The street is still as crowded as Suzuka remembers when she entered Maki's apartment. People roughly shove past each other while drivers angrily honk their horns, thinking that will make the traffic move faster. Suzuka stays close to Maki, not liking the way the people are watching her from the alleyways. "How can she live here?" Suzuka wonders before jumping when Maki suddenly takes hold of her hand.
"Relax," Maki gently whispers, her voice barely audible of the honks of horns and yells of passers-by. "Most of the people here are nicer than they look."
Suzuka still is not convinced. She watches the people in the alleyways for any signs that they might attack her. Fourthly Suzuka finds herself sighing in relief when she notices they are only interested in watching her and nothing more. Suzuka sticks close to Maki, so close that her shoulder regularly bumps into her friends. "How can she act so calm with all these eyes on us?" Suzuka asks herself, noting how Maki does not seem to mind them being the centre of attention. Maki wears the same blank expression as she used to put on during her time in the elite guard. "Where her smiles were reserved only for me." Suzuka feels a slight pain in her chest when she realises that her friend is showing that smile to people other than her these days.
"They don't mean us any harm," Maki assures her, lightly running her thumb over the back of Suzuka's hand. "They are curious as to who you are. It's the first time I brought anyone over to my place."
"Really?" Suzuka finds that hard to believe. Maki normally has no shortage of admirers. That stabbing pain in her chest returns when Suzuka thinks back to all the love notes and confessions Maki received during their school days. "Not even that person you like?"
"They must be a lucky person," Suzuka concludes after watching her friend reject everyone for them over the last few years. Maki has turned down both guys and girls who were rich and beautiful, and some of them Suzuka thought could have made her friend happy, but Maki always rejected them. As much as Suzuka hopes Maki could find someone who will make her happy, it always makes Suzuka feel relieved when Maki would tell her she turned whoever was confessing to her down. "Hopefully, that person won't let you wait for long."
But when Suzuka looks back up to her friend, she sees Maki lost for words. Maki's mouth is open, and she seems like she wants to say something but cannot for some reason. Maki is staring at her. For a few minutes, no words are exchanged until Maki finally clears her throat and looks away from Suzuka.
"She's been there once," Maki admits watching a motorcyclist pass them by. "But only for a few minutes."
"Oh," Suzuka knows she should feel happy that Maki is meeting up with the person she loves, even for the briefest of moments, but she cannot. Instead of happiness, all Suzuka feels is a pain in her chest.
Maki returns to being silent after confessing the person she loves has been in her apartment while Suzuka finds herself lost in thought. "Maki said she's been in her apartment," Suzuka finds herself thinking over all their female acquaintances, trying to figure out who it could be. Unfortunately, Suzuka finds that list to be a long one since she and Maki went to an all-girls school and served in a female-dominated organisation for most of their lives so far. "The person might not even have been a Toji," If that were the case, it could be someone Suzuka has never met before. Suzuka feels a headache coming on as she tries to wonder if Maki had any childhood friends, she could have been crushing on for all these years.
"Hopefully, they are someone kind who will take care of her," Suzuka does not know how she would react if she found they had hurt her friend in some way. Suzuka has watched Maki struggle long enough against, Aradama, her family problems and even against herself. Suzuka hopes that Maki's crush is the kind of person who will take care of her friend and remain by Maki's side through the good and the bad times.
"This place here is the bathhouse,"
Suzuka jumps when Maki starts to speak again and is quickly brought out of her thoughts and back to reality. Stood Suzuka almost walks into Maki when she fails to notice her friend has stopped, but she manages to avoid that embarrassment. Turning her attention to the large building that reminds Suzuka of the Origami estate, only missing the perimeter wall and with the addition of a large sign to attract customers.
"Sorry," Maki apologises. "My place doesn't even have a shower, so we will need to come here to wash."
"It's okay," Suzuka assures her. "It is not like we haven't bathed in groups before."
"Right," Maki weakly smiles. "They also handle laundry for us as well."
Maki starts to guide Suzuka again, taking her friend further down the street. The second place is a convenience store that looks cramped and crowded inside despite how few customers they have. Maki does not let them stay for too long before taking Suzuka onto the main street, where she finds stores of every kind. There are food stalls, clothing shops and even adult shops that make Suzuka blush when she looks at the window displays.
"We should be able to but what you need here," Maki tells her before they absorb themselves into the crowded street.
"Hey, is that the lady you had your eye on?"
From the shadows of one of the alleys, a voice calls out as a slender man looks up from the beer can in his hand. Looking out onto the street, he can see her. The tough-looking orange-haired girl he had his eye on walking past. Only this time, she is not alone. Walking by his girl's side is a red-haired girl who appears to be standing too close for his liking.
