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Sometimes fate has weird tricks up its sleeve. Who would have thought that going to a birthday party would have forever changed something in your brain’s chemistry?
Really, nothing. You weren’t even entirely sure to go to Shoko’s birthday. A simple text of celebration sent on her special day, which she answered with a thank you. Continuing the conversation, you sent an “I hope you’re having fun, today! Are you celebrating it with friends or family?”, which she answered with an invitation. An invitation to her birthday party two weeks after.
Something after eating with her family at a restaurant. You quite didn’t understand at first, thinking it was a familial gathering. You didn’t want to seem rude by dropping by, unannounced, in front of her relatives. So you almost declined. Almost.
“No, you don’t understand, y/n. It’s a restaurant that becomes a nightclub after eleven. My family’ll leave, and other friends will come. You can even bring some friends as well, so come, it will make me happy. ‘Kay?”
“Oh, right, sorry I didn’t get it at first. Of course I'll come! What time is it?”
Looking back, if you never cleared the misunderstanding, you wouldn’t have just missed on the party, but on meeting him as well.
The day of the party ticked by, you got dressed back at your tiny apartment in town, there with your best friend, Yuki, getting ready to leave around eleven and a half, just to arrive on time at midnight and thirty minutes.
“You know who else is at Shoko’s birthday?” she asked while leaning towards her reflection on the mirror, applying a thick layer of gloss and arranging her blond hair.
“Not really. I mean, yes, her girlfriend. Utahime. But that’s all,” you answered after fixing your makeup, having to close your eyes and mouth to not let any particles get in your poor lungs.
“Maybe she’ll have hot friends,” she smiled. You answered by rolling your eyes, gentle elbow.
“Ahah, let’s keep dreaming.”
“And let’s hope the music is not boring as well,” Yuki ended up by a tap on your shoulder, a reminder to get going.
Taking some pictures of your outfit, a last look in the mirror, you actually felt confident, pretty, hot, even. What a bummer that nobody else could enjoy it, aside from you.
Back in Tokyo, taking the subway wasn’t such a long ride. The pit in your stomach grew in a weird distortion, the feeling of wonder, quite intimidated to meet a whole new group of people for the first time. Holding down the bag containing her birthday gift, you took one last deep breath before heading to the door of the supposed restaurant-now-nightclub.
The music, loud. The lights, blinding. People, dancing and glued all around the place. A toxic atmosphere elevated in between the walls. A quick text to Shoko, asking where she was, you finally caught a glimpse of her next to the DJ, somewhere normally out of access from the public.
She actually made you enter it with your Yuki, and you immediately hugged her with a gentle smile, shouting a “happy birthday!” through the echoes of the music. A kiss on your cheek after handing her the gift, saying hello to your friend, her arm looped around your waist.
“Lemme show you some of my friends! They’re not all here, but you might talk to some!” she had to shout for you to hear her.
You nodded in understanding, gaze following her finger as she pointed at different heads in the crowd. Your eyes caught the faces in a blur, humming at each.
“And this group of guy, them, yes at the left, are my friends as well!”
You had to focus for a second before landing on the supposed men, until you met a tuft of pearly white messy hair. A dizziness, then noticing the smile on his face, dimples, talking to another guy next to him, not as tall as him but as charming. The corner of your lips twitched at the vision of this man, impressed by how handsome he actually was. Since when Shoko had such a hottie in her friend group?
“That’s his name! Yeah, that’s all for now!”
You snapped out of your thoughts, looking back at her. Shit, you didn’t hear the name she said.
“What?”
Because of the loud bass, impossible for her to hear your question. You didn’t bother more with it, and simply decided to start dancing with her and your best friend. One of the good things about Shoko being the DJ’s friend, is the access to a step, giving a full view of the nightclub. There, your hawk eye could easily spot anyone, while still having fun, and any stare could land on your form as well.
For the following thirty minutes, maybe an hour, you didn’t think much more of it, aside from having fun. Swaying your hips, sipping on Shoko’s drink, talking to Yuki and dancing with her whenever a song you both enjoyed started to resonate dreamily.
“Utahime bought a bottle for shots, come!”
