Chapter 23
Passing Judgment
It was going on 6:30 p.m. as Sae approached the apartment building off Nakamichi Street that Yagami lived out of. It was a four-story apartment complex at the mouth of the Nakamichi Alley near the South entrance to the city; a quieter area than most in Kamurocho, very suited to a decent living arrangement, unlike most apartments in the district. Avoiding the crowds, she ducked into the alley and pushed her way through the double doors, the stress of the day's events causing her to want to just disappear.
She maintained her composure as she entered the apartment complex, but only barely. Her breathing was sharp, her eyes darted about nervously, her hands felt clammy, and her chest and core tingled with anxiety. Quickly, she ascended the stairs to the second floor where Yagami's room was and knocked on his door, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. After a moment, the door opened, and there he was, in his typical attire of a white shirt, a leather jacket and skinny denim jeans. "Ah, you made it," he remarked. "I was starting to think that you might get held up, what with everything going on."
"I almost did, but Murakata let me get the hell out of there. Can I come inside?"
"Yeah, sure," Yagami nodded, motioning for her to enter. There were two couches, one smaller and one larger, in the center of the room with shelves and other furnishings on the perimeter, as well as an expensive wooden desk in the far-left corner and a small pinball machine on the right corner by the door leading to the bedroom and restroom. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to clean up. Been a bit busy myself recently."
"It's no matter. Your room is cleaner than most guys' apartments."
Yagami snickered. "Thanks."
"What about you?" Sae sat down on the couch. "Did you get held up at all today?"
"Not really. Got my affairs taken care of after the raid and holed up here. I watched the news break about the protests and thought about going in to help, but I didn't want to leave you hanging." He sat down on the couch across from Sae.
"It's a good thing you didn't come by. It was a whole mess. We didn't get in any altercations with the protestors, but got close a few times. The media had a field day recording it, bombarding any police they could with questions, even those just on guard to make sure they didn't get cocky and raid the precinct. And given your apparent proclivities, I'd assume that any information you may have regarding the situation would prove very delicate."
"Sae, before we start on that, I want you to know that I'm not with the Omi, nor have I ever been. I'm on the same side of this war as you are, fighting for the safety of Kamurocho and her people."
"Then what were you doing in the company of the Sakura Clan, Yagami?" she leaned forward, her eyes becoming narrower, pressing him for answers even without words. "How did you even know that they were held up in that building?"
Yagami leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "I have a contact, Niijima," he admitted slowly. "They're an affiliate of the Sakura Clan. I've known them for quite a long time now, and we work together to deal with problems in the underworld where we can before it even hits the police's radar. Given their position, they are very capable of procuring this information for me. Also, they're a good friend, and a good person. I'd trust my life to them, Niijima."
"That sounds an awful lot like vigilantism, Yagami."
"We mostly deal with small stuff: scams, assaults, stalkers, shakedowns, the things that normal people get hit with on account of the yakuza. This… this is far bigger than anything we've ever dealt with," Yagami shook his head. "We saw an opportunity to find some valuable information on the Omi's operations in this area, and sprung on it. Things got out of hand, but we did find out who the local lieutenant is that seems to be in charge."
"And that is?"
Yagami's expression turned colder than Sae normally saw on him, causing her to feel a twinge of worry about his response. "Jinya Kaneshiro," he said in a dark tone.
Sae's immediate response was to tense up, eyes widening and hands clenching, grabbing her pantlegs. Breathing in sharply, she only asked, "What?"
"Do you know him?"
Sae nodded quickly, breathing in and out loudly. "I know of him," she admitted. "I first heard about him twelve years ago… when he ran over my father with a truck."
So, Makoto really is Sae's sister, Yagami thought. This is starting to get really complicated. "That's a hell of a coincidence. Are… you okay?"
Tears stung her eyes but did not fall down her face. Her breathing became sharper, inhaling and exhaling deeply through her nose and clenched teeth. Sae suddenly stood up, her hands tightening into white-knuckle fists. "Do you have a place to smoke?" she asked quickly, her voice shaking with anger. "I assume we, uh, shouldn't be doing it inside your landlady's property."