"Yeah, it is," He says, pushing off from the wall he was leaning against. "And it looks like she brought a friend for you."
"We should be able to find you some bathroom supplies here," Maki says, holding open the door for Suzuka.
The store Maki brought her to is a small one with only two aisles and a small checkout desk, but it feels cosy and welcoming once she steps inside. The store is bright and clean, while the elderly lady behind the counter smiles warmly as they enter the shop. From what Suzuka can see, the store appears to be a jack of all trades kind of store as she sees all sorts of products for sale decorating the shelves.
"Welcome back, Maki," The elderly lady smiles brightly at Maki. "Oh, and I see you brought a friend with you this time."
"Good evening, miss Otani," Maki returns her smile.
"Is that a ring I spot on your finger?" Miss Otani asks, leaning on her desk to get a better look. "Did someone finally sweep you off your feet?"
"Yeah," Maki shyly responds. "This is Suzuka… my wife…."
"Oh, so this is the one that had you so lovesick," Miss Otani glances at Suzuka. "I was wondering who had a hold of your heart. So how long have you two been married?"
"Four days," Maki tells her.
"Well, I hope you two have a long, happy life together," Miss Otani smiles brightly. "But I doubt you came to my store to give me the good news of your marriage, so what can I do for you today?"
"We just need to buy some daily necessities," Maki replies as Suzuka looks around the store.
Suzuka can spot some of the things she will need. Toothbrushes are near the counter, soap and shampoos are at the back of the store, while a few other items are scattered around the store. Suzuka figures she can get most of what she needs from this one store from the looks of things. But as Maki continues to chat with miss Otani, something catches Suzuka's eyes. The front page of a gossip magazine displays a picture of her and the son of one of her father's business partners. "Possible Marriage As Business Tycoons Partnership Grows!" Suzuka quickly snatches the magazine and almost tears the pages as she flips to the main article of the story.
"Leaders of the countries top international trading companies lay hits of marriages between Suzuka Konohana and Naoki Kozato as they talk of expanding the cooperation between their two companies. CEO of the Konohana Family Group told reporters at a press conference that his daughter has been getting along swimmingly with the son of the head of the Kozato Family Group."
Suzuka nearly rips the magazine to shreds as she continues to read, figuring out her father was lying about letting her choose her husband and already had a marriage and man arranged for her. Maki comes over, but she spots the article over Suzuka's shoulders before she can ask what is wrong.
"Mr Konohana has not provided many details about the relationship of the young couple, but my sources have overheard phone conversations between Mr Konohana and Kozato arranging a spring wedding for their children. What can this mean for the two companies that already dominate the countries business world? People have already begun investing in the company's stock expecting big things from this growing partnership. Still, only time will tell if the joining of these families will pay off."
Suzuka puts the magazine down before she ends up destroying it. Maki puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her, but Suzuka can tell by the tension in her friend's hand that Maki is just as upset. Suzuka takes a deep breath, but another magazine headline catches her eye and makes her even madder than before. "Naoki Kozato Exclusive Interview About His Upcoming Wedding!" She could not help herself. Like before, Suzuka grabs the magazine and quickly flips through it until she finds the main article.
"Naoki Kozato, the eldest son of the Kozato family, has today given us an exclusive interview about his rumoured upcoming marriage with the eldest daughter of the Konohana family, Suzuka Konohana. When asked, Naoki stated he and Suzuka have been dating since Suzuka retired from her duties as a Toji and been growing closer by the day."
Suzuka feels sick as she realises what has been happening behind her back. Suddenly, many things start to make sense to Suzuka, from her father banning her from reading gossip magazines recently to him even restricting her internet access. Glancing up at Maki, Suzuka can see her friend is just as surprised by the article's contents as she is.
"Naoki was able to confirm that the rumours were true, and he and Suzuka are planning to be married in the spring ahead of the family's companies' new business arrangement. We have tried to talk to Suzuka and get her point of view, but unfortunately, her family have banned us from interviewing her, stating she needs to prepare for her wedding."
Suzuka nearly crushes the magazine in her hands. Her father hid her from the world, cut off all forms of news reaching her as much as he could, so he can marry her off to one of his business friends. She cannot believe he would do something like this to her. She knows he was never the most caring of fathers, but she never thought he would wed her off to make his company more profitable. "He never intended to give me a choice." Suzuka angrily realises as she can start to imagine the excuses he would make if she chose someone other than Naoki Kozato.
"I had no idea this was happening," Suzuka mutters as she puts the magazine back. "I had no idea he was arranging something like that."
