works. Toshii being the DJ, mixing the harmony of Chou's music from the guitar, Ram being a waiter with rollerblades on and Tenkai, a manager helping out the service in the bar. They were all busy when two girls entered the bar, Chou was disturbed with the two girls. Ram knew the girls, he called them "Minazuki-san! Akimoto-san!" The two girls smiled and the bar owner who was the joker, smiled and called the girls out "Karen! Komachi! Sit down, enjoy yourselves." Chou was surprised, he felt nervous. He wasn't at ease when he saw the girls. But he was still good in playing his guitar despite he was not in focus and his hands were shaking. And he didn't know why.

It was 10:30 in the evening. The bar has to change into a disco bar. Karen stood up and said "I didn't appreciate the music playing here." Komachi smiled at her and told her "Perhaps you're not a lover of music that's why you say those words. Oh! The wound! It's bleeding!" Komachi pointed out the wound that Karen got from the villain they fought hours ago. "Never mind the wound. It's okay. I got it." It was obvious that Karen was in pain and the wound was bleeding. She didn't like it. Chou was looking at Karen seriously, held his scarf from his pocket and approached Karen, He held Karen's hand and covered the wound with his scarf by tying it. The wound was in the right hand of Karen. "Is it really okay for you to abandon that wound of yours? It's bleeding though. You be careful next time." Chou walked away and left them. Karen's heart melted because of the sweet act that Chou did. She was speechless. When she went home, she thought about Chou, she wanted to thank him but it was too late. She whispered to herself "I think, I want to see him again. I want to thank him. And maybe that's the reason."

0.o

Is it for thanking Chou only? Or for something deeper too?