Kaine / Charade
Title: Charade
Fandom: Kaine
Characters: シイネ, ひとみ (Shiine, Hitomi)
Table: One
Prompt: 013. Borrow
Word Count: 2108
Rating: PG
Summary: In a job that entails pretense, when does one realize what's real when it gets hard to kick out of the habit?
Author's Notes: Someone's working in a host club~ XD
~ True remorse is never just a regret over consequence;
it is a regret over motive.
-- Mignon McLaughlin ~
013. borrow
Buttoning the ends of his sleeves with a cuff link, Shiine looked at his reflection in the mirror, the black, pin-striped Ralph Lauren suit he was wearing embracing his tall and lean frame impeccably. He briefly checked his reflection with idle, turquoise green eyes, parting the fringe that had teased his face with careful fingers. The sound of jazz on playback whispered softly in the background as he straightened his suit again before the ornate mirror. He could hear a woman's laughter from beyond the room, the sound growing louder as the door opened.
"Shin-chan," The silky, teasing voice of his friend Takenaga drifted inside the chamber as he smirked at him. "Nomiya-san's arrived. Don't keep her waiting."
"I'm coming," he said, looking at his reflection one last time before heading to the door. His friend let go of the doorknob and went ahead, Shiine leaving the narrow corridor to the back chambers as he entered the main hall. His eyes searched the woman, scanning past tables, until he found her standing near the entrance. A lazy, charming smile crept to his lips as he slowly walked over to her, taking her hand and planting a soft kiss on it as he intently gazed at her face.
"I missed you, Sumire-san," he murmured. Her mahogany eyes locked on his face for several seconds before she retracted her hand from him to fix the mink fur draped around her shoulders.
"My husband dragged me with him to Hong Kong," she said, taking his offered arm as he began guiding them to their table in one of the more private areas of the hall. "It's been a long week. I had no choice."
"I'm sorry to hear that," He feigned a frown, the smile never quite leaving his lips as she slid to the velvet couches first, gingerly adjusting her red halter dress as he settled next to her. "Let's just make sure you enjoy tonight so we can make up for it, shall we?"
"You're wearing the perfume I gave you," she said as he crossed his legs and rested the length of his right arm behind her.
"Of course," he quietly said in her ear. She let out a soft sigh beside him. "You've always wanted me to wear it for you."
She looked up at him, and the barely concealed longing in her eyes told him it would be a long night. A favorable night.
A waiter paused in front of their table. Shiine momentarily averted his gaze from her before looking at her again. "What will it be tonight, Sumire-san?"
"The usual," she murmured, tracing a finger along the smooth line of his jaw as her voice dropped to a whisper. "But if I had my way I'd skip the drinks."
Shiine smirked and gently took her hand in his. "Company protocol, Sumire-san. You know that."
"Yes, of course," She sat up straighter in her seat, clearing her throat in recomposure.
"A bottle of Hennessy Cognac, please," he smiled to the waiter. The man wordlessly bowed and left.
"How many girls have you been with while I was gone?" The woman firmly pouted, playing with his tie.
"Just four this week, Sumire-san," he lightly chuckled. "Are you jealous?"
"I saw your picture outside," She haughtily narrowed her eyes. "I leave for a week and the next thing I know you're already in the top ten. You've been here for barely three months."
"Ah, please don't be angry with me," He contritely creased his forehead. "But if not for you, I might still be standing outside looking for customers."
A small, self-assured smile crept to her lips. Her bright red lipstick matched the shade of her dress.
"Be number one for me, Shin-chan," she giggled. "Be the best host in this district so that only a few can have you. I don't really like to share, but you don't give me much choice."
"That's quite a feat," he softly laughed, taking hold of her hand again and kissing it. "But we'll see."
Shiine exhaled the smoke from his lips, his gaze idly fixed to the sheets covering him as the woman began humming a light tune to herself at the other side of the room. He watched her don the red dress she had worn only a few hours before, admiring the way her brown curls spilled down her back as she reapplied her lipstick by the dresser. At thirty-eight years old, Nomiya Sumire looked far younger than her years, even acted like it, sleeping with younger men while her husband was away. She was the wife of an electronics company president, having been born into a rich family and used to being a spendthrift all her life. Of course, he didn't have the right to say anything about that. He was benefitting from her lifestyle after all.
