Chapter 1: I.1. Receive You: The Fourth Chairman & The Fourth Son
Notes:
Since this tale is set in Japan right now, I decided to have the family name listed first, then the first name. There are cases where this convention isn’t followed (such as Gary Buster Holmes.)
WARNINGS for this chapter: Parental death, passing mention of child trafficking.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 1: Kurosu | 黒須
Chapter 1: Receive You: The Fourth Chairman & The Fourth Son
The star of Antares, shining bright in the night sky, was the first thing to greet Takashi as he awakened. Silvery moonlight bathed his silent room, glimmering off the glow-in-the-dark constellation he had set up on his bedroom ceiling.
He blinked back the heavy sleep and rubbed his eyes before turning and focussing on his mother.
“Hmm? Okaasan?”
It couldn’t have been time to get ready for school. It was still too early. The sky was still too dark.
“Takashi, get dressed,” his mother urged. She was smiling, but even Takashi could see the way the muscles of her mouth stretched taut against her oval face. Her voice too held a sort of ingenuity, feigning her typically bright and merry self, as she gently coaxed him out of bed.
“What’s going on, Okaasan?”
“We need to get going, Takashi,” his mother said, gentle yet firm with a twinge of urgency. She regarded him with wide eyes as if trying to assure him everything was okay, but he could practically hear the screaming behind her large black eyes. “It’s your birthday today, and we’re going to do something real special! Don’t let your dad wait long!”
His birthday? Oh, right. Takashi glanced at the large poster calendar across the room. This year didn’t have a February 29th, so his family always celebrated his birthday on the first of March. He was turning seven years old today.
But why like this? His family meticulously planned everything. If they were going to celebrate his birthday starting from the middle of the night, Takashi would have known by now. As far as he knew, his parents weren’t the sort to throw surprise parties.
He didn’t ask any more questions so as not to be rude. Wiggling out of bed, he dressed into his day clothes, and despite the jolt of alarm he felt when he saw his mother pull out a luggage, he helped her load it up with his clothes.
“Not now, dear,” his mother stopped him, her voice growing a little more frantic when Takashi made his way to the bathroom. She shook her head. “No bath time.”
“B-but I need to pee.”
She sighed heavily. “Go ahead, but be quick!”
He did as he was told, frowning and deep in thought the entire time. Since when were his mother and father so impatient?
Once he stepped out of the bathroom, his mother yanked him back out, and before he knew it they were padding down the stairs to meet his father by the front door.
Takashi’s mouth fell at the sight of his father. Though small in frame with a little chub in the middle, his father had always belied a sense of pillar strength. But right now he was trembling, lifting up his thick framed glasses and checking his phone every two seconds.
“I…I got the reservations,” he said hurriedly. “We need to get to Chiyoda as quickly as we can.”
“Yes,” his mother said, and without any explanation to Takashi, he was hoisted into the backseat of the family car, crammed into the back with the rest of the family’s luggage almost as an afterthought. Scrambling around as the engine revved into life, Takashi stared back out at the bedroom window of their little home in Hatsudai, then up at the star Antares once more as a strange feeling of foreboding overcame him.
“Why are we going to Chiyoda, Otousan?” Takashi asked.
“We’re taking the bullet train at Chiyoda station, Takashi-kun! Isn’t that exciting?” his father responded in an unusually bright voice.
“Where are we going?”
“To Hokkaido! Do you know where Hokkaido is?”
March wasn’t peak tourist season in Sapporo. They would have missed the ice sculpture displays, but it should still be snowy there. Maybe they would get to ski.
“Is Grandpa coming with us?”
His father chuckled nervously. “No, no, it’ll be just the three of us. Hokkaido’s weather won’t be good for Grandpa’s joints. But it’s gonna be fun, I promise!—oh, damn…can’t go there…”
The car jerked violently and took off in another direction. Takashi sat back and gazed out of his window, frowning as the stars and street lamps blurred by. His father drove fast for this time of night. Then again, Takashi supposed it would take a while to reach Hokkaido…
But his father should have planned this out better, Takashi thought sleepily, so they wouldn’t have to be speeding through the streets.
The car swerved again. His father cursed under his breath. His mother gasped and wrinkled up her purse as it sat crunched against her lap.
And that was the strangest thing of all, Takashi continued to muse. It wasn’t like his father to do such a dumb mistake like this at all…take off in the middle of the night, leave anything unplanned…it was his birthday and yet…his parents hadn’t spoken a word of this trip to him at all…
Takashi must have dozed off, because when he came too, it was to the sound of his mother’s nagging voice. From the sound of things she was trying to pry information from her husband. They were still on the road. Takashi didn’t recognize the area at all, and they sped past interactions too fast for him to read the street signs.
“Please, tell me, Noboru,” she said. “Why are they after us?”
“It-it’s not you they’re after at all, Akemi.”
“Then it’s you?! But then why are we—what did you do, Noboru?!”
His father visibly tensed, Takashi could see that, and was he dreaming or were they going faster? He peeked over the window, his eyes blinking back arrays of vivid building lights. Were they near Chiyoda?
“I…I can’t—listen, the boy’s also in danger—they’re after him—”
Takashi’s heart froze in his chest. Is Dad talking about me?
“What?! Why?!” His mother wept. “Why my baby?! What happened, Noboru?! Maybe I should—”
“NO, AKEMI!”
“BUT WHY?!”
“I made a terrible mistake…it’s all my fault…”
“Noboru, what’s going on?! Please tell me! TELL ME!”
“I…I’m sorry, Akemi.” Takashi watched as his father turned to his mother and gripped her hand, his face breaking into a tragic and apologetic smile. “I’ll make it up to all of you, I promise.”
“NOBORU!”
Ear-splitting bangs erupted behind them and all around, startling Takashi out of his skin. At that exact moment, something shot through the windshield of the car, striking his father right through the skull. Blood splattered all over Takashi as his mother’s screams filled the smoke-filled skies, ringing in his ears. The car swerved out of control, tires screeching, drowned only by his mother’s screams. Another shot, and suddenly the upholstery before him exploded in red, drenching him further in blood.
Crying out and jostled this way and that by the violently spinning unmanned car, Takashi didn’t know which way was up or down. The car continued to violently spin until it finally landed on its side. Takashi lurched deeper into the backseat, pinned by luggages as smoke and gasoline filled his nostrils. Unable to move, all he could see before his blood-drenched eyes was the bullet piercing his father’s skull, over and over and over and over and—
“Find the boy! Get the boy!”
A cacophony of violent war cries carried over the flames and smoke. Feet—dozens of them—pounded the pavement as they swarmed the vehicle, their hyena-like laughter ripping the tranquil night in some sick victory.
And still Takashi couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. His father—his lovable, adoring, father—died in front him over and over—as his mother’s—his sweet, caring mother’s—voice screamed her last, over and over, ringing in his ears.
And now his parent’s killers were coming for him, assuming the car fire didn’t get to him first…
Paralyzed by shock and rooted to the spot as he were, Takashi barely registered the new wave of cries that soon took over, followed by gunshots, shouts, and banging against the car’s metal frame.
“Boss! Someone’s trapped in the car! Hurry, we haven’t much time left!”
Takashi heard a muffled reply as the speaker hurried toward him. There was a whoosh of a blade slashing against flesh followed by reverberating crazed laughter filling the air, hair-rising in the blood-splattered night.
The smoke was starting to suffocate him, but Takashi didn’t bother to fight it. If his parents were dead, then he didn’t care about living. He watched as more and more fiery light filtered through the cracks as car debris and luggage were lifted from him. And then a hand wiped off the caked blood off his face and peered down.
Takashi was suddenly staring up at a mad dog.
The man wore no shirt under his yellow boa snakeskin blazer, and despite only having one eye, that one remaining eye gleaned with a shrewd madness that made Takashi cower away from him, preferring death over this strange and wild man. The fire around them reflected off the golden chain around his neck.
Despite the fact the man was grinning wildly when he first peered down at Takashi, once their gazes met, the expression, and seemingly his entire personality, suddenly shifted, softening remarkably into a whole different persona.
“What the…it’s a baby!”
In one motion the man scooped Takashi up in his arms with surprising speed and gentleness, and right in the nick of time too—they got just a few paces away when the car exploded. Takashi’s eyes widened, watching as the flames claimed his parents.
“Are ya injured, lil’ fella?” the eye-patched man asked as the flames reflected off his singular piercing eye.
That was when everything Takashi had been holding in finally broke. He wailed.
“Ah! Ya poor, poor thing!” the strange man cooed gently as he drew circles on Takashi’s back before whipping his head around and shrieking, “NISHIDA! WHAT’S THE DAMN HOLDUP?!”
“Sorry, Boss! But they’re back with reinforcements!”
Sure enough, more shouts were coming their way as more men were rampaging toward them, rage and death in their eyes.
The man gave an impassioned shriek and went on a rampage, still gripping onto Takashi in one arm while his other hand brandished a tanto.
Takashi knew little else of what went on after this point. The world descended into chaos, blurred by fire and the pouring rain. The man sped down the street on his long leather-clad legs, shoes striking against wet pavement as he took down men in dark suits, all the while laughing a deranged mad laughter that shocked Takashi to the core. It was all he could do to grab onto anything on the man lest he flew off, but the man somehow kept him locked in place despite waging in war, and he would take every breathing room to hush Takashi as he continued to cry loudly, comforting him with a leather-gloved hand with such genuine tender loving care as though he had not just felled a dozen men moments before…
Morning dawned. Takashi wasn’t sure how he had fallen asleep. The hours blurred into themselves.
His parents were dead.
He had vague recollection of being on some strange streets, of being carried, of passing buildings with bright neon lights, but not coming inside this establishment.
His parents were dead.
There were women cooing over him.
“Aw, poor widdle baby!”
“Why, Majima-san! You bringing a kid to this kind of place?”
“Where’d you find him, Majima-san?”
“No time t’explain,” the man replied. “This is the safest place for him right now.”
Takashi blinked. So the eyepatch man was named Majima-san. He kept checking his phone as he paced the carpeted facility, a dimly lit place with red velvety booths for costumers to sit around and marbled small tables to place drinks on. Pink and purple overhead light fixtures completed the look.
Takashi could barely speak. What was going to happen to him now? Who was this man? Where was he? Who were these women?
“Yer awake now, kid—aww, yer all shaken!” Majima scrutinized him up and down with his one good eye. “Dr. Emoto said you’ll live. Kana! Get ‘im clean, will ya?”
“Of course, hon!”
Takashi was taken to a back room. On one wall were a row of dressing vanity tables and mirrors. A rack of expensive-looking dresses stood against another wall.
Who the heck was Dr. Emoto? Was he taken to a doctor? He hardly remembered…
The ladies were gentle. Majima must have told them what had happened because they spoke with Takashi in soft voices and handled him as though he were made of fragile glass. The one named Kana washed the blood from his face and hair and hands, and as for his shirt she offered him one of her own.
“I live right upstairs, so don’t feel shy taking my clothes,” she giggled.
Even though she wore a small size, her shirt fell loose around his shoulders, but Takashi didn’t complain. Anything was better than wearing his father and mother’s blood.
The women around him continued to chatter away happily about the day ahead, speculating on what sorts of people they were going to meet when “the club” opened today, but all Takashi could do was sit, frozen the entire time, as a strange sort of surreality overcame him.
He was supposed to be headed for Sapporo. He would have been in Hokkaido right about now. Would have woken up to a different world, snuggled under warm blankets. He would get up to look out the window and tell his parents good morning, and he would shiver because it was cold and not because of—
His parents were dead!
“Hey, kid!”
Majima popped his head into the dressing area, accompanied by another man (an employee, Takashi assumed), holding up a small white bag in hand.
“Here, got ya some breakfast, kid.”
“Hamburgers and fries? Really, Majima-san?” Kana shook her head.
“They’re my secret source of power!”
One of the women poured for Takashi a glass of orange juice from the bar while he nibbled on a french fry. His stomach twisted and turned; the smell of the charred burger left him feeling queasy, and the orange juice made the twisting in his stomach even worse.
“Yer not eating!” Majima said when he came back to check in on him some time later.
Takashi sputtered a response, but Majima was already packing up the food back into the bag.
“Sorry, kid, we gotta keep moving. Thanks for looking after him, Kana, Himeka.”
“Anytime, Majima-san!”
“Always a pleasure, hon!”
Majima yanked Takashi outside, and he blinked several times in the bright sunlight. Dazed, he turned his head around, trying to get his bearings.
Before he could make out the signs around them, Majima pulled him eastbound. They wove through tight alleys, under rusty metal fire exits and large blue garbage bags that dripped with dark liquids that looked like blood and grime.
Hoisted out of an alley and right into another building, brightly lit, Takashi’s small feet echoed on the marbled floor. A tall white statue of a woman draped in white robe stood to the side, peering down at them as Majima approached the woman at the counter. The entire front of the building was made of windows, making him feel exposed to the outer world. He shivered, glancing behind him.
“Here, a thousand yen.”
The woman regarded Takashi’s too-loose shirt, stained shorts, and muddied shoes silently before turning back to Majima. “Uh, sir, you cannot bring your own food in here—”
“Then ya can have it—just give us a room!”
Majima grabbed at Takashi again, and soon he was whisked away from the reception area. They padded down silent halls, past identical rows of doors before Majima finally stopped at one and ushered him inside.
He stood by the door, looking over his shoulder. “Got us a private room. That should give us some peace and quiet for a while. Might have to keep paying if we need to stay long.”
Takashi trembled. Here he was, locked in a room with a monster with soundproof walls. Even if Majima was nice to him, he remembered how his persona switched at the drop of a hat last night, remembered how he gutted his foes.
And now he was staring into his manically gleaning eye.
“Wh-what’re you going to do to me?”
“Haw?” Majima said. “I’m protectin’ ya, kid!”
Could he trust Majima? He did bring Takashi to a safe place. He had a doctor check him for injuries. He had the girls wash him and give him a better shirt, and he got him breakfast, but…he also still had his tanto with him.
“Wh-what’s going on? Where did you take me?”
Majima regarded him with confusion and mild hurt. “Don’t worry, kid. This is only a karaokekan. Not tryin’a do anything funny with ya. I know I look scary, but I wouldn’ dream of hurtin’ ya.”
Takashi studied him warily, noting the tanto, the gloved hands—in the back of his mind Takashi wondered if he was hiding any missing fingers. How’d he lose his left eye?
“I know it’s a karaokekan,” Takashi said slowly, testing his luck. He motioned around at the karaoke machine and video screen. “And I’m not ‘kid’.”
“Sorry…Shiro-chan.”
“And I’m not—wait. Shiro-chan?!”
“Yeah. Yer a Shirogane, aren’t ya?”
“How’d you know my name? Did you know my dad?”
Majima’s expression grew grave. “Never met yer dad. But I know enough about him now. Hadda do a bit of homework while you were sleepin’. Yer full name’s Shirogane Takashi, ain’t it?”
Now that he’s been listening to Majima for a while, Takashi noted he spoke with a dialect, Osaka-ben to be exact, although it dropped from time to time.
“Yes, sir. That’s my name.”
Majima nodded. “I’m Majima Goro.”
“Hajimemashite, Majima-san.” Takashi gave a bow, and when he glanced back up, he saw Majima smirking adoringly at him. A genuine smile. Disarmed, Takashi flinched. “Um, what city is this?”
“Kamurocho.”
Kamurocho? Takashi had never heard of this place before. How far was it from Hatsudai? “I…never heard of…Kamurocho.”
Majima snickered. “‘Cause yer too young to come here alone, Shiro-chan. Sure yer not hungry?”
Takashi shook his head. Every time he thought of breakfast, the image of his mother greeting him with miso soup, grilled fish, and ohitashi waiting at the table back at home, his heart would clench. His mind instantly darkened to hours ago—the blood, the screaming, the fire and smoke. He squeezed his eyes shut and trembled terribly, as though a bitter winter draft had suddenly gusted through the soundproof door.
“Hoi, Shiro-chan, ya cold or somethin’?”
Frowning, Majima stripped off his snakeskin jacket and wrapped it around him.
“Wh…what happened to my dad and mom?” Takashi cracked one eye and met Majima’s concerned gaze.
“I…you’ll know more once a good friend of mine joins us,” he said. “I hafta get him.” As if suddenly remembering something, he reached for his phone and began shouting, “Nishida! Did ya make the call?! Where’s he at?!”
He turned around as he continued shouting at poor Nishida, but that was when Takashi got another fright. He had already seen the tattoos on Majima’s chest and arms, but the implication of it hadn’t fully registered until Majima had turned and shown his back, when suddenly the eyes of a Hannya glared right into Takashi’s soul. Wearing an expression that was scornful one moment, then mournful the next, the Hannya’s gaze seemed to follow him wherever he looked, beckoning him back to her. Demanding he share her tragedy. Takashi could barely tear his eyes away.
A memory resurfaced then, a calm summer afternoon when his mother approached him. She had set a book down before him, one full of photos.
“See the inks on these men’s bodies, Takashi? Take a good look.”
“Yes, Okaasan.”
“These tattoos are called irezumi. Yakuza are known to ink their bodies in this way. Their ink tells the world what sort of people they are. Civilians in Japan usually don’t have tattoos, especially not irezumi.”
“Yakuza?”
“Yes. There is a family nearby here. You can recognize them instantly.”
“Are they bad, Okaasan?”
“Yakuza will not hurt you if you give them no reason to, Takashi. Don’t engage with them, but always be very polite to them if you cross paths.”
Takashi used to pass a yakuza family on his way to school every morning. They were always fixing their cars or on their cellphones shouting. That place must have been their office. The government allowed them to operate openly as long as they paid taxes, his mother had explained. And just as his mother had assured him, no yakuza had ever bothered him and the other kids as long as no one ever gave them a reason to.
Takashi’s mouth hung open. Despite everything his mother had taught him, he began hyperventilating, catching Majima’s attention again. He was alone, parentless, stuck inside a soundproof room with a yakuza…
“Hoi, Shiro-chan! Ya alright?”
He couldn’t stop the shaking. “Y-you’re a yakuza!”
“Yeah, what of it?”
He shouldn’t have refused the breakfast Majima offered him. What if he had offended him? What was Majima going to do to him?
Majima just regarded him, question marks written all over his face—that, and compassion, but Takashi wasn’t so sure he was reading Majima right. That man switched faces faster than a Hannya’s.
“A-are you gonna hurt me—were you the o-one w-who killed my d-dad—?!”
“Shiro-chan! I had no beef with yer old man!”
Takashi wept. What was Majima gonna do with him now? No one was going to save him!
“Shiro-chan, look at me!”
He gazed up at the eye-patched man, shaking in his wet shoes.
“Look, I’m sorry my men and I were too late saving yer parents,” he said. His voice was so gentle and filled with sincerity that Takashi wanted to believe him. “We’re glad we got ya out safely. I wish things had gone differently.”
“Why were my mom and dad killed?” Takashi asked in between sniffles. “Who were those guys?”
Majima hesitated. “I’ll tell ya later, once everyone’s here.”
Who was everyone? Why couldn’t he know now?! He hated being kept in the dark!
“What’s going to happen to me now?”
His voice broke before he could stop himself. He wiped at his tears, hating himself for showing so much weakness in front of a yakuza. But Majima patted his shoulder comfortingly, softly speaking words to soothe him, before his face suddenly lit up.
“I know! We got some time to kill before the plane arrives! Let’s do something to get yer mind off things!”
Flipping through the karaoke menu, Majima’s face broke into a grin before declaring he had found his song and began.
Takashi barely listened to a word he sang.
Today was Thursday. If there was no trip in Hokkaido, then he should have been in school. His friends at school would wish him a happy birthday. His parents would do something nice for him for his birthday when he got back home. His mother would cook his favorite dish and his father and he would go to gaze at the stars for a bit.
The stars—smoldered by smoke. Fires—flames, engulfing his father, his skull shattered by bullets. His mother’s scream echoing in his own skull as her blood drenched him.
“Ay, no, don’t cry! Don’t cry!”
Majima had stopped singing and was now cradling Takashi as though he were a baby. How quickly his personality changed; one moment he was a terrifying menace on the phone, the next a lunatic cackling madly with a microphone, the next crying compassionately alongside Takashi…
“Ay, I thought I could make it better! Children always love it when I sing this song! I’m so sorry, Shiro-chan!”
Majima held him against his chest, comforting him as long as it took until the crying spell subsided. This up close, Takashi could study the irezumi better on Majima’s chest: one snake had its jaws open, the other closed. Peony flowers and layers of black whorls expanded the canvas of his chest, arms, and back. There was so much going on with Majima’s irezumi that Takashi could get lost studying it, inevitably aiding his breathing to return to normal.
“Ya feeling better?”
Takashi nodded feebly. As Majima wiped a final tear from Takashi’s cheek, he looked up and noted that Majima’s own face was streaked with tears. He reached up and returned the favor, surprising Majima. Blushing, he turned away as if ashamed. Takashi wondered why. Was Majima remembering something from his own past? Or maybe Majima just got emotional seeing children cry.
Clearing his throat, Majima checked his phone. “Still got more time to kill, but I’m outta steam. Let’s say we end our session?”
Majima checked the vicinity again before taking Takashi back out. After weaving through more back alleys, they found themselves at a SEGA game center at a street corner. No one paid much mind to a child clad in a snakeskin jacket thrice his size and a bare-chested man with a Hannya inked on his back. Perhaps they knew better than to question Majima Goro.
“Like anything here?” Majima asked him as he waved at a UFO catcher machine. “I’m pretty decent at this. Once I got a little girl all sorts of toys…ah, that brings me back…”
As Takashi gazed up at the toy selection, his memories flooded with all the times his father and him ogled at the prizes back at Hatsudai’s game centers. His eyes glassed over, and the world became a haze. He hardly registered when Majima presented a stuffed plush Java Sparrow in his hands.
“Still got it!” Majima said triumphantly. “Here ya go! A Bun-chan!”
Bun-chan’s face and the tips of its wings were a peachy hue, and over its head it wore a bright red hat which went nicely with its tiny green tie.
His first birthday present as a seven year old.
Takashi thanked Majima in a tight, small voice and ran his hands through the doll, its very soft fabric comforting to the touch.
Majima checked his phone again and muttered something, sounding irritated. Meanwhile, Takashi’s eyes wavered over to the arcade cabinets. A couple titles caught his vague interest.
Space Harrier. Boxcelios. Galaxy Force.
“Wanna go at any of ‘em?” Majima asked.
Takashi shook his head, but his eyes remained glued.
Majima rubbed his chin, uttering a contemplative, “Hmm,” under his breath. He sent a quick email on his phone then straightened his back. “All right, no sense waiting around here. Might as well take ya to my office.”
Again he checked the vicinity before yanking Takashi with him, gripping his hand with a vice-like grip.
“Nishida! Any updates?” he hissed into his cellphone as they spirited down the street toward a very tall skyscraper. Whatever Majima heard made him cuss, then chuckle darkly. Takashi sneezed. “Listen, do this now and meet me back at the office…”
They turned right, continuing at a brisk speed. Takashi could just barely make out the street name from a distance: Taihei Boulevard. As they passed an eatery, tantalizing smell wafted toward them and made Takashi’s stomach rumble. Loudly.
Majima stopped in his tracks and looked back.
“Sorry,” Takashi was quick to say, cowering away from the Hannya’s glare. Majima’s eyes shone with sympathy.
“Ya wanna eat, Shiro-chan?”
They ducked into the Matsuya, where Majima greeted a young clerk behind the counter as though they were old friends. “For here or to go, sir?”
“We’re in a hurry,” Majima said, and then had Takashi take over. After a quick glance at the menu board, Takashi pointed to a small beef bowl with miso, and the young clerk bowed toward Takashi—“Good choice. This is our most popular selection!”—before packing it up.
Majima doubled the speed northbound after that, his single eye darting every which way with a hard gaze, a viper ready to strike. He led Takashi to a desolate park where a couple of people stood by and smoked. As Takashi peered around the area, his eyes fell on the street and another strange ominous feeling overcame him, one of unsettling familiarity.
Majima motioned for him to follow him into the restroom.
“Um…” Despite slowly warming up to Majima, the old anxiety around him began to stir up again.
“Just do as yer told.”
What was Majima planning? Remembering his mother’s words, Takashi swallowed thickly and followed Majima inside.
The place reeked. Every inch of the entire restroom was filled with grime, graffiti, and sickly yellow-brown goo the nature of Takashi didn’t want to speculate on. Majima motioned for him to enter the furthest stall with him.
To his surprise, beyond the traditional styled toilet, over on the other side on the wall was a door. He looked up at Majima with a confused look before the man grinned briefly at him then turned the knob.
They stepped into a wide construction site. All around them were the sounds of drills, men shouting orders to one another, and hammers banging against metal.
All around men in yellow hard hats sang:[Skip]
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一磚一瓦地堆疊出 一釘一釘の 積み重ねこそ 人們的笑容 與利益的根本 あまたの笑顔と 利益の母親 晝夜不息地揮灑汗水 昼夜問わずに 汗流し進めよ 打造明日 真島建設 明日をリノベート 真島建設 真島 真島 真島 真島 真島建設 |
hitokugi hitokugi no tsumikasane koso amata no egao to rieki no hahaoya chuuya towazuni asenagashi susumeyo ashita o inobeito Majima kensetsu! Majima Majima Majima Majima Majima kensetsu! |
Each and every nail that we pound, We do so together, With a smile, so many smiles, They are the mother of profit, Regardless of day or night, We will sweat until the job is done, We will renovate tomorrow, Majima Construction! Majima, Majima, Majima, Majima, Majima Construction! Translation provided by PS4 |
“I…I thought you’re a yakuza,” Takashi said.
“‘Course I am!” Majima said proudly with a grin. “These men are my family!”
“Family?”
Majima nodded. “I’m the patriarch of the Majima Family! Their boss. And my family’s the largest family under the Tojo Clan!”
Patriarch?! Takashi thought of all the ways he had already offended the yakuza patriarch and paled.
He looked around them, noticing the green stamp around the plaster walls. That had to be the Majima Family crest.
“And these men…”
“Yep—idiots, but they’re my boys and I take care of ‘em. All ten thousand or so of them.”
Ten thousand?!
“Y-you run a construction company?” Takashi asked next as a tall and muscular non-Japanese man approached them. While he spoke Japanese fluently, his pronunciation was rough around the edges as he addressed Majima. Majima spoke to him a little before introducing Takashi to him: Gary Buster Holmes.
“Is he also part of your family?” Takashi asked, his head spinning. Did yakuza take in foreigners? Did the yakuza even have civilian jobs like construction work?
Majima’s laughter was like a bark. “Workers are welcome, earners are embraced, and lazy fucks get hunted down!”
Majima’s office was strangely clean and nothing like what Takashi expected. One of his subordinates had placed a parcel with clean clothes in Takashi’s size. Majima encouraged him to wash up and get dressed while he warmed up the take out from Matsuya.
“You’ll feel better all freshened up,” he said with an encouraging smile.
Takashi went into the small washroom and peeled himself off the blood and rain-drenched shorts, socks, and shoes, frowning at his old clothes. He’ll never wear them again. He already missed his shirt with the star. He slipped on the yellow short-sleeved hoodie and shorts, warm socks, and black shoes that were a perfect fit.
When he stepped out, Majima whistled. “We look alike!”
Unable to stop himself, Takashi made a face, earning a good-hearted laugh from the yakuza patriarch. Then again, Takashi thought as he settled back at the office desk, with their undercut and hair parted to one side and yellow top, he supposed they did look sort of alike.
As Takashi sat down to eat, Majima excused himself, mumbling something about needing to crack a few heads. Takashi decided not to comment on the moral obligation to not abuse one’s own workforce.
His appetite was slowly returning, if a little. The buzz of the drilling, clanging, and singing outside filled the room as he ate and tried not to think back to hours ago. How long has it been since he had become a…an orphan?
The reality of that word hit him hard. Made him shudder.
For a moment the spoonful of savory beef tasted like ash in his mouth, and he almost gagged.
A knock came, but before Takashi could answer, the door opened and an odd man dressed in a bright white suit stepped in. With a green wig sitting atop his head like a large cloud and a round red nose and red lips over white makeup that concealed his face, the clown regarded Takashi with an expression of impassivity.
“Um…who are you?” Takashi asked before he could stop himself.
“Hello, young fellow. My name is Bob Utsunomiya.” The clown extended out his hand, giving Takashi a…something.
You received the Like a Space Lion Activity Logbook!
Welcome to the Like a Space Lion Activity Logbook! This is a purely optional segment of your fic-reading journey. Here you can keep track of any items you've earned through substories, characters' inventories, a completion task list, and even keep tabs on characters’ bank accounts! Just like the RGG games, there are trophies you can unlock! Will you work your way to the platinum trophy and help Shiro become a hero?
If you wish to play along, simply make a copy of the Logbook to your own Google drive. Patch 1.1 I made a step by step guide if you need help on setting up the logbook!
You’ve already earned one trophy! After making your copy, click on “Trophies” link in the Main Menu, or go to the tab manually, and click on the checkmark in cell B4 to earn your first trophy! Good job!
This feature is run purely on the honor system and intended to be for fun, to give readers a little bit of that RGG experience as they traverse through Shiro's journey. Many thanks to Emwing for helping me put this together!
“Um…what’s this?” Takashi asked.
“Just a little something,” Bob said mysteriously. “If you lose it, there’s plenty more where those came from. Don’t be shy now.”
And with that, he left.
A few moments later, Majima returned, and by then Takashi had decided not to tell him about the clown encounter. He himself wasn’t sure if that exchange had just transpired, and he wasn’t about to give Majima any reason to believe he had lost his sanity.
Besides, Majima didn’t seem to be doing too well anyway. He fretted around his desk, checking his phone and sending out emails and grumbling at responses he got. He called up Nishida and shouted at him a few more times. As more time passed, the more agitated he got until he finally received word that made him light up like a Christmas tree.
His demeanor shifted rapidly once more, as he fidgeted about the place, fussing over his face at the mirror over the sink, and readjusted the chain necklace, then made sure nothing was between his teeth. Takashi had the distinctive impression of passing by high school girls checking themselves in handheld mirrors before their crushes passed by.
A knock came, and one of Majima’s men in a hard hat stepped in. With a bow, he said, “Boss, Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan Kiryu Kazuma is here.”
“Let ‘im in.”
Kiryu Kazuma could not have been any more different from Majima Goro. Where Majima exuded unpredictability and madness, everything about Kiryu was serene and dignified. The very image of Cool, Kiryu wore a full grey suit, and the collar of his dark red shirt was popped up. The first few buttons of his shirt were open, exposing a small portion of his strong and muscular chest. His shoes, made of white snakeskin, shone clean and free of dirt. The manner in which his hair was slicked back made Takashi think of dragons, and though Kiryu wore a perpetual scowl, they softened upon recognition of Majima, and his large beautiful eyes glimmered. He bowed low and properly.
“Majima-no-nii-san.”
“KIIIIIRYUUUUU-CHAAAAN!” Majima crooned deafeningly loud. “BEEN TWO MONTHS TOO LONG!”
Takashi clamped his hands over his ears before he could stop himself. Kiryu gave a tiny sympathetic chuckle and nodded in acknowledgment toward him. Majima’s subordinate closed the door behind him, leaving just the three of them in the room.
“I came as soon as I got your message,” Kiryu said as he took a seat right next to Takashi. His voice was deep and rumbly, pleasant to the ears. “You said this was an urgent matter. Is this…” He turned toward Takashi, who blushed, being put on the spot.
“My name is Shirogane Takashi, sir. Nice to meet you. Hajimemashite.”
“Kiryu Kazuma,” Kiryu said with a bow. “You’re very polite. I am sorry we are not meeting under better circumstances.”
Takashi hung his head. So Kiryu knew about that…
Who was he to Majima? What had his subordinate said again? Fourth Chairman…
“Um…are you yakuza?” Takashi asked shyly.
Kiryu shook his head. “I’m a civilian now. But I will not lie to you. I did used to be part of the Tojo Clan. That is how I know Majima-no-nii-san. Does this scare you?”
It did, after everything he had experienced so far, but Takashi put on a brave face and shook his head. Kiryu seemed to see past his façade, but he gave a small nod in understanding.
“So this is the boy?” Kiryu asked Majima before turning back to study Takashi calmly.
“Couldn’t think of anyone better,” Majima said. “Yer collecting strays, aren’t ya?”
“I didn’t ask you to make orphans, Majima-no-nii-san.”
“Hey, who said I was making ‘em?!”
Kiryu lowered his head and sighed. “Forgive me, I had made an assumption.” That earned him a whack on the head, but Kiryu took the assault in stride.
“Hoi! Ya left me with a favor two months ago, and now I have a favor for ya, Kiryu-chan!”
Takashi’s eyes widened as the implication slowly dawned on him. Why this Kiryu man was here, why Majima was introducing them to each other.
“What happened to his parents?” Kiryu asked. “Does he not have any other relatives? Why to Okinawa? Why me?”
“‘Cause he’ll be safest with ya,” Majima answered all of Kiryu’s questions in one go.
Takashi looked at Kiryu then at Majima. “I…I have a grandpa—”
“No chance, kid.”
“Why?!”
He remembered then what his father had said about the scary men hunting for him. So Majima must have known about that too…
“Trust me, kid—the further yer from Tokyo, the better.”
“But why? Why do I have to go to Okinawa?” Takashi asked.
“What’s going on, nii-san?”
Majima sighed and leaned back on his chair. “Listen…Kiryu-chan, Shiro-chan…yer dad's got mixed up with some terrible yakuza by the name of the Kurosu Clan. Pissed ‘em off real bad. We found Shiro-chan trapped in a burning car shortly after four in the mornin’. Both of his folks were beyond savin’.”
Takashi’s stomach fell, recalling his mother’s words to him years back about the yakuza. The yakuza don’t hurt civilians unless…what did his father do to upset them this much? And why were they after him, Takashi?! What did he do?
Four in the morning…Takashi thought bleakly. So he had officially become an orphan at four in the morning…
“Kurosu Clan…” Kiryu mulled over the name before going uncomfortably quiet. He folded his arms and scowled at Majima.
“Sound familiar?” Majima said, addressing Kiryu for a moment. “Bitter rivals with the Tojo Clan. They’ve been trying to muscle in on our turf for a while. Been getting chummy with the Ueno Seiwa from what I’ve heard lately.”
“Ueno Seiwa, of the hit in ’85?”
“The same one,” Majima said bitterly as his hand scratched over his eyepatch. He turned back to Takashi. “Yer old man’s gotten them pissed to the high heavens. They were coming after him and yer whole family for revenge. My boys and I got wind they were on our turf, but by the time we reached them…”
All three hung their heads.
“We were lucky to get the boy outta there before they did,” Majima went on. “They were ready to take him as repayment for what his dad owed. There’s a market for young children, if ya know what I’m saying.”
The severity of Majima’s words went over Takashi’s head, but Kiryu’s face blanched. He looked sick as he regarded Majima.
“The Kurosu are beyond vile—pity they call themselves yakuza,” Majima went on. “They’ll stop at nothing until they get what they’re after.”
“So they are still chasing after Takashi,” Kiryu concluded.
Majima nodded. “The captain’s jonesin’ to clasp the kid in his claws.” He stretched. “Now ya know why we can’t just hand him off to a relative. His gramps might be paid a visit right this moment—” He stopped, seeing the look of horror on Takashi’s face. “Don’t worry, Shiro-chan. I sent in some of my men to guard yer granddad. He won’t even notice they’re there!”
Takashi imagined some of Majima’s men lined around his grandfather’s house, and his head began to spin again. The fact this was all happening was just too surreal. Up until now, he only had ever glimpsed the yakuza on his walk to and from school. Never did he think he’d be thrown right in the thick of their world…
“Ya looking pale again, Shiro-chan. Here, get some fresh air while I settle some grownup talk with Kiryu-chan.”
With Takashi out with Gary, Majima turned back to Kiryu, who watched him closely, arms still folded.
“What really happened?” Kiryu asked.
“His old man was a real idiot,” Majima began sadly. “Shirogane Noboru had racked himself an impossibly high bill at a hostess bar run by the Kurosu. Not only that, the hostess he had set his eyes on was none other than the mistress for the captain of the family. Apparently he had fallen so head over heals for this chick he begged her to run away with him.”
“Although he was already married? Was there any friction in the marriage?”
“Not from any info I’ve gathered,” Majima said. “But wanna know the real cherry on the shit cream? He’d gotten her pregnant.”
Kiryu shook his head. One bad turn after another…
Majima sighed heavily and balled his hands into fists. “I’ll never understand people who do dumb shit and never think once how it’ll impact their kids.”
Kiryu glanced back at Majima. It was an unspoken agreement between them that Majima’s past was off-limits. Kiryu respected that. There were times when Majima would give him a peek inside before suddenly erecting impenetrable walls and shutting himself off completely all over again. Kiryu knew better to pry further and just let him be. It was best to let Majima open himself, little at a time, at his own pace, if he so wished.
Nonetheless, seeing the look on Majima’s face right now, Kiryu couldn’t help but wonder about his past…
“This is terrible and sad,” Kiryu said.
“Yeah,” Majima said with a nod. “So…will you take him? Ya got space for him down in Okinawa? I’d take him under my wing—I’d love to, if I’m being honest—but I’m not the safest guy ya’d have for a father.”
Kiryu nodded. “He’s a polite boy. I have no reason not to take him. But if the Kurosu Clan are hellbent on finding him, he may be in danger wherever he goes.”
“Ya leave that to me.”
Kiryu frowned.
“What? They’ve seen my face and everything!”
“And you’re okay with painting a target on your back?” Kiryu asked.
“Don’t worry about me!” Majima strolled up right against Kiryu until they were face to face. “Don’t ya trust my strength?”
“Yes. I’ve seen you fight, Majima-no-nii-san. I know what you’re capable of. But you also have a duty.”
“Ya mean Daigo? Yeah, I hadn’t forgotten. Consider this as payback.”
“Payback?”
By this point, Majima was pressing their noses against each other. Majima grinned manically.
“Ya ask me to risk my life watching over a kid you care for, and now I’m doing the same.”
“Nii-san…” Kiryu sighed heavily. Daigo and his situation was different, but nonetheless… “Suppose you’re right. It’s best if he’s under our watch. We can at least ensure he will have a chance to see his grandfather some day. Other services may not offer that chance.”
“So what yer saying is…”
“I’ll take him. I will protect Shirogane Takashi with my entire life.”
Majima hopped back in a brisk victory dance, throwing his hands up.
“Knew I could count on ya, Kiryu-chan!”
“No!” Takashi whined. “I’m not changing my name!”
“Takashi,” Kiryu said sadly. “I understand how you feel after everything that’s happened, but it’s too dangerous for you to keep your current name.”
“I don’t care! I’m not changing it!”
They couldn’t do this to him. His father and mother were dead. He was never going to see his grandfather or his mother’s brother, who he had never met, ever again. He was never going to sleep in his comfortable bed in Hatsudai, never going to sit in class at his school, never going to gaze at the Tokyo skyline. He was never going to rearrange the glow-in-the-dark stars of his bedroom ceiling, never play hopscotch with his school friends, never going to eat his mother’s home-cooked dinners or watch the stars with his father.
The least they could do was let him keep his name.
No matter what new name Kiryu suggested, Takashi screamed and stomped his foot. His parents gave him the name of Shirogane Takashi, and he was gonna keep it forever! Kiryu sighed, hanging his head in resignation.
“Ah, Shiro-chan, yer breaking my heart!” Majima said, close to crying himself. He was watching the entire ordeal silently up until this moment.
“Wait.” Kiryu looked up. “Nii-san, that name you just used.”
“Shiro-chan?”
Kiryu snapped his fingers. “That’s it. We can adjust his surname to become his first name.”
Takashi paused his tantrum to consider the proposal for but one moment before shaking his head vigorously. “Never!”
“Oh, why not!” Majima’s hands flew up like twin vipers ready to strike.
Takashi regarded the two yakuza men with a shaky lip. “Shi.”
Shi, a word for four in Japanese that was also a homophone for death. His own mother was superstitious of the number four. She had always feared it, and it was just as well: his parents had been murdered at four in the morning.
Kiryu was the fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan, and if Takashi went to Okinawa then he would become the fourth boy at the orphanage.
The number four, and its association with death, was following him everywhere.
“Just because two words sound similar does not mean they are associated, just like people,” Kiryu explained gently. “Two people may share a characteristic or a name but be completely different. And besides, you may not need to use the name forever.”
“Will I need to use it at the orphanage?”
Kiryu nodded. “It’s for the best.”
Takashi’s shoulders slacked. So he would be lying to his new siblings from the beginning. “How long will I use it?”
“Maybe a year, possibly two. It depends on how long the Kurosu Clan are looking for you.”
It could still take forever, Takashi thought gloomily as Kiryu pondered while shifting through a notebook.
“What would be a good way to write your name…Can I see how you currently write your name, please? Thank you.”
“Shiro-chan loves outer space,” Majima piped up as Kiryu studied the characters.
Kiryu looked up at Takashi with interest. “Oh?”
Majima nodded enthusiastically. “Saw ‘im eyeing all the space games at the arcade.”
“Do you want to be an astronaut, Takashi?” Kiryu asked.
Takashi wasn’t sure how this related to his name, but Kiryu seemed interested in his hobbies, and a chance to momentarily forget his worries was a welcoming relief.
“Dad and I always used to drive far out in the country so we can see the stars. Dad had a special telescope for them.”
Kiryu smiled and nodded. “I see.”
Takashi smiled sadly. “My room was full of books—oh, I had glow-in-the-dark stars above my bed!”
Kiryu chuckled warmly. “Sounds like you really love outer space.”
Takashi nodded. “I’ve read every book I can find about them! You can point to a star and I’ll know which one it is! There are so many stars, but I’ve memorized all of them!”
Takashi went on to talk about his dreams of going to outer space one day as Kiryu flipped through the notebook. He jotted something down on a piece of paper. Maybe he was taking notes on what Takashi was saying.
“Well, you sound like a very intelligent and ambitious boy, especially for one your age,” Kiryu said at last. “I have no doubt you will do incredible things in your life.” He then showed Takashi what he had been writing:
志郎
Shiro
Kiryu had taken the “shi” character from Takashi to write Shiro. But the character for shi, 志, in this case was different for the character for four (四) or death (死). Kiryu went on to explain that shi here meant “to aspire, to hope.” The second character, 郎, simply meant “son.”
The son who aspires, the son with hopes and dreams.
Takashi regarded Kiryu with wide eyes. Kiryu smiled. “Do you like your new name?”
Takashi paused for a moment, then after taking a deep breath, Shiro nodded his head.
Majima clapped his hands. “Gettin’ somewhere!”
“Now, the matter of a new surname,” Kiryu next addressed. “Should not stand out too much…how about…Suzuki?”
Majima snorted loudly. “Ya always come up with that when yer in disguise!”
“Then what do you suggest?”
Shiro was about to suggest one of the famous Japanese astronomers when Majima butted in: “Nishida! Go with Nishida!”
Silence followed for a moment. Then—
“That’s not a bad suggestion, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said. “Nishida is a hardworking and dependable man. Have you met him, Shiro?”
Horror and disgust must have been written all over Shiro’s face, but he quickly covered it up. Besides from hearing Majima verbally abuse the poor guy through the phone, Shiro knew nothing about this Nishida.
The name wasn’t permanent, Shiro told himself. If he was lucky, he would only have to use it for a year.
Reluctantly, he agreed to the change.
Kiryu then wrote Nishida next to his new name and showed it to Shiro:
西田志郎
Nishida Shiro
It looked nothing like Shiro’s birth name: 白銀隆志. Comparing the two, Shiro made another face.
It just wasn’t “him”.
Sadness filled him at the thought of departing with his old—his real—name.
But, Shiro supposed he should count himself lucky. To have been saved from a fiery death, to have been saved before the Kurosu Clan had got to him and did whatever they were planning to do with him. Really, he was lucky to have been found by someone kind enough to give him clothes and food and even attempted to make him smile. Someone who cared enough to take him to a doctor. Someone who worried about his future. Someone who just so happened to know a man who ran an orphanage. To have a place to stay. To be sent to a place that would ensure his safety. It wasn’t home back in Hatsudai, he wouldn’t with his grandfather, but at least he knew he would have a roof over his head. While Kiryu was a former yakuza, and a chairman at that, placing his rank above even Majima, he shared none of the temperament as the eye-patched man.
They had already done so much for him. Changing his name seemed like a small gesture he could do in return.
Shiro thanked Kiryu and bowed properly.
“All that is left is to forge some papers so he can go to school,” Kiryu said.
“I can take care of that!” Majima offered. “I know an expert forger who can create an entire person and slip them into public records. She owes me one after saving her from some punks a month ago!”
Kiryu chuckled briefly. “We must be thinking of the same woman. Club Jewel?”
“Hold on, ya know her?!”
“Let’s just say she was close to Kazama-san.”
But Majima was eyeing Kiryu with keen interest. “What got ya visiting clubs, Kiryu-chan? Ya been missing Goromi? Sure been a while since our last date…”
“Not now, Majima-no-nii-san.”
“Aww,” Majima leaned back and gave a little flirtatious noise. “Did ya find another woman in Okinawa? Can’t believe ya let Sayama-chan go.”
“Nii-san…”
“I keep telling ya ya gotta let Yumi go!”
“Nii-san!”
“Hey, if yer gonna be hangin’ around here for some time, I can always recommend my own place at Club Shine. Kana’s working there now, though fair warning to ya…she may not be the same girl you remember from Four Shine.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
“Some sorta accident,” Majima said. “Her memory’s gone and she thinks she’s some whole other person. Took her under my wing so I could keep an eye on her. If ya do end up with her, just humor her a lil’, for me.”
Kiryu nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. But this isn’t the time to talk about hostess clubs, Majima-no-nii-san.”
Majima chuckled. “Always so polite, Kiryu-chan!”
Shiro glanced at the two men. Some sort of electric tension passed between them, as though the two were ready to tear one another apart…or something else. He had no word for it.
“Um…” Shiro spoke up in the tense silence. “Can I keep my birthday?”
Majima blinked. “Hmm?”
“I’m sorry,” Shiro looked away. “It’s just…everything about me is changing. I’m still not used to my new name, so I was wondering if…um…can I keep my birthday, please?”
“When were you born?” Kiryu asked.
“February 29, 2000.”
“The twenty-ninth?!” Majima exclaimed, and the two men exchanged looks.
“That’s…a unique day,” Kiryu mused.
Majima barked out a laugh. “And you were born in the Year of the Dragon, just like me!” He shot Kiryu a significant look, full of admiration and a secret meaning Shiro couldn’t quite parse.
Kiryu gave a nod, oblivious to how Majima was looking at him. “I see no reason why we should change the birth date. The date itself is a bit risky, being Leap Day, but everything else about you will have changed. One similarity should not make much of a difference.”
Majima clapped his hands again. “Right! I’ll get to working on the documents! They should be ready by tomorrow. I’ll get ‘em handed to ya after the funeral, how about that?”
“Funeral?” Shiro couldn’t help but say.
Majima nodded. “Yer parents’ funeral.”
“But there’s nothing left of them!”
Majima shook his head. “I told my men to pull ‘em out while I was digging you out. I was hoping we could still save ‘em, but, well…ya know. Figured least we could do is give ya closure.”
“That’s very kind of you, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said as Shiro’s eyes misted once more.
“I…thank you,” Shiro said in a small voice.
Majima waved his hand. “You’ll be leaving Tokyo for a good while, Shiro-chan. Your entire life’s aboutta change. It’s the least I can do.”
NOW LOADING. . .
While reading you may notice some of Majima’s words are underlined. Those are links to songs with special inner meaning behind his words. Throughout Like a Space Lion Majima will speak a line that's the title of a song. There are a total of five Majima's Melodies in the entire story. Find all five to complete a task on your completion list!
Later, as Shiro was being escorted out of the office, Majima held Kiryu back. Again Shiro noted some unspoken and electric tension pass between them. Throughout the meeting, the two kept throwing one another secretive looks, and Shiro wasn’t sure what the meaning was behind them. He couldn’t understand it, and it made him nervous. They seemed they were getting along well enough, even with Majima being annoying toward Kiryu at times. At some points Kiryu would flex his fingers over his knee as though itching to grab Majima’s neck.
Were they about to get into a fight? Unfinished yakuza business? The thought terrified him.
Even if they were being kind toward Shiro, he didn’t quite like the idea of being near two scary-looking yakuza.
“I’ll meet you in a moment, Shiro,” Kiryu said, gently coaxing him out of the office as one of Majima’s subordinates, a man named Nagahama Tomoaki received Shiro and led the way.
Majima waited while Shiro was well out of earshot before draping himself all over Kiryu.
“It’s been sooo looong, Kiryu-chan!” he moaned playfully in Kiryu’s ear.
Kiryu sighed and lit a cigarette. “It’s only been two months, Majima-no-nii-san.”
“But we used to see each other all the time!”
“See each other? You mean you used to stalk me everywhere I went and ambush me every two steps,” Kiryu plainly reminded him.
Majima giggled and pinched his biceps. “But look how strong ya’ve gotten because of me!”
Kiryu couldn’t argue with that.
“So…what’d ya say?”
“I already agreed to take on Shiro.”
Majima sighed heavily. “Not that, dumbbell! Us! In bed! Smashin’ pissers!”
“Oh.” Kiryu took a drag of his cigarette. “You mean you want sex?”
“‘Course that’s what I meant! I’m blueballin’ here beggin’ ya!” Majima pressed against him “Ya dunno how much I’ve missed ya! The bed’s too big without ya!”
Kiryu sighed heavily, relenting. Majima perked up and straightened his back, triumphant.
“I missed ya, Kiryu-chan. Missed watching the sunrise with ya.”
“I can’t stay that long.”
“I get ya. So, mind tellin’ me which hotel y’ll be staying at?” Majima asked. “Dun think I can last much longer without some of that Kiryu-chan hot and throbbin' in me.”
The cigarette nearly slipped off Kiryu’s lips before Majima caught it and gently slipped it back between his teeth, his leather-clad fingers brushing against smooth lips.
“Majima-no-nii-san, I have a child to look after,” Kiryu argued.
“Then after he’s all safely tucked into bed and asleep!” Majima said and moaned. “Please, Kiryu-chan! Don’t you miss yer Ole’ Majima?”
Kiryu sighed heavily. “We can’t be far from him. Not with the Kurosu after him. And no love hotels.”
Majima nodded eagerly. “I’ll snatch the room right next t’ya!”
“And we must be quiet if the wall’s not soundproof.”
“Can’t guarantee that—”
“Majima-no-nii-san—”
“Any special requests tonight? Ya needin’ Goromi tonight?”
Kiryu paused and studied the man before him. He smiled slightly. “No. Just you tonight…Goro.”
With loud and long satisfied cries, Majima and Kiryu flopped down together on the bed, catching their breaths.
“Ah, that was just what I needed, Kiryu-chan!” Majima moaned in between pants. “So good, so warm!”
Next to him, Kiryu stared up at the ceiling, seeing stars. He had to admit, that felt pretty damn good. The time apart had only made the sex greater.
“So warm!” Majima moaned again. “Not like the last time…”
Kiryu chuckled, knowing exactly what Majima meant by that.
The January wind blew against their sweaty bare chests, but Kiryu barely registered the chill as he regarded Majima, defeated from their brawl atop the Millennium Tower’s rooftop. Of course their talk would dissolve into a fight. It seldom never did.
“Good ol' Kiryu-chan...strong as a fuckin' ox.” Chuckling, Majima collapsed backwards, arms and legs sprawled apart. Panting heavily, Kiryu stared down at his friend as the heat of battle still coursed through him.
Moving like instinct, Kiryu descended on Majima, planting kisses on the body he had only moments ago peppered with bruises. He started at Majima's stomach and made his way up, taking his time, drinking in Majima’s scent. Majima's breath caught, and he rasped out Kiryu's name as Kiryu reached his neck, lingering on one side before moving to the other, finding Majima’s lips for a moment, before working his way back down.
His hands fumbled with the buckle of Majima’s belt—he was always awkward with these things, and right now he was desperate. Finally successfully unfastening his belt, Kiryu snaked his hand down and stroked the hardening prize that awaited him. As he freed Majima’s cock out of his leather pants, Kiryu wet his lips, eyeing the bead of precum already forming at the tip of him, before taking him in.
“Shit!” Majima hissed. His hands carded into Kiryu’s hair, gripping him tight. His hips twitched and thrust instinctively into Kiryu’s hot mouth, as Kiryu brought his hands over to his buttocks and gripped him tight, driving himself to climax fast, but he cried out for Kiryu to stop soon enough, refusing to have it end there.
With one hand, he plopped Kiryu off his pulsing cock, leaking precum and twitching in the sudden cold, and brought him back to his hungry mouth. Majima moaned inside his mouth as his hands gripped those obscenely strong shoulders, before making their way to Kiryu’s pants.
“Gotta touch ya, Kiryu-chan,” Majima moaned.
Kiryu shifted his position. He sat back and pulled Majima up and against him. Majima straddled him, his long legs wrapped around his hips. Embracing Majima against the cold, Kiryu brought their lips back into a passionate kiss as Majima worked on his own belt and pants. He moaned into Kiryu’s mouth as he was finally rewarded for his effort, and Kiryu got a jolt of thrill when he felt the leather texture against his aching cock.
With their chests pressed so close together Kiryu could hear Majima’s heart pounding against his own chest. A litany from his lover reached Kiryu’s ears, desperate and clouded with lust. Stroking Kiryu until he was rigid and close, he brought their cocks together and gripped them in his leather glove. Kiryu’s breaths came fast and hard, and their kisses grew more frenzied and sloppy as their bodies rocked against one another.
They worked fast, feverishly, and without stopping, uncaring how loud they got. The January air absorbed their cries, their shared secret and scattered it to the wind.
When it was over, they continued to hold one another tightly, keep one another warm amidst the January cold, their ragged breaths coming out as tiny puffs of clouds.
Majima was the first to break the silence as he threw his head back and laughed.
“At this rate, I’ll have enjoyed ya o’er every inch of Kamurocho, Kiryu-chan!”
Kiryu cracked a dry smile as he thought back to all the strange and random places around town they had embraced their passion. He gave Majima one final hug before they parted and got dressed.
Back fully clothed, Majima resumed his spot by the rails of the Millennium Tower, gazing out at the city. Kiryu joined his side and offered a cigarette.
“Seven Stars?” Majima said, squinting at Kiryu’s preferred brand. “Ah, doesn’t matter—a cig always tastes extra sweet after fuckin’ ya,” Majima chuckled, earning a little blush from Kiryu. He remained expressionless as he watched Majima’s calm face, far happier than when he had first approached him. He accepted the cigarette from Kiryu, and then had him light it as though they were still in their younger yakuza days. Kiryu then took a Seven Star for himself.
After his first puff of smoke, while still looking out to the city, he approached the subject of Daigo once more.
Majima rolled onto his side and retrieved a box of cigarettes and a lighter from the nightstand. He gave Kiryu a Hi-Lite, his own preferred brand. A bit too grainy for Kiryu’s liking, but it was Majima’s favorite, and he was offering it to him. Kiryu smiled grimly and took it with a word of thanks. They pressed their cigarettes together to light them up.
“So, how’s Okinawa been treatin’ ya?” Majima asked.
Kiryu really needed to get back and check in on Shiro. But he answered Majima’s questions while surveying the hotel room. Clothes hung haphazardly as though they had made tossing them around a sport. Broken lamps, a couple of splintered shelves. A sock dangled from the corner of a picture frame. Something made of glass lay in shattered pieces.
It was the scene of a battlefield rather than a proper nest for lovemaking, but then again, when it came to the two of them, violence and sex came hand-in-hand.
Kiryu updated Majima as much as he could of the two months they hadn’t seen each other. Throughout his story, Majima caressed his chest and stomach, unable to get enough of him.
“And how’s Daigo?” Kiryu asked.
“Don’t worry about ‘im,” Majima said. “I promised ya I’ll keep an eye on ‘im.”
Kiryu nodded. Just as he was about to get up, Majima gripped his shoulder and pinned him back down.
“I’m ready for part two,” Majima hissed sexily.
“Part two? Where’re you getting this energy from?”
Majima chuckled as he rolled a can toward Kiryu. “Ya gotta ask?”
Kiryu read the can’s slogan. Of course.
If it starts with S and ends with X, it can only be…Staminan X.
“Goro, I have to get back to Shiro,” Kiryu said.
Majima shook his head. “I got my men stationed outside our doors. He’s fine.”
Kiryu blushed. “What? You mean someone’s heard us?!”
Majima chuckled. “Wouldn’t have been the first time.”
“Goro…”
Majima nuzzled against his neck before gently biting on an earlobe. “There’s still a lot I want payback for, Kazuma…” His hand snaked down, caressed down his abs and stroked his cock. Damn, just one touch from Majima, and Kiryu roared back to life instantly.
Kiryu closed his eyes and sighed. Majima just had that effect on him.
He put out his cigarette before giving Majima his full, undivided attention.
In the other room, Shiro gripped the pillow closer to him. He had woken in the middle of the night, and Kiryu was gone. He thought he had gone to the bathroom, but the man never returned. Where was he?
He couldn’t get to sleep, so he had the TV on, the channel set to some cartoon. He thought there was a fight happening in the other room. Whatever was going on in there, it sounded violent and scary.
His mind fed him images of yakuzas in a heated battle, of blood and body parts thrown about. Squeezing his eyes shut, he trembled and wept silently.
Where was Kiryu?! Why was he alone? How he hated Kamurocho!
Notes:
Poor Shiro.
I have written several chapters in advance to give myself plenty of buffer room. (Note: had to repost this chapter due to a glitch). I’m going to see how my schedule pans out and if I like having chapters posted every two weeks. Right now the plan is to post Chapter 2 on Wednesday, February 28.
Chapter 2: I.2. Ends and Beginnings
Notes:
Content notes for this chapter: depiction of a funeral.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Ends and Beginnings
March 2. The following morning one of the Majima Family members stopped by the hotel with a black formal suit for Shiro to wear for his parents’ funeral. Kiryu thanked the family officer politely before calling Shiro over. Just like the new clothes given to him at the Majima Construction office, the funeral suit fit like a glove.
Nodding in approval, Kiryu went to the washroom to change.
Shiro had never been to a funeral before. His grandmother had passed away before he was born, and his mother must have had such a bad relationship with her side of the family that if any of them had died, Shiro would never have known.
Shiro was nervous with what he was about to experience, but he kept all of his worries and questions to himself. He didn’t want to bother Kiryu. Not that the man seemed like the sort to fly off the handle. If anything, he was nothing but warm, gentle, and patient with Shiro.
This was the man who was going to look after him from now on, Shiro kept telling himself. He was still getting used to the thought. Kiryu’s own demeanor was a stark contrast to Majima’s, but this morning he seemed more quiet than usual, silent with preoccupation. Shiro never had a problem with asking his dad questions, but he felt too embarrassed to interrupt Kiryu.
They rode in a black taxi car to their destination, taking them far from Kamurocho. Shiro didn’t ask which funeral hall they were going to, not that he even knew one from another. He just wanted to break the ever-thickening silence in the car. His shaking legs must have caught Kiryu’s attention because he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder at some point. That simple touch, so trivial compared to Majima’s own sweeping grand gestures, was enough to abate much of Shiro’s current worries.
The taxi slowed at a large wide gate, and when the doors opened it revealed a long and wide courtyard before a massive traditional building. Shiro’s jaws fell open. Even he could recognize what this place was.
“But that’s—” he began.
“Yes,” Kiryu said. “That is the Tojo Clan Headquarters. Majima-no-nii-san thinks it will be safest to hold the funeral here.”
Now that Shiro got a better look at the driver, he wasn’t a taxi driver at all. He must have been one of Majima’s men too, a subordinate.
Majima’s got the entire headquarters for me? Shiro thought, dumbstruck.
The moment they stepped out of the car, men in black suits surrounded them. They stood in neat lines on each side of the car, lining up all the way to the entrance of the headquarters’ front doors.
“Welcome, sir!” the first two on each side cried out and bowed as Kiryu and Shiro passed them by. The next pair followed suit, and then the third, and so on, creating a wave as the two walked down the path. Shiro looked up at Kiryu, eyes wide. Was this how yakuza always acted? Was this because Kiryu was the fourth chairman?
A man stood waiting for them by the door, and accompanying him was a tall woman looking regal in a black kimono. Kiryu introduced the man as Dojima Daigo, the current and Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. The woman was his mother, Dojima Yayoi who had been acting chairman for a time a few months back.
“Hajimemashite,” Shiro said shyly, bowing to each of them just as another man approached. A prominent scar ran across the bridge of his nose and down his left cheek.
Kiryu introduced him as Kashiwagi Osamu, Patriarch of the Kazama Family, a Tojo Clan subsidiary. All three of them wore the family crest in the form of a pin. Among the three of them, Daigo was clearly the youngest, which surprised Shiro. Could someone that young lead a yakuza syndicate?
All three greeted Shiro respectfully, and Shiro returned each greeting with utmost respect all the while shaking slightly and trying not to stare at Kashiwagi’s scar. All around him were yakuza. Why did Majima choose this place?
“I must admit, I was not expecting our headquarters to host a funeral for a civilian,” Daigo told Kiryu, “but Majima-san kept insisting, and since this child is important to you, I could not decline. I’m sure he had his reasons.”
“I apologize for any trouble this causes,” Kiryu said.
Daigo shook his head and waved his hand at the same time. “It is no problem. Majima-san said he’ll take care of any…complaints or concerns.” The shared glint of amusement in their eyes told Shiro all he needed to know. He could just picture any confrontations with the mad dog.
Kiryu directed Shiro to the service hall where the wake was to take place.
Majima was already there. Dressed formally in black, he gave off a far more subdued demeanor as he welcomed Kiryu and Shiro. Shiro glanced around the large hall, noting the pews. This must be where the clan went for every funeral for their own men, he thought then shivered. How often did they lose one of their own that they needed to build such a hall right into their headquarters? Did they hold services for every clan member who died? Who was deemed important enough to get a funeral held inside here?
He shoveled the questions away at the back of his mind as his attention was drawn to the altar. Photos of his father and mother smiled back at him, making him gasp softly. Where did the Majima Family find those photos? How quickly did they get them?
“Shiro?” Shiro shook himself out of his reverie and looked up at Kiryu’s patient face. He took his hand and Kiryu led him to the alter. Shiro listened carefully as Kiryu and Majima guided him through the prayer then the steps of lighting incense for each of his parents. Gazing into their smiling faces, captured forever in the photographs, unaware of how they would die, so suddenly and violently. Shivering, he became light-headed and nearly fainted. Kiryu caught him.
“Are you alright, Shiro?”
Shiro nodded and went to sit down at the nearest pew.
Majima had hired the same priest who normally conducted funerals for Tojo Clan members. Shiro was the only relation present for this ceremony of course, as the Majima Family could not risk getting his grandfather, but Kiryu, Majima, and some of Majima’s men also attended. Shiro wondered if these same men were the ones present during the shootout. On their lapels they wore pins displaying the Majima Family crest.
After the priest was done reciting sutras for the deceased, the bodies were taken away for cremation. Shiro followed, as was customary, to witness the bodies being loaded up the trays and into the crematoria. He wasn’t certain if all crematories had this, but this one held multiple chambers, enough to reduce both of his parents to ash at the same time.
He was told to return in about two hours.
They returned back to the headquarters, where it was tradition for them to have a meal. Shiro sat between Kiryu and Majima as they ate. He was asked to share stories of his parents, but Shiro felt he didn’t have stories good enough that would honor their memories. But whatever he could share seemed good enough.
One story about his mother had prompted Majima with a story of his own, and another prompt Kiryu, tying it with something from their own past. It had a ripple effect as men around the table shared stories from their lives.
Shiro’s eyes widened at Kiryu’s stories. Kiryu must have lost so many people in his life. Again, he was struck by how large and warm his eyes were despite everything he had gone through. Even though the man wore a perpetual scowl, once his expression softened, his eyes were windows to his soul, freely offering the onlooker into his life.
Majima was harder to read. Shiro recalled his moment of vulnerability in Karaokekan, where his eye shown with something deeper before it then shut off, as though he was terrified of anyone peering deeper into his soul. He wore layers, Majima, so much so that Shiro wondered if even his whole mad dog persona was just an act.
After the meal, the group disbanded. Majima and Kiryu were deep in private conversation somewhere at one corner of the second story landing. Shiro, meanwhile, was whisked away by some of Majima’s men. Although their heads never turned, Shiro had the distinct sense that Majima and Kiryu kept an eye on him and the others.
He finally got to meet Nishida properly. He vaguely remembered seeing him at Majima Construction yesterday, an unassuming man in a purple button-up shirt and yellow hardhat, the softest-looking man in the bunch.
So this is the man Majima-san is always yelling at, Shiro thought.
Shiro couldn’t fathom how this man had become a yakuza, much less a secretary of sorts for someone like Majima. He still wore his yellow hardhat today, which clashed with his black button-up shirt and slacks. Perhaps to avoid any flying objects Majima might hurl at him.
Out of everyone, Nishida was the kindest. If Nishida had adopted Shiro instead, he wouldn’t have complained at all. At least their surnames matched.
Shiro kept near him, which earned the two some mocking remarks from fellow Majima men. Shiro was beginning to think that maybe he was embarrassing Nishida when Gary Buster Holmes muscled his way into their tiny group, throwing a daring look at them before then taking Shiro on a tour of the place.
Gary and Nishida were quite enthusiastic about showing off the Tojo’s history and headquarters to Shiro, but just one corner alone made Shiro’s head spin. Just how massive was the Tojo Clan Headquarters?
Gary was reciting something on a wall scroll when a young thug or chinpira ran toward them. He had long discarded his shirt and suit jacket, revealing tattoos that were both Japanese and Western inspired. Multiple piercings glinted off his long serpentine face.
"So this is the tyke!" he declared loudly as he picked up Shiro and stuck his face disturbingly close to his own. The hallway light reflected off his eyebrow ring. His grin stretched back, revealing sharp pointy teeth. “Aww, so teeny tiny! Gonna eat ya right up!”
"Put 'im down, Minami! Ya scaring ‘im!” Majima ordered, suddenly appearing out of no where.
Minami was one second too slow following orders. There came a resounding crack as Majima’s fist collided with the side of Minami’s head. His subordinate howled in pain, releasing Shiro.
“OW! Sorry, Boss! Was jus’ tryin’ make ‘im laugh!”
“Ya knucklehead! Do that again and I’m sendin’ ya to the crematory next!”
“Said I was sorry, Boss!”
Gasping, Shiro glanced between them. He wanted to tell Majima that it was okay. He forgave Minami already. The young chinpira was just overenthusiastic! But Shiro couldn’t find his voice.
A gentle large hand swept over Shiro’s shoulders and Kiryu gently coaxed him back to his feet. “How are you, Shiro?”
“I…I’m fine,” Shiro stammered. “Really! He didn’t scare me! Why would he?!”
Kiryu’s scowl softened at Shiro’s word. He gave a little nod before leading Shiro away and back toward Gary and Nishida. Nishida took his hand.
Gary and Nishida resumed their tour. They pointed out relics and their historical importance, and Shiro was given a brief history lesson of the Tojo Clan. From there he learned that the original Tojo chairman, Tojo Makoto, had vicious dogs which he let roam in the garden.
“And that’s Kazama Shintaro,” Kiryu said, as he and Majima joined in on the tour guide. The little group had convened in a small lounge room adorned with photos of numerous chairmen and high officers. “He was an important man in my life…”
Shiro squinted at the photo. There was something written underneath each photograph, but he had trouble reading the text from this distance.
“What’s wrong? Are the characters too advanced for ya?” Majima asked. “I can help ya there. See that guy? That’s Nishiki—”
Shiro shook his head.
“He’s been doing that everywhere we went, Boss,” Nishida said. “We had him look at a wall scroll, but he could barely even make out the hiragana from where he stood.”
Kiryu frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I…can’t see,” Shiro confessed and rubbed his eyes. “Everything’s blurry. It wasn’t like that before the…before the accident.”
Majima gasped loudly and was suddenly at his eye level, grasping Shiro’s shoulders tightly.
“Yer eyesight’s going?!” he cried out. “Are ya able to see us okay?”
“Um, I think so?” Shiro said hesitantly. He noted the concerned look Kiryu and Majima gave one another. Why was that such a big deal? “M-maybe I need glasses. Dad used to wear them…”
Majima didn’t seem to hear him. He shook his head and mumbled a name. Shiro thought he heard. “Makimura Makoto. It’s happening all over again…”
Kiryu shook his head. “I doubt it’s going to be that bad, Majima-no-nii-san. His father wore glasses, so he likely will also need them. The fact that he’s showing signs of needing glasses now shortly after the accident might just be a coincidence.”
Shiro’s lips quivered. He had no qualms about needing glasses, but somehow, the timing of it all just hit strangely. Every part of him was changing. Would his own mother and father recognize him now?
Majima was nodding slowly to Kiryu’s reassurance. “Yer right. Ah, sorry, I’m just…listen, Kiryu-chan…I know an eye doc ya can take him to. They’ll have new glasses for him ready before ya broad the plane.”
Kiryu thanked Majima, hand on Shiro’s shoulders, but there was a sad faraway look in Majima’s eye.
What was Majima thinking about? Who was he thinking about? Shiro met his gaze, but Majima’s only reply was a reassuring smile.
“Everything’ll be alright, Shiro-chan.”
Later, Kiryu and Majima accompanied Shiro back to the crematorium. They guided Shiro in the process of kotsuage, or collecting the bones from the ash into urns using a pair of chopsticks. One was made of bamboo and the other made of willow, symbolizing the world of the living and the afterlife.
“Feet first, don’ want yer mommy an’ daddy hanging upside down,” Majima said gently as Shiro picked up a fragment of bone with the special chopsticks.
They placed the bones in multiple urns. After Kiryu and Shiro’s flight, Majima would take the other urn back to Shiro’s grandfather. “Wouldn’t be right to leave him in the dark,” Majima had said.
This is all that’s left of them… Shiro thought when the ordeal was over, looking sadly at his urn, now wrapped in a box.
Kiryu patted him gently on the back.
Back at the Tojo Clan Headquarters again, Majima presented Shiro with kouden, or condolence money, as a combined gift from the Majima family to Shiro. Shiro accepted the money red-faced, unsure if he should accept such generosity from strangers. One look at Kiryu and he gave a nod, encouraging Shiro to take the envelope.
“Thank you,” Shiro said, nodding to Kiryu, Majima, and the Majima family. “Thank you for helping me through everything.”
“’Tis nothing, little man,” one of the Majima men said. Behind him, a black-eyed Minami gave him a thumbs up and grinned widely, revealing a missing tooth.
“I r’member when I hadda bury me own mum,” another said with sadness in his voice. “Helps when ya got friends around ya.”
“Yer lucky ya had a good relationship with yer folks,” another said. “My dad used’a beat me up ’til I passed out. ’S why my hands shake all the time.”
Shiro averted his eyes as the yakuza held them up to demonstrate. “I’m sorry.”
“Nah, I eventually forgave him. Turns out ‘is boss was a real jerkass to ‘im. ‘e drunk ‘is liver to a right pickle ’n finished ‘imself off with some rat poison, all to avoid paying back a loan shark. Feel sorry for da guy.”
Shiro nodded slowly, still looking away. He held the box close to his chest.
“Thank you,” he said in a small voice before turning back around to face the Majima Family. He fought back tears as he spoke. “Thank you, all of you who attended my parents’ funeral. It means a lot to me. You didn’t have to, and I…I have no one else. I didn’t mean to bother anyone, and I’m sorry if I was a burden to anyone. Thank you for being with me today.”
The men’s faces perked. Some had tears in their eyes.
“Not a problem, little guy!” they said. “We’re honored to stand by you! Live well, little guy!”
Shiro thought he heard a tiny sniffle behind him. Kiryu thanked the attendants again before taking Shiro’s hand. He was smiling down at him. Next to him, Majima quickly wiped at his cheek.
Kiryu and Shiro visited Daigo one more time at his office and thanked him for lending his headquarters for the ceremony. Shiro bowed low and polite, but Daigo shook his hand.
“You’re part of the family,” Daigo said with a nod toward Kiryu.
Next Kiryu led Shiro back to the front of the headquarters where Majima was waiting for them.
“Gonna join ya back to Kamurocho,” Majima said. “Got the files ready for ya waiting back at my office.”
So this was it. Shiro gave the Tojo Headquarters one final look before getting in the car. He sat by the window watching as the buildings blurred by. One of Majima’s men drove as Kiryu and Majima sat in the back beside Shiro. Majima’s head kept lolling on Kiryu’s shoulder, and Kiryu after a time gave a low soft growl under his breath and wrapped his arm around Majima’s shoulder. He stroked Majima’s soft hair absent-mindedly. Shiro caught a glimpse, then looked away, giving them privacy.
NOW LOADING...
At occasional points in the fic you may notice a period or other punctuation underlined. That’s a link to a meme or video, funny bits to bring some levity to the fic and as part of the Time Sink completion. There’s fifty scattered throughout the fic. In fact, there’s one tucked away in Chapter 1! Can you find them all?
Back at Majima’s office, Majima pulled off his tie and undid a few buttons at the top, moaning as if he was freeing himself after a long hard day on the job. He relieved Shiro of the boxed urn and had one of his men take it. It would be loaded up on the plane before them.
“Here ya go, yer brand new identity and everythin’,” Majima said as he handed over the dossier to Kiryu and Shiro. According to the file, Shiro’s parents had both died of deadly illnesses; for that reason, Shiro was interested in becoming a doctor.
He had to pretend he wanted to become a doctor instead of an astronaut…
Shiro made a face, but he supposed if the Kurosu Clan were that intent on finding him they would know all about his interests.
Besides, NASA would need medical personnel on their staff, he rationalized. He could combine the two, then just pretend he lost interest in medicine as he grew older. Easy enough.
“My boys got ya all settled for yer flights—yer ticket’s right here—but there’s still enough time to get yer eyes checked,” Majima went on as he produced a business card. “Here’s the guy. His lab should get yer new glasses ready within an hour or two.”
Kiryu bowed low and deeply as he thanked Majima politely. Shiro replicated Kiryu as much as he could. Majima waved his hand.
“’Tis nothing! Wish we got to your folks sooner…” Majima offered a brief sad smile as he leaned over Shiro, smiling at him.
Shiro studied him. Had it not been for Majima, who knows what would have happened to him. A rush of emotions flooded him, and unable to stop himself Shiro lunged himself at Majima and hugged him.
“Wha—?!”
“I never got to say it,” Shiro said tearfully. “Thank you! Thank you for saving my life, Majima-san!”
“I…I…it was nothin’, Shiro-chan!” Majima’s voice came out a little higher pitched than normal. “I’m just glad yer okay!”
Embarrassed at his actions, Shiro pulled away and smiled up at Majima again. Majima next turned to Kiryu. “And you…”
His tone became strangely serious, and his Osaka-ben suddenly dropped here and there, as he went rummaging through his desk drawer. “You…left this last night.”
Kiryu gave a silent nod at the red button-up shirt Majima showed him. “Keep it. I’m sure it’ll look good on you, Majima-no-nii-san.”
Again Majima was taken aback. Smiling slightly, Kiryu got to his feet and bowed to Majima again. As Kiryu motioned Shiro to get going, his gaze locked with Majima’s. Shiro watched them closely. Apparently they still had something left to say to one another.
“Don’t be gone too long,” Majima said.
“I have children now,” Kiryu said. “You have Daigo to look after.”
“Ya gave me Daigo.”
“And you’ve given me Shiro.”
“Yeah. Guess that makes us equal now, Kiryu-chan.”
Kiryu gave a tiny hum. “Majima-no-nii-san.”
The two continued staring at one another for seemingly an eternity before they suddenly collided into one another like planets drawn into one another’s orbit. Their lips locked, meeting in one smooth, solid, synchronized motion.
Shiro gave a tiny yelp and looked back, embarrassed and wishing to give them privacy but also…curiosity won out. He snuck a peek. What exactly were Kiryu and Majima to each other?
“So long for now,” Majima said when they finally parted, then waved to Shiro. “Don’ be a stranger, alright, Shiro-chan? It’s been a pleasure knowing ya!”
Shiro kept nodding as Kiryu and he made their way back out. Majima saw them off.
“Thank you, Majima-san! Bye-bye!” Shiro said, finally finding his voice just as they reached the strange restroom door of West Park. He waved back just before they entered through the back of the restroom. The door shut behind him, and no more did he see Majima’s construction site.
Just as Kiryu and Shiro disappeared behind the door, Majima’s grin faltered and his shoulders slagged. His lips quivered as tears threatened to spill.
Shiro. Such a sweet little boy.
Had there not been the whole yakuza business going on, Majima would have taken that boy and raised him as his own. All he ever wanted in his life was to be a father. And he had come so close before…
But there were demons riding on the backs of Mirei, decades ago, her career pressuring her to retain a pristine public image of purity. Meanwhile, he was a colossal dick when he had learned what she done to their unborn in effort to keep said public image. The world was not to know that Mirei the idol was pregnant, nor that she was married to a yakuza. Had they not been under the constraints back then, their child would have been graduating from college by now…
By the time Majima fell in love with Makoto, he refused for her to be with him, damned how they both felt. It wasn’t right for her. It wasn’t right for any future kids they may have had together. Majima had wisened up from his days with Mirei. Makoto had already suffered so much, she deserved a life beyond the radius of the yakuza. Now as a yakuza patriarch, Majima could never safely raise a kid in this world, never mind his notoriety making him feared in the criminal underworld. Assassination attempts were a weekly occurrence. How could anyone safely sleep in their beds with the knowledge that their father might never return home to kiss them goodnight?
And yet, he still wanted to be a father…wanted it like burning…
Majima lit a cigarette and sighed heavily. What he would give to be raising those orphanage kids alongside his Kiryu-chan, but Kiryu specifically had a request for him. Majima had complicated matters by insisting only taking on the task should Kiryu defeat him in a fight…and of course Kiryu won. Convinced him through and through. Of course Majima would honor it. He would honor anything Kiryu asked of him.
“You okay, Boss?” Tsukada asked as he tentatively approached him. “Uh…you look like you’re about to cry.”
“No, yer aboutta cry!” Majima shrieked out and whacked Tsukada on the head over and over, turning all of his pent-up tears into frustration and releasing it onto his subordinate. “Where’s Nishida?! Get him now!”
“Are you and Majima-san married?” Shiro asked some time later.
Kiryu, who was resting back on his chair with his arms folded, took the question calmly with a faint chuckle. “No, we are not married.”
“Boyfriends, then?”
“Majima-no-nii-san is important to me. He was my aniki for years while I was still in the yakuza.”
Shiro nodded and gazed into the cup of juice in his hands. Then that meant that for a time, Majima was on a rank higher than Kiryu, although Kiryu became a chairman.
“He’s important to you?”
Kiryu nodded.
“Why didn’t you take him with you to the orphanage? He looked like he wanted to go with you.”
Kiryu smiled sadly. “It’s complicated. I needed him to look after someone here.”
Daigo. Why would a chairman need someone to look after him? He had his mother by his side. Shiro glanced to the side.
“What do you think of Majima-no-nii-san?” Kiryu asked.
“He’s a little scary sometimes,” Shiro said truthfully, “like you don’t know what he’s going to do or say next.”
“I can never get a read on him,” Kiryu agreed.
“But he’s also really very nice, and sometimes…he seems sad. I feel like he needs a hug.”
Kiryu nodded and stared off into space. “Yeah.”
The eye clinic wasn’t that far from the construction site, situated in a cramped little space on the corner of Park Alley and East Shichifuku Street. All around them were numerous tiny shops advertising adult toys. Shiro knew better than to ask Kiryu about them. Adults always got uncomfortable around such matters. Maybe adults playing with toys were seen as weird, Shiro surmised. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t going to open his mouth and embarrass a yakuza chairman about it.
The eye doctor had been expecting them; perhaps Majima had called him beforehand. He chuckled that he didn’t often have young patients, making Shiro think he usually treated gangster types.
Nonetheless, the process went quick and painless, and Kiryu and he were told to return in about an hour. Meanwhile, Kiryu brought Shiro to a place called Bantam, a bar just east of the tower. The bartender seemed to know Kiryu personally because he addressed him by name. The fact that Kiryu had a child didn’t trouble him at all. He seemed used to preparing drinks little children could enjoy.
Kiryu had picked this spot because he had needed Shiro to meet someone, and that someone arrived some time later.
Kiryu introduced Shiro to Detective Date Makoto, who was filing a report to send to the Division 4: Organized Crime in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He too knew Kiryu very well.
“I apologize for making you relive something you’d rather forget,” Date said. “If you’d rather not answer something, that’s fine. Majima-san’s already given me a report. We just need a statement from you.”
Shiro nodded. If this was to stop the Kurosu Clan, who, according to Detective Date, were still at large…
He agreed to it.
Much to Shiro’s dismay, he came to learn from Date that his parents had died right near West Park, the patch of land that led into Majima’s Construction site. He would never be able to look at that area again without the memories haunting him.
Afterwards, they returned to the eye clinic, where Shiro slipped on his new glasses. The frames made his face rounder than it was, and overall he appeared like the archetypal book nerd, but at least it made him look a little less like Majima.
“How do you like them?” Kiryu asked as the eye doctor stood nearby, watching Shiro and smiling expectingly.
His head spun a little. He would need some time to get used to them, but he could already read the words far across the room.
Kiryu thanked the optometrist profusely, and more so when the man refused any payment. “Majima-san’s gotten that taken care of.”
“He really cares for you, Shiro,” Kiryu said to Shiro, smiling down at him and ruffling up his hair a little.
Feeling his cheeks pink a little, Shiro kept close to Kiryu as the two left. They made their way south and around a massive tower. Shiro craned his head to get a good look at the top. His neck cricked.
Kiryu chuckled. “When I used to be a real estate agent in the ‘80s, the Millennium Tower didn’t exist.”
“You were a real estate agent?” Shiro asked, surprised. “I thought you were a yakuza!”
Kiryu chuckled. “For some time I had an honest job.”
“What used to be here instead?”
“The Kamuro Shopping Area. It was very cramped walkway, with all sorts of shops and bars and only a tiny patch of bare land untouched…” Shiro thought he saw a shadow of sadness cross Kiryu’s eyes, but it soon passed. “This area looked completely different in 1988 from how it does now.”
Shiro glanced back as he tried to envision how the street looked back in the year 1988. How old were his mother and father back then? Quick calculation in his head gave the ages of 9 and 10. Kids, like him. A lump formed in the back of his throat.
They passed the theater next, and Shiro couldn’t help grabbing a glance at the posters. His parents and he always went to the movies together. Was Kiryu a movie-goer? Were the other kids at the orphanage?
Just as they were crossing the wide intersection, a loud voice cried for them to stop.
“Who do you think you’re glaring at, old man!” spat a foul-looking irate thug. All around more thugs were gathering. Kiryu became stock still, but Shiro sensed a rising tension coming from him. His eyes had turned into slits, watching the chinpira from the peripherals.
“Hey, who’s the tyke with ya?” a disgruntled yakuza spat as he joined the gathered group. “Shit, ya think that’s the Shirogane kid?”
The newcomers were all wearing pins, just as the Tojo and Majima men had, displaying their family crest on their jackets and lapels. From where he was standing, Shiro could read the kanji easily. He burned the pin’s design and kanji of the Kurosu Clan into his memory.
“Looks about the same age...”
Someone called out for reinforcements.
Kiryu’s eyes flashed dangerously. Quicker than lightening he snatched Shiro off the street, and before Shiro knew it he was deposited into the safety of someone’s arms. Moments later he realized Kiryu had put him in the care of one of the workers in the nearby ice cream parlor, Gelateria Kamurocho.
Now one against a gang of a dozen or more, Kiryu threw himself headlong into battle with the Kurosu Clan.
Everyone out on the streets and inside the shop stopped what they were doing and watched, all utterly transfixed. A line formed around the battle outside with some people cheering while others were screaming in horrified fascination.
“Oh my, is that who I think it is?” cried out one of the Gelateria Kamurocho workers excitedly as staff and customers pressed themselves against the glass, watching and cheering Kiryu on.
“That is! That must be the Dragon of Dojima! Kiryu Kazuma!”
“I’ve heard so much about him! My friend’s always going on about goons trying to best him in the street—honestly, who’d they think they are trying to defeat him? Look at him go!”
“Ouch, that guy’s just lost all his teeth!”
“How’d he do that with his cigarette? Damn, I gotta try that!”
“Hey, did that shop owner over there just throw Kiryu a hot tea kettle?! Ha! Burn, baddie, burn!”
“Mari, hey Mari! Did Kiryu just grab your bicycle?! He’s gonna break it over that guy’s head—!”
“He can use me to break a goon anytime! What a dreamboat!”
Shiro watched, trembling from head to toe, as Kiryu took down every single foe coming at him. Every last one. Faces were smashed in. Thugs were grabbed and thrown, then stomped by Kiryu’s feet. One with a knife who ran toward Kiryu got sent flying through the air by some fast and unexpected counterattack where Kiryu suddenly dropped down and thrust his right fist out with a war cry.
A pile of Kurosu goons lay strewn across the intersection, moaning and groaning in agony. All Shiro could think was, These are the people who killed my parents. They have blood on their hands.
Now standing alone on the battlefield, Kiryu turned around and stormed inside. He approached, stomping and still fuming. Blue and red flames seemed to engulf him. His eyes burned with raging fire.
“Shiro,” Kiryu said, the Dragon’s voice deep and powerful, shaking the walls of the humble little gelato shop, “what is your favorite ice cream?”
Later, Shiro nibbled into his scoop of black sesame gelato in a place called Stardust as Kiryu made a series of phone calls. Kiryu knew the two men who owned the place, named Kazuki and Yuya. Stardust was a type of business called a host club, Shiro was told. Whatever that meant.
Upon seeing them coming down Tenkaichi Street, Yuya had thrown his hands up, called out, “Kiryu-san!” and took them in immediately. Kazuki had set a spot for them to sit where they would not be seen by anyone stopping by, which wasn’t likely at this hour. Whatever this business was, adorned with a crystalline chandeliers, fancy lights, and velvet seats, as classy as the place Majima took Shiro to after rescuing him, it still had not opened for business.
Shiro studied Kazuki and Yuya’s fancy suits and gelled up hair, letting himself get lost in their well-kept appearance. Nearby Kiryu paced in front of the velvety seats as he made one phone call after another, one to Detective Date and another to Majima.
“Ya leave the Kurosu fucks to me, Kiryu-chan!” Shiro heard Majima’s voice through Kiryu’s phone.
They were still in their funeral attire, and Kiryu worried they would be recognized if they came back out still dressed the same.
Plopping down next to Shiro, Kiryu sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Shiro.”
Shiro shook his head. He was still shaking, but it might have been from the gelato.
“Are you alright?”
Shiro nodded, but he could not wait for them to leave Kamurocho. This place was too dangerous.
“Didn’t realize you were back so soon,” Yuya said, stopping by. “Why didn’t you ring?”
“Sorry,” Kiryu said. “I was here on urgent business.” He gave Shiro’s hand a quick comforting squeeze. “And we can’t stay long. We’re actually on our way to the airport.” He nodded toward Kazuki who had just appeared beside Yuya. “Glad to see you’re back on your feet.”
Kazuki nodded. “I got the all clear from Dr. Emoto a while back. If you need anything, Kiryu-san, just let us know.”
A Majima family officer stopped by with a change of clothes. Kazuki and Yuya led them to the back room where their hosts got ready for their shifts. There were a few already busy in the backroom, and their appearance took Shiro by surprise. Their hair were gelled and done up in ways that he normally didn’t see in his everyday life, and everyone wore flashy suits—not the gaudy sort many yakuza wore, but the sort that was actually appealing to the eye.
They welcomed Kiryu and Shiro with bright smiles, and some of those smiles made Shiro blush a little. He couldn’t stop staring at them. They were like the pretty boys in anime shows the teenage girls in his neighborhood often fawned over.
The young men gave Kiryu and Shiro privacy so they could change out of their clothes. Facing the wall, Shiro slipped into the same yellow short-sleeved hoodie and blue shorts from before. The officer had also given him a royal violet-colored jacket. He wouldn’t need it for the second half of the trip, but Shiro slipped it on, as the hoodie alone was admittedly a bit too cool for Tokyo weather.
Turning around, Shiro was suddenly facing a god. Taken aback, Shiro jumped back and blinked; he stared into the eyes of a most serene silvery dragon adorning Kiryu’s bare back, her head geared toward the heavens, clasping a silvery-white orb in one claw, all before crimson red curtained her from view, followed shortly by the familiar grey suit jacket.
Seiryu…
“Wow…” Shiro gasped before he could stop himself. He thought back to the star he had seen on the night of his parents’ deaths: Antares, the heart of the Azure Dragon.
“Hmm?” Kiryu turned around.
“Is that the Azure Dragon?” Shiro asked. “One of the four celestial guardians?”
Kiryu gave a tiny chuckle. “This is the Nobori-Ryu, the Ascending Dragon. The artist who inked my back believed I have what it takes to carry this dragon on my back.”
“Oh. Are dragons important to the yakuza?”
Kiryu nodded. “The meaning changes depending on which direction the head is pointing.”
Shiro assumed the Ascending Dragon was the highest regarded. But then what did that mean about the Hannya on Majima’s back? What had the artist seen in Majima to suggest such a demon, or had it been Majima who selected her?
“Do you like dragons, Kiryu-san?” Shiro asked.
Kiryu’s smile was small yet adoring. “You could say I have a soft spot for them.”
Just then Yuya announced that the coast was clear, and Kiryu folded up his and Shiro’s funeral suits into the travel case. He thanked Kazuki and Yuya for their hospitality before motioning for Shiro to follow.
“Best of luck, Kiryu-san,” Yuya said. “And to you too, little guy!”
Shiro thanked them with each a polite bow before rushing out, clasping onto the hem of Kiryu’s jacket as they left. They made it to the Ichiban-gai, the famous red arch marking the entrance to Kamurocho. Standing underneath it, Shiro glanced back, and wishing he would never step foot in Kamurocho ever again, he took Kiryu’s hand and together they left.
A taxi drove them to Tokyo International Airport without any further incident. By the time they boarded the plane, forty minutes had passed since they left Kamurocho. The flight to Okinawa would take about two and a half hours.
Shiro took a window seat, which on second thought was probably a bad idea. As Tokyo shrunk smaller and smaller underneath him, tears welled in his eyes and his heart grew heavier. He’ll never sleep in his old bed again. He’ll never hear his grandfather’s voice again, never see his friends at school, never hear the tires gently halt against the pavement of the driveway, signaling that his father had come home from work…
“Shiro?” came Kiryu’s gentle voice.
Shiro shook his head and buried his face in the large man’s arm sleeve, remembering how well-toned his body was underneath it. He played back how Kiryu took down one of the Kurosu men with just a pair of chopsticks a man from a local eatery had tossed out to him.
“How many kids are in the orphanage?” Shiro asked after some time. What was it called again? Morning Glory Orphanage?
“Three boys and four girls,” Kiryu said. “You will be the youngest boy there, and the second-youngest child.”
I’m going to have siblings, Shiro thought. He was used to being an only child. Now he was going to be a younger brother to many.
“Why in Okinawa?” he asked. “Are you Okinawan, sir?”
Kiryu shook his head. “I had taken over the orphanage after the previous manager passed away.”
Shiro nodded. “So everyone has been there before you became manager?” That meant everyone would be more familiar to life in Okinawa than him. That also meant the kids knew one another longer than they knew him…
Would he be able to fit in?
“Mostly, yes,” Kiryu answered Shiro’s question. “There is a girl who joined with me. He name is Haruka. She’s the daughter of a woman I knew and cared deeply for. Her name was Yumi.” The way he mentioned this woman made Shiro wonder how deep this bond went. “After the manager passed, Kashiwagi-san offered me the position to take over. It was always my dream to look after children, but there weren’t many opportunities for me, given my history. This was my only chance, so I took it.”
“Kashiwagi-san?” Why did that name sound familiar?
“You’ve met him.”
“Oh!” Shiro gasped, remembering the dour-faced man with the large scar running across his face. “Wait, the yakuza?” He kept his voice very low, so that the other passengers didn’t hear.
Kiryu nodded, seemingly not having noticed Shiro’s discomfort. “Morning Glory Orphanage has ties to Sunflower Orphanage back in Tokyo. Both were started up by Kazama Shintaro and Kashiwagi-san.”
So the two orphanages had ties to the yakuza. That was the only way an ex-yakuza chairman could become a supervisor at an orphanage.
“Sunflower is being well taken care for,” Kiryu went on, “so I could not just take over there. Sunflower was where I was raised.”
“You were an orphan, sir?”
Kiryu nodded again. “Yes. I was born in Yokohama, but I lived in Tokyo for most of my life after my parents’ deaths. Kazama Shintaro initially ran Sunflower. He had raised me as though I were his own son. The kids there became my family: Nishiki and his sister Yuko, Yumi, and a few others…Nishiki and I joined the yakuza because of Kazama.”
“Nishiki, Yuko…Yumi…” Shiro repeated. He vaguely recalled some of the names being ones Kiryu mentioned while they were dining back at Tojo Headquarters. He picked up the affectionate yet forlorn way Kiryu had said their names—wait, was that the same Yumi who had Haruka? “Did I meet Nishiki at the funeral?”
A sad sheen glimmered in Kiryu’s eyes. “No, you didn’t. Everyone I had just mentioned, including Kazama, had died within one month of one another.”
Shiro gasped, and tried to imagine his own soon-to-be siblings, losing everyone in one fell swoop.
“I don’t want to be a yakuza!” he said hastily.
Kiryu chuckled. “I will never ask that from you or the others. I’ve seen firsthand what that life is like, and I’ve moved away from all it. I want all of you at the orphanage to lead an honest life. All I want is for you to be happy, Shiro.”
By the time their plane landed at Naha Airport, it was already nighttime. Shiro’s head spun a little at suddenly seeing much more English text along with Japanese all around him. He didn’t know any English—it wasn’t compulsory until eighth grade—and wondered if Okinawa taught more English than in the mainland.
The climate was notably more tropical here, such that Kiryu needed to strip out of his grey blazer. Shiro removed his own jacket and stuffed it in along with his black suit in Kiryu’s travel bag.
Gathering up their luggage, with Shiro now holding the urn in his hands, they took a train to downtown Ryukyu for a quick errand. From there Kiryu showed Shiro to the monorail and showed him how to get to Morning Glory Station, and how he would later be able to use the same monorail to get to his school.
The monorail got them to the neighborhood within ten minutes. By now the skies were pitch black, made darker by the fact that the street lamps and storefront neon lights that normally graced the Tokyo nightlife were absent here down in the island. On their left was the ocean, and dotting along the path were tall palm trees. During the day the view would be nothing but a canvas of blues, sands, and greens, as different from Shiro’s old life as can be.
To their right were coral and limestone walls acting as a gate and barrier for the traditional Okinawan abodes they protected from typhoons. Above every house was the same red roof tiles, making Shiro wonder how he would come to distinguish the orphanage from the other houses.
Shiro glanced up as they walked, realizing he could see the stars a lot more clearly here, dazzling beautifully in the pristine black night. His father would have loved the view.
Kiryu pointed out certain homes to Shiro, telling him the names of the neighbors around, who they were, and promising to give him more proper introductions later.
“That's Miyara-san's house. He and his wife live alone, but they're very supportive and kind. They helped me settle in when I first moved here. Don't hesitate to ask them any question. And that's Oba’s house. She’s an elderly woman but she knows the town like the back of her hand. Don’t be shy around her. She’s always ready to help out.”
This neighborhood sounded incredibly safe, safer than Kamurocho; Shiro should be able to trust everyone here.
“We’re here,” Kiryu said just as they neared a wide expanse. He motioned Shiro toward the beach. “This is an extension of our land. The kids often play here, but it’s not uncommon to find others from the neighborhood stop by. However, it is closed to tourists.”
So no one from the outside should bother them. Shiro’s eyes widened. A whole beach to themselves. He wasn’t much of a swimmer himself, but he hadn’t expected the orphanage to have an entire beach. Kiryu chuckled.
“Sometimes I get the fish for our dinner here,” he said.
“You fish, sir?” Shiro asked, studying Kiryu.
Kiryu nodded. “My skills still need improving. Sometimes I’ll jump right into the ocean if I have to.”
Shiro’s eyes snapped to the water then back to Kiryu, wondering if he was nuts.
They made their way to the orphanage at last. Morning Glory Orphanage was a traditional Okinawan abode, a wide one-story building with the same red-tiled roof as all the houses around it. A plate on the limestone wall was written in hiragana “あさがお”—Asagao, Morning Glory. On top of each pillar of the wall was a Shisa statue, the Okinawan guardian lion. Per tradition, one lion stood its mouth closed and another with its teeth bared: one to keep good spirits in, and another to keep bad spirits out.
Studying the faces of the Shisa lion statues, Shiro felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. Something felt right and home about them.
Warm light within the house spilled onto the wide courtyard, and once they stepped past the gates, voices called out.
“Ojisan! Ojisan’s back!”
Commotion followed as small figures suddenly popped onto the engawa, a long verdana that lined the front of the house.
“Uncle Kaz! You’re back!”
The jitters that began back when they first landed on Morning Glory Station shot back up as Shiro saw seven children make their way to the courtyard. The first to appear was a large tubby boy a few years older than Shiro. He tackled Kiryu as though they were in a wrestling ring, almost knocking the wind out of him. Kiryu just laughed good-naturedly.
“Taichi,” he greeted with a playful sigh and shake of his head as others joined in. There was one girl who looked smaller than Shiro, but she climbed over the others to get her hands around Kiryu.
The eldest child, a very pretty girl with deep warm eyes, approached slowly and bowed. “Ojisan, you’re back!”
“Haruka,” Kiryu said with a little bow of his head, unbothered by being swarmed by an army of children. Immediately Shiro could sense the bond between them went a little deeper than the others, having known one another a little longer.
After the kids had their fill of squeezing the life force out of Kiryu, their interested faces soon turned toward Shiro.
“Is that the new kid?” asked a boy in a blue tee-shirt.
“Yes,” Kiryu said as he untangled himself from his kids. “Why don’t we go inside?“
Haruka nodded eagerly. “Ayako and I’ve prepared dinner. I’m sure you’re both very tired and hungry!”
The aforementioned Ayako, also among the oldest and who wore hear hair in two braids, nodded her head. “You arrived just in time.”
While the other kids carried Kiryu off toward the dining room, leaving a trail of questions and chatter in their wake, the two eldest girls helped Shiro put his luggage into a room. They found a safe and steady place to set his parents’ urn.
Looking out toward the ocean again, Shiro noticed that Haruka was studying him. She smiled warmly at him as she offered her hand to show him around. “I know you must be really sad after losing your parents. I was sad for a long time too. But I found being here helped to wash my worries away. We’re all here for you, Shiro.”
The orphanage, like all traditional homes here, didn’t have a front door. The place was built so that it was harmonious with nature. There were two twelve-mat rooms for the kids. Next to them was a smaller six-mat room for Kiryu, atop which was a sign with a handwritten “Ojisan’s Room” and decorated by one of the kids. Haruka’s room was situated next to Kiryu’s on the other side of the hall, also small.
Across Kiryu’s room was the dining room. In the corner was a television set, and beside it was an archway leading to a small kitchen. The kids all huddled at their favorite seats. Shiro had hoped he could snatch a seat beside Kiryu, and was glad to find the spot on his right free. Haruka sat right next to him at the head of the table, and Taichi grabbed a spot on her left, thus facing Shiro.
Kiryu introduced Shiro to the rest of the family, before giving him a chance to speak himself. Shiro hated the feeling of all those eyes on him.
“Hello,” he said shyly. “My name is Nishida Shiro.”
“Nice to meet you, Shiro!” everyone said as though they were in class. They each then went down the line giving their names. Shiro tried to memorize everyone as quickly as he could. He could name off any star in the night sky. This shouldn’t be as hard.
Shiro went on to give them the story he had rehearsed from Majima’s dossier. He was sure one of them, such as Taichi or Riona who was scrutinizing him with keen interest, or little Izumi the youngest would somehow sniff out his lie.
Instead they were watching him with rapt attention and reacted accordingly.
“A doctor?” Mitsuo said when Shiro was done. “Hey, how cool if we get a doctor in the family?”
The other kids expressed their agreement before tucking into their dinner.
As they ate the kids continued to ask Shiro questions. Being new, there were so many vital information the children had to know about him:
What was his favorite color? His favorite shape? Favorite sports? (All the boys wanted to know this—and what baseball team did he root for?) His favorite place to shop in Tokyo? (That was Riona’s question once she learned he was a Tokyoite; her eyes nearly burned a hole through him as he tried to come up with an answer.) His third favorite dinosaur? (Izumi). His favorite school subjects (Ayako).
Haruka asked him what his birthday was.
“February 29?” Izumi said, thinking really hard. “That day doesn’t exist!”
Koji, the boy in the blue tee-shirt, was quick to explain the concept of Leap Years to her.
“When was the last February 29 then?” Izumi asked.
“That would be in 2004,” Ayako said.
“2004?” Izumi concentrated real hard. “I was…four years old!”
Kiryu hesitated. “Izumi…what did I teach you?”
“Oh, yeah…” Izumi held out her hands and recounted. “I was…three years old!”
“When do you celebrate your birthday when it’s not a leap year?” Haruka asked Shiro.
“Usually first of March,” Shiro said.
“Wait, but then that means the day’s passed already,” Taichi butt in. “Today’s March second.”
Murmurs swept around the table. Shiro stared into his bowl of rafute soba noodles.
“Yeah…both of my parents died on March first, in the early morning,” Shiro said in a small voice, but the others still heard him.
He figured this tiny morsel of the truth wouldn’t hurt. If it would raise any suspicions as to why Kiryu was called so quickly to take him to his orphanage, no one showed any signs.
Instead, the entire table erupted into sympathetic gasps. Haruka, Ayako, and Riona covered their faces as tears welled up in their eyes. And then the table erupted into chaos as everyone, from Haruka down to little Izumi, empathetically declared that they wanted Shiro to celebrate his seventh birthday right here at the orphanage with them.
“Let’s do it tomorrow!” Taichi said, nearly skyrocketing out of his seat. “Tomorrow’s Saturday! Let’s do it! Can we, Uncle Kaz?”
Shiro’s eyes grew wide and he turned toward Kiryu, begging him for backup. Kiryu had been quiet the entire time, apparently content to let the children take charge of the situation. Catching Shiro’s pleading gaze, he nodded toward him.
“That’s for Shiro to decide,” he said.
Shiro turned back to the seven expecting faces. He wasn’t at all in the mood for a birthday party. Every time he closed his eyes he could still smell the burning asphalt and car tires, hear his mother’s screams, watch his father’s skull shatter…
But he didn’t want to disappoint his new siblings either. He didn’t know what had made any of them orphans, and he didn’t want to pretend his story was any worse or most tragic than theirs. They were watching with such innocent anticipation that rejecting their kind offer felt cruel.
But he didn’t want to cause trouble for Kiryu either.
What should he do?
Shiro bowed his head. “I don’t wish to impose on your time—”
“—No, we want to celebrate your birthday!” everyone insisted excitedly. “We want to celebrate you!”
Shiro’s lips quivered at their words. Did they really like him this much already? “—but, I’m grateful you’re thinking of me. I really am. You don’t have to bother yourself, but I am grateful. Thank you. Really.”
That was all the permission they needed. Haruka, Ayako, and Riona immediately went into planning the birthday cake they were going to bake together, with little Izumi blurting out design ideas, the next more outlandish than the last. The boys were loudly brainstorming outside activities and what other fun games they were going to all do tomorrow involving the entire family.
It all sounded terribly exhausting…and exhilarating. The kids were doing all of this for him. They were going to celebrate him. He felt embarrassed but also deeply appreciated, especially because they kept asking him what he would like on the cake or what theme he wanted or what sorts of games he liked to play. He almost burst into tears. He really didn’t want all of this attention—genuine, kind attention, but the kids, his new sisters and brothers, were excited for the big day tomorrow.
Kiryu, meanwhile, watched everyone with a content smile.
When dinner winded down and Mitsuo and Koji took care of the cleanup, Shiro curled up against Kiryu as he smoked and watched TV; Shiro meanwhile ignored the playful ribbing from Taichi about hogging up Ojisan from the others.
“Hey, new kid! Leave Uncle Kaz for the rest of us!”
Kiryu shook his head and snuggled Shiro closer to him. Up against him, Shiro felt warm and safe. He must have dozed off because the next thing he recalled was Kiryu shaking him gently to get up and get ready for bed.
The kids took their turns taking a bath and then preparing their beds. As they passed Shiro, each kid gave Shiro a goodnight hug before running off to their respective bedroom.
Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo joined Shiro in their room. They gave him a quick tour of the layout, pointing out where he was to place his school stuff, his clothes, which shelves were his for books and toys.
“Don’t you dare touch my shelves!” Taichi warned, which made everyone else just laugh. Shiro was already realizing that despite his age and intimidating size, Taichi was nothing to be scared of. In fact, it was Taichi who helped Shiro pick out a spot in the room to sleep on, and then helped to unroll his futon before turning back to fix his own.
Shiro set the Bun-chan Majima had won for him on the shelf right beside his bed.
The four boys changed into their bedclothes then sat around and chatted for a bit, talking excitedly about all the things they were going to do tomorrow, before sleep slowly caught up to them one by one.
It wasn’t until the lights were turned off and everyone had finally fallen asleep that Shiro’s mood plummeted once more. Tucked under the covers in the still pitch darkness, he was keenly aware of everything, every breath and every gust of wind beyond the wall. Because the house didn’t have a door save for the amado keeping them close to nature, and the walls were rather thin, the beach sounded suddenly far closer than before.
As the crashing waves filled his ears, Shiro imagined tearfully the tides drawing out his parents from their urn, and his parents’ spirits being lifted up, floating forever over the black ocean toward the constellation of the Azure Dragon awaiting them.
Notes:
Bye to Majima for now, but don’t worry. We’ll see him sooner than expected! Regarding Mirei, I decided to set their backstory to the early 80s instead of the 90s so that Mirei happened before Makoto. It doesn't impact Yakuza 5's story and I feel it removes the inconsistencies Yakuza 0 created with regards to 5.
Next chapter is set for Wednesday, March 13.
Chapter 1 and 2's art were done by the amazing Miamiero! Thank you so much! 🥰 You can Like, RT, and comment to their art here!
Chapter 3: I.3. Sibling Rivalry
Summary:
Chapter 3 of a Yakuza story! You know what that means! Substories have now been unlocked! (and I have set out for myself to write...101 of them...but some are part of the main fic for it can't be too bad, right?) Anyhow, the Pawn Shop and the Gaming Center have also been unlocked, now that Kiryu and Shiro can freely move around their home base in Okinawa. You can access them on the home screen of your Activity Log.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: Sibling Rivalry
March 3. By the time Shiro awoke, it was already past noon. Kiryu and Haruka had returned from Downtown Ryukyu carrying several shopping bags. That immediately got the kids excited all around Shiro. They could barely focus on their lunch.
Again Shiro was struck by not just their energy but also how genuinely eager they were to celebrate him.
“Shiro, you said you like stars and planets, right?” Riona asked while rummaging through the grocery bags. “Um, you like glitter?—Haruka got sprinkles…”
“You wanna build a rocket ship later?” Koji called out from the doorway as he held up some large cardboard. “Taichi, Mitsuo, and I can lift ya off to space!”
“Sprinkles!” Izumi darted out and snatched the bottle from Riona’s hand, knocking her to the ground in the process. Ayako patiently chastised her younger sister for the rude behavior.
With all the cake-baking ingredients acquired, birthday streamers at the boys’ disposal, and other little crafts and trinkets laid out for the day ahead, the birthday party had officially kicked off.
True to their word, the boys took Shiro outside to the courtyard to build him a spaceship. The courtyard was spacious, with one corner sporting a mini playground for the kids. Bushes adorned either side of the gate, bejeweled with aromatic beautiful hibiscuses.
The boys were fully equipped with their school supplies and the building kit Kiryu had brought them, so they set off to work right away.
“Careful with the scissors,” Kiryu advised, watching as he sat at the courtyard table, cigarette tucked between his lips.
“Oh, these are new!” Mitsuo said as he studied a new bottle of glue. “Hey, Uncle Kaz, you bought Shiro his school supplies yet?”
Kiryu nodded. “Yeah. He will be starting his new school Monday.”
Shiro’s heart thumped in his chest. A new school. His mind immediately flashed to the friends he had left behind. He wasn’t sure if he needed the reminder…
“Oh, am I using your supplies?” Mitsuo asked and glanced at Shiro apologetically.
Kiryu chuckled. “Shiro has his own set for class.”
“You’ll be going to the same school as us,” Taichi said to Shiro, grinning. “If you get lost, just find one of us.”
“Yeah, there’s so many of us, you can just sneeze and your boogers’ll land on any one of us!” Koji added.
“And if any anyone gives ya hard time, you tell me, got it? Your big brother will knock all their teeth off!”
“Yeah!” Koji and Mitsuo affirmed while pounding their fists into their palms in perfect imitation of Kiryu.
“Boys…” Kiryu warned and shook his head, chuckling briefly.
Shiro giggled and blushed. “I’ll be fine…”
The boys had Shiro dictate how he wanted his spaceship to look. He couldn’t help but rattle off facts about outer space as they worked, which impressed his brothers to no end.
“Wow, Shiro, you’re so smart! No wonder you’re gonna become a doctor!” Koji said, jaws open.
Kiryu stubbed his cigarette and excused himself inside to check in on the girls. From the sounds of things, they were really getting into the baking.
The girls collaborated on a giant birthday cake and a birthday celebration meal, working tirelessly in the cramped little kitchen. Their laughter and chatter carried through to the outside as the boys worked on their spaceship .
“Everything’s fine,” Kiryu said as he reappeared, nodding his head.
“They didn’t let you stay long, Uncle Kaz?” Mitsuo said.
“Why? Worried you’d burn the house down?” Taichi laughed before turning to Shiro. “He’s awful at baking.”
“Hoi hoi!” Kiryu’s face grew red as he placed his hands on his hips. But Shiro couldn’t help himself; he giggled along with his brothers.
The ship was just about done. The others had him sit atop and attempted to carry him even as Kiryu cautioned them to be careful. Even Shiro had to agree with Kiryu as he felt the cardboard shake and crackle underneath him. He was about to ask them to put him down for fear of his safety when suddenly he was shot high in the sky.
The other boys cried out in admiration, and Shiro looked around, dazed, before his eyes fell on Kiryu. The ex-yakuza was holding up the makeshift spaceship with one arm and smiling up at him. Kiryu silently asked him a question using only his deep, dark eyes. Shiro nodded.
That was when Kiryu threw the spaceship up, and Shiro held tight, laughing and screaming, the rush of warm wind wonderful against his cheeks. The cardboard gave away, and down he went, but he didn’t feel scared, just the brief burst of thrill until he landed safely into a pair of big, strong arms.
The boys around them cheered and clapped, unbothered that all their work had just gone to pieces in seconds. Shiro buried his face in Kiryu’s neck, his heart racing.
“Liked that?” Kiryu said, smiling. Shiro blushed and nodded.
Kiryu asked Shiro what he wanted to do next. After all that activity and excitement, Shiro wanted something calm next, so he picked karuta, a simple and relaxing card game. Koji and Mitsuo went along with it, but Taichi constantly groaned that the game was too boring and bounced around on the log-like stool of the courtyard table, earning himself frequent looks from Kiryu.
“Taichi…do this for your brother,” Kiryu eventually ordered, his patience starting to finally wear thin.
“I-it’s okay,” Shiro said, worried about a fight breaking out. Did Kiryu ever get angry at the kids?
Kiryu shook his head toward Shiro, warning him not to intervene. “How about this, Taichi? You get the most cards right, then you can decide on the next activity.”
That was all the motivation Taichi needed. He hunkered down immediately and gave the card game his undivided attention. It was almost scary how laser-focused he became. The other boys didn’t stand a chance.
Taichi got his victory, and with that, Taichi wasted no time in picking the next activity. He chased the others toward the beach, screaming like some kind of yokai and scattering cards everywhere, leaving Kiryu behind to clean up the mess. Shiro in his haste to not get crushed by the larger boy tripped and face-planted right into the sand, and by the time he dug himself out, coughing out sand and wiping grit form his glasses, it was to find Taichi and Mitsuo in the heat of a wrestling match.
Koji was sitting back a few feet away from him, watching the impromptu fight.
“They always get into it,” Koji laughed to Shiro, motioning to the two boys. “Uncle Kaz’s gonna flip if he catches us. Mitsuo’s no match for Taichi. Hey…” A sudden evil glint shone in his eyes. “…now that I’ve a new little brother…”
“No!” Shiro jumped to his feet and ran for cover, kicking up sand everywhere. He could feel Koji right at his heels, and he shrieked, laughing and dodging Koji’s raging bull-like charge before a pair of hands grabbed him. There was a triumphant, “Gotcha!” before Koji tackled him to the ground. Shiro fell to the sand once more, laughing and coughing heavily.
“You okay?” Koji said moments later as he helped Shiro to his feet. Shiro nodded. His ribs hurt, but he was having so much fun. “Uh, oh—run, lil bro! Taichi’s coming for us!”
For all the good fun they had, Shiro couldn’t keep up with the other boys, a fact Kiryu was quick to pick up on as he finally caught up with them. He ordered the boys to cut it out immediately when he saw Taichi pick up Shiro with all intents of slam-dunking his body on the sandy ground. Taichi yelled back at Kiryu, an act Shiro would have been horrified to do against his biological father, but Kiryu simply gave another shake of his head and said, “Tsk, what am I going to do with you, Taichi?”
Taichi laughed and rolled around in the sand, dragging Mitsuo with him instead, already forgetting about tormenting Shiro.
Lungs burning, Shiro nodded his gratitude toward Kiryu from a distance, who returned it.
“You okay?” he said. “You look worn out.”
Shiro nodded enthusiastically, full of adrenaline. “I hurt everywhere, but I’m having so much fun, Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu nodded, then took out another cigarette and placed it between his lips. As Shiro watched him light it, a sudden burst of daring seized him.
“Um…Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said as he adjusted his large glasses, “Did you know that every year over one hundred and thirty thousand people in Japan die from diseases caused by smoking, and fifteen thousand die from secondhand smoke exposure? And did you know that smoking-related deaths are the number one most preventable cause of deaths in the world?”
“Is it?”
Shiro pleaded up at Kiryu.
Understanding, Kiryu nodded and pulled out his cigarette before stubbing it out. “Sorry, it is a bad habit. I will reduce my use. Promise.” Shiro smiled, but in the years to come, he would see that Kiryu never kicked the habit.
Kiryu placed his hand on Shiro’s back as he led the boys back toward the orphanage. It was Shiro’s turn to decide on the next activity. Seeing that the girls were nearly done with their cooking and baking preparation, he next chose a board game that could include everyone who wished to play. That carried on until dinner was ready.
They ate dinner, and later the cake was brought out. It was fully decorated, decked out in star-shaped sprinkles and light purple frosting, full of everything that Shiro liked. The family sat out in the courtyard to enjoy the food. His new family each handed Shiro a small gift and wished him a very happy birthday.
And that was how Shiro’s first birthday at Morning Glory Orphanage went.
By the time Shiro went to bed, he was so exhausted from the day’s events that he didn’t have time to dwell on anything else. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, and his dreams took him to a riding happily over clouds on the back of the Ascending Dragon. The wind rippled around him, and he held tight to the Dragon, his cheeks pressed against her back, but not once was he scared of falling off.
On Monday, Shiro traveled on the monorail with his siblings to his new school. His heart hammered in his chest nervously and he kept naming off everything in his backpack, assuring himself he didn’t forget anything.
True to Taichi’s words, every one of his siblings went to the same school, but Shiro would be the the only kid from Morning Glory in his class. Again, he had to stand in front of a crowd and reintroduce himself using his fake name.
It was March and thus the school year was winding down. He could see the kids’ eyes boring down on him with many burning questions, but no one opened up with any questions. They were tired and restless and just wanted the school year to end.
The teacher directed Shiro to a desk, and he was thankful to be out of the limelight. He sat next to a girl with long braided hair who had doodles all over her notebook.
“Good morning, Shiro-chan,” she said with a little bow. She seemed friendly enough, so Shiro returned the greeting. “My name’s Asagi Mieko. Hajimemashite.”
“Hajimemashite, Mieko-chan.” He noticed the doodles were all of cute aliens and spaceships. He wanted to ask about them, but then class started, so he shelved the questions away for now.
He didn’t get to ask Mieko about them until during recess, where he learned that Mieko-chan liked drawing up characters and making up stories, inspired by all of the cartoons she watched and the manga she read.
Unable to stop himself, Shiro shared what he knew about space, hoping something among his knowledge data base would inspire. Thankfully, Mieko-chan didn’t think he was weird. Instead, she perked up and immediately went to jot down some notes while nodding and giggling.
“Wow, you know so much, Shiro-chan!” she said, looking up at him with the same amazement Shiro’s siblings had given him. “You’re so smart!”
Later that day when Shiro returned to the orphanage, Kiryu was waiting to greet them back, standing by the gate. Seeing Shiro, his smile was warm.
“How was your first day, Shiro?” he asked. “You’re smiling.”
Shiro nodded. “I made a new friend!”
Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.
Kiryu’s parenting style was a little unique from Shiro’s parents in that he allowed his children to remain independent for majority of the time, but he did also set a schedule for them. Shiro was quick to learn that the orphanage had routines to follow, from meal planning to bath time.
From the first night, Shiro noticed the white board in the dining room that had the days of the week divided into numerous chores. Everyone had to chip in at different tasks every day, even cooking, and their chores changed daily. It was only fair. Even Kiryu’s name was listed among them. Everyone followed the chart well (most of the time, as Taichi often gave Kiryu and Haruka a hard time over everything.)
With that, Kiryu kept the orphanage running smoothly. Even bath time was followed in order, as there was only one bathroom for a family of nine.
Each kid was also given a unique task, often associated with school. Shiro’s special task was to ensure that Izumi got home safely every day. She was one year younger than him, so he was her big brother now. He never was a big brother to anyone before, and he wanted to make Kiryu proud of him.
So Shiro was punctual every school day. He’d wait outside Izumi’s class right after his ended, and he would take her hand the moment he spotted her and the two would head out back home together.
Izumi was never short on energy. Throughout the trip back home she’d tell him all about her day. Yesterday, Tadashi and her were getting along great and she was planning their wedding. Today, they got into a fight and the wedding was called off. First graders had such drama-filled lives.
In the following months, Shiro learned a little more about each of his siblings.
Sawamura Haruka was indeed the daughter of Yumi, one of the fellow orphans in the orphanage Kiryu grew up in and a woman Kiryu cared for beyond the label of simply “sister”. Haruka’s father was a corrupt politician who was ready to kill Haruka over a trinket that would hold the key to some billions of yen. Yumi had died while shielding Haruka from her father’s assassination attempt.
Shiro had vaguely heard of a building explosion, but hadn’t realized it was the same one as the Millennium Tower he had passed recently, nor that Kiryu and Haruka were on the top floor, nor that that was where Haruka had witnessed her mother’s death, and nearly been killed by her own father. He could only imagine how experiencing all of that horror at the same time must have been like.
Kaneko Ayako was the eldest after Haruka, and no one was sure if Kaneko was even her real surname. Ayako was left as a newborn on the doorsteps of a Tojo hideout at Okinawa several years ago. Left with her was a desperate note from her mother begging the Tojo to take care of her. Theory was that her mother was most likely a hostess who had met a gruesome end, and possibly her father was one of the Tojo, although there was no one who went by the name of Kaneko. Neither could the Tojo find any hostess by that surname either, so in the end they assumed it was a surname chosen by her mother to protect her. From who or what, it remained a mystery to this day.
Gushiken Taichi was found just a couple years later, also by the Tojo. He was just a toddler and was found weeping hysterically over his dead mother’s body in a completely decimated apartment. A rival yakuza gang must have ransacked the place and then killed the mother but had sense enough to leave the traumatized child alone, although had the Tojo not come across him by chance he would have starved to death.
With Ayako and now Taichi in their midst, Kazama Shintato and Kashiwagi Osamu built Morning Glory Orphanage and appointed one of their officers to oversee the operation, the first supervisor who would remain there until his passing. The place soon began filling up with more children.
Kita Koji’s parents were both alcoholics and drug addicts with bad tempers. They would beat Koji when intoxicated, which was often. Koji also had a much older sister. She ran away with Koji and took him to the orphanage for his safety. She begged Kazama and the manager to look after him, but she herself did not stay at Morning Glory. That was the last anyone’s seen or heard of her. Kashiwagi had tried to locate the parents to place them in rehab, but they could never be located. Rumors indicated that the family had been entangled with loan sharks and a nasty yakuza bunch from northern Okinawa, suggesting their fates.
Kinjo Mitsuo’s father was an African American soldier who did not know his Japanese girlfriend was pregnant when he left for the United States. Despite all this, Mitsuo lived a happy early childhood. His mother raised him until she died of a sudden illness a few years ago. Although she knew the name of her boyfriend, the orphanage could never locate him.
Shinoaki Izumi, who acted much younger than her age, didn’t want to talk about losing her parents at all. Just mentioning them would get her into a temper tantrum. From the others Shiro learned that she was still traumatized over having lost her parents in a horrifying traffic accident few years back. That knowledge left a heavy lump in Shiro’s throat.
Taira Riona’s story was one Shiro stumbled on by accident. One evening, Shiro stepped into the bathroom before Riona was done using it. She screamed and slammed the door in his face.
“It’s rude to walk in on a girl dressing!” she yelled.
“Sorry!” Shiro said, embarrassed and confused. Was it his imagination, or did he see burn marks all over Riona’s arms?
After that little incident Shiro noticed that Riona never wore a blouse that wasn’t short-sleeved—didn’t even so much as own one, despite the Okinawan climate and despite her obvious interest in fashion and current trends. Even when it became summer and the kids went out to the beach, there Riona was in a swimsuit and a light beach top the covered her arms.
She was fine helping out in the kitchen, but one time a tiny bit of oil splashed onto the flame, and she screamed, suddenly panicked and hyperventilated. Kiryu materialized immediately, comforting her and assuring her that the stove wasn’t about to explode…
Remembering the car he was trapped in, Shiro shuddered in sympathy. He didn’t have to speculate further how Riona had lost her parents.
Sometimes Shiro would be completely fine. And then he wasn’t. He would be sitting in class or eating dinner when all of a sudden he’d be struck by a strange and surreal sensation, overcome by the sheer gravity of his new reality.
His parents were dead and gone. This was his life now and forever.
His parents were dead and gone. He’d never go back to Hatsudai.
His parents were dead and gone. Why was the world still turning?
Shiro couldn’t understand it. He thought he was doing well. He’d wake up and it was bright and sunny and fine. Breakfast was a happy affair chatting with Kiryu and his siblings. He went to school like normal. And then the devastating realization would just suddenly seize him while in the middle of class. He’d wobble although he was still sitting perfectly still, feeling as though he wasn’t actually in class, the whole experience sending him through a vortex of discombobulation.
The grief would send him crying to the school’s restroom. Once, as he rounded a corner, he thought he ran into Mitsuo while wiping away his tears.
“Shiro?”
Embarrassed, he hid his face and ran away.
Mitsuo must have told Taichi because later on the way back home, Taichi’s booming voice startled Shiro out of his wits as he exited the monorail.
“Hey! I hear you were talking smack about my brother Shiro!” Taichi yelled, marching toward him like he meant business.
“I’m not in the mood,” Shiro groaned, anticipating a wrestling match. Couldn’t Taichi go and do that with Koji or Mitsuo?
“I’m gonna bust your ass!” Taichi yelled and then charged at him. He picked him up and then threw him over his shoulder. Shiro yelled, screaming at Taichi to put him down, but Taichi held tight to him, and then a moment later, Shiro realized what he was doing.
Taichi walked the rest of the way while hugging him tightly and rocking gently, and Shiro couldn’t help but wrap his arms around his eldest brother’s thick neck and crying freely into his shoulder. He thought he felt Taichi pat his back.
Taichi and Mitsuo must have told Kiryu because Kiryu took Shiro to the beach shore. He had Shiro cry as much as he needed while he remained sitting beside him, hand on his shoulder.
“Takashi,” he said softly, “it’s okay to feel like this. Grief comes and goes like the waves of the ocean. If you need to cry, then cry. If you need to talk to me or anyone here, then please don’t hesitate to. We’re here for you.”
Shiro hiccuped.
The one-month anniversary of his parent’s death was fast approaching. Per tradition, they would have to take his parents’ ashes to a temple to be buried. Maybe he would find closure then.
“The feeling will come and go,” Haruka repeated later when Shiro had another crying spell days later. She, Ayako, and Riona were sitting around him in his room. “Sometimes, it could take years.”
Years?! The thought made him even more depressed.
“It gets better with time,” Ayako assured.
Shiro wanted to retort, “How would you know? You never even knew your parents!” but refrained. He wondered how anyone could keep on living after having lost someone they loved.
Haruka checked over her shoulder before scooting a little closer. “Ojisan had a lot of nightmares after he lost his brother, sister, and father all in the same night,” she said in a whisper. “The nightmares eventually went away. But he still looks sad if he sees something that reminds him of his family, and if you talk to him about them for long, especially Nishikiyama-san, he starts crying again.”
“Even Uncle Kaz?” Riona said. “I didn’t think he could cry!”
Haruka gave a little nod while frowning. “He keeps to himself. He doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone with his own problems, but he can get very sad and lonely.”
Shiro thought back to how Majima had begun to cry in front of Shiro before holding back his tears.
Maybe Uncle Kaz just wants to appear strong for everyone, Shiro thought as he hugged his knees closer to his chest. Maybe it wasn’t healthy to do this, and he didn’t want to know just what those two men went through that they kept bottled up inside, but he wished he was strong enough to do the same. He just wanted this period of his life to be over.
Kiryu accompanied Shiro for the final step in the funeral tradition. He took him to the temple where the ashes were to be buried. Seeing his parents in their final resting place, Shiro breathed a sigh of relief, hoping his sadness would pass along with them. He just wanted to move on.
They prayed before the tombstones, and Shiro could not help but glance toward Kiryu. He wanted to know more about him and the people he had lost. Who was Nishikiyama-san to him? Kazama-san? What of Kiryu’s own parents?
“Uncle Kaz…do you remember your birth parents?”
Kiryu shook his head. “I have no memories of my parents. I lost them when I was a baby.”
“How did they die?”
Kiryu hesitated before he then regarded Shiro. “That’s not important.”
“I want to know. Please.”
Kiryu shook his head, his eyes shut, before he finally gave in. “Kazama-san took their lives.”
“What?!” Shiro gaped at him. “The man who raised you killed your family?!”
Kiryu nodded. “Sunflower Orphanage was full of the children he had personally made into orphans. But I love Kazama-san as though he were my real father. I looked up to him my entire life.”
Shiro hesitated with his next question. “Did you…become a yakuza because of him?”
After a while, Kiryu nodded.
Looking at him, Shiro could tell Kiryu had gone through things he has regretted.
“He did not wish for me to follow in his footsteps,” Kiryu continued, “but I admired him greatly. And…back then there was little hope for orphans after they outgrew the orphanage. Where was Nishiki and I to go after that?
“We were very naive back then, Nishiki and me. Never saw the dark path we were about to embark, never thought it would mean being ripped apart forever…
“And there were aspects to Kazama-san himself I was never privy to. He was a hitman for the Tojo Clan, famed for being a skilled and merciless killer with a sizable body count. But he took in the children of his victims and raised him. For that alone, I cannot find it in me to ever hate Kazama-san. He’s my father.”
Shiro just stared at Kiryu, unsure what to say.
Kiryu placed placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Are you ready to go back, Shiro?”
Shiro gave his parents’ grave one more glance and nodded. “I’m ready, Uncle Kaz.”
If there was one thing Shiro didn’t like about Morning Glory Orphanage, it was how sorely lacking in technology it was.
His old house had computers and video games and electronic toys that his father never ceased bringing into the house. Kiryu was nothing of the sort. Shiro was understanding, to a point. While the orphanage had a steady income, it was on the meager side. Money was better spent on groceries and daily necessities rather than gadgets.
Still, Shiro missed his old life. Kiryu would pass by advertisements for new phones or computers without even blinking, not even the barest hint of curiosity Shiro’s birth father had once shown.
The orphanage had one decently-sized television set in the dining room, with a working DVD player, and a corded phone for the family to use, and that was the extent of it. They seldom bought any new books.
The children were all given allowance money. That was something Kiryu was adamant about. Every start of the week on Monday morning each child collected their weekly allowance from Kiryu. The amount was trivial compared to what Shiro’s mother used to give him, but Shiro knew better than to complain. There were eight of them with one guardian versus one of him back at home with two parents. It just meant Shiro had to get smarter at how he spent and saved. That was a purpose for allowance even back at Hatsudai. Now just meant he had a little less to work with.
Sighing, Shiro set his money aside and mentally calculated how long it will take before he would have enough for a phone.
Given how much of the money went into daily expenses, from travel to meals, he was left with virtually nothing by the end of the week. He was lucky if he could scrap enough for a movie ticket by Saturday.
This is your life now, Shiro told himself at night, trying to keep the bitterness from getting to him. Don’t be so ungrateful. At least you got a roof over your head.
About a month after Shiro joined Morning Glory, around the start of the new school year, another child joined Morning Glory Orphanage.
Unlike Shiro, the situation surrounding her arrival could not have been any more different.
The children suspected they were getting someone new because Kiryu was on the phone a lot with someone while keeping his voice hush. His face was scrunched into a frown deeper than normal, but a few choice words kept slipping through: “orphaned…papers to sign…have to go about this delicately.”
Then one evening Kiryu called forth a family meeting.
“We’re getting a new sibling!” Taichi said excitedly. “Not that we’re tired of you already or anything, Shiro.”
Kiryu, who often humored Taichi at his wit, just sat grim-faced. “I wasn’t planning on accepting any more into Morning Glory. But I needed to make one more exception. However, I want everyone to understand something before I bring her home.”
“It’s a girl?!” Ayako, Riona, and Izumi cried out excitedly and clapped, but Haruka remained silent, having took notice of Kiryu’s grave expression.
“Our newest family member, Eri…she…” Kiryu paused, as if unsure how to bring up this topic. “You must not frighten or overwhelm her. She is still recovering from the loss of her parents.”
“Oh? Was it recent?” Taichi asked with a quick glance toward Shiro.
Kiryu closed his eyes and nodded. “I’m afraid we won’t be having a party. I do not even want you running out to greet her. Stay here and I’ll bring her in to be introduced to you. You will see, she is very different from all of you, but that doesn’t mean she’s worthy of any less respect. Please treat her kindly and be patient with her. Offer to play with her but don’t push the subject until she’s ready.”
“Of course, Uncle Kaz!” the kids chorused.
The next day, Kiryu brought in a little girl with pigtails. She barely gave anyone a glance in the dining room as she stood still and silent as a shadow, eyes to the ground and mouth set in a sad little frown. Kiryu introduced her to the entire family.
Her name was Onizawa Eri, and she was a year older than Shiro, placing her in Mitsuo and Riona’s grade. Like mostly everyone else, she was a local from Okinawa. After Kiryu was done with the introductions, he gently told Eri to take a seat.
Eri gave a vague nod before sitting down. The entire time she stared off into the distance. She picked at her food. She didn’t say another word for the rest of the evening.
Keeping to their word, the kids were polite to the newcomer. They restrained from getting the volume of their voices too loud. They wished her a good night as they left the table, although no one ran up to hug her like they had with Shiro, per Kiryu’s wishes. Still, the tension in the house could be felt everywhere, the mood dampened by the strange traumatized girl now in their midst.
Haruka and Ayako accompanied Kiryu later in helping Eri settle in.
“How long is she gonna stay with us?” Izumi asked Shiro in a whisper while they, Mitsuo, and Riona watched behind a corner. “I don’t like her. She’s scary.”
“That’s harsh, Izumi,” Shiro said. “She’s our sister. We need to support her right now.”
Later that night, Shiro thought he heard someone crying out from a nightmare. The sounds of someone padding across the engawa followed a short while later, slipping into the next room. He heard a low, rich, soothing voice.
As he was near the shoji, Shiro cracked the paper door a fraction and peeked through it, finding Kiryu walking down the hall, Eri tucked into his arms as though she were a baby. She wept silently into his arms as he gently sang, his voice so quiet Shiro could scarcely hear him, and Eri’s crying settling into slumber, lost in comfort in his arms.
Something stirred inside Shiro. Call it jealousy. Call it yearning.
He missed the days when his mother and father would hold him after a bad dream. He even missed how Majima held him back at the Karaokekan. Never would he get to experience that again. Everyone expected him to be strong now, but damned if Shiro wished he was in Kiryu’s arms right now.
“Shiro? What’s the matter?” Kiryu asked. “You should be in bed.”
What he saw the other night gave Shiro a little idea. He waited until the others were asleep before slipping out of his futon, grabbing his school backpack, and tiptoeing to Kiryu’s bedroom. He knocked softly, and to his relief, the man had heard him.
“Sorry, Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said. “I still had some homework left for one of my classes. It was giving me trouble, so I thought I’d work on it in the morning, but it just kept bothering me and I couldn’t sleep.”
It wasn’t completely a lie. Shiro already liked his new teacher for second grade, Mizuno-sensei. Petite and energetic, she had a way of having every student participate in class yet didn’t make anyone feel ashamed if they got an answer wrong. And yet nothing his teacher did could make Shiro understand Japanese grammar. He was consistently the worse in his class. And so, Shiro often left grammar homework last.
Kiryu shook his head. “That’s not like you, Shiro. But you can come in and do your homework here. Do you want me to help?”
“I don’t want to bother you,” Shiro said. Truth was, he had left one of his assignments unfinished just for this. He was a little groggy too, but he wanted to stay in Kiryu’s room, just for a little while.
Kiryu’s bedroom was smaller than the others, a six mat tatami room with an office desk tucked to one side, a futon beside it, and a small bookshelf wedged between them. A low round table took up the bulk of the room. Atop it beside some ring binders was an ashtray. Seeing Shiro wrinkle his nose, Kiryu stubbed out the cigarette he currently had lit, but the smell still lingered in the walls.
Shiro settled on one side and looked around with interest. It was the first time he had a true look at Kiryu’s room. Above the office desk was hung a hand-drawn illustration by Haruka of Kiryu and a puppy dog. That was about the only picture around the vicinity, save for a photograph perched over the small bookshelf between the bed and office desk.
“She’s pretty,” Shiro said, studying the smiling woman in a black suit and her hair pulled back in a low messy bun.
“That’s Sayama Kaoru,” Kiryu said. “She’s a cop but a good friend of mine. She moved to the United States about four months ago for her career.”
Shiro nodded. The name sounded familiar. He continued to look around, noting a series of binders in Kiryu’s bookshelf titled something akin to “Orphanage Accounting”. Not much in the way of books for leisure reading.
Chuckling behind him, Kiryu folded his arms and asked, “I thought you had homework to finish.”
“Oh! I did!”
Shiro settled across from Kiryu and diligently got to work. While he did indeed struggle—he could tell he wasn’t getting a good grade on this—he enjoyed being in close proximity to Kiryu. The man sat across from him while poring through documents and thick spiral-bound notebooks similar to the ones on his shelf. Every now and again he’d tap the table with a finger, then jot something down with his pen.
“What’re you doing?” Shiro asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Working out the finances for the orphanage,” Kiryu said. “How much money spent on food and utilities, how much we’ve received from the government funding, how much is left…”
Shiro caught the sight of the numbers before Kiryu answered him, and before realizing he was looking at something personal, Shiro scooted over to look.
“You’re doing all that math without a calculator?” Shiro asked, amazed.
“I’ve had to do a lot of it when I was a real estate agent,” Kiryu explained. “That was during the country’s bubble era.”
“Right. I remember that.”
“Back then the economy was at its peak. Nearly everyone had money pouring into their pockets. I had to get used to adding and multiplying great sums of yen on the spot.” Kiryu smiled. “Tachibana-san imparted me with a lot of knowledge I’ll never forget.”
The way he spoke Tachibana’s name and from the way his eyes shone, Shiro knew there was a lot of history, and tragedy, behind that story.
He gave a nod and continued to watch Kiryu crunch out numbers quicker than he ever could. Shiro vowed he would get to be as good as Kiryu if not better some day.
He didn’t know how much time passed. He was only aware of the world again when Kiryu gently shook his shoulder, rousing him back awake.
“Shiro? You still haven’t finished your homework.”
Shiro gasped. “Mizuno-sensei’s gonna be so mad at me!”
Kiryu chuckled. “Just go back to your room and sleep. Next time if you want to sit with me, you can do so without making up an excuse.”
Shiro blushed. So Kiryu figured him out! He couldn’t find a proper response other than to nod and excuse himself. He left Kiryu’s bedroom and made for his own while fighting back a yawn. Back under the covers, as he was slipping into unconsciousness, Shiro slowly realized that Kiryu hadn’t completely rejected him from visiting his room. He could still stop by from time to time.
“How are you doing with your school work?” Kiryu asked Shiro one evening at dinner.
“It’s okay,” Shiro said. He left out the part where he had already completed his entire math workbook. “Um, I’m not really understanding my grammar assignment…”
Kiryu nodded. “You can always go to Haruka, Ayako, or myself with any questions.”
“Yeah right!” Taichi snorted loudly. “I once asked Uncle Kaz some simple history question and he had to reread the entire chapter three times to find the answer!”
Across from Shiro, Riona winced. He caught her mumble, “Yeah, he’s not exactly the brightest…”
“Yeah, Uncle Kaz,” Koji laughed. “Weren’t you some punk kid always getting into fights or something at school?”
“And always skipping class?” Mitsuo added in a hushed voice.
“Uncle Kaz’s a big dum-dum!” Izumi giggled. “You should see the photos he takes!”
“Taichi! Koji! Izumi!” Haruka snapped, but all the other kids (save for Eri, who remained quiet and still as always) were falling to the ground laughing wildly. Kiryu just sighed and bowed his head.
“I wouldn’t mind being tutored by you,” Shiro spoke over the din. “Uncle Kaz’s a genius at math! He can do the accounting for Morning Glory all in his head! Without a calculator!” Shiro balled his hands into fists on the table as he glared around the room. His revelation had the desired effect, as the kids’ faces all turned from smirks to awe. Kiryu only looked embarrassed as he shook his head and denied he was any good.
“You will all suppress me at math eventually,” he assured everyone. “I’m no good beyond a few simple additions and multiplications.”
But Shiro’s words gave the kids a newfound respect for Kiryu. When they finished their meals, they were decidedly less hostile toward Kiryu, even if it was in jest. Some even apologized for their earlier words.
“Can you help me with my math?” Shiro heard Izumi ask Kiryu later. “I don’t understand anything and I hate my teacher!”
It was Shiro’s turn to wash the dishes, so he was collecting everyone’s plates. Standing by the doorway, Shiro glanced back. Kiryu had crouched down next to Eri while also trying to gently turn down Izumi. It was clear Kiryu wanted to spend the rest of the evening with Eri. Shiro couldn’t help but envy her although he knew how selfish and stupid he was being. He didn’t know how Eri lost her parents, and given her behavior, it must have been something truly horrible. She must have been so alone and scared. Shiro at least had Majima cheering him up before Kiryu reached them.
But Shiro couldn’t help it. It used to be him clinging to Kiryu after dinner, just enjoying the contact as Kiryu watched the evening news. The other kids had teased him, and now he knew how they must have felt. Was he always going to be brushed off by this newcomer?
“Hey Shiro!” Koji popped his head into the kitchen a little later as Shiro was elbow-deep in the kitchen sink, scrubbing out some stubborn grease in the pot.
“Yeah?” Shiro turned around, half expecting to dodge some new prank. But Koji remained standing.
“I heard you miss playing on the computer,” Koji said.
Shiro’s eyes widened. He had told that to Mitsuo in confidentiality! “Please don’t tell Uncle Kaz! I don’t want him to feel bad that we don’t have a computer!”
“Hey, I’m not tryin’ to snitch or anything,” Koji said, bright and upbeat. “I was just about to suggest, have you considered playing on the computer at the library?”
Substory #03 — The Library Card
Shiro gasped. Now that Koji mentioned it, why hadn’t he thought of that before?
“And while you’re at it, you could get a library card,” Koji went on. “I know our school has a decent collection, but it’s isolated and can get boring if that’s all you have to work with year after year. There’s a really great library near us, and best of all, it’s connected to all the libraries all over Japan!”
“Which one is it?”
“Ryukyu Municipal Library. You can get to it by Morning Glory Station or you can just walk there. Their selection is huge. Get a card and you can even request stuff from the mainland! That’s how I’ve been binging on all the manga! Don’t tell Taichi my secret! Not that I think he’d ever get a card. He won’t have the patience waiting for his manga to come in!”
Shiro practically vibrated right where he stood. There were a few books about the planets he particularly liked back in Tokyo, and he really wanted to reconnect with them. If he could get those again from interlibrary loan…
“And I can get a card even though I’m just a kid?” Shiro asked.
Koji nodded. “But you’ll need Uncle Kaz when you go to sign up. I dragged the old supervisor with me when I got mine.”
Shiro thanked him and finished washing the dishes with vigor. He decided to wait asking Kiryu until first thing tomorrow morning. It would be a Saturday and perfect time for them to go on a little outing together.
The moment Kiryu slide back the shoji of his bedroom, he was ambushed by a tiny pair of arms gripping him around his middle.
“Uncle Kaz! Can you follow me somewhere? Please please please?”
“Shiro?!” Kiryu chuckled in surprise. “I’ve never seen you this energetic before. Just the two of us? Where do you want us to go?”
“It’s a surprise,” Shiro said, suddenly getting shy as he buried his face against Kiryu’s stomach. “But can we please go?”
“After breakfast, all right, little guy?”
Kiryu took his time washing before breakfast, and by the time he sat with his children, he could see that Shiro was ready to blast from his seat like a rocket ship at any given moment. He had never seen the boy so excited before. Whatever it was making him happy made Kiryu happy in return. He checked that his schedule was free in case this trip would take all day before approaching Shiro when breakfast was over.
“Are you all washed and ready?”
Shiro’s eyes widened as he grabbed his hand and dashed out. Kiryu almost stumbled, and he shouted out for Shiro to at least give them time to put their shoes on. Shiro made it to the gates before stopping and turning around.
“Oh, we need something with my name and address on it,” he said.
“What’s this about?” Kiryu asked.
“Please get me something with my name and address!” Shiro begged.
Kiryu sighed. “All right. And while we’re at it, we should also get our shoes.”
Shiro looked down, now realizing his mistake. “Oh! Sorry!”
Kiryu shook his head with a smile. What’s gotten into him?
When they were properly dressed and with all requested documents on hand, Kiryu let Shiro lead the way. The destination was fairly close by. A walk to Morning Glory Station, and after a short trip, Shiro pulled him into another street, mumbling the address that one of the other kids had apparently given him.
“This one!” he said triumphantly, pointing at a white and grey building.
“Ryukyu Municipal Library,” Kiryu read the sign and gave a nod of his head. “I get it. You wish to make a library card, Shiro?”
He smiled down at Shiro who was jumping from foot to foot, his eyes sparkling. He obviously could not wait to get inside. Kiryu, meanwhile, checked around the vicinity. If Shiro was going to be spending time here, then he wanted to make sure the area was safe.
Inside, Kiryu was overcome by the myriads of choices around him. Not just novels and encyclopedias, but also DVDs, old videotapes, and records. It was a lot different from the last time he had stepped into a library, which admittedly was a long time ago and only because he had to rush to finish a paper for school.
When they at last left the library, Shiro’s eyes positively dazzled with stars as he held his new shiny library card.
“Thank you, Uncle Kaz! Thank you!” he kept saying.
Kiryu chuckled. “I only accompanied you. I didn’t even know we had a library nearby. I should maybe mention this place to the other kids…”
Shiro ran up to him and gave him a hug. “I’m going to be spending so much time in here!”
“Just be careful, okay?” KIryu said.
Shiro nodded then looked back down at the items he was given at registration. “Oh yeah, the lady at the desk also gave me this with my card, but I don’t need it. You can have it if you want.”
Kiryu held out his hand and accepted whatever Shiro gave him.
You received a Mystery Code!
Hmm, wonder what this is for…
Input the code 1W0 inside cell C4 of the tab labeled “Mystery Code” under Kiryu’s Mystery Codes in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Hmm, what’s this? Kiryu thought. I’ll save it. Might need it for something later.
Substory #03 — The Library Card **COMPLETED**
About Substories
Substories are a staple in the Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku/Like a Dragon game series, providing much levity in the drama-filled main story. The substories you'll encounter here will range from lighthearted and humorous to more angst, a tearjerker here and there, and maybe a ghost story or two. Some will have interactive interfaces. Some substories will occur right within the main story while others give you the option to step out of the main story, but every substory rewards you from Mystery Codes, Soulmate Stamps, items, and money to buy better items. What are all these for? That is for you to find out!
Shiro was on cloud nine. With the library now within reach, he spent as much time there as he could. When he wasn’t playing video games on the computer or looking up more facts about outer space, the juvenile section was well designed for maximal comfort for sitting back and reading. He spent his time between the shelves getting to know every book. He’d take a few to his chosen spot by the corner window and read for hours on end.
A few times Shiro spotted the back of a tall man in a familiar Okinawan shirt looking about the place, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Grinning into his book, Shiro would pretend he hadn’t noticed him.
Despite Kiryu’s attitude of leasing his children with all the world’s independence, he still worried enough to check in on them if they ventured too far from the orphanage. Often times as Shiro dozed off over a pile of books, he would dream of the Ascending Dragon snaking over the island, hiding behind clouds and checking on each one of her children. One time he awoke to Kiryu throwing a small blanket on him.
“Uncle Kaz…”
Kiryu shook his head and settled beside Shiro. “We have two more hours until closing time.”
Shiro, meanwhile, would watch Kiryu during his occasional patrols with the vain hope that the man would discover a joy for reading. One time he stopped and stared at some titles on some DVDs, but his eyes just glassed over before moving away.
But then a cookbook of Okinawan cuisines finally held his attention. Shiro sighed. Well, at least he was reading something.
Shiro thanked Koji for the advice. He loved reconnecting with a love from his old life, and the fact that it worried Kiryu enough to check on him frequently was a welcome bonus. However, Shiro missed the time spent around his new family, so he vowed to evenly split his time between the two.
As it so happened, the other kids did wonder where Shiro had gone off after school, and it wasn’t long before they learned of the library.
“Pssst! Hey, Shiro!” Taichi said one day as he poked his head into Shiro’s favorite corner, having finally zeroed in on Shiro’s location. “Did ya know Uncle Kaz once served ten years in jail?”
“He what?!” Shiro looked up from his book, sufficiently distracted.
Substory #11 — Ten Years in the Joint
But Taichi had already slipped away, laughing.
Shiro frowned. Should he follow Taichi or keep reading?
▼ Keep Reading Your Book
Shiro shook his head and thought, I’ll ask him about it later…
About the Substory Collection
Some substories have the option to continue on the substory in the Substory Collection. You may choose to put the main story on hold and continue with the substory (with a link to go back where you left off), or go back to the substory at any time. As every substory gives you a reward at the end, do consider checking all of them out if you wish to collect Soulmate Stamps and other rewards!
There was no doubt in his mind that Kiryu was still spending time with Eri, but being away from home helped to abate the earlier jealousy.
One evening as Shiro neared Morning Glory, he thought he saw a strange small form off in the distance at the beach. He strained his eyes, and sure enough: far on the outreaches of the beach shoreline, a small figure was settled by the large rocks.
Eri? Shiro thought as he neared. She sat weeping, hugging her knees, her shoulders shaking.
Shiro’s heart ached with sympathy. How many times had he felt the same after his parents’ deaths?
Feeling compelled to help, he took a few tentative steps toward her, not wanting to startle her.
“Um, hey…Eri?” he said gently.
The girl’s shoulders stilled and she turned around, staring at him with unfathomable eyes. Slowly she got to her feet.
Shiro smiled awkwardly at her. “Um…hi. My name’s Shiro. Nishida Shiro. Um…I know things are hard and everything. I was very sad when I lost my parents too. I cried a lot too. I still miss them now, but…it’ll be all right, okay? Everyone here is really kind, and they made me realize we’ll get through this together.”
Eri sniffled. She wiped the snot from her nose with the back of her hand.
Shiro smiled nervously. “I…if you need anything, I’m always here for you.”
Eri regarded him for several painfully long moments. All of a sudden she flashed a horrifyingly wide smile, a burst of demonic glean behind her black eyes, before her face twisted into something truly terrifying and wicked.
Before Shiro knew it he was slammed against the rocky wall and landed on the ground. Pain exploded in his arm and his eyes widened.
Eri glared up at him, face impassive again, not saying a single word, before disappearing from his line of sight. Just as Shiro finally sat up, kicking off the sand and dirt from his shorts, he noticed three pairs of eyes on him from a distance.
“Shiro?” Ayako gasped as Taichi and Koji gaped behind her. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no, I’m fine,” Shiro muttered.
“Did Eri just—” Taichi began.
“No!” Shiro laughed nervously, cutting Taichi off. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for anyone. “I just slipped.”
Not lookin at anyone in the eye, Shiro ran past them.
“Shiro…can we talk?”
Later that night, Koji slid the shoji shut as he, Taichi, and Ayako settled around Shiro, interrupting his reading time. Silently, Ayako inspected his arm. Shiro had cleansed it during his bath, but it was still red and pulsing with pain. Although healing had set in, bright red blood still beaded through cracks in the skin.
Ayako set to work with a small first aid kit she had brought with her.
Shiro regarded his elder siblings and hung his head.
“We saw what happened,” Taichi said. “Are you okay?”
“I guess so…I don’t have any broken bones, do I?”
Koji and Taichi craned their necks this way and that but shook their heads.
“Don’t think so,” Koji said.
“Don’t tell Uncle Kaz, please?” Shiro said.
Ayako shook her head. “Uncle Kaz said to keep an eye out for any incidents with Eri.”
Shiro’s eyes widened. “B-but I don’t want her to get into trouble! I didn’t mean to upset her, promise!” What was Kiryu going to do? He wasn’t going to cast out Eri, was he? He wouldn’t be that cruel, would he? He wouldn’t kick out an orphan into the cold, would he?! “I was just trying to be nice to her, I swear!”
“It’s okay,” Taichi said, raising his hands at seeing Shiro’s rising panic. “Uncle Kaz isn’t gonna hurt her. He just wants to keep an eye on everyone. Listen…we sorta know something about Eri’s past.”
“Yeah…” Koji shook his head. “We weren’t suppose to, but we kinda…eavesdropped on Uncle Kaz and Haruka talking the other day.”
Shiro leaned closer. “So you know why she’s…like that?”
Koji nodded gravely. “She witnessed a murder-suicide. More specifically, she saw her father kill her mother before he turned the gun on himself. It happened all right in front of her.”
The sting of the hydrogen peroxide against his scraped skin was nothing to the pain at hearing all this. Just envisioning what little Eri must have seen…
“T-that’s awful!” Shiro said hollowly.
Ayako shook her head sadly. “No wonder why she’s in such shock. She can’t get over what she had seen. And it’s happened so recently, it’s still fresh in her mind.”
“That’s not even the half of it,” Taichi said. “Apparently her dad was a yakuza. They had just recently come from the mainland.”
“Mainland?” Shiro said. But didn’t Kiryu say they were Okinawan locals? Unless…like Shiro’s story, that was all a coverup?
Taichi nodded. “Sounds like they were running away. Or, her dad was, at least. Probably dragged his whole family with him, tried to get away from his problems, and then…boom.”
Shiro shuddered as images of a car engulfing into flames filled the back of his mind. An ominous feeling overcame him in that moment.
“And that’s Reina. She was the Mama of a bar called Serena. Next to her is Yumi—yes, that Yumi. She worked as a hostess in Serena. The young man seated there is Shinji. He worked under me for some time when I was part of the Dojima Family. And that is Nishiki…”
Shiro studied all of their happy faces, the cigarettes tucked between their fingers of one hand, glasses of champagne in the other. Shelves of numerous alcoholic drinks twinkled behind Reina.
All were Kiryu’s friends. All of them were no longer alive. As eerie as the thought was, Shiro could not tear his eyes from the photos. He was back in Kiryu’s room, and the two had been looking through Kiryu’s photo album, of what little he had left.
Shiro got to see Kiryu’s old secretary from the days when he was a real estate agent, and among the small pile of surviving photos was one of a much younger Kiryu wearing glasses; he was glancing up at the camera looking a little flustered, a small car-like toy near him on the office desk. Shiro laughed when he saw it.
“You look so cool wearing glasses, Uncle Kaz! Why didn’t you keep them?”
Kiryu chuckled. “I normally don’t wear glasses. My secretary Marina thought they would make me more presentable whenever I conducted business.”
Shiro continued staring at Kiryu’s photo. So this was how he looked during the 1980s…
Cute, Shiro thought.
Kiryu gave a little cough and pulled out a photo from the small pile. “Majima gave this to me, after I won a bet at darts.” This one was also of Majima from the 80s, but nothing prepared Shiro for how the patriarch appeared at the time. He still sported an eyepatch, but his hair was much longer, silky smooth and tied back in a low ponytail. He was dressed in an elegant black suit as he posed in some fancy establishment. Shiro instantly felt his cheeks heat up.
“Majima oversaw a cabaret club and a hostess club,” Kiryu explained. “I got the experience to run a cabaret club recently.”
Kiryu then showed Shiro a photo of himself, dressed handsomely in a black suit and surrounded by beautiful women in dresses. They were all hostesses he had trained while in Sotenbori. Majima had helped out for a short while too. That was not all. Kiryu had also helped Majima on his construction site, as photos showed him wearing a yellow hard hat and surrounded by burly, scary-looking men.
All this happened before Kiryu moved on to run an orphanage one month later…
“You were really busy that month,” Shiro said. “Wait…Majima-san lost a bet to you?”
Kiryu chuckled again. “There was one year where he was constantly up in my face. He found every conceivable excuse to fight me.”
“Why?”
“I just recently came out of jail,” Kiryu explained. “After ten years, I had forgotten a few moves from my repertoire. Majima spent a long time training me back to my original strength, and then some. It wasn’t just training. He followed me everywhere, snuck up behind me at restaurants and bars and arcades and even…” He stopped and blushed. “We competed in every venue you can imagine.”
“So that’s how you got photos of him,” Shiro said. “Did you ever make Majima kiss you after a fight?”
Kiryu’s face flushed. “W-why would I do that?”
“Isn’t he your boyfriend?”
Shiro giggled and threw his body forward on the table, gleeful. The other kids were right; Kiryu became adorable whenever he was flustered.
As he recovered, Kiryu leaned forward and pulled back the sleeve of Shiro’s shirt, studying the healing wound on his elbow. Thankfully, Kiryu had not kicked out Eri. He had not so much as raised his voice at her. Shiro had been so worried he would and make her cry, so he had watched from the sidelines. Instead, the man had approached her and asked gently what was bothering her, and whether she understood she had injured her brother, and then explained to her how her outburst had hurt someone else.
Since then, Eri almost never left Kiryu’s side, following him everywhere like a tiny silent shadow, but Kiryu didn’t stop Shiro from approaching him either. Shiro took the chance to visit him after dinner. This way, he got to know so much about him he otherwise wouldn’t with eight other siblings butting in.
“I see it’s mostly healed up,” Kiryu said with a nod.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Shiro insisted.
Kiryu nodded before standing up. “I’m heading to the bathroom. Did you need help with grammar homework again?”
“Yes, please!” Shiro perked up. He did try his best, but he needed Kiryu to look over his work before he handed it in tomorrow.
Kiryu nodded and promised to look it over once he returned.
It was after Kiryu was out of earshot that the temptation suddenly struck Shiro: The cabinet with every orphan’s dossier was right behind him. He had a few minutes to sneak a look at Eri’s file before Kiryu came back. Should he do it?
He didn’t want to break Kiryu’s trust. He could get caught. This could turn out real badly in a hundred different ways, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Taichi and Koji’s words the other day.
Moving as gingerly as he could, Shiro inched closer to Kiryu’s desk and pulled back the filing cabinet. His pounding heart leapt to his throat as he tried to make out the handwritten kanji on the tabs.
Finding the file for “Onizawa Eri,” he tugged it out.
Shiro made a silent prayer. I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz. Please forgive me.
He opened the dossier and read, his fingers turning colder with each passing line.
Onizawa Kento and wife Kanae were found dead in their Okinawan home on 03/03/2007. Cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head in both individuals, the former of which was a self-inflicted wound. Investigation has determined that Onizawa-san shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. Sole witness and survivor of the incident was the Onizawas’ eight year old daughter Onizawa Eri.
Further investigation with Tokyo Metropolitan Police has determined that Onizawa Kento had recently fled to Okinawa after dishonoring his patriarch. As per close examination of the family crest found on Onizawa Kento, photographed below, it was confirmed by Tokyo Metropolitan Police that Onizawa Kento was captain of the Kurosu Clan.
Notes:
Oh my.
This chapter earns you a trophy: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Just click on B6 in "Trophies" of your Activity Log.
Let me know what you think of these new substories additions, heh!
Next chapter will be up on Wednesday, March 27th 💕
Chapter 4: I.4. At Death's Door
Notes:
Content notes for this chapter: child illness and injury, character death, and trigger warning for passing mention of past rape threat, and threat of killing a minor.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: At Death’s Door
It began with a fever.
Shiro slowly came to one morning to Taichi trying to rouse him, complaining that this was the seventh attempt of him trying to wake him up.
“Hey, I thought nerds liked school!” he said. “Get up already!”
“Just five more minutes,” Shiro slurred and turned around. Taichi shifted to his other side, staring down at him and frowning.
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Something ain’t right. I’m getting Uncle Kaz.”
Moments later, Shiro awoke again, this time to the feel of a large hand pressed against forehead.
“He has a fever,” Kiryu said to someone beyond Shiro’s line of sight. “If he doesn’t feel well, we shouldn’t force him to go to school. I’ll call and let the school know.”
Shiro frowned. Was he sick? It was the third week of May. The day was so nice and sunny, and it would be a shame to miss a day like today. But he really wasn’t feeling up to it, so he rolled onto his side and went back to sleep.
Vaguely he was aware of Kiryu checking in on him from time to time throughout the day. He gave him a liquid fever reducer that tasted strongly of acidic strawberry. By the end of the day, the fever broke, and by dinnertime, it was as though Shiro had never been sick.
“Great, I just wasted an entire day,” Shiro whined at dinnertime. “Mizuno-sensei’s gonna be so mad at me!”
Taichi laughed. “If you’re well enough to complain, then you must be okay!”
Kiryu shook his head. “It happens. As long as you’re fine, Shiro.”
The fever returned a couple days later, and again Shiro stayed home from school. The fever lasted just about as long as the first bout, and again he was back at school soon enough, but not longer than a day had passed before he was sick again. This time, he was violently sick in the bathroom, and numerous little unfun symptoms accompanied his fever.
Now worried, Kiryu took him to the pediatric.
“Got into another fight?” Dr. Miyasato gently teased Shiro when he walked into the examination room. He had given Shiro topical antibiotic for the injury Eri gave him about a few weeks ago. “One wouldn’t think you’re the sort!”
After a brief examination, Dr. Miyasato prescribed a liquid antibiotic and some more fever reducer. He advised Shiro not to attend school for the duration of his therapy, as his fever kept returning.
The news bummed him out more than Shiro wanted to admit, but Kiryu promised to make it up for him by checking out any books he wanted from the library for him. Cheered up, Shiro had written him a list, and Kiryu borrowed his library card. When he returned, it was with a few other surprises he had personally picked out for him.
“You’re reading for fun?” Taichi over-dramatically moaned in hopes of getting a giggle out of Shiro. “I’d take the chance to watch more TV. I wouldn’t even do my homework!”
“I don’t want to fall back,” Shiro explained, who had already completed the assignment Izumi brought over from Mizuno-sensei’s class every day. “Besides, it gives me something to do.”
“But you must have read those books a hundred times already!” Taichi whined, picking up one of the books that indeed Shiro had picked apart a few times already.
“So? You probably watched the same Dragon Ball Z fight a hundred times.”
“So? It’s fun!”
Grinning, Shiro shook his head and picked up one of the books that Kiryu had chosen. It was from the adult section, a book on how the universe came into being. A little above his reading level, but Shiro appreciated the challenge. The book gave Shiro goosebumps, thinking of how ancient, immense, and yet finite existence and the universe was. Already the book was his favorite. “Uncle Kaz got me this one!”
“Want us to get you something too?” Koji suggested.
“Yeah, we can dig up some manga Uncle Kaz probably never heard of,” Mitsuo added.
And so the kids took turns with Shiro or Koji’s library card. He’d wake up and find new books and manga by his bedside. There were stories on superheroes and crime-fighters and shoujo magical girl series—not something he would have picked on his own, but his sisters clearly enjoyed the stories, and he wasn’t going to turn down their recommendations.
The books and manga kept his mind away from his sickness. Shiro made a mental note to return everyone’s kindness with a book recommendation of his own once he was better.
He had hoped the days spent at home would mean he got to spend more time with Kiryu, but in the end he was mostly asleep or sifting through books or dashing off his homework.
Other than poking his head in to check in on Shiro on occasion and give him his medication, Kiryu mostly left him alone. Shiro didn’t take insult to that. Kiryu must obviously have thought that he needed as much rest as possible, and besides, Kiryu had a lot of work to do around the house. It was a pity Shiro himself couldn’t help out. He hated feeling useless.
He also felt guilty and anxious. For sure Kiryu would find out that Shiro had been snooping in his private belongings and knew the truth about Eri. Ever since that evening, Shiro could barely get a good night’s rest.
On nights when he could not sleep, that was all he could think about. The truth about Eri’s parents. The fact that Kiryu agreed to take in Eri.
Shiro was angry. Why did Kiryu agree to take in a Kurosu child when their victim’s child was also in the same orphanage? Shiro knew he was being stupid. It’s not like Eri had anything to do with the murder of his parents. She was clearly traumatized by the actions of the yakuza family as much as he was, but he wanted nothing to do with them. He didn’t want her anywhere near him, and that made everything ten times worse. She had already lashed out at him. The Kurosu-Shirogane battle was still ongoing, and Kiryu was treating it like it was just a simple case of disciplining a child.
But Shiro also felt incredibly guilty for taking advantage of Kiryu’s trust the way he did, and he was reminded of that every time Kiryu peeked into the boys’ room to check in on him, every time he gave Shiro his medication, every time he checked Shiro’s temperature, his eyes full of nothing but pure unconditional love.
One day Shiro awoke midday to the sound of thudding wood. He pulled back the shoji and spotted Kiryu chopping logs out near the house. He always did this work with his shirt off, revealing his back irezumi in its full glory.
Shiro loved studying it. Some might find her frightening, but Shiro took comfort in that lovely dragon. He had read a little about irezumi in the library and found himself even more fascinated. So much thought went into each one.
The silvery grey-white Ascending Dragon’s head was facing north, reflective of Kiryu’s pure nature, a man incorruptible. A symbol of wisdom, protection, and power—the very zeitgeist of Kiryu Kazuma himself—the guardian dragon clutched a large pearl inked with the Sanskrit symbol of the Year of the Monkey, the year Kiryu was born under.
Shiro smiled, thinking back to all of his dreams of the Ascending Dragon flying over the orphanage, the school, the library, the beach, the guardian ever keeping a careful eye on them. That was Uncle Kaz alright.
Just like Majima’s own Hannya, there was more to Kiryu’s irezumi below the waistline that Shiro couldn’t see. How much further did the ink go?
Wait—did Kiryu and Majima have their butts inked?!
Shiro giggled into his pillow, but then he wondered how they could have handled the pain. Shots at the doctor’s clinic were painful enough.
Shiro instinctively yelped into his pillow and squirmed, which must have drawn Kiryu’s attention. Within milliseconds he was crouching by Shiro’s futon, eyebrows knitted with concern.
“Everything okay, Shiro?” he asked softly.
Shiro nodded, blushing. “I had a funny dream.” He giggled and smashed his face back into his pillow as a coughing fit seized him.
Kiryu gave a nod. “Okay. As long as you’re okay. I’m glad something made you happy.”
Shiro watched him leave with a little smile.
Kiryu, ever the pure-hearted guardian. That only made his shame and guilt over Eri even worse. He was such a terrible son.
The antibiotic course ended during the weekend, and with that, Shiro felt a lot better. He would have to wait until Monday to get back to school, but in the meantime, he had so many books to return to the library. He helped extra around the house, wanting to make up for the time he was resting. Between that and putting in some play time with his siblings, the weekend passed quickly.
Shiro had every single person at Morning Glory to thank for keeping him entertained. Late Sunday evening, as he vowed to return the favor to everyone at some point, he heard a commotion outside in the hall.
“Taichi, you jerk!”
Uh oh, wonder what’s going on, Shiro thought. That sounded like Haruka. Was Taichi giving her a hard time again? Haruka sounded more upset than usual, though. Maybe he should go see her…
▼ Continue preparing for your return to school
The week back to school started off well, if slightly disorienting. Despite having done all of his homework, Shiro still felt as though he had been away for much longer and everyone had progressed far more than he had. He worked hard to catch up and to erase that feeling of being far behind.
By the middle of the week, Shiro was having intense stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Not again! he thought miserably. He wasn’t going to tell Kiryu about this. Remembering what his mother once told him about this dealing with this annoyance, he drank some water, hoping that would be the last of his problems. But after almost collapsing while trying to play with Mitsuo, off to the pediatric Kiryu took him once more.
The diagnosis was a side effect to the antibiotic, so he was next given a drink formulated with electrolytes to replenish and rebalance whatever damage the antibiotic had done to his gut. It had helped, and Shiro was fine, but by the following week, he was starting to feel weak again.
He fell into a vicious cycle. One or two good days at school would be followed by several weeks bedridden. Either his stomach hurt, or he felt too weak and faint to raise his head, or he was found passed out after vomiting in the bathroom. A few times, he got so sick while at school, Kiryu was called in to fetch him and take him back home.
No one could understand what the matter was. Shiro was eating the same foods as everyone else, and he was eating well. Labs done on him showed that the antibiotic hadn’t caused C. diff which may have required hospitalization. However, Shiro just felt too awful to go to school.
This went on for the entirety of the summer. Shiro could barely finish one full week of school before having to stay at home for at least a week or two after. Kiryu took him to the doctors a good dozen more times, and a couple times he visited the hospital for more tests. The façade of wanting to become a doctor was quickly slipping. He hated everything to do with white coats, sterile smells, and the sight of needles.
His siblings were supportive the entire time. They continued to bring him books or would sit with him and talk with him to keep him from feeling completely miserable. Koji got him hooked onto a manga titled Fist of the North Star after raving about it one evening. After getting into it himself, Shiro would lie in bed imagining Kiryu as Kenshiro navigating the post-apocalyptic dessert world.
When he was too weak to raise his head from his pillow, Taichi would carry him to the beach shoreline just to enjoy the scenery. Even if the other kids played nearby, no one pushed Shiro to play with them, understanding his limits. Most of the time, it was nice to just sit out here and read. Sometimes, the smell of the salty ocean left him feeling sicker. But his best memories were sitting with his entire family late in the evenings, leaning into Kiryu and looking up, gazing at the stars or reading.
While out together like this, the boys would always interrupt Shiro’s reading to point out Kiryu’s goofier moments.
One time Kiryu was busy fishing while the kids played. He had a bag from Smile Burger next to him and next to that a can of worms. Without paying attention, he absentmindedly hooked a burger into the line and plucked out a worm from the can, bringing it up to his mouth.
“Uncle Kaz! That’s not a fry—” Taichi cried out.
Too late.
The ensuing consequence was a glorious sight to behold, yet for all his blunder Kiryu still somehow managed to land them a bluefin tuna for dinner.
The best Shiro ever managed that summer was going to school three days in a row. One evening in June, he was asked by Kiryu if he had remembered to walk home Izumi as she was missing from the dinner table, and Shiro’s mind nearly froze with dread.
Had he neglected his duties?! Had he forgotten about his sister?!
As it turned out, Izumi was having trouble at school, but the guilty and shame that ate away at Shiro left him bed bound for the next three weeks after that.
Shiro was staying at home one day. Whenever he did, Kiryu never bothered him or asked much from him. Didn’t want to push him with chores if he couldn’t do them, which only made Shiro feel worse. He at least wanted to accompany Kiryu around the house…if he wasn’t passed out in the boy’s room, as he was in that moment.
Waking up to nature’s call, Shiro scrambled to the bathroom as something inside him ached. He ignored the pain, but when he looked down after doing his business, a bone-cold terror ran through his entire body.
His first instinct was to yell for help, but fear kept his lips buttoned shut. The next instinct told him to flush—he didn’t want Kiryu to know, didn’t want to bother Kiryu any more than he already had, but shock stilled his hand.
Gingerly he stepped away, one step, two steps. His heart hammered in his chest.
Tears welled in his eyes before he turned on his heels and rushed out into the hall. He scarcely could see through the tears as he turned the corner, then bulleted into the dining room. Kiryu’s back was visible through the kitchen archway as he prepared tonight’s dinner.
“Shiro? Is that you?” Kiryu asked, about to look over his shoulder.
Shiro rushed and gripped Kiryu tightly around his middle just as he finally gave in to the tears. He buried his face into Kiryu’s apron. He refused to look up.
“Shiro?”
He shook his head even as a large hand gently patted him on his shoulder.
“Is everything okay, Shiro?”
His heart close to bursting in his chest, Shiro mumbled the words.
“Hmm?” Gently he was pried away from Kiryu as Kiryu got down on his level. “What’s going on, Shiro? You can tell me.”
“I…I…I’m peeing blood.”
Shiro looked away as he said this but he still heard the sudden sharp intake of breath escaping from Kiryu. If Kiryu said anything in response, Shiro didn’t hear him. He grabbed Kiryu by the hand and dragged him over back to the bathroom.
He stood by the side as Kiryu took one look in. His face turned white as a ghost.
“I-I’m sorry,” Shiro mumbled, thinking of all the trouble he kept causing Kiryu.
“This is getting out of hand…what’s going on?” he thought he heard Kiryu say, his words cracking with heartbreak, before he turned to him. “I’m so sorry, Shiro. We have to go to the hospital.”
“I’m sorry,” Shiro said again.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Kiryu said. “You’re sick and we need to understand what’s going on.”
Shiro hung his head. “But I keep causing you trouble! I’m such a burden to you.”
Kiryu shook his head. “No. No, don’t ever say that, Shiro. You need my help, and I am here to help you. I’m worried for you, Shiro! Come here!”
Shiro’s eyes welled up again as Kiryu lifted him up, hugging him close to him. After the way he had betrayed Kiryu’s trust, Shiro didn’t deserve so much kindness.
After checking in on Shiro and ensuring he was sound asleep, Kiryu stepped out of the orphanage and pulled out his phone. Doing a quick scan through his contacts, he found the name he was looking for. He had debated going this route, and even as he typed up the email, he hesitated sending it out.
Nishida, it’s Kiryu. Can you give
me Majima-san’s number? I must
email him directly.
Thank you.
Kiryu
By the time Kiryu had collected a can’s worth of worms from around the courtyard and was halfway through smoking a cigarette, a reply arrived.
Here’s Boss’s number. He doesn’t
like emailing himself, so I do
it for him. You okay with that?
Nishida
Kiryu sent in his thanks and saved the number into his phone. This had to be the third number Majima had ever since Kiryu and he first exchanged emails after their first Club Shine date. Either Majima was always destroying his phone or had to regularly change his number given what he had to put up with in his daily life. Kiryu knew better than to ask him about it.
Nii-san, please call me at your
earliest convenience. It’s about
Shiro.
Kiryu
Kiryu barely flipped the lid of his phone down when it rang.
“Kiryu-chan!” Majima’s voice blurted the moment Kiryu pressed accept. “Was it Nishida that gave ya my number?!”
“Yes, please don’t get upset with him, I asked him to—”
“What’s going on with Shiro?” Majima quickly changed the subject. Glad that Majima wasn’t concerned with abusing Nishida for once, Kiryu got right into the matter at hand. He stole a quick peek toward the orphanage before taking another step away, placing himself right outside the gate.
He brought Majima up to speed on what’s been happening with Shiro. His lover listened silently the entire time, with an occasional whispered, “What?” or “I see,” with none of his usual crass tone.
“I’ve asked the neighbors if it was normal for a child to get sick this frequently,” Kiryu added. “While infections are common, you’d usually see them spread in classrooms. Shiro’s the only one who keeps getting sick in his class, and to the point where he’s even passed blood in his urine. Have you heard of anyone in your family who had a similar problem?”
“None that I recall,” Majima said, his Osaka-ben dropping briefly. “Kiryu-chan, do you think this is all due to his trauma?”
“I’ve considered that,” Kiryu said. “But he’s not the only child who has had a traumatic past. Haruka watched both of her parents die and nearly died herself in an explosion later on. Most of my other children have endured something horrible in their lives. None of them are exhibiting the same symptoms as Shiro.”
Majima gave a low, “Hmm.”
“Some kids just deal with these things better than others, Kiryu-chan. Take Haruka for instance. Dunno about the others, but that Haruka…she may be soft on the outside, but she’s tough as nails.”
“I’m worried,” Kiryu said. “Could you retrieve his birth certificate and any of his medical records? Same for his parents. My intuition is telling me there might be something more going on. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m getting worried.”
“Of course, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll get them all sent to ya within a day.”
Kiryu smiled and bowed although Majima couldn’t see him. It was a habit. “Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san.” He chuckled. “You know, talking to you, hearing your voice again…it’s reassuring.”
“Oi, none of that mushy bullshit, Kiryu-chan!” Majima chastised, though Kiryu could just envision his face red as a beet on the other end of the receiver. “Ya don’t need ta butter me up like a dinner biscuit to get me to do yer tidings! I…I have a meeting coming up, but you’ll get yer docs right away.” And in a low voice, he added, “miss talkin’ to ya too, Kiryu-chan. Give Shiro-chan a little peck on the forehead from me.”
“Uncle Kaz?” Ayako poked her head into the kitchen. “I took Shiro’s temperature. He was still feverish, so I gave him more medicine.”
“Thank you, Ayako,” Kiryu said. He set the peeled onion on the cutting board and picked up his knife.
“Um…” Ayako took a tentative step inside, and Kiryu paused, setting his knife down.
“What is it, Ayako?” He had the children take turns keeping an eye out on Shiro and inform him if anything changed with his status. As for Kiryu himself he kept any errands at a minimum as much as possible.
“Well…it’s just that Shiro’s been mumbling about something the entire time,” Ayako said hesitantly.
Kiryu frowned. A fever dream? Or maybe he wanted something from Kiryu? Whatever it was, maybe he should go see Shiro right away.
▶ I should go see Shiro right away.
▼ I'll go see him after dinner's done.
Late summer. Shiro had became a permanent presence at home, always asleep or silently following around Kiryu. At times Kiryu thought he saw tears well up in Shiro’s eyes as he looked up at him, as though he was bursting to tell him something only to hold back his tongue.
Majima had sent the requested documents pertaining as much medical information he could fine on the Shiroganes and Nakaos, Shiro’s mother’s side of the gamily. Kiryu had the doctor pore through them. So far, not much could be gleaned from them, but the doctor promised he would continue to study them and contact him should anything come up. Meanwhile, the doctor continued to regularly visit the orphanage to check in on Shiro.
Every time Kiryu looked at the small boy, his heart broke. Shiro had already went through a lot in his short life, and Kiryu couldn’t fathom why life continued to be cruel to him. He was reminded of another girl who suffered so: Nishikiyama Yuko. Nishiki’s little sister…
Why did life choose to throw everything at certain people? They were always the most pure-hearted. It made Kiryu angry and sad, but he had to keep a clear head. He had to be there for Shiro.
One afternoon while the others had gone out to the movies, Kiryu stayed back to watch over Shiro. Sitting out on the engawa, cigarette in hand, a cup of sake beside him, Kiryu gazed out as he reminisced over Yuko.
She had always been a small and fragile girl. She was the one who had encouraged Yumi to open up to the other orphans in Sunflower Orphanage, solidifying a friendship between the four children that lasted into their adulthoods. However, Yuko was sickly even as a child, like Shiro. In her case, it was her heart. She couldn’t play the more physically exerting games Nishiki and he came up with, so they had to modify them so she could join in. They used to beat up anyone who complained the modified games were too easy. Kiryu chuckled briefly at the memory.
Eventually, Yuko got too sick to stay at the orphanage. Kazama had her stay at a hospital, where she remained for years. Kiryu had memories of popping in to visit her, occasionally bringing her flowers. It was the least he could do, unsure what else to do for the poor girl.
He wasn’t there when Yuko passed away. He had been in jail at the time. Never got the chance to properly say goodbye to her, someone he considered a friend. Kiryu couldn’t even remember the final time he had visited Yuko or what they had said to one another back then.
A tear rolled down Kiryu’s cheek as he ashed his cigarette and glanced back toward the boys’ room.
Shiro…I promise, I will not let any harm come to you.
“Shiro?”
Summer vacation had long passed. His siblings had gone back to school. The colors of the trees were turning into their autumn foliage —no, that was back in Hatsudai…
Or maybe they were all in Hatsudai…the feel of gentle breeze on their faces as they traversed toward school…
“…Shiro…open…eyes…look…me…”
His eyes fluttered madly, barely able to comprehend Kiryu leaning over him as he placed a hand on his forehead. Kiryu’s eyebrows knitted with deep frown and worry, but Shiro barely registered his presence.
“Shiro?”
Shiro was vaguely aware of Kiryu slipping the plastic tip of a thermometer between his lips. The world faded away for an instant before the beeping, followed by a shocked gasp, pulled him back to reality.
“Shiro? Shiro!”
Shiro’s eyes rolled to the back of his head for a moment—just a moment—but before he knew it, the world had changed completely. No longer was he in the boys’ room. The walls were suddenly white tiled, and his clothes were gone. Kiryu had plopped him into the tub and was filling it with cold water.
“Shiro, look at me,” Kiryu begged as he brought Shiro’s face toward him. His eyes were wide, so deep and dark, beautiful but full of fear. Shiro always loved his eyes, but he hated seeing how much pain they held. He was causing Kiryu pain.
Shiro moaned in reply, not hearing the next thing Kiryu said. Shiro blinked and looked above Kiryu’s shoulder, noticing brilliant light…
“Shiro, stay with me!”
Something nice and cool was pressed against him. Frozen veggies, Shiro vaguely registered, looking down as large arms carried him. They were no longer inside the orphanage. Kiryu ran at top speed, his breathing hitched and terrified.
“Shiro, I got you! Stay with me, okay? I’m not giving up on you!”
Shiro’s head lolled in Kiryu’s arms. He smiled up at him. How nice it felt to travel above the clouds, riding on the back of the Ascending Dragon. Kiryu’s shouting faded into nothing as Shiro smiled against his chest. If only the dragon could fly higher and let him touch the stars…
Haruka and Taichi rushed to the hospital after school when they heard the news from a neighbor. Ayako and Koji stayed behind at Morning Glory to look after the rest of the children. The air among everyone was tense with worry. No one knew the exact details, as Kiryu revealed little.
Taichi was eerily obedient in the waiting room as Haruka and he sat waiting for any news. Sometimes Kiryu sat with them, and sometimes he was whisked away by one of the on-duty physicians or nurses.
Each time he reappeared, he was only more still and silent, the air around him tense with fear and trepidation.
After what seemed like hours, a young pediatric physician who introduced herself as Dr. Matsumoto asked to speak with Kiryu alone. Silently Haruka and Taichi watched as Kiryu exited the waiting room, his lips drawn into a straight line as if steeling himself for grave news. The two gave one another a look of low-grade dread but did not say anything. Neither wanted to entertain the thought of what Kiryu was about to hear. Similarly, they didn’t want to falsely cheer one other up in the short while before getting struck by the horrid truth.
After what seemed like hours, Kiryu reappeared, and both Haruka and Taichi’s throats went dry at his appearance.
Kiryu was the strongest man they had ever known in both physicality and emotional fortitude, but right now he was utterly broken. Pale-grey and looking helplessly defeated, he barely registered that they were there. Haruka took note of the tears trickling down his cheeks.
“Uncle Kaz?” she called out softly. “What did the doctor say?”
It was as though Kiryu didn’t hear her.
“Hey, what’d the doctor say?” Taichi asked, a little louder. “What’s up with my brother?”
Kiryu glanced down at them, and the look in his eyes sent them both reeling back.
“You need to get home,” he said hollowly. “Now.”
Majima yawned loudly, drawing a scandalized look from the patriarch sitting next to him. If he had to sit for another minute in this boring-ass meeting, he was going to blow his brains out.
Just then his pants jangled with an incoming email alert. No longer caring for etiquette, he pulled out his phone. It was from Kiryu.
Call. Shiro is dying.
“What the—” Majima choked loudly.
Now three other patriarchs were glaring at him, as if Majima gave a single shit about any of them or the two-bit families they ran. Hopping to his feet without much of excusing himself, he made for the double doors, dialing Kiryu as he went.
“Kiryu-chan?!” Majima hissed once the other line picked up. “What’s going on?”
At first all he could hear were heavy breathing. Was Kiryu crying?
“Kiryu-chan, talk to me!” Majima said, pacing the room he had picked for privacy. “What happened? What happened to our boy?!”
“The doctors have done a bunch of tests,” Kiryu finally managed on the other side of the line. “You were right. The trauma must have lowered his immunity, made him vulnerable. An infection got out of hand. It’s been slowly eroding him from the inside out. They’re saying it’s multiorgan failure.”
“What…?” Majima gasped, feeling as though the ground underneath him had disappeared.
“He was running a high fever over forty degrees Celsius this morning. I ran an ice bath and everything to try to bring it down,” Kiryu went on. “I ran to the hospital. He’s slipped into a coma.”
“No…”
Kiryu dissolved into whimpers as Majima stared, dumbstruck, out the window. On one side of the wall were all the portraits of past patriarchs of the Tojo Clan. He and Kiryu had shown Shiro the photos just several months ago…
“Is there still a way to save him?” Majima asked, his mouth dry.
“He’ll need a transplant, but it’s impossible,” Kiryu said. “Several organs have failed, and we’re running low on time. The doctor doesn’t think he’ll...doesn’t think he’ll…”
“Get a grip on yerself!” Majima spat as Kiryu dissolved into heavy cries. Fuck, even he was starting up, and he couldn’t risk that in the middle of Tojo HQ! “Ya can’t give up on the boy just yet!”
“I’ve failed him…” Kiryu whimpered.
“Ya haven’t! None of us coulda predicted this!”
“What am I gonna do, Nii-san?”
“What does he need?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ya heard me, ya dim-witted ox! What organs does Shiro-chan need?”
There was a brief silence on the other line. “Heart, kidneys, liver…where are we going to find replacement for all three within a few hours?! A couple days at most?!”
“We got the whole world. Seven billion fuckers in it. One of them must be a match.”
“That isn’t just it, Nii-san,” Kiryu said. “He’s blood type O negative. I was told it will be difficult to get a match for him.”
“Eh, so? That just means I gotta be a lil more picky!”
“Majima-no-nii-san…”
“I got an idea, Kiryu-chan. You stay with the boy. I’m going to visit his grandfather.”
“How will that help us—”
“You need blood type O negative, don’t ya? Best place to start searching is family.”
“But…” Kiryu sighed heavily. “We need donors. We can’t just—”
“Then what t’fuck do ya want me to do?!” Majima cried out. “I’m not gonna just stand around while that kid’s dying on us!” In a softer voice, he added, “Please, let me take over from here, all right, Kazuma? Go be with our boy.”
As he shut the phone, he glared back toward the photos, remembering how small and helpless that sweet little polite boy looked that day of his parents’ funeral, how his doe-like eyes filled with tears on the morning after Majima had saved him.
“Don’t worry, Shiro-chan, yer Uncle Goro’s gonna save ya,” Majima promised, gripping the phone.
Shirogane Kichiro always began each morning with some meditation and a little jog in the neighborhood to get the old joints back into working order. Then he would tend to his beloved little garden that he had kept ever since he had moved to this house as a newlywed man (beloved Sachiko had always joked he loved the garden more than her.) After snipping off dead leafs here, collecting a few herbs there that’ll go into his soup later, and watering the little green darlings everywhere, he went back inside, had a small lunch, then prepared for the next part of his day.
A large portion of his house comprised of an art studio. A patio door gave a view of the outside world and garden, providing ample light, greenery, and inspiration.
Here, being perfectly tidy was not a necessity so long as he knew where everything was. Canvases of numerous sizes perched on easels, and cups of paintbrushes dotted here and there. Dry splotches of paint lay scattered everywhere, giving vibrancy and history to the studio. There were comfortable chairs with blue and green fingerprint stains on the armrests, sketch books on the desks stuffed and crammed with years of ideas and sketches. Trays of colored pencils and watercolor pencils stacked nearby.
One wall housed a shelf full of all his paints, from oil paints to watercolors to acrylics. Over against another wall were recently completed portraits of his son Noboru and daughter-in-law Akemi. Nearby was a smaller portrait of his grandson Takashi.
Kichiro understood that he may never see Takashi again, but that didn’t stop him from drawing his little grandchild, using a photo Noboru had sent him during the New Year prior his passing.
Such a pity, Kichiro thought as he set out his art supplies for today’s session. He had been looking forward to introducing Takashi to the joys of art, and even more, to have the boy meet another special young child Kichiro held dear to his heart.
Alas, fate had other plans.
Just then, a knock came on the door.
Kichiro sighed. He had a feeling that man was going to visit him again, the same one who had come bearing news of his son’s death. He was yakuza, which didn’t alarm Kichiro personally. Not too long ago that same man had sent some of his men to retrieve any medical records for the grandson, probably for his school records. Kichiro thought that was going to be it for a while.
What was the matter now?
“Good afternoon, Shirogane-san,” Majima said and bowed low and properly. He wore the red shirt he had taken from Kiryu with a crisp black suit and black tie. It gave him less of an eccentric appearance, although there wasn’t much he could do about the eyepatch. Not that this would be the first time he and Shirogane Kichiro had spoken with one another.
The old man nodded and warmly welcomed him inside. By now this was becoming familiar territory to Majima. He was led into the art studio, and Shirogane offered him tea. Majima was careful not to spill any on the many sketchbooks around him.
“How may I help you today? How’s little Takashi?”
Majima braced himself. “Takashi needs your help.” He filled Shirogane on the details as delicately as he could, not wishing to give the old man a heart attack. Wasn’t easy. How the fuck was anyone supposed to approach a topic as grave as “yer grandchild’s in a coma and needs several organs; know anyone with some parts to spare?” in a graceful manner?
“Oh…oh, my,” Shirogane said, hand on his heart when Majima was done. “That poor little boy. First his parents and now this…”
Majima bowed his head. He couldn’t even get himself to take a sip of tea. He had no appetite for it. “He’s in very bad shape, Gramps. To be honest with ya, the doc’s not too optimistic about him makin’ it out the night.”
“Can I go see him? Can’t you take me there?”
“I’m afraid we’re short on time. Is there no relative of his, perhaps a cousin of yours or one of the Nakao’s?”
“Nakaos?” Shirogane repeated.
That was when the sound car tires screeched into their ears, and in that moment, two of Majima’s bodyguards came hurling through the studio’s patio doors.
“What the hell?!” Majima cried out as he jumped to his feet, glaring at the silhouettes at the entryway.
“Boss!” Nishida choked out in pain. The other dimwit, Minami, had his head stuck in a bucket of paint. “We tried to ward him off, Boss, but he was too strong for us!”
“You,” Majima hissed, eyes narrowing as Patriarch Kurosu Katsuo calmly stepped into the studio.
“In the air there’s been whisperings of a name I have not heard in quite some time,” Kurosu said coldly. “Shirogane Takashi.” He threw a small knife and it struck the portrait of Shiro on the wall right between the eyes.
Jumping in front of Shirogane Kichiro, Majima pushed him to a corner. “Stay here, Gramps. Keep away from us, got it?”
“But—”
Majima marched into the middle of the studio as he drew his tanto and kicked a cart full of brushes and paint aside—hold on. He could use some of this shit…
Meeting Kurosu’s eye as he drew his own katana, the other must have gotten the same idea.
Kurosu reached for a large bucket of paint from the shelves just as Majima kicked the cart with all his might. Bucket and cart collided halfway, exploding, and in the ensuing swirling psychedelic chaos, the two men clashed, their blades swinging at one another in a feverish dance amidst clouds of technicolored smoke and liquidy fireworks.
Their blades clashed and danced as sparks of red and gold and white turned into green and black and blue. Majima laughed manically—if only Kiryu-chan was seeing this display! Would this cheer up Shiro-chan?
He grabbed a ruined canvas and hurled it toward Kurosu who dodged it, then swung his katana at the next one, slicing it in half. Grabbing one half of the second canvas, he flung it straight for Majima’s head, who veered away just in time. The sharp point connected with some glass jars on the shelf behind him, sending paint bleeding down the shelves like an iridescent waterfall.
Well ain’t this a mess for the ages.
In a split second of distraction, Kurosu took aim at Majima’s head, but Majima dodged and spun, hopping onto the sketching desk. Kurosu lunged over him, toppling the sketch books to the ground.
Fuck, he didn’t look it, but the bastard was heavy.
Majima grunted and gave an ear-splitting shriek, shocking Kurosu enough to give him an edge. He rolled over so that now Kurosu was pinned to the table. Laughing manically again, he struck his tanto down onto the table, missing Kurosu’s head by an inch. He bared his teeth like some rabid dog down at the surly-faced patriarch.
Kurosu made a disgusted face and brought his knees up. He kicked Majima in the chest with both feet, sending him flying back. Stabbing the ground to stabilize himself, Majima shot his head up in time to catch Kurosu reigning down with his katana, stopping him with not a second to spare.
They collided against a wall, upsetting more paint and canvases as they went.
“Boys! Boys!”
It was Old Man Shirogane waving his arms.
“Boys!” he begged. An orange and purple faced Nishida and a blue-headed Minami were staring wide-mouthed at them. “Please, just stop it! You’ve done enough damage to my studio!”
Majima looked around themselves. Paint everywhere. Canvases ruined or sliced in half. Shelves broken. Jars smashed and ruined masterpieces.
Well, fuck.