"I just use the roof," Yagami replied. "Follow me." Sae nodded, and they exited his apartment, heading up to the roof above the fourth floor. The sounds of the streets below were bustling, as was the norm in Kamurocho. Looking down on those below, Sae felt some relief in seeing that things seemed fairly normal for an evening out in the pleasure district. However, how many of them supported the vulgar protests that had just been broken up only an hour ago? How many pedestrians participated in it? These questions only made her more stressed than she already was.
As if noticing this, Yagami pulled out a box of "Seven Stars" cigarettes from his jacket pocket along with a silver lighter. "Here," he said, offering her a cigarette. "Have one before we discuss any more unpleasantries." She took it in her mouth and let him light it for her, and the following smoky breath provided her some small relief. "How are you doing, Sae?" he asked in a tender tone.
She nodded with the slightest smirk. "I think that's the first time you've ever used my first name."
"If you prefer I use your family name, I'll gladly oblige."
"No, no, it's fine." She took another puff of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out into the warm evening air, watching it coalesce and fade into the shimmering neon colors of the lights and sounds below. "We're off the record, and with everything going on, there are more important things to worry about than formalities."
"Wise words, my friend," Yagami looked up to the sky contemplatively, taking a drag of his own cigarette. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Are you okay?" he looked back at her. "You seemed pretty shaken up, understandably, when you arrived. Did the news about your dad's killer just make it worse?"
"It's definitely given me more to think about, though that was the last thing I wanted right now. First Kamoshida, who was a teacher at my little sister's high school, comes back and is a goddamn snuff producer, and now my father's murderer is right on my doorstep? It's like my past is coming back to finish the job."
"That's a morbid thought," Yagami remarked. His tone was shaky, for he could not discern how much of a joke he should make that statement out to be.
"Just one more thing that's going to shit in this city," Sae continued. "At this point, I have half a mind to just run away…" She let out a long breath of smoke, looking off into the distance though not focusing on anything. "I have family in Hokkaido; I could just stay with them."
"Not sure anyone would blame you if you did."
"No one except the commissioner and myself." She chuckled to herself. "And probably Tanimura."
"He'd make his snides about it, but he'd get over himself pretty quickly."
"And what about you?" she finally met his eyes. "Would you blame me? You are a Noble, after all."
"Maybe on the news, but I'm really just a guy," said Yagami. "This situation is awful enough as is. I wouldn't blame you if these new personal developments became too much."
"Don't worry, they won't," Sae shook her head. "I have enough mistakes in my life I'll never forgive myself for; I won't add another one this big to that list."
"I'm not sure that's the best way to look at it, Sae."
"It's keeping me around this shithole, isn't it?" she asked with more bite in her voice than she had intended. "But maybe, once this war is over, I'll need some time off for myself."
"Sounds like a good idea," Yagami nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your dad? Have you always known this guy ran with the Omi?"
Sae sighed. "He was working as a police officer in Shibuya my whole life," she began slowly, quietly. "My mom died of cancer when my little sister was only six, so we suddenly became a one income household. And by 'suddenly', I mean it was only five months after finding out she had cancer that she passed."
"I see…"
"She was allergic to the main treatment they could give her, so all they could do was keep her comfortable until she passed away. Any kind of treatment to help the cancer would have only made things worse, so on November 2nd, 1973, she passed away holding my dad's, my sister's and my hands in her bedroom. Dad then threw himself wholly into his work to support us, I became downright obsessed with education, and my little sister Makoto was just trying to make sense of it all. I tried to be there for her, but I wasn't ready to be a mother yet and I made a lot of mistakes, but… I really did try my best."
"I believe it," Yagami nodded. If she cares about her so much, why does Makoto seemingly not want to see her?
"In '76, my father was assigned to a major drug raid taking place between here and Shibuya. His deft handling of these situations led to him being recommended by the commissioner at the time, and so he was transferred here for a couple days not long after Murakata had become the commissioner. Apparently, the Sakura Clan was one of the proprietors of the operation, and when the police arrived to confiscate the materials, there was a shootout. I don't know all the details, but I do know things got out of hand fast. Miraculously, he came home after I was up all night with Makoto screaming in fear of him not making it back, and he was awarded commendations for his performance in the line of duty." She took the last drag of her cigarette.
