I gently slid my shaking hand under his to hold it. It was warm. Feeling his warmth, I felt some of my worries wash away. I laid my head down so I could hold his hand and look at his sleeping face. I was so exhausted I fell asleep without realizing.

I felt something on my head and it woke me up. When I opened my eyes, Anzai removed his hand from my head and looked away. I immediately sat up.

"Anzai! You're awake! How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

"...I'm alright," he answered.

"Oh thank god..." I tried to grab his hand again but he pulled it away. Right... He was probably upset at me... "I'm so sorry this happened. I'm so stupid. I wasn't careful and I put you in harm's way. I can never forgive myself..."

"It's fine."

"It's not! I'm the worst! What kind of friend am I for going against your wishes all the time? For not listening to your advice? I totally understand if you hate me now!"

He shook his head. "I don't hate you."

"I can't believe that... If I was you, I'd hate me..."

"I don't hate you," he stressed. "What happened wasn't your fault."

"It was, though... I shouldn't have put my dream above you... Now I've gotten you hurt and I hate myself for it..."

"Narihira, don't hate yourself."

"But–!"

Just then, Shukishi entered.

"Oh, my bad. Were you two in the middle of something?" He asked.

"Shukishi," Anzai greeted him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He approached the bed.

"Fine."

His kouhai followed as well. Introductions transpired. I realized I never asked why Shukishi brought those two along.

"May I ask what you're all doing here together? Besides checking on Anzai of course..."

Shukishi beamed. "We've come to help with your bar. I figured you'd need your first set of employees and my kouhai have volunteered."

"I didn't volunteer..." Rikiya muttered. Shukishi flicked his forehead. He covered his forehead and whimpered in pain.

I stared at the boys. "You two want to help?"

"Yes! It sounds fun, working in a bar I mean!" Atsutane answered.

"I'm just doing a favor," Rikiya answered.

"And he'll work his hardest to help out!" Shukishi added. "Of course I'm offering my services as well."

I hesitated. "You'll still offer help...despite what happened to Anzai? Despite how I failed so badly? And what about your other job?"

Shukishi nodded. "I decided I wanted to go in a different direction with my career, but that's a story for another time. And of course we want to help a friend in need no matter what. Come rain or shine, we should stick together to see each other's dreams come true. Don't you think so too, Anzai?"

I looked back at him, surprised I forgot I was in the middle of apologizing and feeling sorry for myself.

Anzai nodded. "We all want to help make your dream become reality. Let us help."

I looked down at my hands. They're too nice to me... I really didn't deserve it...

"I'll get discharged and we can move all the furniture in," Anzai continued. "I feel fine to leave now." He started to get out of the bed.

"Now?!" I exclaimed. "You're still healing! If you don't get back in this bed right now, I swear I'll finish the job!"

Shukishi started laughing. "There's the Narihira I know!"

I suddenly felt embarrassed. Why am I threatening to kill him now...? Ugh, my mind is all messed up...

Anzai put his hand on mine as he eased back into bed and I jolted. "I'll heal quickly. Call the delivery trucks to drop off the furniture tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is still too soon..."

"We shouldn't wait when your dream is just within reach."

I stared at him. Why was he always so nice to me? Why has he always been so loyal? All I've done since we met was annoy him and push him around. What made him want to stay with me for all those years? I didn't understand one bit.

"My boys are strong enough to help arrange furniture," Shukishi said. "We'll all help tomorrow and let Anzai recover longer."

I slowly nodded. Anzai removed his hand and his warmth left with it. I didn't know why he stuck around me, but I didn't hate it. I wanted him to always be near me. Because...I loved him. My heart ached at the undeniable truth of those words.

Anzai recovered for one more day in the hospital and asked the doctor to let him leave. The doctor advised staying a bit longer, but Anzai insisted he was fine. As he stood up from the bed, wincing in pain and moving as slowly as an old man, I side-eyed him, not believing a word of it. I caught a glimpse of the stitches on his side which still looked red and irritated. That would definitely leave an interesting scar. I was glad the knife didn't hit any vitals though.