She saw him watching her from the mirror as a small smile formed on her lips. She turned and walked to him again with a slow sway of her hips, her heels inaudible on the carpet floor of the hotel room.
"I have to go, Shin-chan," she pouted, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. She traveled her finger along the leanness of his chest. "I'll think about you."
Shiine merely smiled, watching her face as she placed a small brown envelope on the bedside table.
"I'll drop by the club again next week," she said, standing up. "Can't have the husband getting too suspicious."
"Of course," he smirked. She took her coat and purse and smiled at him one last time before heading to the door and leaving the room.
Shiine took another drag of his cigarette as the sound of the door closing filled the silence of the room. He looked at the small envelope, leaning back to the headboard as he idly stared at it for several seconds. He put out his cigarette on the ashtray, grabbing the envelope and rising from the bed without another thought.
Unlocking the door to his apartment, Shiine stepped inside and tossed his keys to the nearby table as he turned on the lights. His pet cat came meowing to him at his arrival as he tossed his backpack to the sofa and knelt down to stroke the cat's fur. It was half past three in the morning by the time he arrived home, pretty early considering on most days he got off when the sun already rose. He turned on the television and crossed his legs on top of his table, finally comfortable in a shirt and jeans. He had only been flipping mindlessly through infomercials when he heard the door unlock again. He had only creased his forehead, sitting up straighter at the stranger who had stepped inside his apartment when he sighed in relief at the sight of his cousin walking into his living room.
"Oh, wow, you're early today," Hitomi raised her eyebrows in surprise as she held a small paper bag in her hand. "I just dropped by to bring in some leftovers from Suzume's party earlier."
"Oh," His eyebrows met. "Thanks."
She momentarily disappeared into his kitchen, and he watched the light from the refrigerator spill into the darkness at the other side of his apartment. He simply stared at that faint orange glow in his kitchen, completely ignoring the television before him.
He watched her return to the room, clad in a yellow jacket with monkey prints on it and her faded denim jeans and sneakers as she stood there before him, placing her hands inside her pockets.
"How come you're early?" She creased her forehead.
"A customer took me out," he said.
"Ah," She raised her eyebrows again. "No wonder."
Shiine turned off the television and sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"You should go to bed," His cousin frowned, turning on her heel. "I'll leave."
"No," he called out. "Stay."
The girl pursed her lips and scratched her head in confusion. Shiine rose from the couch with a grunt as he walked past her to the kitchens.
"You want coffee?" he asked as he began rummaging through his kitchen. Hitomi shook her head as he opened numerous cabinets in search of his coffee beans.
"You're hopeless, Shin-chan. Sit down," she sighed, opening the cabinet next to him and taking out a small copper canister. He merely grinned as he backed off and quietly settled on one of the chairs.
"You live here, but I know your place more than I do," She rolled her eyes as she turned on the coffee maker beside his toaster. "You'll remain a slob."
"Hey," He closed one eye and cupped his chin with his hand. "I manage."
"Because you're loaded enough to get a housekeeper," she snarled.
"Che," he snorted, looking away. "Fine."
"Anyway, if you're hungry there's some duck in the fridge," she said, her back to him as she began placing the beans on the coffeemaker. "We had Chinese earlier."
Shiine merely pouted as Hitomi carried two mugs of coffee a few minutes later, placing it on the table as she settled on the chair beside him. The warm aroma of coffee drifted invitingly in the small kitchen as Shiine raised the mug to his lips and took a small sip.
"How long will you be working at the host club?"
Shiine looked at her with careful eyes. She held her mug with both hands, letting it simmer. Her gaze was on the table.
"I don't know," he said. "It brings in a lot of money."
"But look what it's doing to you," she frowned. "You don't have days off, you hardly sleep, and you're forced to keep drinking and screwing with your stupid customers."
"It pays the bills, Hitomi," he drawled, his gaze idle on hers. "If I quit my job at the club, I wouldn't be able to stay in this place."
