Chapter Text
Standing outside, just left of the entrance of the Seibu-Shinjuku Station, Kagami waited patiently for her friend to show up. Her eyes glazed over as she watched the transients pass-by, ignoring her as they walked briskly. The air was moderately warm and thankfully not humid. The streets were busy despite being a Thursday at 9 pm. Most of the salarymen and women were already home, busy taking care of their young ones or preparing for the grind the following day.
Kagami was usually one of those people, but not tonight. Instead of slumming it in sweats like she had been for the past few months, she wore a form fitting black dress with mesh sleeves that cuffed at her wrists. As she shifted her weight onto one leg, she raised her cellphone to check the time.
‘9:15.’ She huffed as she adjusted her Celine shoulder bag. ‘I should’ve known Hotaru-chan would be late.’ Just as she side-eyed the entrance lamely, a woman with long wavy brown hair lept from the stairwell.
“KAGAMI-CHAN!” She yelled as she landed a few feet away from the entrance. Whipping her head left and right, she spotted the ravenette standing near the entrance. “Kagami-chan!”
“You’re late.” Kagami said, unamused as she tapped her cellphone.
Hotaru pouted as she crossed her arms. “Nooo. You’re just early!”
Kagami sighed and slipped her phone back into her purse. “Knowing you I guess I am.”
“Wow, you’re not going to reprimand me?”
“I figured I should be nicer to you for your birthday.” Kagami shrugged before giving her a playful smile. “Though it sounds like you’re admitting you’re late.”
“Nope, I’m right on time.” Hotaru couldn’t look more proud as she puffed up her chest.
Shaking her head, Kagami surrendered. “So where are we going that we have to dress so nicely?” She asked as her friend led her through the shopping district.
The bright neon advertisements glared onto the streets below, obscuring the stars from view. Pop music pumped from the shops as locals and tourists alike filtered in and out. Most of them were women of varying ages dressed in their cutest week night attire. Bags hung from their arms, ranging from designer clothing to cheap knick knacks. The faint scent of perfume lingered in the air.
“Just be patient.” Hotaru winked as she quickened her pace. “It’s pretty close by.”
“Did you have fun last week?” Kagami asked, fixing her bangs as the wind breezed through their hair.
“It was crazy fun. I wish you were there though.” The brunette glanced at her friend who looked at her apologetically.
“Maybe next year.”
“Yeah,” Hotaru waved her hand as if it was no big deal. “I’m glad you were able to come out tonight though. Baby steps, am I right?”
The ravenette nodded as she tried to ignore the bout of guilt in her chest. ‘Baby steps.’
As they reached the infamous Ichiban-gai Gate, Kagami frowned as she looked up. Its red neon light glared at her ominously.
“What are we doing here?”
“There’s a bar here I wanted to go to.”
“I feel a little over-dressed.” Kagami looked down at her outfit. She could have probably gotten away with wearing a nice top and jeans.
“You’re worrying too much. Trust me, you look fine. Now come on, I don’t want to miss the reservation.”
Kagami’s gold eyes shifted around as they strolled through the cobblestone streets. Where there wasn’t a restaurant was a bar, advertising their specials for the night. People moved at leisure here. Those who weren’t passing through huddled off to the sides, chatting amongst themselves with cigarettes in hand. Whenever the pair had to walk through a cloud of smoke, Kagami always grimaced as she held her breath.
Hotaru paid no heed to her friend’s discomfort. She sauntered through the red light district with familiarity, guiding them to their destination. Every so often, she’d point at a store to give Kagami a quick story about the last time she visited.
“Kyo-san swears that has the best crepes here, but I think Genki Living has fresher fruit.” The wavy hair brunette said very matter-of-factly as they passed by a pink kiosk. “But we can visit here later and you can see for yourself.”
“There are hundreds of crepe stands in Tokyo. I think it’s pretty hard to mess up a banana creme.”
“You definitely don’t get out enough Kagami-chan!” Hotaru covered her mouth in mock horror then looked away. “But bless your young heart that you’ve never had a bad crepe.”
Kagami fought to roll her eyes.
“Oh, we’re here!” Hotaru made a sharp turn into one of the many multi-level buildings and used her elbow to press on the buttons. “Sometimes they are sticky.” She explained sheepishly.
