Between Two Roses - Chapter X

What have I done?

 

Matsui Jurina stared at her bare feet as the warm water rained her continuously, rinsed away all her fatigue and exhausting thoughts after the endless unforeseen things that happened to her recently. With that amount of surprise life had brought to her door, Jurina wasn’t sure if she’s able to live her life normally like she always yearned for. However, it’s not like she against any of these. It’s just; everything was happened too fast, too unpredictable, almost felt unreal, even to her standard. As a person who had seen many bad things before her eyes, Jurina still couldn’t believe what she was doing. Moreover, she couldn’t figure out what she was feeling and how she should act towards it.        

Did I kiss her?

The warm bathwater had successfully calmed her nerves. Jurina released a small groan as she began to feel dizzy as she had been standing in the shower for like forever. She turned the tap off and reached for her towel in the nearby rack. Once the stream was stopped, a breeze of cool air attacked her naked body, discomforting sensation she always felt whenever she’s done taking a warm shower. Stepping out, she wrapped the towel around her body and walked towards mirror.   

I did kiss her…

Jurina didn’t even take her time to dry her hair properly. She wouldn’t mind waking up looking like she just come out from The Lion King movie, which she usually avoided in the first place because for Jurina, appearance was always the first above all. Staring at her own reflection, the lingering question that had made her spending all night in the bathroom quickly returned, a question that in the end filling the utmost place of Jurina’s anxiousness,    

What was that kiss for?

Silently walking, Jurina attempted not to wake up the now sleeping Rena. In that dim light, she noticed that the heiress was turning her back on her, so that Jurina couldn’t see her face. There was a relief washed the younger Matsui as she didn’t and wouldn’t know how she would act towards the older girl if she happened to be awake. Jurina marched across the room and dropped her towel as she was about to change into her sleepwear. Glancing at the sleeping princess, her heart slightly pounding as she never been in the state of having no clothes in the same room with the latter. It was her first attempt doing that because seeing the other girl was in her deep sleep. Her mind somehow wandered, imagining if Rena was wide awake, watching her changing. Jurina bit her lips; though she had been naked in front of many women, there was an unusual thrilling yet exciting sensation by just imagining being ogled by the other Matsui like that. However, distorted with her own impudent thoughts, Jurina shook her head and hastily changed before slid comfortably beside the heiress.

As usual, Rena’s skin was pale bright in such a minor lighting, her hair fell aside so Jurina could see the heiress’ nape of the neck; it was so inviting to touch.

However, restraining herself from touching the other girl, Jurina only glanced at the sleeping beauty beside her. Oh how she really wanted to hold that waist and snuggled closer, hugging her tight while asleep. It was strange to Jurina even though she did that many, many times before with various girls, but the urge wasn’t as strong as this and she felt she reserved to receive a standing ovation for her restrictive attitude she was doing towards Rena. Back then if there was a girl caught her attention, she wouldn’t be thinking twice to do anything to make the other party melt in her arms. However, she felt like there was a barrier between her and Rena, a boundary that somehow made Jurina couldn’t do anything as free as she always did to other women, that barrier is called respect.      

Ten minutes had passed and while still battling with her feelings, Jurina remembered something. She reached for her mobile phone on the desk beside the bed and went for the list of contact numbers. The escort dived down until she attained a certain number which was the same like written on the flyers which had a face of the girl next to her right now and paused for a moment before pressing the delete button.    

xxx

Roppongi never sleeps.

People come and go to this area to seek escapes from their daily routine and dull life. Millions of money is traded from one hand to another in a blink of eye. Hedonism and self-indulgence were something usual to be seen where all the seven deadly sins are freely done all day and all night. Though not as edgy and lively as Kabuki-cho in Shinjuku, the high-end and elite’ entertainments Roppongi offers are having their own fascination that has been a legend for over half a century.

From this district too, everything started.

Downcast eyes never left Jurina all day as she just got scolded by Mariko. As a newbie in this industry, she was being judged as being unprofessional the time she just debuted as an escort girl in one of Mariko’s host club.

“Why are you putting on such act? That woman was a director of the famous radio station in Tokyo!”

“Sorry, she was too old for me…”

“And about the one who just sat beside you minutes ago?”

“Sorry, I…didn’t like the way she complained about her boyfriend to me…”

“Yeah keep doing that and I won’t pick you from the street again like back then! I thought you were more than a pretty face!”