"It's not worth it, Shin-chan," she reasoned out. "You don't need a big flat or designer clothes. This job will kill you someday."
"I'm a high school dropout. What decent job would you expect me to get?" he snorted. "Heck, I even earn more than a salaryman does."
Hitomi hopelessly shook her head. "Fine, whatever. It's not my body."
"I should have more customers like you," he lazily grinned. "I'd feel more loved."
"They pay you to screw around with them. What do I get in return?" She rolled her eyes. "This almost feels like a duty, damn it. You're a pain in the ass."
"Why, I offer you my services," he said with a mocking, graceful wave of his arm. "Free of charge."
A beeping sound caused the girl to take out the cellphone from her pocket as she flipped her mobile open and read her received message.
"Whatever, Shin-chan, your wiles won't work on me," she snorted, rising from her seat and placing her phone back inside her pocket. "Anyway, I have to go. I promised Suzume I'd meet up with her again after this."
Shiine frowned as he watched her carry her barely touched mug of coffee near the sink. She had only turned on the faucet to wash her hands when she felt him move behind her, his chest directly hitting her back.
"Shin-chan?" She creased her forehead as she turned her head to look at him from her left, but his head was bent on her right shoulder. "What's wrong?"
She fell silent at the arm that moved around her waist and pulled her closer to him. The sound of running water momentarily filled the short silence in the room.
"Seriously," she sighed, looking up to stare at the ceiling. "I was just kidding. Don't take it to heart."
He remained unresponsive for several seconds, and she could only feel his breathing and smell the faintest trace of the perfume he had worn that evening. His arm remained tentatively still around her before he finally pulled away and took a step backwards.
Hitomi wordlessly turned off the faucet and dried her hands with the cloth draped beside the sink. He stared at the floor and saw her sling her backpack over her shoulders from the corner of his eye.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"It's okay," she said, their eyes still not meeting. The girl began to head to the door. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah."
He heard her footsteps and the door closing behind her. Shiine closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead.
Outside the host club there was one thing he wished he didn't learn to carry with him.
It was insincerity.
終り
Fandom: Kaine
Characters: シイネ, ひとみ (Shiine, Hitomi)
Table: One
Prompt: 013. Borrow
Word Count: 2108
Rating: PG
Summary: In a job that entails pretense, when does one realize what's real when it gets hard to kick out of the habit?
Author's Notes: Someone's working in a host club~ XD
~ True remorse is never just a regret over consequence;
it is a regret over motive.
-- Mignon McLaughlin ~
013. borrow
Buttoning the ends of his sleeves with a cuff link, Shiine looked at his reflection in the mirror, the black, pin-striped Ralph Lauren suit he was wearing embracing his tall and lean frame impeccably. He briefly checked his reflection with idle, turquoise green eyes, parting the fringe that had teased his face with careful fingers. The sound of jazz on playback whispered softly in the background as he straightened his suit again before the ornate mirror. He could hear a woman's laughter from beyond the room, the sound growing louder as the door opened.
"Shin-chan," The silky, teasing voice of his friend Takenaga drifted inside the chamber as he smirked at him. "Nomiya-san's arrived. Don't keep her waiting."
"I'm coming," he said, looking at his reflection one last time before heading to the door. His friend let go of the doorknob and went ahead, Shiine leaving the narrow corridor to the back chambers as he entered the main hall. His eyes searched the woman, scanning past tables, until he found her standing near the entrance. A lazy, charming smile crept to his lips as he slowly walked over to her, taking her hand and planting a soft kiss on it as he intently gazed at her face.
"I missed you, Sumire-san," he murmured. Her mahogany eyes locked on his face for several seconds before she retracted her hand from him to fix the mink fur draped around her shoulders.
"My husband dragged me with him to Hong Kong," she said, taking his offered arm as he began guiding them to their table in one of the more private areas of the hall. "It's been a long week. I had no choice."
"I'm sorry to hear that," He feigned a frown, the smile never quite leaving his lips as she slid to the velvet couches first, gingerly adjusting her red halter dress as he settled next to her. "Let's just make sure you enjoy tonight so we can make up for it, shall we?"
