The Night is Young

In Naha, Okinawa, nightfall is heralded by a gaudy neon "open" sign belonging to a modest, windowless building known as Twilight Bar & Lounge. When it flickers on, it invites Okinawa's most crooked residents into a den of drinking, hostesses, gambling, and Yakuza activity. And this is where Tokuchi Toua returns to settle a debt he owes to the man who raised him.

Chapter One

October, 1999.

It was the day after the Lycaons won the championship. Across Japan, the media was celebrating the triumph of a "perpetual" B-class team that had achieved nothing less than a miracle by transforming into the strongest players in the league. Yet the man who helped bring the Lycaons this victory was no longer with them.

Despite his face being shown on every television channel, newspaper, and magazine across the sports world, no one knew where he was at the moment. His gift for disappearing was exceptional. After all, he was a gambler who made a living through deception and elusiveness…

But he had returned to the humid streets of Naha, Okinawa, where he was sitting at an ordinary roadside food stall. One hand was in his pocket, the other holding his cigarette as his elbow was propped on the table. He was seemingly unfazed as his picture flashed across the tiny television screen sitting across from him.

"Tou-a-kun." He felt a hand touching his lower back as a cheerful, familiar voice reached his ears.

He turned to see a petite young woman standing next to him, with short hair and bangs and a rather gaudy outfit involving a sequined skirt and knee-high boots. Her lips and eyes smiled with a cunning twinkle.

"Oh, it's you, Chizuru," he said. From her hand hung a large bouquet of red and yellow flowers, wrinkled and tousled from indifference.

"I got them from an admirer," she said, raising the flowers next to her face. "Do you like them?"

"Who knows."

"Oh, don't be like that," she said sitting down next to him. "I know they're as useless as the old man who got them for me."

"If you hate being a hostess so much, then quit," he said, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. He didn't so much as glance in her direction.

Chizuru's smile was wide and mischievous. "I would, only that wouldn't be in your best interests."

He slowly exhaled a long wisp of smoke, then turned his head and looked intently at her. The cigarette in his hand continued to glow, its faint red ember casting light and shadow across his face.

"So you're saying can get information for me."

"That's exactly right," she said, leaning towards him. "The hostess bar I work at is different from the rest, you know. I have all sorts of clients. Businessmen, mostly. And some are the shady kind." Their faces were only inches away. "Isn't that what you want?"

For a heartbeat, he considered her. But there was more to it than she was letting on. Her instincts and her ambitions had not changed in the last few years. What had changed was her willingness to act on them, making her dangerous.

"Thanks, but I'm not interested. You have zero credibility," he said, looking away.

Chizuru sighed dramatically, still smiling. "You're a tough one, as always," she said, not bothered at all by his rejection. "If you don't trust me, there're always other useful people." She pulled out a card and placed it on the table. "Stop by sometime tonight and talk to Sachi. She's the mama-san of the place I work at, and I promise it'll be worth your while." [1]

Tokuchi studied her. "And why would I trust this person?"

"Here's the thing—it doesn't matter whether you trust her or not." Her voice fell to a whisper as the smile left her lips for an instant. "See, she runs a gambling den upstairs. And what's more, rumor has it she's the daughter of the Oyabun that had Oji-san killed." [2]

If Tokuchi was surprised or interested, he hid it well—even his body did not react to that bit of information. But it was enough to make him examine the card before taking another long inhale of his cigarette.

"I'll see," he said finally.

The smile returned to Chizuru's face. "By the way—I go by Aiko now."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tokuchi replied, his eyes looking elsewhere.

Aiko followed his gaze and saw that he was focused on the latest news on the television. "I thought you would've forgotten those guys by now," she said. "Unless you actually have a soft spot for them?"

For the first time in the evening, Tokuchi looked at her and smiled, even though it was nothing but a small and dark smirk. "You wouldn't have met me here today if you actually believed that," he said.

Aiko laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I bet you left them as coldly as you left the rest of us in that damn orphanage." She sounded neither bitter nor sad. "Oh, whatever. Take me out sometime, won't you? My nights are spent with such boring bastards." Finally satisfied by his attention, she blew a kiss and waved good-bye, walking away with bouncing strides.

He examined her retreating figure for a moment before turning back to the television. The channel switched to a reporter introducing the Lycaons at a press conference, where microphones were at the ready and the room hushed in anticipation. Finally, Ideguchi began speaking.

Tokuchi watched dispassionately as he heard Ideguchi say things about him that he had already heard from others. Things about his pitching style…the fact that he didn't need to exchange signs... his arrogance…

"But," Ideguchi continued, his eyes watering, "Even though he's no longer here, Tokuchi left behind in us self-value and confidence..."

Tokuchi was too mentally strong for his emotions to be swayed by people's sentiments of him (both favorable and critical), but as he watched tears flow down Ideguchi's and the rest of the Lycaons' faces, perhaps there was some softness in his eyes…

Finally he decided he had enough, and lowered his gaze to put out his cigarette underneath his shoe. Just as he watched the last ember turn to smoke, he heard Ideguchi's final words to him: "For what you've given us—Tokuchi—thanks so much."

Tokuchi responded with a faint, amused smile, his dark eyes looking past the cigarette and—for a brief moment—into comfort. Then he turned around and walked away as though he had not witnessed anything worth remembering.

For as long as he could recall, he commanded only fear, animosity, suspicion, even admiration… but no love from those around him. Yet the Lycaons had not only trusted him, they expressed it by accepting him—and for a moment he responded with gratitude.

But he was a bloodthirsty gambler. That moment was distant now, and emotion had no place in his life. He knew that it was dangerous to think of the Lycaons as his companions, and that any attachment to them would dull his instincts. So he left. His pride would not allow him to grow accustomed to others; it would not allow him to grow soft. Tokuchi chose a path of solitude.

Each step he took, the Lycaons' stadium lights and sounds grew dimmer and dimmer in his mind as the city lights grew brighter. The only thing that mattered now was his next thrill, his next victim, his next victory.

Chapter One End

[1] "mama-san"—the name of the woman who runs and owns a hostess bar

[2] "Oyabun" – the head of a Yakuza family; analogous to a "don".

"Oji-san" –term meaning Uncle; its slang version is "Ossan".

I would really appreciate if you would leave a review! I put a lot of time, effort, and love into writing this story =) Three seconds of your time would give me encouragement for days on end, and constructive criticism is also welcome.

Thank you very much!

Love, Mnaja