“Gross.” Turning to the directory, Kagami saw there were only 4 establishments in the whole building, each taking up a floor; a host club, two bars, and a restaurant.
“Are we going to Marugin?” Kagami asked, pointing at the 3rd-floor sign. When Hotaru didn’t answer she turned to see her friend covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes crinkling with delight. “What?”
“Nothing.” The wavy brunette quickly tried to compose herself as the elevator door binged. “Nothing nothing. Come on.” She quickly pulled them in and pressed the “4” button to ‘Hebi no Ie’ with her elbow.
“Wait. Are we going to a host club?” She looked at her friend incredulously.
“It’ll be fun!”
Kagami pinched her nose. Hotaru’s idea of fun always seemed to involve pulling her out of her comfort zone. “No way.”
“Come on Kagami-chan.” The elevator binged just as the doors opened. “Just one hour. For me. For my birthday .”
“Why do you want to go to such a sketchy place? They are unnecessarily expensive, and you don’t need any help with guys. Why go to a place for sad, rich aunties?”
“It’s always been on the bucket list for me.” Hotaru quickly slid her foot to the elevator doorway, preventing the doors from sliding shut. “And yeah it’s expensive, but I’m just doing this once.”
“You sound like an infomercial about addiction.”
Hotaru pouted. “I’m not going to get addicted to host clubs. That’s ridiculous.”
“Besides, why me?” Kagami asked, genuinely confused. “I wouldn’t think I’d be your first choice when it came to this.”
“Then count your lucky stars.” The elevator binged as it tried to gently shut the doors on Hotaru's foot. “You were my only choice.”
“Because no one else wanted to come? Seriously though, why me?”
The elevator binged again before letting out a long beep. “Let’s step outside first so I don’t break the damn thing.”
The ravenette followed the birthday girl out of the elevator. She stopped and watched Hotaru continue to walk toward the entrance. “I’m not going in till you tell me,” Kagami called out curtly.
Hotaru stopped and sighed loudly, slumping her shoulders. Turning on her heels she walked back. “Fine fine, I’ll tell you, but please just an hour?”
Placing a hand on her hip, Kagami shifted her weight to one side. “If you tell me.”
“I don’t know if you noticed this Kagami-chan,“ Hotaru rubbed her hands together as she tried to think how to approach this. “but you’re kind of...a dud.”
Kagami frowned.
“Ah, wait that came out wrong!” Hotaru slapped her cheek hard with one hand as she waved with the other. “Not a dud, I mean in a funk! Because you’re in a funk, you’ve been a dud!”
“So...what you’re saying is...I’m a dud.” Kagami said slowly.
“No! It’s ‘cause you’re in a funk!” Hotaru scrunched up her face as she dug herself deeper into a hole. Throwing her hands up, she looked down and said. “I’m saying it all wrong. Let me start over.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you insult me twice.”
“Thanks.” The brunette rubbed her hands together. “We’ve been friends for a while, almost 9 years now. I like to think I know you pretty well. Would you agree?”
Kagami nodded as she dropped her hand. “I would.”
“So, can you also agree that you’ve been in a funk since the Olympics?”
Taken back, her body tensed as she looked at Hotaru’s earnestness. “I, uh. Well...”
“It’s ok if you are.” The brunette reassured cooly as she placed a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “It’s ok.”
Biting her lower lip, she tried to think of what to say next. Kagami wasn’t expecting to talk about this tonight. “I think I’ve gotten a lot better since the try-outs.”
“It’s definitely not as bad as in the beginning.” Hotaru agreed. “I think you’ve really improved since then and the fact you’ve come out proves it.”
“So why bring me here?” Kagami asked as she glanced at the club’s sign. Her eyes traced the outline of the coiled snake on the black lacquered wood. Its beady eyes stared at her.
“I thought it would help if we did something outside your comfort zone,” Hotaru admitted as she readjusted her purse.
Pulling away from the sign’s judgemental eyes, Kagami looked at her friend inquisitively. “How?”
“Well…” Hotaru clasped her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet. “I thought maybe it would shake you awake. What was that saying? Strike while the iron is hot? I thought about taking you to a club, but I know how much you hate the sticky floors.”
“The last club had carpet , every step was like ripping apart velcro.” Kagami crossed her arms and looked at her expectantly. “It was the worst.”