"You're wearing the perfume I gave you," she said as he crossed his legs and rested the length of his right arm behind her.
"Of course," he quietly said in her ear. She let out a soft sigh beside him. "You've always wanted me to wear it for you."
She looked up at him, and the barely concealed longing in her eyes told him it would be a long night. A favorable night.
A waiter paused in front of their table. Shiine momentarily averted his gaze from her before looking at her again. "What will it be tonight, Sumire-san?"
"The usual," she murmured, tracing a finger along the smooth line of his jaw as her voice dropped to a whisper. "But if I had my way I'd skip the drinks."
Shiine smirked and gently took her hand in his. "Company protocol, Sumire-san. You know that."
"Yes, of course," She sat up straighter in her seat, clearing her throat in recomposure.
"A bottle of Hennessy Cognac, please," he smiled to the waiter. The man wordlessly bowed and left.
"How many girls have you been with while I was gone?" The woman firmly pouted, playing with his tie.
"Just four this week, Sumire-san," he lightly chuckled. "Are you jealous?"
"I saw your picture outside," She haughtily narrowed her eyes. "I leave for a week and the next thing I know you're already in the top ten. You've been here for barely three months."
"Ah, please don't be angry with me," He contritely creased his forehead. "But if not for you, I might still be standing outside looking for customers."
A small, self-assured smile crept to her lips. Her bright red lipstick matched the shade of her dress.
"Be number one for me, Shin-chan," she giggled. "Be the best host in this district so that only a few can have you. I don't really like to share, but you don't give me much choice."
"That's quite a feat," he softly laughed, taking hold of her hand again and kissing it. "But we'll see."
Shiine exhaled the smoke from his lips, his gaze idly fixed to the sheets covering him as the woman began humming a light tune to herself at the other side of the room. He watched her don the red dress she had worn only a few hours before, admiring the way her brown curls spilled down her back as she reapplied her lipstick by the dresser. At thirty-eight years old, Nomiya Sumire looked far younger than her years, even acted like it, sleeping with younger men while her husband was away. She was the wife of an electronics company president, having been born into a rich family and used to being a spendthrift all her life. Of course, he didn't have the right to say anything about that. He was benefitting from her lifestyle after all.
She saw him watching her from the mirror as a small smile formed on her lips. She turned and walked to him again with a slow sway of her hips, her heels inaudible on the carpet floor of the hotel room.
"I have to go, Shin-chan," she pouted, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. She traveled her finger along the leanness of his chest. "I'll think about you."
Shiine merely smiled, watching her face as she placed a small brown envelope on the bedside table.
"I'll drop by the club again next week," she said, standing up. "Can't have the husband getting too suspicious."
"Of course," he smirked. She took her coat and purse and smiled at him one last time before heading to the door and leaving the room.
Shiine took another drag of his cigarette as the sound of the door closing filled the silence of the room. He looked at the small envelope, leaning back to the headboard as he idly stared at it for several seconds. He put out his cigarette on the ashtray, grabbing the envelope and rising from the bed without another thought.
Unlocking the door to his apartment, Shiine stepped inside and tossed his keys to the nearby table as he turned on the lights. His pet cat came meowing to him at his arrival as he tossed his backpack to the sofa and knelt down to stroke the cat's fur. It was half past three in the morning by the time he arrived home, pretty early considering on most days he got off when the sun already rose. He turned on the television and crossed his legs on top of his table, finally comfortable in a shirt and jeans. He had only been flipping mindlessly through infomercials when he heard the door unlock again. He had only creased his forehead, sitting up straighter at the stranger who had stepped inside his apartment when he sighed in relief at the sight of his cousin walking into his living room.
"Oh, wow, you're early today," Hitomi raised her eyebrows in surprise as she held a small paper bag in her hand. "I just dropped by to bring in some leftovers from Suzume's party earlier."
"Oh," His eyebrows met. "Thanks."
She momentarily disappeared into his kitchen, and he watched the light from the refrigerator spill into the darkness at the other side of his apartment. He simply stared at that faint orange glow in his kitchen, completely ignoring the television before him.
