Boys For Hire!!

I! Love! You!

"Arian, let's go! Use that otaku speed of yours."

I pant as I near the end of the race track, the dozen other girls in my class already at the end, looking impatient. Beads of sweat drip down my face as I put in my best effort to finish this stupid race.

"That's what you get for walking half the time, Arian." My coach pesters me from behind, having to walk behind me the entire time to make sure I'm motivated. When I reach the end I bend over and lean on my knees, my heart beating out of my chest and my ears ringing.

"Ugh, she's always bringing us down. Why do we always have to waste half the lesson on her?"

"I know right..."

I look over to the girls waiting impatiently on the sidelines who look at me in disgust, as if I was some piece of gum stuck under their shoe. Now calmed down, I hug myself and try to ignore the situation like I always do. I can't let myself get down, Katsu even walked home wet so I could keep the umbrella and stay dry. I need to make this day worth something...

I smile at the memory. Katsu was being so kind to me this morning, maybe when I get home I'll pester him more about the girl he was talking about.

"Ew... Look at her smiling all to herself. Think she's thinking about something dirty?"

"That's so gross!"

The girls behind me giggle and I clench my fist. It's irritating. Every inch of me wants to turn around and sock the girls in the face while spitting hellfire into the empty shells they call brains. When I'm about to take a step around, there's a hand on my shoulder.

"Just ignore them Arian, they're not worth it. Trust me." I whip my head up to see Takashi Yozu, otherwise known as Taka. He's a real nice guy, to be honest... Well, nice enough to even converse with me.

"Ugh... Taka...! You're just too nice to everyone, even her..." A girl groans, accompanied by more sniggers.

"Stop guys. Arian's a good person." Takashi rebuttals in my defence, but it turns out to go down on him.

"What? Do you 'like' her? You do I bet!" The whole P.E class giggles in a chorus of laughs and shouts. "Get in, Taka! Hahaha!!" I look back to Takashi who's blushing with his arms folded. He must regret coming to save me, don't blame him.

***

"So tired..." I yawn and stretch, the confines of my 5 kilo bag weighing down my movements and tugging on my back. I pass the court yard along with other students as if I'm in my own little world, separated from everyone else.

"Yo! Arian!!" I hear rushed footsteps zooming towards me and I turn around bracing defensively.

"Takashi?" I lower down my defence when I see it's only Takashi. When he stops in front of me, leaning down on his knees to pant, I smile a little. "Thanks for coming to my rescue today, like my knight in shining armour."

He stands up straight and grins. "It's always been like that, huh?"

"I hate to admit it, but yup." I nod in agreement. Ever since I was little, Takashi had always come to save me from whatever trouble I was in. When that boy died... He would always come to my defence, he was like my only friend... My mind flashes back to the Boys For Hire and I smile.

"A-Anyway... You wanna go somewhere on the weekend, Arian?"

"Go somewhere?" I look up into his warm, brown eyes. "Oh, do you want help with your science again?"

"No, like as in..." Takashi bites his lip nervously and smiles sheepishly. "Like to the pool or something. I hear they have a weekend discount for patrons under 18."

I blink. "Oh, I get it." I say smiling. "You wanna try out that new wave rider attraction, huh? Same here."

"U-Uh, that's not what I meant-" Takashi stops his sentence, and I feel myself being pulled backwards.

"Oh, I know what you meant." An arm wraps around me possessively from behind. "Sorry, but Arian's mine this weekend, all day," I turn around, and see a certain playboy grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And don't be mistaken, all night."

"S-Shintaro!!" I exclaim flustered, trying to free myself from the boy's powerful grip.

"Oh... Sorry Arian." Takashi rubs the back of his head nervously. "I didn't know you had plans, we'll go out some other time." He starts backing away and I move to talk to him, but Shintaro doesn't relent on his grip.

"Tch, what's with that guy anyway, getting all cosy with you like that. Only I'm allowed to call you by your first name." I look up at the possessive boy and glare, but notice that he has his own glare directed at someone. I look over at Takashi who's now with his own friends, his pained smile plastered on like a porcelain doll. I shove the boy behind me away and fold my arms.

"That wasn't cool, Shintaro. I don't know what's going on with you today,  but your acting like an asshole. Takashi was just inviting me out as a friend."

"Sure he was. For a smart girl, your awfully thick." The playboy grabs my hand roughly and pulls me along. "Alotta guys have their eyes on you, I have to keep up." He whispers harshly and my brain processes the sentence. We exit the courtyard avoiding the stares of my classmates, and start walking together on the pavement, Shintaro still having a strong grip on my wrist. Something dawns on me.

"Shintaro, are you... Jealous?" I feel the playboy's hand twitch. He looks down towards me and gives me a smile.

"I am, I don't like the fact that you've got a bunch of guys fawning over you and your completely ignoring me. You do know," I stumble backwards and feel the rough texture of bricks rub against my back. "I love you."

Twitch.

Shintaro has me pressed up against a brick wall and I swallow loudly. "Um, Shintaro, spiced lamb is your favourite food right."

The playboy has a befuddled look on his face. "How'd you know?"

No twitch.