"Then a few weeks later, when he was out running groceries while Makoto and I were at school, an errant truck came flying down the road and splattered him across the pavement." Her expression turned darker. "His left arm flew off, his legs and most of his torso were crushed, and he was partially decapitated. I only know that because one of his friends on the force gave me the gory details the press and precinct reps wouldn't."
"Oh my god. I remember hearing about that on the news."
"The police apprehended the man, identified him as Jinya Kaneshiro, and he was sent away to prison. After questioning, they concluded that he was a Sakura man, and that this was a revenge killing for eliminating someone higher up the food chain, likely his aniki. That's the last I'd heard of him. But somehow, if what you're saying is true, he got out. And I don't have the first fucking idea how."
"Did you sister know about all this?"
"Only the basics. We spared her the worst details of it: the carnage, the motives. When she was older, I offered to tell her everything she wanted to know, but she refused. She said she didn't need to know any more than who did it, that his reasonings wouldn't make her feel any better about what happened."
"Sounds like a very mature young woman."
"She always was," Sae said sadly, nodding. She handed him the finished cigarette and he put it back in the box. "When we find him," she continued, "and we will find him, I want to be there, Takayuki."
"To get revenge?"
Sae's lips curled. "Maybe. I want to bring him in, question him myself. But if things get out of hand, I won't hesitate," she finished, her face as dark and dour as her voice. "He destroyed my life. I won't let him destroy any others."
"I understand," Yagami nodded, finishing his own cigarette. "Wanna go back inside?"
"Might as well."
And so they did, closing the door to Yagami's apartment behind them. He walked to the window, leaning against it and watching the goings on of the pedestrians below. "So, what else do you want to know? Anything on your mind?"
Not deigning to seat herself, Sae replied, "Well, I did have a more personal question, as it were. Still off the books."
"Sounds serious," Yagami smirked.
"Yagami, what do you think of our being presented as 'Noble Team'?"
Yagami's gaze moved from the city to Sae. "What do you mean?"
"Do you not think that the way Murakata has propped us up is a bit suspicious? If not that, at least presumptuous?"
"You mean that we're being used as propaganda?"
Sae nodded, pursing her lips. "You're sharp as ever, Yagami."
"You can just call me 'Tak' here at my apartment, if you like, you know."
"Alright, Tak," Sae nodded. "And yes, I'm asking if you think we're being used as propaganda."
"Not much to think about," he shrugged. "We definitely are. It's not a matter of ifs, Sae. He's probably propping us up to give the people of this city some semblance of hope, or as an icon to keep them in line."
"And it's doing a fucking terrible job of that, huh?" Sae smirked weakly.
Tak chuckled in his throat, looking back out the window. "No kidding. The people are scared, and rightfully so. The yakuza are capable of some scary shit, but I know for a fact that not all of them are bad. At least, as bad as the Omi."
"How would you know that? Your contact?"
"Partially," Tak nodded, looking back at Sae. "You know how I got into the law, Sae?"
"On recommendation, but that's about all I know. I accepted long ago that most people working with me have a checkered past, and if that past doesn't interfere with our work, then I don't see how it's much of my business."
"Very honorable of you, but I guess you might as well know some of my checkered past." Tak then took a seat on the couch. "I dropped out of high school, you know," he began. "Mostly because I'm an orphan."
"What?" Sae leaned in, taking a seat across from him.
"Dad was a defense lawyer, you see," said Tak casually. "When I was a second year in high school, he got pinned with defending a perp accused of raping a fifteen-year-old girl, then murdering her by asphyxiation. Miraculously, dad was able to prove his innocence in court. Well, sort of. Actionable evidence was unable to be presented by the prosecution, and so the defendant walked."
"Japan has a ninety-nine percent guilty conviction rate," Sae interjected. "How is it possible that your father was able to get him out of death row? Much less a guilty sentence."
"Like I said, no actionable evidence was presented. Dad made a good case, far as I'm aware, but the prosecution just really dropped the ball on such a sensitive case. Apparently, they shit the bed right in front of the judge and jury from the outset, and the judge weighed in favor of the defense." Tak then looked down at the floor, folding his hands in front of him as he leaned forward in his seat. "A week later, I was sleeping over at a buddy's house from school. Came home the next morning, and found my parents had been stabbed to death by the assault victim's father."