Guilt and shame humbled the two men at last as they were both brought back down to earth. They bowed and apologized profusely.
“I’ll pay for all the mess,” Majima said. “Boys, ya help him clean up, awright?”
“I’m family,” Kurosu said in a gruff voice. “I must contribute in restoration.”
“What’d ya just say?!” Majima stared at him, eye wide.
Shirogane cleared his throat. “He’s speaking the truth, Majima-san. Please…if you’ll just have me explain everything…”
Now all washed up, Majima and Kurosu sat in the living room as Shirogane served them a fresh cup of tea. The hospitality felt unwarranted given everything that had just transpired in the studio. At least Nishida and Minami had sense not to complain after Majima ordered them to clean up.
“So what’s this whole family business?” Majima asked.
“Let’s start with something you had mentioned to me earlier,” Shirogane explained gently. “I understand the boy is in a dire state. You came to me as his last known relative in hopes of finding an organ donor. However, I’m afraid you will not find any Shirogane who can help Takashi.”
Majima furrowed his brow.
“You see,” Shirogane continued, “Takashi is blood type O negative, but his father, like myself, was blood type B positive. Vast majority of the Shiroganes have blood type with the Rh factor positive. I have not known anyone from my side of the family with a negative blood type.”
Majima hung his head. “So asking ya if there was anyone who happened to be a match was in vain hope from the beginnin’, huh?”
Shirogane shook his head. “Afraid not. I’m sorry.”
“But then…” Majima mulled over Shirogane’s words carefully. He was no science major, but he could figure this out if he rationalized it carefully. “If the boy’s father was B positive, but he’s O negative, then the blood type had to come from his mother, am I right?”
Shirogane gave a nod. “Exactly. His mother’s side had plenty with the negative blood type. And his mother was Nakao Akemi, or more accurately, Kurosu Akemi.”
“What—his mother was a Kurosu?!”
Shirogane nodded. “Patriarch Kurosu is Akemi’s brother.”
So was that the reason why the Kurosu Clan were circling around Shirogane’s home, Majima wondered. Not for revenge on the old man, but to possibly protect him from the Majima Family?
After everything he had learned about the Kurosu Clan and how Shirogane Noboru had angered them after running an impossibly high tab at one their clubs and impregnated one of their hostesses, this was the very last new detail Majima had expected to learn. Surely Noboru should have known he was messing with his in-laws, right? And wouldn’t have Kurosu been a little more lenient toward his brother-in-law?
And how was Shiro involved in all this? Hadn’t Kurosu called for Shiro’s murder?!
Something didn’t add up.
“I must be missing something,” Majima said, shaking his head.
Shirogane gave him a sympathetic look before turning to Kurosu. “I think you should show him, Katsuo dear.”
Kurosu gave a deep sigh and looked away, as if pained, before finally giving a nod. He stood up and bowed to Majima.
“Follow me, Majima-san,” he said, his voice deep and formal with all the learned etiquette of a patriarch.
Majima wasn’t sure where he was being taken. The mood in the car was grave and silent, as Kurosu and he exchanged very few words. Majima has always fared better with people he’s fought with, often made friends (and lovers, in the case with Kiryu-chan) that way. Guess Kurosu wasn’t the kind to make friends with his fists. He barely even regarded Majima the entire way to their destination.
Finally the car pulled into the parking garage of a hospital, and without another word, Kurosu motioned for Majima to follow him. Sensing the severity of the situation, Majima followed without even cracking a smile.
Kurosu led him up to a ward that was devoid of sound save for their footsteps on carpeted floor and the occasional beeping that could be caught beyond closed doors. Nurses were low in number on this ward, Majima noted.
Stopping before a room, Kurosu opened the door and motioned Majima inside.
A tiny girl not much older than Shiro lay on the hospital bed, strapped to several machines. Most of her head was wrapped up in bandages. A ventilator kept her breathing.
She made no movement to acknowledge that they had entered. Her eyes remained closed, and not once did she move as they talked.
“Oh…who is this?” Majima asked in a low voice although he suspected he already knew the answer. He took a chair next to the little girl.
“My daughter,” Kurosu said heavily as he joined Majima in a chair next to him. “Kurosu Yukiho. Seven years old. She’s my entire world.”
Majima watched the forlorn way the patriarch studied her. “What happened?”
It was a long while before Kurosu finally began to speak. The silence of the room all around accentuated the sorrow in his voice.
“I care for my sister Akemi just as much. We were all we had for the longest time. I looked out for her. Growing up, life was…as you can imagine, brutal. We were just two children fending for ourselves in this cruel world. As I rose up the ranks in my old family, our surname caught on, its notoriety carrying street cred.
“I bled sweat and tears to provide Akemi a life I could only ever dream for myself, but I did not wish for Akemi to have to bear the burden of being the yakuza’s sister. I encouraged her to take on our mother’s maiden surname as her own to distant herself. It worked well for the most part. She got to move up in the world. Got to have an education. And then she met a man who found out about me.”
“Shirogane Noboru,” Majima guessed.
Kurosu gave a curt nod. “Noboru and I have never seen eye to eye. Suppose he never liked the yakuza, despite marrying the sister of one. He thought he was better than us, having come from a more well-adjusted family. I had warned Akemi about him, but she was in love, and it was not my place to keep her from her happiness.
“Noboru found any little opportunity to stir trouble for my family and myself. I kept the truth from his sister because I did not wish to cause discord in their marriage. But I fought with him whenever he showed his face near one of my family’s businesses or my office.”
“Ya’d raise yer hand on a civilian?” Majima said.
“No. We honor the gokudo code of conduct. However, Noboru used that code as an opportunity to take advantage of us. I tried to put a stop to it. I tried to reason with him, but his utter abhorrence for my family and me never let up. We fought with our words, often while he was drunk, and you can imagine how those ended. He memorized all of our clubs and ran tabs that would have gotten us bankrupt. We tried any means to scare him into paying, but of course he refused.
“He then got one of our hostesses, Airi, pregnant.”
“I heard about that,” Majima said. “She was your mistress, wasn’t she?”
To his surprise, Kurosu heaved a heavy sigh full of regret and shook his head. “I was very close to Airi, and she trusted me with her entire life. That was perhaps why Noboru had his eyes on her, but she was not my mistress.
“Airi was an orphaned teenage girl I had rescued from some thugs looking to violate her in the worse ways imaginable. I offered her a roof over her head and a means to earn a living. It was not ideal, but she had found a foothold in this miserable existence. She had found community with the other hostesses at my club.
“Airi had become like a daughter to me, but we put on the facade that I was her lover to scare off any man who may have been itching to do her harm. In hindsight I should have known this act would someday backfire. In the end, it only made her more appealing to someone like Noboru.
“I have heard the claims that Noboru and Airi were in love, that they had planned to elope and abandon my sister and nephew. In reality, Noboru was visiting the club often and constantly requesting to see Airi. But Airi was terrified of him. Several times she had begged us to stop him, but there was little we could do. Any force, and he’d scream about calling the cops.
“In the end, Airi was forced to just go do as he ordered. That was how she ended up getting pregnant with his baby.”
Majima winced as his mind flashed back to every single hostess he had ever looked after. Every time they went out with a client on a date, a small part of him in the back of his mind would worry for their safety. Till now he’d sometimes wonder about the girls back at the Club Sunshine, or more recently Four Shine.
“How is she now?”
“Dead.” Kurosu sighed heavily again and shook his head. Seeing Majima’s somber expression, he elaborated. “Airi was so shattered by the news of her pregnancy that she ran off. I sent some of my men to search for her. There was a suicide note left behind in her apartment, and we couldn’t reach her through her phone. We tried tracking her by GPS, but it led us to a bridge. No one was around; it was a dead end. That was when we learned: unable to take any more of the torment Noboru had inflicted on her, she had jumped to her death.”
Majima lowered his head. Was Noboru really that calloused?
“Naturally, I was enraged,” Kurosu continued. “For his unfaithfulness to the only sister who I loved and now to the innocent woman I had taken under my wing. I had Noboru abducted and taken to a vicinity near my own house where I shook him down and tortured him, a move I will forever deeply regret. I was blinded by anger. I personally had mentored and cared for Airi for years. I loved her deeply as much as I love my own daughter. That idiot did not understand the horrors in her life she had endured before she met me, before I had offered her a little ray of hope.”
Majima just stared at him.
“It happened on February 28 of this year. I’ll never forget it. During the shakedown, Noboru managed to wiggle out of our grasp. He slipped into one of our vans and drove off at top speed. At the time my daughter Yukiho was playing on the street outside our home. Noboru, in his haste to get away, didn’t register she was there until it was too late.”
Majima shuddered.
“By the time we caught up, the bastard had abandoned the van and presumably made off on foot. But all of my attention was on Yukiho.
“We rushed her to the hospital, but there was nothing we could do to save her…she’s been like this ever since…
“Thrice now Noboru had hurt innocent people close to me. Akemi with his disloyalty, Airi with his unforgivable actions, and now…Yukiho was the final straw. I saw red. Code of conduct be damned, I vowed to cast Shirogane Noboru to hell myself.
“I ordered for his death. I ordered for his son to be brought to me. I wanted him to know what it was like to have his heart ripped out of his chest.” Kurosu lowered his head, his eyes glowing with unshed tears.
“The rest you probably know. Noboru knew we were coming for him. We chased him all over, from Hatsudai to Kamurocho. A small personal family matter ballooned into an all-out war. Akemi was caught in the crossfires. It was never my intention to end my sister’s life, but all I wanted in that moment was to take the boy and make him suffer for everything his father had done to us.”
“Damn…” Majima said under his breath, unable to tear his eye from Kurosu. He knew Noboru was a slice of dick from the intel he was given prior to this conversation, but this was some next level douchery.
“And how’s Yukiho?”
Kurosu hung his head. “Not good. The other day the doctor declared no brain activity.”
Majima winced in compassion. “Sorry, man.”
He peered back at the poor girl. From the little he could see of her face, he could just envision her bright smile, how happy she must have appeared on that fateful day before the accident.
Did she see the van barreling down toward her? Did it hurt? Or did everything black out in a flash? No pain, no realization of what was happening? Majima hoped the latter was the case…
You poor, beautiful kid, Majima thought. Why did life treat you so cruelly? Why are you being punished for another's actions?
“You’re all blood type O negative, like the boy,” Majima said slowly.
Kurosu tensed next to him. “That’s right.”
“And her other organs are in working order?”
“Look, I know what you’re thinking,” Kurosu said, “and my answer is in the negative.” Majima took in his glare. “You have no idea what it is like to lose a child.”
“Yer wrong there,” Majima said calmly. “I never got to meet my kid. My wife aborted ours. Had to. Pressure from the idol business she was caught up in. Being an idol, she couldn’t allow news spread that she was pregnant, and with a yakuza’s baby t’boot.” Majima gave a humorlessly chuckle. “Ever since I could remember I wanted to be a parent, wanted a family. Wanted to stop…feeling so alone in this world. The shock of the news, that she removed my dream without so much as telling me beforehand, sent me in a blind rage. I hit my wife. I was so stupid back then. Not much more than a child myself, but that was no excuse. I took anger out on the wrong person.
“I knew right away what I did was unforgivable. I was so ashamed of myself I decided divorce was the best for both of us. After all, she’s suffered a lot over her decision…”
Majima took Yukiho’s hand in his, caressing her tiny soft cold hands in his. “What I woulda give to at least have held my little one. Instead of raising a hand against my little lady, I shoulda burned down the entire idol industry. They ended our lives before it even began.”
He looked up at Kurosu. “Much later, I learned that because my ex-wife had to do the procedure in some secret backwater facility, she wasn’t given the best possible care, and as a result she ended up infertile because of it. She never could conceive after that. Even if we were ever to try again, it would be in vain.”
Silence followed. Kurosu stared at Majima as he continued to hold Yukiho’s hand as if he could transfer comfort to her. He would gently squeeze her hand at times, sometimes bring her palm to his lips as If attempting to tickle her with his short facial hair.
After some time Majima began to hum, and again Kurosu kept staring at him, as though he could just faintly recognize the tune. Sure enough, as Majima went on, the melody became a little more apparent in the eerily silent room, as Majima began to sing a once famous 80s pop song, but he sang it as though it were a lullaby:
”Let's find that glass slipper that fits you
Together, step & go!
Forever and ever
Even though it's past midnight
You're my beloved 24-hour Cinderella.”
“Do you think she can still hear you?” Kurosu eventually said in a low voice. “The doctor said—”
“If the doctor said she’s gone beyond our reach, and if ya truly believe that, then maybe it’s best ya let her go,” Majima said, sighing as he laid down Yukiho’s hand.
Kurosu glared at him.
“Ya really wanna destroy two youngsters’ lives? Yer hurting yer own daughter letting her stay like this.”
“I’m not letting Noboru’s son live!”
“Wouldn’t ya think it’d kill Noboru again to know ya had saved his son’s life when he had destroyed yer daughter’s?” Majima cracked a humorless grin. “He wouldn’t be able to look at ya in the eye in the afterlife.”
“You’re asking me to be the better man? After everything that monster had done?” Kurosu stood up and approached Yukiho, peering into her small face. “I…”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, a father bidding his beloved daughter goodnight for the final time.
Blue light reflected off his aging features as the stern frown softened into deep-set sorrow and grief. He caressed her cheek with a incredibly light touch discrepant of a man known to shatter lives of thousands.
“Fine,” he spat at Majima. “Go. She’s yours. I hope that Shirogane boy has a shitty rest of his life.”
“Kiryu-chan! It’s a match! How soon can we set the surgery?”
“What?” Kiryu stared wide-eyed across the room, unsure if he heard correctly. “How did you—”
“No time to explain! Get me the surgeon! Get me the doctor! I’m heading to Okinawa right now! We just got done with the harvest!”
“Nii-san, what are you, what do you mean—a harvest?”
“I’ll explain it all when I get there! Tell Shiro-chan Uncle Goro’s on the way!”
And with that the line went dead.
Still staring in stunned silence, Kiryu turned to Shiro, who lay in the hospital bed as still as ever. Kiryu settled back beside him on the chair and shook his head. He didn’t know how Majima did it, but a sense of serenity and hope washed over him.
“You’re going to be fine, Shiro. You have a good man watching over you.”
Shiro’s eyes fluttered open. He wasn’t in Morning Glory. The white blanket and the beeping monitor he was attached to informed him he was in a hospital, but he had no recollection of how he got here.
Leaning in front of him were Kiryu and, to Shiro’s small surprise, Majima, pressed up right against Kiryu. The two of them were smiling down at Shiro as though his opening his eyes were the highlight of their day, adoring looks reflected in both of their gazes. He was reminded of how his parents used to look when they tucked him into bed when he was smaller.
Shiro smiled inwardly. Uncle Kaz…and…Uncle Goro…
The thought brought warmth to his cheeks. They should get married, Shiro thought. They were already so much like a married couple…
“Shiro!” Kiryu said, squeezing his hand. He sounded relieved about something. “Thank goodness!”
Majima chuckled. “What’d I tell ya, Kiryu-chan? Yer a strong kid, Shiro-chan.”
Shiro wanted to ask them a question, but he couldn’t speak due to the oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose.
How sick had he been? Kiryu was freely crying, and from the way his eyes were puffy, Shiro guessed he must have been crying for a while. But the tears were more from happiness now. Majima chastised Kiryu for his tears despite also freely crying himself.
What a goofball those two were!
Shiro smiled. He would have laughed but any movement hurt. Whatever had happened to him must have been scary. He was sorry to have given everyone a fright, and every now and again he felt pain on numerous points in his body (was he operated on?)
Whatever happened to him, he must have been over the worst of it now.
Smiling at the two men—his two fathers—Shiro closed his eyes as sleep came over him once more.
A pretty young girl was smiling at Shiro. They stood facing one another across a wide field, under a wide open sky with no city skyline in sight, the wide-reaching cosmic night sky high above.
A breeze sent her long jet black hair billowing across her face. She giggled.
“Shiro?” she called out as she ran toward him, her floral violet dress rippling behind her. “It’s so nice to meet you!”
Stars twinkled all around, high and near to the ground, and in her hair like fireflies.
“Um…” Shiro looked around himself, confused. Where was Kiryu, Majima, Haruka, the rest of his family? “What happened…am I…did I die?”
The little girl shook her head vigorously. Her strange eyes were large and silvery white as she regarded him full of warmth. “No, no you are alive, Shiro! You were given a second chance! I’m so happy for you!”
“Who are you?” Shiro asked.
“My name is Yukiho,” she said and bowed. “I am now a part of you, so I have come to know all about you. Do you want to play?”
Before Shiro could give his answer, Yukiho took his hand and they set off, the only two children existing in this plane of reality. Despite the plethora of questions swimming in his head, Shiro’s worries ebbed with each passing second.
Yukiho asked him what he wanted to do first, and eager to finally be outside, Shiro picked a game of chase. They raced under the stars, their laughter echoing high, the blades of grass twinkling with their mirth as they passed.
“Catch me if you can!”
“No! I’m always bad at this!”
“Ha ha ha!”
“Let’s see who can make it to that big rock over there first!”
“You’re on!”
Not a single other person came to stop them. No harm came near them. They must have played for hours, just two children running on limitless energy, free of physical restraints and exploring the strange new world together.
As they rolled around the glittering glass and laughing, Yukiho suddenly sat up, giving an “Ooh!” and pointed at something new that had showed up in this world: hopscotch drawn in chalk. They took turns, her first. When it was Shiro’s turn, he stopped dead when his foot landed at the ten, realizing he was standing right on the precipice of a mighty tall mountain. The drop below extended deep into unfathomable abyss.
“Look up,” Yukiho said suddenly, and Shiro obeyed.
He gasped. The cosmos glimmered more brilliantly here than even on the shores of Okinawa. It was like they were right among the stars. Giggling, Yukiho skipped to Shiro’s side and took his hand.
“Look, Shiro! Is that a lion?”
Shiro studied where she was pointing and gave a nod of his head. “It is! It’s a lion!”
Yukiho giggled. “Do you like lions, Shiro?”
He nodded. “It looks like a white lion. Oh, maybe we can call it Leo! After Leo from The Jungle Emperor!”
“Leo the White Lion…” Yukiho marveled.
Shiro glanced back up at the stars as a strange feeling filled him. He was often struck by premonitory sensations, often ominous, but not this time. This feeling was…different.
Yukiho was smiling at him. “What’re you thinking, Shiro?”
“I feel like something really special happened today.”
Yukiho giggled and nodded. “Yep! It did! You have a new life!”
“What is today, anyway?” Shiro asked.
“October twenty-three,” she said.
October 23, 2007. So that was the day his fate had shifted.
Notes:
October 23, 2007. Hmm, wonder what’s significant about that day. 🤔
Ah, so we just had our first boss battle. Had to give it to Majima, heh.
The Jungle Emperor is also known as Kimba the White Lion in the US.
“Gokudo” is another word for yakuza but it’s more often what they use among themselves. Can translate to “the ultimate path”.
Next chapter set for Wednesday, April 10.
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: Out of the Frying Pan
While Shiro rested, Kiryu took Majima aside to the hospital hallway where they could be alone. Up until now he had only spoken when it was necessary, so distraught over Shiro as he were.
But now, awashed with relief, he gripped Majima’s cheeks in his hands and kissed him hard on the lips. Then he kissed the cheeks, the forehead, and every single inch of Majima that stood exposed before him before finally engulfing Majima into an embrace that’d put any boa constrictor to shame.
“I cannot thank you enough, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said. “Without your help, there’s no telling what would have happened to Shiro. We’re forever indebted to you.”
Majima coughed and wheezed under the tight squeeze. When Kiryu finally released his hold, Majima rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Ah, it was nothing, Kiryu-chan! Anything for lil Shiro-chan! I’d have given my old kidneys if I could!”
“How did you even find someone this quickly?”
Majima grimaced. “Well…let’s just say the situation with the Kurosu Clan has been resolved, for the most part.”
“Kurosu? Nii-san, you didn’t—”
Majima shook his head. “It’s not what yer thinking.” He motioned him over to some chairs, and as they sat he told Kiryu the entire story, starting with his visit to the Shirogane elder.
Kiryu shook his head. “So Kurosu still doesn’t forgive Shiro despite agreeing to letting go of his daughter?”
Majima sighed and nodded. “I could thaw his heart only so far. He’s come around, but he won’t ever be able to look at Shiro and forget how his father had broken his heart.”
“That’s understandable,” Kiryu said with a nod, rubbing his chin. “But now this means Shiro can’t ever return to his grandfather, now that we know he’s related to Kurosu Katsuo. Despite his helping us, I would worry him turning on Shiro when given the chance.”
Majima chuckled. “That isn’t like ya, Mr. Second Chances.”
Kiryu scoffed. “I’d like to think I have a good judgment of character. Were he a different yakuza, I may have relented, but I still do not trust Shiro near Kurosu.”
Majima gave a curt nod of his head as the corners of his lips curled. “With ya there. Looks like Shiro’s sticking with us, then.”
“You’re looking happy about it,” Kiryu observed.
“‘course I am,” Majima said. “He’s our son, Kiryu-chan!”
“Our son, Majima-no-nii-san?”
“Yeah! I birthed him, we named him!”
Chuckling and shaking his head, Kiryu produced his mobile. “I’ll call Haruka and let the others know. I’m sure everyone will want to visit him soon.”
“And I should be going,” Majima said.
“Oh?” Kiryu frowned. He had hoped to introduce Majima to the rest of the family, especially given how interested he seemed in the orphanage.
“Yeah,” Majima said, suddenly oddly evasive. “The Sixth Chairman’s been workin’ us to the bone recently. He’s gonna wonder where I’ve wandered off…so this is goodbye for now, I guess.”
An ache formed in Kiryu’s chest. This was…sudden. He wanted to spend more time with Majima. But maybe he would get another chance later. He couldn’t keep him from his work, especially not if Daigo needed him.
He got up and bowed. “Oh…goodbye, then.”
Just then Majima pushed him against the wall and pressed their lips together, his tongue darting into him hungrily. Kiryu kissed him back just as desperately, savoring every morsel of time together.
When Majima finally pulled back for air, the room suddenly grew cold for Kiryu. “Take good care of our son, okay, Kazuma?”
“Of course, Goro.”
Majima chuckled then walked off, leaving Kiryu against the wall. By the time Kiryu peeled himself away, Majima was already by the end of the corridor. He waved back at Kiryu, and just like that he disappeared behind the corner.
When Shiro awoke again, Majima wasn’t there. He looked around, chest heavy with sorrow. Had he just imagined it? As odd as that man was, he had a golden heart. Shiro would have liked to see him again.
Kiryu sat in a corner, arms folded and head bowed, snoozing softly. As though he could sense Shiro’s every move, Kiryu raised his head.
“Shiro,” Kiryu said.
“Where’s Uncle Goro?” Shiro asked.
Kiryu blinked before a small smile appeared at hearing the name Shiro had given to Majima.
“He had business to get back to,” Kiryu answered. “He was very worried about you.”
What happened to me? Shiro wondered. “Uncle Kaz…the girl who saved my life…her name was Yukiho, right?”
Kiryu’s eyes widened. “How did you…?”
Just then a knock came on the door, and Haruka popped her head in, and all talks about Yukiho halted for the time being as the room filled with Haruka’s bright smile.
Shiro came to learn the terrifying truth of his situation: he had gotten sick enough that the doctors needed to replace three of his vital organs. Majima had somehow found a donor overnight. Kiryu would not say any more, but Shiro had a suspicion he had already met his very friendly and generous donor.
Doctors and nurses came in and out of his room throughout the coming days, sometimes while he was trying to sleep which annoyed Shiro to no end. They spoke to him about his new life, how he was to live with his new organs. Apparently one couldn’t just replace their organs then go on like it was nothing. There was so much involved Shiro felt his head was going to explode. He nearly panicked and cried and wanted his old organs back.
He was even scared to move around a lot, in case he upset the organs from their place and they would slip out of their place. No matter how many times Kiryu patiently assured him he was going to be fine, Shiro worried: were his organs properly attached in his body? What if he made one wrong move and his kidneys fell? What if his entire body didn’t even like his new organs?
The last fear turned out to be a real concern even doctors shared. He was given anti-rejection medicine, something he was to take for the rest of his life. The thought of that alone depressed him…and then Shiro saw the medicine itself. The first pill he saw made him go pale. The size was so huge, he was surely going to choke on it!
“Please, Shiro-kun, at least try,” the doctor urged.
After spitting it out after his tenth attempt, a very teary Shiro saw Kiryu grab the pill off the blanket before him and demand the doctor to find a substitute. The next set of medications were a lot smaller, and while Shiro wasn’t used to swallowing tablets at his age he could manage something of their size.
The relief that came on Kiryu’s face was immeasurable. He updated Majima right away on his phone, and Shiro smiled, able to hear Majima’s voice through the receiver. He asked Kiryu if he could speak with him.
“Yo, Shiro-chan!” Majima’s voice nearly pierced Shiro’s ear the moment he was handed the phone. “Ya recovering well?”
“Yes. Thank you so much for saving my life, Uncle Goro.”
Majima couldn’t have sounded any more pleased. “No worries, kid! Heard yer taking some big kid pills.”
“I couldn’t take the big ones.”
“Them horse pills? Who can take those?!”
Shiro giggled. “Uncle Goro? Can you visit Yukiho’s grave and thank her for me?”
Majima spluttered on the other end. “Eh? Did Kiryu-chan…?”
“No. I’ve met her in my dreams a few times already. She’s really nice.” Kiryu was watching Shiro with raised eyebrows. “She never told me outright, but I guessed she was my donor. I’ve never seen her before until now.”
“Shiro…” Kiryu said softly the same time as Majima echoed, “Shiro-chan…”
“Please, sir.”
There was a long pause before finally Majima replied in a soft and gentle tone, “Of course, Shiro-chan.”
As there were limits to how many visitors a patient could have at one time, Shiro didn’t get to be with everyone from Morning Glory at once. Haruka stayed the longest, but she was often accompanied by one other, sometimes two, of the kids. In the weeks that followed, the kids updated Shiro on the happenings back at home, or at school, or if they had come across something else while out around in the city.
They were all required to wear a mask around him as not to risk him getting sick. His immunity wasn’t as strong as his siblings, he was told.
Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo were both the most fun and the worst to be around. They got his mind off his situation easily as they would get into talks about baseball or manga or the beach, and being boys they always had gross jokes to fling around. But Shiro didn’t want to laugh too much as much as he also wanted the levity. Sometimes laughing hurt and he was worried about opening up his stitches.
Riona let Shiro in on a little secret. She had found a beautiful new jewelry, an import from Tokyo, that she was now saving up for. She couldn’t tell Kiryu about it, given the price tag, and it appeared it would drain all of her savings.
“Why not just tell him?” Shiro asked. “Maybe you’ll get it for Christmas.”
“I don’t know if I can bother Uncle Kaz with something this pricey!” Riona bemoaned.
Despite the unfortunate situation she was in, it made Shiro feel good knowing he was Riona’s little confidant during this exciting and daring period of her life.
Izumi drew him pictures, and after learning more about Yukiho from Shiro she attempted to draw her and the special magical place she and Shiro were always playing in. It was impressively detailed, or so Shiro thought. Izumi was often accompanied by Ayako, who bought a new book for Shiro using her own money. She didn’t say it, but he wondered if she was worried any germs from library books would make him sick again.
Eri didn’t show up for the longest time, which Shiro half-expected—that was, until one day when Taichi let something slip, and frustrated with him, Haruka decided to tell Shiro everything.
On the night before Shiro’s surgery, Kiryu returned to Morning Glory to check in on the children and take care of some matters before rushing back to the hospital. As he worked at his desk, Eri stood by the door, peering at his back shyly.
He didn’t even notice she was there until he turned around.
“Eri,” he said when he turned around, noticing the forlorn look in her eyes. “Is everything alright?”
“Is Shiro in the hospital because of me?” Eri asked. “He’s been sick ever since I hurt him.”
It took a moment for Kiryu to understand what she meant. With everything that had been going on, Kiryu almost forgot that the first time Shiro had gotten sick was shortly after Eri had pushed him against the ground and he had scraped his arm.
“No, of course not,” Kiryu said, crouching down to stroke one of her pigtails.
“But…but everyone’s saying an infection made Shiro very sick,” Eri said. “I…I didn’t know his parents died to illnesses. He…he must have been as sick as them, and I shouldn’t have—he got sick because of me, didn’t he?”
“Shiro has gotten sick many times this year,” Kiryu said. “You cannot put the blame on yourself.”
“I…I d-didn’t mean to p-p-push him,” Eri said, her lips quivering. “I…I was thinking about Mom and Dad a-a-a-and I was angry and he was right t-t-there and so I’m s-s-sorry!”
Kiryu shook his head. “It’s brave of you to say these words, but the person you should apologize to is Shiro. Think you can do that for me, Eri?”
Eri wiped at her face. “B-but…won’t he be angry at me?”
Kiryu made a show of thinking real hard on the matter. “I’ve spent a lot of time with him over the year. Never once did he say he was angry at you or that he blamed you, Eri.”
It took time, but finally Eri visited Shiro. Her head bowed, she gave him a full and heartfelt apology. Shiro listened patiently and when she was done, he turned to Kiryu and Haruka, and not sure if this was the right thing to do, asked if they could be alone.
Kiryu nodded although the two looked a little confused, and they left. Eri watched them, slightly alarmed, before turning her gaze at Shiro. It was just the two of them now.
“Eri, you have nothing to apologize about,” Shiro said. “I should have been more sensitive about how you were feeling at the time. And actually…I have a confession to make.”
Eri cocked her head to one side. “Confession?”
“Yeah…” Shiro bit his lower lip. Till now Kiryu apparently didn’t know. “But can you promise this will be a secret between us? At least for the time being.”
“Between us?” Eri’s eyes widened.
Shiro nodded. “I heard your father was a yakuza. Truth is, a yakuza had killed my parents.”
“I thought they died of illnesses!”
Shiro shook his head. “Uncle Kaz and I made that story up to protect me. Shiro isn’t even my real name.”
Eri’s eyes grew wide.
“I know,” Shiro said, bowing his head in shame. “Listen…the day my parents were killed was the most awful day of my life. I was there with them. Sometimes their deaths still play out in my nightmares. I know I sound like a wimp saying it, but I’m scared of those yakuza. They were from the mainland, from Tokyo. So after I heard that your family was yakuza from the same city, I got scared and I…sorta snuck the information out from Uncle Kaz’s files.
“My fears were confirmed: your father’s boss was my parents’ killer. The shock must have made me sick, and it spiraled into this.”
“So I did have something to do with you getting sick!” Eri said sadly.
Shiro shook his head. “It’s not your fault at all. I shouldn’t have broken Uncle Kaz’s trust like that. Maybe this is all punishment because I did something bad to a person who’s been nothing but good to me. I intend to apologize. Maybe I’ll do it after I leave the hospital. And…I plan to tell everyone the truth, about my name and how I became an orphan. I hate living a lie.”
Eri bowed her head, still feeling rotten about all this. But a lightbulb went off in Shiro’s mind. “You know, Eri…you’re the first person I told all of this to. Guess that makes us friends?”
It took a moment for it to sink in for both of them. When it did, the two looked at one another and smiled.
Shiro was discharged from the hospital two weeks after his surgery. Kiryu had to guard him from his overly enthusiastic siblings who were ready to charge at him with Welcome Back hugs and stir up a celebration in response.
As touched as he was with everyone’s enthusiasm at his return, in truth Shiro just wanted to sleep.
“Shiro still needs time to recover,” Kiryu told the kids, who were thankfully understanding. As before, the boys prepared Shiro’s bed for him. Haruka and Ayako set his meds on a shelf beside his books and toys. Kiryu explained to them and Taichi and Koji how to give Shiro his medication, should he forget to take them.
Noticing the Bun-chan on the shelf, Shiro smiled and picked it up, giving it a hug as he settled into his futon. Whenever he saw Bun-chan he thought of Majima.
“Um, Uncle Kaz?” Shiro heard Riona whisper from the doorway. “We received a strange letter…can you take a look?”
Whatever was in the letter was lost to Shiro as he slipped into deep slumber, Bun-chan tucked under his arm.
Shiro remained at home for several more weeks for the recovery period. A nurse periodically visited to check in on his progress, and a physical therapist also came in to help him with matters of walking. Shiro hadn’t realized he needed the aid until he had tried to walk on his own. The weeks of inactivity had atrophied his leg muscles so he needed to regain the strength. Kiryu was taught how to help him.
Like with everything else, Kiryu made a schedule. He didn’t mind waking up Shiro from his sleep for his periodic therapy. As much as Shiro complained, he found the strolls around the beach shore soothing and rejuvenating. True to what Haruka had told him on his first night at Morning Glory, watching the ocean waves of Okinawa did wonders washing his worries away.
Yukiho visited him often in his dreams. They played games under the stars and hiked through the forests of Okinawa, traveling deep in forests that Shiro would never have dared to do in the waking world. No one ever bothered them here. Here, they were safe.
“How did you come to know Yukiho?” Kiryu asked one day as they walked along the shoreline. Shiro was now able to walk for longer periods without running out of breath. Even if it was November, Okinawa was still sunny and warmer than Tokyo, and with Kiryu beside him, he loved every moment of their walks together.
“I don’t know,” Shiro said. “I guess it was after the surgery. She came to me. She knew everything about me.”
“Have you met her before?”
Shiro shook his head. “I know it sounds strange, but I think we’re connected now.”
Kiryu nodded. “I see. What do you two talk about?”
Shiro shrugged. “Nothing really. We just play. Normal kids stuff. No one ever bothers us in the dream world.” Stopping in his tracks, Shiro looked up to meet Kiryu’s dark and beautiful eyes, reflecting the waves of the ocean. “I know I probably sound crazy, but I like having her around. I don’t feel like she’s scary or anything.”
Kiryu chuckled and gently patted his head. “That’s good to hear.”
“It does not seem Shiro’s aware she’s the Kurosu kid,” Kiryu said later, keeping his voice low while on the phone.
“Still strange how it even happened,” Majima said. “We never discussed her near him.”
Kiryu shook his head. “No. And he doesn’t seem aware that he even has cousins. His mother never spoke about her side of the family, from what I understand.”
“I see. Suppose there’s weird shit unexplained by science out there.”
Kiryu would not count himself as superstitious, but considering some of the more peculiar and unexplainable encounters he has had over the years… “You are not wrong, Nii-san.”
Sometimes when Shiro an Yukiho played, the world shifted around them. It was the little things: trees would materialize, or the phosphorescent grass would shift in hues. Hiding places would come and go whenever they played Hide-and-Seek, effectively ensuring the game never loses its novelty.
Even the night sky shifted.
The star Antares burned bright, being the heart of the Azure Dragon, but there was also the Ascending Dragon, a which Shiro swore was not there the first night he had come to this place.
“This world melds to your hopes and dreams, and fears too,” Yukiho explained, giggling.
“Does it?” Shiro asked. They were sitting down by the precipice studying the night sky. Shiro smiled up at the Ascending Dragon. Kiryu was always there, protecting him.
He then turned toward the White Lion. Giving it a careful thought, he watched as it shifted slightly in appearance until…
“Oh!” Yukiho gasped.
“It’s now a Shisa Lion!” Shiro announced proudly. He filled Yukiho in on what Shisa Lions were to Okinawa. Her white-silvery eyes sparkled with interest.
“So they always come as a pair?” she said.
Shiro nodded.
Yukiho beamed and extended out her arms. “Sort of like us, then!”
Shiro studied her, a little confused.
Laughing, Yukiho hopped to her feet and spun around. “The girl lion keeps the good spirits in, and the boy lion keeps the bad spirits out! I promise to keep all of the good energy inside, if you keep the bad out!”
“Oh!” Shiro said, understanding. She was asking him to protect them from the outside. To be strong.
Shiro wanted to be strong, like Kiryu. Like Majima. He wanted to be brave.
As he met Yukiho’s gaze, Shiro thought, there was one place he could start.
“Um…Uncle Kaz?”
Kiryu pulled back the shoji before Shiro was done knocking.
“Shiro, are you okay?” Kiryu knelt down immediately, hand on his cheek, checking him for any ailment.
“I’m fine!” Shiro said, taken aback. Guilt and shame seized him for what he was about to say. Kiryu was always so kind to him…
But he had to do this. He had to learn how to be strong.
“Um, can we talk?”
With knitted brows, Kiryu nodded and shifted aside. Shiro settled in his old spot at Kiryu’s table, gathering up his nerves. Maybe he should have asked Eri to accompany him—no, this was his mistake. He had to rectify this by himself!
“Uncle Kaz…” Shiro began, head bowed. “I know the truth about Eri. He was captain of the Kurosu Clan. I looked in your file cabinet while you were away from your room. I’m sorry.”
“Shiro…” Kiryu settled beside him at the table. “What’s brought this up?”
Shiro chose his next words carefully. He didn’t want any of the other kids to get in trouble, but he also wanted to be upfront with Kiryu. No more lies. “Back when Eri pushed me, some of the other kids told me how Eri became an orphan. They heard you and Haruka talking. They didn’t mean to eavesdrop! They didn’t know what really happened to me, so they were just trying to reassure me. But when I heard a Tokyo yakuza was involved, I got suspicious. I just wanted to make sure. The Kurosu Clan scared me a lot.
“I was already spending evenings here, so one night while you were gone for a few minutes, I couldn’t help myself and looked.”
Kiryu nodded but didn’t respond. The silence stung, but Shiro couldn’t stop talking.
“I was upset from what I read. To be honest, I was also angry at you, Uncle Kaz.”
Kiryu’s eyebrows raised slightly.
“I didn’t understand why you would take in an orphan whose family hurt me. I was angry but I was also very shocked. I was so scared when my parents died. I never want anything to do with the Kurosu Clan, but then one of them were right here.”
Kiryu had folded his arms and was nodding his head as Shiro continued, listening to him carefully.
“I felt sick to my stomach for days. And then that was when I got that fever the first time. I…I think that was what made me so sick, finding out about Eri. I…I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz! I should never have gone through your things! I’m sorry! I’m really, really sorry!”
“Shiro,” Kiryu said finally. “Thank you for being honest with me, but you have nothing to apologize for. Just please promise me that you won’t go through my personal belongings, or anyone else’s, ever again.”
“I promise,” Shiro whimpered.
“Shiro…look at me.”
Tentatively, he did, surprised to find that Kiryu’s eyes were as patient as gentle as his voice, void of any blame. “Shiro, do you blame yourself for becoming ill?”
Shiro nodded hesitantly. Kiryu shook his head.
“Shiro, sometimes an illness comes about and it is of no consequence of anyone’s actions or any event,” Kiryu explained patiently. “I understand the tendency to see something bad happening in our lives as justice or payment for a bad deed we’ve committed, but thinking this way is detrimental. You cannot blame yourself, or you will never break out of that cycle. You’ll end up always finding that something is your fault, and that is no way to live your life. Sometimes, something happened and it was out of your control. The most important thing is that you are safe and you are well.”
Shiro nodded as he brushed away tears. He folded his arms on the tablet and wept silently; Kiryu carded his fingers through his hair, caressing him through his crying spell.
“You’re right,” Shiro stammered when he could find his voice again. “But I felt so guilty, like I had broken your trust.”
“That is understandable,” Kiryu said. “But you haven’t broken my trust. Thank you for being honest with me. I’m sure that took a lot of courage.”
Shiro nodded again, smiling. “Um, Uncle Kaz…I don’t want to live a lie any more. There’s something I want to do tomorrow…”
Everyone was at home for Christmas, and Shiro was feeling well enough to join in on their games, provided they didn’t include anything too strenuous like Taichi’s brand of wrestling.
The day dragged for him, nervous as he was for what he planned at dinner. One look from Eri and she knew.
Shiro still played over what happened the night before. With Kiryu now aware of his plan, he had to make sure he didn’t fall back. He already opened up about one matter. He could open up about this. He had to be strong, like a Shisa Lion.
Kiryu was the one to cook the family Christmas dinner. Being rather slow and steady at cooking, he spent most of the afternoon at work before the kids were finally called to the table.
Once everyone was settled, Shiro cleared his throat.
“There’s something I need to tell everyone,” he began. “I’ve kept this as a secret ever since I first came here, and I don’t want to keep secrets from you anymore.”
The others stared at him, then as if moving as a single unit, set their spoons down and patiently gave their full attention to him.
“My name’s not Nishida Shiro,” Shiro said. “When I was born, my name was Shirogane Takashi. My parents didn’t die of illnesses—they were murdered by yakuza. I was saved from the car before it exploded. The man who saved me was also yakuza. He knew Kiryu and he called him to take me here for safety. To protect me, they changed my name and my history.”
Shiro hung his head. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I love being here. Everyone’s so nice to me, like we’re a real family. But I don’t want to keep the truth from you. That’s not what family’s about. But that being said…please, just call me Shiro. I know it sounds weird, but ‘Takashi’ just feels like a different lifetime for me, and I’m fine with my current name.” He smiled up at Kiryu. “After all, two people who I care about gave me this name.”
Kiryu smiled warmly at him.
“Thank you, Shiro,” Haruka said first. “That must have been a lot to take off your shoulder!”
Blushing, Shiro nodded.
“Wow, you were rescued from an exploding car?” Koji stared at him in horrified awe.
“Yeah!” Taichi added as he and Mitsuo exchanged looks of excited glee. “How cool’s that—sorry, Uncle Kaz.” The two boys lowered their heads from the glare Kiryu gave them. Despite himself Shiro giggled. Classic Taichi.
Seeing him laugh eased a few other kids, breaking the tension. He was glad. Haruka was right, Shiro thought as they tucked into their dinner. He felt much lighter now than before, and somehow a little closer to everyone.
As he got ready for bed, everyone who crossed his path stopped and wished him a merry Christmas, even Eri. Kiryu was the last to give him a hug right before he went inside the boys’ room.
“Goodnight, Shiro,” Kiryu said, his low voice nice against Shiro’s ear.
For all of the brighter days following Shiro’s surgery, one upsetting news awaited him around the corner. Kiryu accompanied him to the school to file some paperwork before the final semester when the school principal stopped them. They were both requested to be seen.
“You’re holding back Shiro?” Kiryu asked, frowning slightly.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to, Kiryu-san,” the principal said apologetically. “Shiro-kun has missed too many school days. The school board does not believe he will be able to keep up with the rest of the class if he continues.”
“But I did all of my homework!” Shiro protested. Perhaps he was speaking out of line, but he had to let the principal know. Kiryu and his siblings even helped him when he was stuck on a subject!
“I understand you were trying your best,” the principal said with a sad sigh, nodding toward him, “but we do not believe it was sufficient. We suggest you take off the rest of the semester and fully rest up. When the new school year rolls around, you will be strong enough to join us again.”
“I have to repeat second grade…” Shiro mumbled, aghast, under his breath. The old, frigid, devastating feeling from before crept back, clouding his vision.
“Shiro?”
He snapped his head back up, meeting Kiryu’s gentle gaze. The principal had left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
“Everything okay, Shiro?” Kiryu asked.
“I don’t want to be held back,” Shiro said.
“Why is that?”
Shiro hung his head. “I’m going to miss my friends. And…I don’t want to be a loser.”
“I understand being sad about not seeing your friends, but why would being held back make you a loser?” Kiryu asked.
“Because I failed,” Shiro said.
Kiryu shook his head. “The school is worried for you. They want to make sure you have a proper education and succeed.”
“But then I’ll always feel like I’m behind everyone else. Like I’m too late reaching the milestones they’ll all have reached…”
Kiryu gave another shake of his head. “It may seem that way now, but a year won’t matter as you get older. It’s never too late for anything.”
“Suppose you’re right…do you think it’s the best path for me, Uncle Kaz?”
“That’s ultimately your decision, but the school board seems fixed in not letting you back until the next school year.”
Shiro sighed. “Then I don’t have much choice. But…um, Uncle Kaz?”
“Yes?”
“Would it be okay if I was placed in a class different from Izumi’s? It just won’t feel right being in the same class as her…”
Kiryu nodded. “I understand.”
Kiryu settled the matter with the principal, and taking Shiro’s hand, the two head out. With a few errands along the way, it was nighttime by the time they were back on Morning Glory Road.
“Another notice?” Kiryu muttered under his breath as he pulled a letter out of the mailbox.
Shiro turned to him. “Um…Uncle Kaz?”
“Yes, Shiro?” Kiryu’s voice softened as he turned his attention away from the unpleasant letter in his hand.
“Um…do you think I’ll grow up to be as strong as you one day?” Shiro hung his head. What with the surgery and now this news about his academic life, he was feeling pretty small and weak. And he had made a promise to Yukiho…
Kiryu patted him gently on the shoulder. “I’m no one special,” he said.
“But you’re the legendary Dragon of Dojima!” Shiro said.
“That’s more of a heavy cross to bear than an honor,” Kiryu said. “You will come to far surpass me, Shiro. You have a brilliant mind.”
“Um…I’d like to also protect people,” Shiro mumbled. “Like what you did back there in Kamurocho when we first met…I…I’d like to be like a lion. Like a Shisa Lion.”
Kiryu smiled. “Then you shall become like a lion. You will become Shiro, legendary defender of the universe. Everyone will know your name and respect you.”
Shiro blushed. “Uncle Kaz!” Giggling, he hugged Kiryu as he peered up at the night sky, smiling up at the stars. Their soft light reflected off Kiryu’s long lashes and deep, beautiful eyes.
They went inside, and as Kiryu pored through the troubling letter Shiro hit the books. He had a whole universe to conquer.
Dragon Kiryu and Shisa Lion Shiro by babushkaHiHi
End of Part 1: Kurosu | 黒須
Notes:
And with that, Part 1 ends. This chapter and story arc finale earns you a trophy! Click on the checkmark in cell B8 of the tab “Trophies” to claim your reward.
How are you enjoying the story so far? For those partaking on the game side, are you finding everything fine (any tweaks I should make)? Is the posting schedule all right for everyone? Please let me know what your thoughts are!
Part 2 will begin on…May 8th. Due to numerous factors, I decided it may be best to space out the end of one part and the beginning of another. In the meantime, you can always go back and finish any substories you’ve missed (4 total), look for any of the Time Sinks (5 so far), or play around in the gaming room. See you next month! 💕
Chapter 6: II.1 Into the Fire
Notes:
Out of the frying pan…and into the fire. Oh Shiro, you just can't catch a break, can you? Welcome back to Part 2! We’re still in Yakuza 3 era, specifically Chapters 2 and 3 of the game.
There are some lines lifted directly from the Kiryu & Shiro-centric substory in Yakuza 3. Since it’s such an integral part of Shiro’s story I couldn’t leave it out, so I wove the dialogue into the fic.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 2: Shirashiro | 白城
Chapter 1: Into the Fire
March 2008. That month the letters poured in at a ruthless rate. One day Shiro himself found one of the letters when it was his turn to bring in the mail. There in red ink were the words “Eviction Notice”.
The next day as he walked Izumi back home, they spotted a strange and unfamiliar man peering around at their home. Izumi grabbed Shiro’s collar and began screaming. Thinking fast on his feet, Shiro pulled them away from sight and hid them behind a large palm tree in Oba-san’s courtyard.
“W-who’s he? What does he want with us?!” she cried in his shoulder.
“Don’t know,” Shiro said. “I think he’s yakuza…”
He sneaked a look around the tree. From the punch perm and the way the man carried himself, there was no doubt he could be anything but a yakuza. Definitely a local from the way he dressed, not one from the mainland. A chinpira at most.
“Wonder if he’s related to all the letters we’ve been getting,” Shiro said in a low voice. “Doesn’t a yakuza family own the area here?”
“Why us?” Izumi wept. “Why do they want us to leave? Where will we go?”
Shiro couldn’t give an answer to that. Nor could he assure his younger sister. They remained in their hiding space until the scary-looking man finally tired from inspecting their house and left the vicinity.
Later, the kids all spoke of the yakuza in hushed, scared whispers.
“I’ve seen him before!” Riona said as she and Koji set the plates on the table. “Ayako and I spotted him while I was window shopping with some friends downtown!”
Haruka frowned as she served rice on their plates.
“There’s different yakuza coming by here,” Mitsuo said. “One I saw had bleached hair.”
“I think I ran into him and Punch Perm,” Taichi said. “I would have taken them both out, but they seemed strong.”
“Don’t!” Ayako gasped. “Don’t try to mess with yakuza!”
“Well, Uncle Kaz is—”
“Was,” Haruka and Shiro stressed at the same time.
“I saw one wearing gold framed shades,” Eri said. “You can notice him a mile away. The sun always reflects off his glasses and burns your eyes.”
“Is that the one who usually accompanies this guy in an pink jacket?” Koji asked. “I saw that one sniffing around our courtyard.”
“Ugh, creepy!” Riona said, shuddering terribly. “What was he up to?”
“Dunno, but I thought I saw him pluck out a worm and eat it.”
Others gasped and giggled. “Uncle Kaz’s got a buddy!”
“There was one in a pinstripe business suit,” Ayako said after some time, looking hesitant as though she was unsure if she should mention this. “He tried to speak with me. I ran inside.” The others gasped. “Thankfully, Uncle Kaz was home that day, so he didn’t try to come closer.”
“They’re scary!” Izumi wept. The others agreed.
Haruka bowed her head, shaking it slightly.
“What family are they from?” Koji asked.
“They might be from the Ryudo Family,” Haruka said. “They own this land…I’ll tell Uncle Kaz they’ve been showing up here.”
“Please, Nee-chan!” the others begged just as Kiryu appeared in the dining room.
Noticing their worried faces, he turned to Haruka with a questioning look, but Haruka only shot him a big smile and showed him to his seat. Best not to open a serious conversation at dinner, Shiro figured.
But the issue stuck in the back of Shiro’s mind for the remainder of the night. What was going on? Why were the Ryudo Family, if that’s who they were, suddenly so keen on kicking them out?
The new school year would begin in a few more days, and Shiro already was jittery from the prospect of going back to school and having to start over. He didn’t want anything interfering, good or bad.
The next morning, yet another eviction notice showed up. Kiryu was outside in the courtyard chopping wood when Haruka retrieved the mail from the mailbox.
“Another one!” she gasped under her breath.
Meanwhile Shiro was playing a game of baseball with the other boys when they noticed a blue pickup truck heading toward the orphanage, but more notably, everyone instantly recognized the two men inside.
“Haruka!” Taichi gasped as the four boys crashed into the house. Ayako, Riona, Eri, and Izumi were all huddled around near the dining room, watching through a slit in the rain door as the truck just stopped by the gate. Shiro squinted, noting it was Big Blond and Punch Perm in the truck.
“Why are they here?” Izumi wept.
“Why’d they bring that truck, huh?” Koji said. “Want me and Taichi to take care of them?”
“D-don’t worry, Riona, I’m here,” Mitsuo stammered.
“I’m telling Uncle Kaz!” Haruka said, gripping the letter in her fist.
Kiryu was preoccupied with the wood chopping, completely oblivious to the two yakuza sneering at the irezumi on his back. The kids watched as Haruka ran up to Kiryu and showed him what had to be the hundredth letter they’ve received since late October.
“They’ve been scaring the kids!” Shiro heard Haruka say.
That was when Kiryu’s eyes flashed toward the truck, the resting dragon’s rue stirred from her slumber. In a flash, the smug smirks on the two yakuza disappeared as they, like a couple of buffoons, fumbled inside the truck for the ignition. The truck spluttered into life and sped off. Kiryu stood before the gate watching them until they were a speck in the horizon.
Shiro didn’t catch much of what Kiryu told Haruka afterwards what with being entangled with his other siblings who were all huddled near the rain door still shaking from the incident. But he thought he caught snippets: “Ryudo Family” and “I can’t keep having them scare you kids.”
“Think that’s the last of them?” Riona asked.
Eri shook her head. “Yakuza don’t give up like that.”
Shiro hated the fact that she was probably right.
Not long after Kiryu appeared by the dining room, donning on his usual kariyushi shirt. He took one look at the kids and his eyes grew big.
“What’s everyone doing here?” he asked. “Weren’t you playing baseball?”
“We were,” Taichi said. “But then we saw the truck driving by and saw who were in them.”
“So you’ve seen the men before?” Kiryu asked.
All of the other kids nodded their heads and then went into a rant about all of the Ryudo boys they had seen. Shiro watched as Kiryu’s eyes drew darker and more turbulent. The dragon flexed her claws, demanding blood of the ones who dared to disturb her beloved children. Shiro shivered in his corner.
“Don’t let it bother you,” Kiryu said in a calm and reassuring tone. “Go, play outside. I will speak with their boss right now.”
“Will you be okay?” Ayako asked.
Kiryu nodded then gave Ayako a quick hug. “I will be fine. Don’t worry about me. Don’t let their presence scare you. I will be back soon.”
Despite Kiryu’s attempt at reassuring them, none of the kids found it in them to do much else for the rest of the day. The hours ticked on by, and no one played in the courtyard. Haruka kept checking around the gate for any more of the Ryudo boys. The others took turns keeping watch for any signs of trouble, or for Kiryu’s return.
Miyara-san next door had noticed the commotion earlier and came to check in on them.
“Normally the whole neighborhood’s full of your cheery voices!” he said. “What’s going on?”
Shiro and the others gave one another looks. They didn’t want to rope Miyara-san into their own problems, but it was kind of him to check in on them nonetheless. They made an excuse that they were just waiting for Uncle Kaz, and while Miyara-san didn’t seem to buy it, he left them alone.
With nothing more to do, and with no one feeling like venturing beyond the courtyard, they made do with whatever was in the house. Ayako helped Shiro pack for the new school year. Some of the kids reread the same manga for the dozenth time while others rearranged their bookshelves. And for the first time that Shiro could recall, the entire household chipped in making dinner.
Just as the noddles were done, they heard someone by the front entrance.
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka cried out. Everyone stopped what they were doing and rushed out.
Looking a little tired but otherwise well, Kiryu allowed himself to be taken by the hand as Haruka led him to the dining room and to his usual spot. As if on cue the kids brought out a bowl, chopsticks, and noodles, questions burning hotter than their freshly-prepared dinner.
“Did you finish eating?” Kiryu asked everyone, looking at his bowl in mild confusion.
“Um…” The kids paused and looked around themselves awkwardly.
Kiryu shook his head. “I’m not starting until everyone’s at the table.”
Everyone hurried to get a bowl of noodles for themselves and settled around the table. True to his word, Kiryu didn’t begin until everyone had chopstick in hand and took their first bite.
Once he was satisfied that his children were eating, Kiryu finally dug in into his own bowl.
“Um, Uncle Kaz…about the men who were here…” Haruka approached carefully.
“I found them in Downtown Ryukyu,” Kiryu began. “We had a little talk.” From the way Haruka looked at him, Shiro guessed Kiryu probably beat them into a bloody pulp.
“And?” Koji demanded, ready to burst out of his spot at the table.
“They took me to their boss—our landlord,” Kiryu said. “I spoke with him. No, really, I just spoke with him!” He sighed heavily at the incredulous looks everyone was giving him.
“You actually didn’t raise your fist at him?” Taichi said, sounding a little disappointed.
“He may have picked up his sword and unsheathed it in front of me,” Kiryu said, rubbing his chin as the children all gasped in mortified awe, “but I made my point clear. We are not going anywhere. This is our home. We’re staying put.”
“B-but Uncle Kaz, he could’ve killed you!” Eri squeaked.
“I reminded him he would have made nine children fatherless,” Kiryu said calmly. “I do not think he’s as cold and cruel to leave Okinawan children homeless in the name of progress. He himself is a father to a little girl.”
Everyone settled back down, starting at their bowls.
“Progress?” Haruka repeated. “Uncle Kaz, what do you mean by ‘progress’?”
For a long while, Kiryu didn’t respond. Shiro wasn’t sure if it was something Kiryu wasn’t sure how to answer or if he thought the truth would go over their heads.
“Someone wants the land,” Kiryu eventually said. “The Ryudo Family’s owned this land for decades. They’re the ones who built the houses all around here, but a potential buyer’s recently approached them. Someone who wants to turn this entire area into a new resort.”
So that’s what Kiryu was up against. Kicking out the natives, bulldoze their traditional homes, and building a tourist spot in their stead. Loss of land in the name of progress.
“And he accepted that?” Mitsuo cried out, enraged.
“Has he no pride?” Riona said, aghast.
“He’s yakuza, what’d you expect?” Eri spat.
Kiryu held up his hand. “Kids. Don’t be quick to judge him. Nakahara-san himself was born and raised in Okinawa and lived here far longer than any of us. He was conflicted on the deal, but he ultimately felt he didn’t have a choice. The one consistent in life is change, but that being said I was firm that we were not leaving our home.”
The kids all stared back in their bowls and nodded. Shiro frowned. Kiryu could assure him all he wanted that they were not going anywhere, but he said nothing about the Ryudo Family no longer bothering them again.
“Shiro?”
“Yes, Uncle Kaz?”
With the dishes all done (it was his duty tonight), Shiro had just enough time to take a shower and return to the boys’ bedroom when Kiryu stopped him.
“The new school year is starting for you this Tuesday,” Kiryu said. “How are you feeling? Ready to take on the world?”
Shiro smiled shyly. “Yeah.” He stared down at his feet.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, it’s just…” he motioned toward the gate where the blue truck had been hours ago. Kiryu nodded and folded his arms.
“Don’t let this incident interfere with your schoolwork, got that?” Kiryu said. “Let me handle it.”
“They won’t be back, will they, Uncle Kaz?”
“Who’s to say?” Kiryu said. “But don’t worry. We’re not going anywhere.”
Shiro’s lower lip trembled. Deep down he still missed his home in Hatsudai, although memories of it was staring to fade. He had come to love Morning Glory despite battling illness over the last year. The thought of not being near the ocean made his heart ache.
“I’ll try not to…” he said. “Um…they wouldn’t sneak into our house at night, would they, Uncle Kaz?”
“You mean the Ryudo Family?” Kiryu asked. “Why would they? They’re not trying to steal anything from us.”
“They wouldn’t hurt you?”
Kiryu chuckled. “I’m a light sleeper. And beside, after today I don’t think they would attempt to hurt me and especially not any of you. Don’t worry. Just focus on school, alright?”
Shiro gave another nod, but as he lay in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Taking note of the Bun-chan on the shelf near him, he cuddled it against his chest, marveling at how soft the toy was.
I miss Majima-san, he thought sadly. While the memories of Majima’s own family wasn’t associated with something pleasant, Shiro also missed seeing them. They were as different from the Ryudo as can be, and yet Shiro felt he could trust them, even that odd Minami.
What was going to happen tomorrow? Will the Ryudo leave them alone? Could Kiryu fend off an entire yakuza family? What if he needed Majima’s help again?
Yukiho regarded him with worry by the time he reached her.
“Everything okay, Shiro? You seem down,” she said.
“Guess there’s a lot on my mind,” Shiro said. “School’s starting up again soon, and there’s some things happening at home.”
Yukiho gave a sad little nod, looking down at her feet. “Must be nice, having something to worry over.”
“Sorry…”
“Hey, why don’t we take a different road today? Maybe the change in scenery will cheer you up?”
Shiro smiled. They traveled different paths all the time.
Taking one another’s hands they giggled, back to being children on a brand new adventure. They chose their new path, one alit with tiny glowing blue lights exhuming from the ground like cyanic fireflies, and made their way down. The galaxy glittered down their heads like minuscule street lamps.
After some time, Yukiho gave a cry.
“What’s that?” she said, pointing up ahead.
The blue-lighted pathway led far up a tall black mountain, dotted with ghostly white wisteria and surrounded by deep ink black sea, fed into by an eerily white river, and atop sat a marvelously high pearly white traditional Japanese castle. The light of the stars did not touch the whole vicinity of it, giving the anomaly the most haunting ambience.
The two stared at the architecture for an eternity. Shiro couldn’t recall ever seeing something like that before.
“I don’t know,” Shiro said. “Maybe I read it in a book or manga…wanna explore?”
Yukiho regarded him with a small frown, suddenly hesitant and uncertain. “Are you sure? Do you know who or what is in there?”
“No, but it’s not like anyone else is ever in our dreams,” Shiro said, wondering at Yukiho’s reaction. Why was she so reluctant all of a sudden? “Come on, let’s check it out!”
He gave Yukiho’s hand a reassuring squeeze before tugging her up the mountain.
He had seen photos of what castles of old looked like inside, so he was shocked when they stepped onto not aged wood and tatami but pure white porcelain and marble. Shiro looked around himself, dazed.
From where they stood they could see much of the rest of the castle…or parts of it, in any case. As white as the castle’s exterior, hollowed in the middle with winding stairs and crisscrossing roads and paths that seemed to end halfway in midair. The castle’s interior twisted on and on, an endless labyrinth that grew blacker the deeper one went.
“Shiro…” Yukiho’s voice trembled.
Shiro could already feel the tug of wakefulness pulling him away from Yukiho’s hand.
“I…I kinda want to come back here,” Shiro said.
“No, Shiro!” Yukiho gasped. “We shouldn’t! Never!” But Shiro laughed just as his eyes shot open to Taichi calling out for him to get up, the morning sun blaring in his eyes.
Half of Shiro had hoped he would be back in Mizuno-sensei’s class again, but Izumi was assigned to her classroom instead, and if Shiro had to choose he would rather Izumi got to experience the pleasant spirit and energetic gift that was Mizuno-sensei.
Instead, Shiro was assigned to Hashimoto-sensei, an older-looking man who wore a scowl and seemed a lot less fun than Mizuno-sensei. But Shiro thought nothing of it. He was here to learn and to get back on track.
That first week, Shiro answered as many questions as he could, eager to show his enthusiasm for learning. He felt he had a lot to prove after his abysmal performance last year. If he had managed to convince Hashimoto-sensei of his commitment, the teacher showed no sign of it.
One day after rightfully answering a trick question Shiro heard a scoff behind him.
“Nerd.”
Shiro frowned, but decided not to let it bother him.
Later after leaving the bathroom stall, one of the boys from class approached him as he washed his hands. “Hey, Nishida!” he spat. “You tryin’a be the teacher’s pet or somethin’?”
“What?” Shiro asked, taken aback. “No, it’s just—”
The boy was already gone.
The following week, the same boy and some of his friends kept a hushed discussion going behind Shiro’s back the whole time during class, tittering and sniggering every time he answered or did anything at all.
He came close to snapping at them—he wanted to hear the teacher!—but bit his tongue.
“How’s the new school year?” Kiryu asked him one afternoon when he came back home.
“It’s fine,” Shiro said. Not wanting it to appear like a lie, he added, “I miss my old friends.”
“Why don’t you play with them during recess?”
Shiro shrugged. “Won’t it look weird?”
“How so?”
“Because they’re in a different grade from me.”
“Why does that matter? You play with your brothers and sisters all the time, and they’re all in different grades. Or are you afraid what others might think?” Shiro nodded. “Don’t cut out people from your life because of some imaginary line someone else has drawn between you.”
Shiro smiled. Kiryu always had something wise to say. “You’re right.”
The next day Shiro looked for Mieko out on the school courtyard. Finding her drawing on a clipboard while talking with some of his former classmates—why did they look so much bigger?—Shiro gathered up his wits and ran up to them…only to end up on his face.
Laughter filled his ears.
Struggling up to his knees, he turned around and faced the ringleader of the kids who have been giving him a hard time in class.
“Look at that, this kid thinks he’s too good for us!” Cocky Lackey Grade-schooler cried out.
“Yeah, he’s tryin’ hang out with the third graders!” Obtuse Lackey Grade-schooler laughed.
“What, we’re not good enough for ya, Nishida?” The Ringleader spat, fist raised.
“What do you want from me?” Shiro asked, annoyed. He adjusted his glasses back on his face, which seemed to amuse the boys even further.
“I’ve done my homework on you,” Ringleader said. “You’re part of that orphanage by the shore.”
Shiro’s stomach gave a tiny lurch. “Yeah, so?”
“That place is run by a yakuza!” Ringleader guffawed, spitting out the last word with intense disgust. “Who knows what it’s a front for!”
“You keep Ojisan out of this!” Shiro lurched forward, but not before one of Ringleader’s lackeys immediately pushed him back. Again he fell, hard, on the graveled ground.
“Watch it! Dunno who you’re messing with!” Cocky Lackey Grade-schooler said.
The Ringleader sat on Shiro’s chest. White sparks flashed in front of Shiro’s face, and he gasped and spluttered. “Getoffme!”
“The name’s Hashimoto Yoshinori,” Ringleader said coldly, “and that’s my dad you’re trying to impress in class. If there’s one thing we hate around here are orphans who think they’re better than anyone else, and especially rodents being brought up by filth like yakuza.”
As if things weren’t bad enough, Yoshinori grabbed Shiro around his neck and squeezed. “I dunno what this ‘Ojisan’ been filling in your head, but you’re nothing special, got it? If you dare squeal about this to anyone, your stupid precious Ojisan and the orphanage are getting shut down for good!”
“Yeah!” Obtuse Lackey chuckled. “And ya better listen to him. His dad’s closely tied with Naha City’s gov. Ever heard of councilor Akasaka?”
Yoshinori released his grip, glaring at him as Shiro gasped for breath. He had read up on the local government officials just the other day. Akasaka was extremely powerful in Naha, powerful enough to shut any business down if he so wished, including orphanages…
“Y-you w-wouldn’t…” Shiro stammered.
Yoshinori finally lifted off his chest. “You wanna bet? Don’t piss me off, Nishida!”
With that the boys turned and left, leaving Shiro shaking on the ground.
“You’re not hungry, Shiro?” Ayako asked later that evening.
Shiro shook his head. “We…had a big lunch. It was one of my classmate’s birthdays.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice,” Ayako said, although from that frown she seemed only half-convinced. “Do you need any help with your homework later?”
“Me?”
“Do you still struggle with grammar? You were complaining about it yesterday. I know that teacher can be a little unforgiving. I had him before, and—”
“No, no! I’m fine on that right now!” Shiro rushed down the hall, almost colliding with Kiryu.
“Shiro, you’re done eating?” Kiryu asked.
“Y-yeah, just need to go to the bathroom,” Shiro said. “Um, Uncle Kaz?”
“Yes?”
“What’s going on with that…you know…”
Kiryu chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your schoolwork, okay? You’ll always have a roof over your head.”
Shiro’s lips trembled, but he quickly stopped himself and grinned widely at Kiryu. Running away before Kiryu would pick up anything off about him, he rushed to the bathroom and locked the door behind him.
He checked his neck again for the umpteenth time that day. No bruising. There was no way any of them could know what had happened to him. And yet…it hurt everywhere…everywhere…
Shiro slid to the ground, head bowed, and wept.
Why did this keep happening?!
Two weeks. It took only two weeks and already he was causing trouble again for Uncle Kaz.
What if he became the reason they lost their home? How could he live with himself?
“Why are we back here?” Yukiho complained.
Every night Shiro opted for the same pathway that led back to the silvery white fortress. He couldn’t explain it himself, as the interior spooked him as much as it drew him in. They explored every turn inside the castle. Although Shiro had never visited a traditional castle before, he was sure the inside was nothing like the fortresses samurai had built many centuries ago.
There were tunnels upon tunnels, with darkness shrouding every inch. Despite thinking they had explored the same way before, they would always wind up finding something new.
A true labyrinth, hidden deep somewhere in the vortex of the vast dreamworld.
“I miss playing hopscotch,” Yukiho sighed sadly. “I miss looking at the stars! I felt safer out there than here!”
Shiro thought back to how the hopscotch overlooked an endless drop in the precipice. Ironically, it did feel safer out there. Something wasn’t right about this place, but that’s why Shiro wanted to explore it. Why was it here? Was there a message hiding somewhere in the labyrinth?
“Here, I found a window!” he announced, relieved. This night they kept passing one long hall after another, their feet echoing as though they were passing by an abandoned mall rather than a old castle.
The window could be opened from the inside, allowing them to cast their legs out and fold over the ledge. From here they could sit out and finally gaze up at the much longed-for stars.
“How many times are you going to keep coming back here?” Yukiho asked. Now that they were out here, she seemed a little less pale and sickly. She really didn’t like the fortress. Shiro felt bad for forcing her to accompany him.
“Dunno,” Shiro said. “Maybe until I’ve figured this place out.”
“What’s so significant about it?”
Again, Shiro couldn’t answer her. Maybe it was giving him something to obsess over while the waking world was too chaotic. Maybe it was a warning.
Hmm.
“Shiro…and Shiro…” Shiro said under his breath.
“Hmm?”
Shiro chuckled. “I was just thinking…the castle is purely white. If you place the characters for ‘white’ and ‘castle’ together…”
He traced the characters 白 ‘white’ and 城 ‘castle’ in midair, the strokes materializing like thick white mist,
“…you get ‘shiro’ and ‘shiro’—well, I guess it would be called Shirashiro in this case.”
Yukiho leaned her head to one side. “Wouldn’t that be Shiraki?”
“Not how it would be read in Okinawa,” Shiro said and giggled. Shirashiro. Now that he named this place, may he could figure out what it was trying to tell him.
The only thing keeping Shiro’s head above waters in the months that followed was the enigmatic Shirashiro. Now that Yoshinori knew he had Shiro under his thumb he stopped at nothing to make his life a living hell. Gossip spread of Shiro living in an orphanage, of being raised by a yakuza, and of coming from little money—three strikes staked against him. Every classmate Shiro tried to make friends with would only later ignore him or even regard him with contempt.
It wasn’t long before Shiro felt completely and crushingly alone and lonely in his new class.
Hashimoto-sensei didn’t help matters. He never once smiled at the once enthusiastic student. One wrong answer in class would result in extra homework, either for the entire class or for Shiro only. Shiro didn’t know what was worse. If he alone was punished with extra homework, he had to suffer the sneers from nearby classmates. If the entire class was given extra homework, it meant more would turn against him and the bullying would get worse.
The pressure to keep doing well lest he slipped and offended more of his classmates mounted to critical degree. He spent less and less time with his siblings and more time curled up in the boys’ bedroom poring through his books and assignments, mentally beating himself that he couldn’t absorb the information fast enough.
When he wasn’t pushing his brain to its limit he’d lay curled up until he fell asleep, eager to remain in the strange sanctuary provided by the Shirashiro.
At school, Shiro kept his mouth shut, just wanting to blend in with the environment. The less he was called on, the better. That didn’t stop his classmates from making snide little remarks behind his back. That didn’t stop the notes that found their way on his desk: threats made to his home, his life, his family; rude letters filled with filth Shiro didn’t think he should be reading (and no second grader should be writing); and crude illustrations of Uncle Kaz hung for the mere crime of once having been a yakuza.
He hid away during recess. He’d sneak into the school’s library to read, and if someone sniffed him out there, he’d run off to the washroom. His one and only sanctuary from abuse, a tiny cubicle by a wall and three tall stalls, that would be when the severity of his situation would really hit.
He cried and cried and cried, sometimes for the entirety of recess, sometimes even during lunch break. He didn’t care if he missed lunch. His stomach hurt so bad he couldn’t fathom holding anything down.
Once, he was being violently sick from all the crying that he nearly missed the sudden boisterous laughter filling the washroom.
No, not in here, Shiro groaned inwardly. He slipped out and washed his hands, hoping to get out before the other boy did, but he was too late.
The laughter, muffled by the stall door, sprang out along with the door busting open, and then suddenly—
“Shiro?!”
All the mirth disappeared from the boy’s voice, and Shiro shrunk away. The very last thing he wanted right now was dealing with one of his siblings.
“Hey, Shiro!” Taichi said, his demeanor suddenly all serious. “What’s going on? Why’re you crying?”
Shiro stared at the rushing water poring from the sink’s tap. He hated Taichi. He could be so immature and silly, sometimes it was Shiro having to look after Taichi, but when Taichi put on his big brother pants on, somehow it just felt worse.
“Shiro? What’s going on?” Taichi asked again when Shiro didn’t answer. He inched closer. “You’re not getting sick again, are you? I’ll get ya to the nurse right away!”
Shiro shook his head. He didn’t want to cause a panic after last year.
“Hey…has someone been messing with you?”
Grimacing, Shiro shut his eyes and nodded. The tears stung and threatened against his eyes, and he couldn’t stop them from falling.
“Hey, it’s okay!” Taichi’s big, fat hand patted him on his back. “Who was it? I’ll give them the Taichi Flying Kick right in the face!”
“You can’t!” Shiro wailed.
“Why not? I’m not afraid of anyone!” And Taichi pumped up his chest, looking comical enough to bring out a tiny smile from Shiro.
The two ended up sitting in a corner of the washroom as Shiro told him everything.
“Please, you can’t tell Uncle Kaz,” Shiro begged.
Taichi frowned, sighed, and folded his arms. He bowed his head, looking like a smaller, balder, and more rotund version of Kiryu. “Then what do we do?”
Shiro shrugged. “I dunno…”
“Is there anyone you feel comfortable talking to?”
Shiro shook his head. “The whole class hates me.”
“Nah, I doubt it. What about the school nurse or something?”
“I can’t tell anyone. If I do…everything will get worse.”
Taichi nodded in sad resignation. “Yeah, bullying always gets worse after you tattle. And the teacher is his dad! Man, you’re in a tough spot…”
Sighing, Shiro hung his head. “Maybe if I ignore them long enough, they’ll eventually get tired and just stop.”
“Think that’s a good idea?”
“I dunno what else I can do. I can’t tell Uncle Kaz!”
Taichi chewed on his lip, studying Shiro with concern. For a big kid who never feared throwing himself into a fight, he suddenly seemed helpless.
“Besides,” Shiro continued, getting to his feet. “We’re almost late for class. If I’m not back in my seat, Yoshinori’ll kill me.”
Taichi watched Shiro run off, but he didn’t follow suit. He couldn’t care less about being late. His teacher would just roll her eyes and think he was just being his usual self.
Despite Shiro telling him otherwise, he wanted to tell Uncle Kaz. But every time a chance presented itself in the weeks that followed, Taichi’s tongue tied all up and his nerves got the better of him. Just how should he broach the subject?
But ever since Shiro confided in him, Taichi began to see the evidence. Shiro not eating much, spending less time with their siblings, playing less outdoors and wasting away indoors hunched over his schoolbooks. He even stopped reading for pleasure. The other kids used to tease Shiro for loving books, but hey that was his thing, and now Taichi missed seeing him with a manga or novel in his hands instead of that damn textbook.
Were the kids forcing him to do their homework?
Damn, he had to tell Uncle Kaz!
But how?
“What’s up, Taichi,” Mitsuo said during one of their little wrestling matches. “You’re usually more attentive.”
“Can you keep a secret?” Taichi asked.
Mitsuo leaned forward and whispered, “What’s going on?”
“Well…”
“Wow, that is bad,” Mitsuo said heavily after Taichi was done.
“I dunno what to do,” Taichi sighed and leaned back, elbows digging into the sand. They gazed up at the darkening sky as the ocean’s gentle tidal waves caressed the shoreline.
Mitsuo fell silent for a moment before he spoke. “In my class kids always point out the color of my skin.”
“Sorry, man.”
Mitsuo shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt after a while. I mean, yeah I’m dark skinned—so what? That’s all they can think of? Kinda pathetic.
“Bullies are like that. They’re inferior and feel so threatened about another person that they sniff out any little thing they can use as a weapon against them. It’s dumb. At first it hurt but I just laugh at them now. What am I supposed to do? I can’t change my skin. I like how I look. My teachers don’t care how I look. Uncle Kaz doesn’t care how I look. My mom didn’t care how I look.
“I’m not changing myself just because I offend a few people. But I can give them a bloody nose and shut them up. I can get better grades than them, put together the nicest-looking art projects in class, and do so much better at sports than them that no other kid would want them on their team.”
Taichi grinned. “Yeah. That’s the best revenge.”
“Shiro’s smart. They must be jealous because he gets better grades than all of them.”
“And he’s got us for a family! What better bros could you ask for?”
“That too!” Mitsuo and Taichi laughed as they high five’d one another. “Tell him to give it time and hold his head up high. His bullies will be left in the dust. He’ll be, like, a world famous doctor or astronaut or a medical astronaut or whatever he wants to be. These days will be so far behind him.”
Taichi smiled up at the sky. “Yeah…”
The talk with Mitsuo put his mind at ease. It was all going to be okay. However they were going to do this without Kiryu finding out, they would figure it out somehow. They were going to get through this and Shiro would be okay. As Taichi returned home, feeling lighter and with a spring to his step, he barged into their shared bedroom.
Shiro was no where in sight, but Koji was there, lost in the pages of a manga.
“Where’s Shiro?” he asked Koji.
“His turn to take a bath,” Koji said and flipped a page.
“How was he?”
“Hm?” Koji looked up. “I dunno, the same as always? He’s always studying. I barely get the chance to talk to him these days. I don’t ever remember us getting that much homework!”
“He’s in Hashimoto-sensei’s class.”
“Ah. I heard he can be weird.”
A sudden thought gripped Taichi. Maybe it would be funny if he barged in on Shiro while he took a bath. Everyone was always complaining about Taichi whenever he got into one of his overzealous moods, but he knew he could use that to get a giggle out of Shiro.
Grinning from ear to ear, he crouched and made his way down and around the corner, inching toward the adjacent laundry room.
No one’s inside. Good.
He crossed the laundry room and pressed his ears on the bathroom door on the other side. Shiro must be still in there.
Grinning and trying to fight back the giddiness, he took a step back and then charged.
He kicked down the door, but the roar died in his throat.
Shiro stood facing away from him, every inch of his naked back covered in bruises.
For all the hours spent burning through books and studying and getting little to no sleep, Shiro ended up bombing the test. Yoshinori dragged him far from any teacher’s eyes in the school courtyard and plummeted him so hard he thought he was going to pass out.
He curled into a ball, trying to protect whatever he could. Those organs were Yukiho’s, not his, and he had to protect her!
He ended up hiding in the washroom for the rest of the school day. When it was time to go back home, he waited for Izumi as he always did, then the two went back home. She barely noticed anything, and he was glad about that.
Haruka, however, took notice of how quiet he was, even for his standard.
“How was school today, Shiro?” she had asked, but Shiro had just brushed her off.
Haruka hadn’t torn her eyes off him when he got back from school. Shiro wished she would just leave him alone. Perceptive as always, she asked him what was wrong, but he just pushed her away.
Feeling sick at himself for being rude to the eldest sibling of the house, he holed himself in the boys' bedroom. He’s really messed up now. If he knew Haruka as well as he did, she wasn’t going to stay quiet about this.
Sure enough, after some time a heavier than normal padding reached the bedroom as Kiryu’s silhouette blocked the late afternoon sun. It was just the two of them inside the bedroom. Shiro sat hunched against the corner, hugging his knees held up to his chest. He buried his face in his arms when he felt Kiryu crouch before him.
“Hey there, Shiro. Everything okay?”
Shiro sighed. So Haruka told him. “...I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. Everyone else is having fun outside, but you’re sitting in here all by yourself. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Shiro shook his head. He hated whenever Kiryu sounded so gentle and caring. Somehow it made him want to cry even more. “Just leave my alone.”
Kiryu remained silent for a moment, before he then asked, “Did something happen at school?”
“No...” Shiro lied, and instantly hated himself for it.
“Does your stomach hurt?” Kiryu’s next question came with even more concern.
Shiro winced. Here was Kiryu worrying that he was getting sick again, and meanwhile Shiro had lied to him. “Not really...”
Kiryu grew quiet for another long moment before then asking, “Does this have to do with a girl?”
Confused, Shiro looked up. What did girls have to do with any of this? “...What do you mean?”
Kiryu blushed as he flustered through his explanation. “Well, you’re at the age that boys start—“
Shiro shook his head vigorously. What the heck, Uncle Kaz?! “That’s not it! Just leave me alone, okay?!”
He didn’t mean to shout, but it did end the conversation with Kiryu. Sighing again, Kiryu turned away and left.
Shiro settled back deep in his thoughts. He wished he could fall asleep, but as agitated as he was from today’s beating he couldn’t relax.
A long stretch of time passed before Kiryu reappeared in his room. Seeing him return, Shiro tensed up instantly again.
“Shiro.”
Shiro said nothing.
“I want you to tell me what happened.”
Again, Shiro remained silent.
“You can trust me, Shiro.”
Kiryu’s voice was so gentle and full of concern as he coaxed him that it hurt not to answer him.
“Please. All I want is for you to be happy. You and everyone else here. I’m not gonna just stand around doing nothing when you’re so clearly in need of help.”
Shiro’s lower lip trembled. He was so upset, so angry, he almost wanted to lash out at Kiryu and it scared him. But every word that Kiryu spoke was full of so much patience and love, and Shiro wanted nothing more than for Kiryu to hug him tight and make everything better, so so badly…
“Come on, just tell me what’s going on...is someone bullying you?”
His shoulders tensed for a moment before he then nodded his head.
“All right. I’ll go have a talk with your school,” Kiryu said as though it were the simplest matter in the world.
“You can’t!” Shiro cried out, shaking his head fiercely.
“Why not? I already spoke to your teacher, but he wasn’t a whole lot of help.”
Uncle Kaz did what?! How did he know? He must have gotten the information out of Taichi, then…
Startled as he was, Shiro couldn’t reply. He just sat there, frozen in pure petrification.
“Shiro...” Kiryu sighed sadly after a while. Again, he left.
Some time later Kiryu reappeared in the boys' bedroom for a third time. This time he sat beside Shiro.
“Shiro. Taichi told me all about what’s been going on. Has the teacher’s son really been bullying you?”
No use beating around the bush anymore. “…Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Shiro remained silent. There was no anger in Kiryu’s voice, at least, but now that the question was asked, he wasn’t sure how to begin to answer him.
“Please, Shiro. I need you to talk to me.”
Shiro chewed on his words. “But Yoshinori...he said...he said his dad plays golf with Akasaka-sensei from the city council. That he’d get them to shut Morning Glory down if I tattled on him...”
Kiryu gave a nod. “Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Could Kiryu really do anything about it? First the Ryudo Family, and now this? Unable to stop himself, Shiro broke down into tears. Kiryu wrapped one arm around his shoulder.
“It’s okay, Shiro. Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying! I’m just...frustrated.” His face burned. His eyes stung. He didn’t want to appear weak to Kiryu, not after last year, not after everything…
“Yoshinori only picks on kids when he knows they’re not gonna fight back…” Shiro continued, gritting his teeth. “It’s not right!”
“Don’t worry. Morning Glory’s not going anywhere.”
Shiro’s head shot up. “Huh...?”
Kiryu was smiling down at him “I promise.” How could Kiryu be so sure, Shiro wondered. He kept staring, a little dazed, as Kiryu went on, “So the next time he tries to mess with you, I want you to stand up for yourself. You hear me?”
Blushing slightly, Shiro nodded. “...Mhm.”
Later, Kiryu took him out to the beach. He called for Taichi and Mitsuo to join them. With the three of them, they took turns showing Shiro how to stop a punch with his fist, how to block with his arms, and how to even deliver a blow of his own.
“C’mon, harder!” Taichi goaded to Shiro like some street thug. “Show me what ya got!”
Shiro turned to Kiryu, unsure, but Kiryu nodded. He charged at Taichi, delivering a few punches. He didn’t want to hurt his big brother, but Taichi’s, “Good, good! Keep going! Put more muscle into it! Don’t stop until I’m rolling in pain, got it?”
Shiro didn’t think he did a good job at all, but in the end, everyone praised him on his first crash course in self defense.
“Should we tell Koji?” Taichi asked.
Shiro shook his head, as did Mitsuo.
“Knowing Koji, he’ll go on a warpath,” Mitsuo said. “This is Shiro’s fight.”
He smiled at Shiro who stared at his shoes. Did everyone really think he could defend himself?
As they made their way back to the orphanage, Shiro caught sight of little Eri rushing back in. Was she watching? Was she worried about him too?
Kiryu asked Shiro if he could see his bruises. Back in the boys’ room, Shiro lifted up his shirt to show him. Kiryu kept his face impassive, but Shiro thought he saw his eyes burn with rage and grief, the dragon stirred, affronted that someone dared harm her young.
Again with his permission, Kiryu took photos of Shiro’s bruises, in the event this wound up in court. Noticing a few new scratches and cuts from Yoshinori’s round of abuse today, Kiryu helped Shiro clean it, and he inspected him for any infection. Remembering last year, Shiro shuddered at the thought of getting sick again.
“Thank you, Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said when they were done. The moon shone silvery and calm over the beach as the two of them sat on the engawa. It was nice being out here, just the two of them, father and son.
Smiling, Kiryu patted his head and bid him a good night before getting up to prepare sliding the amado into place for the night.
There was something faraway in his eyes. Something new. It was not rage, not the dragon stirring out of her slumber to dig her mighty claws into those who dared to harm the nest she guarded.
They were the eyes of a preoccupied dragon, lost and if not a little bit ambivalent in what her next step should be.
The following morning Shiro wished Kiryu a good day as he ran off to Ryukyu Elementary, feeling lighter than he had in a long while. There was no way he could take on Yoshinori, much less Yoshinori and his two lackeys, but the encouragement from Kiryu and his brothers, and whatever new scrapes of materiel knowledge he’s acquired pumped him up for whatever was coming his way nonetheless.
It must have shown on his face because all day Yoshinori was glaring at him in class.
“What’re you smirking about, Nishida?” Yoshinori called out later as school was winding down for the day. They were making their way out to the courtyard. It didn’t matter if he kept his mouth shut or not—Yoshinori wasn’t going to let him go back home without a black eye. “Glad you made us all have extra homework again?”
“Guess your dad would rather grade these extra homework than spend more time with his family,” Shiro shot back.
Several students around them gasped.
“What’d you say?!” Yoshinori nearly shrieked, red-faced.
“And I wouldn’t have gotten the class into trouble if I wasn’t so distracted by you constantly whispering things in my direction.” Shiro turned around and faced him. “Why were you paying attention to me the whole time and not the teacher anyway?” His voice shook. Now that he was in it, he hated the stares of dozens of eyes on him. How the heck could Kiryu handle all the attention whenever he fought in public?!
A deep angry flush crossed Yoshinori’s face. “Wh-what was that?”
“You heard me!” Shiro said. “You sure seem unable to rip your eyes off me!” He spoke loud enough that some of the kids from higher grades stopped and turned. “Why are you so obsessed with me?”
Yoshinori slammed his backpack on the ground. “That’s it! Ya better start running, you four-eyed freak!”
All around them kids screamed and dispersed. Shiro stayed put.
“You think you got guts?” Cocky Lackey cried, balling his hands into fists and raising them.
“Down!” Yoshinori ordered. “I’m beating the crap outta him!” He strolled up to Shiro, getting right into his face. “You think you’re better than us?”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Shiro hissed.
“I’ll make ya,” Yoshinori warned. “You’re acting out of line. I’m putting you back in your place!”
“Make me!”
From his peripheral Shiro saw the palm of hand coming toward him. He grabbed the other boy’s wrist firmly, shocking even himself at his own reflex.
“Damn, he’s got moves!” Obtuse Lackey said.
“Shut up!” Yoshinori snorted. Weaseling himself out of Shiro’s grip, he pushed him back hard. Shiro stumbled and fell on his backside. He recovered in time to catch Yoshinori before he fell on top of him. Using his legs, he pushed the other boy off him.
That was when the rage consumed him. Remembering all that Kiryu, Taichi, and Mitsuo had taught him, Shiro roared like a feral beast and pounced on Yoshinori. Fists and feet flew in all directions in a flurry. Indiscernible shouts came in all directions, but Shiro’s sole world was just Yoshinori.
A fist connected with his face, and blood gushed down his nose. Gurgling back the metallic taste suddenly choking him, that was the split second his enemy needed. Suddenly Shiro was the one pinned to the ground and Yoshinori was on top of him, beating him to a bloody pulp once more.
“Stupid! Stupid!” he screamed at Shiro as he kicked him, tears streaming down his face. Through his good eye, Shiro studied his work. At least Yoshinori looked as bad as him now. He gave him one more kick before sauntering off, probably to go cry to his dad.
His head spinning slightly, Shiro picked himself off the ground. He was alone. He must have discarded his backpack somewhere in the grass. Picking it up, he ran back home to tell Kiryu.
None of his siblings were on the Morning Glory Station when he reached there. Everyone, including Izumi, must have left long before he had, and seemingly no one had heard of the fight that broke out. In a way Shiro was glad for that. This was his fight. He received a few looks from the adults on the train, heard muffled whispers between them, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to get back home.
As he reached the gate, he noticed Kiryu was standing there with an unfamiliar man. Was he a friend of Kiryu’s? Shiro had never seen him before. He appeared older than Kiryu and professional-looking.
Shiro blushed at his unkempt appearance.
“Looks like things didn’t turn out so well,” Kiryu commented, taking in Shiro’s appearance.
“Yeah…but I’ll get him next time!” Shiro announced.
The professional-looking man beside Kiryu roared with laughter. “That’s the spirit, young man!”
Shiro turned back to Kiryu. “Who’s he?”
All he got from Kiryu in return was a mysterious smile. “A guest. Go on and introduce yourself.”
Slightly confused, Shiro bowed deep and polite. “Hajimemashite, Mister. I’m Shiro.” He smiled when he looked up again.
The older man marveled at him. “Oh! It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. Your manners are impeccable!”
Shiro’s heart leapt at that, only to get crushed as a third adult voice filled the vicinity. “Hey, you! Are you Kiryu?!”
Turning around Shiro watched in horror as his teacher Hashimoto-sensei came in, dragging Yoshinori with him. Hell burned in his eyes.
“What kind of parenting are you doing over here?!” Hashimoto-sensei demanded, drawing up to Kiryu all unafraid to face off against a former yakuza. “Look at what your kid did to this poor boy! What were you thinking?!”
“Ah, Hashimoto-san!” the professional man said pleasantly. “Good to see you.”
That was when Hashimoto-sensei finally took notice of the man. It was as though he had seen a ghost. Spluttering, struggling, he took a step back. “Ah! Akasaka-sensei?!”
Shiro’s jaw fell open. He glanced up at Kiryu. How’d he run into Akasaka-sensei? How did they become friends? Kiryu just watched, arms folded and wearing a mild smirk.
“What are you doing here?” Hashimoto-sensei asked, bewildered.
“Truthfully, I’ve been wanting to pay this orphanage a visit for some time now,” Akasaka-sensei explained. “So of course, I didn’t waste any time when Kiryu-san invited me. I needed to see the children he clearly loves so much for myself.” He smiled toward Kiryu, then gave a nod toward their abode. “They’ll certainly grow into fine young adults. Is it the environment? Or perhaps Kiryu-san’s guiding hand? What’s your secret?”
“Honestly, I can’t take that much credit,” Kiryu answered humbly. “They’re all really independent. I only step in when absolutely necessary.”
Akasaka-sensei nodded. “I see. You should take a page out of his book, Hashimoto.”
Hashimoto bowed his head, frowning. Shiro could see a muscle twitching near his mouth. “Yes, sir. I agree.”
“Hey, what about Shiro?!” Yoshinori butt in, pointing straight at Shiro’s chest. “He thinks he’s better than all us regular kids ‘cause he doesn’t have parents!”
“Don’t speak to him like that, young man,” Akasaka-sensei said sternly. “He didn’t choose to be an orphan. None of these kids did. If you were really his friend, you would him solve his problems, not make them worse.”
“Whatever, you old fart!” Yoshinori shrieked and ran off.
“Well I never! I feel sorry for that boy’s parents,” Akasaka-sensei said with a shake of his head as Hashimoto’s face grew redder and redder next to him. He stammered that he should be going and left without another word to either Kiryu or Shiro.
Akasaka-sensei, meanwhile, praised Kiryu some more on the orphanage, and then to Shiro’s utter disbelief and delight, informed him that he had full support of the city. He would inform the local council on providing more funding for the orphanage.
Hearing the good news, Shiro couldn’t help but look up at Kiryu. Kiryu peered down at him, his smile radiant.
“How did you do it?” Shiro asked later.
Kiryu lit a cigarette. They were sitting at the engawa, feet dangled out as they studied the stars together. Shiro’s nose still occasionally throbbed but otherwise he was fine. Nothing felt better than seeing Yoshinori knocked down a notch.
“I heard Akasaka-san enjoyed golf, so I went to the golf course to see if I may run into him,” Kiryu explained. “But you could not be there without a membership. There was a man there, a regular, looking for a golf partner, so I took him on his offer. He turned out to be Akasaka-san.”
Shiro stared at Kiryu, awed beyond words. What were the odds that Kiryu would run into the one person he needed to meet to save the orphanage?
“You’re amazing,” Shiro said, for once ignoring the puff of smoke issuing from the cigarette.
Kiryu shook his head. “Not everything can be solved with fists. Sometimes diplomacy’s the best method. Or a game of golf.” He gave Shiro a wink.
Shiro laughed. He leaned his head against Kiryu’s arm and gazed up at the night sky. He couldn’t wait for school tomorrow.
Notes:
Pic taken straight out of the game after Yoshinori is taken care of (for now). I always found this shot adorable of papa and son 😊 Next chapter will be up Wednesday, May 22! 💕
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Patience and Focus
The Ryudo boys showed up again some time during the early summer. Shiro and his siblings were spending the afternoon playing while Haruka and Kiryu were inside planning what they were going to make for dinner when Izumi gave a great cry. She pointed at the gate.
It was Punch Perm. He was looking into the courtyard, and once the kids took notice of him, his head popped out of view.
“What’s he want with us?!” Eri gasped.
“Want me to beat him up?” Koji offered.
“We can take him down together!” Mitsuo added with a punch to his fist.
“He’s much bigger and stronger than both of you!” Shiro pointed out.
“I’m telling Uncle Kaz!” Taichi said and ran inside.
Moments later Taichi reappeared with Kiryu close behind, his face set into that familiar scowl.
“Hey, Uncle Kaz is saying we all should get inside!” Taichi said to them before rushing off to find the others.
Shiro’s heart plummeted. Was there going to be a fight? Did Kiryu anticipate yakuza swarming their home?
He glanced back. Kiryu was peering down Morning Glory Road, then headed toward the beach. Everyone huddled over in the boys' room, wanting to be close in case something happened. The only person missing was Haruka, who Shiro later learned was instructed to just continue ahead with dinner preparation. To her, this sort of thing must have been a daily occurrence.
From a slit in the shoji they watched as Kiryu reappeared in the courtyard, not seeming to have seen Punch Perm anywhere. Shiro even began to wonder if they had all just collectively imagined him or if the man had not been some other random tourist passing by when suddenly someone called out, “Hey, uh…!”
Kiryu stopped dead and turned around as Punch Perm approached tentatively.
“Back again?” Kiryu called out. “My answer’s final.”
The two fell into conversation. Although the kids couldn’t hear much, Shiro noticed that Punch Perm appeared stiff, and expressions of worry etched onto his face, but that could have been a ruse. Was he trying to lure Kiryu into a trap?
“What’re they saying?” Riona asked in a low voice.
“No idea…” Koji said, straining to hear.
“I just caught ‘little lady’,” Taichi said and made a slight confused face. “What’s that about?”
Shiro thought he heard something about a little lady too. Definitely a trap then. But then…Kiryu seemed more and more worried the longer Punch Perm talked. He nodded every now and again, looking more concerned.
“Why does he keep calling Uncle Kaz ‘Aniki’?” Eri asked. “Isn’t that a yakuza thing?”
“Dunno,” Shiro said. “Uncle Kaz doesn’t seem pleased with that.” And sure enough, Kiryu told Punch Perm off for that. But it didn’t deter Punch Perm. He said something to Kiryu and then ran off, and Kiryu sighed and shook his head in apparent resignation.
He turned back inside, and spotting everyone huddled in the same room, he approached them.
“You sent him away for good, Uncle Kaz?” Taichi asked brightly.
Kiryu folded his arms. “I’ll be gone for a bit. Ayako, Taichi, look after the others. Help Haruka with dinner, everyone. If I’m not back by the time dinner’s done, you can start without me.”
“Uncle Kaz?” Shiro and Mitsuo gasped, but Kiryu shook his head. The familiar blue truck had just stopped by the gates, and Kiryu left without another word.
By the time Shiro saw Kiryu again it was later that night. Shiro had just finished bathing. He was the last in line for the night, and as he was making his way back to the boys' room he saw Kiryu by the genkan.
“Uncle Kaz?” Shiro said, keeping his voice low out of respect to the two closed rooms.
“Shiro,” Kiryu said with a nod. “No problems at home while I was gone?”
Shiro shook his head as he tried to decipher Kiryu’s mysterious smile. “How’re you?”
“We won’t have to worry about the Ryudo Family trying to evict us ever again.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I will explain to everyone tomorrow,” Kiryu said as a peculiar smell wafted toward Shiro. “Go to bed.”
“Uncle Kaz…” Shiro took another sniff, “have you been drinking?”
Kiryu’s little smile grew slightly. “Sort of. You could say that the Ryudo patriarch is now my sworn brother.”
Shiro raised one eyebrow. “As a…yakuza sworn brother?”
Kiryu nodded. “Not how I expected the evening to turn out.”
“But you’re no longer a yakuza!”
Kiryu nodded. “That’s right.”
Then how did Kiryu manage that? A million more questions piled up, but Kiryu was adamant that Shiro go to bed. Dejected a little and impatient that he had to wait for approximately eight-point-five hours until he learned the full story, Shiro informed Kiryu that they had saved him a plate in the fridge, wished him a good night, then went to the boys’ room.
It must have been hours before, after constantly tossing and turning, he finally met up with Yukiho.
“And that’s why the patriarch dropped the eviction for the entire neighborhood?” Taichi said. “Because you saved his daughter?”
It was the following morning, and the Saturday sun was warm on their backs as they sat around the courtyard table for breakfast.
“I did not save Saki with that sole intention,” Kiryu said, wearing his usual frown as he sat at the end of the table. “I did not wish to get involved. Truthfully, that was a matter for the police, but I was pushed into it.”
“And so you got into a fight!” Koji and Mitsuo said together while wearing big grins.
Kiryu sighed and shook his head although he couldn’t suppress the little smile. Saki, a girl around Ayako and Taichi’s age, had been under Patriarch Nakahara’s care for three years, living as his adopted daughter. She suddenly disappeared about three days ago. At that same time, the Ryudo Family had learned that Saki’s mother, Tomiko, had been spotted back in town. The woman had no love for her daughter, caring more for money and men than her own flesh and blood, but Kiryu and the Ryudo suspected the girl may have been with her.
Sure enough, a little investigation had led Kiryu right to them and to the Ryudo’s arch enemies: the Tamashiro Family.
As it so happened, the Patriarch Tamashiro Tetsuo had requested for Tomiko to bring Saki with her on the pretense that they would become a real family. In truth he wished to lure the Ryudo into his turf, but he had not counted on them bringing with them the legendary Dragon of Dojima from the Tojo Clan.
Tomiko didn’t even wish to be reunited with her daughter. Enraged that Patriarch Tamashiro didn’t want her, she abandoned Saki instantly. Saki could die for all she cared.
Horrible situation all around. Shiro could only imagine how Saki must have felt, gripped in the claws of hostile yakuza but unable to shout for help, having lost her voice ever since she had lost her biological father.
But Saki was now safely back with the Ryudo. She had rushed right back into Nakahara’s arms when he appeared at the Tamashiro office, refusing to leave his side ever since. Nakahara was her true father as far as she was concerned.
Filled with immense gratitude at Kiryu for saving her, Patriarch Nakahara had urged Kiryu to become his sworn brother. That wasn’t the only surprise that awaited Kiryu, though.
“And then Chairman Dojima from the Tojo Clan appeared?” Shiro repeated when Kiryu got to that part of the story. He and Haruka shared a look.
Kiryu nodded. “I was surprised myself. As it turned out, Daigo was working on acquiring land for Suzuki Yoshinobu, but after last night he said he would dissolve the deal.”
A yakuza was working alongside a politician seeking to turn the area into a resort? Shiro may have heard of such things before, but it always struck him as weird every time. Yakuza were criminals. Why would they work alongside politicians?
But the important matter was that Morning Glory was now safe again. A collective sigh of relief rippled around the outdoor table. That was all the kids needed to know.
“Hey, want to take a swim later?” Mitsuo offered. Eri and Izumi quickly agreed. Shiro smiled. He wasn’t much of a swimmer, but he could always read beside the sea.
He loved living here.
Being Nakahara’s sworn brother meant that Ryudo men showed up at Morning Glory more and more often.
Shortly after Kiryu told the kids about Saki, Shiro returned home from school one afternoon to find Kiryu surrounded by a bunch of yakuza-looking men, but they weren’t squaring off for a fight.
After the initial shock wore off, Shiro realized they had to be Ryudo men simply visiting their patriarch’s new sworn brother. Some sat around the courtyard table while others lazed about on the engawa, sipping drinks Kiryu had prepared for them. Cigarette smoke made grey trails all along the courtyard as they conversed, the wisps stalking and clinging to Shiro as he made his way inside.
Shiro noted Mitsuo and Eri by the dining table and ran to their side.
“Why’re they here?” he whispered.
“Visitors,” Mitsuo said with a shrug. “They don’t seem that bad.”
“The one with the shades is such an idiot,” Eri said. “He kept bragging how expensive he clothes were until Riona and I pointed out which thrift store we recognized them from. Then he began crying like a baby until the Ryudo Captain—that’s Punch Perm—calmed him down.”
“That’s the Ryudo Family?!” Shiro said. How different they were from the Majima Family. Than again, thinking back to how those men interacted with one another, maybe they weren’t so different after all…
Once or twice one of the Morning Glory kids would run into one of the Ryudo boys on the way home. Punch Perm and Big Blond’s names were Shimabukuro Rikiya and Aragaki Mikio respectively, and they were the most frequent visitors to the orphanage and thus the ones the kids grew to like the most.
There were others who stopped by, some Shiro knew more than others. If it was Pinstripe Suit, he would bow in a certain manner that reminded Shiro of the time Tojo men bowed to Kiryu when they arrived at headquarters. Sometimes he would stretch out one hand as if he were receiving something. This man was older than the rest and spoke in a rather archaic and formal way.
Golden Shades always sat like he owned the place, but heaven forbid if the tiniest stain came on his fancy print shirt, then the kids would hear him crying and whining like a baby about how expensive it was and the money it would cost him to get it washed.
Pink Bomber was clearly a new recruit and the youngest, and quite green in many ways. Now that Shiro got a proper look at him, he thought the soft pastel pink and white bomber jacket was rather out of place among the tough yakuza, made worse by the word embroidered at the back: “TUSH”. Shiro wasn’t certain what “tush” meant but he figured it wasn’t something Pink Bomber would have wanted to be found dead in.
It wasn’t uncommon to find Golden Shades near Pink Bomber, and Shiro assumed he was in charge of trying to break him into the family.
“Why even get involved?” Taichi said with a shake of his head. “He’s clearly not yakuza type.”
“People who become yakuza don’t have any other choice,” Shiro said, thinking back to the Majima family.
One evening, Shiro spotted Kiryu leaning back against the gate, smiling down at his phone.
“Did you get an email from Majima-san?” Shiro asked. That smile had to be reserved for someone special.
Catching himself, Kiryu blushed and bowed his head, shaking it slightly. “Majima-no-nii-san has Nishida write his emails. He hates writing on his own.”
“Oh. Then, it’s…Sayama-san?”
Kiryu’s smile was affirmative enough.
“How’s America?”
“She’s finally gotten used to driving on the right side of traffic,” Kiryu said. “And now she’s complaining that the American diet has made her gain weight. For a country as widely-spaced as the US, there’s surprisingly little chance to walk as much as we do in Japan.”
Although he didn’t think he would ever need that bit of trivia, as he had no plans of ever leaving Japan, Shiro filed that piece of info into the back of his mind.
“Do you miss him?” Shiro asked as Kiryu and he made their way back inside.
“Hmm?”
“Majima-san.”
“It hasn’t been that long since we last saw each other.”
Shiro made a face. “Majima-san seemed like he missed you lots when you went to get me, and you’d only been gone for two months.”
Kiryu chuckled lightly. “He enjoys putting on a show.”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
Kiryu stopped at the kitchen entrance. “I…guess I’ve been so busy I hadn’t thought much about it.”
Shiro cocked his head to one side, studying Kiryu intently and weighing whether he should ask the next question. “If you had to choose…Majima-san or Sayama-san…who would you pick?”
Kiryu’s eyes widened and his cheeks instantly reddened. “S-shiro! That’s private!”
“Sorry!” Shiro bowed his head. “I…I spoke outta line!”
At that moment loud voices carried from outside.
“Yo, Aniki! Got more of those salty snacks? We’re starvin!”
Kiryu regarded Shiro and smiled. “Want me to introduce you to the Ryudo Family?”
Pinstripe Suit, Pink Bomber, and Golden Shades poured in, and Kiryu introduced them to Shiro one by one.
“Takayama Daijiro. Hagihara Asahi. Miyagi Hirohito. Fellas, this is Shiro.”
“It is with great pleasure making your acquittance,” Daijiro said with an extremely formal bow.
“Hajimemashita, Shiro-bo!” Asahi said, as bright and cheery as the bomber jacket he wore.
“‘Sup,” Hirohito said in an attempt to look cool in his shades.
Now that the introductions were completed, Kiryu had them all settle around the dining table as he fetched them refreshments and the sought-after snacks. Sitting among three large yakuza, Shiro felt very small, saddled with his large heavy backpack weighing him down. He didn’t think to relieve himself of it.
“What grade ya in?” Hirohito asked.
“Second, sir,” Shiro replied politely.
“Do you enjoy academics, young master?” Daijiro asked.
“Yes, very much!” Shiro said.
“What subjects do you find most enjoyable?”
“Math and science.”
Daijiro gave a nod, impressed by his answer.
“I loved art and recess!” Asahi chimed in. “I love drawing, but my pictures are nothing like what the little lady can do!”
“Saki draws?” Shiro said, interested.
Daijiro gave another nod. “Indeed. It was the little lady’s keen illustration that alerted Kiryu-san and Captain Shimabukuro to her precise location.”
Just then more voices carried from the direction of the genkan, and soon enough more of Shiro’s siblings showed up, including Riona. She stopped dead in her tracks when her gaze locked onto Hirohito.
“Well, fancy seeing you here sitting in my spot,” she said, suddenly all mean-girl like, as she folded her arms. “I see you’ve been scavenging scrapes again at the Mango Souko.”
“Hey!” Hirohito shot to his feet. “I can show you the receipts for this twenty thousand yen shirt!”
“Oh yeah? Where is it?”
“I, uh…I’ll show you it next time!”
“Uh-huh.”
“Riona, that’s enough bullying for today,” Kiryu called out from across the room.
At the mention of the word “bullying,” Shiro glanced down dejectedly at his acerola juice, frowning as the day’s events replayed in his head.
“You okay, Shiro-bo?” Asahi said softly toward him.
Shiro snapped back to himself. “Oh—yeah, yeah, I’m good.”
“You’re always going after Hirohito,” Koji laughed later on. The kids were huddled around the same room working on their homework and occasionally breaking silence to have a little chat.
“Well, if Uncles Rikiya and Mikio were stopping by later and have dinner like they’ve been doing recently, then that means the dining table was gonna be cramped!” Riona argued. “And I like my spot and I don’t want someone taking it, especially not that weirdo Hirohito!”
Ayako giggled. “You never complain if any of us or the other Ryudo Family men sit there. Do you secretly like him, Riona?”
Riona’s face exploded a shade more pink than her shirt. Just then even Mitsuo looked up, startled. “What?! O-of course I don’t! Why would I like such a nerdy dweeb like him?”
But the other kids were laughing hysterically, pointing at her face. “You’re blushing!”
“Shut up! I’m telling Haruka!”
The only kids who weren’t laughing were Mitsuo and Shiro. Shiro didn’t even stop and think what Mitsuo was preoccupied with. He was still bothered by the events earlier today.
Despite fighting back against Yoshinori, and Kiryu embarrassing his father in front of Akasaka-san, it hadn’t kept the boy off Shiro’s back for long. As it turned out, the time he spent not harassing Shiro was in preparation for the next act.
Shiro was reading during recess one day when suddenly three long shadows fell over him. To the side stood Yoshinori. He had been busy making alliances with boys from higher grades, having ditched Cocky and Obtuse. These three older boys were willing to be muscles for hire in exchange for extra lunch money or snacks under the table, or even answers to test exams. After all, being the son of the school’s teacher came with perks.
And so the bullying and beatings started up all over again, and this time Shiro was faced with more adversary who were twice his size. This time, Yoshinori wasn’t threatening to have Shiro’s home shut for good. He was out for blood.
Shiro was only relatively safe while in class, so long as he ignored the death glares coming from his four o’clock, but recess and after school were a whole other story.
He didn’t want to ask Taichi, Koji, or Mitsuo for help. This was his problem. He had to learn how to deal with this. He memorized the nooks and crannies of the school and courtyard well enough that he could find places to hide during recess. There were computer rooms and the library where he could take refuge in, and if he strategically placed himself under the gaze of a librarian or any supervising adult, the bullies wouldn’t dare touch him.
But after school was another matter. The boys had free reign. That meant Shiro couldn’t be in any after school activities. He had to get home quickly. Even if Yoshinori knew where he lived, none of the boys dared to go near him if Shiro was near Kiryu. And if it was Shiro’s turn in class to stay behind and clean up, he had learned to make quick yet effective use of his time before dashing out.
“Why’re you always in a hurry, huh?!” Hashimoto-sensei called out to Shiro one afternoon. Shiro inwardly groaned. He was the very last person Shiro wanted to talk to.
“Sorry, sir, I just didn’t want to miss the monorail,” Shiro said politely and bowed.
“Didn’t want to miss the monorail?” Hashimoto-sensei spat. “That’s no excuse to make a mess of things! Do it over!”
And he stood there and watched Shiro, glaring, as Shiro had to mop again the floors and wash the chalkboard, having to work far slower than he had before just to make his point.
This isn’t fair, Shiro thought. He wanted to scream but kept his face from showing any emotion. He couldn’t show that he was bothered. Hashimoto-sensei was just as much a bully as his son was. For all he knew, the two must have had an agreement. Shiro knew he never messed up the class with his cleaning! He may have been quick, but he was diligent.
When Hashimoto-sensei finally let him go, the school had long ago turned into a ghost town, deserted by all students and staff. His heart shooting up to his throat, Shiro wasted no time.
The moment his toe crossed the threshold of the building, he hightailed it. Sure enough he could hear boisterous laughter behind him.
“Aw, don’t you wanna play, Shiro-kun?”
Putting speed into his steps, Shiro crossed down an alley, bulleting toward the monorail, when he gasped and slid down onto a puddle of mud.
Construction.
The intersection was being worked on. It wasn’t there this morning, and it was blocking his way to the monorail.
Thinking fast, Shiro dashed the opposite direction, at first unsure where his feet were taking him. The answer wasn’t clear until the familiar white brick building appeared ahead of him.
Smiling nostalgically, Shiro threw the doors open and ran inside.
“Young man!” the library receptionist gasped.
Looking down, Shiro swore under his breath and apologized profusely.
He hurriedly cleaned up the mud clinging to his legs and backside, and when he was more presentable, he shot back in.
How long has it been since he last visited the library? What with his illness, recovery, then dealing with the bullying, Shiro had almost forgotten all about it. But here…here was his second home. Sanctuary.
Smiling fondly, Shiro’s feet padded him back to his familiar favorite spot, finally reunited with his long lost love. The bullies would have to get through at least three librarians to sniff him out here, and by then they would have long been tossed out.
He could finish all his homework here. Then he could read all the books he could get his hands on.
Guess those jerks were good for something, Shiro thought as he settled in.
He was halfway through his homework when he thought he heard bickering outside. The idiot army was outside, scratching their heads at where Shiro could have possibly gone.
“He’s probably home by now,” Yoshinori spat, his voice muffled by glass. “I’m gonna tell Dad to put him on clean up duty more often!”
So they will try again, Shiro thought. At least he knew what to do now. He couldn’t tell Kiryu. He didn’t want him to worry, and he didn’t want to involve him in his own problems again. Besides, he now had the perfect escape place.
“Those boys are awful,” whispered a young voice near Shiro’s ear.
“Real awful,” agreed another. “At least they’re so dumb they never come in here and bother anyone.”
“Who’s there?” Shiro said as he peered around. This area was designed into small comfortable cubicles so that multiple children could settle down and read or write without disrupting the others.
Two little heads popped from an alcove behind Shiro, one boy and one girl. They must have been a grade below him, and based on the way they dressed and mirrored their actions, twins.
“Hello!” they said in unison.
“Were those jerks after you?” the boy asked.
“Yeah,” Shiro admitted. “Just some losers from school.”
“They won’t bother you here,” the girl assured. “Smart buildings deter them as if there’s a protection spell on them.”
Shiro smiled. “Good. I was just thinking I should go back to studying in the library more often. Were you always here?”
“Our dad just started bringing us here,” the boy said. “He realized it was safer than just having us stay home all day.”
“What about your mom? Busy at work too?”
Their forlorn express was answer enough.
“Sorry,” Shiro said as he bowed his head sadly. “I’m Shiro, by the way. Nishida Shiro.”
“We’re Shirakawa!” the twins said in unison.
“Junpei!” the boy said, pointing to himself, and his sister mirrored him and said, “Junko!”
Shiro nodded. “Junpei. Junko. Nice to meet both of you. Do you do your homework here?”
The twins nodded.
“But we can’t figure out our math assignment,” Junko said. “We were arguing how to do subtraction when we noticed the bullies outside.”
Shiro’s eyes lit up. “Math, you say? I can help you both with that if you want! I love math!”
The twins’ eyes brightened. They disappeared back into their alcove for a moment before popping back out, tugging their backpacks along with them. Huddling around Shiro, they presented their homework.
Easy, Shiro thought with a smile. Because he was repeating second grade, he had already gone through his own math lessons and was reading ahead. Their homework was something he could do with his eyes closed.
And, Shiro promised himself, he was going to turn both of the Shirakawa twins into math whizzes.
It felt good making friends. Shiro didn’t know how much time had passed when he was done explaining subtractions to Junpei and Junko, how long it took him to get caught up with all his homework, even grammar, nor looking over the twins’ assignment and giving them the thumbs up.
The sun was just starting to make its descent, so Shiro packed up. He didn’t want to worry Kiryu.
I should let him know I’ve gone back to studying at the library, Shiro thought as he made his way. He smiled, completely unaware of the looming shadow until it completely swept over him.
“Found you, you little twerp!”
Gasping, Shiro peered over his shoulder, spotting one of Yoshinori’s grunts. Two more were fast approaching, but Yoshinori himself was no where to be found.
Swearing under his breath, Shiro shot into a run, but the larger kids were quicker. He tried shaking them off by changing up the direction of his run even if it meant speeding across the street of oncoming busy traffic, endangering his own life.
“We’ll get you for this, Nishida!”
Just as when Shiro thought he had shaken them off, something grasped him from behind. Crying out, he crashed backwards from the force. He caught something silverly and sharp pass his peripheral vision, and as he struggled, he felt something rip behind him.
“Hey—HEY! What’re you damn brats doin’ over there?!”
Shaking, Shiro rolled away from his assailant and got to his feet as his savior grabbed one of the bullies and shook him.
“Hey, what’re you doing, I’m just a kid!” the bully whined.
“Shut up!” the other bully hissed. “I recognize him! He’s one of those Ryudo guys!”
Shiro blinked and looked up.
It was Asahi, and he was glaring down at the boys.
One of the bullies laughed. “So what if he’s yakuza? No sissy in pink is gonna get in my way!”
“Who ya calling sissy?!” Asahi snapped. The slap came out of no where, striking all three boys at once so hard their necks collectively snapped to the side. Screaming in fear, they scrambled away.
“You okay, Shiro-bo?” Asahi asked before taking a good look at him. “Your knee—your backpack!”
Shiro’s legs were all scrapped up and bloodied, and one of the straps of his backpack was completely ripped off. One of the boys must have used a pocket knife on it.
Before Shiro could reply, Asahi took his hand and off they ran back to Morning Glory.
Rikiya and Mikio were helping Kiryu pull back the shoji that took up the entire eastern side of the house, overlooking the courtyard. Opening it would open to the dining room, allowing more air during the hot summer days.
“Kiryu-san!” Asahi called out. “Captain!”
Kiryu and Rikiya looked up. Seeing Shiro in his state, Kiryu was at his side immediately. Shiro heard a gasp, and looking up he caught the tail end of a skirt disappear behind a corner.
Shiro wished Asahi wouldn’t tattle, but the guy went right into the story.
“Whoa, who’s giving you trouble, little guy?” Mikio asked. “We’ll take care of them!”
Ayako reappeared with the first aid kit. Kiryu nodded his thanks and motioned for Shiro to sit at the courtyard table. “Is it that same boy?”
Shiro bowed his head. “He’s been making friends with boys from the higher grades.”
“What ‘boy’ is this?” Rikiya asked.
Kiryu filled Rikiya, Mikio, and Asahi in on Shiro’s bully from a couple months back. Shiro wished he wouldn’t, feeling ashamed. Was he ever going to settle this matter for good?
“What a sore loser and a coward!” Rikiya said when Kiryu was done. “He was no match to you, so he’s rallying bigger clowns for backup!”
Shiro hung his head. “I don’t want to keep dealing with this. Why is he always after me?”
“‘Cause ya have what he doesn’t,” Asahi said. “Jealousy and malice makes bullies.”
“Lift your chin up,” Mikio said. “This boy needs an army to defeat you. Take pride in that.”
“But why me?”
“I got an idea,” Rikiya said as Haruka appeared and offered a clear box to Asahi, who gave his thanks with a nod of his head. “We should teach you a little self defense!”
“We already did,” Kiryu explained. “Taichi, Mitsuo, and me.”
“No, I’m talking mano a mano. You. Me. Brawl to the death.”
Kiryu’s lips twitched into a small frown as he studied Shiro’s injury.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Aniki. You can take down a whole army single-handedly, but you’re not teaching your own kids self defense?!” Rikiya cried out. “Shiro, come here.”
Shiro regarded Kiryu shyly, who sighed and stood up, motioning for Shiro to obey Rikiya’s commands. By that point more heads were popping out to see what was going on. They watched as Shiro positioned himself in front of Rikiya. A moment later, Kiryu stood beside him.
The two men showed Shiro first how to throw his arms up to block an attack aimed for his face, which Kiryu then led with a simple yet effective counter attack. They showed him how to block a punch aimed for his face and protect his legs at once, and how to even shove off someone three times his size if he were pinned on the ground.
It was far more violent than anything Kiryu had showed Shiro with Taichi. Far more militaristic.
Whenever they demonstrated on themselves, Kiryu and Rikiya were always rougher, being seasoned fighters, but whenever Shiro was involved, they went much slower and softer. Mikio helped demonstrate, as did Asahi, but they were nothing like Kiryu and Rikiya.
Kiryu and Rikiya really got into their fights. As more kids stopped to watch, it was like the two had more of something to prove. They trashed talked one another, really getting into their roles, before doing something Shiro had never witnessed before. Both crossed their right hands to their left shoulder, and in one fluid motion tore off their shirts, revealing their muscular chests and strong tattooed backs.
“Ooh, Uncle Kaz, Uncle Rikiya!” Riona screamed and clapped before Ayako quickly hushed her, looking scandalized. The other girls giggled nervously before suddenly all the kids fell down, laughing hysterically.
Shiro could never learn to fight like them. He was too weak. His bones too hollow, his legs too scrawny. For that reason, when Taichi, Koji, Mitsuo, and even Eri showed interest in learning self-defense, the three men decided it was best for the kids to all learn.
Asahi, meanwhile, sat at the edge of the newly opened area in the orphanage, sewing back together Shiro’s torn backpack.
“Man, I feel I can punch through a brick wall!” Taichi said when the lesson was done. They filed back toward the kitchen, helping Haruka and Izumi with preparing the table.
“So, why’re you learning self defense?” Taichi asked Shiro as they tucked into their plates of goya champuru. “Is that bully coming back at you for more?”
Shiro frowned, debating if he should tell his eldest brother. “Not quite…”
He glanced back at Kiryu, who was frowning at his plate as Rikiya and Mikio were trying to convince him of something.
Deciding it was best to be open with his siblings, Shiro went on to tell his brothers about Yoshinori bringing in older boys to try to beat him up.
“I’m safe during class, for the most part, but during recess and after school is when they go in for the kill,” Shiro said. “I know where I can hide during recess, but it’s getting home safely that’s becoming a problem. And I suspect Yoshinori’s telling his dad to hold me back after school on purpose.”
“Damn,” Koji said. “You should tell Uncle Kaz that!”
“He has enough to deal with,” Shiro said. “I have to fend for myself!”
“What’re the older boys’ names?” Mitsuo asked.
“I dunno,” Shiro said. “But they were big. They could be in Taichi’s grade.”
“He’s scared of you that much?” Taichi laughed, but then the three older boys all gave one another contemplative looks that Shiro couldn’t quite parse. Were they up to something?
Just then Kiryu approached their little area at the table.
“I don’t want to hear about any of you fighting,” he warned them. “Only put your fists up as a last resort.”
“Of course, Uncle Kaz!” the boys chimed together.
Shiro thought back to the trouble they were in with Hashimoto-sensei not too long ago. Of course getting into a fight would make the teacher very pleased.
“He’s right,” Shiro said. “Please, don’t get any ideas.”
“Ah, you’re no fun, Shiro!” Koji said as Shiro rushed out to the kitchen with his dirtied plate and chopsticks.
Kiryu was cleaning up alone. Shiro nudged himself next to Kiryu, silently offering to help. After a brief confused glance, Kiryu nodded his head.
“I take it you’re done with all your homework?” Kiryu asked.
“Yes,” Shiro said, suddenly remembering something. “Remember the library I took you to? I’m studying there again.”
“That’s good to hear,” Kiryu said with a nod. “You do enjoy reading.”
Shiro grinned. “And I made some new friends at the library!”
More kids appeared, handing over their plates and loudly thanking Haruka and Izumi for the meal.
Shiro took their plates and dutifully gave them to Kiryu, who was smiling. “That is wonderful to hear, Shiro. Invite them over whenever you like.”
At that Shiro blushed giddily. His siblings were always inviting friends over. Maybe it was time for him to do the same?
But that brief bout of euphoria popped as Shiro thought of how he had met them. Had they not been gossiping about the bullies outside, Shiro would have left the library and never have known they were there.
“Um, Uncle Kaz…may I ask you a question?”
Kiryu turned off the faucet. “Of course.”
“What do you do when you’re stressed? Like if you’re trying to do something but someone’s trying to get under your skin?” Yoshinori was always making remarks under his breath in class, hoping it would rile up Shiro.
“I suppose I tune them out,” Kiryu answered, rubbing his chin. “It’ll take patience, but with enough discipline you can focus on anything with the right state of mind.”
“Patience and focus,” Shiro repeated. “Got it. Thanks, Uncle Kaz.”
He smiled up at Kiryu. At that moment, Asahi began yelling in the dining room.
“Darn it, another star fruit!”
Kiryu and Shiro poked their heads out. “Everything okay?” Kiryu asked.
Izumi giggled. She was sitting next to Asahi who had some sort of scrapbook open on the cleaned dining room table and was sifting through some tiny items.
“Asahi just got three of the same kind of stamp from a mystery bag or something like that,” Eri explained before rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the television.
“Stamps?” Kiryu said. “Do you want to send a letter?”
Asahi chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. I collect stamps, see, and I like having the full collection. Owning a full stamp set makes me happy. You can really get into them. Some collections have rare stamps, and those are harder to track down. It feels so good when you finally get that last stamp!”
“Oh?” Kiryu ran the whole thing in his mind. “And you never use the stamps you get for collecting?”
Asahi shook his head as Shiro took a peek through his collection. Fruits, nature, fluffy animals, lizards, fashion, traditional Japanese art…it looked quite fun, and he got a sense of the kind of person Asahi was.
“Nah. Once you use the stamp then it’s no longer in your collection,” Asahi explained. “Unless you got a bunch of common ones, then yeah I guess you can use the extras. Say, why don’t you and Shiro-bo start stamp collecting? I mentioned it to the girls but they declined. But I bet you’ll both enjoy it!”
Kiryu and Shiro looked at one another. Why not?
“Sounds like a nice hobby to pick up,” Kiryu said, “but what would we even start collecting?
Soulmate Stamps
Introducing Soulmate Stamps! From this point on, some substories will reward you with Soulmate Stamps, or Stamps featuring KazuMaji or Sheith in all sorts of variety that fandom loves, be it Goromi, Ishin, Galra Sheith, or pre-Kerberos era! All artwork were done by the extraordinarily talented Brahkest who was an amazing person to work with! I am excited to share this with everyone! Stamp design edits were by me.
“I’m sure you’ll find something,” Asahi said.
Shiro stared off into space, intrigued. What sort of stamp collection should he have?
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #13 — Birth of Venus
“Psst! Hey, Nishida!”
Not even blinking, Shiro stared at the sheet of paper before him. Weeks had passed. Between securing himself at the library, hiding out with his new friends studying, or being at home where he had all the freedom and safety he could have, Shiro hadn’t worried too much about the new wave of danger. He spent his evenings mentally going over a map of the streets and how he could most efficiently get away from the bullies. He’s even found a few shortcuts that he was sure none of the boys knew about.
With each passing day, he could sense Yoshinori growing more and more agitated, desperate to get his revenge. He was even willing to break into class time, resorting to a little more harassment into the classroom. Even if it was test time.
After today it would be summer vacation. Shiro hated to admit it, but he couldn’t wait for this school year to be over. This was only the first semester out of three, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to survive the rest of the year. At least summer vacation was long, about forty days. Hopefully Yoshinori would have cooled off by then.
“Shiro! You deaf or something? Stupid orphan…”
Substory #51 — Patience Yields Focus
Shiro’s pencil twitched in his hand.
Don’t listen to him, Shiro thought. He wants to upset you so you’ll fail the exam. You have to focus.
“Think you’re so much better than the rest of us because you’re an orphan looked after by a stinking yakuza…” Yoshinori went on, drawling in a whisper just loud enough for only Shiro to hear.
Shiro’s fingers gripped around his pencil, threatening to snap it in half. His heart pounded. Yoshinori could talk trash about him all he want, but leave Kiryu out of this…how much he wanted to snap Yoshinori’s neck in half…
No. He had to focus. Even if the words in front of him were starting to look…weird. He had to focus.
The next question read:
Complete the following sentence: The quick brown fox ____ over a lazy dog.
Shiro sighed.
Something didn't seem right.
Was he sure that the right answer?
He had a bad feeling about this.
Maybe he should look at the question one more time…
Shiro penciled in his answer and looked at it again, just to make sure. Yes, he was confident this was the right answer. That wasn’t too bad. He got this!
He continued to the next question, but just then he thought he felt Yoshinori kick the back of his chair.
Damn him, Shiro thought before quickly focusing on his breath. Patience. Focus.
“Oh look at me, I’m Nishida Shiro and I’m so smart,” Yoshinori drawled on in mock imitation of Shiro’s voice. “I don’t have any parents so I am free to do whatever I want. They should shut down that orphanage. Who knows what weird things that yakuza’s teaching you.”
Shiro frowned. True, Kiryu’s parenting style was a bit unconventional, but there was no denying his love for everyone at Morning Glory. Shiro would never forget how Kiryu had dropped everything because of Shiro’s illness. How he faced a patriarch to keep the orphanage going. He would give his life for any one of them…
Come to think of it…how did Majima and Kiryu even find three healthy organs for him?
Stop…he chided himself, feeling his heart quickening again. Don’t dwell on that. Focus on the test…breathe…concentrate…focus, ignore him, have patience…
Closing his eyes and clearing his thoughts for a few moments, even the thudding against his chair subsided enough for Shiro to read the next question:
Complete the following sentence: The five _____ wizards jump quickly.
Yoshinori kicked Shiro a bit too hard, causing Shiro to lose his concentration for a few moments. In frustration, he picked whichever answer seemed alright.
Shiro frowned. Should he keep going? This was going to bother him for the rest of the evening…
Even with Yoshinori tapping repeatedly at the back leg of his chair, Shiro penciled in his answer with confidence. He studied for this. He knew the answer, even with any…distractions around him.
He took a deep breath. Okay, final question. Just in case he had missed something in a previous question, he had to make the last one count. Everything depended on the last response—
“You know, you can’t hide behind that yakuza supervisor forever,” Yoshinori muttered behind Shiro. “Yakuza smoke and drink and do all sorts of bad things throughout their lives. His liver’s must be all pickled and gross, and his lungs’s are blacker than tar. Bet he has many enemies. One day someone’s gonna stab him in the gut while he’s out getting food for you smelly orphans. Some day he will be gone and you will be all alone. At least my dad will be with me forever.”
The pencil slipped from Shiro’s hand but he quickly picked it back up, resisting the urge to impale it through Yoshinori’s hand. He could insult Shiro all day long, but those words about Kiryu…hurt. Hurt a lot. Millions of mental images flooded his mind: bidding Kiryu farewell, Kiryu’s weakened hand slipping away from his, carrying off his corpse to the crematorium—
No, no, stop! Shiro bit his tongue and pinched the inside of his palm to stop the tears from threatening to blur the page before him. Don’t think about that! Uncle Kaz will live a long, happy life! He’ll always be there! Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!
It took a few moments for Shiro to clear his head enough to read the next sentence, but even then he couldn’t shake the image of Kiryu lying dead at the Morning Glory courtyard, the other orphans preparing him for his final resting place…
Complete the following sentence: Jaded zombies acted _____ but kept driving their oxen forward.
At a loss, Shiro picked the best answer through his foggy vision, and set his pencil down.
Well, the exam was done at least, but he couldn’t help but feel like he had lost somehow.
“Hand in your papers now,” Hashimoto-sensei called out, and just then Yoshinori gasped. He had been so busy tormenting Shiro he completely forgot to do the exam.
Shiro grinned to himself. At least there was something to smile about.
Substory #51 — Patience Yields Focus **COMPLETED**
Pushing the image of dead Kiryu out of his mind, Shiro zeroed in on the answer and penciled it in. There, this was the one! He was more than positive. The image of Kiryu in his mind now was of a perfectly healthy Kiryu smiling down on him, full of pride.
“You did it,” he said. “You’ve learned Patience and Focus.”
Shiro nodded. Just a little bit of patience yielded focus.
“Hand in your papers now,” Hashimoto-sensei called out, and just then Yoshinori gasped. He had been so busy tormenting Shiro he completely forgot to do the exam.
Shiro grinned to himself. Now, that was something to smile about.
You received an item!
Gold Plate
Not much of practical use but could be worth something if you know where to sell it…
Input the code 70R inside a free light grey cell (such as B4, C4, etc) of the tab labeled “Shiro’s Inventory” in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Substory #51 — Patience Yields Focus **COMPLETED**
“Hey, Nishida!”
Shiro sighed and rolled his eyes. The bell had sounded, and the school year was officially over. He had passed the test, and there was no more school to worry about for another month and ten days. For the first time in his life, Shiro was a little sick of school.
“What do you want?” Shiro spat and turned around. Nothing prepared him for the fiery daggers staring down at him as Yoshinori marched toward him, his three goons close behind.
“I failed that test because of you!” he announced hotly. “Whatcha gonna do about it?!”
Shiro’s first instinct was to run. He could maybe take on Yoshinori alone, but not with the three bigger boys around.
“I didn’t do anything,” Shiro said haughtily. “Maybe if you actually paid attention to you own paper and not to me.”
“What was that?!”
“You have gunk in your ears, pal?” someone called out as a large warm shadow fell over Shiro. “I heard Shiro loud and clear, and I was across the yard!”
Shiro’s heart leapt. Mitsuo!
“Hey, I know you,” Mitsuo said, pointing to one of Yoshinori’s grunts. “Sora, was it? How could I forget! Loved his art supplies a bit too much. I had to knock the last wad of crayons outta your throat last time.”
Sora glared at him.
Yoshinori wrinkled his nose. “Who the hell are you? Why do you look so dark—”
“Hey hey hey—watch your mouth! Those are my bros you’re speaking to!” Taichi said as he muscled his way into the group. He glared at the tallest boy behind Yoshinori. “Oh, Crybaby Kosuke! Is that you?! How’s it been? We haven’t had class together since that time you wet yourself in the third grade!”
Kosuke sputtered stupidly and turned beet red, first from complete humiliation, then rage.
“Hey! Now that you mention it,” Koji said smoothly, sliding up against between Taichi and Mitsuo and placing his elbows on their shoulders, “aren’t you Ren of the Ren and Slumpy fame?”
“It’s Stumpy!” Ren corrected hotly.
“Yes, yes, I forgot. Anyway, poor Stumpy was brought into class for Show and Tell few years ago, against his parents’ approval. Little hamster ran off, and by the time we heard anything of it again…well, let’s just say it at least enjoyed a bit of our school lunch as a final treat before a stray cat sniffed out.” Koji lowered his voice so that it was meant for only Shiro and his brothers to hear, but it was still loud enough for Yoshinori’s gang to catch every word. “Ren probably wished he was that hamster after his parents were done with him…and that’s why he’s not allowed to have any more pets!”
“Wow, they all sound like a bunch of lowlifes,” Taichi said loudly as he laughed and slapped his knee.
“Of course they are,” Shiro said. “Especially when their ringleader is the spoiled son of a teacher like Hashimoto-sensei.”
“You’re dead,” Yoshinori threatened Shiro through gritted teeth.
“For what?” Taichi said. “Because you’re such a pissbaby after Shiro fought you once you got a whole chivalry to back you up?”
“Yeah, there’s a word we learned in English class for people like you,” Mitsuo added.
“Co-wards!” Koji taunted through his hands forming a funnel over his lips.
“Shut up!” Kosuke threatened. “You’re all gonna get it!”
“Don’t cry again now, Kosuke!”
“I wasn’t gonna!”
“Grow a backbone!” Yoshinori hissed.
Mitsuo laughed and applauded. “Yes, he’s going to need all the support to beat us, Shiro! Come on, fellas! This boy can’t do it alone!”
“Yes, I can!” Yoshinori snapped.
“Then why go yanking their chains in the first place? Such a paragon of strength and leadership!” Taichi said.
Yoshinori grew quiet, his eyes large and glaring as unshed tears threatened to spill.
“Aw, poor baby!” Koji drawled. “How does it feel now being picked on?”
“I’ll get all of you expelled!” Yoshinori screamed. “Kosuke! Sora! Ren!”
“Oh! You wanna do this now, big guy?” Taichi said. “Hope ya know how to wrestle ‘cause I’ve been practicing!”
“We’re settling this right now, Yoshinori!” Shiro cried out.
With Shiro in front and his three brothers behind him, they each crossed their right hands to their left shoulder and with one fluid motion tore off their backpacks.
“I have never been more appalled!” Hashimoto-sensei cried out in the principal’s office. “These boys are out of hand! Surely it’s all bad influence from the orphanage’s supervisor!”
President Niigaki sighed and turned toward Kiryu, who was sitting with his head bowed.
“I do deeply apologize for my boys’ behavior,” Kiryu said in a grave tone. He got up from his seat to kneel directly to the ground, prostrating such that his forehead touched the floor. Shiro gasped. He was sitting next to Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo. Yoshinori, Sora, Kosuke, and Ren were in another office, as the eight boys could not be trusted anywhere near each other. The latter half all sported bloody bruises.
President Niigaki looked away as if bothered by having an ex-yakuza apologize with such deep deference. Hashimoto-sensei, however, exploded. Shiro was sure his glasses would fly off their place on his nose.
“A formal apologies’ not enough! We cannot accept theatrics! President, something’s gotta be done about those boys! These orphans are too dangerous to be near normal children!”
Again, President Niigaki didn’t respond, too deep in his own thoughts.
“President!”
A faint knock came.
“We’re busy!” Hashimoto-sensei called out.
“Please, sirs, there is someone who wishes to speak to you regarding the schoolyard fight,” the timid school secretary said behind the door.
“Let them in,” President Niigaki said.
“Yes, sir,” the secretary said. The door opened and two school girls stepped in. They appeared to be sisters, and Shiro instantly recognized the younger of the two.
“Michiko, Mieko! What can I do for you, young ladies?” President Niigaki asked kindly.
“Sir,” the older, Michiko, said with a bow. “We witnessed the fight that happened earlier today. Please, go easy on the boys from Morning Glory. They were defending Nishida-kun.”
“Hashimoto has been bullying him for some time,” Mieko continued. “I’ve been keeping track of all the places Shiro hides, how often those bullies conjugate, and how often they go hunting for Shiro. They’ve been looking to hurt him for a while. Shiro has been trying to avoid a conflict for a long time. It’s all in my notebook. I’ve documented everything.”
“You what?!” Hashimoto-sensei snapped.
Mieko looked up at him, void of any fear. “Yes, sensei. I cannot stand aside when I see someone is in danger. My sister Michiko helped me keep record too.”
President Niigaki motioned for her to show him the notebook, which Mieko complied with an eager bow. As he flipped through the pages, Mieko met Shiro’s eyes and smiled faintly.
“That’s settled, then,” President Niigaki said when he was done flipping through her notebook. “What happened today was in self defense. I do not want any of those boys in the same class as the Morning Glory kids. They are not to approach them during recess nor after school. If I hear of another incident, then we’re talking expulsion. That goes double for Yoshinori. Honestly, Hashimoto-sensei, I expected better of your own son. We’re going to have to meet again privately to discuss this.”
Hashimoto-sensei sputtered, his face going from red to yellow to white to grey, before sighing heavily, outnumbered and bested by a third grader.
“Kiryu-san, you have nothing to apologize for. Please, get off the ground.”
Kiryu profusely thanked him and got up.
Short while later, Shiro and his family were excused with nothing more than a warning to not fight on school grounds again.
They walked back to the monorail station in silence ignoring the scratches and bruises they earned in the battle. Once they were well out of earshot, Shiro stopped and looked up at Kiryu, grinning from ear to ear.
“I got him,” Shiro said. “I got him good.”
“He did!” Taichi confirmed proudly. Koji and Mitsuo nodded enthusiastically.
Kiryu grinned. “Good. Proud of you. Proud of all of you. Best you don’t let anyone know I said that.”
The boys all promised, grinning wickedly, before they boarded the monorail heading back home.
Majima sighed heavily. He couldn’t understand why he was being offered this construction project.
“Okinawa,” he said under his breath, mulling over the yakuza’s offer. “That’s where Kiryu-chan lives…as if I’d agree to erect a resort near a place he holds dear to his heart.”
The only place he belonged, too…a place he was settling down and raising a family. Even if it wasn’t with him, Majima didn’t mind. As long as Kiryu was happy then he was happy. Besides, he was busy honoring a promise he had made to Kiryu a year ago.
The yakuza across from him smiled darkly. “Oh, but I’m sure you’ll have a change of heart after we discuss the matter a little more…Majima-no-nii-san.”
Hair prickled on Majima’s arm at the way the man spoke his nickname—Kiryu’s endearing nickname for Majima. Taking a good look at Hamazaki Goh, Majima felt his lunch stir unpleasantly in his stomach.
What did Hamazaki know? How much did he know?
Majima kept his face frozen and devoid of any reaction, but Hamazaki’s sly grin curled as he got up and circled around the chair Majima sat. He slid one large hand slowly up Majima’s arm before giving his shoulder a firm and meaningful squeeze that lingered.
Majima’s heart thumped loudly in his ears.
And just like that, the mad dog sat helplessly as the leash slipped back on and tightened around his neck.
Notes:
Got the name Mango Souko from real-world place Manga Souko. As far as we know, Saki's mother doesn't have a canon name, so I went with Tomiko [富子]. "Patience and focus" is how the Japanese dub of VLD-Shiro's "Patience yields focus" goes, so I went with that for the title here.
Next update on Wednesday, June 5th!
Chapter 8: II.3. The Kirin
Notes:
The vast majority of Yakuza 3 right over here. AKA one of my all-time favorite games as well. I apologize to RGG fans in advance. Since Y3’s story deeply ties with Shiro’s life, there were a few times I had to copy and paste the dialogue verbatim. We’re basically going through the entire game and I really want VLD fans to understand everything happening in the plot (hopefully I did a good job of making RGG’s dumptruck thick plot understandable), but rest assured it’s not just a rehash. There’s quite a lot of KazuMaji here as well. Things get a bit spicy between them.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: The Kirin
“Shiro! Shiro! Look!” Junpei and Junko squealed at the cost of earning themselves reprieving looks from the librarian behind the desk of the juvenile section. They rushed to their friend’s favorite spot by the window, brandishing their recent test papers in front of his face.
“Top marks! Great job!” Shiro said, grinning proudly at his friends.
“We couldn’t have done it without you!” Junko said.
“Math’s not our strong suit,” Junpei said with a nod.
Shiro waved his hand viciously. “I can’t take any of the credit. This was all you.” They were smart little cookies. Once he cleared any confusion and they understood the basics, they absorbed the material like little sponges.
But he couldn’t deny it felt good knowing he had made a difference.
It was always a pleasure to see Junko and Junpei after a day at his own school. Not that Shiro had any more trouble there. The only adversary was Hashimoto-sensei himself. Rued after the way Shiro’s former classmate had foiled all of Yoshinori’s plans, he had taken it upon himself to assign extra homework to Shiro specifically. Especially grammar homework. Shiro hated him just a little bit more, but he kept his mouth shut. He figured in the end, he would be all the smarter and better for it, but grammar wasn’t his strong suit.
Ayako had offered to help him. And truth be told, sometimes Shiro grew so frustrated with the volume of work he had that he’d just throw all of it at her to do alone while he took a much-deserved break and caught up on his manga.
But today Shiro was feeling a little guilty about harassing Ayako over his own homework. Ayako was eleven years old and had a lot more homework than him. Besides, they were in the first week of March. It wouldn’t much much longer before Shiro would be forever free of Hashimoto-sensei and his stupid, stupid assignments.
Junpei and Junko had no other questions for Shiro today, so the three kids studied quietly for the remainder of the afternoon. It was still light outside when Shiro finally left (Junpei and Junko always waited for their father to come pick them up.) Unlike the summertime, no bully chased him back home. Shiro could enjoy his stroll back to Morning Glory undisturbed.
As the familiar gates grew nearer, he noted two figures approaching from the beach. Haruka was skipping ahead, straw hat perched above her head. Behind her was Kiryu in his swimming trunks. In his left hand he gripped a fishing spear, and in his right wiggled a particularly large irabucha, a parrotfish.
“Whoa!” Shiro gasped, drawing Kiryu’s attention.
“Found tonight’s dinner,” Kiryu said, lifting up the fish, displaying its beautiful vibrant blue and green, almost iridescent scales. Shiro almost felt sorry for it. “Want to watch how irabucha is prepared?”
Just then the poor fish wriggled free and flew out of Kiryu’s grasp, landing right on Shiro’s chest. Screaming, Shiro grabbed it into a tight hug and landed on his backside.
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka giggled.
Shiro glanced down at its struggling face and went pale. It had a beak that looked sharp enough to cut through human bone.
“Looks like the irabucha wants you to accompany it,” Kiryu said with a little smile as he knelt down. “Think you can carry him? Just avoid his jaws.”
Shiro made a face but accepted the task. He readjusted the slimy, wiggly fish so that he was holding it by the tail as Kiryu had done moments ago. The poor thing was getting weaker by the minute.
The three of them went straight to the kitchen. Kiryu motioned for Shiro to stand by his side. Shiro had helped in the kitchen before, as everyone in Morning Glory took turns helping out with meal prep, but beyond chopping vegetables and helping making udon noodles, he never personally prepared meat before. He knew he would have to eventually. Kiryu wouldn’t ask that from Shiro or Izumi because they were still young, but sooner or later they would have to learn. And that included freshly caught fish.
The parrotfish’s beak snapped feebly, its large eye staring up at Shiro, as Kiryu set it down next to the kitchen sink. Haruka meanwhile busied herself with washing and then chopping vegetables for a soup. Clearly Shiro was meant to watch the demonstration.
Shiro’s chest constricted. He didn’t think this day would come so soon…
“The internal organs of irabucha contain a lot of toxins,” Kiryu explained. “You need to be careful. Now, to do this as humanely as possible…”
Shiro gasped and took a step back as Kiryu produced a long spike from a drawer.
“This instrument will be used to perform the first step of ikejime,” Kiryu went on to explain as he massaged the fish as if comforting it, not realizing that Shiro was no longer by his side. “This is the quickest and most humane way to prepare a fish for cooking. You want to aim for the brain and strike down as quick as possible. You don’t want the animal to suffer before it dies. The more stress the fish experiences, the more the quality of the meat drops, so this method benefits both.
“Hmm? Shiro?”
Kiryu peered over his shoulder, as Shiro continued taking steps back, drawing his gaze from the spike to the poor fish.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said. “I…I don’t think I’m ready to see this.”
Kiryu shared a look with Haruka before he gave Shiro a nod. “I understand.”
“I won’t mind,” said a voice near Shiro as Eri appeared. She kept her eyes steadily on Kiryu. “I want to see you gut the fish! Splatter its brains on the wall!”
“Eri, don’t be cruel,” Kiryu said, looking a little disturbed as Haruka looked up, mildly horrified as well. Kiryu continued to gently massage the fish. Shiro remembered what he had said about reducing stress in the fish. “All of you, be grateful to the life that’s going to nurture you.”
Shiro bowed his head and apologized to Kiryu. Stepping toward the doomed parrotfish, he whispered his thanks before looking away. He heard Eri give her thanks and run off next to his side as Haruka too gave her thanks.
“Why’d you follow me here anyway?” Shiro asked Eri as they hung back around the archway of the kitchen.
Eri shrugged. “Got bored, I guess.”
“Didn’t Izumi just let you borrow her entire Sailor Moon manga collection?”
“She did, but…it’s not my thing.”
Substory #14 — In the Name of the Moon!
“Oh.” Shiro frowned. “We thought you would like it since you like rabbit-themed things. Even Koji and I like it…”
Eri laughed. “Because you like superheroes and that’s all Sailor Moon! A boring, goody two-shoes superhero!”
“Okay, then…guess we gotta find you something you like.”
“Why don’t you and Eri go and play, Shiro?” Kiryu suggested.
“Okay…” Shiro said, noticing how restless Eri was. He also really had to wash the parrotfish smell off his shirt. “Sorry I wasn’t helpful, Uncle Kaz…”
Kiryu shook his head and smiled. “Two are enough to prepare everyone dinner. We can take it from here. Go have fun. Dinner will be ready in about an hour or so.”
▼ Take a raincheck.
By the time Shiro and Eri were done washing, Taichi and Koji had the other kids immersed in a game of ball. Spotting the two of them, they dragged Shiro and Eri into the game. It lasted for all of a quarter of an hour until Kiryu and Haruka appeared by the front entrance, carrying two large serving pans: one with soup and one with the fish.
Eri sat next to Shiro as he shyly peered at the parrotfish. This was far from the first time he had eaten a whole fresh fish, here or elsewhere. Far the first time Kiryu had caught their meal. But this was the first time Shiro got to hold his meal while it was still a living, breathing being, first time he peered into its pleading eyes, and Shiro couldn’t help the goosebumps that ran along his arm.
But Kiryu, like with all things, had treated it with affection before ending its life, and now it was dressed with pakuchi, green onions, and lime, displayed beautifully before their eyes.
I’m grateful, Shiro thought, head bowed as the other kids complimented the smell and the gorgeous sight of the meal. Koji kept bouncing off his seat over the size of today’s catch when something behind Kiryu suddenly caught his attention. “It’s Uncle Rikiya!”
Distracted from dinner, everyone ran off to surround the Ryudo captain, grabbing his hands, inviting him to come play with him. It had been one year since they first met him, and Rikiya had become like a part of the family.
“What happened to eating?” Kiryu called out, sounding slightly gutted by them all leaving the table. Poor neglected parrotfish.
Meanwhile, Rikiya’s eyes didn’t shine with his usual warmth as the kids continued to swarm around him. He seemed all too glad when Kiryu finally approached. By then, Mitsuo was practically ripping his entire arm off, but Rikiya barely even noticed.
“Aniki.”
“What’s up?” Kiryu asked. “Did something happen?”
Rikiya kept silent for the longest while, as if struggling how to put this into words. “It’s the boss. He...he’s been shot.”
The words extinguished all excitement in the courtyard. Even Mitsuo let go of his arm, as everyone just stared at Rikiya, still and white as ghosts.
In the end, the kids ate dinner alone. The other Ryudo boys were busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack. Mikio had joined Nakahara. Kiryu and Haruka left with Rikiya to the hospital.
Miyara-san and his wife, the next door neighbors, were kind enough to check in, but dinnertime was a gloomy affair sitting out in the beautiful sunset eating dinner without Kiryu and their eldest sister.
At the very least, though, Shiro could pass up the parrotfish and instead have the soup.
“Mmm, Polly’s so sweet and buttery!” Eri taunted next to him.
“You named it?”
“‘Course I did!” Eri said proudly as she held up a piece. Of course she had the fish head perched right in front of her like a centerpiece. “Sure you don’t want some?”
Shiro shivered and tried not to glance toward Polly’s parrot-like beak.
When they were done and back inside, whispers erupted amongst them.
“Who do you think shot him?” Riona said.
“Not that other yakuza family, was it?” Mitsuo said. “I hope not…”
“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Ayako cautioned.
“But a gun?” Eri said, frowning. “There’s an actual gun, here, in Okinawa?!”
“Of course, Eri, you airhead!” Izumi piped up. “Bad guys know how sneak stuff in all the time, like Taichi and Koji and their midnight snacks!”
“Izumi!” the aforementioned boys shouted.
Ayako narrowed her eyes. “So that’s why the boys’ room has been getting ants…”
“It was just one time!” Taichi argued.
Shiro slipped into his futon while fighting back the bad feeling swimming in his belly.
Much later, the sound of feet padding along the engawa awoke Shiro. The steps were far too light to be Kiryu’s, though. Haruka, then? Whoever it was was walking around as if checking in on everyone. Shiro waited until the presence was far enough from their room to sneak a peek between the shoji, confirming it was indeed Haruka. Why was she leaving the orphanage again? Where was she going? Where was Kiryu?
Checking to make sure no one else had woken up, he gingerly snuck out of bed and followed the eldest toward the beach shore. There Kiryu sat by the beach, his posture pensive and preoccupied with some matter. Kiryu would definitely sniff Shiro out with his sharp perceptiveness, so Shiro hung back, taking cover in the undergrowth but keeping close enough to hear.
Haruka confirmed to Kiryu that everyone had already gone to bed and sat beside him. After a few tense moments she then asked him if he was going back to Kamurocho.
And that’s how Shiro learned everything: how the assailant had shot Patriarch Nakahara over the deeds to the Morning Glory land, how the assailant was likely back in mainland Japan…
But Kiryu wasn’t certain if he wanted to go back to Kamurocho. He had a life here. He had work, responsibilities. He couldn’t go to Tokyo at the drop of a hat. Shiro wanted to call out for him to stay, but he knew he was being selfish. What was going to happen to the orphanage, to them, with Patriarch Nakahara’s attacker still at large?
Just then Rikiya appeared, and Shiro kept even more still in the underbrush, hoping the man hadn’t seen him. He didn’t seem to, as his entire attention was solely on Kiryu. He demanded to accompany Kiryu to Kamurocho. Mikio could watch over the boss. And the boss’s daughter? Haruka offered her a place at the orphanage.
Shiro frowned. He supposed given how busy everyone in the family was going to be, the safest place for Saki would be Morning Glory.
Kiryu sent Rikiya away and then once he was out of earshot made Haruka promise to watch over Rikiya while he was gone. So, he didn’t even plan on taking Rikiya with him. Kiryu was going to a very dangerous place and face up against a dangerous person, all alone. Feeling sick to his stomach, Shiro slowly slinked back toward the house.
He had just made it to the genkan when he heard a soft gasp behind him.
“Shiro?”
Startled, he spun around.
“Ah! Haruka-chan!” Shiro nearly yelled then immediately caught himself, almost tripping as he comically shut his mouth tight with his hands.
“Were you watching us?” she asked in a whisper.
Seeing no point in lying, Shiro nodded and bowed his head. “Is Uncle Kaz going to be okay?”
Haruka’s eyes widened and glimmered with pain. “I…I don’t know.”
“Where’s he right now?”
“He’s still outside. I can see him smoking by the ocean. He wanted some time alone.
“I’m scared for him, Shiro. I never really told the others, but Uncle Kaz’s gone through a lot of very hard times whenever he stepped into Kamurocho. Even if he’s always come out on top, those experiences left their marks. He used to wake up in cold sweat from the nightmares after Nishikiyama-san died.
“And…something about this trip feels different. I don’t feel good about him going off alone.”
“What about Majima-san? He’s still in Tokyo, isn’t he? Can’t he watch over Uncle Kaz?”
“Well…Uncle Kaz hasn’t heard from Majima-san for several months.”
Shiro’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”
“Majima-san doesn’t like writing emails, so he has Nishida do that for him. At the most he and Uncle Kaz have talked on the phone a few times. But the last time Uncle Kaz tried to call him, Majima-san never picked up, and when he asked Nishida, he only said the boss was busy.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Around September, I think.”
“September?! You don’t think…Majima-san gave up on Uncle Kaz?” Shiro frowned. He had seen Kiryu return home late at night clutching business cards from a local hostess club. After bothering Haruka about them, he now knew what hostess clubs were. But he also knew that Kiryu went to them because he was often lonely and Majima, for whatever reason, didn’t mind and even encouraged Kiryu to go. A chance for him to set his worries aside and to talk with a peer over some drinks.
Was Majima trying to push Kiryu away? It was bad enough that Sayama the pretty lady cop whose photo Kiryu still kept had met some cop in the US, not that she seemed interested so far (not that Shiro was snooping in on Kiryu’s conversations, either.)
“No,” Haruka said with a shake of her head, drawing Shiro back to the present. “I know Majima-san very well. He wouldn’t leave Uncle Kaz like that without telling him. He can be painfully honest.”
“Then…something must have happened,” Shiro concluded.
“Or he really is busy with his construction company,” Haruka said. “We can only hope the reason is nothing bad.
“I don’t know…I don’t have a good feeling about all this,” Shiro confessed. “Should we tell Uncle Kaz not to go?”
Haruka shook her head again. “Once his mind’s made up, no one can stop him.”
What a stubborn ox, Shiro thought as he stared at his feet.
“Get back in bed!” Haruka said hurriedly and ushered him quickly back to his room. Slipping back under the covers, Shiro listened as Kiryu entered the orphanage. He asked Haruka if everything was okay. Haruka mentioned being unable to sleep but encouraged Kiryu to get some rest before his flight tomorrow evening, putting on a bright and cheery tone. From the way she spoke, she was almost like a mother to him despite being much younger than him.
Grimacing, Shiro settled back into bed. He tossed and turned, trying to go back to sleep. Tomorrow would be Saturday. Did any of his siblings know what was about to happen?
“What’s wrong?” Yukiho asked when she approached Shiro. The stars shining high above them glowed with a somewhat duller sheen.
“I dunno,” Shiro said. “I…I just have a bad feeling in my stomach. It’s happened before. Maybe I can get those premonitions some people talk about?”
Getting to his feet, he searched for the familiar road. He knew Yukiho hated it, but he felt at ease there.
“Shirashiro?” Yukiho said as they came upon the strange castle once more.
“Yeah,” Shiro said as they went inside. The unsettling feeling grew worse with every step as they wove through the eerie interior of the castle. They came upon an outer porch and settled down. Shiro peered down at the white slushing stream below.
Up ahead, he searched until he found it, though faint, for that familiar lion constellation. The Ascending Dragon was nowhere visible from here, making him feel incredibly lonely.
“Uncle Kaz…” he said under his breath.
Shiro awoke early the next morning to the sounds of some of his siblings and…Mikio, was it?…shouting outside as a dog’s barks filled the courtyard. Groaning, Shiro rolled over and dozed off.
By the time he came to once more, a disgusted-looking Riona was waking him up.
“Your breakfast’s getting cold!” she snapped.
What’s gotten into her? Shiro thought.
Groggily he got up, went to the bathroom, washed his hands, and trodded to the dining room. A dog’s barking still filled the skies, and looking out of the window from where he sat Shiro could see Izumi and Kiryu playing with an overly energetic Shiba Inu.
“Where’d the dog come from?” Shiro asked.
“It was a stray,” Koji explained. “Izumi wouldn’t let the thing go! Taichi and I tried chasing him but he was too fast. Uncle Kiryu and Uncle Mikio ran all over town tracking him down. Izumi named him Mame, after the dog she used to have with her mom and dad.”
“Wait—we got a dog now?!”
Koji nodded. “Totally serious here.”
Shiro leaned his head back to get another look at Mame.
“Mame looks…wild,” Shiro observed as the aforementioned dog nearly ripped off Izumi’s hand.
Koji just shrugged with a grin before slipping out.
As he munched into his egg, Mitsuo sat across from him, fidgeting as his eyes remained glued on Riona.
“Um…did something happen between you two?” Shiro asked after a while.
Snapping back to himself, Mitsuo met his gaze. “Wh-huh? Yeah, everything’s fine!”
Just then, Riona left the dining room area, and Mitsuo ran after her.
Shiro heard a giggle behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Eri pop her head out of the kitchen. She motioned to him to stay quiet and watch.
Riona stood on the engawa as Mitsuo stood just outside, peering up at her as if she were the sun his entire universe revolved around.
“He’s trying to get her to go to the movies with him?” Shiro asked, confused. Eri giggled. “And…he claims to know this kids named Okada?”
“Except, Okada is no where near his friend!” Eri said. “Don’t tell this to anyone, but I think Riona likes Okada!”
That definitely seemed to be the case. Riona brushed Mitsuo off and went her way, and before Shiro could find Kiryu, off he went again. As it had turned out, he and Rikiya had gotten into a contest to see who could help alter Mitsuo’s luck with a change in wardrobe. That only got Riona to hate him more.
It was Shiro’s turn to hang up the laundry outside, and he caught wind of every moment of that conversation. With the clotheslines being on the other side of the kitchen, he could hear everything that went on inside.
Kiryu had been helping Riona with preparing duruwakashi bento for her little outing with some classmates later that day. Just as Kiryu left, Shiro made to leave and catch him around the other side of the house when he caught on to Haruka and Riona’s conversation:
“Well, I think you two would be good together,” Haruka was saying encouragingly. “I know he’s kinda immature sometimes, but you’d be happy with him, Riona-chan.”
“Look, it’s not gonna happen, Haruka-chan!” Riona snapped. “I just can’t see myself dating a black guy!”
“Riona-chan!”
Shiro clamped a hand over his mouth as a loud gasp escaped him. Running inside, he caught sight of Riona dashing out with her bento, blushing beet red. Kiryu was hiding in a corner of the dining room, watching her with a deep frown.
“That’s not how I raised her,” Kiryu kept muttering to himself.
Deciding not to bother Kiryu right now, Shiro made for the boys’ room instead.
“Man, whatever’s going on between Mitsuo and Riona sure is something,” Taichi groaned as Shiro stepped in. “He wanted to see a love story movie with me, could you believe that? Yuck!”
Shiro just shrugged. He didn’t really understand crushes and he didn’t think he ever would. Not his thing.
Later, as the boys poked around the courtyard for worms, Mitsuo appeared, grinning and looking on top of the world despite sporting a bandaged arm and a bruise blossoming on his cheek.
“What happened to you?” Shiro asked.
“Riona happened!” he said happily. “I think she likes me back!”
While Mitsuo told them the whole ordeal of how he had stood up for Riona after her classmates had bullied her over the burn marks on her arms, Shiro’s gaze shifted to the man he most wanted to see. He had tried so many times to speak with Kiryu privately today, but so far he hadn’t had a single moment alone with him.
And just as Shiro was thinking he could come up to Kiryu, Koji ran out of the house, asking Kiryu excitedly if they could play baseball.
The boys were all invited, and any of the girls who were interested.
At the very least, it meant Shiro could spend some time with Kiryu. Maybe he could catch a moment then.
He ran with the others to the beach as Kiryu sent Rikiya off again.
They played for some time before Koji noticed a boy watching them by the roadside. At first Shiro didn’t pay the boy much attention as Kiryu and Koji went to speak to him. He assumed he was an older kid, considering how much taller he was than Shiro.
The only other thought Shiro had about the boy Miyamura Akira was that Koji was nuts to have him tag along. Sure, his brother was super kind and would welcome anyone to join along with the games they played, but this Akira kid appeared too frail for sports, even more frail than Shiro himself.
And sure enough, while Kiryu had gone to tend to some matter and the kids continued playing, Akira tripped while running after the ball and hit his head. Immediately once he was notified, Kiryu took him into their home to tend to him, and before they knew it, Akira’s mother swarmed on them, screaming and berating Kiryu for the heinous crime of allowing her precious child to play sports. Much to Shiro’s horror, Hashimoto-sensei arrived on the scene, ready to lash out at Kiryu alongside Miyamura-san.
But when Akira came to, it was with a smile on his face and gratitude for Koji’s kindness. He then revealed to his mother that everyone at Morning Glory was kind to him, kinder than the kids at his school, especially that awful bully by the name of Hashimoto Yoshinori.
Shiro gasped when he heard the name.
His mother chased out Hashimoto-sensei, and Akira ran after her, but Shiro watched from afar while trying to recall where he had seen Akira before.
“Izumi, is he from your class?” Shiro asked.
Izumi thought for a moment. “Oh, yeah…I think he is, actually!”
Shiro sighed. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Izumi shrugged. “He never said hi to me before.”
“Izumi, he’s lonely!”
And he was bullied, by none other than Yoshinori. Shiro bet now that Yoshinori didn’t dare to go near him after the defeat last summer, he had found himself a new target: a shy, timid, and frail boy—an easy target—even if he was from another class.
He’d have to look for Akira next school day.
But for now, Shiro really wanted to get a chance to talk to Kiryu. However, just as Shiro was stealing himself to go get Kiryu to himself, Haruka rushed over to him and said Kiryu wished to speak to all of the kids. She then set off, and confused but also fighting back the dread in his throat, Shiro made for the courtyard. The other kids were already gathering around.
“What’s up with those clothes, Uncle Kaz?” Ayako asked, pointing up to Kiryu. Seeing him dressed in the grey suit dredged up some painful memories for Shiro, who stood frowning and cowering slightly behind Taichi. He didn’t want Kiryu to leave as the ominous feeling crept up again in his stomach.
“I’m actually heading up to Tokyo,” Kiryu explained. “For about a week.”
The other kids exploded with excitement. Riona practically threw herself in Kiryu’s arms, begging to go with him. No one else had the same feeling of dread as Shiro had.
“Sorry, kids,” Kiryu said. “It’s not gonna be a vacation. Your Uncle Kaz has some very important business to take care of. But while I’m gone, a new friend is gonna come live here with you.”
He motioned toward the gate just as Haruka appeared. Next to her was a tall girl wearing a simple knee-length dress. The entire time her gaze didn’t meet anyone’s as she glanced to the side, her head bowed and her long poker straight dark hair covering some of her face. She clutched a large sketchbook against her chest and moved with slow, tentative steps.
Kiryu came to the girl’s other side and placed a hand on her back. “This is Saki,” he explained. “She’s been through a lot, so she has some trouble talking.”
The other kids studied her.
“Her dad’s hurt, too,” Kiryu went on. “He’s in the hospital right now. For the time being, I told her she can stay here. So what do you say? Can you make her feel at home?”
The other kids cheered, but none more so than Taichi. “Darn right we can!”
Hearing his words, Saki slowly raised her head and met his gaze for a long, lingering moment before Ayako ran up to her.
“Come on, Saki-chan!” she said, taking her hand. Saki was taller than even her. She rushed Saki over to the group, where the kids gathered around her. Shiro noticed Saki kept meeting Taichi’s gaze and looking away quickly, blushing.
The conversation moved indoors, but Shiro stayed back, watching as Kiryu and Haruka spoke. They were making some final plans. He didn’t have to worry about Rikiya, as she had gotten Asahi to agree to keep him behind for the remainder of the day with the excuse that the flight had been delayed. Meanwhile, Haruka would accompany Kiryu to the airport before returning back to Morning Glory.
This was it.
He watched as Kiryu and Haruka rounded the corner of the gate. Noticing him, Haruka smiled and waved.
“Hey, Shiro, what’re you doing out there?” Koji called out.
“One moment!”
Shiro rushed after them.
“Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu stopped and turned around just as Shiro reached them and grabbed hold of Kiryu’s arm.
“Shiro?” Kiryu asked softly. “Everything alright?”
Now that he was here holding Kiryu’s arm, Shiro felt a little empty-minded and stupid just standing out here.
“Shiro?” Kiryu asked again.
“Um…by Tokyo, you mean you’re going to Kamurocho, right, Uncle Kaz?” Shiro said timidly. “Please be careful!”
The way Kiryu closed his eyes and sighed heavily told Shiro that Kiryu knew Shiro must have overheard him and Haruka the other evening. He didn’t want Haruka to get into trouble, but it looked like Kiryu was used to his children overhearing important conversations by now.
“Don’t worry about me, Shiro,” Kiryu said. “I will be back before you know it. Make sure Saki is safe while I’m gone. Oh, and that new boy. I believe he’s in your grade?”
Shiro nodded. “Izumi remembered him after the fact!”
Kiryu chuckled. “Classic Izumi. Watch over him. I know you can handle Yoshinori on your own.” His proud smile filled Shiro with determination. “When I return, I’d like to hear some more about the constellations you’ve been reading up on.”
“Yes, Uncle Kaz! Oh, and…Uncle Kaz?”
“Yes?”
“If you see Majima-san, can you tell him hi for me?”
Kiryu’s eyes glimmered with affection as he nodded his promise. Shiro squeezed his arm tight before letting him go. But as he watched Kiryu leave, the ominous feeling did not go away. If anything, it got worse.
Shiro awoke next morning to the sound of Rikiya pounding on the amado.
“Aniki! When’s the flight?”
“Captain Shimabukuro, I humbly request that you please keep the tone of your voice down for the sake of the children. Everyone is still in bed.”
“Daijiro?! What’re ya doing here?!”
A pitter-patter of feet drew near the entrance.
“Uncle Rikiya!” Haruka cried out. “I’m so sorry! Uncle Kaz has already left. Uncle Daijiro has been watching over us for the night while Uncle Mikio stayed with Nakahara-san at the hospital.”
“Aniki’s gone already?! Why’d no one tell me—shit, when’s the next flight?!”
He cussed and left, his feet stomping hurriedly across the courtyard.
“Language, Captain!”
Shiro turned in his futon.
“Yukiho?” he whispered under his breath. “Are you okay?” Before jolting awake he had just plunged into the silvery river after Yukiho had slipped and fallen off the mysterious and majestic castle.
Of course, Yukiho didn’t respond. She only ever existed in his dreams now.
That Sunday was rather subdued compared to yesterday. The girls were enthusiastic about their new friend, and although Saki couldn’t talk, she found other ways to communicate with nods, shakes, and of course writing on her sketchbook. She even drew quick sketches to relay her feelings. The girls played with her long hair and made drawing requests, none of which Saki refused (or felt like she could refuse).
Of all the boys, Taichi was the one most often by her side, showing her around the house as though their place was a grand five star museum. Saki at least didn’t seem to mind. Shiro didn’t understand what the deal was with that, so he mainly sat in his room poring through his astronomy books and tried not to worry too much about Kiryu.
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #15 — Gentlemen Are From Mars
Later that evening Haruka came to Shiro with an update.
“Because you know more about Uncle Kaz and Kamurocho,” she said, smiling sadly as she sat next to him.
Shiro nodded. “Thank you. How’s he doing?”
Haruka bowed her head. “A close friend of Uncle Kaz’s has died. He’s been killed.”
Shiro gasped.
“Who?”
“His name was Kashiwagi Osamu-san,” Haruka said.
It took Shiro a moment, but the image of a dour-faced older man in all black slowly surfaced in his mind. He gasped again.
“You’ve met him?” Haruka asked, reading his expression right.
“At my parents’ funeral. Majima-san held it at Tojo Clan HQ, so I met a lot of the members, even the sixth chairman Dojima Daigo.”
Haruka’s face fell.
“What happened?”
“Well…Dojima-san’s been shot too.”
“What?” Shiro thought back to that chairman, looking young and green in his new role.
Haruka nodded sadly. “This was a couple days ago. Around the same time as when Nakahara-san was shot. We got a call about it when we were at the hospital. Uncle Kaz and Kashiwagi-san speculate they were attacked by the same man.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“And…what happened tonight?” Shiro asked, feeling sick.
“Well…when Kashiwagi-san learned Uncle Kaz was in the area, he called him in for a private meeting in his office at the Millennium Tower. He had some important information for Uncle Kaz regarding…what’s been happening here. But while they were talking, there was a blackout, and a helicopter with a gattling gun fired at them. Uncle Kaz was real lucky he survived.”
Shiro paled.
“And…the helicopter might have been from the US CIA…”
Shiro swallowed thickly. What the hell did another country have to do with any of this? With Dojima Daigo? With their Morning Glory Orphanage?!
“Kashiwagi-san thinks there’s a traitor in the Tojo Clan. Before he took his last breath, he told Uncle Kaz to find him.”
“Where’s Uncle Kaz now?”
“He’s with Date-san at Serena…well, New Serena. It’s a bar Uncle Kaz always used to go to. He’s recovering there. He still sounded a little shocked on the phone.”
“I can imagine…”
Just then Haruka’s cell phone rang. Looking down at the caller ID for only a split millisecond, she gasped and flipped the phone.
“Uncle Rikiya? Did you reach Tokyo?” she asked. She pressed a button and Shiro could hear Rikiya’s response.
“Yeah. Hey, no one told me how huge Tokyo is! Where the hell’s Kamurocho?! Where’s Aniki at?! There’s train stations everywhere!”
Haruka threw Shiro an amused look and giggled. “Oh, Uncle Rikiya!”
Kiryu leaned back on the velvety seat of Club Shine, alcoholic beverage in hand, and sighed.
After Rikiya accompanied him on the fight against Kanda, suspected Tojo traitor, through a love hotel, Kiryu felt he owed it to Rikiya to show him around Kamurocho. The man had made every effort to come here, so he may as well enjoy the mainland. Kiryu’s pockets were sufficiently lighter now, but if it made Rikiya happy then all was well. Rikiya’s irezumi was finally completed, as Kiryu had found his old artist to dot the missing eyes of the viper on Rikiya’s back.
But Rikiya wasn’t done with Kamurocho. Kiryu had wanted to rest up back in New Serena when Rikiya had burst back in demanding to be shown a bikini bar.
Bikini bars weren’t his scene, but Kiryu was familiar enough with Kamurocho to know where they were located. There was one Yuya had taken him to a few years back, so Kiryu led the way. Never in his life did he anticipate running into Rikiya’s childhood friend and crush, Uesato Natsumi, right in Club Asia. And never in his life did Kiryu imagine that Natsumi would string them along through a series of messes, but Kiryu seemed to have the luck of always getting dragged into trouble.
Now that this was all behind him and Natsumi had learned her lesson to appreciate Rikiya more, Kiryu sent Rikiya back to New Serena for a few drinks. Natsumi, meanwhile, had promised Rikiya to reunite back in Okinawa.
After all that running around, Kiryu was in much need to sit back and relax, and so his feet carried him to Club Shine, remembering what Majima had asked of him two years ago.
The woman smiling at him was painfully familiar, but while Kiryu knew her well, her eyes showed no sign of recognition.
Kana’s memories still hadn’t returned two years later. She spoke of a wholly different life, a completely different set of interests and hobbies, behaved entirely different from how Kiryu remembered her back in Sotenbori’s Four Shine. Kiryu kept the tears from misting his eyes as he peered into hers. Pouring kindness into her was his main concern. He had come in with a gift he knew she would love. He was already planning on inviting her to Sushi Gin after their session was over. She always loved sushi. She could pack away a lot, he recalled. It was going to cost him a fortune, but Kiryu cared nothing about losing more money at this point.
He hoped this would please Majima at least.
Kiryu frowned into his drink. Speaking of Majima, where was he? Kiryu could accept that Majima had been busy in the last several months, but news of Kiryu back in Kamurocho would have had Majima reigning down on him with an intensity that would shake all of Tokyo; he’d make Kiryu regret ever contacting him. He still wasn’t sure how Majima managed to track him a few years back, and as much as it annoyed him then…he missed his constant pestering.
Now that Kiryu thought about it, he hadn’t even run into a single Majima family member in all of Kamurocho. Where was everyone?
Shiro kept his eyes open for any sign of Akira the next day. Sure enough he sniffed out Yoshinori on the prowl, looking for his newest punching bag to torment. Akira was hiding near some bushes beside the school building, using a nearby tree’s shadow to shelter him from view. A rather feeble hiding spot, if Shiro had to criticize. He had experience with this sort of thing.
Just as Yoshinori zeroed in on Akira’s hiding spot, Shiro stepped in.
“Yo, Akira!” Shiro called out. “Are you looking for Koji? I can call him over!” Running past Yoshinori as though he hadn’t seen him, Shiro extended out his hand. “My brother says he had a lot of fun playing with you Saturday.”
Hearing the loud gulp behind him, Shiro inwardly grinned, knowing he had received the desired effect. He spun around and smiled brightly at Yoshinori. After last summer, Yoshinori feared Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo. “Oh, hi, Yoshinori! Akira’s my neighbor, and he’s told me all about you! You want to play with Koji and us?”
Yoshinori took a step back and glared at him. “Buzz off, dweeb!”
The two watched Yoshinori run off at the speed of light. Shiro grinned. Without even needing to lift his fist he had defeated his adversary again. Feeling triumphant, he turned to Akira.
“Sorry you’ve had to deal with him,” Shiro said. “He made my life a living hell ever since the beginning of the school year. Looks like he began to target you after I gave him a piece of my mind.”
Akira bowed his head.
“Hey, the school year’s almost over,” Shiro said. “The school board agreed they were gonna separate Yoshinori and me. With luck, we might be in the same class! You don’t have to worry about him then. He got it real bad when my brothers and I fought him.”
Akira raised his head and met Shiro’s eyes. He was still sitting down, which was just as well. If he were to stand up, he would have towered over Shiro. Still, Shiro was a bit captivated by his eyes, dark but with hints of galactic blue.
“Thank you, um…Shiro-san, was it?”
Feeling suddenly light-headed, Shiro composed himself and bowed. “Will you be okay after school?”
Akira nodded. “Mom always comes to walk me back home.”
“Oh. Well…I’ll see you again tomorrow, then.” Shiro smiled, and when Akira returned it, the strange little disarming light-headed feeling struck again.
“No. There’s no chance,” Kiryu said quickly, shutting down Date Makoto.
Date sighed heavily. “Look, Kiryu. I know you two are pals and all, but a yakuza who’s your friend is still a yakuza. And Majima especially. Let that dog off his leash and who knows what’ll happen.”
Kiryu stared up ahead, though his eyes didn’t perceive the shelves of cognacs, wines, and whiskeys on display, so preoccupied as he was. His sole, singular thought was the photo Date had just shown him. His mind went into overdrive, trying to work out the puzzle presented to him.
Two politicians have been fighting for the land in Okinawa. There was Tamiya Ryuzo who had proposed to build a military base, but Suzuki Yoshinobu had proposed a resort instead. Suzuki’s deal was somehow connected to Daigo and the Tojo, but Kiryu thought that was all resolved last year.
For a time, the land in Okinawa was indeed left alone. But now the military expansion has been pushed on ahead, and with that so was the resort. The two politicians were locking horns over this.
And the man spearheading the resort deal was none other than a Kamurocho construction company…Majima’s Construction.
It had made all too perfect sense, and yet…it couldn’t.
Majima wouldn’t.
He knew Kiryu lived there. He’d tell any contractor to suck his nethers and shut the door in their face, money be damned.
And to suggest that Majima could coldheartedly feed lead into both Daigo and Kashiwagi—
“You’re wrong. Majima-no-nii-san promised me he’d look after Daigo. And he’s not the promise breaking type.” Kiryu frowned back down at the photo before him. Maybe it was altered. He had no way of telling. He wasn’t trained to analyze photos like that.
Or maybe he had to stop denying what was in front of him: Majima was clearly sitting in a meeting with Suzuki over what could only be the resort deal. But… “I trust him.”
Date sighed. “I get how you feel. I really do. But what if you’re wrong? What if Majima really is behind all this?”
Majima is the Tojo traitor?
His Majima-no-nii-san? Goro?
Kiryu continued staring at the photo as Date spoke, feeling the remnants of last night’s late dinner and alcohol twisting in his stomach. Was this the reason for Majima’s silence over the last several months? Because he knew what Kiryu would do if he knew about him hurting Daigo? What he was about to do to Kiryu’s only home and family?
“If that’s the case...” Kiryu began slowly. He shut his eyes tight before looking up. “Then I’ll have no choice but to kill him.”
“Kiryu...”
Getting up, Kiryu made his way out toward the elevator, but stopped at the door of New Serena. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”
Date hopped off his stool. “Hold on, Kiryu! We don’t know whose side he’s on!”
“That’s exactly why I need to go.” Kiryu turned to face Date. “I have a lot of questions, and Majima-no-nii-san’s going to answer them.”
“Kiryu...”
After exiting the elevator, Kiryu had to lean back against the building of New Serena, light a cigarette, and collect himself for a moment. The early evening sun was just starting her descent, reflecting warm light against the taller buildings. The warmth of the sun against his skin and the smoke filling his lungs cleared his thoughts. He looked up and smiled sadly, missing the view from hotel windows. He would still be under the covers, Goro’s arms wrapped around him, as they watched the neon lights of the bustling pleasure district lull into sleep little by little under the dawning sun’s omnipresence.
Kiryu breathed a sigh of relief.
At times Kiryu had trouble getting a read on Majima, but this wasn’t one of them. If Majima had truly betrayed him, he would not have gone silent on him. From anyone else, silence would be an admission of guilt, but Majima was far too cunning and crafty to make such a rookie mistake. And what without running across any of his men out on the streets, it was clear Majima was trying to tell Kiryu something.
The silence was reminiscent of an animal having been slain.
The silence was a cry for help.
And Kiryu was gonna rescue Majima.
After school Shiro wedged himself between Akira and Yoshinori, cutting off all chances of him getting to the other boy.
For every dirty look Yoshinori threw him, Shiro smiled. You cruising for another bruising?
He saw that Akira got to his mother safely and they left the school grounds together. Shiro himself made for the library, wondering what sort of questions the Shirakawa twins would have for him today.
“Huh?” Shiro stopped dead at the sight across the courtyard. Maybe he shouldn’t be watching this. This was private, but it wasn’t every day that one saw a kid with an acoustic guitar serenading a sibling. Ayako was blushing and giggling as she strolled by, followed by presumably a classmate as he sang a song to her.
Ayako… Shiro thought before shaking himself out of his reverie. He supposed she was getting older, and she was so mature for her age. And she was pretty and probably popular with guys.
Shiro was a little upset, though. He didn’t want her to get married! Not now!
Don’t be silly he told himself. Ayako is 12 years old. She’s not at that age yet.
He turned away and resumed his trip to the library, and soon forgot about the incident. As the afternoon dwindled on, he instead wondered which of the Ryudo boys would watch over Morning Glory later tonight. They had agreed to take turns keeping tabs on them, and there would be one man staying at the orphanage overnight as Daijiro had done the first night after Kiryu left.
Back home, Shiro caught wind of a familiar tune. Recognizing it as the song the boy was singing, he immediately went to locate Ayako. Sure enough, it was her at the dining room, humming along to the song playing on the orphanage’s radio.
“Oh! Shiro!” Ayako gave a start. “Sorry, I didn’t see you were there…”
“It’s okay…” Shiro said as he adjusted his glasses. “You seem interested in that song.”
Ayako blushed. “Yes. It’s a song in English, but I think it’s beautiful.”
“Is that what the boy was singing for you?”
Ayako’s cheeks turned redder. “Ah…oh, I better check on the rice!” And off she ran into the kitchen.
Shiro didn’t bother her again about it.
By the time he slipped under the covers of his futon, his mind instead drifted off to Kamurocho. As he cuddled the Bun-chan Majima won him, Shiro wondered how Kiryu was doing and if he had met up with Majima yet. Ever since Rikiya had called them asking for Kamurocho’s direction, Kiryu hadn’t contacted them. He hoped everything was okay.
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #16 — Drops of Jupiter
At first Majima Construction was a complete ghost town. Nowhere in sight were the men hard at work, and not a sound was heard, be it the pounding of hammer or song. That didn’t instill much confidence that everything was well. What had happened to the construction company? The building project of Kamurocho Hills? What had happened to Majima?
Majima’s office was completely bare save for a telephone that rang once Kiryu stepped inside. Answering it was a mistake, getting a nasty jot of surprise by the clown-like laughter on the other side. Shutting the receiver down, he turned back and stepped outside, thinking he may need to hunt the man down, only to find himself suddenly completely surrounded.
From every direction men in dark suits stood waiting for him. He caught sight of the pins on their lapels. Majima Family.
After the initial shock wore off, Kiryu stood there, at first thinking perhaps he had indeed been betrayed. But no one stepped forward to take a jab at him. Instead a row of men parted to the side to make a pathway, as Majima himself appeared.
He approached Kiryu slowly.
The man walked with a slouch and hunched shoulders, uncharacteristic of the man Kiryu remembered from two years ago. He was dressed in a black suit and black tie and the red shirt that Kiryu recognized as his own. The overall look was appealing on him. But perhaps it was the way Majima walked and the tone of colors he wore, but there was a somberness to him that Kiryu had never seen before.
Despite Kiryu’s worry, he pushed it aside as they exchanged a few words befitting strangers.
Majima was taking him somewhere, so Kiryu followed gingerly, soon recognizing the pathway. Deeper into the construction site they went and down a unassuming-looking set of stairs. Darkness engulfed them for a few moments before the intense pink and red lights of Purgatory assaulted Kiryu’s eyes.
He kept his eyes glued to Majima’s hunched back, keeping a fairly neutral conversation the entire time. No matter how much Kamurocho changed overhead, Purgatory never changed: girls in loose-fitting kimonos whistled for his attention behind cages, flashing their cleavages, casinos freely advertised their businesses, men in shades stood to the side wearing sinister grins, their arsenal of weapons on full display…
Before Kiryu knew it, they had stepped right into the belly of the Underground Coliseum. It was nearly pitch black, their feet echoed in the ringing silence, and dust rose with every step.
“Got fond memories tradin’ blow with ya here, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said as he turned around to face him. “Too bad it’s a damn ghost town now.”
“The Coliseum’s closed?” Kiryu asked as he stepped closer to Majima. He had to see every expression he made. Had to be close to him, for better or worse.
“Been so for ‘bout a year now. Somethin’ else came up, pulled my attention away.” The mad glint in his eye betrayed the sadness in his voice.
“Something like the Okinawa resort deal?” Kiryu ventured.
Majima’s maniacal grin deflated into half disappointment, half scorn. “Guess the viper’s outta the bag, huh?”
“Majima-san,” Kiryu looked at him dead in the eye, frowning as his heart clenched. “Why did you do it? Why get involved?”
“I was keepin’ my eye out for Daigo. Just like we promised.” The look he gave Kiryu was almost accusatory...
“What do you mean?”
“I was just...tryin’ to make shit easier for him. Y’know how intense all that politics bull can get.”
Kiryu shook his head. “But Daigo didn’t want any part of the resort deal. That’s what got him shot. Right?”
“Been wonderin’ about that myself.”
Kiryu frowned. What did Majima mean by that?
“Majima-no-nii-san.”
“...Kiryu-chan.” The way he said it almost disarmed him, but Kiryu was quick to recover.
“I don’t think you could’ve come up with this whole resort scheme on your own. You have to be working with someone.”
Majima stayed silent. His expression remained frustratingly impassive. Whenever they used to get into mind games like this, Majima would enjoy being found out. He loved riling up Kiryu until he provoked a fight out of him. He was obsessed with getting Kiryu’s fist to the jaw (or anywhere else on his body).
And he never, ever hid it. His lips would twitch into an impish grin despite how much he was trying to hold back. So to see him in an almost catatonic state as he spoke alarmed Kiryu deep inside. He needed to shake that man back to life.
“The question is, who is it?” Kiryu went on.
Again, Majima stayed silent. He closed his eye, and perhaps it was the dead silence of the Coliseum but Kiryu swore he could hear the fast heavy beating of Majima’s heart in the short distance between them.
Who or what are you afraid of, Goro?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Kiryu pressed. He was almost there, pinching right at the vein of the problem. If only Majima could just help him…
But, Majima remained silent.
“Majima-no-nii-san. Tell me the truth, now.” Kiryu’s voice came out firm and authoritative, the voice a chairman would use to order his subordinates.
Not even Majima could evade that. He glanced to the side, a dog rolling over to show his belly. “Kiryu-chan. Doubt ya believe it, but I take the yakuza code real serious. Even if someone’s up and framed me, I’m not gonna go spillin’ the beans for free.”
And with that he raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.
The entire Coliseum roared into life. Lights flashed on from every angle, revealing an auditorium full of bloodthirsty onlookers screaming with mirth, eager for a good show. Kiryu peered around at the audience, taking in the sudden influx of stimulation all around him.
The walls of the arena soon descended down, caging him and Majima inside.
Grinning impishly as he regarded Kiryu through a slitted eye, Majima brought his hand to his tie, hooking one finger into the loop, and off the tie went flying into the air like a black snake.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” called out the announcer in English before switching back to Japanese, “At long last, the legendary duo returns!”
Kiryu and Majima glared at one another throughout his introduction, neither one moving. Friend or foe or lover, it was difficult to discern at this moment.
“So this is how it is,” Kiryu finally said.
“If you want me spilling my guts,” Majima challenged, “you’re gonna have to beat ‘em out of me!” And then in one fluid motion he whipped off his entire blazer and shirt, displaying his Hannya irezumi to the audience. The crowd cheered.
“Heh,” Kiryu said. “No surprise there. That’s how it always goes with us.” He mimicked Majima’s motion, and the crowd roared as they gazed upon the dragon on his back. The announcer went on to introduce them.
Majima moaned loudly, consumed with need to taste blood…and more. Kiryu could smell the lust from him. “That’s my Kiryu-chan! Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Heh.”
“Ya ask me, there’s nothin’ better than us two rumbling!”
Kiryu tried to keep his eyes steady on Majima’s face, his expression, even as the other man’s own gaze was slipping to drink in his physique. “Yeah...I guess not.”
“So, no holds barred.” Majima said, snapping out of his brief reverie. He drew his tanto from behind him. “Hit me with all you got, Kiryu-chan!”
The sound of the gong signaled the fight, and relief washed over Kiryu.
Sex and violence.
This was just like old times.
“So you wanna know who gave me the hookup with that guy Suzuki, huh?”
After the fight in the Underground Coliseum, Majima invited Kiryu over to the Florist’s old office. Down a long marbled-floored hall anchored by tall pillars was a dais upon which a singular office desk was propped up. Where the Florist used to be stationed now sat Majima. Behind him the entire wall was made of glass, giving a view of Purgatory’s magnificent aquarium collection behind.
Kiryu stood on the other side of the office desk, staring down at Majima stiffly. He was still teeming with sexual tension from the fight, and the glimmering blue light from the aquarium behind reflected beautifully off the surface of the desk. Majima’s bare inked back and buttocks would look so beautiful against that light too as Kiryu took him from behind—stop. He had to focus.
Majima had them both wash up afterwards, but his body was still overcome with heat left unattended to. Perhaps a little sexual relief between them would have gone a long way in releasing that heat and clearing their minds, but there was something else clearly preoccupying Majima, and Kiryu wasn’t one to satisfy his own needs without first addressing what was bothering his…friend or old foe or lover, whatever they were now.
Nonetheless, after having touched him, albeit as a foe in the arena, it felt good to know they weren’t wholly enemies. Kiryu regarded Majima with a softened expression now that they were alone together. Relief was etched all over his face, even if his body tensed.
As much as it hurt seeing Kiryu tense up like this, Majima couldn’t blame him. He’d be a damn fool for blindly trusting Majima after everything that happened.
“He’s some kinda minister or some shit, right?” Majima went on about Suzuki. He steeled himself for the bomb he was about to drop on Kiryu. Kiryu was still watching him, patiently, ready to hear what he had to say. Damn how much he wanted that man to just rip his clothes off and fuck him right there until every one of the lil’ fishies behind them set themselves ablaze blushing.
“Well...it was Hamazaki.”
“What?” Kiryu said.
Looks like Kiryu already knew about Hamazaki Goh. No doubt Date or someone else had already filled him in. He was the patriarch of the Yokohama-based Hamazaki Family and a lieutenant of the Tojo Clan. Bastard had only ten guys serving him and yet gained enough notoriety to earn himself the moniker, “The Emperor of Hama,” Hama referencing Yokohama.
Kiryu stood there trying to process why this over-glorified thug from his Yokohama hometown had anything to do with Okinawa. Feeling sorry for him, Majima gave a nod before he went on to explain.
“Yup. He’s been tryin’ to poke his grubby little fingers into that Okinawan deal ever since he learned the Tojo were helping scrounge up the land for it.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Majima then spilled to Kiryu nearly everything: how Hamazaki had been waiting to get involved with the deal, how when Daigo walked on the deal Hamazaki despaired, and how Hamazaki had phoned up Suzuki boasting himself as the hottest shit in town.
How good it felt to puke out all of Hamazaki’s dirty doings to his Kiryu-chan after holding it in for so long. He could almost scrub away the feeling of the damn fucker’s fingers digging into his shoulder, the way he said Majima’s name, mocking Kiryu’s mannerism…informing Majima slyly he very well knew of the relationship between the two men…how he was willing to take it further to keep Majima from blurting out his plans to the rest of the Tojo Clan...
Hamazaki’s taunting voice dispersed in Majima’s memories each time Kiryu spoke.
“And that’s when he offered you the construction contract?” Kiryu said, keeping his eyes steady on Majima.
“Yup,” Majima said. “Didn’t make sense why he’d come to me with such a juicy offer…” He suppressed the shudder, remembering again how Hamazaki addressed him in such perfect mockery of Kiryu’s affectionate nickname for him. He wasn’t ever opening up about that. “But it’s all crystal fuckin’ clear now.”
“What do you mean?” Kiryu asked.
“Kiryu-chan. Ya saw that photo of me and Suzuki chummin’ around, right? I got a damn good idea of who let it slip. Hamazaki.” Of course, it was that damn Hamazaki who had taken the photo. Majima had been none the wiser at the time, too busy playing puppet for the little shitstain. By using Kiryu as a bargaining chip, he had Majima wrapped around his finger.
If only Kiryu knew the extent of mental and physical torment Majima had to endure for him since this past September…
Majima could only smile at that. He’ll never know. He’ll never tell him. It was best his Kiryu-chan never knew.
