Arukōru (Alcohol) Bar (BL)

Atsutane (part 5/6)

I covered my face with my hands, silently screaming inside my head. How was I supposed to sleep now?! Why was his voice so deep when he said my nickname?! Please, whatever gods might be out there, please let me sleep tonight...

The next morning, I felt a bit tired but realized I had slept a little better than before. Maybe a god had answered my prayer. Anzai asked about how I slept and I admitted that it was better. He seemed relieved as he nodded.

I was slowly getting used to the roommate life and managed to get more and more sleep every night. I still wondered when Atsutane might be ready to leave and when Anzai's apartment would be fixed. It seemed to be taking an awfully long time for the latter...

That was when Atsutane's butler entered the bar just before closing. It was just the three of us roommates when he walked through the door. He was a well-dressed old man with white hair and he spoke very politely and kindly.

"Master Hori, please return home. The Master and Missus are very worried about where you've been staying each night."

"...where I stay is my business," Atsutane answered quietly.

"Of course. At least reassure them that you're alright."

"I don't want to talk to them until they drop the marriage talks already..."

"Master Hori... They only want you to get married so you can lead a happy life..."

"I'm already leading a happy life. I don't need marriage to be happy. I can be happy by myself. Or just with my friends. Do I really have to keep repeating that to them when they don't even listen?"

The butler was quiet. I felt the urge to step in. I knew it was completely not my place or business, but I wanted to help a suffering friend if I could. I wish I could change his parents in the process but that might be impossible... I could at least try, right?

"Until his parents decide they want to listen and understand what he has to say, Atsutane will be staying with me for days, months, years, however long it takes," I said. "Relay that message to them, alright?"

The butler stared at me wide-eyed. Atsutane beamed.

"Exactly! If my parents care about me like you claim they do, they'll listen and understand how I want to live my life. I'm not going home."

"...Very well." The old butler bowed. "I will relay your messages and feelings. Have a good night."

With that, he left. Atsutane leaned against the counter to smile at me.

"Thanks! I'm really glad to have a friend on my side."

I smiled too. "Of course. I want you to be happy and not have to deal with things like this your whole life."

"...the leak can't take years..."

I turned my head to Anzai who just muttered something. He met my eyes and cleared his throat.

"I hope your parents become more understanding with time," he said. "I hope you all can have a good talk about how you're feeling."

In the days that followed, we didn't see the butler waiting outside the bar anymore. Then the day came when Atsutane's parents decided to pay a visit to the bar after hours. It was just us roommates once again as the two others had gone home. I had to unlock the front door when they came knocking.

"Welcome, um, Mr. and Mrs. Hori..." I clammed up when I saw his parents. They looked so regal with their expensive looking attire, hair, makeup, and wrinkles in all the right places to accentuate their features.