You're The Last One

Enter Takano

"Nii-san! Another bottle of Sake here!"

The chattings of workers from all kinds of offices combined with the sizzling sound of meat being burned on their tables was a day to day view in that izakaya. It smelled of smoke, alcohol and the complaints of the customers about their bosses were the main topic. Laughters, sometimes hootings, and sometimes cheering up were the side dishes.

At the middle-most table from the side of the bamboo walls were a group of bachelors silently drinking their own tiredness from a long day at work. They seldom get together like this, but then, the sound of cold sake with beef and other munchies for free was hard to decline.

"What is this for anyway? We're all males...you could've at least invited some pretty ladies to accompany us," said a stern looking male after sipping his sake to the bottom of his cup.

"Nah...this isn't about us finding wives...this is about our number one enemy back in high school," a giddy, telecommunications office worker named Tateyama replied. He had large eyes behind thick glasses that made him look like an alien from some manga. "Besides, I'm paying...so just listen up."

The other three men around that table looked at each others faces. If their friend was talking about a number one enemy back then, they could only think of one; Onodera Ritsu.

"Now you're listening," Tateyama gave a satisfied grin as he placed his cup down the table with a loud thud. "I heard he's back in Japan."

"Ha? That bitch is back in town?"

Another male gave a scowl, as if he just remembered the smell of rotten eggs. "That freaking bitch was the fucking reason my girlfriend and I broke up then. What is that prince of hell doing here in Tokyo?"

The other with curly hair popped a slice of meat in his mouth and shrugged. "To scatter his poison what else? He's living in a world different than ours. His head's messed up, I think living in the States had messed him more."

"Tsk Tsk..." Tateyama said while waving a finger before his high school friends. "There's a news about him bigger and louder than the Hiroshima bombs dude!"

The three men looked interested, contrary to the other male with dark hair busy chewing on his own food, his hazel eyes watching the smoke go up and disappear above their heads. How could he even surround himself with males who loved to gossip?

"Hey...Takano..." Tateyama called. "Takano! Are you listening?"

The man giving off a 'piss off' air around him darted his eyes to the man calling him without even moving his head. It made his eyes an imaginary piercing hawk-like view from that angle.

"I am not interested."

"Haha...I see...you got played by that homosexual prick before didn't you?" Tateyama asked while laughing thinking this wasn't a delicate topic. "Man...that high school time we were all still immature kids that could be swayed very easily...I think Onodera clung to you like glue, confessing and stuff...sure made a scene back then...but he dumped you right?"

"Tateyama..." the others warned. "Stop it."

The host of the drinking session cleared his throat and shifted on his seat. "Anyway..." he darted his eyes away from Takano who started glaring daggers at him and drank another shot. "I heard that Onodera's going around asking for forgiveness."

"Huh?"

"Yeah! Someone saw him. He's saying 'sorry' to the people he had done bad before. I doubt his list would even end," Tateyama commented which earned some nods of agreeing.

"But...why so suddenly?"

Tateyama rolled his eyes. "I heard their company is near bankruptcy. Talk about karma...maybe he was thinking asking forgiveness will reverse the effect? A lot probably have cursed him."

"Or maybe he's terminally ill?"

The group fell into an awkward silence before bursting in laughter.

"Are we weaving an anime or manga story here?" Tateyama chuckled, munching on a huge piece of beef, still laughing like a maniac.

The succeeding hours remained with the rest of the working adults of that table reminiscing how Onodera Ritsu, in one way or another had made them look stupid. Thinking back, the brunette was such a smooth-talker that led them to all sorts of trouble with the rich boy getting away scot-free.

While the others continued on talking about Ritsu, their own problems at work and family, there was only one man there that kept on drinking one shot after another while trying to forcefully close a wound. A wound that suddenly got pried open just by hearing that person's name.

In that table, Takano Masamune probably was the only man who had the strongest hatred and anger in his depths. Ritsu was asking for forgiveness now? Fuck that.

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