"Jesus Christ…"
"Who then hung himself in my foyer," Tak met her eyes again. Sae seemed concerned, though largely unphased by the grisly story. "It was… hard living on with that."
"I can imagine. I mean, I'm orphaned too, but I didn't see my dad's body. That kind of shock would have been beyond traumatizing."
"It was," he nodded. "Only a month later and I ran away from my uncle's home, who was taking care of me at the time. All the sympathy, the kind wishes that people at school and throughout my life gave me… To me, they were just constant reminders of the incident. I couldn't take it anymore and ran away to Kamurocho."
"Must have been hard living on the street so young, especially in this city."
"Actually, it wasn't all bad. I got a job bartending at Tender on Taihei Boulevard by lying about my age. I was pouring drinks for lonely housewives at sixteen," Tak smirked, though there was a sadness behind the smile. "But the alcohol and money didn't drown my anger and confusion. I'd get in fights with delinquents and gangs constantly. I started wearing makeup to cover my bruises, cuts, and black eyes. I was a walking shitshow every night I left work, believe me."
"I can't exactly blame you," Sae shook her head.
"Then one night, after a couple years of this, I got in a fight with a real yakuza a few years older than me. He bumped his way past me on the street while I was having a particularly awful work day, and I just lost it there, punched him right in the jaw even though he was twice my size. I guess I thought my anger would make me strong enough to take him on, but nope. He flattened me into the concrete and trash bags over and over, and every time I'd get back up just to get my shit kicked in again. It was probably only about ten minutes of this, but it felt like hours."
"What happened then?"
"He took me to their main office in the city, and I was brought before the patriarch to pay for my insolence." Sae knew he had all his fingers, but found herself making doubly sure that he had both pinkies as he explained himself. "I thought I was a goner, Sae. But hey, at least I would see mom and dad again. At least, that's what I told myself as the old patriarch stared me down, and that gaze felt stronger and more painful than anything the other guy had thrown at me."
Tak leaned back in his seat, seemingly more relaxed. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "The patriarch asked me questions. Why was I attacking one of his men? What was a kid like me doing on the streets taking a smoke break behind a bar? Must have taken a blow to the head, because I spilled my guts to him about my parents, their murder, and even that I was tending bar while underage. Then he asked me one more question," he nodded, looking up to the ceiling.
"He asked me, if given the opportunity, would I have tried to prevent my parents' murder. What would I have done to see justice served? And if not for myself, then for other kids who have endured the same fate as me. I knelt before him and told him there was nothing I wouldn't do to keep someone from experiencing what I had. I guess he took a liking to that, because he offered to help me start a better life in this city. It's how I got into the law, ironically."
"A yakuza got you to serve the law?"
"Yup. He kind of took me under his wing for a while. Even the guy I originally beat up ended up taking a liking to me. They knew I was never going to join the yakuza, but that didn't seem to be a problem. I took my righteous indignation into the law so I could give back to the city that, for whatever reason, gave me a break, and so maybe I could help some kids not have to go through what I did." Tak then looked off to his side. "Didn't work out last time though. You know, with Haruka-chan."
"Don't have to remind me," Sae shook her head, rubbing her temple. "But we did what we could. She survived, and you're partially to thank for that. I'd say you still did well, Tak, even if her life will never be the same again. Maybe she can catch a big break somewhere down the line too, like you did."
"I pray she does," Tak nodded. "No kid deserves what she went through. Hopefully life will repay her one day."
"I pray for just the same. And Tak?"
"Yeah?"
"I respect that you have had good experiences with the yakuza. Despite what I may feel about the subject, especially currently, just know that your secret is safe with me, so long as it does not compromise your judgment regarding our mission."
"Should that happen, just lock me up right there, Sae," Tak smirked. "I'll come quietly, I promise."
"And thank you for that," Sae replied, a bit more relaxed. Sighing, she continued, "But even with that small victory, I feel like their attempts at propping us up are only causing more division among the civilians. The more they try to tell the world that we're heroes, the more our actions will be scrutinized, and the more our failures will be met with vitriol."
