hi, a while ago i came across a twt post about something where majima disappears and its like a majima no where kind of situation so i saw that and was like OMGEE I MUST WRITE. To be honest, i don't remember who posted that anymore since this was sept? oct? of last year? i had considered posting this up for kazumaji week but then i decided to not. so im posting it for valentine's day instead. yahoo.

anyways, up front, this fic has a lot of interpretation. i know how things happened but i also made them vague on purpose so it could be left up to reader interpretation. so if you get confused or are like "did he xxx? is she xxx?" then i did my job since that's what i aimed for. there are many different scenarios that can be used since i thought of them as i wrote it so there's no wrong assumptions here. HOWEVER, if people do want a sequel or prequel on how it started and what made Majima write the letter, lemme know and ill do it. if not, no worries, i think this is ok on it's own. but i can write it if there's interest.

Kiryu-chan,

If you're getting this letter, don't be a sappy crusty old man. I know ya. I know that while you got that resting bitch face, underneath all that, ya got a big heart. Kinda disgustin' if ya ask me but I guess you can't do that, huh?

Anywhoooo, there's been a lot of shit in my life. Not just your average shit but the extreme kind. You can go crazy and live yer life to the fullest but not when ya got demons whisperin' to ya. In my case, it's a hannaya man and snakes but I think ya get the point.

I never told ya but I had a kid of my own a while back. It's kinda complicated but maybe one day you'll hear it. I never met her 'cause she was taken from me long ago and I wanna find her. I hear her callin' to me all the time. At first I ignored it, there was no way she'd want a dad like me but after a bit, I realized I was turnin' out worse than my own dad and I didn't want to give that fucker any satisfaction knowin' his damn son turned out to be just as shit as him.

So I'm goin' on an epic quest. I don't know jackshit on where I'm goin' but Imma be goin' somewhere far away. Imma settle shit down so I can live my life however I want without havin' piss poor thoughts ruinin' all of that. That said, don't come after me. I know, I know, I'm pretty temptin' and I know yer gonna miss me like hell. Yer fists may need someone to go up against but that ain't gonna be me anymore. This is my last note to ya.

Maybe we'll see each other soon. Maybe you'll get to see the pipsqueak. But whatever ya do, don't follow me. I'm only doin' this out of courtesy, especially since seein' Yuki made me realize what an ass I was without sayin anythin' so take it as that.

See ya later, Kiryu-chan. Take care of Haruka.

Majima

"..."

"Is everything alright Kiryu?"

Was everything alright? That was a good question. On one hand, his heart gave a big sigh of relief. That one eyed monster never seemed to get enough of him. Even after moving and rarely visiting the streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori, Majima still found his way into Kiryu's life that always amounted to starting a fight with him. Didn't matter where he was, Kiryu could always count on Majima sticking his nose into his business and Kiryu punching that nose away. Kiryu had to start watching his back wherever he went and whispers of him having paranoia circulated the streets. He tried to keep the fighting away from Haruka but that didn't always work out when Majima would hide in the bushes or sewer panels for that perfect opportunity to jump Kiryu.

But on the other hand….Kiryu actually felt upset. There was a piece in his heart that already felt like something was missing. It was kind of dumb but Kiryu was actually fond of Majima. They had undergone a lot throughout the years so it felt wrong to not have someone who understood all the shit Kiryu had to face in the past couple of years. Albeit he was part of all of that but still. There was that small connection they had that Kiryu knew he was going to miss.

"Yea, Nishida, everything is alright," Kiryu somberly replied, still holding the letter between his fingers.

"If it helps, he didn't tell us much either," Nishida said. "All he told me was to give you that letter and then….all of his stuff was gone in the morning. He didn't have much of it, sure, but it was enough to know that he wasn't just going on a vacation." Silence overtook them for a bit before Nishida spoke again, though softer this time. "Where do you think he went?"