It didn’t need to be repeated twice, you followed towards the table some steps next to your left. The moment you arrived in front of the glasses, and the small group gathered, you immediately noticed the white haired guy. Barely a glance towards him, not wanting to let your curiosity make you weird, simply waiting for your turn. Looking at what was in the bottle, the shots were served.
When raising your head, a hand in front of your face. Here, he was handing you your shot with a smile and without even needing to ask as well. The kind that could make anyone falter.
“Thank you,” you pronounced, before everyone shouted one, two, three, and gulped it down in a go.
When people went back to dancing, you grabbed Yuki’s arm.
“Wow, that friend of Shoko is, like, super hot. Did you see him?” you asked in a teasing voice, simply wanting to gossip with her.
“I know, right?” she answered in the same tone. A mutual giggle in between two girls, an acknowledgment that didn’t go further than a simple observation.
Shoko made a sign to her lips. A cigarette, silently asking you if you wanted to join her in the smoking area. Yuki and you followed her, not without some struggle because of the sea of moving bodies surrounding every meter left and right. The moment the door closed behind the two of you, the muffled sound of the music was a blessing, aside from the heavy air filled with smoke.
“There, girls,” said her voice.
Turning around, here he was, again. Leaning against the window, hands in pocket, eyes landing on you the moment you entered. Fuck, something must have been up with your hormones, but the sex appeal emanting from this man was inhumane.
“That’s my friend, he doesn’t smoke though,” she explained.
“Hi,” you said.
At your words, he smiled brightly, in the way that illuminated everything around him.
“Hi. I’m Satoru,” he introduced himself, followed by yours and your best friend’s.
Shoko started to exchange with Yuki, something you didn’t listen to while handing you a cigarette from her pack. Sliding the murderous item in between your lips, hands started to search for your lighter, and… shit, nowhere. Cursing internally, Shoko nor Yuki noticed your struggle. Until a lighter appeared right under your nose.
Satoru was handing you his lighter, then thumb rolling, flame springing out and licking the tip of your cigarette. Eyes in eyes, you inhaled in a smile that he gave you back, a kind of teasing smirk that made you wonder what he was thinking about while doing this kind gesture.
“Thank you!” you ended up saying, surprised that he noticed when your own friend friends didn’t.
He’s helpful, was your thought.
Cigarette ended, you all joined back the roaring of the party. Drawn by his magnetic appearance and charms, whenever you were dancing, your eyes couldn’t help but drop in the crowd in search of his figure. Simply to bless your eyes, because a hottie like this couldn’t get unnoticed. And all fun and games, a distraction during this birthday party.
Navigating in between different spots with your best friend, going to the bar, noticing other hot people, you and Yuki enjoyed your time through the following hours. Drinking, drinking again, every glass and shots offered and paid for by Shoko and her girlfriend. Talking with some of her friends, a guy named Nanami that clearly didn’t look his age. Others you quite didn’t catch their name, or didn’t bother remembering.
“Who is your crush of the night?” you ended up asking in a starting slurred voice, slowly becoming tipsy. Nothing crazy, really.
“The hot guy with the buns at the bar, for starters," responded Yuki. You laughed, tapping her arm in a wave of eyebrows.
“Hmmm, agreed. Did you see how he looked at you? Girl…”
“And you?”
“Well, him too. And Shoko’s friend, Satoru,” you managed to answer, scanning the area to catch a glimpse of his face.
“Duh, of course,” she said, like it was obvious and out of the question.
Really, simply to pass time. You knew that it was to giggle and shit, a way to distract yourself, a bonus, because no way something would happen in between you and a guy like him. Way out of your league, that’s what you said to yourself.
Following where Shoko disappeared, you found her back in another part of the dance floor, surrounded by her group of friends. Joining in, having fun, letting the music animate your limbs.
Traveling around, you stared at the way Satoru danced, the way his hips matched the tempo of the song, mastered in a way that left you surprised. Boy, that man had some moves in his blood. Mind wandering, you did let yourself imagine how he would dance with someone else, or with you.
Stupid smile on your face, you didn’t really notice the way he stared at you.
Suddenly, a very much drunk girl stumbled in front of your figure.
“Hi girl!” she stammered, before getting closer in an attempt to match your moves.
You couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, letting her dance against you. The way her eyes were dizzy showed how far gone in alcohol she was. Then, a tug on your arm. There, a bracelet you put earlier, had a strand of hair locked on the metal. Her strand of hair. Carefully, you touched the girl’s shoulder.
“Wait, sweetheart, your hair is stuck in my bracelet. Don’t move, I'll take it off!” you warned and gently started to untangle the blondish lock.
“What? My hair?” she answered before tugging her head backwards.
“Wait, you’ll hurt yourself!” you exclaimed as you struggled to keep up.
Panic rose, not knowing how to properly handle the situation with a completely drunk woman, and not wanting to yank on it hard and create a bald spot on her poor head.
“Fuck, it’s messed up-” you mutter under your breath.
“I’ll help.”
Lifting your eyes, blue starred back, before looking down at your arm. With his long fingers and in some short seconds, Satoru managed to swiftly free you from the hair grip of the woman in an amused smile.
“Here you go,” he said with a wink.
“Shit, thanks, again.”
No time to answer, the woman almost fell on him. Satoru mostly knew her, as he kept up straight on her feet, articulating words you were unable to catch through the lyrics of the song vibrating all around you. Once he made sure she was okay, he turned back and glanced at you, offering you another grin of his that seemed to know how to twist your stomach.
Closing your eyes, continuing to let the music reverberate against your skin, guiding your moves. This moment was quite foggy, simply remembering dancing close to Satoru, yet a safe distance that allowed you two to not touch each other, but locking eyes every five seconds, smiling.
Until, it’s not that everything came crashing down, but this time it was a lock of your hair caught in Satoru’s ring. At the sight of it, the white haired man exploded with laughter, gently taking it off.
“Oh fuck!” you said.
“Hair is going everywhere around here!” he joked, which you answered by a stupid laugh, slightly embarrassed but thankful for his gentle help.
What happened after, a blur of moves and leaving the dance floor, surely to drink.
Finding your way, joining back Shoko, then Yuki, you explained what happened. While talking loudly enough to be heard, you couldn’t help but try to see where Satoru was in the crowd, this time. Turning your head, here, on your left he was. Face slightly more serious, searching for someone around him, surely the guy with the long onyx hair. His jacket off, tight black shirt compressing his arms. Holy shit, he didn't have just a pretty face and nice interactions, but that guy was jacked up as well!
“Girl, he seems really nice, why don’t you dance with him?!” asked Yuki, sipping on some cocktail paid for by Shoko.
Shaking your head, tearing your eyes to look back at her.
“Eh, I’m not going to ask him, what if he’s not interested? He simply was nice, nothing else,” you justified, shrugging in an attempt to seem uninterested.
“Shoot your shot,” she answered back.
Your face distorted in discomfort.
“Yeah, not confident enough to do that.”
“Bummer.”
“Whatever.”
Your best friend had this look in her face that you ignored. Staying close to her, you continued to dance without another thought. Tired or bored, Yuki stayed sitting on the sofa in front of your moving body, legs parted. Next to you, Satoru and other of Shoko’s friends that you joined to dance with. Slowly, the club was getting emptier, the closing hour approaching. Time flew way too quickly.
A few words exchanged, as well as lingering stares, your mind couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to be against Satoru. His toned body, his charming stance, the movement of his hips. But this man was way out of your league, and if he was interested, he would have shown it! You didn’t want to seem like a creep. During the night, some weirdos actually asked to dance with you by gluing their disgusting hands and faces to you without even hearing a yes or no. You didn’t want to seem like them with their loathsome behavior.
Facing back your best friend, Satoru talked and danced with friends two meters behind you on your right. Yuki stared at you, then at him, then back at you. Oh oh, you knew where this was coming. A drunken smile, she rose from her sit and shouted :
“Hey, you two, dance together!”
Your heart dropped of embarrassment, not daring to look behind you to see if he heard, and immediately giving a deathly stare to your friend. Mimicking cutting her throat, you shook your head slightly.
“Shut the fuck up!” you mouthed silently, which she answered by a roll of her eyes.
Gosh, this woman was going to give you a heart attack!
Following this, around two musics passed in a weird blur.
“Hey.”
A tap on your shoulder, you faced Satoru smiling down at you.
