002

A/N: This is a chapter which I wrote today for my fic "Shinjuku: Three Coffins." But after I completed the chapter, I found it a bit lacking, especially Tobe's dialogue. It didn't fit with the characterization I had in mind or the feel of the story. I thought about deleting it, but it wasn't that bad. So, I decided to post it here in 'Vignettes, Snippets, Drabbles Etc.' Treat this like a non-canon chapter, a completely independent chapter, a one-shot, which doesn't have any bearing on that fic.

Hope you enjoy it.

Take care

Her fears are completely baseless.

Looking at the crowd of younger women in skimpy outfits, trying to get the attention of the bouncers by shamelessly flirting with them, the bolder ones practically shoving their tits in their faces and when that bit of ingeniousness doesn't work out, they bend forward to argue and shout in a display of gross self entitlement without a care in the world that the guys in front of them can now see down their top or the ones standing behind them can catch of small flash of their panties.

The cuter ones work a different angle, referring to the bouncers as 'onii-san', jutting out their bottom lip in an adorable pout which begs and pleads and otherwise promises to blame them for their fake sullen expression afterwards if they are not heard. At times these women think they can act all sly and annoy the bouncers into letting them in, pretending to be the younger sister they never had, being a bit pushy, making stupid demands and having an overall energy of fun and mischief which is reminiscent of those innocent days long gone, left in the past. But it doesn't work out because no sensible man would want their younger sister or young daughter or their hot, young wife to visit such an establishment. But you will find them here nonetheless, taking a break from life's boring existence, dancing, drinking, hanging out, hooking up, getting laid, making memories, both good and bad and having a good time.

Shizuka doesn't have to wait in line. The bouncers recognize her face by now and they let her in with a small smile on their face. The women who have been standing outside, freezing their butts off for hours look at her as she passes them by and she can hear the hushed murmurs of several, feel most of them glare and some of them even grow a spine and wonder out loud how a middle aged woman like her gets to walk in while the rest of them have to stand outside in the cold.

If she was the same young woman she was in her mid twenties, still a proud teacher who wanted to make a small difference and had a wicked temper which lashed out at the odd, troublemaking students, she would have schooled these young brats and taught them a lesson for not having any manners and not knowing how to behave with their elders – and then she would have grown gloomy and miserable and felt hurt at her own words and moped around for a few hours until she went back home and cheered herself up by eating some ramen, drinking some booze, enjoying a good smoke and reading the latest copies of shonen manga.

But she wasn't the same woman anymore and though she felt self conscious about her age and wondered whether she could still pull off wearing such a bold dress – it had a low back and a high hem – she felt confident when he reached out from the shadows and grabbed her hand, an easy going smile plastered on his ruggedly handsome face even as his grey eyes held a cold glint and as he inclined his head and spoke in a soft, commanding manner, addressing both the bouncers, telling them to bar the women who badmouthed her from entering the nightclub, she couldn't stop herself from feeling a bit happier that he made such a big deal out of such a small issue. It's petty, really petty but she can't help it. She likes that about him.

"You know, you don't have to turn away your customers." Shizuka mentions even as he continues to hold her hand and leads her to a private lounge which is on the upper floor where they can have a decent conversation without the loud noises from down below causing too much problem. "You could just let me use the back entrance."

"The backdoor is reserved for VIPs." Tobe says. As she sits beside him, Shizuka wonders whether he is talking about the shadier side of his business empire. But when pushed he gives a different reason altogether which doesn't make any sense. "I want the chicks who come to my nightclub to have your fashion sense. You look great. Who am I kidding, you look downright sexy. And you're what? Thirty. Unbelievable!"

Shizuka blushes as she takes a small sip of her cocktail. Twenty-five years old Kakeru Tobe, who would have thought. He is the right kind of bad. And he has memorized her favourite drink. Really, who would have thought. "I'm actually thirty-three."

"And all your husbands are lucky bastards. Wait, that doesn't sound right." He rubs his chin in thought. "Your new husband is a lucky bastard. But so were your ex-husbands. No, um. All the guys you slept with - look, who cares. But you get my point."

Shizuka shakes her head with a small laugh. "Don't hurt yourself thinking, Tobe."

"I won't." Tobe declares. "But we should totally celebrate. Rumi-chan popped her cherry last night."

