-Goro Majima has been instructed to keep Makoto Makimura safe from the Dojima family. Apparently, she has extremely valuable information attached to her name, so Majima wants to make sure she gets the best. Besides, he already knows how to treat others with the kindest respect, being the manager of Sotenbori's number one cabaret, The Grand. Majima's locally known as the Lord of the Nightlife. Dealing with the toughest of customers is his defining quality.
Makoto has been through a lot of emotional turmoil. She was sold into slavery and abused to the point where she developed conversion disorder; in other words, Makoto is suffering from blindness. She hopes one day her vision can return and she'll be able to enjoy her world as it once was. Thanks to her savior, Lee Wen Hai, she had a place to stay, until members of the yakuza started questioning her location to take her life. Now, she's temporarily hiding in a warehouse while Lee and Majima try to find out more details of the situation.-
It's a lovely day in Sotenbori. The sun feels warm, the birds are chirping, and most importantly, the aroma of fresh food fills the streets. It's lunch time!
Members of the yakuza usually only show up during the night, so it's the perfect time of day to make some plans and enjoy what they have in the day. Majima decided to change his clothing to a green parka instead of the usual black blazer back at his apartment before going to the warehouse, so he doesn't look too suspicious to any outsiders. Even though the whole town is monitoring his every move, as long as Majima doesn't leave, he can do whatever he wants.
The savory scent of okonomiyaki catches Majima's nose as he walks past a restaurant, his stomach growls even more than before. He whispers "Man, I can't wait to eat the shit out of some good food... I hope Makimura's up and ready when I get there." The walk from his apartment to the warehouse where Makoto is sheltered takes roughly 5 minutes. "I don't remember the last time it was this warm out, I kinda regret not putting on a lighter jacket, but nothing else was clean... I'm already breakin' a sweat! Hopefully the place we eat at has some good ventilation."
Majima opens the warehouse door to find Makoto still asleep on the couch with a light blue blanket covering her body. He takes a deep sigh, slowly walks towards Makoto, and plops down cross legged on the floor to get on her level. "Makoto..." he whispers softly, trying not to startle her, "are ya hungry?" Makoto groans, but doesn't open her eyes indicating she's awake. Majima tries to wake her up again, but a little louder and singing this time. "Ma-ki-mu-ra... I know you want to eat, because I sure do!" Makoto flips herself over so her back is facing towards Majima. "Well, that's not very nice!" She's bound to be awake by now. You can hear a gentile laugh coming out of Makoto. "I liked your little lullaby," she giggles delicately. "Thank you, it's a special song I made specifically for you." You can tell how proud Majima is to say that.
Majima's stomach rumbles. He's embarrassed to have Makoto hear it, so he tries to cover up the sound by loudly clearing his throat, "So, uh-" Makoto interrupts, "I want pancakes," her back is still facing Majima. "Pancakes?!" Majima's surprised, "I haven't eaten a pancake since I was a kid. C'mon, Makimura, don't you want something a little more hearty... Like okonomiyaki? That's basically a pancake, right?" Makoto pulls her blanket away from her body and sits herself up, "That does sound good." His eye lights up, "Yes! Great! There's a place down the street I walked by that smelled amazing. We gotta check that place out."
Majima gets up from the floor to sit next to Makoto on the couch, "Let me know when you're ready to go, OK?" Makoto stands up and starts doing some intermediate stretches. You'd almost forget Makoto's a massage therapist, since now all she's focusing on is making sure the yakuza doesn't find her. When she's all done, she puts on her shoes, coat, and grabs her guide cane, "I'm ready to eat!" "Perfect." Majima grabs Makoto's hand and leads the way out.
On their stroll to the restaurant, Makoto's stomach growls this time. Majima looks at Makoto and chuckles, "So, I guess you're really hungry, huh? Those pancakes you wanted probably weren't gonna do a damn thing." Makoto blushes and grins, "I know... I'm so used to my boss making me pancakes all the time, I forgot about other food." His jaw drops, "Lee?! He doesn't look like a guy who'd make pancakes, but I guess that's his choice. Mr. God Hand looks like he eats tons of meat... and nails!" "Oh, really?" Makoto snickers, "He sometimes gives me bacon with my pancakes. Now I wonder if all he eats is the bacon."
