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Hotel Roku-Jyuu-Kyu: Chapter 5

Kasumi sat up against the headboard, knees bent up to her chest. “I’m bored.” She groaned.

Ibaraki let out a long burp that he tried to stifle by shoving his lips together. “It’s not like I’m not going to pay you. Just loosen up.”

The woman shuffled the covers around, and looked out at Ibaraki’s big shadow that sat lazily in the big reclining chair. “Did you even plan to have sex with me today, you big faker?”

“Huh?” Ibaraki slurred. “I guess I just got caught up in playing hooky from work that the reason didn’t matter.”

“You didn’t even call them, did you?” Kasumi accused him.

“Nope.” Ibaraki shot back. In the dark, the sound of a can opening with a whoosh of carbonation caught Kasumi’s attention.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Is that another beer?” Kasumi shot up and grabbed the flickering candle from the side of the bed. In the dim light, she could see the tall, sliver can in the businessman’s hand.

Beside his chair, a few more could be seen sitting on the ground beside him. His eyes lacked any guilt as he brought the can close to his mouth for a sip. “I pulled them out of the mini-bar. They probably won’t charge any more if they can’t track it.”

“Don’t you have any shame?” Kasumi yelled. She stood up from the bed and shook the candle at him.

“Hey, watch it!” Ibaraki leaned back into the cushion to dodge the erratic movements of the glass candle holder. “You’re going to get hot wax on me!”

Kasumi kicked the man in the shin, and retreated to the edge of the bed. “One of my colleagues charges more for that, you know!” She fumed. “I think you just don’t like me.”

“Nonsense.” Ibaraki groaned back at her.

“You just think I’m some ugly slut, some gyaru working the streets.”

“Hey hey, we still got like an hour, right?” Ibaraki stood up unsteadily. “Let me take a piss, wash off, and you can like… I don’t know, go down on me!”

Kasumi began sobbing loudly. Ibaraki ignored her with a sigh as he waddled off to the bathroom. His stream of urine began loudly hitting the water in the toilet, which could be heard through the open door. “You’re a pig, you know that!” Kasumi called out.

Ibaraki finished his business and flushed the toilet before responding. “Yes, maybe so. But you came to me, remember?”

As Ibaraki exited the bathroom, a knock came to the door. “Hmm, who could that be?” He grumbled, and slowly walked to the door.

Sachiko lifted the light up to the large man’s face. The smell of alcohol overwhelmed her, and she pulled back a step. “I am coming around to make sure everyone is aware of the power outage.”

Ibaraki looked back at the room, then took a step outward into the hall to look back and forth at the blackness. “Yup, looks like there’s a power outage.” He mumbled and nodded.

Kasumi pushed past him and found a spot between the other guests. “I want you to help me out of here. I just want to head home. You don’t have to worry about paying, Mister.” She seethed, giving Ibaraki a piercing glare. “You people are all guests too?”

Sachiko turned around and shined the light at the group. “I’m afraid we’re stuck here for now. There’s bad flooding outside, and it’s creeping up into our lobby.”

The members of the group looked around among each other, grumbling and protesting. “What, you’re keeping us here?” Tatsu argued loudly. “We’re your prisoners or something?”

“You are only prisoners of the weather.” Sachiko explained calmly. “I would not be able to live with myself if I let any of you go outside in a typhoon like this.”

Karen’s phone lit up behind them, playing the voices of a news cast. “She’s right, the bay has risen several meters already this says…” She announced. “There’s probably already a good centimeter of standing water outside already.”

“Come, please, come.” Sachiko gestured at them. “I have more blankets, some candles downstairs on the first floor. It’s not safe in one of these rooms in the dark.”

---

Kyouka fiddled with her purse and pulled out the phone. She jostled it around in her hands before setting it down on the low table with a loud clack and a huff. “It’s not turning on. I think it may have gotten wet.”

“Here, let me see.” Touji offered, and scooted around to grab it off the table.
Sachiko appeared from the next room over, carrying the flashlight with Tatsu following after, holding onto a rough pile of blankets and other bedding. He dumped it on the ground besides the low table before pulling out one of the individual sheets. “If you wouldn’t mind, we could put the futon on the kotatsu.” She pointed to the table. “Though, the heater isn’t working of course.

