He wasn't shitting me. Goddamn, this place had incredible views. The lights reflecting on the water softly highlighted the mountains in the background. Everything here was so peaceful. And our table was nestled in a corner right in front of a giant picture window. Now, I understand why he brought me here.

"Kasa…"

"Ritsu."

I gave him a strange look. It wasn't often I got cut off. Mostly because everyone back home knew better than to piss me off. And nothing did it quite like me not being able to get a thought out of my mouth, "What?"

"My first name," Kasanoda confessed, "It's Ritsu. You can call me Ritsu."

"Ok…?" Something didn't smell right, "Why?"

"Just do it," he ordered, immediately softening his tone, "Please. The name Kasanoda is kind of notorious and I want to keep a low profile while we're here."

"Ok," I let it go, but we weren't done there, "If that's how things are going to be, then you can call me Reila."

"Really?"

"It's only fair," I allowed, "I won't mind."

"Ok," Kasanoda turned a little red. Aww…That's adorable.

"And since you know my big secret," I bargained, "Maybe you could tell me something about you."

"Uh…" he thought it over, "Ok. I…Love to dance."

I looked under the table, doing a quick assessment of Kasanoda's legs, popping back up with the same enthusiasm, "I call bullshit."

"What the hell was that all about?" Kasanoda squeaked.

"You're no dancer," I pointed out, kicking my leg up on his knee, "If you were, your legs would have more of a shape like mine. It's a certain kind of muscle definition that most, if not all dancers have. You're no dancer."

"And you are?" he wondered, "You don't strike me as the type."

"I was when I was younger," I nodded, "Mama had me in ballet classes. It helps with my agility. I did take a couple flamenco classes once, though. Those were fun."

"Really?" Kasanoda gasped, "You any good?"

"I'm not bad," I shrugged, "Now, could I be bold for a second?"

"Go ahead."

"Ever since we met," I took a long drink from my water, "There's been something bothering me about you."

"Me?" Kasanoda perked up, "What did I do?"

"Other than the fact you knocked me down," I remembered, "Something about you felt familiar. A vibe…"

"And what's that?"

"Are you…" Out of nowhere, my phone started ringing. I looked down at my screen and smiled, "I have to get this. Do you mind?"

"Don't let me stop you."

"Thank you," I answered the call, "Hi, Daddy."

"Daddy?" I thought Kasanoda's eyes were going to pop out of his skull.

"Hi, princess," Daddy greeted me, "It's good to hear your voice. You haven't called in a couple days and I was starting to worry."

"I'm fine," I promised, "I can take care of myself."

"That doesn't mean I can't worry," he chuckled to himself, "So, how have you been, baby girl? Keeping out of trouble?"

"You know I never look for trouble," I played innocent.

"Reila…"

"I'm behaving myself," I swore, "Right now, I'm getting dinner with a friend of mine."

"Is it the same kid you told me about?" Daddy asked.

"Yeah," I shot a smile at Kasanoda, "That one."

"And you're sure I shouldn't be worried, Rei?" he teased, "You still sound pretty sweet on him. Not to mention, this is, what, the third time you've been out with him?"

"Daddy!" I whined, feeling hot in the face.

"I'm only playing with you," Daddy settled me.

"You don't need to worry, Daddy," I assured, "He'll behave himself. Won't you, Ritsu?"

"What?" Now, he listens, "Yeah. Totally."

"See?" I pointed out, "Right as rain."

"Fine," Daddy caved, "Go eat. Make sure you get home safe, ok?"

"I will," I trust the driver. We should be fine.

"I love you, princess."

"I love you, too."

Click.

"So," Kasanoda assumed, "That was your dad?"

"Yep," I chirped, "That was Daddy. He just wanted to check in, make sure I was doing ok."

"It's safe to say you're close then?"

"Oh, hell yeah," I nodded, "Daddy knows everything. We usually talk every day, but things have gotten hectic lately, so he's right to be nervous. I hate making him worry."

"He brought that worry on himself," Kasanoda slumped down in his chair, "He sent you to Japan. He didn't have to, did he?"

"Well…" I thought it over, "No. Not that I know of. But I'm sure Daddy had his reasons. Don't think I forgot about my question, by the way."

"Dammit," he grumbled, "Alright, Rei…la. Hit me. What do you want to know?"

"Are you…like me?" I asked.

Kasanoda wasn't sure what to think. Although, his knee wouldn't stop bouncing, "What do you mean?"

"So pretty, Ritsu," I sighed out, "So pretty. You can do my calculus homework, but one little question trips you up."

"I'm not the one who speaks in fucking riddles!" he got defensive, "You're like a goddamn bridge troll."