“So when I was talking to Hana-chan last week, she mentioned about this host club in Kabuki-chō. It’s not too expensive, but the men are still easy on the eyes and I thought ‘Oh! Maybe Kagami-chan would agree to this.’” Hotaru smiled slyly as she rocked onto the balls of her feet, unabashed. “If she doesn’t realize this is where we’re going.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong,” Kagami sighed as she unfurled her arms. “I don’t think I would have agreed to go.”
“So can we go in now?”
Kagami looked off to the side. ‘I know I promised, but how is this supposed to be helpful?’
Seeing her hesitation, Hotaru hooked her arm around her friend’s and pulled her close. “It’ll be fun. Plus this is something Tomoe-san would never allow you to go. Think of it as an act of defiance!” She watched Kagami’s eye twitch at her mother’s name.
“Fine, one hour,” Kagami relented.
Hotaru cheered as she pulled them toward the red double doors. Light glowed softly from the iron wall sconces, casting soft shadows throughout the hallway. Several framed portraits of well-dressed young men were hung against the red floral wallpaper. Each of them posed suggestively with a different kind of snake. As they passed each portrait, Kagami became less and less enthused.
At the back of the room was a large gold neon sign in a shape of a snake slithering upwards. Arching over the reptile read ‘Hebi no Ie’ in kanji. A man with long dark hair styled like Cloud from Final Fantasy greeted them from behind the podium. His grey circle lenses popped against the black eyeliner and light red eyeshadow.
‘He couldn't have chosen a more dated hairstyle,’ Kagami thought to herself.
“I have a reservation under Tokuda Hotaru.” She said sweetly as she let go of Kagami’s arm. It took less than half a minute for him to find her booking before promptly leading them to the left hallway with two long menus in hand.
Like the entryway, the main room was just as gaudy. There were 5 fish tanks scattered around the room, with the largest one behind the bar that sat off to the right. There were a few framed paintings of snakes that hung around the room. Circular booths were lined against the walls, giving each group just enough privacy with their hosts. The music was upbeat, but not obnoxiously aggressive like the last club Hotaru tried to drag her to when they were in Osaka. The air smelled warm and musky like someone had spritzed Chanel Blue before they opened.
They had passed by two empty booths before being seated in the back, closest to the restrooms and the furthest from the exit.
“Your hosts will be out here soon. Here are the menus in the meantime.” He spoke softly as he slid the menus on the table. Hotaru smiled as she scooted through one side to the center while Kagami inspected her seat.
‘Red velvet, how cliche.’ She pursed her lips before sitting down. Setting her purse in between them, she looked at Hotaru who was already reaching for a menu. “Did he say that the hosts will be coming out soon? I thought we would choose our own?”
“I took the liberty of booking them in advance in case all the hot ones are gone.” Hotaru winked as she opened the menu. “Don’t worry, you can have the first pick.”
“You are too kind.” Kagami tried not to sound too sarcastic as she propped the other menu against the table. “Do they serve food here?”
“Mostly sweets and drinks, but we can get some gizzards and hearts afterward if you’re still hungry.”
Kagami’s eyes trailed down the menu. ‘Whipped cream seemed to be the main ingredient in a lot of their desserts.’ She knitted her brows together as she made the connection that these were all opportunistic sweets. Pursing her lips, she decided that macarons would be the least suggestive option.
“Hmmmm,” Hotaru tapped her lips as she hummed loudly. “I’m thinking....champagne? Yeah, that sounds good.” Closing the menu she looked at Kagami who was still analyzing every option. “What about you?”
“Umetini,” She responded with finality. “and macarons.”
“No cake?”
Kagami shook her head. “Too many implications.”
“Kagami-chan!” Hotaru fanned herself dramatically. “Scandalous.”
The ravenette scoffed as she playfully swatted away Hotaru’s menu. “I am trying very hard not to roll my eyes.”
“We wouldn’t want them to get stuck inside your head now would we?” Hotaru sang as she looked behind Kagami with smoldering eyes.
Raising a brow, Kagami peered behind her and saw a man with platinum blond hair walk over towards them. He stopped at their table and bowed slightly, flashing them a smile.
“Why hello there.” He spoke in a low sultry voice, immediately irking Kagami. “I’m Daisuke-kun.”
