The blaring music of the nightclub bombarded Ichika's ears as soon as he opened the red coated doors. All around him he could see the bright lights blink and move in tandem with the upbeat tune, the smell of alcohol doing little to stop the growing headache that was starting to spring. Ichika didn't like going here, mostly on the fact that he couldn't even think without something interrupting him,
The place wasn't very big: Various flashing lights on the top of the circular ceiling, a bar filled with liquids of varying sizes and colors that dominated most of the left area, and seats covered in red leather and large tables in case the customer wanted to lay his or her head down on the table to stop from trying to puke (Which was often).
The only other thing of note was the empty space in between the bar and the seats. While lacking in a lot designs, the wide distance and focus of the light at the center made it the unofficial dance floor of the club. Already he could see people ranging from their late teens (Who he was pretty sure got there illegally considering they were wearing uniforms) to their mid-20's dancing and drinking to their hearts content.
"Ichika, over here!"
Ah, and here was the reason that he kept coming back here. Across the space, he saw Dan waving at him with a cheeky grin and already deeply red cheeks. On his right hand he held a bottle of something he was sure wasn't water and Ichika felt himself sigh unconsciously at the sight. Whenever he got blind drunk, it was always up to him to drive the red-headed lug back home lest he kill himself driving drunk.
'Well, friends are friends', Despite himself, Ichika couldn't help the smile that came across his face as he made his way to the solitary table. Not even the fact that some of the nightclub patrons kept staring at him removed it. Okay, maybe it was odd for a guy a few years past thirty to go to a nightclub, but it was a free country! Besides, he thought he aged pretty well all things considered. He still looked similar to when he finished college along with Kanzashi. He aged slowly.
"Hey man, there you are!" Dan slammed the bottle to the bottom against the table so hard that Ichika worried that it would crack, "What the hell took you so long? I've been waiting here for hours!"
"...Dan, you called me over here 15 minutes ago," Ichika held up his hands in mock surrender, "In fact, you didn't even say why you wanted to meet in the first place," He reminded him, "All you said was; get over here now, I've got big news to tell you!"
Dan seemed to visibly deflate at the reminder, "I......yeah," He grabbed the bottle and poured it haphazardly onto the cup. With a quick sigh, he drank the contents whole, "I've gotta tell you something important......something....." He grabbed the bottle and tried to empty it again, only to be met with disappointment as nothing but empty air greeted him.
"Okay, I think you've had enough to drink," Ichika chuckled and stole the bottle away from him, leaving it deftly on the tray of a passing waiter, "We should probably get you home before Utsuho-san gets worried-"
"No way!" Ichika visibly jumped at his friend's loud interruption, "We gotta talk about this now before it gets out of hand! Yukari, my baby's, in a lot of trouble!" Hands with an iron hold gripped his shoulders tightly, "Your kid's in danger to, you know? The male one. It isn't just about me"
In an instant, Ichika's expression changed from lighthearted teasing to grim seriousness. Anybody who saw this without knowing the context of the change would've been extremely weirded out by the quick mood shift. With a tight nod, he grabbed onto Dan's shoulder in response.
"What happened?"
Ichika was prepared for the worst. He knew that marrying into the Sarashiki's meant his family possibly getting put in danger due to both his and his wife's background and history. Were they kidnapped? Injured? Better yet, why did Dan need to be drunk to tell him this? He heard the saying 'Drowning your sorrows' before, but the phrase 'There's a time and place for everything' sort of counteracted that. Well, whatever it was, he was ready for it.
"Your kid's taking my little girl from me!"
......Except that.
"What." A flat statement, not a question.
"You heard me!" Dan tightened his grip on Ichika's shoulder and shook him roughly, "I see what your kid's doin! He tells my baby girl to go with him everyday now and when I ask her what she was doin, you know what she says?" Ichika didn't get a chance to answer even if he wanted to, "She says that it's personal! Personal! You know what it means when teenagers say that, right!?"
"Um.....not really...." Ichika gave a forced, awkward laugh. Dan just gave his friend a bewildered look, as if he was the one being unreasonable.
"Don't pretend!" Dan grabbed a bottle from a passing tray and shoved it into his mouth before continuing, "Look, I like you man. Hell, you're my best friend in the world!" Were Dan not stupidly drunk, Ichika might have found that heartwarming. As it was, the fact that said best friend's breath smelled like rancid alcohol destroyed any notion of that, "But I don't want to be in laws! It's breaking a rule in the guy code when your kid's go out."
Ichika didn't share his friend's distress. So what if Saito and Yukari spent a lot of time together. He was pretty sure that it was only because he needed help doing that "extra work" he insisted on doing. While he didn't approve of it, it would've been hypocritical of him to stop his son considering how gung ho and how much of a risk taker he was at that age.
"Dan, I think you need to lie down," Ichika gently pried his friend's hands off his shoulders and pushed him down back onto the desk. Without missing a beat, he grabbed another cup from the table and poured the alcohol Dan nearly dropped onto the floor onto both cups; one for him, and one for Dan.
"Look, I'm pretty sure you're just being paranoid, alright?" He held out the cup, which Dan accepted after some slight hesitation, "Nothing's happening between our kid's, alright? And even if it did, isn't it better that she get together with someone you're familiar with?"
"......I guess you have a point," Dan nodded airily, "Saito's a good kid, and Yukari could probably kick his ass if he tried anything."
"Alright, so lets just relax and forget all about it," Ichika held up the small cup in a toast, "For now, lets drink and forget about everything that's happening. I think both of us deserve a break from."
Dan's face broke out into a grin and he raised the cup as well before quickly doing the same. With a synchronized nod, the two of them downed the shots and grimaced as the bitter liquid streaked down their throat's. This was the life.
"........Dad?"
Ichika choked abruptly and turned to face the source of the sound. There, looking at him with accusing eyes, was Saito and Yukari.
Ichika's reply died in his mouth when he saw his son His left and right forearm were covered in loose bandages and his forehead and right eye was covered in a medical eyepatch. The wounds looked fresh as well, and he could still see some dried blood on parts of his neck.
Dan couldn't reply either, though his daughter wasn't hurt or weird looking at the very least. He just couldn't bare to look at her in the face when she gave him that accusing look. She looked just like her mother when she did it.
The bluenette flinched slightly as he heard the glass his father dropped shatter into the ground, "What are you and Uncle Dan doing here?"
"Th..That's my line!" Ichika managed go splutter out, "What are you two doing here? And why do you look like you lost a fight with some kitchen tools!?" He gestured frantically to the bandages.
"There was a lead here I was hoping to follow...." Saito replied, "And I look like this because I got into a fight and rocks were eventually thrown." He sighed, "Yukari saved me from getting blinded, but the bandages will stay for a few days. Anyway, does Mom know you're here?"
Ichika broke out into a cold sweat. Kanzashi didn't like him going here, and he took painstaking measures to ensure that she never find out. He didn't know how she would react to news about him drinking.
"That's not important now, " Saito crooked an eyebrow at the obvious subject change, "Listen, you should go home and have Aria look at that injury of yours. She's already got first aid training."
"..." Saito said nothing and just nodded, unable to disobey his father's command. Yukari looked between Saito's dad and hers before muttering her goodbye's and following him out of the club.
Ichika and Dan sagged into the table with barely contained relief. They were safe.
Outside the club.
"Hey Yukari, who are you texting?"
"I just informed Aria-sama and mother about our father's current whereabouts," A small smirk played on her lips, "I'm sure they're wondering where they've gone and I thought it only right to tell them."
"......Remind me not to get on your bad side."
2012-11-20, 10:09