"Just a guess, it's the first thing you choose when we go out to eat. Also you always hint at wanting to go to the Hurricane Grill."

Mixed emotions show on his face. "If you knew I want to go, how come we haven't gone yet!?!" He exclaims, embarrassed.

"It's funny." I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. He grimaces and lets his arms down around me, taking a step back. "And you don't love me, get real, Shintaro. Who do you think your talking too?" I jump up slightly so my back pack readjusts on my shoulders.

"I do," When he starts talking I immediately look down to his left pinky finger. "I love you, Arian...  I don't want anyone to look at you the way I do. Your special to me, and I want to be special to you too."

Twitch.

I sigh, fed up. "If you want your whole devotion act to work," I show him my pinky and mock smile at him. "you better work on your twitch."

Embarrassed, Shintaro's hand immediately flies up to his chest and he grabs his left hand with his right. "Tch, how did you-"

"It was easy, I noticed on the night of the Spring Festival when you said that Masashi dragged you to come and then gave me a high-five. I felt your finger twitch when your hand touched mine."

"Ugh..."

I tug him so we start walking on the pavement again. "I know the real reason your jealous of all the other guys as well, and of Takashi as well. Your pissed off that your not number 1 aren't you."

"Yeah, I am." He rolls his eyes, done with the nice act. "What's so wrong about that? It's called friendly competitiveness in the workplace." I nod understandingly at his comment. "You've been showering alotta attention on every else excluding me, I was starting to think that I was really dropping in my act."

"Well I guessed through it, your not wrong." I can practically see an arrow penetrate his heart and the breath being sucked out of his body. Shintaro stops walking and I stop, feeling the tension. I look up and find us outside the arcade, Shintaro's face bathing in the purple neon light. "Shin-"

"Just shut up." I can barely see his eyes under his fringe, which is slanting across his forehead now with his body position. "B...Being a Boy For Hire is all I have, I don't want to be a d**k or anything but please don't take it so lightly." He starts walking past me, and I feel a pang of guilt.

"Wait." I grab his sleeve. "I'm sorry, I f****d up. My fault dude." My heart pounds for some reason.

"It's cool, just try not to do it."

"No, really." I look towards the arcade again and then look at the clock on my phone. "C'mon, I'll pay for your games."

Shintaro looks at me in disbelief. "That's my job."

"Not today." I grab his football jersey by the cotton sleeve and drag him inside the complex, blushing at touching him. I shake my head. Why am I nervous?!

I pause slightly to allow the automatic sliding door open for our entrance. We pass the receptionist who gives us a strange look, before her face goes to the expression I know all too well. A look of ogling affection towards the boy beside me. I stare back at her slightly, a hollow feeling in my chest.

"Look, your mum feeds and houses us five days a week, I'll pay." Shintaro insists, snapping me out of the trance I was in.

"How about this," I try to compromise. "Whoever loses a game has to pay for the next game, whoever has the most losses at the end of the games at to pay for the other's dinner." I walk over to the first machine of many, all the game consoles and machines lined up against one artistically graffitied wall, bathing in the multi-coloured neon lights above. My light footsteps tap on the harsh, bristly grey carpet.

"What, we're playing every game!?"

"What do you think? It's good to have a fair chance right?" I stick a $2 coin into the first machine on the graffitied wall. It's a shooter game, so I pick up the fake gun and raise it up to the screen. "Hurry it up, pretty boy. Or do you wanna pay for my dinner?" I stick my tongue out, challenging the playboy.

He looks sceptical for half a second, before his mouth tugs upwards and he shows an outstanding grin, walking over and picking up the opposite gun. "You're on, Otaku."

"Hmph, your asking for it!"

"Oooooo, I'm so scared!!"

"Oh, your gonna get it now, pretty boy."

***

"Hahh!? How did I lose!? Replay!"

"Nope, no do-overs. NEVER underestimate the skill of an otaku. HAHAHA!!"

Shintaro rocks himself on the grotty carpet in shame as I laugh and chuckle over the top of him. He picks himself up and puts both of his hands on my shoulders and shakes me. I get a stitch from laughing. "Stop laughing, stupid! I just don't play video games a lot!" He mutters, face red and his mouth tugged into a pout.

"I totally wrecked you, 27-3." I have to conceal a giggle under my sore hand. I stretch and rub my eyes. Shintaro stares at me up and down.

"You tired?"

I shake myself. "No, I'm fine. Let's go, pretty boy!" 

I want to spend more time with you.

I shake myself rigorously again. I did NOT just think that...! I grab his jersey's sleeve and drag him, hearing a groan as I heave forward. "Free dinner!"

***

"I've... I've never seen someone eat that much... Are you sure your human!?"

I sit in the red leather booth, fulfilled, stacks of different coloured plates and bowls stacked up by the dozen around me. For dinner we had decided to go to a Sushi Train near the Plaza. I just wanted to go to McDonalds but Shintaro complained that the grease would ruin his skin's complexion, so we made a compromise. But boy does he regret it.

