L'Arc en Ciel fanfiction .::. Offer and Demand

Episode 2

I turned my cell phone on. I couldn’t give my office phone to the dating agency, right?
I specifically asked for privacy. Only the richer customers, the most reserved ones were to be informed. I was going to cash 100 000 yen for a full night with me.
I never thought I’d have to stoop that low.
Even the price was low.
But I guess when you need the money so desperately, you settle for anything. And I didn’t want any nosy journalists to break the news that I was prostituting myself.
I mean... some fans would gladly engage my services, right? I wonder if they can pay.

I sat back, and I tried to relax... once there wasn’t any more wine left, I ordered my secretary a cup of coffee.
Coffee usually makes me want to smoke more.
And how come clients will pay less for a smoking hooker? What difference does that make anyway?
This world is really twisted... this is the first time I get this kind of discrimination.
And by the way... goodbye to import tobacco too.

That day when I came back home, my wife gave me the offended look. She just shoved a dish of food on the table and claiming a bad headache, she went straight to... her hair stylist.

I still had my keitai on. I wanted to yell at her, I wanted to scream on top of my lungs and tell her how I had had to resort to something as low as prostitution in order to cope up with her insane expenses...
So, I banged my fists on the table for the first time in almost three years, and looking at her fiercely... I...
I...
I nodded and thanked her for the food.
Then I watched her slam the door behind her.

I went to the bathroom later and filled the tub with steaming hot water.
I needed a bath... I needed to relax.

I undressed slowly... the austere background sound of water filling the tub lulled me. I heaped my clothes in a corner, and took a long look at my naked self in the mirror.
Funny. The man there and I looked at each other carefully. We scrutinized each other carefully... And for the first time in years, I didn’t find myself to be particularly sexy.
I sat on the toilet lid and examined my body... the bathroom was slowly flooded by steam, until it clouded my eyes.
My keitai was resting on top of the heap of clothes, and after the vision of the man in the mirror disappeared, I stepped into the tub shyly.

The water was scorching hot.
I would have punched the water if I could have... but I gradually got used and I finally sat comfortably, embraced by the liquid hell around me.

“Why can’t you have my bath ready, Megumi?” I wondered in silence... “I’m the one paying for your hair-stylist, after all... ain’t I?”
I could almost hear her voice retorting: “You are my husband... you are the man in the house... you are expected to!” And I automatically nodded to the gossamer image in my retinas.

I lathered my body slowly. I tried to pamper myself, to embrace myself... cuz nobody else would... and then, at that moment, I felt nobody really loved me.
Nobody really cared about the true me... about my problems... about my self... about Hideto.
I had probably been a jerk to all of them behind my own back. I was probably my worst enemy.
I wanted to cry... but it was so hot in the bathroom, I think my tears mixed with the steam, and vanished away.

“I’m gonna dye my hair black tomorrow.” I thought. “In that way, I’ll save a lot of money in hair-stylists... I like blonde, but it takes too much money and effort...”
I finally got out of the bathtub about an hour later, and dried myself slowly.
My keitai had remained mute.
I checked for possibly lost messages.
Nobody had called.
I started noticing stupid stuff... funny how my balls sag after a hot bath. I’m gonna floss since I’m in a clean-rage.

My robe is smaller than my wife’s... How come?
Oh, yeah... she’s taller than me.
I had forgotten... it was funny when we did have sex...
I think we haven’t done it in months now.
I think she has a lover.
I think I’m jealous...
I wish I had a lover too.