Kiryu shook his head. "I don't know. It's Majima-no-niisan. He's unexpected like that." There was more he wanted to add but it would have been better not to. He quickly folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket with a bit more force than he intended. "Let me know if you hear anything. Knowing Majima-no-niisan, he can't get away from attention too long."

Nishida sadly gave a small laugh. "You're right. He probably won't be able to stand a second alone and he likes you a lot Kiryu so I'm sure he'll come back. I'll let you know what might happen though."

"Thanks."

—-

Two weeks passed and Kiryu still hadn't heard anything. It was kinda strange but not entirely unusual for him to worry completely. Sometimes he found himself on the streets of Kamurocho for business and the paranoia would kick in. His eyes would catch every hidden corner in between the buildings. His head looked up towards the sky in fear that he'd come swinging down. Any shop that he entered came with slow steps and glances towards the windows. He even flinched at rocketering cars that he thought Majima would be in until he happened to hear moans of ecstasy inside.

But no matter where he went, Kiryu never saw Majima. It was as if he went from being everywhere to nowhere at all.

It didn't really help that others hadn't heard from him either. Nishida could only give small updates at a time since he had to focus on Majima's neglected duties. Despite his letter mentioning Yuki, she hadn't heard from him weeks as well. Others from the Tojo clan thought he died long ago since his presence was missing for quite a while now. Kiryu felt desperate enough at one point to get Makoto involved but that was 18 years too late now.

Majima was just….gone. As if he never existed.

—

"Uncle Kaz?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ok?"

Kiryu looked down at Haruka. "Yea, why do you ask?"

"You've been really jumpy and distracted since we got here. Like you're just waiting for something to pop up from the shadows."

"Oh….I didn't realize."

"Were you thinking about Mr. Majima?"

Oh. Oh that really took him out of surprise. A good chunk of time passed since Majima left. Kiryu thought he was purged from his mind but now that Haruka mentioned it, he was observing each crevice of the city, expecting Majima to fly from the shadows and stick a blade through him. Since he started doing that a couple of years back, Kiryu made himself prepared for anything that could have happened. His pockets were even filled with Stamina Xs in case Majima hit too hard and knocked him off his feet for a bit. He might have been made of sticks but those dance moves he used in battle really packed a punch.

But Majima never did come out of the shadows. He hadn't for over a month now. Majima was gone, which meant Kiryu didn't need to flinch at anything anymore. There would always be people after him but just not in the way Majima was.

"I was but it's ok."

"Do you think he'll come back? He's been gone for a long time."

"I wish I knew Haruka," Kiryu admitted. His face went somber for a moment before he looked over at the child next to him. No, he couldn't keep focusing on Majima. He said he didn't want anyone looking for him so there was nothing to move away from. Haruka was his priority. She already went through hell and back for him, he didn't need to drag her further into it. So he just squeezed her hand and gave the best smile he could. "But he's going to be ok. It's Majima-no-niisan. He never lets anything get in the way of his path. He's strong like that. I don't know where he is or what he's doing but I know he's doing something that he needs to do. When he's ready, he'll make it known."

He could tell Haruka read more into it than he intended but the look on her face also indicated that she would drop the subject as well. Her grip tightened around his hand and she gave a soft smile. "Alright Uncle Kaz. Now let's hurry up! I've been looking forward to spending the whole day with you for a week now! We got to do a lot of things!"

"Alright, Haruka. Lead the way."

Kiryu wasn't much of a dreamer. Most times when he went to sleep, his brain would be filled with black until he woke up the next morning. Or, in the rare instance that he did dream, nothing would really stick in the morning.

However, after a few months since Majima left, he finally had a dream that remained in the morning.

It was kind of a strange dream as well. Kiryu started off being in the middle of a town that looked like a blend of Sotenbori and Kamurocho but still unfamiliar enough that he wasn't sure where he was. Strangers on the streets blended into the buildings, looking as if they were blurred puppets that only knew how to look in one direction.

Only one thing stood out and it was a little girl.

