Mens' Night Out
Shin bent low over his bowl of steaming ramen and inhaled the oily fragrance. A slice of pork and a few slivers of vegetables floated on the surface with the noodles lying below in the broth. After a long night at work that culminated in him getting out nearly twenty-four hours later, it was a welcome sight to him. He leaned back and picked a pair of chopsticks from the box and snapped them apart.
"Ittadekimasu!" he whispered below the quiet hum of a busy restaurant. A lone seat was open at the bar next to him, and he was hoping it would stay that way for tonight.
Mantarou sighed as he entered the busy restaurant. He looked for a seat to get off his weary feet and went for the first one he saw. He didn't notice the annoying doctor in the seat next to it, he just wanted to eat and drink with his feet up. He slumped into the seat and sighed, ignoring the world around him.
Shin's shoulders fell slightly when a nondescript form took the empty seat, making the restaurant officially "crowded." He shoved a mouthful of ramen into his mouth and let the steam fog up his glasses.
He glanced at the customer next to him and was startled to see his least favorite doctor. He ignored that, instead ordering his usual grease. Mantarou wondered if the olderman recognized him and whether he would be forced to socialize with him.
Shin swallowed the warm noodles and had the misfortune to glance at the person beside him and thus ruin his otherwise perfect self-harmony. He recognized the eldest Inoue child (it was the hair) and returned to his ramen.
"Didn't know you came here, Inoue-san."
"I don't," Mantarou replied shortly. He had only been in the area because he needed to get out of his apartment before he killed his boss at the restaurant or customers at the store.
"I only come here occaisionally. Usually when I feel like Mimi-chan isn't up to dealing with my wit while I try to bribe her out of dinner again."
"Poor Mimi-san. No wonder she spends sime with my sister so much, much better company," he spoke softly, half mumbling his words.
Shin cupped his ear and leaned closer. His face lit up like he was trying to catch something cool. "What was that?"
"Nothing, Kido-san."
Shin remained in his position. "Are you sure? I could have sworn you said Mimi-san or something and then mentioned that sister of yours, but if you say it 's nothing than I have to take your word for it and assume that it is in fact, nothing despite what my senses and gut instinct say." He shoved another mouthful of ramen into his mouth.
"I'm surprised you take such interest in the words of anyone who is not as elevated as you in stature, but I'm sure you find ever lacking your high standards. It's highly intriguing you attempt to contact the outside world at all."
Mantarou was greatly happy when his food arrived and stood up to find another empty seat in the restaurant.
"There are no more seats, Inoue-san" he said without looking up. "It might surprise you, but I do need people's help and more often than you think."
"For food, as you mentioned before." Mantarou wondered to himself if Shin could cook for himself. "But beyond that, does anyone reach your high level of companionship?" he asked, not expecting any sort of answered as he sat down again and began to consume the much needed meal.
"My brother for one," he answered simply.
"Which one?"
"Guess."
"I'll assume the younger one. I've heard little about the other one. What's his name? Shuu?"
"Shuu? We still keep in touch. Last I checked he was still filming that documentary for Dr. Takenouchi."
"At least I keep track of my siblings," Mantarou almost growled.
"Shuu-san learned to take care of himself a long time ago. I don't need to worry about him any longer unless he's in trouble. Jou, on the other hand, still has a lot of improvements to make."
Mantarou chewed his food slowly, considering his response. "Trying to craft him into another Shin?"
Shin nibbled on the ends of his chopsticks. "I'm trying to make a difference in his life."
The blonde could think of no response to that given his own actions so said nothing and continued eating his food,
"So how are your sisters doing?" he asked as he returned to his bowl.
"Chizuru's busy with school. Kyo should should be busy with school. Momoe's her moody self. All's normal in the Inoue household."
"So does that make me the only one with a whiny brother who drives him crazy all the time?"
"I think the nut would agree with you. She's stalked you, hasn't she?" he said, not explaining he meant Jun.
