A hacker's sight.

Ch.5 - A Gift of Advice


Michael was making his way home again after work, hoping that it would be a sleep filled on this time around. The last few nights have not been filed with any sleeping, other than a smattering of little cat naps and the odd half an hour pass outs. He yawned, as his body was telling him what his head already knew.

The air had a certain crispness to it, now that the rains had stopped, the smell in the city was one to actually savor and enjoy. It was clean and inviting, almost perfect for a late night stroll, but there were drawbacks to it. Now in the dead of the night, it was clammy as hell, and he shivered a little as he made his way.

A motorcycle suddenly revved up beside him. Michael looked over, and he noted that it was Sakaki who was sitting there.
“ Thought you already had gone home, Haruto?” He asked, puzzled by his co-worker being there.
“ Did not want to just yet...” He said with a smirk that was half covered by his helmet. “I’m thinking about going for a coffee or something before heading home.” He paused for a second. “ Wanna get one with me?”

Even though his body was tired enough to decline the offer, his mind thought it might be a nice idea to sit and relax before getting home.
“ Why not.” He grinned.
“ Harry’s is only a block over... why don’t we just go there?” Sakaki asked. “ It might still be open.”

Michael nodded, and pointed over in the direction of Harry’s.
“ Meet you there then.” He agreed.
“ Alright then...” He grinned through the visor of his helmet.

The lad on the bike nodded, then sped off, his wheels squealing loudly on the still wet road. The computer lad just shook his head, and sped up his pace to meet up with the lad as fast as he could. He was glad Sakaki had not asked him if he wanted a ride, for the lad’s driving was much to be desired.

Harry’s was nearly empty, as the two came in. The owner, who simply was called Master, saw them came in. He seemed so pleased that they were there, as he hurried to greet them behind the bar. The two lads sat down and ordered coffees, then settled in to shooting the breeze while having them.

The two sat for an hour or so, simply talking about relatively nothing important or serious, as Harry’s now became their’s only. The other patron or two that had been there left, leaving the two STN-J members and Master himself as the only people inside the place. It was kind of relaxing for all, as they all were simply passing the time.

Sakaki suddenly jumped, as his cell went off with a loud buzz. He pulled it off of his belt and answered it. Michael simply sipped away on his now second coffee, and waited for the lad to be done with his call. He was in no hurry by then, his apartment would be there when he arrived. He was actually enjoying this, all he would have done was go home and think himself to death.

Sakaki closed his phone and stood up. He threw some money on the counter and looked at the computer youth.
“ I have to go...” He said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “ That was the girl I am seeing... she wants to see me right now.”

Michael nodded and grinned.
“ Go then, I will finish my coffee here, and head home.”
“ You sure?” Sakaki said, his smile widening. “ Don’t want to have you think I am ditching you..”
“ Go on...” Michael said, waving him for him to go. “ I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

The lad grabbed his helmet and nodded. In a flash, he was gone from Harry’s. Michael chuckled, as with that much haste, he knew just what his young friend was going to be doing once at his girl’s house. It did not take a fortune teller for that to be known.

The spiky haired youth turned back to his coffee, after watching the other boy’s quick disappearance out the doors. Master was standing there, looking at him.
“ Appears that Mr. Haruto has somewhere to be, and quickly.” The middle aged man smirked.
“ Hot date for him.” Michael said, smiling with it.
“ And what about you?” Asked the owner, looking at his young customer with a calm face.

The question made sense, but yet it did not. He looked right at Master, questioning the question by his look.
“ Me?” He asked. “ I don’t have a date or anything?”

Master leaned on the top of the bar with one hand, his eyes transfixing on the young man’s glasses covered eyes.
“ And what of you now, Young Mr. Lee” Master asked. “ Why are you not going off home, now that Sakaki has gone off?”
“ I just wanted to finish my coffee, and possibly have another on too before leaving for home.” The lad said, puzzled by the man’s very direct question about nothing. “ Why do you ask?”

The man looked right into Michael’s face, his features were almost soft in it’s mannerisms, and was apparent that he had something to say.
“ You are seemingly having a problem or something, and this is why you are staying back for a little.” The man said, with a slow speech. “ You look like you have not really slept in days, and your eyes hold this far away look in them.. that all adds up to your having a lot on your mind.”

Michael looked at the man, and just knew that Master had picked up on his confusion and everything else from him.
“ I have not slept very well lately.” He said, trying not to divulge any more than he had to. “ That’s all...”
“ Something to do with work?” Quizzed Master.
“ There is some stress at work...” Began the youth. “ It’s more like tension, and it seems to be seeping into our team.”
“ You mean because Mr. Amon and Young Robin have broken up?” Master asked. “ I have heard about it already. Miss Robin and Both Miss Karasuma and Miss Dojima have been in the past few days.”

Michael looked at the owner of the establishment with a curious eye, but nodded. He should have known, this man would have know about the break up by now. Robin was in the habit of coming here in every day for an espresso or two.
“ That is creating stress all around the office... I guess we are all feeling its effects stemming from it.” Commented the youth.
“ I should ask you just how it is effecting you. That is the question needing to be answered” Calmly spoke the tall owner, leaning in a little closer into his lone customer. “ It seems to be having a marked impact with you.”

Shocked with the perceptive nature of this simple restauranteur, Michael now knew that the man was really picking up what was going on.
“ I guess it is...” He admitted to the owner.
“ Professionally or personally?” He asked without a moment of hesitation.
“ You don’t mince your words, do you?”
“ I guess I don’t...” The man said, chuckling under his breath. “ Guess you get like this, after being in the restaurant and bar business as long as I have. It is a prerequisite to be almost a psychiatrist, serving people drinks and food.” He looked right at the lad. “ Now... you have avoided my question once, young Mr. Lee. What is your reply?”

