Note : I tried to write this in French but it didn't come out very well as I'm too engrossed with my other story. So I'm taking a stab at it in English. Edo is the old name of Tokyo and in this story, it's a huge underwater megapole.

---

A boy was trudging near the bridge that hung over the city. He was talking softly to himself while chugging an already half-emptied bottle.

It was the raining season in Edo. Every fifteen seconds, the little holes in the ceiling would open and let some of the Pacific Ocean drip in. The heat of the city would rapidly make the water evaporate into oxygen, permitting its inhabitants to breathe.

The boy loved this season. The sky seemed more like a sky, letting the rain stream down his cheeks as if they were a new form of tears. The city lights would delicately blur and fog would settle at ankle height.

Right now, he wasn't making a very smart move. He had business to deal with and all he could think off was to get drunk as rapidly as possible.

Numbness. Yes, that's what he wanted.

He shook his hair out of his eyes and stood there, watching the polluted waters that flowed by in an attempt to be a river. Cigarette bums, old shoes and papers littered its surface and the boy thought it looked as despondent as he felt.

One more mouthful.

He leaned back against the bridge's side, not caring to know how many bastards had already peed there. The ground was wet, his clothes were soaked but he didn't care.

---

- Jillian, would you mind shutting the fuck up? Geoff rudely interrupted his screaming girlfriend on the phone. I'm fucking sick and I don't want to put up with your fucking accusations and stupid remarks.

- Asshole, you're going to pay for this! Don't dare try talking to me like that again!

- Yeah, what the hell. Bye.

Geoff hung up, infuriated at the girl. How could he stay with this bitch?! No consideration, at all. He had coughed up fucking blood. He really didn't feel like hearing her moaning about their never doing anything because of his chronic sickness.

Sure, he was quasi always sick. But it wasn't like it was his fault either.

He scratched his head. He wanted to get high but didn't know how to. Booze made him throw up, weed made his throat hurt like hell..

Geoff picked up the phone again. A drowsy voice answered after the tenth ring.

- Yeah..?

- Hey love bunny, snickered Geoff.

As he expected, he was hung up on. It took him four other tries before Shy deigned pick up again.

---

- What do you want? asked the boy, still leaning against the bridge.

- Some meth. Do you have any?

- I told you I wouldn't sell you that shit again.

- Some coke then?

- Not any in at the moment.

- Anything worth selling?

- I only have a couple of pills and a block of resin.

- Pills? I'm down for that.

- No way.

- Don't be a fucker. I just got out of a tiff with Jill. You can't just do this to me.

- You're not taking drugs each time you argue with her. It's a statement.

- I don't give a fuck about your caring, Shy! replied Geoff angrily. If you want me to fuck up my throat, go for it man. I've got ten grams of weed here and I won't be bothering about you're being okay with it or not.

- Okay, dickhead. I'll bring you some pills.

Shy sighed as he shut his cell. His best friend was being a huge fucking idiot.

---

- I want to get away from here, murmured a girl to the sidewalk she was strolling on.

She was freezing in her short skirt and revealing tank top. She wished she could take off her high heels and run away as fast as she could. But her boss was suddenly coming out to her.

- What the fucking hell are you doing right now?! Look at the men, Wish, put on some sexiness! Fucking whore, you're way too fucking young to be of any worth.

Wish stepped aside as he made a move to strike her. She knew he wouldn't because they were outside of the building and, for some reason, Richie seemed to have a sort of paternal interest for her, thanks to her age.

Wish was the name under the which she worked. It made her sick in the stomach just thinking about her 'work'. She had had to stop her studies a year ago to support herself and her tyrannical alcoholic mother. She home- schooled herself as much as possible but physical pain and weariness didn't generally permit it.

She walked to the curb of the sidewalk, leaning forward to show a glimpse of her practically nude cleavage. She had a pretty figure and a fresh, innocent face with big dreamy eyes, which were the reasons why she had been taken in by Richie. She didn't look like any other hooker in town and she had become popular with the Lolita-complexed men as well as the younger ones.

- Hey darling, I can give you an hour of pleasure if you want.. she drawled to a passing figure.

Wish put a pout on her lips and stretched slightly to curb the small of her back. The boy turned to face her, surprised.

She immediately wished he'd come in with her. He was beautiful, with dark hair barring his midnight blue eyes. Frail features drawn on pale skin, a slender throat and full lips. His build was skinny yet lean and muscular and he was taller than her by at least ten centimetres.

He sure would change her from the hairy bastards who paid to fuck her. Hell, she would even love to have sex with him for free.

- Um. No thanks, said Shy in a bashful way. I.. I have to meet up with a friend.

Wish bit her lip to hide her disappointment.

- You can come back later hun, she simply replied while softly stroking his cheek.

He flashed a sweet, apologetic smile before vanishing behind a corner.

---

- Damn, thought Shy to himself. I talked to her like I was intending to.. I dunno, I wasn't. What a pretty girl.. I wonder why she's doing that. Duh! Money!

He shrugged at his own naivety. After all, wasn't he doing the exact same thing in a different context? Selling pleasure?

He knocked on Geoff's window then let himself slip quietly in after his friend had opened it.

- You're soaked, Geoff remarked.

- Yeah, I figured that, replied Shy, flinging a pack at him.

- Only two? Geoff asked, disappointed.

- That's all you're getting from me.

- Good enough, Geoff smirked as he popped the pills.

The phone rang and he leaned to check the caller ID.

- Jill. Pfff. She's been bitching all fucking day long. I even forgot what the bloody deal is.

Shy shrugged.

- There's always a good reason for Jillian to get worked up.

- If my parents weren't as snobby, I probably would've broken up ages ago. The thing is, she's from a wealthy family so if I want to avoid being beaten down by the governor, I better fuck her and keep her happy about it.

- Joy.

- At least, she's a good lay. She always manages to get me hard.

Shy kept silent and continued to look at Geoff's cd case.

- Are you staying over?

- Can I? asked Shy, lifting his eyes to his friend's face.

- Of course you can, dimwit, retorted Geoff, throwing a pillow at him. But you better change first. I'm already sick to start with, I don't need to catch a cold.

Shy took off his soaked tee-shirt and fought with his jeans after kicking his shoes on the ground. Geoff watched him attentively, admiring his friend's flat stomach and slim neck. When Shy proceeded to slip his boxers off, he turned his gaze to the reflection of the boy in the window. He looked at him putting on one of his boxers then slide under the covers.

After a moment, Geoff stripped to his underwear then crept in the bed with Shy. He placed an arm around the boy's waist, waiting for him to fall asleep. As he did so, he felt the drugs starting to get to him.

---

- Where is the boy? growled a pissed-off man as he paced the floor of his apartment.

The clock struck three am as if to taunt him. The man picked up his phone and dialled a number.

- He's going to fucking get what he deserves once he comes back.

The man was annoyed: he was excited and wanted to have some. He stroke his torso as he listened to the dial tone then the answering machine clicking on.

- T, you're going to fucking regret this, he said menacingly. You better come home tomorrow babyboy.

On the other side of the city, Shy's phone stopped ringing.