Shin swallowed a drink of water and sighed whistfully. "If only I could get a stalker. Then I could have someone who always feeds my need to feel important instead of the tiny doses I get from Mimi-chan and the nurses at the hospital. Yamato-san is still one lucky bastard in my book."
"If you're only interested in looks," Mantarou replied inbetween mouthfuls.
Shin snorted. "If that was the case I shouldn't be able to enter this restaurant let alone go to work with this mug." He smiled and pointed to his face.
"Your personality is a fairly good contraceptive," Mantarou mumbled.
Shin looked up at the ceiling and stirred his ramen. "Well then the condom industry better get ahold of me, or else I'll put them out of business."
"No, it helps them because it makes the rest of us look better. I should have you around when I'm trying to get a girlfriend."
"Ramen shops are a pretty bad place to start, Inoue-san. But if you like, I do know of a place where there are plenty of them." He lifted some noodles from the broth. "And even if that's not the case, it's always a great place to unwind after a bad day."
"If you're interested," he added after a long pause before slurping up the noodles.
"I'm not, but thank you for the offer. I actually have a girlfriend."
Shin shrugged. "You still look like you had a bad day, and since you're here alone I can only guess that all your friends are busy right now. And you don't have to answer that because I know I'm right, so since you have no reason not to I am going to reccommend that you join a fellow oldest brother and man for a couple of drinks to unwind and forget about today for an hour or two."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm really too busy. I need to go home, work at the store, call my girlfriend. I'm sorry. I know that you're desperate for friends, but I guess you'll have to keep looking." Mantarou commented as he finished his bowl of ramen dreading whatever idea Shin had.
Shin put his chopsticks together and laid them across the bowl as he gathered his check and wallet. "I really didn't want to resort to this but, it'll be my treat."
That made Mantarou perk up slightly, but he still wasn't sure if he liked the idea. "Really, Kido-san, that's very kind of you, but I'm sure we're both very busy."
Shin slipped to the other side of Mantarou to pay the cashier. "Well I know I'm through for the day."
"Lucky you," he responded even though he too was done for the day.
Shin paid his bill and thanked the cashier. "Well, I need a smoke before I can do anything. Meet me outside by the time I finish my cigarette. If you're too busy I don't mind drinking by myself. Say hello to your sisters for me." He put his wallet in his bag and turned to leave.
Mantarou gathered money to pay his own bill and considered the invitation. A few free drinks were always good. He had swindled enough out of Fumio. He considered his options as he paid his bill and decided that it was always nice to get free alcohol without having to beg. Shin might be more pleasant drunk. He gave the money to the cashier and went to meet the older boy outside.
Shin's cigarette was three-quarters of the way burned when Mantarou exited the restaurant.
"Perfect timing! Grant me one more puff and we're out of here."
Mantarou nodded and crossed his arms, feeling awkward waiting. "Where are we going?" he asked.
Shin exhaled the smoke from his cigarette one last time, then dropped the butt in the public ashtray while nodding over Mantarou's shoulder. "A little place down the street. I promise I won't keep you long."
"Lucky me," he commented, following Shin. He tried to remember what places were in the area. There were a couple of bars, if he remembered right.
Shin led Mantarou down the street like a Shepherd leading his sheep to a very bad place. He looked left and right, not quite sure which side of the street it was on. When a sign hanging above a stairway leading down caught his eye, he exclaimed "ah!" and stopped. A young man in a black suit with an earpiece and plenty of gold jewelry stood in front of the staircase. He eyed Shin suspiciously for a moment, and then the light of recognition appeared in his eyes.
"Ah! Kido-sensei. It's been awhile." He eyed Mantarou. "And is this your friend?"
Shin nodded. "Yeah, I know. Been busy. And yes, he's with me."
Mantarou looked the man in black over and then back to Shin. This had happened to him a few times before out with Fumio. That didn't change the sinking feeling in his stomach that he had made a bad decision. "What kind of place is this?"
"A fine establishment!" Said the young man with a courteous bow. "Just one question, you are over twenty, are you not?"
"I'm 26 ," he said getting out his wallet and ID for the man.