When they arrive to the restaurant, they're greeted by the front waitress to be seated. Majima looks around the restaurant, it's not very big. Probably could seat about 25 people, at most. "Welcome to Sanpei!" The waitress, who appears to be in her 40s, has a big smile on her face, "You two seem very hungry. Thankfully, you missed the rush! We get very busy around this time." She notices Makoto's cane, "Oh! Miss, would you need a special place to sit, preferably near the women's restroom?" Makoto bows, "Yes, please. Thank you." The waitress grabs their utensils and walks out from behind the counter to lead the way, "Okay, I'll have you follow me." Majima puts his arm around Makoto's shoulders to guide and keep her closer since the aisles are a bit cluttered. The waitress stops at a corner booth with tons of space, "Here you are! The drink and entree menus are next to the salt. I'll be back in a second with a pitcher of water for the lovely couple!" Both of them fluster in surprise. They thank the waitress, take off their coats, and sit down.
"This place smells even better on the inside," Majima grabs the entree menu and looks over to Makoto, "You just want okonomiyaki or somethin' else to go with it?"
She appears anxious to answer, "Umm, I'll just have whatever you're having..."
"Are ya sure? I'm gonna eat like three different things. They'll probably leave you in a food coma... I mean, more power to ya if you can eat it all!"
Makoto hesitates, "O-oh, is everything expensive here?"
He shakes his head in confusion, "Huh? Money ain't a problem. Everything's actually dirt cheap here for me."
Makoto sighs with relief, "Ah, that's good! Do they have any curry?"
Majima takes a quick glance at the menu, "They do! You can have it with chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork."
Makoto clasps her hands together in curiosity, "Pork sounds delicious right now!"
"Alright, there ya go," Majima smirks from seeing how excited she's getting, "What about your okonomiyaki? Pork, chicken, octopus, shrimp, no toppings?"
Makoto raises her hand to her chin and thinks for a bit, "Hmm... octopus would be nice. I've never had it on okonomiyaki, but it might taste like takoyaki, right?"
"Well, now that you're curious you gotta order it!"
"You're right! Trying something new is exciting."
"Now, ya wanna make me have the octopus on mine... I gotta rethink my choices!"
As Majima takes a second look at the menu, Makoto murmurs, "...I could share some of mine with you."
"Mm? What was that?" It seems like he didn't hear her.
"U-uh! I'd like a draft beer with my food, too!"
"Hm... That actually sounds like a good combination. Attagirl!"
The waitress who greeted them comes up to the table with a pitcher and two glasses filled with ice, "So, are you lovelies ready to order?" Majima closes the menu, "Of course! I'm droolin' just reading through all the ingredients!" She pulls out a notebook and pen from her apron to jot down their order, "Well, let's hear it!"
After they ordered all their food, Majima uses his hostess training skills to get a conversation going. "So, Makimura... Did ya ever think you'd be workin' as a massage therapist?"
"Actually, not at all. I wanted to be a teacher or a daycare provider. It's destiny Lee was also a specialist in massage and acupuncture. Those are the only jobs available for the blind."
"That kinda sucks, you only get one job. You should try makin' money performing music! You don't need eyes for that."
Makoto covers her mouth and bursts into laughter, "Don't be silly! I'm so bad! I was a terrible recorder player in my 3rd year class! They gave me a rainbow ribbon for being the worst so I wouldn't feel bad!"
"That was so long ago, Makoto! It wouldn't hurt to try a different instrument. What if you're a piano virtuoso and ya don't even know it? I could let you use the piano at my club!"
"I'd love to try it, but I'll play for no profit. I don't want a hobby to become a chore. Being a masseuse keeps my mind at ease. Even if I ever regain my vision, I'll keep being one."
"Huh? You're not gonna try to be a teacher or daycare provider?"
"No... I've thought about it, but I think it'll be too stressful for me. Lots of children stress me out," Makoto giggles, "I might lose my vision again!"
"Yeah, can't argue with that. If I ever have a kid, I'll make sure they stay level headed like me."
"I bet you'll be a wonderful father. You're so gentle and protective... Even with me." Makoto's face is starting to turn red.
Majima's looking around, getting flustered, as well, "Uhm-" From the corner of his eye, he sees their waitress come towards the table with their food, "Y-yo, food's ready'!"
The waitress sets a folding tray down in front of their table to hold their steaming meals, "Okay. You two be careful! The plates are still hot." She sets down Makoto's food first, then Majima's. "Enjoy your meals! If you need anything else, don't hesitate to flag me down." The waitress bows and promptly leaves to serve a family waiting for her at the entrance.
