start again (daisuga)

03

An eighteen year old girl screaming over the buzz of my tattoo machine fills my ears, her friends giggling in a couple chairs around us. At first it's funny and endearing; they all came in and got the same thing on their ankles, a little memory before they go off to university. My client had called earlier and said he'd be late so I didn't mind filling the time, but now that I'm hovering over a screaming girl's ankle, I almost regret it.

"Fuck!" She yells, squeezing her friend's hand tight.

"Are you okay?" I ask, getting worried about all the noise she's making.

"Just finish the damn thing," she breathes, squeezing her eyes shut as I go in again.

"Stay still," I lean in close, trying to get it done as quick and painless as possible. "Don't move and we'll be done in ten minutes. Just ten more minutes, okay?"

"Okay," she squeals, keeping her leg tense for me. Eight minutes pass and the simple lotus flower I'd already done twice is placed perfectly on the back of her ankle; I wipe away all the excess ink, admiring my work for a moment.

"All done," I smile at her, pointing to the mirror next to us. She stands from the chair and grins as she sees it, all of the girls squealing at once. I hear the front door of the shop open up front, the receptionist who's name I've yet to remember greeting someone. I interrupt the girls' excited chatter to wrap up the last one's ankle, and go over the aftercare with all of them.

"Can you take a picture of us?" One of the girls asks, holding her phone out for me.

"Of course," I smile, focusing the picture on them as they pose with their ankles out.

"Yo, Suga!" I hear a familiar voice call, opening up the curtain separating my station from the front of the shop. After I take the picture, I turn my head to see Oikawa and (y/n), the receptionist peeking through the curtain at me with a confused expression.

"Uh, one second Oikawa," I sigh, forcing a smile at the trio of girls. "Let's get you ladies on your way, okay?" I walk them over to my makeshift desk, offering them all of the ointments and lotions the tattoo shop offers. I purposely chat them up, a desperate attempt to hold back the storm waiting in the corner of the room for me. A couple hundred dollars later the girls are gone and I'm left with two expectant faces looking right at me.

"Hey guys," I call as I wash my hands at the sink, drying my hands as I meet them in the center of the room. "What's with the surprise visit?"

"I was serious about getting a tattoo from you!" Oikawa laughs, looking down at my equipment. "Let's do it right now!"

"I have to clean everything before anybody gets anything," I scoff. "Plus my client is gonna be here in like, twenty minutes. I don't have any spare time today, sorry."

"What?" Oikawa frowns. "Your client can wait an extra few minutes, can't they? C'mon, we're friends."

His use of the word friends makes me chuckle as I sit down to begin disinfecting my machine, both of their expressions expectant.

"Seriously? This guy is paying me almost two hundred dollars an hour. I can't keep him waiting."

"Two hundred dollars?" Oikawa wheezes, his eyes wide. "Are you really that good?"

"I wouldn't be getting paid that much if I wasn't, I guess?" I answer, feeling strange talking about money with Oikawa, who always gave off rich kid vibes. (Y/n) has a tiny smirk on her lips, her eyes glued to her shoes.

"Wow," he mumbles. "Sorry to waste your time, man."

"Oh my god, it's not like that," I scramble, waving them towards me. "Listen, I came back to Japan for three clients and he's one of them. The piece I've been working on for him is going to be worth over a thousand dollars once it's done, so I can't exactly tell him to wait a second. How about this weekend you come over my place and I can do something small for you?"