DANCING IN THE DARK

The atmosphere around Keiin Ryu this morning was sombre as he sat unmovingly on a bench in a dance studio, gazing glass-eyed at all the squealing and happy jostling of the students as they comically pranced about.

Gen Yamada plopped himself down as he breathed, �Whew�these kids have energy! Ne, Keiin-kun�what�s with the long face?� and proceeded to pull his face into an outsized pancake.

Ryu ignored the gentle teasing and turned his back towards his senior and best friend.

Yamada prodded Ryu on the arm meekly, �Are you ok?�

Ryu whirled back and glared at Yamada before blasting, �Do I look ok to you? Do I look ok??�

Yamada raised his hands in lazy surrender, �So, care to tell what happened? OH! I forgot to ask!! Why didn�t you tell me you have a boyfriend? What kind of buddy are you?�

Ryu knitted his brow together as he muttered softly, � I don�t have a boyfriend, best-friend-not [1]��

�Oh�� Yamada smirked as he rubbed his hands together in glee, �Broke up?�

Ryu pounded Yamada hard before he deadpanned, �He�s not my boyfriend.�

Yamda picked himself off the floor, �Tell me more.�

And out poured the whole story with all the details thrown in.

Yamada looked at Ryu in awe, �I didn�t know you had such an appeal��

Ryu debated between whacking Yamada or throttling him.

Finally, he settled for the latter and hence Yamada found himself on the spread-eagled on the floor again.

�Sex appeal?� Yamada looked thoughtful as he toppled Ryu off the bench too with a swift hard kick.

�What?� Ryu grumbled as he rubbed his sore butt on which he had landed rather unceremoniously.

�Nothing�? But why would a millionaire like this Kuroda guy find himself falling into the love abyss for you? Er, no offence?� Yamada scooted a few feet away from Ryu for safety�s sake.

Ryu did not answer as he shrugged and stepped out of the noisy dance studio.

--

�Ah! The beautiful and magnificent gift called love!� Nuriko Lin cried out in an oh-glorious-drama tone.

Ryu gave the slim Chinese-Japanese girl a bored glare, �Shut up.�

Nuriko�s face bore a smirk that could rival Yamada�s as she grinned at Ryu�s cross face.

Nuriko Lin with a Chinese father and a Japanese mother was an attractive girl of seventeen. Her parents ran a laundry shop near Ishiha Dance Academy and its hostels and hence, the students often relied on Lins Laundry for all the washing business.

No doubt, Ryu, having been in the Academy for 4 years already, was fast friends with the Lins.

Nuriko smiled affectionately at Ryu whom she regarded as an elder brother. She once had had a crush on the dark tall boy 2 years ago until she found out from Yamada that Ryu was actually gay.

Not minding the fact at all, she now enjoys the time when Ryu pops into the shop rather often to visit. After all, she was one of the close friends Ryu would ever have.

Ryu coughed significantly as he threw a bag at Nuriko, �Laundry.�

�Who is this Kuroda-big-wig anyway? Why would he even lay his eyes on you and just declare that he is in love with you?� Nuriko loaded the laundry into a machine and slotted in a coin.

�Is this a plot between you and Gen-sempai? What�s with the similar questions?� Ryu exclaimed in exasperation.

�Ha! So Gen-kun knows about this too! No, this is not a ploy nor a scheme, baka.� Nuriko pondered as she absent-mindedly flipped through this morning�s newspapers.

The bell hanging on the door tinkled as a customer stepped in.

�Welcome! Can I help you?� Nuriko hopped down from the high stool behind the counter.

Ryu glanced at the newspaper and the splash on the main page caught his eye. �Kuroda Inc. merges with XXX Enterprise� He pored over it immediately.

�Thank you! Come again!� Nuriko peeked over Ryu�s shoulder.

�Aha! Checking up on your fianc�?�

Ryu unconsciously blushed as he spluttered, �What?!�

�Wow�he is one rich guy�� Nuriko whistled in appreciation as the newspaper article screamed the information that Kuroda was at least wealthier by a few tens of million because of the merger.

�I don�t care. � Ryu said coolly.

�I know you don�t�after all, you gave up your more than well-off family and name for dance.� Nuriko deliberately mentioned.

Ryu�s face fell a little as he bit his lip and pretended to examine the washing machines.

�You know it�s the truth. Gen-kun and I see no need for you to be still guilty or ashamed of what you did. Your family should be proud of your achievements ne?�

�You don�t understand! I was the one who left! I gave up on them for my selfish desires.� Ryu snapped angrily.

�Maybe Kuroda�s interest in you is a blessing? A chance for you to get back what you lost?�Nuriko suggested.

�I�ve lost nothing but my family ties.�

�And the definition of love.�

�I have my dreams and my ambitions.�

�And no love.�

�Love is nothing!�

�And yet everything.�

--

After spending the rest of the day blindly, Ryu smoothed out the simple of piece of paper as he reread the letter yet again.

Fingering the smooth and confident inked writing, he hesitated.

Perhaps Nuriko was right. He was missing something. Could this be a new chapter of his life?

But the fear of disappointment was a vivid mental obstacle.

The clock chimed 7pm.

Chapter 6