"It's okay, Suzuka," Maki assures her wrapping her arms around Suzuka and pressing her chest into her friends back. "He can't go through with it now."
"I hope so," Suzuka weakly replies as she notices that miss Otani has come out from behind the counter.
"Are you two, okay?" She asks, looking concerned. "I might not be able to help, but it could help if you get it off your chest."
"Well, things just got complicated," Maki sighs, letting go of Suzuka. "Her father was…."
"I assure you nothing has changed, and the wedding will go through as we have discussed," Mr Konohana rubs his forehead. Feeling a headache coming on as he tries to assure his business friend, who always seems to know when anything goes wrong for him. "My daughter will come running back to me by the end of the week."
The office on the top floor of Konohana Tower in the heart of Tokyo is one of the most luxurious places in the business world. A small fountain dominates one wall while the view on two others is unrivalled in all of Tokyo. With a large desk, a comfy chair and more than enough amenities to get his work done, Mr Konohana is rarely stressed within his office. But now, with his daughter running off married to one of her friends and his newest business deal about to fall apart, Mr Konohana is feeling more stressed out than he has ever felt before. He doubts even the great massages his secretary gives will do anything about his stress level.
"Well, I can't go through with the deal unless my son has your daughters' hand in marriage," Mr Kozato replies, sounding like he is ready to hang up at a moment's notice. "With a deal on this scale, it will require more of a commitment than just a signature on a contract. With the amount of risk, I will be taking, I can't go through with the deal without this marriage."
"The marriage will happen, I can assure you of that," Mr Konohana assures him feeling his headache growing worse by the second. "But we need to begin talking immediately about the logistical growth our deal will create. We will need a fleet of trucks and maybe even trains to facilitate our new arrangement."
"And we will discuss it once I see the divorce papers of your daughter's current marriage," Mr Kozato tells him. "I can't continue this deal until I have more proof that this wedding will happen."
"The wedding will happen," He promises. "It is only a matter of time until my daughter will agree to a divorce."
"And when that happens, we will discuss this business arrangement further," Mr Konohana shakes his head as the deal he has been pursuing for threatens to fall apart. "Until then, we have nothing further to discuss."
"I will send you a copy of the devoice papers once they are signed," Mr Konohana sighs. "Have a good day Mr Kozato."
"You to Mr Konohana," He replies before hanging up.
Mr Konohana collapses back into his chair and stares up at his ceiling. For years he has been pursuing this deal. Attending parties, talking up his business and going out of his way to becoming closer to the Kozato Family Group. Now, all that work appears to be for nothing. "All because my daughter is going through her rebellious stage," He groaned, hopping Suzuka will see sense and come back home soon. "She won't be able to survive being poor," He tells himself. "Once she realises what she is giving up on, she will come back." Looking back down at his desk Mr Konohana picks up his phone once again. "But I can't take the chance that she won't come back."
"Send Mr Wakata up to my office," Mr Konohana tells his secretary.
"Oh dear, that is such a cruel thing to do behind you back," Miss Otani says after hearing Maki and Suzuka out. "The arranged marriage I can forgive, but I can't agree with him lying about your relationship with that boy."
"I can't believe he would lie like that," Suzuka mutters, glancing at the magazines on the rack and seeing her face on multiple magazines.
"If you ask me, the base way you can get him back is by being happy with Maki," Miss Otani comments. "I bet seeing you live happily with the girl you love will hurt him more than anything else you can do."
"Yeah," Suzuka glances at Maki and finds her friend looking back at her.
"You shouldn't worry too much about it. Just live your life with Maki and be happy. Your father will come around eventually when he realises how much he misses you," Miss Otani advises. "Now then, let me help you find what you need so you can get on with rubbing your happiness in your fathers face."
The next few minutes pass in a blur, with Miss Otani gathering everything Suzuka needs, even some things she thought this store did not have. Somehow Miss Otani can find anything and everything in her store, pulling items out from places people would not think to look. By the time she is done, Suzuka finds that she has nearly everything she needed to buy. Even Maki looks surprised by some of the items Miss Otani managed to gather. Returning to her place behind the counter, Miss Otani starts scanning the items while Suzuka pulls out some cash.
"Thank you for your patronage," Miss Otani says as Suzuka hands over the money for her goods.
After saying their goodbyes, Maki leads them back onto the street. Things have quieted down quite a bit, but it is still busy, and Maki takes hold of Suzuka's hand, saying it would be bad if they were to be separated. People push past each other, and Suzuka is even nearly knocked off her feet when someone bumps into her shoulder. Thankful Maki was able to catch her before she fell or dropped anything. The sun is already starting to disappear over the horizon, and the wind is becoming chiller by the second.