Oddly enough, everything about her was absolutely crystal clear in comparison to their meshed surroundings. She had long, black hair that curled at the ends and shaped around her full cheeks. Despite being small and no younger than Haruka, her clothes were high end and designer brand. A parka covered most of her body with black leggings shooting down the remainder of her body. If it wasn't for this being a dream like state, she would have been a prime target in the real streets.

"Papa! Papa!" Her voice wailed out. Tears streamed down her face as she quickly whipped her body around frantically. No one turned their head towards her, leaving her to cry into a lonely abyss that only contained herself.

It was tragic and heartbreaking and Kiryu couldn't leave her be.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Kiryu spoke out to her, bringing himself down on a knee to reach her eye level. She quickly looked towards him and wide eyes appeared instead of an answer. "Someone your age shouldn't be out in the streets like this. It's dangerous."

"But my papa told me to stay put!" She loudly answered back, her mouth turning into a pout.

"Where is your dad now?"

"I don't know," the little girl quietly admitted while looking away from Kiryu. "He said he forgot something and needed to get it but that he'd be back super soon."

"How long ago was this?"

"...A while now. I don't really remember," her head bowed down, closing herself off. Her foot kicked back and forth in a rocking motion.

Damn, what kind of father left their child alone like that? "Are you sure he's coming back? It is cold right now. You should go home."

Now the sadness immediately turned angry. "My father is a good person! He would never leave me! Even if he takes all night, I know he's coming back for me! And I'm not leaving this spot until he does!" She then plopped herself down onto the ground, crossing her legs and arms to make it difficult to forcibly move her without hollering. This would have enough to cause a scene with unwanted stares and comments.

But no one seemed to glance their way. In fact, it looked like they were the only two real people in between the other people, like they were the only actors in a play that the audience was to pay attention to. So it left creative freedom to do what was best. Kiryu sighed and sat down next to the little girl, mimicking her crossed posture. "What does your father look like?"

She shook her head. "He doesn't want me to tell anyone. I guess he's a really important person because he doesn't want anyone knowing where he is."

"What's his name at least?"

"He doesn't want me to say that either. For safety he told me."

"Then what's your name."

"..."

"My name is Kazuma Kiryu. You don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to."

"It's Himeko. I know you're supposed to call someone you just met with their last name but my papa doesn't want me to so Himeko is ok."

"Ok," he responded, keeping his responses light. "I have a daughter around your age. Her name is Haruka. Maybe you two should meet one day."

Himeko smiled up at him. "That would be fun! What is she like?"

Now it was Kiryu's turn to smile. His head tilted towards the sky, losing himself into the stars as memories passed through his mind. "You would never know looking at her but she's been through a lot. She lost her mother a couple years ago after looking for her since she was a child. A lot of bad things happened to her but somehow she keeps a smile on her face everyday. She likes trying new things and exploring. Haruka is a really good kid and…..I'm proud to call her my daughter."

"Is she actually your daughter?"

"No, at least not by blood," Kiryu admitted, sharp pains hitting the part of his heart that contained those memories. "I knew her mother from when we were children and…..I always had loved her. Things happened though and I left for a while. She ended up having Haruka and other things happened afterwards. If her mother hadn't died the way she did….I would have asked her to marry me." He had to stop for a second to breathe in deeply, to calm down the raging sadness blooming from the memory of having Yumi die in his arms. "But she ended up passing before I could so I adopted Haruka and she's been with me ever since."

"Well, that's really sweet of you Mister," Himeko enthusiastically said back, her cheeks giving a blush against her smile. "I'm sure she thinks of you as her real father."

Kiryu smirked. "Yea, I hope so." He gave an awkward cough. "What's your dad like?"

Himeko hummed for a little bit as she uncrossed her legs and brought her knees towards her chest to then have her arms around them. Her head tilted to the side, allowing her hair to cascade down. "My dad is really cool too. He's been through a lot as well, although he never tells me about them. Anytime I catch him with a frown on his face, he puts on a smile and is really happy towards me. Plus, he makes sure nothing happens to me. He always holds my hand and tells me he loves me and he'll carry me when I'm too tired to walk. He's probably the best dad in the world."