He watched her return to the room, clad in a yellow jacket with monkey prints on it and her faded denim jeans and sneakers as she stood there before him, placing her hands inside her pockets.
"How come you're early?" She creased her forehead.
"A customer took me out," he said.
"Ah," She raised her eyebrows again. "No wonder."
Shiine turned off the television and sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"You should go to bed," His cousin frowned, turning on her heel. "I'll leave."
"No," he called out. "Stay."
The girl pursed her lips and scratched her head in confusion. Shiine rose from the couch with a grunt as he walked past her to the kitchens.
"You want coffee?" he asked as he began rummaging through his kitchen. Hitomi shook her head as he opened numerous cabinets in search of his coffee beans.
"You're hopeless, Shin-chan. Sit down," she sighed, opening the cabinet next to him and taking out a small copper canister. He merely grinned as he backed off and quietly settled on one of the chairs.
"You live here, but I know your place more than I do," She rolled her eyes as she turned on the coffee maker beside his toaster. "You'll remain a slob."
"Hey," He closed one eye and cupped his chin with his hand. "I manage."
"Because you're loaded enough to get a housekeeper," she snarled.
"Che," he snorted, looking away. "Fine."
"Anyway, if you're hungry there's some duck in the fridge," she said, her back to him as she began placing the beans on the coffeemaker. "We had Chinese earlier."
Shiine merely pouted as Hitomi carried two mugs of coffee a few minutes later, placing it on the table as she settled on the chair beside him. The warm aroma of coffee drifted invitingly in the small kitchen as Shiine raised the mug to his lips and took a small sip.
"How long will you be working at the host club?"
Shiine looked at her with careful eyes. She held her mug with both hands, letting it simmer. Her gaze was on the table.
"I don't know," he said. "It brings in a lot of money."
"But look what it's doing to you," she frowned. "You don't have days off, you hardly sleep, and you're forced to keep drinking and screwing with your stupid customers."
"It pays the bills, Hitomi," he drawled, his gaze idle on hers. "If I quit my job at the club, I wouldn't be able to stay in this place."
"It's not worth it, Shin-chan," she reasoned out. "You don't need a big flat or designer clothes. This job will kill you someday."
"I'm a high school dropout. What decent job would you expect me to get?" he snorted. "Heck, I even earn more than a salaryman does."
Hitomi hopelessly shook her head. "Fine, whatever. It's not my body."
"I should have more customers like you," he lazily grinned. "I'd feel more loved."
"They pay you to screw around with them. What do I get in return?" She rolled her eyes. "This almost feels like a duty, damn it. You're a pain in the ass."
"Why, I offer you my services," he said with a mocking, graceful wave of his arm. "Free of charge."
A beeping sound caused the girl to take out the cellphone from her pocket as she flipped her mobile open and read her received message.
"Whatever, Shin-chan, your wiles won't work on me," she snorted, rising from her seat and placing her phone back inside her pocket. "Anyway, I have to go. I promised Suzume I'd meet up with her again after this."
Shiine frowned as he watched her carry her barely touched mug of coffee near the sink. She had only turned on the faucet to wash her hands when she felt him move behind her, his chest directly hitting her back.
"Shin-chan?" She creased her forehead as she turned her head to look at him from her left, but his head was bent on her right shoulder. "What's wrong?"
She fell silent at the arm that moved around her waist and pulled her closer to him. The sound of running water momentarily filled the short silence in the room.
"Seriously," she sighed, looking up to stare at the ceiling. "I was just kidding. Don't take it to heart."
He remained unresponsive for several seconds, and she could only feel his breathing and smell the faintest trace of the perfume he had worn that evening. His arm remained tentatively still around her before he finally pulled away and took a step backwards.
Hitomi wordlessly turned off the faucet and dried her hands with the cloth draped beside the sink. He stared at the floor and saw her sling her backpack over her shoulders from the corner of his eye.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"It's okay," she said, their eyes still not meeting. The girl began to head to the door. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah."
He heard her footsteps and the door closing behind her. Shiine closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead.
Outside the host club there was one thing he wished he didn't learn to carry with him.
It was insincerity.
終り