“But why?” Kiryu asked, his gaze still on Majima.
Oh, Kiryu-chan…
“It proves someone was dealin’ with Suzuki on behalf of the Tojo...and that this ‘someone’ was me. That kinda shit hits the news, me and Suzuki would be in the slammer quicker than you can say false imprisonment.” And then Hamazaki would just sweep right in and take up all of the scrapes, damn him. He could have said no to him, especially once he had sniffed out what the man was after, but Majima was powerless against him. He knew of the bond between the two legendary yakuza and he knew ways of digging his fingers into a festering wound and twisting them.
“Sounds like he’s more vulture than man,” Kiryu concluded.
Majima almost laughed, his chest feeling lighter by the moment. He was no mad dog. He was a bird able to flail freely and screech at the top of his lungs. “Yup. That resort shit’s not the only thing he’s gunnin’ for, either.”
“There’s more?”
“Ohhh yes.” This time Majima had to smile, and from the way Kiryu’s expression changed he could tell it was one of his more hollow grins. Funny. He thought he was healing. The last few months had been pure agony under that bastard’s hands, and he could not utter a single sound throughout it all.
His construction business had nearly been run to the ground as he was subjected to this guy’s greed.
“Last time I was with him, he looked me square in the eye...said he wanted Kamurocho all to himself,” Majima went on to say, keeping Kiryu in his gaze. “Only one way to interpret that.”
“Which is what?” Kiryu was paying more attention to him, his eyebrows knitted in worry. No, fool. Don’t pay attention to the wounded animal!
“Think about it, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said, as he absent-mindedly formed a fist in front of his crotch. “Daigo and Kashiwagi get filled with lead, you beat the snot outta Kanda...the whole city’s fair game, and Hamazaki’s ready to pounce.”
Without ever taking his eyes away from him, Kiryu absorbed Majima’s words. He could be quite clever if he actually put some effort into it. “But how could he have known all that would happen?”
“Ya ask me, he planned it from the start. Everything falling’ into place so perfectly is just a teensy bit too convenient, don’t ya think?”
“I guess,” Kiryu said plainly although his gaze never left Majima’s, glued to his every movement, his every breath. Majima wished the damn desk didn’t stand between them, that Kiryu could just walk around it. How he missed him, yearned desperately for his touch. The contact at the coliseum wasn’t enough. He needed more of Kiryu, needed to press against every inch of him. Be it a fist or a kiss, he needed more of his Kiryu-chan. “And his ultimate goal is taking over Kamurocho?”
“Not just that. There’s one more head in his crosshairs.”
“...The Tojo Clan,” Kiryu rightfully guessed, closing his eyes in resignation.
How beautiful he looked like this. How strong, how exalted. Despite all of the shit Majima had gone through in the last several months, sitting here speaking with Kiryu had set his mind at ease, as if somehow now that they were together everything would be okay. Kiryu just had that effect.
Majima leaned back in his chair just as a third voice filled the hall. “There’s more to it than that.”
The ground shook for a moment before a circular cutout appeared on the ground around them and the entire dais with Kiryu, Majima, and the desk slowly descended. Kiryu glanced around himself with an almost child-like fascination despite having gone through this before two years ago. Rather endearing. That was what made Majima adore him so much. So strong, and yet so young at heart. He wished he could capture some remnant of that youthful wonder still in himself.
The dais stopped its descent as it brought them to a large underground computer room. Multiple screens of numerous sizes lined the walls. A handful of computer geeks clacked away on computers, pulling up surveillance from all over the city. And there sitting in the large comfortable rotating chair was none other than the Florist of Sai.
Majima let him and Kiryu reunite for a moment. The Florist filled Kiryu in on the rest of the matter at hand. Hamazaki wasn’t planning on keeping the resort all to himself. Little bugger was gonna share after all, but not with anyone from the Tojo Clan. It was a man who operated out of Yokohama, but he was not a yakuza.
The Florist flashed the photo on the big screen, and Majima watched as all color drained from Kiryu’s face.
“That’s…”
“Yup,” The Florist said heavily. “Lau Ka Long, leader of the Snake Flower Triad, the Chinese syndicate you brought crashing down four year ago.”
Only four years ago was not the only time Kiryu had a run-in with Lau Ka Long. Majima and Kiryu weren’t close during the 90s, but he had heard all about Kiryu’s time when he was held prisoner by the Snake Flower Triad, personally tormented by Lau’s men and by Lau himself. The details of his torture set Majima’s own old healed wounds from the Anagura aching.
“What does he have to do with all this?” Kiryu demanded.
“Well,” the Florist began, only tangibly aware of the distressed look on Kiryu’s face, “after he survived his first run-in with you, he skulked back to China, waiting for an opportunity to strike back. That’s when he found the Hamazaki Family, a far-distant branch of the Tojo that so far hasn’t done much more than ruffle a few feathers in a Yokohama suburb. But with the Snake Flower Triad’s backing, Hamazaki laid claim to every last speck of the city, a feat that saw him shoot up through the Tojo Clan ranks. Next is this.”
He switched photos to inside a restaurant. Lau Ka Long and Hamazaki sat on opposite sides of a large circular table, poring through documents. As the Florist zoomed in on the documents, Kiryu’s distress grew. Hamazaki was tying Lau Ka Long to the resort deal, tying Lau, Kiryu’s tormentor, right to his front door.
Majima watched as Kiryu grew paler with each new distressing detail. A casino under the resort, millions in gains for Lau, all as gratitude in aiding Hamazaki for gaining hold of Yokohama and Kamurocho.
Meanwhile, Majima fought back his own guilt and shame. He had pieced some of the puzzle over the months, but there were still a lot he didn’t know. Listening to the Florist, he was struck by just how balls deep Hamazaki was in this shit.
And it wasn’t only that. Every single thing Hamazaki did, in some way, led back to Kiryu. Majima could even count himself. Why pick his construction company of all choices? Why the usage of a fond nickname only Kiryu ever used toward Majima? Why work with Lau, the only man who ever terrified Kiryu?
Hamazaki was obsessed with the Fourth Chairman, that was for certain, and the thought sickened Majima to the core. But why go after him? Why make every move evolve around Kiryu, as though Hamazaki was purposely trying to one-up a man who had long stepped away from the Tojo Clan…
The Florist went on explaining more of the situation. Majima didn’t know it was Daigo who had suspected a traitor from within the Tojo as far back as a year ago when he had first pulled out of the resort deal. Daigo hadn’t even thought of confiding in Majima, and the thought kinda hurt, but he got it. In this lifestyle, you can’t trust even your own reflection in the mirror.
“And what ya found out was, Hamazaki was schemin’ to shoot Daigo and Kashiwagi! Right?” Majima said after the Florist was done.
“Probably,” the Florist replied simply.
“Whaddya mean, ‘probably’?! If I wanted ambiguous bullshit, I woulda gone to a fortune teller!”
And that was when the Florist revealed the third and final shocker of the evening: a photo of a man Majima thought was dead for years. He glanced over at Kiryu, his jaws on the ground.
“What in the…?”
Kiryu stared at the large screen as though he was seeing a ghost. Kazama Shintaro?! The man Kiryu regarded as a father? The man who died four years back? What the hell was going on here?!
Kiryu recovered quickly enough, and that familiar scowl returned as he lowered his gaze. Majima watched as he slipped a hand into his blazer and pulled out a bloodied piece of sketchbook paper. On it was a perfectly-drawn sketch of Kazama himself.
“Just...who is he?” Majima heard Kiryu mumble.
The Florist began to demand why Kiryu had that sketch, and hell, Majima wanted to know that as well, and why the hell it was bloody for that matter, but just then one of the Florist’s men cried out to get their attention. Screens switched to a live feed of Lau Ka Long marching brazenly down Nakamichi Street, flanked by hundreds of his men. Nearly everyone wielded weapons, sabers and spears. Civilians froze at the sight. They watched as Lau stopped in his tracks and motioned for his men to search for a man in a photo.
The Florist’s camera network zeroed in behind Lau and zoomed for a closer look.
“Kiryu, that’s...”
“Rikiya!” Kiryu gasped. Majima studied Kiryu’s face as the Florist loudly wondered why Lau would go after Kiryu’s new pal.
Visibly distressed, Kiryu produced his phone. Majima listened as Rikiya’s bright voice boomed, explaining how he was just taking the sights of Kamurocho in. An Okinawan by the sounds of it.
Suddenly the cheerful one-way chatter turned upside down as Rikiya began yelling at someone from the other end. Kiryu called out to him but Rikiya never answered back.
Without another word, Kiryu shut the phone and made for the door, but he stopped just before leaving.
“Majima-no-nii-san...”
“That guy a pal of yours, Kiryu-chan?” Majima asked.
Kiryu gave a slight shake of his head. “More like a brother. I haven’t known him for long, but he’s a good guy.”
“I could get my boys out searchin’ for him if ya want. They got peepers like hawks.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble. Let me know if anything comes up.”
“You know me, Kiryu-chan. I’ll ring ya up even if it doesn’t!” Majima flashed him a wicked grin for good measure, which apparently put Kiryu’s mind at ease.
Kiryu smiled and nodded his gratitude. “Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san.”
After making the call, Majima made to leave as well when the realization struck him: should he be seen, things could get real ugly for the both of them. His boys could go, especially the ones Hamazaki had never met. He had plenty of his men to go around. But he had to stay put.
Fuck, this wasn’t like him. He wasn’t one for just sitting around doing nothing, but he couldn’t risk any harm coming to Kiryu or this Rikiya guy.
Damn! Well ain’t that a kick in the dick…
The Florist must have sensed Majima’s predicament. Silently he pulled up a visual of Kiryu on the central large screen, allowing for Majima to keep an eye on him.
Majima watched as Kiryu appeared down Park Boulevard, punching his way through the first wave of Snake Triad goonies. After taking them down, he grabbed the collar of one goon and demanded something from him, perhaps the location of Lau, before setting off again.
Majima frowned. Lau specialized in forging passports and travel documents, which he had used to gain control of Yokohama during the 80s. When the Kazama Family had tried to muscle their way in Yokohama in 1993, they were discovered, Kiryu being among the primary target. His torment lasted for days until Kazama Shintaro saved him.
The Florist switched cameras, showing Kiryu run onto an intersection on East Shichifuku Street just as four large black vans surrounded him, boxing him in. Men poured out and immediately Kiryu dished out punches and kicks whilst avoiding their weapons with admirable ease.
Majima didn’t know Kiryu well at the time, although the younger man had fascinated him ever since he had learned about him in 1988. But he still remembered how Kiryu appeared when Kazama dragged him back to Tojo headquarters after rescuing him. Majima may have spied a little on him. He knew a thing or two about being tortured, and he wasn’t sure if it was sympathy or rage he felt toward Kiryu as he watched him withering in agony in the middle of the Tojo hall. Kiryu didn’t know the magnitude of what Majima had suffered. A few days was nothing! These puncture wounds were a damn joke compared to…compared to…
One of the Triads slipped from Kiryu, an officer in purple Tang suit, and crashed through the crowd that had formed to watch the fight; with a roar Kiryu chased after him. The chase took him down North Senryo Avenue as more Triads intercepted Kiryu, but he took them all down like they were made of nothing. Meanwhile, other screens showed Majima’s boys were taking care of Triads stirring trouble for folks over at Theater Square and near the bowling alley, searching for the Rikiya boy.
Majima’s attention was solely on Kiryu.
The run-in with Lau in ’93 left Kiryu traumatized such that when the two bitter enemies butt heads again in 2005 it was as though Kiryu was forced to relive a nightmare. But Kiryu had pushed through it because Lau had kidnapped sweet little Haruka, but from what Majima’s boys had reported to him, Kiryu was in a right state afterward. He wouldn’t have that. Majima had forced Kiryu to face terror time and time again, attacking him when he was most unaware. He even donned a Hannya mask and snuck on Kiryu in the dead of night in West Park, never speaking a single word. From what he was told, that encounter left Kiryu creeped out. It was all to make him stronger. Kiryu had to learn to look at Terror in the eyes and never, ever flinch.
And Majima had no regret in doing so, as the fruit of his labor was displayed right on the screen before him. There Kiryu took down man after man without any hesitation. The battle took him down to East Taihei Boulevard, just south of the Champion District’s mouth. Running into the officer again, Kiryu took him down, only to chase him through the tight streets of the Champion District.
Suddenly Kiryu emerged with fire in his eyes as he barreled through more enemies. He must know where Rikiya was kept, Majima thought with a proud grin. Watching Kiryu take down one Triad fucker after another made him itch with the need to feel bones cracking under his own fist, but he kept himself at bay, drinking in his Kiryu-chan’s power instead.
The battle took Kiryu down westbound on Taihei Boulevard, south of Senryo Avenue, down Pink Alley, west through Pink Street, past the Poppo near Nakamichi Alley.
“I can’t keep up!” The Florist spat under his breath. “He’s a demon out there!”
Majima laughed madly behind him. “The Dragon’s on the hunt!”
Kiryu popped back on the main Nakamichi Street and ran southbound, before dipping back into an alley, past the Club SEGA and just past the Kamuro Castle. The whole place had turned into a damn war zone, like something out of a zombie movie.
Majima would never forgive Hamazaki for missing out on this.
Kiryu stopped before another Triad officer in red and the two duked it out. After handing his ass to him, Kiryu then turned to the backdoor of the tall building.
“That must be the place,” Majima said.
The Florist frowned. “We almost never record that area.”
“Ya can’t just stop there!” Majima yelled, shocking everyone.
“The camera on that roof hasn’t been operational in years,” The Florist explained calmly as he typed something on the keyboard.
“No hurt in tryin’!”
To his relief, a new screen popped up. Hazier than the others, it showed Kiryu atop a building. This one also provided sound, albeit with a bit of static, but Majima couldn’t complain.
Kiryu glanced around himself before finally spotting Rikiya held down between two Triad goons. Next to them was Lau Ka Long.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you, Kiryu Kazuma.”
“Lau!”
Majima’s stomach churned. He couldn’t explain why he was suddenly feeling anxious. He inched backward toward the door, keeping his eye on the screen as the two conversed.
“My alliance with Hamazaki was forged for nothing more than revenge. On you,” Lau’s sadistically smooth voice carried through the surveillance room, bringing with it a chill that wasn’t there previously.
Majima’s heard enough. He swung the door wide open and rushed out.
In the time it took Majima to reach them, the battle had just ended. Kiryu had fought against Lau with a spear, and having knocked the spear aside next faced a Lau who was unarmed before he secured himself with a set of claws that dug into Kiryu and left him gasping for breath. Perhaps it was having run through all of Kamurocho and taking down dozens of men in the process, but Kiryu felt something was off by the time he landed the final blow to Lau’s skull.
Turning back to Rikiya as he was held captive at the rooftop next building over, Kiryu slowly made his way but then it happened again: his vision turned black for one split moment. Ignoring it, he ran against the fence that separated them, trying to crawl his way up to get to his friend when Lau suddenly grabbed his leg, dragging him down.
And then the gunshot pierced the night.
Majima gasped. He stood in his place, watching from a fair distance as the man lowered the gun, having just delivered the killing blow to Lau Ka Long.
Twice Kiryu was saved by Kazama from Lau.
But who was this Kazama?
It couldn’t have been Shintaro. Shintaro died four years ago…
The Shintaro doppelgänger spoke something in English that Majima didn’t catch before he then turned and left, and a few seconds passed before Kiryu suddenly grew rigid and collapsed, unmoving.
Recovering quickly, Majima took down the last two Triad fucks trying to tackle him to the ground—he could do this with his one eye closed.
“You okay, kid?” Majima asked Rikiya as he quickly passed him by and jumped over the roof to the next building over where Kiryu had collapsed, looking drained and pale.
“Yo, Kiryu-chan!”
“Ma-Ma…nii-san…” Kiryu struggled with his reply.
Majima rolled Kiryu over, frowning as he noted the cold sweat and shallow breathing. No matter the opponent, Kiryu wouldn’t be left this winded.
“What’s wrong with Aniki?” Rikiya called from the next building.
Majima checked around Kiryu and found blood seeping from his left side. A quick glance toward Lau’s corpse and he zeroed in at the claws.
“He musta doused his weapon with poison,” Majima said. “The cut’s not deep enough to incapacitate him. Yo, Rikiya-chan, can ya make it back to New Serena by yerself?”
Before Rikiya could answer confidently in the positive, Majima called up Nishida and ordered him to look after Rikiya. His primary concern now was getting Kiryu to Dr. Emoto as soon as possible.
He crouched and picked up one of Lau’s claws with a gloved hand before proceeding.
Kiryu leaned against him as he carried his wounded friend back down. Finding some dirtied towels on the way down, he wrapped the weapon in it. Didn’t need any more injury with it on the way there.
Once back on the alley, Majima hoisted Kiryu on his back and snaked his way through tight back alleys. The Poppo on Nakamichi Alley loomed near. A quick glance over his shoulder and he could just make out a yellow hard hat atop a roof.
Nodding his approval, he continued on.
A few Triad stragglers stood in his way as they entered Taihei Boulevard. Growling, Majima brandished his tanto, his eye immediately lighting up.
“Yer leader’s dead!” he cried out. “Outta my way unless ya wanna go to hell alon’ with him!”
Shouts hurled his way, so of course Majima couldn’t resist shooting back a few cuss words in Chinese he had picked up over the years. He charged at them with his tanto, taking them down two at a time. Some saw the fire blazing in his eye and jumped out of the way like chickens, scattering in the direction of Lau’s last whereabouts. Others foolish enough to come for him were introduced to his grisly blade.
Kiryu groaned in pain and rolled off Majima’s back, landing hard on the ground in front of the Millennium Tower just as the fun was really getting started. Some of the stragglers eyed Kiryu, bloodlust in their greedy eyes, but Majima sent them scuttling away like mice before turning his attention to Kiryu.
He hadn’t lost much more blood, but his skin had a pale, greyish blue tint and he was trembling—no, convulsing!
“Kiryu-chan? Yo, Kiryu-chan!” Majima shook his shoulders, slapped him on his cheek. “KIRYU-CHAN! Don’t ya die on me or I’ll kill ya, got it?!”
A few passersby stopped and stared, startled.
“Is that a yakuza strangling a civilian?”
“Should we call the cops?”
“Don’t look, Minato, I think I’ve seen those two before. This is a form of foreplay for them.”
“Mommy, is that man gonna die?”
With a grunt, Majima hoisted Kiryu in his arms, carrying him bridal style, and ran the rest of the way. Shittiest part about this region of Kamurocho was how fucking busy it always got.
“Outta way!” he roared, piercing his way through the human congestion. He must have knocked an elderly man and a couple businessmen. One or two thugs glared back at him but then paled once they recognized him.
He had no time to deal with any more bullshit right now.
The sign for Emoto Medical Clinic loomed just a few buildings down: the obnoxious illustration of an anime girl in a nurse’s attire drawn by some untalented hack of a fanboy.
Majima slammed on the elevator button as though it was touch starved and gripped Kiryu tighter. The man barely moved in his arms.
“C’mon, if I hafta climb the fucking walls, I will!”
The elevator gave a ding as the doors at last slid open.
“Shiro? Why are we back here?” Yukiho asked miserably. “Why do we always come back here?”
It was the same every single time. Even Shiro was getting tired of the same old place. Sometimes he wished he could dream up some new path, taking Yukiho somewhere else, but there was always that nagging feeling in the back of his mind: just what was the significance of the Shirashiro? What was it trying to tell him?
They took the familiar road up the eerie black mountain to the ghostly white castle with its surrounding white river that fed into the black sea. Yukiho shivered and tried, yet again and always in vain, to hold Shiro back.
Shiro looked around themselves. They must have explored every corner of the castle, and yet…there was still more to explore. Many more corridors, many more mysteries to unlock. Every time they were here, it was both old and still incredibly, frustratingly, brand new, as mysterious and eerie as the first time.
Shiro retraced their steps back to the window, stepped onto the rocky balcony. The ground was shaky here, but it was the best vantage point of the night sky.
“I don’t like this,” Yukiho said tearfully. “We need to go back. Please, Shiro…”
Shiro settled down. “I just want to know what the Shirashiro is trying to tell me…there’s someone I care about, and I’m worried for him. Maybe it knows something about him.” He glanced up at the night sky and smiled. “His name is Kiryu Kazuma…”
The stars twinkled and suddenly the entire sky shifted. The earth shook.
Gasping, then screaming, Yukiho threw herself forward, trying to hold onto Shiro, but she lurched forward and fell off the ledge. Screaming out her name, Shiro dove down right after her.
This time he was gonna catch her.
Extending out his hand, he willed his body to catching up—the white river loomed closer—he looked up and saw the night sky explode with the constellations. There the Lion was: small, young, falling from the heavens. The Ascending Dragon was shooting down, ready to grab him with her mighty jaws, when suddenly out of nowhere shot from ground emerged a large beast—deer-like body covered in dragonesque scales, its long golden mane shining brighter and more blinding than the sun as it sunk its dragon-like fangs into the Ascending Dragon, drawing out cries of pure agony from the celestial beast.
“Uncle Kaz!” Shiro cried out before he and the Lion plunged into darkness.
Shiro jolted awake in cold sweat.
B…but…the kirin is supposed to be good…why would he attack the dragon?
“You got him right in the nick of time,” Dr. Emoto said after leaving the operating room. “Had you waited any longer, we would have lost him.”
Majima threw his head back and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had been alternating between pacing the waiting room and leaning against the wall. Save for the operating room, which functioned as the one sole examination area for the doctor, the only other place inside the clinic was what could be called the waiting room, although it also housed a singular bed for recovering patients and the doctor’s desk. A row of couches were lined up for loved ones across from the desk, but Majima had no desire to sit.
“The claws gave ya any hints what we’re dealin’ with?” Majima asked.
“It will take me some time to determine the exact poison inflicted,” Dr. Emoto explained. “For now I’ve given Kiryu-san standardized care. He should rest in bed for a few days.”
Majima nodded and thanked him. With the doctor’s approval, he made his way into the operating room. There were no other patients at the clinic, allowing them all the privacy they needed; despite that, Majima occasionally looked over his shoulder, making sure Dr. Emoto had not strayed from his desk.
Kiryu was just coming to as Majima settled beside him.
“Majima-no-nii-san.”
“Kiryu-chan,” Majima said. “Gave me a scare back there. Thought we lost ya.”
Kiryu moaned softly. “I didn’t realize anything was wrong. Once that man left, the pain suddenly hit me.”
Majima gave a little hum as he traced Kiryu’s collarbone, an action he knew would soothe Kiryu down. Majima himself enjoyed touching him like this; how often had he done this, he wondered with a vague smile as images flooded his memories: rain pattering against love hotel windows, after a friendly competitive game in the batting center, while she wore a shimmering pink dress as Kiryu’s hand caressed up her knee and drew back to her inked buttocks…
“Ya need to rest,” Majima said. “Emoto’ll fix ya right up. How’re the kids, by the way?”
“They’re doing well,” Kiryu said. “Shiro and Haruka tell you hi.”
Majima nodded. “Shiro-chan remembers me?”
“He asks about you all the time.”
That bit of news uplifted Majima’s spirits. He checked over his shoulder again. They could kiss like this. Dr. Emoto was busy at his desk. He could see the desire swimming plainly in Kiryu’s dark, beautiful eyes, beckoning him. Years of separation only fueled the thirst and hunger and love between them.
He checked again. Despite the privacy, the place felt too exposed somehow. He kept stroking Kiryu’s collarbone. It was all he could do to keep touching him.
“I want you to meet the other kids some day. They’re energetic, independent…such good kids.”
“Yeah?” Majima sneered coldly. “Would love that, except ya kinda leashed me up here.”
Kiryu frowned. “Daigo needs a dependable person by his side.”
“And that person’s gotta be me?”
“Between the cabaret club and protecting the construction company, we spent nearly every waking moment together years ago. Your perception of others and of situations are admirable. I know I can trust you.”
Kiryu’s eyes drooped as he spoke. Majima smiled ruefully. He wanted to speak with Kiryu a little longer, but he supposed he had to let him sleep. They could always catch up later.
“I better check on my boys. The doc says ya need to rest for the next few days.”
Kiryu’s eyes suddenly widened as he started to push himself with his elbows. “I don’t have a few days!”
“Kiryu-chan, what’re ya doing?!”
Dr. Emoto looked up as the double doors to the operating room flew wide open and Kiryu marched out, hastily putting on his shirt and blazer. Majima was storming after him, crying out, “Tsk, such a stubborn ox, Kiryu-chan!”
It was pointless to hold the Dragon of Dojima back, so Dr. Emoto said nothing as the two left, arguing loudly the entire time.
Shiro unceremoniously threw his backpack into the boys' room, assignment still gripped in his hand, and stormed to find his sister Ayako. She was sitting out in the courtyard explaining the homework to Eri. With a huff, he threw his assignment down at her.
“I hate Hashimoto-sensei!” he growled.
“More grammar homework again?” she said, her eyes wide at the paper.
Shiro nodded, fuming.
“It’s okay, I’ll help you,” she offered immediately before turning back to Eri. Shiro didn’t even stop to thank her. He was just so sick of this. Why did Hashimoto-sensei have to torment him constantly even at the end of the school year? He was so ready for all of this to be over!
Just then he noticed Koji laughing and running around near the shoreline. He couldn’t wait when this school year would be left far behind him. As he approached, he noticed that Akira was running after Koji. They were playing baseball.
Envy stirred in his belly.
“Wanna play baseball?” Koji called out to Shiro, having noticed him.
Ignoring his brother, Shiro sauntered off to the side and sat near a large boulder, staring out at the sky. Maybe hitting a few balls would get him to cool down a bit, but he just wasn’t feeling it. He was tired.
A short while later, Akira joined his side, sitting right next to him.
“What’re you doing?” Shiro asked. “Don’t you want to play with Koji?”
“I’ve had my fun with Koji,” Akira said. “I want to sky-gaze with you. And…the ocean’s really nice to look at too…”
Shiro watched as the light breeze caressed Akira’s flushed face and felt his own cheeks turn pink.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks, by the way. About the other day. I hope we get to be in the same class next year.”
Shiro smiled and something pitter-pattered in his chest. “I-it was nothing.”
Rikiya was still looking all shaken up from last night. Poor bugger must not have seen much violence back in Okinawa, Majima figured. The young captain sat like a scared child curled up in a corner of the Florist’s former marbled office while Majima, Kiryu, the Florist, and Date all held a meeting about the recent happenings in Kamurocho. Kiryu was still looking a little pale from the night before, but he stubbornly pressed on. Majima wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss or slap him for it.
Halfway through the meeting, the double doors at the far end of the hall burst open and in came Mine Yoshitaka, chairman of the Hakuho Clan, subsidiary family of the Tojo Clan. Bastard was a self-made millionaire from his own startup company.
He approached the group with a haughty expression, offering comments about the gaudy state of Purgatory as though anyone asked for his opinion. He lugged around a thick metal suitcase which he promptly threw in front of them on the desk. He apologized to Kiryu in a business-like manner that he held himself accountable for all of the misdeeds happening in Kamurocho recently then proceeded to open the suitcase.
Majima couldn’t tear his eye off Kanda’s severed head.
Behind him, Rikiya retched.
Mine then informed Kiryu that as acting chairman his plan was to assemble the Tojo Clan families and attempt to restore order. As for Hamazaki, he did not believe the man was even in the country, believed to have been kidnapped by the Snake Flower Triad following Lau’s death. The rest of Hamazaki’s men, all nine or so, were found floating in the Yokohama Bay.
Majima folded his arms and watched, scowling, as Mine bowed to Kiryu and requested he help the Tojo before taking the suitcase, about to leave. The two then got into an argument as Kiryu demanded if this was how Daigo would have acted, and Mine shot back that part of the responsibility rested on Kiryu’s own shoulders.
Of course the damn little fuck brought up the orphanage. Called Kiryu a coward. It took all of Majima’s strength not to cut him down right then and there.
“No regard for the position you hold,” Mine said, staring coldly at Kiryu. “You may think you’re turning over a new leaf. But it’s all meaningless. Mere hypocrisy.”
“What?!” Kiryu said.
No one else spoke, the tension thick as smoke. Mine went on in that same cold and haughty manner, boasting about how he would be the one to lead the Tojo to greatness, how his vision would be shared by Daigo.
Guy’s a total nutjob, Majima thought.
“Anyone that stands in my way will be eliminated,” Mine continued his monologue. “Even if that person...is one of our own.”
Kiryu clenched his fists.
“I’ll never understand it,” Mine concluded. “What could Daigo-san see in a man like you?”
“Mine,” Kiryu said softly but in a dangerous tone. “You’ve lost your way.”
“Excuse me?”
“And someday...I’ll prove it to you.”
Mine simply scoffed and left.
Majima never expected Mine to off anyone like that, and honestly, he was just as shocked as everyone. But he put on a maniacal grin and made light of the situation to try to get a rise out of Kiryu, just to clear the poisoned air that Mine had brought in.
The team discussed their next plans. Even with Hamazaki and Kanda gone, the entire ordeal wasn’t truly over. There was still the Kazama lookalike to deal with. With that came the question of what to do with the remaining Kazama Family men, as Kashiwagi had died. Immediately Kiryu turned to Majima with the request to take them in. The mirth of his facade faltered.
“I, er...sure. Ya got it, Kiryu-chan.”
More boys. The Majima Family was going to be the largest slice of the Tojo pie, but Majima wasn’t completely sure if he really wanted any of that. He glanced back at Kiryu, begging him silently to reconsider his request—he loved Kiryu, but how many favors was he going to do for him?!—and he silently begged him to consider coming back to the Tojo Clan. But of course Kiryu wouldn’t. Majima knew that.
Fuck, if Majima had any kids, he’d never look back at this life either. Let the criminal underbelly of Japan collapse for all he cared. He’d take his family and run, as far as the United States if he had to.
As the meeting adjourned, Majima steeled himself for his little date with the Kazama Family. As he passed Kiryu, he glared at him so no one would think anything suspicious, but once he got close enough he leaned in and whispered, “Take a breather. Check out Club Shine some time.”
Kamurocho was too dangerous for Rikiya. He had to go back to Okinawa, Kiryu insisted, and the least Kiryu could do for him now was see him off to a taxi. Rikiya didn’t complain for once. The allura of Kamurocho and its famous nightlife had already lost its luster for Rikiya.
Just minutes after the taxi drove off with him, Kiryu’s cell phone rang, and before he knew it Kiryu was in the midst of the strangest phone conversation he ever had in his life.
It was Tamiya Ryuzo, Minister of Defense, the politician pushing for a military base on Morning Glory. He proposed a meeting with Kiryu directly. The date was set for tomorrow, nine o’clock, at the National Diet Building. Tamiya personally wished to speak with Kiryu, which surprised him beyond measure. After the call, Kiryu dialed Date and informed him of the meeting. They made plans to meet up at New Serena first before heading there together. Until then, Kiryu had the entire day to himself.
At that moment he received an email.
Kiryu-san, the Boss says “Be
a doll and check in on Ibuki
please.”
Thank you
He slipped the phone back into his inside breast pocket then headed down to Nakamichi Alley to the abandoned restaurant known as Kamuro Castle. Kashiwagi had set up the Honest Living Association there, an organization meant to take in and rehabilitate former yakuza and gangsters who wished to get out of that life.
With Kashiwagi gone, Ibuki was keeping it afloat but just barely. All Kiryu knew about him was that he was just a flunky in the Dojima Family over ten years ago. Ibuki recognized Kiryu but not the other way around. As Majima had his hands full of new members from the Kazama Family, it only felt fair to divide up the work. He would take on the Honest Living Association.
Throughout the day Kiryu apprehended former yakuza and hitmen and helped to point them to a better life. As he took on missions throughout the day, he kept an eye out for any information on the matter of the Kazama lookalike.
Throughout the day Kiryu ran into plenty of trouble; Kamurocho was always crawling with thugs, unpleasant lowlifes and ruffians, and yakuza from two-bit families looking to boast about having beaten the Dragon of Dojima.
But there were also people who needed help. A mother and son who were separated. A young woman who suspected she was being stalked. Several restaurant owners who were struck by a serial dine and dashers.
And of course there were a few attempts at his own life, mainly hitmen he was meant to apprehend for Ibuki. After some time Kiryu learned of a group of men going around calling themselves Reapers. He dug deeper into the matter, and it wasn’t long before Kiryu found himself facing the Reaper Boss, who was none other than his nemesis Arase Kazuto, the man responsible for murdering Shinji and Reina on Nishiki’s orders. Enraged at having been kicked out of the Nishikiyama Family for failing to kill Kiryu, Arase had spent the last four years plotting his revenge.
Kiryu beat the tar out of him again. Afterward Ibuki offered Arase to start over at the Honest Living Association, but Arase declined. Kiryu could see a semblance of sadness cross his face, wishing the HLS had found him before falling this far, but he promised to not bother Ibuki again. As for Kiryu…he would settle the matter with him at a later time.
All in a day’s work.
It was now nighttime, and Kiryu was wiped out and in serious need for a drink and a smoke. After having had his life on the line several times today, he deserved it.
That was when he remembered Majima’s words to him at Purgatory. Club Shine wasn’t just one of Kiryu’s favorite haunts at Kamurocho, it was also a place protected by the Majima Family, evident by Kana working there under Majima’s care. Majima himself used to entertain Kiryu at Club Shine…as a hostess.
Smiling at the fond memories, Kiryu made his way over to the hostess club at the corner of a tight intersection on Pink Street.
As he was paying the admission fee, the manager informed Kiryu that one of the hostesses had requested to be with him for the evening. That wasn’t common, as typically the customer requested the hostess they wished to drink with. The only other time that had happened was with Goromi, and Kiryu agreed to it, half-expecting to see her again. Perhaps this was the reason behind Majima’s message.
But instead he was introduced to a lovely young woman named Reimi.
She knew who he was instantly. Knew everything he had done for Kamurocho—all the good things (Kiryu felt she turned a blind eye to all the trouble he had caused the city.) But she was kind and bubbly, and with the way she wore her full-volume blond hair and the way she carried herself held faint resemblance to another woman who showed Kiryu keen instant interest four years ago.
Their laughters weren’t the same, and no irezumi wrapped around her shoulders like an inky shawl. But Reimi was lovely in her own way, yet Kiryu found himself missing Goromi more and more as the evening progressed.
He took her to dinner and to karaoke afterwards, having genuinely enjoyed their time together. But later when they parted, he received a call from her. Sounding frustrated, she droned on about her independent company going under. Not wanting to just stand by, Kiryu jumped into action.
The way she looked at him after all was said and done could only have meant one thing, but Kiryu was uncertain how he personally felt.
She moaned softly against his chest and tugged him north toward the Hotel District where rows of love hotels awaited them, and Kiryu found himself following her. He couldn’t think of any reason to shake her off. Perhaps they could compromise on just cuddling on the bed; Kiryu did like women but things never quite felt…right when he was alone with them in this way. Even back in the 1980s when he used to visit telephone clubs to pick up girls, Kiryu would delay the visit to love hotels as long as he could. He would take his dates out to the movies, karaoke, arcades, restaurants, bowling alleys, pool tables, boutiques…by the time any love hotel would be brought up, the date would be so tired she would just go back home. Kiryu used to feel a little guilty about confusing the girl so much. She was clearly crestfallen at not having spent the intimacy with him but she was also shown a good time through the city.
He never, ever told Nishiki this. The amount of teasing would have turned him into ash right on the spot.
Kiryu had attributed it to his shyness, but why was he never like that in any other setting? Why, whenever he was alone with Majima, he never shied away from kissing him, stripping his clothes, touching and caressing him, and…?
They reached Park Boulevard near the Dragon Palace. Kiryu was weighing what words to tell Reimi to get her to stop—should he bring up Majima at all?—when suddenly a zombie popped out from a nearby parking lot. Reimi shrieked. Even Kiryu gave a start before noticing the cameraman across the road. They had just walked into a movie shoot, and before they could get out of the way the entire street was swarming with zombies.
“It’s okay, it’s just a movie,” Kiryu said, gripping hold of Reimi’s shoulder.
But Reimi shrieked again. “They’re revolting!” Screaming and laughing, she grabbed his hand and they fled the scene. Noticing them, some of the actors must have gotten the brilliant idea to chase after them, and the cameras kept on rolling. They were chased all over the Hotel District, as zombies climbed the walls, or took shortcuts to pop out in front of them, giving them a nasty fright. It was all Kiryu could do to not instinctively punch one in the face, remembering another time, another place, Majima…
These weren’t Majima’s boys. He had to keep his fists to himself for once!
Finally freed from the undead, they ran until they put a good distance between themselves and the swarm. They stopped to catch their breaths. Reimi giggled as she leaned into Kiryu, hand on his chest as light from the Yoshida Batting Center bathed them.
“Kiryu-san...my heart is still pounding...”
Kiryu nodded, feeling light-headed. “Yeah...mine too...”
“Ooh! Can’t wait to brag about this to everyone!”
Kiryu cocked one eyebrow. Was she trying to imply…? “Hey now...”
“Heheh! Come on, Kiryu-san, do you really think I’d do that?” She looked up at him with an impish smile. “Though the time you gave me is definitely worth bragging about, that’s for sure.” From the way she said it, Kiryu couldn’t help but blush. The other hostesses at Club Shine were definitely going to take this the wrong way. “In all seriousness, though...I want to say thank you. For everything.”
Glad for a change in subject, Kiryu gave a nod. “Believe me, it’s been a pleasure on my end, too.”
Reimi finally let go of his body as she readjusted her hair and coat. “I don’t wanna let you go just yet...but I’ve got a business to rebuild. Hope you can understand.”
“Of course. You be careful, okay?”
“I will. Oh, and before I go...I should let you know how much I love you, Kiryu-san!” She gave him a wink and said in a very flirtatious imitation of an Osaka-ben, “Love ya, Kiryu-chan!”
Kiryu continued staring at the batting center’s walls rather dumbly long after she was gone, wondering if everything—the meeting, her business in jeopardy, the zombies even—was all some sort of scheme Majima and Reimi had cooked up together.
For what it was worth, it worked. The night had left Kiryu feeling more lonely than ever, craving the arms of someone he could not obtain simply by stepping into a hostess club. And after the fight the other day, his body still swirled with that unreleased heat…none of the missions and scuffles on the street would abate it fully. He needed something more.
He needed someone. A particular someone.
He drew out his phone. He had to make the call.
“Yo, Kiryu-chan!” Majima answered brightly on the other end.
“Majima-no-nii-san, how are Kazama’s men doing?” Kiryu asked.
“Poor lil’ scampers! I’ve collected ‘em all in a box and took ‘em home to look after!” Majima laughed. “Don’t ya worry, Kiryu-chan! My boys will do all they can to break ‘em in!”
“Thank you, Nii-san.” Kiryu paused, hesitation holding him back before he pushed on. He kept his voice low. “Um…Goro?”
There was a small sharp intake of breath on the other line. “Yes…Kazuma?”
“I…are you busy tonight?”
“Ya miss me?”
“Very.”
“I’ve missed ya too. Where are ya now?”
“Outside Yoshida’s.”
“Go inside. Remember the cell we once used together? There’s a lovely little locker key waiting for ya to pick up.”
And with that the call ended. Kiryu didn’t question Majima’s antics. He paid the 300 yen to go to the cell they had once made love in after hours and pretended to bat before his eye caught the shining glint of a key on the ground. Snatching it up and pocketing it before anyone got wind of him, he then left for the coin lockers on Taihei Boulevard.
What awaited him in the locker was another set of keys, this time to a hotel room at the Top of Ocean Hotel. Kiryu chuckled. Trust Majima to have him running back and forth, but he assumed it was to give Majima ample time to get himself ready.
Perhaps he should get ready too…Kotobuki Drugs wasn’t that far off.
Once he was all set to go, Kiryu headed back toward the Hotel District, taking his time although his heart pounded with excited anticipation of what awaited him in Room 311.
He flashed the key at the front desk, silently informing them he had already made the reservation, and headed up before they asked questions. The less he talked, the better. Stepping onto the third floor, all was silent save for Kiryu’s own racing heart.
He found the right hall and made for the room. Just as he reached Room 311, arms wrapped around his neck and the cold blade of a tanto pressed against his neck. With a growl he grabbed his ambusher and kicked the door open at once, rolling them both inside. With another kick the door slammed shut as his ambusher was pressed against it, and Kiryu got a good look at him.
Majima’s eye widened as the wind was knocked out of him. A bit of violence always went a long way for them, and this was no different. Adrenaline from the perceived attack accentuated his mounting lust, and he ground against Majima, who threw his head back and rocked his hips to match his.
“Y-yer definitely happy to s-see me, Kiryu-chan,” he gasped.
Kiryu spun them around so that Majima rested against a wall, then collided their lips together. He rocked against him, growling and moaning into the mouth he had dreamt of kissing for the last two years.
Finally, finally, finally.
Majima gasped into the hot mouth locked onto his. Strong hands gripped and caressed and squeezed every inch they could get a hold of on Majima, eager to touch the body he had been denied for so long. Hands so strong they could crush bone. Be still my fuckin’ heart. With each article of clothing removed, Kiryu’s attention drew away from Majima’s lips as he turned to kissing, suckling, and devouring every inch of newly exposed skin.
He was rough. It was painfully exquisite. His body burned with dragon fire. Just the way Majima loved it.
He needed to feel more of Kiryu. Needed him inside and out. Pressing against him, he shoved Kiryu against the other side of the wall, making sure to inflict as much pain as he could. Getting the desired effect, Kiryu cried out in pain and made to throw him onto the floor before Majima grabbed him and contorted around his body like a serpent.
“Like this,” Majima hissed as he rubbed his crotch against Kiryu’s cheek. He climbed onto the nearest sofa chair, a gold plush velvet. Dragging Kiryu up with his legs around his neck, Majima again shoved his crotch right up against Kiryu’s full lips.
He took the hint. Settling on his knees in front of Majima and his hands snaking up to meet his own gripping the edges of the sofa, Kiryu bit gently onto the throbbing tent, teasing the aching cock and balls under the fabric. His hot tongue left wet stains through the fabric, and Majima threw his head back, his cock throbbing with anticipation. It was already too much. How was he going to last all night?!
Using just his mouth, Kiryu found the zipper of Majima’s pants and tugged down, freeing the aching cock. As Kiryu lapped at Majima’s dripping slit like a hungry animal dying of thirst, Majima leaned his head back again, grinning up at the artwork high above. Gold, white, and blues depicted picturesque oceans as he was here, being slowly devoured by a water deity. He felt heat hover over him before Kiryu took him, sucking him into pure oblivion. Hissing through gritted teeth, Majima rocked his hips to the rhythmic tides of the ocean, moving in sync with the dragon god dominating him.
“Kazuma…”
Smiling up at the painting, Majima envisioned the dragon on Kiryu’s back, how many times he had traced the length of that majestic beast, the mighty omnipotent dragon giving in to a mere mad dog.
Peering down Majima met a fiery gaze teeming with carnal desire, one terrifying dragon who could obliterate him in an instant. He drank and revered in the fear and excitement this elicited in him, letting it course through his veins and shoot down into the cock that continued to feed the mighty beast between his quivering legs.
A dangerous lopsided grin spread across Kiryu’s face as he continued to deep-throat Majima’s cock, sliding the full length of him in and out of his wet mouth like it was second nature, his eyes ever steady on him. Mixture of his own saliva and Majima’s precum dribbled down his chin.
Such a silly lil’ dragon.
“Kazuma,” Majima gasped as he wrestled his hands out from under Kiryu’s. He brought them up into Kiryu’s hair. “Stop…no more…ah, I’m about to come…”
Fuck, he had been the one to teach Kiryu how to suck the living daylights out of him just a few years ago. That man was just too good.
Kiryu obeyed quickly, sliding Majima’s cock out with a resounding little pop. Immediately Majima felt empty, alone, cold, the air on his wet still-throbbing cock begging to be reunited with Kiryu-chan again.
Majima pleaded with Kiryu with his eye, and the man knew instantly. He kissed just above Majima’s abandoned cock and slid his warm tongue up the entire length of him, from his navel up to his Adam’s apple, leaving Majima a shuddering mess underneath him.
Lifting him up, Kiryu carried Majima off toward the bed, eliciting a pleasurable gasp from Majima. Strong men always left Majima a bit wobbly-kneed, but Kiryu was the strongest man by far, by miles, by—
Another gasp shot from his lips as Kiryu suddenly threw him down on the bed, knocking the wind out of him. Dazed, Majima gazed up, admiring his lover. Somehow he had shed Kiryu’s blazer and shirt in the haze of their make out earlier. He hadn’t noticed until now. Kiryu burned with vibrant red intensity, his heat reaching critical mass—he wasn’t going to leave anything of Majima intact.
Glad he was lying down, Majima quivered from shoulder to toe as he spread his legs wide open, moaning and gushing unintelligently for Kiryu to fuck his brains out. A dark grin crossed Kiryu’s face as his eyes shone dangerously red.
They were still wearing their pants, but that information was lost to them as their lips rejoined, melding into one. The dragon’s claws traversed down his sweaty chest and stomach, exploring every dip and rise of his anatomy in painstakingly slow and tender movements.
Soon Majima felt that hand slide over a bare buttock and he grew vaguely aware that he and Kiryu had removed the last of the obstructing clothing. One finger slid easily into him, and Majima gripped hold of Kiryu’s shoulders.
“You prepared yourself,” Kiryu said amusingly, that sultry smoker’s rasp low and rumbly against his ear. He played with Majima’s entrance, stroking around the inside, prodding the spot that sparked stars before Majima’s eye. His other hand snaked around the front side, gently caressing his balls but never outright touching his poor, neglected, twitchy cock. Crying out, Majima rocked his hips into Kiryu’s large fingers, begging for more.
Slipping his fingers out, Kiryu steadied Majima’s hips before repositioning himself.
“You brought condoms, I’m sure?”
Majima shook his head. “I’m clean. My last time was with you.”
“You lasted this long?”
Majima laughed darkly, perched up by one elbow. His libido had a tendency to tank whenever he was depressed. Memories of the 80s resurfaced in his mind, a constrictive apartment unit, constant surveillance, and more recently Hamazaki smirking knowingly across the table…
He shook his head.
Nah, no need for any boner dethroner right now, he thought. Giggling madly, he said to Kiryu, “I’ve been savin’ myself for ya only, Kazuma-chan!”
Kiryu’s lips twitched. From the glint in his eyes Majima could see he hadn’t fully convinced him—his Kiryu-chan was a lot more clever than the world gave him credit for—but he didn’t need him to elaborate.
He kissed Majima’s cheeks, a few on each side before claiming his lips the moment he slid slowly into him. Majima gasped and moaned into his mouth, digging his nails into those muscular shoulders. He imagined his right hand was digging right into the mouth of the dragon.
Guiding him back down on the bed gently, Kiryu worked his magic, his hips snapping against him. He was gentle at first before the fire consumed them both. Each thrust burst more and more stars before his eye. Kiryu’s own eyes swam with feral lust and profound love and admiration, the latter of which made Majima’s cheeks burn red with humiliation. What did Kiryu Kazuma see in him that was so great?
Destroy me, don’t worship me ya sappy buffoon!
Feeling the tears rise up, he threw his head to the side, but Kiryu kissed him softly as his arms wrapped around him, pressing their bodies together as they rocked fast and hard against the bed. One hand gingerly lifted up his eyepatch and a kiss was planted over his left eyelid. He kissed a pattern around the arch of his eyebrow and down to the corner of his eyelids, collecting salty tears as he traced his way down his cheek and neck.
Majima shivered under him, completely trapped under the dragon. His magnificent cock struck his innermost core, striking his most pleasurable spot with every thrust while his lips coated him with tender kisses. One hand was stroking his hair affectionately. The other hand had disappeared, and when Majima felt those deft fingers work against his cock he nearly cried out as his hands went flying all over Kiryu’s back and shoulders like a feral cat’s. His own heat kicked up, dark and fierce and agonizing, its fire rivaling that of Kiryu’s.
Everything swirled into a mad kaleidoscopic whirl of passion. Kiryu’s heavy pants reverberated in Majima’s ears and in his heart. Majima could feel the heat rise to a critical degree as Kiryu’s thrusts grew more violent and fast until the heat combust with a blissful all-consuming ripple, and Majima’s cries mingled with Kiryu’s.
Feeling blinded in his good eye, Majima fell back on the bed, panting heavily as reality slowly came back to him. Kiryu rested against his chest, panting heavily and shaking as his body convulsed. Vaguely Majima could feel himself filling with the Essence of Kiryu and grinned. All was right in the world.
Shifting slowly, Kiryu found his mouth once more and they moved in for a lazy kiss, exchanging raspy “I love you’s” that neither probably heard nor cared for. Kiryu slumped over Majima, their heads close to one another, Kiryu’s arms strewn across him as Majima idly played with Kiryu’s hair.
The sounds of Kamurocho’s nightlife slowly returned to their room, alerting Majima that there was still a wider world outside of their love nest. Something about that thought was comforting.
Kiryu snoozed in his arms for what seemed like five minutes when he suddenly awoke with a start. Without a word to Majima, he head to the bathroom, and ten minutes later he appeared, all washed up, and began picking the items of clothing around him.
He sat at the edge of the bed as he put on his shoes.
“Wha? Ya leaving already, Kazuma? I booked us the whole night!”
Grabbing hold of Kiryu’s arm like that as he made to get up was as cliched and mushy as it could get, but Majima didn’t care one damn lick. Their intimacy awoke Majima to what he’d been missing these last couple years, something precious and vital in his life.
This single moment wasn’t enough. He wasn’t ready to let go just yet. They had the whole night to be together!
Kiryu sighed. “I’m sorry, Goro. But I must prepare for a meeting with Tamiya.”
“Huh? Ya mean The Minister of Defense?”
“Yeah.”
“When? Where?!”
“Nine in the morning, at the National Diet.”
“Then why are ya heading out now? We still got all night!”
Kiryu shook his head. “There’s still some things I must do. Then I have to speak with Date-san before we go together. I’m sorry, Goro.”
The rejection gutted him, but Majima shook his head and forced on a maniacal grin. “Look at ya, Kazuma-chan! All important now! Ya go and get ready for yer big meeting! When ya get back, there may be a lovely little lady waiting for ya.”
Kiryu glanced at him quizzically, and Majima sighed. Sometimes, he really had to just give it to him straight .
“Ya say ya’ve been missing Goromi, haven’t ya, darling?” he said, and he couldn’t help slipping in some of her voice. He missed slipping into a dress just as much as Kiryu missed being with the Butterfly Who Dances in the Night.
Kiryu’s eyes lit up and he gave his nod. “Looking forward to it.”
But once the door was shut the room caved in with the enormity of Kiryu’s absence, echoed with Majima’s lingering loneliness. Sighing heavily, he plopped back down in bed.
“Oh, Kazuma…”
It hurt to even look at the red shirt of his own suit.
Wearing it and fooling himself into thinking Kiryu was somehow near him the last couple years was his only saving grace. Now he couldn’t even look at it.
Majima frowned. The National Diet Building, huh? When was Kiryu gonna meet with Tamiya again? Nine was it?
He flipped open his phone and dialed Nishida. “Nishida! Get one of them trucks from the company ready for me in the morning. And get me the directions for the National Diet.”
“Y-yes, sir.
Knowing Kiryu-chan’s involved, I don’t have a good feeling about this…
In the end, Majima was right to trust his gut. Seeing a sea of men in black swarming around Kiryu in front of the governmental building, he stepped on the pedal and barreled through them with his pink truck, screaming for Kiryu to get inside.
“Majima-no-nii-san!” Kiryu’s eyes lighting up upon seeing him made it all worth it. He hopped into the seat next to him, and Majima shifted into high gear. The pink truck belted through the remaining crowd.
“So was it a trap, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu shook his head. “They’re Suzuki’s men.”
Majima gave a curt nod and frowned. He couldn’t glance at Kiryu, even for a split second, unless they were at a stoplight. Having only one eye never prevented Majima from driving well, so long as he kept his entire focus on the road.
As he drove, Kiryu filled him in on what he had learned from Tamiya: the entire deal for a military base was a ruse, all to draw out another organization to the table by the name of Black Monday. The man who looked like Kazama Shintaro was indeed a Kazama: his brother Kazama Joji, and he worked for the USA’s CIA.
Majima almost ran a red light learning all this. Just how deep did this shit go?!
But perhaps the most distressing news of all: Tamiya’s assistant Toma was in Okinawa for a meeting, and Tamiya had received intelligence that Joji was going to assassinate him.
Which meant Kiryu was not going to stay in Kamurocho for the night. He had no time to waste.
He said as much to Date after the three of them rendezvoused at New Serena, their usual hangout spot.
Majima tried to steel himself as he listened to Kiryu and Date discuss the matter while trying to stop his own heart from ripping to shreds. He was being childish, he told himself. Kiryu’s family and home were more important than their trysts in love hotels.
And yet when Kiryu went to say goodbye to him, Majima put on his biggest smile yet, and told Kiryu his boys and he would always have a light on for him whenever he needed them. He offered to drive Kiryu to the airport himself; he still had his taxi company. In truth, he just wanted to spend a little more time with Kiryu.
But Kiryu didn’t catch on to his intended purpose. He turned him down.
Majima informed Kiryu to stop by the construction site. He had gathered up some presents for the kids at his office. Nishida would hand it to him. Kiryu thanked him with a quick nod before leaving.
Majima stared at the coffee table until Date’s voice broke through his reverie.
“Everything alright, Majima?”
“Yeah, musta eaten something moldy this mornin’. Better get going.”
He was by the door when Date called for him once more.
“You know, Kiryu cares for you very deeply. I know he may not always show it, but that man’s got a big heart. You should have seen the way he defended you when all evidence pointed to you having betrayed him.”
Majima stood silently by the door for a moment before giving Date a bow. “Thanks, Date.”
“Uncle Kaz!”
As engrossed as everyone was in their game of Japanese-styled dodge ball, the moment the familiar grey suit appeared by the gate, everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed over to his side, delighted screams filling the air.
Kiryu’s smile held sadness and fatigue as Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo tugged at his arms and loudly chattered away. Shiro kept a short distance out of respect, giving Kiryu enough space to survey the area. Patriarch Nakahara had been discharged from the hospital and had come to visit the kids and Saki for the first time today. Rikiya and Mikio had accompanied him and were entertaining the kids before Kiryu appeared.
While Kiryu and Nakahara spoke, Kiryu’s phone rang. Despite the swarm around him, Kiryu kept the conversation going, and Shiro could just barely catch snippets of the conversation.
Something about tomorrow.
Kiryu’s business, it seemed, was still not over.
Nakahara excused himself, as he was needed for some overnight tests back at the hospital, and Kiryu was alone now with his kids. Saki waved to them (and especially to Taichi) before disappearing around the gate.
Left to fend for himself, the kids took no mercy on Kiryu. Questions were hurled, and he was pulled in all directions until Kiryu looked like he was about to drop dead from an impending migraine. It wasn’t until much later that Shiro had a chance to get a word in with him privately.
“I heard some of what happened in Kamurocho,” Shiro said. He had just brought in Kiryu’s luggage to his little cramped bedroom. Offering to help meant he could steal Kiryu for himself for a small amount of time. “I’m sorry about Kashiwagi-san.”
Kiryu nodded. “Kashiwagi-san knew the man who raised me, Kazama. He looked after my friend Nishiki and I when we first entered that world.”
Shiro nodded slowly. “Uncle Kaz…um…did you get a chance to speak with Majima-san?”
Kiryu’s eyes glinted with something akin to unshed tears and sorrow, but he quickly pushed them back. “Yeah. That reminds me, he brought a little something for you. Oh, and I got that Shonen Five Taichi asked from me. I should go speak with him.”
He searched in his carry case, but Shiro was more concerned with why Kiryu had that look in his eyes.
“Uncle Kaz!” Riona popped her head from around the corner just as Kiryu handed Shiro his present from Majima. Ayako appeared next to Riona, also grinning. “We still got questions about Tokyo!”
Kiryu put on his best smile, although it didn’t meet his eyes. He was tired, Shiro realized.
“You’re right on time,” he said. “I got your presents here.”
“From Tokyo?!” Riona screamed. Shiro recalled that Riona revered the city deeply.
Kiryu patted Shiro on the shoulder before following the girls outside. Shiro, meanwhile, stared at the small brass spyglass in his hand. On one side the initials “T.S.” was embossed in English and the other side was “S.N.” Takashi Shirogane. Shiro Nishida.
The description boasted optimal magnification range for both territorial and celestial viewing. Shiro was reminded of the telescope he had back at home in Hatsudai, the kind that mounted on the ground and could show the entire galaxy in detail. This was a decent first step.
Kiryu’s day with the kids, meanwhile, wasn’t without incident. The entire family soon had a scare with Taichi where they thought he might have developed asthma. The fact this could prevent him from ever becoming a wrestler upset him greatly. Shiro never before realized just how serious the dream was for him. Kiryu went so far as to set up a wrestling match right on the beach between himself and Rikiya to cheer Taichi up, leading to the creation of Dragon Mask, Kiryu’s wrestling alter ego.
In the end, it turned out that Taichi was allergic to buckwheat, and Shiro almost had to scoff at that. His idiot older brother had been scarfing down soba noodles nonstop recently, mostly to try to impress Saki during her stay.
Haruka had been acting a little strange since yesterday evening, but Shiro didn’t think much of it. However, he caught Kiryu mumbling to himself on whether Haruka had gotten a boyfriend before rushing off to check in on her in downtown Ryukyu.
Something must have transpired between them later that evening because Haruka appeared a little teary-eyed yet very much relieved later that evening. Was it a boy? It wasn’t like Haruka to get into a mess at all.
Shiro barely had time to think much more on that matter. By that point, his attention was on something else entirely. He was looking through his backpack when he saw a note from Hashimoto-sensei and remembered the fight in class earlier today. In a huff he ran straight to Ayako and complained about how Hashimoto-sensei had accused him of cheating on the math test, as Shiro was the only one who got a perfect score. As punishment, he was given extra grammar homework. Ayako immediately offered to help, and without a thank you, Shiro turned and stormed back into his room.
Stupid, stupid Hashimoto-sensei. Shiro just wanted to try his new spyglass and not think about that stupid class. He barely even paid Ayako attention when she returned from her bath to help him. He was fuming so much he could barely even see the stars.
He couldn’t wait for the school year to end.
Things couldn’t have gotten worse the next day.
Shiro stormed right back into Morning Glory and into the dining room as Ayako and Haruka were discussing what to make for dinner and yelled at Ayako again.
The assignment was supposed to be four hundred words. Why didn’t stupid Ayako follow directions?! Ayako just stood there, dumbstruck and crestfallen, but Shiro just wanted to keep yelling. Now because of her he got detention and even more homework!
“That’s not very nice, Shiro!” Haruka butt in, folding her arms assertively. “Ayako-chan took time out of her night to help you! You should be grateful!”
Shiro just gave them both a dirty look and took off for his room. He thought he heard Kiryu and Haruka call out Ayako’s name but didn’t think much on the matter until when an emergency family meeting was called. They all sat around the dining room table, with Kiryu and Haruka at the head. There was one spot visibly missing, which Taichi was quick to point out.
Ayako. Ayako was missing.
“Shiro,” Kiryu began, looking right at him. Shiro could do nothing but meet his steady gaze. “When you needed help with your homework last night, who did you go to?”
Although Kiryu hadn’t raised his voice at all, Shiro spoke timidly as if scared he was going to be scolded. “Huh? Ayako-chan, but...”
“No buts. She had her own work to worry about, but she still took the time to make sure you got the help you needed. And what did you say to her today, Shiro?”
“Um...” Shiro bowed his head. Not once did Kiryu change his tone, but the way his voice was firm and stern and the manner in which he kept Shiro in his gaze made Shiro suddenly feel as though he was one of the thugs Kiryu often beat up on the streets.
He sat with his head bowed, but suddenly feeling as though he was snapped back to reality. He had been really awful to Ayako in the past couple weeks…
Meanwhile, Kiryu went to every kid on the table, reminding them what Ayako had done for them that they, in turn, had been ungrateful for. Izumi had kept borrowing money from her and never paying her back. Koji never thanked her for all the times she patched him up after a baseball injury. How Ayako immediately forgave Eri after their fight recently. How Ayako was the first one to spring into action and call a doctor when Taichi had his attack just the other day.
No matter who, no matter what the situation was, Ayako was always there supporting them.
Soon, the entire table was full of kids with their heads bowed in shame. Kiryu was looking at all of them in deep disappointment.
“I don’t think you guys realize how much Ayako-chan does for all of us,” Haruka said sadly. “And you definitely aren’t grateful for it. But we’re a family, right? We should be there for each other.”
“Agreed,” Kiryu said as he got to his feet. “Now...I’m going to find Ayako.”
And without another word to anyone, he left. Shiro shivered. Words couldn’t begin to describe the crushing feeling of having just disappointed the one man he respected above all else.
Haruka was still watching them and she said with a comforting smile, “It’s okay. Uncle Kaz will bring her back and we can all show her just how much we appreciate her!”
“But how?” Riona asked.
“It’s all my fault,” Shiro said. “My words to her sent her running off.”
Koji shook his head. “Nah, we’ve all been jerks.”
“Then we need to be un-jerks!” Taichi said.
“How are we gonna do that?” Izumi asked.
Shiro thought about it for a moment. This had to be a team effort. “I got an idea. Ayako is always doing things for us. How about we return the favor, and do things for her instead?”
“And how are we going to do that?” Mitsuo asked.
“We’ll make coupons to give her!” Shiro said. “Whenever she gets overwhelmed or needs to rest, she’ll use one of our coupons.”
Riona’s eyes brightened. “Oh! So if she can’t do the shopping that day, she uses a coupon that has one of our names on it, and we do the shopping instead?”
Shiro nodded. “And no complaints when she asks us. We all owe her.”
“Yeah!” everyone cried out.
They ran back to their rooms to get art supplies for the coupons. Haruka’s eyes twinkled with warmth and pride at them as they worked.
In the end, seeing Kiryu return with Ayako safe, and seeing how touched she was by their offering told Shiro that he had made the right choice in rectifying the situation. Kiryu smiled warmly at him and nodded his thanks silently, and Shiro breathed a sigh of relief. He never wanted to see Kiryu this disappointed at them, at him, ever again.
The kids went back inside to all pitch in for dinner. There was a sense of community and magic in the air, and everyone was crammed into the tight little kitchen and debating what to make with beni-imo when a soft knock came on the entryway. Saki waved shyly and Taichi’s face lit up.
“Saki-chan!” Taichi said and nearly elbowed Koji in the face, his face instantly pink.
“Saki-chan!” Haruka called. “Is your father back from the hospital?”
Saki nodded. She pointed toward the engawa where Patriarch Nakahara was seated. Rikiya and Mikio were also there while Kiryu was on the phone. He must have just gotten the call regarding that business.
“What’re you up to ‘ver there?” Rikiya called out.
“We’re still deciding,” Mitsuo answered. “Where’s Uncle Kaz?”
“He’s got someplace to go.”
Must be the mission with the Kazama lookalike, Shiro thought.
“You wanna try a recipe we like at the office?” Mikio asked.
As the kids and Mikio worked, Ayako told them how Kiryu urged her to consider joining the track team after chasing her around all over Downtown Ryukyu. He had even bought her new running shoes on the way back home.
“You mean you got Uncle Kaz out of breath?” Taichi said and gave a belly laugh. Others followed.
Shiro shook his head. “He should stop smoking!” To which Izumi nodded and made a face.
“Smoke smells gross!”
“Eh, I don’t even notice,” Eri said. “So you ran real fast, Ayako-chan?”
“To be honest, I didn’t realize I had it in me either,” Ayako continued, blushing. “Do you think I should consider joining the team?”
“You should!” Koji said.
“Just try and see if you like it,” Mitsuo encouraged.
“Don’t hole yourself in here all day,” Riona added.
Ayako smiled and blushed.
While everyone waited for the meal to get ready, they then turned to Rikiya for play suggestions.
“Let’s continue the game from yesterday!”
And so the blue ball was brought out, and the teams split up again, and everyone was back at it, laughing and screaming with mirth. Izumi meanwhile busied herself with Mame. Mikio had built the dog a real nice little doghouse that Mame was finally getting used to.
The sun was setting, warm and gentle on their backs. Nakahara watched from the engawa, chuckling at their antics, and Saki and Haruka watched beside him (mostly to keep one eye on the kitchen).
Mame began barking loudly and Izumi tried to quiet him down. At that same moment, Koji threw the ball right at Rikiya, who caught it flawlessly in his arms and then looked up as the grin on his face vanished.
A large crowd of men in suits had just surrounded the gate of Morning Glory Orphanage.
“The hell?!” Rikiya cried out.
From the way they dressed, the two men in the front had to be patriarchs. Shiro’s face paled. Were these two yakuza families? What were they doing here?
Hurling the ball on the ground, Rikiya and Mikio began yelling at the men, and Shiro caught a name: Tamashiro. Wait, he knew that family name…
The yakuza in northern Ryukyu. The ones who were after the land and Saki last year.
Mame began barking again as Tamashiro grinned and silently brought up a gun. He shot both Rikiya and Mikio once in the leg, bringing them down.
Screaming, the kids all cowered close together for protection as the other high-ranking yakuza walked between the fallen Ryudo men, like a panther on the prowl, ready to attack. Saki grabbed hold of her father.
As the man neared the kids, Haruka jumped to the front and threw her arms out, shielding the kids. Shiro swore he could hear everyone’s hearts pounding.
The yakuza stopped right before her but did not sneer. His face was like a Noh mask, virtually expressionless. Cold. Inhuman.
“You like it here, huh?” he asked. “Funny, seeing you kids leeching off an adult’s generosity...it makes me sick to my stomach. You’re stray puppies, sure. But that alone doesn’t mean you deserve protection. I’d rather see you all put down. Well, I suppose all of this is that hypocrite Kiryu-san’s fault. In a way...you’re all his victims.”
Having had enough, Haruka gave him an almighty slap across his face. Recovering quickly, he regarded her with the merest hint of amusement before slapping her hard enough that she collapsed on the ground.
“Nee-san! Haruka-no-nee-chan!” Taichi and the others screamed and rushed to her side. Haruka glared up at the yakuza but said nothing.
The yakuza turned to his men and gave an order that sent a horrified chill down Shiro’s spin. “Smash it.”
The other yakuza poured into the courtyard, and there was nothing Shiro or the others could do. Rikiya and Mikio were incapacitated. Nakahara was still healing from his injury. Everyone was too terrified to move and clung to one another as large menacing men three times their size passed them by, holding sledge hammers and pickaxes.
Everything played out like some surreal slow motion nightmare. It was all Shiro could do but watch as the outer walls of his home was torn away. Mame’s barking got the attention of one chinpira who then attempted to break the doghouse. Mikio intervened and got struck in the back of his neck and skull. He collapsed on the ground and didn’t move again. Izumi’s screams filled the skies.
Nakahara stumbled to his feet. He tried to spare everyone and the orphanage by offering his own life in exchange. He got down on his hands and knees and begged, but Tamashiro only sneered and placed his foot atop Nakahara’s head as though he were stepping on a bug.
As he tormented the old man, Haruka grabbed hold of Saki, who was shaking from head to toe. She covered Saki’s eyes so she wouldn’t look at her father. Shiro didn’t want to look either, but even if he closed his eyes he could still hear everything. The nightmare wouldn’t stop.
“Look at this one, Shirakawa,” one of the men said to the other.
Shiro gasped under his breath and looked up at the yakuza. He was dressed in a nice suit, and had Shiro seen him outside of this situation, he would have even thought he was a nice fellow.
“I hope my kids never played with any of these filthy things,” he muttered as he jeered at the orphans.
Before dragging off Nakahara with him, Tamashiro called for one final parting present.
The ground shook violently and moments later the left stone wall of the gate shattered as a large bulldozer rammed through, just missing the Shisa statue.
The kids huddled together, paralyzed with fear, crying freely, and watching helplessly as the bulldozer drew closer and closer to their beloved home.
Shiro stood shivering, petrified, unable to turn his eyes away from the horror before him. Only belatedly did he become aware of the tall yakuza standing beside him. It was the other yakuza patriarch, a Tokyoite from the way he had spoken. Looking up Shiro bore into the uncaring eyes of the man, and Shiro was instantly transported back two years ago, hearing the cold hard laughter of men gunning for his life, his parents blood splattered on his face and body…
“Get a good look at this one, Mine-san,” chuckled Shirakawa darkly.
For the first time, the cold-hearted and stoic Mine Yoshitaka smiled, and Shiro had not seen a colder and more ugly and evil grin.
By the time the yakuza were done tormenting them, even the sun had abandoned Morning Glory, slipping fast over the horizon.
No neighbor had come to their rescue or to offer support. Everyone was holed up in their own abode, too afraid of the swarm of yakuza outside. Who could blame them?
All of Morning Glory, from the orphanage to the courtyard table, was destroyed. Where once was a humble yet beautiful home now lay rubble. Only the doghouse remained standing, protected by Mikio who now lay bleeding and unmoving next to it.
Shiro stared straight ahead at the rooftop. Taichi had managed to hide up on the roof while Kiryu was playing hide-and-seek with them one time. He had been so freaked out when he finally found Taichi. Everyone got a good laugh over that. Now Taichi’s hiding spot was staring back at them; anyone could climb right over.
Soon the sun would leave them completely and they would be left in the darkness, assuming the little formerly-a-kitchen fire would not get worse in the near distance.
Shiro and the others held on to each other as they cried and cried. No one came to comfort them. Haruka, being the eldest, was doing all she could to keep order, to keep everyone’s spirits’ up.
“We’re okay! We’re okay! We’re all alive! We’ve still got each other…”
“Is anyone hurt? We still got each other…” others repeated, touching and hugging one another as reality was slowly sinking in.
“Mame! Mame!” Izumi wept, and keened when her dog whimpered and licked her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
The scent of ammonia soon filled the air and everyone looked around for the source.
It was Eri. The entire time she was standing silently as if she had turned into stone, her face fixed into pure shock. The front of her shorts was wet.
“Eri-chan?” Haruka gasped softly. Shiro recalled how Eri had become an orphan. Her own father was a yakuza… “Eri-chan, are you okay?”
Rikiya, who was still trying to make his way to the unresponsive Mikio, closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault…”
Ayako slowly approached her, shaking her shoulder very gently. “Eri-chan? Here…” She gently took Eri’s hand and guided her toward the beach to wash off. The others watched silently. No one faulted Eri, yet somehow seeing her reaction only made the situation worse. One by one they were slowly cracking.
“Where’s Uncle Kaz?” Mitsuo broke down.
“We gotta move away from the fire!” Riona screamed anxiously.
Just then someone finally appeared by the gate.
“What the hell’s going on here?!”
“Hirohito!” Riona shrieked and ran to his side. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, she wept right into his arms. He stared, dumbstruck by the scene, as more kids surrounded him and a flurry of explanations were hurled at him. He took in the scene of Rikiya his own captain crawling on the ground, of Mikio seemingly dead on the ground, of the kids, of the demolished orphanage.
Finally snapping back down to earth, he produced his phone and called the other Ryudo men. He didn’t complain once that the kids got their tears and boogers all over his expensive shirt.
Soon Asahi and Daijiro appeared. In the ensuing chaos, there wasn’t much they could do for the kids. They brought first aid kits for Mikio and Rikiya, but more importantly they put out the fire toward the back of the rubble before it spread. By now they were engulfed in darkness.
Akayo and Eri returned, and Eri was shivering. Ayako had tried to wash her clothes as best she could, but she would get sick without dry clothes. Taichi attempted to get her something warmer by wiggling his way through the rubble and almost impaled himself had Asahi not pulled him out just in time.
“No! You’re too precious! Don’t try anything!” he begged and gave Taichi a big bear hug.
“Shiro’s medicine!” Koji suddenly screamed. “His anti-rejection medicine!”
Ayako also gasped loudly. Shiro paled. Koji was right. He always kept his anti-rejection medicine bottles on the shelf beside his books. He never trusted having it with him in his pocket at school, lest Yoshinori got his evil little hands on them. Shiro had developed the habit of taking his dose early in the morning right before he had breakfast.
The three Ryudo men gave one another looks. “We will open a dialogue with the proprietor of Maeda Drugs,” Daijiro promised with a bow, but Shiro wasn’t so assured. That stuff was expensive…
With their captain and fellow member incapacitated, the whereabouts of their patriarch unknown, and a whole orphanage of children homeless and scared, the three men had no idea where to go or what to do first. With the limited short time, they could only bring in a large blue tarp for the children to lie down in, with the promise that they would return with something warmer. After Koji had explained what had happened to Nakahara, they had to find him, and fast.
“Where’re they going?” Izumi wept.
“Probably to the Tamashiro office,” Koji said hollowly. “They’re out for blood. That’s the yakuza way, isn’t it?”
No one glanced at Rikiya for affirmation.
“Where’s Uncle Kaz?” Izumi next asked.
“He had somewhere to go,” Haruka tried to explain.
“He’s taking a long time,” Mitsuo said. “I hope he’s not…you know.”
Eri startled and hiccuped.
“Mitsuo!” Ayako chastised.
Riona shook her head as if willing the thought away, her eyes wide.
“We gotta let him know what’s happened!” Taichi said. “What if Tamashiro and that Mine guy is going after him next?”
Shiro hugged his knees to his chest as something from his recent dreams crept back to the surface of his mind. That ominous feeling curled its long shadowy fingers around his short neck. No, no, not Uncle Kaz…
“You’re right…I should go find him,” Rikiya said and got to his feet, groaning in pain.
“You can barely make it past the gate!” Taichi yelled. “I’ll go! Where was he at again, Haruka-chan?”
Haruka hesitated.
“Northern Ryukyu, in Hatsumachi somewhere,” Koji said before Haruka could respond. She glared at him. Shiro could only guess why. The Tamashiro Family controlled Hatsumachi, and it, like Kamurocho, was not the sort of area a child should be seen roaming around in alone.
But Taichi just nodded and dashed out before anyone else could stop him.
Heads turned at the sight of a large pudgy kid running, one shoe missing and clothes all dusted up, yelling for his ojisan.
“Oh my, is that an orphan?” gasped a hostess as she walked with arms linked with her drunken escort. Taichi passed by them both, panting heavily.
“Look how dirty he is!” giggled a massage parlor madam before turning back inside to tend to her client.
Taichi rounded a corner and fell on his face on the pavement, landing right in front of three women wearing identical high boots and an overcoat. All of their hair had the same bleached light reddish tone. Upon seeing him, they immediately tried to cover their chests with the front of their coats.
Taichi frowned as he looked around himself. Why was everyone acting strange here?
“Little boy, what are you doing here?” asked the woman with short hair and glasses.
“I’m trying to find Uncle Kaz!” Taichi panted. “H-he’s wearing a grey suit and red shirt. Have you seen him?”
The women gasped and glanced at one another.
“You’ve seen him!” Taichi blurted accusingly.
“Little boy, you shouldn’t be walking around here,” another woman with an updo said. “This place is not safe for little kids.”
“You don’t understand!” Taichi cried out. “There’s been an accident at home! Someone might be dead!”
One of the women gave another gasp.
“Please!” Taichi begged.
Again the three women glanced at one another. Taichi saw them each looking toward a building.
“Really, Nanami? You want to point a kid to a pole-dancing bar?!”
“He says there was an accident!”
“But…someone’s pulled out a gun there and—”
They looked back and Taichi was no longer there. He was already halfway running toward the bar, crying out Kiryu’s name.
Nothing could have prepared Kiryu for what awaited him back at Morning Glory. Slowly, as if in a bad dream, he walked up to the bulldozed orphanage, staring at what had become of the house he had so lovingly taken care of for years. It was his home, the only place in the entire world he had ever felt he belonged to. Felt safe in.
He noted not a single dry face among his children, but he couldn’t despair, no matter how terribly his chest ached. He had to keep himself intact, had to stay focused. Had to stay strong.
He tended to Mikio first. The man had regained consciousness briefly, just enough to exchange words with them before slipping back into the dark. Izumi nearly lost her mind. Hirohito had come in just in time with the blue pickup truck, and Kiryu carried Mikio’s body over to the truck for him to drive to the hospital. Izumi’s wails shook the night. Kiryu comforted her as well as he could. Ayako wept freely as she hugged Izumi close to her chest.
Kiryu observed his children, feeling helplessly overwhelmed himself. All of these kids had lost their family in traumatic ways. All of them were hurting and were just reminded of how damn cruel the world was. None of them deserved this.
“Eri!” Kiryu gasped, noticing how practically pale she was. Rushing to her side, he felt her forehead as Rikiya told him in a hushed voice what had happened. His heart shattering just a little more, Kiryu hugged her tightly against his chest and she broke down.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said soothingly to her as he settled himself on the ground. Let her cry. She shouldn’t bottle it up. If another kid crawled toward him, they were taken in, absorbed into Kiryu’s protective arms. He could hug them all at once. The kids gathered around him and Rikiya, and the two denied no one the comforting warmth of their arms against the terrible night’s chill.
Shiro was the next to come up to him, shaking and his face streaked with tears.
“Um, U-uncle Kaz…” he sniffled, “…my medicine was inside the house…”
Kiryu gasped.
“I…I’m not going to be without my medicine…” Shiro hiccuped back tears. “Am I going to die?”
Haruka glared at Koji. “You shouldn’t have scared him!”
“I’m scared of losing him!” Koji retorted, just as tearful as Shiro. Rikiya and Taichi both hugged him.
“A-am I going to die?” Shiro asked again as Kiryu hugged him tightly.
“Of course not!” Kiryu said firmly and immediately reached for his phone.
“Daijiro said he was going to talk to the pharmacist at Maeda Drugs,” Rikiya explained.
“I’ll talk to the pharmacist myself,” Kiryu said. “We’ve forged a bond after I helped him out on a situation regarding his son not too long ago.”
He dialed Daijiro, who was with Asahi busy on the hunt for Tamashiro’s men.
“We apologize for our lack in promptness,” Daijiro said. “Our next conduct of business was to Maeda Drugs—”
“It’s fine,” Kiryu said before quickly dialing up Maeda Drugs. The pharmacy was small enough that the pharmacist had no techs during the evenings, so it was Dr. Hirano himself who picked up the phone. Kiryu went right to business, explaining the situation. The rest of the kids listened with rapt attention.
“Yes…I understand…it’s an emergency, I’ll pay out of pocket if I have to…I see…I see…so it’s a speciality drug that needs to be ordered a few days ahead of time?…about how soon can it get here?…but my child had multiple organ transplant…do you not have any other patient who’s been prescribed the same medicine? No one who can offer even one tablet from their bottle?…I see…based on your medical knowledge, how long can my child go without his medicine?”
Kiryu gripped his phone tighter when he received the pharmacist’s answer. “My child had multiple organ transplant. Is there nothing you can do?” He spoke quietly but he still saw Shiro’s eyes grow wide. He shook his head, silently telling Shiro not to despair.
“I’d need to make a few phone calls to other pharmacies in Okinawa,” Dr. Hirano said. “I will have to put you on hold.”
Kiryu gave the okay and informed Shiro what Dr. Hirano was doing. He continued to gently rock Shiro and Eri in his arms while he waited. He gazed up at the stars, frowning sadly as he recounted the evening when he had first brought in Shiro to Morning Glory. He would never, ever let any harm come to this boy. He would die before any harm came to him or anyone at Morning Glory.
They must have been on hold for over half an hour. By then even Taichi broke down as fear finally took hold of him. Riona had been openly weeping and Haruka was comforting her while trying to get everyone to sleep on the blue tarp.
His children were going to be forced to sleep outside in the cold…
Finally, Dr. Hirano picked up the line again.
“Kiryu-san?” Dr. Hirano’s voice came. “You’re in luck, however slim.”
“Oh?”
There was one other pharmacy in Okinawa that had the medication stocked, but it was located far up north. The drive would take about two to three hours. The pharmacist at the other location was willing to stay open overnight, given the dire situation.
Dr. Hirano went on to explain how he could transfer the medication to that pharmacy but Kiryu would need to have the medication transferred back for the next month’s fill—words that flew over Kiryu’s head given the situation, but he tried to follow along as best as he could.
There didn’t seem to be any other option. However, Kiryu himself couldn’t drive there, not with everything going on right now. As much as he would gladly drop everything to get Shiro his proper treatment, the truth of the matter was he couldn’t drop everything. Everything required his immediate attention.
The solution came in the form of Daijiro and Asahi showing up at the pharmacy, arguing about something. Kiryu could hear them through the other line. He asked Dr. Hirano to hand the phone over to them. He filled them in on the situation.
“For Shiro-bo? Anything!” Asahi said immediately. “Leave it to me, Kiryu-aniki!”
Kiryu closed his eyes and thanked the heavens. One thing was going right tonight.
Once the phone call ended, he kissed the top of Shiro’s head repeatedly, assuring him that everything was going to be okay. He then helped tuck each of his children to bed, giving each one of them a tender loving hug and a kiss. Rikiya helped as much as his injured leg could allow.
Izumi did not go to bed at all until they heard back from Hirohito that Mikio was going to pull through. After finally getting the last of his kids to sleep, Kiryu then turned to Rikiya with the last of the urgent matter at hand.
Patriarch Nakahara.
Shiro awoke to Kiryu’s voice.
“They’ll be at the bullring right outside downtown Ryukyu, right?”
Cracking one eye open, he watched as Kiryu made for the gate. Rikiya went to tag along, but Kiryu held him back. Not with his injury. He was going to face off Tamashiro alone. Shiro’s heart squeezed.
Across from Shiro slept Mitsuo but even his eyes had opened.
“Mikio’s gonna be okay,” he whispered to Shiro. “I heard the phone call.”
Shiro nodded. He looked back up. Saki had been watching the whole conversation between Kiryu and Rikiya. Shiro had a nagging suspicion she was going to sneak away and run off while Rikiya wasn’t looking, but he couldn’t muster enough strength to warn him.
Fatigue had gripped him. All of the terror of the night, the crying, the fear he was going to die…it had exhausted him.
The stars high above appeared so cold and distant. This was never how Shiro wanted to sleep under the stars, exposed and cold. He and Mitsuo huddled close together for warmth. It would be the longest and darkest night of their lives. He thought he heard one of the neighbors checking on them, many hours after the dust had settled.
He didn’t have it in him to hate his neighbors. He would have been too terrified to look outside his window if a whole army of yakuza had pillaged his road.
Shiro looked up back at the stars and searched for the celestial dragon, trying to find her in the absence of Kiryu, but as he searched his eyes grew droopy, and soon he was running as fast as he could, his shoes going over shattered glasses and debris as he gripped firmly to Yukiho’s hand.
“We have to hurry!” he begged her as the ghostly white castle behind them continued to splinter.
A large shard nearly missed Yukiho by inches. Screaming, she gripped Shiro, who almost stumbled but caught himself just in time.
“Come on!”
He threw a hateful glance toward the white castle. All this time the Shirashiro had been a warning. Shiro and shiro. The jeweled white castle and the white river. Tamashiro and Shirakawa. The names of the men who would hurt Shiro the very most had been etched into his subconscious for months.
“Come on,” he urged again as they sped off—the precipice, their freedom, was mere few paces away—when suddenly a terrible wail shattered the ground beneath them.
Shiro jolted awake, recognizing and not recognizing the voice at the same time. He had never, ever heard Kiryu cry like that before, and there was no sound more devastating and despairing and tragic in the entire world.
He dared his head up and watched as Kiryu stumbled back to the gate. He fell to his knees, and everyone could see there was blood on his suit and his hands as Kiryu kept crying out Rikiya’s name over and over. One horrified look at Mitsuo, and both instantly knew: Rikiya had died.
How? was written all over Mitsuo’s expression. Instantly the two boys embraced one another, shaking and needing warmth from the terrible chill that ran through them.
The bullring! Shiro thought. Something must have happened at the bullring with Tamashiro!
Kiryu continued to bawl, a sound that brought goosebumps all over Shiro’s arms. No…Kiryu was the pillar of strength. If something could shatter that pure epitome of strength…
“Kiryu-san…you’ve got to get a hold of yourself,” said a man in a clean suit as he patted Kiryu on the shoulder. Shiro thought he had seen him before, and moments later the name struck him: Kazama Shintaro, the man who had raised Kiryu. Was this the Kazama-lookalike he had heard Haruka and Kiryu whisper about before?
Nakahara soon joined them, as did Saki, her head bowed. She noticed the wide awake pairs of eyes on them and slowly made her way over.
“Th-that man...” Saki began, and everyone gasped.
“Saki-chan, you can talk!” Haruka said in a hushed but surprised tone.
Saki nodded but pressed a hand to her throat. Clearly she was still getting used to it. “T-that man, Tama-sh-shiro. He h-had a g-gun pointed to the b-back of K-Kiryu-san’s back…but then R-Rikiya stepped in f-front of him and was hit.”
A shadow passed over Haruka’s face. Shiro didn’t have to guess why. That was exactly the same way her own mother had died in front of Haruka: while protecting both her and Kiryu, taking a bullet for them both.
She took a long pause before she could continue. “H-his body’s back a-at the o-office.”
“And Tamashiro?” Haruka asked.
“He’s dead.” Saki motioned toward the Kazama man. “K-Kazama Joji. Shot him in the h-head.”
So that meant the Tamashiro Family was good as gone, for the time being. The kids huddled close together as a chill ran through them.
Noticing Kiryu making his way toward them, Shiro and the others immediately pretended they were sleeping once more.
“Haruka?” Shiro heard Kiryu’s gentle voice. “Are you awake?”
“Yes, Uncle Kaz. Is everything okay? I thought I heard you crying…”
Classic Haruka, Shiro thought. Knows how to approach things delicately.
“I’m sorry to put this burden on you,” Kiryu went on, and Shiro thought he heard Kiryu’s voice crack. “I have to get to Tokyo right away. Mine is there. I’ve no time to waste. I want you to accompany me.”
“…of course, Uncle Kaz.”
After Kiryu was well out of earshot, Shiro, Mitsuo, and a couple others nearby stirred from their pretend-slumber to find Haruka’s comforting smile to Kiryu slowly disappear and replace with anguish.
“What’s wrong, Haruka?” Shiro asked.
“It’s just…Uncle Kaz is going to a very dangerous part of Tokyo,” Haruka said. “He’s going to fight Mine. Why would he want me to join him?”
“Maybe it’ll make him feel better,” Ayako offered.
“Uncle Kaz needs a friend too,” Riona pointed out.
“But…” Haruka bowed her head. “I’m scared, guys. What if Uncle Kaz doesn’t think he’s…going to survive tonight?”
“Don’t say that!” Mitsuo hissed. “We’ve gone through enough!”
Shiro shook his head, wide-eyed. “No…we can’t lose him…”
Shiro couldn’t imagine anyone else taking over the orphanage. Kiryu was more than just the supervisor of Morning Glory. He was their Uncle Kaz…their father.
“But you’re right,” Haruka said. “I have to stand by him. He’s still hurting over Rikiya.”
She gingerly made her way around the back of the rubble. Taichi and Koji inched their way toward her, offering help, but Haruka motioned for them to stay back. A few moments later she reappeared holding a white soccer jacket with red stripes and a matching red and white striped top.
“Luckily I was just washing these earlier today,” Haruka said. “Tokyo is much colder than Okinawa.”
“You’ll need something warm for your legs,” Ayako pointed out. “My boots were in the back.”
“You can have my socks,” Riona said. “They were way oversized for me.”
Haruka nodded her thanks to them both. After gathering her stuff she met Kiryu by the gate.
Shiro got a good look at them both. Kiryu was standing beside the Shisa of the wall that had been destroyed. It was the male Shisa. In Okinawan traditions, two Shisa lions protected the home. The female stood on one wall and had her jaws closed, keeping good spirits in. The male stood on the opposite wall and had his jaws open, keeping evil spirits out.
The male, the one to keep bad spirits out, had been challenged and nearly destroyed…or he had made a critical error in judgment.
Shiro shivered and hugged his knees. I’m so sorry, Yukiho…
He watched as Kiryu and Haruka gave a nod to each other before disappearing along with Kazama Joji.
Another jolt of ominous premonition seized Shiro, but he swallowed the dread away.
Not Kiryu…please, gods, not Kiryu…
After Kiryu and Haruka left, Nakahara did all he could to keep their morale high. Noting that none of the kids were really sleeping, he asked if anyone had eaten. None had, but no one had an appetite.
He next offered to take them out from the cold and into his office, but no one budged. This was their home. They didn’t want to be far from their belongings, no matter the state said belongings were in.
Sighing yet in possession of little mobility, Nakahara stayed with them. He called up his boys to fetch everyone blankets, and some of the neighbors stopped by to offer their own. With Rikiya dead, Hirohito at the hospital with Mikio and Asahi traveling to the northern tip of Okinawa, that left Daijiro to take care of matters at the Ryudo office, including moving Rikiya’s body to a better place.
Everyone felt guilty for keeping an old injured man out in the cold with them, but Nakahara didn’t complain once.
“Your Uncle Kaz did so much for me and little Saki here,” he said. “This is the least I can do.”
Shiro had no idea what time he awoke the following morning. For once his dreams were a pure black slate, but nothing could have been worse. He wished he could apologize to Yukiho. He wished he could check in on the Ascending Dragon. He was haunted by the images of the Kirin attacking and killing the dragon. Why? Were they not both good beings?
None of the kids were in the mood to go to school today, even with Nakahara’s gently urging that school would be the safest place for them, that they would get a warm meal, a place to talk with friends and get their minds far away from everything.
No one wanted to leave.
Finally, Daijiro and some of Nakahara’s men came to fetch the kids with the promise that they had ordered breakfast for them back at the Ryudo office. Saki led the way as everyone walked with their heads hung.
“Shower’s right over there,” one of the men said as they stepped in. “We’ve prepared a few futons for ya here, here, and here.”
Just as Shiro was about to protest, they heard a yell and Asahi showed up at the office’s entrance.
“Shiro-bo!” He waved a small prescription bag. ”I just got back! Hope I wasn’t too late!”
“You’re on time,” Shiro said and accepted the bottle graciously. With the medicine bottle in hand, the will to carry on filled him. Kiryu went through a lot to ensure Shiro survived. It was the least Shiro could do to honor Kiryu in return.
He took the medication and encouraged everyone to wash up and have breakfast.
But they could skip school today.
They didn’t hear from Haruka until Saturday afternoon.
“Oh, thank goodness I thought to call the Ryudo office!” Haruka’s voice carried through the small cramped room. They put her on speakerphone, as everyone had fought to take the phone for themself. A million questions flooded out, so Haruka and Ayako kept order and fielded questions one by one.
“How’re Uncle Kaz and you doing?!” Taichi asked first.
“We’re both fine!” Haruka said reassuringly. “Uncle Kaz had me stay with a friend named Date-san at New Serena. Then he went to Touto University Hospital.”
“Why there?” Riona asked. From recollection, Touto wasn’t exactly within walking distance from Kamurocho.
“Mine had gone there to kill a friend of Uncle Kaz’s,” Haruka explained. “Dojima Daigo.”
“Who is Dojima-san again?” Taichi asked. “I know I heard that name before.”
“He’s the chairman of the Tojo Clan,” Shiro reminded him.
“Wait, Mine was gonna kill the chairman—man’s evil, I’m not surprised,” Koji said.
Haruka’s voice softened. “Ah…”
“What happened then?” Riona asked.
“Well, Uncle Kaz fought a whole army of Mine’s men at the hospital.”
“Those poor patients!” Ayako gasped.
“No one else was hurt!” Haruka said hurriedly. “Uncle Kaz kept the fighting away from them! He had to get to Daigo-san before Mine did.”
“And, did he?” Mitsuo asked.
“Well…not really. He had to face Mine one on one on the hospital’s roof. Mine had taken Daigo-san up.”
Eri shuddered.
“And then what happened?” Izumi said.
“Uncle Kaz won,” Haruka said, but something in her voice didn’t sound wholly relieved. “Kazama Joji had come to New Serena and taken me by his helicopter. I saw some of the last part of the fighting…”
“Is Daigo-san okay?” Eri asked.
“He’s fine. Actually, he finally awoke from his coma!”
“And Mine?” Shiro asked.
“He’s…dead…”
Silence filled the room.
“Uncle Kaz didn’t…” Eri croaked in a tight voice, “did he…?”
“No, nothing like that. Mine died protecting Uncle Kaz and Daigo-san from another enemy. I saw it from the helicopter.”
“What? Mine was protecting Uncle Kaz?!” Taichi cried out. Everyone shot one another looks, completely bewildered.
“Yes,” Haruka said and gave a small laugh. “I don’t know how he does it. Sometimes, fighting Uncle Kaz converts enemies into allies.”
Shiro whistled low and leaned back. Kiryu was truly something else entirely, ethereal…
Just like a dragon.
Shiro frowned. “Um, Haruka…did the two fight without their shirts?”
Mitsuo laughed. “What sorta question is that?!”
“They did,” Haruka confirmed.
“Did you see Mine’s irezumi?” Shiro asked.
“Yes. It was a kirin, I think.”
“A kirin…” Shiro nodded slowly.
“So what have you been doing?” Taichi asked.
“We’ve been helping Daigo-san settle down,” Haruka said. “He should be discharged from the hospital soon. Right now Uncle Kaz is going around and thanking everyone who has helped us recently in the city. We’ve scheduled a flight back for tonight. It was the earliest one we could grab. We’re sorry it’s taking us so long to get back to you.”
“Take your time,” Ayako said. “Nakahara-san was kind enough to lend his office for us to stay.”
“Why not stay in Tokyo for a bit while you’re there?” Riona asked, obviously thinking of how much she’d rather be there herself right now.
“We can’t,” Haruka said. “We need to address rebuilding our home…”
The mention of that reminded everyone of the painful reality outside their new little cramped shared bedroom.
They thanked Haruka for the update.
“See? Everything went well!” Riona said to Haruka.
“It was your presence that gave him strength,” Ayako added.
Taichi turned to Shiro and his brothers, beaming as they ended the phone call. “Today’s a good day. Let’s order more soba noodles! The shops’ just down the arcade!”
Shiro groaned. “No, Taichi! You got that buckwheat allergy, remember?”
But Shiro couldn’t help smiling. So the Kirin protected the Dragon in the end.
Everything was going to be okay.
“Must say, Kiryu-chan, it doesn’t feel right takin’ his spot,” Majima confessed as the two looked around the wide office of the Millennium Tower.
“Kashiwagi-san held you in high esteem,” Kiryu said. “I am certain he would not be disagreeable to you having his office.”
Majima sighed. “But bein’ this high up? Just ain’t my style. Hope he won’ mind what I’m aboutta do to the place, or to his boys.”
Kiryu motioned to the boxes around. “Sure you don’t want me to help you unpack?”
“That’s for my boys to do,” Majima said. “Didn’ ya say ya had to head back down to Okinawa?”
After the way he had run off from the love hotel a couple nights ago, Kiryu never met Majima’s gaze, as though he were a little embarrassed by his actions. But Majima couldn’t hold that against him…for the most part. Besides, he was so darn cute whenever he was flustered.
Majima surveyed the city from his new window. Floor 57.
Sonnet 57, he found himself thinking. He was by no means a Shakespearean scholar nor one for boring-ass literature; but by chance he had come across this poem and was struck by how, rather bittersweetly, it perfectly had described himself and his feelings toward Kiryu Kazuma:
|
Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend, Nor services to do, till you require. Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you. Nor think the bitterness of absence sour When you have bid your servant once adieu; Nor dare I question with my jealous thought Where you may be, or your affairs suppose, But like a sad slave, stay and think of nought, Save, where you are how happy you make those. So true a fool is love that in your will Though you do anything, he thinks no ill. |
“I did,” Kiryu said hesitantly, answering Majima’s earlier question sheepishly. “I’m set to leave later today, in fact.”
Majima’s heart sank. No matter what, not matter how many times they tried to be together, something was always pulled them back apart.
“Then go. I’ll be fine.” Majima flashed him a genuinely warm smile. “Always good seeing ya, Kiryu-chan. Every moment with ya’s a precious diamond.”
Kiryu met his eye then, taken aback before he gave a nod, his cheeks turning pink.
“Likewise.” Extending out his hand, Kiryu pulled Majima closer. “Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san, for everything that you’ve done for me. I apologize for all the requests I keep piling on you.”
Majima shook his head. “Nah. That’s what I do for the one I love.” He leaned closer and lowered the tone of his voice so that only Kiryu could hear. “Just don’t leave me for long again, aright, Kazuma?”
“Of course not, Goro,” Kiryu responded, just as low and softly before the two pulled back just in time as one of Majima’s boys came in with another box.
With a final polite bow Kiryu left.
Majima looked away from Kiryu’s retreating back so his last memories of him wouldn’t be of him walking away. He would hold on to Kiryu’s promise until the next time they saw each other, whenever that was.
For now, he busied himself with bringing more life to the place. The windows had already been replaced, and now it was just a matter of bringing a bit more of “him” inside.
Some time later another man stepped into his office.
“Oh, Date-san?” Majima said.
“Looks like I just missed Kiryu,” Date said.
“Just missed him,” Majima agreed.
Silence followed for a moment. Now it was Majima’s turn to feel a little embarrassed. Date’s words of reassurance had done wonders. All he could muster was a mumbled, “Thanks, by the way.”
“Hmm?” Date glanced at him.
Majima smirked. “Oh, and good luck with the Mama. Mariko’s the name? She’s a real looker.” Earning a blush from the detective-turned-reporter was all the revenge Majima needed. A few more moments of silence ensued, punctured by brief exchanges of words here and there as Date and Majima collaborated with the moving in process.
Finally, Majima spoke up again. “Kiryu-chan’s running back to Okinawa awfully quick. He seemed kinda tense, even…”
It was an offhand comment, an observation that, on retrospect, Majima couldn’t help but blurt out loud in the middle of the room as they pieced together his new office desk.
Date’s eyebrows shot up.
“You haven’t heard?”
Majima narrowed his one good eye and glared at Date. “Heard what?”
Date looked about himself sheepishly. “Oh. I thought he would have told you, being his pal and all…”
“Told me what, Date?”
“Never mind…”
Pulling out his tanto, Majima pointed it right at him. Was it stupid to threaten a man (formerly) on the force? Probably, but fuck all that. If this concerned Kiryu, Majima had to know.
“What’s going on with Kiryu-chan?”
Date gave a heavy sigh. “Well, I suppose you’ll find out one way or another. Mine went down to Okinawa, and he destroyed Kiryu’s orphanage.”
All wind was knocked out of Majima. He stared at Date, completely stunned. “The kids! Are they alrigh’?!”
“Yes, otherwise Kiryu would likely have killed Mine with his own hands.”
Majima cursed loudly as he gripped his tanto. “The hell, Kiryu-chan! Why didn’t ya ask me to rebuild your home?!”
“Perhaps he was worried he had already requested too much from you?” Date ventured, motioning around him.
“The hell with that!” Majima cried out, waving his arm. “If it’s Kiryu-chan we’re talkin’ about, I have all the time in the world for him!”
And with that he ran out the door.
Over at Theater Square, Kiryu was thanking Kazuki and Yuya for their hospitality. Every time Kiryu had stopped by Kamurocho, they were always kind to him and kept the doors of Stardust open for him.
They were the last of the people Kiryu had wished to see before heading out with Haruka, and sure enough, Kazuki spotted Haruka several paces away, waving where she stood at the intersection near Kamuro Theater.
Kiryu gave his farewell to Kazuki and Yuya, for the time being, and the two went their separate ways. But no sooner had Kiryu taken a few steps when his name was called.
A scarred man in a dirtied black coat and a fisherman’s hat slowly approached him. Kiryu gave a start. Despite never having met him in person before, Kiryu recognized the man from photographs.
Hamazaki Goh?!
With Mine and Lau both gone, Hamazaki was no longer a threat. Kiryu stood his ground and regarded him calmly.
“I got nothing left,” Hamazaki drawled. Even from this distance, Kiryu could smell the alcohol clinging to his breath. “And it’s all ‘cause of you.” The haggard man shot Kiryu a dirty look which didn’t faze hime. “My life’s in tatters. But I’d rather put a noose ‘round my neck than rot behind bars.”
“How can you say that?” Kiryu said calmly. “Why not try to redeem yourself instead?”
“What?”
“If you’re really ready to die, you have nothing to lose by living. As long as you believe in something, and have the will to start fresh, I’d gladly lend you a hand.”
“You expect me to believe that shit?”
A small smile spread across Kiryu’s lips. As horrible as Hamazaki had been to Majima, to Daigo, to Kanda...as close as Hamazaki had come to plunging Kamurocho into chaos, Kiryu was willing to let that all be water under the bridge. Everyone deserved second chances. Wasn’t he, Kiryu himself, not proof of that?
Extending out his hand in an offered truce, Kiryu said, “I do.”
Hamazaki regarded him as though he were mad for a few moments before he gave a curt chuckle. “Fair enough.” He took a couple tentative steps closer. “Maybe I could buy into it.”
Kiryu smiled fondly. If he could just thaw Hamazaki’s heart, he could turn another man’s life around. They did not have to be friends. He just had to show him the right path.
Hamazaki kept their gazes locked as though he were a shy animal approaching offered food, and Kiryu patiently beckoned him forward.
Another step, and Hamazaki was close enough to take his hand. Kiryu waited. Any moment now. Take his hand and start anew.
Hamazaki leaned as if to take Kiryu’s hand when suddenly he lurched forward, and Kiryu felt something cold and sharp pierce through his abdomen.
Time stood still.
Kiryu just stood there, transfixed in shock, unmoving. His right hand was still extended in invitation of friendship. He felt Hamazaki’s shoulders jerk this way and that, and pain jolted through Kiryu’s entire body as the blade dug deeper into his body. His right hand slowly sank back to his side.
Hamazaki drew the blade back in one quick movement, sending deep, dark blood spraying all over Theater Square.
No sound reached Kiryu’s ears as his brain tried to process the scene before him. Moving slowly, his right hand swept over his abdomen, and he noted how much darker his red shirt had become. Blood was drenching his trousers and the ground below. He was losing blood rapidly. He was hemorrhaging.
Someone screamed behind him.
Looking back up at Hamazaki, Kiryu opened his mouth but could barely form any words. Why?
Hamazaki regarded him with the deepest loathing he had ever seen from another human being.
“You really think I got nothing to lose, huh?! Believing in stuff?! Starting fresh?! Huh?! Don’t patronize me with that shit! You’re gonna see, asshole! Nothing matters anymore when you’re six fucking feet under!”
More screams carried around him. People had stopped and stared, transfixed in horror and sympathy at his injury. Kiryu meanwhile was slowly losing focus of his surroundings. The words around him came in a dizzying haze.
“Someone call an ambulance!”
“On it—they’re on their way!—someone help him!”
“That man has a knife!”
“He’s not going to make it!”
“Once you’re dead and gone, nobody’s gonna fucking care if you believed in them!” Hamazaki went on, his eyes shooting daggers into Kiryu’s soul.
“No…you’re wrong,” Kiryu managed. He could barely focus on what he said next, but he had to reach out to Hamazaki somehow. He had seen far too many men die in the yakuza world. Any life that could be spared from the void, any that could turn around, any life he could rescue, he would do it. He’d never give up on them…
“Hey! The hell're you doing?!”
Kiryu barely made out the white and violet blurs as Kazuki and Yuya appeared and grabbed hold of Hamazaki, pinning him to the ground. The world began to flicker before his eyes just as he began coughing up blood.
Before he knew it, he had fallen to the ground.
“Uncle Kaz!”
He slowly regained consciousness as Haruka’s face appeared above him, begging him to hold on, begging him not to leave her.
He could not leave. So many people depended on him. The kids back home were all waiting for him. He did not want to see Haruka cry.
He said something to Haruka. The pain was lessening and a strange smile crept across his face; Haruka’s eyes widened with fear.
“Uncle Kaz, no! Please, Uncle Kaz, stay with me!” she begged over and over, her voice growing more shrill and frantic.
How much he wanted to reach over and comfort her from whatever nightmare she was having, but he couldn’t feel his arms. Scarcely could he move. Worse still could he breathe.
But it didn’t hurt.
Vaguely he could hear some of the passersby try to comfort Haruka.
“Poor thing…is that her father?”
“Why did that man do it?”
“Be brave, dear…he’s not going to make it…”
I must be in real bad shape, Kiryu thought vaguely.
“No, no!” Haruka’s screams reached him. He would have jumped to his feet and rushed to the sound of his precious Haruka in distress, but he could not move…could not breath…everything was slipping away.
Strange…the pain was almost gone…it was like he was going to sleep…Goodnight, Haruka dear…
“You poor thing…it’s too late…he’s gone…”
I’m sorry, Haruka…everyone…
Off in the distance he thought there was the sound of sirens, coupled with a new voice piercing through the grieving crowd.
“Kiryu-chan! Kiryu-chan! KIIII-RYUUUUU-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”
Notes:
RIP Kiryu-chan 😔
This chapter earns you a trophy! Click on cell B10 in the tab marked “Trophies” in your Activity Logbook to when you’re done reading.
In Dead Souls we learn that Majima’s office is on the 57th floor. It’s likely a coincidence, but Shakespeare’s Sonnet 57 (provided by Shakespeare Sonnets ) happens to be a perfect fit for the pairing, and the sonnet was actually addressed to a man from Shakespeare. Thanks to my friend Cecilia for pointing out Sonnet 57. 💕 Just another little fun KazuMaji thing to sprinkle in!
Next chapter to be posted on…July 3rd. Yes, four weeks from now. After looking through my schedule again, I realized it would be best if I posted a new chapter every four weeks for the next several chapters just to continue having a nice buffer going. I’m worried about catching up to the buffer and then having a long stretch of time of no posting. So instead of having everyone wait for two or three months, I figured it would be best to have a slightly longer wait. Meanwhile…enjoy the cliffhanger! I’m sure Kiryu is perfectly fine 😆💕
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Pride From Despair
“UNCLE KAZ! UNCLE KAZ!”
“Shit—can’t ya go any faster?”
With Haruka’s vice-like grip on his blazer, Majima glared up at the paramedic at the wheel, trying his damnedest not to fall into complete panic and despair himself.
“We’re going as fast as we can,” the other paramedic assured him calmly before turning to the man strapped to the stretcher. Majima caught him mumbling to himself, “I can’t stop the bleeding…”
Haruka must have heard him too because she gave a terrible keen, her shrill voice vibrating against his chest. Majima flinched while trying to hold himself together. His mind kept replaying the scene: breaking through the heavy crowd, hearing gasps and whispers of something terrible having just happened, finding his Kiryu-chan lying in the middle of Theater Square, covered in his own blood and Haruka’s wails of despair ringing through the air.
“Hey, hey, calm down or yer gonna put yourself into shock,” Majima cooed soothingly in Haruka’s ear, embracing her tightly as she wept loudly. “I survived a blade to the gut once, remember? I came out finer than ever! Your Uncle Kaz will be okay!”
Majima frowned over her head. The circumstances were different then. Majima had taken a blade to the gut meant for Kiryu. The man holding it, one of Majima’s own idiotic boys, had immediately released his hold. The blade remained inside him, allowing him a speedier recovery.
Pulling a blade out causes more injury. Shit, Majima carried a tanto; he knew all this. You don’t pull the blade out unless you mean to completely fuck up your victim.
Hamazaki, you absolute fuck.
Goosebumps ran down Majima’s arms as he recalled all the things he had done to try to prevent Hamazaki from getting to Kiryu, and how relieved he felt when he had heard that Hamazaki had been on the run.
What an oversight on his own part. What an idiot he had been!
At last the ambulance reached the hospital, and Haruka’s grip, if it was at all possible, tightened on him as they both watched Kiryu being rolled away from them. The entire time he had been unconscious, unresponsive. His daughter’s wails did not awaken him.
Unable to control herself, Haruka buried her face in Majima’s chest again and wept harder. He stroked her soft hair and cooed gently to her before noticing the EMTs hovering around awkwardly, not wishing to disturb them but needing the vehicle for the next emergency.
He silently gave them a nod of his head and scooped Haruka up in his arms. She was getting big—how quickly kids grow—but he could still carry her.
“Come on, Kiryu-chan’s waiting for us,” he said softly to her.
Inside Touto University Hospital Majima kept a firm grip on Haruka’s hand, but the need wasn’t warranted. With every step taken away from the ambulance’s haunting siren her panic subsided and she became more subdued and quiet, although she was still shaking slightly and her face still streaked with tears.
A woman at the front desk directed them to the waiting room.
“And what is your relation to the patient?”
“H-he’s my dad,” Haruka hiccuped.
“I’m a colleague of his,” Majima added, noting how the receptionist took in his appearance with wariness. Treating victims of yakuza bullshit wasn’t unheard of in this place, but that didn’t mean the staff could just be lax on whoever stopped by claiming to be visitors. Otherwise warring clans could easily stroll on in and finish off their targets.
“Please, he’s a friend,” Haruka said, squeezing Majima’s hand. “Let him stay with me. I…I don’t want to be alone.”
The receptionist softened up. “Of course not, dear. Right this way, sir.”
Finally alone, Haruka thanked Majima for being there for her and went off to sit in a corner by herself. She tried to hide it, but Majima could see she was still weeping.
“It’ll be alright,” Majima said softly, sitting beside her.
“I-it’s just…everything was finally looking up,” Haruka said. “After Uncle Rikiya died—”
“What?” Majima gasped. That captain of the Ryudo Family? He didn’t quite seem the captain type. Too soft. Too gullible. Still very much a kid. But still… “How’d it happen?”
“A patriarch from a rival Ryukyu clan was aiming to shoot Uncle Kaz, but Uncle Rikiya stepped in front and took the bullet.”
Majima bowed his head. Ya poor kid…
A thought suddenly occurred to Majima and he smiled sadly. I once took a bullet for Kiryu-chan too…
A blade and a bullet. All in the span of one month. He had it bad for Kiryu Kazuma.
“And what about the house?” Majima asked. “And the rest of the kids?”
“Y-you know about that, Uncle Goro?” Haruka asked, looking up warily at him with her large dark eyes.
Majima nodded. “I got Date to spill.”
“The house was bulldozed before Uncle Rikiya was killed—oh! Oh no!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Everyone’s still waiting for us back at Okinawa…we were supposed to be there by tonight. They still don’t know…”
Majima tensed. “Where’re they now? Are they okay? Not sleeping in the cold, I hope?”
Haruka shook her head. “Nakahara-san was kind enough to open his office for everyone. He’s the Ryukyu patriarch.”
Majima nodded. At least someone was watching over the kids. “Here, use my phone.”
“O-okay…” Haruka hesitated but took his phone. He knew it wasn’t going to be an easy call to make, but he remained by her side. As she informed everyone, he rubbed circles over her back, soothing her every time she had to pause, overcome by grief.
Majima bowed his head.
Years ago, on the same night when he was stabbed, he had kidnapped Haruka in the strangest of circumstances. His former boss Shimano had ordered everyone in the Shimano Family to take a certain little girl who had been spotted following Kiryu around Kamurocho. Kiryu and Shimano had butt heads in Third Chairman Sera’s funeral, and it was obvious Shimano was out for blood.
Having learned of this scheme, Majima countered it by kidnapping Haruka from the Shimano Family shortly after one of them kidnapped her. She was safer with him and his own boys. Majima’s own plan was to deliver her back safely to Kiryu’s arms on the condition that the two of them brawled. He could almost chuckle at the memory. That particular incident had gone sideways, but all the same: that year the two had locked horns more times than he could count.
He always feared Haruka would dislike him for his actions, as she tended to grow cold toward anyone who hurt her (not that he blamed her), but that little angel was a sharp one. Even when Kiryu didn’t know Majima’s true intentions, she apparently did, and then what happened after that confused and touched Majima’s heart.
Kiryu wasn’t the sort to turn down a request from Haruka. If they ran into each other, Haruka would suddenly pretend she wanted to hang out with Date so the two of them could enjoy a nice quiet game of shoji, cards, or pool. She egged Kiryu on when Majima had tried to use Pocket Circuit to further their rivalry (and an excuse to spend more time with them); reportedly, she didn’t even blink when Kiryu splurged on buying all of the best Pocket Circuit toy parts just to pulverize Majima on the race track.
She’d regularly beg Kiryu to invite Majima over for karaoke. She was always pointing out restaurants for Kiryu to take her to, the exact same places Majima also frequented. The girl actually memorized what sorts of foods Majima liked. And rather surprisingly, she’d push Kiryu to test his luck in gambling spots or to Vincent, Majima’s favorite haunt for pool. It was like she was helping to nudge Kiryu into Majima’s orbit…
Majima had to admit he was pleased with her approval.
Once Haruka was done with her call, she gave the phone over to Majima and politely thanked him through red puffy eyes.
How much she took after Kiryu, Majima thought with a proud little smile.
An eternity seemed to pass before anyone came out with an update.
“Kiryu-san’s in operation,” the doctor informed them. “The injury has caused some significant perforation of his intestines. From inspection, we believe the assailant had intentionally caused a lengthy injury as determent to Kiryu-san’s life. As a result, the only way to save him will be to remove the damaged sites.”
Majima whistled low under his breath. This was sounding worse than his own experience. He had learned a new term during his time in and out of the hospital: laparotomy. He imagined Kiryu laid out as the doctors opened him up to examine the injury. For all of the gore he had witnessed in his life, he couldn’t bear the thought of Kiryu as the one stretched on the table.
Haruka began shaking again next to him.
“Is he going to be okay, doctor?” she asked timidly.
“We did have difficulty stopping the hemorrhage,” the doctor said. “We…almost lost him. To prevent a recurrence, we must remove the parts that have been damaged. We have taken photos of the injury for law enforcement to review later.”
Haruka shivered and grew silent. Majima thanked the doctor and he walked away.
“This is bad,” Haruka said in a small voice.
“He’s in a lil’ worse shape than when I was stabbed,” Majima confessed. “But hey, the docs know what they’re doin’!” He smiled at Haruka even when he felt worried and panicked. The doctors almost lost him, the doctors almost lost his Kiryu-chan…
Majima’s attempt at cheering Haruka didn’t work. She glanced at the floor. “He’s going to be here for a long time, isn’t he? What’ll happen to the orphanage?”
Majima swore under his breath. “Did ya make plans on rebuilding it?”
Haruka shook her head. “No. We were caught up with Mine tearing it down, and then there was the fight with the Tamashiro Family, and then we ran over here to save Daigo-san, and…”
“Right…”
Just then Date appeared looking a little pale.
“Hamazaki has been apprehended,” he said.
“Ya look like ya saw a ghost,” Majima said. “Don’t tell me ya already saw the photos?”
Date closed his eyes and nodded. Majima threw him a warning glare not to say any more in front of Haruka, and thankfully he got the hint.
“Listen, I got some phone calls to make. Can ya watch over Haruka for a bit?”
Finding privacy in a washroom, he made several calls: one to Nishida, one to Okuda (someone had to take charge of the construction on Kamurocho Hills while he was gone), and several more calls, often with Nishida as the middleman. He went back and forth, scheduling, coordinating shit with Nishida (Nishida took care of any emails. Majima wasn’t great with that typing shit), and went over lists with several of his boys, including Minami who seemed keen on helping out with this new project.
Once he was done with everything he needed, Majima leaned his head back on the bathroom wall and finally allowed his shield to shatter. The washroom echoed with his sobs, the emotion he would not allow sweet little Haruka to see.
“Don’t leave us, Kiryu-chan,” Majima growled under his breath as he regained composure once more. “If not for me, then for Haruka and the kids, got it?”
After splashing water on his face he left and relocated to the waiting room.
“Any updates?” he asked.
Date shook his head.
Majima gave a small nod. “Still at it, then. I’m takin’ some of my boys with me to Okinawa. The earliest flight we could grab will get us there by tomorrow mornin’.”
Haruka raised her head.
“It’s the least I can do for him,” Majima said. And if he didn’t do something, he’d burst. He wasn’t the waiting around type.
Haruka gave him the location of the Ryudo office. As Nishida was packing Majima’s luggage for him (what a swell guy, eh?), Majima remained with Date and Haruka as long as he could. It was well into the night by the time a nurse returned to them with an update.
Kiryu was out of surgery and currently in PACU. Visitors normally didn’t see patients while in PACU, so it was another wait before someone came with another update. By then Haruka was napping and curled up against Majima, tucked protectively between him and Date.
This time it was a different doctor looking rather grim-faced as she regarded them. Sensing her apprehension, Haruka was immediately on alert.
“We’ve had to move Kiryu-san to ICU,” the doctor reported, her voice low but bringing with it a sense of small dread to the waiting room.
“Kiryu’s in intensive care?” Date said. Haruka’s face paled. She turned to Date and Majima for reassurance.
“The blade used in the attack appears to have been laced with poison. We’ve recovered the blade from police, and it is currently in analysis.”
Majima gasped. “Hold on. Kiryu-chan’s been poisoned few days back by another dipshit!” Hamazaki and Lau Ka Long were in cahoots; if Lau had poisoned Kiryu, then wasn’t it reasonable to assume Hamazaki got hold of the exact same shit? He told this all to the doctor and Date. “The two’ve been working together! Any chance it could be the same poison, doc?”
The doctor rubbed her chin. “It’s possible. Was he taken anywhere after his previous injury?”
“Dr. Emoto’s. Clinic’s in Kamurocho, West Taihei Boulevard. He didn’t stay there long.”
“What?” Date said. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
“Everything’s been happenin’ too fast, Date,” Majima said. “Shit. He left before he fully recovered. The poison wouldn’t stay in his system this long, would it, doc?”
“That depends,” the doctor said. “We’ll contact the clinic and get the records. Thank you, sir. That’s valuable information.”
The doctor went on to explain that Kiryu had been started on broad-spectrum antibiotics to prevent any possible infection. When asked if he had opened his eyes at all since the assault, the doctor replied in the negative. Kiryu has been unresponsive since his arrival to the hospital.
Finally, they were allowed to see Kiryu. Stepping into the ICU room, Majima decided this was the last time he ever wanted to see Kiryu in such a place ever again. Hooked to machines and tubes, bandaged up, IVs keeping him alive, eyes closed and looking so vulnerable...
“Uncle Kaz…” Haruka whispered as she sat close to his chest. “We’re here. Date-san, Uncle Goro, and me. You’re going to be okay.”
Majima nodded. Seeing that he needed some privacy, Haruka shifted so that Majima could whisper in Kiryu’s ear.
“Kazuma, I’m here,” Majima said. “My Kazuma-chan. Gotta run a quick errand somewhere, but ya better be awake when I get back, alright? For Haruka-chan’s sake. Ya up and die on us and I kill ya, got it?”
He kissed Kiryu on the lips softly before pulling away. With an aching heart he moved toward the door, but he didn’t want to leave Kiryu’s side, just in case something else happened.
But he couldn’t skirt his promise either. It’d bring a smile to his Kiryu-chan, and that was a better use of his time than just standing around and fretting.
His phone rang. It was Nishida.
Majima’s heart sank. This was it.
Noticing Haruka’s and Date’s concerned gazes, he grinned grimly and motioned to his phone wordlessly. Understanding, her eyes glimmering full of grateful tears, Haruka hopped from her seat and ran over to him, taking him aback with a tight hug.
“Ya’ll be okay?” Majima asked gently as he carded through her hair.
Haruka nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Uncle Goro.”
Majima bit back the tear as he grinned widely. “Hey, now don’t go revealin’ the big surprise to Kiryu-chan if he wakes up before I get back, got it? I want to see his face for myself!”
Haruka giggled.
He patted the top of her head, waved to Date, and then was off.
No one could sleep that night. The difference in Haruka’s voice when she had called that afternoon, full of optimism, to her latest call later that night, full of fear and tears, had left in its wake a somber and grieving atmosphere in the Ryudo office.
Nakahara and Saki lived there, but everyone else had gone home for the night, leaving the kids to try to sleep in their temporary room while Haruka’s shaking voice delivering the devastating news still replayed in everyone’s minds.
Kiryu was stabbed in the stomach.
He lost a lot of blood.
The doctors didn’t think he’d make it.
He might be in the hospital for a long time.
Shiro tossed and turned, feeling sick to his stomach. He tried to hold on to the hope that Kiryu would pull through, but with everything else happening he couldn’t get out of his mind that more grave news was lurking just around the corner.
Saki stayed with them. Having almost lost her father to a gunshot wound, she knew firsthand what it was like being in their situation. The kids didn’t shy away bombarding her with questions.
“What’d you do to keep yourself calm?!”
“I drew,” Saki said.
“I’m no good at it!” Taichi moaned.
“It’s good to talk to someone, if you can,” Saki added.
The kids continued chatting away as Shiro tossed and turned, tears welling in his eyes.
“Why’re you crying, Shiro? What happened?”
Looking up, Shiro met Yukiho’s concerned gaze.
“Where are we?” he gasped as he jumped to his feet and looked around them.
Sure enough, they were right at the front steps of the Shirashiro. Shiro craned his head to get a good look at it, shivering terribly from the view.
“I don’t like it,” he said, remembering with a sick lurch what happened the last time they were here. “There’s something terrible about this place. It was a warning. Why do we keep coming back here?”
“Because it’s always on your mind,” Yukiho said sadly.
Shiro frowned as he stared at his feet before a thought popped into his head. He searched the skies for a certain star, a certain constellation.
“Yukiho, where’s the Nobori-Ryu? The Ascending Dragon?”
“The Nobori-Ryu?” Yukiho said.
“I’m worried. I want to know if Uncle Kaz’s will be okay…”
“He can’t be far.”
Taking his hand comfortingly, she led the way. Off the cliff of the castle were floating stone pads that they jumped through. The black shimmering sea disappeared behind them, and soon even the castle’s eerie glow dimmed among the stars.
The further they traveled the more turbulent their path grew, and yet Shiro had never before felt so at ease. Holding on to Yukiho’s hand, he peered around, noting the stars that surrounded them. Though only a sliver of ground prevented them from falling to the abyss below, he was able to breathe freely up here, being so far from the place that had become the embodiment of evil.
“Here! I found him!” Yukiho announced, and the two dropped to their knees. Looking up Shiro spotted the undeniable and majestic constellation of the Nobori-Ryu. The dragon roamed the heavens, majestic and silent. No sense of danger or panic reached them. Tranquility filled the sky.
“She’s sleeping,” Yukiho said. “The Ascending Dragon is healing.”
Shiro’s lips quivered as tears rolled down his face. “I hope you’re right.”
Shiro jolted awake to commotion in his room. The girls were rushing about, whispering in panic amongst themselves, “Who’s that? There’s so many of those men! What’d they want with us?!”
Mame’s barking filled their ears.
The boys all hurried to their feet and rushed to the front door, stopping dead at the sight of dozens of men standing before them, taking up the entire street. They didn’t look like Ryudo men…
“No…not more trouble…” Koji muttered, close to his breaking point.
But the panic had dissolved quickly for Shiro when he recognized the man at the very front of the crowd.
“Yo, Nakahara-chan’s inside? Gotta have a lil chat with ‘im.”
“Uncle Goro!” Shiro cried out in relief and charged at him, throwing his arms around Majima’s legs.
Majima gave a little yelp before laughing. “Been a minute, Shiro-chan!” he said as he ruffled his hair.
“Huh? You know this weird guy, Shiro?” Taichi called from the office.
“Yeah!” Shiro said as relief filled him. “This is Majima Goro! He’s a close friend of Uncle Kaz from Tokyo!”
Upon hearing Kiryu’s name, Shiro’s siblings all screamed and filed out into the street, and soon Majima was swarmed by eight kids grabbing onto him from every side and talking at once.
“How’s Uncle Kaz?”
“Is he gonna be okay, Mister?”
“Did you get to speak to him?”
“Are you two best friends?”
“Can you see okay with just one eye?”
“Izumi!”
Majima chuckled, charmed, looking around this way and that at the kids. He tried to hug them all by himself while his men stood nearby and looked on silently. “Oh, my! Kiryu-chan’s been taking care o’ all you lil scampers by himself?”
Just then Nakahara and Saki appeared by the front door, and finally the kids let go of Majima.
Majima introduced everyone briefly to the rest of the Majima Family, some of whom Shiro recognized from two years ago. By then more of the Ryudo boys had stopped by the office. Immediately putting on their best behavior, they showed Majima the greatest hospitality as Majima and Nakahara settled for breakfast together. The kids hovered around, desperate for news on Kiryu.
“I hear ya and Kiryu-chan are kyodais now,” Majima said as Asahi poured tea for both of them. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet ya.”
Nakahara bowed. “Likewise. Tell me, how is Kiryu-san?”
Majima updated them on his status. Shiro hung his head. So that was why Haruka was staying behind. Made sense.
“That’s not the reason for my visit,” Majima said as he leaned back. “I heard about what happened to the orphanage. Yer the landlord?”
“I am,” Nakahara said with a nod.
“Ya contracted anyone yet?”
Nakahara paused his cup of tea midway to his lips. “No. I was meaning to discuss the rebuilding today or tomorrow—”
Majima held up his hand. “That’s why I’m here. My boys and I run a construction company up in Tokyo. We’ll be takin’ over.”
Nakahara slowly lowered his tea. “How much do you want?”
“None,” Majima said. “This is my gift to Kiryu-chan. He’s done more for me than I can ever repay him back for.”
Nakahara’s jaws fell open in surprise. And perhaps in mistrust. The yakuza did not do these things for free, and it was difficult to parse the meaning behind Majima’s dark grin.
“And how do I know you’re not one of Tamashiro’s men or another Tojo family looking to take advantage of the poor man in his current predicament?” he said.
“Good point,” Majima said. He leaned forward and showed Nakahara something from his wallet, perhaps some photos, Shiro thought. The man’s eyes widened a little before he gave a nod.
Nakahara fetched the deeds to the land himself.
It wasn’t long after that the Majima Family were led to the site. Shiro and his siblings followed closely behind. Seeing the rubble under the morning sun did nothing to abate the horror and grief of their living nightmare.
This was their home. This used to be their home. This was all that remained of their home…
And Kiryu was far away fighting for his life…
Majima whistled low as he surveyed the area, taking in what remained of the house, the courtyard, the damaged wall.
The kids went on to explain that their land extended out to the shoreline. Majima strolled around, taking in every inch. Shiro imagined he was filing everything into his memory.
Thankfully, the sandy beach and greenery had not been torched.
After a while Majima turned to the kids. “Any of ya got a photo of what the orphanage looked like before?”
Ayako approached with a photo. “I always had one on me,” she explained. “I grew up here, ever since I was a baby.”
Majima nodded and thanked her as he studied the photograph. “Mind if I keep it a bit?”
Ayako bowed and thanked him.
“Right,” Majima said as he threw his hard hat over his head. “Kids, I want ya all to stay at the beach. It’s safe there, isn’t it? Ya stay there. My boys are gonna start lifting off the debris here. Don’t come close or ya could get injured, got it? Come only when I call ya.”
Everyone voiced their agreement and made their way to the shoreline. They busied themselves trying to catch fish with one of Kiryu’s fishing rods that lay scattered about. Others ran around, making up games that didn’t require any balls or bats or any other toy. Others had fun throwing things around for Mame to catch.
There weren’t any books of interest in the Ryudo office for Shiro to borrow, and he wasn’t in the mood to head to the local library, so he instead spent the time watching Majima and his men pick apart his home. Piece by piece the roof went, tossed into the back of the dumper, dust filling the vicinity. Shouts followed as men worked tirelessly, moving as one. Shiro thought back to the first time he had met Majima and of that large construction site they were working on. The men sang then, but the atmosphere was different now.
The men weren’t building. They weren’t creating, bringing life to the world. They were fixing, attempting to restore a life destroyed.
Majima ordered his men around like a mad man, hellbent on perfection. Given everything else about him, it was surprising to learn this part of him, but it almost made sense. It was rather terrifying to watch.
“They’re Tokyo yakuza,” Eri said, sitting next to Shiro. Her large eyes stared at their exposed inked backs reflecting the warm sun.
“They’re the largest family in the Tojo Clan,” Shiro confirmed. “They warred with the Kurosu Clan.”
“They did?” Eri’s eyes grew wide with worry. Shiro stared at her, momentarily confused, before it hit him.
“Majima’s not gonna hurt you because you’re the kid of a Kurosu,” Shiro said. “He’d never hurt a civilian. He’d rather get killed himself. He won’t let any of his men hurt you either. If they upset you, he beats them senseless.”
Eri gasped and shook her head sadly. “No, no…I don’t want any of them to die…” before looking back at the Majima Family.
Soon the other kids joined them, not having much else to do. Majima called Shiro over at one point for recommendations on a place that would cater for a large crowd. And so everyone, from construction worker to child and even Mame, had something from the local soba noodle shop (Taichi’s was made special order without buckwheat).
Some time after that, Majima called the kids over. The entire roof of the house had been removed and taken away, revealing the bottom half of their house. Bits of walls that had been jutting out like daggers had also been cleared out, making it safer for the men to dig into the ruins.
“I wantcha kids to stand back there.” Majima motioned toward the doghouse. “Tell me if ya recognize any of the stuff we’re about to haul out.”
Shiro’s heart clenched at the items that were soon drawn out for them to recognize. Their old futons, dusty and beyond use. Broken shelves, toys that were all scruffy and full of ash and debris.
“My bats!” Koji gasped, staring at his broken baseball equipment with forlorn.
Majima nodded solemnly and turned to his men. “Find where we can get replacements.”
“My clothes!” Riona whimpered.
“We’ll get ya something prettier,” Majima promised.
“No!” Riona begged. “They have to cover my arms!”
Majima paused, staring at her for a moment before an understanding smile crossed his face. “Of course. We can shop together, even. Ya pick out whatever ya like.”
Riona stared up at his kind smiling face before blushing. She nodded and thanked him.
One by one the kids identified every item, assuming the item was still recognizable at all.
“Noo!” Izumi wept as a plush puppy, the kind often found in UFO catchers, was uncovered. “That’s mine! Uncle Kaz won it for me!”
“It’s just a little dusty,” Majima said brightly. “A lil’ wash and it’s good as new!”
“But it’s all torn and missing an eye!”
“So like me then! You wouldn’t throw me away, would ya? ”
Izumi gasped, taking a good look at him before blushing and hugging the puppy close to her chest.
“My homework assignment’s in there!” Mitsuo cried out, reaching for some scraps of paper. “It was a paper on local mushrooms and real hard too. Ah, man! How am I supposed to rewrite that now?!”
Majima called out to his men. “Any of ya got a college degree?”
“Uh, I took an earth science class once,” came a timid reply.
“Yer hired,” Majima said. “Help the kid out.”
“That’s the library books I checked out…” Eri said in a small, aghast voice as she pulled something from under the rubble. “Look at them!”
Majima patted her shoulder. “I’ll go with you and apologize. If they need money for replacement, I’ll pay for it.”
“Oh no,” Ayako gasped softly when they retrieved a pair of running shoes. “This was brand new. Uncle Kaz encouraged me to join the track team at school. He just bought these right before…everything happened…”
Majima nodded. “I’m sure the store’ll have another one just like it. We can do an exchange.”
Taichi nodded as Majima went on like this. “See, everyone? We can replace everything in this house! As long as we’re okay!”
That raised morale a little, but no one could stop staring at the damage that befell their home. This was all they had in the world…
Shiro’s gratitude over Asahi getting him a bottle of his medicine grew tenfold when he saw his old bottle, crushed under the weight of the roof. His new spyglass had also not survived.
“Eh, it was a crummy thing,” Majima said sheepishly as Shiro studied it sadly. “I’ll get ya an even better one. Them big ones the pros use, how ‘bout that? Ya’ll be a real astronomer in no time!”
“It’s okay,” Shiro mumbled. “Really.” Just then something else caught Shiro’s eyes and he dug it from under the rubble. Majima broke into a grin.
“Ya still kept it?” he said as Shiro hugged Bun-chan, sooty and all. Nothing that a good washing wouldn’t cure. And maybe an eyepatch too.
Majima himself had sifted through Kiryu’s room. He refused to throw out the financial records no matter what condition they were in.
“‘mportant shit,” he muttered. Same for the kids’ health records. “Some shit ya can never throw out.” Shiro, meanwhile, was distraught to find the photo of Sayama lying on the ground, the frame broken. He reached out to take it before Majima stopped him.
“Don’t wantcha hurting yerself on the glass,” he said.
In the end only a small pile of their belongings had survived. The kids, all with gloom written on their faces, stared at the pile of unscathed belongings, minuscule compared to what they were to part with, as Majima and his men cleared the rest of the vicinity.
This was all that remained of their lives…
“What’s gotten into ya?” Majima called out to them. “Hungry?”
“Boss, don’t they have school tomorrow?” Nishida piped up nearby.
“We’re not going to school!” Taichi said hotly.
Majima raised his eyebrows. “Eh?”
“Yeah!” Koji stepped in. “How can we! Our stuff’s all gone!”
“Our homework’s trashed!” Mitsuo added.
“Our clothes are ruined!” Riona wept.
“We stink too!” Eri complained.
“Most of our things were destroyed,” Ayako said softly, head bowed, “and we didn’t have much to start with…”
Majima studied the rubble behind him that they still had to sift through before clapping his hands together. “Alright! Nishida, Gary, Minami, Tabata! Ya follow me! Rest of ya, carry on!”
They traveled back to downtown Ryukyu. From there they dispersed into smaller groups as the men took them shopping for everything they needed: a couple sets of clothing including sleepwear for each, toiletries, backpacks, and school supplies.
Majima even encouraged them to buy toys. Shiro caught him trying to persuade Koji on a set of baseball bats and ball, arguing that a disaster was no excuse not to have a little fun.
Still the other kids shied from taking advantage of Majima’s generosity, even if he was operating on a seemingly bottomless budget. They were grateful having just the basic necessities, and none were sure if Kiryu would approve of them accepting gifts from a yakuza family, even if Majima and Kiryu seemingly had a close relationship. Majima didn’t press them further if they refused a gift.
When the shopping was done, they were treated to a dinner at Sam’s Maui Grill, a Hawaiian-themed teppanyaki restaurant located on Ryukyu Boulevard across from the Kariyushi Arcade. With the tantalizing smells all around them, the kids ate to satiation, not once abashed in depleting Majima’s budget. They even had enough room for some ice cream from Blue Seal next door. This visibly amused Majima greatly.
It was getting late, so Majima next led them around the corner and north on Kitaryu Street. He had rented out an entire two floors of a hotel for himself and his men, and so there were plenty of showers for the kids to finally clean themselves. They regrouped in one of the larger suites.
Then it was time to redo all of their homework. They worked like the wind, rushing against the clock.
Majima and his men spread out and helped them however much they could. Tabata was the earth science expert, although he apologetically confessed it had been some time since he had picked up a book, and alcohol and Majima’s constant head-bashing may have made him a bit more forgetful.
Gary was a heaven-send on grammar. Despite his poor pronunciation on certain words, he understood the language like the back of his hand. Shiro was a little surprised how knowledgeable Nishida was on numerous topics but then figured as the Mad Dog’s errand boy, he had to know everything about everything in order to survive his boss’s demands.
Minami mostly entertained them with his art skills, a mix of graffiti and Western-style tattoos on his body, which Majima was quick to scold him over.
“Doubt the school’s looking for yer brand o’ shit!”
Minami winced, looking as though he had somehow disappointed his boss.
Afterwards the kids all thanked Majima’s men for helping them out, and bowing, each of Majima’s men excused himself and left for his own room.
The suites they were in contained two large beds. If two children slept on either ends of one bed, they could fit four kids per bed. The girls took one and the boys the other. And because the kids requested it, citing it would make them feel safer, Majima would stay with them. He would be sleeping on the couch.
Shiro settled on his corner of bed but couldn’t sleep. The thought of school, Hashimoto-sensei, and Yoshinori crept into his thoughts.
Gingerly slipping out, he noticed that a small dim light was on near the couch. As he crept closer, he spotted Majima idly flipping through his phone. As the small shadow fell over Majima, he looked up with a start.
“Shiro-chan, yer not asleep!” Majima said in a whisper.
Shiro slid next to him.
“How’s Uncle Kaz?” Shiro asked, pointing to Majima’s phone. “That’s Haruka updating you, isn’t she?”
“Eh? Well, yes…and some boys back at the company.”
He must have meant the construction site in Kamurocho.
“Is Uncle Kaz alone at the hospital right now?” Shiro asked.
Majima shook his head. “Date and Haruka’s with him.”
“Date-san…ah! I remember him! He’s that detective.”
“Not much of a detective now. His work’s all in journalism. Though it’s come in handy this past year.”
Shiro nodded. “Can I…talk with Haruka?”
Majima glanced back at Shiro. “Well, she’s asleep right now.”
“What about Date-san? Can you call him?”
“Well…”
“What?” Shiro cocked his head to one side, looking up at Majima.
Majima sighed. “We can’t just go calling people in some ungodly time of the night, kid!”
“Then email him!”
“Not that either!”
“Why not?”
Majima spluttered, and after a few moments, the answer came to Shiro. “Oh…Uncle Goro…you can’t email?”
“It’s not—it’s just—I…” Majima sighed heavily before motioning toward his eyepatch.
“It’s hard to see the characters?”
Majima nodded. “Paging in the 80’s was a lot easier than this shit—excuse the language.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Shiro stared at the floor, feeling a little embarrassed. He should have figured that out himself. “I can email for you, Uncle Goro.”
“Eh?”
Shiro smiled. “Yeah, I used to email my mom and dad all the time. It’ll be fine.”
Shiro held out his hand, and after hesitating for a moment Majima handed his phone over. He watched over Shiro’s shoulder as Shiro expertly typed away. It had only been two years since he had last used a phone for email, but with one back in his hands, it was like second nature.
“Look at ya go,” Majima muttered, impressed. “Kids today.”
Shiro giggled.
“There,” he said after some time as he gave the phone back. “I told Date-san it was me so he wouldn’t get confused.”
Majima chuckled. “Good, good.”
After several moments a reply came. Shiro read the message to Majima, stopping to write down any characters he didn’t recognize.
“His condition hasn’t improved,” Majima muttered, shaking his head. “They started him on more antibiotics…”
“Uncle Goro?”
“A knife to the tum’s no fun, Shiro-chan.” Majima sighed heavily. “Hope they worked out the poison.”
“Poison?”
“Yeah.” Majima flashed Shiro a dark smirk. “Guy didn’ think a plain ol’ knife would do your Uncle Kaz in, so he lathered that baby up with some real deadly toxin.”
Shiro nodded weakly as another message came. “Date-san’s telling me not to look at the next email.”
Majima’s eye grew with understanding when the next email arrived. “It’s a photo. Not sure ya wanna see yer Uncle Kaz like this.”
“Can I?”
“Think ya can handle it?”
Shiro shrugged. “I’ve been in the hospital before.”
He took the phone from Majima again and studied the photo of Kiryu, breathing mask over his nose and mouth, and IV bag hooked to him. He had never seen him look so vulnerable before.
Shiro gave a tiny hiccup but kept staring at the photo.
“Hey, Shiro-chan, you okay?” Majima asked softly.
Shiro nodded, still staring at the photo as his vision misted. He hugged the phone.
“Thank you, for saving my life one year ago,” Shiro said as he handed Majima the phone back again.
Majima smiled warmly. “No prob, Shiro-chan.”
“Do you ever visit Yukiho’s grave?”
Majima hesitated before shaking his head. “Doubt I’m welcome anywhere near there. I wouldn’t recommend visiting if yer ever in the area either.”
Shiro’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
“Er…the area’s not exactly safe. For anyone.”
Shiro leaned back. “Guess so…strange that she was such a perfect match.”
Majima smiled uncomfortably. “Yeah…strange how it worked out like that. Poor lil’ thing got into an accident the day before yer own life was turned upside down.” He stopped himself, as if saying any more would result in getting struck by lightning.
Shiro bowed his head. “Don’t worry, Uncle Goro. Nothing you say will upset me. I see her often. We’re very connected, like our fates are entwined…”
Majima gave him an odd, somewhat spooked look, but Shiro just smiled. “I’ll tell her you said hello.”
Majima kept staring at him for a moment before he coughed uncomfortably. “Yeah…yeah…I…need a smoke.” He fumbled around his pants before finding his box of cigarettes. Shiro watched, frowning deeply, as Majima got up and made for a window as far from the kids as possible.
“Do all yakuza smoke?” Shiro said, glaring at Majima’s back.
Majima chuckled. “‘fraid bad habits are passed down.”
Folding his arms, Shiro continued glaring at Majima before finally, his eyes grew heavy, and he retired to his bed.
“What’s with all the sour looks?” Majima called out as the kids filed toward Morning Glory beach one by one.
“Teacher didn’t accept my late assignment,” Mitsuo complained.
“Everyone in my class was making fun of me!” Riona spat, ready to stomp on the first thing that had the misfortune of landing under her feet. “Mamoru asked if I had any new burns! That evil witch Takako was stuttering around like she’s so special for still having a roof over her head, and she was making eyes at Okada all day—URGH!”
“Okada’s trash anyway!” Mitsuo said hotly. “Trash deserves to be with trash!”
“Tadashi wouldn’t play with me during recess!” Izumi shrieked. “I hate him! I’m never marrying him!”
“I nearly got into a fight,” Eri confessed, sniffling. “Naoko said I should have been inside when they tore down our home.”
Everyone gasped.
“Taichi and I got into a fight!” Koji blurted out.
“No!” Ayako tried to hush him, waving her hands.
“Yeah,” Taichi said, ignoring her. He and Koji bowed their heads. “Heard some of Ayako’s so-called friends saying they wished Uncle Kaz would just drop dead, because yakuza are nothing but trouble.”
Shiro bowed his head. He didn’t want to even voice how much Hashimoto-sensei and his spoiled son gloated over the orphanage’s demise.
Majima crouched in front of the kids, studying their gloomy expressions with a deep pout.
“Yeesh, what sorta school’s Kiryu-chan’s got ya going to?”
“It’s not his fault!” Ayako said hastily. “It’s the closest school to our home, and we’ve been going there before he took over Morning Glory.”
Majima shook his head. “Still! None of ya deserve bein’ treated like dirt!”
But everyone hung their heads. After losing their homes, hearing that Kiryu had been fatally stabbed, heard the panic in Haruka’s voice—their eldest sister who always was a pillar of strength, very little looked bright right now.
“Yo, raise yer heads when I’m talkin’ to ya!”
Everyone flinched and gasped, meeting Majima’s glaring gaze. How suddenly different he was from the man yesterday.
Now that he had everyone’s attention, he gave them all a hard glare.
“Right,” he said. “I know life’s been kickin’ yer asses real bad lately. Ya feel like ye’ve fallen down a deep dark hole and can’ get back up. Worse ya can do now is let that take control of yer life and drag you all the way to the bottom.”
“What do we do then in that case, Uncle Goro?” Shiro asked.
He saw the glint of the Mad Dog glean across Majima’s eye.
Majima taught them a song. Kiryu and he had discovered it one night during one of their dates a couple years back, and after learning the lyrics, it had become a sort of anthem for the two of them, offering them both much-needed emotional release after all the bullshit they went through at the time:
|
クソみてえな人生 クソみてえな自分自身 絶望に絶望を重ねて生きてる Boys&Girlsよ 積もり積もった絶望の頂から お前らのプライド見せてやれ！ お前らのプライド見せたれや いくぜ！ 絶望頂プライド！ |
kuso mite e na jinsei kuso mite e na jibun jishin zetsubou ni zetsubou wo kasanete iku teru Boys & Girls yo ima suga tachiagaru n ya tsumori tsumotta zetsubou no itadaki kara omaera no puraido misetareya iku de! zetsubouchou... puraido! |
Life's been lookin' shitty I'm lookin' pretty shitty myself... Spiralin' endlessly through this livin' hell of despair Boys and girls, y'hear? Ya better get to your feet right now! From the top of that mountain of despair pilin' up Ya gotta show off your pride! C'mon! Pride from...despair! (Translation provided by Literally Satan) |
Majima taught them the words. He had Nishida and Minami blast the song on their radio as they worked. He gave zero shits teaching the kids foul language. This was the real world. If the kids didn’t learn this lesson, life was gonna crush them worse than Mine had crushed the orphanage.
*
How will you choose to live?
Would you still be proud of your life
if you waste every moment
waiting for the end to come?
Hey, boy! Think for once
with that empty brain of yours
Right now! Impress them with your pride from despair!
Each time some punk in class threw them a snide remark, Taichi and Koji knew better. Knew better than to reduce themselves down on their level. Better it was to get the best grades in class, rise up to the challenge and shine brighter among everyone else.
“They’re cheating! I know they are!” Saburo complained whenever Taichi and Koji repeatedly got the top marks. Meanwhile, the aforementioned two boys sat far apart in class but wore identical smirks. Later they high-fived one another. One test down. Two more to go. They got this.
The teacher only sighed. “Wish you two showed this much dedication before. What happened?”
Taichi and Koji hadn’t worried about grades before, but they knew they could get perfect grades once they put their minds to it. Competition was in their bones. If an A was the name of the game, then they were winning. If their pride was on the line, then they were laser-focused.
The entire class would never have reason to talk crap about them, not when they were soaring to the top as the rest of the world tried to drag them down.
The fire had been lit under them, and it burned their inner light brighter.
*
Burn it down, burn it all down
Cast aside the past you've clung to for too long
Your unfeeling heart has all but burned to ash
enshrouded with hopelessness
“Ooh, Okada!” Takako crooned in a voice loud enough for Riona to hear during lunch. “What’s this? You’re inviting us over to pool again? You’re such a great guy!”
Rolling her eyes, Riona turned to Mitsuo, giving the three kids her shoulder. “You’re getting better at cooking,” she said in a low voice so only Mitsuo could hear. While they could eat out every day, it got old real fast. Missing their home-cooked foods, they were using the hotel room’s kitchen to make some of their meals.
Mitsuo’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Riona giggled. Was he blushing?! What a dork!
“Yeah, I always have trouble making duruwakashi. But you? You’re a pro.”
Mitsuo waved his hand in front of his face. Meanwhile, Takako’s voice boomed even louder.
“What’s this, Okada? You’re inviting everyone here? Everyone who owns a swimsuit? Oh, there’ll be music and free food!”
“Wow, you’re so generous, Okada!” Mamoru added loudly.
Riona and Mitsuo ignored her still, their attention on one another.
“I just watched Uncle Kaz prepare it once or twice, and I guess I got lucky after I tried it,” Mitsuo said.
“You must be real smart then,” Riona said, noticing it evoked another round of embarrassment and flustering from her friend.
He was cute. A dork and sometimes annoying boy, but man…she hadn’t noticed how cute Mitsuo was before.
Meanwhile Takako and Okada and Mamoru kept going on louder and louder, their voices growing shrill with frustration as Riona and Mitsuo continued to focus on only one another, giving the terrible three none of the satisfaction of earning their attention.
The cold shoulders burned them down to ash.
*
What do you think?
Is today the day
are you willing to die without accomplishing anything
are you prepared for the end?
Hey, boy! You'd better start running
break free of despair’s darkness
Right now! Impress them with despair overdrive!
“Why won’t you play with me?” Izumi cried out, frustrated as Tadashi avoided her for the umpteenth time at recess. “I thought we were friends!” They were supposed to marry someday…
Giving her a disgusted look, Tadashi hopped onto the monkey bars and climbed to the top, sitting atop as he regarded her. “We can’t be friends, Izumi.”
“Why not?”
“Well, what if you died? Then I’d be all alone. You’d be pretty selfish leaving me all alone, wouldn’t you? You’d be a bad friend!”
Stopping in her tracks, Izumi glanced around herself. She didn’t want to think about death. Every now and again she still experienced the scene of the accident, the way her parents looked before…
What if you died?
Izumi regarded Tadashi through a teary-eyed glare. “If I died, then at least I wasn’t a jerk!” She grabbed his foot and yanked him down, and soon it had turned into a chase before she got her hands around his neck.
“Get back here, Tadashi, I swear if I catch you, I’ll—!”
*
So keep running, run on through it all
Far away from this shitty world
Start up that rusty old engine while your dreams still endure
Pick up the pace to save us all
from the very depths of despair
So put that pedal to the metal
Impress them as you drive away from despair!
Ayako wouldn’t let their comments about Uncle Kaz get under her skin. As whispers carried on around her like poisoned air, she worked on steadying her nervous heart and placed herself in a zen-like state. Her feet pressed against the insides of her new running shoes; maybe she should have broken in them beforehand…
The gym teacher gave the call, and she shot off. Feeling the spring breeze on her face, she was transported to another world and let go, her body in overdrive. Scarcely she registered the gasps behind her, followed by some excited commotion somewhere in the bleachers.
It wasn’t until she had made it to the finish line that she realized she was first. Roars of applause met her ears and she turned back, spotting Taichi and Koji clapping and cheering her on.
She smiled back, laughing, her heart soaring through the heavens.
*
My potential is not anyone else's to decide for me
From here on out, I alone will decide my future, this is my tomorrow
As the days trickled by, Eri saw more and more sentiments that echoed Naoko’s. Classmates who wished Eri had been inside when the orphanage was torn down. Classmates who thought her life didn’t matter. Classmates who found her undesirable in the classroom. Classmates who thought she was better off dead.
Maybe they were just worried for her. Without Uncle Kaz, she was all alone, so it was better for her to die.
Was it better to die?
At night, Eri wondered about that. During class she would doodle Miyamoto Usagi and almost cry. She wanted to be just like him. She wanted to do something with her life.
She didn’t want to die just yet…not now…
But what? Where could her path lead? What future could an orphan with no money hope to achieve?
I will be…just like Miyamoto Usagi, she found herself thinking one day, and that alone was enough to get her through the day.
*
While others glare down from the very top of their mountain of despair
you rise like a crane from atop a heap of trash
Impress them with your pride from despair!
“You’re not thinking of skipping any more school, are ya?” Yoshinori taunted one day during lunch break. The other kids in class bowed their heads. Shiro knew they hated Yoshinori’s bullying but couldn’t do much about it, especially with his own father as the teacher.
“Ew, what’re eating? Whose garbage did you dig that from?” Yoshinori made a face and laughed back in his seat. “I swear, orphans are the worse. No parents and now no house? Where’re they sleeping? Should we even allow filth like that inside our school?”
“You know what, Yoshinori?!” Shiro nearly broke his wooden chopsticks in half in his tight grip. He strode over to Yoshinori who glared up at him. That ugly mug of his deserved a mean fist through it, but Shiro held himself back.
Overcome your despair with pride.
“Look who’s calling others filthy. The only trash I’m seeing is this pile of scum in front of me. You must think having parents and a roof over your head makes you great and perfect, but you’re only lucky in life. With a rotten core like that, I’d never want your dad to be mine. What sort of mannerisms and disgusting rude attitudes would I have picked up? And I’d never step foot into your house, not even it’s the last one on the block, if it breeds filth like you.
“Despite what you have in life, Yoshinori, you’re clearly ashamed of it. Every bit of your action says so. Otherwise you wouldn’t be tearing down other people around you to try to make yourself fell better. At least I know how to hold my head up high.”
Shiro took a step back. The ringing silence in the class, filled with stunned state of shock, followed Shiro back to his desk. He ignored everyone as he finished his lunch.
“So cool!” he heard one student whisper behind him, and he smiled inwardly.
*
Majima looked up one afternoon as the kids came filing back to Morning Glory. Where there were once tears and gloomy expressions, children unable to focus on their schoolwork as life pinned them under her bitter haggard foot, they were now holding their heads up high and laughing, imbued with the song’s message.
“You saw Saburo’s face, Koji?”
“Heck yeah, Taichi! Couldn’t believe we got higher marks than him, again!”
“My gym teacher’s telling me to try out for track next year! I’m so excited!”
“I showed that Tadashi! Whatcha holding, Eri-chan?”
“A sword. I’m gonna be like Miyamoto Usagi!”
Riona and Mitsuo were holding hands.
“Which movie would you like to see this Saturday, Mitsuo?”
“Oh, um…well, there’s one, but it’s a romance…”
“I love romantic movies! Let’s go!”
“Ya good, Shiro-chan?” Majima asked as Shiro passed him by, his head bowed. Out of everyone he was the only one not talking.
Giving a start, the boy readjusted his glasses and looked up. “Um, well…”
“Yo, Shiro-san!” someone called out. A group of small boys and girls around Shiro’s age ran by laughing good heartedly. “Nice work at school today, putting Yoshinori in his place!”
“It’s been long overdue!” added one boy.
“He’s been getting on my nerves!” said one girl.
“Is that right?” Majima said as he turned back to Shiro.
Shiro glanced up at him and blushed a deep red, but Majima threw his head back and laughed and laughed.
The kids were alright.
Have ya seen the answer, boy?
Have ya found the answer, girl?
Has what ya thought could be your solution
Really been inside ya all along?
If you've stopped worryin', then
Run! Run! Ruuuuuuuuuuun!
Kazama Joji hung around the construction site for some time after the orphanage was demolished. The first time Shiro had noticed him was the afternoon after their first day back to school. He had heard about Kiryu’s injury and offered to stay around for a short while in case Majima needed a lift to Tokyo using his fighter jet, ensuring a far quicker trip.
When he had time, Kazama checked in on the kids, displaying a warmth toward them that was rarely seen by others from Kazama. To Shiro, he couldn’t help but think of his grandfather. Some nights Shiro would take Bun-chan, now fully cleaned, its rips patched up, and sporting a brand new eyepatch, to bed to hug; he’d think of Hatsudai and miss those days terribly.
The Ryudo men also visited regularly. They worked with Majima closely on the restoration. Nakahara and Majima could often be found poring through blueprints in between Majima shrieking orders at his men and Nakahara sitting back and watching, ordering his men silently as Saki sketched beside him.
Nakahara also hooked Majima up with every organization in Okinawa that he needed to help him rebuild the orphanage: building materials, plumbers, electricians, and other businesses Shiro had never heard of before. He took Majima on tours around the area. Neighbors volunteered Majima to visit their homes to better understand the layout and the unique infrastructure of traditional Okinawan homes. There was a lot of math involved, which interested Shiro personally. The gates weren’t just for show. They protected each household from typhoons.
So much went into building a house.
Perhaps what surprised everyone was learning just how environmentally conscious Majima was. Upon learning that Kiryu regularly checked the shore for trash, he took up the habit and had everyone, from the kids to his men, involved. He only used recycled materials and wasted little. Litterers were severely punished.
“Earth’s burnin’ and yer hastin’ her death!” Shiro one day heard him screaming as he plummeted one of his men.
“’Twas only a beer can, Boss!”
“That’s what ya and seven billion other people think! Their one trash ain’t gon’ rot the Earth, but combined together yer killin’ the damn planet! What’re we gon’ do when Okinawa’s no more? When all of Japan’s no more?! HUH?!”
That night Shiro trembled under the sheets, haunted by the mental images of Earth burning to her death. He vowed to always collect any and all trash around their home, school, library, and everywhere he went.
Earth was such a rare gem of a planet in the vast cosmos.
Akira regularly visited, and he was the only one amongst their friends from school to do so. Their situation didn’t deter him at all, and neither was the lack of baseball on most days. With Mame around and the power of imagination there was plenty for the kids to do.
And if they ran out of ideas, Taichi was always there to entertain everyone with a wrestling match, dragging Mitsuo along with him. Sometimes that garnered the attention of some of Majima’s men who’d watch from the sidelines, hollering and egging them on as if in an actual match.
Tadashi also appeared one afternoon to apologize to Izumi for his crude remarks at school. Izumi loudly proclaimed to everyone at dinner later that the wedding was back on, but by the next evening the engagement was in mortal peril once more.
With the joint efforts of Majima, his men, and the Ryudo, the kids established a semi-normal schedule. They always studied and played at the beach, as it was the safest place for them to be, and where there was always an adult who could keep an eye on them. Meals catered to the workers here, which meant the kids got fed too.
They’d remain until Majima retired, where he’d then treat the children to a restaurant of their choosing and then hop back to their hotel room for a shower and then to bed. Meanwhile, there was always someone who stayed behind at the construction site, guarding the vicinity from any straggling Tamashiro grunt.
Majima was always running around. When he was not barking orders at his men or elbow deep in work at the site, he was in meetings with the Ryudo in their office, making connections with local building suppliers and other places around Okinawa, even their school. By the end of the day he’d flop on the couch, drained and exhausted, and fall right asleep.
Sometimes one of the kids, often Izumi, would nudge their way into his arms, missing the closeness of a guardian holding them. Majima’d crack his one eye open, lift his arm up, and pat their head as they slept over his chest before he’d too fall asleep, dead to the world.
Despite the bone-deep exhaustion, the faint padding of feet across the hall roused Majima wide awake one night. Grunting, he raised his head over the couch. A small figure was rummaging through the towel cabinet, muttering to themself.
“…can’t go back…where’re am I gonna sleep now?…oh this is bad…”
Majima frowned. “Ayako-chan?”
A soft gasp immediately followed as the culprit froze and turned toward him.
“Uncle Goro!” Ayako stepped into his line of sight. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
“Nah.” Majima waved his hand. Truthfully the couch pillow beckoned him back, temptatious, but he couldn’t give in with any of Kiryu’s kids out of bed, and especially if they seemed distressed. “What’s with all the towels? Ya didn’t shower yet?”
Ayako looked around herself sheepishly. “No, it’s not that, it’s just…” her gaze fell to the side, and even in the dark Majima could make out an expression of discomfort and indecision.
“Somethin’ botherin’ ya, Ayako-chan?”
“I’m fine, I think…”
Ya think? Majima thought, confused. Ayako grabbed a few towels and made to run off back to her siblings when she stopped as if reconsidering as she took another peek at her bed.
Head bowed a little, she slowly made her way toward him.
“Um, Uncle Goro, I don’t mean to bother you with this…” Ayako said in a hushed voice. “I have no one to talk to about this.”
The sleep now gone from him, Majima shifted from the couch so Ayako could sit next to him. Ayako, however, kept standing. “What’s wrong, Ayako-chan?”
It took Ayako a few moments to find the right words. “I’m scared, Uncle Goro. Something happened just now that woke me up…”
“Oh? What is it? Are the other kids okay?”
Ayako nodded and smiled sadly. “It’s nothing like that. It’s me. I…I think I just got my first period. And there’s nothing in the hotel for me to use.” Ayako hung her head. “And…and I have no idea what to do. What to use. I don’t want to make a mess in the hotel bed or these towels. I’m even nervous about sitting down! I can’t believe this is happening in the middle of everything else!”
Blushing beet red, she covered her face in her hands.
“Can’t imagine it’s easy hittin’ a milestone like that what with everything else goin’ on,” Majima said with a sympathetic nod. “Don’t be afraid of messin’ the sheets. Cleanin’s the hotel staff’s concern. That wouldn’ be the first time they dealt with blood.” And other bodily fluids, but Majima wasn’t going to mention that to her.
“What about the towels?”
“Same with ‘em. Bleed wherever ya want. Nothing a good wash can’ fix! Listen, Ayako-chan. I once ran a whole business staffed with women. I know a few things about this. I can run down to the store and get ya some stuff, alright?”
“Are they open at this hour?” Ayako asked.
“If they aren’t then I’ll just head to the next store,” Majima said. “’Tis no big deal!” He added at the look of sheer embarrassment on Ayako’s face.
He had Gary look after the kids as he rushed down to the nearest mini mart. He grabbed items off the shelf based on what he remembered the hostesses of Club Sunshine, The Grand, and more recently Club Four Shine used to request. Of course, being their manager he had to stock the back room a number of times before. He had done this so many times by now it was almost second nature reaching for the stuff most of the girls preferred.
Majima paid the cashier and went right back to the hotel, dismissed Gary with a bow of his head, and located Ayako. She was looking uncomfortable sitting straight up on the couch, having not moved an inch. Poor thing.
“Hope I didn’ make ya wait long,” Majima said as he handed her the bag.
Blushing at the sight of the bag, Ayako shook her head. “No, no, you were quick, actually. Thank you, Uncle Goro. This means a lot.” She continued to thank him profusely as she relieved him of the bag and then ran off to the bathroom. Watching her back, a painful twinge blossomed in Majima’s chest as a thought flitted through the back of his mind, the realization that he—she—couldn’t have been more helpful.
With an exhausted sigh, Majima kicked off his shoes and fell back on the couch.
Yer kids are growing up without ya around, Kiryu-chan, Majima thought sadly as he slipped into a deep sleep. Come back.
“Um…sorry. Am I in the right place?”
Everyone looked up, construction workers and orphanage kids alike, who had stopped what they were doing to watch the newcomer.
Shiro had never seen anyone like her before. A well-figured woman wearing a short black jacket, short shorts, and fishnet stockings that accentuated the curves of her buttocks had just approached Morning Glory. She pushed her bleached hair back and looked around herself with uncertainty.
She seemed completely unfazed about stepping toward a crowd of half-naked inked men, even when some of them began to whistle toward her.
“What’ve we here, sweetheart?” someone called out.
“Yer certainly in the right place, right on my d—!”
“Can it!” Majima said as he came up to her. “May we help ya, girlie?”
The woman bowed. “Sorry, it’s just…a childhood friend told me he was waiting to meet me back here in Okinawa, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls.”
“Dump him and come right over here!” Minami called out, hollering as he slapped his dirtied hands on his lap.
“Put a sock in it!” Majima spat before returning to the woman. “What’s his name?”
“I’m sorry,” the woman said, a little coldly. “I can see you’re Tokyo yakuza. He’s a local yakuza, a captain. You’re not here bringing trouble, are you?”
“Trouble?” Majima raised his eyebrows. “No, no…we’re helping out a good friend of mine. He’s lost his home here, see…” He waved toward the site. “Wait…when ya say captain…is the name Shimabukuro Rikiya?”
At the mention of Rikiya’s name, Majima’s men one by one stopped smirking hungrily, replaced with expressions of somberness.
However, the woman did not notice any of that. Her eyes grew wide and shone like sunlight. “Yes, yes! That’s him! Rikiya told me to meet him. My name is Uesato Natsumi. I finally returned to Okinawa, just like I promised him! It took me some time, but I’m back home! I really want to meet Rikiya again! Please, do you know where he is?”
Majima’s face had gone ashen. He brought a hand to her shoulder before he could find the words. “I’ll…I’ll take ya to his boss, to the Ryudo Family office, how ‘bout it, Natsumi-chan?”
“The Ryudo office?”
“Yeah. I’m working with Patriarch Nakahara on building this house. He’s the landlord of this property.”
“Oh, okay. So Rikiya’s there?”
Shiro winced at the hopeful tone in her voice, carried all the way to the beach where the kids sat and did their homework. Majima, meanwhile, kept his face impassive.
“I’ll lead the way, Natsumi-chan.”
Some time later Majima and Natsumi reappeared on Morning Glory Road. The skies were filled with Natsumi’s cries. It attracted the kids’ attention once more; they stopped and watched as Majima guided her to the gate.
“Wh-what am I to do now?” she whimpered. “I cut all ties to Kamurocho! I…I wanted to be back with him!”
Majima rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. “I’m sure Rikiya’s touched just knowing ya came back here.”
“B-but we made a promise!”
“Ah, Natsumi-chan…”
Looking up, Natsumi’s gaze fell on the kids for the first time. “O-oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you!”
Majima chuckled faintly. “They’re the kids of Morning Glory Orphanage.”
“It’s okay, Natsumi-san,” Ayako said. “We were very sad when Uncle Rikiya died. He always visited and played with us.”
“R-Rikiya cared for you?” Natsumi said, hiccuping.
“Like they were his own lil sisters and brothers,” Majima said with a nod.
Natsumi frowned. “Who runs this place? Does Morning Glory have anyone else working here?”
“Er—just the supervisor, I suppose. Kiryu Kazuma. But he’s in a bit of a pickle right now.”
“Kiryu-san?! I know him! He was with Rikiya when we ran into each other in Kamurocho! Is he okay?”
“Well…he’s currently in the hospital…”
Natsumi gasped. “Who’s taking care of the kids right now?”
“All of us,” Majima said with a shrug. “Me, my boys, the Ryudo Family, and the neighbors if we’re really in a pinch—”
“Take me on as a volunteer!” Natsumi proclaimed. “An orphanage needs some volunteers!”
Majima stared at her, his jaw hung open. “What?! I can’t make that decision!”
“But someone’ll need to! The supervisor isn’t here. The kids will need someone when the supervisor isn’t present. It’ll put Kiryu-san’s mind at ease to know there’s always someone present whenever he’s not around. Please! If Rikiya was their big brother, then I’ll be their big sister! I’ll be around however long Kiryu-san wants me! I know a little how to cook, I can clean, I’m good with animals if you have pets, I’ll help with homework, I’ll play with the kids after school, I’ll take them shopping, and I’ll help with anything else that the kids need from me!”
Her eyes begged him, and even Shiro could not find any reason to turn her down. Like them, she was a stray, stranded on the shores of Okinawa, and desperate for a home.
Majima glanced toward them, silently asking for their approval. Everyone gave a nod. And then Majima’s eye fell on Ayako, and it was as though he had an epiphany.
“The girls will need a woman around…” Shiro thought he heard Majima mutter to himself. Natsumi smiled tearfully.
Majima beamed at Natsumi and patted her on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Natsumi-chan!”
“He’s a bit coo-coo, but I like him,” Taichi said one day while the others watched Majima at work.
“He’s really harmless, I told you,” Shiro said. “The Mad Dog of Shimano thing is just an act.”
Izumi tilted her head to one side. “Mad Dog?”
“Yeah, like how Uncle Kaz is the Dragon of Dojima.”
“But that’s not a dog on his back,” Izumi said as she pointed to Majima’s bare back. It was getting hot in Okinawa, and Majima was hosing himself down, not even caring that his pants were getting drenched.
“No, you’re right. That’s a Hannya.”
“Why aren’t we bustin’ some ass here?” Majima screamed at his men. “I need this place back to its full splendor in another week!”
Voices cried out in protest.
“Sir! It can take months to build a house!” one of his men said.
“Not with the manpower we got!” Majima said.
“But it’s so hot out here!”
“And it’s gonna get hotter once June rolls around. Y’wanna burn in the sun, fine with me!”
“You’re crazy!” someone grumbled near the kids.
Taichi grinned at Shiro and Izumi. “We’re getting our home back in a week!”
Shiro couldn’t believe it. Maybe Majima was being too demanding. He glanced back toward the patriarch when his phone just rang. Majima moved aside to read the name, and Shiro saw his eye grow wide.
“Yes? Haruka?”
The kids instantly grew quiet.
“Nishida, ya stay with the kids,” Majima ordered as he dialed another number, running down the road without another glance at anyone. “Kazama, I’mma need that jet!”
And just like that Majima was gone from Morning Glory.
The last thing Kiryu remembered was Haruka’s screams, the blue skies beckoning him, and in the far off distance, a voice he wanted to reach out for.
“Kiryu-chan…”
A moan escaped his lips, fighting against death’s seductive pull.
“Kiryu-chan…”
A light passed over him, and his eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in not the sky but fluorescents. An eye, dark and filled with concern, met his.
“Kiryu-chan!” Majima gasped softly as his hands caressed his cheeks. “Yer awake!” He continued to touch him as if disbelieving Kiryu was looking into his eye. Groggily, Kiryu reached up and took Majima’s hand, kissing the inside of his palm.
“Majima-no-nii-san…”
All a sudden he grabbed Kiryu’s shoulders and rattled him, screaming, “YA FUCKIN’ GORILLA! WHAT’RE YA THINKIN’ TRYIN’ MAKE FRIENDS WITH THAT BRUTE?! HAH?! YA NEARLY GOT YERSELF KILLED! YA HAD ALL US WORRIED TO DEATH! YA ALMOST LEFT BEHIND NINE KIDS—YA ALMOST LEFT ME BEHIND!”
“Uncle Goro, what’re you doing?!” Was that Haruka?
“Majima, step away right now!” Date-san?
“Call security—this man’s trying to kill my patient!” shrieked a woman in the distance. A nurse?
Despite the throttling that would have broken any human’s neck, Kiryu just lay there, perfectly fine and laughing good-naturedly. His body was wracked with pain, and what an incredible feeling that was.
He was alive.
“Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said again, moaning with delight. He reached up and shushed Majima with a kiss, feeling a single teardrop land on his cheek as they held on like this.
Date had to pull all the stops to ensure Majima didn’t get arrested for his earlier outburst. It meant that Date himself couldn’t sit down with Kiryu until much later, but Majima barely thought to apologize for that.
Kiryu was still out of sorts. He was at least taken out of ICU and placed in a normal hospital room, but that didn’t mean he was any closer to being discharged. The course of antibiotics the doctors had given him meant he had to remain in the hospital for some time. His body was also still recovering from the poison, not to mention he was adjusting to his guts having been rearranged.
Majima didn’t blame him for looking so tired and weak, although it also pained him seeing Kiryu like this.
“How long was I out?” Kiryu asked.
“Two years,” Majima said in a grave tone. “Was abouta give up on ya and tug the cord out myself, Kiryu-chan.”
Haruka slapped his arm.
“Almost two weeks,” she corrected.
“Two weeks,” Kiryu said and rubbed his chin. “No…I hope everyone at Morning Glory is okay.”
Majima leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “Don’t worry yerself with that. The kids are perfectly safe.”
Kiryu shot him a suspicious look, but Haruka gave a meaningful nod. “Yeah, Nakahara and Saki have been looking after them! They’ve been going to school just fine, but they miss you tons, Uncle Kaz!”
“And what about you,” Kiryu asked, frowning. “Have you stayed here all this time?”
“I stayed with Date-san!”
Kiryu frowned. “But you missed school…”
Haruka shook her head and shyly studied her shoes. “Someone had to stay with you…what if that man or another enemy came back and tried to hurt you?”
Again, a suspicious glint flitted through Kiryu’s face, trying to piece a puzzle together. Someone was missing from the equation, and Kiryu had immediately picked up on it…
Majima gently cleared his throat.
Guy’s too clever for his own good.
Majima gave Kiryu another kiss and encouraged him to rest up some more. The prospect seemed pleasing to Kiryu because he soon slipped back asleep.
Date had just returned, so Majima excused himself.
“Haruka, y’ve been cooped up in here for a while. Time for ya to wind down a bit. Let’s say we hit the town, eh?”
Haruka at first hesitated, but seeing that Kiryu’s condition had stabilized, her eyes lit up. She took Majima’s hand, and they made for the exit. Once outside, a glint crossed her eyes that almost scared Majima. He recognized it from all the times she had accompanied Kiryu out on the streets.
“Let’s see…what would I like to do first…” Haruka mused. “I bet…you can get exactly 56,000 points in Fantasy Zone!”
Majima roared with laughter. “I see what ya did there! Want to see ol’ Uncle Goro score 56,000 points? I’ve scored higher in my youth! C’mon!”
Whatever Haruka requested, Majima obliged. Poor thing had barely left Kiryu’s side in all the time he had been hospitalized; she deserved a little breather.
They spent hours at the Club SEGA in Theater Square. After Majima (easily) scored 56,000 points on Fantasy Zone, Haruka then adjusted her request to 560,000 points. Majima had to admit he had never gotten a score that high, but he wasn’t about to put down any request made by Haruka.
It took a lot of effort, and after much swearing on his part and Haruka cheering him on behind him, somehow he managed.
“You did it, Uncle Goro!” Haruka cheered, bouncing behind him.
“Heh heh, told ya!” Majima said, ignoring the blisters forming on his fingers. “Where to next?”
But he had already spotted Haruka eyeing the UFO catchers.
Afterwards they grabbed some drinks from a vending machine near West Shichifuku Street, and Haruka took to watching Majima flex his batting skills at the Yoshida Batting Center, her new Big Piyo-chan perched on her knees. Of course he had to hit ten, then twenty perfect home runs per her challenge. He even attempted them on the Extra Hard Course, just to impress the hair outta her.
If only Kiryu-chan were seeing this…
Afterwards Haruka tugged his arm toward one building he never expected her to know about.
“Ya know about the Dragon Palace?!”
“And Purgatory’s gambling hall,” Haruka said with a sly little smile. “Do you want to try your hand at gambling? Uncle Kaz is always really bad at it.”
Majima paled at that—what was she about to make him do?! Where the hell has Kiryu been taking her?!—and seeing his reaction, Haruka blushed, realizing what she was asking, and changed her mind.
To make it up for her, Majima took her to the nearest karaokekan. Instantly perking up, Haruka made him stop at nearly every convenience store along the way just to grab a steamed bun here, a drink there, while happily chirping about all the songs she was going to sing.
Among the assortment of selections was a hidden gem, a new hit known as “Get to the Top”. It was a song they could duet, and the two immediately got into it. Majima could only imagine Kiryu’s face if he were to witness them screaming at the top of their lungs. They hopped around in the room, completely letting loose, imagining they were putting on a performance in front of a live audience.
“We’d make a great idol group someday,” Majima laughed. “I ever told ya about Everybody’s Idol Goro?”
“You used to chase Uncle Kaz around the city in that costume,” Haruka said.
“Oh, yeah, I did…”
Giggling uncontrollably, Haruka caught her stomach. “Think I could be an idol someday, Uncle Goro?”
“Ya’d be the very best idol that’s ever graced the stage!”
Haruka blushed and screamed. “Uncle Goro!” Running and giving him a tight squeeze, she thanked him for taking her out. Majima pat her on the head.
“Anything for ya, kiddo.”
She was starting to get tired, so it was time to bring his Kiryu-chan’s sweet little angel princess back to him. He hauled a taxi back to Touto University Hospital.
Kiryu was sitting up in bed by the time they arrived. He was speaking to someone on his phone, and a grim expression was set on his face.
Majima and Haruka settled themselves around them. Date was pointedly not looking at him.
After he was done, Kiryu set his phone down, closed his eyes, and sighed. He looked so tired, Majima wanted to give him a hug but he could sense there was something amiss.
“Everything alrigh’, Kiryu-chan?” Majima asked after a while.
“I was on the phone with Nakahara-san,” Kiryu said.
Majima didn’t react. He had told Nakahara not to reveal the rebuilding project to Kiryu should the two talk, so he wasn’t scared of that. But he was careful not to react to the name. Despite knowing who the Ryudo family were, he shouldn’t know Nakahara by name. Showing any recognition would only make Kiryu’s suspicions grow.
“Oh?” was Majima’s only reply.
Kiryu nodded slowly. “He said the children were staying with him. I asked to speak with some of them.”
Majima inwardly tensed. He hadn’t told any of the kids to stay mum about the whole ordeal.
“I just got done speaking with Shiro,” Kiryu said. “He tells me he’s managed to shut down his bully at school without even having to raise his fist. He cites you as the man who showed him how.”
Majima stayed silent.
“I don’t know if you were aware of his bullying problem from earlier last year,” Kiryu went on. “Whatever you told him over the phone must have really inspired him. Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san.”
Majima’s shoulders relaxed. He chuckled sheepishly. “Aye, no prob, Kiryu-chan! Happy to help yer kids anytime, even if I’m miles away!”
Kiryu’s eyes narrowed. “And how did you know where to contact him? You don’t seem to know Nakahara-san nor his office.”
Damn.
Damn it, Kiryu-chan!
Giving a tiny “Hmph,” in triumph, Kiryu sat straighter in bed. “When were you going to tell me about rebuilding Morning Glory?”
“I don’t want ya worryin’ yerself. Consider this a gift.”
“But, Majima-no-nii-san—”
Majima shook his head. “ Stop right there, Kiryu-chan!”
“I’ve already asked so much from you!”
“I’m doing this on my own volition! Ya just heal up, ‘kay?” He leaned closer and nuzzled against his cheek. “Leave this to me. By the time yer out of the hospital, Morning Glory’ll be up and good as new. Promise.”
Notes:
Introducing Natsumi! ❤️ I absolutely had to add her into the story after playing the substory, as I always wondered what happened to her after Rikiya died since she said she would return to Okinawa.
I love this chapter to pieces, as someone who has always wanted to see Majima interact with the kids and Haruka.
Next chapter scheduled for Wednesday, July 31st. 💕
Chapter 10: II.5. The Mad Dog Days of Summer
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: The Mad Dog Days of Summer
“WELCOME BACK, UNCLE KAZ!” a chorus of children’s voices filled the skies, greeting Kiryu as he appeared by the gate, Majima and Haruka by his side.
“Who could ask for a better birthday present?” Majima announced joyfully as he squeezed Kiryu’s arm close to his chest.
“It’s your birthday, Uncle Goro?” Taichi said. “We need to celebrate!”
“Having Kiryu-chan here is all I need!” Majima threw out his arms in a dramatic display before beaming back at Kiryu. A blush crossed Kiryu’s face as he dipped away from the children’s gazes.
“Aww!” the kids all chimed in unison over Majima’s words.
Kiryu took in the sights, his face full of disbelief. Today was May fourteenth, about two months after his home was destroyed, yet here was Morning Glory Orphanage standing as though Mine and Tamashiro had never stepped foot past the gate.
The same red roof. The courtyard clear and clean, the outside table and chairs, even the eastern wall…all rebuilt and looking just as they were before, untouched by the trauma a couple months ago. Nothing was out of place.
“It’s like it’s never been torn down!” Haruka voiced what Kiryu was too stunned to say. He only managed a nod in agreement.
“Hee hee hee, didn’t I tell ya, Kiryu-chan?” Majima exclaimed. “Yer kids had nothing to worry about! They got their home back in weeks while yer were still resting up! By Children’s Day they were all sleepin’ in their new futons! C’mon, let me give ya a tour!”
Taking Kiryu’s hand, he dragged him around, excitedly pointing out everything his team had done to restore Morning Glory to her former splendor.
The eastern gate had to be completely redone, but Nakahara had supplied the right materials. Majima explained how he had studied the blueprints and plenty of neighbors’ houses to get an idea of traditional Okinawan residential structures. He also studied photos of Morning Glory every day, burned them into his retina, to get the place back up.
The inside was even more startling. The foundation itself was different, Majima explained, as his boys had built in steel so the orphanage could withstand any storm from nature or humankind.
Majima had taken it upon himself to purchase furniture that resembled their previous kin, and if he couldn’t find the exact match, he opted for something that was close and of much higher quality. The dining room table was that tone of green that Kiryu found charming but there was something slightly different about it he couldn’t quite explain. More homey.
“While we had the chance, we cleaned up the back porch in case ya wanna get into gardenin’. Also it’ll be easier to walk around in when ya hang out yer laundry,” Majima went on.
Kiryu took in the bookshelves in the kids’ rooms, full and sturdy. He nodded approvingly at their futons, all new and clean and lovingly tucked to the side for the day. He noted one stuffed animal that was sewn together, perhaps too beloved to be tossed out, but many were new. Did Majima and his men go out of their way to get toys for the kids? The thought both amused and touched Kiryu greatly. Haruka’s desk was the same as the one she had settled with when they first moved here, white wood with some pink accents, her favorite color. Backpacks were replaced, but Majima’s men had tried to salvage as much as they could of the contents within from the old backpacks.
The kitchen had suffered a fire, but even still Majima had managed to take enough inventory to replenish it with a completely identical stock. Even still, Kiryu was surprised to learn a handful of pots and pans had miraculously survived.
The table found for the dining room was also sold as a smaller circular low table, which Majima placed in his bedroom. The room didn’t feel as cramped now, which Kiryu had mixed feelings about. He didn’t mind the tightness of space.
Majima took him one by one through all of his own personal belongings.
“Saved all the important shit for ya,” Majima explained as he motioned toward the financial records, medical records for the kids, and the like. Stuff that couldn’t be replaced. Some were in worse shape, but it was clear Majima had done all he could to salvage them.
“Got yer lady restored for ya too,” he added as he handed over the framed photo of Sayama Kaoru.
Kiryu blushed. “Don’t get the wrong idea. Besides, she’s starting to see someone else.”
“Oh?” Was it Kiryu’s imagination, or did Majima actually look upset?
Kiryu pretended he hadn’t noticed Majima’s reaction and thanked him as he carefully placed the photo back in its place on his book shelf. Kaoru was a friend to him. Was it weird to have her photo here, he wondered. A shared trauma had brought them together momentarily, but they were both healing and moving on from that. Their friendship didn’t have to end, and she still cared for him enough to email him while he was at the hospital, but he knew her heart was now in another man. They were both fine like this.
Maybe he should replace the photo at some point so others didn’t get the wrong idea.
“I also saved this for ya,” Majima said after a moment. “It fell out of yer blazer while we were gathering yer stuff back at the hospital. Know ya’d hate to lose it.”
Kiryu gasped softly as Majima opened his gloved hand to reveal a platinum ring with overlapping shanks, crowned by a single tiny ruby.
Yumi’s ring.
It was the only present Kiryu had ever bought for her on her birthday. Had it not been Reina’s suggestion, down to the exact brand and design, Kiryu wouldn’t have even known what to get her. Kiryu wasn’t even about to get Yumi anything, not being the sort to even think of buying presents, had Nishiki not pushed him into it as a sort of friendly rivalry.
In the end Yumi had loved their presents enough that she wore them every day, both Nishiki’s necklace and Kiryu’s ring, up until the night when she was dragged into the office of the Dojima patriarch and almost sexually assaulted. Nishiki rushed to her rescue, and before Kiryu could stop him, had fed Dojima with bullets.
Unable to take in the painful image of Yumi traumatized by the side, and Nishiki in a state of panic, gun in his hands, Kiryu took the gun from him and made him run away with Yumi. Kiryu took the fall for him, pleading guilty and ending up with ten years in prison.
Right before the cops had shown up to the scene, Kiryu had spotted Yumi’s ring on the floor. As he couldn’t keep it during his prison stay, he handed the ring over to Detective Date. In time the ring found its way back to Kiryu.
He kept it ever since.
“Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said softly as he took the ring. He studied it in his hand as though it was the most precious thing in the world. He was close to losing it had it not been for Majima noticing it…
Majima cleared his throat, and Kiryu glanced up, taking note of the look on his face. He was watching Kiryu with a sort of frown.
“Worried for ya there, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said softly. “Yumi was great and all, a great beaut with a soul purer than snow. But she’s gone. Doncha think ya should move on?”
“What do you mean?” Kiryu asked.
Majima sighed and motioned toward Kaoru’s photo. “Ya had a chance.”
I took Kiryu a few moments to realize what Majima was trying to say. “But…she’s found someone else. And what about us?”
He couldn’t understand why Majima kept suggesting women for him. Their first sexual experience together had been at the height of Kiryu’s search for Yumi following his release from prison, though it was a slightly different time (and place) before they had first made love. He could love two people at once, Kiryu had found, but it wasn’t necessary. He was satisfied with just Majima.
“It can’t be us forever,” Majima said miserably, his feet dangling over Kiryu’s swivel chair. “Someone like Hamazaki…”
“He won’t bother us,” Kiryu said.
Majima sighed heavily and looked away. “As stubborn and stupid as an ox as always, Kiryu-chan.”
Kiryu chuckled as he got down on Majima’s level. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss to Majima’s cheek, softening the other man.
“What you’ve done for Morning Glory is incredible. I cannot begin to ever repay you. Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san.”
Majima rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around sheepishly. “It wasn’t all my doin’, Kiryu-chan. My boys were working around the clock, and I had plenty of help piecin’ the place back together.”
“Still, they wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much without your guidance.”
At that, Kiryu saw Majima’s cheeks redden. It wasn’t often he could get Majima flustered, and it always pleased him to know he could inflict that sort of reaction from him.
“Oh, yeah,” Majima said, snapping his fingers. “And there’s this girl. Name’s Natsumi. Rikiya knew her.”
“Oh? Yes, I remember her. What about her?”
“I hired her in yer absence. Girl was distraught over her man dying. Came all the way from Tokyo to begin a new life with him only to find out he bit the dust. There wasn’ much else I could do for her. First I assigned her as a volunteer but she’s invaluable to this place. Couldn’ help but pay her a lil’. Helpin’ the kids seem to give her purpose, and the kids seem to like her. Hope ya don’ mind.”
Kiryu squeezed his eyes shut, pained by the memory of Rikiya. “No, of course not. She can help out all she wants.”
Majima gave a satisfied nod. “Then I made the right choice. Oh…also…the girls need her. One of them began her flow while you were away. Poor thing was so distraught, didn’t know what to do…” He bowed his head, and Kiryu could only imagine what it was like, trying to help a growing girl without much first-hand experience on the matter.
Kiryu nodded. He made a mental note to speak with Natsumi later. He needed to check in on her. “I see. Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san. And you did all this without asking for a single yen in payment?”
“‘Course! All to thank ya for getting Hamazaki off my back! Once that bastard let go of my leash I could run off however I pleased! But seriously, Kiryu-chan, it was for ya and yer kids. When I heard what happened, I couldn’ just leave them out in the cold.”
Touched by his words, Kiryu took Majima’s hand and squeezed gently. “Thank you, Goro. You’ve been a good father to my kids.”
At those words, another blush crossed Majima’s face as his eye grew wide and glimmered with warmth. Kiryu kissed his hand, watching as it rendered him speechless.
“’tis nothing,” Majima said eventually. “Ya got wonderful kids, Kiryu-chan. Loved watching over them, like they were my own.”
“Like they were your own?” Kiryu said. “They are.”
Taken aback once more, Majima’s face softened as a small smile spread across his face. “Our children. Heh. I like the sound of that.”
Just then a few heads popped into their room. Majima and him immediately let go of one another. Kiryu hoped Taichi hadn’t noticed. With him were Koji, Izumi, and Shiro, the last of which peered up at Kiryu apologetically.
“Hey, Uncle Goro!” Taichi yelled energetically. “You’re not going back to Tokyo, are ya?”
“Yeah, stay with us!” Koji yelled. “I know it’s still some time before summer holiday, but we’d love it if you stayed with us longer!”
Majima chuckled. “I got that construction still going in Kamurocho Hills. It’ll be startin’ up again now that I’m a free man.”
“But we’ll miss you!” Izumi urged. “And Uncle Kaz needs your help! Look how tired he is!”
“Hey,” Kiryu warned. He didn’t wish to impose on Majima, but Izumi’s words did make Majima give him a long and exaggerated inspection.
“Ho…yer right. Someone’s gonna have to redress those wounds of yers,” he said as he motioned toward Kiryu’s stomach. He had his shirt open, his bandaged torso exposed for all to see. “Ye can’ just throw that responsibility on Haruka.”
Kiryu frowned. “Are you okay with staying here?”
Majima just grinned. “How could I pass up the chance? As long as you’ll have me.”
“I—of course. I wouldn’t mind you staying—”
Hopping to his feet, Majima rushed out to make a few phone calls. Kiryu could hear him ordering Nishida and Okuda with a vigor he hadn’t seen before.
“Uncle Kaz, I tried to stop them,” Shiro said apologetically as he slipped inside Kiryu’s room. “I said it would be rude to hold him back.”
“I think Majima-no-nii-san deserves a little vacation after everything he’s been through,” Kiryu said with a smile and a little pat on Shiro’s head.
“Looks like I’m gonna be yer guest all summer!” Majima announced as he popped back in. The other kids cheered and feet pounded through the house as the good news spread throughout Morning Glory.
Deep down, Kiryu was glad. A chance to be with Majima was nice. He met Majima’s gaze and smiled.
Shiro was still in the room, and that was when Majima closed his eye slowly and pointed toward the luggage inside his room.
“Oh, that’s right…” Kiryu said, snapping out of his reverie. Majima resumed his spot on the swivel chair. “Shiro, we have something to tell you personally.”
“Me?” It was now just the three of them. Shyly he sauntered up to them. “A-am I in trouble?”
Majima chuckled. “You? Yer the most polite kid I ever met! We ain’t gonna shackle yer ankles and hang ya upside down for not dryin’ the dishes.”
Giggling, Shiro’s small shoulders eased as he settled by the table.
“Your Uncle Kaz and I stopped by yer grandpa’s place while we were in the area.”
“Grandpa?” Shiro gasped softly.
Kiryu nodded. “We had to call to make sure it was a good time to visit. He misses you, Shiro. He wants you to have this.”
From his small carry case, Kiryu produced a small wrapped gift box and several letters addressed to Shiro from Shirogane Kichiro. As Shiro took them, his eyes wide and full of unshed tears, Kiryu’s chest clenched poignantly.
Shiro was lucky to come to Morning Glory, he thought. Some orphanages would have made it more than impossible for Shirogane-san to get into contact with his grandson. And what would have happened had Shiro fallen ill while in another’s care? Kiryu didn’t even wish to entertain the thought; he almost embraced the boy tightly right then and there, consumed by how much he missed him.
Shiro looked up at them, teary-eyed but smiling. “Thank you, Uncle Kaz, Uncle Goro. Um…would it be all right if I wrote to Grandpa?”
“I’m sure we can make it happen,” Majima said. Kiryu nodded in agreement.
“But I can’t see him…” Shiro said softly. “Because of the Kurosu Clan…”
It hurt to hear those words. Shiro didn’t know Patriarch Kurosu Katsuo was his uncle. Kiryu had to think of a way to thaw Kurosu’s ire toward the boy without risking Shiro’s life.
“I hesitate to make any promises in this case,” Kiryu said, “given the situation, but should the opportunity arise, I don’t see why you can’t visit your grandfather.”
“I understand.” Shiro smiled up at them. “Maybe someday.”
Bowing, Shiro thanked them again. He made to leave, but before disappearing around the other side of the sliding door, he turned back and smiled at them both.
“Good to have you back, Uncle Kaz! Thank you for looking out for him, Uncle Goro!”
Dinner was the most lively affair in a while. Haruka didn’t sit by Kiryu’s side as she normally did, as she wanted Majima to take the spot. Instead she happily sat across from them at the long table, smiling up at them every now and again. Shiro could only guess why. Sitting side by side, the two looked like a married couple.
It was only a pity the other kids didn’t know of their relationship.
What would they think of them? Shiro wondered, watching as Ayako informed Kiryu that she had joined the track team just as he had recommended.
“And how’s your new school year been, Shiro?” Kiryu asked, breaking through Shiro’s thoughts.
“A lot better than last year’s,” Shiro said. “The air feels more relaxed now that Yoshinori was placed in a different class.”
“You’re in third grade now?”
Shiro nodded. About time too. The thought of being stuck in second grade forever gave him nightmares. “I saw Yoshinori recently, and he looked miserable,” he added.
Riona snorted. “Don’t tell me, was he placed in Amaku-sensei’s class?”
“I think so,” Shiro said.
Eri, Mitsuo, and Riona all gave a loud, “HA!” Even the older kids looked amused.
“What’s up with Amaku-sensei?” Shiro asked.
“She’s only the meanest teacher at the school!” Mitsuo said.
“She’s an old bat who’d never accept slack, retort, or a snide remark ever, or it’s detention for the entire year!” Riona gloated.
