Chapter Text
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Beep. Beep. Beep
The alarm chimed incessantly through the otherwise calm Saturday morning. It had already been snoozed twice. Every shrill beep sounded like a plea to be silenced for good.
But Wuyang was still too groggy to lift his head. Half asleep, he raised a hand and let it flop unceremoniously against his bedside table until it finally smacked against the alarm. This time, instead of pausing it for another ten minutes, his hand knocked it off the edge of the table and onto the floor. It continued to yelp forlornly, and Wuyang groaned, dragging a pillow over his head.
It had been a long night full of reading articles and writing essays. Two of them had been due at midnight, and he had decided to get the jump on a third while he had the momentum going. There was no way he was going to slack on this degree. Wuyang had already disappointed his parents once by choosing a career path they hadn't specifically envisioned for him. He would make them eat that disappointment once he excelled in the marine biology program he was currently taking in Japan — something he was sure to do as long as he kept up his strict studying regimen. Just a month and a half more.
Wuyang rolled over and dropped an arm off the edge of the bed to fish the alarm back up from the floor. He silenced it for the day on its way back up, then set it back in its place. With a loud yawn and a long stretch, Wuyang blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He felt so groggy. He didn't even really remember going to bed, let alone what time that would have been. Suppressing a second yawn, he picked up his phone. Among the few notifications were three missed calls from his older sister.
He gave a small sigh. The siblings had called every night since Wuyang had left Chengdu. At least, they were supposed to. Wuyang realized he had inadvertently broken that nightly check-in streak by studying himself to a slumber that not even Anran's calls could rouse him from. Quickly, he unlocked his phone and shot off a text.
> Sorry I fell asleep studying wow
> Call when u get up?
Wuyang sent the text, then locked his phone again. Not ten seconds later, it began to vibrate in his grasp.
He tapped the screen, once to answer and once to put it on speaker. “That was fast.”
“Fell asleep, huh? You can't slack off now, didì, you're almost at the finish line.”
Wuyang pouted at his phone. “If you called just to lecture me, I’ll hang up on you.”
“Like you wouldn't pick up the second I called back,” Anran replied.
“Uh-huh.” Wuyang swung his feet over the edge of his bed and stuffed them into a pair of baby blue house slippers before shuffling out of his small bedroom. The apartment was a bit cramped, but Wuyang had come to find it cozy, his own little home away from home. He began to autopilot through his morning routine as he chatted with Anran, and soon the sounds of coffee being prepared became a backing track to their conversation.
“So you fell asleep studying, huh? I’ll admit, I was a little worried when you didn't pick up, but I figured you hadn't gone anywhere.”
“Nope.” Wuyang peered into his rather barren fridge and noted its contents. A couple of energy drinks, some leftover takeout, a half-drunk gallon of milk. “I wanted to get ahead on some homework.”
“You know, most college guys go out on Friday nights,” Anran continued to pick at Wuyang, in her trademark older sister way. “It's been… what? Five months since you left? Why don't I ever hear about the cool things you’ve gone out and done with cool people that you’ve met?”
Wuyang shrugged, though he knew she couldn't see him. “I just haven't met anyone, really.” He pulled a box of the leftovers from the fridge, popped open the top, and took a quick whiff. Nope, it was spoiled. Wuyang wrinkled his nose in disgust and tossed it into the trash.
“Really? Wuyang, antisocial?” Anran’s surprise sounded genuine.
“It's not that I’m against the idea.” Wuyang meandered over to his pantry and found… some sauces, some seasonings, a bottle of sake, and a bag of chips. Briefly he considered the idea of sake and chips for breakfast. Now that would be lecture worthy. “I’ve been that busy. No time for hanging out. I wanna focus on the program while I’m here. I can't piss off Mom and Dad again. It's bad enough that I chose a school they didn’t approve of.” He closed the door to the pantry as quietly as he could. “Plus, I’m here for such a short time. I don't want to make a friend, just to have to turn around and leave them.”
“So that's a lot of words to say you actually are against the idea.” Anran tutted, the sound muffled over the phone. “Wu, when did you become so pessimistic? It wouldn't kill you to get out of the books for a bit, you know?”
“I’m not pessimistic…” Wuyang began to protest, but trailed off. Maybe he was a little. Maybe living on his own was affecting him more than he realized. “I’m just busy all the time. And then tired from being busy. I don't want to go out.”
“You might feel better if you do.” Anran's voice was more earnest now. “If you don't take breaks, you’ll burn out. That would be bad this late in the program.”
Wuyang didn't respond right away, thinking it over. “Yeah… I guess I can't really afford to deal with something like that, huh?” He couldn't really afford, in a more monetary sense, to be going out and doing things either, but he was not about to admit that part to Anran. “I guess one day off wouldn't hurt. I gotta go out to get more groceries anyway.”