"Should we try to get Murakata to lay off us then?"
"I don't think so. The people need a symbol to show that the police are rising above the challenge presented, and simply increasing the reach of police activity into civilian areas and potentially civilian life will likely only lead to more distrust and protests. People want to feel safe, and being constantly reminded of how the status quo has been uprooted like that will only instill more fear in them. For now, as much I don't agree with most of it, I think the idea of 'Noble Team' may be the best course of action Murakata has at his disposal. And that means that whenever we get our next real assignment, we don't have any other option than to not only succeed, but give the people results that will show them that we're not out of this race yet."
"With you at the helm," Tak replied calmly, "and with that attitude driving you, I think that next day you described will be our day."
"Damn well better be."
They then heard the latch on the door being unlocked, and Sae looked back to see a woman in a white, professional looking jacket and skirt come through the doorway. "Takayuki?" she called out. "Are you alright? I saw the news while I was at work, and—" The woman and Sae's eyes met, and Sae saw suspicion immediately be written on her face. She was gorgeous, that much was apparent, with short black hair, large dark eyes, and a soft face complimented by full, red lips. The suit she wore and the purse she carried on her shoulder were indicative of a prestigious occupation. "Oh my, are you Sae Niijima?" she asked.
"That's right," Sae stood to her feet. "Have we met, Miss?"
"We haven't, but I know of you. You're the leader of Noble Team, and Takayuki's commander by extension. I am Mafuyu Fuji," she bowed to Sae. "I'm a public prosecutor for Tokyo. It's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a hero such as yourself."
"The pleasure's all mine, really," Sae nodded. "Though I apologize if I was interrupting some business you had with Yagami-san."
"It's no trouble, Niijima," Yagami spoke up. "The truth is, Mafuyu is actually my girlfriend."
"Oh, I see," Sae replied awkwardly, turning back to face Mafuyu. "Then pardon me for how this may have appeared to you, Fuji-san. I assure you this was strictly a work-related meeting."
"It's alright, Niijima-san, but thank you," Mafuyu mustered a weak smile. "I was a bit concerned at first, but when I recognized your face, I figured this likely had to do with today's events. And besides, Takayuki knows better than to try and pull anything past a prosecutor," she winked at her boyfriend, who scratched the back of his neck bashfully.
"Trust me," Yagami added, "I can't even sneak a couple bites of her dessert without her knowing every detail of how and when I did it. I got some experience in detective work myself, but Mafuyu here's got something of a sixth sense."
"Or you're just not as sneaky as you think," Mafuyu teased him back.
"Hey, that's my pride you're digging at," he smirked again.
All this was starting to make Sae feel like a third wheel. "Was there anything else you feel we needed to discuss, Yagami?"
"Not really, if there's anything you can't think of."
"I suppose not," Sae shook her head and went to grab her coat.
Mafuyu then spoke up, "Oh, please don't think I'm kicking you out, Niijima-san. If there's anything else you need from Yagami, I can leave and come back later. I understand there's likely a lot going on that's of a more sensitive nature to your work."
"I appreciate it, but that won't be necessary," she slipped her coat on, trying to speak in a more friendly tone. "We were just finishing up when you arrived. Besides, we'll probably have a whole other briefing about it all tomorrow. I think your boyfriend can be spared a bit of the headache for the night," she smiled to her, then turned to Yagami. "Thanks for letting me stop by, Yagami. It definitely helped cleared up some things."
"No problem, Niijima," he nodded. "You need us to get you home?"
"I don't live too far from here; I'll just take the taxi at the street entrance to be safe. But thank you. It was good meeting you, Fuji-san. Enjoy your evening, you two."
"It was an honor to meet you, Niijima-san. I hope your example will lead us a swift victory."
"I appreciate it, thank you," Sae nodded quickly and exited the apartment. Once our of earshot, she mumbled, "I fucking hope so too…" She then exited the building and made her way back home, feeling calmer about the day's events, though not as much as she had hoped to be. She caught herself sparing a thought for Akechi, wondering where he was, what he was doing, and perhaps that things might be a bit smoother had he been able to stay. Is everyone in bed with the yakuza in this town? Even Yagami has his ties. Even if he can maintain his judgment during this operation, I need to make sure I can uphold my own…
Dad, was it always this complicated for you too?