"We should only need to visit one more store thanks to Miss Otani," Maki tells her as they round the corner at the end of the street. "It is not that far."
The street they turned onto is even quieter, with only a few people walking around. Some are friendly enough to greet them as they pass by, but it most clear they have had too much to drink and are barely able to work. One man even tries to call the girls over but ends up falling face-first into the street when he attempts to stand. Maki tells her to just ignore them, but it is hard to do as one woman starts to vomit and two men begin to fight each other.
"This is the place," Maki says as they stop in front of another small store. "We should be able to buy the last of the stuff here."
Inside the store is dirty than Miss Otani's place but busier with two other customers waiting in line to be served. Cutlery, plates and bowls line the shelves with more expensive items locked behind glass displays. Countless lights dangle from the ceiling while the red carpet beneath their feet looks like it has never been cleaned. Suzuka follows Maki into the store. Together, they start selecting things for Suzuka to eat with. By the time they join the queue for the checkout, the sun has set, and the streets are dark.
"We gathered everything quicker than I thought," Maki comments. "Is there anything else you think you will need?"
"No," Suzuka shakes her head. "Thanks to you, I have everything I need."
"We just need to stop by the convenience store on our way back to buy a few things, and then we are done," Maki tells her. "Is there anything you want for dinner?"
"I'll be fine with anything," Suzuka assures her. "As long as it is not burnt like that time, you tied to make yakisoba for Yukari's birthday. Or ends up on the floor like Yume's daifuku."
"I thought we agreed never to talk about those incidents," Maki blushes.
"We did," Suzuka giggles. "But I'm sure your cooking skills have improved since then, so I have nothing to worry about."
The line slowly moves, and Suzuka is still giggling while Maki blushes by the time they reach the counter. The man glares at the girls crossing her arms over his chest as they put their items for purchase on to the counter. Looking like he can lift a car with ease, Suzuka quickly decides she does not want to get on his bad side.
"Is that all?" The man asks, glancing at the items while the girls nod their heads.
Suzuka quickly pays for everything and even says he can keep the change so they can get out of the store quicker. Once they bag their items, the girls quickly leave only to shiver as the coldness of the night air freezes their skin. The street is even empty than before as they retrace their steps, but there are still plenty of drunks around. Even the busy first street is noticeable less crowded as shops start to close while buses take some of the drunks away. Maki drags Suzuka down the street as several drunk men try to hit on them.
"Sorry," Maki mutters as they continue to avoid the drunks around them. "It usually isn't this bad."
"It's not your fault," Suzuka assures her as they reach the convenience store.
The bright lights stand out, and Suzuka is relieved to see the store is cleaner than the others. For the first time today, Suzuka does not feel lost once she walks into a store. The shelves are neatly organised, and the staff seem just as friendly as Miss Otani was. They greet Maki and Suzuka as they enter and offer to help the girls, but they turn them down and start browsing for something for dinner. Maki carries the basket and has already added milk and a pack of biscuits before they started looking for their dinner.
"The salmons on sale. Do you mind if we go with that for tonight?" Maki asks as she looks at the cuts of fish.
"Sure," Suzuka replies, looking over at the fish.
"Great," Maki says. "We just need some soy sauce and onions, and we are good to go. If you see anything you want, you can add it to the basket Suzuka."
"Okay," Suzuka replies, following behind Maki as she collects the rest of the ingredients.
"Are you feeling okay, Suzuka?" Maki asks, stopping and turning to face her friend. "You seem to be just going with the motion right now."
"I'm fine," Suzuka assures her. "I'm just still upset over what was in that magazine."
"We can talk about it if you want to,"
"No, it's okay," Suzuka tells her shaking her head. "I just want to forget about it."
Gathering the rest of the ingredients and a few other things, Maki thinks they will need the girls walk through the store before reaching the counter. She even added Suzuka's favourite tea to the basket in hopes it will cheer her friend up. Buy the time they are ready to pay the basket is heavy but nothing Maki cannot handle, but once it comes time to hand over their cash, a problem occurs.
"I can pay for it," Maki says as she sees Suzuka reach for her pocket. "You might need that money later on."
"It's fine. I still have plenty left," Suzuka assures her. "I don't mind paying for this as well."
"I really think you should save that money, Suzuka,"
"It's fine. I will still have plenty left even if I pay for this,"
"You don't have to pay Suzuka," Maki tells her. "You already had to buy plenty of stuff today."
