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It all started a few weeks ago.
Saeko hung around at Survive after the day's work was done, playing on her phone and chatting with the others. But one voice was missing from the crowd — Ichiban was nowhere to be found.
He tends to be predictably unpredictable, disappearing for hours at a time only to come back with some bruises and an unbelievable story, so she told herself not to worry. In the meantime, the rest of the party started making weird theories about what he was up to.
"The hell is taking him so long?"
"Maybe he got into a big fight, against a tiger or a bear or something?"
"Haven't we fought those before?"
"Ooh, maybe he's fighting both at the same time!"
"He'll probably bring back a stray cat and say he tamed a tiger."
"But do you think he could really take on a tiger and a bear at the same time? I mean, I think I could."
As always, there's no point in trying to have a serious discussion with these guys. The conversation then devolved into the boys debating what animals they could take down single-handedly, with Saeko joining in just to distract herself from her uneasiness. Ichiban didn't return until after they'd all gone to bed.
One day would've been easy to dismiss, but it kept happening, more often than not. He never had a good explanation for it. After a week, she was about ready to stage an intervention just to get some answers.
Her answers came to her that night.
Ichiban arrived wearing the most obnoxious suit she had ever seen, and she's seen a lot. The sparkly silver shirt and pants on top of a shiny red shirt made him look like a walking disco ball. He got a part-time job as a host, he explained. Something about "leveling up his skills" that she didn't understand.
It soon became a part of his everyday wear. If it was only that, it would've been fine. The outfit is loud, but so is everything else about him, so it's not that hard to get used to.
Then he starts trying to act cool — and apparently, his idea of cool is strutting around like a nouveau riche peacock. He suddenly changes from one of the most humble and easygoing guys she knows to the definition of arrogant and vain. She's not sure how he gets any customers if this is how he acts on the job. When his new persona comes out around the crew, all he gets are eye-rolls.
She sees sparks of silver reflected on the countertop and prepares for a long night.
The transformation from Hero to Host is clear to see as he walks over. In terms of being a cocky ass, he checks all the boxes — chest puffed out, head held high, and a shit-eating grin on his face. He leans on the bar beside her.
"Hey, you come here often?" She considers slapping him for that sad excuse of a pick-up line before he continues with a wink, "Just kidding. I couldn't imagine this place without you. You really light up the room."
Okay, that was smooth. She never thought she'd call Ichiban smooth.
Although that makes her wonder, what is he getting at? Whatever it is that he's planning, he's confident enough to do it in front of everyone. Zhao gives him a not-so-subtle thumbs up, while Nanba just raises an eyebrow.
Maybe this is all a part of his act. She plays along out of curiosity.
"Oh my, you flatter me... but it'll take a little more than that to win me over."
"Let me buy you another drink, then," he says, giving a signal to the bartender.
He's always been nice like that, wanting to treat his friends even when he was flat broke. Now that he's got a successful company plus that side job — and nothing to spend the money on but vocational school, Dragon Kart tournaments, and arcade machines — she doesn't feel as guilty about mooching off his tab.
Especially when it's just for her, and her alone.
She takes a second to calm her racing thoughts. His flirting is corny and amateurish, with a fake suavity that could be spotted from a mile away. Falling for something like that would just be shameful.
She can't resist the urge to egg him on, even if it makes her too excited to be excused by plain curiosity. "So, how's the new job treating you? Meeting lots of pretty girls?"
He smiles with a look that's between pleased and mischievous. "It's been nice so far. I like getting to talk to so many different people... but there's only one lady on my mind."
He's laid out his bait, clear as day. There's something so inviting about the way he lets her meet him in the middle. It almost feels gentle despite his complete lack of nuance.
"Oh? What's she like?"
"She's stunning. So beautiful, I can't even begin to describe it. She's kind and caring, but fiery, too. A real force of nature. There's no one else like her."
Did he come up with all that in advance? Even though she was fishing for compliments, it's still hard to believe. She's both charmed by the sentiment and amazed by his unusual eloquence.
But she's too proud to fold just yet, and Ichiban is fun to mess with.
She crosses her arms with a hmph. "What a shame. If you've got your eye on someone else, I guess I won't bother."
"I'd never dream of looking at anyone but you." He pulls out a rose from who-knows-where and hands it to her with a flourish. The petals are a little crumpled, and it smells slightly sweaty, but she appreciates the gesture anyway.
"Why, thank you."
"You deserve nothing but the best."
His voice is uncharacteristically smooth and low. While it is cute, she misses his genuine tone, the way his energy and joy would shine through every word when he talked about the things he loves. Something had felt off this entire time, and she finally realizes what it is — even though his attention is gratifying, this performance smooths over all her favorite parts of him. His liveliness, his unabashed honesty, and his weird quirks were all thrown out in favor of a one-dimensional bluff.
He may be a host, but she managed a hostess bar for long enough to pick up the tools of the trade. Two can play at this game.
She grabs his chin and tilts his face down, bringing him so close that their noses almost touch. "When are you gonna quit this act? I like the real you better."
He freezes and stares at her with his mouth agape. His flushed cheeks only grow redder when he hears the others laughing at them. Even Joon-gi is smiling. In an instant, Ichiban is back to his usual, awkward self.
"I didn't know how to tell you how I feel, so I thought that if I became a host, I could learn how to flirt. 'Cause women think hosts are really cool, right?" he blurts out. Just one small move made him putty in her hands.
"Hmm... I prefer the cute, dorky types. Like you." She gives him a kiss and the others cheer. "But I'm flattered that you did all this just for me."
He chuckles breathlessly and braces himself against the bar as if he's about to collapse. His plan had worked in some strange, roundabout way, and he still seems to be reeling from the result.
"You can't try to out-charm Saeko," Adachi quips, giving him a slap on the back. "It's like bringing a knife to a gunfight."