"That's nice."

"Yea," she spoke and then she looked excitedly over at Kiryu. "Hey maybe one day I can meet your daughter and you can meet my dad! I think you'd get along with him really well!" Sparkles glittered in her eyes and a toothy grin spread across her blushing cheeks. Something about her face like that looked really familiar and nostalgic, like he'd seen it before in another's face. He couldn't quite place it but it was like a word on the tip of his tongue.

Lost in trying to figure out, he just nodded and looked back up at the stars. "Your dad has been gone a while now. Maybe you should go home."

She shook her head with her long hair swishing in the motion. "Nope. My dad said to wait for him here so that's what I'll do."

"Alright, then I'll wait with you until he comes."

"That would be so nice mister," she lightly spoke before a dark cloud went over. "But you can't."

"What?" Kiryu asked, turning back to her with a surprised expression. "Why?"

"Because you have to wake up now."

"What?"

Her small hands gripped his arm. "You need to get up." She started to shake it. "Maybe next time you'll see me but for now, you need to wake up."

"Wh-"

"Wake up!"

And that's exactly what he did.

No longer was he in the make believe streets of a town with a girl sitting next to him. Surrounding him now were blank walls that stared back at him. It took his brain a while to adjust but he was back at home, lying in bed with only sweatpants and sweat built up in his chest. Heavy breaths came out and it took a while until his chest calmed down.

The door to his room slightly opened and Haruka's face peered in. "Uncle Kaz, are you ok?" She was still in her pajamas, her face scrunched in worry.

Kiryu nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry, I just had a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Don't worry. Just go back to bed, alright?"

"Ok," she agreed, hesitation in her voice as she closed the door and walked back to her room.

Kiryu tried to close his eyes again but questions kept swimming in his head. Who was she? Where were they? Did he know that little girl? How did she know that he was asleep? And why did he dream of her in the first place?

Eventually, the questions turned into a hazy numb and he fell back asleep.

—

"Well, I guess he's really gone, huh?"

"Maybe."

"I would have thought by now he would have come back. He loves you Kiryu. There's no way he'd be gone for this long without seeing you."

"Nishida, it's only been two months. He just needs some time."

"But it doesn't feel right…."

"I know but haven't things calmed down since he's been gone?"

"Yes, absolutely. He'd always come up with these crazy ideas that would get the police running to our door. If Majima hadn't tried it, he made sure he was going to try it. So in a way, I guess it's been nice that he's been gone. I've finally been able to visit my mother and make sure she's alright."

"That's good."

"..."

"..."

"I miss him Kiryu."

"I miss him too Nishida."

—-

It had been a while since he had the last dream and Kiryu started to believe that it was a one time thing, just his brain doing a hard wired reset from all the stress he packed in there.

But then, it happened again.

This time, he was out in a park, but it wasn't like the parks in Kamurocho where things were desolate and abandoned with rust covering all the metal. This park was luscious and nice. There was green grass all over and a play structure that looked absolutely brand new. Trees carried beautiful colors and it was one of the first times Kiryu had ever seen the world in so much vivid color.

By the play structure was a pink bench with a little girl sitting and playing with a stuffed dog plush. She had large sunglasses covering most of her face so her identity remained a mystery until she noticed Kiryu and jumped towards him, a huge smile on her face. Her free hand pushed the glasses to the top of her head, revealing her face. "Hey mister! Do you remember me?"

Kiryu's lips turned up at the tips. "Himeko, right?"

"Yes! That's me!" She exclaimed happily, jumping slightly.

"Did your dad ever manage to come back?"

"Oh yes he did! When he came back, he gave me a whole bunch of stuff!" She shoved the plush towards Kiryu and he could see it was a high end plush that almost resembled one that someone could get at an expensive theme park. "He got me this dog, saying I was his little puppy! It's so soft and squishy! I love cuddling up with her! Apparently, she's from an old Disney film. Have you seen it mister?"

