Sayuri's house, May 1st, Saturday
Silence filled the residential neighborhood. The mild warmth, the soft breeze moving the bedroom curtains. Everything felt like an invitation to quieter, more reflective activities.
And just like the weather, the day unfolded for each person in the house. Naoko leaned against her bed, focused on reading a literature book. Miyu moved through the house tending to the plants, caring for and arranging the garden. Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, was Hikaru, his stretched-out posture showing how restless he was.
"Man… this is boring…" he complained. "Let's go out?"
"Hikaru, can't you stay still for once?" Seki asked, sitting at the desk with his books and notes. "If you wanted to go out, why didn't you go with Akiko to the market?"
"She went with Matsui, Sayuri, and Guang. And it wasn't just the market, they're looking for stuff for the house too."
"You just want a mess, don't you?"
"Yeah! You got it!" Hikaru said, sitting up with a conspiratorial grin. "What if we call Adonis?"
"No, I don't want to. We've got a bunch of tests this week," Seki replied, his tone tired, his bangs loose without the headband he usually wore.
In one quick motion, Hikaru jumped off the bed and went to the phone on the dresser. Guang's old office had become their room, but the phone and some furniture were still there. He dialed quickly and got an answer.
"Hello! Adonis!? Let's do something today?"
In disbelief, Seki turned toward his brother.
"HIKARU, DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING I SAID?" he shouted, losing patience.
"All set! We're going to a friend of his place, he's already there!" Hikaru said, completely ignoring him.
"What do you mean 'we'?"
Maureen's building
Seki couldn't escape. Hikaru was good with words and timing when it came to convincing people. Before he knew it, he was already standing in front of Adonis's friend's building, dressed and waiting for the door to open.
I should've said no, I should've said no, I—
"Hey, come on in!" Adonis appeared and opened the glass door.
"Hey, Adonis! Good afternoon!" Hikaru greeted him cheerfully, giving a thumbs-up.
"Good afternoon," Seki said, still tense.
The three went to the elevator, up to the apartment, and entered. The kitchen and living room were connected, simple and cozy.
The decoration was delicate, with cute framed pieces and panels on the walls. At the same time, there were things scattered around, papers and clothes, showing she wasn't exactly organized.
"Hey! You're Adonis's friends? Come in! I'm Maureen!" she greeted them, wearing her usual braids, a shirt and a short denim skirt for the warm afternoon.
"These are Hikaru and Seki."
They both looked at her. Hikaru stood there with his mouth open. Seki, impressed by her beauty, blushed without realizing, caught staring.
"Adonis! Your friend is really pretty! Pair her up with Seki!" Hikaru whispered, pulling Adonis aside.
"Why does everyone think she's so pretty? And if Seki wants something, he can handle it himself," Adonis replied, annoyed.
"I can hear you…" Seki muttered.
They settled in the living room. Hikaru and Adonis turned on the video game and started playing on the floor, leaning against the couch where Seki lay. The older one rested his head on his hand, watching them play.
"You're just going to play? Your friend looks bored," Maureen said as she passed through the room again.
They finally noticed. Both turned to look at him.
"You wanna play, Seki?" Hikaru asked.
"Wanna sleep?" Adonis offered.
"What? No, I'm fine," Seki said, his voice a bit shaky.
"Oh, I know! Why don't you go to a club?" Maureen suggested, excited.
"Ah, I don't—" Adonis and Seki started.
"Nice! Let's go!" Hikaru cut them off immediately.
Club 10:49, 8 PM
It was still early, so there wasn't much of a line. The place, called 10:49, sat in the middle of downtown. Its facade was discreet, entirely black, so it wouldn't draw too much attention.
The ticket booth was already open. A tall guard with dark skin, white hair, and a large scar across his face stood at the entrance.
"Alright, let's meet people!" Hikaru said, leading the way.
The guard heard them approaching and recognized a familiar face.
"Adonis, what are you doing here?" he asked. It was Koa.
"Koa? You work here? My friends wanted to come… so I came along," Adonis explained.
"You're not old enough to be here."
"They know you? Relax, I'll let it slide," the guy at the ticket booth said.
Koa looked at him seriously. He didn't say anything, but his expression clearly judged the decision. Still, knowing it was pointless to argue, he gave in.
"Behave yourselves. I'm not carrying anyone home," he warned.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Koa. I'm Hikaru. We'll make sure Adonis doesn't embarrass himself," Hikaru said, offering a firm handshake.
"You're the one who's going to embarrass us," Adonis muttered.
"Hikaru…" Seki said quietly, covering part of his face, embarrassed.
Koa simply nodded and returned the handshake.
The three entered and faced a completely different environment. Colored lights, neon tones, flashing white lights. Dry ice filled the room, softening everything.
People danced wildly, jumping, moving without paying attention to anything around them. The smell of alcohol filled the air.
Slowly, they found their place. Seki and Adonis stayed by the wall, not wanting to join the chaos.
In complete contrast, Hikaru was in the center. He moved through the crowd, dancing, jumping, enjoying himself. He had found his place.
Around the dance floor, couples formed. Among those just having fun, there were also those looking for something fleeting, just for the night.
"Hikaru's really into it…" Adonis commented, leaning against the wall, watching him. "And there are so many couples…"
"He's just like that…" Seki said, arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable. Not with Hikaru, but with a couple nearby, kissing. "That guy over there is in my class. That's not his girlfriend…"
The party went on. Hours passed. Music shifted between pop, electronic, and more. Familiar remixes filled the space. It was clear the night would go on for a while.
Leaning on the bar, Seki stayed awake, waiting for Hikaru to come back. Adonis couldn't stay up anymore and had fallen asleep over the table. Even the loud music didn't wake him.
"How did Adonis fall asleep at a bar…" Seki muttered.
On the wall behind the bar, a digital clock read 3:37 AM.
No way… it's too late. I'm done waiting. I'm going to find Hikaru.
He had been staring into nothing, elbows on the table, fingers intertwined, enduring it patiently until now.
Annoyed, he stood up, pressing his hands against the table, taking a deep breath. He walked toward the dance floor, which seemed even more crowded despite the hour.
"Where did Hikaru go…?" he muttered, pushing through the crowd.
Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Someone leaned against him in a light embrace.
"Hey cutie! Looking for something?" a cheerful female voice said.
"Hm?" Seki froze, eyes widening, face flushing.
He turned and recognized her. A classmate.
"Haru! I didn't see you here!"
"No way! Just got here? You're still sober! Did Naoko come with you?" she asked, speaking quickly, both of them raising their voices over the music.
"Naoko's at home!"
"Oh really? And she's okay with her boyfriend coming alone to a club?" she asked, curious, not accusatory.
Seki's face turned completely red.
"What? No, we're not dating. Where did you get that from?" His voice dragged slightly, his heart racing.
Haru paused, her smile fading. Confused, she looked at him, then listed her reasoning.
"Really? But you spend all your breaks together. You're always together in the library. And you arrive and leave together. Everyone thinks it's super cute."
Cute? Seki thought, listening carefully, but saying nothing.
"Well then, if you're not together, I know a bunch of girls who want you!" Haru smiled again, ready to help.
"No, I'm fine," Seki said, a bit too quickly. "Have you seen my brother? Hikaru?"
"Your brother…" she paused. "Oh… I think I did."
Her tone shifted slightly. Her raised brows and tight mouth hinted that something wasn't quite right.