Back at Yagami's apartment, the couple waited a long moment before embracing each other. He stroked her back, nuzzled up to her hair, and she clung to him tightly. "I know you can handle these things," she said to him in a low tone, "but it just keeps getting worse, faster and faster. Everyone at the Public Prosecutor's office thinks so too. I just had to see for myself that you were alright."
"Were you scared?"
"More overwhelmed then scared, I think." They separated and sat together on the couch, with Yagami putting his arm around Mafuyu's shoulders. "We've hardly seen each other over the past month, Takayuki. I guess that's why I didn't call to see if you were busy first."
"Do you think that I'm somehow offended?"
"No, I can always tell when you are," she chuckled to herself. "I guess the stress of everything going on, and seeing the protests on the news, was getting to me."
"I'm sorry, hon," Tak held her closer. "Although I wasn't even there for that, if you didn't know."
"Then where were you?"
"Kaito-san and I got into some trouble this morning. Did you hear about the raid?"
Mafuyu nodded. "I should've known you two would be involved in that. I assume Kaito-san is okay too?"
"He's fine. We got in a scuffle, but we got out with only a few scratches."
"That's good. I won't have to patch you up at all tonight then." They shared a quiet laugh, then Mafuyu's tone became more serious as she sat up in her seat to look Tak in the eyes. "Did the Kingslayer have anything to do with this?" she asked.
"What about him?"
"Have you met him yet? There's no small amount of people in my office that would like to bring him to testify for the Kamoshida case as well as the Omi incursions."
Tak nodded slowly. "Yeah, I've met him. He happened to be involved with this mess too today. But I'm not gonna help you bring him in right now, if that's what you're asking."
"I'm not, but why wouldn't you? Are you collaborating with him or something?"
"Sort of, I guess. What do you know about him?"
"Not much more than what the public or press knows, admittedly. They say he's in his twenties, that he brutally murdered Suguru Kamoshida upon finding out he was kidnapping and abusing women, and that he appears to be highly trained and dangerous in combat."
Tak could not help himself but to laugh. "You make him sound like some kind of mercenary."
"Is he not?"
"Not really. He's not even in his twenties, apparently. He's just some kid who got the raw end of a deal and is trying to clean up the mess this city is in. Honestly, I kinda like him. But you were right about him being a powerful fighter, that's for sure. Never seen anybody fight like that, but I don't think you have anything to worry about with him."
"Why's that?"
"Because he hates the yakuza more than you do. He's in it for the city and those he's close to, Mafuyu. Not for the Sakura Clan."
"He's still committed a murder."
"Of a snuff porn producer."
"Well, that's true," she admitted.
"You plan on bringing him in sometime?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Maybe just for questioning, depending on how he behaves going forward. But if word gets out to the public that some mysterious yakuza is more effective at eliminating threats to the city than the police is, then we might have to look at alternative tactics. And if that happens," she looked to Tak, "we may need to take more drastic measures beyond just simple questioning."
"Don't worry, I won't get in your way," said Tak. "But I don't think that'll happen. He certainly doesn't want it to, as far as I know. Just wait and see; once we clear out the Omi Alliance, I doubt you'll ever hear from the Kingslayer again."
"I hope that's the case. He can go and find a good life somewhere away from all this, and the people's trust can be put back in the hands of the law. Rest assured, we're fighting not just a war against the yakuza, Tak. There is an ideological war going on for the souls of the people of Kamurocho as well. We have to show them that we have not yet lost our judgment."
Tak smirked, biting his lower lip. "I love when you talk dirty."
"Don't get too excited, my dear," Mafuyu teased back. "I want to watch the Okumura speech before getting too distracted. I hope the most promising candidate for Prime Minister will be able to instill some sense of security in the people after everything that happened today."
Tak playfully rolled his eyes. "If you insist, but I can still steal just one." He leaned in and placed a deep kiss on her neck, causing Mafuyu to giggle, catching her breath at his touch. She let him kiss her one more time before pushing him aside.