The ravenette glanced over at her friend who immediately leaned onto the table with a mischievous smile on her face. ‘So much for giving me the first pick.’ Not that she minded.
“I’m Hotaru.” She clicked her tongue and then gestured to Kagami who forced herself to smile. “This is-”
“Tsurugi.” Kagami quickly interjected, not wanting the stranger to speak to her so familiarly.
“Pleased to meet you both. Did you ladies decide on what to order? The cakes are great here.”
Hotaru stifled a giggle as she gave her friend the side-eye.
Kagami promptly ignored her as she placed her menu on the table. “Macarons would be fine.”
“I’d like a strawberry parfait.” Hotaru quipped from behind her hands as she tried to calm down. “And a bottle of champagne!”
“I’ll take an umetini,” Kagami added.
As Daisuke went to go place their orders, the birthday girl quickly scooted over to her friend and leaned in. “What do you think?”
The ravenette shrugged. “He’s ok.”
“What?!” Hotaru looked almost offended. “He’s so cute.”
“Then he is all yours,” Kagami said as Daisuke made his way back to the women.
Hotaru straightened her back as she whispered loudly. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
As the blonde host slid back onto the table, he carried back with him 4 glasses and a bottle of champagne in a bucket. “Champagne?”
“Yes, please!” Hotaru clapped as the host popped off the cork. “Is the other host going to be joining us tonight?”
“He’ll be here soon, he’s in the back still.” Daisuke flashed them an apologetic smile and held the flutes to both women. “Let’s not let his tardiness ruin a good time though.”
“Kanpai!” Hotaru cheered.
Kagami clinked her glass with theirs before taking a sip. The bubbling pearls tickled her throat as the sweetness danced across her tongue. ‘Not bad.’ she thought to herself.
“So I heard it’s someone's birthday tonight.” Daisuke never stopped smiling. “Should I guess who it is?”
“It’s hers.” Kagami pointed at Hotaru who pouted.
“He wanted to guess!”
“Honestly, both of you look so beautiful, it would have been hard to decide.” He held his chin and winked at Hotaru. “Though a very lovely happy birthday to you Hotaru-san. May I ask how old you’re turning?”
The birthday girl smiled playfully as she tucked a wavy strain behind her ear. “Well, now you have to guess!”
Kagami watched on, amused. Hotaru was naturally flirty, but she was acting over the top tonight. ‘Maybe it’s all the k-dramas she’s watching.’ She smiled to herself. ‘What do they call it? Aegyo?’
A light shadow suddenly fell over her as the voice interrupted her thoughts. “Sorry for the delay.”
Looking up, Kagami stared into a pair of vibrant aqua eyes. They belonged to a slender man who stood in front of their table, dressed in a dark grey suit. His black hair brushed past his ears and eyes while the tips were dyed teal blue.
He looked like a hooligan.
“Luka-kun!” Daisuke greeted cheerfully. “Finally showing up ey?”
“I’m sorry for being late. But I did manage to swoop by to pick up these from Hachi.” Luka smiled as placed a rectangular lacquered serving tray onto the table.
“Oooh, thank you!” Hotaru reached over and quickly snatched her parfait.
Kagami was calmer as she picked up her umeshu martini. Bringing the glass to her lips, she took a sip and smiled, pleased with her choice. Her eyes shifted to the host standing next to her as she took another.
“May I sit down?” Luka asked.
“Scooch over Kagami-chan!” Hotaru playfully tugged on her friend’s mesh sleeve.
Kagami slid over until there was some space between Luka and her when he sat down. Fixing the bottom of her dress, she straightened her posture as he scooted in.
He faced her and smiled softly. “Thank you.” Looking back at the group, he bowed his head slightly. “I’m Luka, pleased to meet everyone’s acquaintance.”
“I’m Hotaru.” She smiled brightly at their new paid companion.
“I’m Tsurugi,” Kagami said and gestured at her friend. “It’s her birthday. Daisuke-san here was just about to guess her age.”
“I’m worried about guessing wrong.” The blonde host laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. “Do you want to guess Luka-kun?”
He studied her, closing one of his eyes as if he was trying to measure her age. Hotaru flipped her hair over her shoulder and batted her long eyelashes at him. Smiling, Luka looked over to Daisuke and tapped his chin. “28.”
