DIRTY RHYTHM

THE GOLDEN-EYED MAN

Clair took a big gulp of cold tea when she saw the Golden-eyed man again who helped her to enter the CION Brothel. The man was sitting at the other table just next to them. His position was facing Clair's direction, so the girl could clearly see the mysterious stranger's face, especially now that it was very early in the morning and there was so much light showered the place. 'What is he doing here?'

Clair peruses his face carefully. With his long eyelashes that slightly hover over his pair of golden eyes down to his damn pointed nose and those sexy squinted thin lips, Clair admits that this man is one hell attractive and really, the man who helps her out to penetrate that exclusive Red light District.

Even though they were just oppositely seated and facing each other, Clair was like air to the young man. He doesn’t even look around. The young man didn't seem to know how to feel around whether someone was staring at him or not. His eyes were just focused on his phone. Clair couldn't help but check out the young man's appearance. This good-looking young guy gorgeously tanned with a strongly built body physique and that black straight hair sexy messy undercut is to die for. 'Well, that's quite exaggerated..' His eyes were glowing in gold that she can't see any emotion cruising in there, it's was lifeless that it doesn't match the strange grin on his lips while his hand pressed on the phone he's holding.

"Clair, is he Creux? He really is a walking red flag."

Sumire whispered to Clair which made her jumpy, she didn't even realize that Sumire was sitting next to her. Her cousin moved to her seat without her noticing as she was stared at the Golden-eyed man intently and her full attention was on that young man sitting next to their table.

"No, I just said Golden-eyed, didn't I?"

Clair whispered back to her cousin. 'She's right. This guy is walking, wearing a warning on him.' Clair thought.

"Are you interested in him? He appears to be a strong silent type. Despite his grown and matured height, you still can't deny that he's a teenager."

Clair glared at Sumire who's just smirking at her once drinking up her tea.

"I already told you who my type is."

Clair made a hissing sound. But Sumire is right; despite his height and strong body build, she can't deny that he's too young to enter the CION brothel and he appears to know Creux very well the way he was comfortably sitting in Room 57 last night as if it were natural to him.

He also doesn't look anything like Creux, thus they can't be siblings. Or perhaps step-brothers? 'Oh my God, I totally forgot that the man mentioned my father's assassination.' Clair exclaimed, rubbing her palm against her right temple as she realized she had missed the most dangerous and critical part of the unexpected events of the previous night. 'Clair how did you bury that part in the very bottom of your brain?' disappointed, she asked herself. Sumire stares at her in awe, while Blanche quietly eats his cookies and drinks his tea while gazing out the window of the Cafe. It's as if he has a world of his own and doesn't want to be disturbed. Her cousin seems like in deep thought, thinking about something they don't know.

"Have you gone mad already?"

Sumire asked worriedly at her but Clair's eyes narrowed in response. Sumire noticed that Clair's expression seemed to alter every second. She feared that her cousin might go completely insane.

"Whoever's ahead of us will gone crazy? that would be you. With the number of characters you've played in movies and series, I just don't know if you'll find yourself, who truly you are."

Clair replied, rolling her eyes that Sumire just laughed.

"What are you going to do now? Have you been able to thank him?"

Sumire asked again as Clair came to a halt. She locked her gaze once more on the man, who was now chugging Black Coffee like a model. She doesn't remember thanking him. She had completely forgotten about a portion of their conversation inside her mind. It was far too hazy to recall.

"Don't tell me you haven't thanked him yet?"

Sumire added that Clair tries to remember everything that happened last night. Her head was starting to throb.

"Maybe?"

Clair's answer was still uncertain.

"Then approach him. Looks like you want to ask him a lot, this is your excuse."

Sumire said in a serious tone, tilting her head slightly in the man's direction while giving Clair a meaningful look. Clair wanted to approach the man but she was hesitant. What if he forgot about her? And he has no recollection of their little talk the night before? Clair's mind is now being messed up by the amount of uncertainty. She had no idea where to begin.