“And being the child of another teacher ain’t gonna win you any favors!” Taichi added with wickedness in his voice.
“Oh, that’s too bad for him,” Shiro said but he saw the evil glint in Eri’s eyes and he couldn’t help returning it.
Kiryu and Majima gave one another looks.
“Why, yer raising lil monsters!” Majima said in a playfully accusatory tone. “Bad, bad Kiryu-chan!”
“I wonder who’s been raising them in my absence,” Kiryu shot back while trying to hide his amusement.
Despite being out of the hospital, Kiryu still needed time to heal. Because he had experienced multiple complications in the hospital, Kiryu explained to the kids, his body still needed plenty of rest. He had exerted himself beyond his limits and almost died because of it. Shiro also heard whispering about his body having had poison in his system for days prior to the blade assault.
Why didn’t he seek help right away?
It was a good thing, then, that Majima stuck around. He slept in the same room as Kiryu so he could keep an eye on him. Natsumi, meanwhile, had her own apartment closer to downtown Ryukyu. She would stop by during the day while the kids were out, and stayed around enough to help them with homework or to be an extra play partner for baseball or the like.
Kazama Joji visited Kiryu to ensure he was well. He then bid his farewell to the kids before leaving. He had his job to get back to the United States, and little did Shiro know, still innocent of the cruelty of time, this would be the final time he would ever see Kazama Joji.
Most of the Majima Family had left, each with a duty Majima had imparted to them. The Ryudo men regularly stopped by, having become something of an extended family to Morning Glory.
With Kiryu still on the mend, Natsumi became a regular face at the orphanage. She was present when Kiryu and Majima were invited to witness Mikio’s swearing into becoming the new captain of the Ryudo Family. Afterwards the entire family as well the orphanage paid a visit to Rikiya’s grave.
The funeral for Rikiya had long passed by the time Kiryu was released from the hospital. Kiryu voiced his regrets in not being around to send him off. Every time talks of Rikiya’s final moments returned, a distressed, pained look would cross Kiryu’s eyes, and Shiro wanted to hug him tightly.
No matter what anyone told Kiryu, he still blamed himself for Rikiya’s death.
That day of the visit Natsumi dressed in her best for the occasion as though she were going on a fancy date for Rikiya.
“I want Rikiya to see me looking my best,” she said as she wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “He went through so much for me even while I was giving him a hard time. I want him to see that I’ve returned, for him, and that I’m looking my best, all for him.”
Patriarch Nakahara, who had saved Rikiya’s ashes, parted some to Natsumi which she graciously received. He had no other family but them. Natsumi informed everyone she was going to fuse Rikiya’s ashes with the two halves of the charm Rikiya and she had. This way she would always carry him next to her heart.
“They would have been planning a wedding by now had Uncle Rikiya not died,” Izumi mumbled sadly to the others when she heard this.
As the adults spoke about the charm and the ashes, the kids walked a little around the cemetery before Mitsuo stopped and pointed down an aisle.
“My mom’s buried down this way,” he said.
“Um…my parents are that way,” Riona said, pointing in another direction.
Other kids identified where their parents were buried except for Eri who just stared at her shoes. Out of respect, no one pressed the matter.
Haruka led them to each site to pay their respects for their siblings’ biological parents. As Shiro crouched before Mitsuo’s mother’s grave, hands pressed together in prayer, his mind shot back to his own parents’ grave, way back in Tokyo. He wondered if his grandfather visited them. Did the Kurosu Clan allow his grandfather out of the house? Or were his parents’ graves always alone?
He shuddered.
Ever since their home was destroyed, Shiro had avoided the library now that he knew the twins were related to one of Tamashiro’s men. With everything else going on, none of the kids really noticed his hesitation, and he had plenty of books that Majima or one of his men had bought him so he could always be found reading by the shore or in his room.
But he knew he couldn’t stay away forever.
“Oh, no…” he heard a gasp coming from the girl’s room one morning. It was early June. Curiosity getting the better of him, Shiro peeked inside to find Ayako staring at something on her shelf.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
“Oh, Shiro!” Ayako turned to him. “It’s just, I have a track meet later today, but I forgot I had books due at the library. I won’t have time this morning, and the library will be closed by the time the meet is over.”
And late fees weren't something she could afford, Shiro reasoned. They couldn’t rely on Majima helping out every time. He had done so much for them already that all of the kids had become embarrassed asking for anything more from him.
“It’s okay,” Shiro said, steeling himself for the day ahead. “I got nothing going on after school. I can stop by.”
Relieved, Ayako thanked him and handed him the books.
Truthfully, Shiro missed going to the library. For all the fun home has been recently now that Uncle Kaz was back, he missed his little quiet study nook. But he wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing the twins there now.
Maybe if he was lucky Junpei and Junko wouldn’t be there today.
The school day whizzed by uneventfully, and Shiro readied himself for the library. Taking the familiar street toward the library, he was struck by a poignant nostalgia of how different life had been, just months ago, the last time he took this path.
Just as Shiro entered through the doors, he saw them.
There, in the nook where they usually sat, ready to pounce on him once he got near. From their vantage point, they could easily spot him, as if they had been waiting…
Shiro’s mind went blank.
First instinct was to turn back and run, but Shiro got enough sense to first shove Ayako’s books into the return bin and hightail it out.
Feeling sick to his stomach, Shiro hid by the nearby bushes just as the front doors opened again.
“I thought I saw him,” Junpei said.
“He’s not avoiding us, is he?” Junko said.
“Why would he? Do you think we offended him somehow?”
“I hope not! How did we offend him, do you think?
“I dunno. I hope he doesn’t hate us…”
“There’s something important we have to tell him before it’s too late!”
“Yeah…before the summer ends…”
Shiro sank to the ground, hugging his knees. Memories of the past flashed through his mind, of Tamashiro’s men sneering down at him, the unadulterated horror of that moment, the feeling of helplessness, of how utterly weak and powerless he was…
He waited until the twins were gone.
I’m so sorry, Yukiho…Uncle Kaz… Shiro thought. He was supposed to be stronger than this. He had made a promise to Yukiho that he would be strong, just like a Shisa lion, that he would keep all bad things out. But he wasn’t strong. He was scared. He was helpless to do anything. He was weak.
Feeling like a total failure, Shiro slowly rose back to his feet and made for home.
The twins were still haunting Shiro when he reached Morning Glory Road. Staring out at the beach, he wished he could talk to Yukiho about it while still in the waking world.
“Why the long face, Shiro-chan?” a voice called out.
Shiro looked up, finding Kiryu and Majima strolling down the opposite direction of the Morning Glory Road side by side, relaxed under the golden warmth of the early evening summer sun.
“Everything okay, Shiro?” Kiryu asked.
Shiro hung his head. “Yeah. Was just thinking.”
Kiryu and Majima gave one another a quick glance.
“Listen, Shiro-chan. Kiryu-chan’s scheduled for a late-night visit to the doc’s—just a check-up, make sure he’s healin’ up okay. Ya wanna tag along?”
“It’ll be at the hospital,” Kiryu added. “Haruka is coming with us. Natsumi and Asahi will be staying at the orphanage for the night.”
That would mean a long car ride, far from here. A chance to clear his thoughts. Shiro didn’t show it, but he was leaping at the chance. He wanted to run as far away as he could from here.
“I’ll be driving,” Majima added, smirking. “Dun worry, I give the smoothest rides.” Kiryu nodded in agreement.
“Sure,” Shiro said and put on a smile for them both. He ran inside to get ready, missing out on the long look the two men gave one another.
Majima rented a car from the Ryudo office for the trip. When they returned to Morning Glory where Haruka and Shiro were waiting for them, Majima’s loud berating Kiryu for not having a car of his own spilled out into the courtyard.
“What if ya wanted to take the kids far north on vacay or somethin’?”
Kiryu shrugged, who sat in the front passenger seat on the left. “The Ryudo always offered a helping hand for everything. I could always ask for a car or van.”
Majima motioned for the kids to hop in. “Hoy, Kiryu-chan…didn’t ya have enough grants and donor money for the orphanage?”
“Just enough, yes. But I wasn’t going to use whatever was left over on something we were only going to use sporadically,” Kiryu said. “We’ve managed.”
“Kiii-ryuuu-chaaan.”
Haruka giggled at the way Majima berated him. She sat beside Shiro in the back, on the right side so she was facing the back of Majima’s head. Shiro, meanwhile, noticed that despite the playful bantering that carried on throughout the car ride, which was indeed a smooth drive, Majima sounded a little more nervous the closer they got to the hospital. From the way Kiryu’s shoulders tensed, so was he. Even Haruka’s eyes shone with worry and she fretted with her hands. Shiro recalled that she was present with Kiryu when he was stabbed. She had watched Kiryu bleed out on the streets, thinking she was about to lose him. Shiro didn’t even want to imagine what that was like.
Despite her nerves setting in, Haruka put on a reassuring smile for Kiryu as they walked him over to the reception desk.
“You two stay here,” Majima said to them in a soft voice as he motioned to a waiting room, his Osaka-ben dropping suddenly before he disappeared around the corner with Kiryu.
Shiro sat next to Haruka as his heart suddenly shot to his throat. This was the same hospital he was taken to for his surgery two years prior. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea coming here, but he needed a different atmosphere than the suffocating monotonic cycle of home, school, and the library.
“He’ll be okay, right?” Shiro said.
Haruka nodded hollowly. “Yeah. Uncle Kaz doesn’t like to stay lying down for long.”
“He hasn’t looked sick or anything, has he?”
Haruka shook her head. “Uncle Goro and I are just worried for him. He was in a really bad shape when he got attacked…but he’ll pull through, I know it!”
Her smile was more for him to not worry, Shiro realized. She was such a mature girl. Although she was older than Ayako and Taichi by only one year, she acted as though she were much older.
Shiro told her as much.
Haruka smiled sadly. “Guess it comes from always being alone before I met Uncle Kaz.”
“You weren’t with your mom?”
Haruka shook her head. “I lived in Sunflower Orphanage, the same place Uncle Kaz grew up. My mom used to write me letters, but it was my aunt who would visit me.”
“Your aunt?”
Haruka nodded. “But really, she was my mom in disguise. I had never met my mom. On her last visit she gave me a pendant, but then she stopped writing me letters, and my ‘aunt’ stopped visiting. I went to Kamurocho to go find my mom, and that’s how I met Uncle Kaz. As for my mom…”
She had died while protecting Haruka and Kiryu from a mad man, the very man who had also fathered Haruka. Shiro knew the general story by now, but there were some new details he hadn’t heard before. The pendant was the key to a safe housing ten billion yen that Sawamura Yumi, along with Kazama Shintaro and Third Chairman Sera Masaru, had stolen from the Tojo Clan in effort to thwart politician Jingu Kyohei’s scheme of controlling the Tojo. The revelation of the theft had cost Sera’s life, stirred a civil war among the Tojo Clan, and eventually led to Kiryu’s accession to Fourth Chairman, which he swore in and retired within hours so he could focus on being a father to Haruka, a far more noble decision in his eyes.
Ever since then, Haruka had bore witness to some of the most catastrophic moments of Kiryu’s life. What a burden to place on such a young girl.
“Had we not met, I don’t know what would have happened to Uncle Kaz,” Haruka went on. “He had lost his father, brother, and sister—everyone he called family—all within days of each other. He lost the last of the friends that still stood by him, people he cared for from a time well before I was born. Every reason he had for leaving jail after ten years went up in flames before his eyes. He only kept going because Date-san told him I was also alone.”
“So you saved him?” Shiro said.
“We saved each other,” Haruka said with a sad smile. “He’s come to my rescue so many times.”
And that went both ways, Shiro thought. “He cares deeply for you.”
“He cares deeply for all of us. You should have seen how worried he was when he thought he was losing you.” Haruka bowed her head. “At one point he said he would have gladly given up all of his own organs for you if he was a match. He was ready to die for you.”
“Me, take Uncle Kaz’s pickled liver?” Shiro said, trying to make light of the situation. The two giggled and sniffled back tears.
“It wasn’t just me who kept Uncle Kaz from despair,” Haruka added after a while. “Uncle Goro may have had an unusual way of showing it, but he was pushing Kiryu to become strong like his former self before he was jailed. You should have seen how determined he was! He was the only man in the Tojo Clan who did not turn his back on Uncle Kaz. He set up a welcoming party for him, just the two of them.” Haruka giggled again. “It was ultimately to goad him into a fight, but it was still a celebration of his release. And that was just the beginning. After that he never left Uncle Kaz alone for a moment.”
Shiro shook his head in amusement as Haruka went on. “He was always doing that, Uncle Goro. One time Uncle Kaz and I were walking down the street when I spotted Uncle Goro, and before I knew it Uncle Kaz bolted down the street! He got so flustered he let go of my hand and the bag of groceries we had bought!”
“Oh no!” Shiro laughed.
“Another time we were out and he was on the phone with Date-san, and Uncle Goro was just passing by. He slowed when he got near us, and the two kept giving each other this glare, and Uncle Goro kept circling us like some kind of shark! The moment Uncle Kaz ended the call I ran off because I knew there was going to be trouble, and sure enough, the two were throwing fists left and right. People were scrambling for cover everywhere!”
“What the heck?!”
“And that’s not all! After they roughed each other real bad, what did they do? They dusted off each other’s clothes, picked me up, and off we went to Smile Burger for a treat. Bloody noses and bruises and all!”
Shiro nearly shrieked with laughter.
“What kind of men are they?! And they’re dating?!”
Haruka stopped giggling and gasped. “You know about that?”
Shiro nodded. “Is that okay?”
“Of course! Although it might be best if we keep it just between ourselves for now. Uncle Kaz’s shy about his private life, even at home.”
“Got it,” Shiro said with a nod as silence soon filled the waiting room once more. He had figured as much, but at least now he had confirmation Haruka knew about their relationship.
They must have waited for hours. At times Majima would pop back in to give them updates: Kiryu had gone for some tests, one doctor had ordered some more blood work, they were waiting to be seen by another doctor…
Shiro clung to Haruka’s stories of Kiryu and Majima’s fights around Kamurocho to keep himself from fretting too much. Was Uncle Kaz okay? What was it taking so long?
Haruka told Shiro of the time when she had developed a fever and Kiryu had gone to bring her back home from school. On the way, Majima ambushed him, ready for a fight, but Kiryu cut him off. Upon learning of Haruka’s current condition, Majima backed off, but Kiryu worried he had hurt Majima somehow. The three hadn’t seen one another for some time after that, and when they finally did, they made it up in the only way they knew how: with a grand fight right in the middle of the street.
The stories kept pouring in. Finally, just as Shiro’s eyes were beginning to droop, the door to the waiting room opened once more. This time Majima stepped out, grinning from ear to ear as he presented Kiryu beside him. Kiryu appeared a little pale and fatigued, perhaps from the amount of blood they had to draw from him, but otherwise he was smiling.
“They took off the wrapping and gauze out, look!” Majima said as he lifted Kiryu’s red Kariyushi shirt, revealing a very long scar running down his abdomen.
Haruka and Shiro both hissed out whimpers of sympathy.
“That’s bigger than any of my surgery scars,” Shiro said weakly, squirming in his seat. What had that man done to Uncle Kaz?!
“It’s okay,” Kiryu said gently. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Haruka and Shiro slipped out of their chairs and went over to him, wrapping their arms around him as he engulfed them into a great bear hug.
“Do you need to come back later?” Haruka asked.
“Maybe another visit if anything comes up,” Kiryu said, “but the doctors all seemed pleased with my progress.”
With a nod, Haruka took his hand as the two men led them out. Shiro took Majima’s hand.
As they neared the cafeteria, Haruka’s gaze fell on Shiro and she made a motion for him to follow her lead.
“Uncle Kaz, I’d really like a strawberry milkshake,” Haruka said, tugging on the hem of his shirt.
Despite the demeanor of fatigue, it was as though Haruka’s little request ignited new life in him. Kiryu went straight to the Smile Burger concession. As Haruka slurped her new milkshake, Kiryu watched her with profound love in his eyes, nodding as though he had accomplished a great task.
Shiro turned to Majima, his jaw open. Grinning, Majima nodded in encouragement.
“Um…Uncle Kaz, I’d like a sweet potato smoothie,” Shiro added.
“Of course,” Kiryu said, the fire within reigniting. He immediately got him one.
Haruka and Shiro continued on this pattern, pointing out little treats here and there that caught their eye. Kiryu didn’t turn them down once. Shiro couldn’t understand what the purpose of this was, but the more this went on, he realized: knowing he was needed kept Kiryu going.
This was Haruka’s gentle way of keeping Kiryu on his feet. But while Kiryu looked pleased whenever he satisfied a request from either child, there was no mistaking that there was something different, something special, whenever Kiryu smiled toward Haruka.
Shiro couldn’t help but feel a little sad. No matter what Haruka had told him earlier in the waiting room, of how Kiryu was ready to die for Shiro, there was undoubtedly a special place in Kiryu’s heart reserved for Haruka, a spot that not even Majima could ever filled.
But it wasn’t jealousy that Shiro felt. Or some deep-seated anxiety that he wasn’t as loved as his other sibling. It was fear. A glimpse into Kiryu’s weakness, his Achille’s Heel, and a premonition:
If something were to ever happen to Sawamura Haruka, then Kiryu Kazuma would cease to be.
For the ride back home Majima opted for the scenic route, citing that everyone could do with a little sightseeing. He slipped a cassette into the car, and an 80s pop started up.
“Takes ya back, doesn’t it, Kiryu-chan?” Majima said. Next to him, Kiryu smiled fondly and made a small sound in agreement. He was resting back in the front passenger seat, exhaustion setting in, but not from pain. The smile on his face was that of someone who had fun today spending time with his loved ones.
Shiro let the music surround him. Majima drove parallel the eastern shoreline of Okinawa, the midnight black ocean glittering with stars woven into them. He wasn’t kidding about being a smooth driver either; Shiro could sit back and sleep if he wanted, but he didn’t want to miss out looking up at the stars as Oginome Yoko’s voice flooded his thoughts.
“So, ya kids been behaving in school?” Majima said from the driver’s seat.
“Yes, Uncle Goro,” Haruka giggled as she went on about her school activities. She was considering trying out for cheerleading at her new school once matters settled at home.
“Aw, our lil’ Haruka’s growin’ up!” Majima exclaimed excitedly. “Yer gonna be captain with those pipes and dance moves!”
“Yeah…” Kiryu said, who sounded a little less enthused. Shiro imagined it was because this meant Haruka would be around the house a lot less.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz,” Haruka said in a small voice as if she read his mind.
“No,” Kiryu said. “As long as you’re happy, Haruka.”
“And what abou’ya, Shiro-chan? Getting straight As, I bet?” Majima continued.
“Yeah,” Shiro confessed, blushing. “Even in grammar this year. I’m surprised.”
Majima giggled maniacally. “Ya gon’ have a doc in the family in no time, Kiryu-chan!”
“Astronaut,” Kiryu corrected Majima.
“An astro-physician!” Haruka suggested gleefully.
“Either way, he’s gon’ need one of ‘em PhDs!” Majima declared.
That’s going to cost a ton of money… Shiro realized in mild horror. He recalled how Kiryu had picked up additional jobs here and there just to pay for Shiro’s medical expenses. He was only a kid, but the thought of being an orphan striving for higher education terrified him. Immediately he pushed the thought aside. There was still time to save up, wasn’t there?
And now that the subject was brought up, could Shiro ever make it as a doctor? Just the thought of hospitals made him sick, but the thought of healing people up in outer space, in the comfort of the lovely glowing stars, wasn’t such a bad idea.
Shiro turned back to the sky. He thought he could see a cloud in the shape of a silvery dragon sweeping the night sky. A small but strong demon-dog was running after it, the moonlight its mad eye reflecting its silvery light off its horns and dog ears. Shiro studied their progression, fascinated. The mad dog never left the dragon, desperate. No matter how far the dragon traversed the heavens, there the dog was, always so close, but never quite able to touch her, her lover just out of reach…
A tap came on Shiro's shoulder, and he turned to face Haruka, who made a shushing gesture before pointing toward the front seat. Majima was driving with one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on the armrest. Kiryu’s right hand was placed over his hand. Shiro could hear Kiryu softly snoozing, but in his sleep he and Majima were gently caressing one another’s hands.
For a moment Shiro was reminded of his own parents holding one another’s hands in the car, a simple touch that conveyed so much, but there was something about this, about Kiryu and Majima, that was far more tender, far more genuine…
He turned back to Haruka and the two of them shared a big goofy grin before turning around to give Kiryu and Majima their privacy.
Sighing happily, Shiro continued to stare out at the dazzling stars, the mesmerizing sea, and the mysterious clouds. Two tiny stars seemed to now chase after the dragon and the mad dog, nestling atop the dragon’s head. Shiro imagined one star taking on the shape of a lion…
As his eyes began to droop, Shiro wished this moment would never end.
“Today was alotta fun, eh?” Majima said as he rolled out the futon.
Kiryu smiled. Today was June seventeenth, his birthday. The kids had surprised Kiryu with a bunch of gifts they had made for him. He was close to tears as he had studied each gift lovingly crafted for him.
As for Kiryu, he had urged Majima not to give him a present. Instead, he wanted the children to all receive something, from himself and Majima both. Even Natsumi got a little something as a token of appreciation for all she was doing.
The celebration was only as fun as Majima and nine kids could make it. Kiryu was surprised the neighbors did not complain about all the music and noise, but it seemed everyone was content to let them have a bit of fun after their tragedy a few months ago.
Despite his elation, sitting now on the futon, sadness crept into his heart. It must have shown on his face because Majima crouched in front of him, giving him an exaggerated pout.
“Oi, what’s gotten into ya, Kiryu-chan? Turning forty-one’s not so bad. I’m four years ahead of ya and I can tell ya yer not gonna slow down anytime soon!”
“It isn’t that,” Kiryu said with a little shake of his head. “I can’t stop worrying about the kids.”
“What for? We tucked them into bed, didn’t we?” Majima said as he crawled around to Kiryu’s back. “Our kids seemed fine to me.”
“They’re fine now,” Kiryu said. “But I’m worried for them, for their future. They all have so much potential, hopes and dreams. But our society doesn’t readily hire people from institutions. Haruka’s getting older and will be looking into high schools in a few more years. Taichi wants to wrestle for a living. Shiro’s a scholarly type. How will I afford his higher education? What if the other kids want to go to college too?”
“Kiryu-chan…” Majima sighed heavily. “Kiryu-chan…it’s okay. Everything’ll work itself out.” Chuckling, he couldn’t help but add, “Yer the worrying sort of dad. That really gets my motor runnin’, actually…”
He brought his lips to Kiryu’s neck as his gloved hands snaked up Kiryu’s shirt. Finding his nipples, he gave them a stroke, eliciting a soft gasp from Kiryu.
“Relax, Kazuma,” Majima said in a low voice next to his ear. His fingers continued to caress and tease him. “Everyone’s safe and sound asleep. Everything’s looking up again…” His kisses trailed down Kiryu’s neck, to the spot where his neck and shoulder met as his hands gently nudged the buttons of Kiryu’s shirt open. “We’ll worry about the future when we get there. Tonight, just relax.”
“Goro…” Kiryu sighed.
Majima chuckled softly. A quick caress down informed him that Kiryu was already needy in his arms. His own cock throbbed against Kiryu’s backside. “So naughty. Time for yer birthday spanking, Kazuma.”
“Look,” Yukiho gasped softly.
The path to the Shirashiro had long since been barricaded, sealed off so that they never ventured there, by accident or by temptation. They resumed the nights together enjoying the stars instead. Tonight Shiro was watching as the Ascending Dragon was fussing over the Lion Cub, both comprised of beautiful little stars, raising her as though the cub were her own offspring.
The sweet little moment was interrupted when his cousin pointed down beyond the precipice. There in the blackness far below, eerily floating down the river were large foamy clumps. A few moments later Shiro recognized them as remnants of the old white castle.
“What does it mean?” Yukiho asked in fear just as Shiro stirred awake, shaking in cold sweat.
Tonight he was sleeping closest to the wall facing Kiryu’s bedroom. Somewhere on the other side of the paper wall he thought he heard a moan and a pained gasp quickly followed by gentle shushing from the other man.
Was Kiryu or Majima also having a bad dream?
Shiro frowned. The day had been so nice too. It was June seventeenth, Kiryu’s birthday, and Majima and the kids had pulled out all the stops in making the day special. Shiro had a lot of fun.
But now there was that strange dream still clinging to Shiro like cold sweat and the sounds from the other room.
The moan came again, low and muffled, and following it was a shuffling of bedsheets as the other man kept whispering something to the other, affection in his tone mixed in with labored breath.
Shiro blinked, a little confused by what he was hearing, before promptly forgetting all about it. He turned away from the wall, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. Closing his eyes he willed himself to go back to sleep although his mind still buzzed, too preoccupied with what he had seen in the dreamworld beside Yukiho.
One day on a late June afternoon the kids were all, save for Haruka, walking back home together when they stopped as they approached the beach, noticing that Majima was swimming while Kiryu sat by the shoreline. The two were having a conversation, shouting over the waves and sounding more incredibly relaxed than Shiro had ever seen the two of them.
“See? The beach isn’t so bad, is it?”
“Ya may just be right abou’ that!”
Majima drew back to the beach shoreline, laughing and showing off his catch. Kiryu rose to his feet to welcome him. What looked to be a clasp around the shoulders turned deeper as Kiryu wrapped his arms around Majima and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Izumi and Riona gasped. Ayako immediately clamped her hand over Taichi’s mouth to shush him, and Koji motioned for everyone to slowly back away into the orphanage, giving the two some privacy.
Inside the kitchen Natsumi was busy preparing goya chanpuru for dinner.
“Hey, didja know about them?” Taichi asked. Natsumi raised her head.
“What’d you mean?” she asked, bemusedly taking in everyone’s faces. “Know about who?”
“Uncle Kaz. Uncle Goro. Kissing.”
Natsumi relaxed and smiled. “Of course. They’re in love!”
The other kids gasped in astonishment.
“Uncle Kaz likes someone!” they all said in unison, looking at one another in amazed shock.
“Was that why Uncle Goro was rebuilding the house?” Mitsuo wondered out loud.
“Uncle Goro was so kind to all of us, like we were his children,” Ayako said. “Now we know why…”
“I never knew…” Koji said slowly. “Is that possible—I mean, two guys can be…boyfriend and boyfriend?”
Natsumi nodded. “Some boys like boys. Some girls like girls. Some boys and girls like each other. There’s other variations of that too. Some like both boys and girls, for example.”
Koji’s face lit up at this delightful revelation. Laughing brightly, he ran his hands through his hair as he glanced around at everyone in the room. “Then Uncle Goro can stay forever!”
Natsumi giggled. “He’s quite busy in Tokyo, but I’m sure he’ll be touched if you tell him that.”
“Are they gonna get married?” Izumi pondered hopefully.
“Why didn’t they ever tell us?!” Eri piped up, clearly distraught that something as good and necessary as this was kept away from them.
The other kids suddenly turned to Shiro, each wearing expressions of contempt.
“Uh, what’s going on?” Shiro said.
“You said Uncle Goro was his friend!” Taichi said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
“I wasn’t wrong!” Shiro defended. Behind Taichi, Natsumi nodded in agreement.
“But you didn’t mention the kissing part! Why didn’t ya tell us the truth?!”
Shiro shot his hands up. “That’s not my business!” And that too wasn’t a lie. He wanted to respect their privacy.
“We’d have been much kinder to Uncle Kaz’s boyfriend!”
“Taichi-nii-san, since when were we anything but extremely polite and gracious to Uncle Goro?”
But Taichi genuinely looked haunted. “Uncle Goro paid for all my meals. I wouldn’t have eaten so much!”
Shiro slapped his forehead. Nothing he said nor did was ever going to go over well with them. “I hate you guys!”
“What’s going on?” Haruka appeared in the dining room, and the kids next turned on her, bombarding her with a million questions all at once.
“Did you know, Haruka?!”
“How long were they together?!”
“Why didn’t you tell us?!”
“Yeah! You know we want to see him happy!”
“Are they gonna get married?! Please, I want another parent in the house!”
“Yeah! How cool would that be!”
“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Haruka laughed as she untangled herself from the army of overexcited orphans, but there was no mistaking the large hopeful looks in their eyes. “Um…did something happen?”
“You bet!” Taichi said.
“Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro, sitting in a tree!” Koji and Mitsuo sang together as they jumped up and down.
Haruka’s eyes grew wide.
“Haruka, before Uncle Kaz came into our lives, some of us never really had parents,” Ayako explained. “Some of us never got to meet them, or we’ve been without our biological family for years. The previous supervisor was just that: a supervisor. Uncle Kaz has been so much more to us. But if he…I mean…I don’t wish to pressure him, but if he were to marry…”
“We’d become a real family,” Haruka finished for her, and the energy that vibrated through the crowd was indescribable. “I know how you all feel, I really do, but…it’s not an easy situation for them right now. And—wait, did they tell you or…?”
Riona shook her head. “We saw them on our way in.”
“Oh!” Haruka peered over her shoulder. Shiro craned his neck. Kiryu and Majima were making their way over, hand in hand.
“Set the table!” Haruka ordered. “Pretend you saw nothing! Don’t say anything to them!”
“But—” Taichi argued.
“Shh!”
They did as told and spoke not a single word to either Kiryu or Majima when they came in, although they were extra chirper and polite to both as they set the table, leaving two placemats close together at one end for the two men.
But throughout dinner it was clear the kids couldn’t stop thinking about what they had witnessed. Kiryu was watching them, observing how oddly quiet they were. He met Majima’s eye, and the two seemed to communicate something telepathically.
“Something up with ya kids?” Majima asked after some time.
“Just tired,” Koji mumbled as he shot an uncomfortable glance through the table.
“Um…” Ayako set her spoon down. Haruka and Shiro’s gaze met; it was probably best they remained quiet during this talk. Even Natsumi, who was sitting in a corner, bowed her head, making herself invisible. “I was wondering…Uncle Kaz, how did you and Uncle Goro meet?”
“Well,” Kiryu began thoughtfully. “That goes back to late 1980s…’88 specifically. The Dojima Family were buying land all around Kamurocho, but they could not contact the owner of a tiny block of land in central Kamurocho. It led to…a lot of trouble within the Tojo Clan. A lot of bloodshed.”
“The Dojima Family…” Taichi mused. “Your family, right, Uncle Kaz?”
“The Tojo Clan…” Koji added, his gaze turning to Majima. “So your families clashed or something?”
Kiryu chuckled uneasily. “I was exiled from the Tojo Clan at the time. So was Majima-no-nii-san; he was trying to earn his way back to his family.”
The others gasped. Who would want to go back to the yakuza?!
“Nonetheless,” Kiryu continued, “Majima-no-nii-san and I were tied to the conflict of the empty lot. Somehow our paths hadn’t crossed at all during the entirety of that incident, but we were somehow allies during all this. We did learn of one another and were helping each other throughout that time although we never met, much less exchanged any words together.”
“Helping?” Eri asked as she leaned her head to one side.
“Yeah,“ Kiryu said with a nod. “There was a woman tied to the empty lot. We were both protecting her. Rather…circumstances had pushed her from under one’s protection to another.” At the mention of the aforementioned woman, Majima’s face held some poignant pain.
“Makimura Makoto,” Majima said, his Osaka-ben dropping. “A sweet young woman who had become blind after going through hell. She didn’t know she had inherited the empty lot, which set her at a worth in the billions. I was tasked to murder her if I wished to return to the Tojo Clan. Instead I sheltered her at the risk of my own life. Things happened, and I lost her for some time, but she ended up in Kiryu-chan’s care, right to the end.” Majima threw an affectionate glance toward Kiryu. “I’ll never forget Kiryu-chan for ensuring Makoto’s safety.”
“Wow…sounds like you were in love with her,” Riona said, who had her chin resting on her hands, completely enthralled by the story.
Majima nodded. “When I finally saw her again, her eyesight had returned. She did not know I was the one who had sheltered her, because I did not speak a word to her when I saw her again.”
“Aw, why?” Mitsuo said.
Majima smiled sadly. “It was for her own good.”
“Then what happened?” Ayako said. “Do you still keep in touch?”
“I let her go. I delivered her to the hands of the doctor who had healed her. He married her in the end.”
Some of the others gasped.
“Why?” Izumi cried out.
Majima waved his hand. “She’s seen enough of the yakuza. I could not drag her into more of our mess. She deserved better.
“But as luck would have it, when I entered Kamurocho later that evening I came across the guy who had protected her til the end.”
He turned to Kiryu and again that affectionate smile returned.
“I had no photo of Kiryu-chan. Had no idea of how the guy looked. I was walking down Tenkaichi Street when I suddenly spotted this young man under the Ichiban-gai, and I just knew.”
Kiryu chuckled. “It was the same for me when I first saw you, Majima-no-nii-san. It’s hard to explain, but I felt something. We both stopped and just couldn’t stop staring at one another. It was the first time we had ever crossed paths, ever met, ever even seen each other, and yet we somehow…we just…knew.”
The other kids leaned forward eagerly. Even Shiro was avidly attentive, imagining how it must have gone down: two young men inexplicably drawn to one another by their incredibly tenacious energy, lost in the other’s gaze amidst the busy crowd of western Kamurocho.
“And then what happened?” Taichi asked with bated breath.
“What else could I do?” Majima said, as his voice steadily grew more feverish. “I was staring right into the eyes of the man who protected my beloved Makoto. It was like Kiryu-chan lit up every ounce of my being.
“And so I cried out “Kiryu-chan!” and punched him right in the face!”
The others stared, stunned into silence. Majima broke out into shrill laughter, and his accent bounced right back in. “I hadda test the man who protected Makoto—hadda know if he was worthy enough!”
So that’s how it happened, Shiro thought as he took a sip from his juice. And so Majima’s everlasting obsession with Kiryu and their constant physical fighting began. What a strange relationship.
“So you were helping each other all that time and never knew it,” Ayako said, amazed.
“In more ways than one,” Kiryu said. “Turns out we were also helping the other invest money into his business—remember Mr. Moneybags, Majima-no-nii-san?”
Majima laughed again. “The Bubble Era sure had its characters!”
“I’ve been accepting money from a ‘Mr. M’ in Sotenbori, and helping him out with his cabaret club in return, without ever realizing it.”
“Wasn’ til after the fact I realized who this ‘Mr. K’ from Kamurocho I’ve been helping all along actually was.”
“And,” Kiryu added after some hesitation. “There was this tiny shop in the Kamuro Shopping Area known as The Dragon & Tiger. They sold…items you could not find in normal markets.” The kids giggled; from the way Kiryu blushed, they figured it couldn’t have been anything good. Majima confirmed their suspicion with a sinister grin. “Turns out there was a larger branch in Sotenbori, and it was thanks to Majima-no-nii-san sending out agents around the world to find these artifacts, protective gear, and other…battle-assisting commodities.”
“Yer a big boy, Kiryu-chan, ya can say weapons!” Majima laughed. “If it weren’t for all the yen yer were lending me, we wouldn’ have been able to make such fantastic trades around the world!”
“Wait—is that what you were doing with the money I lent you, Nii-san?!”
“Look how much it’s helped us!” Majima guffawed at Kiryu’s affronted expression. “Hey, Kiryu-chan, were we not also competing for Dulce Kamiya’s postcard thingy?”
Kiryu’s eyes sparkled with recognition, immediately forgetting about the Dragon & Tiger. “I remember that! I once got upstaged by you! What kind of name is ‘Gorogorogoro-chan’?”
“And what kinda name’s ‘Judgement Kazzy’, haw?!”
Izumi nearly fell down laughing.
“You were fighting over a radio DJ?!” Eri said. “Nerds!”
Taichi and Koji stared at the two of them then at one another. “Really? You two kept crossing paths like this?!”
“I suppose we did…” Kiryu said, thinking and rubbing his chin.
Mitsuo laughed and shook his head. “What’re the odds!”
“Sounds like fate was pulling you together,” Riona said with a romantic sigh. “Like a movie!”
Kiryu and Majima smiled. “Suppose it was.”
“So how long have you known each other?” Koji asked.
“A little over twenty years now,” Kiryu said, looking at Majima for confirmation. The others marveled at them.
“And you both went back to the Tojo Clan after ’88?” Ayako asked.
“Yes, but we were in different families,” Kiryu said.
“What does that mean?” Izumi asked.
“We had different bosses. Still, Majima-no-nii-san was my aniki for some time.”
“Aniki?” Mitsuo asked, leaning his head to one side.
“Yes, it’s a term we use in the yakuza,” Kiryu explained. “He was a mentor of sorts to me.”
“Is that why you call him Majima-no-nii-san?” Taichi asked.
Kiryu nodded. “I have deep respect for Majima-no-nii-san. I would not call him anything else.”
“Even though he’s no longer your aniki?”
Kiryu smiled, blushing a little.
“So is it like a nickname now?” Riona asked. “And Uncle Goro, what you call Uncle Kaz…”
Majima grinned. “Yeah, I’ve been calling this gorilla Kiryu-chan from the moment I first laid eyes on him! Ya shoulda seen him when he was just a lil dragon egg!”
The other kids giggled.
“But you left the Tojo, didn’t you?” Eri said to Kiryu.
Kiryu nodded. “I’m a civilian now.”
“But you still kept in touch?” Riona marveled.
Kiryu chuckled. “Of course. I do not sever ties with friends. And it’s not like I had much say in the matter. Majima-no-nii-san could hone in on my location from outer space.”
“What sorts of things did you do together while you were still in the Tojo?” Koji asked.
“Hey, that’s yakuza business!” Majima snapped playfully. “Civvies keep outta this!”
“Where’re all these questions coming from anyway?” Kiryu asked.
This was it, Shiro realized as the air in the room shifted around him. The kids glanced at one another, coming to a collective agreement. Haruka was watching with rapt attention, but she did not speak. Everyone steeled themselves for the next wave.
“Uncle Kaz…” Ayako said slowly before taking a deep breath. “When was the first time you and Uncle Goro hugged?”
“Pardon?” Kiryu said.
“When was the first time you told Uncle Goro ‘I love you’?” Mitsuo asked more daringly.
Majima’s jaw flew open.
“When was the first time you two kissed?” Taichi’s voice boomed out.
Kiryu and Majima, wearing identical startled looks, set their spoons down, and just stared at everyone.
“Why are you asking us this?” Kiryu eventually asked, almost frightened.
Natsumi, who was busy the entire time shoveling goya chanpuru and bits of fish into her face in the corner, looked up, eyes wide and mouth full of bittermelon.
“I dun thi’ I shu’ be ‘earin’ dis,” she mumbled around the large mouthful and scuttled away, bowl and spoon in hand.
“We saw you two kissing earlier today!” Taichi explained. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want us to see, Uncle Kaz. We weren’t tryin’ t’be rude or nothing, but we were passing by and then just saw you two. You kinda took us off guard.”
“Not in a bad way!” Koji butt in hurriedly. “We didn’t know you liked someone, Uncle Kaz! We knew about you going to talk to women before. We knew about the picture of that lady cop in your room, but you never seemed that interested.”
“It all makes sense now!” Riona said. “Why Uncle Goro cared so much about us! And why you didn’t seem interested in anyone else—you already had someone!”
“I…I…” Kiryu stammered.
“We’re not upset at all, Uncle Kaz!” Eri urged. “We love Uncle Goro!”
Ayako nodded her head enthusiastically. “We were at our lowest point. We were grieving losing our home and we were feeling hopeless after hearing that Uncle Rikiya died. And then we heard that you were nearly killed in Tokyo, so far from home. We were feeling beyond despair, Uncle Kaz! And then Uncle Goro appeared and made everything better again.”
“He made us laugh!” Izumi added. “We forgot our problems!”
“Yeah, Uncle Goro really took care of us,” Mitsuo said. “Going back to school wasn’t easy; our classmates were giving us a hard time. Majima made it better. He has a unique kind of wisdom, but it really resonated with us. He loves us as much as you do, Uncle Kaz. We feel we owe it to him somehow.”
“So when we saw you two together, I guess it just sort of clicked,” Taichi said. “Everything made sense. We already liked Uncle Goro, and now we learn that you really like Uncle Goro! We’re happy! It’s like he’s the second dad here…”
“Please, Uncle Kaz, understand we’re not upset,” Ayako said. “We’re relieved. A little giddy, even. I think we’re closer in finding a way to thank Uncle Goro for everything he’s done for us.”
Kiryu and Majima stared at every face in silence for the longest time.
“Everyone…” Kiryu began as Majima just sat there, stunned into silence and lips trembling, close to tears. Every time he tried to speak, words would just fail him. He watched the kids with so much affection that Shiro wouldn’t have been surprised if he collected everyone into one big hug. “I don’t know what to say…”
“When was the last time you two went on a date?” Riona blurted out.
“Hmm?” Kiryu and Majima gave one another a look. “Had to be a few years ago. Late 2006. The beginning of 2007 at the earliest.” A fond smile crossed Kiryu’s face. “Remember some of our dates in the beginning, Nii-san?”
Majima sniffled back the tears. Shiro thought he heard Majima whisper in a low voice, “Does it involve pink high heels?” but wasn’t sure if he heard correctly.
“A date sounds like a wonderful idea!” Haruka said, speaking for the first time. “You both deserve it, Uncle Kaz, Uncle Goro!”
“So, what’d ya kids set for us?” Majima said out loud, suddenly breaking into a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.
The kids had clearly not planned this far ahead, and for a moment there was an awkward silence in the room.
“The movies!” Mitsuo blurted out. Riona threw him a look and immediately blushed and giggled.
“Awright, that’s a classic! There’s a good zombie flick we can go to, Kiryu-chan!” Majima whipped out his phone and showed Kiryu, whose lips grew into a thin line.
“Eat Me, I’m All Yours,” he read the title. “Sounds like it’s more than just a zombie film. The children cannot come with us.”
“Of course not! It’s your day together!” Haruka said, smiling mysteriously.
“Great!” There was a strange, almost evil glint in Majima’s smile as a blush crossed Kiryu’s face. “What next?”
“Ice cream!” Izumi chirped.
“Izumi, wouldn’t they be too hungry for more than just ice scream after the movies?” Haruka coaxed Izumi gently, but Majima laughed heartily.
“Guess we do need to cool down after that film, eh, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu’s blush grew into something fierce. “Which restaurant?”
The kids all threw out suggestions. Kiryu and Majima wanted them to pick the place for them, as the kids were planning out their evening together, but Majima slyly goaded them toward a place that offered the best alcoholic drinks.
“Sounds great!” he said, flashing Kiryu a wicked grin. “Anything else we should do?”
“Um, golf?” Eri suggested.
“The golf course isn’t open in the evening,” Kiryu explained gently.
“Oh, the date’s in the evening?” Eri asked.
The other kids giggled.
“How about the batting center?” Koji said excitedly, nearly jumping to his feet excitedly.
“No, the arcade!” Izumi said.
“That’s for little kids!” Mitsuo said, and Shiro thought he saw Kiryu look upset by that. “What about something more refined for adults, like a pool table?”
“A pool table?!” Riona said.
“I dunno, what’d ya say, Shiro-chan?” Majima threw him a smile.
Shiro gave a tiny start. Everyone had just realized he hadn’t spoken at all during dinner, and now all eyes were on him.
“Um…what about karaoke?” he said timidly, thinking of the place Majima had hoisted him to when they first met.
“Drinkin’ and singin’s probably a lot safer than drinkin’ and swingin’ a bat or messin’ with a cue stick,” Majima laughed, “though now that I think about it—”
“Karaoke is fine,” Kiryu said quickly.
“We’ll probably be very tired afterwards,” Majima said while giving Kiryu a cunning look.
“Oh, then maybe you’ll come back home afterwards…” Izumi said innocently.
A corner of Majima’s lips twitched. “Or we could…sleep elsewhere…”
Kiryu shot him a look as if warning him not to say any more.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Mitsuo said, looking around confused. Taichi just shook his head.
“Oh, we’ll just be so drunk we may be obnoxious and loud when we get back,” Majima explained, “we don’ want to wake ya lil scampers. We can just crash at a hotel until our heads’ clear up.”
Ayako’s eyes widened as if an understanding dawned on her. Haruka just picked at the morsels remaining on her plate silently, hiding her own knowing smile. Shiro glanced at her and Ayako, and Taichi. Those three knew something. What the heck were those looks about?
“That is fine with us, Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro!” Ayako said. “We can have Natsumi or one of the Ryudo men stay with us for the night! That’s very thoughtful of you to consider our feelings!”
At the mention of her name, Natsumi popped her head around the corner. “Someone called?”
Majima clapped his hands. “Then it’s settled! Kiryu-chan, it’s a date! Bring yer best face tomorrow night!”
At Kiryu and Majima’s request, Natsumi stayed with the kids the following night. Shiro didn’t hear nor see them again until much later the following morning, strolling down Morning Glory Road, the gentle breeze blowing through their hair, hand in hand, both looking refreshed and on Cloud 9.
Majima was humming a song that much later Shiro would come to learn was called “Pure Love in Kamurocho.”
“Mornin’, Shiro-chan!” Majima greeted brightly when he saw him. Breaking out of Kiryu’s hold, he ran toward the orphanage, a pep to his step and his eye gleaning bright and with an energy Shiro had never seen on him before. Kiryu, meanwhile, took his sweet time strolling and peering out at the beach, looking as though he were still drunk yet smiling contently and as though the stress in every muscle in his body had been massaged out of him. However, Shiro thought Kiryu also walked with a slight limp.
“Don’t know what those two did, but they sure seem happy,” Mitsuo said.
“And still drunk,” Koji added.
“Looks like they had the time of their lives,” Taichi laughed.
Shiro looked back at them. “Yeah…”
Shiro smiled. Must be nice to be in love, he thought.
With their relationship out in the open, Kiryu and Majima were a lot more comfortable around the kids from that point on, and the children couldn’t have been any happier. Haruka didn’t complain at all about sitting across from Kiryu and Majima more often, as she seemed extremely pleased with the sight of them together at the dinner table.
Shiro had to agree. They were looking more and more like a full-fledged family. The evenings were filled with laughter, often led by Majima sharing wild stories of his boys and his time with the Tojo Clan (stories that he could share, at least.) There was plenty of Kiryu-teasing, and plenty more where comments flew over their heads.
Shiro loved every moment of these evenings. Every one of the people at dinner were a lost or the last remaining soul from their own lives, a missing puzzle piece, but together they were whole, a complete and happy family.
One evening Majima had them in stitches as he recounted how he had convinced Kiryu that half the Majima Family had turned into zombies.
“I’ve since attacked Kiryu-chan in my zombie getup several times, but nothing beat that first time,” Majima concluded with a chuckle, “and that’s why you should always make your first time in anything special, kids.” He gave a drawn out blink toward Kiryu, which Shiro realized was Majima’s way of winking. “Ya remember our first time, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu shot him an affronted look before finally sighing and mumbling, “Bathroom stall three, Yoshida Batting Center.”
The other kids looked on confused as Majima guffawed.
“First time you fought, Uncle Kaz?” Mitsuo asked while, nearby, Natsumi almost choked on her ninjin shirishiri.
Some time after dinner as Majima and Natsumi took care of cleanup, Shiro heard them exchanging tips on makeup in hushed voices. Was Majima planning on another surprise zombie attack?
Shiro shook his head. Hasn’t he gotten tired of doing that yet? He doubted Kiryu would be amused with yet another zombie attack, even with the novelty of one taking place under the sun at a beach.
Shiro continued to spot Majima and Natsumi conversing from time to time away from the others, keeping their voices down as if not wanting others to hear. Whatever they were planning, he hoped it wouldn’t upset Kiryu.
Days passed and nothing happened, and Shiro just forgot about it until a couple weeks later when the kids had arrived home early.
The dining room was taken up by only Natsumi and Majima, working with their heads close together.
“Okay…hmm,” Natsumi was saying after Majima was done with a task. “How about this color, then? It’s in season.”
Shiro and everyone stopped in their tracks. Majima’s hair was long and blond, tied up with a pink bow, and instead of wearing the usual summer attire, there was a chic hot pink dress. The two were talking animatedly as they sifted through a collection of nail polish, completely oblivious to the children until Taichi blurted out in a bright and genuinely obtuse voice, “Is that you, Uncle Goro?”
Majima gave a terrible start.
“Rude!” Natsumi cried out. “Her name is Goromi!”
“Oh, sorry Goromi-san,” Taichi corrected. “Are you Uncle Goro’s sister, then?”
Goromi and Natsumi gave one another a look before dissolving into nervous laughter.
Goromi shook her head and spoke in a pitch a little higher than Majima’s. “No, dear. We’re one and the same.”
By now all of the kids had filed into the dining room. Haruka was last and her eyes widened in mild guilt as if realizing she should have prevented this encounter.
“Oh!” Taichi said, coming to a slow realization. “Oh…Sorry…Auntie Goromi?”
Goromi waved a well-manicured hand, each nail a different color. “What’re you doing back home so early anyway?”
“It’s half day for us.”
“Is this a new prank you’re trying to pull on Uncle Kaz?” Mitsuo asked.
“Not a prank, handsome boy.” Shiro watched as Goromi’s lips twitched nervously, as if wondering how to explain everything to them. “This’s who I am.”
“Wait…you’re a girl?” Eri said as others studied Goromi closer.
Goromi hesitated. “Yes, Eri-chan.”
“Cool! Then why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Koji said.
“Yeah, you don’t hafta hide around us!” Taichi said.
Mitsuo nodded enthusiastically. “You like Uncle Kaz and Uncle Kaz likes you, so we like you!”
“Was anyone bothering you about it?” Ayako pondered aloud.
“Was it someone from your family?” Izumi added in a concerned whisper.
Taichi punched into his palm. “If anyone’s picking on you, we’ll beat them up!”
“Look at ya, all chivalrous!” Goromi tittered while Natsumi looked like she was on the verge of tears, utterly touched and adored by it all. “What fine people ya’ll make some day!
“But don’t ya worry yer little hearts out. Goromi knows how’ta hold her own in a fight.” She grinned at everyone. “How do I best explain this? Sometimes I am the Mad Dog of Shimano. Other times, I am The Butterfly Who Dances in the Night.”
Something clicked inside Shiro. “You’re sometimes a girl! You change like the phase of the moon!”
“Smart boy!” Goromi said and tapped him on the nose.
“Oh…will this be only for a short time, then?” Eri said with a pout, and Goromi giggled again, charmed.
“You didn’t shave your mustache,” Izumi pointed out, earning herself an immediate scolding from Ayako. “Sorry…”
“I need’a be able to switch back quickly to being your Uncle Goro,” Goromi explained. “’Sides, Kiryu-chan loves this look on me. As long as the date ends in a fight…”
The other kids groaned. “Uncle Kaz’s still healing!” they retorted playfully.
Haruka giggled. “That was how Uncle Kaz met Auntie Goromi!”
“Why’s it always fighting with those two?” Mitsuo moaned.
“Well, that’s how some people express love to one another,” Haruka explained.
“I’m never doing that!”
Most of the other kids got into a philosophical debate on the overlap between love and war while Goromi looked on with fondness, her expression soft and vulnerable.
Haruka stepped aside to closer inspect Goromi’s nails.
“You haven’t decided yet?” Shiro heard Haruka say.
“We were trying the colors out before you crashed in,” Natsumi teased.
Haruka studied the nails again. “This one suits your skin tone more, Auntie Goromi, but this matches your dress.”
“And what of this tone?” Goromi asked as she picked up the bottle Natsumi had been showing her before the kids had butt in. “Supposed t’be in season.”
Haruka made a face. “Go with the one that matches your dress—oh! I have an idea! Make it an ombre!”
Catching Shiro’s eyes, Goromi gave him a wink. “As ya say!”
Just as Goromi was done applying the final coat, Kiryu finally appeared looking quite handsome in dark slacks, a red button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up, and black sleeveless vest.
“Hmm? What’s going on?” he said, watching everyone carefully. “Goromi? Are you okay?”
The whole time, Shiro noticed, Goromi’s eye was misting. Upon seeing Kiryu, she giggled and skipped toward him, linking her arms around his. “Never been happier in my life, Kiryu-chan! Shall we begin our date?”
“And the kids—?”
“Are simply angels!” Goromi beamed.
As the kids and Natsumi saw them off, Shiro turned to the one kid among them who hadn’t spoken a single word in all this time. Riona had been staring at Goromi the entire evening with wide, indecipherable eyes. Just before Kiryu and Goromi turned around the corner she chased after them.
“Um…”
Hearing her, the two adults paused. Goromi turned back. “Yes, dear?”
Riona stopped and met her gaze. Her lips quivered a little. “I…I like your dress. You look real pretty in it.”
“Why, thank you, dear.”
Riona’s eyes misted over and she bowed her head. “M-my mom had one just like it…before the fire…”
The soft smile faded as Goromi’s expression shifted. “Oh, Riona…”
She took a few steps forward and knelt down before Riona. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, she said, “What’d ya say we go on a lil shopping spree together, just you and me, tomorrow? A girl’s day out?”
Riona smiled through the tears. “I’d love to, Auntie Goromi.”
True to her word, Goromi took Riona shopping the day after the date. The two bonded over fashion, cosmetics, and hairstyles; and when Shiro next saw Riona there were stars in her eyes.
“It’s been so long since I had anyone who understood me and my love for fashion—no offense, Uncle Kaz!”
Sure enough, like the phases of the moon, Uncle Goro and Auntie Goromi flitted in and out, sometimes even blurring together as one, at total ease in Morning Glory. Shiro learned that it wasn’t fear that kept Goromi away around the Majima Family or the Ryudo for that matter. It wouldn’t be until many years later that Shiro truly understood just how damaging depression truly was, how it could make someone feel not wholly themselves. As long as Majima was happy, they felt whole, and that meant they were both Majima Goro and Majima Goromi.
Shiro learned that Goromi often worked at hostess clubs, one in particular in Kamurocho. That was her birthplace, Goromi sighed happily as she recounted to the kids her infamous encounter with Kiryu that dissolved into a heated brawl right outside the club.
“I still can’t fathom how you fought in those heels,” Kiryu said when she was done with the story.
Goromi tittered. “What’d I tell ya, Kiryu-chan? Everything I wore that night was made specifically for ya! It was easy to make a move on ya!”
Kiryu blushed.
Goromi stayed on as a hostess ever since, as it became a frequent meeting spot for her and Kiryu. She was also apparently quite popular with the yakuza types due to her great physical strength and unabashed attitude.
That strength and attitude carried over into Morning Glory. Once, while the boys were playing baseball, Koji eyed Goromi shyly before finally calling out to her.
“Can we have Uncle Goro for a moment? We need a batter!”
“Hey!” Goromi cried out as she stomped out her cigarette. “Ya sayin’ a lady can’t swing?”
And she grabbed the bat and sent the ball flying deep into the tropical forest. The other kids cheered and clapped.
Koji stared before rubbing the back of his neck. “Wow…sorry, Auntie Goromi. I didn’t mean to offend.”
Satisfied, Goromi tossed the bat before her face lit up with an idea. “Ya kids need a lesson in batting—come with me!”
Shiro declined going to the batting center, but when the kids returned, thanking Goromi profusely for the tips and tricks, he heard Taichi mutter in an almost scared tone, “How many of the Majima Family’s boys got hit in the head with that bat, ya think?”
Goromi had her softer side. Sometimes while the boys goofed around outside, she and Kiryu sat out in the courtyard, cigarettes tucked between their lips, and brushed the hair of the girl that sat in front of them. They would collaborate on trimming the girl’s hair or gave her a new style. The girls all loved it. Once Shiro was even dragged into it and was given barrettes in his hair. As embarrassing as it was, it was nice to get pampered.
“We ran a cabaret club at one time,” Goromi explained. “I was in the business much longer than Kiryu-chan. I would style the girls’ hair, tidy up the dresses in the back room, and get them looking perfect for the evening.”
“Did you wear a dress back then?” Izumi asked as Goromi brushed her hair.
“In the 80s? I was on a tight leash. I couldn’ do much, but I found their dresses so lovely.” She smiled sadly. “Don’ think I woulda even been able to wear a dress even if I wanted.”
“What do you mean, Auntie Goromi?”
“Well…when I’m feeling deeply sad, it’s like I don’t quite…feel myself…like little parts of me start to fade out of existence. And she’s always the first part of me to fade away.”
Izumi gasped softly. “Auntie Goromi…”
“Didn’t Uncle Kaz also help some women at a club?” Koji called out. “I mean, recently, when he moved here?”
Kiryu, who was busy with Eri’s hair, gave a nod. “I was offered a job while passing by, and I thought the extra pay could help with expenses.”
A corner of Goromi’s lips twitched. “Oh? What was the name of it?”
“South Island, I believe?” Kiryu said, not noticing the look on Goromi’s face. “The number one hostess bounced out to Hawaii, so I was training numerous women to fill her spot. Problem was, every time a girl reached the number one spot, she’d immediately quit. The experience opened their eyes to new job opportunities. I thought the place was cursed, but then the original number one hostess returned, saw what I was doing, and apologized for her behavior.”
Goromi laughed. “There’s always one like ‘em!”
“Did you ever wear a dress, Uncle Kaz?” Izumi blurted out suddenly.
Substory #85 — My Lady Kazumi
“No, I haven’t,” Kiryu said. “Where’s this coming from?”
“Oh, I just thought because Auntie Goromi wears dresses…”
Kiryu shook his head. “Because Goromi is a woman. I am not a woman.”
“You could still wear a dress…” Goromi said under her breath. Shiro spotted the scheming way she was regarding Kiryu. “Hmm…South Island you say…”
The following evening, a swarm of women had crowded Morning Glory, an arsenal of cosmetics, dresses, and wigs at the ready.
“Natsume?” Kiryu said. “Aya? Keiko? What are you doing here?”
The ladies all giggled. So those were hostesses. Shiro had never seen so many at once before.
“Kiryu-san! Are you ready for your transformation?” they announced in unison.
“T-transformation? What’s the meaning of this?” Kiryu demanded as he was plucked out of the orphanage, led across the road and to the beach. He was forced to sit on a folding chair, surrounded by his former coworkers.
“I never thanked you properly for knocking me back to my senses,” Natsume said gleefully.
“Just a lil something for the kids,” Goromi said with a mischievous smile.
That little something turned out to be turning Kiryu into a woman. The kids watched as the hostesses picked out a wine red dress for Kiryu that gave his figure a softer look. With a wig placed on and styled, Kiryu sat before his kids growing more silent and shy by the minute, horribly self-conscious as more and more makeup was applied.
Shiro wasn’t sure if Goromi was making a mistake. Maybe they were going too far. Was Kiryu comfortable with this?
“You’re so pretty, Aunt Kazumi!” Riona called out, and Kazumi looked up, momentarily forgetting her own shyness. Her children were clapping and delighted by the little show. Turning her head, she gauged everyone’s reaction, noting how everyone was watching in amazement.
“You’re so glamorous!” the hostess girls all gasped and awed.
Goromi could only nod, mesmerized. She extended out her hand, and Kazumi took it.
“A lil’ stroll on the beach, love?”
Getting to her feet, Kazumi followed Goromi away from the crowd.
Kazumi turned around. Was everyone mocking her or did they genuinely like how she looked? None of this felt right—he was a man through and through—but seeing how much it made her children happy made her think, for now, I am Aunt Kazumi. I will smile. For my children.
She gave a little twirl, watching as her dress swished around her knees. The kids applauded.
“You look radiant, Lady Kazumi,” Goromi said and kissed her hand.
“Kazumi…” Kazumi repeated and hung her head. She supposed that was her name like this. While trying not to think too hard of the eyes watching them, she walked beside Goromi, and although they were alone she bowed her head. This was so embarrassing, like the entire world was watching her every step, judging her every move. Did all women feel like this?
“Ya seem uncomfortable,” Goromi said.
“I’m just not used to this,” Kazumi confessed. “But if it makes my children happy, I’ll dress up for them as many times they want.”
Goromi laughed. “I was curious how ya’d look like this. Been wondering ever since the first time I dolled up for ya.”
“Well, now you know. Hope it satisfied your curiosity, Goromi-no-nee-san.”
Goromi tittered and clapped her hands. “Yer such a beautiful doll, Kazumi-chan.”
Cupping her face in her hands, Goromi kissed her as the moon’s silvery light dazzled on their earrings.
Breaking away, blushing, that was when Kazumi noted something along the shoreline. She stepped to closer examine it.
“Of course, a pretty dress is no excuse to ignore our duties to Mother Earth,” Goromi chuckled.
Kazumi nodded. “This is an odd item. Looks new. What’s it doing here?”
You received an item!
Staminan Spark
Raises your Health and Heat to the maximum.
Input the code L9G inside a free light grey cell (such as B4, C4, etc) of the tab labeled “Kiryu’s Inventory” in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Goromi chuckled. “Beats me, but ya can use this, especially after I teach ya the Essence of Fighting in High Heels! I’m kidding!” She added quickly after Kazumi gave her a Look.
The experience was brief, and she didn’t think she would ever return to being Kazumi, but at least she got to try this.
As they linked arms and headed back to the family, Kazumi randomly thought, What if I donned a black sexy bunny suit? Wait—where did that thought come from? I’m a refined lady!
Substory #85 — My Lady Kazumi **COMPLETED**
Nothing blurred the lines between profound friendship and bitter enmity more than that of Kiryu and Majima’s relationship. Shiro was well used to their bickering and witty banter, and of course the physical fighting—now that Kiryu was healing up, Majima turned his focus to regularly training Kiryu to ensure his strength remained top notch…which often meant exchanging blows that would have looked terrifying had the kids not become used to it by now.
But some days their love was overshadowed by some weird stubborn rivalry. Was it because they were both men who wished to prove their greatness, or was it because they were Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro? Shiro wished he could understand them sometimes.
It was a Sunday. The Morning Glory family plus a few other friends had taken a trip to an arcade north of Ryukyu, largest in Okinawa. It began peacefully enough with Majima teaching Shiro some of his best tricks in getting high scores at retro video games such Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier while he and Kiryu reminisced about the bubble era of the 1980s.
All it took was Taichi asking who was the better OutRun player and all warmth disappeared as the two became nemeses competing for the top score.
“Are you sure you don’t want to play any games?” Shiro heard Nakahara ask Saki.
Substory #17 — SEGA Saturn Ascends
Shiro turned to them. The two were some feet away looking around at the game cabinets. Saki was studying a few of the game titles, looking hesitant and standing close to her dad. She shook her head.
“I like just looking around,” she said, smiling up at her dad.
“Ya sure?” Nakahara asked with a little frown before heading off to meet Asahi who had just called him over. Now alone, Saki kept looking back at one game cabinet in particular, a bit unsure of herself.
Maybe Saki isn’t familiar with arcade games, Shiro wondered. He could go show her how to play…
▼ Take a rain check
Shiro resumed watching Kiryu and Majima beat one another up by means of every two-person fighter game they could find. The winning streak was even.
Once the younger kids began showing an interest in the UFO catcher prizes, then all hell broke loose as the two men competed to see who would win the kids the most toys. Shiro didn’t complain too much, as otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to win a toy Opa-Opa, the hero of Fantasy Zone and his new favorite character, but sheesh, did they have to be like that?
Opa-Opa! by Miles Mandel
Still, after all was said and done, the two men were back to being all gooey and lovey-dovey with one another as they strolled by the beach, Shiro walking a few feet ahead of them as he played with his new Opa-Opa.
A little token of a happy day. Maybe Haruka was right. For some couples, this was how they express love. It was strange, but maybe love itself was strange.
July 20th marked the end of the first school semester as a third grader and the beginning of summer vacation, and that only heightened the anxiety of what Junpei and Junko had meant about running out of time, about needing to tell Shiro something before the end of the summer…
“Eh? Shiro-chan?”
With a tiny start, Shiro looked up, meeting Majima’s gaze. Of everyone, only he seemed to notice that a storm raged inside him. Perhaps it came from having ten thousand men to look after.
“Somethin’ botherin’ ya?”
At the question, Kiryu immediately turned to Shiro with worry, but Shiro just shook his head and mumbled something about just being lost in thought before stuffing his face with more pork feet stew.
After dinner Majima approached him again.
“Didn’ mean t’put ya on the spot,” he said. “Ya had this thousand-yard stare about ya. Everything alright, Shiro-chan?”
“Yeah…I mean…”
“Yer not feeling sick again? I can take ya to the doc, if yer worried about botherin’ Kiryu-chan.”
Shiro shook his head, although the worry about what the twins really meant haunted him. What was going to happen by late summer? What if Tamashiro’s men were planning another attack? Should Shiro warn Majima?
“Um, I was wondering, how long will you be staying with us,” Shiro said.
“Hmm? Was that all?” Majima said with a little laugh. “I was thinking the whole summer, unless yer Uncle Kaz kicks me out before then. I’ve been busy whipping him back into shape.”
Shiro nodded. “Oh. That’s good to hear.”
“Was that all?”
“Oh? Um, yeah…”
Before Majima could say anything else, Shiro bolted out into the courtyard.
“Everything okay, Uncle Goro?” Taichi asked as he made his way down the hall.
“I’m kinda worried about Shiro-chan,” Majima said. “Think ya can watch over yer lil bro for a bit, Taichi-chan?”
“‘Course!”
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #18 — Probing Uranus
Majima’s men had stuffed as much of Kiryu’s belongings into boxes and hauled it out before demolishing the rest of the destroyed orphanage, and by now almost everything had been put back up. Finding Kiryu’s room still depressingly empty months later, Majima had called for his boys to retrieve any more of Kiryu’s belongings they could find from Tojo offices. Despite owning little, Kiryu still held onto little knick-knacks, presents people had given him over the years for helping them out. Some went as far back to his Tojo days, before he had gone to jail.
The boxes arrived one late July, and now they lay scattered throughout the courtyard. Everyone was going through them out of curiosity, although Haruka butted in frequently as she worried there would be some weapons she didn’t want any of the others to accidentally hurt themselves on.
“What’s this photo that keeps popping up?” Taichi asked as he raised a black and white portrait of some inconspicuous-looking gangster.
“I wouldn’ carry that around,” Majima said. “Trouble follows ya everywhere once ya do.”
“Really?”
Shiro had to wonder as he studied a bracelet that seemed to emit a strange glow: just what sort of people was Kiryu meeting throughout his life?
“Ooh, a free pass for Asia!” Natsumi cried out, noticing something in the pile. “I used to work there!”
“Isn’t Asia the continent we’re on?” Izumi asked.
“Maybe she means mainland Asia,” Mitsuo said.
Majima chuckled as Kiryu slowly shook his head, reddening a bit in the face. “Aww, yer so innocent!”
“Hold on…” Natsumi frowned. “You never used the pass, Kiryu-san?”
Kiryu shrugged. “I never had a reason.”
“He went when I invited him!” Majima boasted. “’Twas my welcome back party!”
“You know how to pole-dance?” Natsumi asked excitedly.
Kiryu sighed heavily. “You were the host and the dancer. You were the only one there.”
“But didn’t it make ya feel better?”
“…it did.”
“Uncle Kaz, what’s this?” Haruka asked as she suddenly produced a large pink feather fan. Riona’s eyes immediately went wide with awe and wonder.
“That’s Isobe Fan,” Kiryu explained as Majima’s jaw dropped.
“Ya met Miss Isobe too?!” Majima cried out.
“Too? No. I got this fan from a man named Ogita Kan. I remember him clearly. Said if I ever needed his help again, he was a phone call away.”
“What does the fan do?” Haruka asked.
“Well, back in the 80s, dance battles were held in discos. If you had an Isobe Fan, it gave you an edge in the fight.”
Haruka and Riona exchanged delighted looks.
“And Isobe was a real woman?” Riona asked.
Majima snickered. “That she was! Had me bustin’ out my greatest moves just to beat her at her game! ‘Course I managed to snatch her as a hostess for my club afterward as a reward. Owed me one after all the dancin’ we were doing!”
“Dance battles, imagine that,” Haruka sighed dreamily. “The 80s sound so magical.”
Majima’s smile, Shiro noted, was a little strained. “Some of it certainly was. Wild times for sure. Ya even got a DJ knocking at yer business if ya wrote to ‘im enough times.”
“Dolce Kamiya?” Kiryu said.
Oh no…
“Yeah, him.” Majima glared at Kiryu. “And I got the better prize.”
Kiryu shook his head. “No, I got the better prize!”
“Ya calling me a liar, Kiryu-chan?”
“Girls, you both charmed Dolce-chan with your love letters!” Natsumi called out theatrically, making the rest of the kids laugh.
“I wish we could have been around for the bubble era,” Riona sighed. “From photos it looks like such a wonderful time to be alive.”
“We can relive the best bits of it,” Majima suddenly announced, his eye wide with giddy anticipation.
Substory #24 — Return of the 80's
“How will we do that?” Kiryu asked.
“I asked my boys to bring my radio and karaoke kit—ya know, to entertain the kiddies this summer. Let’s make tonight an 80s night!”
While everyone voiced their excitement, Kiryu only frowned.
“Are you challenging me to a dance off, Majima-no-nii-san?” he said although he was smiling slightly.
“Haw? What, ya think I still don’t have it after all these years?”
Kiryu chuckled darkly. “You know I never lose to you.”
“Quit talking outta yer ass! I went against Miss Isobe herself!”
“What’s happening here?” Mikio asked just as he, Nakahara, Saki, Asahi, Hirohito, and Daijiro approached the gate. Natsumi waved wildly at them as the kids excitedly filled them in.
The heated argument carried on as the dance floor was set up on the beach. Despite the trash talking the two men hurled at one another, they were clearly enjoying the competition, their eyes lit up brighter than the stars shining high above.
Daijiro and Nakahara were reminiscing about the good old days of the eighties to the kids while Natsumi and Mikio set up the radio, and Asahi and Hirohito were getting everyone partnered up for the dance battles.
“But I’m no good at dancing!” Shiro said as he went face to face with Izumi. “I never danced before in my life!”
“It’s all about havin’ a good time!” Majima called out. “Take this!”
He tossed out the Isobe Fan and Shiro caught it clean in his hands. Confidence filled him as high-energy dance music began.
Giggling at the top of her lungs, Izumi danced to the music, and it was all Shiro could do to keep up, even with Isobe Fan in hand, but he was laughing even as they both stumbled. Soon, other pairs took to the battle dance floor, and the Isobe Fan went sailing across the night sky as each kid sought out the fan to give them an edge in their battle. Natsumi was somehow out dancing both Asahi and Hirohito at once. Haruka and Saki were having more fun just dancing together than turning it into a competition. Seeing them together like this, Taichi broke out of his own battle with Koji to try to catch Saki’s eye.
Riona caught the fan at one point, and filled with glee, she spun around before strutting her stuff like a peacock down the dance floor. Everyone made a path for her, clapping their hands and cheering her on.
Finally, as the grand finale, Kiryu and Majima went toe to toe, and everyone stopped to watch. Riona threw her fan up, and Kiryu was the one to catch it, but that didn’t deter Majima one bit.
“Ha! Watch this!” he called out.
Shiro’s jaws dropped. Kiryu was a great dancer all right, but Majima spun and broke out moves that he had never seen before in his life: standing on one hand and sending his legs flying into the air, spinning on his head like a top. The two grew more vicious with their moves as though they were fighting instead of dancing, except not once did they hit the other.
Laughing maniacally just as the song reached its crescendoing conclusion, Majima rushed out and grabbed Kiryu and spun him around before bending him backwards over his knee and kissing him, dominating him before everyone’s eyes.
The crowd cheered.
“That’s cheating!” Kiryu argued hotly, panting and blushing.
“You both won!” Natsumi called out.
“I agree!” Haruka called out in a sing-song voice.
“Nah, that was a dirty trick!” Hirohito said.
“I thought Kiryu-san had better technique,” Asahi said shyly.
Others argued over who had won or if it was a tie.
“I’ve never thought Uncle Goro could dance like that,” Riona said.
“He looked like he was fighting, but he was also dancing!” Eri said.
Majima laughed as he let go of Kiryu with a final slap on his backside. “I danced plenty in my prime!”
“Didn’t you used to wear roller-skates when you danced?” Kiryu asked, recovering quickly.
A nostalgic smile spread across Majima’s face. “Aye, I did. Now ya reminded me of a song I used to sing a lot.”
With everyone’s spirits still high, the attention then turned to the karaoke machine. Majima gave his best rendition of “24 Hour Cinderella”, shortly followed by him and Natsumi doing a chaotic duet of “Heartbreak Mermaid.”
“C’mon, Kiryu-chan, isn’t there a song from the eighties you liked to sing?” Majima asked, offering the microphone to Kiryu.
“You sing, Uncle Kaz?” Ayako asked. All of the kids by now were sitting on the shore, just enjoying the show before them.
“I want to hear you sing!” Izumi said as Eri, Riona, and Mitsuo nodded in agreement.
Kiryu studied the offered piece with a forlorn expression. “There was, but…I’m not much in the mood to sing it anymore.”
“Eh? Why not?”
Kiryu met his eyes momentarily and replied softly yet quickly, “Well, it was something Nishiki and I…”
“Ah…right…well, isn’t there another song you’d like to sing. Modern, even? Doesn’t have to be a duet.”
Kiryu gave the microphone a long look. “Well, there was a recent one I wanted to try out…”
“Go on, then! This baby’s updated with all the hits!”
Shiro leaned closer. He didn’t think he had ever heard Kiryu sing before. Next to him, Haruka perked up, trying to hide a big smile.
After a short conversation between the two of them (“Haw? An enka? Kiryu-chan, I had no idea—” Majima said), he stepped back and Kiryu took the stage as a slow song began.
After the intro, Kiryu began to sing, and Shiro’s jaws dropped for the second time that night.
A voice like rich dark chocolate, warm and deep like the cosmos on a summer night, and as melodic as the big, wide ocean filled the sky. Everyone became silent, transfixed in awe at the pure talent before them.[Skip]
| 流れ行く 夜の蝶 妖しく 惑わせて 欲情も 愛情も 純恋歌に 嗚呼 神室町 やさしく 夜に抱かれ なみだ ほろりほろり 舞い散る 雪は飾る 人で汚れた街でさえも 花咲きても 花散るとも 眩しい 雪月花 | Nagareyuku yoru no chou Ayashiku madowasete Yokujou mo aijou mo Junrenka ni aa Kamurocho Yasashiku yoru ni dakare Namida horori horori Maichiru yuki wa kazaru Hito de yogoreta machi de sae mo Hana sakite mo hana chiru to mo Mabushii setsugekka | Butterflies of the night, how they flutter Bewitching me, leading me on Turning desire and love into a pure serenade, Kamurocho Cradled gently by the evening's embrace Tears rolling down my sullen face The dancing snow flutters soft to the ground The whitest of whites even in this dirty town Flowers, they bloom. Petals, they fall Your beauty, sees me through it all |
As the song rolled into the outro, Kiryu set the microphone down, smiling at everyone and bowing. “Arigatou gozaimashita.”
All was silent for a moment before Haruka began clapping enthusiastically. “Bravo! Wonderful as always, Uncle Kaz!” Others joined the applause. Majima was watching Kiryu with an expression of pure unadulterated adoration and something akin to hunger.
“I didn’t know you could sing, Uncle Kaz!” Koji yelled over the din.
“Why don’t you sing at home?!” Taichi added.
“I do, while making dinner or doing work around the house,” Kiryu explained. “I suppose I stop whenever you kids are around. I get shy about it.”
“No, don’t be shy!” Mitsuo urged.
“Please, always sing when we’re around,” Shiro urged, who was close to dissolving into tears. Kiryu’s singing had moved him so much.
“Your voice’s magical!” Izumi added, and she cried enough for the both of them. “You’re like a bird! A dragon-bird!”
Meanwhile, the Ryudo men were having a field day.
“Asahi! Don’t ya play guitar?” Hirohito said. “We can make a fortune outta this one!”
“No, no,” Kiryu chuckled sheepishly.
“But, Kiryu-san, if I may,” Daijiro said, “you have untapped talent.”
Kiryu shook his head again. “I just want to be with my children. I don’t want to sing for a living.”
“But you will sing for us, won’t you?” Eri asked.
“Of course,” Kiryu said with a nod and soft smile. “If you don’t mind the way I sound, I will always sing around the house.”
The kids all cheered.
It was now getting late, and the group worried that making any more noise, even this far away, might disturb their neighbors. So they called it a night, and the children all thanked Majima for setting up the whole evening.
As everyone was packing up and heading back inside, Majima looked through the boxes once more and pulled out one last item.
“Hmm, I don’t remember this at all,” Majima said under his breath before showing it to Kiryu. Kiryu also shook his head before the two turned to Shiro.
“It’s yours now, if ya want,” Majima said with a nod of his head and encouraging smile. “Think of it as a lil’ token of this evening, Shiro-chan.”
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Shiro checked out the photo. “Wow, you two looked so different!”
“Yeah, a punk and an idol duking it out on the dance floor,” Majima said fondly. “If our bosses ever found out the shit we got up to back in the day…”
“Anyway, it’s time for you to get to bed,” Kiryu said and Shiro nodded. But he held tight to the photo in his hands.
The good old days.
Substory #24 — Return of the 80's COMPLETED
The summer months in Okinawa were a paradise’s dream. It never got too hot and humid, and with the beach so near it was easy to cool off. Majima, Shiro saw, was living his best life. He claimed he preferred the city best, but even out here in tranquil Morning Glory he was never bored. With nine children for him to run after, the beach, and downtown Ryukyu to satisfy his city cravings, there was always something to occupy his time and stimulate his mind.
With Majima around, Shiro learned that Kiryu was surprisingly more homebound, although he was not adverse to traveling around the island. Majima was a bit different. There were times Shiro would wake up in the morning and think Majima had left back for Tokyo only for him to return from some city or even another island of the region, buzzing with excitement over his adventure.
Sometimes he did stay around. One very early morning Shiro awoke and parted the shoji a little to find Kiryu and Majima sitting out on the engawa in just their shorts, smoking and admiring the sunrise together.
But more often, Majima was off somewhere by the time the kids awoke. One time he brought back homemade cookies from somewhere, and Shiro had no idea who made them but he wished he could eat them forever.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon,” Kiryu said one early morning as he prepared breakfast for everyone. Shiro had woken up early one morning to find only Kiryu around.
“You’re okay with him out by himself?” Shiro asked innocently.
Kiryu chuckled. “Majima’s not a child, and besides, he is happiest when he has freedom. Hold him down and he loses a little of himself. He starts to hate the one holding the leash. It pains me to see him like that.”
Shiro nodded. “He’ll be okay, then…”
Kiryu chuckled. “Of course he will be. He can take care of himself.”
Shiro nodded but didn’t look convinced.
Kiryu knitted his eyebrows. “Shiro, is something worrying you?”
With each day passing and the summer slowly crawling to its end, the fear of the twins’ warning grew steadily louder in the back of Shiro’s mind. What did they mean about speaking with him before the summer’s end? What was going to happen then?
What if Majima ran into a Tamashiro man while on another island?
Why couldn’t Shiro get himself to just go to the library and talk to them himself?
Nah, Majima’s always on alert…wasn’t he?
Looking up at Kiryu Shiro shook his head and hated himself for lying.
“Hmm…well, it does seem like you haven’t been getting a good night’s rest lately,” Kiryu observed as he poured the egg mixture into the pan. “Are you having bad dreams?”
“Umm…sorta,” Shiro said. The white foamy remnants of the white castle kept floating down the river, scaring him and Yukiho at night. Even more, it was soiling the pretty grass of his dreams. How could he remove their taint?
“What’re they of?” Kiryu asked.
“I dunno…just stuff,” Shiro said. “Must be because of what happened months ago.”
Kiryu gave a nod. “You’re still haunted by what happened? I’m sorry, Shiro.”
Shiro shrugged. “I’m not the only one. I mean, I can hear either you or Uncle Goro moaning during the night.”
Kiryu froze next to the stove. “Wh-what?!”
So it must have been Kiryu…
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Shiro added hastily and rushed over to hug Kiryu. “Guess we’ve both plagued by bad dreams.”
It took a long while for Kiryu to calm down. Wow, his bad dreams must have really been bothering him too.
“Yeah…” Kiryu said. “The bad dreams will pass. If they don’t for you, tell me. We may need to see a doctor for that.”
Shiro made a face. He was sick of seeing doctors.
By the time Majima returned, the kids were all out playing. Shiro caught Kiryu and Majima with their heads together, talking in a low voice. Majima giggled and muttered, “Aw, that sweet lil’ innocent lamb!” before Kiryu hushed him.
Were they talking about him?
Shiro didn’t want them to worry about him. He didn’t want to see a therapist either. He knew exactly what needed to be done to stop these nightmares.
Rushing out and looking for a place to go, he heard his name being called.
“Hey, Shiro!” Koji was waving his arms. “Wanna play baseball with me and the others? We kinda need a few more players…”
With Koji were Taichi, Mitsuo, and Eri. There were also a few more boys from Koji’s class, and…Miyamura Akira.
▼ Go sulk somewhere else.
“Haruka, what are you wearing?!” Kiryu cried out rather uncharacteristically of him.
Riona turned toward the other kids and giggled. Everyone was playing in the courtyard and Haruka had just passed them by, wearing a rather revealing blue and white stripped bikini, short jeans, and sandals. Shiro personally thought Haruka looked mature. She was turning thirteen later this year, making her the first of Morning Glory to become a teenager. The way Shiro saw it, Haruka could dress however she wanted.
Kiryu, however, was gawking at her choice of attire as though the world had just ended. He nearly dropped the bags of groceries he was carrying.
“What’s the matter, Kiryu-chan?” Majima said, who had joined Kiryu on the trip. “Haruka-chan and I went shopping the other day.”
“And this is what you bought?!”
Natsumi popped her head to see what the commotion was about, and spotting the issue, immediately hid back inside.
“Ya have a problem?”
“She’s too young!”
“Nah, the ‘fit’s perfect for the weather.” Majima motioned to himself with how his chest and stomach were completely bared. “What’s shameful about the human body? We’ve all seen yer marvelous pecs a million times.”
“N-nothing’s wrong! I’m just worried about wandering eyes from men around the city, if you know what I mean.”
“Haruka’s got enough sense not’a prance around Hatsumachi in this getup. She’s safe here. Ain’t that right, Haruka-chan?”
“Yes!” Haruka called out. “Just going for a swim!”
And with that she shot down to the beach, giggling at the top of her lungs.
Riona sighed and tugged at her long sleeves. “If only I had that confidence.”
“I could go for a swim too, actually,” Koji said.
Shiro made a face. He wasn’t much fond of swimming personally. Kiryu had shown him the basics, but like with everything else that required physical exercise, he only did it on occasion.
While other kids ran to the beach to join Haruka, Shiro’s attention instead averted to an argument down the road.
“NO, TADASHI, HOW COULD YOU?!”
Shiro looked around himself. Tadashi? That could only mean…
▶ Go see what’s going on between Izumi and Tadashi this time.
▼ Stay here and be all alone until dinner time.
NOTICE
If you haven’t already done so, now’s a good time to go through Substories #12 to 20. You will have noticed something in each of them, and you will need these to unlock the final reward in the upcoming in-story substory ahead.
“Uncle Kaz,” Taichi asked one evening as they had dessert out in the courtyard. “Why don’t you and Uncle Goro get married?”
“Hm?” Majima and Kiryu both looked at one another and then at Taichi, taken aback by his question.
“Yeah!” Izumi said as she threw herself dramatically over Majima’s shoulder. “We love Uncle Goro! We want him to stay!”
“Aw, Izumi-chan…” Majima nearly choked over his bite of pineapple. He was always quick to tear up whenever the kids got like this toward him.
“If you two get married, then Uncle Goro can stay here forever,” Mitsuo said, beaming.
“I’d love it if we became a real family…” Ayako sighed as she looked to the heavens.
“Natsumi too!” Eri said. “She’s like our big sister!”
“Yeah, we’ve had a ton of fun with Uncle Goro,” Koji said. “He’s always playing baseball with us!”
“And Auntie Goromi’s so gentle when brushing our hair!” Riona giggled.
Majima’s face broke into a soft smile, but there was also concern and something else Shiro didn’t quite recognize. Natsumi just stared ahead silently. Even Haruka was looking at the kids with forlorn. Shiro couldn’t comprehend what was bothering them all, and it wouldn’t be until years later when he would understand why, the political wedges that blocked not only Kiryu and Majima from happiness but also why Kiryu could not officially adopt them but only claim himself as a supervisor for his children…
“We…can’t…” Kiryu began slowly, mulling over his words.
“Why not?” Taichi asked.
“Well, Majima-no-nii-san’s job requires him to be in Tokyo most of the time. It wouldn’t be fair for everyone else.”
The kids groaned.
“Then quit your job,” Eri dared to say.
Majima’s laugh came out as a bark. “Ya really went there?!”
“Eri-chan, Uncle Goro is a yakuza,” Ayako explained gently. “He can’t just leave his family.”
“But Uncle Kaz did!”
Majima gave a curt chuckle that sounded rather bitter to Shiro’s ears. “I was tasked by yer Uncle Kaz here to stay with the Tojo Clan. Hadda keep an eye on the new chairman. Guide him along.”
“Keep an eye?” Koji said. “What, is the chairman a little kid? Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to offend—”
But that only amused Majima further as Kiryu sighed and shook his head in his hands.
“Where would we even get married?” Majima mused as he threw one arm around Kiryu’s . “Not many places that would take a pair like us.”
“A pair like us?” Izumi repeated as the other kids mirrored the confusion on her face.
“Some U.S. states have begun…you know…,” Kiryu said. “I am waiting for one in particular.”
“Oh?” Majima grinned impishly. “Ya got a particular place in mind?”
“Nanala Hill Memorial Church. Hawaii.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, before Riona gave a gasp. “Hawaii?! That sounds so romantic!”
But Majima was frowning. “Kiryu-chan…no…”
“I know…” Kiryu said sadly.
“Huh? What’s going on?” Taichi said.
Kiryu produced something from his pocket and showed them all. It was a platinum ring with a tiny ruby gemstone. Haruka’s eyes grew misty at the sight of it.
“Yumi-chan…” Majima sighed. “Don’t tell me, it was her dream to get married there?”
Kiryu nodded, his expression sad.
“Yumi, as in Sawamura Yumi?” Taichi ventured slowly before all eyes momentarily turned to Haruka.
“Is that her ring?” Riona asked. “Why do you have it, Uncle Kaz? What’s the meaning of it?”
Haruka just sighed and bowed her head.
“Ya know…” Majima said after some silence. “I knew Yumi for a short time in the late 80’s. She came to Sotenbori lookin’ for a job and happened to come by the hostess club I ran. Club Sunshine.”
Substory #21 — You Are My Sunshine
Kiryu gasped. “She did?”
Majima nodded.
“This is the first I ever heard of this.”
“Yumi was seventeen at the time. Had just run away from Sunflower Orphanage to scrape some money to support a friend goin’ through a medical emergency.”
“Wait, you don’t mean—Yuko?”
Majima nodded again. “Nishikiyama’s Lil’ Sis. That’d be her. While you, Nishikiyama, and Kazama were all caught up cleaning up the mess of that empty lot scandal, some of yer sibs back at the orphanage were facing trouble. Yuko got terribly sick, and Yumi took it upon herself to find her treatment.
“She was a crafty one. Figured out how’ta get herself a fake ID. However, to get that she had to head down to Sotenbori. Country-raised teen in such a dangerous town. Lucky it was me who ran into her.”
Kiryu audibly gulped. “I…I never knew.”
“I didn’ know she was a friend o’ yers at the time,” Majima continued. “But I saw the fake ID and knew she was abouta get herself into some deep shit. I took her in. Wasn’t gonna leave a teen alone in that sorta world. I was just abouta retire from Club Sunshine, but I stayed around long enough to see that she achieved her goal.”
“So that was why she was such a good hostess at Serena’s…” Kiryu’s face softened with poignant reminisce.
“I trained her myself.”
“Was she a handful?”
Majima shook his head. “Having trained many in The Grand and Club Sunshine, Yumi’s training was a cinch.”
Shiro leaned in. He was always curious about these clubs the adults spoke of. From the little that he had picked up on, it sounded like they would sit together, just like what they were doing right now, and just talk. That didn’t sound too exciting or different, and yet it seemed special. They were paying money to talk to people. Kiryu seemed to enjoy them, but now that Shiro thought about it, Kiryu hadn’t gone at all during the summer.
“You’re a good man,” Kiryu said.
“How else was she gon’ help her friend?” Majima said. “I felt responsible for her, out in a town she’s never been to before, and at her age. She lodged with one of my top earners who kept me up to date on her situation. We made sure Yumi was well taken care of.
“To protect her, we set up restrictions. It wasn’ unheard of if a hostess preferred no alcohol or requested not to server a certain type of customer, however rare those restrictions were.”
“Yes, of course.”
“It was a policy at Club Sunshine that Hostess Mizuki didn’ go on any after hours dates. Any customer who opposed could complain to my fists.”
“Mizuki…”
A fond recognition passed between them. Shiro heard a tiny gasp behind him, and he looked back, seeing Haruka’s face.
“So that’s where that name originated…” Kiryu said.
“Yeah,” Majima said slowly. “She wrote her hostess name in katakana so it had never occurred to me…Yumi was pretty well-guarded, so I never questioned her about her life beyond her friend Yuko.”
He plopped a pineapple in his mouth and stared out for a long while before continuing.
“Ya can imagine my face when I learned that the man who was in love with her was none other than you, the man who protected the woman I loved. Funny how life works sometimes.”
Kiryu lowered his head as he gave a tiny semi-amused, “Hmph.”
“I goaded ya into making a move on her,” Majima said. “Teased ya every chance I got, pretended I was ready to bang her—”
“Language, Nii-san.”
“Sorry—ready to smooch her against the walls of Serena if ya didn’t make the first move.”
Kiryu sighed and leaned back. “So some of your actions throughout that year after my release from jail…it was to get to me to find the right words to say to Yumi?”
“Yeah.” Majima gave a tiny chuckle. “And meanwhile, we were falling in love. That wasn’t in the plan.”
The kids around them were still staring, transfixed on the story.
“Wow…” Taichi said. “Is love really that weird and twisty?”
Majima giggled. “Maybe for some it is.”
Kiryu again produced the little ring. Majima studied it as a beautifully melancholic sheen passed over his eye.
“The words I wanted to say to Yumi…” Kiryu said slowly. “I…I could not bear my full heart out, even as she was dying in my arms.”
Majima smiled sadly. “What did ya really want to say?” Seeing Shiro, he motioned at him. “What’s yer guess?”
“I love you from the bottom of my heart.”
Kiryu’s face broke into a soft smile as a faint blush crossed his cheeks. “Yeah. Those are the words I struggled to tell her. But then I found myself telling them to another person.”
He turned to Majima and swept over to kiss him. “Aishiteru. I love you from the bottom of my heart.”
The kids all awed as Majima’s face exploded red. Chuckling, he took Kiryu into his arms.
“They…must…marry,” Shiro heard Riona whimper softly nearby.
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Substory #21 — You Are My Sunshine **COMPLETED**
The summer was drawing to a close, and Shiro was no closer to solving the problem of the twins. Majima had been training Kiryu back to his old physical strength, just as he had vowed, but it wasn’t enough to assuage Shiro’s fears of an impending attack, not without any idea of what threat to watch out for or where it could be coming from.
The nightmares grew worse. Many times he was torn from Yukiho’s grasp as Kiryu and Majima gently roused him awake, and he’d realize he was thrashing in his sleep. The other boys were worried for him. A couple times Shiro would end up sleeping between Kiryu and Majima in their room, and a few times the two men settled in the boys room to keep them company.
Nothing alarmed Shiro more than the conversation he overheard between Kiryu, Majima, and Natsumi one afternoon.
“Looks like you’re getting your old strength back,” Natsumi was saying as the three of them worked in the dining room. “You might not want me around as much going forward.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kiryu said. “The children love you, and you’re part of the family just as Rikiya was. You have been invaluable, Natsumi.”
That seemed to please Natsumi. “Even so, I’m considering getting a second job…if that’s alright with you.”
“I would never hold you back.”
“I’m not leaving Morning Glory. Just something to fill the time when there’s no one home. I’ll still be around when you need me, of course, especially if you’re gonna be out or need someone to stay the night with the kids.”
“I appreciate that. What sort of job were you considering?”
“Not sure…”
“There’s the pole-dancing place Kiryu-chan wrecked one time,” Majima suggested with humor in his tone.
“I didn’t wreck it,” Kiryu argued.
“I dunno about pole-dancing,” Natsumi said. “Whenever I think of Club Asia I think of Rikiya…”
Silence followed for a moment. Shiro imagined her touching her hibiscus pendant which was fused with his ashes. Always kept him close to her heart. Had he lived the two would have had such a nice wedding, Shiro thought sadly. They would have been so happy together.
“There are a few hostess clubs you can try,” Kiryu finally spoke. “South Island is furthest away from the old Tamashiro office if you’re comfortable with that.”
“That’s one possibility,” Natsumi said. “But I feel like branching out from the nightlife industry.”
“I feel ya,” Majima said. “What else have ya considered?”
“Well, my cooking skills have improved ever since I began working here,” Natsumi said. “Dunno what restaurant would take me without much experience beyond that. Guess I could apply to a bar or something—ooh, Aqua Sky, with the pool and darts. Except I’m shit at darts if a customer wants me to play a round with them.”
“What about a soba shop?” Kiryu asked. “Waraba’s run by an old woman. She knows me, a little.”
“That’s the old crone always sweet talkin’ to ya, isn’t she?” Majima interjected teasingly.
Kiryu sighed heavily but ignored him. “She could get you started, Natsumi.”
“Oh, the stall in Public Market?” Natsumi said. “That’s close to the Ryudo Office…it’s a start! I’ll talk with her tomorrow! Thank you, Kiryu-san!”
“Well, now that that’s settled, ya know I’m only stickin’ around till the kiddies go back to school,” Majima said. “The moment their little butts are back in class, I’m flyin’ off back to Kamurocho. Gettin’ sick of the beach life if ya ask me; sun’s fading my irezumi. It’s gonna cost me a good mil to get it retouched.”
Kiryu scoffed at him. “I see how it is, Goro. You’ve only been staying here for the kids?”
“Dunno whatcha talkin’ about, Kiryu-chan. They’re my kids now.”
“No.”
“Wasn’t it you who said—”
“Heavens, you two are insufferable,” Natsumi laughed before getting all serious. “Wait, but then that means…you’ll be leaving in three days.”
“Yeah…” Majima said, sounding rather gloomy all of a sudden.
Shiro’s heart sank. “Please don’t go,” he found himself whispering before a few tears rolled down. He darted out of the orphanage, his legs carrying him to the beach. Sitting there by himself, he let the tears fall.
Three days. Three more days and all this will be over.
The summer had been so wonderful and lively with Majima and Natsumi around, and Shiro hadn’t realized just how much he needed them while Kiryu was on the mend. He knew this day would eventually come but he didn’t want to dwell on it. He savored every moment, every memory made with them here. But all too soon it was going to be all over, and all that remained was the mysterious looming threat Junpei and Junko had hinted at. Was Kiryu strong enough to face the danger awaiting him?
“Hey, Shiro-chan, what’re ya doin’ out here by yerself?”
With a start, Shiro looked up. Majima was smiling down at him. He stopped next to Shiro to take in the scenery of the salty ocean breeze, a smile on his face. The vacation here had brought out a rosy tint to his cheeks, faded irezumi be damned. Going back to Kamurocho was going to turn him grey and pale once more, Shiro thought. He wished he could find his voice to tell Majima to stay here forever. But yakuza couldn’t just leave their old lives.
“Ya alright, Shiro-chan?”
Shiro nodded.
Majima regarded him for a moment before shrugging. “I’m here to check for any trash or debris. Ya know how much Kiryu-chan likes the beach to stay clean. Actually…so do I. I beat up punks who litter in Kamurocho all the time. Our planet’s gonna burn and it’s all avoidable if everyone did their part—but ya prob’ already know that.”
Again, Shiro nodded but said nothing.
“Ya sure yer alright?” Majima said again, his voice going soft and gentle as he regarded Shiro. “I noticed ya haven’ been reading recently. Something bothering ya? Now that I think about it, wasn’ there a library ya like goin’ ta? ’ Kiryu-chan said somethin’ about that to me once…”
Shiro nodded. “I…I’m okay. Really.”
Majima craned his neck to one side, still using that very gentle and soft tone. “Ya sure? Well…okay…”
He turned his back, and Shiro felt something crumble in his chest.
“Um…Uncle Goro?” he muttered. He thought his voice was too low to catch anyone’s attention, but Majima stopped. “Have you ever…been friends with someone who was…connected with someone who hurt you?”
“Eh?” Majima got to his level. “What’d ya mean? What’s goin’ on, Shiro-chan?” His voice was so soft and gentle Shiro almost wept on the spot, but he had to let someone know before the Tamashiro Family returned to execute their revenge.
He spoke quickly, and the longer his story unraveled, the higher Majima’s eyebrows shot up.
“Kiryu-chan should hear this too,” he said. “Are ya willing to talk to him?”
“Um…okay,” Shiro mumbled.
Natsumi wasn’t there when Majima took him back to the orphanage, and Kiryu was busy refilling the bait can with worms when they showed up. With a flick of his finger, Majima took him to the side and the two men listened to Shiro.
He poured his heart out. The entire story, how he had made friends with the twins, how he had come across their father, the horror of that day when the orphanage was torn down, how his dreams had turned into disturbing nightmares, overhearing the twins…
Kiryu sat still, listening with an indiscernible scowl while Majima nodded encouragingly the entire time.
When he was all done, Shiro bowed his head, anticipating anger or fear. He had waited until the last possible moment to warn them of the impending attack. He was too weak to even do that. He had failed Kiryu Kazuma. He had failed everyone.
And where was everyone, after all? They were probably at the movies or playing around in downtown Ryukyu, oblivious to the dangers looming just around the corner.
“Shiro,” Kiryu began, his voice gentle but firm. “You’ve kept this bottled up all summer?”
Shiro nodded. “I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz. I didn’t want to bother you, but keeping the secret kept me up at night.”
“Do you only talk to the twins at the library?”
“Hmm? Um, yes, that’s the only place I ever see them.”
“Do you think they might be there now?”
“Maybe.”
“Then we should go right now.”
Shiro’s mind went blank for a moment. “What, really? Y-you want me to face them? Right now?!”
Majima smiled sadly. “They’re yer friends, aren’ they? Why’re ya scared of talkin’ to yer friends?”
“I told you already, their dad’s a—”
Kiryu was already out the gate. “Come with me, Shiro.”
The library was the same as ever, but Shiro shivered the moment he stepped inside as though he had just stepped into a freezer. Spotting the twins almost immediately was both a relief and a disdain.
Upon seeing him, their eyes lit up.
“Shiro! There’s so much we want to tell you!” Junko said, almost shouting. Shiro immediately placed his finger against his lips and motioned for them to come outside with him.
“Sorry,” he said once they were outside. “I think it’s better if we can talk freely out here.”
“Yeah!” Junpei said brightly. “How’ve you been?! We haven’t seen you in so long, Shiro! We got worried for you!”
“I’ve been okay…” Shiro said, a little wary of their bright smiles. “I just got busy and stuff, you know.”
“We’ve been doing so much better with our math thanks to you!” Junko said. “It’s my favorite subject now!”
“Really?” Shiro grimaced. “Well, t-that’s great!”
The twins nodded their heads, pleased and bubbly.
“Hey, Shiro…” Junpei said after a short while. “Um…there was something we both wanted to tell you. You came here just in time, actually.”
Shiro tensed. “What is it?”
“Today’s our last day in Okinawa.”
Shiro sucked in his breath. “Oh…”
The twins bowed their heads.
“Yeah…I don’t think you know this,” Junpei began, “but our dad…he…tries to be a good dad to us, but he’s not a sinless man. He works for a yakuza family.”
“Worked,” Junko corrected.
“Um…what do you mean?” Shiro asked nervously.
“Well, it looks like their boss or whatever they’re called got killed. Others were sent to jail, including our dad. We don’t really know what he did but it sounds like it was really bad. They had hurt a lot of people, we heard. Scary things.”
Shiro just stared at them. They didn’t know. Of course. He had never told them where he lived or anything…
“We were taken in by our aunt,” Junpei continued. “She doesn’t want us anywhere near our dad, but she stuck around for the summer as she made arrangements for our new life in the mainland. Today’s our last day. We’ll be going to Hokkaido after this.”
By the time Shiro could find his voice he could only muster a weak chuckle. “From the tropics to the arctic. That’s quite a stark difference.”
“Yeah,” Junko giggled. “But I’m excited for the journey! I’m just gonna be sad about saying goodbye to you, Shiro!”
Shiro shook his head. “I…I will m-miss you too. Enjoy your new life. Maybe someday, we’ll meet again.”
“Yeah!” the two said and hugged him. Over their shoulders when they couldn’t see him, Shiro bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying.
Junpei and Junko waved Shiro a final goodbye before leaving.
As Shiro turned, he found Kiryu and Majima standing waiting for him.
“Well?” Kiryu asked gently. “How did it go?”
Shiro regarded them for a moment before rushing into their arms and grabbing hold of them both. The tears exploded out of him.
“Hoi! Shiro-chan! What’s gotten into ya?!” Majima gasped.
“I’m so stupid,” Shiro whimpered.
All this time he had been scared of the twins because of their father, and in the end, there was nothing to be scared of. Shirakawa Junpei and Junko were nothing like their heartless and cruel father. He relayed all this to Kiryu and Majima.
“This is why we judge a person by their own merit and not by who they are related to or associated with,” Kiryu explained gently as he patted Shiro’s head.
“Yeah,” Majima giggled. “Yer in the company of two yakuza! Two filthy yakuza ya trust yer whole life with! That’s proof enough!”
Shiro continued to weep. He had lost two friends over this, had suffered through a whole summer of unrestful sleep because of his own fears and assumptions. He had lost an entire summer he could have spent with friends before parting ways. But look at what his fears had done…
He looked up at Kiryu and Majima—Majima was right. They were yakuza, not much different from the men who had terrorized Shiro so profoundly months ago, and yet he felt not one shred of alarm toward them.
He should extend that trust to others.
“Are you ready to go home?” Kiryu asked.
Please, never leave me, he found himself thinking as he held his two guardians’—his two fathers’— hands.
Shiro nodded in reply. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”
End of Part 2: Shirashiro | 白城
Notes:
Posting early, but here we go. Part 2 concludes! Can't believe we're here already! Let me know what you think! 😊
This chapter earns you a trophy! Click on cell B12 in the tab "Trophies" to redeem!
So Part 1 was Kurosu and Part 2 was Shirashiro. Any guesses what Part 3 will be titled?
Part 3 will begin on August 28. 💕
Chapter 11: III.1 Soulmates
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 3: Kuroshima | 黒島
Chapter 1: Soulmates
The day of Majima’s departure at last arrived. Majima had been training and testing Kiryu’s strength ever since Kiryu’s stitches were removed, and the children were used to seeing them spar as part of their training. But this morning just as they were finishing breakfast, the kids were startled by the full-on shouting match that carried all the way from the beach.
They rushed out to the source just in time to witness Majima push Kiryu hard enough to land on his face. “I’ll make ya cough up the dough to fix up my ink, Kiryu-chan! Ya have any idea how much time and yen it cost me!”
He flung off his shirt, exposing the Hannya irezumi on his back. He wasn’t bluffing. Shiro thought the black whorls and red flowers shone a tiny bit faded from memory, but why was that such a bad thing?
Chuckling mildly, Kiryu peeled himself off the ground, wiping sand from his left cheek. “Heh, should have known you wouldn’t rebuild my house without some sort of payment in mind. You knew this would happen. Maybe if you wore a shirt more often when you were out in the sun we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“That’s yer lame excuse?” Majima shouted. “Ya wanted me to work on yer house in the stifling heat with clothes on?!”
Unperturbed, Haruka settled herself near the bushes and watched as though this were all some kind of mildly interesting school play. The other kids settled beside her, watching the two a lot more anxiously. Kiryu and Majima really weren’t fighting, were they?
“I appreciate all you’ve done for my family and me, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said, “but this one’s on you.”
“Don’t give me that crap!” Majima yelled. “I put everything on hold for ya and this is the payment I get?!”
“Then how do you want to settle this?” Kiryu’s voice grew darker just as an evil little smirk spread across his lips. Shiro cowered. On no. He didn’t like where this was going.
“Ya want me to fight ya?” Majima threw his head back and barked a high-pitched maniacal laugh that gave Shiro goosebumps. Shiro saw Majima reach behind him and unsheathe something.
“Let’s settle this right now,” Kiryu said, tough yet calm as Majima’s eyes blazed with mad delight.
He drew out a blade that glowed with dark energy, matching the mad look he was giving Kiryu. “I’m gonna have so much fun dancin’ with ya, KIIRYUU-CHAAN!”
The kids screamed as Majima pounced, movements quicker than lightning, but Kiryu was ready for him. He grabbed his wrist with a sickening crunch before delivering an uppercut that sent Majima reeling back.
Screaming, Majima caught himself in time and cast a spinning attack, aiming straight for Kiryu. He took a hit, and several of the girls screamed, but Kiryu grabbed Majima by the arms and jumped up before throwing him down hard on the ground, head first.
“No way, he just killed—never mind!” Koji squeaked as Majima bounced right back, kicking Kiryu to the ground and jumping up over him with his blade, screaming manically the whole time.
The two went at it for seemingly an eternity. It could have just been Shiro’s imagination, but he swore he saw some sort of aura, black and violet, burning bright from Majima as similar to the red and white that consumed Kiryu. Even their eyes blazed with fiery light.
“This isn’t fair,” Mitsuo was whimpering. “Uncle Goro’s got a knife! Uncle Kaz needs a weapon!”
“His fist’s a weapon enough,” Eri said as Kiryu sent Majima flying into the air and immediately delivered dozens of quick punches into his gut before the final one sent him twirling across the sky and landing flat on his face.
Gasping for breath, Majima staggered back to his feet, murder in his eyes. “K…K…Kiryu-chan…”
He raised his blade. Kiryu regarded him for a moment before taking a stance, and Shiro could visibly see power gathering into his right fist.
“Whoa, Uncle Kaz’s gonna kill him!” Taichi gasped. Haruka ho-hummed.
With a final almighty punch, Majima went spiraling backward and landed hard on the sandy beach. Coughing, bruised up, but smiling maniacally through all the pain, he peered up at Kiryu with all the proudness in the world. “T-that’s my Kiryu-chan. Strong as an ox! Ya still got it!”
Confused, the kids gave one another looks. Was this all just part of the training? They weren’t actually fighting over money?
Kiryu and Majima regarded one another for several long silent moments, panting heavily. Kiryu was still burning with that great red inferno around him, his eyes glowing with a terrifying ethereal light. He regarded Majima hungrily, a dragon about to devour the defeated demon-dog, when he suddenly lifted Majima up in his arms, slung him over his shoulder, and carried him to the orphanage.
Natsumi watched them with her mouth slightly hung open.
“Is he gonna finish him off?!” Mitsuo said, worried.
Natsumi gave a start. “F-finish him—what?! Um…no, that’s not it at all!” She laughed nervously. “They’re just gonna clean up and dress one another’s wounds! Best we don’t disturb them.”
“How’d we do that?” Eri asked, tilting her head to one side.
Natsumi hopped to her feet. “I have an idea! Since it’s Majima-san’s last day, why don’t we sit around here and make farewell cards for him?”
The kids all rejoiced. Natsumi ran back to the orphanage alone and came back with drawing paper, pencils, crayons, and paints. Already forgetting her strange behavior from earlier, the kids set to work for a good part of the morning.
Shiro could scarcely find the right words to tell Majima. He didn’t want him to leave. Majima had never seemed happier living with them, and Kiryu himself seemed glad to have him around. But surely this wasn’t the last time Majima would come to Okinawa. Sure he had complained about his irezumi fading in the sun, but that didn’t actually seem to bother him too much in retrospect.
Natsumi let them continue working on their cards for as long as possible. This was for Uncle Goro, she reminded them. Take your time. Make the cards the best they could possibly be.
When all of the kids were finished with their cards, Natsumi instructed them to hold on to their cards until it was time for Majima’s departure. For now, the kids could finally return to the orphanage. Kiryu and Majima were both sitting out on the engawa. Fresh out of the bath, each held a lit cigarette and their cheeks were glowing and as radiant as their smiles. Their free fingers were entwined, their expressions that of ones on cloud nine.
Mame ran around barking merrily. It was such a pleasant day.
Kiryu and Majima welcomed the kids as they passed the gate. Natsumi fussed around in the kitchen on what to make for them for lunch as the others gathered around their two fathers. Kiryu had made to go help her, as did Haruka, but Natsumi motioned for them to stay back. Enjoy the final moments with Majima.
The family enjoyed a simple card game as they reminisced over the summer. The kids hounded Kiryu and Majima some more about their lives, which turned into more story time of Tokyo and Osaka. Recalling that Kiryu once told Shiro he was from Yokohama, Shiro asked about his childhood, but Kiryu was too young to remember anything about his early life in Yokohama. Majima stayed silent on the matter of his own childhood.
“We never settled the matter of who won the most toys, did we?” Majima said before taking the final puff from his cigarette and ashing it out. That must have been the fifth one between them. Shiro had come to learn that was a sign of nervousness.
“You could go for a round two,” Taichi goaded as the other boys nodded greedily.
“What matters most is that everyone got a little something,” Kiryu said while throwing everyone a look.
“Ah, too bad,” Koji said. “I heard the new Super Monkey Ball catcher came out just the other day.”
“Monkey Ball?” Majima’s eye lit with interest. “Remember when ya got that one monkey for Haruka-chan, Kiryu-chan?”
Haruka yelped. “AiAi!”
Majima giggled mischievously as Kiryu nodded in the affirmative. “She was hugging him like he was her whole world. Hold on, now that I think about it…didn’t ya used to draw yer own monkey character, Haruka-chan?”
“I…I did…”
Kiryu smiled. “I still have the drawings.”
Haruka’s face exploded red. “Y-you do?!”
Shiro turned from her to Kiryu, confused. Even Kiryu was oblivious to Haruka’s distress. Majima just kept grinning at the memory.
“Ah, yes. Haruka drew a lil’ girlfriend for her monkey doll. Her name was HaruHaru, wasn’t it?”
“Stop!”
The other kids chuckled into their hands, trying their best not to be too rude to their poor oldest sister. Only Riona looked affronted.
“But, isn’t AiAi married to MeeMee?!” she said.
“I know, but…” Haruka began, flustered.
“Uh oh, looks like I started something,” Majima said to Kiryu.
Majima decided to distract them with a declaration that they were making one more quick trip to the arcade.
“Guess lunch’s gonna be dinner,” Natsumi said, shaking her head as everyone scrambled to get ready for the trip.
Kiryu and Majima weren’t nearly as competitive as before, instead helping one another for once. Shiro almost missed the banter, but there was a different tone in the air hanging over them as they won everyone’s favorite character.
“Yay, YanYan!” Eri said. “She’s my favorite!”
“She’s not even a monkey!” Mitsuo said. “She’s a lemur!”
“So?” Eri pointed at the doll Kiryu won for Taichi. “GonGon isn’t even a monkey either!”
“Yeah, but GonGon’s cool!” Taichi said “He reminds me of Uncle Kaz!”
Everyone gasped and giggled as they turned to Kiryu, but he just shrugged with a smile. “I used to be a gorilla in a previous life.”
“Yeah! Do that gorilla impression again, Uncle Kaz!” Taichi called out.
And Kiryu did. Everyone laughed. Majima snorted and clapped Kiryu on the shoulder.
Later Kiryu and Majima took them to the batting center. As Majima impressed them with his batting, Kiryu got the kids something to snack on. They enjoyed ice cream as they played with their new Monkey Ball plushies. Inspired by the story of Haruka, some even began thinking up their own characters. Shiro named his YukiYuki after Yukiho.
“But would monkeys let a lion join their team?” Eri asked Shiro after he told her about his character.
Shiro mulled over her critique. The realism of such a union did have its problematic implications, but then again, what monkey would realistically be spending time rolling around inside a ball? Some level of suspicion of disbelief had to be accepted. If monkeys could fit into a ball, then so could a lion.
“You’re so good at batting!” Koji called out.
Majima chuckled. “I used to want to be a baseball player.”
Everyone turned their head to him. It wasn’t often that Majima spoke about his past. Even Kiryu was watching him with rapt attention.
Majima just chuckled, not really noticing their reaction. “Had a friend from way, way back. Still a friend, actually. Ka-chan…”
“Did he get into the league?” Mitsuo asked.
Majima shook his head. “Acted for some time early on.”
Back home, the family helped Majima with the last of his packing while keeping an eye on the clock, as if they were all willing time to stop completely and Majima could stay with them forever.
But the clock kept ticking, and finally that moment came.
Everyone wanted to see off Majima, so they all went out together again.
Kiryu and Majima held hands, savoring the last moments they could get to touch one another for who knew how long. The kids filed in rows of two, with Natsumi and Haruka bringing up the rear. The moment they left the neighborhood, their hands broke away and suddenly they acted as though they were mere friends. Seeing this, some of the kids made tiny dejected sounds.
“They’re a bit shy in public,” Natsumi explained gently. “Grown men can be like that. Some say it’s even the proper thing to do to keep your emotions from showing.”
They reached the station. It would take Majima straight to the airport, and then far far away from them. Shiro held back his tears.
“Guess this is it,” Majima said as he turned to face them. His smile stretched out from ear to ear, but Shiro knew that always meant he was hiding his own pain. His eye shone with something that seemed almost maniacal yet unconvincing, a mask. “It’s been a pleasure, but this is goodbye for now.”
“No, stay with us!” the kids wept.
Majima chuckled sadly. He went one by one, starting with Natsumi. Embracing her, he gave her a parting message meant for only her to hear. Her eyes welled up with tears and she nodded before squeezing her arms tightly around his neck.
The kids were next. Majima went down the line, imparting little messages such as, “Remember what I taught ya about hair and clothes, airight? Yer a star!” or “Practice at batting and ye’ll be hitting home runs in no time!”
“I’m gonna miss you so much,” Riona rubbed her eyes. “And Auntie Goromi!”
“Hey, ya still have Natsumi to give ya all the fashion advice,” Majima said. Ayako glanced toward Kiryu forlornly, and Shiro knew what she was thinking of.
“Stay here, please!” Izumi begged, not letting go of Majima’s snakeskin blazer.
Majima hiccuped back a tear. “I’d love to, Izumi-chan, but there’s quite a few skulls I gotta crack back in Tokyo.”
“It’s gonna be so lonely without you!” Mitsuo bemoaned.
“Hey, the time’ll pass quickly before the next time ya see me!” Majima said. “Focus on yer schoolwork, ‘kay? Don’t grow up and be a big dummy like yer Uncle Goro!”
When he got to Shiro, his eye brightened like none other. “Here’s my lil’ space boy!” and held Shiro extra tight. Shiro was sure he could feel Majima’s shoulders quiver with tears threatening to leave him, and he could scarcely hold back himself.
“I…I wanted to give you this,” Shiro said when they finally parted. He handed Majima his farewell card. Nodding, each of the kids offered Majima their own, holding it out with both hands. They had waited to hand them out together.
Majima studied the hand drawn covers and heartfelt messages in crayon, thanking him—for taking care of Uncle Kaz, for rebuilding their home, for being there for them—and nearly broke down right then and there. He thanked them all as he collected their cards.
“There, there…” Kiryu patted him on the back before helping him back on his feet. Now facing one another, the mood in the air was indescribable. Their gazes locked. Kiryu’s breath caught.
“Thank you, for everything, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu finally said before being engulfed by a boa constrictor’s squeeze.
“Thank ya for everything, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said. “Didn’t realize how much I needed the time off myself.”
“Will you be back for Christmas, or next summer?” Shiro asked.
“Can’t make any promises,” Majima said. “Once I’m back it’s full speed ahead on that construction project, but good news is that the next time ya see me in Kamurocho, there’ll be a new shopping center for ya to enjoy!”
“If I’m ever back in Kamurocho,” Kiryu said firmly.
“Hey, don’t be like that!” Majima studied Kiryu, slightly crushed. He recovered soon enough. “I get ya. Ya want to be with the kids. Well, then guess it’ll be me who’ll come visit when it’s time.”
“If it’s time. You have a duty,” Kiryu reminded him.
“Ah, but Kiryu-chan—”
Kiryu held out his hand. “Get out of my house.”
“Kiryu-san!” Natsumi gasped.
Majima chuckled. “So that’s how it’s gonna be?”
And there the two went at it again. As strange as it was seeing Kiryu be the one to initiate the argument, Shiro realized they were both into it, as they were smiling, their cheeks flushed.
Finally, Majima backed off with a bark. “Ya never give up, Kiryu-chan!”
They hugged it out just as the train heading for the airport had arrived. Seeing their embrace tighten, Shiro heard them mutter their final goodbyes with a hint of bittersweetness in their hushed tones.
They helped Majima load his luggage inside, and when he was all done, Majima turned to the kids and gave them a wave as everyone all bowed and thanked Majima for everything he had done.
As they watched the train take him away, Shiro wiped at his tear-stricken face. Kiryu patted his shoulder. Haruka gave Kiryu a hug.
The trip back home was uneventful and subdued. Dinner tonight was a quiet affair. Everyone’s Monkey Ball plushies were still waiting for them at the dining table, which only served as a poignant reminder of who was missing at the table. Haruka continued to sit at the other end of the table out of respect for Majima.
Kiryu peered at all of them, looking a little guilty and worried as though he had tossed Majima out in the cold, and his attempts to liven up the place a little went over like a lead balloon.
“He’ll be back before you know it,” he said.
“Do you miss him, Uncle Kaz?” Koji asked, and apparently that was the worst thing to have come out of his mouth, as Kiryu’s eyes glittered with yearning for his strangest and most intimate friend.
Shiro had never approached the night before a school semester with so much trepidation. He hated that this era had officially come to an end, but he also looked forward to something to fill the void. Overhearing Kiryu and Natsumi after dinner only strengthened that resolve.
Kiryu was thanking Natsumi for her services. It wasn’t her last day at the orphanage, but she would be at Morning Glory a little less from now on. Shiro should have been happy that she was moving up in the world, but it was one other little sign that this special summer had ended.
He watched her bow to Kiryu before leaving for her apartment. Kiryu watched her before pulling out his phone, checking something.
“I dun wanna take a bath!” Izumi was screaming somewhere inside the house. It caught Kiryu’s attention because he came right back inside.
“Uncle Kaz, it’s Izumi-chan’s turn to bathe,” Ayako explained with a sigh, “but she’s refusing to take her turn.”
“If I don’t bathe then the summer doesn’t end!” Izumi stuck out her tongue.
Kiryu sighed. “Okay, bellyacher, that’s enough.” And he swept down and scooped her up in his arms.
Shiro chuckled. Oh, Izumi.
He took out the telescope Majima had bought him and looked out of it for a while. After some time, Kiryu returned. Back by the gates, he checked his phone again, and then lit a cigarette.
It was Shiro’s turn to take a bath. Kiryu was still outside, and still smoking, by the time Shiro was done. How many cigarettes was that today? Alarmed, Shiro was about to storm out there and yank the cigarette out of Kiryu’s hand when someone went, “Psst, Shiro!” behind him.
It was Mitsuo. The other boys were motioning Shiro to come inside their room. The girls were also all present.
“What’s going on?” Shiro asked in a whisper, noting the secretive way everyone was sitting around.
“You’ll never believe this,” Koji said. “Taichi and I were flipping through our new history textbooks, and this one photo caught our attention. Look…”
It was an old photograph dating back to roughly the beginning of the Meiji Restoration era. Four people posed to the camera, a man and his wife, and behind them their children. The man sat with dignified poise, his chest partially bare, and despite his long hair, it was a face Shiro would have recognized anywhere.
“It’s Uncle Kaz!”
But how could it be? The photograph was clearly part of the textbook, part of history. Taichi showed Shiro his and Ayako’s own copies. It was real. There was no way the three of them could have pranked something like this, especially not Ayako.
Koji nodded. “Yeah. Except this guy’s name was Saito Hajime.”
The legendary samurai? Excited chatter erupted around Shiro. He couldn’t tear his eyes off Saito Hajime.
“Wh-what, do you think Uncle Kaz had a past life?” Shiro asked. “Maybe he just happens to look like Saito Hajime.”
Except…his wife, Takagi Tokio, was strangely familiar as well. She peered toward the camera with a coy little smile while sporting an eyepatch over her left eye.
“No way…Auntie Goromi?!” Shiro exchanged bewildered looks at the others.
“And that’s Taichi, and that’s gotta be Haruka!” Mitsuo added, excitedly pointing at the kids posing behind their parents. The others gasped and muttered their agreements.
Haruka shook her head, studying the photograph incredulously. “I don’t know…if Uncle Kaz had a past life, I always thought he would be someone like Sakamoto Ryoma…”
“Japan’s national hero?” Taichi chuckled. “Yeah, I can see why you’d think that.”
“Yeah, Uncle Kaz as the deadly samurai Saito Hajime isn’t really a comforting thought…” Ayako said slowly.
“You don’t think he’s being punished for his past life’s sins, is he?” Eri whispered.
“Nah,” Taichi said while waving one hand. “No way!” But Shiro frowned, thinking back on everything that he knew about Kiryu.
“And I always imagined Uncle Goro would be someone like, I dunno, Okita Soji,” Riona piped up.
“Didn’t Okita die young?” Eri said.
Izumi gasped. “Maybe that’s what he wanted everyone to think!”
“And then he lived the rest of his life as Takagi Tokio, happily married to Saito Hajime with a full family the rest of her life?” Koji said and a few moments later everyone said in unison, “Uncle Goro would do that!”
“Wow, Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro were married before,” Riona sighed. “Think they were together in every lifetime, then? How romantic! They must be soulmates…”
The word stirred something in Shiro’s heart. Soulmates…
“Looks like Takagi Tokio was close friends with someone named Yamamoto Yae even before she got married,” Ayako read from the textbook. “Wonder if that’s anyone we know.”
“Look, it says that Saito Hajime went under many different names too after his time with the Shinsengumi,” Mitsuo said. “Maybe Saito Hajime’s not even his real name! Hey, Haruka-nee-chan, maybe Saito Hajime really was Sakamoto Ryoma!”
“Sakamoto was murdered!” Haruka said before the realization hit her. “Unless…oh.”
“Do you think they had more kids than the ones in this photo?” Shiro asked. The thought of them always being a family in every lifetime was strangely comforting.
They pored through the history book for hours, not realizing how late it was getting. Finally, Haruka and Ayako peeled themselves away and scolded the others for staying up so late. They set the book down and hurriedly got into their futons.
It was some time before sleep finally caught up to them. Shiro’s mind kept coming back to what Riona had said earlier.
Soulmates.
Cosmically mystical, a pure speculation. It went against everything he understood with math and science, and yet…it was possible. Energy was neither created nor destroyed. Perhaps the same was true about the human soul. Perhaps the human soul was energy, morphing into new lives after death eroded away the shell of its previous incarnation. It almost made sense. What else was a soul to do after death, after all? And yet…what was the cosmic or mathematical purpose, then, of a soulmate? Energy collacing back to its one true form, or something beyond human understanding?
A tiny flicker of light caught Shiro’s attention beyond the shoji, and he peered outside.
Kiryu was still standing by the gate. Still waiting. How many hours had it been?
Just as Shiro was about to go up to him, his cell phone rang. Kiryu answered after one ring.
“You landed safely?…That’s good to hear…ah, did he now? Nishida’s a good man…yes, I suppose it is pretty late…heh, wasn’t it you who wanted to leave late?…yeah. I miss you too already. Goodnight. Talk to you later…Goro.”
Shiro hurried back under the covers.
Soulmates, he thought with a smile. Kiryu and Majima, for all their eccentricities, were definitely soulmates.
I wonder if I’ll ever meet my soulmate.
“Shiro!”
Miyamura Akira was waving to Shiro a couple paces away from the school’s gates, looking a little taller and tanner than Shiro remembered. The sun shone on his hair, caught in the gentle tropical breeze. Shiro rushed to his side, a tiny bit exhilarated at having been singled out.
“Hey!” he said. “Good morning! I haven’t seen you in a while!”
Now that he thought about it, the last time Shiro had seen Akira had to be when Akira had joined Koji and his friends for baseball.
“Yeah, I’ve been away,” Akira said. “Mom took me to visit some relatives in Hawaii for about a week, and then we went island hopping all over Okinawa. It was great!”
Shiro smiled. Okinawa was just one of many islands, although mainland Okinawa was by far the largest. He would like to explore the other islands some day.
Akira went on to talk about all the activities he had done, from exploring the different waters to studying sea life, his eyes shining as he recounted his adventures during his trip. Shiro couldn’t help but smile again, endeared. He loved seeing that brightness in the eyes of someone having engaged in their passion, especially Akira.
“You really love the ocean, Akira,” Shiro said.
Akira nodded. “I’ve been reading more and more on oceans and seas and marine life recently. It really calls out to me. You got your stars, and I got my…starfishes, haha!”
Shiro grinned.
“Oh yeah, got you something.”
He stopped to fish out something from his backpack before handing it to Shiro. “We stayed in Kuroshima for a few days. Did you know there’s fourteen times more cows than people there? Yeah, it’s a population of only two hundred people in Kuroshima, haha. And the land’s all flat! But there’s a museum and a research center for sea turtles, so I had fun!”
As he rambled on, Shiro studied his gift, his cheeks growing warmer. The wooden charm had been carved into the shape of a heart, or what Shiro had thought looked like a heart. It was hand-painted green and blue.
“Oh yeah,” Akira chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Kuroshima kinda looks like a heart when viewed from outer space. Thought you’d find that cool.”
“Thank you, Akira,” Shiro said, hoping Akira couldn’t hear his heart pounding.
“How was your first day back, Shiro?” Kiryu asked.
Eri had to poke Shiro back to Earth so he could answer Kiryu. “Oh! Sorry, Uncle Kaz. First day was great! I loved it!”
The other kids giggled into their plates.
“Shiro was like that all day,” Taichi reported. “I had to call him back to Earth several times on the ride back home. I think Shiro has a cru-sh!”
“Ooh!” went the other kids.
“Do not!” Shiro immediately snapped back.
“You were smiling during class all day long,” Izumi added in a sing-song voice.
“Oo-ooh!” the others chimed in.
Kiryu raised his hand for everyone to stop.
“Shiro could just be happy about returning back to school,” Haruka said. “He loves to study more than anything else.”
“Yeah…that’s it, actually,” Shiro said, bowing his head and silently sending a prayer of thanks to Haruka for stepping in.
“Who’s that?” Shiro asked Akira. He pointed to the kid as he passed by them. Shiro and Akira were at their favorite spot at recess, poring through a book together on Okinawan folklore.
Shiro had spotted the kid a few times ever since school began. He was of medium build, bigger than Shiro but shorter than Akira, tanned, with a buzzed haircut. His clothes were rather on the old and faded side.
“Oh, that’s Takeshita Yuito,” Akira said. “I met him during my vacation in Kuroshima. He has an older brother that’s just started junior high. His parents did some research there for years. Guess they moved to the mainland for now.”
Shiro nodded, feeling a tiny bit queasy. “We should probably go talk with him and get him to play with us.”
“Why?”
“So that he…doesn’t end up like us.”
Yuito was clearly a lone wolf from the devil-may-care way he walked, but even so, fresh new blood and being alone were just two hallmarks that’d paint a bullseye on a kid’s back.
“Guess you’re right…he is in Yoshinori’s class.”
And speak of the devil. Just then Yuito bumped into Yoshinori, but he kept on walking by. Meanwhile, Yoshinori’s eyes filled with rage. He spun around.
“Hey, Take-A-Shit!”
A few kids giggled at the crude nickname. Yuito just waved, nonchalant.
“Ya not gonna apologize for barreling into me like a blind bull?!”
“My bad,” Yuito said simply with a shrug. Yoshinori nearly popped a vein at that.
Yuito strolled just a few paces away when Yoshinori called out again.
“Hey, Take-A-Shit! Your wiener’s the size of a Tic Tac!”
“That’s why your mom’s breath always smells so good!” Yuito shot back without missing a beat. He confidently spun back, chest pumped out, voice loud and clear. Stunned silence filled the entire school ground before the older kids all gasped and soon the entire courtyard was filled with riotous laughter.
Akira giggled. “Yeah, forgot to mention. Yuito’s completely bully-proof. I wouldn’t worry about him.”
Akira eventually officially introduced Shiro to Yuito. He had spotted the boy a few more times in the halls, after school, and during recess. No matter how often Yoshimoto tried, he simply could not get under Yuito’s skin. Shiro always saw Yoshinori walk away nursing wounded pride, if not a wounded nose. He almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
“Oh yeah, I remember you,” Yuito said when Akira approached him one afternoon. He stood with his back leaning against the school building, looking cool and aloof just hanging by himself. Nothing seemed to faze him. Shiro grew tense, not sure if he would gain Yuito’s approval.
But Yuito gave Shiro a respectful nod of his head after Akira introduced them to each other. “Heard ya beat that Hashimoto real good a couple times.”
“Huh? Uh, y-yeah, I did!” Shiro puffed out his chest, smiling innocently.
Yuito scoffed, his arms folded. “Figures. Hashimoto’s all bark and no bite.”
Feeling as though he had just been thoroughly insulted, Shiro studied his shoelaces.
Akira and Yuito kept talking, but they included Shiro into their conversation. Maybe he hadn’t realized he had hurt him, Shiro thought after some time. Yoshinori was a really tough kid who had older kids as allies. But ever since Shiro and his older brothers fought them, the older boys found Yoshinori too much trouble and backed away. Some would be graduating to junior high school soon, and with Yuito around, he was fast losing face.
Thankfully, the more they talked, the more Shiro realized Yuito had nothing against him. He had nothing against anyone, for that matter. If he thought Shiro was weak, then he never gave any other hint. He never brushed him off, never teased him, never had hidden meaning behind his words. What you see is what you get with Takeshita Yuito.
However, Yuito was nowhere as approachable and warm as Shiro’s own siblings nor some of his classmates; and he couldn’t fathom why someone as sweet and shy like Akira would like such a standoffish boy like Yuito. But Shiro supposed Yuito was all right in his own way. If it meant Yoshinori was fading away into obscurity, then Shiro didn’t complain about having another friend.
When Shiro learned that Yuito’s one true pride and joy was his camera and asked to see his photos, Yuito was more than happy to whip out his photo album. Although his tone remained as monotonous as ever, he clearly spoke with a passion for photography. He detailed to Shiro the process of traditional photo processing and reminisced about using his uncle’s darkroom in Kyushu back in the mainland.
With Yuito’s stories of his many travels and Akira’s growing passion for the ocean, Shiro was learning a lot from them, and in turn he felt comfortable sharing more about his love of the stars so they could learn about space too.
Shiro would return home every afternoon with a pep in his step. Maybe Yuito wasn’t so bad after all. Shiro couldn’t remember a better time in his life at school. He didn’t have to worry about extra homework as punishment. He no longer had to look over his shoulder. The days of worrying about Yoshinori were over.
“Had a good day at school, Shiro?” Kiryu asked every day when Shiro returned home, his eyes full of warmth. He noticed Shiro’s good mood, of course. He never asked questions, which Shiro was at least thankful about.
But seeing his knowing smile, Shiro would blush furiously and run into the house as Kiryu’s soft chuckles followed him inside. “Ah, Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu often waited for his children, either standing by the gate or sitting on the engawa, always with a cigarette in hand. He seemed happy himself, although Shiro wondered if deep down he missed Majima. Shiro would sometimes see him going through his phone, but as far as Shiro knew, he stopped receiving text messages from Sayama Kaoru.
Shiro couldn’t help but ask Kiryu about her one afternoon.
“Sayama?” Kiryu asked, a little bemused. “You seem interested in her.”
“Because she’s your friend,” Shiro said. “And you had a photo of her in your room.” Had being the key word. Majima had fixed up her photo after the house was bulldozed, but Kiryu never put her photo back in his room.
Kiryu chuckled as he studied his cigarette. “Yes, she’s a good friend to me. I’ve found a spot for her photo in my photo album.”
“Did you…like-like her?”
Kiryu kept staring at his cigarette. “It’s…not as easy as that. She is special. She is a good friend. We did kiss twice, but I think the kiss was to comfort ourselves because we were going through a very hard time. That one time because we thought we were about to die…”
Shiro leaned his head to one side, a little confused. “Is this something I’ll understand when I’m older?”
Kiryu chuckled. “I don’t think adults fully understand it either unless they went through something similar.”
Shiro nodded.
“Kaoru’s fallen in love with a man in the United States,” Kiryu went on with proudness ringing in his voice. “I’m glad for her. She had gone through terrible heartbreak during the short time I knew her. I was worried about her leaving Japan and being by herself for some time, but it seems she had adjusted well.”
Shiro smiled. So Kiryu and Sayama weren’t meant to be, but they were still friends; Shiro thought back to the photo in Taichi’s history book.
“Of course, she’s also been busy so she hasn’t had time to text me.”
“And Uncle Goro?”
Kiryu smiled sadly. “Are you asking if I miss him? Of course I do. We haven’t had a lot of time to exchange words by phone or email. But I keep myself busy. That makes the days run by fast before the next time fate allows our paths to cross once more.”
Shiro giggled. “That was really poetic, Uncle Kaz!”
Shiro imagined Majima sitting beside him at the engawa right in that moment. Why did Majima have to have an office way up in Tokyo? If they were lucky, he’d finish up that stupid mall real quick and move his headquarters down to Okinawa.
Shiro couldn’t imagine being away from his soulmate for this long. If it were him, he would want to spend every waking moment with his soulmate. But Kiryu really knew how to manage the time away. Maybe that’s what it meant to be an adult. Mame of course gave Kiryu plenty to do when Izumi wasn’t there to play and train him. And then there was the new garden space Majima had created for him. If Shiro didn’t see Kiryu at the courtyard he was very likely in the garden, tending to his new acerola shrubs.
Kiryu had also picked up a new job. Shiro only learned this by accident while overhearing Kiryu and Haruka talk about it one evening. Money was getting thin so Kiryu picked up a part-time job at Aqua Sky to help with expenses. Kiryu did so much to keep the children well fed, properly clothed, and happy. Shiro wouldn’t have even known they had money problems had he not overheard their conversation. His gratitude toward Kiryu grew tenfold. Kiryu was working so much, every day, for all of them.
Kiryu sang often. Perhaps because now that he knew his children didn’t detest his singing voice, Kiryu didn’t hold himself back whenever he worked around the house, which was often. Of course the kids were expected to do their share of the chores, but now that Kiryu was well enough to handle tasks again, he approached housework with enthusiastic vigor. Shiro would often come home hearing Kiryu singing away like a beautiful songbird as he prepared their meals, dusted the floors, folded their laundry, wiped the bathroom down, and neatly reorganized the shelves near the genkan.
After some time, Shiro began to recognize the songs: “Kamurocho Lullaby,” “Pure Love in Kamurocho,” “Baka Mitai,” “Machine Gun Kiss” which made Shiro wonder if Kiryu thought about Majima, “Tonight” which always carried a weight of sadness, and “Today is a Diamond” which made Shiro want to cry for some reason. Kiryu even attempted some English songs he liked such as “I Wanna Take You Home” a famous tune from the 80s by Davie Bowing.
“Looks like we got our Uncle Kaz back,” Taichi said. They looked up from their homework to watch Kiryu making his way across the courtyard, garbage bag in hand. It was nighttime and he hadn’t slowed down all day.
“He seems happier than before, doesn’t he?” Mitsuo said.
“Yeah, ‘cause he got to spend the whole summer with his boyfriend!” Koji said. “Anyone’d be happy!”
“Do you think he misses Uncle Goro?” Riona asked.
“Maybe that’s why he’s keeping himself busy…” Mitsuo pondered.
“Or he just really likes to clean,” Koji said.
“Or a bit of both,” Taichi said. “Haruka says Kiryu picked up a lot of his neat cleaning habits in jail. They make you do routine washing and everything.”
“That explains our chore chart,” Eri giggled.
“But it also helped him speed up time,” Taichi said. “He took up any job he could in jail.”
Shiro frowned. “Why not read books?”
“Or watch TV?” Koji added. “Don’t they have those in jail?”
Taichi shrugged. “Guess he can’t focus? Maybe he’s the kind who needs to keep his hands busy.”
Shiro hung his head. So maybe deep down Kiryu really wanted the days to fly by too…
The air of loneliness often hung over their heads, especially with the absence of Majima and Natsumi. That would certainly explain why Kiryu didn’t slow down.
Shiro turned the page of his history book and gasped softly.
With all the talk about Kiryu and Majima, he had to blink a few times and rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing this right. No, his eyes were definitely working just fine.
It was an illustration of a duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Shishido Baiken in the early 1600s. Shishido’s uncanny resemblance to a certain eye-patched man immediately grabbed Shiro’s attention. Shiro shifted his gaze, and sure enough…there was Miyamoto Musashi, the most famed swordsman in Japan’s history, with a face and scowl as beautiful and familiar as ever.
What was even more, the two men looked incredibly pleased to be dueling.
Shiro glanced up at his siblings but quickly looked back down. He just couldn’t tell anyone else about this. Couldn’t find it in himself to speak. First it was Saito Hajime and wife Takagi Tokio, and now this…
They really are soulmates, Shiro thought. In every lifetime, they found each other. That probably explained why they loved to fight, considering Miyamoto and Shishido’s duel—wait, did those two have a thing for one another? And whenever Majima stepped out into the world as Goromi, was she remembering the blissfully domestic life she lived as Takagi Tokio?
The thought was almost too eerie—how far back did this go? And…would they find each other again and again until the end of time?
And…was there someone like that for Shiro himself?
Shiro shivered and wrapped his blankets around himself. Mysteries of the cosmos indeed!
“What’s that, Shiro?” Yukiho pointed up the path.
The old creepy castle had long since vanished, and the two had resumed their usual fun in the dreamworld. Tonight the great wide world expanded just a little more. Atop a high grassy precipice sat a wide bubble-like dome, arched such to allow perfect viewing of the stars. But curiously enough, while one stood inside the mystical open theater, the sea seemed to rise up to the top, giving also a view of the ocean life.
“It’s beautiful,” Yukiho said.
“Yeah,” Shiro said, blushing a little. It was his feelings creating all this. His deepest hopes and dreams, and possibly also the future? Something inside the dreamworld, after all, had warned him about Tamashiro and Shirakawa…
“Do you think soulmates exist, Yukiho? Like you meet someone and fall in love with them, and it’s destiny. You’ll keep meeting them in every lifetime?”
Yukiho stood in silence next to Shiro for the longest time. Finally she said, “Are you in love, Shiro?” She giggled.
“Maybe…” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck. They gazed out into the ocean together. It was a while before Yukiho responded.
“This isn’t a question I can answer you, Shiro. I never got to grow beyond this point…”
Smiling sadly, Shiro nodded in understanding. He continued to gaze out, slipping into reverie. Deep down, did Kiryu and Majima feel that connection? Did they possibly ever remember their past lives?
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #65 — I Will Find You in Every Lifetime
“Yeah, he for sure has a crush!” Riona concluded smugly. “I know that face!”
Eri and Izumi giggled before Ayako quickly hushed them.
“Yeah, he’s been checking out some shoji romance manga and other romance books only girls read,” Taichi said.
“That’s kinda cute, actually,” Riona said, getting a reaction out of Mitsuo.
“Hey, when I did that you thought I was weird!”
“That’s because it’s you,” Riona teased him.
“Do you know who it is?” Mitsuo called out to Izumi before throwing the ball back to Koji who then rushed out to meet Akira. He’s been showing up to Morning Glory more often to play baseball with Koji. “You’re in the same class now, aren’t you?”
Izumi shook her head. “It can’t be Chiya…she’s my best friend, highly perceptive, and can’t keep a secret!”
“Maybe he knows,” Eri said, motioning toward Akira and Koji. “He’s also Shiro’s friend, isn’t he?”
“Nah, let’s not embarrass him,” Taichi said.
“Hasn’t Shiro been asking you all sorts of questions about you and Saki, though?” Mitsuo asked.
Taichi chuckled. “He has.”
“What’d you say?” Riona asked, leaning closer with bated breath.
“Told him to just tell his crush how he feels. Freaked him right out of his skin.”
The others giggled.
“Whoever it is, they’ve sufficiently distracted Shiro away from his science books!” Ayako said, hands on her hips.
“Just a little,” Eri said.
The others giggled again just as a shadow fell over the courtyard.
“Glad to see everyone’s happy,” Kiryu said, smiling at everyone. Accompanying him were Haruka and Shiro, all three laden with grocery bags. The others scrambled to help while pretending they hadn’t been talking about anything suspicious at all.
Christmas in Hatsudai seldom saw snow, but it was still cold enough to warrant winter coats. Streets of Tokyo would be adorned with lit Christmas trees, and carols could be heard streaming out of shops.
In Okinawa, barring a few days of rain, December at most required a light jacket. But that didn’t mean the island didn’t get into the holiday spirit. Ryukyu heavily attracted tourists, and so the city dressed it up for the tourists. Massive illumination displays followed Shiro everywhere he went every time he was in the city.
There were more people than usual, travelers on vacation coming in to watch the games or the heaps of other festivities being held at this time.
Morning Glory took on a minor transformation. Decorating Christmas at home didn’t entail large trees as Okinawan homes were too small for that, Morning Glory included. Shiro’s own family used to make do with a miniature Christmas tree, but it was a lovely little decoration that marked the end of the year, and the same could be said in Morning Glory.
The miniature decorated tree was placed beside the television screen, giving their joint living and dining room warmth and a little festive cheer. Huddled in the living room watching TV, the kids all excitedly chatted about the upcoming winter break. Tomorrow was their last day of the semester. Two school semesters down. One more to go.
“You’re really growing fast,” Kiryu marveled, looking at them with affection and sadness.
Shiro studied Kiryu. He had kept himself so busy the last few months he hadn’t realized how much time had passed. There were bags under his eyes but he was smiling.
“Uncle Kaz, is Uncle Goro going to visit us?” Izumi asked.
And so the hounding began.
Shiro’s good mood evaporated by the following day. Akira barely noticed him when Shiro waved to him that morning by the school gates. Shiro hadn’t seen him at all during recess, and not even Yuito had seen him. Unlike Shiro, Yuito wasn’t at all worried about Akira. When Shiro finally did catch sight of Akira hanging around the farthest school building, he didn’t seem interested in talking to anyone.
Hurt as he was, Shiro tried to calm his nerves. Maybe this wasn’t against him. Why would it be? He and Akira were best friends. They were…soulmates, right?
Recalling how he had acted toward Kiryu when he was being bullied, a light came on in Shiro’s mind.
“Is everything okay?” Shiro asked when school was done for the semester. He had finally caught up to Akira just as they were passing Morning Glory’s gate.
Akira sighed and turned around slowly.
“Sorry, Shiro, I know I’m being a bad friend,” he said, eyes downcast. “I’ve been ignoring you all day. I didn’t mean to! It’s just…things got bad unexpectedly, so I’ve been thinking about that all day.”
“Oh. I forgive you.” How could Shiro be upset with his friend? Something was clearly bothering him that he couldn’t focus on anything else all day. He felt bad for even being frustrated with him earlier today. “Well, can you tell me what’s going on?”
Sighing, Akira leaned against the gate and looked out toward the beach. “The truth is…my mother and father had to rush out of Okinawa this morning. Grandma passed out on the mainland, and they went to take her to the hospital. She has no one else, see. My aunt and uncle ran to help too, or otherwise they would have stayed to be with me. I’m staying with a neighbor, but it feels weird you know? So yeah, I’m pretty much all alone right now…”
Shiro gave a slow nod of his head. He couldn’t take his eyes off Akira.
“I spoke to my parents during recess,” Akira said. “They think it’s best I join them, but I’ve never traveled alone before and I’m scared. Of the travel, and…you know.”
“Doing any task the first time will always be scary,” spoke a voice above their heads as Kiryu approached, “but that shouldn’t stop you from trying. This is how we grow.”
Akira gave a start, then realizing who it was, immediately calmed down. He nodded slowly and lowered his head. “You’re right.” He shifted his feet awkwardly.
“That being said, if you wish to stay in Okinawa, I can watch over you until your parents return,” Kiryu added.
Shiro’s eyes lit up, as did Akira’s, but the latter’s immediately turned away.
“I can’t,” he said. “I’d feel bad about abandoning my grandmother.”
Kiryu nodded. “That is a noble reason for you to face your fears.”
“But I really don’t want to deal with my uncle this Christmas.” Akira sighed heavily before catching himself. He quickly apologized for bad mouthing his uncle in front of Kiryu. Kiryu simply shook his head.
Shiro only knew part of the story, that Akira’s uncle wasn’t the most pleasant of people around.
“Sir, would it be all right if I used your phone?” Akira asked.
“Of course.”
It was rude to listen in on another person’s conversation, but Shiro couldn’t help strategically placing himself as close to the dining room as possible. One glance behind his shoulder showed him that Kiryu was watching him, one cigarette in hand and a smile on his face.
Finally Akira emerged. “Grandma’s stable! My parents are gonna stay with her but Grandma said I can stay with you!” He grinned sheepishly at Kiryu. “She says, ‘Thank you, kind sir. Look after my little boy.’”
Shiro gave a cheer as the two embraced. He then ran up to Kiryu and gave him an almighty hug, squeezing him real, real tight and thanking him profusely for having Akira stay at Morning Glory. His best friend was gonna stay with them all winter break!
Then noticing the cigarette, Shiro gave an exaggerated growl of disapproval, yanked it off Kiryu’s fingers, and stomped it on the cold courtyard ground. He didn’t know what made him do it. Must have been the excitement of his soulmate spending Morning Glory for winter break.
Kiryu sighed and shook his head although he was still smiling. “I was almost done with that.”
Kiryu had never seen Shiro so happy before. He must have made the right call offering Morning Glory to young Miyamura Akira. The other kids seemed to like him a lot. That boy played with his kids before; that was how Kiryu came to be introduced to him. He was a good kid. And he clearly needed some time away from family, even if it meant not seeing his grandmother. Kiryu made sure Akira called her every day, whenever he wanted.
Meanwhile Akira mostly played baseball with the other kids, a sign that he had grown in strength since the first time the family had met him. Shiro and Akira spent a lot of time together too. They were practically joined at the hips whenever Akira wasn’t playing baseball with Koji.
Whenever they were together, Shiro was on cloud nine.
Kiryu couldn’t help but find the whole thing endearing. He was reminded of some of his own friendships, especially with Nishiki.
Listening in while working alongside Natsumi, Kiryu learned that Akira was interested in ocean life. While the kids were busy watching a movie at the local cinema, he and Natsumi snuck downtown to buy a small present for everyone for Christmas, including Akira. Of course, Mame also got something too. The kids often didn’t get anything extravagant for Christmas, especially with money unexpectedly tight at the moment. The bigger holiday in Japan was the upcoming New Year, but Kiryu did want them to have something nice and something they could use, be it a book or clothing item or a new play toy.
“Sure you don’t want me to help with wrapping everything up?” Natsumi asked.
“I remember how to do this,” Kiryu said. After fiddling with the first gift’s wrapper for what felt like hours, he conceded defeat and sheepishly asked Natsumi to help with the others.
When all of the little presents were wrapped and neatly lined up on the kitchen table, Kiryu snapped a photo of them and sent them along to Majima. Few moments later his phone beeped back with a reply:
How cute. Ya even got something
for the dog. That makes me sick.
Merry Christmas, Kazuma-chan
Goro
Kiryu chuckled to himself. He took photos of himself and Natsumi and sent them to Majima. They then placed the gifts on the kids’ pillows and waited for them to return home.
A week passed. Gone was the miniature Christmas tree, and instead in front of the house now stood a kadomatsu in preparation for the upcoming new year.
Kiryu and Natsumi had been hard back at work, this time preparing otoshidama for the kids, money gifts in special envelopes called pochi-bukuro. Akira’s parents had returned from the mainland, but the boy stayed around Morning Glory during the day of New Year’s Eve. That made Shiro especially happy.
The evening was a peaceful and tranquil time for the family. They had a traditional Okinawan soba to end the year. The noodles were soft and made with all wheat to make them easy to cut, so they could sever ties with all the bad luck of the ending year.
The children all lit up when they received their otoshidama and thanked Kiryu repeatedly. Some excitedly talked about what they were going to buy while the older kids informed the others it was best to save part of the money for the future. While Kiryu wanted his children to do whatever made them happy, he had to silently agree with their advice. The current economic climate was rather…concerning.
It was getting late, so Kiryu had them go to bed. He thanked Natsumi and wished her a Happy New Year as he saw her out. Staying out by the courtyard gates, he reached for his pack of cigarettes when he just made out the tiny pitter-patter of feet behind him.
“Um, Uncle Kaz…”
“Shiro,” Kiryu said with a nod of his head. “Why aren’t you in bed? We’re visiting the shrine first thing in the morning.”
“I know,” Shiro said. “It’s just…I had some things on my mind.”
“Oh? Not good to start the new year with worries from the old. Let’s settle it now.”
Shiro nodded. “Do you believe in soulmates, Uncle Kaz?”
Kiryu, who had been in the process of tucking a cigarette between his lips, paused. Now, that was a question he had never anticipated. The cigarette hung between his lips.
“What brought this on?” he asked.
“I’ve been reading a lot,” Shiro said. “There’s so many mysteries in the universe, and the human soul might actually be a scientific reality, and just…I can’t help but wonder…maybe we’re destined for certain people…maybe we’ve lived other lives before…”
“A soulmate?”
“Y-yeah. Someone you meet in every lifetime. A-and you would travel between lifetimes together. According to some sources, anyway.”
He watched Kiryu intently as though he were the holder of all this arcane knowledge and wisdom. But Kiryu only shrugged. “Who can say? Different faiths will tell you different things. Science, I’m sure, will tell you something else. No one has the answer to that.”
“But what if it is true?” Shiro said. “Let’s say you have reason to suspect it is true…”
“What brought this on?”
Shiro grew quiet and hesitant as if debating how to answer him. Kiryu, unsure how to handle this, just stared at his fourth son.
“Shiro?
Shiro ran against Kiryu and hugged his arm. “Do you…do you think I have a soulmate?”
“Hm?” Ah, so maybe all of the other kids’ speculation were true after all. Shiro either had a crush on someone, or he was becoming a romantic what with all the reading he had been doing on soulmates and fates. Kiryu was told by a few that he himself was something of a romantic, although he denied it (being told as such always embarrassed him).
“Do I have a soulmate? Will I meet my soulmate?”
In truth, Kiryu wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even sure if soulmates were truly a thing. But there was no reason to shoot the boy’s hopes and dreams down.
“If soulmates truly exist, then I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” Kiryu said with a warm smile.
Shiro’s eyes shined with joy. “How did you know, Uncle Kaz?”
“How did I know what?”
“When you first met Uncle Goro, didn’t you say you felt something, like a spark between you two? Like you just knew who the other man was?”
Kiryu chuckled. “I think we were just feeling the Heat between us.”
“But everyone has Heat! You knew he was Majima Goro and he knew you were Kiryu Kazuma! Uncle Kaz…do you think Uncle Goro is your soulmate?”
Again, Kiryu was taken aback.
“Majima-no-nii-san? My soulmate?”
“I mean…do you think you might have met before? In another life? Spent multiple lifetimes together?”
“What? Multiple lifetimes?!”
“Y-yeah,” Shiro said sheepishly and nodded.
“Honestly, if you told me back then that man would become the love of my life, I wouldn’t have hesitated punching you. But I suppose life, and love, is unpredictable like that…”
He felt for his pocket, where Yumi’s ring was safely tucked away in a little ring case. He still kept her close. Had everything that fateful night not happened, would he and Majima still have ended up together?
But still, it did not stop the fact that somewhere deep down, Kiryu always felt that somehow, he and Majima’s fates were tied.
“So you don’t know right away if someone’s your soulmate?” Shiro said.
Kiryu shook his head. “That sort of love at first sight talk is mostly in stories. I realized I loved Majima-no-nii-san over time. Personally, I think that is the best kind of love, the one that takes time to cultivate and grow, like a tree. The one that surprises you by the time you realize your feelings.” He chuckled. It’s always the person one least expects.
Shiro was hanging on to every word, nodding slowly.
“Did that answer your question?” Kiryu asked, smiling down at the love-curious boy.
“Well, yeah…but that’s not all,” Shiro went on. “What if you knew others from this life before? Like Haruka and Taichi?”
“Hmm?” Now that Shiro brought it up, Kiryu did have dreams of Japan in different eras: pre-Meiji Restoration, the Edo Era, perhaps some others…rather strangely, he had dreams he was Sakamoto Ryoma posing as Saito Hajime, or even more bizarrely as the legendary swordsman and philosopher Miyamoto Musashi. Clearly just dreams. Very vivid dreams. But what if…?
Was there a lifetime when he and Kaoru met before? Detective Date? A lifetime where things with Nishiki went differently? What if…nah, it would be strange, but what if Mine and he were allies in another life?
Had Kiryu looked after the kids in other lifetimes? What about Haruka? Did he know her from other lifetimes? Kiryu’s chest seized with an emotion he couldn’t quite explain at that thought.
“So you’re saying we were a family in every lifetime?” Kiryu said.
“Maybe,” Shiro said.
Kiryu envisioned being with Majima and the children in every era. A peaceful home on a farm during the Meiji Era. He and Majima heading back home from the markets during the Heian period, arms full of gifts for the kids. And what of after this life? It was hard to imagine what the future beheld, but Kiryu’s mind flashed with Majima and he sporting cybernetic enhancements, the stuff of science fiction.
“If we truly do meet in every lifetime,” Kiryu said, “then that is the most comforting thought I have ever had in my life. We’ll always be together as a family.” He smiled at Shiro, who lit up.
He gave Kiryu a quick hug before running back inside. Kiryu reached inside his pocket for his pack of cigarettes again when a small red and old-looking bell fell out. He picked it up, not recognizing it. The bell made a tiny sound that stirred a feeling of sadness in his chest.
Just then, Kiryu’s phone rang.
My soulmate Kiryu thought with amusement, having read the caller ID. The corners of his mouth tugging upward. What were the odds? He pocketed the bell.
“Majima-no-nii-san?” Kiryu answered the call.
“Kiryu-chan!” Majima cried out. “The kiddies in bed yet?”
“Yeah,” Kiryu said. “You called right on time.”
“Good, good,” Majima said. “I want ya to head to the beach. Alone if it’s safe for the kiddies.”
Kiryu checked back. Mame was asleep but any intruders would easily wake him up. Nonetheless Kiryu checked that the amado was securely in place before making his way down to the beach.
“I’m by the shore,” Kiryu reported. “What is it you want to tell me?”
“The countdown’s about to begin at any moment,” Majima replied.
“Oh?” The corners of Kiryu’s lips tugged into a little smile once more. He could just barely hear the party goers far on the other side of Majima’s phone. Majima must have been calling near Theater Square. Just then, the crowd began the countdown to midnight. “Do you wish to share the first moments of the new year with me, Majima-no-nii-san?”
“I’m not missing that first kiss for the world!” Majima said smugly. “Look up, Kiryu-chan. Look straight ahead.”
Kiryu looked up as the words far away echoed, “Four…three…two…one!”
Kiryu gasped. The skies suddenly lit up in arrays of beautiful colors, fireworks popping from every corner. “Aishiteru, Kazuma-chan!” Majima cooed in his ear. A kiss followed through the phone.
“Maji—Goro!” Kiryu gasped. “H-how?” There weren’t any islands for miles south of the ocean here.
“I have my ways, Kazzy baby,” Majima said. “Had a few boats to spare and a few holiday tickets I gave out as lottery in the last office party, on one condition.”
Kiryu chuckled. Of course Majima would.
“Thank you, Goro. I never expected this, although knowing you I suppose I should have. Thank you. Aishiteru, Goro.”
“Yo, don’t be a stranger this year, got it?” Majima said.
“Of course not,” Kiryu said, smiling. He could just picture the half-joking glare Majima was giving his phone with that mild threat. “We’ll make plans again for another visit.” He stopped, not wanting to bother Majima about him coming down to Okinawa. In truth, that would be cheaper. Paying for the entire family to go to Tokyo was not something he could afford at the moment. “The children are always asking about you.”
“Do they now?” Majima chuckled, charmed. “Then I better hurry up finishing this mall.”
Kiryu smiled, looking up at the sky. Majima was miles away, but it was as though he were right beside him, holding him in his arms.
“Give them my blessings, Kazuma.”
“I will,” Kiryu said. “Talk to you soon, Goro. Happy New Year.”
After they ended the phone call, Kiryu held his phone to his chest. So this was his soulmate. The one he would meet in every lifetime. The one he would travel between one lifetime to another, hand in hand. Smiling up again at the night sky, Kiryu thought, If that is true, then I am the luckiest soul to have ever existed.
Notes:
The bell is the Gion Bell that you receive in your inventory in Yakuza 4 and 5 if you have game data for some of the previous games. The Gion Bell played a big roll in Kenzan’s story, and its description canonically said that the sound it made makes one feel sad. Perhaps it invokes a memory of a past lifetime?
And if the Ishin art looks familiar, that’s because it’s based on the the real life photo of Saito Hajime and his family! You can view the photo here! Okita living the rest of her life as Takagi Tokio is my little headcanon. It seems Ryoma adopted the Saito name post-game events, so historically speaking he would have to marry Takagi Tokio, a character we never met in the game…except we do hear about a woman sneaking around the Shinsengumi barracks early on. A lot of fans speculated it was Ishin-Goromi, and so…here she is! 😁 The fact that Takagi worked alongside Yamamoto Yae (Miss Tatsu) intrigues me to no end. This may be another fic some time in the future.
Next chapter set for Wednesday, September 25th.
Chapter 12: III.2 The Sea and the Stars
Notes:
We’re heading into Y4, the class trip! From Shiro’s POV. Content warnings: some depictions of homophobia.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: The Sea and the Stars
The third and final semester of third grade began with a surprise.
“Yo,” Yuito greeted casually as they walked in. He sat far back in their classroom, feet up on the chair rather impolitely.
“Why’re you not in your class?” Akira asked, confused as even more unfamiliar kids filed in.
“It’s our class now,” Yuito said. “Amaku-sensei had to be rushed to the hospital this morning. Looks like it’s serious so our class got split up, and this half’s getting merged with you all.”
Shiro plopped down in the seat in front of Yuito. Merged? Did that mean that Yoshinori would be back with them?
“I guess Chatan-sensei can handle all of us,” Akira reasoned. “We were smaller than the average classrooms, and now we’re just shy of forty kids.”
“Yeah, but You-Know-Who might be here,” Shiro said. He wasn’t worried about Yoshinori personally. He could handle him just fine. His primary worry was Yoshinori setting his eyes on Izumi next. His nose would be so broken he’d never breathe through it again if he so much as looked at Izumi the wrong way.
And speaking of Shiro’s little sister, she was busy chatting away with Chiya and two girls from Amaku-sensei’s class. He tried to catch her gaze. It was best the seven of them sat close together and far from Yoshinori, but Izumi either ignored Shiro or didn’t care for boy drama.
Either way, it meant that Yoshinori, who she was fully aware of, did not bother her in the slightest. She had her own ongoing love drama with that Tadashi boy that could rival any Spanish telenovelas (according to Izumi at least), but that was just as well. No one paid him any mind, and Chatan-sensei himself seemed vaguely aware of Yoshinori’s previous misdeeds given how he strategically reassigned everyone’s seats.
In the end Shiro sat close to his friends and close enough to Izumi and her little gaggle of girlfriends that he could hear their chatter during breaks. Yoshinori, meanwhile, was left alone far in the corner, without friends and without any power over anyone. What a loser.
“Do you think it could be Akira-kun?” Asahi blurted out one afternoon.
Kiryu had taken Mame to the vet for his checkup, Izumi in tow, so that meant Natsumi was watching over everyone. The Saturday afternoon saw Okinawa warming up, and the kids were all outside playing, even Shiro to their surprise. Once that neighborhood boy Akira showed up, Shiro’s eyes lit up and he ran after him and his big brother Koji to go play by the beach. It wasn’t a common sight to see, Shiro eagerly choosing the outdoors over staying inside and reading.
Natsumi blinked, pausing what she was doing at the courtyard table. “What’d you mean?”
“Sure you’ve heard the kids mumble about Shiro-kun having a crush,” Hirohito said.
“Oh yeah, that,” Natsumi giggled. “They’ve been teasing poor Shiro nonstop over that.”
“Break it up, you two!” Mikio’s voice traveled through. He’s been playing referee to Taichi and Mitsuo’s wrestling again. Meanwhile, sitting at the engawa the girls were painting Daijiro’s nails and applying makeup. It wasn’t his first choice but he had lost a bet with Hirohito. The gentleman took it in stride; he examined himself in the mirror and praised the girls for a job well done beautifying him.
“So you think Shiro is crushing on Akira-kun?” Natsumi continued.
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?” Asahi said. “Nothing can tear Shiro-bo from his books, but now he’s suddenly eager to go play with the other kids? Especially when Akira-kun shows up?”
“Kid’s got it bad for Miyamura Akira,” Hirohito laughed. “Just look at him now, tryin’ to impress Akira-kun with his batting skills!”
Natsumi peered out just in time to catch Shiro slipping and falling on his face in the sand right in front of his alleged crush. That had to be embarrassing. She shook her head, giggling to herself. Boys never changed.
“Just hope it doesn’t get him into trouble,” Asahi said.
“Why should it?” Natsumi said.
“Well, he doesn’t know how Akira feels, does he?” Hirohito explained. “They’re good friends now, but telling Akira-kun how he feels could shoot that friendship dead.”
“We’re cool with this sorta thing,” Asahi added, “but not everyone is. What if Akira-kun’s parents find out? What if Akira-kun himself is weirded out by it?”
That was a concern, but she couldn’t imagine Akira being against Shiro’s feelings. Although they kept their relationship to themselves, by now half the island already knew that Kiryu Kazuma had a live-in boyfriend over the summer. People talk. The Miyamuras wouldn’t have allowed Akira to keep coming over to play if that were the case. And at worst, Akira would probably just not feel the same way as Shiro.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just be honest with how you feel?” Natsumi said.
“And get his heart broken?”
Natsumi shrugged. “That’s just the way of life, I’m afraid.”
“That’s cold, Natsumi-chan!” Asahi said, gaping at her.
“He’s still young!” Natsumi laughed, but the truth was, she was also a little bit worried. That boy harbored this crush for a while now. Should she broach the subject to Kiryu or keep it amongst themselves? It seemed Kiryu was the only one unaware of what was happening to Shiro, and by golly could that man, wise as he was, be obtuse at times as well.
The following morning saw the girls making homemade chocolates for Valentine’s Day to give out, led by Haruka. Shiro watched them from afar, envious.
“Ya got any plans with Majima-san?” Natsumi teased Kiryu.
“What do you mean by that?” Kiryu asked.
“You always check your phone whenever you’re anticipating a call,” Natsumi said. “Let me guess: you’re gonna get a very special Valentine’s Day card via email from Goromi, pink hearts and all?”
Kiryu chuckled sheepishly. “Maybe.”
“Did ya send roses to the Majima Family’s office?” Natsumi further teased.
“Natsumi, please.”
“I wonder how the kids are handling it,” she went on. “Think any of them’s hoping to get Valentine’s this year?”
“Hmm?” Kiryu gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean by that?”
Before Natsumi could say anymore, cries and jeers averted their attention.
“Ooh, Riona! Who’re all the chocolates for!” Taichi teased.
“Shut up!” Riona said, blushing furiously. “We all know you’re going out with Saki!”
“So what if I am?” Taichi laughed and stuck out his chest. “And maybe there’s a few other girls going to give me chocolates today too. I’m quite the hot shot at school!”
“Yeah right!”
“Are those for me?” Mitsuo asked timidly.
Riona’s eyes widened and she snatched away the heart-shaped batch she had been making.
“Who gave you that idea!” she said amidst the chorus of giggles all around them. “As if I like you that much!”
“She likes him that much,” Kiryu said just loud enough for Natsumi to hear. It was meant as a light-hearted moment for the two of them, but Natsumi didn’t laugh.
She watched them all with a tiny frown. With Kiryu’s attention now fully on his kids’ numerous love troubles—Izumi was now violently vowing she would drown Tadashi to his death if he didn’t accept her chocolate—and with the commotion created as every kid argued and accused each other who they were giving chocolates to, laughing through it all, one little bespectacled kid silently sulked away.
Shiro didn’t want to begrudge his sisters the enjoyment of the holiday, so it was best for him to just leave. Being inside home right now, with the smell of warm freshly made chocolate, was too painful a reminder that it was Valentine’s Day, so he decided to just go out for a walk. It was Sunday. Maybe he should head to the library and take refuge in a dark corner.
It confused him what boys did in this case if the object of their affection was also a boy. Did they wait for White Day? No, that was for the reciprocal of a gift. But then, should he have stuck around and made a chocolate for Akira? But he’s not a girl! Maybe he should have asked Kiryu, but he didn’t seem like an active practitioner of the holiday.
Ugh, he should just stick to math. Love was more irrational than the square root of two.
“Can anyone help me?” came a timid voice.
Shiro stopped. A tiny girl, not more than a preschooler, was bouncing on the balls of her feet anxiously, looking up and down the road.
“What’s up?” Shiro asked as he came up to her.
“Please, you have to help me!” she begged as she ran up to him, wide-eyed. “I was gonna go shopping with Obasan, but she’s not felling well. Can you get her the fruit she needs? It’ll make her feel better!”
Substory #38 — Friendly Neighborhood Nishida Shiro
“Can’t you go by yourself?” Shiro asked.
The Scary Little Girl shook her head. “I want to stay with Obasan!”
“And your parents aren’t here?”
She shook her head.
Shiro understood her. If his grandfather was sick and his parents weren’t around, he wouldn’t want to leave his side either.
“Please help me!” The Scary Little Girl begged. “I don’t know where to get her shopping! I’m from Tokyo, and my parents had someplace to go. I don’t know my way around town, and I’m all alone!”
“Can’t the shopping wait?” Shiro asked.
The Scary Little Girl shook her head again. “Obasan says some of the fruit can be used as medicine, so the sooner we get them the better!”
Shiro considered his options. Should he help the girl or not? He wasn’t really feeling up to it, but then again what more could he do today? He was already in a sour mood, but he shouldn’t let his state of mind affect others. Someone out there needed his help, and it didn’t look like many people would be walking past this road today. Maybe he should help this little girl and her grandmother.
▼ Continue being a sulky boy.
“Sorry,” Shiro said after giving it some more thought. “I’m just not in the mood right now.”
“Oh…” The Sad Little Girl said, bowing her head. “If you find the time, can you please stop by?”
Shiro gave a small nod of his head and went on his way. But the guilt still ate at him. He should come back and help the girl whenever he got the chance.
Izumi was the first in the class to react, giving an excited high-pitched squeal. No one thought to hush her as excitement rippled through the classroom at the news.
An end-of-year class trip. Shiro and Akira immediately turned to one another, their faces mirroring each other’s wide grins. Out of everyone, they especially had the biggest reason to celebrate.
Every class in the entire school was going on a trip, and Chatan-sensei’s class was going to the Oceanic Culture Museum and Planetarium. A place to study about ocean life and astronomy! What were the odds?!
“Ugh…” Shiro could hear Yoshinori mumble-groan somewhere far off in his tiny miserable corner, and Shiro’s own elation only grew. Other kids were hounding Chatan-sensei with questions about the upcoming trip, and the little teacher, who was easily excitable himself, was bouncing around trying to keep everyone calm while also trying not to get overly hyped himself as he answered questions.
Izumi’s friends were chattering away with one another nonstop. The blue bow on top of Emiri’s head nearly flew off her head as she bounced in her seat. Noticing the two boys, Izumi’s friends soon rounded on them.
“Hey, you two know, like, everything about the ocean, right?” Emiri said excitedly. “Can we tag along, please?”
“Akira’s the ocean one, dummy!” Izumi corrected, laughing.
“Oh, sorry! You’re the Space Whiz Kid, Shiro-chan!” the round and pink-cheeked Suzume said.
“Space Whiz Kid?!” Chiya giggled, her double pigtails bobbing. “We should get hotel rooms near each other. You can join us too, Yuito-chan!”
Yuito just sighed. “As long as I can bring my camera.”
All four girls nearly took off into orbit right then and there. “CAMERA! PHOTOS! EEEEEEEEE!”
“Alright, class, pay attention!” Chatan-sensei’s voice boomed over the livened crowd, finally restoring order.
“It’s gotta be fate!” Shiro muttered continually the whole time as Kiryu helped him pack for the trip. The kids were each given a sheet of paper detailing what they needed for the multi-day class trip. Sure enough, Taichi, Koji, and Ayako were also going on a class trip, as were Mitsuo, Riona, and Eri.
“We’ll be in Yamagawa,” Izumi was telling Ayako. “Shiro can look at the stars there!”
“We’re gonna see bones at a museum!” Taichi said excitedly. “Koji and I are gonna take a fossil and bring it back!”
“Taichi…” Kiryu warned.
“Mame can play with it!”
Kiryu shook his head. “Then the dinosaur skeleton will always be sad because it’ll never feel complete.”
Taichi groaned and hung his head. Shiro knew better, that oftentimes casts of bones were made to fully reconstruct the skeletons of dinosaurs, as it was rare to find completed and unbroken remains. Still, it was just the way Kiryu spoke those words. They could guilt trip just about anyone. Taichi was powerless. “Uncle Kaz…”
“Where’re you going?” Koji asked Eri.
“All of the classes in our grade had to vote,” Eri said. “We could only go to the same place. I wanted to see the war museum, but the art museum won.”
“Yay for me!” Riona sang happily.
Mitsuo chuckled sheepishly. “I was torn on where to go, but I think going to an art museum would be more fun.”
Eri refused to speak to her peers for the rest of the evening.
“Won’t you be lonely, Uncle Kaz?” Ayako asked.
“Nah, he’s gonna enjoy not having us in his hair for a few nights,” Taichi laughed.
“Haruka will still be here,” Kiryu reminded them. Being the oldest, Haruka had already started junior high school, which meant she was now going to a different school. After this school year, Ayako, Taichi, and Koji would join her to that new school. The thought of slowly being parted away from his siblings made Shiro sad, but he still had his friends, Izumi and her friends, and of course for the time being Mitsuo, Riona, and Eri.
Natsumi helped them pack. She went over the list with Kiryu and regularly hopped to town to get anything needed for their trip. Neither Kiryu nor Natsumi seemed too worried about the kids being away from home for this long. After all, class trips were a regular ordeal in Japan.
“I had so much fun at the art museum during my class trip,” Natsumi gushed. “Think we also went to see the dinosaurs.” Taichi and Koji’s eyes lit up at that.
“How was your class trip, Uncle Kaz?” Haruka asked. “Your trip must have been near Tokyo?”
At that Riona gave him her full attention.
Kiryu chuckled sheepishly. “Nishiki and I, well…we both got into trouble after fighting with some boys from class in front of a dinosaur, so we had to sit out most of the trip. In my defense it’s because we caught them trying to sneak away with the skeleton of a prehistoric fish, but no one believed us.”
“Classic Uncle Kaz!” everyone sang.
Kiryu peered over at Shiro. All of his clothes for the trip were picked out. Toiletries too. What about his medication? Check, but Kiryu would check on that again to make triple certain. The class trips wouldn’t begin until later this week, but he wanted to get ready as soon as they could. The sooner anyone realized they were missing something, the sooner it would be rectified before the trip. Class trips normally came with low risks, but Kiryu wanted his children to feel safe and secure while away from home. He was used to keeping an eye on them from afar, and the furthest they ever ventured without supervision was to Downtown Ryukyu. This would be their chance to learn how to navigate in the world alone, so very far from home.
The thought of that left a tiny pang in his chest. His little children were growing up…
Out of everyone, Shiro was the most excited for the upcoming trip. While everyone else had settled down into their homework, his attention kept slipping to the television screen, and Kiryu was sure Shiro wasn’t interested in the news.
What had Shiro kept talking about earlier? Something about fate. That had to be in reference to the planetarium he was going to visit. Kiryu chuckled to himself.
Shiro had been so distracted with the upcoming trip that he had completely forgotten about his own birthday. Today was the last day of February. Kiryu had already planned things with Haruka to throw him a little birthday celebration after school tomorrow.
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Kiryu realized it had already been three years since Shiro came into his life. Three years flew by since he started running Morning Glory Orphanage. Kiryu couldn’t imagine life without his children. It seemed like he hadn’t had much of a life until he had met Haruka, his “firstborn” so to speak.
He smiled down at Shiro. How much Shiro had changed in those three years. He was so scared, so unsure of himself back then. Now he sat there in the dining room buzzing with excitement for the future. An idea came to him, and he searched for Haruka’s gaze, sending out a silent message. He had found the perfect gift for Shiro’s birthday, and he needed Haruka to help him find it.
It was a small journal, the cover adorned with stars.
“This is so you can write about your adventure on the class trip,” Kiryu explained after Shiro unwrapped his present the next day. “You can draw and add photos to it too.” Shiro smiled up at him, his eyes shining.
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, but all too soon the morning of the class trip arrived and Kiryu found himself accompanying everyone to the monorail station. Alongside their usual backpacks every kid save for Haruka had a small travel carry-on.
As happy as Kiryu was for them, he admittedly was also going to find Morning Glory lonely and empty without them.
Izumi had made sure he knew exactly which toys Mame liked to play with most and when to feed him. Kiryu spent enough time with Mame to understand him and his preferences, but he still appreciated that Izumi cared so much for her companion.
“You don’t have to worry about Mame,” Kiryu assured her. “Imagine this trip is like when you’re going to school, except you’ll be out a little longer than usual.”
“Uncle Kaz will make Mame happy while you’re away,” Haruka assured her.
“I’m gonna miss Mame!” Izumi whimpered.
“How about you get him a souvenir?” Haruka suggested, which brightened her right up.
“Yeah, there’s plenty of bones where we’re going!” Taichi laughed.
“Taichi, no!” Kiryu warned.
Kiryu was mostly worried for the two youngest kids. Everyone knew how to navigate their way around town, to and from home and school, but Shiro and Izumi were going to be in new and different towns. He just wanted everyone to be happy and safe. And there was a tiny nagging feeling in the back of his mind, minute in size but its presence just strong enough for him to take notice, a father’s intuition that there was something he ought to know. He had gone over everything in his mind countless times already. Made a checklist. Checked everything off. Still that little nagging feeling wouldn’t leave him.
“You got your allergy bracelet, Taichi?”
“Yeah, of course!”
“Ayako, Koji…anything missing?”
The two checked their luggage one more time just to make sure.
“No,” Ayako reported. “We got everything, Uncle Kaz. I got my best shoes for the long walk ahead.”
“I got the money I saved up for the gift shops,” Koji said.
Kiryu chuckled. “Don’t waste it all at once.”
“Yeah, dino fossils are free!” Taichi called out.
Sighing, Kiryu shook his head, but he still gave each of the eldest kids a hug.
He next turned to Eri. “You have Usagi with you?”
Eri’s face exploded red. “I would never bring him with me!”
“The stuffing’s nearly all gone out of that rabbit,” Mitsuo said with a shake of his head. “I thought it was a rug the other day and almost slipped on it.” Eri pouted.
“Signs of a well-loved toy,” Kiryu said. Eri had found a white rabbit plush in Ebisu Pawn Shop one day, and after much fussing, Ayako, Haruka, and Kiryu had helped her sew on a blue and black hakama, trying to match it to Miyamoto Usagi’s attire from the Usagi Yojimbo comics. She loved it, and he strongly suspected she cuddled up with the toy when she slept. No shame in that. Nearly everyone had a toy that brought them comfort growing up in Sunflower Orphanage…
“All of your clothes and accessories packed?” Kiryu asked Riona and Mitsuo next, who both nodded their heads. He knew that Riona especially wanted to look her best for the trip. He had visited the Stone Market with Riona for some new jewelry, as he knew it would make her feel more confident in a new and unfamiliar environment.
Kiryu nodded and hugged the three kids. It was just a class trip. Every student in Japan went on these. Everything was going to be fine. Then what was that tiny nagging feeling?
“You have your medications, Shiro?” Kiryu asked softly.
Shiro nodded. “I have enough for two trips! I put them in separate places in case I lose one bottle.”
Kiryu chuckled. Smart thinking. He had packed the bottles himself, but he wanted to make sure. He didn’t think to put them in different locations. Maybe he had nothing to worry about after all.
“Keep Izumi away from trouble, all right?”
Shiro grinned, pumping up his chest. He loved feeling like a big kid in charge. “I will!”
“Hey!” Izumi said, affronted.
“You have the number to home, my phone, and Haruka’s in case you need us?”
“Of course! I wrote it in three places in case I misplace one.”
Kiryu nodded. There was nothing to fear. He glanced up at his watch. It was the morning of March the fifth, a Friday. The kids will all be back by Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Sounds like you’re all set,” Kiryu said, putting on a warm smile for Shiro. “Have a good time, Shiro. I’m going to miss you while you’re out.”
He swept in for a big hug before moving on to hug Izumi.
“I’m gonna miss you too,” Shiro said.
“Yeah, keep outta trouble while we’re gone, Uncle Kaz!” Koji joked.
“Keep an eye on him, Haruka-chan!” Ayako teased.
“I’m not stepping into another mess, no matter what,” Kiryu said, and he really meant it. His life was here, with his children, his family. He could see Haruka and the others beaming at that declaration.
He embraced her too for good measure, then stepped back to watch his children board the monorail. Smiling up at them, he waved and watched as the monorail took off, unaware of what was about to wash up on the shores of Morning Glory Beach later that evening.
The day of the trip. It was a half day at school, and excitement buzzed silently in the classroom. All of the students were taught better than to misbehave, to give their teacher their full attention, but it couldn’t be denied that everyone was thinking about the upcoming trip.
But they gave the day their best, as Chatan-sensei was teaching them some valuable last-minute lessons about the natural habitat surrounding the places they were about to visit.
When class was all done, the kids gathered up their books and cleaned up the classroom. They could not leave their beloved place of learning without first ensuring it was spotless.
After making one final check on their carry-ons, the students filed behind Chatan-sensei who took roll call. And then they marched to the bus. The trip took them first to the monorail station. That was familiar enough for Shiro, except this time the ticket he bought was to a wholly new and different location. Seeing the unfamiliar name on his ticket was both surreal and exciting. For one brief moment his heart sank—how terribly he was going to miss being with Kiryu!—before excitement took over.
While Shiro did get to travel a little bit around Okinawa, especially while Majima was with them, it was still a rare occasion, and even so while in the company of classmates.
His group huddled together as the monorail took them north. They dismounted at the Furujima Station, which was about as far as the monorail would go. For the rest of the way to Yamagawa they took a series of buses, with some walking in between stations.
However, no one complained. The weather was sublime and the sights impeccable. Yuito’s camera never got a moment’s rest. There was always something to take a photo of, be it a beautiful natural landscape they were passing by, a historical landmark that caught everyone’s attention (with plenty of history to learn about), or even one of their group’s reaction to the new sights around them.
As excited as they all were, they were also careful to remain polite and keep decorum, not speaking while on public transport and not shouting or running while they were on foot, no matter how tempting it was. They were out in the world where all eyes were on them, so keeping face was everything. They were representing their school and their respective families, and Shiro was proudly representing Morning Glory Orphanage. Embarrassing the school or their families was the very last thing anyone would want to do. Also, it was considered terribly rude. Even in his days living in Hatsudai, Shiro understood and respected these societal rules. If anything, it made the rare moments when they, completely alone and unbothered, could squeal loudly together all the more memorable.
After about three hours, they finally reached Yamagawa. It would soon be evening, so they were instructed to go to their hotel rooms first. Once they were settled in, they consulted a list of places they could eat. As the kids were broken up into groups, they had a bit of freedom to roam as long as they stuck to a strict schedule. This was how the school ensured the safety of students during school trips.
“Ah! I’m so excited to be here, but I think I’m about to fall asleep!” Emiri whined after stuffing herself with her third bowl of ice cream.
“I can keep going!” Izumi announced proudly.
Akira shook his head. “I’m just going to sleep.”
“Oh, come on! You’re a swimmer, you gotta have more stamina than that!” Chiya said.
“He likes the ocean and swimming, doesn’t mean he’s a good swimmer,” Yuito said.
“Shiro’s a good swimmer!” Izumi said.
“Really?” Suzume asked with interest.
Shiro shook his head, thinking about last summer. “Am not! Not at all!”
It was quarter past six by the time they reached the hotel once more, and Shiro thought to update Kiryu. The main line was busy—maybe one of the other kids—but Shiro couldn’t wait so he decided to try Kiryu’s cell.
“Shiro?” Kiryu answered, sounding a bit bemused.
Shiro went on excitedly about what they had seen already, and the trip hadn’t even officially begun.
“You sound like you’re having a lot of fun already,” Kiryu said, his voice softening when suddenly he went dead silent. Several tense moments passed.
“Um, Uncle Kaz?” Shiro asked, unsure if he had lost connection.
“Sorry, Shiro,” Kiryu said quickly, sounding suddenly tense. “I need to check in on Haruka.”
Did something happen? Why would Kiryu be worried about Haruka suddenly? Did something bad happen? Before Shiro could ask Kiryu, the call ended.
Shiro wasn’t sure if he should contact Kiryu again. As irrational as the thought may be, he was worried he would get into trouble if he tried calling home again. So he waited until early next morning when he called Haruka’s cell.
“Oh!” Haruka said, surprised by his call. “Shiro, is everything okay?”
Shiro explained everything that happened during his call last evening. “Uncle Kaz sounded worried about you and he shut the phone without so much of a goodbye…”
“Oh, Shiro! I’m so sorry! I know Uncle Kaz didn’t mean to be rude. He must have had a fright!”
“…did something happen?”
“Actually…we did have a visitor yesterday.”
Shiro knew her well enough by now to detect the fake pleasantness in her tone. He had to approach this delicately. Last thing he wanted was for her to start crying and Shiro wasn’t there to hug her. He would be so ashamed of himself if Kiryu found out he had made Haruka cry. “Were they a friend of Uncle Kaz?”
“No…but he was yakuza.”
“Oh? Was he…a good guy?”
“I…don’t think he was a bad person.”
“Huh, what do you mean by that? Did something happen between you and that guy?”
Haruka was silent for a split moment before that fake pleasant tone was back. “It’s okay, Shiro. I was just all shaken up, hee! It was an accident. I should have been more cautious.”
“Huh?”
“Have you started sight-seeing? I hear there’s a lot of great places to hike around Yamagawa! Oh! Did you know there’s an Italian restaurant near the museum? They have great spaghetti and pizza, and they’re made Japanese style! Of course this is only stuff I’ve heard from classmates. I’d really like to go there one day. Oh, and there’s…”
Shiro reluctantly listened to her ramble and answered any questions she tossed at him, frowning a bit the whole time.
“Is Izumi up yet?” Haruka suddenly asked. “Get her on the line! I want to tell her something!”
“Um, okay…Izumi! Haruka wants to talk to you!”
His neck nearly snapped in half as Izumi lunged at him, grabbing for the phone with a delighted shriek.
The three of them talked on and on such that by the time they ended the call Shiro realized Haruka had made him completely forget about the initial reason for his phone call.
Dang it, Haruka, he thought. She always knew how to make others smile even while she felt sad. Clearly she had been trying to distract herself too from whatever happened yesterday, and that only made Shiro feel a lot worse.
What the heck happened after they left for the trip?
“Why were you calling Haruka anyway?” Izumi asked Shiro afterward.
Shiro didn’t want to elaborate and have her worry, not to mention that he himself didn’t even know most of what was going on, so he quickly fumbled out a lie about just checking in with Kiryu and Haruka.
“You’re so homesick!” Izumi teased and playfully slapped him on the shoulder.
That was fine by him.
As the day went on, little by little Shiro’s worry about what happened down in Morning Glory Orphanage ebbed away. Their group’s awaited trip to the Oceanic Culture Museum and Planetarium wouldn’t be until tomorrow, and they would take two trips to it on Sunday and Monday.
Nonetheless, the sights on their travels yesterday were nothing compared to their hiking tour today around the Ocean EXPO Park. From Central Gate, Sunset Square, and the Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum, they went sightseeing around the main attraction of their trip. While Shiro wasn’t one for long and strenuous outdoor activities, he was getting used to them thanks to always playing with his siblings.
And was he rewarded with nature’s beauty! Morning Glory Beach was surrounded by scenic tropical forests, but here was another story. Their travels took them right onto the steps of the Tropical Dream Center, an oneiric aboratorium overlooking the picturesque Okinawan seas.
Everyone stood, stunned, before excitedly rushing to go inside. Home of over two thousand orchids, the aboratorium was crowned in the middle with a tall observation deck about thirty-six meters in height. Outer circular stairs led to the very top, giving a 360° view of the vicinity as far as the eye could see.
Yuito’s camera snapped away, a shutterbug happily buzzing in the midst of the orchids. Every time they passed by hibiscuses, Shiro thought of Kiryu and home and smiled a little. Emiri wanted a photo next to her favorite flowers in the park. Suzume wanted a photo with everyone to take back to her family. Chiya kept sneezing whenever they passed a certain area, and that was how they found out she was allergic to certain flower pollen, but they couldn’t figure out which one it was.
Yuito snapped a photo of Akira as he stood underneath and looked up at an archway made of tree woven with leaves, vine, and flowers.
“Here, for ya ma,” Yuito said. Shiro took a glance and wished he could have a copy for himself.
The following morning Shiro’s group met up with Chatan-sensei briefly before they were given their assignments and schedule for the next two days. Finally, the trip to the Oceanic Culture Museum and Planetarium was to take place.
Their first tour took them to the oceanarium. There were exhibits on the history and evolution of ocean life, the relationship people, especially Okinawans, have with the ocean throughout time, and even the evolution of Okinawan’s culinary culture. On display were relics from the past from every facet of life imaginable: agricultural tools, hats, wood carved statues, boats, canoes.
Virtually every display was written in English and Japanese, so Shiro set himself a little challenge to try reading the blurbs in English. He understood about a third, but it was hard when Japanese was right there, temptingly much easier for him to read.
They tried the Italian restaurant Haruka had mentioned on the phone (Shiro made a promise to bring Haruka back here at some point to try the delicious dishes herself.) After lunch they traveled a little north of the museum to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
Surrounded by Okinawa’s largest aquarium, Akira’s eyes grew wide and shiny with wonder, and Shiro could not think of anything more beautiful. He simply came alive.
“That’s the Coral Sea tank!” he said, pointing it out to everyone. “See all the coral reefs there? Oh, there’s the Deep Sea tank! And that’s the Kuroshio Sea tank! There’s tons of the world’s biggest fish—come on, I wanna take a closer look! Oh, did you know that this place was the first aquarium to successfully breed Mobula alfredi? That’s a type of ray, one of the largest species, in fact.”
“Wow, Akira, you really know the ocean inside out!” Chiya said later, amazed while they were poring through their assignment at one of the smaller eateries. Everyone was looking at him with wonder and admiration. Shiro felt a tiny twinge of envy at that—only he should be able to look at Akira like that—but there was also pride. Akira was so smart and he was pleased everyone knew it!
He heard Yuito snap a photo and immediately turned to him and smiled. He must have captured Akira and him both looking as though they were on Cloud nine.
“The stars are twinkling brighter than ever,” Yukiho noted that night in the dreamworld. Shiro gave a nod. He sat alone in that open theater as Yukiho sat several paces away among the tall phosphorescent grass.
“Akira’s smile was so radiant today,” Shiro said under his breath. “It’s like they’re reflected here…” He turned back, but Yukiho didn’t react to that. She only smiled. With a little sadness Shiro wondered if it was because Yukiho would never grow up to experience this kind of love.
The following day they were back to exploring the two remaining floors in the main museum: a journey through the coral reefs and then an exploration of the great seas. Again Akira’s face held pure wonder and bliss, walking in his personal heaven and looking the most beautiful Shiro had ever seen him.
They met with Chatan-sensei again briefly, and Shiro was silently buzzing with excitement the entire time. Soon it would be his turn. His own heaven was just around the corner…
At long last, the planetarium loomed into sight. They could go now before having a late lunch or later, but Akira suggested they go now. He had so much fun that he really wanted Shiro to also experience something he loved.
Hearing that made Shiro’s heart skip a beat.
The planetarium was a massive dome where patrons could sit in reclining chairs. Different exhibits were held according to the season, so the seven of them stuck around for the show. For springtime the star Paigapusu was on display, and they got to learn about the Origins of the Star Sand, a folk tale originating from Taketomi Island.
After the exhibit they were shown the night sky, 140 million stars spanning every direction all around them. Everyone stared in awed silence. Amazement caught in Shiro’s throat, rendering him mute. He couldn’t formulate a single line to talk about the star clusters Pleiades, Sirius A, or Antares the heart of the Azure Dragon in the night sky.
Little by little, the others in their group left for the eatery. To Shiro’s surprise, Akira didn’t move from his seat. After some time, with a little jolt Shiro realized it was just the two of them in the entire planetarium.
Akira stood up and turned around slowly, studying the stars around them.
“I never before realized just how beautiful the night sky is,” Akira said. “It’s just like the ocean, full of life. Everything is shining. Guess I never paid attention before…the night used to mean another day is over, you know? It used to make me sad. I used to be really sickly just a few years ago, so I hated whenever it was nighttime. It reminded me that another day had passed and I couldn’t do all the things I wanted.”
Shiro hung his head. He could relate to that.
“I wish we could see all of the stars from our house!” Akira went on. “I get why you like space so much, Shiro.”
The dome’s starlight twinkled in Akira’s hair as he spoke and reflected off his dark and deep eyes.
It was either now or never. Shiro’s heart pounded in his chest. His palms grew sweaty at his sides.
“Yeah…” Shiro smiled nervously. “Um…but want to know something?”
“Hmm?” Akira turned to him.
“The stars are really, really beautiful. But…” Shiro took a deep breath, “so are you.”
“Huh?”
Shiro studied his feet. “I…I like you. As in like-like. I like you, Akira. I like you a lot. And I think you’re more beautiful than all of the stars in the sky.”
“Shiro…” Akira said in a small, surprised voice.
Shiro braced himself for Akira’s reaction.
He took Akira’s hand in his.
And that’s when he heard the click of a camera immediately followed by a snicker.
“Really?” Yuito said, giving Shiro the weirdest and most disgusted look he had ever seen from someone. “You want to kiss a boy?! Gross! What’s wrong with you?”