"Are you like me?" I reiterated, "From some of the shit you've told me, you fit the profile like a glove. And we can smell our own. If you are, I can keep my mouth shut. Daddy didn't raise a snitch."

"It's not like it isn't common knowledge already," Kasanoda came clean, "You and me…We have a lot more in common than I ever thought. Especially after bumping into that asshole new guy in the hall."

"Fuck you," I giggled.

"Yes," he confirmed my suspicions, keeping his voice down, "I was born into the yakuza life like we were born into mafia. Although, not all of us can have your attitude toward those circumstances."

"Why not?" I fucking knew it. I knew Kasanoda gave me back home vibes for a reason.

"Because," Kasanoda shook a bit, "I don't want to be feared. Respected? Sure. Who doesn't want that? But not because they're afraid of me. That's not respect. That's conditioning. And if I have to gain respect through fear, I don't want it."

Someone's given this some thought. And he had a point, "I can't say that. I don't want to sound like a greedy bitch here, but I want it all. I want the respect and the power. That power can get a girl far in this world. To be able to have what I want, when I want it, and however I want it? That temptation is all I know. It's become a part of me. I've seen how far it's gotten Daddy and damn, do I want a piece of that pie. Besides, I've already been pegged to take over. Why not take it?"

"I have, too," he understood, "I'm supposed to head the Kasanoda syndicate one day. But that shit can lead to a lonely existence. Whatever makes you happy, I guess."

A sudden sadness washed over Kasanoda's face. In a way, it broke my heart. I couldn't leave the poor guy like that. Softly, I rested my hand on top of his, "Hey…It doesn't have to be. That's what we have allies for. If you're ever in New York and find yourself in some shit in Brooklyn, namedrop the Mendoza family. One of us will come running. Or at the very least, I will."

Kasanoda smiled a little bit, trying to pull himself out of that sadness, "Any of the other boroughs?"

"Not exactly on good terms with some of the higher powered families in the Bronx," I shrugged, "So namedropping us there might get you killed."

"That's comforting." And just like that, Kasanoda started to unclench his ass again, "Thank you, Reila…Can I still call you Rei? I haven't exactly come to terms with…things."

"I'm a girl, Ritsu," I rolled my eyes, "But yes. You can still call me Rei. I won't stop you. A lot of other people do. You might as well be added to that list."

"Holy shit," Kasanoda caught a glimpse of his watch, "It's getting late. We should start heading back to town."

"What time is it?" I wondered. I knew it was late enough for Daddy to call, but that's it.

"Almost ten," he got up from our table, taking our bill, "We won't get back to town until midnight at the very latest. Do you have any other plans for tonight?"

"Not that I can think of," I ran through my evening's itinerary, "Besides, my night's pretty much shot. It's just you and me. Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"Let's just get back to town first," Kasanoda got the door for me, "By the way, Rei, can I ask you a weird, random question?"

"Uh…" I giggled nervously, "Is this the part where you ask me for pictures of my feet?"

"What?" he blushed, "No! Do I really come off as a foot fetish guy?"

"No," I grabbed the extra helmet, "But I like to have my bases covered. I don't know if you got a foot thing…Do you?"

"I don't have a fucking foot thing!" Kasanoda groaned, "You're screwing with me, aren't you?"

"It's rapidly becoming a favorite pastime."

"What's your pain tolerance like, Rei?" he threw his leg over his bike and stuck the key in the ignition.

"Well," I thought it over, "I'm taking kendo. I'm a mafia baby, so I was taught how to protect myself and that wasn't an easy process. You tell me."

"Alright then," Kasanoda had a little smirk on his face. Should I be concerned? I'm a tad concerned, "Let's get back to Tokyo."

It's too bad we didn't get to stay in Hakone longer. This place seemed so pleasant. Hopefully, it won't be the last time I'm here. I think I saw a sign for some natural hot springs. That sounded fucking wonderful. Until next time then, Hakone. This sure as hell won't be the last time we see each other. Even if I have to come up here by myself.

For the next couple hours, I laid my head on Kasanoda's back. The breeze blew in my face and I damn near fell asleep. This whole night was nothing short of sheer delight. To think, all this started like shit. I thought Kasanoda hated me. I thought our friendship was over before it even began. Thank you for coming over, Kasanoda. I'm glad we mended fences.

When we got back to Tokyo, Kasanoda blew through Shibuya like it was nothing. Ok. Now, I'm concerned. Why the hell would he ask me my pain tolerance? And drag me to Shinjuku? It's after midnight, man. I'm too tired for real yakuza ran fight club. Maybe tomorrow when I'm well rested, but not tonight.

"Hey, Ritsu," I tapped on his shoulder, "Where are we going?"

"To visit my friend Ryu," he told me, "He's a good dude. Our families have been connected for years. I go to see him when I got time to kill."

