Kacchako- Lonely Disposition

Part 1

How did I get here? Seriously, how do I keep finding myself in these situations? Alone on a sketchy couch at an even more sketchy dance club in a sketchy part of Tokyo? I don't even like clubbing! Oh, ya that's right... Mina.

Mina and I grew up together in a small farming village about an hour or so from the capital. We met at the tail end of middle school and have been inseparable ever since, well that is until she decided to go to university in the big city and has been partying her way through a four year degree in marketing while I kept to my small inner circles while attending a smaller university near our home town to get my bachelors of nursing.

Its not like we lost ties or lost interest in one another but simply moved on in different directions, and when I mean moved on, I mean Mina moved on and I bided my time till she got back. Which she always did during the holidays otherwise I'd go down during the summer for a week or so to soak up some hot sun on the beach. Whenever we got together it was as if no time had passed at all and we were back to our same silly teenage selves but there seemed to always be an underlying tension always lingering waiting to remind us that we are actually different people and don't have much in common anymore.

So when Mina suggested a road trip with just us, I couldn't refuse. While Tokyo is far from my first choice in a trip destination, the thought of exploring a new place with my best friend was too good to pass up. We spent the first few days delegating interests. I got to drag Mina up early to watch the sunrise over the ocean from the beach and she dragged me to every high end shop she could find. I got her to sit still for an hour while I perused the well loved and well worn shelves of several book stores while she some how managed to get me to pose for several impromptu photo shoots.

Tonight unfortunately ended in her favor. Its not that I mind learning or experiencing the things that Mina really enjoys, it's just that this is really REALLY not my thing. I have never been to nor been in any sort of friend group that went clubbing and the kinds of tv shows that showed a crude version of the hobby just weren't my thing. Of course Mina has told me countless stories and experiences she's had there (none of which really sold me on the idea) and I was apprehensive when she first told me why we were getting all dressed up.

"WHAT! Mina No!" "Ochako hold still or I'll burn your ear off!" Mina was currently curling my hair and using the time to explain how the night was going to go. "Come on chako babe! You'll have fun! we'll have a few drinks, do some dancing, and enjoy a night on the town dressed to the nines! You'll love it!" My face drew into a pout as I realized that I'd been set up. Mina bought me a dress earlier that was way too short but one that I "simply must have!", we did each other's make up to reminisce our times from high school getting ready in the same mirror most days out of the week from how often we slept over at each other's houses, and now Mina was curling my hair, something I hardly ever do as now most days I'm a low level night nurse at the local hospital just outside our home town, making the easiest thing to do with my mid length boring brown bob was put it in a pony tail and keep on keeping on. "You deserve a night out and besides, you don't want all my hard work to go to waste huh?" I huffed but eventually folded with the condition that I got to pick where we went for dinner.

When we walked down the sidewalk, the late night sushi we just ate churned in my stomach as I looked up at the neon purple hue radiating off of the "Chasers" sign hanging above the darkened doorways leading into most likely an abyss of black light and death. "Come on Chako this way!" Mina's bubblegum pink hairdo bounced down the sidewalk to the line of other scantily clad people also awaiting this horrid fate. I pulled up the sweetheart neck line of my strapless white tube dress and wiggled after her in a pair of chunky heels that I repeatedly told her were not going to be comfortable, surprise surprise guess I was right. Mina chose a similar style of mini dress but in black and made of leather so she could be "the yin to my yang" and accentuate her long legs in the new designer strappy neon green stilettos she got recently from "a friend who liked to flirt but was never gonna get any".

We eventually got to the front doors after half an hour of small talk with a couple of girls in front of us and were ushered forward by a serious looking bouncer who checked our bags and ID's then into a dimly lit entrance area attached to the main dance floor. How this particular club was organized had the dance floor in a large rectangle in the center of the building with the DJ stage set up on the far end, two neon lit lounge areas with leather couches and low set tables surrounding a 360 bar in the middle of each. It took some time for my eyes to adjust to the low light but no time to be bombarded by the steady and heavy thumping of bass and strobing synth pouring from the speakers set up nearly everywhere.

After navigating the exits and bathrooms and securing a vacant half of couch farthest away from the DJ to avoid hearing loss, Mina finally pulled me to one of the bars. The other side of the dance floor was lit up blue and purple while this half was drenched in red and orange. While the crowded dance floor of gyrating bodies and darkened corners occupied couples with wandering hands; the place as a whole wasn't too bad, at least it was clean and I guess the music wasn't completely obnoxious.

Finding an open spot within the lingering people around the bar we slid up to the smooth black epoxied counter, "Ok I know what you're gonna say." Mina's eyebrows were pulled together to appear serious but her smirk gave her away, "It's actually not too bad." I say while giving the scene another once over then back to my friend's excited features. "Oh good! We're gonna have so much fun and if we're lucky we might be able to get an escort home too!" her expressive eyebrows wiggled at me, "Uh no thanks, I really don't want a stranger coming back to our hotel." she pouted and crossed her arms, "fine but we can look right?" I roll my eyes and look over the bar specials of the night, "Ya ya, no harm in looking." "Speaking of looking, take a look at Mr. Bartender!" I looked up at the guy across from us pouring liquor into a silver shaker.

He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and black board shorts with white vans and a backwards snapback that had a white skull embroidered into the black base. While his outfit wasn't necessarily all that impressive, as he shook the shaker with one hand, it was clear that he was a regular to the gym, his thin t-shirt revealed well defined shoulders and biceps. I gave Mina the "oooo girl he fine" face which made her bust out laughing quickly followed by myself, "What'll it be?" Our laughter is quickly extinguished by the front side of the hot bartender and I can testify, he's even pretty from the front. I quickly make eye contact with his crimson irises for a moment before looking down to fiddle with the edge of my dress, Mina picks up up on my inner panic and raging blush by piping up, "We'll have two long island ice teas." The fierce gaze lingers on me, pulling my eyes up to his again, "Please?" I manage to squeak out. "Sure thing." and off he went. I gasp for air, fanning my reddened face while my pink haired bestie laughs her ass off.

"MIIINAAAAA! I'm such an idiot!! Like seriously what was that?!" I whisper yell at her, giggles overrunning my nervous energy, "Na girl, you're not an idiot, just horny." slapping at her arm amidst more laughter we take the next couple of minutes to giggle, whisper, and ogle at the bartender like a couple of high schoolers while he made our drinks.

But can you blame us? This guy was built, had a jaw so chiseled it looked to be made of granite, well kept blond spikey hair with a trimmed undercut, and an edgy eyebrow piecing. Damn this man oozed attractive. Hot Stuff McGee eventually sauntered back with our excessively alcoholic drinks, setting each on a small napkin, "Have a good night ladies." Mina winked at him while seductively taking the first sip of her long island while I used my napkin to wipe off the counter from the condensation of my glass and give him a wide smile, "Thanks you too!" I barely catch his smirk before making a bee line towards the back of the lounge. Thank God the neon hid my ridiculously blushed face!

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What I thought was going to be a short story is now turning into a multichapter one but who doesn't want more! Enjoy! A