Boys For Hire!!

Versus Versus

When I arrive back home, I'm surprised to see the other Boys for Rent still ever present in my living room.

"Mum? What's going on?" Ichirou walks up beside me from taking off his shoes, surprised as I am that they haven't left.

"I'm afraid there's no mistake Chi," My mother shakes her head. "These... Boys for Rent are allocated to you for the next two weeks." She pauses. "I checked up with the bank and they say no large amount of money has been withdrawn, so we haven't paid for them." When my mum's about to say something else, Ichirou steps lightly.

"Well, I don't mind staying another two weeks." He grins at the other Boys for Rent, who look at him dumbfounded. "C'mon guys, let's make our time with Chi worth it!"

"Chi? Since when are you on nickname level with her?" The leader of the group speculates heartily.

"Oooo what were you doing with her during school hours, Ichi?" Katsumi teases him and Ichirou picks him up in a playful tackle. I start to giggle, but I see my mother motioning for me to come to her. She leans into my ear cautiously.

"Chi, I got a call from school this afternoon." Oh s**t, did they call me out for wagging? But what I hear next sets my mind of in a flurry. "He visited your school today..." My body freezes up, and I feel myself clutching the navy leather of the couch. My heart's beating pace starts soaring rapidly, and by the time I realised it, I was speeding out of the house and onto the pavement.

"Chi!!" I hear Ichi but I ignore him. I have a massive stitch, and my chest is swelling up a storm, but I don't stop, even for traffic lights.

Why am I going? Why am I doing this? Why do I believe there's even a slight chance that they'll be there?

That he'll be there.

Reaching the driveway of my school, there's only a slow trickle of students exiting from the gate, probably going home from extra-curricular activities. In a panicked rush, I look all around me, trying to pin-point a certain blonde that my heart is dying to see.

Well, my heart is disappointed. I look down onto the concrete. Once again, I don't acknowledge the little speckles of water trickling down my cheeks. My exhaustion catches up with me, little spots of black taint my vision. He's probably long gone by now. At least...

"Excuse me?" All the bones are my body jolt up at the sound the of familiar voice. "But we're your Boys For Hire, please treat us carefully!" I whip around, gobsmacked at the major deja-vu I'm having. "So," The boy in the middle of four boys gives me a smirk. "Which one of us would you like to date? Or are you daring enough to take us all on at the same time?"

I know in some cliché TV show, I should be running up to them in some dreamy state, but well not me. I decide to do it breaking down in what seems like an emotional crisis.

"H-H-Hey!! We didn't want to make you cry!!"

When I look up, what seems like a little cloud of white spirals towards me. "CHHIIII!!!" A small loli boy with the cutest crying face I've ever seen grips onto my waist for dear life. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU I MISSED YOU SO MUCH AND YOUR COOKING AND YOUR BED UWAHHHHHHH!!!" Seems like I'm not the only one having a mental breakdown.

"C'mon now Otaku Queen, you can't have missed me that much." A certain foreigner grabs my cheeks and squishes them so I'm making a fish face through my tears. "I can't say the same thing though," He teases sheepishly. "I missed you too."

"The only thing I miss is torturing you night after night." The tallest one straightens his glasses. "I hope you've been keeping up with the work, Arian Chiseki." I laugh nervously, before looking around.

"Where's Katsu? And the twins?" I question.

"Your awfully flirty today, ignoring my presence." Through blurry eyes, I'm able to escape Shiroi's death grip and crash into the playboy in front of me. He wraps me into a tight hug and nuzzles my hair. "I missed you, Arian. More than you could believe." The water works in my eyes switch on again and I soak his white V-neck. "You know," I hear Shintaro sniff loudly. "This shirt didn't cost pennies, but I'll let it slide just for today." I laugh at his pathetic attempt of a joke. But then I remember walking past the café. I separate from Shintaro abruptly.

"A... Aren't you working today...?" I flick my head to the side to avoid looking him in the eyes.

He laughs, but I don't see his facial expression. "No, not today. I've refused to work ever since I left, because..." He tilts my head up. "I love you. I told you I'd do anything." He kisses the back of my palm and I swallow loudly.

"Then who was that girl this morning, in the café?" I feel his hand clench.

He tries to interject. "I wasn't-"

"Ichirou and I saw you when we were walking to school." My chest starts going numb, but I keep going.

"Why were you even in that district," I can see the panic in his eyes. "And who's Ichirou? Did you cosy up to another boy while I was gone?"

"How dare you say that to me!!" I push him away. "Why would you lie?!"

"I-!" Shintaro abruptly pauses, clutching the V of his t-shirt.

"Chi!!" Surprisingly, Shiroi steps between Shintaro and I, defending the playboy. "Don't get upset at Taro!!" The small boy waves his arms around dramatically. "He went through a lot when we separated from you!" Shiroi sniffs innocently. "When we got back to Quarters, he wouldn't sleep, and he'd always cry." The loli drags out every word he lists. "Not to mention he wouldn't bath, it was disgust-"

"That's enough, you little brat." Shintaro claps his hand over Shiroi's mouth.

"It's true, by the end of the week Katsu had to tie him up before putting him in the bath." Haruo chuckled into his palm and Masashi couldn't help but smirk.

"Then why lie to me?" I cross my arms.

"I..." I watch as Shintaro gulps. "I can't tell you."

I clutch at my sweater, unsure of myself. I'm not stupid enough to overreact and throw a fit to make him tell me, but I kinda wish I was. I want to be able to throw a tantrum and guilt him, but I'm a realist, not an idealist. I know what I want, and what I want is...

"That's okay." I unfold my arms and wrap them around Shintaro's chest.

"Didn't pin you to be the most understanding of people, but I'll take it." I strokes my hair and I finally feel alright again. I felt... Safe. That didn't last for long.

"Are you gonna come back to stay?" I look up with big eyes of expectation, only to be met with more overwhelming disappointment. Shintaro shakes his head, his blonde hair swaying left and right.

"I... Only have a little more time till I have to get back to work."

I freeze up, tearing apart from him. "You’re seeing another girl after me?" Angry tears fill my eyes. "I'm aware of the circumstances, but that's just... that's just...!"

It's unbearable.

As I start to cry for the probably the fiftieth time this month, I stop at the jolt of being pulled back by a warm hand.

"You bastard." Says a cold voice. "You’re the one Chi's been crying over? Pathetic." Ichi, Katsumi and the two other Boys for Rent stand between me and the Boys For Hire.

"Cheer up Chi, your safe with us." Ichi stands in front of me protectively as I wipe the water in my eyes with my sleeve. When Ichirou attempts to wrap his arm in mine, anger as cold as ice cuts through the atmosphere.

"What do you think you’re doing with Arian?" Shintaro takes a step towards Ichirou, and so the Boy for Rent does the same.

"How's Chi and I's relationship anything to do with you?" Ichi teases the playboy, successful at riling him up.

"Anything to do with Arian is to do with me. She's my girl." My heart flutters at the mention of me being Shintaro's.

"Please, your chivalry is well practiced, Boy for Hire. But if you wanna fight about it..." Ichi slides his ragged designer jacket off and cracks his knuckles loudly. "Show me how much you really love her playboy."

A bit shaken at the idea of a fight, I turn my eyes to Shintaro, who I bet would've stopped this commotion. Once again, I find myself in the wrong.

"You’re on, Boy for Rent."