"No. She looks familiar but I never really see films except for the few that Haruka shows me."

"It's ok, mister. I never saw anything either. I guess we're the same like that." Then she extended her arms to reveal an overly large snake skin jacket that hung down her small arms. "And my dad got me this jacket too! I always told him that I thought it was cool so he gave it to me. Don't I look really cool?"

"Yea, you do." But you also look really familiar now.

"I wanted to complete his whole look but he said he couldn't do that so he gave me these glasses instead," she said while touching them. "He was telling me that he did some cool snooping around in them when he didn't want people to know who he was. I'm a bit sad but as long as it came from my dad, I'm happy!"

"That's really nice of him. Where is he right now?"

"Oh he's not here right now. But he'll be here soon! I'm just waiting at the park for him to come over."

"Alone?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Not to be mean but does he not worry about you being here by yourself? Bad things can happen."

Himeko gave a small pout (that looked way too similar to someone else) and put her small hands on her hips. "My dad trusts me! He knows I can handle myself. Besides," a sweetly menacing smile appeared on her face. "Aren't we in your dream right now? So you can do whatever you want to me. If you want me to get hurt, you'd just have to will it."

Fuck, she's creepy. It wasn't the first time he came across someone as unsettling as her but oh shit, did he just want to get away from her. "How do you know that?"

Her eyes looked towards each side before resting back to him. "Because that's how I managed to talk to my dad."

Her dad? "What are you talking about?"

A small hum came out. And it wasn't a normal girl hum, it was one that Kiryu used to hear a lot in the past couple of years (but where?). Himeko turned on her heel and skipped towards the opposite end before giving Kiryu a glance. "I have to go meet my dad. Maybe I'll tell you next time."

"Wait-!"

"Sorry mister but my dad is waiting for me. Besides it's time for you to wake up!"

"What?"

But she hopped away, her long hair flowing behind her as the ends of her jacket flipped in the wind.

Kiryu tried to take a step towards her but immediately his vision went to black and he was sucked back into his room with beads of sweat rolling down his chest.

So many questions ran through his mind but the one that stuck out the most was:

Why does she seem so familiar?

—

"Uncle Kaz, are you sure you're ok?" Haruka asked her father at breakfast, peering over her plate.

It took him a second to register her question and he slowly nodded his head in response.

"You don't look ok….."

"Don't worry Haruka. I'm alright," Kiryu tried to comfort her, though his voice betrayed his words.

"Is something bothering you?"

Damn was she a bright kid. Definitely got that from Yumi, no doubt about it. Her father was too stupid to be that introspective. "I just had a weird dream last night."

"About what?"

"Well there was this girl who kept talking about waiting for her dad."

"Do you know the girl?"

"No but," Kiryu hesitated. He looked over at Haruka and her eyes widened in curiosity, her head tilted in the same way her mother used to do when she wanted to hear everything with no missing details. Which meant he had to tell her everything or else she would bring it up any chance she got. "Something about her didn't seem right."

"How so?"

Kiryu struggled to put the words into a coherent thought. "Just the way she acted was really familiar, like I had seen that before." Haruka leaned forward, meaning she wanted more details. "She was stubborn whenever I tried to tell her something. Last night she wore a snakeskin jacket and had a dog plush but the time before that, she had on high end clothes. But even when she laughed or sang, it was similar to something I'd heard before and- What's going on? Why are you smiling like that?"

Haruka let out a giggle, her hand over her mouth until she managed to breathe it out. "I was just thinking on how funny it would be if this is Majima's way of still haunting you even after being gone for so long." Now it was Kiryu's turn to widen his eyes. "She sounds so much like Majima, as if she was his daughter or something. I don't know if he ever had kids but it just feels like something he would do."

Oh.

Oh.

OH.

—-

Walking on the streets of Kamurocho came now with an unfamiliar feeling.

