Chapter 6: A New Day

The weather was too nice that Ryohei could not help but to smile to himself. Added by the sweet meeting on the day before, he has always imagined Yuki being by his side. He has fallen in love with everything about Yuki - he even has embraced Yuki's dark past unconditionally. He looked around while going to work just in case if he could trace the presence of Yuki somewhere within his range.

The bookstore where he worked at came to his view. Ryohei immediately glared at the empty bench across the bookstore, where he first noticed the lonely Yuki. Unfortunately, there was no Yuki to be seen, hence his shoulders slumped a little.

Ryohei shook his head. It was unpredictable that he now hoped for someone he longed for to sit there, so that he could watch him while working. If only he could, he would like to wish for Yuki to stay inside Niji Bookstore instead.

"Good morning!" Ryohei cheerfully accosted the staffs coming earlier than him. He was not late - it was just that the staffs arrived earlier than him. "How's everyone?"

"We should be the one asking you," their manager appeared out of nowhere. "How was your day? It must be tough handling a blind man."

"It wasn't! In fact, Yuki-kun was very considerable. He was independent enough that he could walk leisurely with his white cane. He became reckless just because he lost it. He has gotten a new one from the hospital, and I must say he is really comfortable with it."

"Yuki-kun?" one of his colleague butted in. "You sounded as if he loves being blind. Do you guys know each other? You've even called him casually."

"I don't mean that he loves being blind. I don't think he likes it," Yuki's history revelation replayed in his mind, "But I don't think he considers it as something he should be upset. I believe he has always cheered himself up."

The colleague and the manager exchanged glances. They giggled at themselves before disclosing something Ryohei never wanted to listen.

"Ryohei, listen," The manager started first. "From your way of telling, I could say you're little by little into that blind man. Well, I don't blame you regarding that," he clung his arm around Ryohei's shoulder, "he's pretty in the first place. However, do you really know who he is?"

Ryohei squinted at the manager, "Are you divulging that he's a superhero who comes to this city to save people in need?"

"You read too much DC, I guess," The colleague guffawed at Ryohei's childishness, "Rumours have spread around here about him. I heard it from my friends working around here too while drinking with them and the manager last night."

"What kind of rumours?"

Once again, the manager and the colleague exchanged looks. The manager replied, "They said he is a male prostitute, working in a gay bar. He becomes blind because of some shit, and everything about him could rejuvenate but the eyes."

"Are you kidding me?" Ryohei widened his eyes and even gaped. Deep inside, he was chortling at both the manager and the colleague.

Both of them nodded simultaneously. "I estimate the white cane he was looking for was given by someone special to him. Probably he was close to that particular someone, but he was dumped. That was why you saw him staring blankly alone yesterday."

The story fit perfectly though. Ryohei propped his chin. So, Yuki was telling him the truth. If it was a kind of fake stories, there must be some forged part from either side. But, he could not distinguish the truth behind the missing white cane.

"Let me ask you. Ryohei," The manager motioned his hand, inviting both Ryohei and the colleague to enter the locker room and changed to their uniform. "Didn't he try doing anything towards you yesterday? Predicting from your keenness about time management, I don't think you would spend time with him until evening. You treasure your rest time very much though."

Ryohei blinked in confusion. If only these guys figured out what happened on the day before, they might block him from getting any nearer to Yuki in the future. They did not know how eager Ryohei was to meet again with Yuki, that he held back from making his way to Yuki's house. He purposely acted dumb, not to fool his basically friends, but he just wanted to find out whether they made up stories or exposing the trueness.

However, he did not even feel mad. He was relieved that Yuki was known. At least, people knew who he was. Ryohei tried hard not to burst to laugh for deceiving. He did not do it intentionally though. He just wanted to protect whatever he had regarding Yuki, even the mischievous side.

"All right, I'll be more careful. I was shocked to hear this," Ryohei awkwardly scratched his nape. His puzzled expression strengthened their beliefs that Ryohei has trusted them. Whereas, Ryohei has already been informed about that by the male prostitute himself.

The colleague patted on Ryohei's shoulder, "I'm sorry if that disappointed you, but I just don't want you to befriend wrong person. That blind man may be a bad news to you."

"It might explain why no one was talking to him yesterday," the manager kept on adding stories, "And it might teach us why he smelled nice."

"Wait," Ryohei cut off, "Smelled nice? Can you sniff the scent?"

The manager nodded vigorously, "You must have detected it. I wondered what kind of cologne he wore, but the scent from his was... flowery and mesmerizing. As if it was his trademark. It smelled nice, but it's not really good."

Ryohei pursed his lips. So they found out about Yuki's smell? The one which made a man aroused?

"It made me slightly hard," the colleague admitted. "It took us a while to move on from the scent after you brought him to the hospital," a long sigh escaped. "The longer he stayed, the harder I might get."

Ryohei ogled at the colleague, as if he was astonished by the news. He has acknowledged about the scent and its effect it caused to other man, hence he loathed it when other man acknowledged it as well. With his hands clenching at his sides, he lowered his head to hide his ferociousness.

Yuki must not come to Niji Bookstore!