In the end, with the help of the casher, the girls reach a compromise where they will pay for half each. Both Maki and Suzuka were reluctant to agree, insisting they can pay for it themselves. Still, the growing queue forces them to accept the compromise. When they exit the stop, more time passed than Maki would have liked, and the street is busy once again as the local bars open and the more adult stores become more active. They must avoid being knocked over by people once again, but with Maki leading them through the crowd, they manage to make it through to the street where Maki… where they live together.
Unfortunately, that is where they are forced to stop. Suzuka nearly bumps into Maki's back as her friend suddenly comes to a halt. Looking past, Maki Suzuka notices their path has been blocked by two men. They both look to be about the same age as the girls, with the first one having short black hair and a snake tattoo on his right cheek while the second has short blond hair and a black eye. Both men are stumbling and looking over the girls as if they are undressing them with their eyes. They step closer, and Maki quickly pushes Suzuka behind her.
"What do you want?" Maki asks them, her voice becoming colder than Suzuka has ever heard.
The two men start to laugh, and the black hair one drinks from the beer can in his hand.
"How about you two come and keep us company tonight?" The dark-haired man asks after swallowing the mouthful of beer in his mouth.
"No, thank you," Maki quickly tells them. "We already have plans for tonight."
"Come on, don't be like that," The dark-haired one continues. "Just cancel your plans. You will have much more fun with us."
"We know all the best places in town," The blonde-haired man adds. "I guarantee you will both have a good time."
"No," Maki replies, making them both laugh again.
"Did you hear her?" The blonde-haired man asks. "She thinks she can say no to you."
"She will soon learn that I always get what I want," The dark-haired man replies, reaching into his pocket. "Now then, ladies, I suggest you change your minds and come with us." He takes out a small knife from his pocket. "Or we can come with you and enjoy ourselves at your homes before helping ourselves to whatever valuables you have lying around."
Suzuka keeps her eyes on the blonde-haired man as he starts to walk closer to them, drawing his own knife. The dark-haired man also approaches. Taking a moment to glance back at the street Suzuka doubts anyone would hear them if she called for help.
"Now come with us, ladies," The dark-haired man says. "let's find a place we can enjoy our… what the…."
Before he can finish, the dark-haired man finds himself upside down and looking up at Maki, who glares back at him. He tries to get up, but Maki easily keeps him pinned down.
"How are you so strong?" The dark-haired man asks as he struggles to get up. "Get her!" He orders his friend. "Get this bitch off of me!"
Before Suzuka realises it, she drops her bags and moves. See the blonde-haired man approaching Maki with a knife scares Suzuka more than anything else in her life has. Before the blonde-haired man can even take a few steps, Suzuka has him disarmed and on the ground. But unlike Maki, she has not got the strength to keep him down.
The blonde-haired man quickly gets to his feet and throws a punch Suzuka's way, but she easily dodges the sloppy attack. Before he knows what hit him, Suzuka uses the man's moment against him and knocks him back down. This time he is not so quick to get up and groans with the effort. When he looks at Suzuka, she can see fear in his eyes.
"Who the hell are you two?" The blond-haired man shakes.
"Just to ladies out doing some shopping," Maki tells him. "Two ladies who used to serve as the Origami families elite guard."
"You two are…." The man's eyes widen as he appears to now recognise them.
"Stop standing there and kill these bitches," The pinned man yes, but his friend still shakes.
"No… no way, man… not with these two…." The man quivers before turning on his heels and running like his life depended on it.
"Get off me!" The dark-haired man struggles even harder after watching his friend abandon him.
Maki holds him down, not even looking like she is struggling to keep the man pinned. Suzuka quickly kicks the men's knives into a nearby drain before approaching Maki to help. Still, as she continues to watch the man struggling, she quickly learns her friend does not need any help.
"Now, I am going to let you go, and if you try anything, I will put you back down and call the police. Do you understand?" Maki asks the man harsher and colder than Suzuka has ever heard her friend speak before. The man nods his head. "Don't do anything stupid."
"You two are crazy," The man cries as he runs away.
"We should get back before he gets any more ideas," Maki says as she collects her bags.
"Should we have let him go?" Suzuka asks, retrieving her stuff.
"The police don't care about this area," Maki sighs. "Even if we called them, they both would be back on the street within an hour."
"You called for me, sir,"
A small elderly man asks as he enters the office. From his seat, Mr Konohana looks up from his desk to find a bolding man with red eyes walking towards him. The elderly man quickly takes a seat opposite his boss.
"Yes," Mr Konohana replies once the elderly man is comfortable. "I have a new job for you."
"So, who am I spying on this time?"
"Her," Mr Konohana spits out as he places a picture of Maki on the table. "I don't care how you do it, but I need something to use against her."