When Clair was still not standing as she was hesitant, Sumire yanked her up and then pushed her closer to the man's table which surprised Clair because of the speed of events. She was not prepared to ask him and she was not ready for the man's response. She even widened her eyes and gave Sumire a piercing glance for what she had done, but her cousin simply gave her a thumbs up, as if she was pleased with what was about to happen. 'I will definitely kill you later.' Clair mouthed that her cousin who was sitting next to Blanche who was still staring out of the Cafe was just giggling. His silence is eerily strange but Clair chooses to ignore it when the Golden-eyed man unexpectedly spoke up.

"I want this."

When Clair looked back, the man was talking to the Cafe maid with a strange flirtatious smile on her face, the maid simply stroked the young man's hand, the maid of this cafe looks like a model so, Clair understands their confidence and audacity in luring men with their beauty who happen to catch their attention. However, the maid's seduction was ineffective on the customer, who didn't even notice what the Cafe maid was doing. He wasn't even looking at the maid, and he didn't seem to see her and didn't really care, as if he didn't feel anything around. The people here inside the cafe are nothing more than wind. Clair had the courage to face him because if she didn't speak to him, he would ignore her even when she was in front of him.

"Do you still remember me?"

Clair asked the man who didn't even look at her but he spoke.

"Sit."

Smiling, he said while looking at the phone. Clair promptly pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table for her to sit. Clair smiled because the man still seemed to remember her, meaning he could answer her questions. She was about to sit down when the young man spoke again but this time around, he was looking at her. Even though his pair of golden eyes were blank and emotionless, Clair still couldn't help but be impressed with it.

"Not you but my Dog."

He added with a playful smile as he showed Clair his phone where the man's dog was sitting and had a gnawing bone in his mouth. She lost all expression on her face including his big, beautiful smile because of what he said. All the blood rushed to Clair's face and she was burning in red, furious because of the extreme discomfort she was feeling now. Her brain went blank for a few seconds.

"I'm-"

Clair was about to apologize when the man suddenly stood up and held her right hand and then lowered his head to meet her eyes, by then, the man whispered to her ears as he looked in the other direction which shocked her. After the man whispered something to her, the man pulled a chair next to his and made Clair sit down.

"Sit down."

He gestured and smiled that Clair was not on her own while trying to process what the man told her. Her brows frowned, could not believe what he heard from him. When the man sat down again, he had a meaningful smile on his lips.

"What do you want to ask me?"

The man asked as Clair turned and compose herself, she puts down her hands on the table.

"Your name."

Clair said without beating the bush.

"Narco."

He replied at the same time reaching his left hand to her and Clair gladly accept and shook his hands.

"Clair."

She introduces and takes her hand back. Clair wasted no time and look directly at his eyes.

"About the assassination of my father that you said last night ...."

Clair added and she was quickly cut off by him, she raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you're an assassin. Because all the assassins in the movie did the same thing you did last night. They track and tailing their victim."

Narco smiled that Clair was slightly stupified in her seat. What he said last night was nonsensical.

"Goodness, I thought that was true."

Clair sigh in relief and her hands crawled in her chest as if a thorn had been pulled out of her chest and throat.

"I'm sorry for not getting the joke."

Clair added that Narco just shrugged. The young man thought for a few more seconds while sipping his black coffee before he spoke again.

"So I heard Creux had a proposal for you."

Narco changed their conversation and put the cup of tea on the table. Clair's cheek immediately turned red.

"Yes."

Clair responded quickly. How did he know that? Ah, yes he was in room 57 but I just couldn't feel his presence. There is something strange about him that I cannot fathom.

"How old are you?"

Clair asked as Narco was still a little taken aback.

"20."

The girl took a deep breath and sigh in relief once more.

"What's with that reaction? Are you interested in me?"

Narco asked, making Sumire burst laughing at the other table.

"Of course not, I just thought you were a minor. And so you got in there because you're Creux's brother which is impossible to happen again because you have no resemblance with him."

The girl replied, making Narco smile.

"We're not brothers, we're kind of friends though, he's 30 years old."

