The street was busy as usual despite being the clock turned into an unusual hour. Touya's midnight shift started and he was preparing by changing into his uniform in the locker room of the bar.
As he was undressing, lifting his polo shirt uniform back from his earlier shift, he felt stiffness on his shoulders.
"Aah.." He cried as he's been enduring it for the two weeks.
Being a cashier from the convenience store he was not only in charge of the cash register but also he was assigned in lifting heavy boxes to replenish the display. He could tell his situation to his manager but he prefers not to because he doesn't want to come off complaining about his job as he after all, on his mind signed up for it. Being rather petite than the average man, he insisted that he could take any job even it means breaking his back because for him, he would rather ease the pain of lifting heavy boxes rather than thinking how he would survive everyday with his small salary.
He was not an outstanding student neither or he was a bad student back in his college years. He could get by exams at his own rather than people making ways to make rules and matters in their own hands. He was not just lucky in finding and landing jobs and life in general. He crawled his way into graduating college by taking part time jobs that he can. As of now, he has three jobs, being a fast food crew in the morning, a convenience store cashier in the afternoon and a bartender in the midnight. "He might beat himself to death." that's what others said about him because taking multiple jobs and still try to live and breathe is a reach for any human but for Touya, if he wanted to live, he should work to death.
He looked at his shoulder and massaged it, thinking that it might help in easing the pain.
"Tssk.." A guy standing in the front door snitched at Touya.
"Oh.. Sanemi! I thought you're not going to work for today?" Touya immediately tried to change into his uniform.
"Well, I can't seem to just leave you behind especially the last time when there were douchy people." Sanemi replied to Touya.
Sanemi was his colleague back when they were in college, he knew what Touya has been through in life. He was the one who introduced him into having a part time job in the bar.
"Ah.. Well, I'm sorry I gave you a hard time.." Touya said to Sanemi.
It was near Touya's shift when a man ordered a couple shots and became drunk not remembering he didn't pay for his drinks. The guy caused commotion and punch Touya's face, upon arrival in the commotion Sanemi smacked the guy back for Touya and resulted him into taking a force leave of absence.
"It was not your fault. It was that douchy guy's fault and besides..." Sanemi tried to say something about Touya's overworking himself but thoughts frickled into nothing.
"Besides??" Touya asked Sanemi about his thoughts.
"No-nothing, just let's get this job done." Sanemi told Touya and smiled at him.
They began to set up and clean the bar from the entrance to the front bar. The bar was full as usual, people where all over each other and some where sober. Touya was not into parties as it drains his energy when there's too many people but in this case, he is just thinking of sacrificing so that he could make ends meet through the month as Tokyo is a really expensive place to live.
Contrary to the city of Tokyo, he grew up in the outskirts of Okinawa where it has handful of people and everyone knew each other.
Every beat of the song coming from the speaker came straight to your heart as if it would jump all around just like the people in the dance floor. It was at first like that when Touya started to work at the bar. He felt his heart bouncing all over his chest as if it was being beaten but overtime he became used to it. The song changed into something slow and people where suddenly looking for strangers to be their partner and dance with them.
Touya became anxious as he saw people kissing as if they were eating each other because of this he turned around as he was flustered on what he saw. Sanemi saw how flustered Touya was and came to him.
"Why are you so flustered?" Sanemi teasingly told Touya.
"Be-because.. Look at them! They were kissing as if they will eat each other apart!" Touya whispered to Sanemi.
Seeing how wary Touya, Sanemi burst out of laughter.
"Hey, do you really need to laugh at me?" Touya told Sanemi. Touya was panicky and at the same time irritated.
"Why are you acting all gubbly? Haven't you kissed someone?" Sanemi teased Touya.
"M-me?! I-I haven't.. n-no I have.." Touya was surprised and didn't know how to answer Sanemi.
"J-just go back to your spot and don't tease me!" Touya pushed Sanemi back to his spot.
"Okay.. okay..Touya" Sanemi with his hands up in the air said while looking at Touya.
Sanemi had seen became flustered in many occasions especially when he was started working with him but he still finds it adorable to see Touya getting all over place.
Touya took a deep breath and just cleaned the shaker that he was holding unto.
"Don't you need to face at the customer?" A man with a deep voice told Touya as he was about to order a drink.
"Ah.. ah yes Sir! What can I.." Touya turned around clumsily and faced the customer.
Touya was surprised to see the man in front of him that he didn't finished what supposed to be an introductory question.
"T-Touya-san?" The man blurted out by surprised.
"Dale? Dale Shinazugawa?" Touya was confused and nervous.
Everything at the moment for him was like a puzzle that he couldn't figure out. "Why is this man here?", "Why at this time?" and "Why I needed to see his face again?" these are the questions that are in Touya's mind. His eyes saw everything from the past and felt everything. Sadness, fear, and anger rush through his hand and his grip became tight. Touya snap out of his feelings as he needed his job and don't want to cause commotion that would end up worse than he could imagine.
"What can I get you, Sir?" Touya professionally asked Dale.
"Touy-san can I speak with you?" Dale asked Touya.
Touya paused for a second asked the same question.
"What can I get you, Sir?" Touya asked Dale again.
"Ah-ah yes..uhmm a shot vodka please." Dale responded in confused tone.
"Right away, Sir." Touya said to Dale.
"It's been quite a while, Touya-san. I thought I'll never see you again."
Touya stopped pouring the serving glass as soon as he heard Dale. Dale was waiting for Touya's response but to no avail. He knew what Touya was feeling and he stopped talking. He couldn't afford to lose this chance to talk to Touya again about what happened six years ago.
"Here you go, Sir" Touya served the beverage to Dale with a fake smile that he could bottling up all he's feeling at the very moment.
Touya felt he couldn't face and stand still with Dale on his sight. Silence had enveloped Touya's part of the front bar and Sanemi noticed it. Sanemi looked at Touya and he seemed to know what's going on.
"Are you alright? Do you want to switch place?" Sanemi go to Touya and asked him if he's alright.
"Please, Touya-san. Can I speak with you?" Dale held Touya's hand in an attempt to make him stay.
"I'm fine, go back to your place Sanemi, customers are waiting." Touya assured Sanemi.
Sanemi looked back once again to Touya's side and go back to his spot.
"You.. you only got ten seconds." Touya told Dale and release himself from Dale's hand.
"Huh? Ah ten seconds? How can I.." Dale rushed through his words and Touya started to count.
"10..9..8..7..6" Touya counted.
"Uh.. uhmm..." Dale took a deep breath to asked Touya after six years of not seeing each other.
Six years. The two them haven't been able to talk to each other but each and every memory was still vivid in their minds.
"T-Touya-san, how are you?" Dale asked him.
It brought them back from the start. When it all started with an indefinite ending.
"Huh.." Touya huffed on the air.