Stealing Spree

The same as before, Sunday made our little city lively. Loads of people crowded the popular streets and the train station was busy enough as though rush hour would last for a whole day.

That’s not a problem for me though. I paid no heed to the attention landing on me and just quietly waited for my destination. I mean, it’s rare to find someone crazy enough to hit on me. Even more so, when I exuded an aura of a cold, indifferent guy.

But then again, despite my intention to ignore everyone, certain circumstances could happen at any moment such as…

“Oh! Hey, Nii-san! Do you still remember me?”

Yep. Someone called out to me as soon as our eyes made contact. Well, he was observing me way before. He already had the intention to approach me. He was just waiting for the right moment.

Actually, he’s not a stranger to me. And whether I believe it or not, he’s one of the few guys that I still remember even though I only ran into him once.

Well, it’s only been a month or so. Maybe that’s also a factor.

He’s that tall, muscular guy and someone who I evaluated as a cool kind of guy before. I still even have his business card tucked somewhere around our house.

The host club guy who tried recruiting me back on the bus during my date with Himeko. He’s still wearing a flashy suit. He’s probably about to go to work. Or not? It’s still morning.

Anyway, I already forgot his full name but his surname was kinda memorable. Takayama which means high mountains. He’s probably living up to it, trying to reach the top spot in that industry.

As for the host club he’s working at…

Is it Lonely Hearts? Yep. One that catered to women’s lonely hearts. I bet they’re one of the more popular clubs in that pseudo-red-light district located in our city.

Within the few seconds that it took him to reach my vicinity, I already decided on my course of action.

I had no idea how he easily recognized me when I had undergone a transformation so… I would play dumb about knowing him.

I had no desire to enter that industry, after all.

“Hmm? Do I know you?” I replied as I tilted my head in confusion.

The guy was taken aback. He then looked like he was trying to check in his mind if he was remembering correctly. But then, convinced that I was the one in his memory, he quickly regained composure.

“I see. You must be the type to not remember unpleasant experiences. I’m the one on that bus. My junior caused you trouble that day.” The guy produced his business card again, handing it to me.

However, because of the card color’s notoriety and the obvious attire of the guy, the other passengers who were aware of it reacted.

Some women gasped and grinned in understanding. They even focused on our faces and noted whatever they picked up.

Some men clicked their tongues, disdain filling their expressions. They’re the ones not blessed with the looks or even just a physique to be called attractive or charming.

There was also one woman who noisily blurted out absurd things such as, “Eh? Is he getting hit on by a host? Are they now catering to men as well?”

Lady, you must be one of Kikuchi’s ilk. Stop leaving in your BL fantasy!

Anyway, ignoring all those again, I simply stared at the card before looking up at the guy. “I’m sorry but I’m not interested in that.”

“No, no, no! You got it all wrong. I’m just trying to… Ugh. Alright, I get it. I guess approaching you in this attire is rather off.” The guy tried to clear it up but then he also instantly gave up, drooping his shoulders. Surely, he’s still convinced that I’m the same one he encountered before. But with my lack of interest in what he wanted to say, he could only give up.

Or so I thought.

His next move baffled not just me but everyone on the train.

The man took a step back, enough to put a distance between us. But instead of retreating, the guy bowed his head in front of me. And it’s the kind of bow that puts one’s upper body at a 90-degree angle. It’s considered something one will perform in desperation to have his or her plea to be heard.

“Please, can you hear me out? I know this isn’t the right place but I don’t know when I will encounter you again after this.” He stretched one of his arms forward as his loud voice filled the whole train car, resulting in all attention focused on us.

This guy… What the hell is going on in his head? The way he pleaded was truly filled with desperation.

But why me?

I’m just a random guy you can see anywhere… He doesn’t even know my name.

Seconds quickly passed and all eyes focused on me. The guy remained bowing there, waiting for my answer.

In this situation, anyone would feel the pressure and accept it disregarding the absurdness.

I’m not just anyone though.

Nothing will be able to trump my number one priority. Even if it’s a world-ending problem, I will still focus on what I set out to do for my girls.

Let’s see. After brushing off the pressurizing gazes from the other passengers, I contemplated how I would respond.

There are still close to five minutes before my station. If this guy could keep this up until then, I would hear him out. If not, then I would just walk off like nothing happened.

Upon deciding that, I fixed my sitting posture and crossed my arms, staring at him without saying anything.

The spectators clicked their tongues or hurled unpleasant words at me but they were all irrelevant. In any case, the guy remained bowing like that, only checking on my face a few times.

It should be embarrassing and something any man would be averse to doing, especially in this public space. But if he could keep this up then it’s probably really a matter of great importance to him.

Still, why me?

As seconds continued to trickle, everyone waited in bated breaths. The unpleasant words stopped but those were replaced by glares.

Can’t they just mind their own business? It’s not like I asked this guy to plead with me. In my mind, this meeting was just a coincidence. I even acted like I didn't know him. If anything, I could be seen as the victim here.

But well, the public’s perception was just that skewed. It’s hypocritical most of the time. And in this situation, I became the bad guy.

Soon enough, the announcement of the imminent arrival at the station rang out. The guy was already sweating bullets but he remained bowing there, fantastically persevering.

By the time the train stopped at the station and the doors swung open, I immediately stood up.

The eyes of the crowd still focused on me, they kept waiting on what I would do.

No matter, since he desperately passed the little challenge that I came up with, I reached for his shoulder and tapped it a few times. It’s almost equivalent to saying ‘that’s enough’.

His bones cracked as he straightened his back and stared at me, still waiting for my answer.

Instead of opening my mouth to use words, I simply gestured with my head to have him follow me out.

And with that, the busybodies all let out sighs of relief and those whose stop was also at this station started standing up to leave.

Some blatantly followed us to check what was going to happen next but that’s irrelevant now.

I walked to the side of the station where it was particularly deserted before facing the man, “Alright, whatever it is, I’ll hear you out this once. I really have no time to waste.”

As I said that, the guy cracked a smile before starting with the story that made him do that.

“You see, I have an ardent request and I think you can accomplish it. Can you save our host club from going under?”

Although I expected that it would be about this, I still couldn’t believe it. That request is simply impossible no matter how I think about it.

Yeah… Let me react like a normal guy then.

“Huh? Are you for real? What am I? A host club Messiah?!”