To Shiro’s horror, next to Yuito stood Yoshinori, wearing the most ugly and evil grin stretching from ear to ear. Where in the world did he come from?!
Shiro snapped around to Akira, and to his shock even Akira began to laugh.
“I got it on camera,” Yuito laughed as he motioned for Akira. “Ya should see the look on that sap’s face!”
The three boys’ guffawing gnawed into Shiro’s soul as they ran out of the planetarium, leaving Shiro all alone among the cold uncaring stars.
Notes:
I am so sorry, Shiro.
Next chapter set for Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
Chapter 13: III.3 One Big Spider Web
Notes:
The Yakuza 4 Chapter! This chapter was a bit hard to write since I didn’t want to just rewrite the script verbatim but I tried my best to still summarize events as best as I could. I probably still left out a couple details, but after reading through it again I quite like it.
Warning for some homophobic slurs near the end.
Warning also “That Scene” in Y4 is included here (we’re going to find out why Kiryu ended the call with Shiro abruptly in the last chapter). For Voltron fans, “That Scene” pertains to a very uncomfortable situation between an adult male character and minor female character. It’s vastly regarded as one of the scenes fans wish would be omitted from the series entirely. I debated about even acknowledging that scene’s existence at all since it’s kinda OOC for the adult character in question, but not only did it find its way into the plot (rather surprisingly) I also realized I could use it to develop the characters in some way. But I still want to give a warning because it’s a disturbing and perhaps the most infamous scene in the entire series.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: One Big Spider Web
Friday, March 5. All of the children had gone on their school trip, and Haruka had returned home from school. She offered to take Mame out for a walk, as he had been restless without Izumi around, and it was on their way back that Haruka encountered a man washed up right on their beach.
The man was tall, large, and built like a brick wall, and his poker straight black hair went down to his shoulders. He was unconscious, and no wallet nor any identification was on his person.
Kiryu took him inside and tended to his injuries, and that was when he took notice of the man’s irezumi: a large roaring tiger surrounded by bamboo grass.
“Is he a yakuza?” Haruka asked.
“Could have been a sailor,” Kiryu said, frowning. A yakuza could work for a ship if they had turned away from the criminal life, and the man certainly looked strong enough for the sort of work required out at sea. However, the tiger reminded Kiryu of something…someone…
While Haruka stayed behind to watch over the mysterious man, Kiryu made a quick trip to town and asked the coast guard if there had been any reports of accidents recently.
None. Last night saw the calmest waters.
So the man wasn’t a sailor then. A little suspicion arose in Kiryu then. Returning home, he grabbed the landline and made a call to the police to report the incident. Just as he was finishing up, his cell phone rang, so Kiryu ended the call with the police and picked up his cell.
It was Shiro. At first Kiryu stood there, bemused, but hearing his youngest son’s voice brought him back down to earth momentarily, making him forget the strange turn of events this evening.
The boy went on about his class trip thus far, and Kiryu couldn’t help but melt, hearing the excitement in his voice. Such precious innocence. He wanted to cherish this moment forever.
“You sound like you’re having a lot of fun already,” Kiryu said warmly into the receiver.
Suddenly there was a surprised yelp and a heavy thud coming from the next room, faint but undeniably there, on his own side of the phone.
All warmth zapped from his heart as a Godawful dread suddenly consumed him, a father’s intuition on high alert. Staring down the hall, Kiryu’s face fell, his sole thought being to check in on Haruka, now, now, NOW.
“Um, Uncle Kaz?” Shiro asked. Kiryu hadn’t realized some time had passed in silence.
“Sorry, Shiro,” Kiryu said quickly and tensely. “I need to check in on Haruka.”
Fully distracted, he ended the call with Shiro and made his way back toward the room where the mysterious man was staying.
Kiryu kept himself as outwardly calm as possible, and the sight he walked into…appeared relatively normal. The man was sitting up, his tattooed back facing Kiryu, and Haruka was sitting just a few feet away. Confusion and fear shone on her face for a split second before she immediately packed them away the moment he appeared.
“Everything okay, Haruka?”
“Uncle Kaz! You’re back!” Haruka scrambled to her feet, absentmindedly dusting off her school uniform and trying to flatten the pleats of her skirt.
“Yeah. Is he doing any better?” Kiryu asked while keeping his gaze steady on her, scrutinizing every movement.
“Mhm. Much better,” Haruka said, her voice extra bright and cheery.
Kiryu narrowed his eyes toward the man as Haruka went on, still in that same high-pitched and uncomfortably bright tone, about needing to go to the supermarket. She wrung her hands as she spoke, almost not daring to meet his eyes. She ran off.
Kiryu watched her go, silently fuming while willing himself to hold back. Whatever happened couldn’t have gone on for too long, but it was enough to shake her up, and it was more than enough to make him see dragon-fire red.
The whole time, the man didn’t move or say anything.
Finally turning to him, Kiryu put on a smile that felt uncomfortably fake. “You’re up. I’ll make you some tea.”
A little while later, they sat out on the engawa. The man thanked Kiryu for all of his help, but he would not offer up a name himself. When he learned of Kiryu’s own name, something seemed to dawn on him. After pressing for a name, Kiryu finally got a Suzuki. A common surname though not natively Okinawan.
The man went on to give Kiryu a story: he was on a ship that had sunk, but he was instructed to find Kiryu for help. So this man knew of Kiryu, but there weren’t many sailors that Kiryu knew.
Kiryu could humor Suzuki for only so long. Seeing that Kiryu didn’t seem convinced, Suzuki begged Kiryu for money to go to Kamurocho. Thirty grand, just enough for a plane ticket. According to him.
That was all Kiryu needed to hear. He grilled Suzuki on for the truth: how long had he been locked up? Was he still supposed to serve his sentence (everything pointed to a jailbreak). Where did he escape from? The fact Suzuki had no idea how much a plane ticket nowadays cost, much less transportation to and from the airport, indicated his sentence must have been very long.
Imprisonment had been Kiryu’s suspicion for a while. Everything pointed toward it. Suzuki had no idea how much a plane ticket cost in this day and age. A man in prison would be more likely to know the name of Kiryu Kazuma. It wasn’t arrogance that Kiryu’s name was known far and wide among the criminal underworld. It was simply a fact.
Yet it was the way Suzuki had looked at Haruka that was the final confirmation for Kiryu, a look that deep inside disgusted and disturbed him. The look in the man’s eyes was that of someone who had gone numb from all the years locked away from society. A man who had gotten a glimpse and felt something before horror struck him at the realization of what he was feeling.
Kiryu had seen that look in other former inmates before. Men who grew so numb and desensitized they had forgotten how to function in everyday society. They would be struck with that same horror when realizing they were trespassing into dark and taboo waters.
And Kiryu could see it now, see how shame and humiliation filled the man’s eyes as Kiryu calmly spoke about Haruka and the way the man reacted to her.
Kiryu could almost relate to that too, as uncomfortable as it was admitting it. He had been locked away in the dark for ten years. It wasn’t until a little later when a good friend pointed out that Kiryu wasn’t reacting to news of murders, rapes, and other violent crimes the same way he used to in his twenties. He had grown numb, desensitized. He’ll never forget how the moment he had stepped into Kamurocho for the first time in ten years, he brushed aside talks about a murder that had taken place before realizing it was someone he knew and respected.
Jail fucks you up. Another cold, hard fact. It took time, but one could come back from it. This man could too.
So Kiryu was a tiny bit sympathetic. However, no one was allowed to hurt Haruka, no one was allowed to lay a finger on Haruka, no one was allowed to scare Haruka, even if it was an accident!
But Kiryu kept himself calm, even as he tried to persuade Suzuki to turn himself in to the police and Suzuki vehemently refused.
Suzuki raved at him, shouting about serving twenty-five years, how he could not go back, he’d be executed on sight, how he was gonna make everyone pay for what was done to his boss…
That was the final straw.
No matter how much Suzuki begged, Kiryu refused to help him. He wasn’t about to become an accomplice to a crime, especially not one motivated by revenge.
“I’ve seen enough people walk that path before,” Kiryu explained sternly. “And I can tell you, no matter how much you want it, misery's the only thing waiting for you at the end.” He was willing to change his mind, depending on Suzuki’s story, the true story, but he would give him nothing.
In the end things came to blows. Kiryu had wanted to avoid a fight, but Suzuki threatened he would not hesitate killing Kiryu, and Kiryu still would not relent on helping Suzuki to Kamurocho.
He gave the fight his all, but Suzuki matched him every step of the way. The other man’s style was rougher, less refined and reliant on technique, but his strength left Kiryu winded. Remembering the roaring tiger on his back once more and the associated myth—the dragon and tiger were matched in battle—Kiryu mustered every ounce of his strength for his next attack only to face equal force from the other man.
The battle went on for seemingly eternity. Like two bulls locking horns they stood upon the beach, grabbing each others’ hands and pushing with all their might. Normally Kiryu would have been more merciful given Suzuki’s injuries, but hadn’t the man threatened Kiryu’s life? Hadn’t he upset Haruka? What if he killed Kiryu and then turned around to hurt Haruka?! What if he waited and hurt all of his children?!
HE’D NEVER, EVER ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN!
“What are you doing? Uncle Kaz!”
Neither man turned at the sound of Haruka’s screams. They wouldn’t let her distract them, intent as they were at breaking the other. Neither relented until Haruka wedged herself between them, physically prying them off each other.
By that point Suzuki collapsed, spent and worn out, revealing that his wounds had reopened. He clenched his chest, and Kiryu, panting heavily, was seized with a brief panic. Was the man having a heart attack?
“Shit…” Suzuki groaned. “How am I…gonna face Hamazaki now…”
He collapsed as Haruka, white as a sheet, turned to Kiryu. He too had caught the name. He couldn’t have just said…no way…
“Uncle Kaz,” Haruka said fearfully, “who is he?”
Kiryu ordered Haruka to call the doctor as he felt for the man’s pulse. He was still breathing. He was still alive. Hoisting him back to the orphanage, Kiryu settled him back down on the futon. He had Haruka stay with the doctor while he went back to the shoreline and drew out his cell phone. By now the setting sun was a thin pink blur over the horizon.
“Kiryu-chan! Lonely this evenin’ are we? We could do a lil—”
“Nii-san, that isn’t why I called,” Kiryu said hastily.
“Oh?” Obviously having taken note of the grave tone in Kiryu’s voice, Majima too became serious. “What’s goin’ on, Kiryu-chan?”
“Earlier today, a yakuza washed up on the beach. He’s an escapee from prison, and he wanted to come to Kamurocho. He knew my name.”
“Tojo or Omi?”
“I don’t know.”
Majima was silent for a while. “Go on.”
“He had been locked up for a long time. Twenty-five years, he told me.”
He thought he caught a tiny gasp on the other line or maybe it was just the static on the phone.
“He give ya a name?”
“Suzuki.”
Majima snorted. “Describe him.”
Kiryu went on to detail Suzuki’s height, build, his hair, and of course, his irezumi.
“That would be Saejima Taiga. My kyodai. The Slayer of Eighteen.”
Kiryu squeezed his eyes shut. He had a sneaking suspicion as to the man’s identity, given the way Majima had alluded to his sworn brother over the years.
“So this is the man behind the ’85 hit,” Kiryu said.
“Sounds like he wants t’ come here and get his revenge,” Majima said. “He wants to kill me. I’ve…been preparin’ for it for years.”
That was the reason why Majima had begged to return to the Tojo Clan after he was released from his year of torment. He knew one day Saejima would return to kill him. Which was rather odd because Majima had disbanded his family shortly after Kiryu had retired as chairman, not two months after, and remained happy with his construction company until Kiryu had begged him to return and help Daigo a few years ago.
“Yeah…he did mention revenge…” Kiryu closed his eyes. “He also mentioned Hamazaki.”
“Did he now? Musta made a new bud while in the slammer.” It was hard to read what Majima’s tone exactly was: bitter, bored, or business-like. “Give ‘im the money, tickets, whatever else he needs. Send ‘im over.”
Kiryu peered over the ocean. Three months ago, he was watching a beautiful fireworks display as Majima kissed him through the phone.
“Will you be okay?” he asked.
Majima chuckled. “Don’t ya go soft and worry about me, Kiryu-chan. I’ve been anticipatin’ this day for years. I knew he would come back and try to kill me. I’ll sort this out.”
Kiryu recalled the many times they huddled under the covers together, those times when Majima would remove his eyepatch, and Kiryu would lightly draw his thumb over Majima’s left eyelid.
It had been a clean injury, a tanto straight into his eye socket. Majima, of course, being Majima, had kept his eyes wide open throughout the whole ordeal, hence no scar was left behind. Hurt like a bitch, Majima had said. Couldn’t even remember the pissant’s name who had done it. All he knew was that the man was a member of the Shibata Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan.
Majima had lost his left eye on the morning of April 21, 1985, the same day when Saejima Taiga killed eighteen members of the Ueno Seiwa Clan after the patriarch had been released from prison. Saejima and Majima were supposed to carry out the hit. Majima, however, was held back on concern that the hit would lead to an all-out war. But not wanting to abandon his sworn brother, Majima tried to run off to warn Saejima only to end up getting tormented and then imprisoned by the Tojo for a year.
Till now nightmares plagued him.
Kiryu frowned into the phone. So Majima anticipated Saejima demanding answers on his absence on that day and possibly having to fight him to the death? He trusted Majima and his strength, but he still worried.
He cared about Majima. But he had to trust him. Majima was cunning in ways Kiryu could only aspire to be.
After the phone call ended, Kiryu set off to work. Since the doctor was present, Kiryu could ensure that Haruka was safe around Saejima. Taking a quick trip to town, Kiryu first made for a convenience store ATM. The banks were closed by this time, but the ATMs operated twenty-four hours. After taking out the needed cash, he bought a travel bag and some clothing items and other necessities for Saejima.
Back home, he wrote a note for Saejima in the dining room, stressing that there was no animosity between them, and giving him directions to the airport, and what to expect in 2010 Tokyo. Just as he was finishing up, the doctor stopped by to update Kiryu on his status.
“Suzuki” was fine. He was simply exhausted. Kiryu thanked him warmly, then he went inside the room where Saejima was currently resting. Haruka was watching him again, but from the way she sat and the melancholy in her eyes Kiryu knew there was something bothering her.
“How is he?” Kiryu asked.
Conversation soon turned to Haruka’s own feelings. As Kiryu had guessed, the thought of Hamazaki still haunted her. Some time after his recovery, Kiryu learned from Majima just how much the incident with Hamazaki had traumatized Haruka. They needed to address this.
“I’d never forget that name,” Haruka was saying. “And I can’t trust someone who says they’re friends with him.”
“Believe me, I know how you feel,” Kiryu said with a nod.
Haruka’s eyes shone with tears. “If he’s really friends with Hamazaki, I...I...”
“Hate him?”
“I...don’t know.” Haruka hung her head, looking defeated.
“Listen, Haruka. Even if he does know Hamazaki, that doesn’t automatically mean he’s a bad person.”
Haruka turned to him. “But—“
“Sure, Hamazaki was a bit unhinged the last time we met,” Kiryu explained gently. “But a lot can change in a year. When he lost the fight for the Tojo Clan, he lost the only thing that meant something to him. I was probably the only one he could take his anger out on.”
Haruka sighed. “Maybe...”
“If Hamazaki came to me now asking for help, I’d give it to him in a heartbeat. As long as he’s learned to have some faith in his fellow man, that is.”
“Uncle Kaz...” Haruka was watching him as though he had grown another head. It wouldn’t have been the first time people had that reaction to Kiryu, but to him it was such a simple fact of life: people change. They can become better. He was living proof of that.
“So, what do you say, Haruka?”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“Do you really think he’s a bad guy just because he knows Hamazaki?”
Haruka hung her head again. “I don’t know what I think...”
“He’s a yakuza, no question. The irezumi’s a dead giveaway. But I have one of those too. He and I aren’t so different in that respect.”
“Yeah, but...”
“You’ve seen plenty of men like us over the years. Some good, some bad. Where do you think he falls on that spectrum?”
Haruka thought for a little bit on the question. “Well, if I had to pick...I don’t think he’s a bad person.”
“Yeah?”
“But I can’t say for sure,” Haruka added, looking at him. “That’s just the impression I get.”
Kiryu stood up. “All right, then. Good to know.”
A thought came to Kiryu while speaking with Haruka. He instructed Haruka to give “Suzuki” the travel bag when he woke up. He gave an excuse that he had to do some shopping downtown. A weak lie, but Kiryu needed to be out of the house a little. He wanted Haruka to take charge whenever Saejima awoke. But he kept nearby to keep a watchful eye on matters.
Meanwhile, Kiryu and Majima conversed in a low voice some distance away on the phone, far enough that Haruka wouldn’t take notice but close enough that Kiryu could still keep an eye on everything going on. He debated telling Majima about what he had walked in on earlier, but eventually decided it was best that Majima understood what sort of mental state Saejima was in to better prepare himself.
“Yeah, that isn’t like ‘im at all,” Majima said. “I met Saejima in ’83 but I knew him long enough to tell ya that he’s more likely to chase some pretty pair o’ legs on a hostess or masseuse than a schoolgirl.”
“He did seem alarmed when he realized what had happened,” Kiryu said as he felt the weight lift off his shoulders.
“Haruka doing okay?”
“She’s a bit shaken up.”
“He’s getting a punch for that.”
“Heh. She’s doing okay now but she’s dodging any mention about it. I’m going to have to talk to her about what happened after Saejima leaves.”
“And you’re okay with her being alone in the same room as him?” Majima chuckled.
“I’m keeping watch far away. You say he’s not the kind to harm her, but in case he tries anything, I’ll rush in there and kill him myself.”
“Hey, don’t take the glory from me!”
“That’s my child!”
“Tch, fair enough. That’s some smart thinkin’, Kiryu-chan. Ya don’t want her to learn to be scared of him.”
“Yeah…” Perhaps this was a bit of an unconventional way of going about things, but Kiryu wanted his children to learn to be brave. They had all faced trauma countless times, but here was a chance for Haruka to fix things up with a yakuza who frightened her. And meanwhile Kiryu can control matters from a distance.
Saejima didn’t wake up until past three in the morning. After a brief chat Haruka gave him the travel bag where he found Kiryu’s note inside. Kiryu continued to watch as Saejima excused himself to the washroom to get himself dressed, and with travel bag and money in hand, he bid Haruka a farewell and left.
Kiryu returned right away back to Morning Glory. He settled himself on the engawa and took a cigarette as Haruka informed him of Saejima’s real name. He couldn’t help but chuckle at Haruka’s annoyance at him conveniently forgetting that most of the grocery stores were closed at this time of night.
Saejima had left, and the matter was now in Majima’s court. Kiryu sent Majima an email by phone informing him that Saejima was now on his way.
So that was that. He hoped the matter was now settled.
What a fool’s hope. He was Kiryu Kazuma. There was always trouble waiting for him.
Majima smirked as he read Kiryu’s email.
So the day has finally come. He had planned this for years.
Whipping his boys all into shape with construction work will finally pay off. He trusted Minami Daisaku would put on an impressive opening act; that boy had quite an unusual talent. He would be joined by some of Majima’s best. He couldn’t wait to see Saejima’s face when he saw him surrounded by power and status. Majima was by no means a power-hungry typhoon, but for this moment, he had to go all out. It was all for his plan.
If all went well, then everyone would come out of this alive.
Monday March 8th saw a chirper Haruka as she returned from school. Feeling energetic and happy after learning she had gotten top marks on her test, she offered Kiryu to do this afternoon’s grocery’s shopping. She grabbed the shopping basket before he could protest.
Smiling and shaking his head, Kiryu finished folding the last of the laundry. He decided to step out for a smoke when he noticed Haruka standing frozen, shopping basket fallen by her feet.
“What’s wrong, Haruka?”
That when he saw him: scarred-faced, bloodied, prison clothes in tatters. He gave Kiryu a dark, lopsided grin.
Hamazaki Goh.
Haruka placed her hands over her mouth, hyperventilating. Kiryu could practically hear her heart pounding in her chest.
It had taken all of Kiryu’s strength to calm her down enough and get her to stay inside her room. Her screams filled the skies as her arms thrashed as though everything they had discussed a few days prior had gone out the window. Worried, Kiryu wondered if he should call a doctor. He had never before seen Haruka in such a state and it shattered his heart.
Hamazaki meanwhile sat patiently in the boys' room, waiting until Kiryu managed to finally calm Haruka down.
“Get him out! Get him outta here!” Haruka shrieked, fighting against Kiryu’s hold. Worried she might hurt herself, Kiryu held her tightly until Haruka finally calmed down enough to promise she would stay in her room. By now it was already sundown, and the buzzing of evening cicadas could be heard outside.
“Hamazaki isn’t going to hurt you,” Kiryu promised.
“B-but…” Haruka whimpered as she grabbed onto his shirt, grinding his heart into dust. He had never seen her this frightened before, not even when they had first met. She was always so courageous and strong…
He gently peeled off her fingers and patted her on the head.
“I will be okay,” he said with a nod of his head. “I’ve faced a lot of dangers, foes stronger than Hamazaki, and I came out without a scratch. So do you trust me?”
“Uncle Kaz…”
“Stay here, alright, lovely Haruka?”
Taking advantage of Haruka’s relatively calm mood, Kiryu headed straight to the boys’ room. He tended to Hamazaki’s injuries. The whole time Hamazaki sat, silent and pensive.
“Sorry ‘bout this,” Hamazaki said gruffly. “Didn’t mean to cause a scene.”
Kiryu noted as he shut the lid of the first aid kit that he needed to restock some of the supplies inside soon.
“What’s her deal?”
“You mean Haruka?” Kiryu said as he settled across from Hamazaki. “Isn’t it obvious? She despises you.”
“Of course she does,” Hamazaki said in a grave, forlorn tone. “Can’t say I blame her.”
Kiryu cut to the chase. He knew Hamazaki broke out of prison. He wanted to know why. However, despite keeping a pleasant conversation for a man who was hellbent on stabbing Kiryu to death just one year ago, Hamazaki immediately clammed up at the mention of prison.
Kiryu sigh heavily. He’d have to resort to plan B.
“A few days ago, another guy named Saejima washed up here,” Kiryu said, his eyes never leaving Hamazaki. “Funny enough, he mentioned your name.”
“Wait, he was here?!” Hamazaki said, his eyes wide.
Finally, he’s ready to talk.
“Yeah.”
“Huh. So Saejima actually made it out alive...that’s incredible.” Hamazaki shook his head, smiling to himself.
“You know him, then.”
“Yup. And where is he now? He make it to Kamurocho?”
“That’s where he said he was going. As for whether he actually got there...it’s hard to say.” Kiryu had decided not to contact Majima at all while Saejima was up there, just to give Majima all the time to focus on his associate. Should Saejima learn that there was some connection between them it could complicate matters.
“Good...” Hamazaki bowed his head, clearly relieved with the news. “I’m glad.”
“So...what’s the connection between you and this Saejima guy?” Kiryu asked, narrowing his eyes.
“We’re kyodai,” Hamazaki explained. “Guy’s practically my own flesh and blood.”
“Brothers, huh?” Kiryu couldn’t help wondering what Majima would think of that.
Suddenly Hamazaki shifted to his hands and knees and bowed with his forehead just inches from the ground. “Kiryu! Please, I got a huge favor to ask!”
“What are you doing?” Kiryu stared at him, the irony not lost on him. The man who almost killed him was now coming to him asking for help?
“I gotta help my sworn brother!” Hamazaki raised his head, pleading note shining in his eyes. “I’m begging you! Hear me out just this once!”
Hamazaki opened up all to Kiryu. Turns out, Saejima and Hamazaki had become sworn brothers despite only having just met in Penitentiary No. 2, the high-security private prison built a little away from Okinawa. Kiryu had never even heard of the place before. The two men had gelled well, but that wasn’t the only reason for their close bond. Hamazaki had needed Saejima’s strength to break out of prison, and he had used Majima’s “betrayal” during the ’85 hit to spur and convince Saejima to join him.
He was egging Saejima to go after and kill Majima. The thought should have alarmed Kiryu, but after having spoken with Majima himself he trusted Majima could handle Saejima on his own. He kept calm, letting Hamazaki talk while pretending he was hearing all of this information for the first time. It would allow Hamazaki to open up more, and it worked.
“It’s all bullshit, though,” Hamazaki said with a slight shake of his head. “Majima would never have betrayed his brother. They were both set up.”
“By who?” Kiryu asked although he already knew the answer.
“Guy named Shibata. Was heading up a third-tier Tojo family at the time. Problem is, Saejima and I got split up before I got to tell him what really happened.”
Kiryu closed his eyes. He had known about the Shibata Family being the men who held Majima back. Majima would never forget that family crest. How Hamazaki came to know the truth, he didn’t say and Kiryu wasn’t too interested in that matter.
“I think I can guess the favor you want,” Kiryu said. But why would Hamazaki want him, Kiryu, to tell Saejima the truth about the day of the hit and not go after him himself?
Part of it was respect. Despite originally using Saejima, Hamazaki had come to genuinely like him.
“Look. My life's been nothing but betrayal after betrayal,” Hamazaki said. “I’ve been on both sides of that coin. But two people looked beyond all that. Chose to trust me anyway. You...and Saejima.”
“Hamazaki…”
The man really wanted to make amends. But then why ask Kiryu to go find Saejima and not him?
Hamazaki showed Kiryu a bound folder. It had miraculously survived the trip through the ocean with minimal water damage. It was a record of the police starting up Penitentiary No. 2 to operate outside the law. While Kiryu paged through the document, Hamazaki went on to explain that he was hoping to use this file as a bargaining chip with the police. The records had also shown the cash flow in and out of the prison.
That was when Kiryu’s eyes fell on the most incriminating intel: in 2005, ten billion yen had been passed from the Tojo Clan to corrupt politician Jingu Kyohei, Haruka’s father, and from Jingu to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Kiryu’s mind instantly flashed with memories of 2005: Kazama, Nishiki, the stolen ten billion yen, Haruka, the Millennium Tower, the explosion, Yumi…his family all gone in one night…
He demanded more information from Hamazaki. He had found the file in Penitentiary No. 2 during his and Saejima’s jailbreak. The prison had been built with the precise purpose of throwing criminals in there so they would later be bribed to commit crimes in Tokyo, only for the police to sweep in and save the day—artificial crimes.
In his hands Kiryu held a smoking gun of police corruption and answers to the past he had thought were long buried.
The Ueno Seiwa Clan were involved, Hamazaki said, and they were plotting their most devastating attack yet. There were plans to destroy the Tojo Clan. Plans to sell the yakuza out to the Tokyo Metropolitan PD. The Ueno Seiwa Clan were after Kamurocho Hills, Majima’s project.
Majima was in danger!
Shaking, Kiryu listened as Hamazaki continued to speak as the gears in his head turned rapidly. Should he? No, he shouldn’t. His home was here, his children needed him, he had promised not to get involved with that world ever again…
Hamazaki stayed the night in Morning Glory, and for the very first time Haruka slept in the same room as Kiryu. She said nothing on the matter, but it was clear remnants of the past still clung to her like a nightmare.
The following morning the much missed sounds of some of Kiryu’s kids filled the courtyard as Taichi, Koji, and Ayako returned from their class trip. Kiryu couldn’t wait to speak with them again, having missed them so much. Finally, some normalcy back at Morning Glory! The other kids would not be back until later after class, but the graduating class were let out early.
Ayako, Taichi, and Koji filled Kiryu in with their adventures. Thankfully, no dinosaur fossils had been absconded with by the sound of things.
Hamazaki was sitting on the engawa so it wasn’t long before the kids took notice of him. Once they did, though, that was when Haruka came barreling out, screaming at Hamazaki to stay away from the other children.
Kiryu couldn’t believe it. It was bad enough that Haruka had refused to even serve him breakfast, much less loudly declare that she wasn’t going to school today because she didn’t trust Hamazaki near Kiryu. But to act this way in front of the others? What had gotten into her?
She stood before the kids, her arms stretched out as if shielding them from a monster. Hamazaki just stared, silent and sad, as Haruka yelled and screamed about how she had watched Kiryu get stabbed and bleed out and there was nothing she could do. Horror-filled realization dawned on the kids’ faces as they stared up at Hamazaki with newfound horror and mistrust.
“She’s right,” Hamazaki said with a bitter chuckle. “I’m one of the bad guys.”
“Hamazaki…” Kiryu said, frowning. He wasn’t ready to give up. This wasn’t right. His children had to learn forgiveness…
“Sorry ‘bout this, Haruka-chan,” Hamazaki said. “I’ll keep whatever distance you need.” He turned away and slouched back into the orphanage.
“Haruka, that’s enough,” Kiryu said, firm but kindly as he tried to lower her arm, but she yanked her hand away and glared at him.
“It’s not enough! And it never will be! Uncle Kaz, you don’t really trust Hamazaki, do you?”
“Yeah. Actually, I do.”
“Fine! But don’t blame me when he betrays you again!” And with that, she stormed off.
The other kids stared in stunned silence.
“Um, Uncle Kaz…what happened while we were gone?” Taichi eventually asked.
Kiryu just sighed. “Please, make Hamazaki-san feel comfortable. I’m going to talk to Haruka. Sorry to put this on you.”
The other kids nodded and headed inside as Kiryu made his way to the beach. She seemed a little embarrassed about her earlier outburst.
They had a good talk. Haruka opened up about her fears, and she was sorry for her actions. She opened up about having overheard Kiryu and Hamazaki talk last night about going to Kamurocho, and the idea terrified her. The folder hinted that there may have been more to the story behind the events which eventually led to the deaths of Kazama, Nishiki, and Yumi, but Haruka didn’t care about knowing more details surrounding the deaths of her mother and father. Living here in Morning Glory, with Kiryu and her siblings, was the happiest time of her life. She didn’t want any of that to change.
She begged him to stay. However, it was one thing Kiryu couldn’t promise her. While they came to an understanding in the end, Kiryu didn’t push her to see things his way. She had gone through a number of painful ordeals in the last few days, and he wasn’t going to ask too much from her.
So when Hamazaki approached them and said he had decided to turn himself in. He was dropping the idea of going to Kamurocho. Kiryu wondered if Haruka was silently cheering for her victory. And deep inside, Kiryu was also thankful. He wanted to be around to welcome back his other children. He just wanted to go back to his normal life again. He wanted to wait for a phone call from Majima and hear more about the reunion with Saejima and what became of that. Maybe Majima could stop by Morning Glory for the summer. How Kiryu missed him.
This whole situation seemed to be ending. There was just one more thing left to do. Kiryu offered to walk Hamazaki down to the police station as a sign of goodwill after everything they had gone through. Hamazaki agreed, so Kiryu called up Natsumi and asked if she could stay with the children while he ran a quick errand.
The police station was alive when they reached it. A pale-skinned woman in a beige trench coat and long black hair was begging the officers to let her see her brother, but none of the police had ever heard of a Penitentiary No. 2.
Kiryu and Hamazaki waited until the woman was left alone before approaching her. Deep, bottomless sadness shone in her eyes as she regarded them.
She introduced herself as Saejima Yasuko.
Forgetting everything about turning in Hamazaki, Kiryu led them both away from the police station and went northbound to the old abandoned office that once belonged to the Tamashiro Family.
Kiryu only intended to be away from home for a couple hours. He ended up not returning to Morning Glory for about a month.
That evening the remaining children of Morning Glory returned home from their school trip. Taking up the rear was Shiro, dragging behind everyone else. The classes had stayed for the whole day to talk about their adventures, have a little lesson, and of course to clean up the classroom once more. Doing everything while keenly feeling the jeering glares from Akira, Yuito, and Yoshinori had been torturous, to say the least.
Barely registering the lack of Kiryu, Shiro dragged out his futon and crashed on it, miserable and wishing the floor would just swallow him up.
Natsumi’s voice filled the air as the other kids chatted away happily with her. Soon there was another adult voice, a man’s—oh great, was that Asahi? Normally Shiro liked it when Asahi was around, but not today. He wasn’t in the damn mood.
“Hey, where’s Uncle Kaz?” Izumi asked.
Silence followed as an air of hesitation lingered for a few moments.
“He had to make an emergency trip,” Natsumi explained.
“Where? To Tokyo?” Mitsuo said. “Hope it goes better than last time.”
“Shh! Mitsuo!” Ayako, Taichi, and Koji hushed and there was a tiny commotion.
“Sorry, Haruka…” Mitsuo mumbled.
So Kiryu was far away. A crushing feeling pressed against Shiro’s chest. He wanted to run into Kiryu’s arms and just cry and cry. The trip had gone sour for him, and he wanted to tell Kiryu—Kiryu would understand—but now he was far out of reach. What if he never came back?
Just then Haruka poked her head inside the boys' room.
“Hi, Shiro,” she said. “You’re not sitting out with the others?”
Shiro shook his head. “Kinda tired.” That wasn’t wholly wrong either. Although he was getting better at it, out of all of the kids Shiro was the least physically fit. After everything, he could sleep for days.
Haruka nodded. “I can imagine a big trip like that can make anyone exhausted. Do you need anything?”
Shiro shook his head. “Um…why’s Kiryu away?”
Haruka smiled sadly. She told him about the last few days, their visitor on the fifth, and the one who had come in yesterday.
“What, that Hamazaki?” Shiro said, sitting up.
“I know, I was upset too,” Haruka said. “Maybe I overreacted a little…”
“Yeah…” Shiro bowed his head. So many bad things happening again…
“Say, Shiro…how was your trip?”
“Fine.”
Haruka slowly leaned her head to one side and peered at him under half-lidded eyes, an action she always did whenever she didn’t believe someone. She could sense something was off about him, and Shiro wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold her off.
“Shiro, did something happen?” she asked softly.
But before Shiro could say anything, a phone went off, and soon they heard Asahi’s panicked voice.
“Oi, he’s bleeding everywhere?!”
“Who’s bleeding?!” Koji cried out as the others pooled around Asahi. Remembering last year, Shiro’s mind went numb. No, not again. Why was this nightmare happening again?!
“Is it Uncle Kaz?” Eri asked.
“It’s Hamazaki,” Taichi reported. “He was with Uncle Kaz and some lady at the old Tamashiro office when they were attacked by some men. Hamazaki stayed back to fight them off while Uncle Kaz and the lady ran away—that was hours ago. Mikio, Hirohito, and Daijiro went to inspect the office and found him bleeding and unconscious just now. They’re taking him to the hospital.”
Haruka gave a little scream and paled.
Kiryu had been on the run for days.
During that time he learned a little more about Saejima Yasuko. She had come to Okinawa to see her brother Saejima Taiga who she had not seen for twenty-five years. Every day she would come to prison wishing to speak with him only to be turned away. Then when she heard he was being transferred to Penitentiary No. 2. in Okinawa, she flew down to try her luck here.
She had a mild manner of speaking and didn’t seem at all intimidated by the likes of Hamazaki and Kiryu. There was a certain sort of resolve and silent strength to her despite looking so frail. When she learned that Hamazaki and Saejima had broken out of jail together, and that she had just missed Saejima, her mind was set: she had to get back to Tokyo right away.
But just then Tamashiro’s office swarmed with guards from Penitentiary No. 2. Kiryu had Hamazaki stay back and protect Yasuko while he dealt with the guards.
After the fight, Hamazaki told them to get going while police sirens filled the vicinity. After thanking him, they rushed out. Kiryu pulled Yasuko this way and that, making use of his knowledge of this side of Okinawa. They hid in alleys as he made one phone call after another.
Soon a car pulled over to their location.
“Kiryu-san!” Daijiro called out, and Kiryu hurriedly ushered Yasuko inside. There was no way Kiryu could risk taking Yasuko back to Morning Glory lest they got a tail, so Daijiro drove them to the other side of town, south to the Ryudo office.
“We apologize for intruding on your hospitality,” Kiryu said to Patriarch Nakahara, who immediately waved him off.
“Kiryu-san, please!” he said as Mikio busied about getting them tea. “You are my kyodai! My office is your second home!”
Saki looked up and smiled at Yasuko. “You’re so pretty!”
Yasuko bowed. “You’re far more beautiful, little lady.”
The other Ryudo men rushed about to get them what they needed: travel bags and money for their trip while Kiryu instructed Natsumi that he was going to be away for a little while longer.
“I’m sorry, Haruka,” Kiryu said to Haruka on the phone as he studied the file Hamazaki had handed over to him. “I shouldn’t be gone for long. I promise.”
The trip to the mainland went a lot less smoothly than Kiryu would have liked. For all their precautions, they still had a tail. Someone was gunning for Yasuko’s life, Hamazaki had said earlier, and those words haunted Kiryu throughout their trip. Instead of taking a flight to Tokyo, they instead took a flight to Kobe, a city close to Osaka, then south to Nagasaki, then up north, then west. They never stayed long, lodging only when they had gotten absolutely tired.
While on the run, Kiryu learned that Hamazaki had been hospitalized due to a bullet wound in the back. He must have taken a hit during the fight back at the Tamashiro office. To Kiryu’s surprise, Haruka was staying at the hospital to watch over him.
Yasuko never complained once of moving around so much. But when they were alone in their hotel room, she spoke of nothing else other than her brother. How much she had to see him. How much he meant to her. What it would take for her to see him again…
Studying her large eyes, large and beautiful and full of tragedy, a sneaking and uncomfortable feeling began to arise in Kiryu. The sneaking suspicion only got worse when he one day passed a newspaper stand near the hotel lounge and a headline caught his attention…
While Yasuko napped one evening, Kiryu pulled out his phone and decided it was time to contact Majima.
Kiryu and Yasuko didn’t reach Kamurocho until the thirteenth of March, a Saturday. By then the sun was setting, but the city was hardly coming alive with the approaching night. Tension hung in the air, and everywhere they went roamed cops on high alert. There was a large truck parked outside the building where New Serena stood; Kiryu caught snippets of conversation about “ripping Sky Finance to shreds”. Must have been a repo in process.
New Serena itself, thankfully, was intact and perfectly safe.
After introducing Yasuko to Date, Kiryu soon cut to the chase:
“Sorry if this is a blunt question…but why do you need to see your brother so bad? Bad enough to murder for it?”
“Wait, you what?!” Date cried out, almost dropping the wine glass he was wiping. He stared at Yasuko in as much as disbelief as Kiryu felt the first time he and Majima put two and two together over the phone: the murders that had been on the local news for weeks, that Kiryu saw headlined on all of the newspapers on their way to Kamurocho. Was Yasuko the reason for the increased police presence in the city?
Yasuko went still with dread. After all, Kiryu was interrogating her right in front of a detective. Even Date was surprised by Kiryu’s actions, but as far as Kiryu was aware, this was the safest place they could talk, and Date wouldn’t arrest Yasuko without first hearing her out. And he needed to know: what was it about Saejima that made Yasuko willing to murder? Why were they so close even as siblings?
“It’s because…Taiga is everything to me,” Yasuko said. “I owe him my life.”
“What?” Kiryu said.
Yasuko nodded. “I’m serious. If it weren’t for him, I would have died years ago.”
“Go on.”
She opened up, and again Kiryu was left speechless. Saejima and Yasuko’s mother had passed away when Yasuko was really young, and Yasuko was sick and needed a transplant. But Saejima was not a match, being the son of her stepfather from a previous marriage. But the then-15-year-old boy had tracked down Yasuko’s biological father and begged him to give a kidney to save Yasuko’s life. And it had to be her father, as her blood type was extremely rare.
Kiryu’s mind went to Shiro, how the boy had needed multiple organ transplants and yet he too had a rare blood type, and his heart clenched in sympathy. It had been both a miracle and a cruel twist of fate that Shiro’s savior would be the very same cousin his father had struck with his car.
That wasn’t even the end of the story of the Saejimas. Yasuko’s father was a man who worked for the Omi Alliance, and he tried to extort young Saejima for thirty million yen. Not giving up, Saejima had scraped as much funds as he could around Kamurocho until a Tojo man named Sasai found Saejima and made him an offer: he would give him the thirty million yen only if Saejima joined the Sasai Family.
Saejima didn’t even hesitate. With his younger sister to take care of, Saejima dropped out of high school, threw away his dreams of becoming a school teacher, and became Yasuko’s primary caretaker.
Had Saejima not done all of that, Yasuko wouldn’t be alive today. He not only saved her, but had given her the will to live.
“I don’t really care whether or not he killed those eighteen men,” Yasuko said. “Even if the real killer is still at large, none of that matters. Whatever happened…Taiga is still my brother.”
Kiryu set his glass of whiskey down firmly on the counter. Yasuko had spoken of Saejima with deep fondness, her large eyes teeming with tragic memories as her hands shook. Yet there was still something missing in the story, Kiryu felt.
His chest aching, Kiryu couldn’t find it in himself to have Yasuko accompany him for this next part. What if Saejima was dead out there? With the desperation inside her to see her brother again, the love she had for him, not caring if he had murdered eighteen people, how would she react if she found him dead?
Kiryu had Date watch over her as he headed out by himself. Before he could stray too far, Date informed him that rumors had spread of Majima and Saejima meeting one another. Of course, Kiryu was well aware of their meeting. The fact that no news of fatalities trailed behind that rumor told Kiryu that Majima handled the situation well enough, but there hadn’t been any reports about Saejima after their meeting. What happened then? Where was Saejima now?
After confirming that Majima was still in the same office as before, he headed toward the Millennium Tower. He sent an email, then tried calling Majima, but Majima didn’t reply. No matter. He was going to be there in a few minutes anyway.
Except a large crowd surrounded Millennium Tower as the flash of police lights blinded the night sky. Kiryu’s heart dropped and he pushed his way through the thick crowd, making it to the front just as the semicircular automatic doors of the Millennium Tower slid open and out walked Majima, handcuffed and flanked on both sides by cops.
Following them through the crowd, Kiryu called out to Majima while focusing on his face. There wasn’t a single scratch on him, so he wasn’t hurt, but there was definitely something wrong about all this.
“Majima-no-nii-san!”
Majima instantly stopped and turned toward him.
“Kiryu-chan,” he said, his normally jovial tone completely gone.
Even as the police tugged at Majima, he made his way over.
“Hey, don’t move!” one of the cops ordered. Majima ignored him. “That’s far enough!”
“What happened here?” Kiryu asked.
“They trapped me like a freakin’ rat,” Majima explained numbly. “Guess I’m gettin’ cropped out for a while.”
“Who’s behind this?”
Majima almost didn’t meet his eyes. “Daigo.”
“What?!” The chairman of the Tojo Clan?!
“Dojima Daigo,” Majima repeated, looking as down as Kiryu was shocked.
“But why would he...?”
“That’s enough chit-chat!” one of the cops spat.
“You there, stay back!” commanded another cop as he glared at Kiryu. “Unless you want to get hauled in, too!”
There was not much else Kiryu could do at this point. He watched as they dragged Majima away from him. He had half a mind to hail a taxi and follow the car to the police station when Majima suddenly raised his head.
“Better hurry, Kiryu-chan.” He spoke in a normal voice, almost low, but it was still loud enough for Kiryu to catch from this distance. “It’s all one big spider web. The hit back in ’85. The ten billion yen. Even Yasuko-chan.”
“What?!” Kiryu said again.
“If we don’t do somethin’...the Tojo’s gonna bite the dust. Yasuko-chan’s in danger, too. This is on you. You’re all we got. You’re all I got, Kazzy.”
And with that, the cops ushered him into the back seat of the police car, and after a couple moments the car drove off, taking Majima away. After the shock of everything he had just witnessed wore off, Kiryu’s mind immediately snapped back to reality with Majima’s warning.
Yasuko!
“You sure everything’s okay?” Izumi asked again. That had to be the hundredth time this week she’s asked.
Nothing bad really happened in school after everyone returned from the class trip. If anything, it was relatively quiet, but that was what made it so bad. Shiro knew there was an undercurrent of something sinister and evil under that tranquil buzz that lingered in the classroom. While everyone was still in good spirits after the class trip and were chatting away about the upcoming end of the school year, Shiro was painfully aware of the cold, hard stares coming from one particular side of the classroom.
The other girls were watching Shiro, all wearing matching frowns, as he pushed the glasses up his nose.
“I’m fine,” he insisted.
“You and the other boys haven’t been hanging out recently,” Emiri noted.
“Yeah, did you get into a fight?” Suzume said. “That’s too bad…I liked Yuito…”
Shiro winced. “It’s not like that.”
“You can hang out with us,” Chiya suggested, putting on her warmest and most encouraging smile. “Those boys stink anyway!”
Shiro laughed despite himself. What would Akira, Yuito, and Yoshinori think if they saw him hanging out with girls? But the other girls loved the idea, and despite how much Shiro tried to inch himself away from them, Izumi’s gaggle of girlfriends had adopted him as one of their own.
Every day Shiro would return back to Morning Glory, hoping to find Kiryu back and only to find that he was still away. The little hope that bubbled in his chest would burst and he’d fight back tears as he settled in his corner of the boys' room and worked on his homework silently.
Somewhere outside, Koji would occasionally loudly complain about Akira not wanting to play with him all of a sudden. Shiro grabbed his blanket and threw it over his head.
The only person he felt most comfortable opening up to was Haruka, but she had taken it upon herself to watch over Hamazaki every day after school. He had been in the intensive care unit ever since the Ryudo Family found him. Shiro couldn’t understand why Haruka did that. Wasn’t he the guy who almost killed Uncle Kaz last year? Why was she trying to be nice to him?
Shiro supposed he could tell Natsumi or Asahi but the thought froze him down to his toes. How would an adult react? What if they laughed at him? No, it had to be either Kiryu or Haruka!
Shiro was starting to think of telling Haruka everything on Saturday night when she got back home, but the universe had other plans. That day she returned home early in the afternoon, her eyes puffy with tears.
“Haruka-chan!” Ayako gasped upon noticing her.
“S-sorry, everyone,” Haruka hiccuped, her voice hollow. “It’s just…Hamazaki passed away.”
Everyone froze, silent, unsure how to take the news. This was the man who almost took Kiryu’s life away, and yet this same man died while shielding Kiryu and a woman from harm. Haruka’s face was filled with regret and guilt.
Natsumi and Daijiro helped Haruka with the hospital proceedings. As Hamazaki had no living relatives, his body was taken to Morning Glory until he was to be cremated. In the meantime Uncle Kaz’s room served as his final resting place. None of the other children mentioned the body or even took a look inside.
With such a grim overcast over Morning Glory, Haruka updated Kiryu on Hamazaki’s status. Shiro listened in nearby.
“Hamazaki-san died protecting you, didn’t he?” Haruka said.
“...yeah, it seems like it. He sacrificed his life for us.”
Haruka squeezed her eyes shut for a few moments, regained her composure, and replied. “Then...I wish I could tell him how sorry I am. I was so wrong about him.”
“It’s okay, Haruka.”
She went on to rely Hamazaki’s deathbed wish to Kiryu as Shiro turned away. After some time, he heard Kiryu promise that he would be back home soon.
But that “soon” would not come for a few more weeks.
Kiryu sighed heavily after he ended the call. A second death tonight. Two harrowing news back to back. He couldn’t handle much more tragedy tonight. Never in his wildest dreams did he think the week would end like this.
And there was still more work to be done.
The school year ended on a lonely and sour note. Izumi and her friends included Shiro in everything they did even if he resisted being seen with them. (He didn’t care; he’d be a lone wolf if he had to…although he had to admit, he was touched by their consideration for him.)
That final day as students filed out of Chatan-sensei’s class for the last time, boisterous laughter erupted behind Shiro when he stepped out onto the school grounds. It followed him through the courtyard.
“Sissy!” the boys taunted. Growling under his breath, Shiro ducked his head and quickened his pace.
“Hey!” Izumi called out to him.
“I’ll punch ya lights out!” Suzume yelled back at the boys.
Shiro just sighed and made off silently back home.
A week had passed since Hamazaki’s death, and Kiryu still had not returned. He had passed instruction to Natsumi and the others to go ahead with the funeral arrangements in his place. Whatever was happening in Tokyo was stealing all of his time. Shiro knew better than to resent Kiryu or anyone in this scenario—there were situations far more important than a schoolboy’s broken and humiliated heart—but he missed Kiryu terribly all the same.
“Shiro? You’re back!” Haruka smiled up at him as he entered. He gave a little nod of his head and turned to go wash up when she ran toward him.
“Say, Shiro…” she added in a lower tone, as not to have others listen in. “Do you want to come with me to Tokyo?”
“Huh?”
“Uncle Kaz may be in Tokyo for a little while longer, but most of the major work has been resolved. He’s open the invitation for me to join him. I think you might enjoy some time away from here too, being a Tokyoite yourself. And I know you want to see Uncle Kaz too.”
She smiled warmly at him, but Shiro just frowned. He knew Haruka was trying to make things up to him after his disastrous school trip…
“Why does Uncle Kaz have to stay there for a while?” Shiro asked.
“You’ll find out soon,” Haruka said.
Shiro sighed. “Is he okay with one of us coming along?”
“Of course! I wish we could all go, but we only have enough money for one other person.”
Shiro winced at that. He didn’t want to be a bother, but Haruka insisted. Finally, Shiro agreed. A change of scenery was probably what he needed right now.
By the following week the two of them boarded the first flight out to Tokyo.
The morning after Majima’s arrest, Kiryu received a text message from Nishida requesting they meet up near Cuez Bar in the underground mall.
“Apologies for choosing such a random meeting place, Kiryu-no-ojiki,” Nishida said as he bowed a few times, “but Boss didn’t want anyone else to know about it.”
He handed Kiryu a letter. It was penned by Majima addressing Kiryu shortly before his arrest, Nishida explained. Of course Majima would know Kiryu was nearby even while he was busy getting arrested. That man could smell Kiryu miles away.
Kiryu opened the letter. All it contained was the name of one of the clubs the Majima Family owned, Club Shine, and the name of a hostess.
Kiryu couldn’t fathom the reason behind Majima doing this. Was this Majima’s idea of a joke, setting Kiryu up on a date while he was gone? Or perhaps he entrusted some vital intel with a trusted hostess—that had to be it. Kiryu could not stop one death from happening, but perhaps he could stop many more, and this hostess held the key.
Heading to Club Shine that evening, Kiryu requested Hostess Shizuka and waited, feeling oddly out of place in a house of pleasure while he himself was consumed with anything but.
“I’m Shizuka. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” spoke a well-mannered and well-spoken young woman as she approached his table. Wearing a red dress and her naturally black hair tied up in a bun, Shizuka was…well, she was very, very beautiful.
Immediately taken in by her formal and polite speech and beauty, Kiryu soon forgot about his worries beyond these walls. She always looked right at him with strong, incredible eyes, not the sort to look away or titter out of shyness. He loved that bit of gusto in a woman. A little like a certain favorite hostess of his, but not so forward in wanting to fight him. Every inch of her exuded exquisite mannerism.
Before Kiryu knew it, his session with Shizuka was over, and he returned to his hotel room feeling a tiny bit empty. Moments later he realized not once had Shizuka mentioned Majima or given any indication of what his secret message could be.
Kiryu couldn’t return the following evening. That entire day was spent setting up a trap for the true culprit behind the spider web, as Kiryu and his new allies had come to call it. By nightfall, after that harrowing battle and its conclusion, Kiryu was too exhausted to do much else.
There wasn’t much reason to go back to Shizuka by that point, but Kiryu found himself returning to Club Shine, requesting Shizuka once more. He found her company a much welcome and soothing relief after that nightmare from the night before.
Kiryu learned Shizuka had a day job as an apprentice embalmer, which surprised and impressed him both. He wanted to learn more about what she did and why. Embalming wasn’t a common practice in Japan, and that only made him feel that what Shizuka did was really special. It was almost cathartic speaking about death and final wishes. And as morbid as the thought was, he even wondered what it would be like to be embalmed.
When asked about his own job, he brought up the orphanage, which apparently made him quite endearing.
The more they talked, the more similarities Kiryu discovered. He was a little heartbroken to learn that Shizuka was having trouble getting along with people around her age and younger, as she was an old soul. She even enjoyed singing enka and classic songs when at the karaokekan, the same as Kiryu. But going with younger crowds always made her nervous due to her clash of interests with her peers.
Hearing that, Kiryu perked up. He simply had to take her to karaoke, and sure enough that became the destination of their first date. Shizuka had a lovely voice, soothing and gentle and pleasant to the ears that matched the zeitgeist of “Raindrops” down to the final note. Together they sang “Pure Love in Kamurocho” and Kiryu felt a tiny bit guilty, remembering how much Majima and he loved to sing it together. But if there was a reason why Majima wanted him to get to know Shizuka, Kiryu had to keep going.
So Kiryu sang, and held Shizuka’s hand, and looked into her eyes, and felt his heart skip a beat in a confused haze at what the meaning of all this was.
Shizuka was glowing the next time Kiryu visited her. After their date, he was debating if he should step away—he was complicating matters between himself and Majima—but he found himself back at the entrance of Club Shine. He couldn’t help himself. Shizuka’s company was simply impeccable, one of the most remarkable experiences he ever had at a hostess club. Her company gave him something to take his mind off…everything. The days were spent in meetings with Daigo and everyone over everything that has recently happened, and things that were still to come. In the evenings Kiryu could unwind with the beautiful Shizuka.
“You know, you’ve got the most amazing eyes,” Shizuka said as she gripped Kiryu’s arm and peered right at him.
“Heh. Well, that’s sudden.”
“I can’t really explain it, but I can tell from your eyes that you’ve seen so much. So strong but gentle at the same time. It makes me think that you’ve had to overcome a lot of sorrow in your life.”
Kiryu just sat there in bewildered silence. She read him like a book, or was it all information that Majima had passed along?
She was definitely more open with him than previous visits. Kiryu learned that he reminded her of an old friend who had passed away; this same friend was the reason why she had decided to study embalming. She recently got an opportunity to study full-time, but it would mean moving to Boston, in the United States.
Another woman who has captured Kiryu’s heart was about to be pulled away by the currents to America.
Their second date began on the rooftop garden of Volcano, Kamurocho’s biggest pachinko parlor. Shizuka had mentioned making Kiryu a bento lunch, but Kiryu hadn’t expected multiple boxes. Even with his large appetite, it was a challenge tucking everything in, but he somehow managed. Every bite was delicious.
Seeing how super full he looked, a tinge of guilt passed her face.
“Sorry. Did I make too much for you?” Shizuka asked.
“Not at all,” Kiryu said, half-truthfully. “It was delicious. Thanks. Eating a boxed lunch outside like this reminds me of visiting my kids at a school festival.”
She asked him how many kids he had with a twinkle in her eye.
After a little stroll, they decided to head to Yunosono Hot Springs on Park Boulevard. Shizuka excitedly chatted away about her research into hot springs and laws in Japan as Kiryu soaked in his side of the springs, enjoying the warmth as it soothed his muscles, and nearly dozed off.
The following evening, Kiryu received a call from a distressed-sounding Shizuka. Her purse had just gotten stolen and there were precious items inside.
It didn’t take long to locate the culprit, and after a chase down Pink Street, around Showa, and through Nakamichi Street, he caught the thief. He dialed up Shizuka and requested they meet at the Millennium Tower.
Looking adorable in her light red coat, Shizuka thanked Kiryu repeatedly as she accepted back her purse. It was nothing. What Kiryu didn’t expect was the precious contents inside: gifts Shizuka had gotten for all of his children: good luck bracelets for the boys and scrunchies for the girls.
Touched, the meaning behind them soon became apparent: Shizuka was soon leaving for the United States. Kiryu’s heart crumpled at the news, but he kept his face steady and congratulated her all the same.
And then that was when Shizuka offered for them to go to a love hotel. She wanted to wash his back. It was a thing she enjoyed doing for older gentlemen. It was her way of getting intimate.
What was Kiryu doing? Why did he agree to go? Maybe the message Majima had sent along would be delivered there. There was once a hostess, a long time ago, who had waited until the last moment to rely a message from Majima. Maybe it was the same here.
Or maybe Majima had really wanted to hook Kiryu up with a woman while he was gone. It was so damn hard to read him sometimes.
They checked into the hotel, and Kiryu kept glancing toward Shizuka. She was beautiful, and so polite. He tried to calm his nerves, tried to abate the guilt eating away at him. He had allowed this to get so far…he only had himself to blame…
Inside the room, Shizuka kissed him, and Kiryu felt his resolve fluctuate. He couldn’t embarrass her now, not on the night before she left Japan, but it felt odd doing so while knowing Majima was still in jail.
Majima’s the one who introduced you to Shizuka! But why?!
She removed her coat and her bones felt hollow and fragile under his strong arms. He regarded her affectionately and smiled shyly. His blazer and shirt soon came off. Then she removed her blouse and bra, exposing her breasts, and his cheeks immediately reddened. He looked away as she pressed her breasts against him.
“Kiryu-san, what’s wrong?” Shizuka moaned as she grabbed his wrists and placed them right onto her breasts. His palms brushed against erect nipples, and his embarrassment only grew.
Just then the crescendo of commotion rattled their little room. Screams, shouts, and the stampede of multiple feet flooded outside in the hall. Grabbing Shizuka’s arms protectively out of habit, Kiryu turned around just as the walls of their room collapsed.
A man, naked save for a tie strategically tied around his middle and swinging about, just barely hiding his privates, and a half-naked woman poured out, both screaming for help as behind them stormed a gang of yakuza, guns and swords at the ready.
Immediately spurring into action, Kiryu pushed the woman toward Shizuka, and the two women huddled in a corner, holding onto another as Kiryu took down the whole mob.
“Why did you go after them?” Kiryu demanded from one of the yakuza who wasn’t completely unconscious after all was said and done.
“The boss…that girl’s the boss’s mistress…no one can touch her!” spat the Bloody-Nosed Lackey.
“So you’d risk killing her for your boss?” Kiryu said. “Did you think he would be glad to know the woman he loves was dead? Would it not be better to have had them sort out this problem amongst themselves? Huh?”
“Man’s gotta point,” said a Side-Hurting Grunt.
“Shit, man, know who we’re dealing with?” groaned Broken-Nosed Lieutenant and he pointed at Kiryu’s exposed back. “That’s the Dragon of Dojima!”
The others gasped and bemoaned their rotten luck. Kiryu simply sighed heavily. Every year yakuza chinpira were getting dumber and dumber.
One by one the yakuza filed out, mumbling apologies and loudly debating how they were gonna pay for the wall they broke down. The man with the sole tie saving his dignity bowed and thanked Kiryu profusely before leaving with his girl, both redder than a beet.
Shizuka and Kiryu just shared a brief glance before looking away. The mood was long gone.
“Heh, you never did get ‘round to washing my back,” Kiryu said later after they had dressed and left. Shizuka was giving him a parting hug. “You saw it, though, right? Are you...okay with what’s on it?”
Shizuka took a step back and smiled up at him. “Your back was very masculine...and beautiful. And I got the feeling that those strong shoulders of yours are burdened by more than I can imagine...”
No mention of his dragon irezumi. Kiryu could only assume it hadn’t bothered her in the least, or she already knew by virtue of Majima, or she was simply remaining polite.
“Maybe I can finally wash your back when I’m done with my studies,” Shizuka went on. She asked for another hug, and smiling, Kiryu opened his arms wide for her. This was one of the last things she would experience in her time in Japan. The least he could do was make this worthwhile. But one tiny question still nagged at the back of his mind.
When Shizuka and he finally parted away again, Kiryu couldn’t help but ask, “Was there anything Majima-no-nii-san said to you, a message he wanted you to give me?”
“Majima-san?” Shizuka asked politely, genuine confusion etched all over her lovely face.
The following morning, Majima Goro was released from prison. Waiting for him were Kiryu and Nishida.
“Yeesh, give ‘em any reason to keep me locked up for years and they’d do it!” Majima complained in the back seat as Nishida drove away. “That cop Asakura’s been lookin’ for any damn excuse to lock me away! No idea how ya managed not to get more than ten years, Kiryu-chan. They add extra years just for shittin’ the wrong way!”
Kiryu folded his arms and sighed. He was sitting next to Majima, and as nice as it was being near him again, speaking to him again, his mind was too preoccupied with another matter.
“Hey, where’re ya takin’ me?” Majima asked.
“The airport,” Kiryu answered. “Haruka and Shiro are on the first flight.”
“Are they now?” Majima said, immediately brightening up. “Sweet melody to my ears! Kiryu-chan, is that all to celebrate my release?”
Kiryu just sighed.
“Hey…ya seem down, Kiryu-chan…”
“Majima-no-nii-san…” Kiryu regarded him. “I got your message you sent via Nishida after your arrest. I did meet with that hostess.” Kiryu could see Nishida’s slightly panicked look in the rearview mirror. “What was that all about?”
“You met her?” Majima said with a mild smile. “What’d ya think? Ain’t I a good matchmaker, Kiryu-chan? She’d totally make a fine wife for ya.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Kiryu looked away before grudgingly admitting that yes, they were quite compatible and…yes, she would have made a fine wife to his children.
“She even bought them all presents,” Kiryu said.
“Aw, did she? What a sweetheart! Then what’s the problem?!”
“Goro…” Kiryu said softly, shocking Majima. He almost never dared to use his first name in the presence of another, even if that other person was Nishida, even if he was speaking so softly only Majima could hear. “Why are you pushing me away?”
It was Majima’s turn to look away. He didn’t answer Kiryu, and he remained silent for the rest of the ride to the airport. As they waited at the airport terminal, Majima paced around while Nishida sat awkwardly nearby, trying to disappear into the crowd. Finally, Majima settled himself by the wall, and Kiryu followed him.
“Well?” he said under his breath. “Why, Goro? Is there a reason why you tried to push me away?”
Majima sighed long and low. “Kazuma…I was thinkin’…maybe if ya fell in love with someone else, we wouldn’t hafta keep this thing between us a secret no more.”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
Majima hung his head.
“‘fraid ya’d say that.”
“Why is it bothering you now?”
“It’s him,” Majima said flatly.
“Who?”
“My kyodai.”
“Saejima?”
Majima nodded after some time. “A person can sure change a lot in twenty-five years. I’ve come to learn a lot ‘bout myself since ’85, the sort of people I’m attracted to, the sort of person I am versus the masks I wear—the Lord of the Night, Goromi, the Mad Dog, just plain ol’ Majima Goro…the changes in the times sorta help with that too, ya know. I’ve figured myself out over time. As people talk more and ya absorb more, it makes it easier to process and digest what’s going on inside ya that y’ve never really understood before.
“Meanwhile, Saejima’s…well…”
“Frozen in time,” Kiryu helped out.
“Yeah,” Majima said heavily. “Never had contact with the changing world for twenty-five years. Entered it again with the same mindset he had when he’d gone to jail. And he’s damned old-fashioned. Traditional and conservative.”
“I get it,” Kiryu said. “You’re worried about the rift it could cause between you two. Keeping the peace between sworn brothers is vital in the yakuza world, especially when you have Daigo to protect. So after your reunion with Saejima, you must have felt it was best to break ties with me?”
Majima sighed heavily again. “Don’t put it like that.”
“But you do feel this is for the best,” Kiryu said. “And you must be afraid of what might happen to you…and me…and the kids.”
“I’m not af…yeah, I am.”
“Is he still not your friend?”
“He’s a kyodai. To him, we’re associates more than anything.”
“That is still a good thing.”
“Huh?”
“You yourself said it. Saejima is old-fashioned. He respects the ways and traditions of the yakuza. He will honor his vow to you no matter what. He won’t hurt any of us.”
Majima’s face twitched, unsure if he should dare to hope.
“We’ve both seen how deadly it can get if sworn brothers lose the loyalty they’ve sworn to one another,” Kiryu said. “But for those men, they didn’t honor the traditions of the yakuza in the first place. Saejima does. You have nothing to worry about, Majima-no-nii-san. We will speak with Saejima when the time is right. We still have a few days before the ceremony. I’ll make sure he understands.
“So, please, Goro…don’t ever push me away again like that. That hurt and confused me.”
Majima’s eyebrows twitched. Something stirred in him, but he hid back how much Kiryu’s words hit deep.
“Ya think ya can get through to a thickheaded ox like him?” Majima then took a good look at Kiryu. He gave a snort. “Y’re you. Shouldn’t doubt ya, Kiryu-chan.”
“And…should he prove to be…disagreeable,” Kiryu said softly and slowly as he rubbed his chin, “we can always kill him. Together.”
Majima gasped. “Kazuma! Still got a bit o’ that criminal zest in ya! Ah, my heart’s aflutter!”
“What? I’m nothing like you!”
The two glared at one another before a smile cracked between them. Kiryu gave a small chuckle but Majima threw his head back and gave his mighty famous hearty laugh.
Just then the plane arrived. Haruka and Shiro emerged from the debarking crowd, and Majima rushed over, laughing maniacally. His mood having done a one hundred-eighty, he lifted them up and cried out, scaring everyone in the vicinity, “GUESS WHO’S JUST GOT OUTTA PRISON, KIDS! LET’S CELEBRATE—MY TREAT!”
“Who are we visiting?” Shiro asked.
Haruka produced a photo from her pocket and showed him. It photo was of a woman with long black hair. She was very pretty but sadness shone in her eyes, and her smile did not reach her eyes.
“Her name was Saejima Yasuko,” Haruka said. “She’s the younger sister of Saejima Taiga-san, that yakuza you met the other day.”
It was hard to miss Saejima. He was large and wore a perpetual frown that rivaled Kiryu’s. Despite his permanent sour face, curtained with shoulder-length black hair, it occasionally cracked to show grief passing his eyes. Twenty-five years in jail. Yasuko and Taiga had desired nothing more than to be reunited, and they had, if brief and under harrowing conditions…
Still, Shiro couldn’t imagine why Majima and Saejima were sworn brothers, but he guessed when in the yakuza world, any connections made were held close to one’s chest. Bonds were important. It kept one alive in a society where betrayal could happen at the drop of a hat…
Haruka continued, “Yasuko met Akiyama Shun at the beginning of this month—”
“That’s the…um, moneylender we met, right?” Shiro said. He’s heard the term “loan shark” thrown around but didn’t think that was a polite term to use. Akiyama seemed like a nice enough guy if quite a bit lackadaisical. How he managed to procure so much money to lend out without any interests or collateral was nothing short of a miracle.
Haruka nodded. “She requested a loan of a hundred million yen, which was a lot even for Akiyama-san.”
“And he gave her the money?”
“After she successfully passed a test for him. That’s how Akiyama-san determines whether to trust his clients with his money.”
“Ah. Why did she need all that money?”
Haruka closed her eyes sadly. “Because Yasuko had no other choice. Either she kept killing or she paid Katsuragi Isao one hundred million yen.”
Katsuragi Isao. Shiro has been hearing the name a lot recently. He was the acting captain of the Ueno Seiwa Clan, and he had masterminded the 1985 hit against the Ueno Seiwa Clan, his own family. That meant Saejima Taiga was actually innocent of the crime he spent twenty-five years in jail for. The bullets in his gun were nothing more than rubber bullets, knocking the Ueno Seiwa Clan members unconscious but not actually killing them. It was Katsuragi himself who had finished the job.
Because he was young and inexperienced at that time, Saejima knew nothing about guns. And he had been so nervous carrying out the hit, the fact that no man bled didn’t register in his mind. He fell right into Katsuragi’s trap.
The more shrewd Majima would have ruined it all. Working alongside the Shibata Family, Katsuragi had ordered for Majima’s presence to be wiped out of the scene. Majima was held back while his sworn brother carried on with the mission. That was how Majima had lost his left eye.
Fast forward to 2010: Katsuragi had cornered Yasuko and made an offer: kill for him and he would testify to her brother’s innocence. Otherwise Saejima would be executed for the eighteen lives he had allegedly taken away. And the men she was to kill were members of the Shibata Family, the same men who had held back Majima.
This was all starting to feel like one big spider web.
“Then what happened?” Shiro asked.
“Things didn’t go as planned, of course. The Shibata Family finally caught up to Yasuko-san and kidnapped her. By then rumors had spread throughout Kamurocho that she was a murderer. A call was dispatched to the police, and the man who ultimately rescued her was Tanimura Masayoshi.”
Shiro had met him too. He was a young man on the force, and others complained of him being a dirty cop that took bribes and spent his days playing mahjong instead of patrolling the streets. Maybe it was the effect of being around yakuza, but Shiro personally didn’t see anything wrong with Tanimura. He had saved Yasuko, after all.
“After that, Yasuko gave him the hundred million yen and made off to Okinawa,” Haruka said. “That’s how Uncle Kaz met her. By then Hamazaki-san had washed up on shore and helped them escape. Uncle Kaz and Yasuko-san returned to Kamurocho and Uncle Kaz ran up to meet Uncle Goro, but he had just gotten arrested.”
“And then what happened?”
Haruka’s expression turned somber. “When Uncle Kaz returned to New Serena, it was to learn that Yasuko-san had run away. He chased her down to Purgatory and ran into Akiyama-san and Tanimura-san. They fought while she ran away, but had they not…”
She peered out the window for a few moments before addressing Shiro again. “By the time Uncle Kaz reached Purgatory he learned that both Saejima siblings had been kidnapped by Katsuragi. Uncle Kaz tried to make a deal with him, using the file Hamazaki had given him as a bargaining chip.”
“And I’m guessing things didn’t go as planned,” Shiro said, feeling sick to his stomach.
Haruka shook her head sadly. “After everything Uncle Kaz did to try to save them, in the end, Katsuragi shot Yasuko-san. She took the bullets meant for her brother. But she also had a gun on her, and she marched toward Katsuragi even while she was bleeding to death, glaring at him right in the eye, and shot him dead before she succumbed to her fate.”
Whoa. Shiro wasn’t sure whether to feel incredibly sad or impressed. As tragic as it was that she died in the end, Saejima Yasuko sounded like a total badass.
After Yasuko’s death, Kiryu had worked together with Saejima, Akiyama, and Tanimura to take down the masterminds behind the entire plot that has been twenty-five years in the making, unraveling the secret ties between the Shibata Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan, and the Ueno Seiwa Clan, one of the Tojo Clan’s most bitter rivals. With that also came the media exposure of the corruption of the Tokyo police, thanks to Date Makoto working behind the scenes to run a special report as a journalist.
Without Katsuragi, the Ueno Seiwa Clan were slowly dissolving as a result. There were many other resolutions as a result of this fight, but nothing could bring back Yasuko.
Shiro was reminded of that again hours later as he gazed at the name on the tombstone before him. Placing his hands together, he sent a silent prayer to her. He wondered if she was in a happier place now, knowing that her brother was safe and innocent, his name cleared of all charges. He wished Yasuko and her brother had gotten to be together longer.
“I’m deeply sorry, Yasuko-chan,” Majima said softly nearby. “I did everything in my power to ensure everyone got out of this alive. Had I not gotten arrested…”
Kiryu placed a hand on his shoulder.
Saejima stayed in front of his sister’s grave for the longest time. Despite his massive size and scary-looking face, his disposition cracked and he wept silently as the crowd thinned around him. They let him grieve as long as he needed.
This same cemetery was also the final resting place for Kazama Shintaro, Nishikiyama Akira, and Sawamura Yumi, Kiryu’s own family. Seeing the three tombstones side by side, Shiro felt a surge of sadness and sympathy for Kiryu. To lose all of his family in one night…
He had come to learn their fates were tied to ten billion yen that had been stolen from the Tojo Clan, used to create the prisons that Saejima had been thrown into. To die due to government-yakuza collaboration, betrayal in the Tojo Clan, and police corruption. One big spider web.
Haruka was praying in front of the grave of her mother, so Shiro settled next to her. He asked for each of Kiryu’s family members to watch over them. Vaguely he wondered if Kiryu ever visited his biological parents’ graves. Did he know where they were buried?
After he thought this, a gentle tap came on his shoulder.
“Shiro-chan, yer parents’ graves aren’t that far off,” Majima said. “Want to visit?”
The gravesite was a bit more of a walk than anticipated, but at long last Shiro was gazing up at the names of his birth mother and father. Old feelings he thought had been mostly healed dredged up, and he felt Kiryu and Haruka both squeeze his shoulder on either side.
Clamping his hands together, he gave a prayer to them as Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka followed suit.
The following day was Saejima’s inauguration ceremony. It was March 30th and the event was going to be held at the Tojo Clan Headquarters. With Saejima’s name cleared, Dojima Daigo had felt Saejima warranted a family to himself. He, Kiryu, and Majima had been discussing the matter for a while. The other day Shiro overheard Majima arguing with Minami, who had refused to join the Saejima Family.
“The guy could do with a fit fighter like yerself,” Majima argued.
“But, Boss!” Minami whined, sounding devastated. “I…I…I had sworn to serve only you!”
Civilians could not attend the actual inauguration, as yakuza were very private about such matters. The only reason why Kiryu, who was by all rights a civilian now, was allowed to attend the ceremony was due to once being the fourth chairman.
Haruka and Shiro waited back at a designated part of the headquarters until the ceremony was done. Afterward there was a banquet to celebrate Saejima as a new patriarch, and for that the children could attend. The six of them—Kiryu, Majima, Saejima, Daigo, Haruka, and Shiro—occupied one table. Shiro hadn’t had sushi in many years, and even then, the food that was brought to their table was of an scrumptious taste and texture he had never experienced before.
Kiryu and Daigo were mostly keeping the conversation going, as Majima had gone uncharacteristically quiet. Shiro wondered if he was upset at Minami’s earlier refusal to join up the Saejima Family.
Shiro wanted to say something to either Majima or Saejima, feeling it was rude not to join in on a conversation, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Haruka, meanwhile, was telling Saejima that he would look good without any hair, which Shiro thought was rather gutsy of her to suggest.
In addition to becoming a patriarch, Saejima was now Daigo’s Lieutenant Advisor, a title shared by Majima. In Saejima’s short time since his release he had already gotten caught up in some amusing shenanigans around town.
“Kappas?” Kiryu said after one story. “You must have just imagined it.”
“Saori?” Daigo said after another. “She didn’t give you a surname?”
“Said she’s famous in her industry,” Saejima said. “Uses some alias like ‘Blue Rose.’”
“Oh, her?! You met her, Saejima?”
“Is she pretty?” Haruka asked.
Saejima chuckled. “Yeah.”
“Did you two kiss?”
Another chuckle was confirmation.
Majima, meanwhile, was silent the entire time. He sat there looking like a ghost as Saejima went on about this Blue Rose, her femme fatale looks, and her killer pair of legs. Not even Kiryu seemed to notice as everyone teased Saejima that he had a crush.
After some time, Daigo raised his glass and was about to propose a toast when suddenly Majima grabbed Kiryu next to him and kissed him deeply, lips locked.
Silence swept across the entire hall.
Even the rice in Shiro’s mouth went dry. He became acutely aware of the pounding in his heart. Haruka covered her mouth. From her reaction, Shiro could tell this wasn’t good.
Saejima just glared at Majima for a few moments, his eyes indescribable.
“What’s gotten into ya?”
Finally, Majima pulled away from Kiryu. Even Kiryu was glaring at Majima.
“Majima-no-nii-san, we agreed to discuss this privately…”
Shiro’s heart froze. Discuss what privately?
“That ain’t my style,” Majima said. “I ain’t about tiptoeing around shit that matters to me. We face it head on, together! Ya got an issue with us, Saejima, we ready for ya!”
And with that, Majima’s tanto appeared on the table. Saejima’s eyes flashed dangerously. Kiryu sighed and shook his head. Daigo just stared between the men, a chairman completely stunned and unsure how to handle this sudden turn of events.
For several long tense moments no one moved or said anything. The rice would have choked Shiro by now, but it wasn’t like he could breathe anyway. Not with the way Saejima was glaring at Majima. Not with how much he worried for Uncles Kaz and Goro. Not with the way Akira, Yuito, and Yoshinori regarded him with that exact same kind of contempt…
“Since when’d ya become a fuckin’ flamin’ fairy?” Saejima spat and sneered.
Majima snorted. “Kiryu-chan especially enjoys it when I put on high heels and dress just for him.”
“He what?!”
“Now, Saejima—” Daigo began.
Kiryu sighed again. “Saejima…” Shiro saw him ball his hands into fists. Despite his general calm and diplomatic demeanor, Kiryu was at the ready to fight Saejima, here in his own inauguration banquet, if he dared hurt Majima over this revelation.
The stare carried on for a few more moments. Finally, Saejima grabbed an entire tray of fatty tuna sushi and shrugged. “Whatever. There’s worse things ya can be.”
The air still thick with tension, Majima regarded Saejima with suspicion until he was satisfied that Saejima wasn’t about to slit his throat. Kiryu was still shaking his head at how the entire ordeal had played out, silently chastising Majima for going about matters his way.
Slowly, everyone at the table settled back into their meal, but Shiro had to spit out his rice. It was terribly wasteful of him, but his entire mouth had gone completely dry. He excused himself and ran off before Kiryu or Haruka could call for him.
Once Shiro was safely alone in the washroom, he locked himself in a stall and cried and cried for what felt like hours.
“Shiro?”
He looked up. “Haruka? Why’re you in here?”
“I got worried,” Haruka said. “And I think it’s best Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro stay together back there.”
“Mhm.”
“How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
Washroom stalls in Japan had doors that fitted down to the floor, giving the individual optimal privacy. Shiro was sitting on the ground with his back flat against the wall, but he had the impression Haruka was sitting right on the other side, mirroring him. He pulled out a pendant from his pocket. It was the heart-shaped island of Kuroshima that Akira had given him at the end of last summer on their first day back to school, many moons ago. How that all felt like a different lifetime now…
“Haruka…why can’t Uncle Goro come live with us?” Shiro asked. “Saejima-san can stay behind and be Dojima-san’s main Lieutenant Advisor, can’t he?”
“And where would Uncle Goro’s men go?”
“I dunno—can’t they just go with the Saejima Family?”
“Some of them really like Uncle Goro…”
Shiro sighed. “Then they can come with us! Be a yakuza family down in Okinawa!”
“What if they clash with the Ryudo Family?”
“They got along fine last year!”
“Shiro, why do you want Uncle Goro to leave the Tojo Clan?”
Shiro hung his head. “I’m just…scared for him, I guess. His friend didn’t seem happy when he found out about Uncle Kaz and him.”
“They’ll work it out. And Uncle Goro has a job here.”
“That stupid mall?”
“Not just the mall. Advising Chairman Dojima.”
“Can’t his mother help him?” What was her name again? Shiro recalled the funeral for his parents. He had met her then. A serious but pretty older woman. Apparently she had been acting chairman for the Tojo Clan in the short time after the fifth chairman’s passing and before Daigo had been sworn in as the sixth chairman.
“Dojima Yayoi?” Haruka said, sounding sad. “Oh, Shiro…if only it were that easy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…Saejima-san’s come at the right time to help Dojima-san. See, Dojima Yayoi-san can’t help her son for much longer. She’s been very sick. The doctors don’t think she has much time left.”
Notes:
Yayoi! 🥺 One of the things that makes me sad about RGG is how we never see her again after Kiwami 2. I was hoping we would get something in IW, but… It pained me to pick this route because I love this character a ton. She was the first ever doll I requested to have custom made because of this incredible need to display her. She’s so kick-ass! I feel had RGG remembered her she would have had more impact in Tojo affairs and plot over the years. Maybe that one upcoming pirate game will reveal something.
And was it just me or did anyone else think Shizuka really stood out among the hostesses Kiryu “woos” in the series? She’s among my top favorites (along with Goromi, Rina, and…someone I adore who you’ll meet later on 😉), so I had to include her in. I love that Kiryu’s kids were part of their plotline.
Final chapter for Part 3: Kuroshima set for Wednesday Nov 20th.
Chapter 14: III.4 We Move Lightly
Notes:
This chapter originally didn’t exist, but while going over the outline early on I realized it would be best to write a conclusion for this mini arc. While drafting ideas, the song “We Move Lightly” by Dustin O'Halloran was playing, and the second half just came to me then. This is perhaps my favorite chapter in all of Kuroshima. This chapter is thus written straight from the heart to everyone, and especially right now given what’s going on in the world. I love you all 💕
Content warnings for homophobia.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: We Move Lightly
The day before their flight back to Okinawa, Kiryu and Majima, wearing identical semi-nervous looks, approached Shiro. Majima, Shiro noted, was dressed in his finest; he was even wearing a shirt under his blazer.
“Shiro-chan,” Majima said, smiling in a reassuring way. “We’re not too far off from yer gramps.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?” Shiro asked, remembering how they couldn’t even bring him in for his parents’ funeral.
“Well, times are changing’! I was able to make arrangements. We head out now, you can visit Gramps before ya leave tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
Shiro’s head spun. He hadn’t anticipated coming to Tokyo would lead to this. “Wha—now? We can go now?”
Majima nodded. Kiryu smiled encouragingly behind him.
Shiro would finally get to see his grandfather again. The last time he had seen him felt like a million years ago.
Glancing at the both of them, Shiro nodded, still dazed.
As he got ready, Haruka provided more context. With the Ueno Seiwa Clan dissolving, the Tojo Clan, mainly the Saejima Family, have been muscling their way into their turf. As a result, the Kurosu Clan, subsidiary of the Ueno Seiwa Clan, have been losing their former power. They were still present, as total dissolution wasn’t going to happen overnight, but with the Saejima Family around that gave Kiryu and Majima just enough leeway to make this visit.
So Shiro could finally meet the man he could not see several years ago. Still, despite everything a lump formed in Shiro’s throat. Was it really safe going there? What if they ran into Kurosu himself?
He kept close to Kiryu and Majima the entire way there. He sandwiched himself between them as they walked, and he huddled close to Kiryu as Nishida drove them to the little suburb where Shirogane Kichiro resided. Passing by Hatsudai brought upon goosebumps all over his arm. He glanced around himself, vaguely recognizing the street. Up that road would be the little house with the telescope out in the front yard. Was the telescope still there or had the new family thrown it out?
Shiro eyed the road and his lips quivered, clearly recalling the last time his parents and he drove down here.
As if reading his mind, both Kiryu and Majima requested Nishida to take a different route. Kiryu swung a protective arm around him.
Shiro constantly looked over his shoulder, flinching whenever they passed by a large white or black van. He knew yakuza enough to know what sorts of vehicles they drove. He would see them all the time when he used to go to school in Hatsudai. Yakuza in the mainland drove those kinds of vehicles. He had no idea why they never scared him before. It would be so easy for someone to have just reached out, snatched one of the children, and drove off with them, never to be seen again…
“Welcome, welcome!” Grandpa Shirogane said warmly when they arrived.
“Ojama shimasu!” everyone said in unison and bowed low and politely. Shirogane laughed and waved his hand, blushing slightly at the formality.
“Takashi-chan! It’s been so long! How I’ve missed you!”
Shiro gave a tiny start at being addressed by his birth name—it sounded a bit unnatural after all this time—but smiled nonetheless as he bowed again to his grandfather.
“I missed you too, Grandpa Shirogane,” Shiro said politely.
“Now, now, we don’t have to be so formal,” his grandfather chuckled. “You may call me Grandpa Kichiro. You might not remember that time, but I used to take you out on strolls while your parents were at work.”
Shiro blushed and bowed his head again. He could only imagine how they must have looked together.
Grandpa Kichiro next turned to Majima, welcoming him back. It seemed they had met before, Shiro realized. A tiny ache on his side made him think back to his surgery years ago. Had Majima visited his grandfather then?
Moving on from Majima, Grandpa Kichiro then warmly welcomed Kiryu and Haruka as Majima introduced the two parties to one another.
Kiryu towered over the little old man dressed in a soft brown cardigan.
“So good to finally meet you, Kiryu-san! And, my! What a beautiful daughter you have! Oh, she reminds me of my own granddaughter…”
Kiryu and Majima shuffled their feet, slightly nervous, as Grandpa Kichiro’s eyes misted.
“You would have loved meeting her,” Grandpa Kichiro went on to say. Haruka remained smiling politely, although a vague confusion crossed her eyes.
Motioning toward Shiro, Grandpa Kichiro marveled to Kiryu, “The boy’s growing splendidly, all thanks to you! So well-mannered and in vibrant health!”
“I can hardly take the credit,” Kiryu said, shy now that he was on the spot. “The children are all so independent. I only step in when necessary.”
“Give yourself more credit!” Grandpa Kichiro chuckled before leading them toward the living room.
He served them green tea and set out little snacks: strawberry daifuku, dorayaki, and yokan. Shiro sampled a little of each as the adults conversed long into the afternoon. Kiryu was voicing being impressed upon learning that Kichiro had grown the very same green tea leaves used in their tea in his garden. Chuckling, Kichiro boasted about all of the herbs he had in his garden and begged them to stay for dinner.
But they couldn’t stay long. They had to get ready for their flight tomorrow. Majima kept glancing out the window.
“Fine,” Kichiro sighed, “but I’ll give you a bag each of my most special herbs. Use it when you cook for your children, Kiryu-san.”
Haruka’s face lit up and she thanked Grandpa Kichiro for the delicious strawberry daifuku. Shiro was sure she was going to make use of every last grain and leaf.
Sipping his tea, Shiro watched them all. How surreal it was, his two families under one roof. What if everyone was here, he wondered. Every kid from Morning Glory, and his parents too.
Conversation soon turned to Grandpa Kichiro’s art. They were finishing up with their tea, so he simply had to take Kiryu and Haruka to his studio.
“It got destroyed a couple years ago,” Grandpa Kichiro said casually, “but I managed to get everything back in order, with a little help of course.”
“Oh?” Kiryu shot Majima an accusatory look, who in turn took the opportunity to glance out the window of the studio. Haruka giggled but again Shiro got a strange little nagging feeling.
Ever since they arrived Majima kept checking outside.
“Just keepin’ an eye for any Kurosu man or that patriarch of theirs,” Majima muttered at Shiro’s unspoken question.
“I thought things were getting safer here,” he said. Behind him Kiryu and Haruka were giving Kichiro genuine praise and awe at every art piece he showed them.
“It’s gettin’ there,” Majima said. “Saejima’s men are takin’ care of matters, driving the Ueno Seiwa Clan out. Still, can’t risk having Kurosu Katsuo knockin’ at our door and ruining this lil’ get-together.”
An odd sensation swept through Shiro when he heard the patriarch’s full name.
“You’ve met the patriarch before,” Shiro said. It wasn’t a question.
Majima hesitated, then glanced over his shoulder at Kiryu and Grandpa Kichiro. “I have.”
“You fought.”
“‘Was more of a friendly chat,” Majima grinned sheepishly at the look Shiro gave him.
“Is that why he lurks around here? Does he want to hurt Grandpa?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I got men protecting him.”
“Does he still want me dead?”
Majima took a long pause before he chose his words carefully, his Osaka-ben dropping. “Wish I can answer you truthfully, Shiro-chan. You see…Patriarch Kurosu hasn’t been the same since we last interacted.”
Shiro leaned his head to one side. “Why?”
“He…had a wife and a child. Wife passed away a while back. He lost his only daughter not too long ago. Hasn’t been the same since. He’s a shell of the man he once was, and after everything with the Ueno Seiwa, he’s all but gone now. Some of his men never forgave us.”
“But what does Grandpa Kichiro have anything to do with any of this? Kurosu was after me! Grandpa’s innocent!”
“Don’t worry yer lil’ head, Shiro-chan—Saejima’s men will be protectin’ yer gramps. There’s always the chance a lone goon’s out here sniffin’ for some trouble, but it’s nothin’ we can’t handle.”
Shiro nodded his head slowly. “And…Patriarch Kurosu. Is he going to be fine all alone?” The thought of him withering away with no family, all alone, was actually kind of sad…
Majima chuckled. “Aw, look at ya, worryin’ ‘bout the man who was all ready to kill ya! Ya sure take after yer Uncle Kaz!” Then looking up, he called out, “Kiryu-chan! Need ya out here a bit!”
As Kiryu joined him outside in the garden, Grandpa Kichiro and Haruka joined Shiro at his side.
“They are a curious pair,” Grandpa Kichiro chuckled.
Shiro repeated what Majima had told him just now.
“Ah, yes, that is true,” Grandpa Kichiro said with a nod. “The original threat surrounding you living here is, for the most part, gone. Majima-san and Kiryu-san have explained to me that their associates would ensure your safety whenever you are here. You are more than free to come visit me whenever you want, Takashi-chan. You can also, if you wish, although I would not pressure you, come live with me. I can deal with the patriarch myself should he come knocking.”
The offer…was almost tempting. Tomorrow would begin the new school year, and Shiro wanted nothing more than to never, ever see Akira, Yuito, and especially Yoshinori ever again. But then…
What about all the in-jokes he and Mitsuo shared? The nights spent staying up late just to get spooked from the ghost stories Taichi told the boys? Koji always offering him to join in on baseball although Shiro was bad at it? Walking with Izumi back home from school and hearing all about the ongoing drama with that darn Tadashi? Getting into a water fight with Riona after accidentally splashing water on her new dress while they did the dishes together? Pretending to be heroes from their favorite manga with Eri? The quiet moments of being taught how to expertly cut vegetables with Ayako? Haruka’s face popping into the boys' room to check in on him, always a comforting sight after feeling down?
And Kiryu. Uncle Kaz.
The goodnight hugs. The times early on when he used to study in Kiryu’s bedroom, all as an excuse just to be closer to him. Huddling next to him, half asleep, while he watched the news, cigarette tucked between his teeth.
Ugh, those cigarettes of his!
“Good night, Uncle Kaz!” Shiro called out in one memory as he snatched up the cigarette from Kiryu’s hand and put it out near the gate before rushing back inside.
“Shiro!” Kiryu cried out in mixed amusement and annoyance.
The beautiful brown eyes that spoke of so much suffering yet profound love, affection, and wisdom. How he worried over Shiro when he was sick, how he ran all the way to the hospital, stuck by his side, the tears in those eyes when Shiro awoke after the operation…
There was always love in those eyes, a genuine sort that Shiro was starting to realize he didn’t ever recall seeing in his own father.
Shiro didn’t want to leave an old man all alone, especially one who was his own flesh and blood, but he didn’t want to leave the people who had become his real family over the years. Why couldn’t they all live under the same roof? They could even pool money together and bring everyone here—all of his brothers and sisters! He could be away from those terrible boys and be back in his hometown in Tokyo! They could even be closer to Majima! Kiryu would love that!
But Shiro couldn’t do that. He didn’t want to bother Grandpa Kichiro. And what would he say if he knew Shiro liked boys? Would he react as badly as Shiro’s former friends did?
Shiro looked up at Grandpa Kichiro. His grandfather was beaming down on him, eyes kind and sparkling behind thick-framed glasses. A strange feeling coiled in Shiro’s stomach, making him feel sick. Years later he would be able to put a name to it: shame.
“Uncle Goro, please stay over with us,” Haruka piped up as the car stopped at the hotel’s entrance.
Majima glanced at Nishida and then up at Kiryu through the rearview mirror. “What’d ya say, Kiryu-chan? I still got some business to ‘tend to but…”
Shiro looked up, watching them carefully.
“I wouldn’t want to impose on you, Majima-no-nii-san.”
“Come on!” Haruka begged. “We won’t be able to see you during the summer! It’s just one night!”
Shiro hung his head. She was right. Majima still had the Kamurocho Hills project going, and now he was helping Saejima settle into his new life. He had missed out being with them for winter and now the summer.
Haruka continued to hound Majima while Kiryu chided her.
Majima met Shiro’s gaze and his eye sparkled; a big grin spread across his face.
“Why the hell not?!” he cried out. “Nishida, get my things for me!”
And so Majima stayed the night with them at the hotel. He was on the phone with his men half the time, and the other half he made every attempt to keep them company. Majima ordered carry out, complaining all the while about the high prices of hotel food. Haruka and Shiro picked out a movie then cuddled against Kiryu and Majima on the big sofa.
Kiryu and Majima must have argued at least a dozen times the entire night, but Haruka and Shiro also caught them sneaking in a few kisses when they thought no one was looking.
Their hotel room had two large double beds. Haruka and Shiro shared one bed while Kiryu slept in the other, and tonight Majima would join Kiryu. While tucked in, Majima was on the phone, laughing and shouting at one of his boys about everything from tax evasion to other gang-related stuff that Shiro wasn’t sure they should be listening in on.
From the look on Kiryu’s face, his thoughts must have mirrored Shiro’s own.
“Yeah, yeah, just use one of the body bags, no big deal!” Majima was saying. “Don’t tell me ya can’t carry the weight, Minami! Where?! I hear Tokyo Bay’s beautiful this time o’ night!”
Haruka stuffed a handful of the blanket into her mouth to stifle her half-mortified and half-amused giggles, which were frequent every time she and Shiro’s gazes met. It didn’t help that Kiryu kept making disapproving sounds in the next bed or glancing at Majima in an utterly disgusted manner. This clearly wasn’t garbage he wanted his children to hear…
“Yeah, yeah! What’s the big deal, Minami? Get a friend to dump the sack with ya! Yer a big boy now!” Majima shouted into his cell before looking up at everyone, wearing the slyest smile Shiro had ever seen. “Ten thousand men and not one knows how’ta take out a whole bunch o’ expired potatoes from the fridge!”
Haruka shrieked into her fist, and Shiro could no longer hold it in either. They each rolled off their side of the bed, screaming and laughing. Kiryu just glared at Majima with all the intent to toss his smug butt out the hotel window.
Some time during the night, Shiro woke up to go to the bathroom. On his way back, he noticed how Kiryu and Majima lay cuddled against one another, arms lazily resting on the other. They slept in complete comfort, unbothered by the world, unconcerned with keeping up appearances of two strangers or, at most, mere acquaintances. This was Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro in their truest and purest form.
After staring for a few moments, Shiro shook himself out of his reverie. Would he ever get to experience that with someone someday? Or would he have to hide it from the world the way they did? Why would he have to hide something so beautiful, so innocent, from the world?
Majima stayed with them the rest of the following day until they boarded their flight. They visited some shops, and of course Haruka took the initiative to suggest the best gifts to bring back to the other kids. Yet despite the time they were spending together, despite the laughter and fun yesterday, Shiro didn’t feel happy deep down.
Maybe it had to do with the news of Dojima Yayoi. They got to visit Yayoi the day after Saejima’s inauguration, and Shiro almost wished he hadn’t gone. He didn’t want to remember that strong woman looking so frail. He had cried himself to sleep that night and hoped no one had noticed. He couldn’t imagine what Dojima Daigo was going through right now.
But that wasn’t entirely it. Every now and then his mind would flash back to Grandpa Kichiro’s smiling face and his welcoming house, and Shiro’s heart would ache all over again.
But there was something else that Shiro couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something about noticing the stark difference in how Kiryu and Majima acted privately and in public. These were legends in the yakuza world, feared and fearless, and here they were having to hide their love.
The time spent with Majima was far too short, and half the time Kiryu walked beside him as though the two hardly knew one another. Seeing them not holding hands like all the other couples, couples composed of a guy and a girl, depressed Shiro more than he ever cared to admit.
Majima, meanwhile, was constantly on his phone shouting at his men or giving orders. He must have been speaking with his own boys only half the time, because the rest of the time his manner of speech and even language changed. At some points Shiro was certain Majima was carrying a whole conversation in English.
Of course. He’s a businessman, Shiro thought. English must help him a lot. He was both impressed…and embarrassed. It began to feel like they were imposing on his time when he could be tackling the big stupid shopping mall right now.
By the time they reached the airport terminal and Shiro hugged Majima, he nearly broke down right then and there. Kiryu and Majima were going to be separated again. The world had won against them. And three little demons awaited Shiro back home…
Haruka took his hand as she led him to the jetway. Shiro turned back, catching Kiryu and Majima sharing a very quick kiss and brief embrace when they thought no one was looking.
Recalling the way Kiryu and Majima had stopped holding hands as they neared the monorail station last year, the sight now brought upon a terrible pang in Shiro’s chest.
They hid their love in Okinawa and now in Tokyo.
Was this how his own life was going to pan out too?
“SHIRO! What’s the meaning of this?!”
Shiro nearly jumped out of his skin and spun around, facing Arakachi-sensei, his fourth grade teacher. “Wh-what?!”
“Shiro, wash that off this instance!” Arakachi-sensei demanded as she threw him the sponge and bucket. “Quick! Before the rest of the class comes in!”
Same story nearly every day. Weeks into the new school year and this was Shiro’s new reality. Nasty words would be waiting for him on his desk, written in large thick black characters.
Arakachi-sensei was a nice enough teacher, on the younger side and full of energy and warmth. But the messages always got her in a tizzy. The worst part was, Shiro knew exactly who was writing the messages. The three boys weren’t in his class this year, thankfully—Izumi was, which he was thankful about even more. Shiro didn’t want them anywhere near her—but the three terrors made their presence known in another way.
They knew Shiro’s class and where he sat. Every day Shiro learned a new term, a new slur about what he was. He tried not to think about those words, lest they would be etched into his subconscious. He tried not to think at all about what he, how ugly he was, and how utterly alone he was at school.
He couldn’t tell Arakachi-sensei who was behind all the vandalism either. He couldn’t risk more people finding out. He kept thinking of how Saejima had regarded Majima with disgust and loathing; he had eventually accepted Majima…more like resigned to just tolerating him, and Shiro wasn’t sure if that was any better. If he thought about it for too long, he would begin crying.
The library became Shiro’s sanctuary once more, if a bittersweet one. Hiding in his little nook, he was often reminded of the ghosts of the past. The little cubicle adjacent to him lay empty and bare, devoid of the friends he had turned his back on out of fear.
Fear. Fear was rendering him silent, turning him into a ghost himself. He seldom raised his hand at school. He existed at home but didn’t live. He would play with his siblings when pressed, just so they wouldn’t worry, but his heart was never in it.
Every morning the same messages, the same words, were waiting for him. He had to leave home extra early to ensure he cleaned his desk so no one would know.
What had he done, thinking he could bear his heart to Akira? Why was he so stupid?
“Shiro?” Yukiho settled herself by the open theater, now no more than the size of a small gazebo. “You seem sad and distracted. You just keep staring at the stars.”
Shiro sighed. He was so stupid, thinking that Akira would come sit next to him in his dreams. Akira would never be his. Shiro didn’t even care anymore.
“Yukiho…come sit next to me.”
“Hmm? But I don’t think I can…I never…”
But Shiro insisted until finally Yukiho sighed and sat next to him. Shiro waved his arms and walls began to form around the tiny theater, boxing them inside.
“Shiro?” Yukiho gasped.
“Keep the good in, and keep the bad out,” Shiro said sadly as, little by little, the walls snuffed out the stars. “We have to protect ourselves, Yukiho.”
Something was wrong. A danger loomed over the skies of Morning Glory, silent and subtle, but loud enough for Kiryu to pick up on it. Something had escaped his notice for the last few months, and he had to get to the bottom of this.
Most of the kids seemed happy and going on as always…except for Koji and Shiro. For a short while Koji complained about his friend no longer playing baseball with him. He was happy now that his other siblings took turns to play with him, and he had some friends over from school, but he did have a baseball partner for a short while.
What was that boy’s name again? Miyamura Akira? Wasn’t he also Shiro’s friend? Yes, he remembered now: Shiro was so happy about Akira spending Christmas with them.
Where was Shiro now? Must be back at the library. He’s been there a lot in the last few months. Kiryu would have assumed he had more homework, being in a higher grade now, but Izumi was in his class and her homework was always done before dinner. Shiro also seemed more quiet than usual. He didn’t look unwell; that was Kiryu’s first thought, had the comments from Koji not caught his attention.
Summer was creeping up on them, yet Shiro remained as elusive as ever, making himself as small as possible at home. Majima hadn’t come to visit, as he was very busy with the Kamurocho Hills project. The kids were sad of course but understandable, yet Kiryu detected something different in Shiro’s eyes whenever Majima’s name was brought up.
It was time to discuss the matter with Haruka.
After dinner one evening, Kiryu made his way to Haruka’s room only to run right into her. Kiryu grabbed her before she fell to the floor.
“Oh, Uncle Kaz!”
“Sorry, Haruka,” Kiryu said. “I was coming to see you.”
Haruka blinked. “I…I was coming to see you, too, actually. About one of the kids.”
Nodding, Kiryu followed her to her bedroom. She settled on her white and pastel pink desk chair while he sat, crosslegged and arms folded, on the floor.
“What is it you wanted to tell me?” Kiryu asked, wondering if his observation had been accurate.
“It’s Shiro,” Haruka said, staring at her knees. “I’m worried about him.”
Kiryu nodded. So there was something up with Shiro…
“I was about to ask you about him myself,” Kiryu said. “Did something happen? Perhaps between him and one of his friends? He’s been very quiet lately.”
“Well…” Haruka sighed. “I think something did happen, and maybe with a friend. He didn’t tell me outright, but I got the sense something bad happened during the school trip.”
“School trip? The one back in March?”
“Yes.”
Kiryu’s heart dropped, thick with guilt. This was going on that far back? And he had been caught up in Tokyo…
One of his children was going through it while he wasn’t around to help them…
“I didn’t know what it was at the time,” Haruka said. “I thought a trip to Tokyo might make up for whatever happened during his school trip. He seemed happy at times, but when we left he seemed really sad. And throughout the new school year he’s been even worse.”
Kiryu nodded slowly. A breakup with a friend was always hard, but something nagged at the back of his mind. There was something more to the story. “Any idea what happened between him and his friend?”
“Like I said, I didn’t know for a long time,” Haruka said. “Izumi told me that she noticed something was off about Shiro right toward the end of the trip.”
“It happened that suddenly?” Something really bad must have happened, but Shiro didn’t look injured when he arrived in Tokyo. Haruka would have noticed right away.
“Koji has noted that Miyamura Akira has stopped visiting to play baseball with him,” Kiryu said. “He was also friends with Akira.”
Haruka nodded. “It seems Akira might be avoiding the orphanage.”
“Something’s happened between Shiro and Akira then,” Kiryu said. “If there was a fight with Akira, it would have had to happen right toward the end of the trip…”
Kiryu rubbed his chin.
Haruka gave another nod. “I had Izumi keep an eye on Shiro. She and her friends have been trying to include him in their group, but he has been distant. I think it’s making his sense of guilt worse, Uncle Kaz. Like he doesn’t want to be seen with a bunch of girls, but he’s touched that they worry about him, and that makes him feel bad that he’s being rude to them, you know?”
Kiryu nodded.
“Now…I did ask Izumi to investigate, if she could. Because the girls did notice that Akira has been avoiding her too. Turns out Tadashi is in Akira’s new class this year, so Izumi bribed Tadashi to go see what the matter was.”
“Izumi bribed a boy?” Kiryu asked, startled. “What’d she bribe him with?” And where did she learn that from?! Majima, if she got it from you, I’m gonna—
“Well,” Haruka said with a little smirk, “Tadashi really likes Shikwasa Cookies, so Izumi bought a bunch of boxes. Every day when he doesn’t accomplish what she asked from him, she eats the whole box in front of him.”
“That’s something Majima-no-nii-san would do.” Kiryu said with a sigh. His boyfriend was a bad influence on his children.
Haruka giggled.
“Did Tadashi find out anything?”
“Well…in the end, yes he did.” Haruka hesitated again as the mood shifted in the room once more. She met Kiryu’s gaze with apology before she proceeded.
The ground gave away underneath Kiryu as Haruka spoke, his mind cruelly providing him with the mental images: Shiro being discovered as he was bearing open his heart to his crush, the homophobic messages on his desk—what child should even be seeing that?!—Shiro cleaning off the messages from his desk every morning before the rest of the class came in, the new wave of bullying in the form of silent leers. Tadashi even managed to extract gossip about the entire family as an extension of being associated with Shiro.
The gossip had enraged Tadashi enough that he almost sucker punched Akira had Izumi not held him back. He promised to keep everything silent between them.
Kiryu just stared at Haruka, feeling sick and mad and horrified, and above all else, heartbroken for Shiro. His youngest son had been suffering silently all this time?!
“This is no good—I must talk with the teacher.”
“I don’t know if that’ll do much good,” Haruka said sadly. “After Izumi told me everything, we tried to talk to Shiro ourselves.”
“And I take it things didn’t go well?”
Haruka shook her head. “His teacher isn’t angry at him. She just doesn’t want the other kids to see it. She doesn’t know Shiro likes boys. And Shiro doesn’t want other kids to know he likes boys. I think what happened during that class trip scarred him, Uncle Kaz.”
Kiryu sighed heavily. Even still, he couldn’t just take this news lying down. No child should ever see those disgusting slurs. And what child even knew such words to write them down in the first place? He needed to find a way to open a discussion on this without Shiro feeling like his identity was put in the spotlight.
“Why didn’t Shiro come to me sooner?” he kept repeating under his breath. He could never forgive himself. He had been so distracted with matters washing up on shore to notice anything happening right at home. Oh, Shiro…this is all my fault. I’m so sorry, my little one.
“Um, Uncle Kaz?” Haruka said after a while. “I think Shiro feels alone and helpless in the universe…”
Kiryu looked at her questioningly.
“There’s Taichi and Saki, and Mitsuo and Riona. Even Izumi and Tadashi. He sees boys and girls passing love notes at school. All of our manga have the prince saving the princess. He doesn’t see anyone else like himself, except for you, and you…well, he’s seen how you and Uncle Goro act while you’re in public. How you refuse to even hold hands. How not even his grandfather knows about you and Uncle Goro.
“Don’t you think it hurts me too, Uncle Kaz?!” Her voice cracked and Haruka quickly bowed her head, hiding the tears that began to bead at the corners of her eyes. “H-he was so scared after the way Saejima-san reacted to Uncle Goro kissing you in front of everyone. He thought Saejima-san would kill Uncle Goro, and it was all my fault! I thought taking him to Tokyo would make him feel better! A-and he looked really down when we got on the plane back to Okinawa. I thought he was sad about leaving Tokyo, but I think he saw how you and Uncle Goro were trying to kiss goodbye without anyone seeing, a-a-and…”
“Haruka…” Kiryu gasped as Haruka covered her face in her hands, unable to stop the full-blown tears.
My fault, he thought gloomily. This is all my fault. Oh, Haruka, Shiro…I’m so sorry…
“Shiro, I have a few deliveries to make,” Kiryu said one morning at breakfast. “Would you like to join me?”
It was a warm and sunny June Saturday, but Shiro didn’t feel like going out unless it was to hole himself away in his usual library corner.
There was enough space at the back of the house to allow Kiryu to garden, thanks to Majima’s efforts last year. They had more acerola than they knew what to do with now. Kiryu tried all sorts of recipes, and had improved his baking skills considerably in the process, but even with a family of ten they couldn’t go through all the stock of berries. So it seemed reasonable that Kiryu would offer some to folks around Okinawa. Shiro wondered if that was one of Kiryu’s many other side jobs just to keep the orphanage afloat. In some indirect way Majima had helped Kiryu find another job.
Kiryu’s offer half-surprised Shiro. He met Kiryu’s warm smile awaiting his answer. One of the kids often accompanied Kiryu on his trips, be it to the grocery store or on these deliveries. It was his turn now, so it would be rude to turn him down.
With a tentative nod of his head Shiro agreed to come.
Kiryu had rented out the blue pickup truck from the Ryudo Family. Till now they didn’t have their own car, not that anyone ever minded. They got on just fine like this. Shiro helped Kiryu load up the back with crates of berries as well as jars of homemade jam. That was Kiryu’s speciality.
Seeing the look on Shiro’s face, Kiryu promised there were still some left in the fridge for the family. Shiro just looked away and nodded. They worked semi-silently, as Kiryu sometimes hummed. Shiro wasn’t even aware how silent he was the whole time.
Once they were in the truck, Kiryu turned the key and the truck revved into life.
“I brought some cassettes from the 80s,” Kiryu said. “Try any song you’d like.”
Shiro absent-mindedly picked one up and slipped it into the slot. After half-listening to Mari Hamada's “Return to Myself”, he shut off the cassette and remained sitting in silence.
“How’s school been?” Kiryu asked after some time.
“Fine,” Shiro answered.
“Bet you’re getting top grades in your class.”
“Yeah.”
“Heh. That’s my Shiro.”
Shiro half-smiled and continued peering out the window. They had moved well past the city and were passing by fields of sweet potatoes. Kiryu followed a familiar road, reminding Shiro of Majima last summer, before suddenly pulling into a different direction.
Their first stop was a secluded home. A few chickens clucked away as they bobbed around the entrance.
“A free extra basket?! You shouldn’t have!” the middle-aged woman gently chided Kiryu as he presented her some jam and a small basket of fresh acerola berries.
“I know you really like them,” Kiryu said.
Nodding, the woman peered into the door and called out a woman’s name. “Don’t go just yet. My partner will want to thank you herself, Kiryu-san.”
Shiro watched as another middle-aged woman appeared, grinning from ear to ear as the first spoke to her and pointed to Kiryu. The two women thanked Kiryu kindly before handing Kiryu in return the money and a box of homemade cookies that Shiro recognized from last year. So that was where Majima got them from!
And then, to Shiro’s surprise, the two women kissed one another warmly on the lips before heading inside.
Kiryu was smiling at Shiro. “Shall we get going?”
Their next stop was a quaint little cottage. An expat answered the door. He was younger than their first client, and his rich dark eyes shone excitedly when he was presented with his delivery. Shiro understood his English mixed with some Japanese, and with Kiryu’s encouragement, Shiro put the English he had been learning at school to practice.
“Your English’s wonderful!” the man praised. A few moments later, another man appeared.
“Adjusting well to Okinawa?” Kiryu asked.
“Oh, yes!” the second man said in Japanese. “Next month will be three years since our wedding!”
“You’re married?!” Shiro gasped, looking up at the two men with awe.
“We are,” said the first man warmly. “Married in South Africa—that’s where I was born. We travel the world and write about our adventures.”
Shiro nodded, feeling suddenly lightheaded. Married?! Kiryu and the two men carried on pleasant chatter for a short while later before Kiryu and Shiro returned to the truck.
The next stop was an old woman who never married and was very much content to live her life that way. She often laughed whenever her friends and family spoke in fear about her never having had interest in romance or men or ever raising a family.
“Oh, there might have been the rare flighty relationship here and there, but it never was in the forefront of my mind,” Obasan laughed. “So many other pleasant things fascinated me on the daily.”
“And you never worried about being lonely?” Kiryu asked, smiling.
“I have my dearest lifelong friends, my moai” Obasan said. “And of course how could I forget Kokuto?”
The African Grey parrot, who perched near Kiryu, reacted to the praise with a cheerful and loud melodic chirp and bobbed her head up and down.
At another stop was a middle-aged man. His male lover was out running some errands in town, but he served tea to Kiryu and Shiro as the two adults spoke about this and that on the news and the economy recently getting hit.
The men had a daughter named Fumiko who recently came out as a girl. She was a couple years older than Shiro and super nice. She showed him to her pile of old clothes.
“Take whatever you want,” she said. “I no longer have any need for them.”
Nearly every spot they visited was the same thing.
Finally, they stopped by at a bar, which Shiro thought was an odd choice to take him to—that is, until they stepped inside. He understood. Bartenders, both trans women and crossdressers decked out in their best, reminisced fondly about the time Kiryu and Goromi had stopped by last summer. Some of the women flirted with Kiryu but it was obviously all part of an act. The women flirted with any and all adults who stepped in. There were some sweet-talking to other female customers. Something about that made Shiro happy.
“I know you’re driving today, hon, so we got you something special,” one of the women said and handed Kiryu a glass full of dark liquid. Shiro also received one.
“It’s root beer, sweetheart,” another woman giggled to Shiro. “You can have it too.”
Kiryu took a tentative sniff and then a sip before gagging and spitting it out. The women all laughed and clapped their hands at his reaction.
It couldn’t have been that bad, Shiro thought. He took a sniff and thought the root beer smelled familiar but couldn’t place what it was. Taking a big sip from his straw, he immediately spat it out as well. Cold medicine. Root beer was damn cold medicine. Nasty, nasty stuff.
“The poor little dear! I thought he’d like it!” one of the women said.
Kiryu and Shiro shared a look before laughing.
“Uncle Kaz…” Shiro asked much later. It was evening, and stars were out in full force here far from the city. “Who were all of those people?”
They stood on a bridge as Kiryu lit a cigarette. Shiro thought better than to complain about that for the time being.
Kiryu chuckled. “Majima-no-nii-san met most of our friends while I was still recovering. He went out looking for this or that business, and that’s how he came across them. This perhaps isn’t even half of the entire LGBT community in Okinawa.”
“L…G…B…T…” Shiro repeated.
Kiryu smiled down at him. “Yes.” He explained what each of the English letters represented. Shiro drank all of the information in as he felt something deep inside his heart click open.
So Shiro was part of the LGBT community. He had a community. He belonged somewhere. How did Kiryu know to take him or was this all by chance?
“So they’re Uncle Goro and your friends?”
“Yes. And I wanted you to meet them too.”
Shiro swallowed thickly. Kiryu wanted Shiro to meet them? But then that meant…
“Uncle Kaz…why did you take me to meet people from the LGBT community?”
Kiryu took a puff of smoke and slowly exhaled. “I learned what happened during the class trip, Shiro. I’m really sorry you had a bad experience, and I’m even more sorry it took me so long to realize you were hurting.”
“Oh…you found out…” Shiro lowered his head. “How did you…?”
“Haruka and Izumi were worried about you too, so they’ve been keeping an eye on things.”
“They know too?” Shiro’s heart thumped. Did they know about the messages on the desk?
“They are the only ones beside me who knows,” Kiryu said. “And Tadashi, but he’s got your back.”
“I don’t want the others to know,” Shiro said. “Not yet anyway. I’m…I’m not ready. A-and…not Uncle Goro either.”
“I understand,” Kiryu said with a nod. “Take your time.”
“I’m scared for Uncle Goro,” Shiro said suddenly, voicing a fear that had been bubbling in the back of his mind since March.
“Hmm?”
Shiro hung his head, silent for a few moments before he bared open his heart. “Saejima Taiga. I’m scared about Saejima-san.”
“What do you mean by that—oh.” Kiryu’s eyes widened. “You’re talking about what happened at Saejima’s inauguration feast?”
Shiro nodded his head.
“Is that why you ran out after Majima kissed me?”
Another nod.
“I…I’m scared for Uncle Goro,” Shiro said. “People don’t seem to like…people like us. And Saejima-san was looking at Uncle Goro with a lot of disgust.”
To his surprise, Kiryu chuckled lightly and patted Shiro on his shoulder.
“He was taken aback, that’s all,” Kiryu said.
“But…what if he kills Uncle Goro? For kissing you? He called Majima a…a…” He couldn’t repeat those words.
“He won’t,” Kiryu said. “Saejima’s way of speaking is a bit rough around the edges and can come across as crass and hurtful, but deep down he is a true old fashioned yakuza. He honors the oath he and Majima-no-nii-san made as kyodais, as sworn brothers.”
“But then why…”
“Like I said, he was taken aback. He hadn’t seen Majima-no-nii-san in over twenty-five years, and now he’s learning all sorts of things about him. It’s like he’s meeting a whole new person. It must be frustrating for him. He’s just lost his sister who he deeply loves, and he doesn’t have a grasp of the modern world. Everything and everyone has changed. He’s not going to take well to any brand new information no matter what it is.”
“So…he doesn’t hate Uncle Goro for being gay?”
Kiryu smiled. “Shiro, the yakuza absorb men who have been ostracized from society for any number of reasons. Some who have been orphans with no place to go, some from broken or abusive homes, and some who have no other option left in life. Any man left scattered in the wind, abandoned by society, may get absorbed into the yakuza. And this may include gay, bi, trans, and nonbinary men. This isn’t to say that the yakuza are generally more accepting than our general society, but it isn’t like we discriminate or disallow gay men either.
“In the yakuza, they don’t care if you are gay or not so long as you don’t make it public, and generally you wouldn’t want your private affairs to become public knowledge, not for fears of discrimination but because of the ensuing scandal and how it could be used against you. The higher your status among the yakuza, the greater this worry.
“So what Majima-no-nii-san did was a bit reckless.”
Shiro nodded. He understood that. Sort of.
“But then, if Saejima-san won’t kill Uncle Goro, what about the others?” Shiro said. “Everyone saw Majima kiss you!”
Kiryu chuckled. “They can try to use our relationship against us. They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”
Shiro smiled shakily. If he were a yakuza, he would think twice about trying to mess with these two legends if he caught them kissing. And if he were Majima’s sworn brother, now that he knew he liked a man, he would do everything to protect him, even if the initial news shocked him because he was in a vulnerable spot himself. Maybe he was finally thinking in Saejima’s giant shoes now.
He told Kiryu all this.
“Thank you, Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said as he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “I’m not as worried now.”
Kiryu gave a curt nod. “That’s good to hear. I thought taking you on this trip might set your mind at ease. It can be scary to think you’re alone, and I know Majima-no-nii-san and I don’t help matters, but our situation is different. Which is why I wanted you to see the wider world.”
Shiro nodded. “Thank you, Uncle Kaz. I…it felt good, seeing so many happy homes. I’ve seen you and Uncle Goro, how you keep your relationship a secret outside of Morning Glory, and it makes me sad and scared. I don’t want to live like that. Seeing others like us living free and happy, doing what they want to do, having families, having fun, I realize…we can make it in this world.”
Shiro turned up to look at the night sky. “I guess we’re like the stars in the sky, Uncle Kaz. Not alone. We might think we are, but there’s so many of us. We’re scattered throughout the universe, but our light will always reach each other.”
“Shiro…”
“I really needed this. Thank you, Uncle Kaz.”
Shiro wiped away at the stubborn tears that refused to stay put. Stubbing out his cigarette, Kiryu moved in and embraced him warmly.
“There’s still a few other locations Majima-no-nii-san had recommended to me,” Kiryu said as he ruffled Shiro’s hair, “but I never got around to checking them out. There was one in particular he claimed I would personally love, and to bring one of the kids with me. I’m never too sure if he’s joking or not, but would you like to see it?”
Shiro nodded. They headed back to the truck. The silence in the truck now was more out of contentment as Shiro wiped away the happy tears. Kiryu glanced at his side, occasionally patting his shoulder in comfort.
They took a road that Kiryu said he hadn’t been down before. As they neared the mystery destination, Kiryu’s jaws fell open in shock. Shiro studied the neon sign on the building, then to Kiryu, then back, confused.
“Uh…Uncle Kaz?”
“I’m knocking Nii-san’s teeth out!” Kiryu blurted before hopping out, his eyes wide like a child’s who had just gotten the biggest Christmas gift ever.
Shiro shut the door of the truck and scrambled to Kiryu’s side. What did Majima do?!
He adjusted his glasses and reread the sign.
“Um…what’s Pocket Circuit?”
“It’s a game where you build toy cars and then race against other racers on customized race tracks!” Kiryu explained. Shiro had never seen him so animated before, like a little kid.
“Toy cars?” Shiro asked. “So…it’s a children’s game?”
Kiryu blushed. “Adults can enjoy them too!”
How old was Kiryu in the 80s? In his twenties? Shiro envisioned a hardened yakuza-looking twenty-something in the 80s playing with toy cars while in his real estate office and giggled. That only made Kiryu blush harder.
“These were popular in the ‘80s, with everyone,” Kiryu defended himself, “and that same stadium was still in Kamurocho a few years back—that’s how Majima-no-nii-san knows about it—”
“You raced against Uncle Goro?” Shiro said, bewildered. He imagined two adult yakuza fighting it out over toy race tracks, snakeskin blazer and all, and doubled over.
Kiryu stopped and sighed. “I suppose that is an amusing sight. I didn’t know there were stadiums in Okinawa. Why didn’t Majima-no-nii-san mention that to me earlier?”
“I’d love to try it!” Shiro said as he grabbed Kiryu’s arm. The day was turning out so well. He was in a good mood. He wanted to see more of this hobby that had captured Kiryu’s interests since the 80s.
They went in, and immediately a young woman ran up to greet them.
“Welcome, you must be new!” she said and suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She gave a tiny yelp.
Shiro’s mouth fell open. “Arakachi-sensei?!”
Oh no, oh no, oh no…his fourth grade teacher?!
“Sonoko-chan, is everything okay?” came a silvery voice as another young woman appeared, dressed in a racer bomber jacket. She threw one arm around Arakachi-sensei’s shoulders and beamed at Kiryu and Shiro.
“Welcome to Pocket Circuit Stadium Okinawa!” she greeted. “I am Pocket Circuit Fighter Hatsue, and this is my forever best friend and partner, Sonoko-chan!”
She pulled Arakachi-sensei right up against her for a big tender kiss right on the lips.
Shiro stared, shocked.
“Our stadium’s a safe space for everyone—young and old, locals and tourists alike—families, couples, and just anyone looking to get away from the world for a little bit!” Pocket Circuit Fighter Hatsue went on. She motioned toward a sign that declared their mission statement; underneath it was a symbol: a flag designed with rainbow stripes.
But Shiro just kept staring at his teacher as the pieces all began to fall into place.
“So that’s what happened,” Kiryu said with a nod of his head after Arakachi-sensei and Shiro were done talking. They sat in one of the booths as they told Kiryu everything about the writing on the desk.
Shiro hung his head. He had never stopped to wonder the real reason why the messages were so distressful to his teacher. To think, Arakachi Sonoko had grown up haunted by those same words targeting her and their community, and to see them greeting her morning after morning…
“I’m so sorry, Shiro-kun,” Arakachi-sensei said. It was customary in Pocket Circuit to address everyone with either -kun or -chan to promote a sense of closeness with other racers. “I never knew about your history with those bullies.”
“Up until this school year, it was just one bully,” Shiro said sadly. Yuito was a friend who had turned against him once he found out he was gay. Yoshinori, meanwhile, took the chance to target Shiro all over again. And as for Akira…Akira probably hated his guts.
“The school should know what’s going on,” Kiryu insisted.
“Unfortunately, it’s very hard to prove that bullying is taking place in a school,” Arakachi-sensei said. “And, as selfish as this may sound, I am worried I might get outed. There’s no law protecting our rights in the workplace. I don’t want to lose my job…”
“I won’t let that happen,” Kiryu said firmly.
“I can’t even prove that it’s them,” Shiro said. “Only they know…I think. I mean, if they were willing to gossip about me to another kid…”
“Hey, why the long face? This is a happy place!” Pocket Circuit Racer Hatsue said as she came up to their table. She gave the adults a look before leading Shiro away while Kiryu and Arakachi-sensei continued to discuss the issue.
Pocket Circuit Racer Hatsue showed Shiro their display of racing cars and parts and gave him a brief overview of how the whole process worked. Frames, wheels, suspensions, motors, gears, batteries, wings, decals for the aesthetics…a lot of thought went into putting a pocket circuit car together.
As Shiro absent-mindedly stared at the collection of parts offered at the concession stand, Kiryu finally joined him.
“What did you decide to do?” Shiro asked.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kiryu said as he patted Shiro’s head. “Let’s put a car together. Hatsue-chan and Sonoko-chan have challenged us on the track, and I’m a little out of practice.”
Shiro watched as Kiryu picked out parts as if moving on instinct, paid the concessions attendant, then motioned for Shiro to study the tracks with him.
“I’ve already taken a look at the tracks,” Kiryu said, then went on to explain how one determined which parts went well with which characteristics of segments on the race track.
Side stabilizers helped with cornering. Suspensions were vital if the track had some massive jumps, which some of the tricker tracks had, such as this one. Tires, motors, and frames were further split into different categories. Spiked tires slowed the car down but ensured it would get past grassy areas. Slim tires were great with speed but awful with tricker courses. Shiro tried to keep everything together as he studied the race track.
They settled back at the booth and got to work. Kiryu showed Shiro how to put a car together.
“We can test run as many times as we like before we take up Sonoko-chan’s challenge,” he said before smiling up at Shiro. “Ready, Shiro-kun?”
While it was customary in Pocket Circuit, it was rather awkward for Shiro to refer to his own teacher as “Sonoko-chan” as much as it was to address Kiryu as “Kazuma-kun.”
They took the car to the track, and…it slid off course within seconds.
“No!” Kiryu fell to his knees, staring at the car as it lay on its back, its wheels whirring to a stop in midair. Was Shiro imagining things or was Kiryu actually close to crying?!
“Kazuma-kun…” Shiro patted his shoulder. “You’re just out of practice.”
“You’re right,” Kiryu said. “I must have forgotten something. Let’s try something else.”
Putting their heads together, they tried a different combination, which proved a little better at the beginning but soon met a similar fate. Seeing the utterly heartbroken look on Kiryu’s face, Shiro was even more determined to make the next build even better. Which was when he noticed something on the packaging of the gears.
“Uncle Kaz, it’s all math!” Shiro yelled excitedly, hopping from foot to foot. “There’s a little note on the back here that tells us how each gear will affect the car’s velocity, and if we substitute with this wing, it could change the trajectory of the initial jump—” He rattled on enthusiastically—Pocket Circuit was one big mathematical puzzle! The gears in his mind whirled at top speed, all fired up with a million ideas—and Shiro barely noticed how Kiryu’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, overwhelmed by everything Shiro was saying.
“Shiro-kun!” Kiryu finally said, laughing weakly. “I never thought about it this deeply…”
“Well? Do you think it’d work?” Shiro asked.
“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Kiryu encouraged. He reached into his pockets and a blush ran across his cheeks. “Ah…I must have spent everything I had on me on parts…”
“Do you need a lot?”
That made Kiryu’s embarrassment even worse. “Not really—it’s okay, Shiro-kun, we can manage—”
“I know where to get more money!” Shiro jumped to his feet.
“Shiro—wait!”
“I’ll be fine!” Shiro insisted, grinning from ear to ear. Outside the stadium, Shiro caught the place almost instantly. Two doors down was a pawnshop.
“Hello, young sir,” greeted the pawnbroker. “What brings you in on this fine evening?”
“I want to sell this,” Shiro said as he reached into his pocket. On the counter he placed a necklace with a wooden heart-shaped pendant.
The pawnbroker gave it a careful examination. “This was obviously well taken care of. Must have been a cherished gift…”
Shiro nodded.
“You sure you want to sell this, young man?”
“I don’t have any need for it anymore,” Shiro said.
The pawnbroker chuckled. “Saving up for something special?”
Shiro shook his head. “Just wanna play Pocket Circuit with my friends.”
“That’s equally as special,” the pawnbroker said with a wise smile.
The value of the Kuroshima necklace came out to three thousand yen, and Shiro couldn’t have been happier. It was plenty to buy all the parts they needed to beat Hatsue-chan and Sonoko-chan.
Thanking the pawnbroker politely, Shiro rushed back to Pocket Circuit, his smile glowing bright under the June full moon.
End of Part 3: Kuroshima | 黒島
Notes:
South Africa legalized same sex marriage on November 30th 2006.
This chapter concludes Part 3! And this chapter also earns you a trophy! Click on cell B14 of the Trophies tab in your Activities Log to earn your reward!
Part 4, Chapter 1 will begin on…Christmas Day! But I might post it a little bit earlier. The upcoming chapter is quite…appropriate for the occasion. You’ll see what I mean 😆 See you all then! Hope this fic has been enjoyable so far!
Chapter 15: IV.1 Christmas in Paradise
Notes:
Welcome to the start of Part 4! When I was working on the posting schedule and saw that this chapter would post around Christmas, I had to take the opportunity, complete with a cringey edit made by yours truly to mark the occasion. Happy Holidays, everyone! 🎄❄️🎁
I feel I must apologize to Saejima ahead of time. You’ll see why. XD The Morning Glory kids took over while I was writing, but they made this chapter fun. This family is growing large and I love every one of them. 💕
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 4: Shiratori | 白鳥
Chapter 1: Christmas in Paradise
The soothing waves crashing on the beach greeted the children, joining them in their merry song. It was Friday, Christmas Eve, and the final day of the school semester. The eldest among them were in junior high school, and the youngest, Shiro and Izumi, had just completed their second semester of fourth grade, but despite being in different schools they all walked back home together.
Shiro didn’t know what Kiryu and his teacher had done, but the crude vandalization on his desk had stopped this past semester. If Yoshinori and his goons had gotten into trouble, Shiro had no idea and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know. Once or twice during recess he had thought he felt eyes burning the back of his head but no one otherwise bothered him. As lonely as it was without a close friend once more, it was preferable over the alternative.
Izumi, thankfully, was blissfully unaware of everything. She was busy telling Shiro all about what her friends were planning over the holiday and what sort of toys she was going to get Mame with the allowance she was saving, when one of their siblings suddenly stopped in front of them and they walked right into him.
It was Koji.
“Hey,” Koji said. Out of everyone, he was the only kid not smiling. “You think Uncle Kaz will be okay?”
“What do you mean?” Haruka asked as everyone stopped.
“Well, we were reading newspaper articles today,” Koji said, “and one of them was about how the economy’s not looking too good.”
“It’ll get better,” Haruka said, giving everyone a reassuring smile. “Everyone’s saying that. This year has been good except for the last quarter, but everyone thinks that was just a fluke.”
“Yeah but Uncle Kaz has been picking up a lot of side hustles,” Koji said. “He’s been gardening like crazy too. And he stayed up late last night baking more of those treats.”
“Those are so good,” Izumi said sadly.
They were, Shiro silently agreed with a nod. Kiryu had gotten really good with his baking lately, but now they had to restrain themselves from not eating everything because the batches were for others so Kiryu could make more money for the orphanage. The aroma was pure torture.
“Yeah, Natsumi yelled at him because he hasn’t slept for a week,” Taichi said. “Money’s gotten a bit thin.”
“That’s ‘cause you eat so much!” Eri piped up.
“Hey!”
“Taichi’s a growing boy,” Riona defended, which made Taichi lit up with pride.
“Without him, who would eat all of the green peppers Uncle Kaz’s leaves behind?” Mitsuo added, popping Taichi’s grin like a balloon.
The silly argument followed right to the gate of Morning Glory Orphanage, where Kiryu, as was tradition, waited for them by the Shisa lions. Arms folded, his serene and beautiful smile lit up when he saw them. He barely looked like he had been up for a week working endlessly. Such was their hardworking and beloved Uncle Kaz.
“Hello, Uncle Kaz!” everyone sang. “We’re back home!”
“My, you’re all lively this evening,” Kiryu chuckled. “Excited for winter break?”
“Yes!”
As they filed inside one by one, Kiryu’s gaze landed on Shiro. His expression softened.
“How was your last day of school?” he asked as they turned inside. “One more semester and you’re moving up to fifth grade. Excited?”
Shiro beamed up at him, but before he could say anything more, a booming voice cut through the skies.
“He-ell-oooooo, beautifuls!”
Everyone gave a start and froze as though they were unsure they had heard correctly. Furrowing his brow, Kiryu went to peer around the gate, but Riona was quicker. She ran past Kiryu and popped her head out of the gate. A delighted shriek filled the courtyard.
“Auntie Goromi!”
Children swarmed back out into the courtyard, screaming excitedly as Goromi made her grand reappearance at the gate of Morning Glory Orphanage. Today her hair was platinum blond which went well with the Santa hat she wore. She dressed up in a Santa Claus-inspired coat and mini-skirt with high black boots. Over her shoulder she carried a large brown sack presumably full of gifts.
And standing silently right behind her—Shiro couldn’t stop himself from laughing—was Saejima Taiga, wearing a sour expression, and could anyone blame him? He stood there sporting a round bright red nose and deer antlers. Shiro was more than positive Saejima hadn’t dressed like that of his own volition.
“Goromi! Wh-what’re you doing here?” Kiryu asked, stunned. He took a step toward the two unexpected guests.
“Ah, honey! Sugar buns! Thought ya’d be more pleased to see me!” Goromi said as she gave a little shake of her hips at him.
“O-of course I am!” Kiryu said. “You could have sent me an email or called to let me know you were coming to visit. I’d have prepared enough dinner for everyone and—”
“Ah, but then would this have been a surprise?” Goromi said. “Ya once told me how ya used to dress up as Santa for the lil’ ones at Sunflower Orphanage, didn’t ya?”
Kiryu blushed. “How many drinks did I have before you got that out of me?!”
Goromi teetered as she yanked out an extra Santa hat and plopped it on his head. “Well? Why stop the tradition?” She then addressed the kids. “Inside, beautifuls! Santa Goromi’s got presents for everyone!”
Screaming excitedly again, the kids all ran back. Santa Goromi followed them right behind with her great big brown bag.
Toys, books, clothes, money, candy from Tokyo that was rare to come by in Okinawa—they got it all, an avalanche of gifts. None of them predicted their day ending like this. They couldn’t stop thanking Santa Goromi as Kiryu stood and watched, smiling faintly with his arms folded, Santa hat still perched atop his head and clashing with his Kariyushi shirt. Saejima, meanwhile, tried to make himself as invisible as possible, which was hilarious because he took up an entire corner.
“Thank you, Santa Goromi!” everyone said when they received their presents. Shiro gasped, seeing as he was surrounded by so many little trinkets. They were each getting spoiled. Gifts Kiryu alone couldn’t have afforded for them. The same thought must have crossed Kiryu’s mind because he kept throwing glances full of gratitude toward Goromi. Shiro thought he saw his eyes tear up now and again.
Shiro thanked Goromi repeatedly, blushing down to the roots of his hair. What did he do to deserve so many presents? Not even his birth parents ever gave him so much!
After delivering the last of the presents, and after watching the children revel in their mountains of new toys and candy for a bit, Goromi then yanked off the Santa hat and wig. Majima regarded Kiryu with a stern gaze.
“We need to talk.”
“This is a surprise, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu’s voice carried through the walls. “This couldn’t have been a phone call?”
“What, ya don’t miss me?”
Taichi, Koji, Mitsuo, Shiro, Eri, and Izumi were all crammed outside Kiryu’s bedroom, straining with their ears against the walls. It was futile for Haruka and Ayako to shoo them away, and while Riona kept her distance in display of mannerism, she looked back curiously in hopes that one of her siblings would fill her in later.
“That’s not what I meant. This must be something urgent for you to come running down here.”
“Right on the money. Once I found out I made straight for the airport.”
“And you dragged Saejima with you.”
There came a low grunt from the third person in the room.
“Who’s Saejima? The reindeer?” Taichi asked.
“Don’t let him catch you calling him that,” Shiro whispered back. “But yeah, that’s him. Saejima Taiga.”
“Yakuza?”
Shiro nodded. “Recently came out of prison—well, more like—”
“That big man was in prison?” Mitsuo mouthed at the others. Shiro nodded again, but slowly.
“Twenty-five years, for eighteen counts of murder,” Shiro quickly explained. “And he broke out.” The others gasped before hushing themselves quickly. “No, don’t worry! He was actually innocent this whole time!”
“How do you get wrongly accused of killing eighteen people?” Koji whispered as others mirrored his confused look.
“As ye well know, Saejima’s lots of catchin’ up to do,” Majima continued inside the room. “Been working hard gettin’ him up to speed with modern life. But he wasn’ the only one doin’ the learnin’. I caught a bit of news from him just the other day…”
“Hmm? What’s the matter, Majima-no-nii-san?”
The air grew electric with tension, rooting everyone closer with their ears right against the walls.
“Saejima tells me ya two fought a certain foe not too long ago. An assassin.”
“Which one?” Kiryu asked. “There’s been many hoping to off me, such as Arase—”
“I ain’t talkin’ about fuckin’ Arase!” Majima spat, suddenly sounding enraged. “This’s the shiniest of the turds! The crème de la crème! Amon Jo!”
“Oh…him.”
Even from out here Shiro could sense the air inside the bedroom shifting uncomfortably. Something happened among the kids too. He couldn’t quite explain it, but once he heard the name Amon, it was like the whole world, the entire universe, and reality itself glitched and warped, as though a ripple blew through the fabrics of time and space.
Something ancient and taboo had just been disturbed. The Abyss blinked and turned Its evil eye toward them, and if they moved, then the Abyss would mark them. The name was a certain curse, something not to ever broach. They weren’t meant to be privy to the existence of Amon Jo.
Shiro’s eyes widened. His heart hammered in his chest. Just who had Kiryu encountered out there?
“Amon…Jo?” Taichi repeated under his breath. It was still warm in Okinawa during December, and yet cold tiny clouds formed outside Taichi’s mouth.
“Saejima, ya, and two others versus the Amon Clan,” Majima went on. “Saejima tells me this wasn’t the first time ya and Amon butt heads either. I wanna know what’s the deal with that!”
“I really would rather not think about it,” Kiryu said with a sigh as though this was merely just an annoying memory he’d rather forget.
“How long’s this been going on? When’s the first time Amon Jo challenged ya to a fight?!”
Kiryu sighed again, heavily.
“Well?! Tell me! Tell me, Kiryu-chan!”
“It was about five years ago, right after our big fight in the batting cages,” Kiryu finally confessed. “After you were finally satisfied with my…training.”
Majima uttered a sound that was like a hiss and growl at once. “So it wasn’t long after yer return from prison.”
“Kiryu told us the fight from six months ago wasn’t the first time he’s fought with the others either,” Saejima added. “Amon Kazuya. Amon Jiro. Amon Sango. Jo’s brothers or apprentices. Can’t make head or tail how the Amon Clan works.”
That only seemed to agitate Majima further. “Huh? You fought multiple Amons at once, Kiryu-chan?!”
“Yeah,” Kiryu said. “They harassed me for some time one year after my first fight with Amon Jo. They made a mess of things while I took up a part-time gig as a bouncer.”
“You were doing all of that in the middle of working for Majima’s construction company and that cabaret club?” Saejima said, sounding amused. Shiro detected a hint of admiration too. “Do ya ever sleep?”
“Truthfully, all the activity kept my mind off the recent deaths of the people I was closest to: Kazama-san, Yumi, my own kyodai Nishiki…”
Sympathetic silence followed in the room.
“Uncle Kaz…” Izumi said sadly outside.
Taichi frowned. “I didn’t realize how bad it was for him before he came to Okinawa.”
Everyone bowed their heads. Shiro had to wonder how Kiryu felt, seeing Majima reunite with his kyodai while knowing that his own was long gone from this world.
After some time, Saejima began to speak inside the room, his words, spoken low and pensively, ran a cold shiver through everyone.
“They’re…scary folk, the Amon Clan. Dressed in all black, wear dark sunglasses, can’t read the expression on their faces. I have never before seen the sort o’ weapons they use…and the way they move, as though they’re ain’t from this world, as though they’re…not human…”
Shiro shuddered. They shouldn’t be hearing this. The Abyss comes ever closer the more you know.
“Otherworldly,” Kiryu agreed. “They do give that impression, don’t they?”
“What I want to know is why Amon Jo didn’t come after me!” Majima whined. “Seventeen years and no one hears from him until he sets his eyes on you, Kiryu-chan!”
“What?” Kiryu said. “Why would you want him to—”
“We fought back in the late 80s!” Majima cut him off. “December ’88! Remember it like it was yesterday! One moment I was tidyin’ up one of the girls’ hair, the next my pager’s beepin’ like it lost its damn mind! Nothing prepared me for that damn fight—nothing! Miracle I got out of it alive! Gave me nightmares for months!”
“Heh.”
“Shut up, Saejima! Amon Jo goes after the strongest! He didn’t challenge ya the whole time yer ass was locked up! And what about ya, Kiryu-chan? Never even heard the name in the 80s?”
“No…I don’t…” Kiryu confessed.
“Ha!”
“Wait…I do remember fighting a much older man who called himself So.”
“So?”
“Yeah. Now that I think about it…when I met him, he was telling me about a dream he had, of a man who suffered long years of solitude would go on to meet a young girl and soar to new heights. I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time, but everything he’s spoken of since has come to pass…the time in jail, Haruka…”
Majima grew silent.
“He kept mentioning his clan…and now that I think about it…the pager did mention an ‘Am’ and ‘on’ but at the time I had no idea what the hell that meant.”
Shiro could just picture Majima deflating on the spot. Kiryu went on, presumably musing out loud and not noticing Majima’s misery.
“Yes, I remember it now…It had to be around late ’88 or ’89. I was tinkering with my Pocket Circuit car inside the real estate office when my pager went off—and yes, like yours, it gave a strange alarm I had never heard before. I remember it all clearly now. The message told me to go to the bullfighting arena right away, but I have never been to the bullfighting arena before. So I suppose I first met the leader Amon So years before I met Amon Jo. Heh, I never made the connection before.”
At that Majima nearly screamed. “Ya tellin’ me ya graduated from beatin’ up the Amon Geezer to the Amon who nearly killed me?!”
“What the fuck’s Pocky Circus?” Saejima muttered.
“Majima-no-nii-san, you think I want this family of assassins constantly on my back?!”
And they were off, the shouting continuing with Saejima attempting to play disgruntled peacemaker between them. The kids backed away until they were sitting around at the courtyard, looking out at the night sky.
“There are assassins after Uncle Kaz?” Izumi asked in a small, scared voice.
“I mean, yeah,” Taichi said. “Uncle Kaz used to be yakuza. Can’t imagine you can just retire that life with farewell cards and flowers and be on your merry way. He has enemies. We’ve seen them.”
The others bowed their heads sadly. Was Kiryu safe in Okinawa? How often did assassins come for him? He was strong, but he was still human. They already almost lost him once. And that didn’t stop everyone from worrying for him, especially not after what happened over a year ago.
“Did…anyone else…feel something when they mentioned the Amon Clan?” Eri asked. She said the aforementioned clan’s name in a hushed voice.
The others all nodded. So it wasn’t just Shiro. As silly and irrational as it may have been, he glanced up to make sure none of the stars, planets, or the moon herself would betray them to the Abyss.
“Yeah…” Koji shivered. “It’s weird. It’s like…they’re not supposed to exist or something.”
“Think they might be from another dimension or something?” Mitsuo asked. “Or aliens?!”
“Aliens…” Shiro studied the night sky. Were such things real? Is that why the name gave him the heebie-jeebies?
“Ooh, alien assassins!” Riona said excitedly.
Shiro gave a start. Since when did she join in? Riona smiled at him.
“Well? What do you think, Shiro?” she said as everyone’s attention turned to him. “What’s the possibility?”
Great, so now everyone was relying on him and his expertise on outer space.
Shiro cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses. “Truthfully, my study of outer space never accounted for the question of alien life or the probability of parallel dimensions. That’s all metaphysics.” And outside the realm of his interest.
“So, in plain Japanese?” Eri said.
“I don’t know.”
“Ah, you’re no fun!” Taichi teased.
The others laughed at that, but at least it defused the tension that had built around the subject of the mysterious and creepy Amon Clan.
The door swung open and Majima stormed out. Everyone pretended they were playing or off doing other things. Shiro just sat there, frozen on the spot as Majima stood at the engawa, arms folded and glaring out toward the sea. He grumbled under his breath.
“Come hell or high water, I will fight Amon again!”
Christmas morning saw the kids corner Saejima outside, completely unfazed that the large tank of a man was incarcerated for twenty-five years on eighteen counts of murder. Grabbing hold of Saejima’s hands from each side, they tugged him this way and that in the courtyard, laughing gleefully as they forced him into their many games—”Catch the ball, Saejima-san!”—“No, play hide-and-seek with us!”—“No, we’re playing tag! And you’re it!” Without Natsumi there, as Kiryu had her take the weekend off for the holiday, there was no one to stop the kids, not even Kiryu.
The entire time Saejima stood unmoving like a scowling-faced boulder, gruffy face curtained by shoulder-length black hair and looking out of place in the tropics dressed in his parka. Shiro wasn’t sure if the sight was comical or the calm before the storm.
Majima found the entire thing hilarious. Sitting at the engawa with Kiryu he kept throwing out comments at Saejima in between sips of pineapple juice that Kiryu had prepared for everyone. Thankfully Majima had cooled down from last night’s fight.
“Uncle Goro, is it true Saejima-san is your brother?” Riona called out after a while.
“In a sense,” Majima said. “We are brothers under yakuza law. Made an oath and drank to that. Stick together till death. ’Twas the same with Kiryu and Nishikiyama the Koi Boy.”
“So if you and Uncle Kaz get married, we’ll have two dads and an uncle!” Izumi cried out and surprised Saejima with a hug, looking tiny against the gigantic bear-man.
Majima chuckled while Kiryu just sat there wearing a small frown. “Something like that.”
“Kids…” Kiryu sighed.
“We should make an oath too!” Izumi cried out as she motioned to her siblings. “Promise we will always be together, through thick and thin!”
Her siblings all joined in on the promise, reciting an oath they made up on the spot. Then they drank from their pineapple juice. Majima let out the tiniest, “Aww.” Kiryu, meanwhile, was still frowning.
Shiro turned back to look at Saejima. He hadn’t forgotten the initial look of disgust on his face when he had seen Majima and Kiryu kiss. Of course, Saejima had also shown indifference and tolerance to the relationship ever since, but what about the subject of marriage?
And that was when his reaction again surprised Shiro. Completely unexpectedly, Saejima’s gaze fell to the side as his eyes shone with…was that pity? Sadness? That same look mirrored on Kiryu and Majima’s faces. What was going on?
Majima soon enough cast away all talks about weddings and marriages by asking each kid to update him on their lives since the last time he was at Morning Glory. Everyone was more than happy to oblige, and it meant Saejima was finally freed from the piranha of children gnawing away at him. Haruka would be starting high school in the school year after the upcoming one, and joining her in the following year would be Ayako, Taichi, and Koji. Realizing how fast everyone was growing got Majima audibly all choked up.
“You’re all growing so fast,” Majima gasped as he wiped the tears from his eye. “Time’s moving quickly!”
“Yeah, and you’re getting old too!” Taichi pointed out. “You’re forty-six!”
“What’s that supposed to mean, ya lil punk?!”
The rest of the day passed quietly and peacefully, if laughing at Saejima as Mame chased after him could be counted as such. Kiryu had plans for the family during the break, and of course Majima stuck his nose into their business. Kiryu didn’t even stop him. The children all loved Majima, and he knew whatever new ideas Majima would bring to the table would delight the kids.
And indeed he did. The following morning Goromi greeted everyone at breakfast with pamphlets to the Okinawa Zoo. The large family was to split up into smaller groups of four, three kids per adult chaperone. To figure out who went with who, the kids were to draw straws from a pile. Red straws went with Kiryu, yellow with Goromi, and green with Saejima.
Riona went all in, praying to her ancestors and every god who would listen that she would get the person she wanted most, and her prayers paid off: with a delighted cry, she ran right into Goromi’s arms, screaming and cheering.
Kiryu and Saejima shared a brief amused look.
Shiro, meanwhile, could see Kiryu watching Haruka anxiously, undoubtedly hoping she got to spend the day with him. That made Shiro a tiny bit jealous. Sure Kiryu undoubtedly had a soft spot for Haruka, but didn’t Kiryu love him just as much, his youngest son? Shiro wanted to be with Kiryu real bad. As his fingers closed in around his chosen straw, Shiro prayed it was red.
He got Saejima.
Eri elbowed him and waved her own green straw. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
With all the teams picked, they took the monorail to the zoo. After making arrangements on when to meet up again and where, they broke off into their groups. Shiro, sulking as he watched Haruka walking with a spring in her step, hand in hand with Kiryu, kept close to Saejima along with Koji and Eri. Goromi next passed by, chatting away happily with Riona and Ayako. Right behind them was Mitsuo, looking sheepish. His gaze met Shiro and he shrugged, the odd man out. Shiro smirked and shook his head, his mood somewhat improved.
Eri wanted to see rabbits, which would mean a trip to the petting zoo, but Koji wanted to see the reptiles and all of the large animals. They first went to the petting zoo where Eri took her time with all of the rabbits to her heart’s content. She had her arms full of a particularly large rabbit, awing over how soft it was. Calling Saejima over, Eri handed the rabbit over to him so he could pet it too, and the large rabbit suddenly turned tiny as it rested comfortably in the palm of Saejima’s hand.
Koji led everyone to the reptilarium immediately afterward.
“Have you ever seen monitor lizards?” Koji said giddily. “They’re so huge! They’re really cool! I hear they’re all over Thailand and they keep the parks clean by eating all the mice!”
“Thailand, eh?” Saejima grunted. Koji then had to remind Saejima where on the map Thailand was while Shiro and Eri watched an Asian Water Monitor swim about in its pond. Another zookeeper was walking around with a monitor in his arms and showing it off to zoo patrons. The monitor lizard clung to the zookeeper like a baby, but its size startled Shiro’s attention. It was as long as Kiryu was tall, strong and powerfully-built with a one foot-long forked tongue that periodically darted out.
It kind of looked…well, it looked like a dragon.
Shiro didn’t really care where else they went after that. It was a nice and quiet Sunday. Koji and Eri were good company. Shiro was just glad to relax and watch animals go about their day in their enclosure. Saejima wasn’t too bad of a chaperone even if he wasn’t as talkative as Kiryu or Goromi. It was still amusing watching him ogle at a pair of majestic panthers, or nod approvingly at a tiger chewing on a fresh slab of meat. He seemed to like big cats in general, and Shiro casually wondered if Saejima liked cats or ever owned one. The thought of Saejima setting out food for a tiny kitten nearly sent him rolling on the ground giggling.
“You really like lions, don’t you, Shiro?” Koji commented some time later. “Your eyes lit up when we saw them!”
They were now walking through the bird house. Large parrots in vibrant plumage flapped their wings and watched them with beady, intelligent, and quizzical eyes as they passed.
Shiro nodded. “Yeah, guess I do.” Truth was every time he saw a lion, he thought of the cosmic lion among the stars in the dreamworld, of Yukiho and the safety of their little dreamworld. And more so Shiro thought of the Shisa lions that guarded their home, as well as Yukiho and his vow to grow up to be like a pair of Shisa lions. To be heroes, like a lion, like the dragon Kiryu. “I like cats a lot, I guess.”
“Saejima-san likes cats too,” Koji observed. “Didn’t you see his irezumi? It’s a tiger!”
“Were you spying on him changing?” Eri laughed.
“You wanted to know what was on his back too!”
“Did not!”
This revelation didn’t seem to move Saejima at all as he kept on studying the birds. “I looked after some cats near a homeless camp months ago. Got’a name ‘em and ‘verything.”
“And the cats liked you?” Eri said. “So they knew you weren’t a murderer?”
“Murderer!” one of the parrots gleefully squawked.
“Ya know about that?” Saejima said as Koji and Shiro fell silent.
Eri just shrugged, passing it off casually. “Who doesn’t?”
“Guess not…ya think cats sense all sorts’a things?”
“Like ghosts and aliens?” Eri shrugged again. “Who’s to say?”
“Heh.”
“So…did you really not kill all those men?” Eri went on. “How’d you get framed for something like that?” Koji threw her a warning look.
“I wasn’t framed,” Saejima said gruffly. “I set out to kill them on my boss’s order. That hit was meant to rise us to the top. Or so we thought at the time.”
“Wait—so you still intended to kill all those men?!” Eri glared up at the giant, her tiny pigtails bouncing on top of her head.
Saejima nodded gloomily. His lower lip quivered, shadowed by his long hair.
Eri gasped. “Then you’re still bad! A bad boy!”
“Bad boy! Bad boy!” the parrot squawked on.
“Do you feel disgusted with yourself?”
“Eri!” Koji hissed. “Read the room!”
“No, yer sis’s right,“ Saejima said. “What I did…was unforgivable, whether or not I did actually kill ‘em. My boss suffered for it, and my own sis ultimately paid the price.”
And then in front of everyone, Saejima broke down into tears. Meanwhile, the rumbustious parrot nearby danced from foot to foot and bobbed its head excitedly as it squawked repeatedly, “Bad boy! Bad boy! Wuewuewuewuewue!”
“Eri! You made a yakuza cry!” Koji and Shiro both said at once.
“I didn’t mean to!” Eri retorted hotly. “But I needed to know! Dad was yakuza too! He shot Mom and then himself! I saw him! I…I just wanted to know what goes through yakuza’s heads, why they kill, how c-c-could they easily kill?!”
“Eri-chan, ‘ad no idea…” Saejima patted her on the shoulder as Koji and Shiro bowed their heads sadly.
“Bad boy! Bad boy! No idea! No idea! Wuewuewue!”
The gloomy mood loomed over them until they met up with the others for dinner at a local Korean restaurant. Shiro couldn’t have been more grateful for the break in tension. He lost himself in the humor as he was caught up in the story of how Goromi and Riona had gotten all sorts of hilarious accessories for Mitsuo.
“Doesn’t Mitsuo-chan look so handsome in snakeskin just like his Auntie Goromi?” Goromi said.
“And this beautiful flamingo bracelet?” Riona added.
“Guys, I’m not your personal Barbie!” Mitsuo complained but he still did a little walk down an imaginary walkway. Riona giggled and clapped her hands.
Ayako meanwhile shared all of the photos she had taken of their adventure. Haruka, Taichi, and Izumi kept teasing Kiryu about the family resemblance between him and a particular large gorilla they had encountered in one of the enclosures.
“I knew there’s a reason why you do such a good gorilla impression!” Izumi giggled.
“Sure you don’t want to go back, Uncle Kaz?” Taichi teased. “There’s a lot of souvenirs we can get for your family reunion.”
Kiryu shook his head. “You kids and your mouths.” He motioned toward Shiro’s group. “How was your day?”
“Angelic lil devils,” Saejima said. “Damn smart ones too.” He told the others about their trip but omitted the part with Eri pushing him to tears.
Halfway through dinner, someone’s phone began ringing. Goromi cursed under her breath.
“Damn it, Nishida!”
Shiro blinked before remembering that he shared a surname with Majima’s trusty lackey.
“Not you, hon, of course!” Goromi reassured with a pat on his head.
“Maybe you should take that?” Kiryu said on the other side of Goromi.
“How ‘bout ya take another sip, sugar?” Goromi cooed as she poured more soju into Kiryu’s glass. “We just gettin’ started.”
She nuzzled up against him, and like magic Kiryu fell under her spell. The other kids all giggled, watching the two lovebirds as the world dissolved to just the two of them.
Saejima rolled his eyes and made a face that was purely in jest before shoving fistfuls of bulgogi steak into his mouth.
“I miss seeing them together,” Shiro said later as he studied the stars of the dreamworld. The theater-like gazebo was still there, and Shiro found it a comforting spot to sit in when he and Yukiho got tired of their adventures. No matter how far deep into the dreamworld they traveled, once they wanted a place to sit, they found themselves back here.
The walls of the gazebo had opened up, and the world beyond expanded once more after Kiryu and Shiro’s summer trip. Yukiho was all the more happy for it, happy to stretch her legs and roam the wondrous world freely. Shiro too was glad. Somehow, everything seemed far more vibrant and luscious than ever before. Even Yukiho somehow seemed a little different. Older, wiser? Like a butterfly that had emerged out of the old constructive cocoon.
“Kiryu-san and Majima-san?” Yukiho asked.
Shiro nodded. “I wonder why they seemed sad the last time we mentioned weddings to them. I don’t think Saejima-san doesn’t approve of them, so that can’t be the reason.”
Yukiho giggled. “From everything you told me about Majima-san, he’ll marry whoever he pleases. He’s not going to wait for anyone’s approval.”
Shiro smiled as he glanced up. “Yeah…don’t get me wrong, I was really harsh about Saejima-san before. But I really think he’s okay with them. Ever since they arrived here, he offered to sleep outside the adult bedroom.”
“He…what?” Yukiho studied him, her head tilted to one side.
“Yeah,” Shiro said with a nod. “I thought all of the men would share Uncle Kaz’s room, but Saejima-san said something about going to a hotel and…what was it? ‘Leaving them at it?’ He made some remarks to them. Maybe the room’s too small for the three of them. Saejima-san alone is really big.
“Anyway, I don’t know what he said, but Uncle Kaz was red in the face. I even invited Saejima-san to stay in our room, there’s enough space for him, but he turned us down. When Taichi and Koji found out I did that and why…well, they were snickering a lot about it. No idea why.”
“…Oh.” Yukiho cracked a smile and nodded.
“He sleeps out in the hall now, but it’s okay. We close the house with those big doors I told you about before, the amado. It’s to keep any robbers out. But with Saejima-san sleeping there it’s like we have extra security. He usually opens them up very early, though. I think he likes looking out, and no one’s given us trouble.”
Yukiho was still smiling, and soon she began to giggle as if she knew something Shiro didn’t. He looked at her questionably, but she never gave an answer.
Natsumi’s introduction of Saejima came that Monday early morning in the form of her tripping on his sleeping form and face-planting right on the hallway wooden floor. Screaming and scrambling to her feet, she grabbed an umbrella from the entrance and banished it at him.
“Thief! Killer! What’ve you done to the family?!”
She didn’t stop screaming until Majima popped out of the bedroom, nary a stitch on him, waving his arms and crying out gleefully, “Natsumi! Been a while!” and gave a very confused and startled Natsumi a big hug. An alarmed Kiryu yelled at him to get back inside.
“Must be tough, scaring everyone who sees you,” Mitsuo said. The kids had all poked their heads out of their rooms to see what the commotion was.
“I thought Saejima-san was scary the first time I saw him,” Shiro confessed.
“I can see why,” Taichi said. “But give him a second and you see that guy’s kinda soft. He’s scared himself awake with his own farts!”
“No way!” Koji gasped and turned to Mitsuo, who verified Taichi’s story with a nod.
“They were soo loud…and they smelled sooo baaad!”
Laughter rippled through the room.
Nishida called again during breakfast, and again Majima ignored him. He had no excuse this time around, but he left all calls unanswered and emails unread from “Numbnuts”, the nickname he had given Nishida on his phone.
Shiro found that not talking to Nishida was a bit reckless of Majima. What if something happened back in Tokyo? What if a rival yakuza family had attacked the Majima Family or even the entire Tojo Clan?
Shiro tried bringing it up, but Majima just scoffed at him.
“Must be some pitiful bullshit at the construction site,” he said and gave a bored sigh. “Let the boys figure it out among ‘emselves. We’re so close to being done with the mall, Shiro-chan! Can ya believe it? Been too long. I’ve earned a lil break. And I miss my Kiryu-chan.”
As unexpected as his visit was, Kiryu definitely didn’t seem to mind having Majima around. He was positively elated. If the economy had been dragging Kiryu down, Majima’s presence rejuvenated him. The two picked up where they had left off two summers ago, and now with the inclusion of Saejima around it really did feel like the family was expanding.
The Ryudo Family stopped by the day after their visit to the zoo.
Taichi’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Saki, and he waved her over. Sketchbook in hand, Saki ran off to sketch her friends, mainly Taichi, playing. Meanwhile, Saejima was introduced to Patriarch Nakahara, Mikio, Daijiro, Hirohito, and Asahi. They talked long into the evening as the kids played, occasionally dragging one of the yakuza, ex-yakuza, or Natsumi to join them.
However, for all of the peaceful and good time between them, the phone calls were clearly bothering Kiryu as much as they were Shiro. He too brought them up to Majima by the tenth call, proving to be a source of argument between the two that soon dissolved into a fist fight with everyone having front row seats.
“All right, Uncle Kaz!”
“You got this, Uncle Kaz!”
“Is this really necessary, you boys?” Nakahara called out to the two fighting.
“Behind you, Uncle Kaz!”
“Break his neck, Uncle Kaz!”
“Eri!”
“Sorry, Ayako-chan…”
Even with Kiryu as the victor, Majima still vehemently refused to take the call.
“I answer the phone, I leave,” he said. Kiryu made to grab the phone from him, and growing frustrated, Majima tossed his phone with all of his might. Everyone watched in shock as it flew over the street, the beach, and plopped right into the ocean.
But by the following morning, Majima had a change of heart. He fished out his phone and got it back to semi-functioning order. However, the phone didn’t ring for the entire day.
“They probably worked everything out, like you said,” Shiro tried to assure Majima. He kept throwing his phone silent, worried glances.
Everyone was seated at the dinner table that evening, enjoying some quiet time after their evening meal and watching television.
“Ooh! Look at that!” Taichi called out excitedly, pointing at the television screen. It showed clips of a young man in his late teens, sporting boxing gloves. Scenes of boxing ring matches flashed before the camera then panned over to an interview.
“Ukyo Tatsuya,” Mitsuo read the headline. “They’re calling him the Mad Dragon of Kamurocho. You ever ran into him, Uncle Kaz? Uncle Goro?”
Kiryu shook his head but Majima gave a snort. “The Mad Dragon? He tryin’a copy from us or somethin’?”
Saejima gave a small grunt. “What’s he in the news fer?”
“Apparently he’s really famous,” Taichi said. “His career kicked off in Kamurocho or something. He’s heading to America to compete in the big leagues now.”
Riona sighed longingly. “Everything seems to kick off in Kamurocho.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Majima said. “I could ask one o’ my boys about this Tatsuya.” At the mention of his boys, his face became somber as his eyes fell on his phone again.
And that’s when his phone finally rang.
Snatching the phone right after the first ring, Majima flipped it wide open and pressed it against his ear. “Nishisda? Huh?! Yeah…Fine, give me a sec…”
He excused himself and left. Shiro watched him from the corner of his eye, noting that Majima not only looked troubled, but he put as much distance as he could between himself and the rest of the family.
Pretending he had something he wanted from his room, Shiro also excused himself.
“What is it, Nishida?”
Majima’s voice came serious and somber as Shiro tiptoed toward his room. The Osaka-ben had dropped completely. There was a long and thick silence that followed, growing heavy as Majima’s shoulders tensed then sank.
“So…it finally happened…” he said, his voice trailing off. Shiro dared to poke his head outside to make out his words. “How’s he holding up?…I see…yeah, no surprise there…
“Listen, I got carried away, you know what it’s like when I see Kiryu-chan…I should have stayed in touch…I know…no, I didn’t tell Kiryu-chan about the other thing yet. Saejima’s on my ass about that too. I just…it’s hard after seeing the kids and just…wanting them to be happy, you know?”
After ending the call, Majima just stood out in the courtyard, hands on his hips as his head bowed in defeat. He remained like that for seemingly an eternity.
Majima apparently did not bring anything up with Kiryu later that night, because the following morning Kiryu was acting his normal self, completely oblivious to Majima sitting silently and suffering right beside him. Shiro couldn’t help but feel sorry for Majima. He wondered what Majima wanted to tell Kiryu but was afraid to.
Saejima kept throwing Majima looks. Shiro wasn’t sure if Saejima knew or just suspected more than Kiryu did. As far as Kiryu was concerned, Nishida finally settled a pressing matter with Majima.
The other kids were starting to suspect something, so they gathered around for a private meeting at the beach. Shiro opened up about what he had overheard last evening.
“I wonder what happened,” Ayako said with a frown.
“It might be best if we give them space,” Haruka suggested.
Agreeing, everyone came up with an idea. In groups of twos or threes, the kids announced to Kiryu they were heading out downtown, giving excuses such as going to the movies or needing to shop for dinner, before rushing out.
“Wait, we had plans for the family later today!” Kiryu called out after the last kid disappeared around the gate. He turned to Majima and the others.
Majima chuckled. “They’re so spirited.”
Kiryu just shook his head and frowned.
“Ya worried about ‘em?” Saejima asked.
“The city’s not too dangerous,” Kiryu said. “Although it can get busy during the holidays with tourists.”
“We could keep an eye on them,” Majima suggested.
Agreeing to it, the men left Morning Glory Orphanage.
Downtown Ryukyu was busier than normal, as it typically got during this time of year. Shiro had never before seen so many tourists from the US and the UK. He knew it was a reason why many parts of Okinawa had signs and menus in English. There was even an American military base nearby.
“So what do you think Uncle Goro wants to tell Uncle Kaz?” Mitsuo asked after some time as they tried to weave their way through the thick river of people in the streets. Despite leaving in small groups, all nine of them regrouped and stuck together lest they got lost. It was a mistake coming here.
“I don’t think Uncle Goro even wants to tell him anything,” Shiro said. “Whatever Nishida told him really upset him.”
Mitsuo frowned. “Think he’s afraid of ruining the good mood he’s been in all holiday?”
“But whatever that thing is is already weighing on him!”
“Maybe he’s sick of building that big shopping mall,” Izumi giggled. “You know Uncle Goro doesn’t like staying in one place!”
“You think something’s happened with the construction while he left?” Taichi added, grinning. “Poor guy can’t take a vacation and trust his boys not to mess things up!”
“Yeah, maybe someone got an injury and it’s now all Majima’s fault,” Koji said. “Steel beams fell on them and everything.”
“Maybe it was that one he’s always yelling at,” Eri said.
“Nishida?” Taichi said.
“No, one with the weird tattoos.”
“Minami?” Shiro ventured.
“That one!”
“Why would that upset Majima?” Taichi said. “He’d give the steel beam an award!”
The others laughed, and Taichi threw his head back, losing himself in his own joke. As such he didn’t watch where he was going until he rammed right into the back of a large person.
“Ow! Hey, watch it, ye shithead!”
“Oh, sor—” Taichi took a step back as the words died in his throat. A dozen massive men turned to glare at them. Shiro was familiar with the scent of alcohol, having smelled it around Kiryu and Majima before, but the air over these men were intensely pungent with the stench of it. They were dressed festively in red and green wife beaters, some in Santa hats or elf hats and ears. A few wore large red noses that lit up and reindeer antlers. Some carried over their shoulders a satchel of what could have been stolen goods from a local store. Or weapons. Shiro prayed it was actually the former.
“Sorry ain’t gon’ cut it, ye shrimp!” a Santa’s little helper spat at Taichi. His name tag read Go Fuck YourElf.
Despite being among the oldest and largest, Taichi cowered under his gruff growl. Still, he stuck out his arms, protecting his younger siblings.
“Yeah, ye damn near broke my buddy here’s arm in half!” the Festive Forager added drunkenly. “Pay up!”
“He was nowhere near your friend!” Haruka said hotly as she stepped in front of Taichi. That earned herself a slap, but she continued to glare at the gang. The sight produced in Shiro a painful memory: Haruka defending the kids when the yakuza had attacked their home. Even when up against a gang of men twice her size, she didn’t let up.
“The mouth on ‘em brats!” hissed the Rudolph Ruffian. “Ya know what we do with pieces of lil shits like you?”
“I say we give ‘em a bit of holiday cheer, whatcha’all say?“ Holiday Hooligan said greedily. Snot rolled down his nostrils, and he hungrily lapped at his upper lips.
“We’re just kids! Leave us alone!” Koji yelled as they rounded around them. Any passersby hurried past, not wanting to get involved.
“Regrettin’ talkin’ back to us now?” Go Fuck YourElf chuckled darkly as he stared down at them.
They were surrounded. Whichever way they went they either bumped into one of their siblings or one of the hoodlums. They tried to scream, but the scream died in their throats when one of the Festive Foragers pulled out a gun and waved it at them.
One of the passersby, noticing the gun, screamed, and there was a rush of running feet.
“Hey, hey! The fuck you doing?!”
The flying kick knocked out one, two, three, four of the men, their heads smacking into one another like dominos. Crying out, the others turned this way and that for the mysterious savior before suddenly being introduced with their fist, a kick to the face, or a headbutt, sending them reeling. The kids all ducked, giving their rescuer ample space to conduct their impressive martial maneuvers.
“Damned bitch!” one of the hooligans spat.
Shiro’s jaws open.
The one who saved them was a girl. An older teen standing ready in a fighting pose, her bangs swaying in front of her face as the rest of her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. She wore a white jacket with blue sleeves and shorts that showed off the muscles in her strong legs.
“Ye bitch!” Rudolph Ruffian cried out.
“Hey, ain’t ya that brat everyone’s been lookin’ for?” Go Fuck YourElf hissed as he scrambled to his feet and stuck his face right against hers. The girl’s eyes widened in fear momentarily before she growled back at him.
“Enough!”
A second pair of arms grabbed the hoodlum, lifted him over their head, and threw him, sending him flying over a street full of passing cars. Passersby now screamed and scattered like mice.
“You!” the Holiday Hooligan gasped in fear before he too was picked up and met a similar fate.
Shiro and the others could only sit and watch as the second newcomer picked the holiday thugs off one by one and tossed them as though they weighed nothing.
“Kids! What’s going on!” Kiryu’s voice carried through the air as he, Majima, and Saejima finally reached them. They watched the scene before them, shocked, but Kiryu’s face turned into startled recognition when the second newcomer turned to face him: a very tall, lean, and strong woman with poker-straight black hair that swept past her shoulders, and dark eyes with a piercing gaze.
Noticing him, her eyes widened and a big smile spread across her face. “Ah, Kiryu!”
“Miss Tatsu?”
They gathered around the outdoor tables set near the coin lockers. With the fight long over, everyone around them sipped their drinks and went about their day, already forgetting about the commotion that took place earlier.
“Miss Tatsu, it’s been a while,” Kiryu said. He introduced her to everyone. “Miss Tatsu was one of my mentors during the ‘80s. Taught me quite a bit about strength-based fighting.”
“Heh, you can be quite a beast of a fighter,” Miss Tatsu said, grinning at him proudly. “Glad I honed that in you.”
Saejima nodded slowly. His eyes hadn’t left her since they met, not that Shiro could really blame him. Even after watching Kiryu and Majima fight countless times, witnessing Miss Tatsu’s strength firsthand was nothing short of impressive.
“Are you a professional martial artist?” Taichi asked as he glanced between her and the teenage girl.
“I was a collections agent,” Miss Tatsu said. “I kept that up for a while after Kiryu and I parted ways. But I’ve taken on a new role: I protect those who need to be protected.” She motioned toward the teenage girl. “We’re not staying in Okinawa for long. In fact, we’re leaving tonight. Can’t even tell you where we’re going.”
“Why?” some of the kids gasped.
The girl smiled sadly before regarding Miss Tatsu as if searching for approval. Miss Tatsu nodded.
“My name is Kudo Saki,” the teenage girl said. “I was a friend of Ukyo Tatsuya. You might have heard of him if you’ve kept up with news on boxing. Truth is…before he went legit with boxing, he fought for his life in an underground coliseum.”
“What, the one in Purgatory?” Majima said.
“What’s Purgatory?” Shiro asked.
“Purgatory is an underground den in Kamurocho,” Miss Tatsu explained as Kiryu’s lips turned into a thin line. He clearly didn’t want his children to know about this. “A lot of illegal activities happen there. There’s casinos, cathouses, and an underground coliseum. But the coliseum in Purgatory is not the same one Saki is talking about.
“This place, known as Dragon Heat, was built by the Kuki Family, and yes it is underneath Kamurocho. You must fight to the death. Tatsuya’s only seventeen and got in trouble with the Kuki Family. He was a prisoner at Dragon Heat and could only win back his freedom if he won ten battles. Saki has been a medical assistant in Dragon Heat for some time before Ukyo Tatsuya was dragged in.”
“We saw the news that Tatsuya is now boxing in America,” Kiryu said as he folded his arms. “What about Saki, then?”
“It appears there are some enemies still left from the time when Tatsuya was still competing in Dragon Heat,” Miss Tatsu explained. “Spectators who had bet big time against him and lost everything. Tatsuya’s far from their grasps, so they see Saki as an easy target. And, her only reason to remain in Dragon Heat is now dead. She’s free and alone in this world. And she was close to Tatsuya.”
“So now all ‘em sore losers are takin’ it out on a girl?” Majima said as he and Kiryu glanced at Saki with compassion and anger for her sake.
Miss Tatsu nodded before taking a sip from her drink.
“Then why not travel with Tatsuya?” Kiryu asked with a frown.
“She does not want trouble to come to him.” Miss Tatsu nodded toward Saki. “Not with his career kicking off.”
“She’s taking all the burden?!” Kiryu said. Majima glanced toward Kiryu sadly.
Miss Tatsu nodded again. “Which is why we’re leaving. Saki of course can hold her own in a fight, but she can’t stop a bullet. I could take out one assassin, two, three, dozen. But they keep coming, every day. Poor Saki has no chance to live a normal life.”
Saejima sighed sadly. Majima threw him a glance, eyebrow raised, before turning back to Miss Tatsu.
“And you’re going with her,” Kiryu said.
Miss Tatsu gave a nod. “However long I must. I just want her to have a chance to grow. But it won’t be all sad times, don’t worry yer head! We’ll have a grand time together! Saki will flourish!”
“That’s admirable,” Kiryu said with a warm smile. “It was good to see you again, Miss Tatsu.”
She beamed. “Likewise, Kiryu! Somehow, seeing you makes me feel more optimistic that this’ll all go smoothly!”
“Sounds like ya got this in the bag,” Majima said. “But if ya ever need more pairs of hands, ya now know where Kiryu-chan lives. And we won’t be far behind.”
Miss Tatsu bowed. “Thank you, Majima.”
“Er, um…good luck,” Saejima muttered, bowing his head. It was the first time he ever spoke this entire time.
She bowed her head, looking at him a bit bemused. “Thank you, um…Saejima was it?”
When Saejima glanced back up, she was giving him a very warm and sunny smile.
After the two left, Majima leaned back and folded his arms, staring at Saejima.
“Ya coulda went after ‘em,” he said. “It was dem legs, wasn’t it?”
“Shut up,” Saejima muttered. He had his face in his hands.
Kiryu glanced between them, confused.
“Looks like Saejima’s got a lil crush going,” Majima giggled, which soon tickled the rest of the kids. They gasped and stared at Saejima, giggling and fascinated. So that was the sort of woman he was into. “Looked like she wasn’t uninterested either. Ya two coulda made quite a couple.”
“Don’t matter if we get together or not,” Saejima said heavily.
“What do you mean?” Kiryu said.
“It’s pointless to get involved with any woman right now. I’m getting arrested in the next few days. What, Majima never told ya?” Saejima glared at Majima.
“What?” Kiryu turned to Majima, dumbfounded.
This time, everyone sat outside Kiryu’s bedroom, listening in once more.
“When were you planning to tell me all this, Majima-no-nii-san?”
A long and thick silence followed. Even without seeing what was going on, Shiro could sense the tension in the room.
“Well, it seems feeling’s have been growing sour toward my kyodai here in the Tojo Clan,” Majima finally explained. “Been going on for some time. It’s gotten worse over the last month. Some Tojo peons are pissy at Saejima for the stunt he pulled earlier this year.”
“I see,” Kiryu said and made a brief, low humming sound. “And now Saejima’s getting arrested?”
Saejima made a disgruntled sound.
“Even though you were proven innocent, you still have the jailbreak on your record,” Kiryu mused loudly. “And it’s tarnishing the Tojo Clan name…”
“That’s right,” Saejima said gruffly.
“And the Saejima Family isn’t too big to begin with,” Majima added. “Ain’t the most loyal either.”
“I see,” Kiryu said. Shiro imagined him sitting straight with his arms folded as he spoke. “In that case, voluntarily going back to jail may be your best bet, Saejima. Doing so will clear your name among the Tojo Clan and raise morale among your men.”
“I had a similar thought,” Saejima said as Majima made a pained sound. “This’ll be my promise, Kiryu. I’ll drag the Tojo outta the gutter.”
“I understand this leaves you with the construction work and being Daigo’s advisor all to yourself,” Kiryu said.
“I don’t care ‘bout the construction site!” Majima said. “That thing’s set to open in the spring!”
“Then why the long face all day?” Saejima challenged. Shiro sensed a change in his voice. A dare. Anger. A tiger ready to pounce and kill the snake.
“I…well…ya should know, Saejima…”
“Did it have anything to do with the phone calls you’ve been getting?” Kiryu guessed.
Again, silence followed.
“…yeah,” Majima finally conceded. Outside, everyone pressed their ears closer against the walls. Even Haruka and Ayako were listening in with bated breath. No one moved. No one made a sound.
That little word from Majima came low, almost wounded. “Kiryu-chan…it finally happened.”
A tense moment passed, followed by a soft gasp from Kiryu. “You mean…”
“Yeah. She passed away.”
Kiryu sucked in his breath. “Oh…”
Outside, Shiro saw the others’ eyes grow wide in mixed confusion and sympathy. Who did Majima mean?
“I…I’m sorry…that was on the day of the trip, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then the wake and funeral’s already passed…”
“Yeah. She was trying to hold on just to spend one more Christmas with her son, but…you know…”
“How’s Daigo holding up?”
“He knew it was comin’ eventually,” Majima said heavily. “Still ain’t easy o’ course…”
“Dojima Yayoi wasn’ lookin’ too well when we left,” Saejima added.
“Dojima Yayoi…” Shiro said under his breath as tears beaded in the corners of his eyes. He had seen her only briefly years ago where she stood strong and poised during his parents’ funeral, and again just six months back, looking far more frail. She was Daigo’s mother, she had once ruled the Tojo Clan in lieu of a chairman, and now she was gone.
The other kids shot Haruka and him quizzical looks, so they quickly explained who Dojima Yayoi was. Slowly, an unsettling realization rippled through the crowd of children.
Inside, Kiryu made a tiny sound in response to Saejima’s words.
“And Daigo up and split with that lady he was engaged to,” Majima said. “They only got together to make his mom happy. Tell ya the truth, he never seemed that interested in gettin’ married, what with being chairman and everythin’.”
“Understandable,” Kiryu said. “You both should be by Daigo’s side at every moment from now on. Yayoi was not just his mother but also his mentor. As was Kashiwagi-san. And now both are gone…”
Saejima scoffed. “I only have a couple more days of freedom.”
“Then Majima-no-nii-san should remain with Daigo, as his advisor and bodyguard.”
Outside, the kids shared looks with one another, devastated. This meant Majima’s visits would become even more infrequent. He might never visit again at this rate.
Majima gave a snort. “Figured ya’d say that. Gonna suck massive hairy balls being all alone without ya, Kiryu-chan.”
“Daigo needs you more than ever, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said firmly. “You should be by his side. You made that promise to me years ago. There are enemies in the Tojo Clan who will try to harm him. We’ve already dealt with a few. You know how much his safety is my top priority.”
“Then come back to the Tojo Clan!”
“Nii-san, no. You fully know my reason for leaving.”
Majima sputtered out his next reply. “So ya kickin’ me out, Kiryu-chan?! Thought this was our home!”
“You’re more needed elsewhere. Daigo is also family, remember that.”
“Kiryu-chan! I know ya care for Daigo deeply! Used’a babysit him and all, but he’s an adult now! He can well handle thirty thousand men! Ya saw how he took charge when the Omi stormed Kamurocho years back!”
“And what is a leader without his advisor,” Kiryu pointed out. “He’ll need to rely on you more while Saejima is in jail.”
“I hate yakuza,” Eri muttered sadly next to Shiro.
“Babysit? How old’s that chairman?” Taichi mouthed.
“Aw, Kiryu-chan…don’t do this to me…” Majima moaned sadly, echoing how every kid felt.
Early the following morning, Kiryu and Haruka, much against her better judgment, got the tickets for Majima and Saejima’s flight back to Tokyo. All too soon, evening arrived, and it was time for their guests to leave. Tomorrow would be New Year’s Eve, and Saejima would have a busy day. He was to give himself up to the police in atonement for his past crimes.
And Majima had to go too. Kiryu wouldn’t have him ring in the new year with him, not with Daigo grieving over his mother back in Tokyo. On one hand, Shiro understood that there were more pressing matters and he had to think of how Daigo was doing, but damned if he wasn’t a little selfish and wished Kiryu could be a little more greedy with Majima’s time. One look at Majima, and he totally got why Majima had hesitated for so long to open up to Kiryu about the other things beyond just the enigmatic Amon Clan. He craved any moment he could spend with Kiryu, while Kiryu acted as though they would have all the time in the world whenever their jobs were done.
It had been months, years, since they last saw each other.
If it was Shiro, he’d never want to be away from his partner. They would always be joined at the hips.
“Well, looks like this is it,” Majima said as they reached the monorail station. The kids had all come to see them off. One by one, they hugged Majima and bowed politely to Saejima. Shiro glanced up at Majima in sympathy. How different his disposition was from her sparkly arrival on Christmas Eve. Majima stood gloomy, his shoulders slouched, and looking as though he barely slept the night before.
“Please don’t be long,” Taichi said. “You just came here.” The others voiced their agreement.
Majima smiled sadly. “Sorry, kids. My schedule’s about to get even more tight. But ya never know, we might see each other soon! I’d love to have ya come to Kamurocho Hills once it opens. It has all sorts’o stores ya’ll fancy!” He especially grinned toward Riona.
Her smile back didn’t reach her eyes. Taking everyone to Tokyo would be simply too expensive and the family could not afford it.
As Kiryu and Majima bid themselves farewell, daring a bit of hug, the other kids watched with forlorn. No one was ready to say goodbye just yet, but there was no point in arguing. The outside world needed Majima and Saejima. Who cared about what a bunch of children wanted?
Daring a little more, Kiryu and Majima moved in for a farewell kiss. Saejima glanced this way and that, avoiding Kiryu and Majima. A little while later, and Shiro realized he was watching the vicinity to ensure no one would bother them.
“We’ll meet again,” Kiryu promised when they were done.
“Yeah,” Majima said with a little nod as if to convince himself. “We will. See ya soon, Kiryu-chan. Kids.”
With a final wave, they left, and with that an ominous feeling struck through Shiro like never before, leaving him shivering in the late December night.
Notes:
Hmm, Majima, who knows. You might get to fight an Amon in 2024 🤔
For those wondering on the status of Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, as it is a little less than two months away as of this posting, as stated previously, I plan to include the canon of RGG up to the end of IW, as we get into VLD canon right after and the two canons heavily overlap by that point. If I find a way to squeeze in Pirate, I will (and I’d like to since 7 Gaiden, IW, and this one are considered one trilogy per director Yokoyama), but it all depends on what the game gives us to work with! Are you excited for the game? I am 🏴☠️ I love the new karaoke songs they’ve previewed!
And…sigh, Yayoi 😔 Again, I really didn’t like doing this, but the mainline games had nothing on her after Kiwami 2, and sadly her death served a lot in the story. I hate it here.
On the brighter side: the cats Saejima is talking about are from Yakuza 4’s Substory #12 (The Homeless Men and the Cats). What did you name your two cats? I named mine Taiga and Kaguya 😇💕 Or do you think Saejima and Miss Tatsu would be a good couple? 🤔
Next chapter will go up on Wednesday, January 29, 2025! Happy Holidays, and if I don't get to talk with you before then, Happy New Year! May the new year bring good things to all reading this! 🥂💕
Chapter 16: IV.2 Beyond the Barricades
Notes:
Hope everyone had a peaceful and happy start of 2025, and Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧 I began posting this fic on February 10th last year (had to repost later due to a glitch), and that was on the first day of the Year of the Dragon, so this is a time of double celebration! First chapter in the new year, and in the Year of the Snake. 🐍 Ooh, the year of Majima!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Beyond the Barricades
One early April evening, the kids gathered around the dining table for dinner as always, but tonight there was something different in the air. Haruka, sitting straight up, studied their faces. She was smiling calmly, but there was also a twinge of that sadness which often shone whenever one reminisced about the past.
“We have an announcement,” Kiryu began. “Taichi and Ayako already know the news.”
“Know what, Uncle Kaz?” Koji asked.
“I’m going to Tokyo,” Haruka said, eliciting a wave of reaction from the kids. She waited until the others had settled down. “The supervisor for Sunflower Orphanage is retiring. She knows Uncle Kaz cannot leave Morning Glory, so she’s invited me to her retirement party.”
“Sunflower Orphanage?” Eri repeated.
“Oh, that’s right! You and Uncle Kaz grew up in the same orphanage!” Mitsuo said.
Haruka nodded. “Headmistress Suenaga was not the same supervisor while Uncle Kaz grew up there, but he helped her and the orphanage out so much a few years ago.”
Kiryu nodded sadly. “A kind old man watched over us and raised us. We used to call him Principal. Suenaga-san told me his health was on the decline a few years back, so he decided to step away and move back to his family in the country. I wonder how he’s doing now…” Sadness crossed Kiryu’s face. “One time a lieutenant who was hunting me down passed by Sunflower and threatened Principal. This was back in the 80s. I never forgave myself that he had to suffer because of me…”
“Ah!” Taichi leaned forward, as did the other kids. Kiryu didn’t like discussing much of his life as a yakuza.
“What about Kazama-san?” Ayako ventured.
Kiryu gave a little nod of his head. “Kazama-san and Kashiwagi-san would visit us from time to time. Kazama-san built the orphanage, and I was very close to him. But they didn’t live with us the way Principal did.” He turned to Haruka. “You got to grow up with Principal for most of your life too, right?”
Haruka nodded. “He was a really nice old man! So is Headmistress Suenaga!”
Shiro recalled Haruka’s past: despite her parents being alive, Haruka never knew her biological father until he tried to kill her over ten billion yen. Meanwhile, her mother, Sawamura Yumi, had Haruka stay at Sunflower Orphanage, the same place she had grown up. She would visit Haruka under the guise of being her mother’s sister.
“Suenaga-san didn’t stay as supervisor long…” Kiryu mused.
“You’re going all by yourself?” Izumi piped up, watching her eldest sister, purely impressed.
Haruka nodded. “It would be wrong not to go. She’s helped us out so much, hasn’t she, Uncle Kaz? Even with starting up here. She gave us so much insight…”
“And can you really go?” Shiro asked, hating to be the one to point out their current financial struggle.
But Haruka understood what he meant. She nodded again. “Uncle Kaz’s pulling all the stops for this trip! The old headmistress was a very kind lady. It would mean everything for us to give her a parting gift!”
“Um…while you’re in Tokyo, can you get me…” Riona began and stopped, blushing slightly.
“Yes!” Haruka said enthusiastically. “Tell me everything you want me to get you from Tokyo, all of you!”
The others cheered. Shiro wanted nothing more than to pass along a letter to Majima, and a letter to Grandpa Kichiro as well. Taking his lead, the other kids also wanted to write Majima cards, so they all busied themselves with that after dinner.
The excitement wore off by the time everyone got to bed, as a strange and terribly cold ominous feeling began to seep into Shiro’s soul.
“There’s a storm approaching, Shiro!” Yukiho gasped as they met up at their favorite spot atop the precipice. She stood up and walked right over to the edge without fear of dropping off. She peered out before whipping back to smile reassuringly at him. “But it’s far away…it shouldn’t hurt us.”
Shiro turned toward the direction of the swirling turbulence and felt his heart sink.
“I don’t like the look of that,” he said. “Something terrible is about to happen.”
Even if they were safe where they were…something dreadful was about to bubble over, and it could head their way…easily…
And those lights…that red gate…it was so familiar…
Shiro tossed and turned all night.
The following midday, Haruka stepped out of the gates of Morning Glory, all bright smiles. The entire family gathered on the road to see her off. Haruka looked back and waved, her eyes shining with her usual bright and innocent optimism.
Shiro kept the panic abated, kept on a brave face.
He did it so as not to worry her. Having noticed his gloomy disposition earlier at breakfast, Taichi had boisterously reminded him that Haruka was only going to be gone for a couple days.
Just a couple days. Nothing could happen, right? Everything was going to be alright.
Just then dark clouds began to roll in, instantly darkening the morning. Kiryu looked up along with everyone else, slightly taken aback by the sudden shift in weather.
“Hmm? Clouds are coming in…” Recovering quickly from that, he smiled down at Haruka. “Give everyone at Sunflower my best. Be safe.”
“‘Kay!” Haruka said, laughing off the clouds, the forever optimist. “See you soon, everyone!”
Haruka waved, and as she turned away, her long hair swishing in the breeze, Shiro nearly fainted with the overwhelming sense that this was the final time he was ever going to see his sister alive.
The new school year started that following Monday, and Shiro used the opportunity to take his mind away from worrying about Haruka. Last they had heard, Haruka had reached Tokyo safely.
In the meantime Izumi kept bothering Shiro.
“Shiro!” she would hiss at him from the seat to his right. “Guess what?”
“What?” Shiro said with a heavy sigh.
“We’re in fifth grade!” Izumi squealed and kicked her feet excitedly like a puppy about to get a treat. “You know what that means!” After fifth and sixth grades, they would be junior high school students.
“I can’t wait to wear a school uniform!” Izumi rambled on to any one of her friends that would listen to her. “We’re going to look so mature!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Shiro sighed, “and then you’ll be complaining that the other schools’ have nicer uniforms.”
“Will not!”
Shiro smirked to himself. It was easy to get under her skin.
With Haruka gone, everyone had to pitch in more at home, even with Natsumi helping out. That meant no quiet personal time in the library, but it was only for a couple days. As was expected, once all chores were completed Shiro was normally dragged by one of the boys to play with the other kids.
“I’m tired!” Shiro complained the first time they did this.
“Got just the thing,” Taichi said with a cheeky grin. “You know those energy drinks Uncle Kaz is always chugging down before a fight? I found where they sell them.”
After checking to make sure Kiryu wasn’t around, Taichi pulled out a white and red box from behind the shoji of the boys’ room and tossed Shiro a small brown-tinted glass bottle. The logo was printed in Japanese but the slogan underneath it was in small, fine English letters. Shiro had been getting better at English after meeting the couple from South Africa, inspired by their bilingual fluency. He could read and understand the slogan:
“If it starts with S and ends in X, it could only be…Staminan X.”
“So this will give me more energy so I can play outside more?” Shiro said.
Taichi nodded. He was already drinking from his own bottle, which Shiro thought was unnecessary. Taichi was the last person who needed an energy drink.
“How is it?” Shiro asked.
Taichi quickly made a face before covering it up. “I feel a little more like Uncle Kaz already!”
Twisting the top off, Shiro took a sniff. More medicine than a refreshing drink. Not carbonated either. He could just imagine Kiryu bleaching after chugging one and giggled. He took one sip to sample. The taste was quite sweet and fruity; there was the sharp flavor of vitamins the syrup was trying to drown, but it was still discernible. Nothing he couldn’t handle. Shiro chugged the whole thing down.
Yukiho was singing in a high note next to his ear, or maybe she was screaming at him because their heart was going a million beats per minute. He was soaring through the heavens! He could take on the world! He could pick up Yoshinori and toss him across all of Okinawa—no, all the way to Pluto!
“Whoa, Shiro, you got gold and purple flames all around you!” Taichi gasped and clapped his hands.
Shiro didn’t know what Taichi was talking about, but he certainly felt it. That swirling pure innate power, that endless quintessential energy, that heat.
Shiro grinned from ear to ear. “Let’s play!”
Despite having been introduced to Staminan X, Shiro kept his consumption to a minimum. He didn’t want to risk any of his organs giving out from the combustion of energy. None of the ingredients seemed too bad. Taurine could have anti-aging effects but he obviously didn’t have to worry about that. There were plenty of vitamin Bs, and it was fun looking up to see what each one did for the human body. But Shiro was concerned about the amount of caffeine. That was what probably made his heart race.
Maybe Kiryu shouldn’t be drinking so much himself, but the man seemed capable of working nonstop without ever needing the drink. Shiro only ever saw him pop one while in the midst of a fight.
Shiro smiled.
Taking that as inspiration, Shiro pushed himself to help out more and spend time with his siblings. He wasn’t going to let his own limitations hold him back!
The April afternoons lately had been warm and sunny, providing the optimal backdrop for their playtime. Sometimes Natsumi joined in, or Kiryu, or some of the Ryudo boys. Or sometimes it was just the kids themselves, enjoying a few precious hours before they had to think about school again.
