Chapter Text
The Vocalist and The Barista
A young man entered the coffee shop that rainy morning. Hair drenched and clothes damp, he ordered a black coffee and asked for a name.
"Where is Hikaru? Isn't he working today?" asked the young man to the female barista who served him.
"He's at the storage room doing inventory," answered the barista.
"Could you get him for me? I need to talk to him about something."
"Uh, I think he's busy. We really need to report the inventory this afternoon. Sorry," the barista shrugged before leaving the young man to serve other customers.
The young man's face turned sour. He grudgingly took his coffee and left the counter only to sit in one of the coffee shop's lounges, glaring towards the counter. About thirty minutes later, he perked up when a skinny young man wearing a barista uniform came out of the storage room and hurriedly walked towards the counter. The hair-drenched young man quickly approached the counter.
"Hikaru! I need to talk to you,” called out the young man. The one who is called Hikaru turned towards him and frowned. “Please, just give me a few minutes.”
Hikaru let out a long sigh. “Fine.”
“Hikaru,...” the female barista tried to stop him but Hikaru smiled at her.
“It’s okay Mizuki-chan. I can handle it.”
“You don’t have to handle it. He’s bad news, Hikaru. He will hurt you again,” said Mizuki.
Hikaru looked conflicted. “But I love him.”
Mizuki opened her mouth but Hikaru didn’t give her a chance to utter a word. He walked around the counter and dragged the young man outside.
They stopped on the porch near the entrance and Hikaru stood with his back against the wall with both hands in front of his chest in a classic defensive mode.
“Now, talk!”
“Hikaru, honey… I’m sorry,” said the young man.
“Alright, if that’s all you say then I’ll go back inside. I have lots of work to do.”
“No, wait please! Hikaru, please give me a chance to explain.”
“Yuya, I saw you kissing her. Are you telling me that I made a mistake in broad daylight?”
“It was a festival and I just had a few drinks. We were celebrating our successful performance. What do you want me to say?” defended Yuya.
“If it was some random girl or even one of your groupies, I don’t mind. But she’s your bandmate and you both have a history together.”
“Alright, I admit it was my fault. I was too carried away and it won’t happen again. I promise! Besides, she’s a Beta. You know I don’t have an interest in them. Just like I don’t have an interest in Mizuki-chan even though you both resemble each other like twins. I only love you, Hikaru,” Yuya pleaded as his right hand traced the side of Hikaru’s face and played with his shoulder length-reddish-brown hair.
Hikaru’s heart was thawed and he couldn’t help but let out a small smile. Yuya had always been so good at this. He always managed to make Hikaru fall into his hand with only a few seducing words and Hikaru never understood why.
“There’s nothing going on between me and Yuki-chan. She even dates the Purple Rose’s guitarist right now.”
“What? Aren’t they your rival?” asked Hikaru, surprised. “What's she thinking?!”
“Fuck if I know,” Yuya cursed. “We lost a guitarist too last month and now a drummer. I think it’s better to disband the band.”
“Oh no! Yuya, I’m so sorry!” exclaimed Hikaru in shock before quickly hugging Yuya. Yuya returned his hug immediately.
Hikaru breathed in Yuya’s scent and closed his eyes. He had missed this Alpha so much. When he saw Yuya today in the coffee shop he knew that he was going to forgive him. Hell, Hikaru would even beg him to accept him back if he wasn’t going to apologize. Yuya was his first lover and they’ve been together for three years with a lot of ups and downs. Yuya had big dreams of becoming a famous singer which made him drop out of high school to join a band but he had not yet made a breakout. He was in and out of many bands for seven years already.
“Besides, Kento is going to return to his parent’s home anyway to take over his family business. I can’t make a band with just one member, right?”
“You can try to join an idol agency,” Hikaru suggested. I’m sure they’d love to have you. You have the sexiest voice this side of Japan.”
Yuya snorted. “Thanks but I think you’re the only one who thinks that.”
Hikaru released his embrace. “No! I swear there are many people who came to see your performance who think the same thing.”
“Well, most of them scout talents at a young age. I’m almost twenty-five. Maybe I should just give up and open a ramen shop or something,” he joked.
“Oh, honey. You’ll find new band members soon just like you usually did. Ganbatte ne!” Hikaru said as he cupped Yuya’s face in both hands.
