My name is Kanata Tsukiyama, 21 and I am a fresh college graduate who is still lost in the way of life.
I am a graduate of Business Administration, major in Marketing, but the passion I have is for Singing so for the meanwhile, I decided to do singing gigs.
"Kanata, we're up. Ready?" Kuroo asked. He is my best bud and my duo, doing this gigs.
Nodding, I then sit on my position and started playing the keyboard as he do the guitar, singing and playing the instruments until the night comes to a close.
Now packing up, the manager of the club then invited us for a couple of drink, which of course we didn't rejected.
As we are drinking, the manager finally shoots up the question that I and Kuroo always hear. "Are you two a couple?"
Laughing out loud, the two of us just shaked our heads to answer him. "She's still not over her ex, but she's single!" Kuroo suddenly said, making me hit him.
"Oh I see! Then I guess we will not have a problem in hiring you two as regular club singers?" The manager asked with an hopeful look.
Looking at each other, we nodded at him and said. "Gladly!"
The manager then shook our hands saying his thanks for accepting the offer and after that he said. "I'll have you two go here earlier tomorrow. There's someone I need you to meet to finalize your employment."
Nodding, we thanked him too and together, we went home. "We got lucky in that club, huh?" Kuroo said, smirking, as we
Smiling, I then give him a nod, saying. "Hope we didn't mess up tomorrow. Got an idea who we are meeting?"
He shrugged. "All I know is I'm happy that the both of us got a job."
Nodding, I stopped walking once I reached my apartment's door. "Thanks for walking me home."
"No worries! Don't forget to lock the door and windows. Call me if some thing happened." He then reminded before waving goodbye and walking away. "And oh! don't forget to call me if you dreamt of Tanaka again! I would be happy to listen!" He shouted, making me feel embarrassed and cursed him on the back of my mind.
Sighing, I just went inside my apartment, and took a bath before lying on my bed, but somehow I just can't shake off the fact that I am particularly curious to the person whom we are meeting tomorrow.
Sleeping thinking about it, I had a dream.
"Kanata, Kuroo, meet..." The manager said.
He said it completely but somehow I failed to hear the name of the person so I looked up to see its face and out of all the people, I can think of, it's Tanaka again, waking me up in the middle of the night.
Remembering how Kuroo teased me earlier, about having dreams about him, I decided not to tell anything and just sleep it off, thinking there is no way it will be him.
The next day, we were told to go to the club an hour before it opens, and somehow I kept remembering the dream I had, making me restless.
Arriving the club, we were immediately greeted by the manager and was led to one of the VIP rooms the club has.
"Please make yourselves comfortable, I'll be back in a bit." He said, leaving us alone.
Probably sensing my restlessness, Kuroo called me out. "Are you that nervous to meet that someone? It wasn't like we're here for an interview or a test."
"Shut up! I just have a weird dream and I don't want it to happen just how it did on my dream." I told him off as I massaged my temples.
Hearing the door open, followed by the managers voice, I quickly lifted up my face and by the moment I saw the person we are about to meet, the only thing I was able to say was. "What the hell!"
Surprised by my words, the manager looked at me with his brows raised, Kuroo then immediately covered my mouth and said. "P-please forgive her, she just didn't expected to see the person she doesn't want to see the most."
The manager was about to scold the both of us, but Tanaka quickly dismissed him and told him to leave the three of us alone.
"What the hell was that, Dude!" Kuroo immediately complained.
Sighing, Tanaka sits on the opposite side of us and started explaining. "Come on, Man! It can't be helped! He doesn't know that we three knew each other. He's the manager and he knows that I am the owner of this Club and you guys are just new comers to him. So to hear you guys saying rude things, of course he'll get mad."
"You know that's not what he meant." I then said, rolling my eyes at him.
"Then what is it?" Tanaka asked, confusingly looking at us, searching for answers.
"What I mean is, of all these years why'd you have to show up just now! Have you ever thought of how you made Kanata feel..." Kuroo started telling him off, but I stopped him by shaking my head.
Understanding what I meant, he groaned and cursed at himself, letting me speak so I did. "Let me get this straight. The manager wants us to meet you because you're the owner of this Club, right?"
Nodding, he looked at me in the eye and said. "But it's just for formality since he already decided to hire you guys himself." He paused, then speaks again. "But now you guys know I am the owner, would you still be willing to work for this Club?"
"No/ Yes." I and Kuroo replied at the same time, making him confused.
"What is it, really?" He asked again.
I and Kuroo then exchanged glances before speaking again, but the answer we have is still not the same.
"Kuroo!" I called my friends name to tell him I'm annoyed with what he's doing.
"What? Are you really planning to work with him? with your ex?" Kuroo replied, with equal intensity as mine.