Clair's eyes widened at what she heard. 30 years old, huh?

"But how did you two become friends? Your gap is 10 years?"

This time Clair was comfortable talking to Narcos, she become chatty again out of nowhere. She had already forgotten her two cousins ​​at the other table waiting for her return.

"Business."

Narco's simple answer, as if he had no intention to prolong his answer. Clair just nodded. Narco sips again on his teacup while Clair obviously wants to ask him about Creux.

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

Clair asked and the young man smiled, just what he thought. 'Gotcha!'

"Nothing, but he has a lot of s*x partners."

Narco quick response, put the cup back on the table, made Clair's face gloomed. Instead of being turn-off to Creux, the jealousy she feels now dominance over her rationality.

There are many reasons for not liking Creux, but her heart refuses to listen to her brain. 'Damn feelings'

"Oh, you like him."

Narco sounded like he seem surprised, that his lips formed into an 'O'.

"Then accept his proposal."

The young man added.

"Ha, why am I talking to you about this."

Clair unbelievably ejaculated as Narco frowned at her. 'Am I not worth to listen?' Narco thought.

"Forget it."

The young man replied and rose from his chair, he then placed a small sticky note on the table with a number on it.

"What is it?"

Clair asked then removed the sticky note and read it.

"Numbers."

Narco sardonically answered that Clair raised an eyebrow at him.

"Obviously."

Clair's sarcastic remark that her eyebrows remained fiercely raised that Narco's lips curled into a smirk.

"My number."

Narco's specified, Clair just look at him mockingly and pierce him with his dagger gaze.

"I am not interested in you."

Clair replied that Narco smiled meaningfully.

"And, I also didn't give my number because I'm interested in you. Just keep it, you might need it someday."

Narco smiled and he came closer to her face. The bridge of his nose almost brushes in her cheek and brings his lips close to her ear.

"See you again."

Narco huskily whispered in Clair's ear, and for no apparent reason, Clair blushed. The way he whispered brought something strange tingling sensation to her but in a different way. She had goosebumps after feeling his manly warm breath cruising her skin. She always forgets that Narco was younger than her for goodness sake! When Clair looked back, the young man was no longer inside the cafe. "...and he vanished, just like that..."

Clair unconsciously saves Narco's number on her phone before returning to their table.

"Finally, you remember us too. Looks like you had a good conversation with Mr. Golden Eye."

Sumire's sarcasm greeted her that Clair just rolled her eyes. Blanche was just waiting for Clair to say something. This time he was no longer looking outside but at his cousin.

"No, no-"

Clair didn't finish what she was about to say when her phone rang. She quickly pick it up and answered immediately when she saw her father's name.

"Where are you right now?"

Her father immediately asked as if he wanted to sound angry with her.

"Cafe."

Clair simply replied. 'What now?'

"Where exactly?"

Her dad asks skeptically that Clair can't help thinking her father was being paranoid again. And he became quite strict lately.

"Czergh Cafe."

Clair bored answer and look at her cousins.

"Who are you with?"

Ask on the other line.

"Blanche and Sumire."

Clair answered that her brows are now knitted into a frown. What's wrong with her father now? She heard his father's heavy sigh on the other line.

"Give your phone to Sumire."

Cornelius ordered her. Although the girl was surprised, she still obeyed her father. She handed the phone to Sumire who also surprisingly accepted it. 'Dad' Clair mouthed her that Sumire quickly got it and just nodded.

"Yes ... Yes ... Czergh Cafe ... Just the three of us ... No ... Okay ... I miss you, Tito! Bye byeee .."

Sumire returned the phone to Clair as the call ended.

"He's so worried about you. I can tell."

Sumire said as Clair sighed.

"Of course, he is."

Clair is so confused now, she doesn't know what to do. This is the first time she has ever liked a man so much. Those feelings were so strong that she was losing rationality over her mind and heart. It seems that her father's effort is just an excuse to her if she doesn't agree with Creux's proposal.

"I've already decided."

To be Continued...