5

I've got some errands to run, nothing too important...oh and I want to find a new job…" Gouin responds with an uncertain expression.

"Oh? What kind of jobs? Are you going to find one?" Sousuke inquires excitedly.

"Yeah, I don't know yet, but maybe one soon." Gouin says scratching his head slightly.

"That's awesome Gou! Do you still wanna hang out?" Sousuke asks.

"Sure, let's go to my place. My mom made some curry earlier, we can eat there," Gouin suggests. "I'll take care of dinner tomorrow."

"Ok Gou-tan, sounds great!" Sousuke replies with a big smile plastered across his face.

Gouin picks up his things and they make their way outside. Gouin turns to look at his house before following his friend.

"So Gou, I was thinking that maybe I could come by your place tomorrow night and we could hang out."

"Huh? I thought you were going to see Noelle."

"I am but Noelle wanted me to spend time with you," Sousuke states matter-of-factly.

"Ok, I guess I can let you stay if you really want to," Gouin says smiling and rubbing the back of his neck. "But if you cause trouble you better hope my mother won't kill you."

Sousuke chuckles, "I can only pray."

They both chuckle lightly as Gouin leads the way.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A young man sits silently at the bar of The Bar. He wears black leather gloves on his hands and his fingers are wrapped around a bottle of beer. He looks around the room, taking in all of the occupants as they enjoy themselves. There are several couples sitting next to one another on couches or tables. One man sits alone drinking a glass of whiskey. An attractive woman appears to be watching him with hungry eyes. He is dressed casually wearing jeans and a white button down shirt. His dark brown hair is styled neatly in a short cut. His eyes scan the room once again, and this time he catches a glimpse of someone that causes his eyes to narrow suspiciously. A tall man with long red hair stands with his arms folded in a relaxed manner. His blue eyes scan the room as he speaks with two women who sit next to each other. The man's gaze then moves to a man in a suit sitting at one of the tables near him.

The man raises his glass and takes a drink from it causing the woman beside him to laugh quietly. The man turns toward her and gives her a warm smile before taking the empty glass from her hand. The lady scoots closer to the taller man and puts her arm around his waist.

The man leans back against the redhead woman as they lean into each other whispering flirtatiously. The taller man wraps his muscular arm around his partner and brings his face close to hers. He whispers something to the redhead causing her to giggle softly and turn to look into the bartender's eyes. Her laughter slowly fades as the bartender stares at the redhead blankly, and she suddenly feels nervous. She swallows nervously before turning to look at her companion who is staring directly at the couple who just left the room. A smirk curls onto the man's lips. Suddenly his hand slides up from her waist and wraps around her neck.

He gently kisses her passionately, the redhead woman lets out a soft moan. The redhead's hand cups the man's face pulling him closer. Their lips move against each other hungrily until they hear a loud growl. The woman breaks away panting slightly before giving a mischievous grin. Her body leans forward and she plants a small kiss on the man's cheek. The redhead woman turns her head to the side and smirks as she watches the bartender glare angrily at her and the man. She chuckles to herself and pulls away from the smaller man leaning her back against the booth and facing him. The redhead rests her chin atop the table and looks him straight in his ruby red eyes. She smiles seductively and leans in towards the man who stares at her intensely.

The redhead woman places her hand on his chest as her tongue glides over the red velvet box hanging from her necklace. The man's breathing grows erratic and he shivers under her touch. The redhead woman runs her hand along his neck while the man tries desperately to control his emotions. Finally the redhead woman pulls away from the large man and smiles coyly at the large man who is currently trying hard to control his breathing. She reaches into the pocket of her jacket and takes out a folded paper. She unfolds the paper, revealing the picture of her and her lover. She looks at the picture fondly before giving it to the bartender.

"For you sir," She says as the bartender stares at the photo in confusion.

The bartender takes the photograph and holds it tightly in his hand as his eyes remain glued to the image. Slowly, his mind starts to process what happened. The bartender suddenly realizes what had transpired moments ago between him and his girlfriend and quickly places the picture on the counter, pretending not to notice it. After a few seconds of silence, he clears his throat to grab their attention.

"Would you like anything else?" He asks looking at the redhead, "And would you like something to drink?"

His girlfriend, now fully aware of what happened just minutes ago, turns toward him and smirks. She glances at the bartender behind the bar and gives him a nod. The bartender gives the customer a nod as he leaves the room. When he returns, he hands the customer a glass filled with ice water. After a few minutes he returns the ice to the freezer and walks back to the kitchen. He grabs a tray and walks back to the bar where the redheaded woman is seated.

The bartender sets the tray of drinks down carefully before leaving and returning to his workstation.

The redhead woman grabs a glass and fills it with ice cold water before taking a sip. She leans forward on the bar and turns to look at the bartender. She notices how he is looking at her and smiles coyly at him. The bartender clears his throat nervously before standing completely straight again.

"Thank you for the water," He says politely.

"No problem," She says smiling brightly. "Are you okay?" She asks placing her hand on top of his own.

"Ahh...yes," He mutters shaking his head a little. "Sorry about earlier. It just seemed like we should have waited until after dinner, and you know I'm usually a very patient person, but I swear this guy is getting on my nerves…" He mutters quietly.

She smirks and shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, "It's ok. I understand completely."

He sighs heavily and leans back against the bar. She takes another sip from her glass of water before speaking. "Anyway, I'll be heading home now. Bye."

She stands from her seat and makes her way to the door before stopping in front of the bartender, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you're a really good-looking man," She comments before smiling brightly. "You never know when you might meet someone who likes men, right?"

She pats his shoulder before making her way out of the bar. The bartender stays silent for a moment before sighing loudly, and pinching the bridge of his nose. He rubs his forehead roughly before running a hand through his hair. He shakes his head and places a hand over his heart.

'Man, those women are getting on my nerves,' He thinks bitterly as he walks back to the kitchen.

After cleaning up the kitchen, he walks over to a table and sits down in one of the chairs. He takes out his phone and opens up his social media app.

[Gaku] Hey, I'll be back tomorrow. Sorry for disappearing so suddenly but something came up.

The bartender sends the message to no one in particular before sighing and putting his phone away. The bartender looks up and stares at nothing in particular before his gaze shifts to the entrance of the bar where someone has just entered. He recognizes who it is and begins walking up to him.

"Welcome back, Uozumi."

Uozumi turns and nods slightly at the bartender before turning toward the stairs. The bartender follows closely behind him and reaches out to put a hand on Uozumi's shoulder causing him to turn toward the man.

"Do you mind if I join you?"