“Kaoru... Kaoru...”
I smiled at my regular customer - a bachelor in his thirties, upper-class status, a high-rank position and a handsome man. He was my first customer when I started and always frequented once in three nights.
Stroking my fingers, he leaned in closer and kissed my cheek.
“Date me Kaoru”
I shushed him by pressing my finger to his lips, giving him a devilish smile. My other hand carefully glide across his thigh, whispering softly:
“Another drink?”
He nodded eagerly, beaming as I poured another glass.
“Cheers!”
*****
Keeping my name, I continued my life in the club. Kaoru soon became quite a popular booking for many regular customers. For I was slightly different from other men. I kept lots of my past femininity, resulting in a unique character from other more masculine hosts.
As life became busy, I pushed my urge to return to my home to the back of my mind. Still ashamed of my identity, I could not bring myself to even think about Kyoto.
My Encounter
One hot summer afternoon, I had an unusual encounter with a mysterious woman. She drove a red Porsche Boxster 718, drawing a lot of attention. I was immediately locked on her arrival, for she was well-dressed and classy, strutting her status.
She stared at me and approached me with her hazel-brown eyes, gleaming like a cat. She introduced herself as Amano Yuriko. She gently caressed my cheek, tracing down to my jawline. I shivered at the intimate touch of a woman, gently and intriguing with her rich perfume twitching my nostrils.
“Hello, young man? Are you new? Can you take me to Nana?” She gestured towards me, observing me with a calculating smile. I was taken aback when she approached me and gave her a brief nod. Leading her to Nana’s room, I knocked on the door and waited patiently.
As we were waiting for Nana to answer, she gave me a wink and touched my face gently. I stood very still as she continued to explore my face. Finally, Nana opened the door and embrace this woman like a long-lost friend. She turned back and gave me a smile before the door closed.
I swooned, mesmerized by her gentleness and her elegance. She was gorgeous and breathtaking. Nevertheless, I regained my coolness and prepared for the customers to arrive.
As we were enjoying the usual atmosphere of the club, the woman known as Yuriko appeared again; this time with Nana by her side. Her eyes weaved towards me and whispered into Nana’s ears. As her eyes continued to watch me, Nana signalled for me to come over.
I strode over silently, my heart beating loudly; I do not know what I have done to offend her. I was scared of being fired and cast out. I did not want to be alone again. I went into Nana’s room and waited with Yuriko. She seemed to be very interested in me with her constant staring. I shivered, uneasiness swept over me.
Moments passed, and Nana came in; handing me a document to read. I read the title: adoption. I was confused about what she was trying to say. She patiently explained to me that Yuriko was looking for a brother to inherit the family business.
I was tongue-tied when I heard the news. Does that mean I have to leave the host club? The thought of leaving the host life of 6 months made my eyes teary-eyed. However, Nana advised me to go with Yuriko.
“It’s no use staying here forever. You’re still young; you should explore more of the world. I trust you with Yuriko.”
My tears were flowing as her words touched my heart. I made my decision to follow her. A few days later, I left the host club and went off with Yuriko.
Departure to Korea
We took a flight to Seoul, Korea; where we met Yuriko’s butler and driver as they picked us up from the airport. When we arrived at Yuriko’s house, I was shocked at how big and gorgeous her home is. It was already a mansion. She told me that this is the only property left by her parents 15 years ago.
As I was to be her new “brother”, I was introduced to the household as so. On the first day in Seoul, I was no longer Kaoru. I took the name Amano Yumi and had a Korean name for documentation. In Seoul, my name was Park Joon Min.
Yuriko introduced me to the world of trading and finance. I was fascinated by all sorts of trading especially from abroad as they all seemed very foreign. I was treated well by the company as well as the employees who looked at me admiringly.
However, it was tough work. I had to learn all sorts of languages, customs as well as cultures to adapt to our customers and clients. I struggled as time was short and there was a lot to learn. Through this period, I met many different people and gained many business connections. Life was eventful. Yuriko was a wonderful person as she helped me in various ways to cope with life.
I became very used to the working life in Seoul. The fast pace of the city and the ways of coping with the people in the city, noticeably; I became one of them, rushing to and fro with clients for trading purposes. The daily routine naturally surfaced to the point of having weekends free was a hassle. I grew close with my newfound family with the peace I found within myself.
Even so, deep down inside, I wondered if I could ever lead a normal life.