Yuya wrapped his hands around Hikaru’s hands. “I will always need you, Hikaru. Thank you for staying with me.”
***
Weeks came and went. Yuya spent his days either lazing around in their apartment or in the club where he worked as one of the singers for the club’s regular band. The job didn’t pay that well, just enough for his necessities but he could get tips from the clubbers to make do. He still tried to form his own band again though.
Secretly, Hikaru wished that Yuya would never find band members because he liked Yuya’s job better now. He didn’t travel the country for gigs anymore and was home almost every day. Their relationship was steady and Hikaru felt secure. He thought that it would be a good time to hint for marriage. Until another turbulence hit their lives again.
Yuya hadn’t come home that morning, which happened occasionally. Hikaru thought he was probably still at the club or hung out with his friends at a nearby bar. After preparing breakfast, he got ready for work. The coffee shop where Hikaru used to work was just a few blocks from his apartment, so he usually just walked there.
There was a loud knock on the door which made Hikaru frown because Yuya wouldn’t knock. The knock became more persistent.
“Coming!”
Two police officers stood in front of his apartment door holding their police badges and asking for Yuya.
“Yaotome Hikaru-san?” asked one of the police officers.
“Yes, I am. What can I help you, officer?”
“Takaki Yuya-san lives here, correct?”
“Yes, he is. What is going on, officers?”
“Could you call him, please? We need to speak to him about an important matter,” answered the officer.
Hikaru was confused and a little bit scared. What Yuya had gotten into now that police officers knocked on their door this morning. “He… he hasn’t come home yet. Maybe you can ask the club where he worked last night. Although, I need to ask what Yuya had done?”
The officer looked at each other before answering. “There was a raid at the club last night. We suspect that Takaki-san is involved in a drug cartel business. We managed to catch some of his business associates but Takaki-san got away.”
Hikaru felt his knees weak and he fell on the floor in shock. The two police officers quickly helped him up and brought him inside. He laid on the tatami in his living room staring at his dizzily rotating ceiling.
“Why Yuya? I don’t believe it. No, I don’t believe it,” mumbled Hikaru.
“Yaotome-san daijobu?” asked one of the police officers.
Despite his dizziness, Hikaru struggled to sit up with the help of the police officer. “Officer, I know Yuya wouldn’t do that. I know him! He never uses drugs!” Hikaru screamed.
“That’s why we need to find him and confirm it. Yaotome-san, I hope you can cooperate with us and call us if Takaki-san contacts you whatsoever.”
Hikaru wanted to throw up. The idea that Yuya was using drugs and facing jail for that made his stomach revolted. His vision was blurry and he had trouble breathing.
“You don’t seem well, Yaotome-san. Do you need us to call you an ambulance?”
Hikaru wanted to say that he didn’t need an ambulance; he just needed Yuya but his voice would not come out.
“I’m calling the ambulance now! He’s hyperventilating,” decided one of the police officers.
***
Hikaru stared at the paper in his hands. His face was blank, devoid of emotion. He couldn’t see what his future would be like after this. Yuya had not contacted him yet and he also didn’t know where he was right now. He wanted to call Mizuki, his best friend but he didn’t know how to break this news to her.
“Yaotome-san, since you’re going to be discharged this afternoon, I will prescribe you some prenatal vitamins and draft you a check-up schedule. Is your mate going to pick you up?” asked the doctor.
Hikaru closed his eyes and whispered, “No, I don’t think he … no sensei.”
The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry Yaotome-san. We cannot discharge you if there’s no one who will pick you up. This is just a precaution. We need to make sure that all of our patients arrive safely at their homes, especially pregnant Omega like you. Is there anyone who can pick you up?”
Hikaru thought about the medical’s bill that he would have to pay if he stayed longer at the hospital. Without Yuya, things would be harder. After the police officer called the ambulance that morning, Hikaru was taken to the hospital and was admitted for a night. The news about Yuya’s involvement in a drug business was a shock to him and adding to that he found out that he was two weeks pregnant. Being an Omega was hard but a pregnant Omega without security income and mate was even worse. He could go home to his grandparent’s village but that would mean accepting his defeat and agreeing to be married off to his grandparent's chosen Alpha. Not to mention that he would leave Yuya with no means to contact him.