“No way!” The blonde host slapped the table and leaned in to challenge him. “There’s no way she’s older than 27!”
“Hey, that was a good guess. I am 27.” Hotaru chirped as Daisuke punched the air in victory. Glancing at Luka, she winked at him. “You were close.”
“Daisuke-kun is better at these games.” He smiled just as the blond quickly recaptured the birthday girl’s attention. Taking his drink from the serving tray, he looked at Kagami who was staring into her glass with apathy. “Are you enjoying yourself Tsurugi-san?”
“Enough as one could.” She responded before taking another sip.
Luka swirled his glass. “Not a fan of host clubs, huh?”
“First time, actually.”
“Oh, so a bucket list visit?”
“For her.” Kagami gestured to her friend who was deeply engrossed in what her host was saying.
“And for you.” Luka smiled and held his glass near hers. “It’s just another experience at the end of the day. While it’s not your first choice at least you know what it’s like.”
Kagami looked up, thoughtful. “I suppose you’re right.”
Luka clinked their glasses softly before taking a sip of his cocktail. They sat in mutual silence, watching the other pair animatedly talk to each other in their own world. Go-go music played happily in the background, drowning out the sounds of clacking heels from new patrons being shown to their booths. Smoke wafted through the room as some of the other tables began to light their cigarettes.
“It looks like they are having fun,” Kagami commented as Daisuke slapped his forehead and fell backward onto the chair. Hotaru snickered before reaching over to touch his forehead. “Is he always so lively?” She asked as she plucked a passionfruit macaron from the assortment.
“Not always, his brand is usually the ‘cool’ type.” Luka mused as he leaned back and watched her inspect the yellow dessert. “Compared to what we usually entertain, you two are a breath of fresh air.”
“Because you work in an auntie trap?” Kagami quipped before taking a bite. The sweetness burst across her tongue as his chuckle tickled her ears.
“Is it a trap if they come here on their own?” He asked, the corner of his lip curved upward.
“Maybe not in the beginning, but I’ve heard stories.” She turned to face him a little better. “Is that why you’re not trying to seduce me?”
“It’s not in my job description to make someone uncomfortable. As long as you enjoy your time here, that’s good enough for me.” He said as he helped himself to a green macaron.
Kagami studied him as he popped the whole thing in his mouth. He didn’t seem sketchy aside from maybe having too many buttons undone on his white shirt. She glanced at Daisuke and noted that he had the same number of undone buttons. ‘Guess it’s just the look.’ Deciding that Luka was harmless enough, she tried to loosen up. “How long have you been in Japan?”
“A little over a year.”
“European?”
“French.”
“Oh.” Kagami rolled the martini stem between her fingers, contemplating her next move. “Would it be easier if we spoke in French?” She asked in that language.
Luka’s brows shot up as he replied back in his native tongue. “You speak French?” His eyes sparkled with renewed interest.
“I lived in Paris for 6 years,” Kagami said as she tucked a loose strain behind her ear. From her peripheral, she could see Hotaru stealing glances at them.
Luka shifted in his seat so he could face her better. “That’s really awesome. I lived in Paris most of my life, but I started traveling for work.”
“Are all your family still back there?”
“Yeah. A mother and a little sister.” Swishing the contents in his cup, he brought it to his lips. “What about you? Family or friends?”
“Friends mostly. It would be great if I could visit again but...” Kagami trailed off while looking into her glass. Raising it to her lips, she chose to polished off the rest instead of finishing her sentence.
“Busy?” Luka asked.
“Something like that...” Her cheeks were warm from the gin, a welcomed distraction from her thoughts. Reaching back over the table she plucked another macaron. “What about you? Do you plan to stay here for a while?”
“I wanted to visit in the winter maybe,” Pouring himself some champagne, he tapped off Kagami’s flute as well before setting down the nearly empty bottle. “I just haven’t made plans.”
Kagami finished off the macaron before picking up her flute. “Why not? Surely they miss you.”
“I don’t doubt it. It’s just been a long time since I’ve been back and,“ Luka looked like he wanted to say something, but held back. “Well, I guess I’ll figure it out when I get to it.”
Kagami understood that tone all too clearly. She had just experienced the same discomfort just now when he asked her the same question. Empathetic, she tried to change topics. “What kind of work did you do when you were traveling?”