He carefully examined Mantarou's ID and nodded, his spiky hair bobbing slightly from the movement. "Okay, you may go inside with Kido-Sensei." He reached for the device clipped to his belt and pressed the reciever into his ear. "Two coming down. Kido-Sensei and freind."
After a moment, he nodded to Shin and stood aside. "Please enjoy your stay. We have a special on Kirin tonight."
Shin bowed to him. "Thanks. Okay, Inoue, let's go."
Mantarou bowed before following Shin cautiously inside.
Shin descended two flights of stairs before arriving at a heavy wooden door. Muffled pop music leaked from around the door, and a sign read "no minors allowed." Shin pulled the door open and stepped aside to allow Mantarou into the ebony-colored darkness of the cloak room.
He raised an eyebrow at Shin and removed his jacket to hang it up. When finished, he move aside to allow the older man to do the same.
Shin waved a dismissive but thankful hand at Mantarou's gesture. "Don't worry. They like the lab coat."
"Maybe I'll try that next time I'm looking for a girlfriend. After you," he gestured to the door.
"Thank you, Inoue-san. By the way, I wouldn't mention that here." Shin opened the inner door on a smoky, dark, izakaya-like establishment, only more spacious and making some sort of attempt at being trendy. He stepped inside and pointed to a small, empty table against the wall opposite them.
"What kind of place is this?" he asked again, walking to the table as his eyes adjusted to the dark.
As if to answer his question, an attractive lady in a pair of very short shorts and a tight halter top approached and handed them a pair of menus.
"Good evening, gentlemen," she began. "Tonight we have a two-for-one special on Kirin beers and all cocktails are % off. Can I start you off with anything?" She rested on her heel in just such a fashion to make her hips sway in a highly suggestive manner.
Shin looked to Mantarou and raised an eyebrow.
Mantarou looked over the female carefully. He glanced back at Shin. "Lovely," he murmured, looking down at the menu. "Kirin beer," he said, glancing up briefly at the waitress.
Shin looked at her. "Same. Oh, Saori. This is my friend Mantarou. Take good care of him."
The waitress nodded at Shin and smiled courteously yet suggestively at Mantarou. "A pleasure. I'll be right back."
Shin settled back in his seat and looked at Mantarou. "Did I mention this was a hostess club?"
"No, you didn't," Mantarou gave a fake laugh. "How often do you come here?"
"Used to be more often after I finished my internship. I was pretty popular here back in the day, but I haven't really been back since I left for Malaysia. Would this be your first time in a hostess club?"
"No, actually, but my first time at this one. They're always an interesting experience, I've found. I take it you know all the girls."
Shin took a moment to look around the room. "Not all. I see a few new faces, and some I'm missing. Guess it's to be expected after five years, you know?"
"How much older are you?" Mantarou asked.
"Actually I'm not much older than you. . " At that moment a pair of slender feminine hands appeared on Mantarou's shoulders. One of them slid down his chest and then up again as the original waitress returned and set four glasses of beer on the table.
Mantarou's body went stiff when he felt the hands on him. His face went red as he struggled to say something. He was used to being invisible when he went out to bars and such. He gritted out a smile and took a big gulp of his beer, draining half of the glass.
"Thirsty aren't you, tiger?" whispered a voice connected to the hands.
Shin chuckled. "Careful now, Inoue. We both have work tomorrow and I always make it my policy to match my drinking buddy."
"Good thing I have a tolerance and I'm not paying," he commented having some more, although it was only a sip this time.
"Exactly," said Shin, downing half his glass, then punctuating it with a small sip. "Don't worry about Misa behind you, there. She knows what to do."
He looked up at Misa, "I have a girlfriend," he announced, trying to scare her off. He knew his complete lack of money would also be a turn off, but couldn't say so out loud, especially in front of Shin.
"Me too!" she hummed back.
"Lovely," he said again as he cracked his knuckles. He drained his glass and looked at Shin, waiting for him to mirror his movement.