“Wanna dance together?”
You had to let your brain assimilate what you just heard for a solid second. No, freaking, way. This man, Satoru, the one you had a crush on since the beginning of this party and out of your shot, was interested in dancing with you? What the hell was going on?
Not wanting to make him wait, you immediately nodded, offering him a pleased stretch of your lips.
“Yeah, of course!”
“Perfect.”
His hand invited you to take it, landing your palm against his. Gently, his free hand fell on the small of your back, bringing you closer. The music followed, as well as the rocking of your body. In less than two seconds, he matched your movements, eyes on your face all the way, eagerly swallowing your laugh, teeth showing in brightness.
At first, he kept a distance, just enough to let you get comfortable. The moment he felt you loosening up, and showing no intent to back away, Satoru acted.
He glued your torso to his, letting you feel the warmth of his body. The sway of his hips met yours, slowly swinging left and right.
You realised that every time you danced with someone, including very close friends of yours when partying together, you never had a dance that matched each other so well. Each time there was a little period of time, maybe a second or two, where your hips and your friend’s weren’t on the exact same beat, not perfectly in sync.
But now, it was. Being quite a surprise.
Lifting your head, meeting the depth of his blue, the grin, dimples. The atmosphere shifted, his moves got slower, more calculated. Legs bending just enough to meet your pelvis and blending completely with you.
The heat rose, getting bolder and followed by the own bend of your knees, reaching closer to the floor. There, a soft, barely perceptible, grinding. Fuck, the feeling slowly got addictive, something warm in between your legs.
Satoru shifted, and then made you twirl, tearing a laugh from your throat. Wanting to make him dance as well, you made him turn too, then showed him a trick you learnt back when you were younger, resulting in your dance alternating in between proximity and laughter.
Again, bringing you back against him, eyes never leaving your face and analyzing every of your expressions at each press and sway.
The moment everything stopped was when the lights turned on, showing it was the closing hour of the club. 5:30 AM. Time to get back home.
“You dance very well, y’know?” he said, quite a surprise coming from him.
“Woah, thank you! Well, you too.”
“Ah, I have to find my friend. I don’t know where he is,” Satoru announced after stepping back enough to let you breathe, glancing around, then back at your pretty face.
“Alright, go. I need to pee,” you answered, and not even knowing why you shared this piece of information, but the alcohol in your veins said otherwise.
He smiled and left, which resulted in you joining back Shoko and Yuki to go together to the bathroom. You were immediately met by their teasing smirks, asking about whatever was all that with Satoru.
“You guys saw?”
“Yup, and I recorded,” answered your best friend.
“No way you did?! Send me!”
The following minutes were giggles, while going the three of you to the toilets, then leaving and staying in front of the club, talking with Shoko’s friends, wondering how you will go back home. Cab? Subway?
“Satoru just pointed at you while talking to the DJ,” whispered Yuki while showing by a raise of her chin the supposed white haired man on the opposite side of the street.
You looked discreetly, wondering what he said. Indeed here he was, but whatever was exchanged remained a secret.
Around some minutes later, he crossed the street, exchanging a few words and jokes with Shoko, you and the other friends of hers. You made him laugh. Fuck. A pretty laugh.
One last smile, next to the black haired guy, Suguru if you remembered well, he announced they’ll leave as they were exhausted and had to work later in the day.
Eyes staring at his form disappearing in the last shades of darkness of the time, heart hammering and still stuck in that dance you shared with him.
Back on the way home, sitting in the empty subway, you stared at your phone. Your friend indeed sent you the video, and it allowed you one last time to reminisce about the sensation you felt.
Something you didn’t notice back then, but in the video you could see the way Satoru utterly stared at you while dancing. The stretch of his smile, so big, like he was having the time of his life with you. Man, he looked bewitched, to say the least.
Since when people could stare at you like this? Was this some kind of new superpower?
Yeah, he surely enjoyed this dance, but that guy left an impression on you that will hardly go away.
That night, you dreamt of him. Back in your mind, wondering if you’ll ever see him again. It might. Or, maybe, whatever happened that night was meant to be a one time thing, enough to drive your brain in a loophole of the crumbs that left this night behind.
Better luck next time.