[Charlotte] Seventy-Five Years (Discontinued)

Chapter 8: Red Light District

Not from afar were sounds which were obviously from the club houses in line in the Red Light District. There were lots of lasses walking around the street, wearing the sexiest outfit they could. Some were outside only to smoke. One of the females standing outside the mouth of the club's door suddenly called for Takajou. "A young man like you can be a real man right now," obviously, she was being flirtatious around him.

"I get your point but my loyalty only extends to the student council and its affiliates--especially, Yusa-san!"

The woman smirked, eyes landing at the seemingly quiet Yuu. "How about him? He's cute; he'll get a lot of money just because of that beautiful face."

Did she just tell me I should be a male pornstar?! "No, thanks," flat-out rejected Yuu.

However, the woman took steps nearer the lad she's trying to get. She held his wrist gently and passionately, then led him inside the club.

"Wha-?!"

"Don't complain; just come. You'll like it here," winked the older female.

Great. He told himself rather sarcastically. Yuu looked behind, only to see Nao and Takajou walking after him. They're not going to stop her?! Really great.

Video camera moved around the place, making sure they captured every corner of the amenity. The owner and the staff didn't bother of their place being filmed since Red Light District is legal in Japan. "Wow, so this is what a club looks like! Amazing!" Said Nao, eyes still at the surroundings. Even if she had seen this in the papers and articles, it still amazed her upon seeing a real one.

Is this really the time to be amazed?

There were almost-naked women dancing on the stage, others with the pole. There were girls in bikinis sitting on the lap of their male customers, almost in every corner of the club. This is a strip club! Not a club! Well, it's in the Red Light District, anyway. Even so! Nii-san could have said so! Now, where is this woman taking me?

She made Yuu sit on an empty chair, the woman sat next to him. From the side view of his eyes, he saw Nao being dragged by another handsome man, age ranging in that of a high school student's. Yuu tried to go but the woman locked her legs on top of his lap, hand moving around Yuu's body in a seductive manner, face coming closer to his.

Even if his hormones were reacting, face in red, his eyes were still locked on his girlfriend.

What are they going to do with Nao?! I have to get out of here!

Yuu then continued struggling himself off secretly, just so the woman wouldn't notice the rudeness.

If I'd end up doing this, I might as well just do it with Nao!

"Nao?" Slightly surprised, the female asked. "Is she the girl you were with?"

She heard me?!

"Of course, I did. Thanks to that man's abilities," she said, pointing at the guy sitting next to Nao. "He has the ability to transmit to someone--a particular person, group or everyone around you, the current dirty thought or thoughts you have and the sentence that follows that certain thought. Thoughts will only be transmitted if you managed to make an eye-contact with him. He's just feeling nice today because he transmitted your thought only to me," the woman smirked. "What if the thought gets to be transmitted to Nao-chan? Hm?"

Only dirty thoughts? I knew that was a defective power! Wait... Did Nao already know about...?

---

"You're such a hottie," the man spoke, seductively running his fingers on Nao's jaw line. "If your boyfriend brought you here, he's such a cheapskate."

"We actually came here for you."

"Oh, for me? Isn't that sweet?" The man let out a cheshire grin, now pulling Nao's head closer to his for a kiss. However, Nao was doing nothing to stop him; just her usual facial expression. "I didn't know you'll personally come here just to replace your boyfriend for me."

Nao! Struggled Yuu. That bastard!

"We would like you to join Hoshi no Umi Academy. A private school. The scholarship is ready, your parents' permissions were already given, only yourself being present in the school is the only thing we need."

The kiss was halted. Blinking twice, the man made a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"We're doing this only for those people who have wielded an ability and those who are most likely be able to develop a certain power because of their connection to their siblings. Hoshi no Umi is the safest place you can go; you cannot get out easily, of course. We have provided big apartments where students can stay until puberty. However, believing that it was over last year, the scientists, who take people with abilities as experiments or subjects for their future researches, spread a medicine in the outer space. A medicine that won't let a child get rid of his power easily, even after reaching puberty. Charlotte, the heavenly body which sparkled dusts in the air thirteen years ago, had spread them again a few days ago. Explains why you regained your power. We're here to save the likes of you from being caught by the scientists around the world, dressed in casual clothes to disguise themselves as normal people. We're here to stop people like you who abuse their abilities and use them in the right."

The man swung his arm behind his chair, left leg was on top of his right. "If everything's already fixed, I guess there's nothing wrong in taking the offer. After all, I'd get enough kickback from my parents from the tuitions I have to pay," he shrugged. "It's better that way," sighed the lad. "Also, if I get to see you everyday-"

"Shut up!" A kick from Nao's left foot was delivered right in his stomach.

Right after that, a loud explosion of things was made outside the club. No doubt that was Takajou escaping the hands of the females surrounding him. People looked at the direction where it came from, only to reveal a Takajou standing normally at the side of the door. I will only give this part of me to Yusarin! He told himself, adjusting his glasses as if he was thinking of the normal things.

"Disgusting!" Shouted Nao.

The man, who was recently recruited, shrugged after transmitting Takajou's dirty thought to Yuu and Nao. Yuu made no expression but his usual, comical dumbfounded face. The newest ability user still had his hand on his stomach--where Nao kicked him.

"When you come back, everything will be free!" Said the female who was with Yuu minutes ago.

"No, thanks," another flat-out rejection from the male.

"Baby~," called the new ability user, making grabby hands towards Nao as if he had been wanting to hug the lass.

"Stay away, freak!" Another kick was made, in the same spot, in the same timing. The man flipped, made spiral motion in the air until reaching a cemented wall, his head hitting first. The wall broke, the man slid down on the ground, blood sprouting from his head comically. "I'm liking you even more."

Disgusting, indeed. Yuu told himself and sighed.