Gray And Blue

Act 1 - Long Time No See

Another day had passed by, yet the lights in the city of Tokyo never rest. Kenta woke up at exactly eight o'clock in the evening to prepare once again for work. As always, he would stare at the ceiling for a few minutes then move his gaze to the meteorite bracelet he was wearing on his left wrist. After a few blinks, he would close his eyes and doze off again. Just a few minutes more, he would usually say.

His roommates had already woken up earlier than him. They had to prepare for the usual night events at the brothel. They had to make themselves look as flashy and dashing as possible—not to the extent that they would look like some expensive hosts—but enough for them to please their customers. It was really a must for them to look young and handsome so that they could stay in this industry for a long time, or else, the boss could just easily dispose and replace them with younger and 'fresher' ones.

Kenta was deeply favored by the boss, whom regarded him, in some way, as his own son. He was really hardworking and had proven his loyalty to the group countless times. Because of this, even though Kenta was not working as a prostitute in their brothel, he enjoyed the same benefits as his roommates. He could also get free room and board just like them.

Though it was a bit cramped for six grown men to stay in the same bedroom, it was more than enough for them since they did not have many items within their tiny room.

At the White Lotus, he served as an all-around waiter and dishwasher. A few years back, he was offered by the boss to work as a prostitute, since he looked really good himself. He had gray bushy hair that made him stand out, a tall stature of 185 centimeters, radiant and deep hazel eyes, and a solemn expression on his face that could make the onlooker want to know more about what he had in mind. He had this deep and aloof personality, yet people were always drawn to him. In some way, this aloofness and mysterious disposition he had made people want to get to know him more. It was, in a way, a charm that was inherent to him. Due to his firm conviction about his values in life, he politely declined the offer from their boss to become a prostitute, even though the pay was way better for those in this line of business.

In the morning, he worked as a helper in a bookstore. Sometimes, he would even deliver ramen for customers in the neighboring noodle shop. He would do everything that he could do as long as he was capable of accomplishing it. He lived a very frugal life for his age of twenty-two. The old flip phone that he was using was even gifted by his friends in the brothel during his first birthday in the brothel. The clothes that he owned could not even go beyond the number of fingers he had on his hands. He was a very simple, determined and obedient guy.

Sometimes, people would even take him as someone who was lazy since he would usually take some time before he would get out of bed. This was not because he was lazy. It was all because he had a lot of things running around in his mind and he was always worn out from all of the part-time jobs that he took. He would always consider himself lucky if he could get at least four to five hours of sleep a day.

"Hey, Amamiya, you piece of shit! Wake up already. The boss will give us a beating again if we're late," Shō called then threw a towel on Kenta's face. "Even now, you sure you don't want to be like one of us? The pay is better. You can buy your old farm house back faster if you do it that way. You don't even have to do morning jobs, I'm telling you."

Kenta groaned then sluggishly got up. "No, thank you...and stop calling me by my family's name."

Shō sighed then sat beside Kenta's bed. "I'm just worried about you, Kenta. I'm your best friend."

Kenta scratched his back and yawned, then he replied, "Worried? Pssh, if you're worried, you wouldn't want me to get exposed to some nasty disease because of your job...and besides, I want to earn clean money to buy our farm house back."