Kyouka passed Touji and Karen one of the blankets. Touji popped off the battery cover of the phone, and examined it for a brief moment. “Looks like it did get a little wet, miss.” He said hesitantly. “You can put it in some rice to hopefully dry it out and possibly get it working again.” He quickly placed the phone back on the table and gently slid it to her.

“Thanks, kid.” Kyouka thanked him. “At least you tried.”

“No prob.” Touji returned, before pulling the blanket up on himself and over to Karen. “Yours still have a bit of battery?”

Karen patted her thigh where she had stuck the phone into her pocket. “Yeah, I turned it off though. I’ll want to try and call my dad when I can get connection again.”

Ibaraki sighed loudly as a blanket got passed his way. On the opposite side of the room, Kasumi sat dejectedly. She shot him an upset glare as he made eye contact. “What about you?” She scolded. “Wheres your phone, Mr. Salary Man?”

The old man grunted and went to lie back on the cold ground. “Left it in the office. Maybe they’ll think I simply got caught up in the storm during my lunch break.”

“That is what happened, you fool!” Kasumi shot back.

Ibaraki yawned loudly. “Yeah, but they don’t know it was originally because I got invited out by a hooker!”

Kasumi huffed loudly and pushed her back up against the wall.

“Please, do not fight.” Sachiko sighed and looked up from the pile of blankets that she fruitlessly attempted to separate and fold. “We may be stuck here for a bit, so we must get along.”

Outside, the rain pounded the side of the building in loud spurts of projectile rain. The candles flickered lightly. Karen stared down at the flame on the short table. The occasional ruffling of the blankets and Ibaraki’s loud snoring broke up the drone of the weather outside.

Tatsu picked at the stray whiskers on his neck, before moving back to stroke the small, short beard on his chin. Touji’s eyes fluttered as he struggled to keep himself awake.

Beside him, a slight rumbling called out from under the blankets, causing him to perk up suddenly. “Karen, is that your phone? Did someone call you?”

Karen shook her head sleepily. “No.” Kyouka panned her head up to look up at her. “No, wasn’t my phone.” Karen admitted.

“But I thought I just…” Touji insisted, and pulled up the shared blanket.

“It’s not, it’s off.”

“Could it have been like some sort of emergency warning that turned it back on?” Touji asked again, peering around for any sort of light.

“Just cut it out!” Karen loudly interjected. She sat up and turned away from Touji, pulling on the blanket. “It was my stomach, okay?”

Touji grumbled an unintelligible apology. Tatsu began to chuckle lowly under his breath, before he busted out in heavy laughter. Beside him, Kyouka let out a small sigh of annoyance.

“Forgive me.” Tatsu took a deep breath to stifle his laughter. “You need something to laugh at in our situation here. Lady, uh- well, have you got any food here for the little miss?” He nodded at Sachiko.

“Sachiko is fine.” She responded. “Uh… not really. I usually just get something from the vending machines outside to eat here while I’m on shift. My next job is at a family restaurant- a server, so I usually eat something there.”

“Hell, you must be hungry too then.” Tatsu sighed, rubbing his stubble some more. “I saw a mini-bar back up in our room, right, Kyouka?”

“It’s just beer, cheap sake, sports drink.” Kasumi spoke up.

Kyouka shot her a side gaze, then looked over at Sachiko for confirmation.
Sachiko nodded and shrugged hopelessly. Before she sat back down against the wall, her eyes lit up for a moment. “There was something we received from a delivery, like a new item.”

“Where’s it at?” Tatsu asked. He stood up and stretched his legs.

Sachiko extracted the big ring of jingling keys from her back belt loop, and prepared to stand up herself. “Storage room on the floor above us, if I remember right.

“Stay put.” Tatsu offered. “We’ll get it.”

“We?” Kyouka looked up at Tatsu.

“You, kiddo.” Tatsu shoved a finger in Touji’s direction. “You’re a man, aren’t you? Help me provide for your woman.”

Touji looked to both sides of him before catching Kasumi sending him an encouraging glare. “Well, I guess there’s nothing better going on.” He cooperated.