The Spectator's Book

A mini vintage calendar hung on the wall above the bedside table. It was the fifth day of the second month. Ryuu was ready to face his job today. The everyday service starts depending on the client's set schedule. His slender wrist curled a little as he picked up his long necktie on his bed, and he quickly tied it around the collar of his dress shirt. The clock on the wall was ticking, but the blonde boy was still sound asleep on his bed with a pillow wrapped around by his limbs. Ryuu put in a gentle smile. He did not have any reasons to wake up the blonde boy besides he was thankful for him. A good sleep brought him in a good mood and his bright mind was now functioning well. As he turned around to get his pants, he noticed the leaflet on the top of his bed. He slowly picked it up and opened the first page. A knock on the door turned his head around to gaze at it, a second of heartbeat was paused.

"Ryuu? It's time for your service today."

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The tag on the door. The same door from his 11th Client. Aika did not mention about having the same customer today. The Ladies usually left them quickly after they stopped in front of the assigned service room. Their job was to provide an overview about the Client's background and what kind of service he bought. Ryuu gulped and slowly clicked the doorknob, he saw a man. A new face.

Electric blonde hair reached the waist-length of the tip, a skinny figure of a 5'8 tall. The man was pouring his own cup of coffee. He turned around, and showed the emerald green eyes he owned. Ryuu was stunned by the beauty of the man. Even though he was a man, the atmosphere around him was serene. Additionally, the older man was wearing an attractive auburn three-piece suit with wide lapels atop a band collar white dress shirt, matched the high rise scuffed trousers of the same color, and white spats for his black spectator Oxfords. However, his small brazen face and the benevolent smile of him woke up Ryuu. He blinked as he realized he was gawking at his client. Who would not get stunned at his pleasing features? It was not common in Japan to be around with golden hairs and their own gems possessed by their eyes.

His eyes sparkled as his wide smile appeared. "Are you catering a massage, today?" the voice was soft, resembling that of a male teenager reaching his springtime. Ryuu scanned the room in quick seconds and stood near his client. His hands rested calmly from both his sides, as his fierce eyes stared at the strange client who was smiling gently at him; a form of bait.

Ryuu told him the truth. He did not have any idea how to give a formal massage. There were times he gave his Father a massage prevalence to having body and back pains resulting from his age, however Ryuu would not let anyone know about his parents. He loathed this place for putting the blame on his Father for the reason he was here.

Even so, the client did not mind it. He behaved strangely, simply looking around the room and sat down on the corner of the bed. He lifted his arm in front of him and looked at his wristwatch. "Well, I have an hour to spend. Am I gonna be your only client for today?" Ryuu was stopped. His mind went blank. His anxiousness formed a slight shaking on his lower lip, he then forced a smile. He could not feel the cool breeze coming out from the ventilations and ceiling fan, rather the cold sweat which dripped down on his temple.

The client's smile disappeared. He noticed the boy changed his fearlessness into something the unknown client was well-familiar with. A client of the Service Hub for more than 9 years. A client who had met different servers, and the man who had a motive on the place's internal affairs.

He smiled again, and laughed a little, throwing his back on the bed. He could feel the tension of the poor boy. He could feel the hidden anxiousness eating the boy's mind.

His emerald green eyes glanced at the wall, a wall where it was supposed to have a window. However, only a white wooden wall with an abstract painting of a cocktail glass hung on the center.

"I could rent you for the entire day. I'll make sure you'll enjoy your time spending it with me."

The day for his service ended. The young boy was bemused by what happened. He closed the thick book of an adventure novel as he heard the expected knock on the door. He rose his feet and calmly took the tea trolley with him. Same smile of the Lady who led him to his respective room. Nothing was changed in his routine, except the thick book he put on the corner of the tea trolley. The very first object he accepted in the place.

Arlert was not in their room when Ryuu got in. The room was quiet and the fondness of Ryuu from the content of the book swayed him to a couple of pages.

A book of a man who was a foreign traveller in a far far away place. A world full of creatures which the mind could only comprehend; fairies, elves, talking trees, eater plants, humongous reptiles, birds could swim to any bodies of water, everything in the world of the Book could not be seen as normal on Earth. In addition, there was something mysterious in every character of the Book. Something intoxicating in which a young boy who was not fond of Books, but missed the smell of grass in the summer, dust on the road, and rusty steel from the old buildings he used to pass by; could only imagine what it looked like with the help of a thick layer of papers compacted into a whole.

The traveller was escorted by a talkative tree, about 90 feet tall and with a 4.8 millimeter bark thickness. It was a heavy one although it could walk easily with its roots which became its feet; multiple limbs of every size. The traveller lived in a strange world for more than 30 years of his life since he was born. He was the only human on the planet. His origin was unknown, and his journey was his lifelong story to discover where he came from. The talkative tree never stops its topic of its own amazing branches, strong and powerful which could withstand any storms; its hefty leaves shaded the scorching madness of the fireball they called the Supreme Being, who watched above them and who blew a burning heat causes their land to dry. The tree was proud of itself as it kept the traveller safe. The tree became fond of the traveller, and recognized what its purpose was. It saw the purpose of its leaves, roots and trunks, and this was the reason the talkative tree offered its own life for the security of the traveller.

A slight creak from the door stopped the young boy's new world. He saw the blonde locks entering their room, wearing the Servers uniform. He quickly checked the time above the door; 5:17 p.m.

"You're earlier than me, how's your customer today?'' The blonde boy did not miss to ask this question to him ever since he had forgotten about it . Ryuu closed the book and put it beside his pillow, his eyes lowered and lashes raised on the sapphire blue eyes looking back at him,

"How can I be good at giving massages, Arlert?" the rookie Server wondered.