“That's the spirit,” said Anran, her tone chipper now that she had successfully imparted her sisterly wisdom upon Wuyang. “Go get some fresh air. And don't report back until you’ve exchanged contact information with at least one person.” She chuckled. “Kidding about that last part.”
“Can I at least finish my coffee first?” Wuyang humored her as he made his way back to his coffee brewer.
“Hm. I’ll allow it.”
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Wuyang sat on a bench outside of his apartment. The sole of his sneaker bounced against the pavement as he typed up a grocery list into his phone. With nothing but coffee in his system, the list began to grow longer and longer. But then, he remembered his wallet was nearly as empty as his stomach. Being a full-time student, Wuyang only worked meager hours for meager pay at a local cafe. Living paycheck to paycheck certainly wasn't ideal, but that was just another thing that was only temporary.
After narrowing down the list to only the essentials (goodbye, delicious snacks) Wuyang’s stomach growled in protest. He pocketed his phone and stood. Before he could go to the grocery store, he concluded, he would need to stop and eat first. A small breakfast certainly shouldn’t hurt his budget. Eager for any excuse to get breakfast at his favorite konbini, Wuyang made his way through the streets of Kanezaka. The spring morning was pleasant and as a result, the whole city seemed to want to be outside. Wuyang wove through passersby that jostled against his sturdy frame in their inattentiveness. Surely with this many people out here he’d have no trouble meeting someone at all.
He began to pay more and more attention to the river of faces that flowed by. Old ones, young ones, happy ones, sad ones. Each going about their own lives, minding their own business. Wuyang found himself more content watching them than thinking about approaching them. He imagined that most of them had lives far more interesting than his was right now. How could Wuyang invite himself into any of these people's lives? He was scarcely more than a broke shut-in right now, bogged down by schoolwork. And all alone, far away from home — he had nothing interesting to offer to a potential new friend, did he?
Wuyang sighed the unhelpful thoughts away and walked a little faster. It was obvious his hunger was putting him in a bad mood. He soon came to a clearing in the crowd — a spacious shopping plaza. Various retailers and eateries lined the square here. The convenience store was just on the other end from Wuyang.
He slowed to a stop and closed his eyes, enjoying the smells of the restaurants nearby. Maybe if he was even more careful with his grocery budget, he could afford to eat out, just this once… Wuyang pulled out his wallet to double check his budget. Regret immediately washed over him as he reminded himself just how broke he was. Eating out would have to wait some other time. Wuyang couldn't help but lower his head dejectedly as he pocketed his wallet. As he cast his gaze towards the ground, he watched as a pair of rather flashy-looking boots came into his periphery and then stopped.
Wuyang looked up, only to realize the owner of the boots was also the owner of the most striking pair of eyes he had ever seen. The color of storm clouds, they looked inquisitive, peering out from under a mop of floppy silver hair.
“Hey there, hanging your head.” The man spoke in an even, oddly professional tone. “Did something bad happen?”
Wuyang tore his own gaze away, intimidated by those piercing eyes. It was then that he took a good look at the building he was standing just outside the entrance to: a local host club. He had never paid it any mind in the past, finding this sort of establishment a little too gimmicky. But that explained this stranger's demeanor, at least: casual and relatable and primed for buttering up potential customers. He couldn't quite see much on the inside; the doors were open and inviting, but the lighting inside was dim and the windows were few, shrouding any occupants.
Wuyang looked back to the stranger, who was waiting expectantly for an answer.
“Uh,” Wuyang said intelligently, before shaking his head and gathering his thoughts. “It’s no big deal. Just kind of an off day. I had a pretty intense study session last night for school, and I didn't eat a good breakfast this morning… ” Suddenly Wuyang felt self conscious all at once. He pumped the brakes on the rambling and pressed his lips into a thin line. He was determined to not fall for this host club employee’s charm.
The host tilted his head, obviously expecting Wuyang to continue. Wuyang watched his earrings shift and reflect sunlight. Fleetingly he wondered just how much this type of place paid its employees. Then he imagined himself trying to do this guy’s job and suppressed a cringe.
“Do you want to talk about it?” The host continued to try to reel Wuyang in. “Maybe I can help you.”
“Well…” Wuyang found himself hesitating again as he weighed his options. On the one hand, he was starving. On the other hand, the universe had apparently just decided to drop a chance to get to know someone new right into his lap. Did it really have to be a host club employee? Surely Anran wouldn't count that. That would be too parasocial of him.
Quickly, but politely, fumbled for an excuse to not talk to this overwhelmingly charming stranger anymore. “Normally I’d love to,” Wuyang lied through his teeth, “but I can't today, I’m too broke.” He immediately gave a sheepish grin.
“That so?” A single silver brow drifted upward and disappeared behind the host’s hair. He looked Wuyang up and down, and Wuyang sensed that his lie had been seen right through. But then the host turned his head to look back at the establishment he was working for. “On second thought… Gimme a second, okay?”
