Chapter 75: 74
Yuki started nodding along to the soothing sound of money dinging more into his account. The only sound he loved to hear. Each "ding" was like a shot of dopamine straight to the brain. His lips curved into that lazy, cocky grin he wore whenever things went his way.
Leaning back against the cold tile wall of the bathroom, he closed his eyes for a second, letting the glorious moment wash over him. "Four million, four hundred and fifty-seven thousand views," he muttered under his breath, tilting his head with pride. "And they didn't just watch… they paid to watch." He chuckled, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.
His body rocked slightly as he kept nodding, this time not to any music, just to the sweet rhythm of money rolling in, like a beat only he could hear. He could almost taste the future—fast cars, new tech, bigger screens, better phones, a mansion maybe. A kingdom, all built on slutty bitch asses and hungry porny viewers.
And then it happened.
A slip so insignificant due to his sweaty hands led to his phone falling into the toilet. Yuki froze, his hands outstretched in the moment to catch it slower than it fell. "Wait—wait—no, no, no, no!"
His heart stopped seeing his money making device swimming in toilet scented water.
"No. No!" Yuki shouted and stumbled forward, half kneeling until he fell to the ground on his knees in pain. "I just fixed you! What the hell?!" He lingered few seconds on the phone in the toilet, contemplating whether to risk putting hand in a toilet used by many or save his phone.
Damn right, his phone was worth more money than those lame hands.
"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me…" He groaned, face contorting as his jaw clenched. He sighed loudly, and launched his hands into the toilet, the cold, disgusting water swallowing his arm up to the wrist as he dug for the phone. His fingers closed around it, slippery and wet, but when he pulled it free, droplets of toilet water trailed down his wrist and splattered against the tile.
Yuki held it up, stared shortly at the water drops on the screen. He rolled his eyes in pain, rushing to the toilet paper stand at the mirror. He dabbed the phone until it was a bit dry and tried switching it on.
"Come on," Yuki muttered under his breath, thumb pressing down for a while on the side button, eyes narrowing in displeasure. "Please turn on for me. I have lots of files and documents, my games, my mad codes, my project. You can't forsake me now,"
He held it there for a few seconds and he hissed slamming his palms straight up on the mirror. "Don't test me you damn phone."
He pressed again, this time longer, holding it for a full minute, willing the screen to flicker back to life. Still nothing but a blank screen and some toilet water bubbles inside the screen. "Fuck you!" he finally yelled, slamming his back against the tile wall.
His other hand shot up, running through his hair in frustration only to realize, halfway through his hair that it was the hand that had just been dipped in toilet water. He froze, palm tangled in his hair, mouth hanging open slightly, the realization creeping in slowly.
Motherfucking shit!
"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered, pulling his hand back, staring at it with full betrayal all over his face . He sniffed the faint, awful smell clinging to his fingers and groaned. "Now I'm gonna smell like toilet. This day just keeps getting better."
He wiped his hand roughly against his jeans hoping the smell won't be noticeable. His eyes darted back to the dead phone sitting on a folded stack of toilet paper. He wanted to scream again, to kick the wall, to throw the whole damn thing out the window but he just slumped forward instead, elbows on his knees.
"That was a show to watch, don't you think?"
His head instinctively swirled in the door's direction and he rose to his feet, pushing his hands into his pocket. "I saw everything, don't need to act cool.
Yuki exhaled sharply, cheeks puffing as he blew air out through his mouth in a half-laugh that held no humor. "It's cool, dude," he said finally, shrugging like it was no big deal, even though he was deeply annoyed by it. Showing defeat will only make him less of a man in front of Airi. "It's just a phone. I can always replace it."
Without waiting for her to reply, he brushed past, leaving the bathroom. He crossed to the bed, picking up his crumpled pants from the bed. He stepped into them, smoothening the rumples on the edges. Behind him, Airi's voice followed, sly, amused. "If it's really cool like you said" She paused, her lips curled up as she moved gradually to him. "you wouldn't be rushing out now, would you?"
Yuki paused mid-button, head hanging for a moment before he gave a low, resigned sigh. "Okay," he said, finally turning to face her. "Yes. It's not cool." He raked a hand through his hair, leaving it more of a mess than before.
"My phone fell into the freaking toilet, alright? I've got a lot of stuff on that phone important stuff. And I have to get it to work." He stepped closer, caring less about his ego. That money in that app was worth more than any ego. He looked round the room before focusing on her. "Your dad. Your dad—will he be around? I don't mind chasing the next bus to get to his shop if he can fix it."
Airi didn't answer right away. Her expression shifted to an amused 'I knew it ' expression. "That must be a bummer for you with what I am about to say. Well, my dad's out of town lied that he went to see a friend but I and him know it is more than a friend visit. He is human and human has libido so I don't blame him."
Yuki rubbed the back of his neck, awkward, unsure if he should press or let it go. He glanced at the dead phone on the bed like maybe staring at it could solve the problem at hand. "Damn," he muttered finally, softer than before. "That sucks."
Airi snorted lightly. " My story or your phone?"
"Both?" Yuki answered with a fake smile and Airir laughed, hitting him. She went to the closet area, picked some free, neatly folded hostel clothings and we're on.
"Don't feeling pity for me, we ain't friends. I just want to get fucked without worrying about getting syphilis and same goes for you hence a win-win."
"You don't know anyone I can call to get it fixed?"
"Haruto has a friend that fixes phone. His name is Jeremy, a hot guy that has refused to give me attention. The heck, call Haruto and let him link you up with Jeremy." Airi lazily sprawled on the bed, her eyes seductively gazing at Yuki.
Yuki picked the dead phone up, turning it over in his hand to switch it on when ding, he sighed, tossing a glare at Airi. "The only problem is that I don't have a phone to call with, you dimwit. You deliberately be making me pissed off."
"That's for leaving me to jerk in the bathroom! Airi always have the last laugh anyways." Yuki dragged a hand down his face, exhaling through his mouth.
"Okay, fine, I'm sorry I left you." His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless. "Now get your phone and call Haruto, please. Let's just get this damn thing fixed."
Airi, sprawled on her stomach like a satisfied cat, turned her head slowly to look at him, a wicked little smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Oh, Yuki, did you just say I should call Haruto my cousin and let you speak to him using my phone?"
"Yes... Is it confusing to understand?" He was at awe but was caught short by Airi's chuckle.
"How slow can you be? Risk him knowing I and his precious roommate are tangled up in a strangers-with-benefits fuck situation?"
She rolled onto her back, stretching her arms above her head, the sheets sliding down just enough to tease without fully revealing. "Haruto will never forgive me if he finds out you're the one screwing me."
Yuki froze, jaw tightening. He knew she was right. Yuki stared at her for a long moment, silent, fighting with himself. Part of him wanted to snatch her phone, dial Haruto himself, fix the damn phone, and put this whole ridiculous loop behind them. But the other part, the one that kept pulling him bac knew exactly why she said what she said.
Because she wasn't wrong either.
It would be a messed up bro code. Fucking another bro's cousin or sister was just as much of any crime as there could be. "So what do you think I should do?"
"Get a new phone, that one is busted. I know a cool phone store very close by."