Shin did likewise. He cracked his knuckles, then drained his glass in one swift movement. "So how is life treating you?" he asked as he took the first sip from his second glass. Mina began plying the muscles of Mantarou's shoulders like an expert sculptor.
"I've been bu-" Mantarou's tried to say before his vocal chords suddenly seized to work due to the fantastic hands massaging his back. After a moment, he was able to continue once he had brought his head back together. "Busy, very busy. You can probably tell," he said to the girl with the magic hands.
Misa nodded. "Oh yes. You boys work so hard all day long. Just relax and let us take care of you, okay?"
"How has your life been, Kido?" he asked, truly trying not to enjoy this too much.
Shin took another sip of beer and sighed contentedly. He always liked being asked this question. "My life? Oh my life has been nothing but great. Unlike a lot of people I know, my life is good. This is because, within this sarcastic framework of mine, I am a good person. I've known this since I was little. That's why I'm a winner. And winners have good lives, Inoue. That, in a nutshell, is the story of my life."
"Wow...so if anyone ever has difficulties with things, or if life doesn't go there way, it's because a bad person?" he asked, thinking of his own life, wondering what that meant for him
"Nah. It just means they're not a winner, or at the very least, not as big a winner as me. I am what you call an all-around winner. Bad things can and do happen to me, like being summoned from my life's calling to take care of family business, but when they do happen, I eventually come out on top via the merit of my own personality or dumb luck. "
Mantarou figured it was the latter, mostly due to the luck of having money, but rolled his eyes in response.
"And when you're a winner, Inoue-san, you touch people's lives," Shin continued. "That's why I have to be a winner, because otherwise I won't be able to make a difference anywhere."
Mantarou drained more of his glass. "Feel you have a higher calling, it seems," he spoke absently.
Shin nodded. "More or less. I just want to be wherever I can make a difference in other people's lives, if you want me to put it in layman's terms. That was why I left Japan in the first place. I felt like I couldn't do what I wanted here, so I went somewhere else. Did a stint in Africa, then found my home in Malaysia, and now I'm back here keeping an eye on my baby brother and raising more support for whenever I go back."
"Do you know when you're going back?" he said, making conversation.
Shin shook his head, then drank a little more beer. "Not really." A hostess sat down next to him. A bright-eyed young woman with brown hair and legs that went on forever. She set down a pair of sake cups and filled them. "On the house," she said.
"But you didn't bring any for my friend?" he said, indicating Mantarou.
The woman looked at Misa, who was still plying Mantarou's back like a swimmer. "He is taken care of, don't you think?"
Shin shrugged and lifted his sake cup. "So he is!"
Mantarou rubbed his usually sore shoulder, his back was feeling better, all the stress worked out of the muscles. "You can stop now, Misa, if you want." He had more beer, he didn't feel drunk enough yet.
"You should feel lucky, Inoue. Misa is a professionally trained masseuse. I remember once I was having the worst month of my life during my internship, and she told me it was all because of this knot in my back that was blocking all my positive energies. I didn't believe her at first, but after she got done with me I felt a whole lot better, let me tell you." He noticed Mantarou seemed to be getting a little impatient. "So, did you want more, or shall we make this our last call?"
He shook his head, "No, just an old injury bothering me. I don't think I've gotten enough beer out of you, yet." He drained the glass quickly.
Shin turned to the girl beside him, who had started to stroke his leg. "Another round of beer, please!" The girl pouted and stood, dusting her skirt off a little much before heading back to the bar.
Mantarou looked at his watch and was surprised at the time. It was going to take over a half an hour to get home and he had first shift tomorrow. "This should probably be last call, it's late, unfortunately."
Shin stared at his sake cups, and then at the hostess who was preening in a compact mirror. "Then let's drink to our siblings."
Mantarou raised an eyebrow and lifted a glass, "We can try, but I don't think there's enough alcohol in the world for that."
Shin raised his sake cup. "As they say in America, Amen. And here we just say-"
Mantarou threw back the glass and gulped down the burning liquid. "That's good sake."
Shin choked on his Sake as Mantarou missed his line. "I was expecting "kanpai," but that'll do."