Hikaru had met Yuya during one of his gigs. Yuya’s band played in a nearby city. He and his bandmates at the time spent three nights in his grandparent’s inn before continuing their journey to their next gig. The first time Hikaru breathed his scent, he knew that he was going to follow Yuya wherever he went. There was something about Takaki Yuya that drove him crazy and did reckless things. It was the first time that he felt something that strong for an Alpha. There were several Alphas and many Betas in his village but none of them held a candle to Takaki Yuya. Yuya did not even have to seduce him because Hikaru had already been besotted. Against his grandparents' warnings, Hikaru packed his bags and boarded Yuya’s van to the city.
Then, Hikaru remembered Mizuki, his best friend, and decided to give her a call. He would need to tell her everything later but he knew that Mizuki was a sensible Beta. She would help him without question.
“Ano… can I borrow a phone? I left mine at home when the ambulance took me here yesterday,” Hikaru asked the doctor. “I need to call my friend.”
“Of course, Yaotome-san, you can use mine.” The doctor handed him his phone and left him alone in the room to give him privacy.
As expected, the dependable Yamamoto Mizuki arrived not an hour later. She briskly talked to the doctor and efficiently checked him out. She even put down her name as an emergency contact on the hospital’s patient’s directory. Moved by Mizuki’s kindheartedness, Hikaru wanted to cry but they needed to get home first. He was worried if Yuya had returned and found him gone.
“Arigatou, Mizuki-chan,” whispered Hikaru quietly.
Mizuki guided him to sit on the only sofa in the living room. The one Yuya usually slept on when he passed out after drinking or after he returned from work so as not to disturb Hikaru's sleep.
"I'll make you warm tea, okay? I've ordered food on the way home. After eating, you can take your medicines and vitamins. You just relax here," said Mizuki before going to the small kitchen to make tea.
"Aren't you going to ask me about what happened?" asked Hikaru.
Mizuki did not ask him anything other than Hikaru's health. She fussed about his medicine prescription with the nurses and talked very seriously about his condition with the doctor but never asked him anything concerning Yuya.
"The doctor has told me about it," Mizuki answered shortly.
"I know. But, don't you wanna know why a police officer called an ambulance for me?"
"Other than I'm grateful that they were here when you passed out, I don't think I need to know anything else."
"I know that you don't like Yuya. But I love him and I don't think he's guilty. He must be framed! I know it!" Hikaru stated firmly before adding, "That's what I think."
The water boiled loudly and Mizuki quietly poured the warm tea in a cup and brought it to the small table next to the sofa. She took a seat next to Hikaru and grabbed Hikaru's trembling hands. Hikaru did not realize that his emotion had made him vulnerable like this. Tears ran down his cheeks unchecked and his body trembled all over.
"Hika, I've known you for three years. I care about you and you're like a brother to me. You're strong, willful, and smart."
"For an Omega," Hikaru interjected.
"Not only as an Omega but as a being. Yes, I don't like Takaki. He's nothing but bad news for you. How many times has he hurt you like this? Call it my Beta's instinct but I don't like to see you hurt."
"You don't understand," Hikaru gasped and continued to cry. "Yuya and I, we have the same dreams and he saved me. He gave me the courage to leave my village and to stand on my own. You don't know what it was like before, Mizuki."
"And now he's gone." Hikaru shook his head but Mizuki continued on. "I know you think that he'll be back but let's face it. He's probably run out of the city by now. He won't be back anytime soon. Yet, you have your baby to think about. Do you want this baby?"
"Of course I want it! It's my child and Yuya!"
"Then, you have to think about what you're going to do now. The manager won't let you work in the coffee shop when he knows about your pregnancy. It's the company's rule and no one is an exception. Your taste perception will change, you'll be moody even more and your emotion will be all over the place. You can't work like that."
"But I need the job Mizuki-chan. Please don't tell the manager, yet. At least for a few weeks. I...I'm sure Yuya will return by then. He'll sort it out," begged Hikaru.
"I see you still put an awful lot of trust in him," Mizuki said in a disappointed tone.
"I have to. For the sake of our baby," answered Hikaru tearfully.
to be continued ...