"Is he yakuza, too?" I pushed it, "We're all friends here."

"No," Kasanoda pulled his bike up to the curb, "He pays us protection."

"Oh!" I chimed. That's what he meant by friend. I had friends like that back home. I knew all about it, "He's that kind of friend."

"Come on," he took my hand and helped me off his bike, "He closes up shop soon."

"And what kind of shop is he closing?" I wondered. But Kasanoda wouldn't tell me. He just pulled me into the shop. It's strange. This place looked like an art gallery. Wasn't Shinjuku supposed to be Japan's Red Light District? If that's the case, why would there be a classy as fuck art gallery without any nudes here? Unless all the kinky shit's kept elsewhere and the gallery was just for show.

"Watch this," Kasanoda grinned, his voice dropping an octave, "Hey! Takamora! I'm calling your tab!"

"Fuck off, Ritsu!" a voice yelled from the back, "Dues aren't until next week! I'll have your money then!"

"You better!" he giggled, "He really is a good guy, Rei. Promise."

"Welcome back," an older man walked out into the main room, "Are we working on your back tonight, Ritsu? Because I told you to come back after hours."

"Not tonight," Ritsu shook his head, "Maybe some other time."

"Hello…" he looked me over, taking my hand, "And who may this beautiful creature be?"

"The last thing you see if you keep hitting on her," I growled, putting my war face on. Not the first asshole I've dealt with. Likely not the last.

"Feisty one, isn't she?"

"Her bite matches her bark," Kasanoda stepped in to defend me, "Ryu, this is Reila. She's a friend of mine. And your newest client."

"She's what?" I gave him a look, "You want to run that by her first?"

"I figured you'd be cool with it," he shrugged, "I'm sure you have at least one tattoo somewhere."

"Uh…"

"Wait," Kasanoda spun me around, "You're blank? Not even a family mark?"

"I don't have any tattoos," I confessed, "I'm a clean slate."

"Wonderful," Ryu smiled, "I'd love to put something on those legs of yours. It's like they're begging for it."

"I don't know about here," I backed away, "But where I'm from, fifteen gets you twenty."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I studied anatomy before I started tattooing. I can't help but appreciate the beauty of the human form. I mean no ill intentions for you, Reila."

"You can call me Rei," I corrected him, "Would you be doing the same thing to Ritsu?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Ryu squeaked, "His back muscles are something incredible."

"Really?" I only knew what they felt like. I've never seen them up close and personal.

"They're stunning!" he swooned, while Kasanoda hid his face as much as he could. That's adorable, "Now, before Ritsu punches me, what would you like me to put on your body, Rei?"

"Excuse me?" I perked, "Since when am I getting a tattoo?"

"Come on, Rei," Kasanoda gave me a nudge, "You can't tell me you've never thought about it. At least once in your life."

"Well…" Dammit. He had me in a box. I'd be lying if I said I haven't. Growing up, I'd look at my uncles' tattoos and my cousins' tattoos. They always set them apart. It was what made them so recognizable. I wanted that, "There has been one I've always wanted."

"That's what I thought," he beamed, "What is it?"

"Did I ever tell you what my nickname is back home?" I took my jacket off and sat down in the chair.

"I don't think so."

"Ryu," I asked, "Do you have a deck of cards somewhere?"

"What kind of cards?" Ryu dug through the drawer.

"Just standard playing cards," I told him, "We're looking for a queen of diamonds. That's what they call me."

"And why do they call you that?" Kasanoda wondered.

"Because," I took a pen off the counter and drew just under my right thumb knuckle. A little Q with a diamond underneath it, "It's my preferred method of fucking someone up that skips out on their protection fees. Or someone that fucks us over. They will meet my bat. That's why they call me the Queen of Diamonds."

"Really?" Ryu got nervous, "So, you're yakuza, too?"

"New York mafia," I corrected him, "By the looks of it, with yakuza connections."

"And they call you the Queen of Diamonds?"

"Daddy calls me Bam Bam," I smiled, "It's cute, right?"

"So," Ryu took my hand, looking over my doodle, "Is this what you're looking for?"

"Carve it in."

A/N: And so, Reila's getting her first tattoo. She's no baby when it comes to pain, but it's something small and subtle. Anytime I've had a pen in my hand in the last week or so, that's ended up on my hand. And now, I used a pen that's a bit more permanent than I wanted it to be. Hand sanitizer isn't working. Send help.

But by the sounds of things, Rei and Kasanoda are doing pretty well. I hope something happens with these crazy kids. If nothing else, they'd make a scary duo. Like a buddy cop movie! Only a buddy yakuza movie. I'd be down for that. It'd be so cute. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do today. Lumi awayyyyyyyyy!

And I'll see you next chapter. xx