Funny things... yeah... random thoughts...
Funny how I always shiver when I walk out of the bathroom... and then I sneeze. Any change in temperature makes me sneeze.
Would anyone find that loveable?
I can only wonder...
My mind roams around. Unconnected, random thoughts assault me. What if someone pays just to have me keep them company? And talk...
That’d be great...
Not that I’m a prep that dislikes sex... but I’d rather choose than be chosen when it comes to these matters.
Choose... or be chosen... I know I don’t have a choice anyway.
I used to, though. In any case, that was a stupid pun.
Let’s see... I should think of it in this way: Some people never know what it is like to have a choice... At least I know what it feels like.
Funny....
I think I’ve been mean to her sometimes too, in the past...
I think I was too confident of myself, too confident in my own superiority... too confident in my supposed power...
Funny...
What power? Oh, yeah... money used to give me power. Or so I thought...
I grin at myself in the big mirror of the dining room. “Irasshaimase, Mr. Customer! So... you would like me to give you my inside view on l’arc en ciel? Ah... well... please, make yourself at ease... I could talk about this for hours, now that Tetsu isn’t here to censor me...”
Funny...
I rehearse my usual sexy poses in front of the mirror.
Now I feel a little better, and I even think I’m sexier than her, so why don’t I have a lover? Huh?
Some people must think I’m so damned lucky...
Funny... yeah...
Rather sad.

I sit in front of the cold dish of... huh? Yakisoba? Geez...
I need o-sake.
Beer just won’t do.

By nine o’ clock I’m almost passed out in front of the TV set, and they are discussing something about the Dow Jones index, and the imminent war...
Those people are in more trouble than me, I guess. I should feel guilty about getting drunk over a few millions I owe...
Oh, yeah... I also got drunk because, starting today, I made a new career move... from musician to whore.
I notice I slip down on the sofa, and the perspective of the TV changes, but I’m not gonna move... everything else is already doing that.
The sound of Depeche Mode wakes me up from a mid-reverie... It’s my keitai. I have such cheesy ringtones.
I get rather nervous, but I answer right away.
“Moshi, moshi...” my voice comes out rather weird.
“Haido-kun?!”
“Uh... Yatchan?”
“Yeah... How are you?”
“Fine, you?”
“You sound drunk.”
“Oh... I think I am.”
“Hey, wanna go out with us? We’re gonna beat our drinking record today...”
“Uh... I’m expecting an important call...”
“Oh... oh, I’m sorry... sorry to keep the line busy...”
“It’s OK. The phone will beep if there’s a second call coming in.”
“Ah... Ah, OK, then... Well, so... Wanna come with us...?”
I think about it... “I wish I could... but I’m rather busy. I’m really sorry.”
“Oh... I understand. Well... you know you can call me if you change your mind...”
“Uhm... I will... if I change my mind.”
“Haido...”
“Yes?”
“My offer is still up, you know? What are friends for if it’s not to help each other in times of need...”
“Funny...”
“Hm?”
“Funny you’d say that... I didn’t help you much when you needed me, ne?”
“Oh... hmm... sorry...”
“No, baka. It’s not you who should be sorry.”
“Ah... Hmm... OK... sorry to... hmm... be sorry...”
“Are you already drunk?!”
“Er... no... not yet...”
“Anyway, Sakura... forget it. I’m OK. I don’t need your money...”
“Well, you... you said you are in a large debt, and...”
“And you don’t have that much money either, so forget it.”
“Oh... well... I’d help with whatever I can afford...”
“Forget it.”
“Maybe you can...”
“Night, Sakura.”

I hate it when he does that.
I hate it when he thinks he owes us something.
I hate it when I think he went from being a tiger to being a pussycat.
The phone rings again.
And I swear at Sakura for being such an insistent bastard.
“What the fuck do you insist for, you moron!?” I yell at the phone, and an unknown voice coughs from the other side.
“Err... Sakura?”
“No.”
“Gomen nasai!” I think I blushed so fiery, I could have fried an egg on my cheeks.
“Haido-san, we have a client for you. If you agree, one of our employees will hand you a sealed envelope with your instructions in fifteen minutes.”
“Uh... OK...” I nod and I can’t help thinking this sounds like mission impossible. Why didn’t I think of it before...? I could have been a spy! I can do many things James Bond does... for example... er... drinking and having sex.
I proceed to giving them my address. They swore secrecy after all.
I hang up and I walk up to the mirror. I narrow my eyes and I smirk. “Doi... Doi Hachiro.”
Sometimes I can’t believe how stupid I am.
I start getting dressed nervously.
I light a cigarette, and after a few puffs, the doorbell rings.
My mission to save the world... I think... not.

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