"So... Full..." I stuff another mini cucumber roll into my mouth, almost too lazy to chew. I lean back into the maroon leather, which creases and groans under my splurge. I was grateful for the dark atmospheric lighting so the waiters couldn't see how flat out I am. In the restaurant, a dozen maroon booths lined up against the Sushi Train completely cut off from each other. You can't see around to the other booths except the one in front of you. Little urban masked globes of light string down from the ceiling, giving us barely, but enough light to see.

"Not even Shiroi eats this much, and do you know how much that little boy can stuff in to his body!?" Shintaro laughs. To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed, but I am not wasting a free meal. As I try and fit another cucumber roll into my mouth, Shintaro smiles unknowingly at me, as if trying not to laugh.

I look down at his left pinky. "I'm glad your smiling again, Shintaro." I smile over at him.

The playboy's smile dissipates quicker then lightning and is replaced with astonishment. He looks down at his lips then back to me. "I'm... You mean this evening...?"

I can already feel myself becoming sleepy. Well I stuck it out this long, I can go for a little longer...

That's what I tell myself before everything goes dark.

***

"Wha..." I drowsily start opening my eyes and I can feel something taped around my head. I open my lids one after the other. The only thing lighting my vision is a few dabs of light, symmetrically lining in a solid straight line. I bounce slightly, my feet kicking up a down. My arms are wrapped around something warm and I'm caught in the scent of what smells like men's cologne. When my brain can finally start working again, I realise where I am and rub one eye.

"Shin...taro?"

"Idiot." Shintaro's first word cuts through me like a blade. I can feel the seriousness resonating from his voice. "You over ate while you were tired. Your stomach can't handle processing that much food while your asleep, what's wrong with you?! You never ever listened in PDHPE class did you, dumbass Chichi!!"  He mutters.

I can feel water welling in my eyes. Due to my lack of sleep I'm very emotional, not registering Shintaro's words but the negative emotions. For some reason Shintaro's words are hurting me more... When I'm about to say something, I feel the material of my jacket clench.

"I was worried."

I freeze up, my brain not functioning well enough to process. My jacket is being clenched so hard I can feel the sleeves coming off my shoulders.

"I was so worried..." I pause when I hear Shintaro's voice break, as if he's crying. "I was so... so worried... You fell onto the table and... you hit your head..." My hand moves up to my forehead. The pressure I was feeling wasn't a headache but a bandage. "I yelled... I was afraid... You were bleeding, and there was water coming out of your mouth. A lot of it. Like you were drowning." I hear him sniffle. "The waiters said you could've been hospitalised if they hadn't come sooner."

"Shintaro..." My lids hang low over my eyes, my sad mood affecting my awake level.

"I saw it, Arian! At the arcade, I knew you were tired. But still I..." He stops walking and his hold around my waist tightens. "I still... I still selfishly wanted to keep spending time with you..." I blink. Did he just... "You see me as an equal and not as a flashy toy that you can show off in front of your friends. Your funny and caring. You care about me. You make me feel wanted, that someone wants to be with me genuinely." I can feel him shaking in my arms, his neck and cheeks becoming warm.

Shintaro stops walking and starts towards a nearby bench on the side of the street which is lit by a stray, steel lamp post. He sits me down and I shiver, my legs touching the cold, blue wood. The playboy kneels in front of me.

"Arian..." Gently, Shintaro lifts both my hands so he can look at my palms. After a few seconds he wraps my fingers around his left hand. I can feel the softness and warmth from his palm resonate in mine.

I look him up and down. Shintaro's cheeks have a pink tint to them, but his eyes look at me genuinely. 

"I love you."

When those words leave his mouth, my eyesight shoots down to his pinky which is being clutched in my hand.

No twitch.

I can hardly believe it, but for some reason my hopes are up and I'm excited. Shintaro swallows nervously and brings our hands closer to my face so I can see his pinky better.

"Arian, I love you."

No twitch. Not even a shiver. My eyes widen in disbelief and I shake. I look Shintaro in the eyes. He doesn't waver, not at all, and confidently returns my gaze. I gulp, nervous and unknowing of what to do.

"Rule 1!!" I exclaim, hoping the comment would affect him like it did with Katsu.

"I'll quit."

"Huh!?"

Shintaro doesn't falter. "I'll quit and find a real job. Arian," He releases himself from my grasp and grabs my hands. "I'm serious about you, really serious."

I can't feel his pinky twitching at all. He is serious.

"B-But...! Shintaro..." I blink, flustered for words. I don't know what to say back, I don't know what to feel. I do care about Shintaro. If he's not smiling I worry my ass off, and when he's down I'm easily irritated. Just... What are my feelings for him...? I can hear my heart beating in my chest. With my lips slightly parted, I'm about to say something else, but I feel a soft graze upon my upper lip.

"I don't have anyone else, but I feel like I have you." His left hand sneaks to beside my cheek, and his warm hand leaves a trail of heat over my skin. "I want to have you. And one day I want you to say that your mine." His fingers lace through my left hand's fingers, and he kisses the top of my hand. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks and I'm barely able to think.

"Even if you can't say it back," He leans towards me and I can feel his breath on my cheeks. "I want to have your heart, if only for a second."

I close my eyes as Shintaro embraces me, and we kiss under the light of the moon.