Newton's Cradle

Heart was racing as the young boy entered the room, the same interior style from the VIP rooms he had visited. Although, this room was identical to an office with a wooden desk and chair in the center. The utmost thing that caught his attention was the metallic cat facing him, balancing a red paperweight sphere with bubbles inside it. It was placed on the table, beside a Newton's Cradle. A device of five metallic spheres hanging on a straight thin thread which is attached to a base. The silver balls clacked; where the first strike, the last sphere would go upward while the middle spheres were being suppressed as they collided to the first and the last. The same movement happened constantly.

"Take this," the man ordered. His eyes were not looking at the young boy; ignoring his presence. Ryuu did not care less about the man's perception of him. His eyes were locked on the pamphlet that was on the table. The cover was only white in color and 'Exclusive Use Only' was the only text printed on it. Ryuu took it. The hardcover and musky scent coming from the paper were giving off wealth in it.

"Go back to your room, now. Needless to say, ask your Lady to assist you with its use." Silence filled the small room. A space bore resemblance to an interrogation room; cold, heavy and uncomfortable. Ryuu could not wander his eyes freely, he did not know any information about the man nor did he know his name. The young boy walked off the door and headed to his room on the second floor. Small breath of silence came out of his mouth as he opened the familiar door; no tags could be seen in front.

Ryuu choked a little and covered his nose with his hand from the strong smell of chocolate and butter. He saw Arlert, wearing only a black trunks and a body lotion which brought contact to his skin. He could clearly see a full amount of cream smeared on the arms of the blonde boy.

"Ryuu! I was waitin-"'

"What smell is that?" He shut the door. A loud thud came from it as he could not keep his composure. Arlert giggled and jumped off the bed, he then pulled the arm of his friend. Ryuu's face was contorted from how much the smell dwells badly in his nose.

"Tada!'' The blonde boy handed another expensive lotion to his roommate. Ryuu shoved it off to him, glowering at him hardly disappears. Arlert stared at him. He knew how much the guy loathed the Service Hub and anything related to it. However, Arlert was the opposite. Ryuu turned around and sat down on his bed,

"I don't accept anything here..." he lowered his head on the pamphlet in his hands. Arlert's eyes widened as he saw the familiar paper. Slowly, his back sat on his bed facing Ryuu. Ryuu opened the leaflet.

'CLIENT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES'

A step by step instructions on how to practice massage. Ryuu groaned and threw the paper elsewhere, plunging his head on the pillow. His weary eyes could not accept ridiculous things anymore. In fact, his level of adapting to the new environment was susceptible. A sudden conflict might arise during his current state that it was only a matter of time to take his life down instead. Ryuu shut his eyes to clear his thoughts. No, that was not what he wanted, he wanted to live and leave the new place.

Small hand picked up the pamphlet on the floor and flipped quickly through the pages. "So, you have been recommended to provide an exclusive body massage," the blonde lad stated.

"I don't wanna talk about that, Arlert." Ryuu turned his back on the blonde boy and pulled his blanket around him. His bed creaked and sunk, a weight of a person got in. The black eyes sharpened, pupil dilated apprehensively, seeing a porcelain arm in front of him. The atmosphere got heavy, seconds of breathlessness. Arlert leaned closer to him, his curl fringe lowered covering his forehead,

"But you have to know this service, Ryuu." Ryuu sighed inaudibly, and covered his head on the blanket and closed his eyes. The blonde boy was worried. He could see the faint black under the boy's eyes. He could see the tolerance being pushed to its very core. He witnessed everything, he saw the new boy on his first day and the outcome of frightful events happened to him for the last month. Arlert knew the first time he saw the boy's eyes. It was filled with confusion, anger and a threat of madness; ignited a fire slowly ablaze with rage. He was a brave boy. He could see it akin to a Server he was familiar with. His former roommate.

Ryuu slowly opened his eyes, as a heavy weight laid on his side body. The blonde boy was leaning his head on him. A warm memory flashed on Ryuu...

A little boy, big black eyes and chubby cheeks, face as a tomato from bursting into tears. The cicadas buzzing on the trees in the summer heat. Playground covered the middle portion of the big trees being used by bubbly children; old merry go round, loud metal creaks of seesaw, damp monkey bars and squeals of traditional swing. Two adolescent boys screamed and cried. A voice of a concerned mother hurried to embrace the big kid who had a cool buzz cut, snub nose, thick lips, and a melon fruit in his belly. The chubby cheeks, standing firmly in front of the one who bugged him, clenched his hands and bit his lip. He reckoned he did not do anything wrong. He only defended himself from getting hurt by someone else's fault. However, his eyes formed crystals of tears watching the bad kid being protected by a loving mother. He cried.

"Ryuu!?" a familiar voice of a woman, echoed in the boy's ears, and felt the warmth of arms wrapped around his small body. The voice was soothing, gentle and kind. The kid's small finger pointed at the big kid,

"He's bad! He said Father is a beggar. He said that Father is eating garbage at his work, is that true mother?" The little boy cried in small tears. The woman, long black hair and skinny, smiled and her lips touched the forehead of her child.

"Oh, baby... That's not true. You know your Father more, believe in what you know."

The faint scent of salt, and spices in the noodles emanating from the woman, stayed in the little kid's memory as his mother comforted him.

The big eyes were now shaped into smaller, slowly closed. Another inducement to move forward.

That time, Arlert stayed resting at the top of his roommate for a couple of minutes until he noticed the boy had fallen into slumber. Arlert bit his lower lip, a sting on his chest put him to watch the young man sleep. The frown eyebrows of the black haired boy loosen, his face wore a mask of an angel.

He shivered as the sudden breeze ran through his bare skin. He rushed through his own bed and put on his pajama clothes with the printed pattern of a bear's head.