And since her mood to work was down along with Mariko’s expectation on her, Jurina decided to take a walk around. Putting on the hood, she kept her hands inside the fur jacket’s pockets, the air outside was cold since it was nearing winter in the end of October. Jurina had no destination so she just walked and walked until she felt like freezing and decided to go back to the club room. However, as she drove her legs to the pavement to the building, a car behind her honked its horn.     

“Hey girl, want to have a ride?”

Jurina instantly turned and her eyes widened in horror, her fist slowly forming into a death grip as her stomach stirred in chaos and discomfort knowing who was behind the wheel.

“Oh? Look who I have here, if it’s not Jurina-chan!”

The same voice, the same face, the same manner which disgusted Jurina to the bone, which she thought she wouldn’t ever encounter after years, years of resignation and disarray the boy had caused about.

“Look at you. Why wandering around in a place like this. A prostitute now, huh?” his condescending attitude made Jurina wanted to punch him on the spot if it wasn’t because she knew her power didn’t match a guy like him at all.  

“Leave me alone.” Jurina turned and started walking before she heard the car door slammed open then closed again. Then she felt a harsh grip on her arm.

“Where are you going, baby?”

Jurina’s body boiled as she heard him calling her intimately like that.

“Let go! A bullied kid who is being a bully now, huh? Pathetic.”

“I’m not bullying you. You’ve been asking for that! Now, since you got no family to run to, do you still want to avoid me? Still want to run from me?”

Jurina gritted her teeth; she was about to kick the guy’s crotch but his hand was too fast and already roamed Jurina’s body before she even could do anything.

“Be mine.”

“NO! STOP!”

The Roppongi city lights suddenly replaced by the sun rays gleaming from the windows. The road, the pavement, the ambience shifted into her small flat room. The festivity of the district suddenly changed into a recognizable quietness. Only one thing didn’t change was the grip on her arm. Jurina turned at her limbs to find out a scared pair of mismatched brown eyes staring back at her, holding her left arm tight.

“I heard you screaming…are you okay?”

Jurina sat up, propped herself with Rena’s help. The heiress had a worried look on her face, wondering if the younger Matsui was having a bad dream that she yelled in her sleep and awoken all sweaty like that. Rena was about to get the younger girl a drink before she happened to notice a teardrop rolled down Jurina’s cheek.

“Jurina…chan?”

Rena internally gasped realizing what she was just calling the other girl with, it was just slipped out her mouth without even planned or intended to. Then as if moved by unseen power, Rena’s hand went to Jurina’s cheek, wiped the tears with her thumb. Seeing Jurina still lost herself like that made the heiress wanted to hug her and stroke her hair, calming her. However, as if reading Rena’s mind, Jurina leaned her body against her own. The younger girl’s arm circled Rena’s waist tight.

“I’m scared…”

“What’s wrong?”       

“I’m really scared, Rena-chan…” Jurina curled herself like a ball, like a cat nestling on its owner’s arms. Rena started stroking her hair.

“What are you scared of?”

“Everything…”

“Ssh…It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t.”

Though she knew Rena didn’t even know what problem she was afraid of, for the very first time Jurina felt safe in someone’s arms.

xxx

Rena fluttered her eyes open as she heard a certain tone ringing in the room. As she was trying to comprehend the source of the repetitious sound, the heiress just realized she was falling asleep again. When she had fully opened her eyes, the first time she could clearly see was Jurina’s face, sleeping with her mouth slightly puckered, which Rena thought resembles a puppy. It was cute.

However as soon as she realized that, a familiar heat spread around her cheeks, as their faces were merely inches away that Rena could breathe the younger girl’s breath. When she was trying to get up, she found out that her right arm was used by Jurina as a hugging pillow and she couldn’t help but slowly, moving the sleeping escort’s arms so she wouldn’t wake up the tired-looking girl. However, before she even did a thing, Jurina rolled her body so that her back now was facing Rena, as if reading Rena’s intention. The way she moved her body which resembled a cat amused the older girl as this was the first time she discovered the other side of the younger girl’s sleeping habit which was unmistakably interesting. The other side of her wondering what kind of reaction Jurina would make if she tickled her with something furry while sleeping like that. The vulnerable look she might emit made Rena giggled in victory.

However, the phone’s ringtone broke Rena’s imagination.

It was appeared to be an unrecognized number, as there was no name coming up along the now beeping numbers. Rena took it and decided to wake Jurina up.