Wuyang was left standing outside as the taller man sauntered back into the host club. He watched the man disappear into the peculiarly lit lobby, with only his tall silhouette visible from beyond the doors. Wuyang squinted and leaned a bit, curiosity getting the better of him; he snapped up straight again as the host suddenly reappeared in the doorway and stepped back out into the sunlight.
“Here,” he said, handing Wuyang a small, folded slip of paper with a gloved hand. Upon returning to Wuyang, the stranger’s demeanor had completely changed. His voice was lower now, his body language and expression much more casual. “Don’t worry about this dump. We can go somewhere else.” He shrugged down at Wuyang and then glanced back toward the building. “If you want to, I mean.”
Wuyang blinked down at the slip of paper in his hands. For a moment he couldn’t think of anything to do other than stare at it dumbly. This was all too perfect. Had Anran somehow set this whole scenario up? Wuyang shook his head to clear the ridiculous thought and unfolded the slip of paper. Against a white backdrop, scrawled in black ink, Wuyang read a set of numbers and a single word — no, a name: Mizuki.
He looked back at Mizuki the host club employee, who was looking away again. This time Mizuki appeared borderline disinterested. Wuyang sensed the world’s easiest shot at humoring his sister was about to slip from his fingers.
A gruff voice called out from within the host club. “Kawano. Break time’s up.” Mizuki’s eyebrow twitched. He didn’t even hesitate as he left Wuyang’s side without so much as a goodbye and marched obediently towards the door. Wuyang was left to make eye contact with the snarling, ornately embroidered tiger on the back of Mizuki’s jacket as he retreated with his hands in his pockets.
“I’ll text you,” Wuyang sputtered out hurriedly. He didn’t even realize the words had been on his tongue until they were hanging in the air between himself and Mizuki. Mizuki spun around and winked at Wuyang before slipping into the shadows.
Trying to reel me in while on his break? “What an ass,” Wuyang muttered to himself. But as his morning continued into the afternoon, he stumbled his way through his errands. Wuyang found he couldn’t get Mizuki out of his mind. Maybe it was the caffeine on an empty stomach. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t had much in the way of direct meaningful contact with another person in months outside of calls with Anran and interactions at work. Maybe he was a lot lonelier than he realized. But there was something about that host club employee’s stormy eyes that made Wuyang’s curiosity well up and overflow. He couldn’t stop thinking about them. He sensed they held about as many secrets as the mysterious host club on that unsuspecting corner.
On the way back, he passed by the club again. Mizuki was once again outside, soaking up the sun and the company of potential customers. Wuyang gave a wide berth this time, resolving to simply observe Mizuki as he continued on his way. He watched as a shy woman, likely around Wuyang’s own age, wandered up to the host club like she was lost. Without missing a beat, Mizuki intercepted her with the same welcoming smile he had directed to Wuyang earlier in the day.
Wuyang stopped in his tracks. The crowd funneled through the wide open space between himself and Mizuki, but none of the passersby registered in his mind. All Wuyang could focus on was the sight before him. Mizuki chatted her up, made her cheeks turn pink with words that were just beyond Wuyang’s earshot. Then, time felt like it slowed down as Mizuki took one of her hands, dipped into a bow, and gently let his lips brush against her skin. Wuyang’s heart pulsated in his chest as the woman lifted her free hand to her own, blushing madly. Mizuki then straightened his back with a suave smile and led her by that hand into the shadows.
No matter how many stops he made along the rest of the way home, Wuyang couldn’t catch his breath. When he got back to his apartment building, he collapsed onto the bench and immediately fumbled for his phone. He punched Mizuki’s number into his contacts list and swiftly opened up a text.
> It’s me Wuyang :)
> The guy you gave your number to I mean, lol
> Wanna get coffee tomorrow?
The groceries surrounding his feet were forgotten while Wuyang stared at his phone. But of course Mizuki wouldn’t answer right away. He was with a customer. Wuyang pulled the device close to his chest and let out a deep sigh. He didn’t understand what these sudden feelings were or how to go about getting rid of them… but he had an idea of what was causing them. When Wuyang closed his eyes and slumped down on the bench, silver lined storm clouds filled his mind despite the sunshine that warmed his skin.
Clearly he needed to get out more after all.
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The customer had a name, but he hadn’t committed it to memory.
She wept into the host’s arms, staining his jacket with tears as she recalled all her woes. He patted her back gently as he reassured her that it would all be okay. He was here for her, and he could help her. In fact, he told her, he could give her something to soothe not only her own strains, but her aggressive boyfriend’s, as well. In fact, he promised, it would bring them both peace.
His phone buzzed in one of his jacket pockets as he reached into the other. He withdrew a small, bundled plastic bag and curled the customer’s fingers around it.
“I’ll give you this, so cheer up, okay? You can pay me back next time.”