When we received the furniture at the bar, I made Anzai sit on the first sofa that was brought in while we adjusted the rest in the room. It took all day and some hard labor to get it situated how I wanted. Although Rikiya was the smallest and shortest among us, he pulled his weight quite well. I was surprised. It was Atsutane who struggled the most. And I guess I struggled some too... Whenever I struggled to lift something, Anzai made to stand up and I had to yell at him to sit back down.

I figured a few more days would be enough to situate everything else with the bar. My excitement for opening day caused me to worry less about the yakuza and all that had happened. What's done was done, Anzai was alright, and that's what mattered most. Now I could open my bar in peace.

Yet the day before opening day, the yakuza dared to visit again. Anzai stood in front of me, as if he could protect me as well as before even with his new wound. Our other friends stepped up as well though, making me feel slightly better.

The yakuza surprised us. They immediately bowed down in front of us.

"You have bested us with your incredible strength! We realize you are more powerful than our organization! Our leader has stepped down and we offer the invitation of you becoming our new leader!"

Anzai hesitated. He pointed at himself in confusion.

"Yes! You are greater than our past leader!"

He sighed. "No."

"You will not become our new leader?"

"No. Now leave and never bother us again."

The yakuza hesitated. Then they stood up. "Very well, we will leave. We promise to never cause trouble for you again."

They looked dejected at the rejection. They slowly began to leave. I squeezed between Anzai and Shukishi to step in front.

"Wait! Wait one second!"

The yakuza hesitated and I felt my friends' stares on me.

"I need a written vow of your promise," I said. "Never harm us again, nor my customers in the future. If you promise this, I will allow you to visit for drinks."

"Narihira?" Anzai sounded upset.

I stared at the yakuza, waiting for an answer. They looked between themselves. Then they nodded.

"We'll bring back a written vow. Thank you for your kindness."

I smiled when they left. I secured my first customers. Their terrible leader left and I figured the rest were just lackeys who weren't so bad in the end.

I turned around and my friends were looking at me with disapproval. I tried to put their worries to rest but I didn't blame them if they didn't believe my actions were right. Anzai looked especially upset and I apologized profusely. He seemed to let it go eventually. I thought to myself, I'm one step away from him refusing to be my friend, aren't I?

Yet on opening day, the yakuza returned with their vow. They stayed to pay for drinks and other services. A few stragglers who had noticed the bar being made up filtered in as well. I beamed brightly from behind the counter with Anzai. The bar had already begun to feel like home.

"So the bar you had been spending your time in was a host bar?" Shukishi had asked after I told him my story, excluding my first love again.

"I was too young to pay for drinks or services, but I loved the atmosphere of the employees serving the customers and making them feel loved and comfortable!" I said.

"And so you'll require us to be hosts..."

"I'm not forcing any of you."

Shukishi sighed. "Well, it's not like I hadn't expected it, hearing the process from Anzai and the theme of the bar overall."

"Just do whatever you're comfortable with!"

"And you plan to be a bartender only, along with Anzai?"

"That's what we settled on."

Shukishi nodded. "Fine then. I'll act like the perfect host to make your bar a success."

I smiled more at the memory. Just as he said, Shukishi was faithfully flirting with customers and making extra tips like it was water. Rikiya wasn't bad at host work himself. Atsutane was friendly and captivated customers with his charisma and stories of travel. Next to me, Anzai expertly mixed drinks for customers at the bar.

Everything felt right. I took a deep breath in. This was the smell of home. I've made it.

I thought of my first love. Wherever he was, I hoped he was happy. He may have hurt me when he left so suddenly, but he also helped me discover what I truly loved. This bar would be my first and only love forever. I would cherish it and make it so popular we'd have to expand and go international! That is, if something like that was even possible... But it was worth a try, right?