Rubbing my temples, I looked at him and said. "It's fine. We are all professionals here, I can set aside what happened in the past and work."
Unconvinced, he tried to question me again but I shook my head to say that I don't want to argue further, so he backed down. "Fine! We will work here! But in one condition!" He said, looking straight to Tanaka's eyes.
"Tell me." Tanaka then quickly responded.
"You're not allowed to talk to her in private! And if we guys are alone, we can be rude to you as much as we want." Kuroo then laid his terms.
Nodding, Tanaka then stood up and offered a handshake to Kuroo and said. "Deal!"
Accepting the handshake, Kuroo looked at me and said. "That goes for you too, Kanata. No talking to him in private."
Nodding, I quickly looked away and said. "We're done here, right? We have to setup, so if you'll excuse us."
Kuroo then quickly followed my steps, and I knew he's gonna scold me so instead of going to the straight to the stage to setup, I lead him out first to catch some fresh air.
Pissed off, he grab his cigarette and lit one before speaking. "What the hell was that? How could you act like it didn't bothered you at all? He was gone on your life for 5 years! How could you just stay non-chalant with him!"
"What do you expect me to do then? Ask him all my unaswered questions? and what? Take him back? Am I that stupid and easy to you Kuroo?" I asked back.
"Kanata. I've been beside you on all those years and despite of me teasing you about your dreams about him, I just can't rest easy thinking you'll just fall for him again." Kuroo rebutted.
Hugging him, I patted his back and said. "Thank you! I know how much you are looking out for me. I reaaly appreciate having a good friend like you. But the thing about us, is ours to deal with and I want to face it on my own."
Hugging me back, he asked. "Will you be fine?"
Nodding, I just hugged him tighter, and by the time we let go of one another, we heard a coughing sound.
"Thought you guys will be setting up so I went to check on how you guys are doing, but it turns out you're still having your moment. Sorry for seeing that." Tanaka said.
Kuroo then immediately glared at him, attempting to walk towards him so I stopped him.
"Don't worry, sir! We will be getting inside now." I said, dragging Kuroo inside then to the stage.
Setting up, I can feel eyes on me, but I'm not assuming it's Tanaka since I knew that the Manager is also looking at us. All ready, we finally had a chance to sit down and rest for a while.
"I'll have the staff prepare your meals now, do eat before you started working because you won't be able to do so once you're already at the stage." The manager told us.
Nodding, Kuroo immediately looked around. "Guess the coast is clear." He said.
Ignoring his remarks, I then grabbed my phone and looked at it for a while waiting for our food to be served.
Once served, I and Kuroo started eating and as we are doing so, someone placed a drink on my side. "Drink it, before you guys go upstage. It will help your throat." I heard Tanaka said.
"Hey, that isn't fair! She isn't the only one singing." Kuroo complained at him.
Tanaka then let out a laugh, rebutting "Sorry, man. I only got one since she's sensitive before singing."
Looking at Tanaka, I raised my brow. "What are you playing at? I'm not sensitive." I said, giving the drink to Kuroo.
Kuroo then sticked his tongue out to tease Tanaka. Somehow pissed, Tanaka asked someone to make another one to give me.
Feeling the building tension betweeen them, I then made a way out for myself and stayed out until the work starts.
Getting up to the stage, Kuroo was always been a gentle man, but tonight somehow feels weird since he's obviously trying to do something that I don't know.
Luckily, our performance that night was smooth so I am now relieved, thinking that my history with Tanaka was long ended.
Going home, Kuroo unusually told me to go home alone, at first I thought it was weird, but I remembered that he told me that he's meeting with someone tonight, so I did.
Walking alone, I decided to drop by the convenience store to buy some things, and coincidentally I ran into Tanaka.
Seeing me, he looks around. "Where's he?" He asked.
"He went out somewhere." I replied.
Nodding, he then lined up in the cashier, right behind me. "You're walking home alone?" He asked again.
Nodding back, I then put the items into the counter and as the cashier asked on how would I like to pay them, Tanaka quickly handed his card.
"Why did you do that? I can pay it on my own." I told him.
Shrugging, he held the plastic bag for me. "It's quite heavy, let me walk you home." He said.
Unsure on how I am feeling about it, I tried to get the plastic off his hand, but his grip is too firm for me to fight so I ended up letting him do what he wanted.
"S-so, how were you doing in the past years?" He suddenly asked.
"Fine, I guess." I replied.
"Y-yeah? H-have you dated anyone else?" He asked again.
Looking down, I shook my head. "How about you?" I asked back, looking away.
Nodding, he laughed a bit and looked away. "I'm actually dating someone now."
Not expecting that answer, I found myself running away from him, completely forgetting about the plastic bag.