It was during one such afternoon when everything changed. Retiring early for the day, the kids entered the dining room to find Kiryu just standing eerily stock still, the home phone gripped in his hand so tightly the frame had cracked.
Mumbled words spew out from his mouth, something about Haruka and Kamurocho…and death.
“Uncle Kaz?!” Ayako cried out as the others all blanched.
Without another word, Kiryu, face white as a sheet, bolted out of Morning Glory.
On edge, everyone just stared at the gate, unsure of what they had just witnessed or what they had just heard. The pleasantness in the air just moments before shifted into pure dread.
“What’s going on?” Natsumi asked as she appeared at the gate.
Breaking out of the spell, the kids all talked at once, screaming at the top of their lungs in panic. Some broke down into tears. What happened to Haruka?! Why did Kiryu utter “Haruka” and “death” in the same sentence?!
“Whoa, whoa! What?! What’re you talking about?!” Natsumi yelled, their panic rubbing off on her. She dashed out to try to get Kiryu, but he was far gone by now.
“What’s wrong with Haruka?” Riona wept as she sat on the floor and hugged her knees. “What’s happened to Haruka?!”
“I-it’s okay, it’s okay…” Natsumi kept saying unconvincingly, as shaky as everyone else while she tried to calm them down. She pulled out her phone, and Shiro could hear her mumbling, “C’mon, come on! Someone’s gotta be at the office!”
Some time later Patriarch Nakahara appeared along with Captain Mikio and Saki. Looking gravely serious, he ushered everyone to the dining room.
“Kiryu-san spoke with me before he left Okinawa,” he said. “Told me what’s happened. Asked if I could watch over you while he’s on urgent business. He apologizes for leaving so abruptly, but he could not waste a moment.”
“What’s going on?” Taichi asked. Everyone watched him expectedly.
“Well…a few days ago, a letter came for your oldest sister,” Nakahara explained. “It said Haruka-chan was to go to Tokyo to attend the retirement party for Sunflower Orphanage’s headmistress. And, well…turns out that letter was a fake.”
He waited a few moments to allow the realization to sink in. Shiro’s stomach churned, recalling the deeply ominous feeling that took a chokehold of him, watching as the warm wind blew Haruka’s hair as she turned and feeling deep down that this would be the final time he ever saw her…
“Someone abducted Haruka?!” Ayako screamed.
“But who would target Haruka?” Koji asked. “And why Haruka?!”
Patriarch Nakahara raised a hand as Saki bowed her head sadly. “We don’t believe the real target is the young lady.”
“Wait, you mean someone was trying to draw out Uncle Kaz?” Taichi said. “But why?!”
“We still don’t know,” Nakahara said.
“And Uncle Kaz is willingly going to a trap?” Riona gasped, looking like she was close to fainting. Mitsuo held her hand.
“He knows he’s likely the real target, but his sole concern is getting Haruka-chan back safely,” Nakahara said.
Everyone bowed their heads.
“Kiryu-san would do the same for every one of you,” Saki said softly, which only made the pain worse. But she was right. Kiryu wasn’t going to stand back and try to reason with a kidnapper with one of his own children helpless in their grasp. He was going to throttle them himself and get his child back, even at the potential risk of his own life.
Why did this keep happening? Why was someone always targeting Kiryu? Shiro bit down on his lower lip.
“We didn’t manage to get much out of Kiryu-san,” Mikio added. “He was, understandably, very upset on the phone. He was already boarding a flight for Tokyo when we got on the phone.”
“Is Haruka okay?” Taichi asked. “Is she alive?”
“Currently, we do not have much information,” Nakahara said. “We can assume at the time when Kiryu-san got the phone call that Haruka was still alive. That is all we know.”
Cold silence filled the dining room.
“The captor had Haruka speak to Kiryu-san briefly,” Nakahara continued. “All she said was that Kamurocho is…dying. The city’s falling apart.”
“What did Haruka mean by that?” Riona said later on. All of the kids were huddled together in one room, not wanting to leave each other’s side after Patriarch Nakahara had spoken with them. Natsumi was staying with them until Kiryu and, hopefully, Haruka returned. One of the Ryudo boys was back on patrol duty just outside Morning Glory, in case the enemy had sent in an assassin for the orphanage.
The neighborhood was quiet, too eerily quiet.
“There’s nothing on the news about Kamurocho,” Taichi added hollowly.
“Do you think Uncle Kaz will be okay?” Izumi asked. “Last time we almost lost him…”
“Uncle Kaz is strong!” Eri said hotly. “He’ll come back with Haruka! Besides, if Haruka’s taken to Kamurocho, can’t Uncle Goro help him?”
“Unless something’s happened to Uncle Goro too…” Koji said, and everyone fell silent.
“We have to believe in Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro!” Ayako said through her own unshed tears. “They are strong! Whatever’s happened, they’ll fix things!”
“I don’t know…” Mitsuo said after a while. “This whole thing was to lure Uncle Kaz out, wasn’t it? Who could it be? How many enemies could he possibly have?! He’s been living clean for years!”
“He’s famous in the underworld, that’s the problem,” Eri explained. “You have yakuza who think they’ll rise to the top in their family if they kill the top dog, or the dragon in this case; or yakuza who have beef with him for years. He might not remember them, but they certainly do!”
Shiro shivered. Kill the dragon…
Izumi gasped. “What if—! What if Saejima-san’s gone after him?!”
Everyone stared incredulously at her. “What?!”
Izumi shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe he didn’t like going to jail…”
“Then Uncle Goro will cut Saejima-san to pieces,” Shiro said.
“But they’re kyodais!”
“I don’t think he’d care about oaths at that point,” Shiro said, remembering back to Saejima’s ceremony. “Uncle Goro’s bond to Uncle Kaz is stronger than any yakuza oath.” To comfort himself, he thought back to the illustration of Miyamoto Musashi and Shishido Baiken and of the photo of Saito Hajime and his wife Takagi Tokio who looked suspiciously like a Meiji era Goromi…
“Do you really think Saejima-san would do that, though?” Taichi said. “I mean, yeah, he looks scary and everything, but Koji told me about how he’s really a big softy.”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Ayako’s face, and Shiro wondered if Haruka had confided in her what had transpired between her and Saejima a year ago. Shiro still had no clue himself. Whatever it was seemed to break Ayako’s trust, but she shook the thought away.
“Maybe it isn’t him,” Mitsuo said, “but…what about Arase? Didn’t that guy have a big grudge or something against Uncle Kaz? Or…that clan…you know the one…”
Everyone in the room shuddered.
“It’s best we don’t speculate,” Ayako said. “Or we might end up pointing fingers at innocent parties.”
“How the hell is Arase inno—”
“Innocent parties, not innocent people, Taichi. Uncle Kaz taught us as much, remember? All we can do is wait for more news and pray for everyone’s safety.”
News came very infrequently and too far in between. The last the kids heard was that Kiryu had landed in Tokyo and made contact with some of Majima’s boys, but apparently not with Majima himself. That didn’t bode well.
What was going on?
Natsumi stayed at Morning Glory full-time, and there was always a Ryudo boy present. Seeing the state of the kids, the adults did all they could to take their minds off the situation. Nothing worked.
Even Yukiho would try to suggest new paths for them to venture down, citing interesting landmarks, large iridescent trees that sang, fields of sheep with large wings in beautiful plumages, and bridges made purely of starlight.
“I wonder where they lead!” Yukiho said out loud, tugging on Shiro’s wrist, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the raging storm in the distance. Was Kiryu and Haruka there? Was the place on fire?
Shiro could barely focus at school.
“What’s wrong, Shiro-kun?” asked Uechi-sensei in a kindly manner. Uechi-sensei was Shiro and Izumi’s fifth grade teacher; a small and much older man with a kind smile, his eyes reminded Shiro of his own grandfather as he studied him. Apologetically he showed Shiro his grade from his most recent homework assignment. “I heard a lot about how smart you are. I know you can do better.”
“I’m sorry, Uechi-sensei,” Shiro said. “This is no excuse, but I’ve been distracted.”
“Hmm? Is something the matter?”
Shiro glanced over toward Izumi. He couldn’t imagine she was faring any better, but she was certainly better at hiding it. Having her gaggle of girlfriends helped to take her mind off matters from time to time. And it must have been nice being able to distract oneself with an off-on boyfriend like Tadashi (that romance was never getting an ending.)
“Just a lot on my mind,” Shiro said. “Just family stuff, that’s all.” He added that bit quickly. He wondered if his previous teacher had told Uechi-sensei about his history with bullying, but he didn’t want Uechi-sensei to think his misery had anything to do with that. Yoshinori and Shiro’s ex-friends were the very last thing on his mind.
Shiro promised he would do much better on his next homework assignment. He didn’t want to disappoint Uechi-sensei. Even more, he didn’t want to disappoint Kiryu and Haruka…and Majima. He owed them all that much.
Days dragged into weeks, and still no word.
One day, Shiro was stopped on his way out of school by a completely unexpected schoolmate.
“SHIRO-KUN! Stop right there!”
“Mieko-chan?” Shiro said, surprised. “Um, hi! It’s been a while.”
“Shiro-kun! Yes, it has been a while.” Mieko smiled sadly. “Um…I heard you’ve been struggling at school lately. Is everything okay? It’s not Yoshinori again, I hope? Or did something happen at home?”
Shiro hesitated. Izumi and he were the only ones left from Morning Glory who went to this school, as everyone else was now a junior high school student. He didn’t want to burden Mieko with his worries, but she had met Kiryu before. She knew what a good guy he was. And from the way she was watching him, eyes full of worry and concern, Shiro just couldn’t keep it in much longer. He needed to confide in a friend.
“Can we talk somewhere private?” Shiro asked.
“So, that’s what’s going on,” Mieko said later after Shiro was done with his story. “I’m so sorry, Shiro-kun. I remember seeing Haruka-chan in the halls. She usually keeps to herself but she’s always so nice to everyone!”
Shiro nodded. “I trust Uncle Kaz will get her back safely, but…I dunno…Everything about this situation feels scary.”
“It’s only natural,” Mieko said, nodding. A strange faraway look crossed her face but it passed moments later. “You say they’re in Kamurocho right now?”
“I think so. Haruka said something about Kamurocho and dying. That might be where she was taken.”
“I see.” That same faraway look returned, lingering for just a few more moments before it passed. Mieko drew in a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping. “I’m worried about my mom.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Mieko studied him intently. “Shiro…promise this stays between us?”
“Um, sure,” Shiro said uncertainly.
“This cannot leave this area, no matter what.”
“You have my promise.”
“My mother doesn’t live with us,” Mieko began. “It’s just Dad, my big sister Michiko, and me living in Okinawa. Mom only sometimes lives with us.”
“Okay…” Shiro nodded his head slowly, trying to understand. He remembered Michiko from that one meeting in the school president’s office.
“My mother’s a sergeant at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force,” Mieko went on. “Her name is Asagi Misuzu. She goes all over Japan to keep it safe, and very recently, she received an emergency call to station her troops at Tokyo. Right at Kamurocho.”
Shiro gave a tiny gasp.
“She called us. Had to be around early April…”
So right around when this whole thing with Haruka happened.
“…but it was strange.”
Shiro swallowed thickly. “Strange…in what ways?”
“Well, it was very brief,” Mieko said. “Which is understandable, given that there was an emergency. But…it was what she said and how she said those words.”
Shiro leaned closer with bated breath.
“She told us she loved us,” Mieko spoke after a long pause. “Honestly, she sounded like she was preparing to tell us goodbye. None of us could understand why. What’s going on in Kamurocho? In a bustling city like Tokyo? We had assumed there was some sort of mass riot or a terrorist attack, but…it didn’t seem to be any of the sort. There was something in her voice, a resolve, like she had accepted dying in a fight if it came to that.”
“In Kamurocho?” Shiro said in a small voice.
Mieko nodded. “Yeah. And the weirdest thing is…not one news station is reporting about what is happening in Kamurocho. It’s as if life is going on as normal.
“After that phone call, my sister searched on the internet for any news. No online news sites had anything on the matter, from the large corporations to tiny independent news sources. Couldn’t even find a single blurb about Kamurocho—I mean, we did find one minor thing, just the slimmest and vaguest warning to commuters not to travel around Kamurocho, but that gave us nothing. There had to be a reason why that warning was there. There had to be more!”
“Did your sister find anything?” Shiro asked.
“Well, she had to dig deep,” Mieko said. “None of the mainstream sites had anything. There were comments to big stories related to Tokyo all deleted. Very suspicious. So she searched through weird and sketchy forums, the sort of stuff we shouldn’t be looking at as kids. There were posts from people typing up what they’d seen and heard in Kamurocho these last few weeks. Dreadful stuff.”
“Like…like what?” Shiro’s stomach twisted.
Mieko shook her head. “No one could really put a name to it. The one post that really stuck in my mind was a video…”
She suddenly got up. “I can show you the video if you want, Shiro.”
Was he ready to watch it? Mieko hadn’t even given him a clue of what to expect. What if the footage revealed Kiryu and Haruka’s bodies?
Shiro almost declined before stopping himself. He had to be strong. For Kiryu and Haruka. For Majima. For his entire family.
Looking up at Mieko, he gave a feeble little nod.
He led the way to the library, where Mieko wasted no time locating the computer room. Shiro watched over her shoulder as she retraced her sister’s steps to the sketchy forums, through threads of crude comments and raging rants about government cover-ups and even madder conspiracies, and then finally…the video.
Taking a deep breath, Shiro took a seat and pressed play.
Shiro vaguely recognized the area. Wasn’t this…one of the alleys leading to the Millennium Tower? There was a bar across from it, wasn’t there? Yeah, he remembered that bar now! Kiryu took him there to sit and talk with Detective Date all those years ago! Bantam, that was its name! He was surprised he even remembered it…
This was right by Millennium Tower! Except now the area was all sealed off by incredibly tall steel barricades, sheening eerie green under the overcast skies.
What was going on?!
The person shooting the film explained at the beginning of the video that enforcements didn’t want the outside world to know what was going on. They then took their camera phone and walked gingerly past the line of soldiers toward the tall steel barricades. As they neared, Shiro finally heard it.
Low gargling and raspy growls carried beyond the steel walls as scratches and heavy fists pounded against the barricade, each bang striking a new wave of cold dread through Shiro’s body.
Monsters.
A lab-manufactured viral outbreak.
The government was turning denizens inside out, punishing those who lived in the red light districts.
The end of the world is coming! Join the Order of Munan Chohept Onast and accumulate kulipaas today!
The conspiracy theories kept pouring in on the internet, the voices of the displeased never reaching mainstream news. None of it mattered to Shiro. None of them could explain why his beloved sister had to be abducted nor why Kiryu was targeted.
He had thanked Mieko for sharing with him the video and promised to keep it between themselves, but he wished he had never seen it. It plagued his every waking moment. It turned his dreams into nightmares.
“Shiro!” Yukiho screamed as the waters all around them turned turbulent once more. “What’s going on?”
Shiro could not find the words. He felt useless. How could they keep the bad energy out, keep the enemy out, if he didn’t even know what they were up against?
He was worried sick for Kiryu and Haruka. That was all he knew.
Days passed with no news. Although no one said anything, the severity of Kiryu’s silence weighed heavily over everyone’s shoulders in Morning Glory. Natsumi cooked and cleaned for them, never bothering to check who’s turn it was to do which chore. She took care of it all. Izumi could be seen cuddling Mame every day after school. Riona retreated to her room more often. Eri would stare out into the ocean, and once or twice Shiro wondered if she was contemplating submerging herself into the ocean and never coming out. Ayako took every effort to raise everyone’s spirits but then would too retreat to her room, teary-eyed.
Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo’s friends would stop by and try to distract them with games along with the Ryudo boys. Shiro didn’t feel like doing any physical activity at all, but he’d peel himself off the engawa and try to play along, often resulting in him getting struck by a ball because he wasn’t paying attention.
Saki visited every day. Every time she placed Taichi’s round cheeks in her hands, life would spark back in his eyes, and she’d smile warmly at him.
One afternoon Shiro watched longingly as a boy a year younger than him from school ran up to his older sister who had waited for him after school. Holding hands, the two laughed as they chatted away before reuniting with their father, who greeted them with some treats he had gotten from a nearby vendor.
Tears welling up in his eyes, Shiro had to stop and catch his breath in the middle of the sidewalk.
Having been a yakuza, Kiryu couldn’t legally adopt any of the kids at Morning Glory Orphanage, but they were clearly his children. They were a family. The place was marked in government records as an orphanage and treated as such, but no one ever came to adopt the kids. And no one ever minded, because Kiryu was their father, and he was the best father anyone could have ever asked for.
And Haruka was the best eldest sister anyone could have ever asked for.
But Kiryu could have perished by now. Was he the one pounding behind the steel barricades, begging to be released? Was that the trap the enemy had set up? Kill off Kiryu and Haruka in one fell swoop? And Shiro would never be able to walk with them ever again…
The thought horrified Shiro to the bone—what was was that raspy growl? The scratching on the steel walls? Pounding…pounding…pounding…Kiryu holding on to Haruka for dear life, begging to get out as a monster loomed behind them, about to rip them to shreds…
“Aww, is widdle baby Nishida crying again?” came a sardonic voice behind him.
Shiro inwardly groaned. This was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. He was so close too, just a few more paces and he could wallow in silent worry at his corner of the library for a few more hours, or keep going and lie stewing in misery in the boys’ room back home.
“What now, Yoshinori?” Shiro groaned as he turned around to face Yoshinori, flanked by, as always, Akira and Yuito.
Yoshinori grinned uglily at him. “I hear you’ve been doing bad in school, Nishida. And that your lil supervisor hasn’t been home. What’s the matter? Why’s he always running away? That’s gotta be the third time! He’s always running away from his responsibilities!” The other boys stupidly snickered.
Shiro balled his hands into fists. He had to hold himself back from going off into a rant. Kiryu never ran away from anything. He was rushing to save one of his children. Kiryu spent way more time with the kids than “running off” as Yoshinori ignorantly accused him. What the hell did Yoshinori know about Kiryu anyway? He was lucky enough to have both parents working to support him. So did Akira and Yuito. Kiryu singularly slaved away day and night for a family of nine children with but a part-time volunteer as aid and the good will of some family friends, occasionally taking on side jobs, and he never ever complained about it. Even with the economy collapsing, he never complained. He always shone with unconditional love whenever he looked at his children. Was always ready to play with them, never showing how fatigued he was becoming from all of the recent work…
And Shiro knew Kiryu had limitations due to his past. How job-hunting wasn’t easy because he hadn’t finished high school. Even being a supervisor for this orphanage was nothing short of a miracle. Shiro didn’t hold it against him; none of the other kids did. One tiny mistake made in his youth wasn’t something Kiryu had to pay for the rest of his life. One tiny mistake that Kiryu was now working tirelessly so that none of them would suffer the same fate.
But if there was something Kiryu had taught them, it was this: no school or degree could teach true, genuine love.
None of this was Kiryu’s fault. Kiryu had never asked for such a difficult life. None of them did. Damn Yoshinori and his ignorant face…
“Or was he finally arrested? Was he caught doing inappropriate things to one of you?”
“What?” What the hell was Yoshinori on about?
“They’ll have him hanged for that,” Yoshinori taunted. “Just wait. All yakuza deserve to hang. Maybe they’ll be kind and let you watch.”
“What kind of nonsense are you spurting?!” shouted a new voice as a tall girl ran toward him. Saki glared down at Yoshinori, gripping onto her sketchbook as though ready to throttle him with it.
“Shit, that’s Saki,” Akira said. “Don’t mess with her, guys. Her guardian’s that morbidly fat yakuza boss who lives near the Kariyushi Arcade. He’s the leader too. He’ll skin us all alive and then eat us!”
“Shit, he must be an oni!” Yuito snickered.
Saki’s eyes widened, and this time she did raise up her sketchbook and notebook, ready to strike. “What the hell’d you just say about my dad?!”
“Hey, hey! What’re you all doing?” an older boy in a school uniform ran up to them, staring from Saki to the others.
“Itsuki!” Yuito called out. “Watch it, this’s a wild one!”
“What’re you doing, getting beaten up by a girl?” Itsuki laughed before he then sized up Saki. A smirk crossed his face. “Ooh! You’re quite the looker.”
“Ew, Itsuki!” Yuito made a face. Now that he was studying the two boys, Shiro noted the family resemblance. Yuito did mention having an older brother. That must have been him.
“I don’t recall seeing you at our school,” Itsuki said as he attempted to make himself cooler.
“That’s ‘cause she went to a special ed school for years,” Akira butted in. “She couldn’t speak for years after finding her biological dad hanging.”
Itsuki’s eyes widened at that, but Saki simply glared at them all silently before suddenly whipping her long hair back, striking Itsuki in the face as she reached for Shiro’s hand.
“We don’t have to listen to this garbage,” she said.
As they stormed off, Shiro glanced back. While the three goons were going on mocking them or doing whatever the hell it was, Itsuki was just standing there staring at Saki.
He couldn’t keep back. He was supposed to be strong, supposed to keep the bad out. Seeing the turbulence in the distance, far from the safety of their gazebo, Shiro had to find out what was going on there. What was beyond the barricades. If there was evil, he had to combat it.
Yukiho warned him to stay put.
He tossed and turned in bed. Shivered as wind blew through the black crashing waves, warning him not to come any closer.
The gurgling and raspy growls grew louder, a warning to back off. It was also a sign he was getting closer to his target. Yukiho’s screams faded in the engulfing stormy winds. Shiro had to do this, had to be strong, had to save Kiryu and Haruka and Majima and everyone in Kamurocho.
To his shock, he could see the Ichiban-gai of Kamurocho. How did it come here? But he couldn’t deny what he was seeing.
The Ichiban-gai leaned sideways, damaged with a single light still flickering in the dark. The growling grew just as a familiar voice called out in fear, “Shiro!”
Stopping and gasping, Shiro turned every which way. “Uncle Kaz?”
“Shiro, stay back!”
Standing in pitch darkness, Shiro stared up ahead as Kiryu emerged underneath the tattered Ichiban-gai.
“Shiro, get out!” Kiryu warned just as hands grabbed him from behind. Shiro watched in horror as the growling grew louder and more terrifying. A figure appeared behind Kiryu, its red sunken eyes flashing at Shiro.
He recognized the man from the photos Kiryu had shown him years ago. Nishikiyama Akira gave him a sickeningly sinister grin as a skeletal hand gripped around Kiryu’s neck.
Around him were bodies. Shiro saw Nishida, Okuda, Gary Buster Holmes, Minami, Nagahama…they were Majima Family men who were present at his parents’ funeral, who were there to comfort Shiro after putting his parents to rest, who there there to rebuild Morning Glory Orphanage and cheer up Shiro’s family…
With a gasp, Shiro jumped back, recognizing Dojima Daigo’s body. Nearby was Haruka; she lay with her eyes wide open in fear. Majima lay slain right next to Haruka, a protective arm strewn across her.
Dead. All of them dead. And begging him to run—
“Uncle Kaz!” Shiro screamed just as Nishikiyama slit Kiryu’s throat wide open.
“Shiro!”
Shiro shot up in cold sweat. Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo were all looking down at him with worry.
“Sorry, just a nightmare,” Shiro mumbled and turned over under the blankets, burying his face in his pillow so no one could see the tears streaming down his cheeks.
That following morning, the phone rang. Ayako picked it up before Natsumi got to it.
“Uncle Kaz!” she nearly shrieked and immediately set it to speaker. Everyone scrambled over to her side. “Uncle Kaz, how’re you and Haruka?!”
“I’ve retrieved Haruka,” came Kiryu’s voice, sounding so far away and heavily obscured by static. “We’re somewhere safe. I’m gonna check in on Majima-no-nii-san soon.”
“Check in? What’s going on, Uncle Kaz?” Taichi shouted.
“I can’t stay on the phone long,” Kiryu explained hastily. “It’ll be some time before we’re let go. Are you all doing okay?”
“Yes, Natsumi and the Ryudo Family have been with us,” Ayako explained.
“Good. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
And with that the call ended.
“So Uncle Kaz rescued Haruka,” Koji said, “but what’d he mean that they can’t be let go?”
Shiro thought back to the video. The others didn’t know anything about it. Were they barricaded? Was Majima okay?
“What if it’s a hostage exchange?” Mitsuo said. “What if that mysterious alien assassin clan did something?”
“You’ve been watching too many movies!” Riona giggled. Knowing that Haruka was safe brought color back to her cheeks. It was nice hearing her laugh again.
“You mean, Uncle Kaz exchanged his life for Haruka?” Taichi said as he thought about it seriously. “He can take on the whole clan, but…”
“Then why did he mention checking in on Uncle Goro?” Eri finished.
Izumi nodded. “Maybe he’s helping to fight the clan!”
“Uncle Goro finally got his wish!” Taichi laughed.
Shiro just shook his head. Then what about the barricades around the city? And the disturbing sounds beyond them?
As odd as Kiryu’s words were, hearing him again, and knowing that Haruka was safe, put their minds at ease.
The family didn’t get another phone call until a month later.
This time it was Majima who called.
“Hey, kids—this on speaker?” Majima’s voice boomed out unusually bright and cheery, even for him.
“Yes, Uncle Goro,” Ayako said.
“Good. Listen…all of ya. Packed yer bags. Yer heading for a trip to Kamurocho!”
“Excuse me?!” Riona squealed, eyes wide.
“Uh, I don’t know if we can afford—” Taichi began.
“Ya heard me,” Majima said firmly. “Yer all ordered by the mayor ‘imself to take a trip here for a week or two—don’t worry about expenses or school or nothin’ like that. It’s all taken care of.”
“Um, is there a reason for this?” Shiro asked, thinking back to the video. “How are Uncle Kaz and Haruka?”
Majima chuckled. “Splendid! We’ve been cooped up here for over a month now—we can finally stretch our legs, and Kamurocho’s ready to open its doors! So what’re you all waiting for?! Get a’packin’!”
“Wait,” Mitsuo said after Majima ended the call. “‘Kamurocho’s ready to open its doors’? What did he mean by that?!”
That night Shiro dreamed of Haruka. Her hair rippled in the wind, her back turned. He called out to her and ran, but they weren’t by the gates of Morning Glory. It was his school. Haruka turned and smiled at him.
“How was school today, Shiro?” she asked sweetly. She was still fifteen, the same age as in the waking world, but Shiro was back to being seven. She held his hand and walked with him until they were greeted by Kiryu. He held up his hands to show them the treats he had bought for them from a nearby vendor.
“Uncle Goro’s waiting,” Kiryu said. “Are you ready?”
Shiro’s heart leapt. Of course. Uncle Goro was visiting. He was waiting in Morning Glory along with all of Shiro’s siblings. His men were joining Majima in this visit, as were the Ryudo Family, and Natsumi too. Everyone was going to be together, and even Yukiho might stop by! It was going to be such a lovely and perfect day!
As they made their way across the street on this perfectly sunny day, a pair of white doves who were grooming one another took off. A dark cloud loomed over their heads.
Notes:
Yep, Dead Souls is canon here. We’ll find out a little more in the next chapter! I figured since Kenzan and Ishin were canon to this ‘verse, I can wiggle in DS in some way. Besides, if we’re going to eventually involve aliens, then zombies aren’t entirely that weird, right? XD
Staminan, Tauriner, and Toughness are all real, based on energy drinks in Japan. Of course, they are known under different names, but the same basic idea and even look. Found some pictures here.
Next chapter to be posted Wednesday, February 26th! After Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s release! Enjoy the game, everyone! 💕
Chapter 17: IV.3 The Kids of Kamurocho
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: The Kids of Kamurocho
“You must be the lovely children!” the woman with the creepy big smile trilled as she loomed over them. A reporter from a local news station, the woman wore a light blue business suit and high heels that clacked whenever she walked. Her hair was neatly tied back, and her bright red lips were eternally stretched into a fake smile.
Being surrounded by media personnel the moment Shiro and his siblings reached Kamurocho, with cameras pointing at them in every direction like arrows nocked and ready, was the last thing Shiro was ready for. Quite frankly, after the secrecy surrounding Haruka and Kamurocho, he didn’t even know what to expect coming back here.
It was Nishida who had picked them up at the airport. Nishida and no one else. Disappointment quickly turned into harassment as the kids bombarded Nishida all the way to the hotel. What was going on? Why weren’t Kiryu and Haruka back in Okinawa already? Was Majima okay? What did he mean in his message to them? What happened last month?!
All Nishida could reply was that he was not at liberty to tell them anything, and with that he remained silent the rest of the drive. Shiro noted the very visible sweat dropping from the side of his brow that probably had nothing to do with the helmet permanently glued on top of his head.
Those same words were repeated by every other member of the Majima Family they encountered. “We’re not at liberty to say.” Minami had just sneered at them and cried out, “Scram, kids!” while trying to chase them off.
Shivers running down his spine, Shiro couldn’t wait for them to reunite with Kiryu and Haruka. If they couldn’t tell them anything, then why even bring them up here? Those sentiments reflected visibly on his siblings’ faces as they cowered under the scrutiny of a dozen cameras and microphones.
“Kids!” a familiar voice called out to them brightly. To their relief, Majima approached, arms widespread. He was dressed in his business best, black suit with a red shirt like the sort Kiryu wore. Following closely behind were Kiryu and Haruka, Kiryu in his usual grey suit and Haruka in her school uniform. All three of them looked at their optimal health, not a hair out of place.
“Uncle Kaz! Uncle Goro! Haruka-no-nee-chan!” the children all chorused, ignoring the reporter with the mechanical facade as they ran up to hug the three.
“We were so worried for you!” Ayako said.
“We were so scared someone was trying to kill you!” Izumi said.
“I told them to be strong!” Taichi said although he was too was shaking. “I told them you wouldn’t let anyone hurt Haruka, Uncle Kaz!”
“Is it true?” Shiro whispered to Haruka, who he was pressed up against.
Haruka smiled reassuringly. “Yes. Uncle Kaz saved me and Uncle Goro!”
“Uncle Goro too?” What happened?!
But Haruka just shook her head. They couldn’t talk about it.
“Say, why isn’t the mall open?” Koji blurted out suddenly. “The grand opening was supposed to be last month, wasn’t it?!”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Mitsuo said slowly. “Hold on…wasn’t that also when Haruka went missing?!”
Majima shot Kiryu a look before suddenly breaking into the most celebratory grin as he shot his arms up.
“Well, would’ya look at the lil’ detectives here!” he laughed. “Sure it was planned for an early April opening, but things happen in the real world, kids! You’ll learn that when you grow up! We had a lil’ delay, that was all!”
“And Haruka?” Riona said, staring up at him with one eyebrow raised.
A corner of Majima’s mouth twitched before he threw his arms out up even higher in a dramatic display. “Hee hee hee, tricked ya! Haruka was meant to help with preparations all along! There was nothing to fear at all! It was all part of the ploy to get ya all ov’r here and experience the best damn shopping mall in all of Tokyo—no, in all of Japan!”
The reporter applauded before taking the lead; she rambled off to the camera about the grand opening of Kamurocho Hills and the impressive feat it took to make this shopping mall a reality, and how this could reshape the future of Kamurocho and clean up its dreary image.
Meanwhile, every single child just stared at Majima with faces full of indescribable incredulity.
“I don’t believe a word of it,” Taichi hissed to everyone as they were ushered toward the red tape at the grand entrance of Kamurocho Hills. Cameras were directed at them as well as other potential patrons of all ages, all who were playing the part of smiling at the camera and pretending to be excited for the grand opening. Everyone was playing their part so well Shiro wasn’t sure if he was having a nightmare or if Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka were still in grave trouble.
“We all know what we heard on the phone,” Mitsu said.
“Yeah, you’re saying Nakahara-san and Natsumi-san were all in on it?” Eri said with a scoff.
“You all saw the way Uncle Kaz ran out the door that day,” Koji said. “He’d never do that without good reason.”
“I can’t imagine Uncle Goro riling up Uncle Kaz this bad,” Mitsuo said. “He’d teased Uncle Kaz, but make him think Haruka and the city was dying?”
“Uncle Goro would never lie to us,” Riona added in an angered whisper. “What’s going on?!”
Shiro silently nodded. Majima wouldn’t do that to Kiryu, and even more, Kiryu would never, ever keep a surprise like this from them. It was too cruel, and Kiryu would understand that. Glancing back up, Shiro narrowed his eyes, trying to discern if anything was different about Kiryu or Haruka.
“They don’t look well-rested,” Shiro observed.
“They seem sad too,” Izumi said.
“They’ve been through hell and are trying to cover it,” Eri said. “I know that look.”
“Uncle Goro’s awfully animated too,” Ayako said. “Sometimes, the more manic he acts, the sadder he actually is.”
“They’re definitely hiding something,” Taichi said. “But what is it?”
Distracted as they were, the kids completely missed the entire boring speech before the cutting of the red tape. They didn’t care for the project that had been going on for years before Kiryu had become the supervisor of Morning Glory. They didn’t care about the myriad of shopping centers within the grand mall.
They just wanted the truth.
But they had a role to play as well. Had to be the excited school of children first to explore the mall. The mechanical reporter escorted them around, and although Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka were with them the others could scarcely get a word in to any of them.
“Uncle Kaz looks really tired,” Koji commented sadly in a low voice to the others.
He was right. Shiro had become accustomed enough to Kiryu’s body language over time, and right now, despite his typical gait there was a sense of fatigue about Kiryu that came after a strenuous battle. Whatever happened, it wasn’t some surprise pre-grand reveal preparations as Majima had claimed.
“Maybe Uncle Goro pushed him into another fight?” Izumi suggested when the kids had a chance to slip in a word without the reporter overhearing them.
“Then how do you explain all the tanks and military people walking around?” Taichi said with a jab in their direction.
That was the other weird thing Shiro and the others noted once they reached Kamurocho. Military personnel were everywhere, concentrated solely within Kamurocho. Shiro recalled what his friend Mieko had said about her mother being in the SDF, and his mind immediately shot back to that eerie video. Driving up to Kamurocho and seeing them in person sent a jolt of panic to everyone, even to Shiro who was aware of their existence. This coupled with Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka’s behavior didn’t bode well.
The barricades were nowhere in sight now, and Shiro had the feeling no cameras captured the tanks or SDF soldiers still lurking about. They were obviously instructed to pretend they didn’t exist.
Grinning from ear to ear, the reporter announced to the first wave of shoppers that they now had free reign of the mall.
Despite always dreaming of Tokyo and its fashions, Riona scarcely looked around. Not like she would have enough to shop at places like UeDa Kamuro Hills, Modern Design Club, or Sawayaka Wear. Her eyes kept darting toward Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka who were huddled together and putting on a show of excitement.
“There’s an ice cream shop at the food court, Uncle Kaz!” Haruka was saying as she tugged on Kiryu’s arm.
“There’s an arcade on the far west wing,” Majima said, “and across from that’s a karaoke bar.”
Of course Kiryu’s eyes lit up.
“Wanna join, kids?” Majima called out. “The story right above us has a place that sells science kits! Managed to get a retailer like that just for ya, Shiro-chan!”
With no reason to protest, the kids followed them to the far west wing, but they stayed close behind. The media personnel were eager to video record them singing, which made most of the kids too shy to pick up the microphone. Haruka gave it a try, as did Kiryu whose voice, as always, enchanted everyone. Of course Majima grabbed the mic from him as soon as he could and screeched the next verse at the top of his lungs, shattering the hypnosis Kiryu’s darkly smooth voice had put everyone in moments prior.
Laughing, the kids scattered outside of the karaokekan. Shiro was just thinking that maybe he would check out the science shop after all when two men approached.
“Yo! Is Kiryu-san in?” asked one of the men, raising his hand in greeting. He walked with a casual gait, one hand in his pocket and the other swinging lackadaisically by his side.
Shiro recognized both, although it took moments for their names to register. Before he knew it, Kiryu and Majima were at his side as though they had sensed the men’s arrival.
“Date-san,” Kiryu said, addressing the man in the tan trench coat before nodding at the man who had called out earlier. “Akiyama.”
“Ready to head out?” Detective Date said.
“Yeah.” Kiryu gave a nod as Majima crossed his arms. Shiro detected a slight sour look starting to form on his face. The two men glanced back at Haruka, who was making her way over, ignoring the cameras pointing at her.
“Haruka, mind watching everyone while we head out for a bit?” Kiryu asked. He kept his voice low as he crouched to her eye level, but Shiro caught most of it.
Haruka gave a nod and waited for the men to leave before she addressed the others.
“Where’s Uncle Kaz and them going?” Taichi asked.
“Oh, they’re just catching up at a local bar,” Haruka said.
“Where? Bantam?” Shiro asked without thinking. He received a reproaching look from Haruka. Shiro didn’t mean to blurt out that pub’s name. He was still thinking about the barricades from the video; it was right beside that pub.
“Are you getting hungry?” Haruka asked the others brightly, pointedly ignoring Shiro. But everyone was looking at Shiro.
“Any places near this Bantam?” Koji asked. “I don’t really feel comfortable being far from them.”
“Yeah…” Riona narrowed her eyes. “Why were Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro so keen on leaving us behind once those two showed up? We’ve been worried sick over you three for a month!”
Haruka took a step back. Ayako cleared her throat.
“I don’t think you need to worry about getting into trouble,” she said and pointed. The media crew had long lost interest in the kids and were now stalking another group that had been part of the grand opening.
“I-it’s not just that,” Haruka said, but everyone else, taking the first opportunity to skedaddle, were already making a beeline for the nearest exit.
“Where’s Bantam?” Mitsuo asked the moment they were out. Shiro’s head spun. The last time he was in this part of town was shortly after his parents’ deaths. Kamurocho Hills had come a long way since, and some of the surrounding stores had since changed over the years, yet what did remain still triggered painful memories of those bygone days.
“It was across from the Millennium Tower,” Shiro said. That hardly was a good direction at all. Even from way up north here they could make out the top of the famous tower. Which street should they take?
But it was enough for the others. They rushed southbound as Haruka appeared close behind them. With excited yells, the kids made a dash for it. Rather recklessly they sped down roads, hardly stopping to check both ways as Kiryu always taught them.
They crossed several large hotels, and expensive-looking restaurants with temptatious aromas wafting out, hostess bars and bakeries and smaller unmarked business that Shiro was certain were just frontends for yakuza dealings. Soon the base of the Millennium Tower loomed ahead, surrounded by nothing but roads.
It seemed emptier than usual, Shiro noted. The military presence didn’t seem to bother any of the other kids as much as they bothered him.
His heart suddenly squeezed. Wasn’t he standing right where the video was taken of those barricades? Where were the tall barricades now? What had been making that sound?
“Guys!” Haruka called out, huffing and puffing as she caught up to them. “Guys, stop! There’s a reason why we shouldn’t join them!”
“Hmm?” Taichi placed his hands on his hips. “And what’s that?”
“Hey, isn’t this the place?” Koji interrupted with a bright grin as he pointed to the sign.
“Don’t go in!” Haruka begged, her hands flying up.
Glancing at her in confusion, the others made to protest when Haruka blurted out, “They’ll get upset if kids go in!”
Fair. The others could at least honor that. They looked around for a spot to eavesdrop. Bantam stood wedged between two other shops with no space in between for them to wiggle in. They had to make do with the tinted windows off to the side of Bantam’s front end. Thankfully, with the streets as quiet as they were and scarce of people walking about, it offered them the perfect chance.
They broke off into groups and huddled low, ears pressed against the windows.
“Since when did he sport an arm like that?” Majima was complaining inside.
“Ryuji?” Kiryu said. “You know you need to wipe that out of your memory, Majima-no-nii-san.”
“That goes for both of you,” Date said. “Same for all of us. The more we end up recalling anything from over the past month, the more of these sessions we have to go through. I don’t know about you, but I just want to get back to my normal life. The government and the SDF can take their secrets with them. I never want to deal with a Daidoji agent again in my life.”
“Bullshit!” Someone pounded on the counter, probably Majima. “Somethin’ ain’t right with Kamurocho and now we all gotta just sweep it under the rug?! Ya know how many people we lost? Tojo Clan members—how many of my own men?!”
“I’m with Majima-san on this,” Akiyama said. “Hana-chan and I lost a number of our clients. There’s no way we can just go back to business as usual. What’ll happen next month when it’s time to collect money? We’re going to notice the drop in revenue.”
“Kamurocho’s always changing like the tides of the moon,” Date told him. “So did your clientele.”
There was a low hum and an unfamiliar voice spoke. Shiro assumed it was the bartender. “I must say, it will be painful not seeing some of my patrons return. I am glad you all made it out okay.”
“Do you recognize every patron’s face, Bartender?” Akiyama asked.
“My regulars, definitely,” he said.
“Then you’ll notice when someone’s stopped coming…how do they think they can wipe this out of our minds?!”
“They can’t! They never will!” Majima cried out.
“Majima-no-nii-san…”
“Don’t try and calm me, Kiryu-chan! Ya almost lost yer daughter!”
Kiryu sighed heavily.
“That’s right,” Akiyama said. “That arms dealer and scientist, DD…he joined forces with that Omi grunt to take revenge on Kiryu-san and all of the Tojo Clan for embarrassing the Omi Alliance years back. They tried to lure him to Kamurocho, but he sent in Haruka-chan in his stead.”
Kiryu sighed again. “I…I will never forgive myself. They only infected the city because I hadn’t showed up. One of your men, Nagahama Tomoaki…he’s dead because of me.”
Majima made a tiny sound. “It’s okay. He’s in a better place, Kiryu-chan.”
“And Hayashi. I never…this was all my fault.”
“Heh, thought ya’d be glad he’s dead.”
“Nii-san, I’d never—!”
“I know, I know. You never hold a grudge against people who have wronged you. That’s what makes you so sweet, Kiryu-chan. But I know how it feels. That cop…Asakura…”
“I recognize the name. He was always giving you a hard time. Did he also…?”
“Yeah. His wife and son were there too. Kumiko and Kyoichi. Never going to forget their names. I was with them. He…you know. I had to do it.”
“His son saw it?”
“Partly…yes.”
Kiryu sighed heavily again. “All my fault. I should have come to Kamurocho. None of this would have happened. Haruka wouldn’t have been held hostage—”
“Ya didn’t know,” Majima said. “Haruka-chan’s safe now. That’s the most important thing.”
“Everyone! We need to be forgetting this!” Date cried out.
“Ya saying it’ll be easy to forget the time ya almost lost yer child?!” Majima retorted. “Yer lucky yer own Saya-chan wasn’t in the city when this started!”
“I understand how harrowing and seemingly impossible this request is,” Kiryu said after some time. “But Date-san is right. We should try to forget. Although…I cannot begin to describe the shock of recognizing some who have perished. Aoki, Tamura, Morita…”
“Ibuki,” Majima added bitterly. “Now all of the Honest Living Association’s gone to shit!”
Kiryu sighed. “And Arase…”
“Didn’t he partner up with ya? Ya went on some missions together! I saw ya!”
“We did…and it seemed he was turning over a new leaf. But then he ran off alone. I found a torn bit from his coat later. The same red color and everything. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead.”
“Well let’s just think positively and hope the fucker’s dead!”
“Nii-san!” Kiryu cried out while Date sighed heavily and Akiyama laughed at the same time.
“Can’t believe all these people are going to be wiped from our memories,” Akiyama said. “A huge part of our lives soon to be ripped off forever…”
“I do not enjoy these sessions either,” Kiryu said. “And there are still so many questions I have. Ryuji…was that really him?”
“Lil fuck’s sure has come a long way from his pants-stealin’ days in the 80s,” Majima said.
“Excuse me?” Date said. Shiro imagined him giving Majima the most perplexed look.
“We need to undergo these sessions for the sake of keeping things in order…as much as I hate to agree to it…” Kiryu said. “It’s for everyone’s safety. For our loved ones.” His voice quavered. “I never thought a day would come when I would have to shoot a gun…”
Majima cackled. “Ya didn’t shoot at anyone breathin’, Kiryu-chan!”
Outside, the kids exchanged looks. What did Majima mean by that? Who did Kiryu shoot at? Was he going to get arrested? What was going on?!
Just then a military tank rolled by and halted to a stop. Immediately everyone pretended they were collecting cans and other litter around the area. A woman in a low ponytail stepped out and regarded the children with an eyebrow raised. Shiro chanced a glance and found her vaguely familiar. She looked as though she was about to shoo them away but then decided against it. A man with a glass eye and salt and pepper hair joined her. He wasn’t in military garb but he did wear a pendant around his neck. Shivers ran up Shiro’s spine.
Without another word, the woman opened the door of Bantam and disappeared inside.
In Bantam Akiyama was saying, “I still can’t believe how they managed to rebuild Kamurocho so fast.”
“New Serena looks good as new,” Date said.
“It’s like we had stepped out of an alternate dimension…” Kiryu added. “Or it was some sort of weird dream…”
“Because that’s precisely what’s going on!” the woman said commandingly to the room. “It’s a dream! A vivid and strange dream every one of you had! You will speak nothing of it to anyone but keep this dream to yourself! Haven’t you been doing your exercises?”
“Yer late, Asagi-chan,” Majima chuckled darkly.
Shiro gasped softly. So that’s why the woman appeared familiar! She had to be Asagi Misuzu, Mieko’s mother.
“We’re all performing our exercises as you’ve instructed, Asagi-san” Date said. “The girl included. Events such as this can’t just be easily forgotten, you know.”
“And ya sure it won’t have any consequences on our brains later?” Majima said. “Not likin’ the idea of turnin’ my noodles into oodles of mush.”
“Traumatic memories can be deeply repressed and even altered until the individual questions the authenticity of the events,” Asagi went on. “Ishiguro is here today to guide you.”
Grumblings followed.
“Come on!” Asagi snapped. “We have the rest of Kamurocho to get through! And you very well know the repercussions should any of the past month leak to the public!”
“Please be gentle with them, Asagi-san,” the bartender begged. “I must say, the sessions do take a heavy toll on the mind…”
“There’s much at stake!” Asagi said. “Widespread panic would be disastrous for the entire country! Especially now that we’ve neutralized the threat.”
“Speaking of,” Akiyama said, “the formula…you know…it was destroyed, wasn’t it?”
Asagi sighed heavily. “You’re not supposed to remember any of this! Ishiguro!”
Low guttural chanting started up, soon followed by instructions. The five men repeated his words. Shiro imagined all five men inside locked in hypnosis, fully at Ishiguro’s command.
Creeped out, he tiptoed away from the window.
“I don’t like what I just heard,” Riona said. “What are they doing to Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro and them? What’d they do to you, Haruka?”
“Do you still remember what happened?” Izumi asked. “Was it scary?”
“What happened in Kamurocho?” Koji asked.
Shiro thought back to the video Mieko had shown him.
Haruka just shook her head. “It’s fine, guys. It’s over now. You heard Asagi-san. The formula was destroyed. This won’t happen again.”
“What won’t happen again?” Shiro asked.
“You think they could really convince Uncle Kaz all…whatever this was a dream or an alternate dimension?” Taichi laughed.
“That’s not too far-fetched,” came a voice as Eri suddenly appeared around the corner and approached them.
“Huh, Eri?” Mitsuo said. “Wait, you weren’t with us the whole time?”
Eri shook her head. “I went exploring elsewhere while you chased after Uncle Kaz.”
Haruka gasped and blanched as her hands flew to her mouth in realization that she had completely missed Eri’s presence. “Eri! You should have stayed with us!”
“Did something catch your eye?” Shiro asked.
“Well, I kept seeing those military tanks everywhere,” Eri said. “I wanted to see if I could find out more, and I figured one small person would be easier to hide than all nine of us. So I followed the trail for any leads.”
“Did you find anything?” Riona asked.
Haruka motioned for everyone away from Bantam. She led them to a nearby Wild Jackson’s. Huddled around a round table, they filled Eri in on what they overheard from Kiryu and Majima. Eri continued with her story.
“So it was not much, really,” Eri said. “Other soldiers are doing what this lady is doing right now: brainwashing people into thinking whatever happened one month ago was all a dream or some bullshit.”
“Language!” Ayako gasped.
“So I kept traveling through back alleys where they couldn’t see me, and I found myself in a street east of South Senryo Avenue.”
Haruka’s face pinked. “Eri, that place’s dangerous! Children shouldn’t go there!”
“Don’t you mean Pink Street?” Eri said.
“What’s wrong with Pink Street?” Mitsuo asked.
“That street has a gate that looks like a woman spreading her—”
“Anyway!” Haruka loudly interjected. “What did you find on Senryo Avenue?”
Eri frowned. “Well, there weren’t much going on. I saw a building with the word ‘Kurogane’ over it, and…I don’t know, there was a strange air about it. Can’t exactly explain what it was. So I snuck inside, and I was surprised by what I saw.”
The other kids glanced over their shoulders. The lone cashier was busy tidying up the place. The fast food joint was empty aside from them.
“What’d you see?” Mitsuo asked.
“There were body parts all around—not flesh and bone!” Eri added hastily at the look of horror that crossed everyone’s faces. “They were robot parts, like the kind you see on TV!”
“Like cybernetic arms and legs?” Taichi asked. Eri nodded.
“Prosthetics?” Ayako said.
Eri nodded again. “Yeah, like that. But they looked like weapons. Not something you could just slip on and just use from day to day. And there were all sorts of strange weapons. Guns that could—what’s the word? Dematerialize…
“The owner of the shop was on the phone with someone, one of his clients. I didn’t hear everything they said, but it sounds like the Gunsmith—that’s what the client called the owner—made this weird gun for Uncle Kaz.”
Everyone grew quiet for a few moments.
“Uncle Kaz did say something about a gun,” Riona said. “Do you know anything about that, Haruka?”
Haruka gulped audibly.
“The Gunsmith wasn’t planning on turning Uncle Kaz into a cyborg, was he?”
“No, doubt that’s the case,” Shiro said. “Why would he? Uncle Kaz doesn’t need a new arm.” Then again, that Ryuji person didn’t seem to need a new arm either, and Kiryu and Majima seemed perplexed as to why Ryuji was walking around with one. Then again, they seemed surprised to even have seen him, period. Why was that? Was he someone who had died? Or possibly someone they thought had died?
Goosebumps ran over his arm.
“And that isn’t all,” Eri continued. “I…I know this district. Back when my parents and I lived nearby. I’m familiar with that street. This shop didn’t exist years ago.”
“Well, things change quickly in Kamurocho,” Haruka began.
“No,” Eri said firmly. “That’s not what I mean. The sort of technology I saw inside that place. It doesn’t belong here. None of this feels real. It’s like we had just crossed into a parallel universe…”
The shivers started again. Shops that appeared out of nowhere. Technologies that shouldn’t exist. His loved ones being brainwashed out of their recent memories. Strange videos appearing in sketchy corners of the internet showing Kamurocho in shambles and disturbing sounds oozing from tall barricades…
And talks behind closed doors of mysterious assassins, of a clan that operated in the shadows…
There was more out there in the universe, and the thought of that chilled Shiro down to the bone.
“Why’re we back here?” Taichi groaned. The following morning they enjoyed a quick breakfast before Kiryu and Majima whisked them back to the mall.
“There’s no media people today,” Ayako said. “We can at least enjoy ourselves at our own pace.”
With no good reason to protest, the kids broke away into groups. Shiro took his time to enjoy the science shop this time around. After all, Majima went through the effort to include one just for him.
But soon enough Shiro grew tired of the mall. There weren’t many other places that interested him. He checked out the electronics store to see how far technology has come but that was the extent of it. Kiryu spoke of getting new phones for the eldest kids who were soon going to graduate from junior high school. That was despite the financial strain three phones were going to put on him, and Shiro suspected Majima was helping to foot the bill as a joint gift. It would be years, if ever, that Shiro himself could ever afford a phone.
He located Eri, Mitsuo, and Izumi at the far east wing of the mall, all looking around idly and just as bored as him.
“You’re not with Riona?” Shiro asked.
Mitsuo made a face. “I was, but Riona kept ogling at the same dress for an hour and I nearly died just standing at the same spot. Doubt she even noticed me leaving…”
“Mitsuo!” Shiro gasped. “That’s a little mean.”
“Ayako’s near her, so she’ll be fine.”
Izumi gave an exaggerated yawn. “Do we have to stay here? I already bought all the candy I wanted.”
“There’s an arcade across the street,” Eri said. “I noticed it on the way here.”
“We already tried the arcade,” Mitsuo moaned.
“This one’s different,” Eri said. “It’s retro. Must have games from way before we were born. Like, way before.”
Shiro met his siblings’ gazes. Should they venture out of the Kamurocho Hill’s grounds? Would Kiryu and Majima get upset?
“We can’t be away for too long,” Mitsuo said. As he was the eldest among the group gathered, it was up to him to decide. “Remember we’re to meet back with Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro in a half an hour at the food court.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Eri said. She was already rushing out of the nearest exit, Izumi hot on her heels and grinning from ear to ear, ecstatic for the new adventure. They crossed the wide courtyard and made it to the street. Shiro made it a point not to dwell for too long on their surroundings. It had been years, but here…wasn’t this where his parents’ murders took place?
“This way!” Eri motioned westward.
It had been raining when Majima rescued Shiro, all those years ago, yet Shiro still recognized the street they ran down. The skies suddenly turned drab and dreary, or perhaps this entire part of Kamurocho will forever be haunted.
The little arcade stood a little west to that road. A bar or two separated it from the road, and Shiro was adamant not to glance toward it.
Instead of a door there was an archway, and at the far end of the foray was a blue and pink neon signage: ⭐︎GAME シャルル⭐︎
Game Center Charles.
There was also a neon arrow pointing down, so the kids followed it down to the arcade. To their right was an elevator, presumably to other businesses or even the owner’s apartment.
Sure enough, Charles was full of the sort of first generation arcade games that were hardly seen in SEGA game centers. A machine off to the side exchanged yen for arcade coins. There were also capsule vending machines displaying cheap-looking sea creatures as prizes. A couple of the glass cabinets were cracked, but Shiro suspected it had nothing to do with the general rundown aesthetic of the place.
The arcade was completely empty. The kids took it as an invitation to have all the fun they wanted at their leisure—except for Shiro.
The smell of expensive leather and cigarette smoke, a badly-hidden bullet hole in the wall, and what Shiro hoped was a water mark and not dried blood…
“Um, guys…” Shiro began softly, his throat tightening again.
“Come on, Shiro, we still have time!” Eri said.
Shiro shook his head. How could Eri herself be calm about this? Sure, Game Center Charles was a legitimate business, but it was clearly also a front for a yakuza family.
And sure enough, Shiro soon heard them.
“How’re we going to deal with him, Aniki?” The voice came behind the Employee’s Only back room. The man admittedly didn’t sound too much like a yakuza, but Shiro wasn’t going to let his guard down this easily.
“Just leave it to me, Higashi!” the aniki in question laughed, his voice boisterous and masculine. “I’m Captain, aren’t I?”
Yep, definitely yakuza…
Just then the backdoor flew wide open and two men stepped out. The first, a large gorilla-like man wearing an outdated shirt that revealed a massive muscular chest, peered around at the kids and his eyes grew wide before the biggest dumb smile spread across his face. The other man behind him was a meek bespectacled fellow, the tiniest chinpira Shiro had ever seen. His hair was slicked back and he wore a light grey suit, the very opposite of his captain’s loud attire.
Everyone froze in anticipation, taking in the sheer size of the gorilla-man, when he suddenly gave the heartiest and warmest laugh.
“Hey, Higashi! Why didn’t you tell me there were rugrats here!”
And after introducing himself as Kaito Masaharu, Kaito proceeded to impress Mitsuo, Eri, and Izumi with his arcade skills. Meanwhile Higashi paced about the arcade, muttering in constant fear about a Hamura soon approaching.
Shiro had no idea who this Hamura was, but he could take an educated guess that this involved yakuza business and they shouldn’t be here to witness this. He tried to meet his siblings’ gazes to warn them, and in the end it was Eri who took notice of him.
Thankfully, she understood. She too, after all, had experience with the yakuza.
With a loud yawn, she stretched in front of the arcade cabinet she had been playing on.
“I’m hungry! And I’m getting sick of this stupid game!” she said in a bratty voice.
“Ah, but you’re doing really well!” Kaito said. He may look scary, but he was dumb and he was nice at the very least. Shiro had to give him credit for that.
“Oh, damn!” Mitsuo gasped. “We’re so late—Ojisan’s gonna wonder where we are!”
“Can we pleeease come back?” Izumi begged.
“Of course,” Shiro said, desperate to pull everyone out of there. “But we can’t make Ojisan worried, not after what happened with Haruka.” Despite the story they kept feeding the kids, none of them believed that Haruka had been secretly helping Majima with the mall’s grand opening, but they decided to just let it go for now. Whenever, and if ever, they decided to tell them, they would.
Mitsuo and Eri ran out first, with Izumi complaining behind them the whole way, boasting about her new high score. Shiro, naturally the slowest at running among his siblings, was last despite being the first to want to get out of there.
Stupid stairs he thought as he ran up, squeezing his eyes shut, almost reaching the top, hit the ground, turned a corner, and—ran smack into someone.
Substory #32 — A Shark’s Pride
“Ow!” Shiro cried out as he fell back onto the walkway. Recovering quickly, he peered up and his eyes widened.
He had run into a man around his forties. He was dressed in a clean, crisp white suit, and with his hair slicked back and the expensive golden watch there was no mistaking what and who he was.
The man sneered down at Shiro and gave a little chuckle.
“Aren’t you a cute little tyke?” he said. He held out his hand to help Shiro up, but Shiro pushed himself with his own elbows. Accept help from a yakuza, then they’ll take it to mean you owe them a favor. And the favors will never stop piling up. But don’t insult or offend a yakuza either.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Shiro said, keeping his head bowed in apology. “I was already getting up. You don’t need to bother yourself for my clumsiness.”
The older man chuckled again. He pulled out a thousand yen note from his wallet. “What wonderful manners! Here, take this. Enjoy yourself.” He motioned to Game Center Charles. “This arcade’s got some really fun games for lil’ ones like you.”
Shiro just stared at him, frozen on the spot. Not taking the yen note would disrespect and anger him for sure, but taking the yen note would doom Shiro as well. How does he get out of this?
The yakuza must have sensed Shiro’s hesitation, because his shrewd eyes bore down on him. “Well? Does my gift offend you in any way? Is it perhaps too meager to your liking?”
“N-n-no, it’s not like that, sir! It’s just—”
“Yo! He doesn’t want your money!” Shiro’s heart lightened at the sound of Kiryu’s voice booming across the street. Within moments he and Majima surrounded the yakuza.
“Aren’t ya Hamura Kyohei?” Majima said, scrutinizing the aforementioned Hamura. “Ya are! Guy from that two-bit Matsugane Family. How many times had I saved yer asses a month ago? Is that all I’m getting as compensation? A thousand yen?! Ya know I nearly died defending this forsaken city!”
Majima plucked the yen note right out of Hamura’s hand. Hamura glowered at Majima and spun around to say something, only to find himself nose to nose with Kiryu. They glared at one another silently, but Shiro could tell Hamura was no match. Transfixed, he watched as Hamura stood his ground, a shark’s pride against the legendary dragon.
At some point, Shiro felt Majima’s arms wrap around him, and before he knew it, he was whisked away.
“Ya know, Shiro…” Majima groaned playfully after putting distance between themselves and the duel. “Yer getting too big for me.”
Snapping back to reality, Shiro giggled and set himself back down. “Sorry, Uncle Goro. I hope we didn’t worry you too much.”
“We were frantic,” Majima said. “Ya four were missing, and then ya didn’t show up at all!”
Shiro bowed his head. They shouldn’t have gone out of the mall at all.
“Did ya smear him against the pavement, Kiryu-chan?” Majima chuckled with anticipated admiration as Kiryu joined them.
Kiryu shook his head as he drew up a cigarette and lit it. “He caved once you two were out of earshot.”
Majima laughed. “That man’s all talk. His punches tickle more than anything. Can’t believe he used to be a boxer.”
“Did he now?” The two kept strolling the length of Kamurocho Hills, and not wanting to bother them, Shiro walked behind them. Majima went on to give Kiryu some more details about Hamura Kyohei and the Matsugane Family. Meanwhile, Shiro kept thinking back to a few things Majima had let slip earlier.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have been too hard on ‘im,” Majima was saying. “A number of Matsugane guys bit the dust last month. Gonna be a royal pain convincing whole yakuza families that was all just a dream, especially the smaller families. What, did they just hallucinate up those members? Died in a rival gang shootout? Guess that makes sense, but that’s only gonna fuel more fights in the future.”
“I’m just glad Haruka and you are safe—especially after your scare.”
Shiro inched closer.
“Yeah, thought I was a goner too…” Majima rubbed a spot on his arm. “Thank you, Kiryu-chan.”
“For what?”
“Promising to shoot me if it came to that.”
“I wouldn’t want to see you suffer, Majima-no-nii-san…as much as pulling that trigger would have ended me too.”
“Ya fuckin’ sap. Who’d think it’d turn out to be just some old geezer with dentures—ha! I’ve been working my ass off so long I nearly forgot what season it was. Forgot how red and watery my eye gets during allergy season.”
“I searched through the rubble to find you after it was all over,” Kiryu added. “Imagine my relief.”
Majima laughed. “I was still in the sauna with nothing but a towel on—not that that remained on for long once we saw each other—haha!”
Shiro grinned as he imagined Kiryu comically rushing to squeeze Majima in a bear hug, and his towel flying off in the process. How silly he must have looked!
Wait…hold on…Shiro frowned. Majima thought he was going to die after being bitten by another human…? Asking Kiryu to shoot him “if it came to that”? Red eye?
He gasped and froze on the spot as it suddenly all made sense. Kiryu and Majima suddenly stopped and turned, smiling at him.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to ignore ya there, Shiro-chan,” Majima said.
“Apologies,” Kiryu said with a nod. “You can pick today’s lunch. We can get anything from Kamurocho. Doesn’t have to be from the food court.”
“We can even go to the movies,” Majima said. “Though not the usual stuff…I haven’t had much appetite for them recently.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah…something about them leave a bad taste in my mouth, ya know? I’ve been enjoying pirate movies recently, though. That reminds me, Kiryu-chan. Ya should see this pirate coat I bought from the mall earlier. It’s red and it’s hat is black and massive. We should go karaoke with this.”
“Why am I not surprised, Majima-no-nii-san…”
They continued to talk and banter, but all Shiro could do was stare beyond their shoulders.
There, behind them a nearby shop displayed a movie advertisement of an upcoming zombie flick.
You received a Soulmate Stamp!
Soulmate Stamp — Dead Souls Edition
What a beautiful stamp to add to your collection. Art by Brahkest
Input the code NXQ inside cell J27 of the tab labeled “Soulmate Stamps” in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Substory #32 — A Shark’s Pride **COMPLETED**
The Gunsmith glanced up as two individuals walked into his shop.
“Kaori! Isamu! What’re ya kids doing here?” he asked.
“We knew you had to be around,” Kaori said cheerfully, “especially after we ran into a man with a bionic arm.”
The Gunsmith grinned. “Yeah. Well? What of it? That arm helped keep him alive, didn’t it? Saved yer brother’s life when he was trapped in the quarantine zone.”
“And we’re thankful for that,” Isamu said with a bow.
“Still,” Kaori said as she crossed her arms in a contemplative air. “That man has caused a stir in all this mess. Apparently he has run into his old associates. Gave them a fright. They are unsure if he was supposed to have died or not.”
The Gunsmith snorted. “Good. That’ll get everyone questioning whether what they had seen was real or not. They’re supposed to be forgetting everything, shouldn’t they? That’s what the lovely SDF are after.”
“Gunsmith…Father…” Kaori sighed heavily. “We came too close this time around. I was wrong to change my appearance based on a pretty woman I saw around here years ago…I chose her because I thought I could slip by unnoticed. Her sole relation in Kamurocho had passed away. But in the last month I’ve had to lie to keep our real past, and our real identities, hidden. That man, this Goda Ryuji…he recognized me. He almost mistook me for his sister! I had changed my appearance into his own sister!” She sighed heavily. “Now I don’t know if I had really met Goda Ryuji myself or if he…what was he, even, Father? What reality did he come from?”
For a while, the Gunsmith did not respond.
“Father?” Kaori ventured again. “Tell me. Did Goda Ryuji really survive the fight with the Legendary Dragon Kiryu Kazuma, or is he from…?”
The Gunsmith raised his hand. “Humans have short memories, Daughter. Their minds favor the mundane and reject what they perceive as the extraordinary. Soon everyone will forget and deny anything out of the ordinary that had happened in Kamurocho, including fighting alongside Goda Ryuji and a woman named Sonoya Kaori. You are still safe, child.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to protect Kamurocho from the sidelines, as we have done for the past ten thousand years.”
“I do hope you’re right,” Kaori said heavily as she flopped down on a chair near the Gunsmith. She glanced up at her younger brother who was busy studying the name of the building.
“Isamu?” she said.
“Kurogane…” Isamu said under his breath. “Speaking of changes, I’ve been considering changing my surname before I move out.”
“You’re not sticking with Sonoya?” the Gunsmith asked.
Isamu shook his head. “Call it a gut feeling, but I feel I need to shed the surname for now. I’ve been trying to think of something for the next stage…”
“The next stage?” Kaori frowned. “So you’ve already moved on to phase two?”
Isamu chuckled. “Give it about four or five years, but yeah. Can’t shake the feeling that I need a better name. You know, to rid myself of this scandal, should anyone come sniffing about.”
Understanding what he was referring to, the Gunsmith and Kaori nodded in understanding.
“Do you have any particular new name in mind?” Kaori asked.
“In a way…yes,” Isamu said. “I’ve been dreaming of swamps a lot as of late…I do not know the meaning of it, but I see them alongside the shuttle. It is part of my destiny and the legacy I will leave behind. For that I feel I must adopt this new name.”
Glancing back at the characters that made up the name Kurogane Building, Isamu approached, and underneath it he wrote out his new full name.
Notes:
While Dead Souls is officially considered just a spin off and non-canon by RGG Studio, it has some of the best character moments in the franchise. And Kiryu does “remember” the events of this game in Infinite Wealth as some sort of dream, so I decided he had residual memory left from all the memory wipe sessions.
Notice the references to pirates? ;) Heh, we do have the option of dressing Majima as a pirate in Dead Souls, so I went with it here. How are you all enjoying the new game? I’m loving it! As for whether I will use it for this fic, let’s just say I see a nice spot I can squeeze it in. 💕 Which makes me happy as Yokoyama did consider Gaiden, IW, and Pirate one trilogy, and I’m happy to say it fits into my fic really well! Let’s go! 💕
This chapter earns you a trophy! Was It All A Dream? Click on B16 in "Trophies" of your Activity Log.
Next chapter will be up on Wednesday, March 26! 💕
Chapter 18: IV.4 The Wedding of Takashi and Kyoka
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: The Wedding of Takashi and Kyoka
The following morning the entire family was taken to visit Grandpa Kichiro. Kiryu and Majima had some business near the area and were both dressed nicely for the day. Kiryu mentioned it would be a good chance for Shiro to visit his grandfather, being in the area and all. Catching wind of that, Taichi jumped on the chance.
“We’ll all go! We’ll visit your grandpa with you, Shiro! If you’re okay with that, of course,” he added sheepishly.
Shiro recalled that out of everyone, barring the unknown fate of Koji’s family, no one else had any blood relation outside of Morning Glory. He agreed to it, as long as it was okay with Grandpa Kichiro.
Grandpa Kichiro was all too pleased to open his doors to nine kids, Kiryu, and Majima.
“My, this is the liveliest this house has ever been!” he said cheerfully as he pulled out all of his prized tea sets for his guests.
“Shirogane-san,” Koji said brightly. “Are these all your art?! Wow, you must be famous!”
“Oh, I’m a nobody!” Grandpa Kichiro laughed and waved one hand in front of his face.
“These are so beautiful, Shirogane-san,” Ayako said. “When did you begin painting? Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?”
Grandpa Kichiro kept the kids entertained with his life’s story while Kiryu and Majima were off on whatever business they had in the area. Shiro recalled that this region was once Kurosu turf before it was taken over by the Saejima Family. Saejima himself was now in prison serving a sentence to cleanse his name at Kiryu’s request. Who took over for him in his place? The Saejima captain? Not that Shiro really understood much about yakuza hierarchy nor wanted to pry. He was just glad to get away from Kamurocho for a while.
Some time later Kiryu and Majima returned.
“What a day!” Majima said with a sigh. “Was kind of hard picking out a gift at such a short notice.”
“A gift? For what?” Riona asked.
Majima pressed his finger to his lips and gave what seemed to be a wink at Riona. “Secret.”
“Ah, you should have taken me!” Riona bemoaned before blushing and quickly apologizing. “Of course I greatly enjoy your company too, Shirogane-san! Please take no offense!”
“None taken!” Grandpa Kichiro laughed, waving his hand.
“It wasn’t all just shopping,” Kiryu said as Majima’s demeanor shifted. “Had to visit the last couple…well, families of colleagues.”
“Yep,” Majima said somberly. “Checking in on them, giving our condolences…saying our goodbyes.”
“Ah,” Grandpa Kichiro said with a somber nod. “The last of your men who passed?”
All of the kids quickly quieted down, and although they acted as though they were interested in their tea and treats, Shiro could tell everyone was listening intently.
Majima had over ten thousand men. Today must have been the last day he was laying the last of the casualties to rest.
“I heard it was an awful turf war,” Grandpa Kichiro went on. “Tojo and Omi men, was it? And so many civilians! I heard something about property damage.”
Shiro watched Kiryu intently who nodded solemnly. So this was the official story now?
“I am eternally grateful Majima-no-nii-san protected Haruka during the worst of it,” Kiryu said as Majima patted him on the back.
“Ya can always count on me, Kiryu-chan.”
Grandpa Kichiro chuckled. “So, have you both been to the cemetery?”
“Not yet,” Majima said. “We were checking in on some colleagues’ families at their homes. I would not mind paying their graves a visit. And I’m sure Kiryu-chan would want to visit his loved ones.”
Kiryu nodded before motioning to Haruka and Shiro. “Would you like to accompany me?”
Haruka’s eyes shone. Shiro nodded just as a sad look crossed Grandpa Kichiro’s features. He glanced at the photographs on the wall.
“It has been some time since I’ve visited dear Sachiko,” he said. “I do hope she forgives me, but these bones aren’t what they used to be.”
Everyone chipped in while reassuring Grandpa Kichiro that Sachiko definitely wasn’t offended by his absence, and that she would be more than thrilled by his visitation whenever he had the chance.
The large family bought flowers for the departed and ventured to the cemetery together. Shiro hadn’t before realized this, but his parents, Kiryu’s family, and Grandma Sachiko were all buried here. Tojo turf and former Kurosu turf, all sharing the same resting place.
His lower lip trembled as he wondered: when it came time, would Kiryu and Majima be buried separately? Majima in Tokyo and Kiryu down in Okinawa? The thought depressed him too much. They could seldom be together in life. They should at least get to rest side by side in death like any other couple.
Shiro thought this as he knelt in front of his parents’ tombs and prayed. This had to have been the first time he ever got to properly visit them. He couldn’t wander far when he was here last year with Saejima, as it was a short trip to thank his sister Saejima Yasuko.
“Don’t worry about me,” Shiro whispered to his parents, his hands clamped together in prayer. “Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro are very kind to me. I love them.”
Smiling, his eyes scanned around himself, anticipating more names with the surname “Shirogane” and was startled when, just down the row he spotted a tombstone with the characters for “Kurosu”.
But that wasn’t what disturbed Shiro the most. It were the characters for “snow” and “ear of rice” right underneath: 雪穂
黒須雪穂.
Kurosu Yukiho.
Goosebumps lining the entire length of his arms, Shiro inched toward the small black tombstone jutting out from the ground, his eyes glued to the name, the dates of birth and death—August 29, 2000 to October 23, 2007—embossed on the rock.
The chatter far behind grew muted as all of Shiro’s attention narrowed to one little spot. His hand stretch out, fingers brushing right over the name—
A hand-drawn hopscotch in the middle of the road, the tap tap of feet, the billowing of a long purple dress in the breeze, black hair whipping as tires screeched in the near distance, a van barreling straight toward him, toward her—
“Shiro? Shiro!”
Shiro’s eyes fluttered before they opened wide, the sunlight assaulting his eyes.
“Wha…what happened?” he said. He was on the ground, and all of his siblings were standing around him. Taichi’s hand was holding his head up, protecting him from the hard earth.
“I dunno, man,” Mitsuo said. “We all saw you lean into the tombstone here, and then suddenly you collapsed!”
“You’re lucky I caught you before you hit the ground,” Taichi said. “You could have hit your head real bad!”
“Did you pass out?” Haruka said. “Should I get Uncle Kaz? Are you feeling sick, Shiro?”
“I-i’m fine!” Shiro stammered as his heart clenched. His gaze kept darting back to the tombstone. “Please, guys, don’t worry the others. I’m fine. Really. I don’t know what happened.”
Eri frowned as her attention swept over to the tombstone. “Kurosu, huh?”
“Hmm?” Riona glanced from Eri to the tombstone. “You know this family, Eri-chan?”
“My dad served this girl’s father,” Eri said flatly. “And no, I never met her.”
“She died so young,” Ayako said sadly, hand on her heart as she read the dates.
“She was just seven years old…” Koji said, now noticing the words.
“I wonder what she was like,” Izumi pondered sadly as Shiro sat back up. “She’s just a little bit older than me…”
“Think she would have liked playing with us?” Mitsuo asked.
Shiro nodded. “I think she would have…Yukiho would have liked that very much.”
“Look, Shiro! We have guests!” Yukiho tugged at his wrist as she pulled him toward their gazebo. A beautiful pair of swans were taking up residence inside, preening one another and just enjoying the gentle breeze of the dreamworld.
Yukiho watched them for a bit of time, hand on her heart, as Shiro just stared, a little frown on his face.
“Yukiho…” he finally said. “I’m sorry to ask this, but…how did you die?”
Shiro propped his head up. What are they all gathered around for?
The hotel room was still dark, but that could be because the thick shades blocked the morning sun. The digital clock near him displayed 5:30 a.m. Kicking the blanket off him, Shiro crawled to where Koji, Taichi, Mitsuo, and Eri were huddled around a laptop perched on Koji’s lap.
“Hey,” Koji said in a hushed voice, motioning to Shiro to also keep his voice low.
“Where’d you get that?” Shiro asked.
“The hotel lets you rent them,” Koji said.
“Why did you rent one then?”
“Well, remember what Eri saw on our second day in Kamurocho? And then what you experienced when we went to the cemetery? Lots of spooky and supernatural stuff has been happening lately. And Taichi and I’ve been hearing rumors about what happened in Kamurocho, and well…”
He turned the laptop around so Shiro could see the screen better. His siblings had been watching what appeared to be footage shot right inside Kamurocho, but the entire city was in shambles. The SEGA game center was cracked and looked like it had long been abandoned. The streets were torn, cars lay engulfed in flames, and the theater’s windows and doors were all smashed. Rot littered the place.
There were bodies everywhere, blood and guts strewn on the roads that cars now passed through as though nothing had ever transpired. Normal civilians with guns, an unheard of thing in Japan, were shooting freely at crowds swarming toward them.
The overcast skies were thick with black and grey smoke; somewhere, a vehicle that was burning exploded as a bullet struck it, swallowing many people—or whatever they were—along with it.
The validity of the footage could have been up for debate had there not been the green barricades everywhere just like the very same ones Shiro had seen weeks back in the video clip Mieko had shown him.
His stomach churned. Just how much of Kamurocho had been impacted?
“Look here,” Eri said, pointing, and Shiro saw it too. In one of the shots there was the unmistakable flash of a snakeskin blazer as the man waved a shotgun. In another, a man in a grey suit making a dash while carrying a sort of rifle Shiro had never seen before, the kind that could only exist in science fiction…
“What’s this?” Shiro asked, swallowing thickly.
“Of the End,” Taichi answered. “Or Dead Souls. The directors never settled on a title. It was supposed to be a zombie movie by these guys named Okamura and Kudo, but the final product was scrapped.”
“The final product?” Shiro said.
Eri nodded. “The internet has all sorts of theories. Once the producers saw what the footage contained, they flat out ripped the rug from under their feet. Or the SDF hunted them down and threatened them with legal crap. Whatever the case, Okamura and Kudo never stood a chance.”
“And then their movie was rejected?” Shiro said. “Why? After they went through all that effort?”
“That’s the thing,” Mitsuo said. “People are saying this is raw footage. No CGI. No fake guns or fake blood. Do you see any green screens?”
“Of course, some skeptics think this is just a really good replica of Kamurocho,” Taichi said. “Like this is all done in a studio. But then how do you explain the raw footage quality?”
Eri smiled coyly. “And they wrapped up filming just a month ago. Pretty interesting timeline, don’t you think?”
And those were clearly Kiryu and Majima caught up in the chaos…and the green barricade…that was not from a movie…this really had happened to Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka…
Shiro couldn’t explain why this kept hitting him like a truck full of bricks.
“And these directors…they were filming inside Kamurocho while everything was happening?” Shiro said.
“And even seeking out people to shoot at the undead!” Taichi said.
Mitsuo nodded. “Kinda crazy of them, but looks like they just so happened to be at the right place at the right time, so to speak. They took the opportunity to shoot the scenes that would have otherwise cost them millions of yen.”
“Yeah, but imagine going to watch a movie and recognizing a zombie as someone you know whose death was ruled a mystery,” Koji said. “Poor planning on their part.”
“When you put it that way, I can see why the movie was scrapped,” Shiro said.
“Those bad dead people aren’t going to come back, are they?” Izumi asked.
“As long as you give me your candy when I ask nicely, I won’t let them attack you,” Eri said as she patted Izumi’s arm. Izumi gave a tiny muffled scream into her hand.
Shiro stared back at the footage. Right now Kiryu and Majima, and virtually everyone who was in Kamurocho one month ago, were being brainwashed into believing no zombie apocalypse had taken place. And yet, evidence still survived…
“How did this end up on the internet?” Shiro asked.
“How could it not?” Koji said. “Hundreds if not thousands of people pass by Kamurocho each day. There are people with loved ones who are now dead or missing with no idea of what happened to them. The SDF can’t possibly brainwash everyone.”
“And there’ll always be skeptics,” Taichi added with a sagely nod.
“Yeah, you got the skeptics,” Koji said. “They’re not accepting the official story, and they’ve been a problem for the SDF. There are still others out there trying to figure out what the hell happened to their loved ones. And here comes the story of two men whose movie was dropped for unknown reasons, and how interesting that it just so happens to be a movie set in Kamurocho with a rather peculiar premise.”
“I hope this blows up,” Eri said. “I want to see the Prime Minister address this. I want to see him squirm as he acknowledges all those deaths he’s sweeping under the rug—”
“What are you looking at over there?” Ayako asked brightly as she popped out from nowhere.
Jumping out of his skin, Koji immediately slammed the laptop shut. “Oh, nothing! I was just showing everyone some stupid drama unfolding with this high school baseball player.”
“Oh? Really? I don’t like drama—what’s it about?”
“N-nothing, really!”
Ayako placed her hands on her hips and regarded everyone suspiciously. “Koji, you weren’t showing them—”
“It wasn’t anything like that, Nee-san!” Taichi immediately shot back, red-faced. Shiro gave Eri a confused look that she did not mirror; instead a sly smirk crossed her face as she attempted to hide it.
“Good morning, everyone!” Riona greeted as she strolled up to them, whipping back her long hair.
“Riona! You look radiant this fine morning,” Mitsuo said. Everyone around him groaned, except for Riona herself who positively glowed at the compliment.
“Thank you, thank you!” Riona beamed. “I have to look my best for the wedding we’re going to attend tomorrow.”
“Wait—wedding?!” everyone cried out.
It wasn’t until breakfast that the kids could get any sort of information on this upcoming event. Majima had joined them for the morning, as he had been doing every day since they arrived at Kamurocho. Nothing had been said to them about a wedding, so the kids hounded Kiryu for more information.
“Who’s getting married, Uncle Kaz?” Taichi asked.
“Is it you and Uncle Goro?” Izumi asked hopefully.
Majima laughed with a hand over his heart, charmed and touched at once. “Ya really gunnin’ for us hitchin’ it!”
Kiryu’s cheeks reddened. “No, Izumi, Majima-no-nii-san and I are not the ones getting married. They are a young couple I’ve helped out a few times in the past.”
“Do we know them?” Mitsuo asked.
Kiryu shook his head. “They are Tokyoites. Shiratori Takashi and Atobe Kyoka. Kyoka is the daughter of a yakuza patriarch based in Asakusa. Takashi is the son of a former cop.”
“A yakuza and a cop?” Eri said incredulously.
“Oh, that sounds like such a romantic story!” Riona sighed.
“Not just any former cop either,” Majima said, “but one who now runs a giant underground informant network.”
“Underground informant network?” Taichi said. “Oh! The one in Purgatory?”
“Wait…does that mean that cop’s corrupted?” Eri said with a cheeky grin as Riona’s dreamy smile popped.
Majima grinned while Kiryu shook his head, really not wanting his children to get more involved in that world. “The very same. We only know him as the Florist of Sai.”
He told the children about how the Florist of Sai and Patriarch Atobe used to be enemies, but the two men had come to a truce because their children had fallen in love.
“Patriarch Atobe watched over his daughter in the Florist’s surveillance room?” Riona said, the dreamy look back on her face. Even Eri had to admit that was sweet.
Majima took over to tell the children about how the Florist used to operate. He used to sell police intel and deliver them tucked away in a bouquet of flowers, hence how he got his moniker. The cop who sacked the Florist over these backdoor deals was none other than Date Makoto. After that, the Florist set up Purgatory, an entire city underneath Kamurocho that did not adhere to most of its rules. There was gambling, fighting, and other places of pleasure. And of course, the Florist kept his service of surveillance and intel-gathering.
Despite Date being the reason he lost his job on the force, no bad blood existed between Date and the Florist. The men continued to work together.
“I first met Takashi while helping out the Florist,” Kiryu said. “The Florist called me to check in on the two teens. They were hanging out in the batting center. Turns out they were trying to elope, and Kyoka had stolen an entire suitcase of money from her father. Naturally, her old man thought she was being manipulated by Takashi and sent his men and one of the local gangs after them, the same gang who Takashi was once part of. They were chased all over Kamurocho. Eventually I found them in a dance club at Theater Square and settled the matter.”
“With your fists, right?” Taichi said with a big grin.
“Part of it involved that,” Kiryu said with a nod. “But mostly it was Patriarch Atobe’s own words, penned in a letter, that drew his men back. He offered his blessing to the couple in this manner. From what I understand, both he and the Florist have come to a truce.”
“Kiryu-chan and I have used the Florist numerous times over the years since then, haven’t we?” Majima said. Kiryu nodded. “If we’re in a jam we can normally pinpoint where to go next to stop some foe. That’s how I found out where ya were fighting Lau Ka Long.”
“That’s how I found out your men kidnapped Haruka years ago,” Kiryu said.
“Those were Shimano’s men,” Majima reminded him. “And then I kidnapped her from Shimano to deliver back to you.”
“But not without first a fight, right?” Kiryu glared at him. The kids all laughed. “Thank you for that. You got my nerves all rattled over Haruka, and in the end you nearly died taking a blade for me.”
“You keep thankin’ me for that. It was nothin’!” Majima turned and grinned at the kids. “Can ya believe this fool kept apologizin’ and thankin’ me for a year after that incident?”
“Aww, because he loves you!” Riona said.
“You got hurt like Uncle Kaz too, Uncle Goro?” Izumi asked.
Majima waved his hand. “Anything for my Kiryu-chan! In the end, everything worked out, didn’t it?”
The others agreed.
“And the story of Takashi and Kyoka is so romantic!” Riona squeed.
“Like something outta a Shakespeare play, eh?” Majima chuckled. Next to him Kiryu gave a wry smile.
“Takashi didn’t know much about his father for the longest time,” Kiryu added. “He did not even know his father was the Florist. In fact, his surname was his mother’s. I was invited to their wedding a little over a year ago. I’ve known the couple for about six years now.”
The wedding would be held tomorrow, and to the children’s disappointment, the media outlet would be out in full force once more.
“I thought they got everything they wanted!” Koji complained.
Kiryu sighed. “I know you must be tired of them, but when they heard that a wedding was set to occur soon and we were invited, they imposed themselves on us.”
Shiro made a face. The last few days had been heaven-sent without the media breathing down his neck. Despite the strange vision at the cemetery, the rest of the visit with Grandpa Kichiro was pleasant and peaceful. Majima had taken them all to the movies, and they had dined later.
It was so nice to be away from the eyes of the public and just be a family: his loving parents Kiryu and Majima, his gentle and sweet grandfather, and his eight wonderful and energetic siblings.
And now this was happening. Shiro didn’t mind going to a wedding. He had never been to one before, but he would have liked going to one without cameras scrutinizing his every move.
The same sentiment wasn’t shared with everyone, though.
Riona tugged on Majima’s arm.
“Will you be going as Auntie Goromi?” she asked hopefully. Majima’s face grew beet red before chuckling nervously and patting her head.
“Don’t wanna outshine the bride!” he said. “But Auntie Goromi would be pleased to buy you the prettiest dress for the wedding!”
Riona beamed. “Then I’ll be outshining the bride!”
“‘Course ya will!”
Shiro wasn’t looking forward to the wedding, but seeing that Majima had bought everyone their suit and dresses, given the current economy, silenced any complaint. This wedding was clearly important for Kiryu enough that he didn’t care if cameras were going to be pointed at them. So Shiro had to just suck it up. One more day. It was just one more day, and the bride and groom were clearly important people to Kiryu. He had to do this for Kiryu.
Shiratori Takashi and Atobe Kyoka had a Shinto-styled wedding, performed by a Shinto priest and held privately with only their close family to bear witness. It was the only place where the cameras would not reach them.
The wedding reception meanwhile was held at a large banquet hall in Tokyo near Kamurocho. Here was where all the cameras were at the ready, but with all music, dancing, and live chatter, any media personnel melted into the background. It should have put Shiro’s mind at ease not seeing them, but instead he felt he was always being watched, like a prey being stalked by a tiger hiding in tall grass.
As it just so happened, things weren’t that bad.
Kiryu pointed out the Florist of Sai, Takashi’s father, to the children. Last year Takashi had gone searching for any information about his father. Kyoka had just recently become pregnant at the time, and they got engaged soon after. But there was no one from Takashi’s family to invite, as his mother had passed away a long time ago, so Takashi wanted to find his father to invite. The Florist had sent him information regarding his father on a card tied to a bouquet of flowers, his trademark method of passing along information, but for the first time the information was inaccurate. It simply informed Takashi that his father had died.
However, Takashi noticed that the flowers were exactly the same ones left on his mother’s grave every year, the same sort she always loved. How would the Florist know this? Putting two and two together, he figured out the truth about the Florist.
Dotted all around the reception area were the flowers that so connected the Shiratori family: yellow daylillies, violet irises, and star magnolia. Accompanying the flowers were small statues of swans, the Shiratori namesake, adorned with the Atobe family crest.
Apparently it had taken a lot of convincing to get the Florist to attend. The situation last month must have been a wake-up call for him, Majima said, despite the fact that the bride and groom were far away from danger.
“Ya never know when and how quickly everything could turn on its head,” Shiro caught Majima mumbling, and wondered if deep down he still remembered what truly happened in the district.
Takashi and Kyoka themselves came over to their table to thank Kiryu for coming to their wedding, and they were very pleased to see all of the children that had come to bless their wedding day with their presence. Kyoka smiled, radiant in her traditional wedding kimono. Riona couldn’t tear her eyes off her. Behind Kyoka her very proud father, Patriarch Atobe, carried their baby, his first grandchild. Kyoka had the child just a few months prior to the wedding, Shiro learned.
Meals included the most impressive display of sushi Shiro had ever seen or tasted. Sushi wasn’t common in Okinawa, and Shiro couldn’t recall the last time he had eaten these particular kinds of fish and other delicacies. Taichi looked like he was in heaven, spoiled for choice and unsure where to even start.
Two tables were taken up to seat everyone from Morning Glory. Sitting with Shiro were Date Makoto and his wife who he introduced as Mariko, the co-owner of New Serena. Akiyama was also present, and with him was his secretary named Hana. A pudgy woman with a firecracker personality, she and Mariko must have made prior plans to wear matching dresses and style their hair similarly. Shiro caught Majima throwing them longing glances and knew he wished Goromi could have joined in. They were both rocking this look, and Shiro could only imagine what a trio they would be if Goromi was in their midst.
Whenever Hana spoke, Akiyama would place his arm around her shoulders protectively, and his eyes would mist up.
“He almost lost Hana last month,” Haruka explained to Shiro in a whisper.
“In that big Tojo-Omi standoff?” Shiro said, referencing whatever current official story was being used by the media.
Haruka bit her lower lip and said no more.
Shiro turned back to Akiyama and Hana. So this…zombie attack had left imprints in their minds, even if they were actively brainwashed from it. Akiyama may not recall the true details, but all he knew was that he had almost lost Hana, and the thought of that made him hold her tighter.
Kind of sweet, if not for the brainwashing part.
The kids watched as couples soon took to the center stage to dance. The first, as per tradition, were Takashi and Kyoka, stepping into the limelight shyly in front of everyone. Majima and Akiyama cheered them on, and the kids all called out encouragements and clapped, which put a smile on the young couples’ faces.
They danced to their satisfaction until Kyoka decided she wanted to hold her young child who was getting fussy in their grandfather’s arms. The Florist sat next to Patriarch Atobe conversing like old friends, but the baby only wanted to be with Kyoka. Seeing that made Shiro suddenly recall rushing to his mother’s arms, a mere toddler himself at the time, and he pushed the memory away, wiping away a tear.
Others soon poured onto the dance floor, including Date and his wife, and not far behind them were Akiyama and Hana. Taichi watched the dance floor longingly, and Shiro wondered if he was wishing Saki was with them at that moment.
“Come on!” Riona snapped at Mitsuo after some time had passed. “We’re dancing now!”
“But—”
Shiro and a couple others giggled as they watched Riona drag him out to the dance floor.
“Oi, he needs to learn to catch up with her,” Majima chuckled as he poured himself another glass.
“What about you?” Izumi asked.
“Hmm? What’d you mean?” Majima asked gently. Date, Mariko, Akiyama, and Hana had just returned and were relaxing in their seats.
“You and Uncle Kaz,” Izumi said. “Why don’t you two dance?”
“Yeah, you’re such wonderful dancers,” Koji added, nodding his head.
“And all of the other couples are out there dancing!” Izumi said excitedly.
Majima and Kiryu turned to one another, both blushing and laughing it off.
“Izumi…” Kiryu warned, but she went on, completely oblivious. Not even a glare from Haruka was enough to silence her.
“I want to see you dance,” she went on, loud enough that the others at their table could hear. “You look really nice in your suits! It’s almost like this is your wedding, Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro!”
The music of the banquet hall halted around the radius of their table for what seemed like an eternity, swallowed into the black hole of the awkward silence that Izumi’s words had created. No one moved. No one said a word.
Shiro wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t this reaction. Majima chuckled nervously before suddenly pretending he had gotten a call from one of his boys and dashed out. Kiryu made some noncommittal remark to Izumi about teasing him before getting up to find a waiter to refill his drink, avoiding the table as much as possible.
Date gave a small sigh. Mariko covered her mouth with a hand. Akiyama was glancing around the table, his face screwed up in mild concentration, while Hana just sat in silent mortification. Were her eyes tearing up?
“I had no idea,” Akiyama said after a while. “Date-san, did you…”
Date waved his hand. Whatever he wanted to tell Akiyama got through to him because he simply nodded and tried to pretend a little girl hadn’t just made a comment that sent two grown yakuza running away from the table. However, he did glance at Hana with a somber expression.
Shiro thought he heard Hana whisper, “Those poor men. What luck!”
“Um, what’s going on?” Koji said. The other kids, having witnessed the situation, joined them around the table. Even Riona and Mitsuo had returned, sensing something was off.
Izumi winced. “I did something bad, didn’t I?”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mariko said. “Your heart was in the right place. You were so excited about the dancing! It’s not your fault. But you should be careful who you reveal your Uncle Kaz’s relationship to.”
“Why?” Izumi said.
“Well, there are a lot of yakuza attending the wedding,” Date tried to explain. “They’re not from the Tojo Clan. And, well…not many people here really know Kiryu personally, you know? And…well, this is a very private matter…and, um…some yakuza are very strict about who they can love and marry.”
Shiro bowed his head, remembering how Majima revealed his relationship at Saejima’s inauguration ceremony. Maybe it was semi-safe for the Tojo to know, but it certainly wasn’t for other yakuza clans.
Ayako frowned and folded her arms. “But…didn’t the yakuza come from the samurai?”
“Hmm? What are you trying to say?” Akiyama asked.
“Didn’t the samurai have male lovers?” Ayako said. Shiro thought back to the photo they had seen. Kiryu and Majima’s past life…except Majima wasn’t a samurai, at least not in the photo they had seen. They had discussed the matter extensively, and Mitsuo later swore he found a photo of Okita Soji who had to be Majima too.
“So after the war, Okita pretended he passed away and continued living as Takagi Tokio?” Shiro had said incredulously after hearing Mitsuo’s theory. Honestly, it sounded plausible for Majima.
Date sighed again at Ayako’s question. “The samurai indeed did, but I’m afraid that was not true everywhere, Ayako-chan. Some groups, such as the Shinsengumi, discouraged having lovers among their ranks because love triangles could get extremely violent.”
“And this is a new era,” Hana explained gently. “Japan has since been influenced by Western ideals.”
“Meaning…?” the kids said. Something sick and cold began bubbling in the pit of Shiro’s stomach.
Hana regarded them with sympathy before dropping the bomb. “Japan doesn’t allow two men or two women to get married.”
Shiro sucked in a cold breath. So that was it then. Kiryu and Majima could never love publicly, not in front of other yakuza families, not even in the general public. And worst of all, they couldn’t marry. He thought back to the couple Kiryu had him meet one summer ago. Where had they gotten married? Oh, right. South Africa. Not in Japan. Japan, where love was commonplace, where samurai would love one another, and rules had to be set in place because passions led to wars within. All extinguished by outside forces.
The thought of the West made Shiro sick to his stomach.
The kids reeled with the news. Only Shiro and Haruka were silent. Haruka must have known all this for a while. Shiro, meanwhile, just felt sicker and sicker, not only for Kiryu and Majima’s sake but also for himself. Kiryu had done so much to show Shiro a happier reality for Japan’s LGBT community, but he couldn’t stop thinking: everyone in their community had to live in secret, in the shadows. All because of Western influence, Japan could no longer blossom freely as they had before.
What business did the damn West have tainting their beautiful culture? Why did Japan cave into the backwards and cold beliefs of the West?
“But what about Auntie Goromi?” Riona asked. “Can’t Kiryu get around that law by marrying Auntie Goromi?”
“Majima’s not a girl!” Mitsuo argued.
“Majima’s sometimes a girl!” Riona shot back.
Akiyama threw Date a confused look but again Date waved his hand. Shiro could almost laugh if he wasn’t feeling so sick to his stomach; there was so much Akiyama didn’t know about his friends.
Mariko’s eyes fell on Shiro, and she must have realized the reason for his silence, because her eyes grew wide and began to fill with tears. She knew. She understood. Her gaze next fell on Haruka, who nodded then shook her head. One painful revelation was enough for today.
“So they can’t even dance together?” Taichi said as the kids studied their fathers sadly. Majima had accepted a dance from one of the women attending from the Atobe side of the family. Kiryu was watching from the sidelines, scowl on his face, before two women approached, and he eventually let one lead him to the dance floor. The two danced across from one another on the dance floor, but they kept throwing one another deeply longing glances. It was a miracle no one else managed to notice the desire the two had to get together, terribly thick and poignant in the air.
“That should be Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro hand in hand,” Mitsuo grumbled. “This isn’t right.” The others all agreed.
“What if…we get them to dance?” Haruka mused loudly.
“In front of all those yakuza?” Taichi asked.
“We’ll embarrass Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro,” Eri said, “and the Atobe Family will take offense.”
“Not unless we play our cards right,” Haruka said. “We can trick everyone, and they’ll just join in on the fun.” Smiling innocently with the scheme she had in mind, she turned to Date, Mariko, Akiyama, and Hana. “But, we’ll need full participation! Will you join in?”
Shiro had no idea how Haruka managed it, but she got everyone involved. The adult couples were back on the dance floor, and so were Riona and Mitsuo. Taichi and Haruka partnered up as did Koji and Ayako, and Shiro and Eri. Eri sneered at Shiro.
“You better not step at my toes,” she said.
That left poor little Izumi all alone and partnerless. She ran around making a scene that she had no partner at all to dance with her until Ayako made a visible effort to tear herself away from Koji and take Izumi’s hand. The two girls danced, but that now left Koji hanging out all alone in the middle of the dance floor. He made a scene at being so rudely abandoned, getting more attention and eyes on him. He pouted and stood there with his arms folded until Date and Mariko split up and Date offered his hand, and the two danced, Koji back to being all smiles and laughter.
“I apologize for my children’s behavior,” Kiryu said, bowing apologetically to Mariko as he ended his dance with his partner. Mariko only chuckled and took his hand, absorbing him into the pile.
The partner-switching continued. Eri kept loudly sniping at Shiro for his horrible dance skills until Haruka came to the rescue, dancing Shiro away from his discographical demon. Taichi wouldn’t go near Eri with a ten-foot pole so he snatched Riona away from Mitsuo, and after one glance at Eri, he too screamed and ran off to find himself a different partner, eventually earning himself the hand of a young chinpira from the Atobe family. Eri stared, silent but visibly crestfallen.
“Ya poor lil’ thing!” Majima gasped, rescuing Eri from her public predicament. Across the dance floor, the faces of every kid perked up. Riona and Mitsuo were far apart on the congested dance floor, and they bemoaned to every new partner that they wanted to go back to dancing with one another. The partners switched off constantly, as every guest was enjoying this impromptu dance experience. Girls danced together or with guys, and guys danced together or with girls.
The family moved closer and closer together toward the center of the dance floor as they exchanged partners, and finally, everyone in the know managed to get Kiryu dancing with Mitsuo and Majima with Riona, now in the center of the dance floor. The two men peered down at their little dance partners, smiling brightly as they knew how much Riona and Mitsuo wanted to dance with each other, thinking of their happiness instead of their own. Shiro watched as the two men were about to suggest handing off the kids to one another when suddenly with a great big push, Mitsuo shoved Kiryu at the same moment as Riona shoved Majima, and the two men were suddenly hand in hand, locked in dance. Riona and Mitsuo twirled away, beaming brightly, hand in hand in victory.
By now Akiyama and Date were dancing together. Hana, Mariko, Kyoka, and a couple of Atobe women were either showing one another their best dance moves or dancing in pairs. Patriarch Atobe and the Florist were doing some form of Old Man Dance Off while sitting in their chairs, baby happily cooing away in their arms, while the younger female attendants and the chinpira were still locked into one another’s gazes.
The guests were so thoroughly mixed now that no one blinked as Kiryu took Majima’s hand and slipped an arm around his waist. Here they could dance freely, even under the scrutiny of the media eye. Amidst the chaos they could live normally for a few moments.
Shiro watched them with yearning, how Kiryu slowly eased into the closeness under the very public eye, how Majima’s smile melted as he turned into putty in Kiryu’s embrace. They glided over the dance floor with ease. If Shiro could ignore Takashi and Kyoka’s presence and the Atobe Family crest, this could be Kiryu and Majima’s wedding. The swans were a symbol of their quest for freedom from the shackles life had thrown their way.
But the moment shattered all too soon. Perhaps noticing the hordes of cameras pointed at them, Majima whipped out his tanto and set it firmly against Kiryu’s throat.
“Step on my toes and yer dead, Kiryu-chan,” Majima snarled.
Shiro’s shoulders slumped. The two barely glimpsed their genuine selves to the outer worlds for a moment…
Kiryu chuckled darkly at Majima. “Are you suggesting that my dancing is substandard, Majima-no-nii-san?”
“I ain’t got dainty feet!”
“Then how about I sweep you off your feet?” Kiryu said with a brief bow. “Then you will not have to worry about any foot-stomping for the rest of the evening.”
Some of the onlookers cackled. A few of the more rowdy yakuza applauded, goading them on to the fight.
But was it even a fight? Were Kiryu and Majima fighting…or flirting? It was damn impossible to tell as the two locked back into dance position, gripping one another aggressively and glaring into one another’s eyes as they took to the center stage, stealing the show.
Shiro turned to his siblings. Everyone was watching the pairing with bright smiles. They had accomplished getting them to dance together. This was good enough for them. Even Haruka was smiling triumphantly, and if she was satisfied then the mission was a success.
But something didn’t feel right. None of this was right. Why the hell did Kiryu and Majima have to keep their love hidden away?
Shiro just wanted Kiryu and Majima to be happy. Were they really happy this way, pretending to dance as enemies in front of the camera while their hands caressed right under the judgmental radar of every watchful eye?
He could see Kiryu’s eyes slowly turning fiery red as Majima’s one eye turned a violent violet, and he wondered if Majima really was enraging him or if this was all somehow just an act. How long could they keep on like this?
Why did they enjoy doing this to themselves? To their children?
Shiro turned away and drew invisible patterns with a fingertip on the table cover.
Time passed uneventfully. Kiryu and Majima didn’t return to the table, and Shiro just assumed they were conversing with the other party goers.
When the party was finally dying down and the kids were getting ready to leave, a rather pink-cheeked Date and an unfazed Mariko came up to their table to say that Kiryu had requested them to accompany the children back to the hotel.
Shiro frowned as Haruka nodded and thanked them.
“Where did Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro go?” Shiro asked.
Date grew even more flustered. Mariko answered. “Oh, some boring meeting with the Atobe patriarch. Come on. We’ll take a vote on which movie we’re renting for the evening.”
One lick was all it took. Running his tongue down the length of Kiryu’s strong neck, he heard his lover growl and moan, his Adam’s apple trembling along with the rest of him, his mouth clamped with Majima’s gloves dampened from having prodded and caressed inside Kiryu’s hot mouth.
His other hand was busy kneading Kiryu’s left nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Kiryu gasped and bucked under him, but Majima shushed him and pressed him harder against the wall. There was little Kiryu could do, as his wrists were tied together and hung from the wall mounted coat hanger.
Majima grinned impishly.
Clothes still separated them, but that made the slow torment of Kiryu Kazuma that much sweeter. The snout of the Dragon snapped up at Majima as he licked and nuzzled and chewed Kiryu’s neck and left shoulder, her sharp eyes glinting up at Majima just the right angle. Majima grinned down at her as his hand squeezed Kiryu’s right butt cheek, teasing the Dragon’s tail under the fabric.
Kiryu gasped and rocked against him.
“Kazzy Baby,” Majima hushed him. He gave Kiryu a kiss as a means to soothe him. It must have been such torture to have his nipples fondled and played with but unable to move. It was rare to see Kiryu completely at his mercy. Usually Majima loved being pinned by him, fucked fast and hard until he was breathless and a quivering mess by Kiryu, but he loved giving it to his Kiryu-chan just as much. His hand moved away from Kiryu’s mouth to explore his muscular chest, squeezing his pecs and playing with his other nipple while tugging on his shirt. They should have done this in front of a mirror just to lap up the image of fabric stretched across those hot chest and abs.
“W...what time is it?” Kiryu managed. “The children should be back at the hotel by now.”
Majima tsked and chuckled. They had rented out a love hotel for the occasion, of course. No need to traumatize the kiddies with their passionate manly bedroom battle. It was hell enough keeping quiet in Kiryu’s bedroom back in Okinawa.
“Kazuma!” Majima sighed, disappointed. “Yer still able to think straight? Is my touch slipping?”
“No, I just want to make sure…before we continue.”
Cute. Such a concerned and loving mother hen. But this could be a mood-killer if this continued, and Kiryu wasn’t exactly the sort to easily get back in the mood once distracted.
With a sigh, Majima checked his watch. “Yeah, they should be back by now, just as Date promised. Yer not gonna call them, are ya?”
Kiryu shook his head. Majima’s grin only grew more wicked.
“Good,” Majima purred low in his ear. “’Cause I got ya all to myself tonight.” He pinched Kiryu’s nipple between his fingers for emphasis. Kiryu hissed and arched his back, offering a clear access to the front of his neck.
Him. Only him. Kiryu had once confessed to Majima that he seemed to have the easiest time getting aroused with his help. What an honor. Only he could get Kiryu Kazuma like this, a whimpering sloppy hot mess.
Majima resumed his exploring and fondling as Kiryu suckled on his fingers, his hips slowly swaying, needing, begging him. Majima slipped one hand down, touching and caressing and squeezing every inch of Kiryu’s chest and abdomen before slipping one hand into his pants.
“Goro…” Kiryu moaned. “Please…I want to touch you…”
“Kazuma…”
Nah. Tonight Majima was laying it all on Kiryu.
He unhooked Kiryu’s wrists from the coat hangers and guided him toward the bedroom. With his hands free, Kiryu grabbed Majima and smashed their lips together, his tongue seeking his desperately. His hips rocked into his. Majima could practically smell the heat, the fiery passion of his love. Intoxicating and thrilling.
Somehow their clothes came off, shirts and ties and pants and briefs and socks marking the pathway to the bed.
Majima nuzzled against Kiryu’s neck, and he understood. He backed against the bed, arms still entwined around Majima as their lips found one another again. As much as he wanted to stay like this, sprawled over Kiryu’s strong body kissing him forever, Majima broke away with a tiny whimper. He planted kisses at every part of Kiryu, suckling at his nipples, as his hands busied himself, preparing Kiryu’s entrance for receiving him.
When he was ready, Majima lifted one of Kiryu’s legs up, remembering with a tiny fond smile the first time he took him. No matter how many times Kiryu bottomed, he always reminded Majima of the first time. Lying there nervous but eager, hands rested on either side of his head, his dark eyes watching Majima with every step of the way.
Kiryu was a little more dazed now, lying there like putty. His nipples glistened after all of the attention Majima had given them, and he could only imagine how sensitive they were by now. The thought of that made his cock twitch and dribble out precum.
Kissing Kiryu’s inner thigh, Majima shifted and slipped himself in, slowly, easy as Kiryu moaned pleasurably and opened himself wider to take him in.
Ah, bliss! How long he had dreamt of being back inside him, back inside his beloved Kiryu-chan. Kiryu cried out, arched his back and rocked his hips, eager to feel Majima striking his most pleasurable spot inside.
“Let’s not get carried away,” Majima chuckled and kissed him again.
He eased himself over Kiryu as his hips found a slow but steady rhythm. He loved starting with this. Just focus on the pleasure, the pure bliss, before letting the carnal desires take over.
Kiryu was looking up at him, his pupils large and his cheeks flushed. Smiling, Majima wrapped his arms around Kiryu and kissed him. So beautiful. So strong. So kind-hearted. His Kiryu-chan.
“Ah!” Kiryu cried out again as one hand held on to Majima’s buttock for dear life and the other fisted the bedsheets.
That’s right, Kazuma…give in…
Majima pounded into Kiryu, burying his cock hard and deep into him, every thrust a deep and everlasting declaration of his devotion and undying love. Kiryu moaned and gasped and cried out as the passion consumed him, too much, exquisitely too much, as Majima struck that spot over and over.
Carding his fingers through Kiryu’s wet and messy hair, Majima smiled.
Gods, how I love you. You will never know how much I love you, Kiryu Kazuma…
Majima’s lips quivered. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. What was this? He was happy, positively damn joyous even. Why the tears? Why suddenly overcome with emotions? Something gripped at his chest—a fear, fear of being separated from Kiryu? Silly, they were both damn adults. Kiryu had responsibilities in Okinawa and Majima had his. Even after today, they will still see each other. They made it work out. They always did—
—No, this was something else. Something he wasn’t seeing—wasn’t remembering—
Majima squeezed his grip protectively around Kiryu.
—they were about to be separated forever—would you shoot me if it came to that, Kazuma?—Death, death, death—
“Goro?” Kiryu asked as a hand reached out and wiped the tears from Majima’s face. Always so kind, so helpful…he would do anything Kiryu asked…
Please don’t die, Kazuma!
Another tear drop rolled down his cheek.
He could never lose Kiryu! He would rather die!
“Ah…AH! Kazuma!” Majima cried out and held him tightly as his orgasm overcame him like the crashing waves of a turbulent tidal wave. He wept freely over Kiryu’s chest.
Sex could do all sorts of strange things to a person. Majima had heard of people breaking out into song, or laughing uncontrollably, or even dissolving into a sneezing fit. Crying wasn’t unheard of either. Blame it on the fact the body would go haywire what with the blood and feel-good hormones shooting throughout the system.
Didn’t make the experience any less awkward. Shit, and he just had to cry like a motherfucking baby right over Kiryu like that.
That had never happened before, Majima mused while it was Kiryu’s turn to take a shower.
Kiryu didn’t mind having tears all over his chest, of course. He had stroked Majima’s head soothingly the entire time, and Majima never even found out if Kiryu had orgasmed or not. Kiryu claimed he had climaxed long before Majima had, but…maybe he just wanted Majima to feel better about the situation.
Done bathing, Kiryu returned to bed. He said nothing about Majima’s outburst. Guy was great like that. He knew when to confront an issue and when to let matters be, and right now, Majima didn’t wish to address that elephant in the room.
“Gotta thank the munchkins for cookin’ up this scheme,” Majima chuckled as a means to break the ice. As tradition they lit up cigarettes; it always tasted good after sex.
They lay side by side. Kiryu smiled and entwined their fingers together. He gave Majima’s knuckles a kiss. Such a sap. Gods, he loved Kiryu so much.
“They’re really hung up on the idea of us tying the knot,” Kiryu said after some time. He frowned in thought as he stroked Majima’s knuckles with his thumb.
“Eh,” Majima scoffed. “That’s kids for ya. Wanna parrot whatever they see in fairy-tales.”
“Hmm.” Kiryu turned to face him. “So you never thought of…?”
He let the rest of his question fade and left it unfinished. Majima blinked, realizing this was a great chance to change the subject. But it would also mean…well…was he ready to tell Kiryu?
“Well…” Majima began and left it at that.
“Well, what?” Kiryu ventured.
“I was,” Majima simply said. Again, silence followed.
“Pardon?”
Majima sighed and moaned loudly. “Wasn’t planning on havin’ this talk after blowin’ out yer back, Kazuma!”
He ashed his cigarette in the ashtray by the bed, then turned onto his stomach, resting his chin on folded arms. “Yeah, I was married once.”
Kiryu had suspected as much before, given how much Majima seemed to understand relationships, but he couldn’t imagine how it had happened. He knew Majima was locked away for a year early on in ’85, and a short few years after that he ran The Grand before their paths crossed for the first time. As far as Kiryu was aware, Majima never married during the late 80s and 90s. Was it while he was in jail?
“What happened?” Kiryu asked. “Was the experience so bad you vowed to never commit in a relationship again?”
He didn’t expect to gain much from this. Majima was always guarded about his past, even after a good round of having his brains fucked out.
Majima peered down on his hands resting on the bedsheet. “She was an orphan. We were both really young. Knew her long before I even met Saejima. Got hitched when I was just getting involved in the underworld. She had a dream of becoming an idol. I was a loser mutt who’d have been left for dead had Shimano not picked me by the scruff of my neck and had me run errands for him. We were both kids, barely eighteen or nineteen. The world wasn’t to know a filthy yakuza like me existed anywhere near her, especially not in her pants.”
Kiryu ashed his own cigarette and turned to his side to listen. He carded his fingers through Majima’s hair. This was the first time Majima had ever opened up about this part of his life to him before.
So Majima married young. This marriage happened before everything: Saejima and the ’85 hit, the imprisonment under the Tojo, ’88…
“I take it things didn’t go well?” Kiryu asked.
Majima nodded slowly.
“I always wanted a family,” Majima said. “Even as a teen. I envied everyone who still had their parents. I got to be with my mom at least—she…she did all she could to keep things together at home, but then…when I was fourteen…”
Kiryu nodded, thinking back to how viciously protective Majima always was of women. Youda from Club Four Shine had once told Kiryu that Majima would flip his lid if anyone suggested that hostess work wasn’t legitimate work for women, or if he caught anyone sneering at the idea of women selling their bodies just to survive in this world. Did Majima’s own mother…?
Kiryu’s hand dipped back down to hold Majima’s hand.
“Silly, stupid young me…” Majima continued. “I didn’t want to be alone…my gal didn’t want to be alone, so we clung to each other. But she also found purpose in her career while I was still clinging to that shadow we both could exist in.
“And then she got pregnant. We were gonna be parents. But she couldn’t keep it, not in her world. Idols shouldn’t have boyfriends or husbands, especially not yakuza ones, and idols certainly couldn’t get pregnant.” He turned away as he spoke the last words. “She did what she needed to do, without a moment’s hesitation, and without ever telling me. Normally I wouldn’t care. It’s a woman’s choice what she feels is best, but…I was so young and so dumb to ever think in another person’s shoes at that time. When I found out I just blindly reacted. That perfect world where we wouldn’t be lonely anymore, robbed from right under my own two feet. I struck her across the cheek.”
Kiryu frowned. That wasn’t the Majima he knew, the man who’d slit another’s throat for looking at a woman the wrong way. Ever since Kiryu had known Majima, the man was very sore on the topic of women and children. The memory of this incident clearly haunted him still.
“I filed for divorce soon after,” Majima went on, “not against her but against me. I was disgusted with myself. In the end it didn’t do much good. The world found out about the marriage. Screwed her over even more. I couldn’t look at my ugly mug in the mirror for months after that. Last I heard, she never had children. Don’t know if it was because of me or what.”
He trailed off, and silence followed. Kiryu stroked his hand.
“So that’s what happened,” Kiryu said softly, nodding sympathetically. He was sure his lover didn’t want to ever remember, much less finally reveal it all to him.
Majima nodded gloomily.
“So I take it marriage is not a topic you wish to revisit after such a disastrous first experience?”
Majima scoffed. “I just told ya about the time I backhanded my wife who had to lose her child to save face, and ya still want something to do with me?”
“I fought you countless times,” Kiryu said. “We’ve seen each other at our worst time and time again. I think I can handle you.”
He smirked playfully at Majima, feeling the air between them lighten.
Majima chuckled. “Didn’t think you would be one to ever consider it, Kazuma.” He rolled them over so that he was the one now playing with Kiryu’s hair. Whenever Goromi did this with her long nails, it was instantly lights out for Kiryu. He loved having his hair played with and to feel nails gently caress his scalp, and Goromi knew how to do it so well. As if reading his mind, Majima shifted one hand and dug his fingers in, scratching against his scalp until the pleasurable tingles rippled through his body.
“Where would we even go?” Kiryu asked after a tiny yawn.
Majima regarded him as he pulled a strand of hair away from his forehead. “Our buddies got hitched in South Africa. I hear Vermont, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia in the United States are all accepting same-sex marriages. We also got Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.”
“Iceland…” Kiryu repeated and shivered under Majima’s ministrations.
“I know what yer thinkin’” Majima said. “Yer heart is set on Hawaii, isn’t it?”
“Well…”
“I have connections around the world,” Majima went on. “I pick up news of the land, so I know when same-sex marriage laws are passed. I don’t know when, if ever, Hawaii would let us marry. Marriages in Japan may become a thing before that ever happens.”
Kiryu chuckled curtly. “You think that will happen? Japan, I mean?”
Majima shared his bitter, humorless gaze. “Yeah, not holdin’ my breath.” His expression changed as he studied Kiryu. “Is it that important to ya, Kazuma?”
“Hmm?”
“Us. Getting married.”
“I mean, the children really want to see us—”
“Forget the children for a moment! Is that something you want, Kazuma? Do you really want us to get married?”
Kiryu peered into his eye, unable to get the answer out. “I mean…I always thought, after all this is over, maybe we could consider…” He let the rest of that sentence hang in the air between them in the darkness.
Majima chuckled nervously. “Ya know…ya don’t have to restrict yerself to me. Yer a very handsome man.”
“What are you talking about?” Was he still thinking about his first marriage? Or did he think matters with the Tojo Clan would never resolve? Truthfully, it was Kiryu who had brought him up to the task, pushing him back to the yakuza life while he ran off to oversee an orphanage. It made Kiryu feel guilty at times, but he needed to ensure that power in Kamurocho remained in balance, and there was no man he trusted more than Majima Goro.
“Find a lovely woman,” Majima went on. He moved on to stroke his cheek, examining the features of his face. “Marry her. It won’t break my heart one bit so long as ya and the kids are happy. It doesn’t have to be me, Kazuma.”
Kiryu propped himself on his elbows, pushing Majima back. “What’s with this talk again? Are you pushing me away?”
“If yer kids want another parent this badly, it doesn’t have to be me,” Majima said with a warm smile.
“Goro…why? You’re always trying to hook me up with hostesses. It never works out. Do you…not enjoy our time together.”
“That ain’t it. I enjoy them very much. I enjoy yer company the most.” Majima sighed. “Listen. I love you, Kazuma. I love you deeply, so deeply nothing will make me happier than seeing you happy. It doesn’t have to be with me.”
“Goro, that’s enough!” He gripped Majima by his chin and forced his gaze up. “I only have eyes for you!”
Majima made a tiny pout. “Kazuma…”
His hand swept down to Kiryu’s hips, asking for invitation. Round two. Kiryu would like that. He kissed Majima as he brought their hips together, already feeling his cock twitch back to life. Majima’s body pulsed against him, the need for touch reverberating.
Majima rolled Kiryu onto his back and slid down, picking up his cock and peppering it with kisses. Kiryu rested his head back as his fingers carded through Majima’s hair. Gods, how he loved Majima…
His chest constricted with a strange, unusual fear. Don’t ever die, Goro…
He remembered how Majima looked that day when Kiryu found him snacking on a bag amidst a second story food market in the mall, already shaken by what everyone told him was an unprecedented storm last month.
That storm had wreaked havoc in the city. Haruka would have ended up in the rubble had Kiryu not been there to hunt her down. She ended up missing the Sunflower Orphanage supervisor’s retirement party, but at least she was now safe—wait. A storm? In the middle of a Tojo-Omi shootout? What the hell happened last month?!
There were still vague, weird details that kept resurfacing in Kiryu’s memory. A large blond man had helped him retrieve Haruka…no, couldn’t be…had to be a foreigner.
Was Majima holding a shotgun? No, that must have just been his imagination. His memory was fuzzy about last month for some odd reason. Was there really a yakuza shootout? News outlets say there was, but Kiryu didn’t recall that.
But he recalled shock and fear—Goro was going to die!—of having to make a promise—no, no, no—of finding him in a sauna and kissing him…maybe they were just being silly.
He had strange dreams, his heart pounding in his chest, of…firing at people—no, at monsters…certain movie ads had him feeling queasy. And Nishida had confided to Kiryu that Majima had thrown out his entire zombie movie collection. His lover perfected English so he could enjoy movies from Hollywood…
Date-san said they should expect vivid and recurrent dreams after the adrenaline rush they were all feeling, but something about that felt off to Kiryu. He had been in many battles. He was no stranger to running on pure adrenaline. Whenever he glanced at Majima—god, he just needed to squeeze him tight, never let go—he felt a terrible pang in his chest, as if he had almost lost his beloved, his entire world.
But he couldn’t for the life of him even remember why or how.
Notes:
Yep, Yukiho’s birthday is exactly six months apart from Shiro’s. Interesting. ;)
Takashi and Kyoka are characters we meet in Y1/Kiwami and were recurrent in Y2/Kiwami 2, and in Y4. I have a deep fondness for characters from the earlier games, so when we learned that Takashi and Kyoka were getting married, and that Kiryu was invited in that Y4 substory, I knew I had to include that in my outline for this fic.
Next chapter scheduled for Wednesday, April 23!
Chapter 19: IV.5 The New Supervisor
Notes:
Chunks of this chapter will come straight out of Yakuza 5. You’ll recognize which one when you get to it.
CW: beginning of Kiryu’s depression; used “slit his wrists” at one part (doesn’t actually happen, just as a phrase used as an expression)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: The New Supervisor
It happened one early summer afternoon. Kiryu was seeing the children off to school, as he normally did every weekday. It was late June, the sun was hot on his back, and a pang blossomed in his heart as he watched his children board the monorail for school. The oldest, Haruka, was in her final year of junior high school, and Shiro and Izumi the youngest were in fifth grade. One more year and they would graduate elementary school. He still remembered how small his two little ones looked when he first took over Mornin Glory Orphanage.
How quickly they grow.
How quickly time flies.
Kiryu was still reeling from the argument he had found himself in with some of the kids last night. The country’s economic decline wasn’t stopping any time soon, leaving the family strapped for cash. With money thin on the ground, Taichi and Koji had been talking nonstop about quitting school and taking full time jobs to help with expenses.
“You’ll do no such thing!” Kiryu had yelled after overhearing them discuss their plans to Mitsuo. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice at his own children. He had never even done so before this moment. It was just that overhearing them planning such a thing shocked him. It had reminded him of his own past, how naive and stupid he was.
Only seventeen and he had dropped out of school right before graduation just to join the yakuza. As a civilian it made holding down jobs difficult. His options were limited, and given his history of incarceration and having been a yakuza, even more so. What remaining friends he had had helped him from time to time. After his release from jail back in 2005, Kashiwagi and Majima had hooked him up with public sanitation. Kiryu never complained once, not when it was enough to support himself and little Haruka who got to go to school and enjoy as comfortable a normal life as she could. After splitting the time between Club Four Shine and Majima’s construction, Kiryu learned about the orphanage from Kashiwagi. He would never have been able to look after children with his yakuza history had the orphanage not been yakuza-run in the first place.
“Why not?” the boys had argued back at Kiryu. “Not like school’s doing us any good right now!”
“You’ll regret it!” Kiryu had warned. “Don’t squander your chances at life!”
“We’re not squandering anything!” Koji had insisted. “We’re helping you and the family!”
“I want none of you to end up like me!”
“Like you?” Taichi cocked his head to one side. “What’d you mean? You’re doing perfectly fine.”
Kiryu covered his face in the palm of his hand. “You know perfectly well what I mean, Taichi. Not having a proper education has bitten my ass more than you’ll ever realize.”
“Can’t we postpone going to school?” Ayako suggested as she inched toward the group.
Kiryu’s eyes flashed warningly toward her. “Not you too! What about the track team?”
Ayako shrugged. “Running’s no fun when I’m constantly thinking about our situation.”
“So you’re thinking of doing the same thing?” Kiryu said, staring at Ayako with horror.
“Can’t we just ask Uncle Goro for more money?” Mitsuo whined.
“No!” Kiryu said. “We’re not taking advantage of him!” Not only that, but Majima had last complained to Kiryu that his construction company had also hit a financial crisis. He may need to dissolve the company…
Shiro was passing by, and he stopped in his tracks, taking note of the tense crowd.
“Shiro, help us out, man,” Taichi said.
After telling him what the problem was, Kiryu stood and silently begged Shiro with his eyes for him to knock sense back into his siblings. But the boy shyly turned toward Kiryu.
“Um…Uncle Kaz? There’s something I wanted to show you,” he said. Taking Kiryu aside, he pulled out his calculator. He readjusted his glasses and then began punching in some numbers: how much money was coming in from government aide, how much Kiryu was earning from his garden and side jobs, their weekly spendings on groceries and necessities, cleaning supplies, utility bills, money set aside for allowances, Natsumi’s pay, money put aside for emergencies and unexpected expenditures throughout the week, cost of Mame’s food and toys and vet visits, cost of Shiro’s medication, Kiryu’s cigarettes (“You smoke a lot, Uncle Kaz,” Shiro added sheepishly)…
Kiryu’s eyes widened when he saw the result.
At the rate they were going, Morning Glory Orphanage wasn’t going to last the summer.
“Are we going to be okay?” Shiro asked.
“O-of course,” Kiryu said hoarsely. “I will figure something out. Don’t worry, okay, Shiro? Just focus on your schoolwork. Same goes for all of you. Please.”
But Shiro was gazing up intently at him. Shiro, the brightest little mind Kiryu had ever known. A boy with a highly promising future, a boy who could identify every star in the sky and tell you every fact and history behind each one.
“Uncle Kaz…should I also get a job?” Shiro asked.
After running errands throughout the day, Kiryu finally returned to Morning Glory. Hours had passed. He should start thinking about what to cook for the kids, or pass on tonight’s meal plan to Natsumi. Truth be told, he did not have much motivation to do anything right now.
He just wanted to cry. He had failed his children.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Kiryu set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter. He put the groceries away, his limbs numb, before making his way to the bathroom. He had to figure out how to get more money for Morning Glory, and fast. Talks with Akasaka at the Naha City government office could only yield so much.
Closing the bathroom door, Kiryu checked himself in the mirror.
He just needed to pick up more jobs. He had done it before. Over the years he had built an impressive array of skill sets in numerous fields, from sanitation and construction to nightlife and mixing cocktails and even management. He might still be able to relocate the books he used to read religiously while he ran that real estate outfit back in the day.
He was a motivated learner. He could pick up sewing—heck, he had done a decent job sewing clothes for Eri’s plush rabbit. He could do more. He was fairly confident with working with nature. Everyone loved his acerola jam. He was good with animals. Might a vet need an assistant? He could help out in the kitchens cooking the food or even be a dishwasher. He could deliver meals for any of the restaurants or shops. He’d pick up litter and clean every public toilet to keep Ryukyu spotless and presentable for tourists. No job was below him. If it kept Morning Glory afloat, he’ll do it.
Picking up more jobs shouldn’t be that hard. The question was where to search. Who needed a new hire at this time.
He had been going around town looking for “Now Hiring” signs and scouring through the newspaper for job advertisements. Options were extremely limited. Jobs shortages were expected with a failing economy as employers downsized, and despite his many skills, there was still the matter of Kiryu’s professional qualifications. Most places hiring nowadays wanted prior experience or a degree or at least three letters of recommendation from said field…
So far his search hadn’t been successful, and with each passing day Kiryu grew more panicked. Where would they go? Would they have to be separated? The thought of not being with them hurt deeply. Would his children be properly cared for? Could they achieve their dreams in this changing world? Has he failed them? What will happen to his children?!
The very thought nearly struck him dead on the spot. He had to grab hold of the sink to calm his nerves, steady his breathing and racing heart.
Time was running out.
After washing his face, Kiryu undid the buttons of his shirt and studied himself again in the mirror. His fingers slipped over his exposed sternum when the idea flashed across his mind.
Should he…sell himself?
The thought of exchanging sex for money never crossed his mind before until now. Work was work, but what would the ramifications be if anyone found out he was the current supervisor of an orphanage?
There was also the matter of Kiryu himself. Despite living in Japan’s most infamous red light district for years, sex was rarely something that sat on the forefront of his mind. It couldn’t have been a matter of having a low libido. He enjoyed sex, and sometimes on nights spent away from Majima yearned for it deeply. He was taken to bikini bars before, but he wasn’t exactly aroused by the dancers. Not that he didn’t enjoy looking at women and men, he just…wasn’t feasting on their bodies with his eyes the same way everyone else was.
Kiryu wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the sex industry, of course. He knew of the sorts of work performed under that umbrella. He had even once been the reluctant trainer of a dominatrix—okay, maybe that wasn’t the best qualification to put on his resume. He had worked at a hostess club, which was perhaps one of the more vanilla iterations of the industry. He enjoyed going to these clubs and conversing with hostesses, but perhaps that was the reason why. Hostess and host clubs had a strict no-touching policy, a rule that suited Kiryu just fine.
Although he never used the services himself, Kiryu knew about soaplands, pink salons, and image clubs, all the little ways brothels existed in the grey zones under Japan’s strict laws against prostitution. There had to be something for the male equivalent.
But could he actually do it? Could he…perform? Sex wasn’t a mindset Kiryu could easily slip into. Majima knew how to switch on those buttons with ease; he knew Kiryu in ways he didn’t know himself. Even in the times when Kiryu has masturbated, he couldn’t recall how or why he suddenly got aroused. They were few and far in between, but it never bothered Kiryu. He had never been as libidinous as his peers, even as far back as his teenage and young adult years. Very little seemed to turn him on. Maybe something was broken inside him.
Maybe he wasn’t the right person for this sort of work…
But then…what other option did he have? To keep Morning Glory afloat, should he try to find a way to perform?
About six years back, shortly after his release from jail, Kiryu was approached by two men on the subject of being hired for a banana bar, the male equivalent of a bikini bar. The employment fell through and Kiryu never did get the job for that bar. But if the recruiters thought he would do well, maybe Kiryu could ask Natsumi if any existed in Downtown Ryukyu.
What would he have to know for this job anyway? Pole dancing? Majima knew how to pole dance. With a tiny smile Kiryu recalled how Majima had danced for him shortly after his release from jail. It was all to invoke a fight out of him, but the dance was appreciated.
The smile suddenly turned into a frown. Kiryu knew Majima didn’t care what he did with his body, but the thought still perturbed him. Majima was his partner, his lover. Perhaps Kiryu should consult Majima first before rushing to find any openings in Hatsumachi’s district.
Outside, Mame began barking, perhaps at a bird.
Removing his shirt, Kiryu studied his body in the mirror. He wasn’t as young as the time when those two men scouted him for that banana bar, but his physique was still the same. Would an employer be turned off by the faded scars on his torso? Or his irezumi? Wrinkles had begun to form at the corners of his eyes, especially when he smiled, but Kiryu did not think that should deter him from a job. He wasn’t as young as back then, but he could still perform with a pole if need be. Wasn’t that the most important part?
He should speak with Natsumi…
Taking note of his scars again, Kiryu traced one that swept around his side. An unsettling sudden thought cropped up in his mind: What if…he sold one of his own organs? How much would it fetch? What could he live without?
“Hello? Is the supervisor in?”
Startled out of his skin, Kiryu hastily threw his shirt back on. “One moment!”
He ran back out to find a woman in a business suit waiting patiently by the entrance. Sporting short hair and sparkling round earrings, she regarded Kiryu with shrewd and sharp dark eyes. Her full lips made a pout as she scrutinized him. Kiryu shifted his weight uncomfortably before her, wondering who she was and why she was here. She was very gorgeous, that was certain. A somewhat older woman given the lines under her eyes, it did not deter from her oozing sex appeal. The round hips and backside didn’t help matters either.
Maybe his interest in sex wasn’t as absent as Kiryu had thought.
“Hello, I am the supervisor,” Kiryu asked politely with a bow. “Nice to meet you.”
“Kiryu Kazuma, is it?”
“Yeah.”
The woman’s smile ran a chill down his spine. “I have been doing my research of Morning Glory Orphanage…and you as well, Kiryu-san.”
Research?
“How may I help you?” Kiryu asked a little defensively. Was she from a child service agency? The thought of having to parting from his children gripped him with terror once more. Should he lose them, it would take more than a miracle to see any of them ever again. Shirogane Kichiro would certainly lose any connection with Shiro…Kiryu would be failing the old man too…
“I simply wish to make my acquaintance with you,” the woman answered, a gleam in her sharp eyes, having noticed his unease. She gave a small bow. “Do not worry. I am not here to cause any trouble—at least, that is not my intention. I am the president of the Dyna Chair Talent Agency based in Osaka.
“My name is Park Mirei.”
The shutters of Morning Glory were always pulled back during the summer, exposing the dining room area to the courtyard. Despite it only being June, the heat was already kicked into full swing, and nearly every house on the road had their shutters wide open.
This was how Shiro noticed the woman as he neared home. She was sitting across from Kiryu, and Natsumi was no where in sight. Shiro gauged Kiryu’s mood from the look on his face; he had a mildly polite smile on his face, which didn’t tell Shiro too much. He always had a soft spot for women.
“Welcome back, Shiro,” Kiryu greeted with a nod of his head. “You’re a little early today.”
“Everyone else has club meetings,” Shiro said. “I didn’t have much to do at the library. Um…”
Kiryu nodded before tracing Shiro’s gaze toward the mystery woman. “This is Park Mirei-san, the president of Dyna Chair Talent Agency in Sotenbori, Osaka. Park-san, this is Shiro, one of my youngest. He’s an incredibly smart boy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Shiro said with a low and polite bow.
Park chuckled. “Such impeccable manners on that boy!”
“Please serve Park-san some refreshments,” Kiryu requested, which Shiro obliged immediately. Setting his backpack in his room, he washed his hands at the bathroom sink before making his way to the kitchen. Natsumi was busy fussing about with something in the oven.
“Hey, Shiro,” Natsumi greeted as he poured pineapple juice for Park and Kiryu. “I’d hate to disturb Kiryu-san, but I kinda need him for a moment. Something’s up with this fish.”
Shiro giggled. “What’s up with the fish?”
Natsumi sighed and shook her head. “It’s still…raw. I think the oven’s busted. Riona hasn’t come home yet, has she? Best not to discuss busted ovens near her.”
Shiro shook his head. “I’ll get Uncle Kaz.”
After relaying the message, Kiryu excused himself. He ordered Shiro to entertain their guest. Unsure how to do that exactly, Shiro awkwardly settled at a free spot by the dining room table, sipping at his own small glass of juice and trying to think of a good conversation starter.
Park watched him with an adoring smile.
“Boy,” she said. “Shiro-kun. That was your name, correct?”
Shiro nodded. “Yes, Park-san.”
“How do you like Morning Glory?”
“Morning Glory is my home,” Shiro said earnestly. “Everyone’s well taken care for. And Uncle Kaz is so kind! He’s always ready to help us or play with us, even if he’s tired! I’ve made a lot of happy memories here.”
Park smiled. “Have you? That is good to know. I was an orphan myself.”
“Oh?” Shiro leaned closer. Park looked incredibly well-off for someone who came from an orphanage.
“Does Kiryu-san treat you and the other children well?” Park asked.
Shiro nodded. He pointed to the chore board and explained how they did things around the orphanage. Park nodded, impressed.
“I see where your manners and sense of responsibilities come from,” she praised. “It definitely seems Kiryu-san has a good head on his shoulders. Do you like him, Shiro?”
Shiro nodded enthusiastically. “I do! I care for him a lot! He’s done so much for everyone here! For me…” Shiro’s mind flashed with the memories of Kiryu hoisting him up in the air and catching him during his first birthday party at the orphanage, accompanying him when he got a library card, rushing him to the hospital, how he held everyone tightly after that terrible yakuza clan tore down their home…Shiro thought of how Kiryu appeared when he returned from the hospital, all bandaged up but smiling and in awe of Majima’s handiwork at the orphanage, of him singing karaoke to a stunned audience that summer, the bottomless warmth Kiryu regarded Shiro last summer during their trip when Shiro felt his heart would never open again. The things he did for Shiro to make him smile, to bring light and love back into his world. “Uncle Kaz…saved my life. Many times…”
“Hmm?”
“Uncle Kaz works hard for us, every single day! But he sets times to play with us and help us with school work and to just be with us. I know I’m safe when he’s nearby. I’m happy! He wants nothing more than for us to be happy.”
Park regarded him silently, one hand on her heart. “My, my…your supervisor certainly seems to have won your heart.”
He’s not just the supervisor of Morning Glory, Shiro thought with a tiny frown. We call him Uncle Kaz, but really…he’s family…he’s our dad…
“Kiryu-san said you were good at school, is that correct?”
“I’m not the best in every subject.”
Park chuckled. “No need to be modest with me, Shiro-kun. What are your favorite subjects at school?”
“Math. Math and science.”
“A harmonious combination. Do you wish to get into medicine or the like?”
Shiro made a face, which amused her greatly. “I want to be an astronaut.”
“An astronaut? Impressive! That requires a lot of studying and training.” She gave a nod, but her expression turned somber.
“Um, what’s wrong, Park-san?” Shiro asked.
Park was studying her reflection in the pineapple juice. “Shiro-kun, are you familiar with what a koseki is?”
Shiro thought hard about it. Has he come across that term before? It sounded familiar. He shook his head.
“Koseki are family registries,” Park explained. “They detail everything about a person’s family. Marriages, divorces, births, deaths. They keep a record of our family tree. Everything. As useful as they are, they are also highly personal information, as you can imagine. There are laws meant to protect that information from employers, but…people do go digging into others’ history.”
Shiro leaned closer. What was Park trying to say?
“You have such an admirable dream, Shiro-kun, but I do worry…there’s always discrimination toward orphans, and I cannot imagine how prospective schools and employers would react to you having been raised by an ex-yakuza.”
Shiro stared at her, stunned into silence. Was that really true? Were things really stacked that bad against him? Kiryu wouldn’t let that happen to him…
He studied her again, taking note of her eminence. Park was an orphan too, and yet here she sat, successful, happy, and radiant. Clearly she was able to make it in the world. So would Shiro, right? So would everyone at Morning Glory. Right?
Noticing his silent gaze, Park smiled at him. “It was a treacherous uphill climb to get to where I am now, but at least I wasn’t raised by an ex-yakuza. Anyhow, I do hope you find some ease achieving your dreams.” Placing a hand on her heart she gave a quick bow.
Shiro nodded curtly before taking another sip of his juice, suddenly finding it really sour.
“Hey, Shiro, who’s that woman?”
Shiro gave a shrug and tried to go back to focusing on his schoolwork, although ever since his talk with that aforementioned woman the other day, his heart wasn’t in the school work as much. Or maybe it was the heat getting to him. Sitting out on the engawa wasn’t even helping to stay cool. “She said her name is Park Mirei. I don’t really know anything else about her.”
“She’s been asking me all sorts of questions,” Taichi said with a grunt as he flopped on a space next to Shiro. Koji and Mitsuo followed suit. Maybe it was just Shiro’s imagination, being the youngest, but Taichi and Koji appeared like giants compared to him these days. They were such grown ups now.
“What sorts of questions?” Shiro asked with a frown.
“What I thought of Morning Glory, and what I thought of Uncle Kaz,” Taichi said. “What I want to be when I grow up. That sort of thing.”
Shiro swallowed thickly.
“Bet you said you were gonna be the best wrestler in the world,” Koji laughed. Taichi’s grin was answer enough.
“He’s a menace,” Mitsuo said. “I’m not wrestling with you again, Taichi. You’re getting too big for me!”
At that Taichi deflated. “Aw, Mitsuo, bro…”
“It’s okay, Mitsuo,” Koji said with a comforting pat. “You can play baseball with me. I’ll teach you everything about it.”
“Baseball?” Mitsuo said, making a face.
“Who knows? You might like it. My friend Akira suddenly stopped playing with me a long time ago. Stopped seeing him around here too. Never found out why. Do you, Shiro?”
“What?” Shiro gave a start at the mention of Akira’s name.
“Weren’t you the best of friends for a while?” Koji said. “What happened?”
Shiro just shrugged. “We just drifted apart, I guess. Anyway, what’d Park-san ask you?”
“Same as Taichi.”
“She’s been hounding Riona and I with the same questions too,” Mitsuo said. “I saw her talking with Ayako and Izumi, and I assume they were asked the same thing. She tried talking with Eri, but Eri told her to fuck off and ran away.”
“Language, bro, we got a kid here!” Koji said although he and Taichi were cracking up.
“Not like you know what it means, right?” Mitsuo said. Shiro truthfully shook his head.
“Why do you think she’s here anyway?” Koji said. “Is she thinking of adopting one of us?”
“Nah,” Taichi said. “Adoption laws only cover children up to the age of six. After that, you’re in the orphanage until you’re of age.”
“Wait, so you mean…”
“Yeah, you’re stuck with us, Koji.” Taichi regarded him like he was filth.
“You’re stuck with us!” Koji retorted with a punch to the shoulder. The two play-fought and laughed.
“At least we’re a family, right?” Mitsuo said.
Shiro smiled sadly. Yeah, a family. Kiryu couldn’t adopt them officially, being a yakuza and all, but the hell with all that. They were a family.
“Yeah! Biggest and happiest bunch of rejects on the planet!” Taichi announced and all the boys high-fived one another.
“What are you boys talking about?” Haruka asked as she passed by.
“Oh, hi, Haruka-nee-chan,” Taichi said, and he filled her in on Park Mirei.
“Oh, Park-san!” Haruka said, perking up with a little blush. “I know her!”
“You do?” Koji asked, sitting up straighter.
“I mean, I don’t know her personally, but I met her at a bookstore down in Ryukyu a few days ago.” Haruka frowned. “Weird. I never told her where I lived…”
“Uh oh…Haruka-nee-chan!” Koji gasped. “What if Park-san wants to adopt you?!”
“What’d I just tell you?” Taichi said. “She can’t legally adopt any of us! Even if she wanted to, there’s no way Uncle Kaz would ever hand off Haruka, of all of us, to a complete stranger!”
“Welcome,” Kiryu greeted with a bow. This had to be Park’s fourth or fifth visit in a week. He didn’t mind it too much. She was fairly pleasant company who didn’t overstay her welcome, and the kids seemed comfortable around her. She asked them questions, but the kids didn’t seem too troubled by them, at least nothing that stuck out to Kiryu. At the very least she kept the harrowing topic of their current financial situation off his mind.
Still, till now Kiryu had some burning questions of his own. How did she find Kiryu? What business did she have with him? Why was the president of an Osakan talent agency visiting him all of a sudden? For all of their talk, so far that was one thing he didn’t manage to get out of her.
Until that day of her most recent visit. They were conversing normally when Park finally regarded him with her shrewd, hardened eyes and spoke, “Have you ever thought of leaving this place, Kiryu Kazuma-san?”
Kiryu scowled. Was that what this was all about? “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
Park lowered her head as if deciding on her next words. Her hands were folded in front of her on the table. They chose to sit at the dining table for each of her visits. With the shutters open to the outside, it allowed for a little breeze and a beautiful view of the ocean for her to admire. She was such a lovely lady; if Majima were here, Kiryu would have liked to introduce him to her.
“It’s been a week now since I met your daughter in that Ryukyu bookstore,” Park began. “Since then, I’ve spent my time researching both her and this orphanage. Quite thoroughly. Of course, I’m aware of your history.”
To that, Kiryu wasn’t sure how to answer. So Park had zeroed in on them.
With a dream-like gaze in her eyes, Park went on to praise Haruka. “Her appearance and sense of style are unpolished, yes, but she shows undeniable potential. She just needs her edges smoothed. With time, I’m confident I can make her the most dazzling jewel anyone’s ever seen.”
So Haruka was being scouted to be an idol.
It wasn’t the first time Kiryu and Haruka were approached with such a proposal. A random encounter in Sotenbori several years back almost got them entangled with a terrible agency. Kiryu eventually managed to steer them away. But he wasn’t against Haruka entering the show biz, of course. Back then just wasn’t the time, and that agency just wasn’t the right fit for Haruka. His children had full freedom to pursue any dream they wished, and Kiryu supported them every step of the way.
But there was something in Park’s earlier statement that left Kiryu unsettled…
Due to that, Kiryu simply regarded Park with a scowl, but that didn’t deter her.
“Entrust her to me, and she’ll be a star.”
“On one condition, right?” Kiryu said. “You want me out of the picture.” Why? Could he not travel with her? Drive her to dance rehearsals and the recording studio? Support her backstage? Being separated from Haruka would be a death knell.
Park closed her eyes slowly, having anticipated his words. “When people fall in love with someone,” she explained, “they naturally want to know every last detail. Their blood type, birthplace, fashion preferences, family…the more they learn, the more connected they feel. On the contrary, if that person seems unattainable, it only further fuels the thirst for knowledge. They want to know everything. Bring even the slightest little secrets out into the sun.”
Kiryu gave a grave little nod. “You mean Haruka’s past.” And himself. The public would not take kindly to the knowledge that Haruka has connections with an ex-yakuza, and public attitudes toward the yakuza have steadily been on the decline in recent years.
“Yes,” Park confirmed. “Love can be a cruel thing. Once someone feels betrayed by the object of their affection, love can soon turn to hatred. Wouldn’t you agree?”
For some unknown reason, Kiryu thought back to what Majima had told him about his ex-wife’s past. He didn’t know all of the details, but it seemed for all of her covering up over her abortion and marriage to a yakuza, her history was still discovered. Kiryu could only imagine the hell she must have endured. He tried to apply that to Haruka and shivered. He did not wish for a similar fate to his beloved eldest daughter, but still…could he actually leave Haruka and the other children?
And then there was the matter of Haruka’s biological father, the corrupted politician Jingu Kyohei. If someone dug far and deep enough, they could unearth details on that as well, even if Jingu himself had tried to bury that fact. Best to let the agency deal with one mess rather than two.
But, again, could he actually leave Haruka and the other children?
All he could do was stare silently at Park, unsure how to respond.
“It’s for her own good,” Park insisted in her business-like tone. “If we erase your connection to Haruka, I’ll be able to protect her. In short…”
Kiryu sprung to his feet. “Got it. I’ve heard enough.”
“And your answer?”
“I’m not leaving. Not a chance. My kids still need me. They’d be heartbroken if I walked out on them. As long as they’re living here, I’m not going anywhere.” His heart was speaking, but he couldn’t stop it. Even if everything pointed to him leaving, how could he actually do it? His children were his air.
Park sat in silence for a few moments, breathing deeply, before she peered up at him with a humorless coy smile. “So this is a matter of duty.”
“It’s a lot deeper than that. This is the path I’ve chosen in life.” He glared at her. When she first appeared, he couldn’t fathom her purpose being here. A door-to-door saleswoman? No, a talent agency president, and one trying to not just poach one of his own, but to even remove him from the picture! If she had come here thinking she could bully him out of his own home… “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have things to do. You can see yourself out.”
He turned to leave and was about to exit the dining room when he heard her chuckle. “I must say I’m surprised.”
Her presence was fast becoming annoying. Glaring but trying to keep his annoyance in check, Kiryu slowly turned back to regard her. He was just about to leave her without a retort when she spoke again.
“For someone who’s led the life you have, you know nothing about how the world works.”
Getting to her feet, Park slowly circled around toward him like a cat eyeing a small lizard. “You can’t even make one little girl’s wishes come true. You realize that, yes?”
Still, he said nothing, although deep down he was fuming. What the heck was her problem, going up against an ex-yakuza?!
“And it’s not just her. I noticed something during my visit the other day. This is where dreams come to die.” She regarded her surroundings with scorn. “As long as you’re here, that is.”
He shouldn’t take the bait, but unable to help himself, Kiryu faced her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I asked your children if they were happy…and they all gave me the same response,” Park said. “It was yes, of course. For a child with no family, this place must feel like heaven on earth. But the truth is, they’re all afraid.”
Kiryu’s heart skipped a beat. What did she know? “Afraid of what?”
“That one day this fragile happiness will shatter.”
Those words hit deeper than Kiryu cared to admit. Thinking instantly of their current money problem, Kiryu grew quiet. Bad move. That momentarily sign of weakness was all Park needed; she was back on the prowl.
“Your children clearly love you, from the bottom of their hearts. At the same time, they also love the happy, peaceful life you provide for them. So much that they’d sacrifice anything just to hang on to it…even their own aspirations.”
Again, her words cut. He thought of Taichi declaring he would drop out of school to work, as did Koji, as did Ayako, as did Shiro…
“Kids should be free to be a little selfish,” Park went on. “Free to chase their dreams. Free to be true to themselves. As long as you’re here, your children will never have that freedom.”
Kiryu’s heart squeezed. Taichi and his wrestling, Koji and his sports, Ayako and her running, Shiro and the stars…they would give it all away just to ensure they had food on the table. Was he, Kiryu, really the reason for the mess they were in? Had he possessed a more proper education he could have landed a better second job, brought in more money, and wouldn’t have to listen to his own kids talking about dropping school and getting jobs to help with expenses. Maybe Park was right and Kiryu truly didn’t understand how the world worked…
Maybe Kiryu really had failed his children…
His wonderful, perfect children…his only reason for living…
Could he really cut himself away from his children? The thought horrified him beyond words.
And yet…Kiryu would do anything for his children. Anything to see them smile and live without worry.
When he first brought Shiro to the hospital and learned he needed a multi-organ transplant, Kiryu had offered the doctors to check if he was a match first. If they were, Kiryu would have given his life up on the spot for Shiro to live.
He would have done the same for any of his children.
“Excuse me?” Kiryu demanded, his eyes shining.
“You know it deep down,” Park said calmly. “If your children are ever going to grow up, they need an ambition to strive for. Say one person clings to the safety of their current circumstance, while another doggedly pursues their goal. Who will be stronger in the end?”
They were not his own, not biologically, not legally, but damned if Kiryu did not feel as though he had personally carried every single one of these children for nine months. Haruka, Ayako, Taichi, Koji, Mitsuo, Riona, Eri, Shiro, and Izumi. They were his. His children. His beloved and precious children.
And the only way to save them was to sacrifice himself, to cut himself out of their lives. It would break their hearts, it could end him, but if there was no other way…
Kiryu bowed his head. When he looked back up, Park locked her gaze with him. “Let Haruka-chan embark on this journey. You have one of your own to make. Not for others, but for yourself. Pursue your own goal.”
“But…” His own goal? His own dream? What other dream did he have besides this?
“Leave your daughter to me. In return, I'll fund the future of every child who calls this place home. I'll cover their living expenses. Make sure they can grow and thrive. They won't have a want in the world. I'll even let you choose your own replacement.”
At the mention of “replacement”, Kiryu felt his very soul leave his body. Morning Glory was his home. The children of Morning Glory were his children, his sons and daughters. He would not be able to sleep at night worrying sick about their wellbeing.
But he was also the reason why they were in this predicament, a deep hole that Park could save them from…
Seeing the broken, pained look on Kiryu’s face, Park stepped closer and held his hand. “I promise you.”
Haruka stood in the hallway, listening in on the conversation between Kiryu and Park. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had not realized one single chance meeting would result in the woman becoming obsessed with her. Even if she had come to recruit Haruka into the idol industry, the entire ordeal was almost terrifying, not at all like in western fairy tales. Haruka didn’t feel as though she was about to be whisked away to a faraway castle in glass slippers and a beautiful dress for her happy ever after. She was being kidnapped.
Kiryu put up a good fight at first, making Haruka smile, silently proud of her Uncle Kaz. But Park was ruthless, and knew how to sniff out the tiniest cracks of weaknesses and dig into them. With a heaviness in her heart Haruka listened as Kiryu’s resolve cracked and finally shattered under pressure.
All the while Park kept declaring that she would turn Haruka into a star, that this was her wish.
“My…wish?” Haruka whispered to herself. Was being an idol really her dream in life? She did love to sing and dance for as long as she could remember. She would always ask the other kids from Sunflower Orphanage if they could go to the karaokekan together. She always used to drag Kiryu to karaoke, and it was doubly fun whenever Majima joined them. Of course she had dreams of being an idol. Who didn’t? The cutesy image of perfection drew the attention of all, children included. Everyone wanted to be loved. It was a basic need in all living things, and who craved it more than those who didn’t get to feel that love early in life, such as a little orphan like herself?
But that was back then. She is fifteen now. She felt plenty of love from Uncle Kaz and her many sisters and brothers and Mame. Did she really feel the same way now?
Kiryu voiced his agreement in the other room.
“What makes you so sure?” he asked. “How could you possibly know what Haruka wants? Why you, of all people?”
“It’s simple,” Park said. “Because I wanted the same thing.”
“You had…the same dream?” Kiryu sounded perplexed by her response.
“Yes. And as long as you find the right successor, someone else can pick up the torch. Carry on your dream.”
Haruka lowered her head. A new supervisor? Why did the thought of that frighten her? Would Morning Glory be in good hands?
“You heard our conversation.”
It wasn’t an accusation, and neither were the words spoken with anger but as mere statement of observation. Kiryu watched as Haruka bowed her head, her gaze lingering on her open pink notebook on her desk as she ruminated on what to say. He gave her time to form a reply.
“Do you really trust Park-san, Uncle Kaz?” Haruka asked. “Do you really think she can help Morning Glory?”
“I want the best for my children,” Kiryu said.
“But…” Haruka’s lower lip quivered.
“You’re not certain if this is the kind of work you want to do?”
Haruka nodded. “What would you do, Uncle Kaz?”
“I would grab any opportunity given to me,” Kiryu said honestly, “but I am not someone who had many chances in life. If you feel this is something you want to do, then don’t miss out. You don’t know when you might get another opportunity like this.
“Park-san’s studio is in Sotenbori. You will go to a different school, but think of it this way: you will make new friends and make new experiences. You won’t have to be far from home forever.”
He smiled sadly. “Idols usually graduate between the ages of 18 to 24. It’s not a long career, but it can open many more opportunities for you. We won’t have to be far from Okinawa forever.”
Haruka hung her head. “But, Uncle Kaz…you might be an old man by then!”
Kiryu chuckled. “When you reach twenty-four years of age, it’ll be the year 2020. I’ll be 52. Who knows? Japan might legalize same-gender marriages by then, and Majima-no-nii-san and I may get married as celebration of us returning home.”
“It won’t be Morning Glory Orphanage anymore,” Haruka said sadly.
“But we’d still be a family,” Kiryu pointed out.
Haruka chuckled sadly. She remained silent for a moment before asking, “Do you think I can make it?”
Kiryu smiled. “I remember how you would light the room whenever you sang. Your dancing would entertain Majima-no-nii-san and me for hours.”
At that, Haruka blushed and clamped her hands over her cheeks, shaking her head vigorously. “Don’t remind me, Uncle Kaz!”
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed, Haruka! You have to get over any sense of self-consciousness so you can perform in front of an audience with full ease.” He ruffled her hair and made for the hall before she could retaliate. “It doesn’t have to be until you’re 24. But give it a chance, Haruka. You never know where it could lead you in life.”
“I know…” Haruka mumbled as Kiryu left her room. “I’d just rather dance and sing for the family than a bunch of people I don’t know…”
Kiryu regarded himself in the mirror and sighed heavily. The past several days had been hell on his nerves. He hated to admit it to anyone, but even with the knowledge that the orphanage would be well funded, the very thought of having to leave this place pained him beyond words.
He was still living in Morning Glory, and yet his heart was already collapsing. He will be leaving by the end of the year. Somehow, it already felt like the end of an era. This was all for his children’s future, for their happiness, and yet…everything hurt whenever he thought of his departure.
He had already requested Natsumi to watch over the kids while he conducted this business. He would have appointed her as supervisor, easily, but Park had waved the suggestion away. The children required someone who was a professional, she informed him.
And at Park’s insistence, the Ryudo Family should stop visiting Morning Glory Orphanage. Even though she had plans on changing Haruka’s history for the sake of her public image, should anyone go digging, the last thing she wanted was anyone discovering about the Ryudo Family.
It was cruel. Aside from the fact that they were the property’s landlords, the Ryudo Family were like extended family to the children; how could Kiryu deny them seeing each other? He had struggled to convey the right words without insulting Nakahara or any of the men, but perhaps after seeing how distraught he was, the family understood. They vowed to keep an eye on his children from afar where no meddling fan could see.
“Please, it doesn’t have to be now…” Kiryu said, recalling how much his kids’ eyes light up every time they see Captain Aragaki Mikio, sunny Hagihara Asahi, trendy Miyagi Hirohito, and even the proper Takayama Daijiro by the gate.
And now Kiryu was going to meet and interview a new possible successor, as he had done every day this week. Putting out the flyer out felt as though he had slit his own wrists, and with every meeting of a new prospective supervisor, he put on his best smile but could feel his own heart shriveling.
At first Kiryu had called up Sunflower Orphanage and spoke with Headmistress Suenaga. It was vain of him to think Principal could come all the way down to Okinawa to look after his children. He wasn’t even sure if the old caretaker was still alive, but he would have been Kiryu’s first choice for a replacement. The kids would have loved him as much as Kiryu had. He could not find any news on Principal, and unfortunately Headmistress Suenaga didn’t know anyone else she could recommend who was searching for a position.
And so the search for a new supervisor began.
Everyone had credentials Kiryu didn’t. Higher education—there were classes and degrees for this stuff?!—and years upon years of experience to brag about and rub in his face with resumes and certifications, reminding Kiryu of his own pitiful failures in life.
A couple times he thought of just ending it all, feeling pathetic and small next to everyone.
But he had to do this. For his children. As intimidated as he was facing women and men far more versed in this field than himself, Kiryu looked past all that. He studied their character. If he was to hand off all of his children to someone else, they had to be someone he could trust. Someone like himself.
Today’s interview went just as all the previous ones had. They had all of the qualifications, but there was something vital missing. Kiryu had noted it by the time of the second interview. They may have the trained skills but no heart. This was purely a job, a chore, a paycheck at the end of the day. Children were mere commodities to them, not young souls to cherish, nurture, and encourage in their endeavors in life.
With a hollow smile, Kiryu thanked the job seeker politely and gave the same answer as before: he will study their resume some more before giving them a call (he will never call them back.)
Feeling drained, Kiryu returned home empty-handed once more. His gut feeling didn’t sit well with him on any of the interviewees. He had tried to broaden his search, tried to approach people the way Kashiwagi had approached him years back. There was one name in particular he knew he could trust, but reaching out had turned out to be a painful dead end he never anticipated.
He skipped dinner that night.
Perhaps he should revisit the idea of Natsumi as supervisor. He had to talk with Park about that, as she seemed really against the idea. He couldn’t understand why when the two women got along just fine during her previous visits.
Reaching Morning Glory’s gate one day, he saw Park standing outside, arms folded.
“Still searching?” she said by way of greeting.
Kiryu sighed. “Give me time. I can’t entrust just anyone to my children. If you’re in that much of a hurry to get rid of me, we can revisit the idea of Natsumi—”
“I have someone I may be able to recommend,” Park cut in as she thrust a business card at his chest.
Sniffling back a retort at her attitude, Kiryu checked the name on the card. Sakuma Setsuko. Her address was in Chiba.
It took a lot of convincing from Park, but finally Kiryu gave in. They booked a flight to the mainland after Kiryu made arrangements with Natsumi and Nakahara to watch over the kids. He kept his reasons vague to the children if anyone asked. He was sure his children had a lot of burning questions, and he promised to let them know, once everything was settled.
He packed his bags and left that morning. Noting Haruka sitting by the beach, he knew she, out of everyone, needed to understand why he was doing this. Despite all that, she accused him of running away. The words hurt him deep. He thought Haruka would understand. He wasn’t running away. Her new life required he be out of it, and maybe it wouldn’t be forever. And even if it did…as much as it pained him, he would do it. For his children. Haruka was just getting angry and frustrated. He understood her. Her world was rapidly changing. But she would understand some day.
The trip to Chiba was largely uneventful. Park accompanied him and she was fairly pleasant company when the subject of Kiryu’s eventual departure from his home wasn’t brought up.
Sakuma Setsuko was a small woman with a lovely face and a calm demeanor that instantly put his nerves at ease the moment they met. She directed them to sit in a clean and simple living room. Green tea was already prepared for their arrival, still hot. She poured a cup for each of them.
“I apologize for requesting you to come out all this way to meet me,” she said with a low and polite bow. “I would have come to Okinawa myself, but I did not have the funds.”
“That is no problem at all,” Kiryu said before they got down to business.
As it turned out, Sakuma was once a hostess but retired early on after an injury. She had dreams of working with children but could not pursue it after her hospitalization.
“What have you done since?” Kiryu asked.
“Little jobs here and there,” Sakuma answered. “Waitressing, helped a friend with her bakery, part-timed at a small convenience store until the owner’s father fell ill. I’m sorry, I know I seem like I don’t stay in one place for long.”
Kiryu simply waved his hand silently. The woman was apologetic yet polite about everything, but he wanted to know one thing for certain: was she serious about taking care of children?
“When you waited on tables, how did the children treat you?” Kiryu fixed his gaze on her, watching her like a hawk.
Her eyes twinkled with something he hadn’t seen in any of the other interviewees as she answered. “Oh, children! Each one of them were such darlings! So polite!”
“Was there not a single one who was ever rude to you?” Kiryu’s own kids were lively, bless them. They were not afraid to talk back to him, an ex-yakuza. Others might have thought that horrifying, but Kiryu nurtured that fire in them. Questioning authority was a rare gift among the youth. In Japan this was seen as detrimental in the workforce, but Kiryu thought it just made them stronger and more independent people. Or perhaps it reminded him so much of himself in his younger days.
Taken aback by his question, Sakuma looked up. “Rude?” she said. “Well, I never really thought much about the rowdier ones…” she then giggled as the sparkle returned in her eyes. “There was one boy who had an allergy to buckwheat. Oh how could I forget him!”
Just like Taichi, Kiryu thought and gave a little sad smile.
“His twin was fighting with him. ‘You can’t have that! It’ll make you sick!’ he kept saying.”
Kiryu nodded, thinking of Taichi and Koji.
“This was in the middle of a party, mind. Their older sister tried to get the buckwheat-allergic boy something with vegetables, but he just threw it at his sister.”
She giggled before stopping herself, but Kiryu just nodded again, unable to suppress the smile himself. He could just picture Taichi being openly rude to Haruka and Ayako, demanding his damn bowl of noodles. He loved his soba noodles.
Sakuma went on with the story. Every child appeared as one of Kiryu’s own in his mind.
“It got so bad the kids began throwing their food at one another! Somehow an entire bowl of rice ended up dangling from the chandelier! I swear on my life, one of the kids was climbing the walls! I would have pried them off but I was drenched in cake and frosting! I could scarcely move!”
“What did you do?” Kiryu asked. His children were never this bad, but it was amusing, if a bit cathartic, imagining them causing total havoc.
Sakuma just shrugged. “All I wanted was a shower and my day’s pay. But you should have seen the manager’s face! I’ve never seen him so red before! Oh, but I couldn’t stop laughing!”
“A new supervisor?!” Taichi exclaimed, as Shiro and all of his siblings mirrored Taichi’s bafflement. “But why are we getting a new supervi—wait, are you getting married, Uncle Kaz?!”
Confusion immediately turned to anticipated excitement among the kids gathered around the dining table, but Kiryu was quick to shoot that down with a raised hand, urging everyone to remain quiet.
“I am not getting married,” he said. “However, certain circumstances which arose have made it impossible for me to remain as your supervisor.”
Silence followed as he words slowly sunk in. Shiro looked around himself, noting that Natsumi was standing by the kitchen doorway frowning. Haruka was sitting beside Kiryu but was barely able to meet his gaze even when he turned toward her. They must have talked about this before, Shiro thought.
“What sort of circumstances?” Ayako asked.
“Haruka is going to be an idol,” Kiryu smiled at Haruka who didn’t look at him. “But given my past, it is best I steer clear to help with her image. The idol industry is extremely strict. There is nothing more valued than a pristine image, and right now I’m standing in the way of that for dear Haruka.”
“Um…” Shiro spoke up shyly. “What does this mean for you, Uncle Kaz?”
He saw the way Haruka’s face twitched in pain and knew he had broached a painful question.
“It means that I will not remain living with you in Morning Glory Orphanage.”
Gasps rippled among everyone, followed by stunned silence. Everyone stared at Kiryu, unable to find the words. Haruka simply bowed her head, her expression unreadable. Her long hair fell over her eyes.
Kiryu meanwhile gave everyone a comforting smile. “I won’t be gone forever. Idol-dom doesn’t last for many years. We will be back before you know it. And even still, there is good reason to suspect I may be a hindrance to the rest of you.”
“Rest of us?” Riona said. “What do you mean by that, Uncle Kaz?”
“You’re all growing up,” Kiryu said. “And soon you will be looking into scholarships, employment, letters of recommendation. Not all of you have family records, and reputation is everything. Being associated with me may make advancing in life more difficult for you, and that is the very last thing I want to do. And unfortunately, I haven’t been able to support the family financially. I have failed all of you, and for that I am sorry. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness.
“So…I am leaving. This is for the benefit of everyone.”
“That’s bullshit!” Taichi snapped, forgetting Kiryu’s no-swearing rule. “We can achieve our dreams just fine with you here, Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu smiled sadly. “If it were that easy. There’s something you will all learn sooner or later. Your connections to this orphanage, and to me, will determine how successful you will become in life. Grades can only take you so far. Family is equally important, and unfortunately, I have been part of the yakuza…”
“We’re not bothered by that!” Ayako said.
“You’re not,” Kiryu explained gently. “But the world isn’t as forgiving. I’m so sorry, Ayako, but statistically those who have come from an orphanage have a harder time finding a job than those who didn’t. Don’t let me complicate the matter for any of you. I’m thankful an opportunity arose for Haruka. I hope luck shines down for all of you. Now, please, please, work with me. For Haruka. For all of you.”
The children all bowed their heads. Shiro stared at his hands resting on the table as a strange little ominous feeling, faint yet still detectable, bubbled deep down.
So it all had to do with that woman, Park Mirei. That knowledge made Shiro cold toward her. He couldn’t help himself. They were so happy together as a family, and out of nowhere this woman came and drove Kiryu out.
Shiro wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Sensing the discomfort, Kiryu urged everyone to be a lot more welcoming to Park. The woman stopped by more and more frequently over the next six months. It was all for Haruka’s journey into becoming an idol.
That left Shiro with mixed feelings. He was excited for Haruka, excited she was going to be famous, but he was also devastated for Kiryu. Why couldn’t they have both Haruka and Kiryu home?
They met the new supervisor only once, and Shiro could already tell the atmosphere of Morning Glory would never be the same again. Everyone was polite to Sakuma, but the warm familiarity everyone had with Kiryu simply wasn’t there. He knew they had to give her time, but something was missing. Something big that he could not quite put a finger on.
Seeing Park after returning home from school became a common sight. She and a colleague were there to help Haruka with singing lessons, the first thing she was to learn on her path to idol fame. Kiryu’s presence slowly grew less and less frequent, leaving the orphanage cold in his absence. Shiro knew he was staying at the Ryudo office whenever he wasn’t with them. He did this whenever journalists were around, giving the place the sense that it wasn’t run by some terrible ex-yakuza. To make matters worse, Park and Sakuma had replaced the shoji in his room in an attempt to remove the “atrocious stench of cigarette smoke.”
As much as Shiro himself hated seeing Kiryu smoke, he would come to miss the scent of his favorite brand. Before Kiryu left the orphanage for good, Shiro stole an empty box of Kiryu’s favorite brand of cigarettes, just to hold on to as keepsake.
Park and Sakuma even removed the headboard above his bedroom that read “Ojisan”. Down went the drawing Haruka had made of Kiryu and a puppy dog long ago. When Kiryu returned, he simply frowned as he looked about his changed room and asked if he could at least hold on to his children’s drawings.
Worst of all, Majima had originally planned to visit during the summer, but Kiryu had rejected him, citing that the family was going through a massive change and couldn’t take on any visitors at this time.
“What sorta changes, Kiryu-chan?” Majima’s voice had sounded concerned over the phone. Shiro could hear him in the other room that evening. “Ya need my help? Should I send over some of my boys?”
Kiryu declined and Shiro’s heart sank.
Kiryu, meanwhile, was busy packing up. He and Haruka were set to depart from Morning Glory by the end of the year: Haruka to Osaka with Park, and Kiryu to…somewhere, he still wasn’t sure. At Kiryu’s insistence, he wanted to spend one final Christmas with his family, alone, as a family. To Shiro’s relief, Park at least granted him that. She would not even be present for the last couple weeks of December.
As much as it was a relief to know they had this one final moment together, the days leading up to that holiday crept with trepidation. Shiro could barely sleep at night, and the boys would sometimes stay up late discussing the matter. Being the eldest, Taichi took the initiative to try to encourage one another to keep their spirits up, for Kiryu’s sake. He was making this sacrifice for their future. It was hurting him, they could sense that, but he was trying to hide it. They had to support him too.
“He’s really serious about this, isn’t he?” Koji said. “He’s really worried about Haruka’s well being.”
“Yeah, he even remembered the name of a dance instructor from Osaka,” Mitsuo said. “He begged Park to get into contact with him, and she agreed! He really has our best interests at heart.”
“But I’m going to miss him!” Koji whined. Shiro nodded sadly. Could he beg Kiryu to take him with him? But then it wouldn’t be fair for the other kids. They’d all want to go with him.
Maybe he could escape. Go to a place he knew he still had a home. But still, it wouldn’t be fair to show up to Grandpa Kichiro’s house without the rest of the family. It wouldn’t feel right.
But then Shiro smiled. His grandfather had a big house. Maybe he could tell Grandpa Kichiro what happened, and they could somehow get everyone up to Tokyo. Grandpa Kichiro loved everyone at Morning Glory. And no one would have to go digging through Morning Glory to uncover some deep dark secret of Haruka’s. Everyone will have moved out. Natsumi could come too.
The family would be closer to Kiryu and Majima.
What a wonderful plan.
Majima visited Morning Glory far more subdued than the previous year. Taking a look around the changes done to Morning Glory, his eye narrowed in suspicion, noting the changes, but otherwise he said nothing on the matter.
“Kiryu-chan, I need to talk to you about something,” he said, the Osaka-ben dropping.
Shiro had no idea what it was, and reading their body language decided not to go eavesdrop on them. Some time later, Kiryu and Majima both reemerged, Kiryu looking a lot more somber.
“Shiro?” Kiryu called. “Majima-no-nii-san and I need to speak with you.”
“Yes, Uncle Kaz.”
Why me? Shiro wondered as he got up from his spot in the dining room, neglecting his homework and the television set for now. Sensing the grave tone in the air as he entered Kiryu’s bedroom, Shiro’s heart shot to his throat. What was going on?
Kiryu motioned for Shiro to sit at the low table across from himself and Majima. When was the last time he had done this? Shiro recalled how he used to make excuses just to spend more time with Kiryu in the evenings.
“Shiro-chan,” Majima began, “there’s no easy way to say this. Your grandpa passed away.”
The room suddenly grew ice cold. Shirogane Kichiro. Grandpa Kichiro. Dead. And Shiro had been thinking about running off to live with him, to move the entire family to his house…
“How?” Shiro finally managed. “He appeared in good health when we visited him back in April.”
Kiryu hung his head. “Truthfully, Shiro…I knew for some time he had been unwell. Back when I was searching for my replacement, I had the idea to contact Shirogane-san. I wanted to see if he was willing to come over here and be the new supervisor. I wanted it to be someone I could trust my children to, and he seemed like a fine choice. Everyone at Morning Glory loves him already, and he cherishes all of you.
“That was when I learned that he had suffered a stroke. When Majima-no-nii-san contacted me about coming over, I told him what I had learned and requested he check in on him.”
Majima nodded. “Your grandfather wasn’t alone. Others did their duty to help him, Shiro-chan. Got my men and the Saejima Family checking in on him every day.”
“Including Kurosu Katsuo?”
Majima was taken aback for a moment. “Er, yes, even Kurosu and his men. Many people cared for him. But in the end, Shirogane-san passed away in his sleep about a month ago. I didn’t want to trouble you, especially not while it seems the family’s going through…something at the moment.” At that he gave Kiryu a hard look.
“I’m sorry, Shiro-chan. I brought some of his ashes. And some things he left ya behind in his will.”
Shiro thanked Majima in a small voice as he accepted his grandfather’s ashes in a small vial woven around in a necklace. He didn’t care what he inherited. The fact remained that he was now truly alone, trapped in the orphanage with nowhere else to go.
That isn’t true, he kept reminding himself. He still had Taichi, Koji, Mitsuo, Ayako, Riona, Eri, Izumi, Mame…but what was Morning Glory without Kiryu and Haruka? Without the Ryudo Family? Without Majima’s visits?
“Are you going to be okay?” Kiryu asked softly.
Shiro nodded as a tear dribbled down one cheek. He quickly wiped it away as he thanked Majima for bringing Grandpa Kichiro’s ashes.
“So…what’s this about a new supervisor?” Majima asked, turning now to Kiryu. The matter of Shiro’s grandfather was now over.
Shiro wordlessly excused himself and tiptoed out of the room, leaving the men to themselves.
“So…what’s this about a new supervisor?” Majima asked as Shiro excused himself and left. “Things been lookin’ a bit drab since I got here. What’s goin’ on?”
Kiryu sighed. He knew he couldn’t keep the matter away from Majima forever. Despite living many miles away, he was still part of the children’s lives, and in many ways he deserved to know. He told Majima everything, or mostly everything. He refrained from ever saying Park Mirei’s name simply because the sight and the name of the woman alone caused him such deep pain. Even if it was to benefit Haruka and her future, the thought of what he was leaving behind left a gaping hole in his chest.
Majima listened quietly the entire time. When Kiryu was done, he folded his arms and bowed his head.
“Dyna Chair?” he said, eyebrows knitted in concentration. “Dyna Chair…something about it sounds familiar. Ya sure it’s an actual company? Did yer research on it?”
Kiryu nodded. “It’s a legit talent agency. The president saw Haruka’s potential through a mere chance meeting at a bookstore this past June.”
Majima chuckled. “Must have one hell of a sharp eye for this stuff then. Not too concerned for her. Haruka will shine brighter than any talent they ever had.”
Kiryu smiled grimly.
“Dyna Chair…should ask a friend of mine about them some time. He’s the president of a talent agency himself.”
“Oh?”
“‘Course, it’s a front for yakuza business.”
“Why am I not surprised…”
“And…what about you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Ya said yer being booted outta here by the end of this year. Ya only got a couple weeks left. Why’s that?”
“I’m sure you can guess why.”
Majima mirrored his humorless smile. “Anti-yakuza laws got ya down too, eh, Kiryu-chan?”
“Yeah. We’ve been strapped for cash for a while.”
Majima nodded. “The economy’s been a bitch. Majima Construction’s gone belly up.”
“Job hunting hasn’t been going well either.” Kiryu clenched his fists over his knees, remembering what he was willing to do to feed his kids before Park offered a solution out of his dilemma.
Majima gave another nod of his head. “So this shiny-ass president from Dyna Chair waltzes in, offers ya the deal of a lifetime, but with the stipulation that ya get yer ugly yakuza mug outta the picture.”
“Yeah.”
Majima sighed heavily. “Oh, Kiryu-chan.”
“Was I wrong?” Kiryu asked. “I had no other option. Naha City could only send us so much funding. And I cannot—I mean—you—”
“Ya didn’t want to bother asking me,” Majima said. “Tell ya the truth, me and the boys are runnin’ ourselves to the ground tryin’ to keep afloat in this economy ourselves, but I would’ve helped ya regardless. Yer kids are my kids. Did ya forget that?”
Kiryu bowed his head.
Perhaps because he was feeling sorry for him, Majima leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheeks. “So, where ya going after the year ends?”
Kiryu stared ahead. “Honestly…I don’t know.”
“Eh? What’d ya mean ya don’ know?!”
Kiryu studied his hands. “I haven’t really thought about it. Somewhere in the mainland, I guess.”
“Kiryu-chan! What am I, chopped tripe?!”
Shaking his head, Kiryu heaved a hard sigh. “That isn’t the reason, Nii-san. I didn’t wish to inconvenience you.”
“Yer never inconveniencing me!” Majima cried out and then with a huff sat there in silence, shoulders tense.
“Come live with me,” Majima said after a while.
“What?” Kiryu stared at him as though he had grown two heads. “But, Majima-no-nii-san...wouldn’t that cause problems for you with the Tojo Clan?”
“How will it?” Majima said. “Half my men already know we torpedoin’ the eel n’ don’t care. Anyone who dares to talk shit to my face or behind my back regrets ever bein’ born!”
“But, I promised I would be away from the orphanage to cleanse its image,” Kiryu said. “Should anyone still track me down, I don’t want them to find out I am…well…”
“Fucking a Tojo patriarch?” Majima cackled. “Don’t worry, Kiryu-chan. I have a few places around Tokyo and outside it. Keeps me safe whenever there’s a hit on me. We can settle on one as our love nest.”
“Love nest?” Kiryu said and blushed deep red.
Hearing Kiryu say that lit Majima’s eye bright with all the stars of the universe. “Yeah! How about it? I’ll pick the best place that’ll appease both of us! Ya want sleazy? I got the place in mind! Ya want traditional? I got one out in the country too. High rise, cottage, overlooking the sea, the city, I got it all!”
“I…” Kiryu tried to think of a good argument, but the look on Majima’s face robbed all thought from his mind.
The matter was settled. On December 31st, both Kiryu and Haruka would depart from Okinawa and ring in the new year in their respective new apartments, Haruka in Sotenbori and Kiryu in Shinjuku with Majima.
The days leading up to their departure went by quiet and without incident. Park hadn’t returned, which was perfectly well and fine as far as Kiryu was concerned. He wanted to cherish the last remaining days with his family Park-free.
He did anything the kids asked from him, but their hearts didn’t seem into any activity as much as before. Majima tried to help along, suggesting favorite restaurants, games they always enjoyed, and places they always loved going to. The old spark just wasn’t there anymore. Park Mirei had broken something inside the family.
Kiryu caught sight of Haruka studying everyone intently during those last few days. She always had a notebook in hand, and she would scribble furiously from time to time. He’d watch as an occasional tear rolled down her cheek. Was she writing songs? Good girl. He wondered what they were about. He was a little too nervous to ask.
Meanwhile, Majima helped Kiryu pack. Not once did he come to learn the name of the shrewd president of Dyna Chair Talent Agency, but one time the name “Mirei” did drop somewhere near him. Majima chuckled as he organized Kiryu’s accounting books.
“Mirei,” he snorted. “Never met a Mirei who wasn’t trouble.”
For some unknown reason, Kiryu recalled a Mirei in a light blue coat who had nearly devoured him whole upon sight right in front of the SEGA gaming center back in late 1988. He shuddered. Seeing his reaction, Majima threw his head back and laughed.
He was just about the only one who seemed unaffected by the turn of events. In truth, Kiryu knew he was trying to keep up morale in the family. The thought of not being able to visit Morning Glory pained Majima just as much.
It was the last night before their departure. Majima had spent the evening cooking a special dinner with Natsumi for everyone, and he even offered to help with cleanup, giving Kiryu a chance to enjoy the final night in Okinawa alone.
He took a cigarette break outside, enjoying the breeze on his face, and wondered when he would get to smell the sea again. Just a few years ago, he was on the phone with Majima, looking up at the night sky while Majima sent in his men to set off fireworks to ring in the new year. Now Majima was inside taking care of domestic matters before they were to leave for an indefinite length of time.
Extinguishing his cigarette, Kiryu headed back inside.
Kiryu was folding the last of his clothes he had taken from the laundry and setting them into his briefcase when he took note of a figure watching him by the door.
“Ayako,” he said.
“Sorry for just standing there, Uncle Kaz,” Ayako said shyly. “I should have announced my presence earlier.”
Kiryu shook his head and smiled warmly. “Is there anything you need?”
Just then Haruka also appeared, and seeing them at the same time, a cloud passed through Ayako’s normally dark and calm eyes. She bowed her head and covered her face, but it was too late. They could hear the sniffles.
“Ayako!” Haruka gasped. She wrapped her arms around Ayako as Kiryu set his clothes down and came up to her, patting her gently.
“I-I’m sorry,” Ayako said. “It’s just that…when you two first came into our lives, I felt for the first time in my life that I actually had a real family. You’ll never comprehend just how much you’ve changed our lives for the better, Uncle Kaz, Haruka. A-and now Uncle Goro and the Ryudo Boys too! I…I...I’m scared with the thought of you all being gone from my life!”
“Ayako!” Haruka gasped.
Kiryu felt his heart splinter at her words. It was almost enough for him to go back on his word and pull the contract from right under Park Mirei’s nose, finances be damned. Didn’t Majima mention knowing a talent agency himself?
“Ayako,” Kiryu said, “I am honored to hear you thought so highly of us. I too grew up in an orphanage all my life. I have no memory of my own parents, and the man who raised us made Sunflower Orphanage feel like home too. But humans grow, our lives change, and we have to learn to swim with the tides rather than fight it. It’s the only way we can keep growing.”
Sniffling, Ayako nodded. She brushed away her tears.
“Do you…want me to help you pack?” she asked.
Kiryu shook his head. “I’m fine. Make sure the family’s happy while I’m gone. You’re the eldest among us now.”
Ayako bowed her head. “Yeah. I will. I promise. Thank you, Uncle Kaz.”
Haruka smiled brightly. “And as the eldest, you get to have my room, Ayako!”
“Haruka, no!” Ayako gasped. “The room is forever yours.”
Haruka smiled up at Kiryu. “I suppose so, but will you keep it warm and tidy for me in the meantime? I’m entrusting you to it much in the same way Uncle Kaz is entrusting his room to the new supervisor!”
And with that, Haruka steered Ayako out and away from Kiryu’s room. Not long after Ayako and Haruka left, Taichi popped around the corner.
“It sucks seeing you go,” he whined. “This isn’t gonna be like the other times, is it? You being gone for just a few days.”
“Taichi…” Kiryu’s heart squeezed at the thought. “I won’t be gone forever. This is to support Haruka, you know that. Might be just a few years. It’ll feel like a long time, but those years will pass by quickly, I promise. Besides, I will be with Majima-no-nii-san.”
Taichi bowed his head. “I know…it’s just…it’s nicer if you’re here with us.”
“I am here. The family’s still together. We’re just spread out in different cities.”
At that, Taichi smiled a little, but the old spark wasn’t there. “I’m going to miss you, Uncle Kaz. I’m sorry for driving you up the wall so much when I was younger.”
Chuckling, Kiryu patted him on the shoulder. “You kept me on my toes. I stayed fit because of you. And now that I know you’re too old to go climbing to the rooftop, I can breathe easier. As the second eldest, you have a new duty now.”
At that realization, Taichi’s eyes widened and he nodded, suddenly serious. “I’ll watch over the family and protect them as you have, Uncle Kaz! I will be strong! Promise!”
Kiryu smiled. “I know you will. Thank you, Taichi.”
Some time later, Koji, Mitsuo, and Riona all poured into his room.
“We wanted to give you these,” Koji said as he presented Kiryu with a thick stack of envelopes. “Everyone at Morning Glory wrote you letters. Natsumi and the Ryudo Family too. Even some of the neighbors got together to write a letter jointly for you! Don’t read them until after you’re settled in the new place.”
“Kids…” Kiryu said, touched as he accepted the stack. Twelve letters, all addressed to him. He made a mental note not to read them with Majima around. He definitely wasn’t going to be able to hold it in while reading one, much less twelve.
The three kids then pounced on him together, hugging him tightly around his middle.
“We’re going to really miss you,” Riona said tearfully. “You made me more comfortable with the burns on my body.”
“You’re always helping us,” Mitsuo said. “You’re really wise and give the best advice. Even if your fashion sense stinks.”
“Nothing’s wrong with my fashion sense!” Kiryu gasped, and the four of them laughed. He hugged them back.
“Do your best,” Kiryu said as he patted each of them on the head. Next time he saw them, would they be too big for him to do this, hugging all of them at once? “Each one of you have potential and the strife to make it in this world. Don’t let anything hold you back. Don’t let me hold you back.”
“Uncle Kaz!” the kids wept. “We’ll make you proud!”
Some time after Kiryu resumed his packing, two more visitors approached.
“Uncle Kaz!” Izumi wept as she rushed to his side, hugging him hard around his middle like her older siblings had not too long ago. “Why are you leaving us?! Don’t go!”
“We’re scared something bad might happen to you,” Eri confessed.
Izumi nodded against Kiryu’s stomach. “Bad things always happen to you when you leave.”
“Don’t go near yakuza!” Eri begged. “I have a bad feeling…I dunno…I’ve been getting nightmares…”
“Girls…” Kiryu sighed as he held the two against him. “I know I have no right reassuring you of my safety after the time I went after Mine Yoshitaka, but please understand it’s not all scary out there. I will be with your Uncle Goro. I made a promise to lay low, for Haruka and your sake.”
“Why do you have to do this?” Izumi asked. “Can’t we just stay together?”
Kiryu chuckled sadly. “I hate saying these words, because they used to frustrate me so much when I was your age, but…you’ll understand when you’re older. There are some things a parent has to do for their children even if it isn’t pleasant.”
Eri and Izumi still looked at him with pained expressions. For the umpteenth time, Kiryu’s heart shattered and splintered. How could he continue with this? He was so heartless…
“Eri, Izumi…I’m sorry,” Kiryu said. “I promise this won’t be forever. There may come a time when we can all sit together as a family once more.”
“That’ll take forever!” Izumi said. “I’ll be an old lady by then, and you and Uncle Goro’ll be all dust and bones!”
“Izumi!” Eri gasped.
“You’ll be full of wrinkles!” Izumi blew a raspberry at Eri.
Kiryu did laugh for real this time. When he had first come to Morning Glory Orphanage, he was warned that Izumi acted younger than her age, a result from the traffic accident she had been in. Others complained that she was a bit selfish at times, and Kiryu could see that, but deep down she had a big heart.
And Eri…he still remembered her early days at the orphanage, the sleepless nights as he had to carry her around as though she were an infant, soothing her after another nightmare. She had been so vulnerable and scared back then, and now the nightmares were starting up again. He had to fight back the tears. There were children like Eri back at Sunflower Orphanage too. He distinctly remembered Yumi—
“None of us are getting wrinkles for a while,” Kiryu said calmly. “Now, what have I taught you? If you haven’t yet learned these lessons by the time I leave, my heart will be broken. Do you want me to be sad when I leave?”
“No Uncle Kaz!”
They went over the importance from everything: the basics to the Okinawan-cherished beliefs of moai, ikigai, and hara hachi bu. Kiryu bid them farewell for the night before resuming his packing until his final visitor arrived just as he was zipping up his briefcase.
“Shiro.”
Kiryu greeted him. He always said his and Izumi’s names softer than with the other kids.
“Uncle Kaz,” Shiro said and turned to the travel case. So it was done. Tomorrow would be…“So you’re all packed up and ready to go…”
Kiryu nodded and motioned for him to come inside. “How are you feeling, Shiro?”
“I’m…very sad,” Shiro said truthfully and glanced at his feet. “I know the reason why you’re doing this, of course. But it’s just not fair! Why can’t you stay here? Why should anyone care that you used to be a yakuza? You’re the best father anyone could ever ask for! You’re my real father!”
Kiryu stared at him, unable to speak for a while. “Shiro…”
Embarrassed, Shiro bowed his head.
“You were always there for me…without ever even knowing me, you came up to Tokyo to take me to Okinawa. I could have been a brat, a problem child—I could have totally hated and rejected you—but you just accepted me right off the bat. And then you never gave up on me while I was sick. And when I had that bully problem, you helped me. And…when my heart was broken and I was struggling with who I was, you made me feel better again. I was always a burden to you, but you never ever stopped loving me.”
“Shiro…”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Kaz, but can I be a burden again?” Shiro continued on, not listening. He had to get the words out as his voice cracked. By the time he met Kiryu’s gaze, his eyes were shining with tears. “Can you take me with you and Uncle Goro? I’m…I’m scared of living alone here without you around!”
“Shiro!” Kiryu gasped.
Shiro hung his head. “It’s my Grandpa. I wanted to go live with him if you weren’t here, but then…”
“Oh, Shiro…” Kiryu motioned for him to sit by the round table. He kept thinking of how the last time he sat at this table, Kiryu and Majima had informed him of his grandfather’s death. Feeling as though he had taken his grandfather for granted all these years, Shiro broke down and cried. Was he stupid for letting himself get too attached to an ex-yakuza?
“Shiro…” Kiryu said gently as he soothed his back. He gave him a few hugs and let him cry it out. “What makes you think this isn’t home anymore without me and Haruka around? What about Taichi, Koji, and Mitsuo? What about Ayako, Riona, Eri, and Izumi?”
Shiro hiccuped. “They are my family. It’s just…it won’t be the same.”
“How? Because some of us are missing from the picture?”
Shiro nodded.
“Does that scare you?” Kiryu asked.
Another nod.
“Do you think it will affect your studies?” Kiryu next asked.
“I don’t care about that!”
“Shiro…words like that break my heart. I’m doing this so you can succeed in life. Do you think my not being here will impact your studies?”
Shiro thought about it for a bit. “Maybe? I’m going to keep thinking about you.”
“That’s natural,” Kiryu said. “This means that you’re going to deeply miss us. But we won’t be far away forever. Each of us has a journey to embark. Haruka has a career now. Uncle Goro and I will be together, so we won’t be alone. Now, each of you at Morning Glory have to find your paths and make it in this world. You love the stars, don’t you, Shiro?”
“I…I suppose,” Shiro said.
It was more than just a “suppose” and Shiro knew that Kiryu knew from the way he smiled. But right now Shiro wasn’t feeling very warm toward outer space.
“You’ve always loved science and math,” Kiryu said. “Maybe that’s your journey. If you find something else that makes you happy, then grab hold of it! Same for the rest of you. Support one another. I want each of you to be happy, okay?”
Shiro looked up. He knew he shouldn’t ask such a question, but he couldn’t help it.
“What about you, Uncle Kaz? Are you happy where you’re headed in life?”
The following morning, Saturday December 31st, saw Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka set out from their rooms for the final time. The kids trailed behind them, all quiet and sad. Natsumi had stayed overnight so they would not be alone in the hours before the new supervisor came in. Nakahara and Saki joined in on seeing them off.
As he was nearing the gate, Mame ran up to Kiryu, barking and wagging his tail. Chuckling sadly to himself, Kiryu bent down to stroke him behind the ear. Izumi had been the one to insist on keeping him, and she was such a good dog caretaker, but Kiryu and the others had grown to adore Mame. Kiryu was a little embarrassed to admit the many times Mame had saved him from loneliness when it was just him at the orphanage while the kids were off at school or hanging out with friends downtown. How many times had he taken Mame walking around the beachside? How many times had they played fetch to pass the time before the kids came back home?
“You be good now,” Kiryu said, and Mame answered with a few delighted barks. He sniffed and licked the inside of Majima’s offered gloved palm before letting him pet him too. After getting his fill, Mame saw them off to the gate, barking his goodbyes.
At the monorail station, Kiryu felt his heart jump into his throat, pounding as though gripped by a sudden anxiety. Would he ever set foot here again?
As their monorail rolled into a stop, the three of them turned around. The kids had all put on brave faces for the ones parting.
“Take on the world, Haruka!” the kids all cheered. “Japan’s not gonna know what hit them!”
“Everyone…” Haruka wept.
“Take care, Uncle Kaz! Uncle Goro! We’re gonna miss you!” the kids all said. They embraced everyone together as Natsumi, Nakahara, and Saki watched a couple steps away. Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka thanked everyone and bid them a goodbye but promised to see each other soon.
“I’ll take care of Kiryu-chan real well!” Majima promised, putting on his biggest grin yet to everyone. “When we return, he’ll be in tiptop shape!”
“Remember to always support one another,” Kiryu said. “We may be living away from each other, but we’re still family. This isn’t forever. We’ll keep in touch. Okay?”
“YES, UNCLE KAZ!” everyone answered in a singsong voice. “SEE YOU LATER, UNCLE KAZ!”
They boarded the monorail, and as the door shut, Kiryu’s heart squeezed as another vaguely unsettling feeling arose in his chest. This was all a mistake! Open the doors now!