"I told you that you'll have to wait, Tak!" she chided him with a flushed smile as she stood to her feet, escaping his grasp. "Geez, if you were this persistent as a police officer, then we probably wouldn't have yakuza in this city to deal with in the first place!"
"Then you and your office would have hardly any work," he winked at her.
"Oh, piss off, Takayuki," she rolled her eyes, then walked over to the fridge to look at what food he had stocked. She bent over, showing off her butt to him as she inspected his inventory. "Just keep it in your pants for the next two hours and maybe you'll get a reward. That's all I can say."
"Even while you're acting like that?"
"You're not the only one that likes teasing, Mr. Detective. Besides, it distracts me from how stressed I am."
The flirtatious air that emanated from the happy couple died soon after, however, as the speech by Okumura-san went underway later than anticipated. He took the stage, apologized for being late, and tried his best to make the same reassuring platitudes and pontifications he and the other officials had been spouting for weeks sound somewhat genuine. The crowd's reaction was lukewarm, forced, and both Mafuyu and Takayuki knew it alone would do little to sway the riled-up populace's opinions.
Sae too was watching the apartment, finishing a dinner of stir-fry noodles and vegetables. Despite the rather unimpressive, thinly veiled damage control speech, Okumura presented himself with confidence and swagger as he exited from the stage, making room for his daughter, Haru, to take the podium. With a regality befitting the heiress of a political and corporate empire, she stood before the entire crowd of public officials and began her speech.
"As we all likely are, I am deeply troubled by not only today's events, but the growing frequency and severity of the incidents comprising this organized crime war." She spoke confidently, with perfect diction and tone, and it sounded entirely rehearsed to Sae. "The actions of these ruffians not only paint the people of Kamurocho in a shameful light, but directly endanger the lives of those whom the Sakura Clan has claimed to protect through its four decades of existence. And I also see the anger, the mistrust and frustration, of those who organized outside the precinct this morning to protest the supposed inadequacy of the police force regarding their approach to quelling this war. As my father said, your feelings are not unjustified, and many of us share your same desire for change and greater action to be taken against the Omi Alliance and the Sakura Clan."
That perfect regality then, in the blink of an eye, shifted by the slightest percentage. A glint in her gaze, a twitch of the eyes, a pursing of her lips; there was a change in the aura around the young Okumura daughter that caused Sae to pay greater attention to her words. "I do not agree with many of the actions taken by any side of this conflict. However," and all the ears that heard her words perked up in surprise, "I stand before you this night and say that the conduct of the Kamurocho Police Department, while well meaning, has been a disgrace and embarrassment to the people of the city whom they protect."
Gasps could be heard even through the TV, and Sae's, Yagami's, and Mafuyu's eyes all went wide at her proclamation. "While the Sakura Clan has fought and died to drive the enemy from our homes, the police have postured themselves as heroes simply on the actions of one 'Noble Team' while still failing to prevent the fallout of greater and greater attacks on the people's homes. I stand with the protestors in condemnation of your inaction, and hope that the Kingslayer still rises to the challenge set before—Wha… Hey! What are you doing!?" She was dragged off stage by security personnel as the crowd began to boo and jeer her, and the broadcast was cut, returning to the newscasters who were trying to make sense of it all.
Even Sae had little idea of how to process what had just happened. "She spoke out against us?" she muttered. Her fingers tightened around her chopsticks, causing the skin to go white. "Could this be sabotage? A yakuza conspiracy to defame us? What the hell was she thinking!?"
Yagami and Mafuyu had similar responses to the shocking speech, relentlessly hypothesizing for the next hour as to why Haru would do such a thing, and what this could potentially mean for the law's reputation going forward. All their conclusions pointed toward things only getting worse for both the law and the people, should they start to lose even more faith in those upholding public safety.
It was only about an hour before more people were openly supporting or decrying Haru's speech in the streets. Across all of Kanto, more and more people became aware of the schism being created between the people of Kamurocho and their protectors. Things were about to get much more complicated.
"I have a really bad feeling about this," said Tak.
[This was meant to be the first half of what will now be the next chapter. Sometimes I wonder what I got myself into writing this story. I hope it continues to please you. Reviews are always welcome.]