Shizuka chokes on her drink and sputters, feeling herself grow rather faint at the mere thought. She can't believe what she is hearing. She knows she is overreacting a little bit but she thinks her response is completely rational. She has been married three times now, twice divorced. She is also certain her third marriage is coming to a swift end, though she doesn't want to talk about it. Married thrice in a short span of eight years and understandably never having a kid of her own, she had never felt the need to have a son or daughter of her own flesh and blood. But there was Rumi, fourteen years of age, when she took her in and just turned nineteen when she decided to lose her innocence. But it was strange that he should know about it. No, don't tell me, Shizuka thought with dread as she leveled a heated glare on him. Tobe Kakeru, gangster or not, you are so dead.

"Uh, I think now would be the perfect time to mention that popping the cherry is what we wiseguys refer to when a newbie shoots his gun for the first time and hits someone. Or her gun, in this case." Tobe corrects quickly before adding smartly. "If it makes you feel any better she didn't kill anyone."

"It doesn't makes me feel better." Shizuka states forlornly. There is a part of her which wonders whether it's her own damn fault that these former students of her chose the life they are currently leading, a life which could lead to a swift end or a brutal and torturous demise. Shinjuku's at fault too, tricking youngsters into dreaming big and then leaving them unprepared for the fall which seems inevitable in the near distant future. But here, no one can make anything of their life without venturing into the shadows, getting their hands dirty, only realizing too late that they are knee deep in mud. "I should have never went to him. Hikigaya knows no other way. He pushed her into the deep end."

He nods out of habit, she thinks but disagrees with her at the final moment. "Sometimes that's for the best. And Rumi-chan came to me for the gun." He leans back, arms stretched out along the backrest, the loveable smile of the idiot missing, replaced with world weary wisdom. "From what I heard it saved her life. So, you shouldn't be too hard on her." His eyes twinkle. "Though you can rip Hikitani a new one."

It's weirdly funny when a supposed bad guy, a big shot gangster if Rumi is to be believed, thinks more about the safety of your child, in all but blood and the guy who is supposed to act as her guardian pushes her into harm's way. But Shizuka stops herself from thinking about it and putting the blame entirely on his shoulders without hearing his side of the story. Hachiman would have never taken her on the job if he didn't think it was safe. He hadn't done so before, at least that's what he told her. But now that she was nineteen, out of high school and into university, more of an adult in the eyes of the law, had that bit of arrangement been rendered null and void, she was worried even thinking about it.

"I don't know what to do with that girl. Next thing I know she would be wearing a skimpy outfit and making out with guys in this nightclub. No offense, Tobe."

Tobe buried a knowing smile as he wondered what his hot former teacher would do if she found out Rumi-chan was currently in the nightclub, wearing a rather bold and daring outfit and dancing her way into fresh trouble, making a certain rotten dead fish eyed fixer scare away a number of his male patrons with a deadly glare if they even dared to wander in her general direction. Like always they had come in through the backdoor and Hikitani had sat on the bar and ordered non-alcoholic beverages like the boring man he was. Tobe had talked to him about the job and when he had found Rumi-chan in a bad mood, he had told her to head to the dance floor to have some fun and leave the 'old man' alone. She had taken the hint and Tobe had never been happier, even though Hikitani-kun threatened to blow his brains out as he ordered his first vodka of the night. Yes, it would be fun to show Shizuka-chan to their table and have them sort out their differences.

"You should talk to Hikigaya-kun. He's in the club. Just don't break anything." Tobe warned.

Kakeru Tobe would have liked to spend more time with Shizuka-chan. But as the waiter bought him a blue margarita, he knew it was time to attend to another beautiful guest who had just arrived into his nightclub. He smiled at the older woman as he got up from his seat.

"You have to excuse me Shizuka-chan, but duty calls." Watching her crestfallen face, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of sorrow as he made to leave. "I will send Hikigaya over. Order whatever you want. He will foot the bill."

"I can pay for myself."

A hand behind her back, a small caress, a thin smile. "I insist."

"Okay." Shizuka knew it would be futile to disagree. "Have fun."

A/N: Check out Shinjuku: Three Coffins: A Slice of life, romance crime drama with a semi-realistic approach to the harem genre.

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