A little squeeze from Majima kept his nerves at bay.
At the airport, the three of them stayed close, savoring their last moments together.
“Hey, Haruka-chan,” Majima said. “Remember when ya used to go around asking all sorts of favors from us?”
Haruka’s eyes sparkled a tiny bit. “Yeah…that was so embarrassing!”
“No it wasn’t! Ya loved doing that, didn’t ya, Uncle Kaz?”
Kiryu chuckled. “As long as you didn’t ask me to hit a certain score on some karaoke songs…”
Haruka giggled.
“Well, why don’t we do a little of that right now?” Majima said. “For old time’s sake, eh?”
Haruka’s eyes twinkled. She took them around the airport, requesting this and that. Majima put on an act, excited to get her that new figurine, record, bracelet, or can of soda—anything she wanted. But Kiryu could tell her heart wasn’t really in it. Neither was he. The outside world just didn’t hold as much glitz and glamour as when she was nine years old, and in the end the three of them just lazed around in the lounging area.
All too soon, Haruka’s flight to Osaka was called on the overhead. Getting to their feet, Kiryu and Majima walked her to the terminal. Kiryu’s heart aching more with each step. Was this all one big horrible mistake? Was he ripping the family apart by pushing Haruka to embrace show business and cast himself aside for the sake of their future? But then how else would they be financially secure to even pursue their dreams?
Haruka had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail, and it bounced behind her as Kiryu walked behind her. Her hair wasn’t always this long. When they first met, she had short hair, her fringes pulled to the side by two little red barrettes. She was so small…small and scared and holding a gun…
“You don’t have a home, kid?”
“The orphanage. I snuck out.”
“You live in an orphanage? Wait, kid—”
“It’s not ‘kid’.”
“Huh?”
“It’s Haruka. Not ‘kid’.”
Kiryu bowed his head, his heart growing heavier with every new memory. He felt the gentle tap from Majima’s hand over the small of his back.
Now having reached the boarding gates, they stopped and regarded one another. Majima stepped aside to give them some privacy as Kiryu took Haruka’s hands in his own.
“Look at you,” he said fondly though his tight voice cracked from time to time. “Time flies. You’ve grown, and now it’s time for you to find your way in the world. I know you will do well, Haruka.”
“Uncle Kaz…” Haruka smiled through her tears. “I promise, I will make you, Uncle Goro, and everyone at Morning Glory proud. I will work real hard every day and do my best. We will never have a want for money ever again!”
Kiryu chuckled. “Don’t think about money. Just enjoy every moment. We’ll see each other some day, I’m sure.”
Even as he spoke the last words, his heart rumbled in his chest, as though some dark cloud closed in around them, almost like the day he almost lost Haruka months back—what had happened to her then? Oh right, that terrible storm…
Haruka bid him and Majima goodbye before then stepping past the threshold, tugging her luggage behind her. Standing side by side, Kiryu and Majima watched until the plane took off.
He couldn’t do it.
Sensing the turbulence beside him, Majima escorted him to the nearest washroom. Head bowed, Kiryu wept openly in front of the mirror.
“Was I right to let this happen?” Kiryu said over and over. “I’ve broken everyone’s hearts back home. Haruka’s smile before she left was only so I wouldn’t feel guilty.”
“Kiryu-chan…” Majima rubbed comforting circles on his back. “We all gotta learn to leave the nest eventually. Morning Glory’s a haven, but perhaps too good of a haven. It may be for the best for everyone that ya each go yer separate ways for now. It’s how they’ll grow. And like ya said, this ain’t forever. I won’t allow that. And if ya ever think of being away from yer family forever, I’m kicking yer ass, got it?”
Kiryu laughed dryly at that. Park could very well tell him to leave the family alone for the rest of his life. And what then? He would never get to see his children again…
“You…you were married to an idol, weren’t you, Majima-no-nii-san?”
“I was,” Majima said. “The idol industry’s a bitch. The yakuza thing’s no joke. They want nothing to do with yakuza, even if the talent agencies themselves are run by them behind the scenes.”
Kiryu thought back to the man who tried to swipe Haruka from him years ago. He wasn’t a yakuza, at least he couldn’t recall if he was. Still, the thought of Haruka being in their clutches made him sick to his stomach.
“Not much we can do now,” Majima continued. “Haruka’s at their mercy. But I trust that girl; she’s stronger than yer giving her credit for.”
“I…suppose you’re right.”
Majima smiled behind him. “Yeah. Gotta put yer faith in dear Haruka-chan.”
The overhead announced their flight. There wasn’t much more they could do here…
“Right,” Kiryu said as he wiped his tears away. What was done was done. He washed his face quickly then straightened himself. He gave one final look at himself in the mirror, and he thought, I’m no longer a man from Okinawa. I’m going to live with Majima Goro full time now. I’ve never done that before. This could be the start of something nice.
Meeting his lover’s gaze, Kiryu gave a nod. He was ready.
“Let’s get going, Goro.”
Notes:
Ah, we’ve reached *that* part of the series now, haven’t we? *grins* When researching for this fic, I noticed that there was a large gap of time unaccounted for. Kiryu spends Christmas 2011 with his children, but then says that he was roaming around Japan “for months” before settling in Fukuoka (he began living in Fukuoka in June of 2012). I can’t imagine he was spending six months just roaming around, so I decided to do the fun fan thing and fill that gap in, and what better way than fill it with a lil bit of Majima? 😁💕
Kiryu working in sanitation was mentioned in an RGG Online story. I wrote another KazuMaji fic that explored that part of their lives, and I do consider it part of this series which will come into play in LASL at a later time. You can check it out here: Song Without a Soul
Next chapter is set for…Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. Yes, there’s a slightly longer wait this time around. I have plenty of buffer chapters, but I decided to do this simply because June 17 is Kiryu’s birthday, and the next chapter is a really special one for the KazuMaji fans (and unfortunately, May 14 would not have worked with my schedule.)
See you all then! 💕
Chapter 20: IV.6 You and Me (Got the Right Chemistry)
Notes:
Note that three fanart renders by Majimoth are tucked away in this chapter! Can you find them all? 💕
Happy Birthday to Kazuma Kiryu! Fun fact: did you know that Kiryu, Majima, and Yumi share birthdays with three RGG Studio members: Toshihiro Nagoshi, Masayoshi Kikuchi, and Masayoshi Yokoyama respectively. [Source]
Kiryu is extremely special and dear to me, and I had to do something special for him today. So…have a very special chapter that’s been in the making for over a year! 🥹💕
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 6: You and Me (Got the Right Chemistry)
The Hato Building was the tallest property in the area, towering all other residential and business establishments around the block. A fourteen-story condo, Kiryu and Majima’s new residence was situated at the very top, a corner unit facing the southeast.
Majima had the place already furnished, prepared well in advance for their arrival. As this unit was one of many that Majima owned in the Tokyo region, it was easy for him to make the switch to a new address. He never stayed in one place for long, to avoid being tracked down by would-be assassins. But this place, he informed Kiryu, was one he hadn’t lived in much, making it the perfect love nest.
He was going to start living here full time with Kiryu.
Kiryu recalled being in one of Majima’s other penthouses, how utterly grand and chaotic it was at once. Majima possessed a sharp intellect that made him a naturally gifted businessman, and it reflected in how he lived. He had amassed a giant collection in his apartment: gifts earned from his men or from people he had saved, trinkets he had seized from defeated foes, and of course at the time the most impressive collection of zombie movie DVDs anyone could ever find, sourced from every country imaginable. The walk-in closest had been another whole experience, with many he recognized from the days when Majima used to stalk and egg him into fights. Majima had everything all painstakingly organized and even labeled. Bring up a movie or clothing item and Majima could retrieve it within seconds. He was that damn good.
Of course, part of it was his memory. He could easily forget things, Majima had explained, hence his obsession with staying on top of everything. As impressed as Kiryu was, it also made him nervous to move anything out of place whenever he visited.
Kiryu, meanwhile, was more about living minimally, a habit he traced back to his childhood. Having grown up with so little, he never got into the habit of owning much. Nishiki used to laugh at him for not spending the money he finally had. He always stashed his few possessions without much thought of organization into one area, and just relied on remembering where he had previously tossed this or that item or article of clothing.
Kiryu’s own concern had always been on other people, his loved ones, and the peaceful life he had built over the last several years.
And now being so high up, Kiryu was already feeling the absence of nature. Who cares for DVDs and little statues made of crystals and plastics when there’s warm soil and sand he could sink his fingers into, or watch with fascination as a bug or seaside critter scuttled by, or revel in the warm joy of the sun against his naked back after finishing a swim?
The city boy and the island boy. Kiryu wondered how the two of them were going to make this work out.
The complex contained a mix of traditional Japanese and Western influence, leaving Kiryu feeling conflicted about his new place of residence. He was thankful for a change in scenery, anything to not remind him of home, but he also missed the familiarity of something purely Japanese or Okinawan.
He voiced none of this to Majima. It was a blessing just to have a roof over his head right now. But maybe something a little different would have gone a long way putting his mind at ease?
Fool, Kiryu told himself. He was being ungrateful. He just needed time to adjust.
Perhaps he was being ridiculous for not having considered asking Majima in the first place for a different kind of residence. He was no stranger to asking favors from Majima, but something about all this felt…wrong. Like he had wedged his way into Majima’s own personal life. For all they had gone through together, they still gave one another wide enough space so they could live independently. Sure, Majima had spent a summer at Morning Glory, and a week during Christmas as well. This was different. Now they were living together. Just the two of them.
They were no longer two men whose lives were woven together, distant but undoubtedly bound. One was shoved wholly into the other’s life, and he was struggling to keep up with the tides.
Majima meanwhile was all smiles as he helped Kiryu unpack.
“This may not be the sleaziest streets of Shinjuku, but there’s so much packed in the shops around here,” Majima rambled on happily. Despite this place being about two miles away from Kamurocho, Kiryu didn’t recall ever exploring this part of town much before. “Just gotta know where to look, ‘course. Some of my men take care of the shop owners here. The other local yakuza’s Tojo too, so ya don’t hafta worry about ‘em too much either.”
“I see.”
“There’s a few temples around here too. I’ll take ya to the one I personally like tomorrow, unless ya wanna go tonight.”
“I’d rather stay indoors tonight.”
“I getcha.”
The unpacking took them about an hour or two. The unit had three bedrooms. Rather excessive, Kiryu thought.
“One’s yers, one’s mine, and one’s ours,” Majima laughed. “Or we could make one ours, and the other two individual offices.”
Offices. What sort of home office would Kiryu have? A small round low table and a futon was sufficient—no, he had to stop thinking about Morning Glory. They had a Western-styled bed now.
Noticing that Majima was motioning him toward the balcony, Kiryu followed him. The balcony was wide enough for him to set up some plants, Kiryu surmised as Majima pointed out some of the best restaurants far below. He could hang a couple trailing bellflowers here—it shouldn’t disrupt the view nor the clothesline—and the railing should be able to hold a few tiny pots. He could place up to two larger potted plants, one on each corner.
“It’s getting dark, Kiryu-chan,” Majima said. “Ya getting hungry yet?”
“Hmm?” Kiryu snapped out of his reverie. “Uh, sure.”
Majima sighed heavily. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Kiryu-chan! We gotta call in early before all the good places close!”
Kiryu simply nodded and continued to gaze out as Majima placed an order for delivery from one of the local eateries. As they ate toshikoshi soba, the night sky provided a better view of the world far below. Kiryu’s eyes widened as something caught his eye. Next to him, Majima grinned.
“Recognize that?” Majima said.
“The Ichiban-gai,” Kiryu said.
Majima nodded smugly. “Yep. Reason why I snatched this sweet pad. What a view, eh?”
So that was Kamurocho they were looking at. Using the Ichiban-gai as a benchmark, Kiryu traced around the city that was his home for some time. There, that was the Millennium Tower. And that had to be one of the restaurants…or Mach Bowl, he wasn’t entirely sure.
“Ya wanna explore there some time?” Majima asked. “There’s some lovely hostess clubs we can go to.”
Kiryu scoffed. They were living together, and Majima was still trying to nudge him toward a woman’s arms. What was next? Did Majima want to see him make out with a woman, or possibly—where did that thought come from?!
Blushing furiously, he coughed suddenly in front of Majima, making him raise his eyebrows in mild surprise.
“Any big happenings with Kamurocho lately?” Kiryu asked in an attempt to change the subject.
“Things have been more or less the same,” Majima said. “The construction company’s gone belly-up, but the mall’s doing really well. In fact, would ya believe there’s plans to expand the mall?”
“In this economy?”
“That’s what I said! Might be a few years before we see the plan come together, but…”
They chatted about Kamurocho for the rest of the evening. Their cartons of food lay in the back, completely devoid of food. Cans of beers lay about, all drunk. They shared a few cigarettes, and as the new year’s eve celebration was beginning, Majima slipped away to the kitchen and came back shortly with a bottle of champagne.
Even from far up here they could hear the singing and cheering down in the streets. Majima slipped an arm around Kiryu and pulled him closer so that Kiryu could rest his head on his shoulder. Majima leaned his head against his.
They listened to the countdown like this, snuggling and feeling warm against the cold Tokyo wind, as the new year dawned and fireworks blossomed in the night sky. As cheers erupted below Kiryu’s mind suddenly transported him to another time and a different place, watching fireworks unexpectedly grace the skies beyond the ocean of Morning Glory Beach as Majima’s voice murmured in his ear, “Aishiteru, Kazuma-chan!” following it with a kiss through the phone.
“Happy New Year, Kazzy baby,” Majima whispered in his ear, kissing him on his cheek as he squeezed him closer against him. Kiryu gave him a meek little smile as he turned to face him—he noted how the array of firework lights illuminated softly on Majima’s hair, cheeks, his eyepatch—and captured his lips in a soft kiss.
Majima moaned softly in his lips and tilted his head a fraction sideways, allowing Kiryu to come closer. Through the slit of one partially open eye, Kiryu caught a glimmer of red and golden light, and suddenly he froze, his mind instantly drawn back to hundreds of miles south of Tokyo.
He had left behind money in small red and gold envelopes for the children, with the instruction to Natsumi to hand the otoshidama out once the clock struck midnight. He had snuck another envelope into Haruka’s carry case.
His children…he hoped they still weren’t too sad over him leaving. Did they get to enjoy today? Did any of them stay up for the new year countdown? How were they liking…the new supervisor?
“Hmm? Kazuma?” Majima asked.
Kiryu shook his head. “Sorry. Let’s continue…Goro.”
“Ya sure? Ys seem a little distracted.”
Kiryu’s only reply was to kiss Majima again. Inching back inside, Majima shut the balcony door shut behind them before tending to the collar blocking him from ravaging Kiryu’s neck and shoulder.
Nudging their way toward the bedroom, Majima slipped off his shirt and guided him to the bed. As he settled on the hard surface, Kiryu’s mind slipped back to his old futon back home. They had made love on it countless times and they often worried they were making too much noise, as the kids’ rooms surrounded them. Thinking back on it, Kiryu could almost laugh. They had fun tormenting the other, testing their resolve before they broke, or resorting to muffling their moans with deep kisses.
“Sorry,” Kiryu said, pausing Majima momentarily as he adjusted himself atop the bed before grabbing Majima back toward him.
Why was his body rejecting this bed so badly? He had slept on so many different kinds of beds and futons throughout his life. Why was it only now a problem?
Moaning in Majima’s mouth, Kiryu adjusted himself again, working out a strain in his shoulder. The last time he and Taichi sparred—Taichi’s idea, of course—Kiryu was surprised it had left him a little sore. The boy was getting large and strong, which pleased Kiryu as he appreciated seeing his children grow up well—big and strong—but it seemed he had underestimated his eldest son. He had put down his defenses, and—ugh, his damn shoulder—
No, focus—
Majima groaned as he kissed around his neck. Outside, lights from the fireworks glimmered.
How was Haruka right now? How did she ring in the new year? Was she with Park? For her sake Kiryu hoped she wasn’t alone. The thought of her looking up at the fireworks illuminating the Sotenbori skies all alone pained him beyond belief. It would be the first time since they met each other they would be visiting two separate temples on New Year’s Day—
Damn it, focus!—
Majima licked around his collarbone as a hand swept down to stroke and fondle one nipple. Kiryu gasped and arched into his touch. Outside there were shouts of the gleeful crowd. Sounded young; perhaps they were children who stayed up late for the celebration, joined by their loving parents…
How were his children right now? Did they eat well today? Was the new supervisor treating them well? He hoped they weren’t too much trouble for her. Oh, right, they had all written him letters. He had placed them aside while unpacking earlier. He should get to reading them, although he knew his heart wouldn’t survive reading all twelve…
They wouldn’t get to go to the temple together. Come to think of it, Majima had never gotten to ring in the new year with them. Last time he had to leave to see Saejima off to the police, and—
There was a sigh and a tiny groan above him.
“Kazuma…tonight’s not happenin’, is it?”
The voice was almost teasing, but Kiryu’s face still burned with embarrassment. Majima of course was fully aware that it took time to get Kiryu in the mood, and he was normally so good at helping him get there, sometimes being able to switch him on instantly like magic. Not this time. Kiryu was still as flaccid as a wet noodle.
Majima was right. Tonight wasn’t happening. His mind was too preoccupied, and there wasn’t enough booze and smokes in the world to take his mind off his children.
“I’m sorry, Goro,” Kiryu said, casting his gaze to the side, red in the face. He didn’t want to disappoint Majima. Neither did he want to give the impression that this was their new reality, but truth be told…he just wasn’t in the damn mood tonight. Especially not tonight.
He expected complaints, a disappointed sigh at the very least. But instead a sympathetic hand rested against his cheek, caressing him gently before the hand carded through his hair once, twice.
Majima chuckled. “Yer worried sick for yer kids. I get it. No reason to force it. Sorry I shoulda known better…”
“No, it’s not your fault, Goro…I’m sorry…”
Majima shifted over to the side and continued to stroke Kiryu’s hair with slow and gentle movements.
“Quit yer apologizin! It’s been a rough last few months for ya. Let’s put that year behind us. Tomorrow’s a new day. A new life.”
Sitting like this, half naked and the blankets thrown over them haphazardly, set Kiryu’s nerves at ease. He turned toward Majima’s chest, studying the snake that guarded his heart.
“Yeah…a new year,” Kiryu said as the world slowly dissolved into pleasant darkness. “A fresh, new start. Good night, Goro.”
The shores of Morning Glory loomed just ahead, and Kiryu’s heart leapt at the sight. It had been so long! How he deeply desired coming back here!
Seeing the light inside only made him quicken his pace as his heart clenched with yearning. “Hurry!” he urged Majima excitedly as he made a run for his—their—home. Home! They were so close to reuniting with everyone!
He called out to his children, to Natsumi, to Mame, to anyone who could hear him.
That was when he saw them. His family. Natsumi. The Ryudo Family. And…Majima. They all stood around a vigil. A vigil for who?
A hand gripped painfully tight on Kiryu’s shoulder—it wasn’t Majima. He thought it was—no. Why’s his heart suddenly pounding rapidly?
“Majima-no-nii-san!” Kiryu called out to the back of the man in the snakeskin blazer. Slowly the man turned around, but he didn’t appear to have noticed Kiryu. His eye shone with tears.
“K-Kiryu-chan…” Majima whimpered as something clenched around Kiryu’s heart. “Why…come back…my heart can’t take it…”
Kiryu broke out into a run just as the shadowed hands grabbed him and pulled back. Fingers wrapped around his neck.
”Don’t you forget it…ryu. You are dead. You will never see them again. This was your choice…”
No, no! Kiryu pushed against the binds holding him, but the force drew him back. He choked out Majima’s name, over and over and over as the grip around his throat tightened…
“Kiryu-chan…Kazuma…my heart, yer breakin’ my heart…come back! COME BACK! KAZUMA!”
Majima frowned, his eyebrows knitted. He did not mind not making love. If his Kiryu-chan wasn’t in the mood for it, then he wasn’t either, simple as that. He found himself stroking Kiryu’s hair and just watching his chest rise and fall. Clearly he didn’t want to be away from home. The way he had been staring out the window on the plane made Majima almost beg the pilot to turn back.
It hadn’t even been a full day and already Kiryu terribly missed his kids. Could anyone blame him?
Majima wondered what he could do to make Kiryu smile again.
Kiryu stirred against Majima, his body tensing with the all-too painfully familiar signs of a nightmare. Bringing his head down next to Kiryu’s ear, Majima hushed him softly until the tension in his shoulders slacked and his closed eyelids relaxed.
There, sleeping like a big hunk of muscle baby once again. Majima was half-expecting getting socked in the face in the heat of the night terror—wouldn’t that have been a hoot?! He could have used it to purposely rile up Kiryu and gotten his mind off matters for a bit, and had a good laugh over it to boot!
Majima smiled down at Kiryu. “There, there…good dreams only tonight, ‘kay, Kazuma? First night of the year and all. Aishiteru.” He closed his eye as sleep finally came to him.
Majima dreamt of Kiryu. He was standing up ahead gazing out into mist, the thousand-mile stare possessing his brown, soulful eyes, his face drawn into a pensive scowl.
“Yo, Kiryu-chan!” Majima called out cheerfully, waving madly.
Kiryu slowly turned at the sound of his voice, and just then the mist parted, and Majima realized Kiryu had been teetering upon the edge of the Millennium Tower’s rooftop.
“Kiryu-chan?” Majima gasped, bemused when suddenly he felt the ground beneath them stir.
With his gaze still boring into his, Kiryu lifted his leg a fraction of an inch and the turbulence claimed him. He plunged out of sight. With a terrible cry Majima charged forward, hands outstretched.
“No—NO! Kiryu-chan! Don’t—don’t ya go—don’t ya dare go—KIRYU-CHAN!”
Kiryu spoke not a word of the dream to Majima the following morning. He had grown up hearing all about the belief of hatsuyume, the first dream of the year—Yumi used to be a big believer of it—and while he wanted to rationalize that his own miserable state had triggered such a dream, he still woke up shaken by it.
Majima also appeared subdued that morning, and Kiryu wondered if it had to do with last night. But whatever was bothering him soon evaporated once he saw Kiryu. Plastering on the biggest grin imaginable, he declared they were going to the temple for hatsumoude.
In the days that followed, Majima discussed hooking Kiryu up with one of the many companies he had his boys run that still stood on its legs. Majima Taxi Company? Majima Catering Service? Majima’s Trading Inc?
“Isn’t that just a front for weapons dealing?”
“So? Ya get to rub elbows with folks all ‘round the globe! We talkin’ the Arab Mafia, Jamaica, Hawaii!”
Kiryu gave him a pointed look at the mention of Hawaii.
“Or I could always plop ya down as a bodyguard for Club Shine, how ‘bout that? Free admission for ya! The ladies will love ya!”
“I’m…not really feeling up to it.”
“Hah?! Kiryu-chan, not in the mood for a drink and chat with a pretty lady?!”
Majima gawked at him as though he had grown another head.
Kiryu simply shrugged. “Why go to a hostess club when we have each other for company?”
The shock immediately wore off as Majima threw his head back and laughed. “So that’s what it is! Can’t complain then—ya got yer Goromi to keep ya warm in da night!”
Kiryu thought back to the closet where an entire segment was dedicated to Goromi’s dresses. There was no need to even label them, as Goromi had a preference for pink and vibrant hues.
Kiryu regarded Majima’s library. Among the expected business books, a few gory zombie manga, and some new pirate media, he had books for all sorts of random languages: Russian, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, French, English, Swedish. All for business matters.
“Ya only need to know a few phrases to get by,” Majima had said. “‘What’s this?’ ‘Where can I go to…’, ‘Excuse me,’ ‘Please’, and ‘Thank you.’”
Kiryu attempted one language but soon gave up on it. He was too stupid to learn anything new.
In the end he picked a bodyguard job, but it wasn’t for a hostess club. There was a pharmacy that seemed to always attract the worst kinds of attention, and they had begged Majima for protection. Majima had other men protect the place, but they could always do with additional help. Why that place attracted trouble was anyone’s guess, but Kiryu didn’t want to probe too much.
Seeing Kiryu there was enough to deter most troublemakers. It was part time work at the end of the day, but it was far from Kamurocho and Kiryu didn’t feel the need to take on any more work than that. He knew he needed to make more money for his children, but he simply couldn’t work up the motivation for anything else at the moment.
Days passed, and Kiryu still couldn’t get in the mood for sex. He felt embarrassed, like he was not fulfilling a duty. Majima didn’t seem at all perturbed by it, but Kiryu was. They never had this problem before.
He tried initiating it a couple more times only for things to end as pitifully as the first night. He was too distracted, too tense, too depressed…
Majima never bothered him about it. Laughed it off, even.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Kazuma!” he would say. “I don’t expect us to fuck every night now that we’re all alone. Just take things at yer own pace, ‘kay?”
That only worsened the guilt eating away inside him. To get his mind off the fact that he disappointed Majima again, Kiryu turned to the letters everyone back home had written for him. He waited for when he was home alone. Majima was out for most of the day, having a busy schedule what with Tojo Clan business and keeping on top of his boys, and Kiryu only had his part time job.
He read through every letter. He could scarcely hold back the tears when he was done. He read them again. And again. Each time his heart cracked a little more. He wanted to die. It probably wasn’t healthy for him to react this way, and he knew Majima would burn the letters if he found out about how they were affecting him.
Perhaps he should keep them in a box far from sight.
One evening Majima found Kiryu hunched over the kitchen table, the kids’ letters strewn all over and his eyes bloodshot from having cried for the past hell-knows-how-many hours. An empty bottle of sake and a tiny flask stood nearby. Majima looked from Kiryu, to the letters, to the flask, and his shoulders slumped. How long was he doing this to himself?
“Oh, Kazuma.”
The two men lay sprawled on the living room floor, staring at the ceiling. They had laid out the futon with the plan of watching some TV, but then they just laid there, like pieces of fish laid out to rot on beds of abandoned rice. Neither touched the remote. The television remained shut off.
What are we even doing? Majima thought. He had assumed living together with Kiryu Kazuma would be a little more thrilling than this.
No, he got it. Kiryu was grieving. Kiryu being separated from his children was like cutting off his air supply. He wasn’t sure when he would next see them. Majima loved the kids like they were his own too of course, but perhaps he was just used to living apart from them. Be it months or years, Majima knew he would eventually see them again. Kiryu was not used to that way of living. He could come up to Tokyo for a few days or even weeks of his own accord, assured that he’ll be with them again, but to be forced out like this?
Look at ya, taking this better than Kiryu-chan, Majima thought with a frown. Losing his only child had been devastating beyond words, but the kid was just an unborn. He’s matured since his days with Mirei. At least he and Kiryu could still have contact with the kids, however little they could.
Majima was no stranger to missing Kiryu either, but he knew how to fill up his time. He was a man of action. He hated just sitting around and doing nothing. Throw himself into whatever job he had, work well into the night—and hell, he had plenty of boys to look after. Plenty of heads to knock around. In many ways they were his sons, all ten thousand of them (he couldn’t even recall them all by name.) He’d take some of his boys out to hot springs, to the countryside, to this or that place for sightseeing and family bonding.
And heck, if the night got too lonely without his Kiryu-chan, then Majima had his own two hands and a little imagination to ease the pain.
He kept himself busy until fate granted him and Kiryu mercy and crossed their paths together once more. And now? Now when they finally had a whole place to themselves…
“Hey…Kazuma-chan,” Majima said and pointed with his big toe. He should get Nishida to clip his toe nails… “That box right there. It’s yers, isn’t it? We didn’t sort through it yet.”
“Oh, that,” Kiryu said after finally craning his neck to look at it. “It’s just some trinkets from long ago.”
“Oh? Then why not display them around here?” Majima said. “We could always use more decorations around the place!”
Substory #34 — The Krazy Unknown
Before Kiryu could protest, Majima pulled the box closer and proceeded to rummage through it.
“Hey, it’s an Isobe fan!” Majima exclaimed, immediately honing in on the brightest and pinkest item in the box. “Remember the summer when we danced and threw this around with the kids?”
Propping himself on his elbow, Kiryu studied him with a frown. “I thought Riona kept that.”
“Maybe she wanted ya to have it,” Majima said. “Say. How’d ya get one anyway?”
Kiryu sighed heavily. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Eh? Bad memory?”
Kiryu pulled himself so he was sitting right beside Majima. “Not quite. The guy who gave it to me is training Haruka now.”
Majima’s jaw dropped at that. Small world.
“Well…I remember my battle. Wanna know what I did with the lady after I beat her, fair and square, in our dance battle?”
Kiryu gave him an odd look, and moments later Majima realized the double entendre of his statement.
“Not that, Kazuma! Naughty!” He playfully whacked Kiryu over the head with the fan. “I had her work for me at that Club Sunshine I was overseeing.”
“Oh?” Kiryu said, ignoring the whack like he ignored most of Majima’s milder physical assaults. “And she was okay with it?”
“I worked her to the bone for all the grief she gave me, but she didn’t complain,” Majima said. “She loved the attention. Could party it up with the men all night long.” He dug through the box and chuckled. “I had some interesting characters at that club. There was this old lady who could talk with the patrons for hours without tiring out. And oh—this other woman had come to work for me because I kept getting toys for her daughter from the UFO catcher.”
“That’s quite a gesture,” Kiryu said.
“Well, I did save their lives after some yakuza were trying to make off with them and sell them for unpaid debt,” Majima said, growling at the memory of how they had almost harmed the mother and daughter. He hated seeing men try to overpower women and children.
He set aside the fan and other trinkets. Over a wrapped heavy object was a telephone card facing down. Turning it around, Majima could see that the photo was so faded it was hard to make out what or who was once on it. Majima fell pensive as he continued to stare at it.
His mind jolted with a memory.
Telephone booths.
A telephone ringing inside a booth.
“And then there was her…”
“Hmm?” Kiryu tilted his neck to one side in mild confusion.
“There was this woman I was given…” Majima said. “She was a sort of…prize for playing a deadly game with this guy named Simon. He used to call a telephone booth—t’was the one near South Shofukucho Street, I remember it now!”
“Simon?” Kiryu said.
Majima nodded. “He asked for weapons. I gave it to him.”
“Goro!”
Majima shrugged. “Had no idea what his game was. Figured it was better I meddled in the mess than someone else. At the end of it all, he sends this woman to me with no further word. And get this, she’s begging me to let her work in my club because she didn’t want to get killed! She had no name. At least she refused to give a name when I asked her. So she became known as Unknown in Club Sunshine. One of my hardest and most invaluable workers.”
Kiryu watched him intently the entire time.
“She had a small son,” Majima went on. “He couldn’t have been more than two years old. They had nowhere else to stay, so I had her room with one of the other girls in an apartment above the club.”
“A son?” Kiryu rubbed his chin. “And no mention of the son’s father? Do you think she fell into trouble while trying to find some means to support her child?”
Majima nodded. “Those were my exact thoughts. She called the guy ‘Simon-sama’ but always said it with fear in her voice. Must’ve taken a loan from the wrong crowd. I never got to know the identity of the man on the phone. The closest I ever got was beating up some men he betrayed. If she stayed with him, her life and the boy’s was in danger.”
“Then you did the right thing taking her and her son under your wing,” Kiryu said. He smiled. “And at the same time you were looking after Yumi…”
Majima scoffed. “What, does this surprise ya or somethin’?” He turned back to the box. “I just wonder what happened to the pops. Unknown never spoke ill of the guy whenever he was brought up, which was rare, and when he was…t’was almost like he’s still alive…” He shook his head and scoffed. “Sorry, just remembered something.”
“What is it?”
“One time I was allowed back to Kamurocho, when I hadda find Makoto but missed her, and you. That was when ya went to retrieve Makoto from Sera. Well, when Unknown learned I had been in Tokyo, there was this sort of look in her eyes. Can’t quite place it.”
Majima set the card aside. A bit of useless memorabilia, but full of memories of the 80s all the same.
Turning back to the box, he tapped his finger on a large parcel inside before tugging it out, revealing what it was: a black leather jacket.
“What the—ya were into some yanki shit back in the day or somethin’, Kazuma?”
Kiryu studied the jacket for some time, his eyebrows furrowed hard in concentration as though he earnestly couldn’t recall where it had come from. Majima was about to set the jacket down when suddenly Kiryu’s face lit up with recognition.
“Krazy Kyo!”
“Haw?”
“He was the lead vocalist in a band called the Yokomichi Silvers. I remember now. He wanted me to help him and his band be more…hardcore.”
Majima gave a great snort. “Hardcore? You?!”
Kiryu’s eyes narrowed but he chose to ignore the gibe. “Yeah. There were three of them. Choir boys, not the sort to have ever shoplifted. Even the way they spoke was extremely polite and proper.”
“How the hell did they end up as yankis?”
“They were cosplaying and goofing around, but somehow they ended up popular with the hooligan crowd. Even if they just dressed the part, they were musically gifted, I’ll give them that. They were to have a major gig with an interview at the end. Kyo didn’t think they would survive if their fans found out what sort of people they really were.”
“Well, that’s on them, ain’t it?” Majima said, which earned him a coy look from Kiryu.
“So says the man who wears more masks than a kabuki theater,” Kiryu chuckled.
“Touché.”
“After the interview, Kyo soon heard about me working in real estate. He applied as a way of thanking me.”
Majima grinned. “Looks like we both had interesting people working under us.”
Kiryu nodded. “He always wore that same jacket. He got me one as a gift, but I seldom wore it.”
“His looked exactly the same?”
Kiryu shook his head. “Kyo had his buttoned up all the way. He wore a white scarf as a tie tucked into it. Never took it off even when it was warm inside the office. I once asked him about it.”
At that, his eyes gleamed. Majima leaned closer. “Ooh, I smell a juicy tale!”
“The scarf was a gift from his girlfriend,” Kiryu said.
“That geek had a girlfriend?!” Majima shouted incredulously.
Kiryu nodded. “I was surprised to hear that myself. I didn’t prod too much into it for details, but it seemed out of the three bandmates, Kyo had someone briefly in his life. They intended to marry, but then they…lost contact with one another.”
Majima cocked his head back. “Haw?”
“Kyo seemed sad about it, so I never asked for more details. But I would see him sometimes studying his scarf, like he still wanted to hang on to the woman he loved.”
Majima nodded.
Kiryu scratched his chin. “I do remember one other thing. When I went on that brief visit to Sotenbori to retrieve Makoto. When he learned I was there, there was sadness in his eyes. But he didn’t say any more.”
Majima frowned. “How old was this guy?”
“Around my age at the time. Early 20s.”
“Wonder where he is now…”
Kiryu nodded. “If only there was a way to find out.”
“Are are ya forgettin’ what decade we’re in, Kazuma-chan?” Majima snorted as he pulled out his cell phone.
Glancing at it, Kiryu gave a tiny sheepish nod in acknowledgment. He scooted over and watched as Majima typed away on his phone. It was so damn hard to see the tiny screen, but like hell he was going to fuck this up in front of his Kiryu-chan.
“So yer boy’s band was called the Yokomichi Silvers.”
“Yeah,” Kiryu said with a nod.
“Was that with the ‘dou or ‘tsuu’ character?”
“Dou, I believe.” Kiryu gave a nod. “Yeah. I remember it was ‘side’ and ‘road’ when he worked under me. Yokomichi Kyo.”
“Gotcha. I wouldn’t be surprised if the band was named after him.”
“Yeah.”
“Huh,” Majima tooted. “Looks like all three of yer old friends were Yokomichis. Same characters and all.”
“But they weren’t brothers,” Kiryu pointed out.
“Might just have been coincidence,” Majima said and chuckled. He had never run into another Majima before. Plenty who read their name as Mashima, but no Majima, at least not near his hometown…
He scrolled through news sources for Yokomichi Kyo, stalking him through the years. He reported every finding to Kiryu. The Silvers stuck around for just a few short years. They released a couple fairly-successful records but eventually disbanded. And the reason? “Huh, why don’tcha look at that! Our Krazy Kyo boy got hitched!”
He ran across a small blurb from the early 90s showcasing Kyo marrying a woman named Higashi Haruna. There was a little boy posed next to them.
“That’s Kyo alright,” Kiryu said with a nod. He read the blurb. “Looks like he adopted the surname Higashi after the marriage. Interesting. It’s not often the couple chooses to adopt the woman’s surname.”
Majima nodded.
“But who’s the woman and the kid?”
Zooming in to take a closer look, Majima gasped. The goosebumps ran up his arms. “That’s…that’s her!”
His suspicions were piqued the moment Kiryu began talking about Kyo looking forlorn about Sotenbori, but this?!
“Hmm?” Kiryu glanced down.
“Unknown!” Majima cried out. “That’s her! I’d never forget her face! And the boy—he’s older here, but that’s definitely him! Toru—that was his name!”
“Heh, so what were the odds?” Kiryu said with a grin. “One of your employees and one of mine…there was a love story going on and we were part of it, unknowingly. Talk about fate!”
“Heh, yeah,” Majima chuckled. “Given all the ways our lives were interconnected back then—not just with Makoto, but so many other threads—ya sorta wonder how things might have been different had we met earlier…”
Kiryu turned back to the photo, wearing a fond smile. Watching him, Majima mirrored his soft smile before a thought nagged at the back of his mind: Higashi Toru…hold on, where have I heard the name Higashi Toru before?
Eh, may have been just a name in the papers one time.
“Oh, hey, Kazuma…there’s something else in here,” Majima said as he pulled out a long envelope from the box. He pulled the tab and thick stacks of yen poured out.
You received 10,000 yen!
Input 10,000 into a free spot underneath the “Add” column for Kiryu in the Accounting tab. Your total amount of yen will automatically update, as seen in Kiryu’s inventory.
“Heh,” Kiryu chuckled. “I remember this. I used to toss around money, ten thousand yen at a time, to distract people away from a fight. I learned it from a man with more money than what he knew what to do with.”
“Ha, you too?!” Majima laughed. “The eighties sure were something, weren’t they?”
Kiryu smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah.”
Substory #34 — The Krazy Unknown **COMPLETED**
Majima leaned back, pensiveness in his gaze, as Kiryu continued to sift through the box, finding more memorabilia of interest.
“Hey, that’s not from the 80s!” Majima snapped, grabbing Kiryu’s wrist as he lifted up some curious-looking advertisements of scantily-clad women. “I recognize ‘em! That’s the sexy bug ladies!”
“These women? That’s not MesuKing...” Confused, Kiryu took another glance for a long while. His eyes widened. “I remember them! They belonged to a club!”
“Club?” Majima took another glance before recognition crossed his face. “Hey, I remember where I’ve seen them before! JCC, Japan Catfight Club!”
“Heh, should I be surprised you know about that?”
“What I wanna know is what you were doin’ back then with the JCC, sly dog!” Majima chuckled.
“It’s not what you think!” Kiryu urged, although his face was red as a beet, amusing Majima further. “I was shown a secret club where you bet on fighters and could make easy fast money.”
“And they were all women.”
“Yeah.”
“Bet you really enjoyed going there.”
“What?”
“Come on now, Kazuma. Scantly-clad women fighting in the ring! Ya imagined they were fighting for yer affection, didn'tcha?”
Kiryu blushed fiercely as his mind conjured up a wholly different image.
“It wasn’t my scene!”
“Uh huh.”
Kiryu shook his head. He wasn’t about to let Majima get inside his head again. “How did you know about it anyway? That place is easy to miss unless you met the right people. I only found out by accident.”
“Yer talkin’ to the patriarch of his own family.” Majima’s smug grin stretched from ear to ear as he produced his phone and began punching something into it.
“…you have a point there.” Kiryu turned back to the photos. “I remember the eight most popular women. I never noticed it before, but now that you mention it, they do share a resemblance with the bugs in the MesuKing cards…”
“No shit, check out the history!” Majima said as he waved his phone. “There’s an article here about ‘em. After the Bubble Era, the Elite Eight of the Japan Catfight Club didn’t know where to take their declining business.”
“Their declining business? You’re telling me the women were all friends?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me if the fights were rigged from the beginning,” Majima said casually. “Yep. Looks like since the early 90’s the video game MesuKing: Battle Bug Beauties was in development. The eight beauts you remember had offered themselves as models for the critter fighters. By mid-2003 the game saw massive appeal that would last a few years. They each could retire early with the amount they made just by selling their likeness to video games. Hey, Kazuma, maybe we should do that!”
“Doubt anyone would get entertained watching us fight in a video game,” Kiryu said absent-mindedly. He stared at the advertisement cards in his hand. “So these women…”
“Look at this!” Majima said excitedly. “I remember this card! She was among my favorites! Isn’t she beautiful? The Walking Flower Mantis…”
“That would be Rei,” Kiryu said with a nod. “She always dressed as a ninja and visited temples from what I recall.”
“And this one! She was another favorite,” Majima said. “Devil's Flower Mantis.”
“That would be Yuiko. She was a pop idol, assuming their backstories weren’t also fabricated.”
Majima narrowed his eyes. “I see. Ya got a favorite?”
“Me? Can’t say that I did. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Although…I do recall having a dream of protecting the Rhino Beetle from a horde of violent yakuza men.”
Majima snorted loudly, but Kiryu didn’t notice, deep in thought as he was.
“So, this one?” Majima asked as he pulled up a photo of a woman fighter wearing a hat shaped like a rhino beetle and virtually nothing else in terms of costume.
“Yes, that was her,” Kiryu said with a nod. “So she was Francisca…”
“Ya sure know yer sexy bugs.”
“You sure like mantises,” Kiryu shot back.
Barking a laugh, Majima threw back his head. “Nothin’ wrong with enjoying what’s meant to be sexy, Kazuma. So what if ya had a lil wet dream while collecting those cards.”
“Hey! MesuKing was a wholesome family-friendly game about good bugs fighting bad bugs to maintain peace and harmony in the forest!”
“Wholesome family— hoi, Kazuma-chan! I see yer still naïve as ever,” Majima laughed before something caught his eye on the screen of his phone. “Well, well…what’ve we here…!”
“What is it?” Kiryu asked.
But Majima, hollering and slapping his knee, wouldn’t dare show it to Kiryu. Soon losing interest—his lover was probably trying to bait him into something—he returned to the box and resumed the pleasurable journey down memory lane.
Finding a thick white envelope, Kiryu tugged it out and examined it, anticipating more money. No, this one was stuffed with old photos, and flipping through them, he smiled. There was Marina his secretary from his old real estate office, and Yamanoi-san the old owner. There were also photos of friends he had made during the 80s: Officer Kikuchi, Marui the tax lady, his trainers Miss Tatsu with Bacchus and Kamoji, the Five Billionaires—once foes then allies in his real estate business—Nishiki and Reina, and later, Shinji…
“Think maybe ya wanna put those in a photo album?” Majima asked, turning his head so that his good eye was focused solely on Kiryu accusingly. Kiryu glanced down at his photos in embarrassment and nodded.
“Sorry,” he said. “I have more photos than I know what to do with.”
“Yer so helpless sometimes,” Majima chuckled as he got to his feet. “So adorable, Kazuma-chan.”
He fetched from one of the bookshelves a half-full photo album, along with a case of beer from the fridge. It was getting rather warm, so Kiryu was thankful for the refreshment. He pulled the tab of one can and drank half its contents before peering over Majima’s shoulder.
Majima’s own collection were mainly all of him and his men, but there were also people Kiryu didn’t recognize, and considering the clothes they wore and the style of the signage around them, it had to be the 80s.
“Who’s that guy?” Kiryu asked. “And why is he only in his underwear?”
“Ya don’t wanna know,” Majima said as he flipped the page and helped him slide in a photo of Shinji grinning next to his favorite hostess from Cabaret Valentine.
Smiling back at Shinji and the good old days, Kiryu handed over some more of his photos to Majima to add to the album.
“Tsukumo Hisaaki and Ishidori Maiko,” Kiryu gasped and he showed Majima the next photo containing a man with glasses next to a woman in a sapphire blue bodycon mini dress. “They were some friends I made at the Maharaja.” As with many of Kiryu’s friendships, things began with rivalry and a battle, a dance battle in this case. He remembered how Maiko came on to him strongly, much to his and Hisaaki’s shared displeasure. He was pleased to learn the two ended up together two years later after they met.
“Maharaja,” Majima moaned with pleasure. He took a long swig from his own can. “Talk about nostalgia! Ya went there a lot, didn’t ya?”
“Not every day, but yeah,” Kiryu said. “I enjoyed dancing back then, almost as much as singing at karaoke. They had a bar, didn’t they? The Maharaja?”
“O’course ya went to the bar!” Majima teased. “Had’ta pickle ya liver before takin’ to the dance floor?”
“I never stumbled on my feet,” Kiryu said firmly, jabbing a finger at Majima’s shoulder playfully. That only egged Majima further.
“I remember watchin’ ya dance!” Majima barked.
“What? When was this?”
“Ya don’t remember, Kazuma?!”
A moment later, and he did, and his face bloomed in a blush. “Daigo was with us. And Nishiki! How could I forget! You were the one to invite us all!” He was moving out the last of his stuff from his real estate office; somehow, Majima got involved.
“How could ya forget indeed, ya dummy!” Majima hollered. “I thought my memory was spotty!”
“You were a good dancer,” Kiryu said, staring into his can of beer.
“It was one extreme or the other with ya. Ya could make anyone swoon with those hips, or ya could make such a royal ass of yerself everyone would boo ya off the dance floor!”
“Hey! I just complimented you!”
Majima simply laughed again. “Ya remember the music we used’ta dance to? It was always ‘Friday Night’ every Friday, and sometimes even when it wasn’t.”
“‘Koi no Disco Queen’…” Kiryu said. “It was Nishiki’s favorite…sometimes, hearing it now brings a little ache in my heart.”
“Kazuma…”
“Oh, I once danced with Miracle Johnson to one of his hits.”
“You did not,” Majima said before coming across a photo of Kiryu standing sheepishly next to the aforementioned pop prince in all his glamour. “YOU DID NOT?!”
Kiryu chuckled. They continued to name off other favorite tunes they remembered dancing to.
“Oh! Wasn’t there another English one…what was it…’I wanna take you home,’” Kiryu said. “I always wanted to dance with someone special to that song.”
“Ya had your chance with me back then.”
“Goro, we barely knew each other back then. You were the scary Mad Dog of Shimano, and I was just glad Nishiki and I could come back to the Dojima Family. Plus, I didn’t even understand much about my own sexuality.”
But Majima made a dramatic show of being snubbed before laughing it off. “So that song moved ya? That’s really sweet and romantic. We’re alone now, and this area’s wide. We can do that right here.”
“But I don’t have the song,” Kiryu said, frowning. “Hold on…”
With a gasp he plunged back into the box before emerging with a cassette, grinning from ear to ear. A collection of 80s dance hits, most of which were also played at the Maharaja. Haruka had one day pointed it out to him while Majima, Haruka, and he were shopping at Ebisu Pawn Shop.
“How much shit have ya got crammed in that box?!” Majima exclaimed.
“I got it!” Kiryu said. “I think I do, at least. Now how to play it…”
“I got an old player right there, hun,” Majima said and pointed toward the shelf. Standing proudly among his DVD collection was a hot pink boombox.
“That’s quite…loud,” Kiryu said.
“My Glitz and Glitter suits my dresses,” Majima said. “She can take in cassettes and CDs, and of course she has radio too.”
With a nod, Kiryu headed over to the boombox. Music soon flooded the apartment with a fast-paced 80s rock song. Not the song Kiryu was searching for, but still a damn good one.
“Oh yeah, I remember this one,” Majima said as he pulled out a cigarette. Kiryu dutifully lit it for him before lighting one himself. “Always pumped me up whenever I was havin’ a shit day.”
“Yeah,” Kiryu said with a nod. “Same with me.” He used to love the feel of wind as he drove, this song blasting on the radio.
I’m feeling, I’m close
Something spooky like a shade of ghost
There’s a certain tension rising in the air…
Majima chuckled. “We have a number of things in common after all, Kazuma.” In response to that, Kiryu leaned in and kissed Majima on the side of his cheek before slowly moving down his neck. He felt the other shiver under his lips and he ashed his cigarette, sensing he wouldn’t be needing it for long.
My head is achin', finger's wet
I placed a joker right on top of the bet
There's no need to wonder,
Yes I guess I should dare…
He took Majima’s cigarette too as he captured his lips in his. Next thing he knew, Majima was moaning and pressing against him.
Moving in tune with the song, their blazers flew off, and Kiryu’s hand flew up to Majima’s neck, giving him a gentle squeeze as he kissed his way up to Majima’s awaiting mouth. The boombox’s speakers vibrated with the fast and aggressive beat, and they matched the rhythm, their kiss growing frantic and their hands gripping their clothes, yanking it off one another.
Kiryu threw his head back, his heart pounding in his chest. Gust of cool air swept past his already-erect nipples. He shivered in pleasure.
“Ya liking this so much,” Majima chuckled as he swept a hand down his torso, exploring his abs. His hands drew around and downward, cupped around Kiryu’s buttocks and squeezed him before slipping under the belt and freeing him of his pants and briefs in one move. Kiryu mirrored him, pressing him against the wall.
They slid back down on the futons as the world dissolved around them. Majima shivered in the slight chill of the room now that they were dissolved of their clothing. What a sight to behold, Kiryu thought, feasting his eyes on every inch of his beloved. His cock twitched with need.
What were they even talking about earlier? Ah, yes, music or such other—Kiryu hissed as Majima sucked on one nipple while his hands massaged his strong abs. He planted kisses down his torso, stopping to kiss and lick his navel. Kiryu arched his back and cried out as a jolt of pleasure shot through his body and pooled into his cock.
Majima chuckled above him. “Are ya the kind that feels naughty in yer pants when ya poke yer belly button, Kazuma?” Teasingly he fingered him.
“Ah-ah!—Goro!”
Chuckling again, Majima continued down. At some point the song ended and a new one followed, a slow romantic synthpop that instantly filled Kiryu with the comforting nostalgic warmth of the 80s.
Majima lapped at the tip of Kiryu’s cock, savoring the tasty drop of precum, before giving his head a little kiss. Kiryu gripped the sheets underneath him as Majima continued to torture him with faint kisses around the tip of his throbbing length.
Kiryu moaned with pleading need, and with a last reassuring kiss Majima then wrapped his lips around his teeth. He gave his cock a few good long slow strokes before slipping him into his mouth, taking him in down to his base in one fluid motion. Kiryu gasped and threw his head back. He felt Majima’s hands sweep over his that fisted the sheets with vice-like grip.
“Too stimulated too soon?” Majima teased as Kiryu’s cock lay wet against his stomach. “I’ll take it a little slower. Match your breathing to the music, Kazuma…”
Kiryu obeyed. The song was slow, sensual; his entire body relaxed as Majima took him in again. His hands slipped away from Kiryu’s hands and settled on to his side. He caressed his hips and up his stomach and chest.
Moaning gently, Kiryu relaxed and eased into the steady rhythm of the song and the pleasure Majima was giving him.
Far too often their lovemaking teetered on violent rage, their love and lust fueled by the raging fire of their combined heat. The slower pace was a sweet torment but torture all the same.
Kiryu’s hands found themselves gripping Majima’s hair as he continued to suck him. His hips rocked slowly in rhythm to the music, and Majima moaned encouragingly, enjoying this as much as Kiryu was. Kiryu gasped and moaned, feeling his pleasure mounting by the second.
“G-Goro…”
Slowly Majima quickened his pace, thrusting his cock into his wet warmth again and again and thrusting his cock deep over and over, occasionally pausing briefly to kiss the head of his cock or to lap at the pearly precum as his prize. One hand gently and expertly massaged around and over his navel which seemed to enhance the sensation inside his cock exponentially. Kiryu hissed; damn it, Majima! How did he know how to unravel Kiryu completely and so expertly?
He was so close…
His back arched, Kiryu moaned Majima’s name over and over, a fog of pure bliss clouding over his senses before he finally managed to squeeze Majima’s shoulders enough to catch his attention, and stop himself from climaxing.
Not now.
He needed Majima. He needed to fuck Majima.
Reading the look of pure need on his face, Majima gave a blink and released him.
“‘Course, love,” Majima said softly as they kissed again, and Kiryu tasted himself on Majima’s lips.
He guided Majima down to the futons, a little wet and sticky from where Kiryu had lain moments ago. One hand swept down Majima’s chest and torso. Majima quivered, anticipation gripping him, as Kiryu prepped him, his hands moving in with experienced movements while his lips occupied itself over Majima’s own hungry and open mouth.
When he was ready Kiryu shifted Majima to his side and situated himself behind him. One strong arm wrapped around Majima as Kiryu positioned the tip of his cock at Majima’s entrance. He slid slowly in, gauging Majima’s reaction at every moment, drinking in every gasp, moan, how his body opened up for him.
“All the way, please,” Majima begged. “I can take ya.”
Nodding, Kiryu obliged his beloved, burying himself up to the hilt. Gasping, Majima reached back and squeezed his wrist as he gave Kiryu a ravenous little kiss on the lips. He was hitting the right spot. Could see the stars burst in Majima’s eye.
He slid back out before going back in again. Majima’s eyepatch was slipping off, so Kiryu gently removed it for him. He leaned down and kissed Majima’s closed left eyelid and again at the tiny beauty mark right under his left eye, normally covered by the eyepatch.
“Yes,” Majima moaned as Kiryu caressed down his arms and began slowly moving in and out of him again. “So happy it’s you, Kazuma.”
“Hmm?”
Majima just smiled mysteriously. “So happy we met, Kazuma-chan.”
Smiling bashfully, Kiryu resumed his thrusts, meeting Majima’s hips in rhythm. Majima raised one leg, allowing him to bury himself deeper, easier, faster.
In the brief moment with his cock out, Majima slipped onto his back and pulled Kiryu down, growling softly with yearning.
“I need you, Kazuma…Kazuma…Kazuma!”
He thrust his leg up higher, and Kiryu drove hard and deep into him. Arms wrapped around him, he repeated his thrusts, going fast and hard, losing himself into his beloved.
Their bodies pressed together as they rocked, fast and fervent, the entire universe lost as they became one.
Kiryu could see the entire universe pool in Majima’s singular eye. How heavenly he looked, his cheeks blossomed pink and his lips bruised red. He kissed him as he squeezed him, hugging him with big strong arms as he buried deep into him, harder harder harder, faster faster faster as Majima matched his fevered tempo.
“Goro, Goro, my Goro…I love you…”
Majima dug his fingers into his shoulders and squeezed him against him, burying Kiryu’s entire length deep inside him with a final cry. Kiryu felt the warm fluid spill between their stomachs just as his own body convulsed with the waves of exquisite, blissful pleasure. He rested his head on Majima’s chest as he rode the waves of his orgasm, filling his beloved up. He could feel his own come dripping out of Majima’s filled and red hole.
The cassette gave the little reminder tune to turn it around and shut off. They remained in place, catching their breath.
After a few moments, Majima chuckled, his whole body jiggling under Kiryu’s weight. He brought Kiryu’s head up and kissed him lightly on the lips. “See, Kazuma? We didn’t hafta force it at all! It just happened naturally!”
Majima lay hours later, utterly spent and staring at the ceiling still unsure how it all came to this. Sure, he just had the best fuck of his life in gods know how long, but he was also in disbelief. What the hell had it taken for Kiryu to get that frisky?
Perhaps it was just a matter of bringing him back down to earth after feeling so terribly preoccupied over his family. Turning on to his side to study his sleeping lover, Majima smiled in sad sympathy.
You had a lot pent up in there, Kazuma.
The music had long ago stopped and darkness filled the apartment. Next to him came soft snoozing, the only sound around them. Meanwhile, Majima’s ass and hips and sides and everywhere were sore as hell, and it was the best feeling in the world. Better than the first time Kiryu had pummeled him to within an inch of his life.
Still. He didn’t want to see Kiryu moping around the apartment like that ever again. It wasn’t healthy to keep things bottled in. He of all people understood that. How could he help? Talking about the Bubble Era could only carry the happy memories for so long. He was careful not to talk too much about Nishiki, or Makoto in his case.
Hold on…
Maybe he should look back at the eighties—but not the Bubble Era. Before that, before even when he and Saejima had met. Early eighties during a time when Sotenbori didn’t arise deep-set unease in the pit of his stomach.
Katsuya Naoki.
A name that Kiryu probably didn’t know but Majima was very familiar with. Katsuya, Mirei, and Majima were once all very close friends, and Katsuya was like a brother to Majima. Katsuya was an actor who retired early on due to an injury, and he had dealings in the underworld ever since. It was due to his friendship with Katsuya that Majima began speaking using Osaka-ben in attempt to appear more thuggish to other yakuza. Katsuya taught him well, he thought. After his divorce from Mirei, Majima still kept a friendship up with Katsuya, not wanting to lose their bond. Mirei didn’t wish to lose her friendship with Katsuya either, and Katsuya, bless his heart, remained a friend to both parties ever since.
Katsuya Naoki had a talent agency, Osaka Talent, that was a front to his yakuza organization, Ousaka Enterprises. He was also based in Sotenbori, and if there was anyone Majima could trust looking after Haruka from a distance, it was him.
Majima didn’t want to leave Kiryu’s side, but it would please him to know that Haruka was being protected from afar. He rummaged through discarded underwear and pants until he located his cell phone. But wait, would Katsuya be awake right now, and would he welcome a message from Majima at this hour, old friend or not?
Majima couldn’t see the screen that well in the dark either, but he left himself a note: Nishida, Katsuya, Haruka, then settled back down on the futon. He rolled to his side, facing Kiryu, and as if on cue, Kiryu’s arm swept over him and pulled him close against his chest. Grinning, Majima scooted closer, nuzzling his cheek against that mighty chest of his lover.
Goodnight, Kazuma.
Katsuya replied back sometime during the middle of the day, just a couple hours after receiving Majima’s text.
Good hearing from you
again, friend.
Sawamura Haruka? She is
not at our talent agency but
I will check around and get
back to you. You seem to care
for her deeply. I will ensure her
safety throughout her stay at Osaka.
All the best,
Naoki
Grinning from ear to ear, Majima nearly skipped out of the meeting room, oblivious to the looks Daigo and other Tojo officers were giving him. He couldn’t wait to tell Kiryu!
Later that evening, Majima reached the floor of his apartment at the same time as Kiryu did from the other side. Breaking into a run, he lunged at Kiryu, jumping on him and squeezing him tight.
“An old friend o’ mine’s gonna watch over our girl,” Majima announced in between kisses as Kiryu fumbled for the keys.
“H-Haruka?” Kiryu said. Finding the right key, he missed the keyhole several times before getting it into the proper slot. He turned the knob.
“Yes!” Majima said happily, unaware that he was still latched onto Kiryu as Kiryu carried them both inside. “I know y’ve been worried for her, but we got us a guardian angel watchin’ over our baby girl from afar.”
Kiryu’s face fell into a frown. “Is he…”
“He is,” Majima said as he slowly climbed down from the hulking piece of Dragon. “But he knows how to watch from the shadows. He runs a talent agency himself. One of the many in the Kansai region.”
“As long as it won’t be trouble for Haruka…or the others…” Kiryu fell quiet again. He rubbed his neck as he turned away, and Majima frowned.
“Did I hurt ya, Kazuma?” he asked.
Kiryu shook his head.
“Rough day at work?” Majima next guessed.
Kiryu nodded. “The evening was eventful. Never saw that many thugs storm a pharmacy before. Never knew cough medicine was that coveted.”
“Yer getting rusty in your underground knowledge,” Majima chuckled. “Didn’t the pharmacist help ya after the fight?”
“I was given a Staminan X, but I still don’t feel a hundred percent.”
“Aw, poor lil Kazuma,” Majima said as he stroked his shoulder. He could also see that just mentioning Haruka and his children was bringing him down again. “Hey, I got an idea. Let’s hit the town tomorrow. It’s the weekend. There’s quite a few gems around here I bet ya never knew about.”
“Go out?” Kiryu said, rubbing his chin. “Okay.”
Next morning, Kiryu went about getting ready quietly, his mind obviously trickling back to the matter of his children. Meanwhile, Majima’s phone lay silent on any updates from Katsuya. Surely that meant no news was good news. But, Majima decided not to remind Kiryu about it. Bringing that up would only make him worry more. Kiryu had to learn to take his mind off matters.
Already dressed for the day, Majima smoked out on the balcony as he waited for Kiryu to get ready. Strolling through the city, getting himself busy helping people out in the street, heck even spending hours into the night playing in arcades…that all kept Majima’s sanity when he was a prisoner in Sotenbori. Working himself to the bone proved useful again just a few years ago, lest he went mad over Kiryu being in the hospital, his stomach torn up from Hamazaki…surely keeping Kiryu busy now would do the same.
“Goro.”
Majima turned around and nodded approvingly at Kiryu. He looked real nice in jeans and that blue jacket. “Lookin’ good, Kazuma. Let’s hit the town!”
Being more familiar with this corner of Shinjuku, Majima acted as a tour guide. He pointed out some of his personal favorite drinking spots, a mahjong parlor, and a place where they could play pool and darts.
“Remember how we got frisky over a game of pool?” Majima asked, grinning.
Kiryu immediately shushed him, red in the face.
“Ah, Kiryu-chan! Nothin’ to be ashamed of!” Majima chuckled. “Who knew billiard balls could get ya going like that.”
“Nii-san!”
“By the way, if ya present the lady at the bar a plate of peach castella, she’ll point ya to a back door to the gambling den.”
“Oh?” Kiryu chuckled before his face fell. “Peach was always Riona’s favorite, be it cake, ice cream, or candy filling. Haruka is more partial to strawberry.” He went on to name the favorite fruit for every one of his children.
Majima’s shoulder sank. Was there anything that wouldn’t remind Kiryu of his kids?
He turned around to find that Kiryu had stopped in his tracks. He was busy studying something through the window of a Poppo.
“I’m going inside,” Kiryu said. “I’ll be quick.”
“Quick” turned out to be Kiryu studying through the large selection of magazines for about half an hour. What had initially caught Kiryu’s attention was a magazine on astronomy.
“Shiro would love this,” Kiryu said after flipping through it. “The language isn’t too hard, is it?”
Majima glanced over his shoulder. “Nah. Besides, he’s a really smart kid. He’ll absorb all this in one afternoon, if he doesn’t know all this already.”
“Look, there’s something here about wrestling,” Kiryu said. “Taichi would love that. And…and baseball—there’s something here about dog-training! I know Izumi would really appreciate this—ah, Riona would love this, it’s about the latest trends in fashion in Tokyo…oh, didn’t the kids used to ask me to get them manga from Tokyo whenever I’m here?”
Majima stared at him, frowning. He would be lying if he said his heart wasn’t breaking, watching Kiryu pick through the selection and pulling out something for everyone.
He held the magazines close to his chest, his eyes large and gleaning. “Would it be a problem sending them to my children? They don’t have to know it’s from me…”
Majima sighed heavily. “Y’know…some of my men were planning to go to Okinawa on an errand. I can see if they’ll deliver that to the kids without any of the paps’ sniffing about.”
“Thank you, Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu said with a bow.
It didn’t stop there. He made his way to the ATM machine and wired some of this week’s earnings to Morning Glory.
“Thought ya said Haruka’s agency is takin’ care of all that,” Majima said, hands on his hips, but he understood the reason. Could anyone truly part a loving parent from their children? Kiryu still saw himself as responsible for his children, whether he was in the picture or not.
After the purchase was made, they left Poppo. Kiryu wrote up a short unsigned note for his kids while Majima called one of his men to take the magazines. And with that, they were back exploring the area, though an air of sobriety hung over the air.
“So…ya hungry?” Majima eventually asked. The sun was at its highest mark in the sky now.
“A little,” Kiryu said.
“Ever had some Arabic food?” Majima said, perking up with a sudden idea. “Ya know, hummus, falafel, pickled turnips, all that good grub?”
“Can’t say I have,” Kiryu admitted.
“There’s a place around here that’s really good. We can go there.”
“Hmm,” Kiryu glanced right ahead, looking pensive. “Long ago, the Tojo Clan had a brief dealing with an Arab mafia. I was still starting out, and…I don’t think I ever got to eat any of the treats the men had brought with them. Nishiki managed to steal some sort of dessert they brought, just enough for one person. I had to watch him eat it. I was so jealous of him.”
“Aw, ya missed out!” Majima grinned. He wondered what sort of dessert Kiryu had been exposed to before, and what he could have him try out. There was the well-known baklawa, but there was also kanafeh, harisseh, and ma’moul, just off the top of his head. Majima didn’t consider himself a foodie, but he enjoyed trying out foods from all around the world.
No matter what they would try out in the end, the experience would surely get Kiryu’s mind off the topic of his kids a bit. Maybe.
He swung an arm around Kiryu’s neck as he quickened the pace. “Yer in for a treat, Kiryu-chan!”
The restaurant was called Ful and Falafel. Calming, traditional music from an oud played in the background as they settled in their seats. The place was a little on the small side but very clean and tidy. It appeared Majima was a regular given the way he and the owner Nadeem carried on friendly conversation. Nadeem and his family owned the restaurant.
It was also notably loud, loud yet warm and friendly. Kiryu could see why Majima enjoyed such an atmosphere, as he wasn’t too keen with the etiquette of keeping quiet for decorum. Here, people chatted away, laughed with their full hearts, and called out to Nadeem and his family from across the restaurant.
It was nice being immersed in a new setting, Kiryu thought. A place where he could relax a bit.
Kiryu studied an ornament that hung on the wall across from them. Long and rectangular, beautiful golden calligraphy in Arabic was displayed against a black background. He wondered what it said.
The owner served tea for them both, on the house. There was a small fresh mint in the cup, a nice little presentation that pleased Kiryu.
“Ya should try the Turkish coffee,” Majima said.
“I hear it’s quite bitter,” Kiryu said, remembering something from that Arab mafia visit. But it would probably go well with one of the desserts Kiryu espied from where he sat. Kiryu remembered Nishiki remarking on how densely sweet the treat was of whatever he had grabbed many years ago. Kiryu wondered if he might find it here among the collection.
The menu was brought out and Kiryu scanned through the items. Many rice dishes, many with lamb or chicken. There were even a couple of fish dishes. Kiryu smiled. This maybe wouldn’t be too different from Japanese cuisines.
“Get the stuffed bell peppers,” Majima said with a grin.
“No,” Kiryu said flatly, disturbed by the sight in the menu.
Majima laughed and slapped his knees. “I’m tellin’ ya, get it! Nadeem, ya got one for this crybaby to sample?”
“We have some hot off the stove,” Nadeem said. “Enjoy, my friend.”
Kiryu kicked up a fuss as Majima harassed him until finally, he managed to get the green ball of stuffed doom against Kiryu’s mouth. Kiryu took a tentative bite…and it was good. It wasn’t bitter at all but kind of sweet. The tomato sauce it had been marinating in gave it a pleasant aroma and taste.
“See? It ain’t those kinds of bell peppers you big baby,” Majima laughed. “Want a dish of them?”
Kiryu grudgingly nodded. “And what about this one?” He pointed to one item on the menu that had caught his eye a while ago; it had a lot of fish in it.
“That’s the Fisherman’s Pilaf!” Majima said expertly. “Can never get the pronunciation of it right in Arabic. Saya-Sayadee—help me out here, Nadeem!”
“Sayyadiyeh,” Nadeem said. “‘Sayyad’ means ‘fisherman’ in my language.”
Kiryu nodded as Majima went on. “It’s a classic Palestinian dish from the coastal region of Gaza.”
“I’ll have it, then,” Kiryu said.
With Majima’s advice, they picked out a few dishes and sat back, enjoying their tea and conversation with the owner and some of the other patrons as they waited.
After a while Nadeem brought out their order, and soon numerous plates decorated their table: Sayyadiyeh, stuffed green peppers, hummus, a small plate of bright pink pickled turnips, a little pyramid comprised of falafel, and a lamb dish sprinkled on with pine nuts that looked simply divine.
“This is a lot,” Kiryu said, both embarrassed but also very ravenous.
“Says the guy who’s wolfed down the entire Kanrai menu in one sitting and still had room for gelato!”
“Nii-san…”
Majima thanked Nadeem for the meal and grabbed first for a falafel from the top of the pyramid.
And that’s when it happened.
Kiryu was sitting across from Majima, watching him take a bite of the falafel…and just then, someone fell over Kiryu’s head, knocking him down, and took a bite from the other side.
“Hah?!” Majima cried out as both he and the young woman jumped back in opposite directions, both startled out of their wits. Kiryu face-planted the table. “Where’d the hell ya come from?!”
“I could ask the same of you,” the young woman said as she dusted off her clothes.
Kiryu peered from the woman to Majima then back to her again. No one else in the restaurant seemed to have noticed the commotion.
“Ya didn’t see her!” Majima cried out to Kiryu. “She came outta no where and was bent on top’a ya and had her legs on my shoulders like she ain’t got a spine!”
“I’m sorry, but I was falling from the sky, and I wasn’t going to land on and waste all that food,” the woman said. “Not with how many people are starving in the world.”
“What sky?! There’s a roof over our heads, lady!”
Kiryu just stared.
The young woman couldn’t have been more than a college age student from the looks of her, assuming she could afford it. Her waist-length mane of hair, greyish in appearance, was thick, frizzy, and tangled with a sort of unkept matte look. Over a black long-sleeved top and ripped denim she wore an oversized red plaid shirt. Her shoes were so old and worn he couldn’t even tell what their original color was. Despite her complexion being a couple shades darker than both of them, there was a certain grey paleness to her, making Kiryu wonder if she was ill. The trembling hands on the counter seemed proof enough.
Dull as her overall appearance was, what was most striking were her eyes. Dark grey and shining, almost like mirrors, every hard gaze from her made him flinch as though he were pierced with a deadly sword.
She flopped on an empty chair near their table.
“What’re ya doin’?!” Majima cried out. “This is our table!”
The woman glanced around, giving the restaurant a good hard look, and her face fell. “Hold on—where am I? When am I?!”
Forgetting his earlier ire, Majima regarded her with worry. “Er, are ya lost?”
Kiryu frowned as the woman kept glancing around, her sharp eyes observing everything around her, immediately seeking out, to his surprise, all exit points, knives on the table, the vase in the corner…
“How’d this happen?” she said under her breath. “Did Dave go bustin’ the metronome again?!” She jumped to her feet before regarding them, suddenly looking sheepish and awkward. She bowed her head. “I’m terribly sorry for interrupting you, good men. Please enjoy the rest of your day—er, evening—er, night? Morning? Forget this happened at all. Where am I?”
“Yer in Tokyo, love.”
“Tokyo?!” the woman cried out. A look of haunted shock filled her eyes. They teemed with tears.
Without another word she rushed out.
Majima turned to Kiryu. “The hell was that?”
Kiryu shook his head. “No idea. Do you think she will be okay? I get the feeling she isn’t from around here.” Was she even speaking Japanese? Kiryu had the weird impression that she wasn’t and yet…he could somehow understand her…
Majima rubbed his chin. “Ya may be right…bustin’ the metronome? The hell’s that about?” He turned to the food on the table, then to Kiryu again. “I can get Nadeem to doggie bag this for us, so we can check in on her. If ya want, of course.”
Kiryu didn’t have to think twice about it. How could they eat here comfortably while a young woman was out and about in a place she was clearly unfamiliar with?
NOTICE
While most off-Main Story substories are optional, I would highly recommend doing this one right now. It is considered part of the main story, and it was originally meant to be part of this chapter, but I split it up due to its length.
“She’s left an impression on ya,” Majima said later as they sat on the balcony. His head rested on the plush frog’s soft, fluffy belly.
“I can say the same about you,” Kiryu said, cigarette in hand as his gaze moved toward Kamurocho, recalling the amusing conversation his lover and the woman had the night before about the district. Beside him was the glass onion that was left behind on the counter.
“She’ll be airight,” Majima assured him. “We gave her a bit of hope, a dream to strive for, didn’t we?”
Kiryu nodded, though something still haunted him. The thought of burying a child…
“It may be years, hundreds or thousands, before she is born,” he said and his heart clenched painfully. The thought of waiting so long before meeting again…
By the time she opened her eyes to the world, they would have long closed theirs.
“Not like she can ever visit our graves,” Majima joked before his face fell as the weight of his own words penetrated his bones. “Shit, this whole place…”
“Temporary,” Kiryu said with a nod. “We didn’t ask about Okinawa, but…”
“Nor where her child’s eventual grave would be, so we can pay respects in advance,” Majima said. “Could guess it’s in Chicago somewhere, but…”
Kiryu remained silent.
“All we can do is honor her wish,” Majima said.
Kiryu nodded. “Yes. Let us appreciate every moment. Live it as if it is our last.”
“And I gotta learn how to do those shadow clones like Master Ah-Ghul.”
Kiryu chuckled. “Still on about that?”
“Can’t get that out of my head. Seeing him do it resonated with me. Maybe there’s some magic blood in my family line. Anyhow, let’s live more insanely, savor every second even in the mundane day to day.”
Kiryu warmed up at his words. “Yes. That is a nice thought.”
Majima grinned from ear to ear. “I got just the thing, too!” He leaned back and did not elaborate further. Kiryu would not come to understand until days later.
“Lookie, Kazuma! Sexy bug porn!” Majima displayed the DVD proudly, grinning from ear to ear as he watched for Kiryu’s reaction.
“What?” Kiryu ashed out his cigarette and got up. Smoke exhaled from his nostrils, giving him a rather comical look with how he stared, mouth agape, at the racy cover. The man never disappoints.
“Looks like our favorite ladies branched out in all sorts of venues,” Majima explained with a triumphant grin. “Told ya MesuKing wasn’t just for kids! Horny-ass adults were jonesin’ for these bugs during the height of its fame!”
“I…I did not know that,” Kiryu said, red in the face.
How adorable, Majima thought.
“Gotta hand it to them, though,” Majima went on. “They made sure no kiddies would come across this stuff. These films were kept on the down-low and only sold in back rooms for some time. I only found out about it while readin’ up on the franchise on one of ‘em wikis. I’ve been waiting so long for my copy to come in. Of course it’s used but it doesn’t look too banged up. Sure took its sweet time gettin’ here.”
It was well into the evening. The moment he got the notice that a parcel was waiting for him at the local Poppo, Majima had made a short stop to it before heading to his and Kiryu’s apartment. He had also come prepared. Although he wasn’t a big technology user, he owned a laptop and used it mostly for business, but he still needed Nishida to show him again how to play movies on this thing.
“Well? Wanna watch?” They weren’t strangers to watching pornographic films together. Either the film was the prelude for sex, putting them both in the mood, or they would have a grand time trash talking it.
Kiryu studied the movie in his hand and shrugged. “I suppose,” he said. “There isn’t much else to do tonight.”
They prepared for bed. Once under the covers, Majima set the laptop over his legs and slipped the DVD disc into the slot. Kiryu hovered next to him, staring at the screen absentmindedly. Majima made a mental note to teach Kiryu more about computers and laptops. The man wasn’t stupid. He could work out a modern phone. He even ran his own blog at one point. He just needed someone to teach him.
The film started, and Majima settled against Kiryu, smiling a little wickedly. He had no idea what to expect, but at the very least they might get a laugh or two out of the terrible acting.
“I recognize these two,” Kiryu said after some time as a Damselfly was undressing an Old World Swallowtail. “Maria and Yurie.”
“Well, right now they’re Damselfly and Swallowtail,” Majima chuckled as the two ladies got right into it on screen.
The entire film was set to around 96 minutes, and by the half-hour mark, Majima was feeling it. He couldn’t imagine how Kiryu had managed to bet on these ladies without…without…
Damn.
“Kazuma…” Majima moaned. His entire body was starting to burn. “I’m gon’ rub one out.”
“Hmm? Oh, of course, help yourself,” Kiryu said with a nod. They shuffled a bit to allow Majima a chance to slip his hand into his briefs and grip the cock that was screaming for attention.
“Fuck…ah…yes, yes…ah…ah…” He matched the tempo the Empress Cicada and Rhino Beetle had created with the Honey Bee. He hated himself for giving in sooner than Kiryu, but then again, could anyone win in the game of libido against Kiryu Kazuma? The man could have, and had, a whole ass booty rub against his nose and his dick wouldn’t even twitch.
“This chick’s actin’s nothin’s to sneeze at, but…ah…”
“She’s trying her breast—I mean, best…” Kiryu said.
Majima leaned his head back, brushing against Kiryu’s shoulder. His eye fixated on the audio-visual feast before them, a sight every participant of the JCC would have spent their entire earning to see.
Kiryu leaned his head sideways so it was resting on Majima’s head. A few moments later, Majima realized Kiryu was just sitting there watching, really watching, as though he were in the cinema.
“The hell, Kazuma?!”
“What?” Kiryu said.
“Ya ain’t wankin’!”
“Hmm?” Kiryu said before a desperate high-pitched moan averted his attention momentarily back to the screen. “The movie’s plot is quite wholesome. The Honey Bee is anxious about how she’ll be able to feed her colony in the absence of any worker bees, so everyone in the forest is chipping in to calm her and show her the way.”
“By eatin’ her pussy?!”
“If that’s what it takes to get there.”
Majima wasn’t sure if his dick was twitching because it liked what it was hearing or if Kiryu had just verbally shot it dead.
“Ya jerkin’ my dick, Kazuma?!”
“No, but I can if you want me to,” Kiryu said calmly before flashing him a smile that jolted his cock back to full HP.
“Kiryu-chan darling!” Goromi waved from the taxi she had just stepped out of. Dressed in the most dazzling hot pink mini dress Kiryu had ever seen her in yet, his jaws fell open, feeling incredibly dull by comparison in a slick dark grey suit and jet black shirt. It was the best he could offer for the date. Goromi had urged him to put on a tie, adding a splash of color to him. She had wanted hot pink so they would match, but the closest Kiryu could find was more of a rose red.
“Oh, Kiryu-chaaaan!” Goromi called out again as Kiryu ran up to her, feeling every pair of eyes in the vicinity turn to watch as they met up in front of the apartment lobby. He smiled faintly, a little shy and embarrassed but also so incredibly proud to hold his amazing woman in his arms.
“Ya ready to paint the town red, darlin’?” Goromi asked after she peppered his face with kisses.
“Yes,” Kiryu said. “You sure you want it to be Ginza?”
“Kiryu-chan, baby, we already agreed to this,” Goromi said as she waved a stack of their big winnings from a local pachinko parlor. “Life’s too short, and we’re spending tonight like it’s our last!”
“Please don’t make it sound so morbid,” Kiryu said as they shuffled back into the taxi. The driver was, of course, one of Majima’s men. The taxi company was still holding on, thankfully.
Goromi gave him the name of some shopping center, one of Ginza’s many, and they were off.
Sitting back, Kiryu held his beloved’s hand, studying her manicure and marveling at how soft her hands felt from any usual day. Her blond hair was new and pristine, well brushed and styled meticulously, and her makeup matched well with her dress. She exchanged out the usual watch for a small elegant one and a bracelet, all for the occasion. Her perfume bewitched him under her spell.
She always went the extra mile to doll up for him.
Within half an hour they arrived at Ginza. Along the way they passed by the Imperial Palace, which Goromi was quick to point out to him.
“A photo of us together?” Goromi said, snapping a photo of them quickly while the taxi was still in motion.
After informing the driver to come back after a few hours, they set off. Their first stop was at a large shopping arcade. Seeing the price tags made Kiryu’s head spin a little. Even with the money they had won, should they really be doing this? Shouldn’t they keep some aside, or send some to Morning Glory?
Additionally, Kiryu wasn’t used to paying so much for the same items he could find much cheaper at Kamurocho or back home, but if Goromi wanted something, he would get anything, or do anything, for her.
“Oh, no no no,” Goromi purred after seeing that his arms were laden with dresses and shoes and stockings all for her. “We didn’t come here for just me. Come o’er here, honey.”
What’re we doing? Kiryu thought later, both alarmed and exhilarated, after walking out of one boutique with several new suits and a brand new watch that cost enough to feed an entire family for a year.
“All that shopping’s worked me up a fierce appetite,” Goromi moaned. “Let’s see what restaurants they have here, hmm?”
Restaurants were just as expensive as shopping centers in Ginza. Goromi took him to a spot she said she had been wanting to try out for a while. Presentations were extremely impressive, but serving portions, Kiryu was shy to admit, were a little too small to fill him up. Sensing his dilemma, she ordered a second plate for him.
“My treat for being so good to me,” Goromi simpered, kissing him before ordering another round of drinks for them both. He didn’t want to say anything about getting drunk too early into their date. It wasn’t too much anyway; they could both handle this.
And…the little act reminded him of another time…a sweet long ago era when he used to visit her in Club Shine. Those were the days…
Substory #43 — Just Like Old Times
He watched Goromi mix his drink, rotating her spoon counter clockwise, smiling silently yet fondly.
Goromi must have been thinking along the same lines because she said, “Makes ya remember all the times we did this in Club Shine, eh?”
“Yeah.”
“We got up into some wild shit during our dates.”
“It wasn’t all bad.” Kiryu shook his head. Sure, they either exchanged punches or got into a street brawl with a gang, but they also had their fun around town. They were still getting used to one another back then. Kiryu wasn’t sure if Majima was someone he fully trusted back in those days, despite how often they found themselves locking lips, and well…these dates certainly helped to smooth out the rougher edges.
“Ya wanna see if Ginza’s got some gaming centers around here? Remember all the dolls ya used’a get me?”
“Hmm? Sure,” Kiryu said. “I might be a little rusty…”
“Ya always say that!” Goromi giggled as she squeezed his arm. “Come on! We sit here any longer, I’m gonna fall asleep on ya!”
Being unfamiliar with the area, it took some time before they zeroed in on a spot. This being a gaming center in Ginza, the place was massive, with hundreds of arcade cabinets. Naturally Kiryu found himself gravitating toward the SEGA games. He had always found them the most innovative, fun, and challenging.
“You and that racing game,” Goromi sighed in mock exasperation as she leaned against the seated cabinet for OutRun.
“It’s not a racing game,” Kiryu said. “It’s a driving game.”
That only made Goromi scoff. “And yer driving at that speed with alcohol in yer blood? Lucky I didn’t hand ya the keys when we started this date!”
“I would never—!” Kiryu shivered.
“I’m teasin’ ya! Silly Kiryu-chan! Ooh, I’ve found my target.”
There were rows of claw machines on display, and Goromi hoisted him to one stocked with prizes of all sorts from soft stuffed toys to lizards and even plush replicates of the SEGA Mega Drives.
“I want the Kara Kappa!” Goromi said. “I didn’t know they were still made! Or that adorable lil’ lizard! Ooh, or that absolutely darlin’ doll o’er there—”
“Heh, at least you aren’t picky,” Kiryu said with a smile. Didn’t hurt to try his luck.
Slipping three hundred yen into the slot, Kiryu straightened up as the machine kicked into life with lights and sounds.
“A purple axolotl!” Goromi gasped as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. “What a sophisticated fellow! Lookit that mustache and top hat!”
“Heh, looks like you like it,” Kiryu said, earning himself a peck on the cheek.
“He’s adorable!” Goromi said.
“She’s so cute!” Goromi gasped as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. The tag declared the doll’s name as Kyon-chan, a jiangshi or reanimated corpse. “What a cutie! Look at her, Kiryu-chan! Wouldn’t green hair go well with my pink dress?”
Kiryu gaped at her. “Um…”
Laughing, Goromi gave him two kisses, one on each cheek. “Oh you know how much I love to tease you, hon!”
“Oh, my!” Goromi gasped as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. The tag declared the doll’s name as Kyon-bo, a jiangshi or reanimated corpse. “How’d you manage to get him? Are you a magician, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu chuckled sheepishly. “It was just pure luck.” Before he knew it, Goromi was kissing him on both cheeks.
“He’s so good looking, like you!”
“L-like me?!”
“Ooh, what’ve we here!” Goromi cooed as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. It was a stuffed pink axolotl doll wearing an apron. “This hot mama matches me, don’tcha think?”
“She does,” Kiryu said with a nod before Goromi suddenly pounced on him, pecking him on each cheek before striking him right in the lips, sending shivers up his spine.
“I’m treasuring this one forever!” she said. “Thanks muchly, Kazzy baby!”
“AHH! YOU GOT HIM! YOU GOT HIM!” Goromi shrieked as she jumped up and down before nearly ripping the poor Kara Kappa from the prize door. “He’s finally mine!”
“I didn’t know you liked him so much,” Kiryu said.
“Aww, Kazzy baby! Kara Kappa reminds me of all the times we went to karaoke together!” Goromi said before pouncing on Kiryu, planting kisses wherever she could before the both of them had to be escorted out of the arcade for indecent behavior in a public place.
“Aww, sweet lil’ baby!” Goromi cooed as she retrieved the toy from the prize door before showing it off proudly to Kiryu: a pink-faced Bun-chan. “Reminds me of the time I won this exact same doll for a little girl…and Shiro too, now that I think about it…”
“And now you got one for yourself,” Kiryu said proudly before Goromi pounced on him, planting a kiss to each cheek before meeting his lips for a kiss.
“Right ya are, Kazzy baby!”
“Oh, look at that!” Goromi gasped as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. Kiryu couldn’t help but make a face. It was a frilly lizard…
“What’s wrong, Kiryu-chan?”
“Sorry, it’s just…I thought you might prefer something that’s…softer and cuter,” Kiryu admitted sheepishly.
“Kiryu-chan! I’m shocked you of all people would say that! Dragons, snakes, lizards, they’re all so handsome! Just like ya!”
She gave him a peck on each cheek before turning back to admiring her new plastic pet.
“A lil’ baby!” Goromi cooed as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. It was a blue axolotl plush, its eyes a little larger and more innocent than the pink and purple ones inside the claw machine.
“It’s Woo-kun!” Goromi read the tag. “Aww, think we should try getting his mom and dad before he gets sad all alone out here?”
“Umm…” Kiryu checked back, gauging the difficulty of the other two parent plushies before Goromi gave him a little peck on the cheek.
“I’m joking, darlin’!” she giggled. “We can raise him together! Let’s get going.”
“Oh! It’s a…squirrel.” Goromi made a tiny face as she retrieved the toy from the prize door. “A Jumbo Chestnut. Wonder if he likes grabbing on to his nuts.”
Kiryu quickly checked to make sure no kid just heard them. “Sorry. I know squirrels aren’t your thing.”
“Ah, don’t be so down, Kiryu-chan!” Goromi cooed and gave him a little peck on the cheek.
“Ah, Kiryu-chan!” Goromi groaned, shaking her head in disappointment as she placed her hands on her hips. “I thought you were better at this!”
Kiryu frowned sadly at the empty prize door. That prize was just out of reach.
“I’ll get it in the next try,” he promised.
“Ya better!” Goromi teasingly threatened.
“Where to next?” Goromi asked when they tired of the arcade. “I dragged ya over here. Only fair you pick the next place.”
The alcohol was starting to ebb from their veins, and Kiryu wasn’t fond of getting them smashed again this early on. So he wouldn’t pick a bar, unless it had darts. Or karaoke. He loved karaoke, but it was such a standard for them; maybe they could do something a little different today such as go to the movies. Or, oh…it was a chilly day, perfect to go to the hot springs…back in Kamurocho, you can play table tennis after soaking in the hot springs. Was it the same here?
“Let’s see…” Kiryu said. What should they do next for their date?
“Darts, eh?” Goromi’s face lit up. “Sure has been some time since our last darts battle, eh, Kiryu-chan?”
That’s right. Several years ago they used to challenge one another over any game imaginable, be it MesuKing, shogi, pool, and of course, darts. Majima was a formidable opponent at the game, being able to get Ton 80 each round. He kept Kiryu on his toes, but much to Kiryu’s contentment he was able to eventually beat Majima at the game.
After much walking and asking around, they were pointed to a bar for their needs. They ordered their drinks that made off to the back. A large pool table greeted them but they were more interested in the darts behind them. For a bar of this size, it was rather busy, with people already playing around the pool table. There were at least three stations with darts; Goromi tugged Kiryu toward one of them.
“Wanna make a bet?” she asked as they gathered up their darts. Kiryu scoffed.
“I thought we’re on a date, not a battle.”
“Oh, yer no fun,” Goromi said with a playful slap on his wrist. “Which game ya want?”
“901 sound good?”
“Kiryu-chan!” Goromi gasped. “Ya really have yer heart set on a long game?”
But she was smiling, so Kiryu figured this was a good enough choice.
They switched after every three attempts. Round one, round two, round three…
Goromi was a bit rusty, but she quickly relearned her tricks. Kiryu had a bar near home which he often visited, Aqua Sky, and there were regulars he often played against. So he was slightly more confident in his skills, yet Goromi was giving him a run for his money.
She wasn’t drinking as much either, keeping her senses sharp, and as much as Kiryu was tempted to down his drink, he kept his focus on their game.
After several more rounds, Kiryu was down to 132 points while Goromi was down 180. With careful planning and precise throws, he could win the game in this round. There were many ways he could whittle things down to zero points without going overboard, and without underscoring, as Goromi was sure to score 180 next round.
Which would be the best way for him to win?
Kiryu gauged the dartboard carefully before making his selection. First, choosing the hardest option of the three, he went for the triple 16 and aimed carefully.
He got it.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he next turned his attention to the bullseye and stuck two darts into it, one after another.
“Low Ton,” Kiryu announced, “and I win.”
“Showoff,” Goromi said with an overdramatic sigh.
The bullseye was easy enough. Checking what else he could do, Kiryu decided on…
Let’s go for a double twenty and a triple fourteen.
His hand slipped and went down to a single twenty. Panicking, he quickly did the math in his head. There was no way he could get down to zero in this round, but if he aimed for a triple twenty he would be left with two points. Should he try for a triple fourteen or a triple twenty?
“I’m waiting, darling,” Goromi whispered in his ear and in his panic, Kiryu threw the dart, watching with a sinking heart as it landed on the single one.
Goromi won the next round.
Kiryu struck the single 12 and first triple 20 with ease. Now came the final one, and his heart hammered in his chest. Everything relied on this moment. He raised his hand, aiming for the triple 20, putting all of his focus.
He fired the shot.
The dart flew and landed just a hairline above the triple line, earning him mere twenty points.
His face paled. He was now down to 40.
“Ooh, triple twenties!” Goromi giggled. “You know those are my speciality!”
And she stepped right up for her next turn and landed every dart right into the triple 20 space, earning herself a Ton 80 and winning the game.
“Don’t be so hard on yerself, sugar!” she said saccharinely, bumping her hip against him as Kiryu stood there, arms folded and pouting. He hated losing even if it was to the beautiful Goromi.
“I bet ya can’t win without getting a bulleye,” Goromi said as Kiryu studied the dartboard. “Yer always relying on those, hon!”
He grinned. “Oh yeah? Watch me.”
Doing the math quickly in his head, Kiryu next aimed for his three targets. Triple 17, triple 19, and triple 8. All three shots landed.
“What the—?!” Goromi gasped, staring at the digital point score in disbelief.
“Game over,” Kiryu said triumphantly and down his glass.
“The movies?” Goromi said, wide-eyed. “Ooh, we haven’t done that one in a while!”
They located a movie theater and made their way over while discussing a bit about the sort of movies they watched over the years. Kiryu himself wasn’t big on movies, but he knew Majima would watch a lot as a means of relaxing.
“Lots of interesting titles here,” Goromi mused once they were inside. Kiryu had to agree. As he hadn’t much chance to go with his children, working and them preferring to go with their friends to appear cool, he felt a little out of tune with what was in.
“I guess we can’t go wrong with any of them,” Kiryu said. “I’m not particularly picky with what we watch.” If anything, he was quite intrigued with the options. He would watch them all if they had the chance.
“A man after my heart,” Goromi said with a smile. “So, what’s yer heart set on?”
Kiryu studied the posters on display. Damn, he had to make the choice? They all seemed so good…
Which movie do we watch?
- ▶ Invention of Love, a sci-fi romance.
▶ Kung Fu Robot, a martial arts film.
▶ Any Way Out, an indie drama.
“Well, that ending sure was a kick to the heart,” Goromi said after the credits ended.
Kiryu gave a nod. “It was really sad in the end. The woman and man were clearly in love, but she could never have survived in his world, and he clearly wasn’t happy even after…making that.”
“What’d ya think the story was really about? How the environment is slowly killin’ us? Gotta admit, don’t feel like touchin’ any cigs for a while.”
“That’s a fair take. I think it’s also about being genuine. When the man first met the woman, he gave her a rose, a real rose. She then moves to a world where everything was a lie, even the tree branches. I think it’s a commentary on how we grow up, leave the home and world we always knew, and realize just how different the real world truly is. It shocks our senses.”
“Damn, that’s deep, Kiryu-chan…”
“Goromi…are you crying?!”
“…yes…”
“That was an excellent mix of humor and suspense, like any good martial arts film!” Goromi said after the credits ended.
“Yeah,” Kiryu said with a nod. “What an interesting idea, teaching a robot to fight like that.”
“Haw? This givin’ ya a revelation or somethin’, Kiryu-chan?”
“O-of course not.”
Goromi tittered. “Aw, I remember how ya used to buy off my bootlegs from Kamiyama to watch and learn from! I was trainin’ ya even from afar!”
Kiryu sighed. “I remember…”
Kiryu shivered. A man locked away for a crime he did not commit? This hit a little too close to home…
“Damn, this shit went deep,” Goromi said after the credits ended. She leaned into Kiryu and gripped his arm comfortingly.
Kiryu nodded. “Yeah…sometimes I feel like that man, even out of prison. Life and struggles just keep going in a loop. And it isn’t just me who feels lost, but everyone I meet.”
Goromi gave his hands a comforting squeeze. “But its final meaning is crystal clear: never give up. There’s always a solution out there, even if it might seem scary or unpleasant. Ya just gotta fight.”
Kiryu nodded again as her warmth transferred over to him. “Yeah…yeah, you’re right.”
“That ending…!” Kiryu gasped when the credits ended.
“That ending!” Goromi cried out. “I’m tellin’ ya, this is exactly the sort o’ shit that goes on today!”
“This is a mockumentary poking fingers at how certain governments and media twist narratives and cover up the truth of any given situation,” Kiryu said.
“Coverups…zombies…coverups…” Goromi said under her breath, staring at the screen in shock.
“Goromi?”
“Hmm? Oh, o’ course, Kiryu-chan! Those damn SDF!”
“I didn’t say anything about the SDF…”
“We are Zeros,” Goromi said when the credits ended. “A lot of yakuza are, I’d say.”
Kiryu nodded solemnly. “This is a brutal sort of universe and society, even for a fantasy. I cannot imagine being born into this sort of life, but when you think about it, the themes shown are reflected in our world.”
“So, ya wanna create an infinity together, Kiryu-chan?”
“How would we even do that?”
“It was just an expression…”
“We already have nine infinitely wonderful children.”
“Yer hopeless, Kiryu-chan!”
It was a damn children’s movie about pirates, it was utterly ridiculous, and Goromi could not stay silent throughout the movie. She screamed and laughed hysterically throughout the movie, slapping Kiryu’s shoulder, falling over him, and falling off her seat a few times. Kiryu had to admit the movie was charmingly amusing. He would have gladly brought the whole family to see this.
“His stupid eyepatch!” Goromi gasped when the credits ended. “Their stupid eyepatches! This is great! I hope if I ever have a pirate crew they’re never as dumb as this!”
“Where would you even find a pirate ship in this day and age?” Kiryu chuckled as he tried to imagine it.
“A hot spring?” Goromi marveled. “Ooh, that does sound lovely right about now!”
“There wouldn’t happen to be one that accepts bodies like ours here?” Kiryu asked as he pulled out a cigarette.
Goromi beamed. “Even better! I know just the place!”
With a snap of her fingers, Goromi hailed a taxi—the very same one that brought them into Ginza—and gave the driver an address. The taxi sped on, and Kiryu couldn’t keep up where they were headed, losing track of how many street lights they passed nor how many corners they turned…
“We’re here!” Goromi finally announced, looking damn pleased with herself. Back outside, she ushered Kiryu toward an unsuspecting looking building tucked away into a side street, squished between two large hotels. “This is just like Yunosono Hot Spring back home. No one bats an eyelash at ya if ya got ink anywhere on ya.”
So the local yakuza often used this place, Kiryu figured. No wonder why it was hidden away from sight.
“And the best part about it?” Goromi gave him a coy smile. “It’s a konyoku!”
A mixed bath, meaning they could settle in together. Kiryu blushed fiercely as the implication of her words dawned on him. Seeing his reaction, she tittered and slapped him on the shoulder.
“Naughty Kiryu-chan! Ya can’t be touchin’ the other patrons!”
“I wasn’t going to—”
Goromi tapped on his nose with the point of her long manicured index finger, going, “Tsk, tsk,” before sauntering inside. Kiryu scrambled closely behind her.
The onsen was large and contained many private rooms, perfect for a yakuza group to conjugate away from any civilians or for couples who ventured by to enjoy some private time together. They rented a private room, and Kiryu was pleased to learn that the place, just like Yunosono in Kamurocho, offered some games to play after their bath.
Soaking in the water like this, staring at one another, Kiryu couldn’t help but blush a deep red. This was…quite a bit intimate. They’ve seen each other naked plenty of times, but there was something about being like this submerged from the shoulders down in warm water, surrounded by warm mist, that got his mind at ease and roaming in places it normally didn’t.
“What’re ya thinkin’, Kiryu-chan?” Goromi giggled. “Ya not tryin’ to do somethin’ funny, are ya?”
Kiryu shook his head. “Never. I’m just…relaxed. It’s nice, sitting here all relaxed and warm next to you.”
“Aww, aren’t ya a charmer,” Goromi said. “Ya know what this makes me think of?” She ran her hands over his arms as she spoke. “Being washed by one’s mama. Doesn’t it?”
Kiryu had no memory of his own mother washing him, but he could close his eyes and just imagine it…
“Held gently in her arms,” Goromi went on softly as she caressed his arms, “your little whimpers soothed by her calming hands, the water washing away all of the worries of the world, then wrapped up in a warm towel to dry off and kissed, all loved and cozy and safe…those were the days, weren’t they, Kiryu-chan?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“Kiryu-chan?!”
Kiryu snapped out of his trance right in the nick of time, dodging Goromi’s playful slap across his shoulder for that comment.
After they were done, they found themselves a room to play table tennis. Both hadn’t played it in a while, and especially not with one another in a long while.
Kiryu couldn’t tear his eyes off his lady love in her pink robe—a pink robe with a hot pink snakeskin sash. Did she already tell her men to bring it in just for her? What a woman.
“Nothing like a good game to get the blood pumpin’!” Goromi said, swinging her racket around. “What’d ya say? Want me to go easy on ya or go all out?”
The game went swimmingly well. Maybe Goromi took Kiryu’s plea to heart, or Kiryu’s muscle memory was kicking into full gear, but he wiped the floor with Goromi, and it was only moments after savoring sweet, sweet victory that he realized how rude it was to gloat in front of his own date.
“Ah, Kiryu-chan, you can be such a meanie!” Goromi whined, pouting as she threw away her racket in disappointment. Embarrassed, he offered a pat on her shoulder.
Kiryu Wins by Majimoth
A friendly competition? Yeah, right! Kiryu should have known better. Ask for a tiny bit of rivalry, and Goromi went in for the kill. She slaughtered him worse than that time when she pinned him down with her stilettos, and normally Kiryu would be into it, but he nearly screamed in frustration. Couldn’t he get just one damn score in?!
“Ah, Kiryu-chan,” Goromi said eleven points later. “Ya know what they call a zero point score? Love. Because I love ya, Kazzy baby.”
But no matter how much she coddled him, Kiryu kept pouting like a little brat.
Kiryu Loses by Majimoth
Grinning at one another from across the court, Kiryu knew this was going to be a game for the ages. He hit the ball with all his might, and with a war cry, Goromi chased it and smacked it back in his direction. The ball would have flown off his side of the court had Kiryu not caught it in time, landing on his face in the process.
And so the game went, with each party sending the ball flying before any of them could land in a score. The points slowly crept up on either side, never straying too far. If one scored a point, the other was very likely to make the next one.
Kiryu checked the score. It was now ten and ten. He needed two points to win.
Growing frustrated, an idea suddenly lit up in the back of his mind. A monkey brain sort of idea for sure, but he was willing to try anything at this point. For the entire game, as frustrated as he was getting, he was also becoming increasingly aroused, eyes planted on the bits of skin slowly revealed as the pink robe slid off Goromi’s shoulders.
It was Goromi’s turn to serve, so Kiryu prepared himself for the onslaught. Sure enough, the ball came hurling at him, but he was more than ready. Heat surging through him, he made a dash for the ball and knocked it back with such incredible force it went flying straight at Goromi’s chest.
Goromi taken by surprise by Majimoth
“Oh!” she cried out as she jumped back and then fell to the ground, pouting as the ball rolled away. Her pink robe fell off her shoulders completely, revealing the ink on her chest and her little perk nipples.
Kiryu licked his lips. He couldn’t stop staring. He could win this one. One more point.
But now Goromi was regarding him with one deadly eye.
“You,” she growled before suddenly lunging at him. Hoisting him up and knocking him against the wall, she held him up, his feet dangling off the ground. “Why didn’tcha tell me ya were cravin’ something’ else, honey?”
Kiryu blushed, realizing just how erect he was.
“Ah! Uh, um, I…Wait! Hold on!”
Laughing, the two wrestled against the wall, the game long forgotten before there was a heavy pounding on the door that instantly jolted all of the blood from Kiryu’s dick straight back into his fists.
“What’re ya kids doing in there? This ain’t the establishment for this sorta thing!”
Goromi grew quiet. “That would be the yakuza family that owns this place,” she explained to Kiryu as she set him back down. “I ain’t gonna bother ‘em. Less trouble I make for Daigo, the better…come on, we can take this elsewhere.”
Oh! Can’t imagine when was the last time I had so much fun!” Goromi said some time later. They found themselves back at the main plaza. They had walked all the way back, and their feet were just starting to get a tiny bit sore. The sun had long ago set, and dazzling golden streetlights graced their pathway past the pristine buildings of Japan’s famous prestige district.
“So…whatcha thinkin’?” Goromi asked after some time. “Time to hit up in a love hotel? I can tell my guy to wait for us till the morning.”
Kiryu spluttered. He was starting to feel something stirring, but the thought that one of Goromi’s men could surmise what they were about to get up to embarrassed him to no end.
“Oh, stop that bashfulness!” Goromi chided. “What else would this date’s end goal be?”
“Make me go in the red?” Kiryu commented, earning himself a playful glare before a scream suddenly rendered them both silent.
“Help! Please! Anyone!”
“Shut up ya lil’ slut or we’re gonna cut off yer tongue!”
“This way,” Goromi hissed as she tugged Kiryu in the direction of the scream. They wove through some back alleys and came by a small clearing where a woman stood cowering in fear. A hostess by the looks of her, as she was dressed in an ocean blue sexy bunny suit. She shivered but not from the cold. Pressed against the corner she was surrounded by five burly men.
“Ya got alotta nerve ghostin’ on our aniki!” one of the thugs growled.
“P-please, I d-didn’t mean to, I j-just…”
Goromi sighed, the edge of her lips twitching. “Kills me when men can’t take no for an answer. Don’t realize all that flirtin’ and romancin’s just part of the job for a hostess.”
“We should step in,” Kiryu said as he cracked his knuckles.
Chuckling, Goromi glanced toward him before producing her tanto. “Just like old times, huh, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu smirked as they marched up to the gang.
“Yo,” Kiryu called out.
That was enough to avert their attention. As expected, five pairs of eyes burned death-glare red toward them.
“Ya ma ever taught ya to mind yer own business?” one of the goons spat.
“This is looking more and more my business,” Kiryu said as he punched his fist into his palm.
One of the sleazy creepers spotted Goromi and sauntered up to her, baring his ugly teeth in a smug grin.
“What’ve we here? I like my women with a bit of muscle and ‘tache.”
Some of the others chuckled. Goromi remained silent, her one eye steadfast on the man. Silent as she was, Kiryu could sense the fury boiling inside her.
“Hey, Babe, why don’tcha ditch this old goat and come with us, eh?” the creep continued as he inched even closer. “I can make ya scream in bed reee-aaal nice.”
“The only one who’ll be screaming,” Goromi spat, “is you!” Quicker than lightning, she grabbed his crouch and twisted, sending him reeling back with a high-pitch shriek.
Taking the cue, Kiryu spun around, caught the fist that was aiming straight for his face and with a grunt pushed him back by merely breaking their contact.
The fight commenced.
“Hey, Kiryu-chan!” Goromi called out. She was enjoying this a bit too much. “Let’s try out those moves we learned from our new friend!”
Smirking, Kiryu gave a nod and broke into a run. He shot into the sky for a sideflip, using the force and his feet to smack down his foes as he crashed back down to the ground.
“Ooh, nice one!” Goromi said. “Essence of the Dragon King!”
Kiryu panted as he leapt back to his feet. It took quite a bit out of him, but he managed to master the move. Falafel would be proud.
“Ya need a moment?” Goromi asked.
He didn’t want to admit he was drained. Reaching inside his pocket, Kiryu was glad to find an energy drink, but it wasn’t Tauriner or Staminan, his preferred brand for whenever a grand move left him mentally drained. It was just a Toughness.
This company really needs to fix their labeling, he thought with a frown.
“Could I use yer body for a moment, hon?” Goromi called.
“Uh, sure.”
“Stand erect! Blade Kill!”
“Huh?”
Before Kiryu could register what was happening, Goromi flew at him, leaping into a sideflip just like him moments before, but suddenly her legs were wrapped around his neck. She swung her entire body, and not wishing to have his neck snapped in half, Kiryu followed suit, spinning in the same direction as Goromi gave a maniacal cry of delight, her tanto dancing with their chaotic twirl. Kiryu grabbed her torso for support, and grateful for it, she drew out her tanto, slashing it across all of their aggressors. Screaming, many fell. It was now just the leader left.
“Goromi!” Kiryu cried out as he suddenly lifted her like a dancer holding out his ballerina for a impressive grand finale move. She flew out toward the back of a building, bounced on the wall, and shot back right at the leader just as Kiryu drew all of his strength into his fist.
“Hyah!” Goromi cried out happily as her high heel collided with the man’s back just as Kiryu smashed his charged up fist right into the leader’s face.
Gasping, teetering on weak knees, the leader collapsed. His goons were just starting to get up, glaring and snarling at Kiryu and Goromi, but that was when Goromi suddenly threw her head and arms back, laughing loudly and manically, and suddenly three shadow clones of herself popped out, mimicking her movements.
“Aw, shit! She’s a witch!” one of the thugs wailed.
“Aniki!” his goons gasped as they tugged on the leader’s arm. “L-let’s get out of here! These guys mean business!”
Remembering what he had just endured, the leader of the gang snapped back to reality and ran faster than the rest of his gang.
“Woo! We make a good team, Kiryu-chan!” Goromi cheered before kissing Kiryu all over.
“You did it,” Kiryu said, amazed. “You managed to clone yourself.”
“That was barely a flicker!” Goromi said. “Next time I’ll make them last longer, do more damage. I’m tellin’ ya, I got magic blood in my veins!”
“Um,” came a little voice behind him. It was the hostess in the bunny suit. She regarded them both shyly before bowing low. The longer she spoke, the closer she came to crying. “I cannot thank you two enough! I couldn’t shake them off me no matter what I did. They began to stalk me home, and on my way to work, and just now, they almost—” She covered her face with her hands.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Goromi said as she came up to the hostess and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s okay. They won’t bother you again.”
The hostess nodded before glancing around shyly. “My name is Momoka. Um…I don’t have anything I can give you to show my gratitude…”
“Just knowing you’re safe is enough,” Kiryu said.
“Please, stop by my club!” Momoka suddenly urged. “I…I’m already late to my shift and I’m still kinda new. If I come in without clients, my boss will be mad at me.”
Goromi studied Kiryu. “Ya are lookin’ a lil peckish right now, Kiryu-chan. Let’s rest up in Momoka’s club, alright?”
Kiryu was about to protest, but…Momoka could use the business.
He relented. Before he knew it, they were sitting at the most elegant and fanciest hostess club he had ever set foot in. Diamonds and crystals glimmered at every wall, and the wine glasses were trimmed with diamonds. Half of the hostesses, presumably the younger ones, dressed as bunnies, while the senior employees wore beautiful dresses.
“That’s a very expensive brand,” Goromi whispered to Kiryu, pointing out a hostess’s dress. She would know, having been involved in a cabaret and a hostess club. Both of them had helped a cabaret club but Kiryu was still quite a novice when it came to women’s fashion.
All of the drinks were more expensive than usual, but Goromi played along, egging Kiryu on to order the most expensive items on the menu.
Kiryu watched Momoka stir their drinks clockwise before Goromi leaned in and whispered, “Counter clockwise, hon.”
“Oh! You’re right! Sorry!” Momoka quickly corrected her mistake.
“Is there a special reason for that?” Kiryu asked. He remembered Yuki mentioning something about it to the other hostesses in training years ago but now couldn’t recall why.
“Counter clockwise means that you’re turning back the clock,” Goromi explained. “This is your time to sit back and relax. Forget the world and your troubles.”
Turn back the clock. Kiryu smiled. Now he remembered. Goromi had done that too at the restaurant. That was some good food…
The day had been the best he had so far this year. But what if…the day had gone a little differently? Not that he regretted anything, but there were only so many hours of the day. What if they had the chance to do something else today, or if he had won Goromi a different prize? Wouldn’t it be nice to turn the hands of time for little things like that and just re-experience the day a little differently, over and over?
If you wish, you can re-experience Kiryu and Goromi’s date. Simply click on the link in the upcoming dialogue. It will take you back to the beginning of the date. After clicking, you may also need to refresh your browser/screen to reset the CYOA options. If you wish to continue with the story, just keep reading.
“Turn back the clock, huh? You mean relive today?”
Goromi mirrored his smile. “Wouldn’t it be splendid if we got to spend every day like this, beautiful?”
Momoka smiled at them as she lifted her drink. “Sorry if I am making assumptions, but it seems you are a couple.”
“Good eye,” Goromi said with a chuckle.
Momoka beamed. “You two make such a lovely couple! How did you meet?”
“Oh, hon, you would never believe it!” Goromi said, and she began with the entire tale.
Chuckling in a voice sultry like wine, Goromi traced the round curves of Kiryu’s bare buttocks, watching as he shuddered under her while her thick cock pulsated against his thigh.
The love hotel room’s was themed like the 80s, and excessively pink just the way she liked. Kiryu would probably rather be dead than caught among a sea of frilly pink decor, but it had, surprisingly, put him in the mood, which Goromi took to her advantage.
He was particularly eager to suckle her nipples. She had caught him staring at her chest a few times, and she toyed and teased him for it. Right now Kiryu lay on his stomach, his face buried in a pink and white pillow as Goromi worked him over. Her fingers scraped over his scrape, scratching him and watching as his muscles relaxed while her other hand prepared him for taking her in.
The room just so happened to have a boombox just like the one back in their apartment. With the soft synthetic 80s pop filling the room, and Kiryu slowly being lulled into a half-sleep state while Goromi prepared to fuck him, this felt like heaven.
She slid in slowly, and Kiryu gasped softly.
“Yes,” he said under his breath, shifting slightly under her as to take more of her inside. She rested over him, pinning him down. A kiss on the cheek, and he melted under her once more. She had him completely under her spell. Grinning above his head, she marveled how easily she could control him. Sure, fighting was great to get the blood and sex drive going, but so was this slow and sensual process.
“Goromi…” Kiryu moaned into the pillow as she hit a particularly good spot inside him. She watched as he gripped the fabric and his toes curled. Giggling, she kissed him again while one hand wedged under his body to stroke that poor dragon of his crushed by their weight.
The song changed on the boombox.
“Ooh, this one,” she said with a little smile. “How fitting.”
“Hmm?” Kiryu said, his tone both bemused and entranced.
“This one was used in an adult film,” Goromi explained. “Was quite the scene, if I’m bein’ honest, hon—ah, ah—stayed in my mind all these years…”
“You enjoyed watching those movies, Goromi?”
“Shut up. Ya know ya did too in the 80s.”
“I did…”
Goromi slapped him playfully on the ass.
“Though if ya know what the words mean in English, it’s about a girl who cheats on her lover. He feels she has an ulterior motive, that he’s caught up in a world of lies. I didn’t care too much for the lyrics. It was more the atmosphere of the song, ya know? The mood of it, what it meant to me personally during the time when I first heard it—yes, even if it was used in an adult film, shut up!
“The guy’s voice and the melody is just…it just puts you in the right state of mind, ya know? Made me long to be in someone’s arms.”
Kiryu listened for a bit before nodding his agreement. “Yeah. I see what you mean.”
“And during that time, in the late 80s…I…I was lonely. Alone. Afraid too, if I’m being honest.”
“After the time you…were in the hole? And after?”
As answer, Goromi nibbled on his ear and nuzzled against his cheek. “Which was why I was so happy to have met you.”
“You said something like that earlier.”
Goromi smiled. Kiryu would never realize just how much he means to her, just how much she loves him…
“Yer my dream come true, Kazuma.”
Kiryu clutched the pillow and sheets as Goromi steadily quickened her pace. “Glad we met then.”
“Hey, that’s not the only reason.” Goromi paused to sweep down for a deep kiss on the lips, moaning his name into his mouth. “Wanna know something else? Every encounter that first year yer were back from jail was like making love.”
Kiryu chuckled against her, his low voice rumbling. Goromi shivered, enjoying the subtle vibrations from her lover; she was about to come like this. She fucked him just a tad bit hard, faster. She loved how the most minute of Kiryu’s actions could drive her wild. Loved how he was the one who could get her going like that.
Kiryu loved it too. Could feel it when she gripped his cock again and he stiffened under him. A few more synchronized strokes and thrusts and he came, his body going momentarily rigid under her. She felt him tighten and then completely came undone, spilling her seed inside him, marking him as hers over and over. Obsessively and possessively, she grabbed hold of him, muttering, “My Kazuma, my Kazuma-chan,” until they both finally collapsed in bed, fully spent.
Lifting off her wig, Majima peered at Kiryu, now very much sleepy and content, his face flushed and his eyes glimmering with bliss, sleep, and afterglow, and smiled. How much he loved his Kiryu-chan. If there was any way he could give his heart completely to him, he would.
You received an item!
Demonfire Dagger
A twin of Majima’s most prized weapon. Taking this is the closest thing to carrying Majima’s heart with you. May it serve you well.
Input the code AQ8 inside either cell H4 or J4 of the tab labeled “Kiryu’s Inventory” in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Substory #43 — Just Like Old Times **COMPLETED**
Majima stared up at the ceiling as his heart steadily calmed back to its normal beat. He turned his head, watching Kiryu snoozing peacefully, his cheeks still pink in the afterglow of their lovemaking. The moon’s brilliant luminescence dazzled on his glistened skin.
Things began a little rocky, living together, and while Kiryu’s eyes still shone with sadness whenever his children were brought up, he was faring a lot better. Maybe they could make this work after all. They did love one another, after all.
Majima smiled. Love. Kiryu loved him. And Majima…he loved him in ways no poet could ever fully encapsulate.
It wasn’t just love either. It was trust. Kiryu had entrusted Majima to watch over Haruka before. To watch and guide Daigo, the Tojo Clan, his children…and Majima could not think of any reason to ever doubt Kiryu.
Yeah, he trusted that man with his entire life.
It was time. Lying here, watching him, still reverberating from their lovemaking, Majima just couldn’t think of how things could get any better than this. Of course there was the matter of the kids, but they could work something out.
Now, this was all about them. Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro.
The song on the radio changed again, and Majima smiled, recognizing the lyrics.
You and me got the right chemistry. That’s us, Kazuma.
There was no more question to it. Tucked away in the apartment was something left over from Majima’s failed marriage. His time with Mirei. It was time to open up to Kiryu about a part of his past he had kept hidden away for a very long time. A small part, but it was a step, a step into his soul. Soon, Kiryu Kazuma would know every part of him.
“Ah, Kiryu-san!” The frazzled-looking pharmacist ran up to Kiryu the following afternoon.
“Yes, Doctor?” Kiryu said. “Is something the matter?”
Kiryu couldn’t begin to imagine the amount of stress pharmacists endured on the daily. Working as a bodyguard, he got to understand and appreciate a little bit more of the work they did: the stress of ensuring that every drug was prescribed correctly, for the correct patient, and for the intended therapy; that the medication did not interact with anything else a patient was taking, nor would it be detrimental should it contain something a patient was allergic to. They knew which drug from the same pharmaceutical class contained which ingredient and which ones didn’t. Kiryu would have gotten mixed up immediately. And the list went on. How pharmacists managed to file all of that knowledge into their brains impressed him to no end, so it saddened him to see them always looking so stressed and on the verge of a breakdown. They didn’t deserve the added pressure of getting harassed, as this place seemed to be cursed with.
“I’m relatively fine,” the pharmacist said with a wry smile at her own predicament. “One of Majima-san’s workers dropped this off. Said it was for you.”
Kiryu’s eyes widened. That had to be one of Majima’s men that went to Okinawa! Was this a letter from back home?
He thanked the pharmacist and took the letter, his heart leaping to his throat. How was everyone doing? Were they getting by at school okay? Was everyone treating them well?
Thanking the pharmacist again, he moved aside to read the letter. The place was relatively quiet at the moment, void of any troublemakers, which allowed him the chance to read his children’s letter.
Except…the letter wasn’t from his children. It was from the new supervisor.
Kiryu,
If I had any idea how abhorrently feral these brats were I would never have accepted the invitation to come to Okinawa. I should have known this would have been a terrible mistake given that I would have been taking over from an uneducated ex-yakuza!
Just what the hell have you been teaching your children? I have never encountered such rudeness and uncouth behavior! Every day I am exposed to uncivil conduct and atrocities that’ll never earn these despicable pests a proper place in society! One of your girls slashed all of my dresses, and someone’s thrown paint all over the walls of my office! Had they not recently replaced the walls because it carried the smell of the cigarettes you always smoked?
Your volunteer was already relieved of her duties long ago, and I had hoped that would be the last remnants of impurities pruned from the orphanage. This is a disgrace! And speaking of that woman, what were you thinking, hiring a woman of her shameful background near the children? What were you two doing behind doors? In plain view of the children?! Think of the scandal! Oh, the PR nightmare I’ve already had to deal with well before your scummy little brats stuck their claws everywhere!
I’ve had to inform Park-san of the total cost of the damages. We’ve come to an agreement, and I will be taking half of the money she sends every month for myself from hereon. I must get myself a new wardrobe and fix my office, for starters.
As for your children, you will need to find some other means to keep them afloat if you have not fully run off. I must remind you that I take great pride in my work, and I will not have eight brutish yakuza-raised-and-tainted children make me lose that pride. I hope you understand, Kiryu Kazuma-san.
Sakuma Setsuko
Kiryu could barely breathe. Natsumi was gone? His children were acting out of hand?! Was this the same Sakuma with the story about the boy with the buckwheat allergy, or was that all a lie? Had Mirei and her made an agreement when…no…couldn’t be…but she sounded so different in this letter…
As appreciated as it was, the amount Park was sending the orphanage was already just barely above the minimum of what they needed. Now with the damages that Sakuma needed to repair…
And then there was the matter of how his kids were acting. Was what Sakuma wrote really true? Were his children really acting like this? Why? This didn’t sound anything like them!
Unless…they weren’t acting uncivil…they were lashing out…but he would never be allowed to see them and find out what the matter was, to fix things…he scarcely had enough for a plane ticket back home…
Kiryu would have liked to believe this was all some sort of scam, except the seed that had been planted in his head a while back spouted after he read the letter.
Was Kiryu really a bad father? Had he somehow damaged his children beyond repair? He had read up on child-rearing and how to run an orphanage. He knew he didn’t have professional training, but he always took every job to heart, and there was nothing he took on more fondly and seriously than Morning Glory, more fondly and seriously than being a father. It wasn’t even a job to him. It was his life. Those children were his entire life!
He had figured leaving would cause a stir, but not like this. He couldn’t blame any of his children, it was only natural it would take time to adjust to a new supervisor. But to ruin her clothes? Damage the property itself? Who would even—they all were there when the orphanage was destroyed!
Kiryu shook his head in disbelief. “They couldn’t have…”
Maybe he had messed up somewhere along the way…
He had to talk to them, make them understand…but he had made a promise to Haruka…
Despite the letter Kiryu couldn’t get mad at his children. They were understandably upset and afraid. None of them had wanted Kiryu to leave. If it were Kazama or Principal who had to leave Sunflower, Kiryu would have probably reacted the same…
Kiryu was most concerned for his children’s wellbeing. They needed money. They needed proper care. Sakuma and Park had already skimmed off the money meant for the children. Already Park was backing away from her promise.
But Kiryu couldn’t go back. There was Haruka’s future and reputation to uphold, and plane ticket money, and and and—
Most importantly, his children needed money. His children needed money fast, and like a fool he had just spent every last yen he and Majima had won in that damn pachinko parlor.
The thought haunted Kiryu for the rest of the day.
“Is everything okay, Kazuma?” Majima asked the next morning. He must have come in very late last night while Kiryu was sleeping, quite an amazing feat as Kiryu didn’t think he could ever fall asleep again. He reached for his pack of cigarettes only to remember that he had smoked all packs on hand last night as he fretted over his children.
“Guess I’m still hungover,” Kiryu responded groggily.
“What, from the other day?” Majima said, incredulous.
Kiryu absolutely refused to bother Majima about the orphanage. He didn’t want him to feel guilty over their one shiny, happy day together. Who could have predicted this letter?
“I…sort of went all out at the nearby ramen place,” Kiryu said, making Majima laugh.
“Ya missed me that much?” He eyed the untouched breakfast in front of Kiryu, then shrugged and settled down next to him. “Sorry. There’s just been a lot going on at headquarters. I actually need to run off in a bit.”
He’s been out later and later and leaving earlier and earlier, but Kiryu didn’t mind the solitude. If all they did was make love whenever Majima returned then spent the night holding one another close, occasionally getting to enjoy the sunrise together, Kiryu could live on like this and die a happy old man. But there was still the matter of the kids…
Kiryu nodded hollowly before faking a smile. “Daigo working you to the bone?”
Majima barely noticed the smile. “Don’t let him hear ya say that. Listen, Kazuma…I’m just gonna give ya this. We’ll talk more later.”
He set a small velvety box in front of Kiryu. He blinked.
“Hmm?”
“I think ya can figure out what this is about,” Majima said, sounding slightly nervous before hopping to his feet. He bent down and gave Kiryu a quick peck on the cheek. “See ya later, Kazuma! We’ll chat more.”
Kiryu waited until Majima was long gone before picking up the box. It was tiny, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Lifting the lid, he blinked a few times to process what he was seeing.
A golden ring, adorned with a single diamond in the middle, and two tinier emeralds, one on either side of the diamond.
Was this an engagement ring? But why present it in this manner? It looked incredibly expensive, but also…rather on the old side. It was obviously chipped, Kiryu noted as his thumb ran across the ring’s circumference. His sight was still a little blurry from the troubled sleep last night, but he could see there was an imprint on the inside of the ring. He just couldn’t make out what it said.
Additionally, the ring was too small to fit around his finger. It was clearly not meant for him to wear unless he placed it on a chain, but this ring was clearly a ring meant to be worn on a finger, and Majima was too smart to overlook such an important detail.
Why would Majima give him an old, too-small ring?
Thinking back to what Majima had said, the gears in Kiryu’s mind began to turn—very sluggishly, as he was still groggy from last night. Where did he place that letter from Sakuma? Oh, right, it was lying right on top of the coffee table over there. Majima must have read it while Kiryu was asleep in bed. He was already involving himself when Kiryu didn’t want him to. He must have conjured up this old yet valuable ring for Kiryu to sell.
Wouldn’t have been the first time. Years ago, to celebrate Kiryu’s ascension as fourth chairman, Majima used to send him gifts that he would pawn for a good bit of cash. A rare gold coin, an antique and highly sought-after plate, and quite curiously a gun that somehow fetched him three million yen.
Perhaps this was Majima’s way of helping out Kiryu’s children. How much would such a valuable ring cost? Whatever the amount, Kiryu couldn’t complain. His children needed the money, and they needed it as soon as possible.
“Phew! I’m tellin’ ya, my boys will be the death of me!” Majima groaned as he slumped back on their sofa and leaned his head back. Nishida and Minami were still back in his office cleaning up after he had to knock sense into a few of his men. “Even with the peaceful ties with Patriarch Kurosawa of Omi Alliance we got goin’ at the moment, the Tojo are as messy as ever. Don’t even think about comin’ back to the Tojo, Kazuma. The place’s a shitshow!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kiryu chuckled. He was looking better than this morning. Color had returned to his cheeks, and he had even prepared dinner. Did it have anything to do with the little thing he gave him this morning?
Remembering that, Majima’s heart leapt to his throat. He’d almost forgotten about that! Oh, Kazuma…is that why you went all out with tonight?
Majima watched him for a few moments before kicking his legs up and sitting back up.
“About that thing I gave ya this mornin’…” he said. “I imagine ya might have questions.”
“Hmm?” Kiryu looked up with a mildly bemused smile.
“Ya know…that ring…”
“Yes.” Kiryu stood still and bowed. “Thank you, Goro.”
The corners of Majima’s lips twitched in amusement. That was rather formal…
He took a deep breath. “Ya know…it takes a lot for me to open up about this, especially to friends. I kept that ring in a place no one else knew about. I wouldn’t imagine she kept hers, and it’s only fair after everything. It’s…just about one of the only things I have left of us, and…of my past in general, and ya know…I guard my past like a true mad dog.”
Kiryu’s smile slowly sunk, but Majima didn’t even notice.
“That was my old wedding ring.”
Kiryu froze, his heart as still and ice-cold as his fingertips. He could scarcely see Majima in front of him, lost in nostalgic recollection and completely oblivious to the rising panic brewing just a few feet away from him.
Wedding ring.
It was Majima’s wedding ring.
How could he have been so stupid…
“It was your wedding ring…from your first marriage?” Kiryu asked, his throat dry.
Majima nodded, his expression soft and somber. “Ya see, we had so little back then. I was just a chinpira doing the most lowly of jobs for my boss at the time—this was before I even met Shimano and Saejima—but I managed to scrape up enough for this gorgeous ring. It was everything she deserved and more.”
Kiryu swallowed thickly. What have I done?!
How could he have been so stupid?! He knew Majima was married before! Why did the thought never cross his mind—
“That ring reminds me of the light in my very dark past,” Majima chuckled sheepishly as his Osaka-ben slowly ebbed away. He was using his normal voice, slowly lowering his walls down before Kiryu. “I know it must sound odd, as our relationship ended in flames, but that ring still carried very precious memories for me. You see, Kazuma…I…my past…” He clasped his hands; this was such a big moment for him, opening himself up like this…
Kiryu’s heart nearly ripped out of his chest. He never, ever asked Majima about his past nor his childhood. Majima had his reasons, and Kiryu respected his silence and need for privacy on the matter. Whatever and whenever Majima chose to volunteer to share, Kiryu would accept it. It was Majima’s way of opening up, showing that he was trusting Kiryu more and more.
Now Majima had come to a point where he was going to give Kiryu everything: his heart, his past, his everything. And without thinking, without even meaning to, Kiryu had just done the unspeakable; once Majima found out the truth, he was going to be beyond gutted. The thought of it only fanned the flames of his anxiety.
I hurt him, I hurt him, I hurt him—oh, gods, please forgive me, Goro—
“May I see the ring?” Majima asked. “I know you already saw the initials on it. M.P. That was my beloved’s name written in English.”
“Y…your ex’s name in English?” Kiryu said dumbly, seeking any way to stall the inevitable. He eventually took notice of what those engravings were but couldn’t work out what they stood for.
Majima nodded. “Yes. M.P. Woulda tattooed her name, but she convinced me this was more romantic.”
He chuckled as he took a step forward.
“Always a smart one, that woman. Beautiful too. Ya shoulda seen her, Kazuma. Turned heads everywhere she went. Charmed every soul who was lucky enough to meet her.
“My dear, my beloved Park Mirei.”
Kiryu audibly gasped as shock seized him.
He just stared at Majima, too stunned, too speechless.
He did not just hear that name uttered in this apartment, by Majima Goro’s mouth, his Majima Goro…
“Park…Mirei…” Kiryu repeated slowly, his mind wholly blank and frozen cold.
Majima nodded, smiling sadly. “Yeah. That was my gal. The love of my life.”
How cruel was fate? Park Mirei. The woman who cast him out of his home, declaring him an inept supervisor. The woman who took away his eldest daughter with the promise of turning her into a star. The woman who waved money over the heads of his children like they were starving puppies begging for a bone. The woman who still held a place in Majima’s heart even now, years later, having carved out a niche in a place that Kiryu could never, ever fill…
“Park…Mirei…”
“Yeah,” Majima said again with a nod. “Now…the ring, Kazuma. Please.”
Kiryu just kept staring as all the color drained from his face. He opened his mouth, looking and feeling utterly stupid before closing it again. He tried to speak again, and again, but no words came out.
“Kazuma?”
“I…I’m…”
Majima narrowed his eye. “Kazuma…where’s my ring?”
“I…” he felt so stupid, a child caught doing something terrible that he didn’t even realize was bad. “I…”
“Kazuma! What’d the hell ya do to my ring?!”
“I…I can explain…” Kiryu said in a tight voice. “I…my children…I didn’t know…” He struggled to find some way to explain it all. He needed time to collect his thoughts, formulate how to explain himself and properly articulate himself and this misunderstanding, this very, very stupid mistake he had just made.
Gods, how could he be so stupid?!
“I’m sorry, Goro. I misunderstood. I…I thought you knew the orphanage was in need of money…I thought you were giving me items to…to…sell off…to help my children…”
“What’re you trying to say?!” Majima spat, fire erupting in his eye. “What’d ya do with the ring?!”
“I’ll get it back!” Kiryu promised before rushing out without much thought.
But even before he reached the pawn shop, Kiryu knew it was futile. The ring had indeed fetched him a massive amount of money, but he had already wired every last yen of it to the orphanage. There was no way he could get the ring back with what he had in the bank now, and he couldn’t just tell Majima to buy back his own damn wedding ring he had bought with all of his earnings.
Another nasty shock awaited Kiryu at the pawn shop itself, as the broker inside informed Kiryu that the ring had already been sold.
“B-but it had someone’s initials on it!” Kiryu gasped. His fingers clenched around the counter’s edge.
“It was custom-made,” the broker confirmed with a nod. “Two emeralds. The bride and groom must have both had their birthdays in May. Perhaps the buyer shared the same sentiment or simply liked the look. There’s a lot of ring enthusiasts around here.”
“Do you know who bought it?” Kiryu asked. He was a regular at pawn shops. He found going to them to be more useful than regular shops half the time.
The broker shook his head. “Afraid not. A lot of new people pass by here every day.”
With stone-cold dread in the pit of his stomach, Kiryu slumped back to the apartment, hating himself more and more with every heavy step.
Who was this Park Mirei? Where the hell did she come from all of a sudden? Kiryu had never hated another person before, and he wasn’t quite sure if he really hated Park Mirei. It was more confusion, like he was suddenly being written out of existence by a woman who was suddenly siphoning everything out of his life and making them revolve around her instead. Park took his daughter. Park kicked him out of his house. Park barricaded him from his children. Park was supplying money to the orphanage. Everyone adored Park and took her side over his. Park fucked Majima long before he had, had imprinted her soul into his heart in a way that Kiryu could never, ever replace…
And there Majima was standing waiting for him in their apartment, the image of pure heartbrokenness and rage, ready to rip Kiryu to shreds. Unable to find the words to explain why he came back empty-handed, Kiryu just stood there as Majima screamed at him repeatedly for his honest-to-God innocent mistake.
He didn’t argue back. He didn’t fight back. He deserved every bit of this.
He didn’t know. He didn’t know. He didn’t mean to hurt Majima like this. Majima had handed over a giant chunk of his heart to Kiryu in full trust of him not hurting him, and what did Kiryu, like the absolute idiot that he was, end up doing?
Would Park have known what to do? Probably. Park knew everything. She was far better than Kiryu in every possible way. Even if her earlier dreams of idol fame hadn’t come to fruition, she was still faring better in life than Kiryu ever will. She was far smarter, sexier, and more loved than he ever would be.
Kiryu bowed his head and turned toward their bedroom.
“LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU, KIRYU!”
Back to the surname, even in the privacy of their own home. He even left out the affectionate honorific. That was all Kiryu needed. Ignoring Majima, he kept his head bowed as he stuffed whatever he could into a carry case, trying his damnedest to ignore Majima’s rising tone that rattled in his skull and bones. The most he could muster was mumbling “I’m sorry,” and “…the letter…” repeating them over and over and over like a broken record player or a sinner begging a god not to strike them down.
A scream bubbled in the back of his throat. The unfairness of it all. He didn’t know—HE DIDN’T KNOW! He had been in the midst of so many battles of his life, had been the focal point of so many people’s rue, but he was somehow used to it. Could just shrug it off.
Nothing could compare to this. This hurt, the raw pain. Knowing he had badly hurt someone he loved very deeply, but he didn’t mean to! And as the shouting continued to fill his ears, his body’s response shocked and startled Kiryu. He shook all over. Trembled. Heat rang in his ears. He wasn’t sure if he was in control of himself any longer.
Adrenaline coursed through his body, and his breathing quickened as though his body was preparing for battle. His ears rang and the ground spun, and his heart raced and he felt he was about to scream and pound at his own skull repeatedly, hating himself and just wanting the entire world to go black with silence for damn once.
“I’m sorry—I’m sorry—I’m sorry—!”
He turned around, found himself staring at the window, then turned around again, trying to find the exit. Everything was a blur. There was no place to escape.
Majima stomped toward him, his voice drowning out and overloading Kiryu’s senses. “WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, KIRYU, HUH?! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!”
“Sorry!” Kiryu screamed and thrust his fist out, knocking Majima back against the wall. Barely registering what he had just done, tears exploded in Kiryu’s eyes, and he wept as he made for the door. “I’m truly sorry…I’ll make this right again…I won’t come back ever again…”
Peeling himself off the floor, Majima felt for his head before quickly scrambling to his feet.
“Kiryu!” he called out. “Kiryu-chan! Come back! COME BACK HERE, KIRYU-CHAN!”
But all was silent.
Nishida and Minami were still cleaning up the family office, up on the fifty-seventh floor of the Millennium Tower when Majima returned.
“Boss!” Nishida gasped and quickly checked his watch, no doubt thinking it was already the next day. “We didn’t know you would come back this soon!”
“Yeah, we weren’t slackin’ or nothin’,” Minami said. “Tezuka barfed all over the ceilin’ and—”
“I don’t care where anyone’s vomiting,” Majima said gloomily as he slouched in his chair.
Nishida and Minami glanced at one another.
“Um, Boss…” Nishida ventured slowly, “How’re things with you and Kiryu-san?”
Majima shook his head. “It’s over. I was a fool for trusting him. Nah…I wasn’t the only fool. Should have probably been less cryptic when I gave him the ring.”
He produced the letter Kiryu had been mumbling about during the fight. He had been too shaken up to read it back at the apartment, so he took it with him to see what he could glean from it. It could perhaps shed some light on Kiryu’s actions.
He was still shaking from everything. That ring…that ring was all he had left of his past. There was nothing more that existed from his childhood. He couldn’t even visit the place where he was born and grew up. Didn’t have a doll or keepsake or family heirloom to carry with him, nothing to link him to his ancestors. To…Mom. Nothing. This ring was the best damn closest thing, the accumulation of all the shit from the moment he drew his first breath to when he bought that ring. That was his heirloom, the one and only thing she could give him so he could build a life with a loved one. His story.
He was ready to tell Kiryu everything. Open up about the most painful chapters of his life, more private and terrible than the Hole, experienced horrors no child should ever have to endure…
“I was such a fool…”
He was just about to unfold the letter when his phone alerted him of an incoming text message. It was from his longtime friend, Katsuya Naoki.
Apologies for not getting
back to you sooner, friend.
The matter took longer
than I had anticipated.
I have inquired into the
matter of Sawamura Haruka,
and I believe you will be
intrigued by the news I’ve come
across. Haruka-chan has been
picked up by Dyna Chair talent
agency, headed by none other
than your ex-wife Park Mirei.
Funny how fate happens
sometimes.
If there are any other questions,
please do not hesitate to reach
out again. Talk to you soon.
Naoki
Majima continued to stare at the text in total shock.
“Boss? Sir?” Nishida asked.
The pieces were starting to fall into place as everything began to make sense. Kiryu, the way he looked when he heard Mirei’s name, how he must have felt when he realized his mistake—
“What have I done?” Majima said under his breath. “What have I done?!”
Notes:
There’s a belief that the first dream of the year, or hatsuyume (初夢), would predict how your year was going to go. I couldn’t resist giving them both a little nightmare as foreshadowing for the twelve years of suffering they’re about to endure 💕
Poor Kiryu! I feel a little bit guilty posting this chapter on his birthday given how it ends. The replay-able date felt special enough to reserve for his special day, so hopefully you can forgive me for what happens after… 😅
It is twelve years of suffering, as I like to call the story arc from Yakuza 5 to Infinite Wealth. For others coming over from the Sheith side, you’ll see what I mean. The two will still get some moments here and there, but it’s going to be such a painful journey with a hopefully very rewarding ending. 💕
I understand both Majima and Kiryu’s pain so much here (and also if you’ve picked up on something and was wondering…yes, I am implying that Kiryu is on the autism spectrum and had a meltdown. I relate to him so much here and want to hug him T_T )
I love Mirei and Y5 in general feels like one incredible KazuMaji story, and Mirei just interweaves everything in this complex and incredible way. And of course I had to add in the angst with her bringing so much pain to Kiryu. Maybe they would have been friends in another lifetime? *eyes Ishin* XD
The entire idea for this chapter came about while studying Y5 closely and realizing there was a massive gap in the timeline. Kiryu spent Christmas 2011 with his family for one final time, and then meets a certain someone in June 2012. The other six months are unaccounted for, so of course I had fun with it. By tormenting him, poor thing. 💕
The first song that we hear from the boombox is called “Into Paradise” by Michael Hofmann & Martin Nethercutt. You can listen to the song here. This is the best version we have of it right now, and as such I had to make some guesses as to the lyrics.
As this chapter was originally written in April 2024, it was during the Golden Year of Lostwave. Song after song was being discovered. “Ulterior Motives” is another one. Funny story with that one! That song was discovered while I was getting to the smut scene in that chapter, and it helped a lot…because the song itself was discovered in an 80s adult film. So for the longest time we only had a “full” version that was full of moaning. I used it to my advantage for the love scene here. 😂 Originally, anyway, before we finally got a full album from the artist and I fell in love with a totally other song for this scene. (I would recommend this album!) The title of this chapter comes from another song on that album.
Sayyadiyeh is so delicious! 😋 I wish I can eat it more often, but even more, I wish my people can eat. 💔
Let me know what you thought of the date mechanic, and if I should use something similar for later in the story for Sheith! I think it’d be only fair, although I am at a loss for what activities to have them do in space… hmm XD I definitely want (and have) movies in mind, as well as something in lieu of UFO catcher.
This chapter earns you a trophy! Got the Right Chemistry...for an Explosion! (...oh dear XD). Click on B18 in "Trophies" of your Activity Log to earn your trophy for reading this far!
The next chapter is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16. 💕
Chapter 21: IV.7 Lost in the Stars
Notes:
Warning for suicide ideation. Fun chapter ahead :’)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 7: Lost in the Stars
They stood watching long after the monorail drove out of sight. Nakahara, Natsumi, and Saki exchange long looks, unsure how to best approach the kids. Shiro wasn’t sure what they could even say to fill the void left by Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka’s departure.
“You want to go anywhere?” Nakahara asked. “The arcade? Want to play at the beach? Baseball? I can get my boys to join you.”
The kids declined.
“We could tidy the place while we wait for the new supervisor to arrive,” Natsumi suggested. “I know that doesn’t sound like fun—”
“What more can we do?” Taichi complained. “We wiped down every inch of the entire place three times already!”
“Yeah, there’s hardly any trace of Uncle Kaz left in there,” Koji added bitterly. “It’s like Park-san doesn’t want the world to know he ever existed.”
“Because they can’t know he’s lived there,” Eri said. “For Haruka’s sake or some stupid bullshit like that.”
“Eri,” Ayako warned.
“…we could eat?” Saki suggested timidly.
Everyone declined politely.
As no one was in the mood for much else, they returned home. Nakahara and Saki stuck around for a little bit before taking their leave. Some of the Ryudo boys stopped by to check in on the kids, staying briefly before they too had to say their goodbyes. They would have to meet from afar from now on, given Kiryu and Park’s agreement.
Seeing everyone’s gloomy faces, Natsumi pulled out all of the stops to make the day more bearable. She played music that reminded them of the summer when Majima stayed over, but all it did was make Shiro miss them terribly even more. Majima was supposed to stay with them this summer! They could have gone to so many more places and made many more memories! They could have celebrated Tanabata together! He didn’t have the dumb mall to worry about anymore!
They could have been a family…
That same sentiment reflected on the others’ faces, and seeing that only put a damper on Natsumi’s efforts. Shiro felt guilty and ungrateful for not letting her help out.
Natsumi next tried turning house chores fun by making them all sing as they worked, but there truly wasn’t much else to do around the house. Kiryu had made sure the house was spotless for the newcomer to make a good first impression.
There was no school as it was winter holiday and a Saturday, so the kids could only play. But no one was in much mood for that. They traded around the books and manga they had on their shelves without much to say to one another.
“When’s the new supervisor coming again?” Mitsuo asked at one point.
“We don’t know, she didn’t say,” Taichi said.
“I hope she hates us so much she just walks out and Uncle Kaz comes back,” Koji said.
As it was New Years Eve, Natsumi busied herself with an end-of-year meal. Finding nothing else to do, the others all pitched in. They settled around the dining table when it was time to eat, leaving the spots reserved for Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka empty out of respect. Taking note of that, Natsumi placed a small envelope in front of everyone’s plate.
“Haruka picked out the design for the envelopes, and Kiryu-san and Majima-san pitched in a little something for each of you,” Natsumi explained. “I know it’s usually customary to give them on New Year’s Day, but I promised to give them tonight, per Kiryu-san’s request. He doesn’t want any of you to feel sad. Think of this as a new era in your lives.”
Shiro glanced sadly at his otoshidama. Haruka had picked out a beautiful design for the pochi-bukuro that fully encapsulated Morning Glory Orphanage: the envelope was tie-dyed into many colors, and little red flowers like the hibiscus that Kiryu grew, scattered about, with beautiful metallic gold edges. There were several small cute animals, one to represent each of them.
Shiro would much more have preferred having Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka here with them. But this was their parting gift and a message: do your best. Be happy. We’re still a family. Shiro made a silent promise to treasure the envelope and save the money for something important.
The kids all thanked Natsumi and were about to start their dinner when a voice called out from the gate.
“Hello? Anyone home?”
“That must be her!” Natsumi gasped and quickly motioned for the kids to go greet their new supervisor.
A small and old fashion-looking woman stood by the gate. Shiro wasn’t there for when Kiryu first stepped through the door, but Taichi, Koji, Mitsuo had told Shiro all about it before: they had seen a tall man dressed in a grey suit and wearing a stern scowl, and he was hand in hand with a small girl wearing a straw hat to keep the sun out from her eyes. The kids would have been scared had it not been for the way the girl looked up at the man with all the trust and fondness in the world shining in her eyes. And all it took was for Kiryu to start speaking, and his features immediately softening, for every child to immediately grow a liking to him.
Shiro remembered how Kiryu first appeared to him, the very image of cool, and how striking, almost scary, his piercing gaze was, until he too began to talk and Shiro realized he was the paragon of pure-heartedness and wisdom. It took longer for Majima, but that was understandable. His first impression of Majima was under some of the worst and dire circumstances. He didn’t even know if he could trust a yakuza at that time.
And now a woman, a little on the older side, stood smiling a bit shyly by the door.
“Hello, you must be the children of Morning Glory Orphanage,” she said. “My name is Sakuma Setsuko. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you!” the children said in unison and bowed.
“Ah, you must be the new supervisor!” Natsumi greeted, bowing low and politely. “Welcome, welcome!”
Natsumi showed Sakuma to her new room. She had wanted to give the new supervisor a quick tour of the orphanage, but upon learning that they were just about to have dinner, Sakuma insisted that they eat first.
“I am so sorry I interrupted you!” she said. “I would have called to let you know exactly when I would arrive, but I fear I am not the most reliable with keeping with the time.”
Natsumi chuckled. “It’s okay, Sakuma-san. It’s wonderful to have you here.”
The children ate in relative silence while Sakuma busied talking with Natsumi. The woman so far seemed okay, but she was no Uncle Kaz or Uncle Goro for that matter. Something was missing. Shiro couldn’t imagine ever calling her Auntie Setsuko. Meeting the others’ eyes, everyone shared the same sentiment.
“Back to how it was before,” Taichi whispered next to Shiro.
“What do you mean?” Shiro asked in a hushed tone. Koji, having heard them talk, leaned closer.
“Before Uncle Kaz, we weren’t really close to our previous supervisor,” Koji explained. “Nothing wrong with him, of course. He was a great guy.”
“He raised Ayako and I since we were babies,” Taichi added. Upon hearing her name, Ayako looked up. “He just wasn’t Uncle Kaz, you know?”
Koji nodded as he absentmindedly rubbed a spot on his arm. Shiro, remembering that his parents used to hit him, wondered if he was nursing an old wound. “Yeah, Uncle Kaz really felt like our true father, didn’t he?”
“Guess he was special,” Shiro said as his heart sank.
“Nothing and no one will ever replace Uncle Kaz,” Ayako said. “But we’re a family. And until the day comes when Uncle Kaz, Uncle Goro, and Haruka are with us again, we have each other to support.”
Shiro smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”
“No! The hell are you talking about?!”
Everyone flinched. They never heard Natsumi yell like that before. She stood by the doorway, her hands balled into fists and her eyes bright with anger and unshed tears.
“Natsumi, dear…” Sakuma said as though Natsumi was a long-time friend and she was trying to make her see logic. “You know perfectly well that someone with a work history such as yours cannot remain at Morning Glory. If Kiryu-san had to leave to protect the image of this place, so must you. It’s only right and fair for the children.”
“But…” Natsumi sputtered. Shiro saw her touch her brooch, the one fused with Rikiya’s ashes. “These children are loved by a man I care for. How would I look him in the eye in the afterlife if I leave them now?”
Sakuma chuckled. “I think you’ve done more than enough, Natsumi. The kids are at a point in their lives where reputation is important, more than ever. Your presence will only hold them back.”
“Uh…what’s going on?” Koji said loudly.
Clasping a hand on Natsumi’s shoulder, Sakuma steered her into the dining room. “Park and I have discussed the matter at length before my arrival. It was so good and kind of Natsumi to watch over you in my absence before my arrival, but now that I am settled here, Natsumi-san is now relieved of her duties.”
“Relieved?” Ayako said. “You’re firing her?!”
“I’m afraid we cannot take chances,” Sakuma said. “You mustn’t be involved with anyone with…a less than desirable past.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Mitsuo cried out.
“Natsumi’s our friend!” Riona added, jumping to her feet. “No, Natsumi’s like an elder sister to us!”
“Sorry, and what of your past makes you so perfect?” Eri hissed near Shiro, her voice low as her eyes narrowed.
Shiro meanwhile wondered what job Natsumi could have done in the past to make her such an embarrassment in the eyes of the public. She also worked at a local soba shop, and no one seemed to care what else she had done in her life. Kiryu must have known, and he didn’t care. Then again, Kiryu was once a yakuza.
“Please, children, I know this decision makes me unlikeable, but we have to clean up Morning Glory Orphanage as best as we can—”
“Can Mame stay?” Izumi gasped, motioning to his doghouse outside.
“Mame?” Sakuma repeated, confused before laughing. “Of course the dog can stay. Natsumi, on the other hand, can’t. I know this seems terribly cruel, but you will all understand when you’re older. You will thank me in a few years.”
The other kids began to protest when Natsumi raised her hands. “It’s okay, everyone. Kiryu-san and I talked about this possibility before he left. He suspected I might have to go too. I hate having to do this, but I don’t want to be the cause of any trouble. This is still Kiryu-san’s home, and I’m just his employee.”
“But…” Riona began.
“It’s okay, Riona,” Natsumi said reassuringly even as her voice cracked. “Please, Sakuma-san, just one request? I want to stay with the kids one more night before I leave.”
Sakuma stared at her, struggling with a response. Shiro got the impression that she truly did not want someone like Natsumi near the kids for one second longer, which only confused Shiro further. What was so wrong about her anyway? Natsumi was like a big sister to all of them.
Finally, Sakuma relented, and the older kids immediately went to remove the siding that divided the boys’ and girls’ rooms. They had done this from time to time, mainly whenever there was a bad storm and they wanted Kiryu to sleep in the same room as them. When Majima was there, it was even better to sleep as one family in one big room, as it meant they could stay up late listening to ghost stories or one of many juicy tales from Majima’s yakuza experience (things he could share, at least.)
Shiro tried not to think too much on that as he rolled out his futon. With the knowledge that Natsumi would be leaving in the morning, it was like losing Kiryu and Haruka all over again. But this time they didn’t have time to prepare much. No time to write Natsumi letters. This was all happening too fast.
“I’ll still be around,” Natsumi said, keeping her voice low as if not wanting Sakuma to listen in on them. “You know where I work. You know where the Ryudo Office is. You can visit but don’t get noticed or Haruka’s reputation might tank.”
“But why can’t you stay?” Izumi wept. “Uncle Kaz can’t ‘cause he was yakuza, but you weren’t a yakuza, were you, Natsumi-san? You didn’t do anything bad, did you?”
Natsumi hesitated. “No, I didn’t. But some might not want someone like me serving an orphanage. They wouldn’t think that was appropriate.”
“This isn’t fair,” Eri said, shaking her head. Some of the other kids shared her sentiment.
“I know, but Sakuma has a point,” Natsumi said. “Kiryu-san anticipated this happening. He’s ordered the Ryudo Family and myself to watch over you from a distance. Meanwhile he has to be farther away.”
“That just feels evil,” Mitsuo said. “Just because he was yakuza? That was eons ago!”
“What do we do in the meantime?” Ayako asked.
Natsumi smiled. “You support one another. Be the best you can be. You’ve got people who will be pouring money into the orphanage to keep you all safe while this economy’s going through it. Be grateful for that. Kiryu-san confessed to me he was ready to do things that he was terrified of in order to keep food on the table.”
“Terrified of? Uncle Kaz? Of what?” Izumi said, which earned her a gentle pat on the head.
“He’s at least with Uncle Goro,” Taichi said, nodding his head.
“I wish we can just call him or something,” Koji said. “This is so dumb.”
And on this went. By the time Shiro pulled the covers over himself, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. By the time he finally met up with Yukiho, there was a turbulent wind that disturbed the phosphorescent grass of their sacred spot on the precipice.
“Hmm? What’s going on?” Shiro asked.
“Shiro!” Yukiho cried out as she ran up to him. “The gazebo, it’s—”
Just then the ground shook, nearly throwing them off the precipice. In all his time coming to this place, Shiro had never feared actually falling off. Looking up, he watched as the gazebo shook and rattled under the heavy storm.
“No…that’s…Uncle Kaz…Uncle Goro…”
He ran inside against Yukiho’s warning, searching for the two large beautiful swans. Freeing them from their cage, he ushered them to flee, and that’s when he instantly regretted it.
The night sky lit pure eerily white, and Shiro watched, in pure petrification, as lightning struck the two white love-birds dead.
Waking up in cold sweat, Shiro could still hear the clap of thunder.
In the weeks following Natsumi’s departure, the situation at Morning Glory Orphanage only steadily grew worse. Shiro walked into the dining room one morning to find Sakuma glaring at the chore chart.
“What is this?” she said, waving a hand like it was some disgusting fly.
“Our chore chart,” Ayako explained calmly. “We split up and organize who does what chore every day. It goes from Sunday to Saturday, and we change it before going to bed on Saturday evening. Everyone pitches in, even adults. Uncle Kaz had a row for himself too, as you can see here.” Although Kiryu and Haruka’s names were erased, the white surface was still stained, blurry with the characters that made up “Kazuma” and “Haruka”. Their presence was still very much part of the orphanage.
Of course, Majima also added his name to the chart when he was here, but Ayako would never speak of that.
Sakuma glared at the chart.
“How…brutish!” she spat. “What does he think you children are, part of the military?! Guess we can’t expect much from a man who served time in prison to treat you orphans any differently.”
Shiro flinched. “You orphans” had become a common term uttered by Sakuma, and he hated it every single time. He knew they lived in an orphanage, but it never felt like that. Kiryu never made them feel like orphans.
Shiro had lost his parents, his grandfather, and had no more reason to visit Hatsudai, and he grieved for them, but he never felt he was alone in the world. Never felt like an orphan. His life was enriched by the family he had here: blessed by many siblings, his fathers Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro…
Looking around the quiet dinner table, Shiro could see the same sentiments on everyone’s faces. Even if a mealtime was spent in silence with Uncle Kaz, the air was always filled with warmth and comfort. And if they got into an argument with Uncle Kaz, they’d soon apologize, and Kiryu never held it against them. Never punished them. The kids used to fight for Uncle Kaz’s attention and affection, wanting to sit next to him as he watched the news. They’d push and shove, wanting to be the first to get a goodnight hug from him (secretly, Shiro knew the last hug was the best hug).
Kiryu loved them unconditionally and would die for them, as any good parent should be. Perhaps more so…
Everyone avoided Sakuma.
Sakuma took over the chore chart. It used to be a group effort, as activities rotated. No one would do the same chore two days in a row. But Sakuma divided up the workload into tasks suitable for boys and tasks suitable for girls. Boys handled work in the yard, the garden, taking out the trash, if anything needed replacing or fixing, financial matters (“Important to start now,” Sakuma told Taichi and Koji), and after some complaining, she agreed to let them scrub the toilet. The girls were tasked with cleaning the entire house, doing the laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep and cooking, cleaning up afterwards, and washing dishes.
“But I hate cooking!” Eri complained. “I’d rather chop some wood!”
“And that attitude won’t get you a proper job or a husband!” Sakuma said. “Goodness, this Kiryu guy has let you run like a wild animal! We need to teach you to be more civilized so you can be a proper member of society!”
“I don’t want a husband, and I don’t care if I never get a good job,” Eri said.
Sakuma’s face exploded red. “You will regret those words!”
Eri stuck her tongue out when Sakuma turned her back.
Shiro noticed that Sakuma didn’t put her own name down for any chore, but as much as he wanted to point out that injustice he didn’t dare to open up his mouth.
Whenever things became too much, Shiro always turned back to his sanctuary at the library. He was starting to feel just a little too old for the little kids’ nooks, so he went searching for a new regular niche to settle himself in. Still, whenever he passed his old reading nook he would think of his old friends Shirakawa Junpei and Junko. He regretted ghosting them years back, and he missed them terribly. He wondered where they were now and if they would ever return to Okinawa.
Those were simpler days. Funny, to think back to the time when his home was terrorized and destroyed by yakuza as “simple”. At least Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka were with them. At least Natsumi was with them. At least the Ryudo Family regularly visited. There used to be laughter in that house. They used to play until nightfall in the courtyard and at their private beach.
Shiro stayed as late as he could at the library before heading home, avoiding the misery, and Sakuma, as much as he could. Of course he couldn’t stay out too late or he would never hear the end of it from the strict supervisor. Kiryu was a little strict too, but it was based on worry and love, and there was a warmth in Kiryu that was completely absent in Sakuma. Even if Kiryu yelled at the kids to stop running, or to cease an activity (often when Taichi and Mitsuo would wrestle) his eyes always shone with unconditional love. Even if a decision may have seemed unfair at the time, Shiro knew he had done it out of concern and care for them.
Shiro didn’t think he ever took Kiryu for granted; he had always been grateful for what he had done for them, but these days he realized just how much he still needed him, and if nothing else, he just wanted to hug Kiryu, his father, and not ever let go.
The kids were truly wrapped around the soul of a dragon; as scary as his appearance was, he was serene and wise and gentle, and sometimes a little goofy too. He was endearing and loving, and above all, family. His embraces imbued encouragement, reassurance, love. The dragon’s fire was the fire of the hearth keeping the home warm and nurturing.
Sakuma was none of that. She was nothing more than a frigid open field.
If the silence at the library became too much or if he got too hungry while reading, Shiro would head to the Kariyushi Arcade in Downtown Ryukyu. Natsumi was there, and she was always pleased to make soba noodles for any of the kids who stopped by. Sometimes, Shiro would run into his siblings or a Ryudo boy, and it would be like a little reunion.
One time everyone happened to be by the stall at the same time.
“What’s going on? A school field trip?” a passerby commented, amused.
Natsumi and the old lady laughed and boasted about all the business they were getting from the kids (in truth, they were always offered a very generous discount, but the kids insisted on paying full price.)
The Ryudo Family office was nearby, but the kids had to be careful about approaching them lest they were seen. Saki became their gateway, and if they were careful enough, they could spend an afternoon with the Ryudo and return home without anyone noticing.
“Shh, Shiro!” Izumi one day hissed for him, catching his attention. Smirking from ear to ear, she pointed down the arcade, where Taichi and Saki were alone, standing quite close to each other.
Shiro adjusted his glasses and focused, and in that moment the two older kids leaned their heads in and kissed.
Shiro gasped softly.
“Upcoming idol’s brother caught kissing a yakuza’s daughter,” Izumi giggled. “The media’s not gonna like hearing about this!”
“Taichi’s smart enough to not get caught,” Shiro said, thinking back to all the times Taichi hid expertly away from Kiryu during games of Hide and Seek. One time he managed to get on the roof of Morning Glory. Kiryu’s reaction when he found out was priceless, if a bit also terrifying. Just how did Taichi manage that?!
Shiro and Izumi gossiped about the incident the whole way back home when an argument reached their ears.
“If you two don’t leave right this moment I am calling the police!”
“Please, Supervisor, I was only instructed to deliver this to the children from Kiryu-san—”
“UNCLE KAZ!” Shiro and Izumi both screamed at the top of their lungs and broke into a run.
Sakuma glared at them, affronted, as the two men in suits looked up, thankful for their pint-sized saviors. At that moment, Ayako, Riona, and Eri came hurling down the other side of the road. And as though they were summoned from thin air, Koji and Mitsuo with their baseball bats and gloves appeared, and lastly Taichi jogged down behind Shiro, his face flushed and eyes bright with excitement.
Everyone spoke at once.
“Do you know Uncle Kaz?”
“Is he okay?”
“Is he still with Uncle Goro?”
“Are you with the Majima Family?”
“‘Course they are, Stupid! Look at their badges!”
“Come inside! I’ll make you tea!”
“How’s Uncle Kaz doing?”
“Please tell him we miss him!”
Like a tidal wave, the kids all ushered the poor befuddled men into the house, completely ignoring Sakuma.
“Thank you, thank you,” the older man said as he accepted his cup of tea from Riona later. They sat where Kiryu and Majima usually did at the dining room table, as the children sat around at their usual spots, watching them anxiously. “My name is Okuda, and my partner is Yamanaka. As you’ve rightly surmised, we are part of the Majima Family.”
The kids all around clapped enthusiastically. It had been just a few weeks since Kiryu’s departure, but it felt like years. They would lap up any news about Kiryu.
“We’re on business in Okinawa,” Yamanaka said, “but we were asked to hand this to you personally. Fourth Chairman Kiryu-san and Majima-oyaji wanted to check in on you.”
“We’re doing well, thank you!” Ayako said before anyone else piped up about what was truly on their mind.
“Is that so?” Okuda said and nodded toward Sakuma. She stood by the doorway looking as though she was witnessing a dog pooping on the tatami. “No troubles, I presume?”
“No,” she managed through gritted teeth. “None at all.”
“Right. Well, let’s hand out the gifts from Fourth Chairman Kiryu-san.” Every time he said “Fourth Chairman”, Sakuma’s eye twitched. The kids sat excitedly as a magazine was placed in front of them. A little memo was placed over it, with their name jotted down in Kiryu’s familiar handwriting.
“He said it wasn’t much but when he saw the magazines, he felt compelled to buy them for you,” Yamanaka said.
The kids stared at the magazines. Care had been placed in selecting the copy with no creases or nicks in the corners, and Kiryu had clearly instructed the men to keep the magazines in tiptop shape during the trip to Okinawa. There were also manga anthologies, which made Taichi tear up.
Shiro picked his gift up. It was a thick tome of a magazine, in Japanese and English, chock full of articles about space: some educational that were more rudimentary topics about this planet or that star, some theories about mysteries still unknown about the universe, and some exciting news on advancements expected to be made in the upcoming years. The cover even proclaimed an expedition to Calypso, one of Jupiter’s moons!
“We love them,” Riona finally managed as she held a fashion magazine to her chest. “Tell Uncle Kaz thank you. And thank you for bringing them to us.”
Everyone echoed her words. Sakuma glared at each of them, and Shiro wondered if she would rip the magazines out of their hands and bin them. He met Mitsuo’s eyes and saw that he had the same thought. He made a motion to the other kids, and Shiro nodded, understanding him.
Keep it in your backpack at school. Hide it inside a thick book on the shelves. Don’t give Sakuma any chance to find it.
Okuda and Yamanaka would be around Okinawa for another two weeks, so the kids had plenty of time to write letters for Kiryu and Majima.
“So you will visit again?” Taichi asked, hope in his voice. It was the happiest Shiro had heard him since the beginning of the year.
The two men made a promise to stop by on their way to the airport, noting just how much the children wanted to write to Kiryu and Majima.
“We will notify Boss that you’ve gotten your gifts,” Okuda said. “I know this will put Fourth Chairman Kiryu-san’s mind at ease.”
In a strained voice, clearly fighting every fiber of her being not to explode, Sakuma thanked them for coming over. When Okuda and Yamanaka were far from earshot, she turned around and faced the children, her glare colder than the surface of Triton.
“You are lucky we weren’t seen!” she hissed. “I have come here with every intention of whipping you orphans to become fine young adults! How will any of you find suitable jobs if you continue to associate with the scum of society? Keep this up and you will have no future!”
“She really doesn’t mean that,” Mitsuo said under his breath when the boys all tucked into their futons later. As agreed, all the kids hid their magazines under their futons at night so Sakuma wouldn’t go digging them up while they slept. “I mean, not finding a job and everything.”
“It could affect us,” Taichi said. “Companies look at you through a microscope when you apply. They really shouldn’t but that’s the reality.”
“So that’s why Uncle Kaz left?”
Taichi nodded sadly. “If companies find out we were orphans and raised by a yakuza, all sorts of unpleasant assumptions would crop up and be made about you before the first interview, assuming you ever get to that stage. They’d think Morning Glory was the front for some illegal activities. They might think we helped Uncle Kaz commit crimes.”
“That’s stupid!” Mitsuo said. “Uncle Kaz would never do anything like that!”
“That’s because we know Uncle Kaz,” Koji said. “Companies don’t. Uncle Kaz has an irezumi on his back. He’s been to jail. It’s well known he was in the Tojo Clan.”
“It’s bad enough this orphanage was started by yakuza,” Taichi said. “Everyone’s working hard to scrub its image clean.”
“Doesn’t mean we have to take Sakuma’s shit,” Koji snorted.
“Well…true.”
Shiro frowned into his pillow as he listened to his brothers.
That night he and Yukiho wept over the two dead swans.
No matter how much the older kids tried to advise the others to bear with Sakuma for Kiryu and Haruka’s sake, life in Morning Glory had become simply unbearable. Shiro spent every moment he could at the library, and if he couldn’t, out at the beach lost among the stars as he pored through the magazine Kiryu had bought for him.
Everyone had their own way of dealing with Sakuma. Shiro had the library. Izumi busied herself with Mame. Eri…Shiro almost never saw her around. Koji distracted himself with sports, often joined by Mitsuo. They played baseball regularly now. Taichi and Ayako had taken it upon themselves, being the eldest, to become the voices of reason and advisors to the others. It was hard for Taichi. He was trying, Shiro could see that, but he could also sense his frustration when his words weren’t getting through to the others.
And then there was Riona. Despite hating Sakuma as much as everyone else, she was weathering the storm admirably well. She did her chores with not one word of complaint, and her every step, every move oozed with grace and elegance. She was fighting back in her own way, displaying impenetrable feminine strength under the tyranny of Sakuma Setsuko, and Shiro admired her for that.
One evening Shiro stepped back inside Morning Glory in time to catch Riona and Mitsuo talking excitedly about something in their magazines.
“You’d look so good in it, Mitsuo!” Riona fawned as she batted her long eyelashes at him. She giggled as Mitsuo became visibly bashful.
Shiro raised his eyebrows but darted away, grinning from ear to ear. First Taichi and Saki and now those two. At least not even Sakuma could not stop love.
But then later after dinner Shiro overheard Sakuma corner Riona in the kitchen as she washed the dishes.
“You’re a very beautiful girl, Riona-chan,” Sakuma said in a sickly sweet tone. “You have what it takes to make it big in the world.”
“Thanks,” Riona said cooly.
“You want to become a model, don’t you?”
Riona hesitated. “Something like that, yeah.”
Shiro shook his head. Riona was more likely to make the clothes. She loved fashion and could identify what sort of cut a shirt or dress was, and she could tell the difference between a ruby and a spinel a mile away.
“You know…you have the greatest chance to make it,” Sakuma said. “Out of everyone at Morning Glory.”
Riona didn’t respond. Shiro craned his neck a little to see her face. She set a clean dish in the rack before picking up another, smiling politely as if patiently waiting for Sakuma to just leave her alone.
“Don’t believe me?” Sakuma said.
“Everyone has an equal chance at Morning Glory,” Riona finally said. “We rise together or we fall together, as one.”
“That is an admirable attitude to have, but you know…kids who grow up together seldom stay together,” Sakuma said and sighed. “Look at that man who raised you. Where are all of his siblings? Why is he not with them?”
Riona nearly dropped the plate she was holding. “His family’s dead!”
“Not all of them,” Sakuma said calmly. “An orphanage wouldn’t operate with just three or four children. I have done my own research of Sunflower Orphanage’s past. So, where are the rest of his family? The other boys and girls he used to play with as a little boy? Exactly. You might think you’re all so close, the best of best friends, forever family, but you will go your separate ways. I guarantee it. And even if you happen to keep some relationships past this orphanage, don’t think you can always rely on your friends here.”
Riona glared at her. She nearly smashed the plate on the rack before whipping back around, showing her back to Sakuma. “Why are you telling me this?”
Riona’s shoulders shook.
“Because you must wise up from now, beautiful girl,” Sakuma said. “Some people here may be holding you back from having a bright future, or any future at all.”
“What?”
“I only speak the truth because I am concerned for your wellbeing,” Sakuma said calmly. “And I know deep down you are worried about this fate, that you will be held down by this…well, person.”
Riona glared at her. “Who are you talking about?”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about,” Sakuma said as her voice dropped dangerously low and soft in cold concern. “That Mitsuo kid.”
Riona looked back, eyeing Sakuma warily. “And why’s that? Why would he hold me back?”
“Do I have to say it? It’s his skin color.”
Fire nearly exploded out of Riona’s eyes. Shiro remembered how, right here in this kitchen, Riona had stared at Haruka dead in the eye and declared that she would never date a black boy. Now here she stood about to throw herself at Sakuma over Mitsuo. Shiro couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud for how far Riona has come.
“So the hell what?” Riona said. “He’s a way better guy than every boy in my school combined!”
“Oh, I’m sure of it, even if he is a bit…rough around the edges,” Sakuma tittered a bit. “But even if he is the very best man in all of Japan, did you ever stop to think maybe you might be the reason he has no future?”
“What?” Taken aback, Riona stared at her. “What do you mean?”
Shiro furrowed his eyebrows. What was Sakuma getting at?
“People talk, sweetie,” Sakuma said, looking smug at having caught Riona off guard. “You see, Riona-chan…if you make it big in the world, people are prone to wonder more about you and the people you associate yourself with. It’s only human nature. Of course they will ask all sorts of questions about Mitsuo, and why you are dating a guy with dark skin. Not a typical kind of look considered beautiful in this country. Naturally people will start to wonder who Mitsuo-kun’s parents were. Some, if they can’t find the answer, might even start making up their own stories.”
“So?” Riona said. “Rumors are never true. Any intelligent person knows that.”
“Really?” Sakuma said. “Do people really know when to detect a lie and a truth, especially when a lie is dressed in the most exquisite ribbons and bows? People want a story, and the more scandalous, the better. And don’t ever underestimate people’s imagination. It will run wild and faster than you can catch and stub it out. Lies are believed far quicker than truths.
“And what then? You might hold your head up high and pretend these lies don’t affect you, try to weather the storm, but can you do the same for Mitsuo-kun? Can you protect Mitsuo forever? What if his own future is snuffed out because of…you?”
Riona just stood there, staring at Sakuma in pure shock. Shiro took that as his cue to step away as cautiously as he could.
No way would Riona let Sakuma get under her skin…would she? Mitsuo and Riona had come a long way. A domineering supervisor wasn’t going to just end their bond together like that…could she?
As Shiro headed toward his room, he saw a figure dash out of Sakuma’s bedroom.
“Eri?”
Eri spun around, her face flushed red. Paint stains dotted her shirt. Her eyes were large, pitch black, and dazzled with the bright light of Lucifer.
“Hey, Shiro,” she said as she grinned in a way that made him feel uneasy. “You know, taking out your anger at inanimate objects really helps to relieve stress.”
“Uh…what did you do?” Shiro said, gaze darting in worry toward the bedroom.
Eri shrugged. “Nothing as bad as messing with ditzy Riona’s mind. Say, Shiro…I like you. Don’t go near the supervisor’s room at all tonight.”
“Um…”
Shiro knew what Eri meant later that night. The boys’ room was up against Kiryu’s old bedroom, so he woke up to Sakuma’s screaming loud and clear when she stepped inside and found her walls drenched in paint and all of her clothes torn to shreds.
Eri, you absolute animal…
Sakuma called for an emergency meeting the following morning.
“I demand to know exactly where everyone was after dinner!” Her gaze immediately shot to Riona. Shiro dared a glance toward Eri.
See what you did? You got Riona in trouble!
But Eri just shrugged.
“Where were you after dinner?” Sakuma demanded, her neck and cheeks firetruck red.
“I was washing the dishes,” Riona replied, staring at Sakuma with disbelief. “You know that.”
“Don’t talk back to me! Where did you go after?!”
“I took a shower.”
Her nostrils flared as her eyes whipped to Ayako. “And you?!”
“I was helping Izumi with her homework, and together we worked on our letters to Uncle Kaz,” Ayako said. “We can show you.”
Sakuma rolled her eyes but ignored Ayako. “You. Boys!”
“We were playing outside!” Taichi said. “Me, Koji, and Mitsuo.”
“And what about you?” Sakuma next turned to Eri. Shiro’s heart leapt to his throat. She wouldn’t confess, would she? She glared up at Sakuma, but Shiro raised his hand as though they were in class.
“I…I was with Eri, Supervisor,” Shiro said. It wasn’t entirely untrue.
“And what were you two doing?”
Shiro thought of saying, “I was telling Eri about the different stars in the skies,” but he didn’t want Sakuma to know what he held most dear to his heart when Eri jumped to his rescue.
“We were playing doctor.”
Koji snorted into his hand. Ayako and Riona’s jaws dropped as they stared at Eri who just stared up at Sakuma with her full chest.
Shiro covered his face in his hands.
“You…you were playing doctor…” Sakuma grimaced.
Her face completely void of any emotion, Eri nodded slowly.
Mitsuo giggled and turned to Riona to crack a joke, but Riona kept her gaze anywhere but at him. Shiro’s heart sank.
“Hey, Riona? Riona!” Mitsuo said in a hushed voice while waving his hand at her. She turned her head the other way.
Shiro glanced back at Eri. It didn’t matter how many of Sakuma’s clothes Eri destroyed. The supervisor had still gotten to Riona.
Shiro didn’t have the heart to tell Mitsuo about the conversation he had overheard, but that meant suffering internally every time Mitsuo lamented to the others about Riona’s sudden and peculiar behavior toward him. He wanted to tell him that Riona was doing this all to protect him, but he couldn’t quite find the words to properly articulate himself.
Meanwhile, Sakuma made a lot of phone calls to Park. Shiro overheard one call in which Sakuma yelled at Park so much he felt bad for the other woman, but that wasn’t even the worst part of it. Hearing Sakuma’s demands, Shiro’s heart sank with despair. Sakuma was going to take money meant for them all for herself. The money that Kiryu had sacrificed himself for, for their future. It was now landing on her lap with virtually nothing left for the children.
He didn’t want to blame this all on Eri, but…
To make matters worse, Sakuma tore all of the letters everyone had been writing and saving up for Kiryu. When Okuda and Yamanaka stopped by again, she put on a very fake and exaggerated smile as she handed them a letter she herself had penned; she pretended it was a joint letter from the children to Kiryu.
Shiro felt sick to his stomach as he watched the letter pass from her hands to theirs.
In an attempt to escape the depressing atmosphere at home, Shiro would sit out at the beach and read until it was bedtime. With Sakuma distracted by the matter of her wardrobe, or simply because she had come to hate “you orphans” so much, she didn’t seem to care if Shiro or anyone else sat by the shoreline until it was long past sundown.
One night Shiro was at his usual spot, caught in the pages of an article detailing some theories of future space travels, when he heard a rustle nearby. Jolted out of his skin, he looked up and caught sight of a lone figure dashing out of the orphanage, heading in the direction opposite of the monorail station.
Shiro frowned. That kind of looked like Eri.
But what was she doing sneaking out of the orphanage? Had Sakuma sniffed her out as the real culprit behind the torn clothes? Did she and Sakuma get into a fight?
Or…no…she wouldn’t be trying to run away, would she?
Substory #35 — Lone Wolf and Lion
I…I should probably go after her, Shiro thought. But Eri was a big kid. She could take care of herself. Still…it was getting late, and Shiro didn’t want her to hurt herself if she was out there on her own in the dark. He had half a mind to tell Taichi, but the more people aware of Eri’s absence the worse things could get.
Shiro got to his feet. He really didn’t want to venture out in the world all alone like this, but…maybe Eri needed a friend right now.
“Hey, Eri, wait up.”
“Shiro?” Eri scoffed as she looked back. “Of course it would be you out after bed. Reading?”
She didn’t stop for him to answer. Shiro ran to catch up, trying to memorize the path she was taking through the thick tropical forest.
“Hey, it’s a bit dangerous there—Eri! Hold up!—Eri…I think there’s a haunted house near here…”
Eri just laughed. “Any place is better than that shithole right now.”
Shiro flinched. But then he couldn’t help but grin. In the dream world, it was always Yukiho who ran after Shiro and called for him to stop, fearing any danger he was exploring. But here in the waking world it was he who was doing the chasing and pleading.
Now he knew how Yukiho felt. Maybe he should be a little more lenient with her.
“What’re you laughing about?” Eri called back.
“Nothing,” Shiro said although he kept smiling. Would Yukiho and Eri have gotten along?
They continued exploring through the darkness in silence. Shiro was beginning to wonder if they were sneaking into downtown in a roundabout way when Eri finally stopped and motioned something to him.
Eri had taken him to a lone house atop a hill. It looked newly built compared to the traditional homes in the neighborhood. A tall Western styled gate, the sort befitting mansions, surrounded it, and surrounding it was a well-kept garden. Someone must be living here.
Without answering his questioning look, Eri threw herself over the gate and then slipped through the door like it was nothing. Must have done this a hundred times.
Shiro gingerly followed then stood in the doorway, timid. The place was pitch black, and he couldn’t see his sister anywhere.
“Um, Eri…”
“It’s just a vacation house,” Eri answered. “The owners aren’t gonna be here till the summer.”
“But the garden—”
“They have someone come over and tend the place. Do you see them right now?”
She appeared with a paper cup full of ice chips from the fridge. Seeing her go up the steps, Shiro rushed after her. She went up to the upstairs porch and settled herself with her legs dangling down the ledge. She gazed out to the ocean.
She offered an ice chip to Shiro who shook his head. With a shrug Eri popped one into her mouth and munched.
“So this is where you go to cool off,” Shiro began.
“Yep,” Eri said and popped another two ice chips into her mouth. The crunching echoed in the still night. “Been coming here for years now.”
“Uncke Kaz knew of this place?”
“More or less. Uncle Goro followed me one day after I had a fight with Izumi,” Eri said. She pointed somewhere down in the bushes. “You can’t see them but there’s a whole family of bunny rabbits here. I like to play with them. One day Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro saw me chasing the babies. I told them all about Usagi Yojimbo. They decided to make me a haori so I could pretend I was a rabbit samurai all I wanted.”
Shiro smiled. “That’s nice of them. So you went here during the summer?”
Eri nodded. “I’ve met the family that comes here. They’re foreigners. They have a kid. Can’t understand a single word the idiot says, but whatever. We play with my swords and we chase the rabbits together. That’s all I want…a simple, happy life…”
She grew pensive and quiet for a few minutes.
“Next time these folks are here, I might just ask them to take me with them to whichever country they’re from,” Eri said. “Anything is better than here.”
“You don’t really mean that,” Shiro said.
Eri glared at him before chugging in a whole mouthful of ice. Shiro shivered. Wasn’t she even at least a little scared of hurting her teeth like this?
“The old times are never coming back,” Eri said bitterly after gulping down the crushed ice. “We’re growing up. Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro can’t be there for us forever. They’re gonna die one day, you know.”
“Please don’t say that—”
“You’re an orphan, Shiro! We all are! You damn well know parents can’t be with their children forever!”
“But still—”
“But still we all need to find our place in the world.” Eri glared at the moon in a huff.
“And leaving is your way of finding your place in the world?” Shiro said. “To a country you don’t even know, where you don’t even speak the language? With people you don’t even know? Who definitely won’t be with you forever?”
“So? At least Sakuma’s fake smile won’t be burning into my retinas.”
Shiro stared at her, aghast. “But…you can’t just leave us.”
“Sure I can,” Eri said coldly. “Give me a reason to stay.”
“You’ll break Uncle Kaz’s heart,” Shiro said.
“I know, I know,” Eri said dismissively, waving her hand. “He’s doing all this for our sake. There was no money. Yadda yadda. What’s the point when everything’s bad now?”
Shiro stared at her before facing the ocean. “I used to be jealous of you.”
“Huh?”
“We arrived at Morning Glory roughly the same time. We both went through horrors. Uncle Kaz flew out to Tokyo to get me. I grew attached to him quickly. I wanted to spend every moment with him, and he was happy to let me sit by him while he watched the news. The other kids gently teased me, but they did it because they loved me. They even threw me a birthday party. After going through hell, Uncle Kaz was my heaven.
“And then you came along, and he spent every moment with you. Every moment I had with him was gone; it was all spent on you. I used to wake up in the night hearing you cry out from your nightmares, and who’d come running? Uncle Kaz. He would carry you with so much love, like he was trying to absorb your pain. It made me jealous because you were taking all of the attention away from me. I was still hurting, but Uncle Kaz was paying attention to you.”
Eri glanced away.
“But don’t feel bad, okay? I realized early on I wasn’t the only kid who had gone through unspeakable horrors. At least I was still able to celebrate my birthday the day after I stepped into Morning Glory. The kids all ran to greet me when I arrived.”
“They…they didn’t do that for me,” Eri said.
“Because we knew you wanted some time alone,” Shiro said. “Did you know that before you arrived, Uncle Kaz sat us down and told us to make accommodations for your arrival? To keep things calm and quiet at home? He saw you were really hurting, and he wanted you to feel comfortable when you arrived at Morning Glory. That was why our experiences were different when we arrived at Morning Glory. He really made sure to tailor it to suit our needs.”
Eri bowed her head. “Yeah. Makes sense. If you had run out to hug me, I would have just lost it and ran away. Uncle Kaz really thought to do that before he even knew me…”
Shiro chuckled sadly. “Uncle Kaz really understands us kids, huh?”
Eri nodded sadly.
“So…is this how you’re going to repay him?”
Shiro turned back to look at Eri, seeing that she was now staring at the ocean, their waves reflected in the tears teeming in her brown eyes.
“I…”
“Are you going to just run away forever?” Shiro said.
“Huh? I’m not running away!” Eri glared at him.
“That sure looks like what you’re doing,” Shiro said with a nod, “and that’s not the Eri I know.”
“Oh yeah? What would the Eri you know do?”
“She would stand on her own two feet and fight. The Eri I know never gives up that easily. No one dares to bully her. Even if she’s crying her eyes out, she’ll beat the stuffing out of her problems.”
Eri scoffed. “I’m not that strong.”
“So…you’re saying you’re a coward who runs away from her problems?” Shiro ventured, fully anticipating getting throttled by Eri.
Sure enough, Eri’s eye twitched from that insult, but she glared at him without saying a word, and after some time passed her shoulders slumped.
“I know it’s hard,” Shiro said. “I know it can be scary. I remember how scared you were when our home was destroyed—”
“Don’t remind me, stupid,” she hissed under her breath.
Shiro smiled dryly. Yeah, no one would want to be reminded of the time they pissed themselves. “We always think we can’t survive something, and then we do. Look at us. Look at what we overcame before we came to Morning Glory. Look at what we overcame as a family. Look at what we overcame up to this point.
“So, are you really going to just run away?”
Eri looked away before staring out at the ocean, its waves reflected in the tears teeming in her eyes.
“I…”
“What about me?” Shiro asked.
“What about you?” Eri said.
“I want nothing more than to escape from here too,” Shiro said. “When I first heard that Uncle Kaz was leaving, I wanted to leave too. I was thinking of going back to Tokyo, but then I found out my grandfather passed away this past December. I’m stuck here. I have no other home to run to.”
Eri bowed her head. “Then…come with me.”
Shiro smiled dryly. “Okay. But want to know something? I think Izumi would hate to see me go. No matter our age, she’ll always want me to walk her back home. I don’t think she’d like being alone.”
“Did she get hit in the head or something when she lost her parents?” Eri sighed, exasperated. “I swear, she’s younger than her age! Fine, she can come too, but she better keep her comments to herself!”
Shiro chuckled. “You know, she also can’t be parted from Mame.”
“Fine. The dog can come.”
“Ayako would worry about Izumi’s well being.”
A muscle under Eri’s eye twitched.
“And Ayako would feel most comfortable with another person her age to confide in, so you know she would ask Taichi to help look after us younger siblings.”
“Taichi?” Eri snorted. “Well, I guess he has been trying to be an actual big brother recently…”
Shiro nodded. “And Taichi can’t go far without his best friend Koji, and Koji would want to hang out with his new baseball buddy Mitsuo. And Riona would leap at the first chance to get away and freely be Mitsuo without Sakuma breathing down their necks.”
“There’s no one left at Morning Glory! You think the family that rents this place is going to enjoy eight orphans suddenly following them around?!”
Shiro laughed. “Exactly my point! We would all gladly leave here if we have an alternative. We’re a family, Eri. We stick by one another.”
“Guess there’s no separating us,” Eri said with a sigh.
“Nope.”
Eri sighed again. “If only Uncle Kaz could just come back.”
Shiro hung his head. “Yeah…”
Eri grew quiet for a while, thinking his words over. Finally she looked up, staring out at the ocean, its waves reflecting in the tears teeming in her eyes.
“I…”
“I…” Eri blinked and the tears trickled down her cheeks. “Do you remember how they looked?”
“Hmm?”
“Your parents. When they died. Did you see how they looked?”
“Oh…” Why was she asking this all of a sudden? Shiro bowed his head as the dark memories resurfaced. “I was sitting in the back of the car, but I saw when the bullet struck my dad. I didn’t see my mom, but I heard the gunshot and I saw the seat in front of me explode with blood. I was drenched in their blood. Everything happened so fast.”
Shiro shivered. He didn’t want to remember those moments. Eri watched him, expressionless.
“I remember how they looked,” she said. “I was there. I was supposed to be in bed, but I had heard them arguing. Dad was real tense in the last few days leading up to that night. We just moved to our new house in Okinawa, but I knew something was up. We’d moved so quickly we barely had time to pack our things. Of course now I know it was because he was in trouble with the patriarch of his yakuza family.
“He was screaming at Mom. He took his anger out on her. I saw him take the gun and shoot her, right in the chest and then in the head. I was standing there in the doorway, hidden by the kitchen countertop. I got a good view of her face, the expression frozen in her eyes as she lay there, no longer whole.”
Shiro trembled. “Eri…”
“Dad noticed me afterward. I stepped into the kitchen. I just looked up at him. I didn’t say anything. Something changed in him. I could see it in his eyes.”
“Did he…was he thinking about hurting you?”
Eri shook her head. “I don’t know. When he saw me staring at Mom, something snapped inside him. He looked crushed, like he had realized what he had just done. But he couldn’t bring Mom back. We couldn’t go back to the way we were before.”
Eri met Shiro’s eyes, her own practically soulless even as tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.
“All he said to me was, ‘I’m sorry.’ He shot himself in the head right in front of me. I saw how he looked with his skull all blown off. I kept thinking, ‘I did this.’ If I hadn’t stood there and made him feel bad, he would still be alive.”
“Eri, no!” Shiro gasped. “It wasn’t your fault!”
Eri hung her head and Shiro saw her shoulders shake. “Uncle Kaz told me the same thing. It’s hard. No matter how many years pass, it still haunts me. Maybe I should have stepped into the kitchen earlier. Maybe if he saw me earlier, Dad would not have shot anyone. Or maybe he would have just shot me instead…”
“Eri, don’t say that!” Shiro inched closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
“When I was taken to the police station, the police asked me a million questions,” Eri went on. “They looked at me as though I had done something wrong. As if I was the one who pulled the trigger. Me, an eight year old kid at the time. I felt so many emotions then. I didn’t know it was even possible to feel so much at once.
“I hate my dad for what he had done. I was angry at him, so angry that I was glad he killed himself. And that only made me feel worse and wished I was dead instead.”
“Eri…”
“I stayed quiet the whole time. They didn’t know what to do with me. I didn’t have any family around, and I was scared to go back to Tokyo. I was sure my dad’s boss would kill me for whatever wrongs he did. Funny, isn’t it? I wanted to die but I was also scared to die.”
Shiro wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
Eri hiccuped. “They called in a social worker, and she said there was an orphanage nearby. They called the owner over. I was almost hoping there wouldn’t be an opening for me. The guy came in, and I sat there frozen. He looked really scary! I thought one of the men from my dad’s family had come to kidnap me. The whole time I was silent and stared at him. Whenever he looked at me, he said nothing. I didn’t know what he was thinking.
“The social worker left us alone for a few minutes, and the man got down to his knees in front of me and he said, ‘I know you’re trying real hard to be strong right now, Eri. But it’s okay to cry.’ That’s when I let it all out.”
Shiro bowed his head.
“I cried into Uncle Kaz’s chest. I hit him repeatedly and screamed and wailed. He let me do whatever I wanted. He never got upset with me. Said it didn’t hurt. He’s really something, isn’t he? No wonder why he was chosen to carry the symbol of a dragon on his back.” Smiling wryly, Eri peered back out at the ocean. “My dad’s irezumi was just some stupid swamp demon.”
Shiro smiled sadly. He thought back to the nights when he would watch Kiryu walk around with Eri in his arms, and he felt guilty for ever being jealous. Eri needed Kiryu more than him.
Eri wiped away her tears. “You know…I was supposed to have a little brother or sister before this happened. Mom told me that shortly before we had to run away to Okinawa. Guess you and Izumi became those little siblings Mom promised me.”
Shiro smiled tearfully. “And you have older siblings now too! Mitsuo, Riona, Koji, Taichi, Ayako, and Haruka! And Uncle Kaz and Uncle Goro are our loving parents! Yeah, they fight a lot, but they would never…”
Eri hung her head. “Yeah…”
“Sorry…”
Eri shook her head. “No, you’re right. This family’s my family now—our family. We’re not together right now, but that changes nothing. And Uncle Kaz…he didn’t know me, but he just accepted me with open arms even as I hit and yelled at him, as if he had anything to do with my parents’ death!”
Shiro’s lips quivered. “Yeah…Uncle Kaz is great like that.”
Eri covered her face in her hands. When she looked up again, determination shone in her dark eyes. “I won’t run away. I won’t let that bitch Sakuma win!”
Shiro couldn’t explain just how much those words uplifted his heart. There was that old Eri he knew and loved (and feared).
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “We need you, Eri.”
Eri just stared down at her feet. “Yeah. Hope I don’t regret it.”
Shiro wanted to assure her that she won’t, but just then Eri smiled wryly at him.
“Thank you, Shiro,” she said. “You quieted some of the thoughts in my head.”
“Oh…it’s no problem.”
“Give me your hand. I want to give you something.”
“Uh…sure…”
Reaching into her pocket, Eri placed something atop the palm of Shiro’s open hand.
You received an item!
Brass Knuckles
This weapon could give you a little edge in a fight.
Input the code 81K inside either cell H4 or J4 of the tab labeled “Shiro’s Inventory” in your Activity Logbook to redeem your reward. Make sure to type all letters as caps.
Shiro stared at the present.
“Um…this looks dangerous,” he said.
Eri shrugged. “It’s for self defense. We need to learn to do that now that Uncle Kaz isn’t around to solve our problems for us.”
“Guess you’re right…”
He pocketed the brass knuckles and stood up. “Should we get going? It’s really late now.”
It was practically pitch black now. Would they encounter some strange animals on the way back?
Eri nodded. “Are you scared? We could sleep here.”
“Nah. I don’t want the others to worry.”
Eri snorted. “Fine.” She reached into her pocket once more and pulled out a keychain flashlight. “I usually don’t need this, but since you are such a baby…”
Shiro laughed, but he let her lead the way back.
Substory #35 — Lone Wolf and Lion **COMPLETED**
Morning Glory was still and silent, unaware of their absence by the time they snuck back in. The amado was just partially open. Perhaps Ayako or Taichi left it open to allow them to get back inside.
Eri nodded her thanks to Shiro and gave him a hug before tiptoeing back to her room. Shiro’s futon had already been unrolled and stuffed to make it look like he had been sleeping in it. Gingerly he wedged himself under the covers but he could barely sleep.
The next morning he asked Taichi if he could borrow his phone.
“Huh? Uh, sure,” Taichi said, uncertain.
He couldn’t handle it any longer. Shiro scrolled through Taichi’s address book, barely registering that Taichi had an insane amount of people and places stored on his phone, and finally found Uncle Kaz’s name.
Kiryu never answered. Shiro didn’t even hear a single ring, no matter how many times he sent out a call.
Majima paced his office all morning. Days had passed since the fight. Kiryu never returned to the apartment. He never answered any of his calls or texts either.