Makoto inhales the aroma of the sizzling food, "This smells all so good! I can't wait to have the pork curry."
"I was thinkin' the same thing. Looks appetizing, too!" Majima reaches over and puts Makoto's pork curry in front of her, "Alright, let's eat! Let me know if you need help grabbin' anything."
While they're eating, whenever he notices Makoto struggling to find something, Majima pushes whatever she needs to grab towards the palm of her hand. As he slowly nudges her beer glass, she reaches around to grasp his hand. "You're so funny... Lee used to do this to me when he first took me in."
Majima's a little embarrassed to be caught, "I was sorta expectin' you to strain a bit since you've never been here before."
Makoto smiles and shakes her head, "I'm too sheepish to ask for help for the simplest things, even after you offered to."
"Nah, don't feel bad. I'm helpin' people on the streets all the time, it's second nature to me."
"Well, thank you," she takes a sip of her beer and laughs to herself, "I'm so caught up in being independent, I sometimes forget where I'm at."
"That ain't a bad thing, really. It just proves you're hard as nails!"
As Majima finishes his sentence, he noticed the sun beamed a little stronger than normal. The rays of light coming from the window beamed directly onto Makoto, as if she were appear to glow. Carelessly, Majima adores at the sight of the radiating Makoto. The warm, brown tone of her hair is brought out by the sunlight. Her coffee tinted eyes twinkle. Majima catches himself daydreaming once the sunshine starts to fade. He quickly shuffles around in his seat to recompose himself and continues eating his lunch with a bashful look on his face. Makoto seems to be unaffected by the sound of him getting startled.
"Mmm! This octopus okonomiyaki is so delicious! Wow!" Makoto's in amazement.
"Oh, yeah! You've never had that before." Majima's curious, "Does it taste like takoyaki like you thought it would?"
"Actually, even better. Please try some before I eat it all!" Makoto rips off a section of her meal and hovers her fork full of okonomiyaki over towards Majima so he can take a bite.
"Holy shit, you're right!" He puts his hand over his mouth due to him still chewing, "We gotta come back here some other time so we can order a crapload of this!"
"For real! Takoyaki's still great, but it's not as filling like this!" Makoto's so happy to hear Majima enjoy the food, too.
After they finish their meal and gather their belongings, Majima guides Makoto to the front of the restaurant to receive a check. While the waitress puts their order in to figure out how much they need to pay, she frequently glances at them with a smirk. Majima's looking a little sketched out, "Hey, lady... you hidin' somethin'?" She quietly hums, "Oooh, it's nothing! I just love seeing two sweethearts share their okonomiyaki. Makes me feel like a teen again. Teehee!" He tenses up and his face quickly goes red. He looks at Makoto standing behind him, who has her head down in embarrassment, then back at the waitress. With an even bigger grin, the waitress sings, "It'll be 1500¥, sir!" Majima swiftly reaches into his pants pocket and hands her over 2500¥, "I-I gave ya some extra so you'll stop spyin'... I already got enough people starin' at me." The waitress giggles, "Just relax! You two are welcome to come back. Next time, I'll give you a special dessert on the house. Can't forget a couple like you two!" Makoto puts her hand on Majima's upper arm and slowly shuffles towards the waitress's counter, "My goodness, thank you so much for the service and food! I really do like it here." They exchange bows and leave the restaurant.
While they're walking back to the warehouse, Makoto softly says, "I really enjoyed eating okonomiyaki and curry with you. That was fun."
Majima's still red and tense from being teased by the waitress on top of now having to hold Makoto's hand to guide her back, "Yeah, the food was amazing... but that waitress is a creep. I knew I felt somebody lookin' over at us!"
Makoto laughs, "Aww, you're so mean! She was nice. She sounded like a younger version of my grandmother. I remember her always teasing my uncles like that, even after they were married..."
"Heh, your grandmother sounds like a pain in the ass."
"That's exactly right! The teasing was only one side of her. She also gave us tons of tough love... Family dinners were never the same after she passed from old age."
Majima frowns, "Yeah, that's a bummer. You'll never find someone to replace a loved one once they're gone..."
A few seconds later, Majima feels the grip of their hands get tighter. He gasps in surprise and quickly turns his head towards Makoto. Majima keeps shifting between looking at her face, their hands, and their walking path. He whispers in a low voice, "Mako..." He doesn't finish saying her name in hopes that Makoto will start to talk, She doesn't speak, but her facial expression is a strong combination of worry and affection.