It had been months since Majima disappeared. At first, Kiryu still flinched and looked at every tight spot to see if he would be jumped. Majima was interesting like that. Anytime Kiryu entered a building to either do bowling or go with Date to check out some risqué spots for detective work, he expected Majima to find a way to slink into the action.

But that didn't happen.

So Kiryu's shoulders started to relax and he kept his eyes on the road now. Maybe others would try to fight him but it wasn't the same way as the man with an eyepatch would. It was weird to say but Kiryu actually felt relieved that Majima wasn't around like he used to. He wasn't as afraid to bring Haruka with him to the city. He could enjoy Kamurocho the way he did when he was younger, when life was simpler being a grunt in the yakuza.

But…..Majima was his friend. A strange one but he probably was the only one alive right now that knew everything about Kiryu. Their strings of fate were already tied before they met and their paths kept crossing. He might have had his issues but Majima was Majima. There's no one else in the world that could replace the crazy but sad energy he had.

Kiryu would never admit out loud but he missed Majima and his chaotic ways to the point that he actually would be happy to be surprised by him. There was a little piece that expected it and waited for it.

But it looked like it was never going to come.

—

When Kiryu found himself in a meadow, sitting on top of aged grass and having some plants tickle his legs, he knew he was having another vivid dream. Immediately, he stood up and looked at his surroundings.

Everything around him looked coated in sepia tones. Yellow grass and wheat spread throughout the main land with trees in the distance to signal the introduction to the woods. The sky didn't have a bright blue color but it was clear in tints of gray. Kiryu felt like he entered in those old films where colors mixed into the somber story.

He walked forward and only heard the crunch of his feet until some voices whispered to him from afar. Curiosity murdered any thoughts and he headed in that direction.

As he grew closer, the voices became clearer and he could start hearing the conversation.

"Hold still, Hime. I can't braid yer hair if you wiggle around too much."

"Sorry Papa, I'm just really excited! I love it when you do my hair. You're so good at it."

"Well, when ya gotta do it for a bunch of girls workin' for ya, you learn to get good at it."

"Will you teach me one day?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, ya little puppy."

When Kiryu could see the scene unfold in front of him, he felt his whole stomach drop. His mind whirled around in circles and any form of breath escaped him, leaving his lungs heavy with emotion.

Sitting on a log was Majima braiding Himeko's long hair while she held onto the dog plush from last time. It was sweet and organic and smiles appeared happily on both their faces. They matched in jackets and when Kiryu came more forward, he could see that they matched in features as well. Her hair was the same color and consistency as Majima's and the profile of his nose matched her own as well. If it wasn't for her feminine features making her cheeks softer and eyes wider, she would have been an exact clone of her father. Looking at them now, Kiryu felt idiotic for not placing their similarities earlier.

Himeko peered over at him and the same goofy grin Majima used to give him fell on her face. "Mister Kiryu! Hi!" Her hand waved, making Majima give a small pout when he lost the lock of hair between his fingertips.

But when he looked over towards Kiryu, his expression matched his daughter's. "Yo, Kiryu-chan! Long time no see, huh?" He stood up from the log and held out his hand, waiting for his daughter to grip on. Himeko tugged on her dad's hand and they skipped (skipped?) over to him. When they got close, Himeko let go and wrapped her arms around his waist, Majima's hand placed on the top of her head. "What've you been up to?"

"Majima-no-niisan…." Kiryu started, not being able to form what he wanted to say because there was actually a lot to speak on. Like how he just left with only this vague letter about meeting his daughter that Kiryu didn't even know he had. Or like how he's been acting relieved not to see him anymore but instead is feeling like a piece of him has been missing. Or like how others are more lost about him than Kiryu and how they've been hurt due to his disappearance. So there was a lot Kiryu could say. But he didn't know how, or rather he didn't want to. There was a simple joy in seeing him again, even if it was just a dream. "There's a lot of people looking for you and wondering where you went."

