Kabukichou Complex

1.

Voices resounded across the room in a rhythmic song, the flickering lasers casting long shadows on the walls as we threw our arms to the beat. It seemed as if the streets were just waking at 10pm, crawling out of its daytime slumber as the seas of people thickened and the voices got louder.

The purple light highlighted his cheeks as he smiled, microphone in hand. With his bleached hair falling just above his eyes and the long strands slightly teased, who could decide whether he was scum of the society or a high-end model? 

"Now a very special drink, for a very special princess!" 

Cheering.

A boy with strawberry-blond hair took the mic from Maro as he picked up the champagne bottle delicately, moving with an air of charisma that entranced girls and made boys stare in revere. The microphone was pressed against the neck of the bottle as Maro popped the cork, the drink overflowing when he raised it to his lips and chugged it like a born natural. 

More cheering.

The bottle was passed around with each of us taking a sip, finally landing on the doll-like girl who sat at the center of the couch. With her eyes wide in a dazzled manner and the Ank Rouge blouse clinging to her petite frame, she looked even younger than her young age. Black hair framed her features and her lips parted as she took the bottle, uncertainty dispelled by her friend on the left which urged her on.

Risa was a stark contrast to the newcomer she had brought. As usual her hair was permed with not a strand out of place, the honey color matching the slight tan of her skin tone. A low-cut top and a matching miniskirt flaunted her figure, and she took the champagne bottle confidently in her hand. With Maro holding a napkin beneath her chin, she downed the remainder effortlessly.

The performance died down gradually, the boys heading to their respective tables if they had customers to entertain. A few of us lingered, the empty champagne bottle sitting on the glass surface which covered shining marbles beneath. On the bottle's curved surface, I saw the newcomer blink, her eyes wandering to the large windows at the opposite side of the room where bright billboards punctuated the velvet night sky.

"Time really flies when I'm with you." The boy on her left touched her arm gently, his head leaning towards her as he spoke. "Would you like to choose a shimei before you leave? He'll show you out, and sit with you the next time you visit." 

She scanned the room nervously, linking and unlinking her fingers.

"Hey, it'll be more fun. Just don't choose Maro, he's mine." Risa pouted playfully.

"..."

"You like ouji types right? Every time you go to a Visual Kei live you scream so much. 'So cool so cool'." 

"Ah - you watch it too?" The boy called Jin spoke.

"U-un." 

"See? That guy looks like the vocalist from Air's Gravity. He's probably good at karaoke as well, just ask." A nudge. 

The girl giggled softly and blushed, studying the one who Risa gestured at. She was silent for another while, her gaze  searching everyone from head to toe until it landed on me.

"... Yuuki?" 

Maybe she was still nervous after the champagne, or maybe she had forgotten my name already. It was true that a few hosts had especially memorable names, from Kenshi Yonezu after a well-known singer to anime characters such as Naruto.

"Ah - a pleasure." I extended a hand towards her as she stood up, gathering her belongings. To be honest, I hadn't been expecting her to choose a shimei on her first visit. Many were content with rotating between a flurry of hosts instead of paying an extra fee and commit so quickly to one. 

And for that opportunity to have landed on me...

Had it been my way with words, or the work of my stylist that deserved the credit?

Either way, the only step left was to ensure that she returned. It wasn't a rare occurrence for girls to jump between the wide selection of clubs, visiting them as a first-timer to receive discounts. But since Risa had been the one to introduce her here...

"Do you have LINE?" I inquired as we headed towards the elevator.

It was a customary question to ask, but she seemed reasonably surprised.

"Huh? Um, yeah."

"Don't be so startled, we've talked so much already!"

We'd spoken for 15 minutes at most.

I gave her my QR code to scan as Risa stood by the counter, putting the drinks on a monthly tab. Under normal circumstances the price would have been pretty low since she brought a friend for shokai - a first visit, but since she ordered a champagne call the sum proved extravagant.

"Risa must be a great fan of Maro's..."

The girl followed my gaze, watching her friend. Who knew what sorts of thoughts were racing through her mind now? I could only hazard a guess.

"Maro has many fans," I responded. There was some element of truth to her words, especially since it was her first time seeing such a scene in person. Yet, the impressiveness seemed to dull down with days upon days of champagne calls and towers, the keep bottles lining the backlit shelves studded with sparkling diamonds bearing testimony to that.

"I don't have as many fans but it'll mean that you're special. I'll tell you my favorite drink the next time you come so we can order it," I teased with a wink.

She laughed again.

Truth was I didn't care for drinking all that much.

It was just that we worked on a commission that came with either reward or punishment. 

"Well, I'll message you on LINE, okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be waiting!"

She turned back one last time to wave before disappearing into the elevator which just arrived, and she turned her attention back to Risa once more.