They continue walking for about a minute until Majima comes to a halt. He turns his body towards Makoto with tense look on his face, "Makoto... what's goin' on? I can see you're scared about somethin'."
Makoto lowers her head and raises her hand to hide her face. In a concerned manner,
"What's on your mind? You were glowin' brighter than the sun a couple minutes ago!" Majima realizes this is something she needs to get off her chest, but it's probably not something she'd be comfortable to say in public.
Makoto's starting to quietly whimper.
Trying to lighten the mood, he scans the area really quick and leans in close to her to whisper, "Look, I know you said you get too afraid to ask for help, but ya gotta let me know if you need help findin' the ladies' restroom."
Makoto uncovers her teary eyed face and gasps, "W-what?!"
He snickers, "The food was heavy, right? I gotta let loose, too. Nature calls, Makimura!"
She's speechless. Totally caught off guard.
"Don't worry, I'm teasin'..." Majima pats her shoulder, "We're almost back to the warehouse, if you need to tell me anything, let's do it there."
Makoto wipes off whatever tears are still on her face, nods, and they carry on.
Once they settle back at the storage room, Majima tries to trace back to what he said that upset Makoto. He sighs, "Was it what I said about your grandma?" They're sitting next to each other. Majima's leaned forward, head down, with his legs spread wide and hands cupped together.
Makoto responds, "You said it's impossible to replace things you love once they're gone..."
Majima rotates his head to look at her, "Well, yeah..."
She cowers, "I've lost so many family members. I beginning to think I'm the only person alive. I lost my family... I lost my vision... everything except my sense of sound and touch... The only two things I can rely on can be lost at any moment." Makoto's jaw tenses and grits her teeth, "Will I lose you? and Lee?"
Majima scoots himself closer to Makoto to touch her shoulder, "You're not losing either of us, believe me. I've gone through hell and back more times than I can count on my hands. I'm still here... Ya ain't gonna lose Lee, for sure. The man's made of cement!"
Makoto tries to crack a smile, "You're right... I don't get why I'm thinking so deep about all this. It's been so overwhelming these past couple of days, I feel like I'm losing my sanity."
He nods, "Yeah, lots of bullshit's been happenin'..."
She turns her head toward Majima, "I wouldn't have met you if this all never happened... It's crazy to think about."
"Now we gotta stay together and wait until your eyes get better, then you can pair my smooth voice with my handsome face. It's technically like meeting me again, right?"
"I can't wait for the day... I get to meet you, Lee, this wonderful city, all of my clients..."
"Now you're gettin' the hang of it! Gotta keep optimistic about these things. We can still worry, but we can also look past the worries and see the positives."
"Hopefully I can meet my family members again..."
"Yo, you ain't gotta do it alone, we're in this to help you. First thing, we gotta make sure you're off the yakuza map."
"But that's only easier said than done..."
"Makoto..." Majima sighs, "What'd I just tell ya? We gotta keep optimistic! I know how stressful it is. One wrong move and I'll get beaten to a pulp by my boss... and then my boss' boss… and then my boss' boss' boss. I'll go through all that just to make sure no one lays a single hand on ya. And guess what? I'm still gonna survive."
"You're tough..." Makoto faintly smiles, "And… I guess I'm tough, too."
"You guess?! You are! Entirely tough. Tougher than me and Lee combined."
A couple minutes after Majima and Makoto switch topics, his pager beeps. It's a message from Sagawa to call him. "Ugh, I know this is a sofa warehouse, but there ain't no damn phones here? I wish I had one of them suitcase phones at times like this." He gets up from the couch and turns around to face Makoto. As soon as Majima opens his mouth, she speaks, "You'll be back, right?"
"Of course, hopefully it won't be long. It's my boss, too, so I can just pull somethin' out of my ass." He walks towards the exit door. As soon as he grabs the doorknob, he stops to add, "Hey, I know we just ate, but I'll come back with some snacks for later." Makoto whispers, "You're so nice… I wish I could find a way to thank you back."
"Just keep bein' positive... K? See ya soon." Majima makes sure the door doesn't shut too loud as he leaves.
Makoto grabs her cane, gets up from the couch, and feels her way around the room. After a brief scan, she goes back to the sofa to sit, "Hmm… everything's dusty. I guess I can't really do anything besides sit, stretch, and lay down until he gets back." She kicks off her shoes and lays on her back to think. "'Gotta keep optimistic…' he says… I needed to hear that."