Himeko held on to him tighter. "Ah, c'mon, I told you to cut it with the sappy shit. I got this little puppy that's already makin' feel all sorts of happy emotional shit so I don't need that from ya too." She gave a small squeal and dug her head into his side. A look of awe passed through his face and he looked completely goofy and giddy in happiness. "See, ain't she a cutie? Looks a lot like me, can hardly believe it."

"Is she really your daughter, Majima-no-niisan? You've never spoken about her before until now."

Both of the Majimas turned upset and his eyebrows creased in annoyance. "Of course she is, you nitwit! Can't you see she looks exactly like me or did yer eyes get fucked from all the fights you throw yourself in?"

"Then who's the mother? Where did she come from?" Kiryu asked bluntly, trying to get a grasp of the bizarre situation while he had Majima right in front of him. There were so many questions that needed answers with only a limited time.

But he didn't know if he could get the answer from Majima. His head turned away from Kiryu and pulled his daughter closer to him, as if to shield her from the answer. "That's not somethin' to talk about, especially in front of her. Brings up bad memories for the both of us."

"My mother is a very bad person….." Himeko whispered, her eyes glossing over. Her voice wavered a bit with her bottom lip trembling and her body melted into Majima.

Kiryu wanted to point at the flaw in their actions but he dropped it. Seeing them already upset from the question didn't sit well with him and he hadn't seen Majima in months. While he wanted answers and explanations, that particular subject had to be saved for a later time. "What happened to you Majima-no-niisan? Where did you go?"

"Ha? I went off into the wind, Kiryu-chan! This mad dog went flying and is soarin' through life's bullshit to find the meaning of life," Majima teased, snickering after seeing annoyance on Kiryu. "Why do ya ask? Ya miss me?"

"That isn't it…." Kiryu started but drifted off. One wrong word and Majima could twist his thoughts.

"Then what is it?" Majima whispered, coming closer to Kiryu. His gloved hands hovered over the other's waist, leaning his head close to Kiryu's ear. "Ya missed all the action ya got from me? All those close calls we had? Hmm?"

"N-no!" Kiryu retorted back, taking a step to the side to get away from intimacy Majima radiated. Of course, the latter thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world and gave his signature cackle that came with a level of smugness. "I see you still haven't learned proper human interaction, even after meeting your daughter."

Majima laughed harder. "C'mon Kiryu-chan! I only act this way around you! Plus," his body leaned closer, a devilish grin spread across his lips. "It's your dream, ain't it? Last time I checked, you're the one in control here."

Now that got Kiryu speechless and flustered. Surprise tore at instinct and left him in a haze for a long second. "What's that supposed to mean?" He managed to speak out, coming back from the comment.

Majima only shrugged. "It's whatever you want it to mean. I ain't in charge here," and he twisted on his heel to return back to Himeko. "Let's go, puppy." He bent down on a knee and held out his arms to allow her to wrap hers around his neck. Majima picked her up and held her close to him while he took a few steps away.

"Wait," Kiryu spoke out, stopping them in their tracks. Majima had to turn slightly to see Kiryu and Himeko peered over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Imma let life lead the way and go wherever it wants to take me. I ain't gonna stress where I end up. Let destiny or fate take over that shit."

"...Will you ever come back?"

Majima's eye opened up slightly before it relaxed. Sadness washed over him and he gave Kiryu a heartbreaking smile. "I don't know."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But only 'cause I like ya Kiryu-chan."

"You should come back. Haruka, Nishida, Yuki….they're all thinking about you. I don't know what you might believe but you have people who care about you."

Majima gave a scoff. No response came as he turned away from Kiryu. But he didn't walk. He just stood there with his head hanging low. Himeko only gripped tighter on what appeared to be shaking shoulders. He heard a huge breath come out and Majima's head lifted up to the skies. "Kiryu-chan…..can ya do me one last favor?"

"...What is it?" Kiryu hesitated, unsettled by the tone.

"Can…..can you tell those guys not to worry about me? And let them know that….I'm finally free? That I'm happy?"

"How will they believe me? Especially since this is a dream."