The man looked at Michael, obviously waiting for some sort of a response from the youth. He was hesitant in replying, but finally did so.
“ I guess a little of both...” He said.
“ I have pieced that much together...” Said the man, his warm baritone having a soothing lilt to it. “ Pardon me for being direct... I can see it is both, but it seemed to be more on the personal side for you. I won’t tell you that the stress of it professionally would be hard to handle, but I can see it in your eyes... it is much deeper. That means personally.”

Michael chuckled low in his chest, noting the man was really good at this stuff. He looked at the man, and knew Master was waiting for a direct answer. He paused, not knowing quite how to start.
“ It’s Robin, isn’t it?” Master suddenly spoke out.

The computer lad blinked twice, as the man had just blown his mind with his statement. Stunned, he fought for words to say.
“ How did you know?” Was all he could sputter out. “ You a mind reader or something?”
“ I already had an inkling of it. “ He smiled warmly. “ Your having feelings of being attracted to her, are you not?”
“ Yes... I am.” Nodded the lad, still shocked at this heightened powers of perception Master had.
“ You have had these strong feelings for quite awhile, haven’t you?” Prodded the man.
“Seems like I have had them ever since she arrived.” Michael admitted, almost shyly. “ I just look at her and it always starts all over again, but much stronger each and every time.”

The man seemed to pause to reflect on the boys words. He then looked straight at the youth across the counter from him, and smiled broader.
“ Have you ever considered expressing your feeling directly to Robin?” He cautiously asked the lad. “ Just speaking to her, like you are to me... except she is prettier than I am...”
“ I wanted to many times, but...” He began, his mind flashing with the tawny haired girl’s image.
“ But something holds you back when you do, right.” Said the man, very wisely.
“ How did you know that?” Gasped the whiz kid.
“ Simple answer... I’ve heard that more than just a time or two over the years.” He chuckled with mirth. “ Are you scared that she will simply reject you for it.”
“ Yeah.” Agreed Michael. “ That’s it.”

The man looked at him, almost in a fatherly type if way. It seemed that he already knew just what he was going to say, and Michael picked up on that. He waited for the tidbit of advice to come, knowing that it would be coming.

The man looked at him, now with a fatherly clarity in his weathered yet still youthful-ish face.
“ This one is simple to solve here, Michael. I think you should take the chance... tell her exactly how you feel for her, and be honest...” He started. “ That is the only way to resolve this, and to calm those certain, and very obvious, conflicts your experiencing within your heart.”
“ She just got out of a relationship with Mr. Amon... He might be still wanting to try and get her back too... She might also want that...” Michael said, his mind now playing Robin calling out his name like she had. “ Do you think she... likes me?”

The own chuckled for a few seconds, his eyes now twinkling with a inner light.
“ My dear young Mr. Lee...” He started, almost avoiding the question to some degree. “ If you don’t ask that question to Robin, how would you know? Take a chance, a really big one at that...and just see. You will not know the answer to that, unless you actually go and ask.”
“ You have said this little piece before, haven’t you?” Michael said, nervously chuckling.
“ Lets just say I have on occasion.” Smiled the man back. “ Think about it... but not too long though.”

Master turned and put a coffee down in front of the youth.
“ Just think about it... that is all the advice I can give you” The owner said once again. “ Avoidance is not knowing.”

Michael nodded and began drinking the new cup of coffee, as his original one was stone cold by now. He had forgotten about it while Master and himself were talking, as if they had gone to another world or something in the process. Smelling the coffee first, it seemed more pleasing than it first had. Sipping it confirmed his thoughts.

The youth watched the man, who was now getting back to cleaning behind the bar with great meticulousness. The man’s spoken wisdom was not falling on deaf ears. Michael had heard every last word, and took them to heart.

Soon, The lad stood up to make his way home. Master turned as he was doing so and gave a very calming smile.
“ I’m heading for home now..” He said, gratefully as he put his money down for his coffees. “ Thank you... for everything
“ Remember to think on what I have said...” Master warned gently. “ Straight forwardness is better than hiding.”
“ I will, I promise.” Michael said, turning and heading to the door.
“ I’m glad.” The man smiled with happiness.

As Michael left, his mind was on already what was told to him on this night. The words were like gold, and as valuable as such. He knew he needed to consider Master’s suggestion seriously, and not to simply pass them off. As he opened the door leading outside, he was already deeply thinking on everything, all the while Robin’s sweet image was right there with it.

It was as if Young Michael’s mind was as clear as it had been in any time of his short life. He actually felt a truer sense of freedom now, his heart felt that too.

Back in the restaurant, the man had watched the youth leave his establishment with a smile a mile wide. He took a deep breath in, a the large smile smoothly flowed over his face again, as if it was suppose to be there.

It was as if, the man had something he’d never had seen before. It filled him with a kind of awe and pride mixed, a feeling of accomplishment.
“ I think the both of these kids will both be just fine.” He spoke to the empty place, as he picked up a white cloth from behind the bar area. “ Just fine!”

The man turned to get back to his closing up tidying, as he already had noted he had been open way longer than he usually had his place on a weekday. Looking over at the clock next to where the alcohol was stored, it was well over an hour and a half past that time, by what he could have seen.

He just snuffed and smiled more as he put the coffee cups into the dishwasher at the back bar, he seemed not to be worried about being open like this any. It actually seemed that he was having a certain sense of pride with it.


AUTHORS NOTE TO READERS: The sex is coming...I promise. This has been a building up couple of chapters, necessary to the story. I wanted to have a plot that was cool, and sex... so that is what I am doing.

Trust me, all of this is leading up to one large explosion of lust and perverseness!! Yet, you will not believe the ending when it comes. ( A little tidbit to inflame your dirty minds☻ )

JD Wheels