“I was a musician, mostly in the studios or on the road as support,” Luka gestured to the air as if it was no big deal. “That sort of thing. What about you? Parents shipped you off to Paris for an education?”
“Pretty much. I attended College Francoise Dupont.”
“Really?” Luka looked at her, surprised. “My little sister went to Francoise Dupont.”
Kagami straightened her back. “Did she graduate in 2023?”
“Yeah.”
They stared at each other, each trying to figure out if they had run into each other before. Kagami’s mind flicked through all the people she could possibly remember that might have had an older brother. She didn’t have that many friends, so it shouldn’t have been so hard. However, it has been over a few years since she’s seen their faces.
“Is there a chance we might have run into each other?” Luka asked as he set his champagne flute down.
“There is a possibility,” Kagami held her chin as she thought deeply, not noticing the dark-haired host’s discomfort. The answer felt like an itch just waiting to be scratched. She vaguely remembered meeting a girl with dark hair and purple tips. “Did you live on a boat?”
His response was apprehensive. “Yes.”
“Ah, you’re Juleka’s brother.” Kagami snapped her fingers triumphantly. “I think Adrien played in your band.”
“Adrien Agreste?” Luka squinted as he tilted his head. “Oh, were you his friend when we went ice skating with Marinette?”
“Oh, we did that?” Kagami furrowed her brows as she tried to remember. “I guess we did go ice skating together, huh? Strange how long ago that was.”
“Yeah it is...” He squeezed his thumb in his fist as he looked at her with furrowed brows. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone that you ran into me in a host club. I haven’t necessarily told them what I’ve been doing.”
Kagami stared at him in silence, mulling over his words. ‘That makes sense, I wouldn’t want them to know what I was doing either.’ She didn’t realize how long it might have been till he buckled under her gaze. Luka’s bangs covered his eyes as he looked away embarrassed.
“I won’t tell anyone,” Placing a hand over her heart, she spoke firmly. “I promise.”
Luka faced her as she sat still, his eyes searched hers for any inkling of lies. “Promise?”
“Yes, though it’s not like I could if I wanted to. I’m not sure if we could be considered friends still.” Kagami said aimlessly as she picked up the flute. She gazed at it disheartened.
“Why not?” He asked as he straightened up.
“I haven’t reached out in some time.” Kagami rolled the glass stem in between her fingers. Her chest was tight. “So I suppose I haven’t been a good friend lately.”
“Hey,” He reached out and gently cupped her shoulder. Feeling her tense, Luka pulled back and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sure if you reach out they will be ready to talk to you. They aren’t the type that cut off friendships that easily.”
She rested her head against the red velvet before looking at him despondently. “You say that as if it was a sure thing.”
“I know my sister and our friends. If you’ve been busy or needed some time to yourself, they won’t judge you for that, Mademoiselle Tsurugi.” He smiled radiantly.
Her shoulders relaxed a bit as his words sank in. It was nice having someone who knew her Parisian friends to reassure her that reaching out wouldn’t be a bad idea. Kagami had mentioned this dilemma once or twice to Hotaru, but it wasn’t the same since she didn’t know them. Her encouragement could only do so much.
Feeling lighter, Kagami smiled warmly at him. “Still polite even in French?”
Leaning onto the table, he propped up his head with a hand. “I am a gentleman.” His aqua eyes twinkled mischievously in the dim light.
“Is that your brand? The ‘gentleman’ type?”
Luka wiggled his eyebrows. “On and off the job.”
“No wonder you’re so popular.” Kagami raised a hand to cover her mouth as she laughed. She wasn’t sure anymore if the heat radiating off her cheeks was from the alcohol or the pleasant company.
“Ah, times up already?” Hotaru pouted as the bill was placed onto the table by a passing waiter.
“Are you going to miss me Hotaru-san?” Daisuke asked cheekly as tilted her chin up.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” She huffed as she looked away, her arms crossed.
Reaching over, Kagami picked up the bill. “I got this Hotaru-chan.” She said as she switched back to Japanese.
“It looks like my next table is here,” Luka noted in Japanese as he glanced at a table across the room. Kagami followed his gaze as she wrapped the bill around her credit card. Two older women chatted amongst themselves before noticing Luka look their way. Smiling coyly, the women waved at him with one going as far as winking at him.