“Jurina-chan, there is a call for you.” She softly shook Jurina’s shoulder. There was no reaction and Rena began to wonder whether she should pick it up or not but it would be impolite since Jurina never really let her touch her personal belongings before. Rena shook the escort’s body harder.

“Wake up!”

“Hnn…” Jurina slightly grunted and turned her body slowly. Her eyes narrowed and blinked several times before stretching out her body which, once again, Rena thought, resembles a cat.

“OH, SHIT!” Rena startled as Jurina jumped and took the phone before rushed her way out the flat and closed the door shut leaving Rena alone in confusion. It was as if Jurina had forgotten something important or an appointment. Probably something related to her work.

Not long after that, Jurina entered the flat in hurry and without words, she opened her wardrobe and started dived in, throwing this and that, discarding things she wasn’t going to wear without even caring the mess she made and picked a crop t-shirt with a black and white striped tanktop and denim shorts. Jurina was about to take off her clothes but when she noticed the speechless Rena was staring at her in awe, she blushed and hurriedly made her way to the bathroom.             

“Client?” Rena asked as Jurina came out the bathroom while combing her hair in a speed that Rena thought it could hurt the younger girl’s scalp. Jurina hummed her answer which Rena took it as a yes.

“I don’t know when I come home tonight, is there food?”

“It’s okay; I’ve saved some stew in the fridge.”

“Glad then.” The girl rushed to apply some light makeup here and there. At least something to make her face not looking so sleepy since she just being awoken so suddenly.

Knowing that the other girl wouldn’t be home until when she didn’t know, Rena felt a bit lonely. It’s not like she wasn’t used to it because it’s been a month and Jurina not being around her for half a day wasn’t something unfamiliar but Rena thought it was too fast. It felt like they both just got around each other for a really short moment and suddenly everything had to go back to the circle of routines. But as the older girl and a guest here, Rena knew she didn’t have a right to voice that out. She didn’t have a right to control when the younger had to be home and when to not.

 “I’m going!” Jurina snatched her bag and a can of juice from the fridge before hastily wearing her shoes.

“Be careful…”

And after all, who was she actually to Jurina?    

xxx

Another night, another woman.

I kept wearing my calming smile while listening to the woman in front of me talking, trying to look as sympathetic and understanding as possible while actually I didn’t even understand what she said after her third bottle of vodka because what I heard was more like incoherent rambling than her actual story about the broken-hearted her being dumped by her former boss. So she was a secretary who had a secret affair with the company’s president and dumped because of the guy’s unavoidable arranged marriage. I’ve heard this typical of story many times before as if becoming a trending now, having a futureless affair with your superior and put everything but your actual potential in prior. I stopped her attempt to drink more because I sensed this one client was a lousy drinker and I didn’t want to go home with pieces of bottle’s fragments in my head.

“He was at loss then, Haruna-san is so beautiful. He had wasted his opportunity of marrying a splendid woman like you.” Oh hell, on the opposite, he was smart. This woman was nothing but a pretty shell, her inside was greed and voracity for that guy’s inheritance.

“Told’ja, right! I hate him so much! Jurina-san is muuuuuuuch better I c-“

The woman named Kojima Haruna had collapsed to the floor.

So I was only being paid for listening to her problems today. This meant my gain since I didn’t have to spend extra energy because her contract lasted for four more hours. Now I didn’t know what to do with the sleeping drunkard beside me but to lift her to the bed and waiting until the contract finished.

Judging from her attitude today I actually thought she merely needed a friend than a sexual companionship. The way she addressed me, the way she talked her problems to me rather than bodily contacting which we barely did except when I let her leaned her head on my shoulder when we watched a movie. I bet she got humiliated in her workplace so she got no friend to talk to that she even needed an escort like me. Probably she got dumped because her boss was already married and it became a scandal in her workplace. And probably she also a lonely being like me. I felt pity for her all of sudden.

I closed my eyes shut and tried to think about Matsui Rena as sleep started to overcome my sense.              

xxx

“Still no trace of her?”

“My apologize, Matsui-sama. Your daughter is nowhere to be seen.”

“You are hundreds!!! How come hundreds can’t find a single weak girl like her!!!”

“My apologize, Matsui-sama. I will do my best this time.”

“Shiba, Yuasa. You know I am no longer able to continue leading this company. I don’t have much time…”