What Is Love?

Prologue | Falling

(Yuzaki)

I remember. I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I was single and sadly not an eligible bachelor - at least not in a common way. You see, I was born a normal human being but my feelings for love was not as common as others. I was adopted. Never knew my parents, never want to know them. My adoptive mother was a single mother - still am till today - and she manage to provide me with everything I needed to be where I am today. All was good but as I said, there's a downside for me. I never had any feelings for girls but it was for boys. Hence not eligible in the common way.

Continuing with my story, the day was cold. Winter rushed in as Fall left a month ago. I was wearing my Gucci coat while walking down an alley behind the humongous iSetan store in Shinjuku-sanchome. Seeing these good looking lad walking down the road opposite my way, it felt as if my eyes were being treated - at least I felt so since I am a workaholic.

"Damn it's cold!" I said to myself while trying to control my shivers.

After a few minutes of walking and a few junction turns - this justifies my stupidity in finding directions - , I reached my holy place - Starbucks! As usual, at the counter I ordered my cup of tea a Hot Caramel Machiato. But this time it was a bit different than usual.

"Cold day eh?" the bartender tried to make a conversation with me.

"Yeah, I guess so." I replied, gave him the payment for the drink and asked him to keep the change.

I walked to the pick-up side and suddenly he came to make my drink, leaving his friend to do his counter duty. Something inside me felt kind of off. What was it? It's just that every time I see this bartender I become a self-conscious person. Presentation, delivery, communication, I felt as if I was going insane.

"Here you go! One Hot Caramel Machiato for Yuzaki-san." 

His voice echoed in my mind when he said that. "Thanks." I replied and took the cup from him and as I looked at him, he gave me this warm smile. Oh god, what is happening to me? My internal dialogue sounded.

Walking out of the store, I realized there was something odd with my cup's sleeve. Upon checking, I found there was a folded paper slipped in between the cup and the sleeve.

Hey, want to be friends? I get off work at 7pm, meet me at the entrance.

Wait, WHAT?! What insanity is this? Is this boy gay too? Living in Japan, in a country that is known for the porn industry doesn't make gay open confession a thing. The real people in the LGBT community here, just keep it to themselves. Only Shibuya has passed the same marriage law and most of the LGBT activities were centered around there. 

Maybe I should try meeting this guy first? He is cute. Kinda like my type. Again, my inner dialogue trying to screw my sane mind. Ignoring it, I kept taking sips from my cup and it actually taste different. It was the best Caramel Machiato I've ever had. I walked to work smiling like an idiot that time.

(Kaito)

"Suzuki, he's here!" I told my colleague.

"D'hell Kaito, that hurt!" Suzuki replied, "who?"

"That man there. The only one wearing that astonishing black coat." I pointed.

"Oh you mean CHINEN Yuzaki? Son to Lady Hana and the next in line to take over Chii Empire?" he replied.

"What? Really?" I asked

"Find another one, he has rejected so many people and now sits on the Eligible Bachelor Throne."

"Shut up!" I told him as the man I adore arrived at the counter, "Machiato?" I asked.

"Yep" he replied me without even looking at me. His eyes fixed onto his phone like there's a magnet pulling them in.

Each time I see the gaze he gave his phone, it's the same. Day after day, it was a look of tiredness and despair. If only I was there to comfort him and calm him. Naaaah, look at me. I'm just a bartender pining for some big guy in another world.

I tried to take him out of the gaze and maybe we can talk about something, "Cold day eh?"

To my anger he just replied me "Yeah, I guess so." and he just put the money on the slab and asked me to keep his change? Come on dude, I was being nice.

I won't let this pass anymore, I will initiate Operation Friend-up. I asked Suzuki to take over the counter and I want to make his water personally. With his attitude, I would say that he is having a bad day, I thought to myself that I should make him his drink with a little extra pizzazz. I put some extra shots and some extra caramels to balance it out.

Oh! Almost forgot, I wrote him a note that day too. I slid it in between his cup and the sleeve. Hoping that he would read it somehow. To give or not to give? I kept asking myself the question. I looked at him waiting for his drink and he was like an angel, only if his face would smile instead of being that stiff. 

  "Here you go! One Hot Caramel Machiato for Yuzaki-san." I said enthusiastically and still he was ignoring me.

Patience. I told myself and called out his order again. Finally he snapped out and took the drink but he left me with a simple 'thanks?'. Come on dude, I'm trying to be nice here. Help a brother out? I said to myself. I hoped that he read the letter I slid in and we can meet today.  

p/s - 

this is so awkward. i never wrote a fiction from a POV mode. 

hope this is okay. :D