Nishida and Minami watched him pacing the office. Now that he was back in Tokyo, Okuda was in charge of family affairs, as Majima could barely hold himself together. He would weave between the office to the apartment just to check if Kiryu had returned, but he never stayed the night there. Too many painful memories.
“Um, Boss…” Minami attempted.
Majima’s mind replayed all he had learned that night. Haruka, an employee of Dyna Chair. Haruka was now working under his own ex-wife. Had Kiryu met Mirei, had Mirei been the one to drive Kiryu out of Morning Glory?! Park Mirei, the woman Majima loved, the woman he still held a torch for in his heart, tucked away in a little treasure box along with his other happy memories of his past, stacked up high on a shelf far, far away and buried in a location where no one will ever reach? Memories he guarded more fiercely than any dragon, would only display to another when his walls were down, when he had finally come to trust them in full body, mind, and soul…
“Boss?” Minami gasped. Majima had just fallen over his desk, clutching the edge.
“Boss?” he tried again, inching toward him, hands out as if trying to comfort a wounded pet.
“Get out, Minami!” Majima hissed. Guilt instantly choked him as he watched the hurt cross Minami’s young face. Kid was only in his early twenties; why was he so obsessed with being at such a grumpy old loon’s side anyway?
Minami gave a quick bow with a, “Of course, Boss,” and shuffled out of the office. Nishida saw him out, and Majima could hear him whispering something to Minami, perhaps to assure him that Majima didn’t totally hate his guts.
The office door shut, and with a wail, Majima sank dramatically to the floor, his back against his office desk.
“Boss,” Nishida said with a bow.
“What am I going to do, Nishida?” Majima said, shaking his head.
“Still heard nothing?” Nishida asked as he crouched to his eye level.
Majima shook his head. He checked the calendar. “Hate t’ask this o’ ya, but…”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Nishida said. “It’s okay. I still have a few hours before school’s done for the day.”
Majima shook his head, already retracting his request. He was a damn adult. He can go and drink on his own. “No, it’s yer twin girls’ birthdays. Shouldn’ keep their pa away on their special day. Family’s important and all, and—”
Just then his phone rang, nearly giving him a heart attack. It took a moment for Majima to recognize the number.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Um, Uncle Goro?”
“Shiro? How’d ya get my number?!”
“You gave it to Ayako when we went to the zoo and split into groups.”
Majima’s heart sank. So that meant Kiryu wasn’t back with his kids. He had hoped, however catastrophic it would have been for Haruka’s career, that Kiryu had at least traveled back to Okinawa.
“‘Course, o’ course!” Majima laughed, slipping on his mad mask instantly. He threw a bemused look toward Nishida. “Ya know we shouldn’ be caught talkin’ too much, eh?”
“Yeah…”
“I get it. Ya miss yer Uncle Goro.”
“Mhmm. Uncle Goro…where’s Uncle Kaz? Taichi and I called him all day yesterday, but he never responded. We don’t even hear the phone ring.”
All air left Majima’s lungs. Immediately his eye spun around the room as his mind conjured up some story to feed the kid.
“Like the dummy yer Uncle Kaz is, he busted his phone while the two of us fought!” Majima laughed brightly. “He’s getting it fixed. Might have to get a new phone.”
“Oh. Is he with you now?”
Panic seized Majima momentarily. “He’s at work! Got him a sweet full-time gig at the other side of the city. Bodyguard work, the sort of stuff he likes.”
“When will he be home?”
“He works long hours. Sorry, Shiro. I filled his schedule up. It keeps ‘im happy, ya know what he’s like. Didn’t expect a call from one of ya lil ankle biters.” Majima frowned at the phone in his hand. “Something ya want to tell him?”
There was a long pause at the other end of the line. “Eri—um, no. Tell Uncle Kaz we miss him. And you too, of course!”
As they ended the call, an overwhelming cloud of dread consumed Majima’s entire being. Kiryu not answering him was to be expected. He was hurt, he was angry.
But Kiryu had zero reason to not pick up a call from his own children.
“Boss?” Nishida said next to him. “You’re trembling.”
Majima set the phone down. His hands were indeed shaking as though they had just been plugged up a snowman’s ass.
There were reasons why they couldn’t hear the phone ringing on their end. Kiryu might have shut off his phone so as not to be bothered by Majima. But surely he’d have to open it again at some point, to call up a taxi or some other service at any point. Surely he’d see the ID from back home. Surely he’d call back Morning Glory, promises to Park be damned!
Why had he gone silent? Had it been a matter of him not opening his phone all this time…or had something happened to Kiryu?
Majima gasped, thinking back to how awful Kiryu had looked in the apartment when they first moved in…he wouldn’t think of…surely he wouldn’t…?
“Boss?” Nishida asked again, his voice hushed and scared.
“I…I…” Majima looked up at Nishida. Although he was sitting on his ass, the entire office was moving. “F-fetch me that small book with the numbers, the one in the safe. I need The Hunter—now!”
The man’s name was Akatani Keigo. Majima had run into him purely by chance in the 1980s, in Sotenbori’s Ashitaba Park one early evening.
Akatani Keigo was not his real name. The face he wore was not even his real face. Everything about his original appearance was surgically reconstructed after he had gotten in too deep with the yakuza. As a result, he had severed ties with everyone from his life, including his own wife and son. Majima saw him watching the two at the park one evening with longing in his eyes. It seemed to be a daily activity for him, whenever he had the time. The wife and son, Yuko and Yusuke, thought he had died and had no idea their loved one was merely a few feet away, a man with a stranger’s face.
Majima had never heard of facial reconstruction that could go to such lengths to change a man so much that his own wife wouldn’t recognize him if she were staring at him right in the eye. You wouldn’t even know the man had gone under the knife unless he told you. The surgery was just that impressive, even for that time.
Akatani was now working for an organization, as he later informed Majima some time after they became acquainted. He couldn’t even speak its name although Majima had his suspicions. Something to do with the government.
From yakuza to government agent. Talk about a downgrade.
Akatani Keigo was known as The Hunter in his line of work. Give him a name and a photo and he could track down just about anyone. Out of gratitude for protecting his family way back, Akatani offered to extend his service to Majima. He couldn’t swear into the family, of course. This was all under the table deals, and Majima only used him sparingly and usually if he wanted someone to take a good, long nap with the fishes in Tokyo Bay.
Right now Akatani was silently studying some photos of Kiryu as Majima watched the clock silently. Akatani already had wrinkles under his eyes when they first met, or perhaps it was all part of his new assumed identity. Grey hair now settled atop his head, but his eyes were still sharp as ever.
“I see, I see…” he muttered as he committed the design of the Ascending Dragon of Kiryu’s irezumi to memory. He looked up. “And you want this man returned to you alive?”
Majima nodded. “I know this is a peculiar job. This ain’t a hit job. He didn’t wrong me or any of my boys. He’s an old friend of mine, see, and I fear this man may be a danger to himself. I want you to bring him back or at least allow us some way to communicate.”
Akatani nodded slowly. “I take it there was some sort of disagreement between you?”
A wry smile tugged at the corner of Majima’s mouth. “You could say that. I stress, I want not a hair on him harmed. If you feel he will hurt himself, I want you to drag him to a hospital immediately. Understand?”
Akatani studied Majima’s face. “You keep saying if he harms himself. Is there any chance he could harm me?”
Majima chuckled bitterly. “Kiryu-chan’s not the sort to raise his fist unless you give him a reason.”
“Any other information I should know about him?”
Majima paused before the thought struck him. “His children mean more than the entire world to him.” He pushed a magazine toward Akatani and flipped to an article interviewing some up and coming idols. There at one corner was a small photograph of Sawamura Haruka.
“She’s an idol?” Akatani asked.
“A rising star,” Majima said and then decided to tell the whole story to Akatani.
“Ah, I get it now.” Akatani nodded his head gravely. “So that is why you fear he may be suicidal…”
Majima bowed his head. Akatani would understand. He had to watch his own small son play in a park but could not go play with him, for his safety…
“You understand I will also check in at morgues and graveyards on the chance that Kiryu-san has already perished?”
Majima flinched. “Yeah…yeah, I know…look everywhere you can. Please.”
“I understand.” Akatani stood up and bowed deeply. “I will keep you informed of my progress. Of course I have other business to tend to, but I will keep vigilant about your troubled friend.”
The pleading for him to make Kiryu his number one priority—Majima would sell the entire Tojo Clan for information on Kiryu’s whereabouts—died in Majima’s throat as he thanked Akatani.
Leaning back in his chair, he stared up at the clock again, watching the minute hand mock him as it dragged its ass over the analogical face. He had let Nishida go for the day. Better to spend time with his daughters than be stuck up here with a miserable old codger.
He couldn’t work. There were men he had to meet with, numbers to run through, businesses to assess, heads to smash. He couldn’t even peel himself off his office chair.
The hell did ya do to me, Kazuma my love?
He wondered vaguely what became of his ring and where it could have gone by now but he shook the thought out of his mind. Who cared about that stupid ring anyway? Not like it stored the past inside it like some magical Tolkien or whichever shit. The memories were up here, between his gunk-filled ears.
Pulling out his phone, he idly mucked around, vaguely annoyed that Akatani still hadn’t updated him on his search and knowing how annoyingly stupid and impatient he was being.
His eye fell on a name in his text message inbox and widened.
Katsuya Naoki. His longtime friend. He had been so distraught over Kiryu he hadn’t even thought to write back to Ka-chan! Nishida might have mentioned it at some point, and Majima might have punched him in the face for it.
He should write back thanking him. Or…
Majima stared ahead as a most insane idea came to him. He had sent out Akatani, but he could try to reach out for Kiryu by another means…
After all, what’s one thing Kiryu’s sure to gravitate to?
“Majima-san?” Katsuya answered the phone.
“Ka-chan,” Majima said, his voice tight in his throat.
“Good hearing from you,” Katsuya said, the familiar darkly smooth and rumbly voice comforting after the last few weeks. “I know it must have been a shock hearing that Mirei is that girl’s president. If you don’t mind me asking, and if it’s not too personal, why the interest? Why this idol in particular? You were never into idols before. I figured you must have some history or otherwise—”
“Listen, Ka-chan…I need a favor from ya,” Majima cut him. “Sorry but this is urgent, and this’s gonna be a big favor.”
After a brief silence, perhaps noting the distress in his voice, Katsuya said, “Anything, my friend. Just say the word.”
In the weeks that followed, Majima plunged himself into producing a song of his own. More like, he made his own version of a popular track. With the help of Katsuya, they selected a song by an Osaka Talent artist which Katsuya held the rights to, and together they changed the lyrics to suit Majima’s needs.
With equipment set up in Majima’s office, Majima sang the lyrics. There was even a music video made, taking it to heights Majima had never expected.
And so, “Hajime’s Soul Rock” became “Majima no MajiROCK.”
The song gave him something to hold on to. He could function well enough during the day, working obsessively over the song, but during the night it was a whole different story. He watched Kiryu die over and over, the dreams always so terribly vivid. They were back atop the Millennium Tower, and Majima could never reach Kiryu in time. He was staring into the cold vast ocean looking for any sign of him after Kiryu plunged himself from the pier. He was rushing into Morning Glory, fighting back flames and smokes, coughing and teary-eyed, searching, searching for any sign of Kiryu’s body among the blaze.
In one dream, Majima had given Kiryu a polished gun, a perfect replica of the one he had given Kiryu when he became the fourth chairman.
“Arigato gozaimasu,” Kiryu said politely and bowed low and respectful. Then he pressed the gun against his temple, and Majima cried out. The sound of the gat jolted Majima awake.
With each passing day receiving little news from Akatani, the dreams only grew more violent. They were living in their apartment again, but Majima walked into a pool of blood, with Kiryu sitting by the breakfast island with his head resting on folded arms as though he were sleeping, a knife plunged deep in his abdomen.
In another, Kiryu took Majima’s own Demonfire blade and with a single slash across his neck, cut a red line separating them forever—
—Kiryu’s eyes met Majima’s before the ocean claimed him—Kiryu lay in a pool of his blood as Haruka cradled him in her arms—Kiryu’s entire body eating bullet after bullet meant for his children—”Open yer damn eyes, Kiryu! Saejima screamed as he performed chest compressions on Kiryu and Majima stood there, transfixed in horror, as tiny gusts of blood shot out from Kiryu’s mouth and slowly trickled down his chin…
The song Majima and Katsuya had been working on finally released to the world in April. The peculiar “Majima no MajiROCK” was slotted into every karaokekan just as Majima had hoped. He wouldn’t have achieved it had it not been for his close connections with Katsuya. They had also filmed a music video to play at music stores, in case Kiryu happened by them, showcasing Majima rescuing a woman in Kamurocho. A simple story, an unfortunately frequent occurrence in that district.
But Majima was more concerned about the lyrics. He hoped something in them would capture Kiryu’s attention. [Skip]
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これが現実だ ゼロからすべては始まる 行け 全力で 半端な人生を賭けるな さあ 立ち上がれ 恐れや絶望に嘆くな 脈打つ世界が待ってる 桐生ちゃん 今回は ワシが天下とるでぇ～！ ワシだってなぁ桐生ちゃん マジで歌えんねん！ |
Kore ga genjitsu da Zero kara subete wa hajimaru Yuke zenryoku de Hanpa na jinsei wo kakeru na Saa tachiagare Osore ya zetsubou ni nageku na Myaku-utsu sekai ga matteru Kiryu-chan! Konkai wa washi ga tenka toru de! Washi datte na Kiryu-chan Maji de utaetten! |
This is reality Everything starts from zero March forward with all your might and don't bet everything on a life half lived Now, get on your feet Don't dwell on your fears and your despair A rapturous world awaits you Kiryu-chan! This time I'm gonna have my way! You know, though, Kiryu-chan, I'm serious about singin', too! (Translation provided by Lyrics Translations) |
”Yer an amazin’ singer, Boss!” Minami chirped.
“I ain’t doin’ this for fame!” Majima roared and chased Minami out of his office. But he had to smile at his work. If the title and the super flashy music video weren’t enough, the song itself called for Kiryu by name. This had to get his attention! If not the song itself, then surely the song would get stuck inside someone’s head, right? Surely Kiryu would run across someone singing the lyrics!
The song ended with a clear message to Kiryu:
I only like strong bastards
An' I don't take shit from weaklings
Come on then, Kiryu-chan!
But I ain't holdin back
Let's go! Kiryu-chan!
One final fight. Would Kiryu indulge him?
It would be a chance for them to see each other once again. Kiryu wouldn’t turn him down surely, not after going through such lengths to get his attention.
But would Kiryu even see his message at all?
Only time will tell.
Akatani’s updates were sparse. While his messages at least assured Majima that Kiryu was still alive, they were far too infrequent.
Kiryu checked in at a hotel, said one text message, but Kiryu wasn’t spotted at another hotel until a week or two later. Where was he during that time?
Got confirmation he ate at a ramen stall, said another text, but that was weeks ago and no one else in the village had seen him.
Where the hell was his Kiryu-chan? Reading the texts always left Majima feeling a sinking sense of sadness. Kiryu seemed to be heading further and further south, according to Akatani, but while he received confirmation on his whereabouts, and it should have provided some comfort, it was always well after Kiryu had passed by there.
When Daigo learned of Kiryu’s situation, he nearly ripped Majima’s face off. Majima couldn’t ever recall seeing Daigo so heated up. The man had a stressful job being the chairman of one of Japan’s largest yakuza organizations, but he was always cool and collected about everything he did. Things were relatively calm in the Tojo recently. Daigo had it made what with building a smooth relationship with the current Omi chairman. So seeing his reaction made everything worse.
The two knew each other way back, Kiryu and Daigo. When Kiryu used to serve the Dojima Family and as a chinpira, he used to watch over the Dojima heir. Perhaps he grew a love for raising children there, although Daigo and Nishiki claimed that Kiryu was always a big brother to the younger kids in Sunflower Orphanage. Daigo looked up to Kiryu as an older brother of sorts; it was that deep respect and admiration that got Mine Yoshitaka all jealous way back.
Majima had always joked about wanting to be the one to kill Kiryu. He hadn’t really meant it, and definitely not like this.
Weeks passed. Months. The nightmares continued. Majima would wake up anticipating the worst possible news. Every time his phone rang, he flinched. At night, he would pour himself a drink and peer out of his window, getting lost in the stars as he fell into reverie. The moonlight would remind him of all nights he spent with his Kiryu-chan, a constant tormenting reminder of what once was. Where did they go wrong?
On his birthday he intended to drink himself into a stupor in what was supposed to be their apartment until Nishida, Minami, Gary, and Okuda pulled him out of there and passed the time with him quietly at a local izakaya.
One early morning, late May, the ringing of his phone startled him awake. Catching the name and the time, his heart instantly ran cold. He lay still in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was still early. Too, too early in the morning. The stars were still out. Why was The Hunter calling him at this hour?
“Yeah?” Majima finally answered.
“I apologize calling this early in the morning,” Akatani said. “I found him.”
Kiryu had no plan in mind at all. His singular thought was to get out of the apartment as soon as possible, and now that he had bolted out of there, he wasn’t sure where to go next. Certainly not Kamurocho. Not anywhere in Tokyo for that matter. Not anyplace where he could run into any Tojo member.
He found himself boarding a train to Yokohama, which was perhaps the worst decision he could have ever made. His hotel room provided a clear vantage point to the apartment that Haruka and he once rented out in 2006. Grief nearly strangled him to death while he lived there, and yet…times were simpler then.
New tenants lived there now. The curtains hung up were a different color, and an entirely different species of potted plants stood outside on the little balcony by the clothesline. Of course Kiryu couldn’t just move back in, no matter how much he yearned to go back in time. It wasn’t the apartment he missed. It was everything: Haruka, the quiet and simple days of picking up trash on the streets, Majima…
As if a bucket of ice upended over his head, Kiryu snapped out of his trance and padded out of his hotel room, phone gripped in hand. Finding the closest bridge, he chucked the phone into the river with all his might. Watching it plop into the murky depths, drowned and destroyed beyond repair, a strange clash of relief and dread filled him.
The apartment was one threshold of no return. He had just crossed another. What was he doing? Could anyone around please notice him, please help him? He was out there drowning in the river…
The very next morning, haunted by the ghost of his past staring at him one block down, Kiryu took a train out of Yokohama. He didn’t care where he went after that. At some point he found himself in Sotenbori. Wishing to be out of sight from the usual haunts, Kiryu found himself gravitating toward the strange building known as Yotsudera Kaikan. He knew better than to blow off whatever remained of his money on the gambling hall, but one or two rounds of Oicho-kabu settled his nerves, and he took to drinking at one of the many bars crammed into the multilevel building.
The bartender, perhaps feeling sorry for him, offered him to stay in one of the vacant apartments. Although the place was built in the 90s, the walls were thin enough for him to hear everything going on in the other room. His mind couldn’t decide if the couple next door were fucking or fighting, quite violently at that, and that only depressed Kiryu further. He would have run to help the woman, but he could scarcely lift his head from the cum-stained futon he rested on.
His nightmares were always the same. He walked down a long dark hall as someone yelled, “Kazuma!” over and over. Sometimes he could recognize that voice. Sometimes a memory would replay in front of his eyes: Kazama and Kashiwagi were standing in front of Sunflower Orphanage, arms folded and looking quite upset. The Principal of Sunflower sat nearby, shaking his head in resignation and regret. Kazuma knew he was in trouble. So unfair. The adults were always yelling at him. Didn’t they know the other kids were bothering Yuko?! He had to step in!
Were it not for the Principal, Kazama would have been even more harsh on Kazuma. So unfair!
His heart tore apart. Why was he always yelled at whenever he was always doing the right thing?!
Did it all matter in the end? Yuko still died in the end, and Kazuma wasn’t there to help her…
Maybe he deserved it. No matter what he did he always messed up. Maybe he should atone by—
“Kazuma!”
Money bled. Without a job, expenses for travel and lodging, much less food and basic necessities, and with price inflation on top of all that, his bank was drying out, and fast.
And if not the train or hotel, then it was the cigarettes. Kiryu smoked far more than ate, sometimes skipping entire meals. He couldn’t always predict if he was in a good enough mood to eat. By the time the bowl would be served to him, his appetite could have completely evaporated, thus completely wasting money and perfectly good food. At least smoking settled his nerves. Gave him time to think what his next step should be. Where he should haunt next.
“Kazuma!”
He began to sell whatever he could inside his carry case. He had haphazardly packed before bolting out of the apartment, and he had no idea what he had brought with him, but if it could buy him one more night in a warm bed, another ticket, or even another pack of smokes he was thankful.
There were a few sets of clothes he couldn’t part with. But he found plates, and strangely, watches that grateful strangers gave him for coming to their aid. Pocket tissues, expired energy drinks, sex toys he couldn’t utilize on his anatomy (or didn’t know how), pocket tissues, a broken syringe, strange stuff that clown in a white suit would occasionally slip him, some rare artifact that was supposedly found in Area 51—more damn pocket tissues?!
“Hmm?” Kiryu knitted his eyebrows as he pulled something from deep under his carry case. It was a black and red mask, and seeing it instantly drove a javelin through his chest. Dragon Mask, his wrestling identity he adopted when he entertained Taichi and the other kids so many years ago…
Stuffing it back in the bag, Kiryu tried not to think about it. Failing that, he found the nearest bar and drank until he woke up in some city he didn’t recognize. Thankfully his case was still with him.
He didn’t check if the mask was still inside.
“Kazuma!”
“Shut up!” Kazuma wept at Principal. “I know I’m always difficult! I…I wish I was never born! M-maybe my parents would still be alive!”
“Oh, Kazuma…”
Kiryu traveled from city to city, moving in whichever direction with very little thought. He was going south, or west, or north. But he never went east, never to Tokyo. That was the land he would never set foot in again.
Wishing to keep himself small, he avoided fights as much as he could. Anyone who saw him and started to try to mess with him Kiryu would just sit there and take the verbal taunting and abuse. A few times their taunting would turn physical, but Kiryu kept his ground. A few punches didn’t hurt too much. He probably deserved it.
Seeing him in his sorry state must have roused sympathy in a couple passersby. One concerned motherly-looking woman asked if he needed her to call the police. An old man helped Kiryu to the nearest hotel and even paid for his stay.
“Get yourself washed and shaved,” he gently urged. “If you need a job, we’re hiring.”
Kiryu left the card on the hotel nightstand.
“Kazuma!”
Sometimes, Kiryu thought he could hear Majima in his dreams, calling out his name over and over. Was he angry? Was he trying to get Kiryu to come back to their apartment?
Of course not, Kiryu told himself. That reality was forever over. And even if Majima did miss him, how could Kiryu face him after doing what he did?
These nights were perhaps the worst. Waking up after hearing Majima call his name once more, Kiryu would get out of bed, reach for his pack of cigarettes, and change out of his night clothes. Unable to sleep, he’d seek a night stroll. He would find himself leaning against a bridge, cigarette in hand, and gaze up. Getting lost in the stars, his mind buzzed from lack of sleep and smoking, was all he could do to calm his nerves.
If he didn’t, then the enormity of his situation would come crashing down.
There was no way out from here. Even if there was, Kiryu didn’t want it. Not without his old life. Not without his children.
Kiryu frowned at the moon. The Principal, Kazama, Tachibana, Kashiwagi, Nishiki, Yumi, Rikiya, Haruka, his children, Goro…he had been a bother to so many people. He brought nothing but trouble in their lives. It would have been better for everyone if he had never existed…
The city was called Makurazaki of Kagoshima, the southernmost prefecture in Japan’s mainland. Kiryu found himself standing alone behind a rail facing the wide open ocean. He hadn’t even realized he had traveled this far south. Although it was early summer, the area was experiencing high winds and rain.
Kiryu peered out. If he jumped now, how long would it take him to swim to Okinawa from here? Thinking back to Okinawa, to home, he smiled sadly, wishing desperately he could reverse time.
He was so stupid. But he was also being so selfish. He was holding back Haruka. He was holding back everyone. He was always a bother to someone…
He placed one foot on the rail and pulled himself up. The waves crashed against his feet. He might not make the trip to Okinawa with turbulence like this. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing…
Kiryu looked out again, enjoying the breeze, the gentle caress of nature for perhaps the final time.
“You can enjoy that wind safely down here, you know,” chuckled a voice behind him.
Kiryu’s eyes flashed wide open. He thought he was alone on this part of the harbor.
Looking back he saw a tall man with grey hair studying him calmly. He wore a raincoat, obviously a lot more prepared for the weather than Kiryu was.
“Looks like there’s a lot weighing on your mind,” the man said. “You want to talk, son?”
Kiryu stared at him for a moment, unsure how to respond. He hadn’t spoken with another human being for quite some time. There were the occasional simple exchanges here and there, but nothing deeper than that. The act of socializing now felt almost foreign and unpleasant to Kiryu.
How could he get the old man to go away so he could go back to killing himself in peace?
Kiryu attempted to say something, but he could scarcely form words. Strange. Since when did he have trouble speaking? He turned back to the beckoning ocean.
And then he heard it. A song began to play, and a voice exceedingly lovely like an angel overshadowed the outpour of rain and cold heavy winds; she overflowed his heart with poignant warmth. His breath caught in his throat, Kiryu’s head spun around again, staring at the man. He was watching something on his phone.
“Sorry,” he said with a tiny chuckle. “Just got a notification about this debuting idol. Her first song’s just come out.”
Tentatively, Kiryu turned back around and gingerly stepped off the rails and back on solid ground. He peered into the small phone screen to see Haruka singing her heart out in the music video of her debut song. The explosion of pink and white lights reflected off his eyes and tears.
“She…she looks happy,” Kiryu said hoarsely. He hadn’t realized that the man had given him full custody of the phone so he could cradle it in the palm of his hand. He watched Haruka sing, a bright and beautiful smile shining on her face. She was happy. His daughter was happy.
“You saved him,” Majima said hollowly. It was hard to fight back the tears from his throat. He hated sounding this visibly upset in front of someone who wasn’t Kiryu, someone he could be vulnerable to, but words couldn’t begin to describe the relief that washed over him after hearing the whole story.
“Sawamura Haruka saved Kiryu Kazuma,” Akatani explained. “I was only lucky I managed to track down his exact location right in the nick of time. He was at the harbor of Makurazaki fully intending to end his life. The man, I’m sorry to say, is very mentally unwell.”
Majima coughed and wept silently.
“Despite that, he’s still quite clever. He soon figured out who had sent me. I apologize, Majima-san, but he refused to come back with me and refused to go to a hospital, as you had instructed.”
Majima’s heart sank, but he was half-expecting this response. Kazuma, you stupid, stubborn ox…
“We had to reach an agreement,” Akatani went on. “I agreed he should not be forced to go where he’s not comfortable, but he also promised not to remain here.”
“Still worried he might off himself?” Majima asked.
“Majima-san, if you saw the state he was in…”
Majima bit his lip hard until it bled. What’s happening to you, Kazuma my love? Why are you hurting so much?
“I escorted him back to the train station. Paid for his ticket. Gave him money too. Guy had not a single yen to his name.”
The hell…
“I’ll reimburse you,” Majima promised.
“It’s fine,” Akatani said. “I feel bad for the guy. I…I can understand his mental anguish.” Majima thought back to Akatani’s own family. “But I do think he needs to see a doctor. You clearly care for him despite whatever happened between you two. If there’s any way to convince him to go…”
Majima just hung his head. Mountains would be easier to move. “Where’d you send him?”
“Fukuoka, near Nagasugai…”
Wasn’t there a yakuza family who operated in Nagasugai? Their numbers were on the small side, but they were present nonetheless. He had to tell Daigo immediately about this; the man had been hounding Majima for updates ever since he heard Kiryu had gone missing, and it made Majima terribly sick in the stomach knowing if Kiryu had been hurt or dead he had something to do with it.
How Daigo wished to proceed with the information was his call, but Majima imagined the chairman was likely to send in someone to watch over Kiryu, especially given his deteriorated mental state.
Majima nodded before remembering that his friend couldn’t see him through the phone. He thanked Akatani and ended the call.
Stars still sparkled in the sky. It wasn’t the most ideal of circumstances, as Majima wanted Kiryu back here with him, in his arms, but if Kiryu wanted space and time alone, to figure himself out, then Majima would grant him that. Maybe a bit of time alone could help Majima as well.
At least for now they knew that Kiryu was safe. They could keep an eye on him from afar.
In Yokohama, a homeless man turned in his makeshift bed under the bridge. A tiny sound roused him from his slumber. Cracking open one eye, he watched as, down by the green river, a cellphone resurfaced from the thick murky depths.
Just as he was wondering how much it would fetch him from the local pawn shop, bubbles formed around it, and one instant moment later a hand shot out from the depths and snatched it.
Both phone and hand disappeared completely, and the old man wondered if he had even seen either in the first place.
Down in Okinawa, a little boy did not sleep. He stayed up late on the beach, space magazine propped open on his lap. Out here getting himself lost in the stars seemed far more safer than whatever hellhole Morning Glory had turned into.
He hadn’t heard from Kiryu or Majima for over six months. The silence depressed Shiro. And frightened him too. Were they busy? Too busy for the kids? Or did something happen? But Majima wouldn’t keep something from the kids, would he?
He knew they weren’t supposed to keep contact, but…should Majima at least have let them talk, just this once?
Today was Sunday, June 17th. It was both Kiryu’s birthday and Father’s Day, and the cruel irony wasn’t lost on Shiro. They should have been celebrating Kiryu’s birthday and him being the most amazing father in the world, all of the kids along with Haruka and Majima and Natsumi. Morning Glory’s lights would have been lit with the warm glow as the family partook in some activity to mark the special double holiday. Instead Majima had gone silent, and Kiryu…
Shiro flipped through the magazine for perhaps the hundredth time beside the beach, and an advertisement in English caught his attention. He had seen it before but never gave it much thought until now.
He traced the letters over the photo of stars and planets and people saluting the American flag. He read the words softly out loud to himself, his eyebrows knitted.
“Galaxy…Garrison…”
Lost in the Stars by Hallu Monn
End of Part 4: Shiratori
Notes:
And with that, we move into the Yakuza 5 era. XD And Voltron fans! Ooh, did we end this with a rather familiar name? 👀
What option did you pick to comfort Eri? Poor thing T_T I’m really putting her through the emotional wringer, eh? 💔
And yep, this is the origin story of Majima no MajiROCK, at least for this fanfic XD Of course Majima would make a song and scream Kiryu’s name into it. Aww. I noticed that you can hear a version of the song if you’re in places like Poppo’s in Kiwami, so I decided to say that the song was a remix of something that was from the same studio as Osaka Talent. I wonder what Majima's bestie Katsuya thinks of Majima's singing. 🤔
This chapter earns you a trophy! Wish Upon a Star Click on B20 in "Trophies" of your Activity Log to earn your trophy for reading this far!
And with that, we are done with Part 4! Ahh, we’re halfway done! (although…as alluded by the 21/56 teaser, the second half is…a little chunkier XD )
Anyhow, Part 5 Chapter 1 will be posted on Wednesday, August 13! See you then! 💕
Chapter 22: V.1 Letters from Professor Cosmos
Notes:
Welcome to Part 5 of LASL! Starting a new era is always fun. This is a pretty long Part too, enough to be a 100K+ novel. I wonder if I should have split the Parts into individual fics, but what with the substories, I think this is easier to hop between just two fics. 💕
Warning for suicidal ideation. It’s Y5 so…you know. I cried while revising this chapter, so I felt the warning is appropriate. 💕
Also, I apologize in advance for the embedded video. I tried to find one that didn’t include the button presses but included the heat action; the one I ended up choosing was the best video out there (you’re the goat, Leon!) I hope it’s not too distracting. XD
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 5: Kurosawa | 黒澤
Chapter 1: Letters From Professor Cosmos
June 2012
The day began like any other for Nakajima Yotaro. Waking up at 5 am sharp, he got ready for the day before heading over to Nagasu Taxi, a small but thriving little company he himself had founded in 1992. Nakajima was a rather short and portly middle-aged man, sporting black browline glasses and the sort of smile that would instantly endear him to anyone he met. His daily attire was proper: a grey sweater and white shirt with a black long coat during the winter, the sort of look fitting for a respectful owner of a business. Looking at him, no would never have ever guessed he was quite the speed demon in his youth.
The work today went as usual, busy enough that he hadn’t even felt the time pass. The warmth of the environment of Nagasu Taxi kept employees content and comfortable. Almost everyone was fighting their demons here. Nakajima may not be aware of what those demons were; out of respect he never asked about them, but he took pride that his staff found solace under his roof.
It was already the end of his shift, but the thought of returning to an empty home displeased him. Seeking company, and as it was customary to drink with one’s boss, he searched for who among his employees he was to spend the evening with. He first tried his longtime friend and colleague Wada Yuzo, who reminded him that he was overseeing the night shift. Hirakawa Hiroe kindly reminded him she was visiting her sickly niece at the hospital after clocking out. The others had either already left for the day or had just begun their shift.
That left Nakajima to stroll Nagasugai alone. It wasn’t often he was left to his own devices, but he would make the most of it. There was plenty to do, and no one to stop him after filling his belly with plenty of good sake and noodles. With that optimistic thought, his feet guided him to one of his favorite food stalls.
Fukuoka was well known for their open food stalls, known as yatai. Several could be seen lined along the city’s picturesque and well-known river, offering scrumptious delicacies such as yakitori, oden, and Hakata’s local famous ramen: thin ramen noodles cooked in tonkotsu. Each stall could serve up to eight people, and plenty of alcoholic beverages were offered.
As Nakajima made his way to one with the chef who gave generous portions of both drink and noodles, he passed by a tall, scary-looking man gazing out the river. He wore a scowl and held a cigarette to his lips, looking every bit the yakuza type. Nakajima shivered. As long as that man didn’t come here spoiling for a fight at the stalls, he could ignore him and enjoy his evening.
Except…there was something off about the guy, but Nakajima couldn’t quite put his finger on what that was. He hadn’t seen a guy like him around here before. He couldn’t be part of the local yakuza organization, not that Nakajima knew much about them. Fukuoka ranked as the sixth largest city in Japan, but he’d surely have remembered a guy like him.
By the time Nakajima settled himself at his favorite spot, he had nearly forgotten all about the strange man.
He ordered his usual and was halfway through his bowl and second glass of sake when the man from the bridge sat down at the same stall. He gave his order in a quiet, nearly silent, voice to the chef, drawing Nakajima’s attention to him.
Despite the initial fright he gave Nakajima, upon closer inspection he couldn’t help but feel sorry and a deep compassion for him. He sat across from Nakajima, but even from this distance shadows of sorrow and an unfathomable sadness and loneliness swam in the man’s large brown eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, and bags formed under them, and from the rumpled state of his clothes Nakajima wondered when was the last time he had slept properly. He suspected the small carry case was all the man possessed in the world.
The man made himself small in the cramped little stall. A mouse in a lion’s body. A tiny, wounded little mouse. He had ordered the smallest bowl on the menu with virtually no embellishments, and the smallest glass not even halfway filled. So little food to feed such a large man. He ate with tiny bites with every intent on making his measly dinner last as long as possible. Was the man homeless? What was his story?
And then a scream ripped through the night. Nakajima’s head snapped up and turned to the stall right next to them. Even the man had stopped and starred, his eyes large and glassy as if roused from a deep slumber.
“Get off me, creep!”
“Ah, c’mon, sweet cheeks,” meowed a lowly-looking punk as he reached again for the woman’s arm. She screamed and tried to push him off only to trip and land right in the arms of another lowlife punk.
Nakajima shook his head. Such a shame. Such a pretty, young, and innocent woman, and to be caught in this disgusting web of harassment and abuse, and right before the eyes of the public! Why wasn’t anyone moving?! Nakajima spun around as if silently begging someone—anyone!—to move. If this was his daughter, why he’d…maybe he himself should take a stand and—
But before he could get off from his seat, the man across from him shot up and stormed toward the men like a bolt of lightning.
“Yo,” he spoke, his voice low and gravelly. He staggered while he walked, and Nakajima wondered if he was a lightweight or if he simply hadn’t eaten properly for days. He placed himself in front of the young woman, blocking the punks from getting to her.
Moving gingerly, Nakajima approached and gently coaxed her away just as the punk delivered the man an uppercut. The young woman screamed again as the punks reigned down a beating on the man, fists and bats and iron rods. He hoisted her to safety within the food stall as others just stared in horror, witnessing certain murder taking place right before their eyes.
Except luck or some god favored the man that night. The punks eventually tired of their execution on the man ruining their catch and sauntered off.
Ensuring the coast was clear, Nakajima approached tentatively.
To his surprise, the man managed to struggle back to his feet, then pulled himself to his full height. His eyes rolled around in his skull as he regained his composure. Seeing the others around him, he attempted to bow, but then stopped, as it was clearly about to make him pass out.
“Sorry,” he apologized over and over, to the customers trying to enjoy a meal, to the chefs, to the woman, to Nakajima. “Sorry, sorry…”
“Y’ve nothin to worry about!” Nakajima said, laughing, amazed.
To take such a beating and still get up? Just who was this incredible man? What was his story?!
He got the man checked out at a nearby clinic. Bandaged up and on IV antibiotics, he sat slumped in the clinic by the time Nakajima returned to check in on him. The woman had followed him to thank the mystery man for saving her life. He barely acknowledged her. His eyes stared up ahead, haunted, lonely, and sad as ever.
Patting her hand, Nakajima informed the woman that he was sure it was no trouble for the man and saw her out. It was best he dealt with the man alone. He had seen many like him before, a man with skeletons in his closet. A man who had fallen on hard times.
Nakajima considered himself a strong judge of character; he knew a good soul when he saw one.
“Holdin’ up okay, son?” he asked kindly.
The man nodded. “Yeah. Thank you. I’m sorry again for earlier. I did not mean to make a mess of things.”
Nakajima held up his hand. “No need for the apologies. You saved a woman’s life. You got a place to stay tonight?”
The man dipped his head and instinctively clutched the carry bag he had with him like a kid to a comfort toy. He never let that thing out of his sight.
“Guess that means no. What’s your name, son?”
The man bit his lower lip, hesitating. Yep, he definitely had skeletons in his closest.
“My name…Suzuki,” he said.
The second most popular surname in Japan. Nakajima had met plenty of Suzukis in his life, and not all of them were really from that family.
“Got a forename?”
The man’s eyes lingered on his carry bag.
“…Taichi,” he eventually said.
“Suzuki Taichi. Did I get that right?” Nakajima gave the man some time to try out the name and see if this was an alias he wanted to adopt.
“Yeah,” the man said with a nod.
“Listen, Suzuki-san, tomorrow I want ya to come to this address, got it?” He offered up his business card to Suzuki. Suzuki’s eyes widened.
“A taxi company?” he said hoarsely.
Nakajima nodded. “It’s my company. Looks like ya don’t have a job, am I correct?”
Suzuki’s eyes cast to the side, but he gave a nod.
“Let me help ya, in thanks for saving that woman’s life.”
“I…”
“My company helps people such as yaself, Suzuki-san,” Nakajima said. “Ya got a license?”
Suzuki grew quiet. “My name is Suzuki Taichi.”
Confused for a moment, Nakajima laughed. Of course, his actual license would reveal his name. “I get it. We can get ya a new ID if ya lost yers. No biggie. Then I’ll begin trainin’ ya for the company.”
“You…you’ll do that?”
Nakajima smiled warmly.
He found a small, cheap apartment relatively near Nagasu Taxi Company. He paid the first month’s rent for Suzuki. It was out of the goodwill of his heart and didn’t expect that money back, but Suzuki promised to pay back with the money he earned at the company. He next treated Suzuki out to a proper dinner, and indeed the man hadn’t eaten well for days, or possibly weeks.
Suzuki didn’t stop thanking Nakajima the entire time. Such a polite man. A polite man with a scary face and even scarier muscles, but in clear possession of a broken heart and soul. What an interesting character.
By the time Nakajima returned home, sober but feeling accomplished, it was close to midnight, but he hardly complained. He earned himself a new promising employee, and he had, maybe, he hoped, helped to change a man’s life for the better.
Taking a brief break from studying, Shiro straightened his posture, stretched, and glanced out of the library window with a small frown.
It was late November. Majima had eventually gotten back to Shiro on the matter of Kiryu. Turns out the two of them had to separate for some time. Majima made it seem like Kiryu had found a job in Nagasugai, Fukuoka, a city at the north of Kyushu Island and just slightly over 880 kilometers away from Tokyo. Shiro couldn’t imagine what sort of job would take Kiryu so far away from Majima, and he wondered if there was more to the story, but Taichi and Ayako had warned Shiro not to pry any further.
Let the men be.
So Shiro had dropped the issue, but that didn’t mean he was any happier. Now they were really cut off from Kiryu for good, as he apparently had a new phone but not even Majima knew it (why would that be that case? What sort of job did Majima get Uncle Kaz into?!) The annoyance, anger, and frustration only bred resentment toward Majima, and eventually Shiro stopped even trying to talk with him.
It was a Saturday today, but of course that didn’t mean Shiro was going to spend any unnecessary moment at the orphanage. He got up as early as he could, got ready for the day at record speed, and grabbed a boiled egg from the kitchen table with a quick “Good morning” and “Thank you” to Ayako before rushing out.
Breakfast was done with before he was out the gate.
Finding his place at the library, he had settled down with his books and began today’s reviewing session. He had already done all homework for his school. He always got them done as soon as he could to avoid any punishment from Sakuma, should anything arise.
This was something else. Something new, but something Shiro really wanted to excel at.
Japanese grammar rules used to confuse and frustrate Shiro, but that only made him more determined to master it, and now a little older he found himself staring at another language with an equally perplexing structure: English.
Just what the hell was up with English? Look, looking, looked was an appropriate set of ruling for the simple, present, and past tenses for most words, but then there also were plenty of exceptions such as think, thinking, thought or strange anomalies such as take, took, taken. And English had an obscene amount of these irregular verbs. Why couldn’t languages be more rational like Math? Who came up with this format? Were they drunk?!
Shiro shook his head. It was all down to memorization in the end. Memoization and repeated exposure. He was pushing himself to be able to better read the articles written in English from the magazine Kiryu had gotten him months back. He had already read all of the articles in Japanese, but he really wanted to understand the ones in English.
The astronomy magazine had a monthly release, and Shiro couldn’t help subscribing to it with his allowance money. It was a little something to look forward to when he got home once a month, at least.
It wasn’t just for escapism, either. There was a man named Kurosawa Isamu who had recently begun working in the United States, and there were several articles excitedly discussing the possibility of space travel to one of Jupiter’s moons this July.
Jupiter’s moons.
Space exploration had taken humankind to the moon and to Mars, but even that was mostly achieved by unmanned spacecrafts and remote-controlled motor vehicles or Rovers, which were still active today. But a manned expedition to Jupiter’s moons?! The very thought rendered Shiro speechless. Was that scientific possibility almost a reality now?
He clung to the thought at night, anchoring him to sanity amidst the bleakness of Sakuma’s ugly influence over the once comforting abode. He simply had to devour any information on this upcoming space expedition. He bore Yukiho with talk of it. If it was somehow possible, she seemed to fall asleep in the dreamworld hearing him ramble on about it.
Other than this growing obsession, there wasn’t much else going on in Shiro’s life. Not much more for him to look forward…that is, other than the money that trickled in from Kiryu.
After a study session, Shiro would head out and likely run into one of his siblings and together they would gather around the ATM machine at the nearby M Store. There was always money from Kiryu. The money Park Mirei had promised them never resumed to the initial promised amount. Sakuma kept skimming the lion’s share for herself, but of course no one dared to complain. Even Eri was warned to keep her mouth shut.
Haruka must have sensed something was amiss, or she was just being a good older sister, because money came from her too. She always sent the money around a scheduled time: same day of the week, same time. Not too much money, but enough to use as a weekly allowance. Shiro wondered how much idols really made.
Kiryu sent money a little haphazardly. There was no set time or day. The amount he sent was also varied, which made Shiro think his new job must not have paid him a fixed amount. No one complained, as it wasn’t even required for either family member to send money in the first place.
“Wish I had a job,” Shiro heard Taichi complain on multiple occasions. “I wouldn’t feel so guilty about shouldering all the responsibility on Uncle Kaz.”
“Even if you did,” Ayako said one day when she overheard him complaining, “how are you even going to let him know?”
Shiro had never seen Taichi look so miserable.
Being a cab driver got easier as time went on. Nakajima was a dedicated and excellent instructor. Kiryu knew how to drive and was praised before for always using his turn signal, but he had never driven a taxi cab prior to this job. He was offered the chance to learn from Ma—no. Thinking about him hurt—There were a few more details to taxi cars he wasn’t privy to before, such as the existence of a switch that made the taxi lights atop the cab blink red in case of an emergency.
And yet still, the first day on the job found Kiryu sitting shaking and nervous to the core and half-hoping no one would hail a ride from him. What if he panicked and forgot the roads? What if he couldn’t reach the destination in time or in an orderly fashion? What if he got into an accident and hurt his patron? He was always messing up, always hurting everyone around him—
A knock sounded on the car window.
“Excuse me, sir,” came a timid little voice. “Can you drive me to Granny?”
It was a small boy, not more than an elementary school child. As it turned out, he had never ridden in a taxi before, but he had a map showing the pathway to his grandmother’s house. He was just as nervous as Kiryu was, being out on his own for the first time, but seeing the smile on his face once he had reached his destination ignited a drive in Kiryu. He would be brave, just like that little boy.
As it turned out, Kiryu loved this job. He wondered why he hadn’t picked this up before, and he sort of kicked himself for not having agreed to work for Majima’s own taxi company before—
No. He had agreed with himself to stop thinking about that man.
He was starting anew in Nagasugai, Fukuoka. He was finding himself, and he hoped his old flame was doing the same. Mirei had told him he should be focusing on finding his own path, his dream.
Perhaps this was it. And for both of their sakes, he hoped Majima was doing the same.
He was no longer living under the name Kiryu Kazuma anymore. That name only attracted ill will and bad luck everywhere he went. Despite choosing this alias on a whim, Kiryu clung to the name Suzuki Taichi.
Yet that didn’t seem to cast away all of his problems. Rather, he was attracting a new set of them. Early on into his new life Kiryu noticed a young woman hanging around his new apartment. She turned out to be the woman he had saved that same fateful night when he met Nakajima.
She said her name was Mayumi. She worked as a hostess at a local cabaret club, and she invited herself into his life, taking up residency in his apartment. Kiryu suspected she was sent by someone, perhaps the very same person who had sent the man who stopped Kiryu from ending his life down at Makurazaki. It angered Kiryu that Majima thought he would be stupid enough not to notice, especially given Majima’s past actions of pushing women into Kiryu’s arms, but he couldn’t turn that bitterness toward Mayumi.
He let her linger around the place. She flitted in and out of the apartment, mostly to cook or do house chores around as though she were his personal cleaning woman. Kiryu never had such a hire before. Natsumi and him were equals. They split the chores along with the kids and everyone took turns at every chore (though some (Taichi) complained.)
But the truth was, Kiryu didn’t have much motivation to wash his clothes, iron his shirts, or cook for himself in the early days living in Fukuoka. Mayumi took care of that for him. She swept the floors, dusted out his bed covers, and made him meals. She also restocked his shaving supplies, opting for small blades so he couldn’t hurt himself even if he tried.
Not once did Kiryu look at her with a romantic lens. She wasn’t really his type, not that Kiryu thought he had a type. He always looked into a person’s soul. Not that Mayumi wasn’t a very kind and sweet soul. He simply wasn’t in the mood for romance at all. All things considered, he was giving up on the very idea of it, and besides that, just the mere thought of taking advantage of her generosity after saving her life felt exceedingly crude. He didn’t protect people with the expectation of any reward. He just wanted people to be safe.
After Majima, Kiryu was through with that whole world of romance; the very thought of love now made him sick to his stomach. He avoided cabaret clubs and hostess clubs which he used to visit whenever he felt lonely. He even avoided going out to drink, even with other coworkers. He used to get himself smash drunk as it could aid him in battle, but he couldn’t do that anymore. His job required mental alertness, and Kiryu was willing to give up drinking for his job. He would get proper sleep before every shift…
Heck, sometimes all he ever seemed to do when he didn’t work was sleep.
But this was the deal he had made with himself: he wasn’t Kiryu Kazuma anymore. He was living in the straight and narrow, and he wouldn’t give that old life another glance. Most days he just wanted to be alone, to just smoke in his apartment and be lost in his thoughts.
But as much as Mayumi’s presence was oftentimes a nuisance, Kiryu did also appreciate her company.
Humans weren’t made to live in total isolation.
Kiryu had never before been part of a legitimate company as Nagasu Taxi Company before. Not as a leader, not in a business that was yakuza-run or the front for a yakuza family. Not a business in the grey areas of society. Not a part-time gig. Not a job that wasn’t really a job but his heart and home down in Okinawa.
A normal, steady full-time job. As simply a face in the crowd.
Kiryu loved his job. He did everything by the book. He took meticulous care of his cab. Most of all, he was finally making money. He sent everything he made and only left enough for himself for necessities. He had no care to shop for clothes unless the need desperately arose, and no trinket caught his attention. His children needed money way more than him.
His shifts changed. Sometimes Kiryu worked during the days, sometimes during the evenings, but it provided him with plenty of opportunity to meet and converse with new people. When he was alone in the apartment, that was when the dark thoughts would return. Something about it felt strangely familiar. Disturbingly comforting with its familiarity. He felt like this after losing Kazama, Nishiki, and Yumi all in one week. The bleak darkness Majima and Haruka had fought so hard to dispel; it returned now with a vengeance. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad, this dark cloud always choking him like an inhale of cigarette smoke lovingly burning his insides. He had missed it; this darkness was a friend he could rely on.
For some reason he never felt completely warm. He used to be able to sleep in his Yokohama apartment in the dead of winter in nothing but sweat pants, but now he wore a hoodie and piled on thick duvets and even still he would shiver from the cold. Perhaps living in Okinawa for years had changed his cold tolerance. That had to be it. But even when Mayumi had the heater going he still shivered.
Once or twice she asked him if he wanted to see a doctor or a therapist. He just glared at her. Why would he need a therapist? For what?
Every time Mayumi left the apartment, she took all the knives with her.
It was perhaps for the best. When she was working late at night and Kiryu awoke all alone, sometimes certain ideas would get into his head, and he needed to step out and breathe the air before the ideas turned to shadows that completely eclipsed his mind. Other times he couldn’t move from his spot, too cold yet catatonic, too weak to stop the shadows from engulfing him whole.
Sometimes thinking about his children comforted him and encouraged him to keep going. Other times, the very thought of his beloved family made the pain a million times worse.
His apartment was right beside an Italian restaurant, Grissini, and taking in the aroma he could almost hear his children begging him to go get something there for them (he would, of course, even with fifty different orders.) There was a lovely pedestrian bridge a short walking distance from his apartment, the Ose Bridge which stretched over the Nakagawa River. Beyond the bridge was the Kihinkan Hall. Built in 1910 as a guesthouse, it was now a tourist attraction.
Kiryu never set foot there. He would only go one day with his family. With everyone, including Haruka and Majima.
There was a yakuza family that operated in Nagasugai known as the Yamagasa Family. Kiryu had heard of them early on. May have driven a thug or associated gang member once or twice. They were small in number but rough around the edges. He gave them a wide berth but nonetheless kept constant vigilance on their movement. Where there were yakuza, the Tojo Clan or the Omi Alliance were sure to sniff around eventually.
Kiryu couldn’t have that. This was his new home, and he could live out here for however long he needed, possibly until the end of his life. The very last thing he needed, that his children needed, were the yakuza crashing in on the tiny morsel of light Kiryu held onto in his miserable existence.
That was why when he began to notice a large bunch of rough-looking men in suits suddenly roaming the streets of Fukuoka one December evening, his heart sank. Were these Tojo or Omi men? He didn’t linger around to find out from the pins on their lapels. He had the night shift, but even still, Kiryu grabbed a face mask and dark shades from a nearby convenience store. It was as flimsy a disguise imaginable; if anything, it probably drew more attention to him, but he couldn’t risk getting recognized.
He had no idea what business the Tojo had here. Whatever it was, he hoped it was a one-day deal and the clan would leave tonight. He wondered if Majima was among them; he’d recognize Kiryu instantly. He’d laugh at Kiryu’s stupid little disguise. His knuckles tightened over the steering wheel as his mind played out the entire argument.
The Yamagasa Family were out in full force today as well. Kiryu sighed in his cab. Had he known, he would have requested a change in his work schedule. Normally he would not have made such a fuss. He never complained about his schedule. He accepted any openings and even took on additional shifts. It wasn’t like he had anything else going on in his life.
But tonight?
Another taxi was parked in front of him on the side of a road, so for now Kiryu figured he was safe. It was customary for patrons to enter the taxi in the front of a line. He should be fine…that is, until he saw a very familiar man approach him.
Damn it. Shit!
Of all people in the world, why him?
Dojima Daigo approached as though he knew exactly where to find Kiryu. He kept his eyes forward, but his heart raced. Don’t you dare, not here, don’t shatter the new life I’ve built—
With the man now standing right next to his window tapping, Kiryu had no option but to follow protocol. He rolled down the window but said nothing.
“Mind giving me a lift?”
Kiryu didn’t reply. In truth his mind was whirling at top speed trying to think of a way out of this. Should he try to disguise his voice? What was the point of this? Daigo had already sniffed him out. And why the hell was Daigo of all people cornering him all of a sudden?!
“I said I’d like a ride,” Daigo said firmly, sounding every bit the yakuza he had become.
“Then ask the taxi at the front,” Kiryu responded. “That’s how this works.”
“No. I think I’d prefer this one.”
He was going to hear about this from Nakajima later. Taxi drivers were never supposed to take on passengers from the middle of the line. He only prayed that the other driver from Tenjin Transportations didn’t hate him too much on the faux paus he was about to commit.
The doors swung open, and Daigo seated himself. Giving no destination, Daigo ordered Kiryu to simply drive. Kiryu spoke as little as possible.
After a few attempts to get him to talk about life at Nagasugai, Daigo gave up and said he was going to “think aloud” for a while. Although he disguised his words, speaking of the clan as a legitimate company from Kanto with the Omi as a competing firm from Kansai, Kiryu got the gist of what he was saying.
He rambled on about the current state of the Tojo Clan. The current Omi chairman was dying of terminal lung cancer with about one month left to live. He was good in keeping matters peaceful between the Tojo and the Omi, but in light of the cancer, everything could all change. Three candidates have risen as potential replacements as chairmen, and all three hated the Tojo. This would mean dissolving the friendly relations that had formed between the two groups.
“Thats’ why I’m here in Fukuoka,” Daigo finished. “To seek opportunities with other like-minded companies outside of Kansai. Mergers and acquisitions, you might say.” Should relations between the Tojo and Omi dissolve, Daigo wanted as many people on the Tojo’s side as possible. He had sent men to Nagoya and Sapporo to make alliances there just as he was here.
The thought of an impending war spanning across all of Japan made Kiryu ill at ease, but he refused to show any reaction. However, he wasn’t going to listen to any more of this garbage. He had a new life, and he refused to get dragged back to the fray after everything he had been put through, after everything Majima and the Tojo had put him through. It wouldn’t be fair to his children. It wouldn’t be fair to Haruka.
He stopped at a bridge, and politely yet firmly sent Daigo on his way. He waived the fare. That was all he was willing to do for the damn Tojo, especially after…everything.
He drove off, and in the rearview mirror he could see Daigo light a cigarette, all alone in an unfamiliar town. He bit back the guilt. This was the boy he used to babysit, the punk he had to knock sense back into, the young man he watched proudly as he accepted his new role as leader with his full chest, the green chairman he had appointed Majima to look after. The chairman who had weathered turbulence after turbulence with admirable tenacity.
Daigo was an adult now. He had a good head on his shoulders. He had strong and loyal men at his side. He had his own life to lead, just as Kiryu had his. And Kiryu couldn’t split himself in half. He had people he needed to protect, just as much as Daigo had.
This was for the best.
Trying to forget what had just happened, Kiryu parked in front of an eatery and ordered a bowl of kakesoba. As he slurped down his noodles, he overheard two men talking across the eatery from him. The TV was on, and they were jeering at the idol on TV. Daring a glance, he saw…Haruka.
She was sitting dressed in a hot pink and white costume, and even from here Kiryu could pinpoint the nervousness behind her smile.
“They call it the Princess League,” one cabdriver was telling his coworker. “Some kinda competition for amateur idols to strut their stuff. Pretty sure the winner gets signed to some big time label.”
So was that where Haruka was headed? Did Park think this was a good idea?
“Bet they gotta strut their stuff in the bedroom, too, if you get me,” said the other cab driver. Kiryu frowned. He continued holding his bowl, but he didn’t take another bite. He really didn’t need that thought in his head right now. Haruka was growing up, yes, but she was still young, and she shouldn’t—she’d never use her body that way, would she?—no, no! That wasn’t how he raised her—she’d never do that, would she?—“All these idol types sleep their way up the ladder. Stay too long in the biz and it’s gonna twist you up somethin’ fierce.”
“No doubt about that,” said the first guy. “Not a fly’s chance in a farmland I’d let my daughter on somethin’ like this. Y’ask me, it comes down to the parents. Dig a bit and you’ll find they’re all chasin’ some long lost dream.” Every word cut deep. Kiryu bit his lower lip. They didn’t know what it was like. They didn’t know his situation. Their situation. “Not a single thought fer the wolves they’re tossing their kid to.”
He had heard enough. Slamming his bowl down, he stormed out of the eatery without another word.
Perhaps a drink was a good idea after all.
NOTICE: The following substory has been unlocked:
▶ Substory #08 — On the Horns of Dilemma
“Hurry, everyone!” Ayako called out. “The show’s about to begin!”
Shiro settled himself between Eri and Izumi as the dining room filled with the rest of his siblings (Sakuma, thankfully, was not joining them for this occasion.)
He wasn’t sure what to expect with this Princess League event. He wasn’t familiar with the sort of music that idols put out into the world. Not that Shiro was much of a music buff to begin with. He did enjoy listening to the 80s hits and whatever songs Kiryu and Haruka played around the house, but he never ventured much for himself.
Haruka and Ayako kept in touch via text and phone over time. That was how they learned that Haruka had enrolled in the annual Princess League, a contest that showcased all up and coming idols. The winner would make it big with a debut concert set for Tokyo Dome. Not that it mattered much to Shiro. They wouldn’t be able to afford enough to go watch and support Haruka in person anyway, but at least they could do all that from the comforts of their little dining room.
“So this is what Park-san wants for Haruka?” Eri said.
“Haruka’s been training very hard for tonight!” Izumi said with a nod.
Eri scoffed. “With what? Dancing and singing? Have the idols fight it out! A battle royale! That’s the only way to get what you want!”
“How bloodthirsty of you,” Shiro laughed.
Riona gasped nearby. “She’s so pretty!”
The contestants had stepped on stage. Haruka was wearing a hot pink vest with white puffy short sleeves, and a short multi-layered skirt made of different fabrics and colors: hot pink, a strip of lavender, and some white here and there. Pink stars and ribbons dangled from the right side of her headband microphone, and hot pink go go boots completed the look. Haruka gave off an energy of innocence and high energy.
Her competition were two girls around the same age who were competing as a duo. They wore matching black and red costumes that gave them a formidable yet professional demeanor. As the television program went on to introduce the girls, Shiro learned the duo were collectively known as T-Set, and their names were Osawa Azusa and Sanada Mai.
“Haruka’s dancing against them?” Izumi said. “One against two? That’s not fair!”
“Supposedly they’re kinda professional compared to Haruka,” Riona said. “But I’m not worried.”
“Yeah, Haruka’ll be fine,” Mitsuo said. “Uncle Kaz got her a great teacher before he left. She won’t disappoint him.”
“Yeah, she’ll be the Dragon of the Idol Stage,” Koji added.
The others laughed and didn’t quiet down until the Princess League contest’s host, Dolce Kamiya, welcomed all viewers and members of the audience.
Soon the girls took position and then the music, an upbeat and energetic pop song, began.
Up until this point, Shiro had no idea what to expect, and so both the song and the dance completely blew his mind.
Two groups of idols were to attempt to out dance and sing the other over a song. This was Haruka’s song, and no matter what, T-Set could not keep up. They began strong, Shiro gave them that, but they soon fell behind as all attention turned to Haruka, the charming newcomer from Okinawa. And they were the professionals?! Haruka took charge of that stage, dancing her heart out, every move as contagious as her lively and upbeat singing. Shiro had never seen her so lit up before!
Everyone in the dining room had gone out of their minds.
“ALRIGHT, HARUKA!” Taichi was cheering.
“YOU’RE ON FIRE!” Riona screamed and whooped.
“She got all that energy from chasing you around!” Eri laughed at Taichi, but everyone was in such a good mood no one gave her flak for that.
Shiro, meanwhile, was also struck by her words. From the bits he could catch, he was suddenly reminded of how she looked during the months leading up to her departure. How she would scribble ideas down in her notebook. Did Haruka write this song? Perhaps the studio did, but perhaps Haruka had some say in the matter. Shiro had to look up the lyrics later to make sure, but it felt like the song was dedicated to Kiryu and to them…
And then Haruka did something no one expected.
Haruka was twirling around on the stage. Then facing the audience, she placed her hands on her hips as she dipped, then she swung her hands out and then…her left foot tapped the ground, and suddenly her go go boots transformed in front of everyone’s eyes. In its place pink high heels appeared just as a long white stocking materialized up to her thighs. The white cuffs around her wrists transformed into long white gloves.
Even her entire outfit had shifted. Instead of the cutesy and neon pink outfit she now stood in soft white and pink, a princess of the modern era. Her vest had changed into a pink decorative corset top with a long lacy trail behind her, and instead of a skirt she wore hot pink short shorts.
And atop her head was a small diamond tiara.
Riona screamed gleefully at the top of her lungs.
“DID YOU SEE THAT? HOW’D SHE DO THAT? THAT WAS SO AMAZING COOL! IT’S LIKE SHE’S A MAGICAL GIRL!”
She flailed and grabbed the TV, nearly upsetting it, but no one even cared. The entire place had come alive. Not a single iota of a second was given to T-Set by now. All attention was on Haruka as she finished the song with a cutesy feminine pose.
The crowd, and Morning Glory, went wild.
With that spectacular performance, it wasn’t surprising that Haruka won the first round in the Princess League contest, but everyone still cheered and applauded. Sakuma could not wait until Dolce Kamiya bid the audience good night and the credits rolled. She shut off the TV and ordered everyone to bed.
Undeterred by her coldness, everyone was still buzzing over Haruka’s performance.
“She’s really a star,” Ayako was saying as she dabbed at her tears.
“I hope the interviewer asks the costume department how they made her dress change like that,” Riona said, stars still dazzling in her eyes. “That was amazing, just like an anime!”
After taking his turn to wash up and get ready for bed, Shiro lay staring at the ceiling, a big smile on his face.
“Hey, Yukiho, is it possible to rewind and show you what I saw?”
“I think so! What memory do you want to share with me?”
“I think you’ll love it. My eldest sister is a rising star…”
Kiryu did indeed have to apologize for taking a passenger from the middle of the queue later that evening. He made his formal apology to Tenjin Transportation, and pleased with his etiquette, Nakajima took him out for a meal and some drinks.
He worked another shift the following day, and it turned out to be pretty eventful with plenty of employee workshops in addition to his normal work. He took a small cigarette break once that was all over, then resumed the day’s work.
That evening as he pulled into the taxi’s parking lot and exited, two men wearing dark suits approached.
“Suzuki Taichi-san, yes?” one of the men said with a curt bow of his head. He was shorter of the two and spoke properly, not in the way most yakuza typically spoke.
Kiryu just stood there and stared at them both, not speaking for a few moments. His heart very briefly dropped. How did they know his alias? He didn’t recognize them at all. He would have definitely remembered driving men like these.
“There’s something we’d like to ask you,” the man continued. “Can you spare a moment?”
“Sorry but I’m busy,” Kiryu said and popped open the trunk of his taxi. He would have gone straight for the Nagasu’s front doors, but he wasn’t going to let two two-bit yakuza scare him from collecting his coat and the day’s earnings he kept in a carry bag, nor to interfere with his post-shift routine.
“I don’t understand. Hasn’t your shift ended?”
Shit. How long were they spying on him?
“As I’m sure you can see,” Kiryu said as he produced a large feather duster and made for the windows, “there’s more to my work than just driving. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
The larger man glowered at him and took a threatening step forward, but the shorter one threw his arm out, blocking him. Ignoring them, Kiryu moved to dusting the roof of his car and worked his way down toward the front windows.
“It’ll only be a moment,” the shorter man said. “Surely you can spare that…Kiryu Kazuma-san.”
Kiryu froze, his hand still on the roof. Slowly he turned toward the men, glaring at the Tojo pins on their lapels.
Why were they here? First Daigo and now them. Why were the Tojo so desperate to ruin him at every little damn attempt of a normal life?
Disgruntled, he threw the feather duster back into the trunk and yanked out his coat. He led the men to the footpath next to the Chikuzengawa River, a few paces away from Nagasu Taxi Company. This wasn’t a conversation for any civilian to overhear.
The shorter of the men introduced himself as Morinaga Yu. The large guy was both Morinaga’s junior associate and oath brother, his kyodai, and his name was Aizawa Masato.
Morinaga explained to Kiryu that Daigo had come to Fukuoka on official business, and they were appointed by the chief of headquarters Aoyama to ensure his safety. But Daigo had been missing since last night.
Kiryu thought back to how he had opened the door for Daigo right on the bridge. Surely he wasn’t attacked while enjoying a cigarette and looking out? He was far more capable than that. Even in an unfamiliar city, Daigo could navigate his way around. Still, the guilt bit Kiryu in the ass, but he was quick to swallow the pain down.
Of course, Kiryu denied everything. Denied having anything to do with Dojima Daigo, and denied that Kiryu was even his name. The official story he gave, while holding on to his pack of cigarettes, was that he had picked up a passenger and dropped him off at the front of Nagasugai. As he spoke, his fingers clenched around his pack of cigarettes.
“Is that truly it?” Morinaga said, taking a threatening step closer.
Kiryu stood his ground. “Yeah.” He put a cigarette in his mouth only to realize he had crushed the entire box. Damn, a sign of nervousness. “Now are we done here? I have a shift to get to.”
“So that’s how it is, Kiryu-san?” Aizawa said. “You’d really abandon Chairman Dojima without so much as batting an eye?”
“Excuse me?” Kiryu said, looking over his shoulder.
“You heard me. This is a pivotal moment for the Tojo Clan. That’s why we’ve come to Fukuoka. The chairman vanishing at a time like this is no insignificant matter. There could have been an accident, or worse. And yet, you don’t seem even the slightest bit concerned. You’d hang the chairman out to dry like he was nothing to you?” He stormed towards Kiryu, but Morinaga held him back.
“Aizawa!” Morinaga warned. Aizawa pushed his arm away and continued to glare at Kiryu’s turned back.
“I haven’t been wearing the Tojo badge for all that long,” Aizawa continued. “Truth be told, all I know about you are the stories, Fourth Chairman. But it was the chairman who was always telling them. He said it was his duty to protect the Tojo Clan you left to him.”
“Aizawa,” Morinaga said again, slightly softer this time.
Slowly Kiryu turned to face them. His heart ached at the revelation. Had Daigo really been telling stories about his time in the Tojo Clan? Did Daigo really look up to him that much? This was…unfortunate. As touched as Kiryu was, he would not do anything to break the promise he had made to Haruka and to all of his children.
“The other execs don’t want us having these talks with the Yamagasa Family,” Aizawa continued. “Say they’re not even in the same league as the Tojo. How this equal alliance is anything but. But the chairman took it all in stride because of what he promised you. So please, Fourth Chairman. Tell us where the chairman was going that night.”
Truthfully…Kiryu didn’t know. Aizawa grabbed hold of his shoulder and didn’t let go even after Kiryu implored him, so he threw him aside.
Morinaga next stepped forward. “I get the picture,” he said, his voice calm. “You’re not Kiryu Kazuma. Just Suzuki Taichi-san. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Exactly,” Kiryu said.
“Aniki!” Aizawa cried out and jumped to his feet, perhaps worried Kiryu would knock out Morinaga with one punch, but the man lifted up his arm, guarding him.
“Understood,” Morinaga said. “That makes things simpler. We’ll just have to rough you up a bit.”
“You what?” Kiryu said.
“If you really were the fourth chairman,” Morinaga explained in that calm and calculated tone, “we wouldn’t lay a finger on you, regardless of the circumstances. But if you’re nothing more than a simple taxi driver, that’s another story. We will get the truth. Even if we have to beat it out of you.”
“You’d attack a civilian?” Kiryu said.
“I’d prefer not to, of course,” Morinaga said as he began to circle around Kiryu like a shark. “But desperate times...well, they call for desperate measures. We’re still yakuza. We’re not above resorting to force. You should know that.”
“Fine then,” Kiryu said. “If that’s how it’s gonna be, I’ll just have to defend myself.”
Morinaga went down easy. That was to be expected, given his small bird-like frame. Aizawa was larger and put up more of a fight, but in the end Kiryu defeated them both. He stood alone, barely breaking a sweat, as he watched the two yakuza gasping for air and clutching their stomachs as they lay face down.
Without another word, he turned and made to leave when one of them stirred.
“You can't go, Fourth Chairman,” Morinaga begged.
“I’ve told you everything I know,” Kiryu said. “And that’s the truth. What you do now, well, that’s up to you.”
And with that, he went up the stairs, leaving the footpath, and back to the main street.
“Hey, Shiro, more money came in.”
Eri pulled him aside and pointed to the ATM machine she was using. This had to be the fourth separate payment that came in within the hour.
“How much this time?” Shiro asked.
“Six thousand yen.”
Shiro made a confused face. Five thousand, five thousand, eight thousand, and now six thousand…
“Why do you suppose Uncle Kaz is doing this?”
Eri shrugged. “Think he’s trying to tell us something?”
“I mean, he has to…but what could it be?” Shiro rubbed his chin. He would have guessed it had something to do with the Fibonacci sequence, except the existence of the most recent payment knocked down that theory. Was Kiryu even aware of the Fibonacci sequence?
They waited and sure enough, more payments came in. Shiro hastily reached for small envelopes to keep each installment together. Normally they would keep the money in their account, but with Sakuma sniffing about the family had decided it was best to collect money and hide it from her, and today there was something off about the whole thing. Why was Kiryu sending separate small installments? Six thousand, then ten thousand, then another ten thousand, and finally twenty thousand yen.
“I think that’s everything,” Shiro said when no more payment came in after a long time.
“So that’s eight payments,” Eri said after counting the total number of envelopes in their hands.
“Eight…” Shiro scrunched his face before a gasp escaped him. “Eri, do you think these are money for gifts from Uncle Kaz? I mean, it’ll be Christmas in a few more weeks…”
He glanced down at the envelopes sadly. Is that what you meant, Uncle Kaz? He cared nothing for money or presents. What he would give to hug Kiryu instead this Christmas. Was he happy where he was now? Was he planning on calling Majima to wish him a Merry Christmas at least? Uncle Kaz…
“But then why not give us the same amount?” Eri said. “That’s not fair! One of us is getting twenty thousand!”
“He was probably thinking ahead to what we’d most likely get with the money,” Shiro said. “And maybe there’s something one of us wants that’s more expensive than the others.” He mentally calculated the total amount. “It’s a total of seventy thousand yen. That’s a really generous amount, Eri. We can split it to 8,750 yen each if you want to play it fair, but keep in mind baseball equipment is expensive, and Koji and Mitsuo are both getting into it now.”
Eri scoffed. “Fine. Give me one of the lighter envelopes then. I’ll just save the money.”
“W-wasn’t there a rabbit plush you wanted?” She’s been talking about it ever since she saw it. Everyone in the family knew Eri loved rabbits and wanted another cute plush to add to her collection.
Eri just shrugged.
She gave her envelopes to Shiro for safekeeping. He knew how to hide stuff from Sakuma. He had a plan to discuss the money issue with Ayako when they got home. While Taichi had appointed himself as the new man of the house and sought to unify the family under their new living conditions, Ayako took care of money matters and the like.
Once they reached home, Ayako gathered everyone into the dining room for a family meeting. Looking excited, she informed them that the interview with Haruka would be starting soon.
“Wait, is that the one where we—” Taichi began and blushed.
Ayako nodded. “The very same! Yara-san just informed me!”
The kids all began talking at once.
A couple months back the kids were approached by Ryukyu Travel Publishing and asked to write letters to Haruka. They would be chosen at random and read to her during an interview. They would have to pretend to be people she didn’t know as a surprise.
Shiro had spent an entire afternoon at the library debating how to word his letter to his eldest sister. He had to come up with a pen name, but that was the easy part. What wasn’t easy was spilling his heart wide open and knowing that everyone tuning in were about to peer into his soul.
But it should be fine. He was hiding behind a pseudonym after all.
While Shiro was happy being with his family, while they were supportive of each other, there was something deeply lacking that went beyond Kiryu, Haruka, and Majima’s absence. He was in his final year of elementary school. Yoshinori was nowhere to be found, and Shiro liked it that way, but Akira and Yuito never approached him. That friendship never rekindled. Izumi still had her gaggle of girlfriends, but they were in their own world this school year. Perhaps it was all part of growing up, but they seemed a little more interested in giggling and keeping things amongst themselves than letting any icky boys into their inner circle. Even Tadashi was kept away.
Mieko, the one friend he had all this time, had graduated and left for junior high school, leaving him feeling truly alone. Even if they weren’t in the same class anymore he could at least stop by and say hello to her during recess, and she was kind enough to still talk with him. She had even come up to him a few times herself.
Like before, Sakuma wasn’t sitting around with them for this event, and the kids were only too glad for it. They crammed around behind Ayako’s back as she texted Haruka, informing her how thrilled they were of her dancing on TV. Haruka emailed back soon after.
Screaming and giggling, the kids all hounded Ayako on what to say, but she shushed them.
“Let me think!” she said even as her fingers flew over the phone’s keypad expertly. Even Shiro was impressed. Ayako could do well as a secretary with her typing speed.
Haruka’s next response excited them even more.
“She mentioned the tourism magazine interview!” Koji yelled.
Even Ayako was shaking with excitement so much she had to pause before writing back.
Is that the one where you answer questions from readers? Make sure you do a good job!
“Isn’t that being a little pushy?” Taichi said.
“I can’t help it, I was just so excited!” Ayako bemoaned.
They didn’t get to see the fruits of their labor until a few days later. Spotting the new edition in the M Store, Shiro bought a copy and brought it over to his niche in the library. What were the chances one of their letters were read? Not very little. The interview mentioned that they had acquired the most letters ever from Okinawan children. It would have been a miracle if any of theirs, much less his, was chosen.
And then Shiro turned the page and nearly fainted.
Dear Sawamura-san,
I saw you dancing on TV. Wow! You're so cool! I'm not athletic like you. I can't do even one pull-up, and the other kids make fun of me. What should I do?
Professor Cosmos
___
Dear Professor Cosmos,
I'm sorry the other kids tease you! Why not turn those hurt feelings into inspiration? You mention you like my dancing. Well, when I first started, I couldn't dance well at all. It took so much practice. My dance couch would probably say that I'm still not good enough, even now! But the important thing is to learn something new, and just feel good about that. So my advice is to just keep trying!
Sawamura Haruka <3
Teardrops fell over the letter. It was like Haruka was right there encouraging him.
There was only enough space for three letters, and Shiro recognized the others all belonging to his siblings. One was from Mitsuo asking for love advice on how to get Riona’s attention. Another was from Taichi feeling overwhelmed and seeking advice on how to keep the family together the same way Kiryu and Haruka did. Shiro absorbed every word like a sponge.
When he was done, he sat up straight and wiped the tears from his eyes. First the silent Christmas present from Kiryu and now Haruka’s words. He had been shutting himself out and longing for friends at school, but maybe…maybe he should make the effort to go the extra mile…
He pulled a magazine toward him. It was the latest edition from the astronomy magazine Kiryu had sent him back in February. There were articles on the path Kurosawa Isamu and his crew took to prepare for the historic astro exploration now dubbed as the Calypso Mission. He couldn’t believe Kurosawa, his new hero, was already out there in space heading for Jupiter. So far, so good.
Being an astronaut required a lot of physical strength. If Shiro ever wanted to explore the stars he needed to be just as athletic as he was knowledgable in the sciences and math, lest he was looking at a job at the lab preparing astronauts for their liftoff…watching from the sidelines as they got to bask in starlight while he was left in the dust—
Suddenly remembering Park and Sakuma’s words to him months and months back, Shiro paused and sighed deeply. Maybe all he would ever amount to is watching from the sidelines…
Or maybe Haruka had a point. She was out-dancing everyone in the competition, but she didn’t have any formal training until this past year. Maybe he, Shiro, too could become just as bodily strong. But it would take a lot of work. He would be pushing himself to his breaking point. Could he do it?
The thought of ever being muscular and athletic almost made him laugh. His grandfather and father weren’t like that at all. But maybe…
He lived near the ocean. He could start now, start small. Swim and get his body used to more and more physical activity.
That wasn’t all. He had been teaching himself more advanced English so he could read articles and interviews, but…maybe he could do something more with it. What if he enrolled in the magazine’s penpal program? Find a friend just as passionate about the stars as him? He wouldn’t be so alone, and he could hone his English even more.
He might not have the money to ever get into a good school, but…who knew what opportunities he could unlock if he just started somewhere.
It seemed the entire universe was desperate to force Kiryu to break the promise he had made to Haruka.
He had not meant for the discussion with Morinaga and Aizawa to boil down into brawls, but that was how things went. He tried to carry on normally after that, being a mere cabby driver and occasionally a racer against the Devil Killers (he always seemed to get himself into a mess one way or another, but at least from that entire ordeal he found a new recruit for the taxi company.)
But despite how busy he was, his past life kept coming back to haunt him. It even popped up in the form of regular customers for Nagasu Taxi. Kiryu was driving two men to Hakata Station when he heard snippets about two car accidents that took place in Nagayo, one of which involved a Tojo member. The two men in the back seat did not think this was mere coincidence. There were also suspicions of Omi men attempting to take out Daigo or Majima as it would grant them more clout in the clan.
He wanted to know more, but, Kiryu told himself, he had nothing to do with any of this. Majima and Daigo could protect themselves.
Later that evening while he and Mayumi were talking, a knock came on the door. Kiryu answered it only to find Morinaga with blood gushing out of his abdomen and Aizawa hauling him into his apartment. Kiryu left Mayumi to tend to Morinaga as he took Aizawa back to the bridge to interrogate him.
He learned that some of the Yamagasa men of the local yakuza gang had gotten the jump on them. Tojo, Omi, and now Yamagasa. A lot of yakuza activity suddenly happening in Fukuoka.
But why come to him? Aizawa again tried to pin the responsibility of Daigo’s disappearance on Kiryu. The burden fell on Morinaga after Daigo went missing, so if other Tojo members saw him all bruised up, there would be hell to pay. Aizawa, of course, had to protect his aniki.
But Kiryu still would not budge. He wasn’t yakuza anymore. He was a civilian. He was just trying to live his life. Feed his children back home. He was sure that made him even more unpopular to Aizawa, but he didn’t care. He had no connection with Morinaga, and after this entire ordeal, they probably will never cross paths again.
They returned. Morinaga had regained consciousness. They learned that Aoyama was going to finalize alliance with the Yamagasa Family in Daigo’s absence, declaring himself acting chairman. Despite finding it strange, Aizawa and Morinaga left for the hotel to see to the preparations.
Morinaga thanked Kiryu, as he had not given up on Daigo just yet. He made to leave when he paused and slowly turned back.
“Ah, right. There’s something I should probably tell you, Kiryu-san.”
Kiryu gave a nod. “What is it?”
“That girl. Mayumi-san, yes? She’s…”
Kiryu nodded before Morinaga could say another word.
“So you know,” he said before bowing. “Goodnight, then.”
At last, they left, and Kiryu shut the door behind him. Leaning against it, he sighed heavily, his face etched with pain. What was happening here? Why was the Tojo clawing at his door? He couldn’t do this anymore…
The following evening, a run in with a man named Detective Serizawa Kazuhiko of the Osaka Prefectural Police led Kiryu to the news that a top official for the Omi was in town: Watase Masaru. There was a small chance he may have been the one to have kidnapped Daigo.
Against better judgment, Kiryu sought him out at a hostess bar, only to learn that not only did Watase not kidnap Daigo, but he was actually interested in Kiryu himself. Watase was more than positive he would become the next chairman of the Omi Alliance, and he desired to fight the Tojo should he become chairman, but only if the Tojo had an equally strong leader. To Watase, such a candidate was Kiryu Kazuma.
They ended up brawling right there in the hostess club, but the entire ordeal left Kiryu with upsetting news: that the man who had been feeding Watase information on Kiryu’s every step was Aoyama, Morinaga and Aizawa’s patriarch. As it so happened, Aoyama and Watase were sworn brothers.
He was getting too deep into this mess, but Kiryu couldn’t keep silent on this manner. He tracked down Aizawa and Morinaga and pretended he was picking them up for a ride. While on the road he revealed the truth.
Kiryu didn’t mean for things to turn out like this, but he found himself driving them to Patriarch Madarame’s headquarters, as Aoyama was heading there to make a deal as acting chairman in place of Daigo. The three of them got into a long and brutal brawl with the Yamagasa men. Kiryu found himself face to face with their Captain, Yahata. Just his luck. Now he was never going to know peace in this town.
In the midst of battle, Morinaga got injured again, this time eating lead with Aoyama firing the gun several times at him. Patriarch Madarame looked near death by the time they reached the patriarch’s office. Yamagasa men hoisted their patriarch away as Kiryu ordered Aizawa to get away with Morinaga before rushing to buy them time.
He would never forget the look of utmost gratitude on Morinaga’s face before parting ways.
Kiryu continued to chase after Aoyama.
But in the end, Aoyama was victorious. He had planted a bomb in a case full of money, and by the time Kiryu was aware of his plans, the man had pressed the button on a small remote control. By that point Kiryu had just stepped out to the courtyard, and he could only duck to avoid falling debris as Aoyama’s car sped off and the building behind him exploded.
Then standing all alone beside the burning headquarters, Kiryu’s stomach twisted sickly.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. None of this was supposed to happen this way. Why was everything such a mess?
By the time he reached his apartment, Mayumi was waiting for him. He hardly even noticed that she was only wearing a slip on until she stood up and peered into his eyes.
“What are you doing?” he said warily.
Then in one fluid motion, her slip came off, and she stepped out of them, completely nude, as she rested against him, her naked arms around his heavy coat.
“We've been together six months, yet we've never once had a moment like this,” she said. “A little affection might be nice, right?”
She spoke with adoration, but Kiryu only stared up ahead, over the top of her head as the memory of everything he encountered that evening flashed back before his eyes. Turning his eyes down to her momentarily and feeling slightly guilty but also weary, he gripped her wrists and pulled them away from himself.
She looked up at him, her smile dissolving, but Kiryu averted his gaze and picked up a white shirt off his bed. He placed it on her and settled down on the bed. She was still standing, frozen in place, shirt draped over her.
After a few silent moments, Kiryu finally broached the question. “Who hired you?”
He knew she was sent after him. Knew for a long time. The circumstance surrounding how they had met, and the timing of her appearance here tonight was more than suspicious.
He could hear her whimpering and knew he had broken her heart, but he could never give his own heart to her. It belonged to…well. In time she would come to understand that.
Eventually, she offered to take him to meet someone, and by the following evening Kiryu was speaking one on one with Patriarch Madarame in the hospital, his daughter Mayumi beside him. She had indeed been hired to look after him, from Daigo. Kiryu guessed as much, and assumed Daigo must have heard the news of him being here from Majima.
The mad rush of running around didn’t stop here. Patriarch Madarame tasked Kiryu with dissolving the family and gave him a letter that he should take to the police. It didn’t feel right, not being from the family and all, and a civilian to boot, but what other choice did he have? The Yamagasa Family were too small to withstand the likes of the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance, and Madarame felt this was the safest option for the good of his boys.
Kiryu couldn’t turn down a good man’s request. He bid both of them farewell and left. What became of Mayumi after that, he never knew.
Worried he might not return to his job after the ordeal, Kiryu warned Nakajima he might not make it to his next shift.
And the battles that ensued were indeed…bloody and intense. It had been ages since the last time he was surrounded by hundreds of men. Tojo men, Omi, Yamagasa.
Just like old times. He could feel the inner dragon roaring back to life. He utilized the move he had perfected when he and Majima met that strange woman from another time and land. What had Majima called it? Essence of the Dragon King. He dissolved his name Suzuki Taichi and became Kiryu Kazuma once more—just this once.
Somehow, Kiryu got through them all, even Yahata. He still had plenty of fight left in him. After presenting Yahata with the letter to dissolve the family, Yahata was still determined to avenge his boss. He knew Aoyama had knifed him. And so…Kiryu tore up the letter himself. The Yamagasa Family will remain.
But a war was still brewing between the Tojo and the Yamagasa. At this point, he couldn’t ignore matters any longer.
He stopped by Nagasu Taxi Company to give his resignation note. Nakajima, of course, had always sensed Suzuki Taichi wasn’t his real name. While Kiryu didn’t offer his real name, he told Nakajima the truth: that he was ex-yakuza, that he once rolled with the Tojo Clan, than he tried to make a clean slate for himself in Okinawa running an orphanage, and then he came to Fukuoka…
And now that a war was about to erupt, he had to try and stop them, and he didn’t want to bring trouble to the company should his involvement lead back to them.
Nakajima was, surprisingly, quite undisturbed by everything Kiryu told him. He ignored Kiryu’s request for a resignation and offered him to come back whenever he was ready. He must have employed plenty like himself, Kiryu realized, and feeling comforted by that fact, thanked him before leaving.
The pier was already jam packed by the time Kiryu reached them, cutting a line between the Yamagasa and the Tojo with his own taxi car. With Aoyama revealing himself as a traitor, Kiryu took down the entire Tojo present, guarding the Yamagasa as he had promised them.
Everyone stood in shock, as Kiryu stood alone over the defeated horde. Panting heavily, Kiryu could hear some men back away.
“What the shit…” Yahata said. Across from him on the battlefield, something akin to admiration crossed Watase’s face.
In rage and desperation, Aoyama produced a gun from his pocket, aiming it at Kiryu’s skull.
“I’m done playing with you,” he said, but a strong hand gripped his wrist. Gasping, Aoyama turned to Watase, staring as Watase lowered his arm. “Brother! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Can’t have ya firin’ that thing and shamin’ my rep as a witness,” Watase said.
Kiryu took a few steps forward as Aoyama glared at his kyodai. “Come on! This wasn’t the deal! You’re the one who said you want to take Kiryu out! Right, kyodai?!”
Watase twisted his wrist. “I ain’t your soldier. When I fight him, it’ll be on my terms, ya fuckwit!”
Whipping the gun out of Aoyama’s hand, Watase struck his kyodai across the face, sending him flying back. Kiryu watched, amazed. So he had earned himself an ally.
“Damn you!” Aoyama spat at Watase before looking up, noticing that Kiryu was glaring down at him.
Grabbing him by the collar, Kiryu hoisted him back to his feet before landing a punch squarely on the left side of his cheek, sending him flying back down. He delivered a few more blows, letting off the steam that had built up over time and especially for Aoyama daring to take Daigo’s place in the Tojo.
His last punch sent Aoyama crashing against a car.
“T-This isn’t what I heard!” Aoyama stammered as blood trickled from his lips. “They said you never kill. That you’re merciful.”
“Who told you that?” Kiryu asked in a dangerously dark tone as he took a few steps toward him.
“Well…” Aoyama said.
“I said, who told you that?”
“Some other Tojo men,” Aoyama said as his gaze fell down.
“Whatever you heard...I’ve never been a saint!” And with that Kiryu’s fist went flying. Yelping, Aoyama dodged last minute, and Kiryu’s fist flew into the car window where his head was moments before.
There Aoyama sat, burying his face in his hands and crouching in the fetal position beside the car. He looked up tentatively, shaking.
“I can hide from my past all I want,” Kiryu said dangerously, his fist still in the car. The broken glass barely tickled his skin. “But no matter how much I hate it…I’ll always be yakuza. Being clever only gets you so far in this business. Just remember. This is your last warning.”
He finally removed his hand from the car while his gaze still bore down at Aoyama. Straightening up, Kiryu made to leave when he heard Aoyama mutter behind him, “Why me? Why me of all people?”
Kiryu glanced at Watase, but he didn’t seem to know what Aoyama was talking about either.
“Had I known this would happen,” Aoyama went on, “I never would have agreed.” He buried his face in his hands as he wept.
Growling, Watase marched toward him and hoisted him up with both hands. “Quit your whimperin’! You wanna helm the Tojo Clan?! Then you’re gonna have to grow a pair! Or are ya determined to disappoint me?! What do ya got to say, brother?!”
“I did as I was told,” Aoyama said. “All I had to do was lure Kiryu-san out of hiding.”
“Say what?” Watase said as Kiryu frowned behind him. “Who told ya that?! Who’s givin’ ya orders?!”
Aoyama gasped and sputtered. “It was…your…”
The gunshot rattled the pier as Aoyama’s head split into two before their eyes, blood splattering all over Watase.
“Kyodai…” Watase said as the shock slowly overtook him. “Hey, bro!”
“You talk too much, Acting Chairman.”
Kiryu looked up.
The man who shot Aoyama was Morinaga. He appeared several paces away, seemingly in perfect health. He raised a gun at Kiryu as he approached.
“Morinaga!” Kiryu cried out, enraged. Had Morinaga seriously just shot his own patriarch? He couldn’t believe it, it was like Morinaga wasn’t himself, and yet…
“I hadn’t planned on seeing you again like this, Fourth Chairman,” Morinaga said coolly.
“Morinaga!” Kiryu cried out again and was about to charge at him when Morinaga fired. The bullet just missed the side of his head.
“Not another step! Next one’s through your brain.”
“What’s your game here? How long have you been betraying Daigo?” Kiryu frowned. Morinaga always did everything by the book. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting this way.
“Betrayal, you say?” Morinaga said. “The chairman’s the one who ran off, left his men to fend for themselves. If you ask me, that’s the real betrayal.”
Kiryu glared at him. “And Aoyama shooting you. Was that all part of the act?”
“My job in this was to get you where you needed to be. Just like Chairman Madarame, I was prepared for every scenario.
“Then you and Aoyama were in league. Why take him out?”
“No one likes a yakuza with loose lips. Just a few punches and he was ready to spill all our dirty secrets.”
“What secrets?”
Morinaga didn’t answer. With a scoff, he turned and walked off.
“Stop! Morinaga!”
“What is it? I’m not going to tell you what I’m doing, that’s what you want.”
“I don’t care what you’re doing! I only need to know one thing!”
Morinaga simply stared at him silently.
“Where’s Aizawa?”
Furrowing his brows, Morinaga didn’t answer.
“Aizawa’s not the kind of guy for all this backstabbing,” Kiryu said. “If he’d known you’d turned on Daigo, he would have told me, no matter the circumstances. So tell me, Morinaga. I want the truth. Where is Aizawa?”
Morinaga scoffed. “He truly was one of the good guys. But he knew too much. Too much to turn the other way.”
Wait...he didn’t just imply what Kiryu thought he was implying…did he?!
“No...you didn’t!”
“He’s up on Mount Inuboe,” Morinaga said, his eyes averted away from Kiryu. “Six feet under. I buried him with my own hands. He deserved that much.”
“Morinaga...you piece of...!”
He lunged at him, and just then Morinaga raised his gun. “I said, don’t move!” Ignoring the warning, Kiryu made a beeline for him. “Stop! Stop, damn you!”
The shot busted up his leg. Kiryu fell forward, but just then Watase caught up to him and grabbed him, breaking his fall.
“Leave him!” Watase said. “Now ain’t the time!”
“There’s a lot more I have to do before I die,” Morinaga said. “And I can’t have you kicking the bucket just yet either, Fourth Chairman.”
“Morinaga!” Kiryu gasped in pain, glaring in anger.
Morinaga was about to enter his car when he stopped and turned back one more time. “You’ll find your answers up in Tokyo. I’ll be waiting, Kiryu-san.”
He watched as Morinaga slipped into his car and drove away.
“Come on,” Watase said, patting Kiryu on the back with a bloodied hand. “It’s all over for my kyodai, but let’s patch ya up. I can drive ya. Where’s the nearest hospital?”
Two days later and Kiryu was back at his taxi job as though nothing had happened. His leg had mostly healed and he was cleared to return to work. Given the chance, he wanted to stay at Nagasugai. The entire upsetting ordeal two days ago still wasn’t enough to push Kiryu away from his new life. After all, he still had many mouths to feed back home, children who relied on him, and a promise he had kept to them and to his eldest child who was striving for success in her career.
It was daytime, and Kiryu was standing out enjoying the view of the river, contemplating smoking another cigarette when Detective Serizawa appeared again. Kiryu couldn’t fathom why he was here. The detective just appeared out of nowhere one day, and here he was again.
The whole mess was over as far as Kiryu was concerned. He was sticking to this life for his children. Perhaps some day he would get to see them again, and maybe even make amends with Majima. But right now, he was content to go on living this way. As much as he hated admitting it, it was nice having the apartment all to himself now. This wasn’t in any way meant to disrespect Mayumi. She was there when he was in need of company, and as much as he’d never dare admit it, she was something of a guardian angel ensuring he didn’t hurt himself. But he had come to a place where he could stand on his own two feet again. He could do this alone now.
The Tojo had returned to Tokyo. Watase had left for the Kansai region just this morning, but he would eventually be making his way to Tokyo as well. While they smoked, Detective Serizawa was telling Kiryu how Watase had stopped by the police morgue to light incense for Aoyama. The detective called him a fool, but the story endeared the man to Kiryu. Despite their earlier quarrels, Watase had proven to be a man of good character. He was the one who personally saw to Kiryu receiving care for his leg.
Watase sent his regards to Kiryu, Detective Serizawa said. It seemed the two were oddly close despite being on opposite sides of the law. In some ways it reminded Kiryu of himself and Date. He sort of missed Date and wondered if perhaps he should call him—no. That era was long over in his life. Nothing would ever shake the promise he made to Haruka and to his children.
So, Watase would resolve things with his men, then settle the score in Tokyo, according to the detective.
“You’re goin’ too, right?” Detective Serizawa asked. Kiryu stared up ahead for the longest time.
This didn’t involve him. He was stupid for taking the bait—no, he was forced his way back, but it was all over now. From this point forward, it was all them. He had no reason to get involved. The other Tojo Clan members could handle themselves. He was a man of Fukuoka now, living many, many miles working as a humble taxi driver to support his beloved children.
Finally he broke out of his reverie. Stubbing out his cigarette on the pavement, he then made for his taxi.
“Before you go,” Detective Serizawa called out. “They found a body on Mount Inuboe this morning.”
Kiryu froze right beside the cab’s door.
“The face was pretty jacked up, so they haven’t confirmed an ID yet,” Detective Serizawa continued. “But there was a Tojo pin on the lapel.”
He crossed the sidewalk until he was right behind Kiryu. “Ya sure you can stay outta this?”
Kiryu just stared. Mount Inuboe…why did that sound familiar? Ah, it was Morinaga who had mentioned it, didn’t he? He had buried Aizawa there…so he was telling the truth, then, about killing Aizawa. A small chill ran up his arms.
“Crucial time for a crucial guy like Dojima Daigo to be missin’,” the detective went on as he slowly inched near Kiryu. “You may be the only one who can sail the Tojo through this storm.”
As Serizawa spoke, Kiryu got a good look at himself in the reflection of his taxi cab. Could he really continue on as a taxi driver? Wouldn’t he only keep attracting more and more trouble? Was he perhaps being selfish, living in this little bubble of freedom while men of his former clan faced fire and death.
And what of…
Snapping himself out of it, Kiryu popped open the cab door and plopped on the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut. He rolled down the window.
“If you need to go somewhere, I’d be glad to give you a lift,” Kiryu said before glaring right at him. “But those are the only directions I’ll be taking from you. The path I walk is mine to decide.”
“I get ya. Have it your way,” Detective Serizawa said. “But you may wanna flip to the news before ya decide. I think you and I are gonna be gettin’ to know each other real good soon. Later.”
What was that all about? Kiryu kept his hands on the stirring wheel but watched as Detective Serizawa’s form grew smaller in the rearview mirror. Once he was relaxed enough that the man wasn’t breathing down his neck again, Kiryu switched on the radio.
“Again, our top story today is the Sapporo shooting incident early yesterday morning,” the radio announcer said. “Hokkaido Police have determined the victim was a senior member of Kanto’s organized crime syndicate, the Tojo Clan. He’s been identified as Majima Goro.”
The shock came like a gut punch, but at the same time it took a few moments for the words to really sink in. Had he just heard those words correctly?
Kanto’s organized crime syndicate.
Tojo Clan.
Majima Goro.
The victim identified was Majima Goro.
Majima. Victim.
Majima...was...dead?
The announcer went on to say, “Details were released at an impromptu press conference. Given the victim’s status as a member of the largest crime syndicate in Kanto, Hokkaido Police are taking extra precautions to determine the circumstances of Majima Goro’s death.”
Majima Goro’s death. Those words shouldn’t be spoken together. He wasn’t hearing those words rightly. He couldn’t be hearing those words correctly.
And then suddenly it all came crashing down and hit him hard:
Majima Goro was dead.
Majima was dead.
Goro was dead.
His beloved Goro was dead. His beloved was no longer of this world.
“They also plan to work alongside the Tokyo Metropolitan police in the investigation,” the male announcer carried on, but everything was becoming a haze to Kiryu.
Majima was dead.
Goro was dead.
His beloved Goro was dead.
And it was all his fault. His damn fault—what if he had never run out of their apartment? What if they were still together? What if he still kept in touch? Could he have smelled the trouble brewing over time? Maybe he could have went with Majima to Sapporo, could have taken the bullet for him, for his beloved, for—Goro!
The announcer kept talking but Kiryu could scarcely see anything anymore. Tears teemed in his eyes as furious rue filled him. His right hand curled into a fist as he touched his forehead with it, a terrible scream bubbling up in his throat.
He’d just lost Majima—his Goro, his beloved—
With all his might he pounded the stirring wheel’s middle with his fist, releasing the car horn, and with that too came down the promise he had made to Haruka and the children of Morning Glory.
Notes:
I audibly gasped the first time I saw this final cutscene from Kiryu’s part in Yakuza 5. Kiryu’s a character who doesn’t let his feelings be known to the audience, and his actions pretty much sealed it for me: he’s down bad for that Majima. :’)
Next chapter will be posted around Wednesday, September 10th! See you next time! ☺️🎶💕
Chapter 23: V.2 The Ripple Effect
Notes:
As I stated before, the Majima-Mirei marriage happened in the early 80s rather than the early 90s. It fits better with Majima’s timeline in my humble opinion. XD
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: The Ripple Effect
“What?!” Shiro gasped, and for a moment he just stood, frozen and transfixed, eyes wide and unsure if he was seeing things correctly.
This had to be a mistake.
He did not just draw out three hundred thousand yen.
But there it was: thirty 10,000 banknotes in his hands, and the screen display showing that the orphanage had a single money transfer of five million yen just this morning.
Where did Kiryu even come across this amount of money? And why had he transferred it all to them? There was no way he earned all this from his taxi job in just a few days. Did he win big in the lottery? It seemed unlike him; Kiryu wasn’t the sort to gamble, especially given their current situation, unless he was coerced into it by a coworker, but even then…Shiro couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss about the whole thing, like there was an unspoken darker story behind the ordeal.
What if…
No.
Shiro froze as the horrible thought shot through his mind, followed by a feeling of foreboding.
No…no…Kiryu wasn’t anticipating his own death, surely. This wasn’t his life’s savings, surely. He surely hadn’t just transferred every last yen he had ever saved up in his life to his children should he…should he…
Looking around himself, Shiro checked to see that no one had heard his earlier outburst then stuffed the money inside his pockets. He cleared out the screen as his heart thumped in his throat. Five million yen…five million yen…the others wouldn’t need the likes of Sakuma dangling money as a threat in front of them ever again…
But that was far from the only upset, for just as he was done with the ATM machine, Shiro turned and his eyes fell on the newspaper. It was yesterday’s paper, as down in Okinawa news traveled a little slower from the mainland. Majima stared at him from the front cover as the words above seared into Shiro’s mind: Top Tojo Official Majima Goro Found Dead.
He hastily grabbed the paper, tossed a coin to the cash register, and bolted out of the store.
The small nagging feeling of forbidding, the inkling of impending doom, exploded into full-blown panic. Just what had happened? Majima dead? MAJIMA?! The man who had saved him from the burning car. The man who scared him but also was so kind. Who kept getting him food, got him the plush Bun-chan he still cherished…the man who broke down into tears himself when he couldn’t stop Shiro’s crying…
Shiro had been growing resentful of him too, and now guilt took a chokehold of him. What was going on? Majima was gone, and Kiryu was—oh, no. Oh no! That was it then, wasn’t it?! Kiryu must have heard the same news! He must have run headlong into danger to see what had happened to Majima, and whatever it was, it was bad, bad enough to take out Majima, and it was likely to also—no, no, no! Not Uncle Kaz too!
His heart thumped louder with each quickened step.
“Shiro! Ya okay?”
Spotting Taichi the moment Morning Glory’s gate loomed into view, Shiro pulled him and Ayako aside. He intended to fill them in on everything that had happened, but the only place he could find any privacy was the boys’ room, and Mitsuo and Koji were already there.
And seeing how Shiro was behaving, Izumi and Eri were already inching their way toward the group amassing into the room. Riona, spotting them from the dining room, made a show of needing to wash up before taking a detour to their room.
“What?! Uncle Goro’s dead?!”
They didn’t bother muffling their horrified screams. Riona immediately dissolved into tears and fell to her knees as Izumi went to comfort her. Eri stomped her feet on the ground. “I knew it! Yakuza always end up dead! I should have never…” The boys just hung their heads in defeat.
Ayako’s eyes went wide for a moment before a shadow of doubt crossed them. She asked Shiro for the paper and read them as Taichi interrogated Shiro for any more info.
“I don’t know,” Shiro said. “They said he was in Sapporo and got shot. They found his body in the mountains. That was days ago.”
“Hmm,” Ayako said in a low voice.
“And that isn’t the only thing that’s weird,” Shiro said. “Something’s, um…happened to Uncle Kaz too.”
He shouldn’t have said it like that, because that only riled everyone up even further. He had to raise his hands to hush them before he could get to his story.
“Five million yen?” Taichi said. Riona placed a hand on her heart. “That’s a lot, even for him. Why’d you think he did that?”
Koji sat staring at Shiro wordlessly, his expression sullen.
“You didn’t take all that money out, did you?” Izumi asked.
Shiro shook his head. “The ATM doesn’t let you draw out more than three hundred thousand in a day. I’ve got the money stashed here in my pocket. I don’t want you-know-who to find out.”
Ayako folded the newspaper and placed it on the side. She glanced toward Koji. “You don’t think it’s because of…”
“Hmm?” Shiro glanced between the two of them. “Because of what?”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard,” Koji said. “News hasn’t really hit Okinawa yet, but I found this online, and, well…” A look around confirmed no one else was in the know save for them two. They leaned in with bated breath. “It’s not really good, guys, but…Park-san is dead.”
Shocked silence followed, then a chilled ripple of gasps. First Majima, and now Park Mirei, Haruka’s manager.
“Dead? How?” Mitsuo asked.
“What’s going to happen with Haruka now?” Riona asked. “She got through the Princess League, didn’t she? She seemed fine. Was this recent?”
“Yeah, when did Park die?” Eri said.
Koji held up his hand as Ayako stepped in.
“Haruka-chan and I have been emailing each other,” Ayako reported. “Newspapers officially reported that Park-san committed suicide. Normally suicides don’t make headline news, but since she was the president of Dyna Chair and her talent was one of the finalists in the Princess Leagues, she got a mention.
“However, Haruka-chan suspected Park-san did not commit suicide. They spent the evening together prior to her death, and Park-san was in high spirits. She spoke about meeting again with her ex-husband, and she passed along a gift to Haruka, an expensive fountain pen her ex had given Park-san before her debut concert many years ago. Her ex, you see, had written to her recently and wanted to meet them. Park-san, nervous about seeing him after all this time, wanted Haruka to meet him first.
“And, well…Haruka figured out who her ex was just from the sort of fountain pen she had, and from the man’s handwriting. It was…Uncle Goro.”
Stunned silence followed.
“Wait…” Riona said. “You’re saying that Park-san’s ex-husband was…Uncle Goro?”
Ayako nodded.
Majima was married?! None of them ever knew that. He had never mentioned it before, or at least Shiro never remembered him mentioning it. Maybe he had and they all just forgot about it. Did Majima and Park have any kids together?
“That isn’t all,” Ayako went on. “Haruka compared when the letter was postmarked and when Uncle Goro was allegedly murdered. The letter was postmarked after his death.”
Haunted silence followed.
“Wait…does that mean Uncle Goro is still alive?” Izumi said hopefully.
“Could be…or someone was impersonating him to get to Haruka,” Ayako said. “Haruka wasn’t sure what to believe or who to trust after she lost Park-san. She was scared. But, luck was on her side. As it just so happened, it turns out Park-san had loaned money from Akiyama-san—”
“Our Akiyama-san? The moneylender guy?” Taichi said.
Ayako nodded. “The very same. She really wanted Haruka to perform at Tokyo Dome, so she took out a loan for this concert. So when Park-san was late paying back the money, Akiyama-san went to Dyna Chair to see what was going on, and that’s how he met up with Haruka. So now she has someone she can trust and protect her. They teamed up and suspected foul play over Park-san’s death, and after investigating around for a bit, their suspicions were confirmed.”
Ayako’s hands curled above her knees, and Shiro was sure there was a lot more to the story. He couldn’t imagine a search for the truth would have been smooth sailing for Haruka and Akiyama. The same thought must have occurred to others from the way they squirmed uncomfortably in their seats.
“Haruka’s safe now, right?” Mitsuo said.
Ayako nodded. “She is now.”
“Now?” Shiro said, raising an eyebrow.
“Well…she got caught up in some yakuza mess…”
“Of course,” Eri said humorlessly.
“If they’re in Sotenbori, then they likely got caught up with some Kansai yakuza, right?” Taichi said.
Ayako nodded. “But don’t worry, someone in the Omi Alliance was protecting them.”
“Protecting?!” Riona and Mitsuo said at the same time.
Ayako nodded again. “I did some research on this guy. The information isn’t public knowledge, so I had to guess some parts after looking through really old records. I haven’t told this to Haruka yet, though. But, there’s a man who’s been close friends with Uncle Goro for a long time, and his name is Katsuya Naoki. He’s the chair of Osaka Talent—”
“Wait, that’s the agency those T-Set girls are part of!” Riona gasped.
Ayako nodded again. “Yes, him. And he’s also a friend to Park-san too. Majima Goro, Katsuya Naoki, and Park Mirei. The three of them used to be real close.”
Again, more stunned silence. The man whose talent Haruka was competing against was actually Uncle Goro and Park’s friend?!
“Wait, Uncle Goro’s been best buddies with the president of one talent agency and the ex-husband of the president of another talent agency?” Mitsuo said. “The soap just writes itself!”
“This isn’t the movies!” Riona snapped but then giggled.
“In fact, Katsuya-san and Park-san dated for some time before her affections turned to Uncle Goro,” Ayako continued, “but apparently there were no hard feelings between the guys. Katsuya-san gave his full support for Uncle Goro and Park-san; he even helped them get married. Found a venue they could afford and everything. That was how much he loved them.”
Shiro thought back to how Majima was always willing to let go of Kiryu if he loved someone else; his heart ached. Meanwhile, Riona placed her hands on her heart. The soap was wholesome.
“From what Haruka told me,” Ayako continued, “it seems Katsuya-san was ordered to look after and protect Haruka from afar.”
“So is that why the two groups formed to make Dream Line?” Shiro asked. That was the name of the group that would be performing tonight at the Tokyo Dome. He wasn’t sure how common it was for idols from different agencies to form a larger idol group, but if Majima, Katsuya, and Park were the ones behind it all, it made some sense.
“Well, that’s nice of him!” Taichi said.
“Katsuya-san didn’t want Haruka to perform at the Tokyo Dome,” Ayako said.
“Huh?!”
“He tried to convince Haruka not to do it,” Ayako said with a nod. “I’m not sure why, when he was among those who originally planned on it. But—”
“But she’s still going to be performing tonight,” Riona said. “Isn’t that what Park-san wanted?”
Ayako nodded again. “Although…we spoke just an hour ago, and Haruka seemed really sad about something. Kept saying ‘I hope Uncle Kaz will forgive me.’ I don’t know what she means by that.”
“Maybe because…after tonight, this is it,” Taichi said. “She’s the real deal now. There’s no going back.”
Everyone hung their heads. Shiro could only imagine what was going through Haruka’s mind. Being away from home, and having lost Park, and now all this weirdness going on with Majima’s alleged death and a Kansai yakuza named Katsuya protecting her from the shadows. It had to be scary, and she still had to walk down the path to fame, further and further from everyone back home, from Uncle Kaz…
Uncle Kaz. There was still something odd going on with Kiryu.
“Haruka will be fine, then!” Izumi said, her eyes glimmering with hope, but not everyone shared her optimism.
“Something’s off about the whole thing,” Taichi said. “Why is Uncle Goro…well, maybe pretending to be dead? That’s a pretty serious thing to fake.”
“And what happened to Uncle Kaz?” Shiro added in a small voice.
Just then they heard a yell and Sakuma appeared at the doorway of the boys’ room.
“What are you all doing?!” she demanded. “Boys and girls shouldn’t be in the same room together without supervision!”
“Oh, Sakuma-sama, what could possibly be so bad if we’re in the same room?” Eri said in a sarcastic polite tone and placed both hands over her own chest in a way that Shiro thought was rather daring.
Sakuma’s nostrils flared.
“Is the show starting, Sakuma-san?” Riona asked, masking her annoyance far better.
Sakuma gave no reply, but she moved aside to let them out. The television was already on in the dining room, and cheers from the audience could be heard as the kids filed in.
“Haruka’s concert is about to begin!” Taichi cried out brightly.
“YEAH!” the others responded, putting on an act in front of Sakuma.
Everyone settled in, all talk of Kiryu and Majima put on hold for the time being. Shiro wedged himself between Eri and Izumi, wanting a good look at the screen and to hear as much without Riona’s shrieks deafening him.
The concert began. Shiro watched, moved as Haruka went from one hit number to the next, dancing her heart out alongside the other girls. The two girls were dressed in an all-red cheerleader outfit, but Haruka’s own was made to stand out, clearly the leader and center of Dream Line. She wore a white vest adorned with a gold ribbon at the collar, a red pleated mini skirt, and long white gloves. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and held together with a red ribbon.
Yet for all their dancing, Shiro couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. He kept thinking back on what Ayako had said. After a few songs, Dream Line went into an intermission and a commercial break followed. The kids scrambled around Ayako, waiting for a text message or call from Haruka or anyone else.
When the show resumed and the girls returned on stage, Shiro noticed even more that something was bothering Haruka.
“It’s really wearing her out,” Izumi whispered to Shiro.
“Yeah, can’t imagine a real concert is easy work,” Eri said in a low voice.
No, this was something else, Shiro sensed. Haruka was used to hard work. She could handle house chores for an entire day and still have plenty of energy to play or goof around in the city by the evening.
“Today we’re taking our first steps as a new act called Dream Line,” Haruka announced to the applauding audience. “Dream Line…the path of dreams. We hope that for all of you kind enough to listen to us that these dreams reach you out there. Here's our new song, ‘Dream.’”
“They made a new song already?!” Riona gasped in amazement.
Katsuya probably had helped to write it well ahead of time, if he was assigned to protect her from afar, Shiro pondered as the song started up.
|
If my words were a song Something for me to sing You're the only one I'd want to sing them to. This time my mind's made up, I'm not leaving again. There's one place for me, Right here by your side. Like an unfinished song, Without an introduction Suddenly I find myself here in a brand new day. There are two paths in front of me, But only one can be. The future where I'm with you, That's where I belong. |
I know you can't see me, But I'm looking out to you. Up into the blue sky, Where all my dreams come true. This feeling's trying to break me. But I swear I'll never surrender. I won't lose, to this feeling, I'm stronger, you'll see I'll live, true to myself. I know you can't see me, But I'm singing to you. There's only one person, This song is written to. So just greet me with a cheer. I'll come running to your side. You'll finally welcome me home, As you wrap me in your arms With the smile I've always loved. You'll finally welcome me home, As you wrap me in your arms With the smile I've always loved! (Lyrics provided by Yakuza 5 Remastered |
Shiro’s heart clenched. There was no way anyone but Haruka wrote this song, and there was no doubt who she was writing it to. The girls did a far more subtle dance this time around, swaying in front of their microphones. The song itself was a ballad, a dedication to someone special.
And everyone in the dining room knew exactly who Haruka dedicated the song to. Everyone was wiping tears from their eyes. It was like Haruka had plucked out their very thoughts and feelings on Kiryu and spun it into a song.
Her words reminded Shiro of Kiryu waiting for them by the gate after school, that soft smile on his face greeting them every afternoon. Feeling so assured and comforted in the universe while being engulfed by those big, strong arms. Sitting out on the engawa and sipping juice while he pointed out stars and relayed interesting bits of trivia to Kiryu. He even began to miss the smell of Kiryu’s favorite cigarette brand.
Did she regret being so far away from home? He swore he could see tears just begging to fall as she smiled and sang from the depths of her heart.
The audience, unaware of just how profound the song was, cheered and applauded in anticipation for the next song. Shiro almost wanted to yell at them. Kiryu deserved so much more recognition than just being the nameless subject of a ballad.
That was when Haruka did something odd. She took a step back from her microphone, turned around, and bowed to her fellow idols. Although he couldn’t see their faces, they seemed a bit taken aback. This wasn’t in the script. Uprighting herself, Haruka then went up to the podium. She picked off the microphone from its stand and shifted so she was facing the audience, mic gripped firmly between her two hands.
Shiro’s heart skipped a beat, recognizing the look of resigned determination on his eldest sister’s face.
“Hi everyone,” Haruka spoke into the mic softly, “There’s something I have to get off my chest.”
The applause from the audience died down as silent bemusement followed.
“The reason I’m standing on this stage tonight,” Haruka said, “is thanks to the help of so many others. The president and the manager of my agency who have always had my back. The coaches who stuck with me, even when I couldn’t get anything right. My rivals, who competed with me in the Princess League. And above all, I have to thank the people who have always supported me…everyone here tonight.
“But there’s something I’ve been hiding from all of you. It’s about my family.”
“Haruka, no!” Taichi gasped. Ayako hushed him as everyone leaned forward in their place.
“I grew up without knowing what it was like to have parents,” Haruka went on. “My only family was the other kids who lived in the orphanage…and the man who looked after us. They mean as much to me as any real family. But even though I love them...I left them all behind. To make my debut as an idol.”
The hint of bitterness in her tone didn’t go unnoticed. An idol from any upbringing less than ideal was almost a death knoll.
“Every girl dreams of becoming a star one day,” Haruka continued. “I wasn’t any different. But the reality is that I had already found what made me whole. I thought that if I could make it as an idol…I’d be able to help keep the orphanage running. But it came at a cost. I would have to leave behind the very man who raised me, and cut all ties to him.
“This man, who made me who I am today…was once a member of the yakuza. I know he looks scary to most people, but he always treated me with respect and kindness.”
Her voice cracked for a moment, but Haruka recovered immediately and continued. Even from this side of the screen Shiro could see her eyes shining with tears. Looking around, no one else spoke, shocked but also touched. Trepidation hung in the air.
“Even though he was unconventional, I could always rely on him. I…I think of him like a father. And I love him. I love him very much. But now, even as I speak…I’m not allowed to call him my family anymore.” She paused again to wipe the tears trickling from her face, and Shiro’s heart cracked. It wasn’t only Haruka who had to be separated from Kiryu; it was all of them. And the thought of never being embraced by Kiryu ever again killed Shiro inside.
“I don’t regret anything I’ve done,” Haruka said. “I can’t express how grateful I am to the president of my agency. She opened the door to this world for me. Every day is a new experience. Happy ones. Fun ones. Painful ones. Tragic ones. We were all in it together. I admit that it’s exciting to think of where this life could take me, but I can’t bear to live a life where I’m forced to lie to my fans and myself. I just can’t do that. My dream was to become a star. But there’s something I want even more than that. I want to live a happy life with the people I hold closest. Standing on this stage, I’ve finally realized how important that is.
“That’s why I can’t continue singing.”
Soft gasps rippled around the room. From the way Haruka was speaking, they were almost anticipating this, but it was still a shock to hear the words with their own ears. Haruka was retiring after just one concert.
Shiro couldn’t pinpoint exactly how he felt. Surprise, but also more…elated? Relieved? Proud? With her soft and gentle demeanor of speaking, Sawamura Haruka, the newest most beloved idol, was tearing down the entire idol industry before all of Japan. A dragon in her own way, small and lithe yet steadfast in her beliefs. Kiryu would be proud. Majima would have been proud.
Haruka closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She then pulled the microphone close up against her mouth, regarding the audience with full determination and delivered one final line.
“To me, Kiryu Kazuma...is family.”
Ringing silence followed for a moment, and that was when the concert broadcast was cut off, switching them over to the news. Everyone groaned and began shouting in protest at the screen when suddenly Taichi’s voice boomed over everyone’s.
“WHOA, WHOA! What’s that?!”
Quieting down, the kids took a closer look.
The news headline read: BREAKING: Massive fighting in Kamurocho! Yakuza related?. The commentators must have been arguing about the laxness of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for a while. Footage rolled on replay featuring nasty large-scale brawls in front of the Millennium Tower as well as Theater Square.
Shiro’s eyes could not tear away. The transferred five million yen suddenly made a lot of sense, as everyone could easily pick out the familiar grey suit among the brawling pandemonium.
“Uncle Kaz?!”
It was the morally right thing to do. It was the socially worst thing she could have done.
Touching Mirei’s prized pen—Mirei and Majima’s—that she had tucked in her vest, Haruka whispered, “I hope you’ll forgive me, Park-san.”
She could tell communications had been cut off. Her microphone was no longer picking up her voice. Half of the lights went out. Men in security gear were pouring out onto the stage.
Haruka stood silent yet defiant in her convictions on stage even as security ripped off her earpiece and yanked the microphone from her hands. There was no reason to be respectful to an idol shamed, she supposed.
She did not dare to gauge the reaction from the audience. There might have been shouting. She imagined Christina and Yamaura Misa were trying to reach her but were pushed back.
A glance back showed her Osawa Azusa and Sanada Mai were holding hands as they regarded her with a mix of pride and regret. Pride for standing up for what she believed in, and regret for what was to come.
They had to get two large men to escort her out, but her heart hammered as the news reel she had seen earlier during intermission spun in her mind. Kiryu was in Kamurocho. He was fighting alongside Akiyama. There was a massive fight tearing through the streets of Tokyo. What was going on? She had to get there, before Kiryu got hurt!
“Hey! The hell’re you doing?!” one of the guards started screaming. Five men had just ambushed the guards. Haruka caught the sight of a rugged man wearing jeans and a worn down brown suede jacket, but she didn’t stick around to witness any more.
Thinking of everything that had transpired in Sotenbori, she had to get to Kamurocho as quickly as she could, had to make sure Kiryu—her family, her father, half her heart—was okay.
She tore down the studio halls and burst through the back door. Now that she was outside, she wasn’t sure how to even get back to Kamurocho. Maybe she should change out of this silly costume—no. That would take forever. Should she call a taxi? Run down to Kamurocho on her own two legs? Kamurocho was about twenty minutes away by car westbound. How long would it take her by foot? Her ankle still seared with pain from the way her boots had scraped the skin.
She shivered in the cold. It had started to snow. Damn it. Even nature was standing against her. But she couldn’t afford to lose another moment. She had to get to Uncle Kaz, and fast!
A car sped by just as she was crossing the parking lot. It came to a screeching halt, and someone popped out, grabbed her, and threw her into the back seat of the car.
The car sped off.
Screaming at the top of her lungs, Haruka kicked with all her might and flailed her arms around, but the man gripped her legs as another grabbed onto her wrist. A familiar voice reached her.
“I apologize for this crude manner of fetching you, Haruka-chan, but I’m afraid we’re short on time.”
Gasping, Haruka froze as she took in the men around her. She was sprawled over Katsuya and Daigo’s laps. At the wheel was Majima, looking badly beaten up but his mouth set with determination. Saejima sat at the front passenger seat, silent with arms folded, frowning at his reflection in the frosty windshield.
Shifting quickly to sit between Katsuya and Daigo, Haruka tucked down her skirt, blushing to the roots of her hair.
“Katsuya-san?” she said. “Dojima-san, ah, sorry if I kicked you…”
Daigo bowed. “No apologies needed, Haruka-chan. We should have warned you in advance.”
Haruka nodded but wasn’t fully assured. Both Daigo and Katsuya looked…fatigued. Pale.
“Um…” Haruka glanced at Katsuya shyly.
“Don’ worry about him, Haruka-chan,” Majima said. “He’s Omi, but Ka-chan and I go way back.”
Haruka nodded. So that explained why he was with them.
“W-where are we going?” Haruka asked.
“Tojo HQ,” Majima explained as he bulleted through the streets at top speed. “They’re issuin’ arrest warrants—”
“Kurosawa tipped off the police ahead of time,” Daigo said.
“Not to mention the ruckus he made, makin’ it look like my men’re wreckin’ the damn city!” Majima roared.
“Kurosawa?” Haruka said. She had never heard that name before.
“Boss knew how incriminating it would appear once they saw his body atop the Millennium Tower, not to mention the carnage around the city” Katsuya said. “So we bolted the moment we heard the sirens.”
“And the sooner we get to Kiryu-chan, the quicker we can make our getaway!” Majima yelled and turned sharply around an icy corner, skidding and nearly turning over the car. He readjusted expertly and continued onward at top speed.
“Getaway?” Haruka said. “Wait—but then Uncle Kaz—I thought he was in Kamurocho—!”
“So you saw the news?” Daigo said with a frown.
Haruka hung her head. “Yes. During the concert’s intermission. Akiyama was there too. What’s going on?”
“It’s a long story,” Daigo said. “Akiyama stayed behind to take care of Kanai.”
Haruka gasped.
“So you’ve heard of him.”
“He attacked Akiyama-san and I when we were in Sotenbori,” Haruka explained.
“Kanai came to Kamurocho,” Daigo said. “He thought he was bringing in reinforcements under Kurosawa’s orders, but Watase-san then showed up. He had formed an army composed of his own men, the Yamagasa Family from Fukuoka, and the Kitakata Family from Sapporo.
“Meanwhile, Kiryu-san left Kamurocho some time ago to take the fight to Tojo HQ. I was the one to send him there. Kurosawa had planted someone in HQ, someone he was going to hand off the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance to.”
“And he ain’t been answerin’ anyone’s calls!” Majima roared.
“Yes…” Daigo bowed his head. “We’re growing concerned. Earlier, Kiryu-san, Saejima-san, Katsuya-san, and I were shot. Katsuya-san and I were hospitalized, but Kiryu-san and Saejima-san bandaged themselves in New Serena.”
“Kiryu-chan was in no shape to be fightin’ with that injury of his!” Majima hissed with a tone of accusation at the others for not preventing Kiryu from getting properly checked at a hospital.
Haruka paled.
“I should not have requested he go alone, but—”
“Try him again!” Majima spat out at Saejima who sighed heavily before raising his phone to his face.
“He hasn’t answered the last fifty times, what makes ya think he’s gonna answer now—”
“JUST DO IT OR I’M SMASHING THIS CAR AND KILLIN’ US ALL!”
“Please don’t, Majima-san!” Daigo begged.
“I would not advise that, dear friend,” Katsuya chuckled and immediately regretted it, his face contorting with pain. He pressed his hand against his torso.
“Where’s the damn redial button?” Saejima complained.
Haruka wedged herself between the two front seats and peered over Saejima’s shoulder. “It’s…oh, did Uncle Kaz change his number?”
Majima made a tiny growl of impatience.
The phone rang, set to speaker, but no reply came.
“He could be busy,” Daigo said even as worry etched on his face.
“No, somethin’s happened,” Majima said, and Haruka swore she could hear his heart thumping from here. “Try him again!”
Saejima obliged. He called Kiryu’s cell again, and again, the constant ringing ominous in the silent car.
Majima cursed under his breath, slamming the accelerator after the third attempt.
“Majima-san, I think you just ran a red light,” Daigo said.
“There isn’ anyone around!” Majima protested.
Saejima growled under his breath but otherwise remained silent. Haruka had grown used to the different kinds of silences Saejima emitted, and right now there was a nervous slant in the way he sat, his eyes glued to the windshield.
Katsuya fidgeted next to Haruka, eyebrows furrowed as he stared out the window, beads of sweat trickling down his temple.
Haruka gripped the pen tucked in her vest.
At last they reached Tojo Headquarters. Snow was falling heavily now, and the sky was dark and still as death. Majima slammed on the brakes, and without another word the men filed out, making for the main building. Haruka’s own heart began thumping hard against her chest as she slipped out, shivering bitterly in the cold as she took in the scenery.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
As Haruka approached the gate she could hear the four men shouting at a large man laying sprawled before the front doors.
“Where’s he gon’, Aizawa?!” Majima was demanding. “What’d ya do to him?!”
“Answer now, and we might be merciful,” Daigo said.
“Your father’s now dead, and there’s no one left at your side,” Katsuya added.
Saejima grunted.
Haruka turned her head, and something caught her eye. Freshly-fallen snow had almost covered up the tracks, but she could just make out two large footprints…and blood.
They were heading the opposite way they had come. She followed the path, heart sinking as a memory trickled back to haunt her. Kiryu had done this, many years ago, following the bloodied trails left behind Shinji and Reina the same night both had died. And now here she was doing exactly the same…
She quickened her pace.
Kiryu must have been trying to get back to Tokyo, Haruka realized with a painful jolt. The path led her down a silent and unassuming neighborhood. The streets were narrow, and no one was around, no one to take note of an injured man crawling his way back to Kamurocho, desperate to be reunited with his family and friends…
After a bit of searching, she finally saw him: there, lying face-down on the snow-covered ground, was—
“Uncle Kaz! Uncle Kaz!”
He lay with one hand outstretched above his head as if trying to reach for all of his friends still waiting for him back in Kamurocho.
“Uncle Kaz!”
Sweeping down, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shifted him onto his back. His abdomen was wrapped up, but the wound must have ripped open. He was bleeding profusely, the blood staining his pants and the ground beneath him a deep red. One hand swept up to his chest, ensuring he still had a heartbeat.
She shook him once, twice, thrice while calling out his name. “Uncle Kaz! Uncle Kaz!”
Slowly his eyes cracked open to the unforgiving winter wind. He looked up. “Haruka?”
His voice came raspy and weak.
“Hold on, Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu reached up and covered her hand on his chest with his own, and Haruka took in how horribly bloodied his hands were. Was that blood his or Aizawa’s?
“A dream…” Kiryu sighed, “…am I dreaming?”
He gave a sudden rasp of pain. Haruka placed her other hand over his.
“You’re not,” she said as she fought back tears. No matter how much she put on an encouraging smile for him, her voice cracked. “I’m really here with you.”
Kiryu’s gaze, barely holding on, slipped away as unconsciousness took over. The wind swallowed Haruka’s sobs.
“Kiryu-chan!” Majima cried out as he rushed to their side. “Haruka-chan, ya coulda called us!”
“I-I’m sorry,” Haruka whimpered. “I saw the blood on the ground, and you were busy with that man, and—”
Katsuya caught up with them, calling for the others to their side.
Saejima swore when he and Daigo reached them.
“Majima-san, we cannot run away with Kiryu-san like this,” Daigo said.
“Then we’re riskin’ our necks,” Majima said.
“You’re risking a lot more keeping Kiryu-san out here,” Katsuya pointed out politely but with a grimace. Giving a sudden sharp gasp, he arched his back before falling to his knees. He clutched his upper torso.
“Ka-chan?!” Majima cried out, whipping his head around to study his friend.
Just then Daigo too gave a sharp gasp of pain and toppled over. Blood seeped from both of their backs.
Majima swore. “Their wounds reopened!”
“What?” Haruka gasped.
“Last night we had a standoff with Kurosawa,” Saejima explained gruffly. “Katsuya took a bullet for Watase, Captain of the Omi Alliance. And Kanai, that grunt under Katsuya, had been under Kurosawa’s command all this time. He betrayed Katsuya and shot Daigo while he and Kurosawa went face to face.”
“Then we can’t run away!” Haruka said to Majima. She produced her phone. “I’m sorry, Uncle Goro, but Uncle Kaz, Dojima-san, and Katsuya-san need to go to the hospital!”
Majima’s face scrunched into pain, debating. Three men down. They couldn’t evade the police like this. This was madness. He met her gaze, then fell on Kiryu, on Daigo, then on his long-time friend Katsuya, hesitating.
“Damned Kurosawa,” he hissed. “He’s really set the trap, and we were too late. Call ‘em, Haruka-chan! We can’t lose ‘em!”
“It wasn’ easy, pretendin’ I was dead all this time,” Majima said with a heavy sigh. He drew out a cigarette, lit it, and blew smoke. They watched it ascend far above the hospital’s rooftop. Others were conjugating inside, but Saejima had come up to check in on his sworn brother. Had to learn the full truth.
“You suspected somethin’ was up with Kurosawa long time ‘go,” he said.
Majima nodded. “Kurosawa and Daigo formed an alliance between the Tojo and Omi back in 2011, some time after…well…during the summer. Without that alliance, both clans would have gone under. About a year later, Kurosawa Tsubasa, Seventh Chairman of the Omi Alliance, learned he had terminal lung cancer and only six months to live. He didn’t tell Daigo until November of that year. When Daigo met him, he sensed something was off. The man was deathly pale, but there was a strange, almost maniacal fire, in his eyes.
“He began to worry what Kurosawa’s death would mean for the Tojo. Any of the candidates for the successor could mean complete dissolution of the alliance formed between the two factions; none of them liked the Tojo as much, see. So that was when Daigo began looking into forming alliances with other yakuza groups in Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Sapporo.
“As for me…he had a special task for me. To investigate Kurosawa, figure out what he was plotting, and to exile you from the Tojo for yer protection.
“Meanwhile, before I headed out to Sapporo I called up my ol’ buddy, Ka-chan.”
“Although he’s Omi?” Saejima said. He folded his arms and frowned.
Majima chuckled. “We may be in different factions but our friendship runs longer and deeper than that. We go…very far back. So we met in a secluded place far from either Tojo or Omi turf and discussed our options. Among the many, Ka-chan suggested I write a letter to my ex-wife. She was adamant about Haruka-chan performing at Tokyo Dome, he had said. He decided I should write a letter about meetin’ her after the concert.”
“Yer were gettin’ civvies involved?!”
“O’ course I was hesitant about that! Told Ka-chan as much! But even I could see his logic. The man was thinking far ahead to all possibilities. Should the ladies be in danger, we needed to evacuate them. Should anything happen to me, well…
“We came to an agreement. Should any funny business arise in Sapporo, I’m bouncin’. Pretend I was dead. He’d get a signal and send the letter to Mirei.”
“And now ya got a civvy involved in yakuza bullshit.”
“She agreed to help him,” Majima said bitterly as guilt ate away at him. “Musta still carried a torch for me…”
Saejima sighed.
“So I wrote two letters. One I sent to yer prison to exile you from the Tojo. The other I handed over to Ka-chan. I went to Sapporo. Met with the Kitakata Family’s Chairman, Kitakata Taizo. The first meeting went perfectly fine. Ol’ Kitakata genuinely liked the idea of swearing an oath to become Daigo’s sworn brother. To him, forming an alliance with the Tojo Clan would bring nothing but great benefits. Anyone would hafta think twice about messin’ with him.
“We parted for the time being. I gave him plenty of time to think things through. Decided to explore Tsukimino in the meantime, but at some point into my sightseeing I received an urgent call from Ka-chan.
“He didn’ have the full details, but he said we’d be playin’ right into Kurosawa’s hand if we made this alliance. Not only that, but he suspected there was a mole planted inside the Tojo Clan. ‘Course, now we know it was Aizawa Masato. Kurosawa planted him there. Kurosawa wanted to destroy the Tojo and hand off his legacy to his son, Aizawa Masato, and the more yakuza families he crushed before he crooked the better! An alliance with other yakuza around Japan would suit him just as well. He’d wipe as many competition as he could in one fell swoop.
“I tried to contact Daigo immediately, but I couldn’ reach him. His phone had gone silent on me, and ‘course I couldn’ contact Kiryu-chan…”
He looked away, sad and sullen again, and Saejima briefly wondered why the mention of phones were becoming a trigger for him. People changed phones all the time, didn’t they? The one Saejima had now was something Baba had given him.
“I worried somethin’ had happened to Daigo,” Majima said. “Although we discussed the plan, there was no telling what was goin’ on at that point. O’course I heard about Azumi bitin’ it in Nagoya—him and an Omi together. When Kitakata called me back for a second meeting, I’d made up my mind. He was thrilled at the prospect of swearing up with Daigo. He told me he’d take the offer, all bright smiles, but I felt sick to my stomach and so bad for the guy. That was when I dropped the ball on him. Told him not to accept the alliance.”
Saejima nodded. This corroborated everything Kitakata had relayed to him prior to getting shot and essentially silenced. Thankfully, the Sapporo chairman had recovered enough to come to Kamurocho in the fight against Kurosawa’s men.
“Ya told Kitakata everythin’,” Saejima said.
Majiam nodded. “We decided to stage a murder. They’d kill me, but I’d be livin’ off the radar. I hated doing this, but I hadda destroy my phone, destroy anything on me that could be used to track me…
“Kitakata helped to stage my gruesome demise. O’ course, Kurosawa later used my passing to manipulate Kiryu-chan. Ya said his was posing as a detective under the name Serizawa Kazuhiko of the Osaka Prefectural Police to ya? He was pullin’ the same schtick on Kiryu-chan.”
“He knew about yer bond with Kiryu,” Saejima pointed out.
Majima fumed silently. After Majima’s little outburst at Saejima’s inauguration ceremony, it was only a matter of time before the story spread to the wrong crowd and someone wielded the relationship between Kiryu and Majima as a weapon.
The yakuza were full of men ostracized by society, including men cast out for their sexuality. Saejima himself was on the more traditional side; he had grown up hearing jokes and parroted such words about effeminate or gay men. Used to laugh at them. Found them weak. Sometimes even found the whole thing a little alarming. Even disgusting. Now he was just a little ashamed of himself for his own ignorance. He still had miles to go in terms of learning, like why the hell Majima found comfort wearing dresses and insisted on being referred to as a woman every now and then. Kiryu was nothing like that despite having a thing for men too. Saejima was aware of Kiryu and Majima’s relationship, and he was a little aware of some of his own men’s hearts’ affiliation. Most yakuza didn’t bat an eye on who the hell other yakuza slept with, but knowledge of such relationships could be used as a weapon, and for that reason alone yakuza often kept their private affairs, well, private.
What happened to Kiryu was proof enough why yakuza men didn’t kiss other men and tell.
Saejima didn’t mean to touch on a sore subject for Majima, but it clearly upset him for a few moments.
“Anyhow, once I was officially dead to the world,” Majima started up again, “I sent the signal to Katsuya. He made sure to postmark my letter after my untimely end. Timin’ was everythin’. Kurosawa and any of his lackeys had to be made aware of its existence to get ‘em movin’.”
“Did the lady know about yer death?”
“Ka-chan pulled her aside and told her,” Majima said. “The woman could act just as well as my old friend. She knew she was in danger, but she agreed to follow through with the plan. He would raise a ruckus over wanting the letter, the very same letter he had given her, proclaimin’ that it would reveal my whereabouts.”
“So he was playin’ the role of the villain,” Saejima said with a nod. “Heh, he gave an impressive performance.”
Majima smirked. “My friend can act! Ya shoulda seen him in his prime, Saejima! Pity he hadda retire after that injury. Anyway, Mirei knew things could go sideways, so she kept my letter in her safe and gave my pen to Haruka-chan. It functioned as a key to opening the safe.”
Saejima nodded. “Katsuya sent Kanai to go search for the letter, not realizing Kanai was in on the whole thing with Kurosawa. Kanai sent Ogita to do his dirty work...Ogita, o’ course, was pissed at some work-related bullshit that happened between him n’ Mirei. The argument turned into accidental murder. He panicked and staged it as a suicide.”
Majima sighed heavily, sick with guilt. “The same Ogita who Kiryu-chan knew from way back. Same Ogita he had hired to train Haruka…”
Saejima glanced toward Majima, the bitter irony of it all just now hitting him.
“With Park dead, that made the lil lady a target,” Saejima said.
Majima gave a quick nod of his head. “Ka-chan realized something was amiss right in Sotenbori and he doubled his efforts to get the letter without raising suspicion. Had to continue to play the big baddie to Haruka. His fingerprints were all over the letter. He needed to erase any incrementing evidence that letter had to him, as well as protect my whereabouts.
“That was when he learned that Kanai was unfaithful to him, but he hadda keep the act. Use it as leverage to lure in the mastermind. Akiyama and Haruka-chan were making their way to Tokyo. By that time I had already reached Tokyo myself and contacted Nishida. Told him to secure a nice cozy spot for Katsuya at a hotel. He made his announcement to draw out all the players on stage. Ya know what happened next.”
Saejima nodded again. “Kiryu, Watase, and I crashed into his room at the same time.”
Majima stubbed the cigarette and lit another. When was the last time he ever smoked two cigs back to back? Heck, he wanted one now. “Then Ka-chan took ya all up to the roof to battle it out. His plan worked. Kurosawa showed himself. Grazed ya in the shoulder. Watase and Ka-chan in the leg. Kiryu-chan in the abdomen…
“Ka-chan could have ended things right then and there. But just as Kurosawa was ‘boutta shoot Watase, the man gunning to be the eighth chairman of the Omi Alliance, Ka-chan panicked. He wouldn’ let harm come to his friend and kyodai. He took the bullet for Watase.”
He did not need to continue. Saejima had seen the rest for himself. With Katsuya passed out in Watase’s arms, Kurosawa would have finished them off, but that was when Daigo had appeared. He’d just come back from his own investigation in Nagoya; apparently he had gotten a friend, another freaking civvy, dragged into this mess. He was about to finish the job Katsuya had started only to be throttled by Kanai, the subordinate Katsuya would have warned them of had he not fallen unconscious in Watase’s arms.
The hotel had several rooftops, and the four of them were separated from Kurosawa. The coward wouldn’t approach them from the same rooftop as he feared Kiryu’s strength. But that meant that Daigo was now cornered between Kurosawa and Kanai. Kanai shot Daigo, and then the two left Daigo for dead.
Grief-stricken, Kiryu ran and would have mindlessly jumped from the rooftop had Saejima not grabbed him. He tried to wrestle against Saejima and kept screaming for Daigo even as his own blood pooled the ground beneath them. And then Kurosawa had the nerve to threaten Haruka to Kiryu on top of that.
Kiryu came undone in Saejima’s hands right then and there.
“Why…why does this happen whenever I get involved?” Kiryu had wept. “Why does someone else always have to pay the price? Why…why is it like this?”
Kiryu Kazuma. What a guy. His strength was legendary among yakuza all over—among all men—but what was truly remarkable was his heart. Despite all he had endured, Kiryu’s heart remained pure, almost frighteningly so. It never hardened, leading him to keep getting his heart broken time and time again. Saejima felt sorry for him, but he also admired his tenacity of innocence.
He had kept holding Kiryu steadily as he wept his heart out, too injured and grieved to do much else, and wondered how much suffering could one man endure before he’d finally crack. He even shed a few of his own tears. Kiryu deserved none of this shit.
The same thought must have flitted through Majima’s mind, given the look on his face.
“And then ya got captured,” Saejima said.
Majima scoffed. “Ya make it seem like I let ‘em take me by the hand. I watched the whole shitstorm go down from afar. Had no idea Daigo was back in town. But I called the paramedics the moment I saw Ka-chan go down.
“Did it at the expense of my own freedom. Kurosawa musta sensed y’ll had a guardian angel ‘cause he took out my own men who’re standing guard ‘round my office. I ran back to survey the area only to find him sitting in my chair watching the cityscape from my window and smoking a cig.
“Not much to say after that. His men ambushed me and beat the living crap outta me. Dragged my ass in chains up the Millennium Tower and put out a news bulletin to draw yer asses back out. Meanwhile, he stirred shit down on the streets with men wearing pins of my family, just to lay the blame on me and the Tojo.”
Majima took a drag from his cigarette.
Akiyama, Shinada, Kiryu, and Saejima had just gotten done finalizing their attack plans when they saw the news. In the end the team split up. Akiyama and Kiryu stayed back to protect the city from Kurosawa’s men. Saejima and Shinada ran off together through the sewers before breaking away: Shinada went further eastward to sneak off to Tokyo Dome, where he was to protect Haruka by taking down Baba, the same man Saejima had thought was a friend—a kyodai, for fucks sakes!—and who was ordered to snipe Haruka dead, and Saejima went up the tower where he was forced into the worst fight of his life.
The rules were simple: kill Majima and Haruka’s life would be spared, and Saejima would go to jail on account of taking Majima hostage and murdering him. Fail to kill Majima, and Haruka would die. Baba was there at Tokyo Dome, ready to feed the little lady bullets once he got the word.
There was nothing for Majima to do but comply with Kurosawa’s demands. The girl, he said, was more precious to Kiryu than life itself. Just hearing the threat alone had broken that man right under Kurosawa’s hands. It hurt just thinking back on it.
Saejima understood. He would have done the same for his sister Yasuko.
But Majima could scarcely walk. It almost felt unfair fighting him like this. Yet ironically, when faced with his death, Majima’s eye lit with fire and madness and, as though a newfound strength filled him.
Halfway through their battle, Saejima got his own word from Shinada.
They had made their own pact. Once the assailant was subdued, Saejima was to receive two rings. He felt his phone vibrating in his pants as he fought, and taking the message, he grabbed Majima as if intending to wrestle-throw him against the ground, but then whispered in his ear, “She’s safe with our ally.”
In the end, they fought just to buy themselves time. They would have kept at it as long as it was needed until the concert was over, but Kurosawa grew impatient. As luck would have it, Daigo and Katsuya appeared, the latter holding Daigo up as he carried his gun. They should have still been at the hospital with those wounds, but they pushed themselves back to the battlefield. Had to see the job to the end.
That was how they learned of the trap and Aizawa.
Damned Kurosawa had played them all. The Kitakata Family from Sapporo, the Yamagawa Family from Fukuoka, the Omi Alliance from Sotenbori, the Nagoya Family from Nagoya, and the Tojo Clan…Kurosawa managed to mess with them all and lured them to Kamurocho while his son Aizawa had run off to Tojo Headquarters, taking out Tojo men, men who had thought Aizawa was a fellow Tojo man. Hearing all that had made Saejima’s stomach turn. The last time he had seen Aizawa, the bastard was hollering about ripping Katsuya to shreds over Morinaga’s death. Saejima didn’t personally know Morinaga, but apparently the man had been found dead on Shibaura Wharf. Katsuya’s prints were found on a man named Morinaga Yu, a man Kiryu apparently knew well from his time in Fukuoka, as well as the old patriarch of the Nagoya Family, Fujita. Of course, the fucker Kurosawa had murdered both but tried to plant the blame on Katsuya.
A fine mess he had left for all of them. Just thinking about the scope of this mess was giving Saejima a headache. Like an overly-complicated crime soap opera. Who the fuck would think of this kind of shit?!
The moment he heard of Kurosawa’s plan, Daigo called to warn Kiryu. Kiryu set off instantly, despite his guts nearly leaking out. In the end, Kurosawa died not knowing that Kiryu had stopped his son from taking over the Tojo Clan, and now several yakuza factions were left to clean up his shit.
Without Kurosawa to interrogate, the police had to find any of his lackeys to shake the truth out of. Kiryu, Daigo, and Katsuya were a few floors beneath them right now in surgery or in the ICU for their injuries.
If any good came from this whirling pile of shitstorm, it was that the families caught up in Kurosawa’s schemes were that little much more united. Thanks for that, ya fuckin’ lil wanker.
Majima stubbed out his second cigarette and the two made their way down. In the second floor hall, they caught sight of Haruka thanking Shinada once more. He not only subdued Baba, but Saejima’s old cellmates, Himura and Oshima, and even the duty warden Kosaka had come to fetch Baba. With Shinada, all five of them had watched the concert, and when they sensed the guards were giving Haruka trouble, had surrounded them to give Haruka a chance to escape.
Shinada was…an interesting fellow. He was no yakuza but a civvy, and lived with not a penny to his name. He spent his days in Nagoya writing about boobs or some weird ass shit like that. His aspirations of becoming a baseball player went down the shitter after just one game when he was accused of sign stealing. A whole mess that was. It was also, in some bizarre way, connected to the whole ordeal of the Nagoya Family and Kurosawa. As a junior high school friend of Daigo’s, he was pushed into learning the truth of that fateful game and pay off the massive debt he had buried himself into all these years.
Shinada had fetched Haruka’s pink coat for her. The poor little thing was shivering in that silly costume without proper clothing.
Shinada was bowing back to Haruka as they neared, and seeing them, he smiled and bowed to them. His friends from Nagoya had called him and were waiting for him back home, so Saejima and Majima didn’t hold him back. He got to visit his old friend Daigo. He got to ensure the girl he protected was safe. As far as he was concerned, Shinada Tatsuo’s work in Kamurocho was done.
Majima watched Shinada leave before turning to Haruka. Saejima gave a curt nod and excused himself, giving them some privacy.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Goro,” Haruka said softly. “I wanted to meet with you after the concert, just like Park-san and I had agreed. This pen was my key to meeting you, she said. Proof that she had sent me. She…she wanted me to take you to her…”
Majima grimaced as Haruka produced the pen from her vest. Every time he thought back to Mirei, his heart clenched painfully. None of them wanted this to happen. Park Mirei, his former wife and a civilian, the woman he loved with all his heart once upon a time, paying the ultimate price for yakuza drama. The fact she gladly accepted to help, even though she knew she could never return to him as their paths in life were far too different, stung the worst of all. He lived in the shadows, and she had to keep up appearances in the limelight beside her shiny star.
To add insult to injury was just how Mirei had inadvertently hurt his current relationship with his Kiryu. He held no ill will toward her for that. Their fight was solely a matter between them; Majima just wished he had understood the situation better back then. And now here stood Haruka, speaking so fondly of the same woman who had chased off Kiryu from Majima’s arms, the same woman who Majima himself loved beyond the world…her words were filled with nothing but utmost love, respect, and admiration as she held on to the pen. She finally had a proper mother figure in her life—a real mother, not like when Majima…and now he and Katsuya had snuffed it right from under Haruka’s nose after everything was going so well.
He could have thawed the tension between Kiryu and Mirei. He could have prevented this, gave Haruka the mother she always wanted and deserved. It was all his damn fault.
Mirei…dearest Mirei…Haruka-chan…I’ll never forgive myself…
“The pen’s yers now, Haruka-chan,” Majima said, hoping she couldn’t see through to his broken smile. “Mirei loved that pen with all her heart. Cost me a good yen too. Ya go treasure it yerself.”
Seeing that he would not take it back, Haruka gave a nod and held the pen against her chest. “Thank you, Uncle Goro. I wish things had gone differently…”
“I still went to yer concert, didn’t I?” Majima smiled wetly. “Got a whole car full o’ yer fans with me.” He hoped it would cheer her up. She cracked the faintest smile, barely visible, but he’d take it. “How’s Kiryu-chan?”
“Still in surgery,” Haruka reported. “Saejima and Uncle Kaz had tried to fix up his wound in New Serena by pulling out the bullet with just a first aid kit. That might have done more damage.”
Majima sighed. “O’ course. Ye think someone built like an ox and just as dumb as Saejima is gonna be a delicate surgeon?”
“And we’re worried the fight with Aizawa widened the injury,” Haruka said. “And then there’s also when he was stabbed years ago and they had to remove some of his insides…”
Majima sighed heavily. Was Kiryu about to have more of his intestines removed?
“Kiryu-chan’s got the most rotten luck in the world,” Majima sighed. “Another bad injury and he’s a goner.”
“Please don’t say that, Uncle Goro!”
“Sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling useless and unsure what to do. The last time Kiryu was in Touto University Hospital, Majima ran off to Okinawa to rebuild their house. He had a purpose, something to occupy his mind and hands. He was a man of action, and projects kept his mind from veering into deep dark places. But there wasn’t much to do right now. By calling the ambulance, the police swarmed to Tojo Headquarters. Investigations were underway. Date was working overtime to try and shift blame away from all them, especially Majima’s own family. The best Majima could do was keep himself out of trouble.
Undoubtedly they would be seeing the fuzz at some point, but until then…
“Ya eaten anythin’ yet?”
Haruka shook her head. “I’m not hungry, but thank you for the offer, Uncle Goro. Akiyama-san might be back. He’s gathering up Uncle Kaz’s belongings.” She bid him farewell and ran off, leaving Majima alone in the hall.
Majima watched her go with a heavy heart.
“And…alone again,” he said under his breath. Maybe I should phone the kids down in Okinawa. I didn’t realize news of my death would go everywhere. I’d hate for them to worry…
The pain pills were wearing off, but Kiryu didn’t raise his head. He could hear Akiyama speaking to Saejima and Date about Majima and Park and of their relationship, and of how Park had died while risking her life to help him…how she had risked it all while keeping Haruka as safe as she could…
His eyes were wide open but he could scarcely say a word or move.
Park. Dead. The thought horrified and filled him with deep regret and guilt, as though he were the one who had personally ended her life. Of all she had done, death was the very last thing he wished on her. She was a gateway for Haruka, opening a door of opportunity. Haruka could find her place in this cold world with such a powerful connection…and Haruka, she clearly loved the woman so much. Haruka deserved a mother figure in her life, even if she was Majima’s ex, so what? In a strange way, that was almost…perfect, actually. What woman could he trust more than someone Majima saw as perfect?
And yet…
A sniffle almost escaped him but he held it back.
Haruka…how was she right now? Where was she even?
Oh…right…they were to meet up…his phone began ringing…
“Uncle Kaz!”
Kiryu gave a start and jumped back.
Haruka giggled. “Oh, Uncle Kaz, you’re so silly!”
He hardly recognized her. Haruka’s wig consisted of bright, turquoise hair in two large pigtails; even her eye contacts were the same bright hue. A long turquoise tie adorned a simple white sleeveless top, and the skirt was short and black with accents of turquoise. She also wore thigh-length black socks and arm sleeves that went up to her biceps, keeping her from the cold.
“Wait…Miku? Hatsune Miku?”
“You know her, Uncle Kaz?”
“I’ve seen her merchandise in SEGA Centers…”
Haruka giggled again. “I had to cosplay her for a promotion! What do you think? I look just like her!”
“Prettier. You sound better, too.”
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka gasped, blushing. She jumped around him, giggling and teasing him the whole time they walked. Kiryu himself was back to wearing his long grey coat and work clothes underneath. Of course, they were in Fukuoka.
He showed Haruka his apartment for a bit and had her stop by the office. Everyone was pleased to meet his daughter at long last. No one commented on the silly costume.
Haruka skipped around town, oohing and ahhing over every interesting corner of the city. It warmed Kiryu’s heart. This place had kept him afloat during dreary days, yet he found it to be a sort of second home, and now with Haruka here she was giving it the life he had realized it was missing.
She excitedly motioned toward the food stalls and spoke fondly about opening up a restaurant with him, a family restaurant like a ramen shop. Kiryu teased her about how much she ate, but he smiled. He loved his job as a taxi driver, but a family restaurant with Haruka and the others? That would be such a lovely and perfect world…maybe everyone could move here. Riona could model here. Mitsuo and Koji could play baseball here. Maybe there was even an astronomy center for Shiro.
The lovely haze was short-lived, however, after Haruka found Ose Bridge. She peered out to the river, as mesmerized as he first was. They got to talking when she mentioned having a boyfriend. The very thought near gave him a heart attack.
Haruka. Already at that age…
“Haruka!”
Kiryu rushed out of the apartment, wrapped bento box in hand. He nearly collided with an elder on the way, but luckily no one was harmed, and he reached Haruka before she rounded the corner.
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka gasped.
Kiryu huffed. “You…forgot your lunch.”
She looked so adorable with her hair down and dressed in her school uniform. A high-schooler. His Haruka was already in high school…
A Sotenbori school…
“Oh, Uncle Kaz,” Haruka giggled as she accepted the lunch. It was then that Kiryu looked down and realized he was dressed in his pajamas, a hoodie and joggers, but otherwise not something he’d have voluntarily worn for outside in the middle of Sotenbori, Omi’s turf.
“C’mon, Uncle Kaz,” Haruka said, rushing to his rescue. “I’ll jog with you before school starts! There’s still time!”
A blink, and the world shifted again. A draft ran past him, far less subdued than what should have been. He was only in a fundoshi and happi—the water-vest common of Fukuoka’s festivals. But he wasn’t back in Nagasugai, Fukuoka. This place was covered in snow.
“C’mon, Uncle Kaz!” Haruka called out as she ran past him, giggling and waving at him. “Hurry before the Snow Festival is over!”
Sapporo. Kiryu turned toward her and his jaws dropped.
“Haruka, what the hell are you wearing?!” he cried out.
She regarded him shyly. On her was a shiny black mini vest that barely covered anything of her midriff, arms, and cleavage; and she had on short shorts of the same material. Her black boots went up to her knees, but there was little to keep her from the cold. Thankfully no one seemed to notice what she was wearing, but surely his precious daughter was cold! Kiryu would have offered her a coat, but, Kiryu dumbly realized, his own asscheeks were bare to the wind and vulnerable to frostbite.
“I wore this during my rendition of “Loneliness Loop,’” Haruka said.
It looked like something Kiryu had seen the women in the catfights wear, meant to tantalize men as they pressed their bodies together. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
“I can change!” Haruka offered brightly as she tugged him toward the snow sculptures. She did a backflip and the transformation happened before Kiryu’s eyes. The result was somehow worse: black PVC leather corset, the red and black too-short shorts, high heels and stockings that went up to her thigh, accented with long leather gloves that felt too inappropriate for someone her age.
Was this how the idol industry treated their talents? Recalling words from that man at the ramen shop, so long ago, stirred uneasily inside Kiryu’s stomach. What went on with Haruka while she was away—no, he couldn’t afford to think like that.
They enjoyed looking at the snow sculptures together. There was a giant whale surrounded by dolphins, happily swimming together. They reminded Kiryu of himself with his children. A family not bound by blood…
“Uncle Kaz! Look!”
It was warmer now. Haruka was pointing up at the large famous TV Tower of Kineicho, Nagoya. She had changed out to a far more agreeable costume, one Kiryu recognized. Pink filly skirt, a pink vest and puffy white sleeves. He himself was dressed far less embarrassing as well: blue jeans, a white shirt, blue jacket…
He gasped, remembering these clothes.
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka had now taken him to Kineicho’s large, famous Ferris Wheel.
Kiryu offered to take her on a ride.
She declined. “I kind of want to do it with my boyfriend instead…”
He did not just hear her say that.
Kiryu’s stomach turned.
Of course. She was getting to that age. She was curious about boys and sex and romance. It was natural, all part of growing up. He used to stash shrink-wrapped porn magazines too, hadn’t he? Everybody got curious. He couldn’t stop time and it would be cruel of him to forbid her from ever dating, much as he wanted to shield her from the entire world. His daughter was growing up. He couldn’t keep her young forever. He had to accept this.
His baby. His baby was growing up…
A vision crossed his mind. Kiryu sat, abandoned and left behind, watching as a successful salaryman took Haruka’s hand and walked away with her, his face shrouded in shadow.
“Do you ever feel lonely, Uncle Kaz?”
It was meant to be temporary. Had his children really grown this quickly while he had his back turned? Were they happy?
He wanted to be there for them…he wanted to be happy with them…
Yes, Haruka…I’m lonely…without my family…without Goro…
“Hey, Uncle Kaz! I’m really famished! Can we get tuna onigiri? I know I can pay for everything now, but I miss when we used to—”
“It’s fine, Haruka. I’ll buy you a tuna onigiri.”
“You’re the best, Uncle Kaz!”
Please, just a little longer, can she still be my little girl?
In one year she had grown so much. The scenes kept changing. They were exploring all of Japan, it seemed. Hand in hand, father and daughter, reliving their earlier years together, making new memories, making up for lost time, clinging on to this precious moment before Time took her away. Whatever Haruka wanted, he got his precious angel. But it wasn’t the same. Something felt…off…about the world…empty…they were the only ones here running amok in the streets…the only ones to exist in the entire universe…
“Hehe. You're pretty cute when you're flustered like that, Uncle Kaz.”
“S-stop teasing me. Y-You sure you don’t have a boyfriend?”
One day, she would leave him. She would have her own family, worry about her husband and children, as she should. It would be her new duties in her new life. Kiryu had ensured his children would grow to achieve this. And yet it hurt…his heart clenched at the thought. A dragon whose den was now empty. Had he forever lost the time he could be with his children?
“Uncle Kaz!”
“Hmm?”
Kiryu turned around. The world had changed once more. Haruka was smiling and waving at him beside the theater near Millennium Tower. She wore a red and black sweater over grey shorts and black leggings, her long hair up in a ponytail. The sunset was amber-warm. Everything felt…normal. Right.
“Uncle Kaz!” Haruka giggled. “Caught you! You’ve been with Uncle Goro again!”
“Huh?” Kiryu stood still, confused, until he looked down. No wonder why the shoes felt uncomfortably tight on his feet. He was wearing his (former?) lover’s snakeskin coat and leather pants. His chest and torso were exposed to the world.
Just then there was a “Kiryu-san!” and Kiryu raised his head. Akiyama had called him. Approaching along with him were Date, Watase, Katsuya, Shinada, Saejima, Daigo, and—
Kiryu’s heart clenched.
Majima was walking in front, wearing his grey suit, shoes and all.
“What’d ya think, Kiryu-chan?” he said as he spread out his arms.
He smiled and motioned behind him, and Kiryu’s heart filled with more joy. Everyone from Morning Glory were also walking toward him. Nakahara, Saki, Mikio and the Ryudo boys, Natsumi, Ayako, Taichi, Koji, Mitsu, Riona, Eri, Shiro, Izumi, and of course Mame too…
“C’mon, Uncle Kaz!” Haruka called out excitedly. “The concert’s about to begin!”
Tokyo Dome…Tokyo Dome…
He was cheering on Haruka inside the karaokekan.
“Go! Go! Haruka! Love-ly Ha-ru-ka!”
“Are you ready? Go! It’s your time to—get to the top!—I’m just a step away—step and go! Forever and ever...you're my beloved 24-hour Cinderella—till the end, you'll be by my side...that's the promise you made that day—”
“Hey, what’d ya think yer doing?!” Majima was crying out. Kiryu snapped his head around. They were back at Theater Square. Who was Majima yelling at? He spun around and saw a man he didn’t recognize, murder in his eyes.
“Ya get away from Kiryu-chan right now!” Majima snarled.
Kiryu’s eyes shot wide open. Bright light seared his eyeballs. Moaning, he snapped them back shut, squeezing his eyelids together, then slowly opened them again, readjusting to the light.
A monitor beeped next to him. The familiar thin tubes going into his arm. Saline, antibiotics. He had done this all before. The smell of antiseptics reached his nose.
His entire body ached. His head throbbed. Turning his head to the left he took notice of a familiar framed photo. His children. His family.
“I better not see yer face anywhere near Kiryu-chan!”
Kiryu could just make out the shape of a teenage girl at the door looking out as a man shouted and yelled at some unseen foe.
“M…Majima-no-nii-san?” Kiryu said. “H-Haruka?”
Haruka gasped as she jumped and turned to him. “Uncle Kaz! Uncle Kaz!” Then she stuck her head out and called out, “Uncle Goro!”
So he was going to be arrested on charges of incitement, suspicion of assault and destruction of private property. Bullshit charges, Majima kept screaming. The police had already arrested Saejima, but he was anticipating them. Saejima still had a sentence to see to the end, and he had accepted his fate. At least he had friends waiting in jail. But Kiryu?!
“Get a lawyer!” Majima said. “Ya know they’re just doing it to clean up their own public image! Akiyama’s face was also plastered all over the news, but they’re going after the one with the clout!”
Akiyama did not like that slight one bit, but he decided not to go toe-to-toe with Majima while he was in this mood.
Kiryu would have chuckled if doing anything but breathing didn’t hurt so damn much. He was too fatigued to do much of anything. His body ached severely everywhere. He couldn’t even speak, and he just wanted to sleep.
He was just glad to see Majima and Haruka in the same room as him again.
Haruka tended to him while Majima paced the floor and ranted about the damn pigs. She fluffed his pillow and draped another blanket over him, covering him up to his chin. After giving him a kiss on the forehead and wetly whispering, “I’ve missed you, Uncle Kaz,” she gave Akiyama a look, and the two filed out of the room with the excuse of being hungry.
Majima froze, realizing they were now all alone. He shifted uneasily.
“Er…ya need yer rest, Kiryu-chan?” he said hesitantly.
“It’s so good to hear your voice again, Nii-san…” Kiryu said, his voice almost silent. It hurt to speak. “I was worried…when I heard…you died…”
Majima hung his head. “Yeah, that…I didn’t mean to worry ya…”
“I dropped everything…had to see you…”
“Ya made a promise to Haruka-chan and the others…” Majima said, pained.
It was true. Not even Daigo’s mysterious disappearance would sway Kiryu from his spot. But one mention of Majima in danger, and promises be damned.
“Nii-san…I’m sorry…the way I acted…running out like that…Park-san…I heard the news…I’m so sorry…I never wanted anything to happen to her…she was precious to you and then…it’s all my fault…”
Majima shook his head. He pulled up a chair and settled by Kiryu’s side. “Hey, what’s with the self-blaming? It’s all water under the bridge, ‘kay, Kiryu-chan? Every couple fights. I forgive ya—more than forgive ya. Just glad yer not dead yerself…yeah…” He chuckled softly as he began to fuss over him. “Look at ya. Ya hardly have any belly left, Kiryu-chan! Another hit and yer a goner! Ya better watch yerself, Kazzy Baby…”
“Park-san…”
He watched as Majima’s face fell.
“I’m sorry…I tried looking for the ring…in every pawn shop I could find…”
“Kiryu-chan, it’s fine…” Majima swept down and kissed him on the cheek. “I still have my memories, ‘kay? Also…look what I found on my way to Sapporo!” He pulled out a tiny satchel and pulled out a ring. “Found it! Lucky me, eh?”
Kiryu squinted at it. “It’s not. This ring’s missing the chipped parts, and the colors on the gem’s a little off. It doesn’t have your initials either.”
“Well, it fooled Saejima! Not like he ever saw the real thing…” Majima’s face fell before he suddenly perked up, grinning wickedly. “Did ya know Saejima found himself a girlie while he was holed up in Tsukimino? A hostess. Really hot one too. I may have run across her recently myself.”
Kiryu shook his head. They were so busy planning on defeating Kurosawa that they had little time for chatting about much else—well, there was another invitation to fight the Amon Clan, and like fools they had dragged Shinada along with them. They should have probably waited and taken Majima with them, but they were too frustrated and impatient to get this Amon business taken care of right away that they just grabbed the closest bastard. Kiryu just hoped everyone had sense enough not to mention it to Majima.
Majima went on to tell Kiryu all about Saejima’s newest lady love. Her real name was Natsuki Rei, but Saejima loved her stage name of Kaguya too much to not use it, and Kaguya wasn’t about to stop him from using it. Kaguya was a bit of a lackadaisical woman and on the younger side compared to Saejima (twenty-one years his junior to be exact), but they seemed they would work out. They both loved cats.
The lackadaisical cat lady and the gruff tiger man. Kiryu grinned the whole time Majima went on about her. There was just something about gossiping about other men’s love lives that was oddly appealing.
“Hold on—he said what?” Kiryu said, trying not to laugh again. His ribs were killing him. He needed more morphine at this rate. It felt like half his body had been stitched back together. The doctor had said he could return home in a few weeks, but Kiryu was feeling awful. Far worse than after Hamazaki had attempted to kill him.
Guess I’m getting up there in age…
“Said Kaguya’s the woman of his dreams,” Majima went on, laughing. “Literally the woman of his dreams. He had to picture her during some mind immersion bullshit one o’ his cellmates gave them. It was a tour of Tsukimino; took them to all his personal fav’ spots. Saejima swore Kaguya was the very image of the woman his mind conjured up during that whole experience.”
“Then she’s that cellmate’s girl.”
“Was his girl. Don’t think this chick was really into the cellmate. And I think my kyodai’s serious about this one. Head over heels—fuck, after he read about my death in the papers, he went back to sleep and fantasized about playing darts with the lady!”
“Oh, my.” Kiryu chuckled and immediately regretted it. Sensing the problem, Majima searched for the self-administering pump, and once he located it, slipped it into Kiryu’s hand. One press of the button, and Kiryu felt relief course through his body like a soothing salve. He sighed in relief.
“Didn’t he used to like that thief…?” Kiryu asked after some time.
“Blue Rose Saori?” Majima said. “Nah, he talked nonstop about her, and her legs, but they had met just that one time.”
Kiryu nodded and kept listening about Saejima. He was already escorted out of the hospital by the time Kiryu had woken up. He would have liked to have spoken with him once more himself before they took him away, and hearing Majima talk made him miss their mutual friend a little.
Conversation soon turned to Haruka. Majima showed Kiryu videos on his new phone of Haruka’s performances during the Princess League and of her concert at Tokyo Dome. Together they watched her retirement speech.
Kiryu choked back the tears. She was retiring…because of him. Because she wanted to be with him and the family back home. But could they ever return home? Not just Haruka and him, but also with Majima. Could they reclaim Morning Glory, make it what it once was?
“Before the cops arrived, we had a lil’ chat with Akiyama,” Majima said as the video ended. “We agreed that Haruka’s speech was real smooth, but given how everythin’ shook out, she shouldn’ expect life to just return to the way it was any time soon. The whole world learned she has connections to a yakuza the same time as the Tojo and Omi were rippin’ at one another’s throats in the streets. The media’s gon’ have a field day with this. He was relaying our concerns to her when that pig flew in.”
“Then I cannot fight off the charges,” Kiryu said.
“What the hell?! Kiryu-chan!”
“I owe it to Haruka and everyone else,” Kiryu said, nodding toward the family photo. “If I go to jail, I can clear my name and I can return to Morning Glory without any more problems haunting my family.”
Who knew how long his sentence would take this time around. He would do everything in his power to make it as short as possible. He’d been through this before, knew what was considered good behavior that pleased prison wardens. He wouldn’t raise a hand against anyone even if he was beaten to within an inch of his life just to not risk lengthening his sentence. He’d clear his name, cleanse any connection he ever had to the Tojo Clan, and be able to live freely in Okinawa forevermore. He could reclaim his family life, his name of Kiryu Kazuma (he wouldn’t have to be Suzuki Taichi anymore), and savor however much time he still had before Haruka, Ayako, Taichi, or even Koji inevitably found love, would get married, and the family would splinter once more, for good…
He slowly turned to face Majima. “We can…”
He left the sentence unfinished, lingering in the air, embarrassed. He had no right, after all that’s been said and done, to ask this from Majima.
Majima smiled wryly. “Guess we both still got work ahead of us.”
Sleep was beckoning him back. He let out a yawn, and Majima got to his feet.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to—”
“Nah, ya need yer rest, Kiryu-chan. I’ve been talkin’ yer ears off.” He kissed him again and smiled. “Been great catchin’ up with ya. Miss ya, Kazuma…”
With that, he left, and now Kiryu was alone with his troubled thoughts. Guilt and self-blame trickled back into his consciousness as sleep lulled his body into a stupor. Majima seemed perfectly fine, but maybe he was only pretending to not be bothered by Kiryu. Kiryu couldn’t blame him. He only ever brought trouble wherever he went. Jail was where he belonged—no, maybe it was best if he just died from his injuries…
The self-administration pump slipped from his grip.
He closed his eyes as a tear trickled down his cheek. He wished he could just save everyone the misery and trouble and just…die.
NOTICE: The following substories have been unlocked:
▶ Substory #67 — Red Thread of Fate
▶ Substory #86 — Blue Rose Hip
When Kiryu opened his eyes again, he was standing with his feet in the waters, staring out the familiar ocean horizon. No stars shone in the sky yet the world was lit up strangely, like a soft violet twilight. Behind him was a great bright light beaming out of Morning Glory, but standing on either side, standing on discs of light, was everyone he loved: Haruka, Date, the children, Daigo, Akiyama, Saejima, and Majima…
He couldn’t be dead, Kiryu rationed, if these people were here with him. He walked slowly, and as he passed each of them they spoke his name. He thought back to them as their gazes locked. He spent time addressing each child. How he wanted to hold every one of them, tell them he was back home, but some ominous feeling grew heavy in his chest. He went around the circle, avoiding the giant ball of light beckoning him, but most of all ignoring the one who stood on the other side of the semi-circle from Haruka…
“Kiryu-chan!” The greeting was sweet, excited, and perky, the burdens of all they had gone through lifted.
“Majima-no-nii-san,” Kiryu answered politely. Lieutenant advisor to the Tojo Clan...Majima Goro. The Mad Dog of Shimano. No matter how many times we've fought since I've retired, I can still never get a read on him. For whatever reason, our fates are tied. These days he's made a name for himself as a high-ranking officer of the Tojo Clan. He's also close to another Tojo Clan officer, his sworn brother, Saejima Taiga…
What was the meaning of…everything? Of having met Majima? Of becoming lovers? What would become of their bond after this? Would they ever become a happy family?
Now that he had spoken with everyone, Kiryu turned back to the one final point: the large bright glowing light. He regarded Majima again who gave him a slightly encouraging nod. Across from them, Haruka and the kids bowed and gave Kiryu encouraging smiles.
Was he parting from everyone?
Taking tentative steps, Kiryu marched on to the light until it swallowed him whole.
“Are you awake, Fourth Chairman?” asked Daigo as he rolled up to his side in a wheelchair.
Majima passed by Haruka on the way to the cafe.
“Waitin’ for Date and Akiyama?” he said. Haruka nodded. She was turning over a pair of sunglasses in her hands. Heart-shaped, red-rimmed. Kinda tacky. Not at all her style. Majima voiced his thoughts out loud.
Haruka blushed and quickly pocketed it. “Oh, it’s just something someone dropped after we dance battled. Amon Noa—I mean…Amo…na. Amona.”
Majima’s jaws dropped. “How?!”
Haruka blushed deeply.
“Amon’s after ya too?!”
“Not just me,” Haruka said. “I think Uncle Kaz and the others fought them.”
“Who’s them?”
Haruka took a step back. “Saejima-san, Akiyama-san, and Shinada-san. There were four Amons, I was told, and—”
“HAW?!”
“Oh, looks like Date and Akiyama are here! See you later, Uncle Goro!” Haruka sped off, red in the face. He stared at her back, aghast.
“Don’t tell me even Haruka-chan’s fought an Amon, and I didn’t!” he cried out and kicked the wall.
Katsuya looked up, bowl of miso soup halfway up to his lips, as Majima stormed into his room and slammed the door shut.
“A little more decorum next time would be appreciated,” he said in his calm and suave tone as Majima flopped on the bed, crushing his legs, and moaned dramatically.
“It’s not fair, Ka-chan!”
“What’s bothering you, my friend?”
“Ya ever wanted to be part of the cool kids and get invited to a super secret society where ya beat up otherworldly men who might be from outer space, but ya never get an invitation? And then ya find out four of yer closest friends recently got invited, but not you?! And no one thought to invite ya?!”
Katsuya chuckled. “Last I checked, I’m one of your closest friends, Majima-san. But I never got an invitation, nor am I interested in fighting any man from Mars.”
“But, Ka-chan!” Majima made a grand display of waving his hands before falling back, resigning to defeat.
Giving Majima a pat on the head, Katsuya offered him one of the inari on his tray. “You got to speak with Kiryu-san?”
Majima’s expression softened; he accepted the inari and bit into it. “Yeah. He’s blaming himself for Mirei’s death, as if he had a hand in it.”
He shot Katsuya with a look he understood too well. While the news of Mirei’s passing had been a complete shock, the two hadn’t had a chance to properly grieve until they were alone together very recently. The grief and guilt will hang over them for as long as they live. The three of them together were a bird meant to fly high, even if miles apart. And now they had lost one of their wings, broken and cut off by their own blunder. The blame was solely on their own shoulders. Even if Mirei had taken on the task, knowing the risks, the truth of the matter was that Katsuya and Majima both had committed a terrible deed by involving a civilian into yakuza affairs.
It would be them to answer to this deed in the afterlife, yet still Kiryu Kazuma, innocent on all accounts, was placing all the blame on himself.
“He’s quite the guy,” Katsuya said.
Majima nodded, smiling wetly.
“I can see why you fell for Kiryu-san, Majima-san.”
“Eh?” Majima’s head shot up. “How’d ya—”
“How did I know?” Katsuya smiled as he set his bowl of miso down and picked up his own inari. “We’re closer than brothers, Majima-san. We grew up together. That look in your eye is the same as when you used to look at our Mirei dear.”
Majima chuckled briefly. “I’m that easy for ya to read, huh.”
He went into his whole history with Kiryu. Katsuya already knew parts of it from what Majima had shared with him before. Others he had already filled in the gaps when the two worked on that song, “Majima no MajiRock,” together earlier in the year. The way Majima had thrown himself into creating the song, fretting over the details, ensuring that Kiryu’s name was heard loud and clear…
And how his expression changed in the recording studio in between takes to one of concern and yearning when he thought no one was glancing his way. Katsuya knew that look from anywhere. Majima and he went way back, after all.
The true nature of Kiryu and Majima’s relationship didn’t come as any surprise to Katsuya at all. He had studied the arts, read books from around the world, from different time periods, lived through many human experiences in the comforts of his private quarters and his office. Love came in all forms, each as natural and human as the other. Neither did it shock him to learn that Majima had experimented with his gender. There was so much to the human experience that few really gave attention to. The only tragedy was just how late it was for Majima to discover himself, but that in itself was just as beautiful. This was all his personal journey.
“And are you happy with Kiryu-san?” Katsuya asked.
“Yes,” Majima said. “But I think I hurt him one year ago.” He went on to explain about Mirei and how it had complicated their relationship. Katsuya’s eyes widened. Now he was starting to understand a few details of the past few weeks. Why Kiryu was living in Fukuoka. How it was all part of a deal Kiryu had made with Mirei. How Majima and Kiryu were meant to be living together, how it was going so well until…well…
And that song. Why Majima was so dead-set on releasing that song. Kiryu was in danger of hurting himself and Majima was trying to reach him. Katsuya sucked in a breath. If only he had known…he would have sent all of his men to fetch Kiryu for his best friend…
“I was given this ring,” Majima said as he pulled out the tiny satchel. “I thought it would make Kiryu-chan feel better, but he saw through it instantly...”
“He wants to make it up to you,” Katsuya said. “Kiryu-san’s a good man and he wants to keep his promise, even if you have forgiven him. Let him.” He extended out his hand, and sighing, Majima handed over the satchel with the ring. He studied the ring as memory resurfaced in his mind. Grief began to take hold, and not wanting to upset himself, he stashed the thing away.
“Why did you never seek her out after we split?” Majima asked.
“It would have been bad for business,” Katsuya said. “The presidents of rival talent agencies getting married? That would have been the death knell for both our businesses. Our rivalry kept everyone on their toes, from the talent to the staff. Meanwhile we could enjoy a drink in private after hours, but that would be the extent of it.”
Majima chuckled. “Rivalry. Yeah. Sounds like Kiryu-chan and me in the beginning. Ya coulda kept it secret.”
“I feel deep down she loved only you, and I would not get in the way of her heart.”
Majima frowned. “Ka-chan…”
Inari and soup finished, Katsuya topped it off with a small sip of water. What he would give to have some wine instead, but that would have to wait until after his discharge.
“Just promise me this,” Katsuya said. “Do not repeat my mistakes, dear friend. I once believed that if you love someone completely, you had to learn to let go. And sometimes it’s meant to be that way. But other times…” He reached out and placed his hand over Majima, supporting himself as he felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. He cared for Majima deeply, enough to let his two friends walk down the aisle while he stayed back. But sometimes he wondered how things could have gone had he been just a tiny bit more selfish. This was in no way a slight against Majima; he loved his childhood friend still, but his heart still ached terribly for Mirei.
“Majima-san, if you love someone, stay with them. Don’t give them away. If they wish to be by your side, then hold on to them for as long as you can and never let go, because forever is never guaranteed.”
It had been three days since Haruka’s retirement speech and the Tojo-Omi violence in Tokyo, and Sakuma hadn’t stopped screaming. She was positively beside herself with fury, and the electrifying tension poisoned the very air of Morning Glory Orphanage.
“The taint of that terrible man on that girl!” she kept screeching. “Oh Park-san, if only you saw what has become of your talent—”
“Shut your mouth,” Eri hissed under her breath. The rest of them were trying to have a peaceful breakfast. Shiro was grateful all this mess transpired just before school break. He didn’t want to hear any comments from classmates, and the possibility of Yoshinori raising his ugly head, but that also meant having to deal with a shrieking demon at home constantly.
“It’s true what they say about idols,” Sakuma went on, making a commotion with pots and pans in the kitchen. “Let them loose into that world, and there’s no turning back. Oh, how many men has that awful motherless girl spread her legs to? She must have fantasized about fucking that very same man—oh, who knows what that perverted yakuza did with her behind closed doors, that Kiry—”
“SHUT UP!” Eri shrieked, jumping to her feet. Her face and neck had turned red like a beet. “SHUT UP! That’s our older sister and father you’re slandering, you heinous bitch!”
Izumi gasped but quickly recovered. Eri spoke for all of them. Not even Ayako or Riona held her back; they pretended they had heard nothing and quietly ate their food. Taichi and Koji were glaring at Sakuma, ready to throttle her. Even Shiro was burning a hole through her head with his eyes. Mumbling about a lost appetite, Mitsuo had run off, his hands balled into fists. After a few moments, Riona too slipped out, excusing herself.
Storming toward Eri, Sakuma struck her across the cheek, and with a cry, Eri punched her back, sending her reeling a few steps back. And with that Eri ran off.
“That awful yakuza is no father to any of you!” Sakuma screamed after Eri, but she was long gone. Her eyes regarded the rest of them with pure venom. “You have any idea what’s going to become of this place? People have been researching every corner of Haruka’s life! The name Kiryu Kazuma is in public records! They’ll narrow down where you live! Paparazzis, journalists, creeps—they’ll be snapping photos and writing tabloids about you for months—years!—to no end!”
Taichi shrugged. “Let them. We live perfectly normal, peaceful, law-abiding lives. They’ll get bored of us quickly.”
“The only non-normal and non-peaceful one here is you,” Izumi said. Shiro snapped his gaze at her, startled. “Do you ever talk without screaming?”
Even Sakuma’s jaws were flat on the ground. “You little—YOU’LL NEVER FIND JOBS!”
“Excuse me, but I think you’re out of a job,” Riona said as she appeared by the doorway. She tossed Sakuma’s luggage at her feet.
Offended, Sakuma just stood there completely frozen in shock. Finally she grabbed her luggage and stormed out, screaming, “YOU’RE A LOST CAUSE—ALL OF YOU! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED THIS THANKLESS JOB!”
“Ma’am, you’re being too loud in public,” Ayako said politely and bowed as they filed out to the courtyard, watching her leave in a huff.
After some time, Shiro sighed heavily and threw his head back. “She gave me a headache.”
“The food tasted awful,” Izumi said miserably.
“Only because of the fight,” Ayako said. “Let’s put on the TV and watch something nice while we eat. That should clear the air.”
“What about the others?” Koji asked.
The whereabouts of Mitsuo and Eri became clear a short while later. Shiro had just barely sat down when Natsumi appeared next to Mitsuo.
“Hey,” she said, breathless. “I heard the full story from Mitsuo. You all good?”
“Natsumi!” Koji cried out. They hopped back to their feet and rushed over to hug her, talking all at once. Natsumi pieced everything together just as Mikio, Asahi, Hirohito, and Daijiro appeared with Eri.
“Hey, who’s been upsetting the lil lady?” Mikio cried out, punching his palm in anticipation of a brawl.
“That terrible new supervisor, that’s who!” Natsumi cried out. “I’m gonna kill her—”
“Here, let me help—” Hirohito said.
“I believe it would be more prudent of our time if we dedicate it to pacifying and comforting the children,” Daijiro said.
“Agree,” Asahi said with a nod of his head. “Have ya kids eaten yet?”
“Well…this is all she’s been feeding us ever since Haruka-nee-chan retired…” Taichi said as he motioned to their plates.
Seeing the slop Sakuma had served them was the final straw. Daijiro slipped on an apron, and he and Asahi set off to work, cooking up something that was far more scrumptious and satisfying. Natsumi, meanwhile, rushed over to dissolve Sakuma’s connection to the orphanage. The kids cheered as she tore up the contract.
Natsumi declared herself as the supervisor.
“Only until Kiryu-san returns,” Natsumi said. “And if anyone, journalists or paps, has a problem with that given my history, they can take it up with me.”
On the day of Kiryu’s discharge from the hospital, the cops returned and handcuffed him just as he was done buttoning up his shirt.
In the weeks leading up to this moment, Kiryu had been catching up with Haruka, Majima, and the kids back home. The kids he couldn’t even see, just speak to on the phone. Hearing their voices brought tears to his eyes. He thought he would never get to reunite with them.
“Are you coming back home soon, Uncle Kaz?” Izumi asked.
“No, I’m afraid I have to go away for a few years,” Kiryu said. He explained his prison charge to each child plainly, patiently, and calmly. “Prison’s not a place you’d want to rush to be in, but it’s not all bad. It’s a place one normally goes to atone for their crimes. I will be all right, so don’t worry about me. Do well in school, okay?”
“But, Uncle Kaz…why didn’t the others get arrested?” Shiro asked after Kiryu explained. Kiryu sighed. Smart kid.
“Because I’m…well-known,” Kiryu said. “Putting me in jail makes the police look good to the public.”
“Then get a lawyer!”
“It’s okay. It’s just a few years and then no one will bother us ever again.”
“Uncle Kaz…”
Kiryu was pleasantly surprised to hear that Natsumi was back.
“Sakuma had to resign suddenly,” Natsumi explained. “Think it was some urgent business or family matter—maybe it was a new job opportunity she couldn’t say no to.”
Kiryu thought back to that awful letter she had sent him that set off the whole mess between him and Majima. He asked no further about Sakuma. Hearing that Natsumi was back at Morning Glory, and as supervisor, soared his moods to the clouds. His children were in safe hands.
“I’m so glad to hear your voice,” Kiryu said. “I hope this doesn’t impose too much on your other job.”
“No trouble at all!” Natsumi said. “I’m stoked to be back! We’ve been partying it up all the time! Right, guys?” There was a resounding, “Yeah!” in the background.
“Have you now?” Kiryu chuckled. Maybe he should rethink going to prison…
His court hearing and sentencing took place about one month after his discharge. The police were eager to rave to the media about having sacked the big scary Dragon of Dojima, but Kiryu’s doctors begged to have him out just long enough for his post-discharge check up.
Kiryu complied and didn’t argue with anyone. The less of a headache he caused anyone, the better. He pleaded guilty to all charges, even as those words visibly stung Majima, Haruka, Akiyama, Date, and Daigo across the courtroom. Even Katsuya Naoki was present for this event, sitting next to Majima and watching silently, studying Kiryu. Majima had told Kiryu that Katsuya had wanted Watase to become the Omi Alliance’s eighth chairman, but after everything that had transpired, it was looking more likely that Katsuya himself was going to become the next chairman.
Kiryu was sentenced to four years in prison. Four more years until he could finally hug his children, enjoy a cigarette on the engawa, and possibly even experience another sunrise with Majima next to him…
As the court reacted to the verdict, Kiryu turned to embrace Haruka, who had stood up and was holding back her tears.
“One year was so painful without you, Uncle Kaz,” she said tearfully as she squeezed him tight. “How can I handle another four? How can any of us?”
“Time will fly faster than you realize,” Kiryu said, smiling softly even as his own heart ached. Four years…his children will have grown so big… “I will be back, I promise. And we can finally start anew. Take good care of everyone.”
Haruka nodded and they parted. Kiryu next turned to Majima and smiled shyly. There wasn’t much they could do in public, but Majima pulled him close for an embrace.
“I’m gonna miss ya terribly,” he said in a whisper to Kiryu’s ear. “I’ll be countin’ down the seconds till we can be together again.”
Kiryu smiled. “Are you going to attack me the moment I come out like you did before?”
“And I’ll put on the best pole dancin’ show.”
“You’ll wear a dress for me?”
“And stage the biggest zombie attack—nah, a zombie pirate attack! I’ll get Ka-chan to set the stage.” Next to him, Katsuya raised his eyebrows but nodded, playing along with his friend. “Gotta keep ya on yer toes.”
Kiryu chuckled. His heart ached terribly all of a sudden as though a shadow suddenly passed through him, a sense of foreboding. He gave Majima a squeeze and peered into his eye.
It’ll be all right. Wait for me.
Ever since Sakuma finally left their lives, Shiro found he could breathe easier. The place didn’t feel so strange or empty anymore. It was still missing Kiryu, and Haruka wouldn’t be back for another couple days, but with Natsumi and the Ryudo family back in the picture, Morning Glory was slowly starting to feel like home again.
Of course Shiro terribly missed walking past Kiryu’s room and getting a whiff of his cigarette smoke. Four years. Kiryu would be out by then, if he makes parole. It would be the year 2016. It felt like they would be waiting forever.
Shiro sighed. Hopefully things would quiet down by then.
He had begun to notice a few new faces passing by Morning Glory. People with cameras or their phones out, snapping photos. Shiro could hear whisperings behind his back at school, but he tried to ignore all that.
Natsumi and the Ryudo Family were back in their lives. Eri was much more upbeat these days, and someday they would be back like a family.
Approaching the gate one evening, Shiro checked the mail, remembering at the last minute that it was his duty to get it today. There were a few envelopes inside, including one addressed to him.
He gasped softly. The astronomy magazine’s penpal program had found a match! A potential new friend, from the United States. A boy with a passion for stars as much as him. Grinning from ear to ear, Shiro read the name on the return address:
Matthew Holt
XXXX Pinyon Pine Road
Plaht City, Nevada
89xxx
Notes:
Up until now, the fic has been exclusively RGG (not counting the fact that I’ve merged the two Shiros from both canons…and occasional vague hints of some Things that’ll make more sense later.) We’ve just met another character from the Voltron ‘verse! Well, almost! I wonder what this Matthew Holt is like. 🤔
I ADORE Katsuya so much! His friendship with Majima means a lot to me! 🥹 The Katsuya/Mirei moments were unexpected but a welcome addition after chatting with my friend ThanatosofNicte! Be sure to check out her fics! 💕
ALSO! I totally did not plan that the two substories would have color names! That’s…um…interesting XD If you haven’t yet read them and are wondering about checking them out, one is an Ishin fic and the other a Saejima-centric substory!
Next chapter will be out by Wednesday, October 8th! See you next time! 🥰💕
DocYo5 on Chapter 1 Thu 02 May 2024 07:03PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 1 Fri 03 May 2024 12:17PM UTC
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DocYo5 on Chapter 3 Fri 03 May 2024 02:44PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 3 Sat 04 May 2024 01:35PM UTC
Last Edited Sat 04 May 2024 01:35PM UTC
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kataangkissed on Chapter 4 Fri 04 Jul 2025 09:40AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 4 Fri 04 Jul 2025 11:39AM UTC
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smallVoyager on Chapter 6 Thu 09 May 2024 03:29AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 6 Thu 09 May 2024 09:44PM UTC
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DocYo5 on Chapter 6 Sun 09 Jun 2024 07:04PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 6 Sun 09 Jun 2024 09:35PM UTC
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zazz15 on Chapter 7 Wed 22 May 2024 10:20PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 7 Thu 23 May 2024 01:20AM UTC
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smallVoyager on Chapter 7 Fri 24 May 2024 08:44AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 7 Sat 25 May 2024 12:25PM UTC
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smallVoyager on Chapter 8 Fri 07 Jun 2024 08:08AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 8 Sun 09 Jun 2024 09:50PM UTC
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smallVoyager on Chapter 9 Wed 18 Dec 2024 03:10PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 9 Tue 31 Dec 2024 06:54PM UTC
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verafied on Chapter 10 Sun 13 Oct 2024 08:14PM UTC
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TheBudgieOfDojima on Chapter 10 Mon 14 Oct 2024 02:41AM UTC
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smallVoyager on Chapter 10 Fri 20 Dec 2024 11:42AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 10 Tue 31 Dec 2024 07:17PM UTC
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AlexFTW on Chapter 13 Fri 01 Nov 2024 11:00PM UTC
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TheBudgieOfDojima on Chapter 13 Sat 02 Nov 2024 03:04PM UTC
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ErrorBadMask on Chapter 14 Sat 29 Mar 2025 01:26AM UTC
Last Edited Sat 29 Mar 2025 01:28AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 14 Sat 29 Mar 2025 02:43AM UTC
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ErrorBadMask on Chapter 14 Sat 29 Mar 2025 08:00AM UTC
Last Edited Sat 29 Mar 2025 08:43AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 14 Mon 31 Mar 2025 01:20AM UTC
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AlexFTW on Chapter 20 Tue 17 Jun 2025 06:55AM UTC
Last Edited Tue 17 Jun 2025 06:55AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 20 Fri 20 Jun 2025 02:28AM UTC
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guest km (Guest) on Chapter 20 Wed 18 Jun 2025 12:08AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 20 Fri 20 Jun 2025 02:35AM UTC
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guest km (Guest) on Chapter 21 Tue 15 Jul 2025 02:23AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 21 Tue 15 Jul 2025 03:43AM UTC
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AlexFTW on Chapter 22 Sun 10 Aug 2025 08:31PM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 22 Sun 10 Aug 2025 08:52PM UTC
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guest km (Guest) on Chapter 22 Wed 13 Aug 2025 03:14AM UTC
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AnzaAmon (TheBudgieOfDojima) on Chapter 22 Wed 13 Aug 2025 09:10PM UTC
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