“Fans?” She asked as Daisuke took the bill to the cashier.
“What can I say?” Luka shot her a flirtatious grin. ”Ladies love a gentleman.”
Kagami rolled her eyes as she tried not to smile. “That was terrible.”
Luka laughed as he stood up and held out his hand. “Yeah, but it works.”
She grasped his hand, noting how warm it was, as he pulled her up. “Thank you.”
“It was nice meeting you Tsurugi-san.” Luka bowed before looking behind her. “And happy birthday Hotaru-san. I hope you had a lovely evening.”
“Yes, I did.” Hotaru smirked as she patted her friend’s shoulder. “Didn’t you Kagami-chan?” She asked suggestively.
Kagami elbowed her friend gently before shooting her a glare.
Luka chuckled as Daisuke returned with their receipt. “Then, hopefully, we’ll see each other soon.” He said wistfully before walking to his next table.
As soon as Kagami stuffed her credit card back in her purse, Hotaru dragged her out of the club back toward the elevator. Throwing her friend’s hand off to the side dramatically, the birthday girl squealed loudly.
“Kagami- chan !” She shrieked while putting her hands on her hips. Her eyes shined with excitement.
“What?”
“You sly, sly girl.” Leaning in, Hotaru had the biggest shit-eating grin. “Talking in another language in front of company is rude, ya know. But I’ll let it slide if you tell me what tawdry flirty flirts you two exchanged.”
Taken back, Kagami felt the pink creep onto her cheeks. “We didn’t flirt.”
“Oh come on!” She cocked a brow. “Hello? The language of love? Don’t tell me you spent the last hour not flirting.”
“We weren’t flirting.” Kagami repeated firmly and pressed the button to the elevator. “It turns out he grew up in France and I haven’t spoken French in awhile. I thought it would be good practice.”
“Please don’t tell me that was it.” Hotaru groaned as the elevator doors opened. “He touched your shoulder. You laughed . You can’t tell me that all you guys talked about was like, I don’t know, historical monuments.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.” Kagami lied as they stepped through the rickety elevator. “Looks like you had fun though.”
The birthday girl pouted seeing as the ravenette wasn’t going to give up any juicy details just yet. “Daisuke-kun is a nice guy, but it’s just all fun and games isn’t it?” Hotaru shrugged as the elevator descended. “He’s cute, but not that cute.”
“Well as long as you had fun that’s what counts right?” Kagami mused as the door opened up again. “So where should we go next?”
“I’m hungry! Let’s go to that crepe place I told you about earlier. Then you can agree with me when we see Kyo-san again!” She smacked her fist against her palm and grabbed Kagami’s cold hand. “Let’s go!”
Kagami allowed herself to be dragged through the bright streets of Kabuki-chō. The noise around her sounded distant as she thought back to what Luka said.
“I’m sure if you reach out they will be ready to talk to you. They aren’t the type that cut off friendships that easily.”
‘Would it be that easy?’ She wondered. ‘They must be all busy now.’ The last time she saw them was at Marinette and Adrien’s wedding a few years ago. Right before her whole world had crashed down around her.
“Ehh? Kagami-chan?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, she saw that they had stopped in the middle of the street. Hotaru looked at her curiously.
“Are you ok?”
“Yes.” Kagami smiled as she brushed off the concern with her hand. “I was just lost in thought.”
“Ohhh?” The brunette smiled slyly and bumped her shoulders against her best friend. “Don’t tell me you were lying about being smitten by that host. What was his name again?”
“Luka,” Kagami responded automatically. Realizing her fumble, she looked away embarrassed. “I wasn’t thinking about him. I was thinking about my friends back in Paris. It’s been a while since I reached out.”
“Then maybe you should.” Hotaru smiled widely as she placed an arm around her friend. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear from you.”
“Yeah...maybe I will.” Kagami took a deep breath and smiled slightly. “Anyways, maybe we should go to the stand Kyo-san suggested too, so I can compare it fairly.”
“Yes! We can share both.” Hotaru cheered as they started walking back toward the Ichiban-gai Gate. As she passionately ranted about what she considered to be the fundamentals of a perfect 11 pm crepe, Kagami’s mind drifted back to Luka.
‘Juleka’s last name was Couffaine, right?’ She mused as she filed his name in her mental rolodex. ‘Luka Couffaine.’