"Yea, that's true…." Majima assented before giving Kiryu one last look in his good eye. "Fine, then. I want you to know that. I know that it's easy for you to think on others but this time, just know that I'm happy. That….I'm no longer suffering." He turned his back to Kiryu and started walking away into an unknown sunset. "Oh, by the way," he called over, his voice carrying over to Kiryu. "Give Haruka a hug from me when ya wake up, alright? I'm sure you've been worryin' her with all yer whining and shit so let her know everythin's okay."

"Majima-no-niisan…."

Majima's free arm raised up in the air and he gave a flick of the wrist that was a regal wave. "See ya later, Kiryu-chan! Make sure to wake up!"

And he just kept walking and walking. Kiryu wanted to stop him in his tracks, push him down and make sure that he never would disappear again. There was a lot that needed to be said and he wanted to vomit it all out in the time he had.

But his feet just froze. No particle of his body wanted to move. He remained standing, rigid, as he watched Majima walk off into the distance. What reason did he have to go after him?

That is, until his eye laid on the log that he found them sitting at. Resting on top was Himeko's dog plush that she carried around with love from her father. How could she be so careless to leave that there?

"Majima-no-niisan!" Kiryu called after him, his feet moving to get over there. "Majima-no-niisan!" But Majima wouldn't stop or look. He just kept going. Kiryu grunted and rushed over to the log to pick up the plush so he could run after the duo to at least look at them one last time.

However, the minute his hand touched the toy, all his surroundings turned to black.

—

Once again, Kiryu woke up from the vivid illusion back into the bare walls of his room. He didn't feel his chest heaving like it did in the past but something felt off and distorted. At this point, he wasn't sure what was the difference between reality and his dreams. They meshed together and blended in.

His door once more opened and Haruka poked her head in, her eyes creased in worry. "Uncle Kaz?"

Kiryu gave a grunt in response.

"Are you ok?"

Another weird sound came from him.

"Were you dreaming about that girl again?"

Now that got him to sit up. He truly got to see Haruka and how vulnerable and innocent she looked in the bags of her pajamas. Maybe it was the way Majima looked at Himeko but Kiryu had a strong urge to pick her up and comfort her back to sleep.

"Yea but it's fine," he said, swinging his legs off the bed and walking to her. "What are you doing up Haruka? You should be asleep."

She didn't answer right away. Contemplation crossed until a heavy sigh came out. "I was just thinking about my mom and some memories we had when she came to visit me. I only wish I knew she was my mom back then. Maybe things would have been different." A frown appeared on Haruka's face and there was a heavy amount of sadness that weighed on her. "I know you've been busy and worried about Majima so I didn't want to tell you but you know….I miss her Uncle Kaz."

With Majima's words still ringing in his mind from earlier, Kiryu pulled her in and embraced her against his body. She gave a gasp and that only made him hold on tighter. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Haruka? You know I'm here."

"I know, I know, but I didn't want to worry you."

"Haruka," Kiryu dropped on his knee to reach eye level. He placed his hands on her shoulders and made sure he locked eyes with her. "I'm always going to worry about you. I may not be your real dad but you can talk to me about things like this. I miss Yumi but we have each other and that's what she would have wanted."

Haruka nodded and she hugged him once more, her head digging into his shoulder. "Thanks Uncle Kaz," she whispered into him. Kiryu could feel the steady beat of his heart and he felt content bursting inside of him. Could this feeling be what made Majima decide to leave to pursue it? Possibly. But he was right. Haruka has always been his priority but the past couple months have had his focus split. It was moments like this that proved all of Majima's point and he felt guilty allowing any focus away from Haruka when they were traversing the streets of Kamurocho and his mind went to being attacked then her.

At the end of the day, they had each other and that's what mattered the most.

Haruka pulled away and grinned a bit before giving a look of confusion. "Uncle Kaz, where did you get that?"

Kiryu followed her gaze and air escaped his lungs. Perched on his night table was the exact dog plush that Himeko had in his dreams. It had the exact same stitches and dirt bruises in some parts of the soft fur. It smiled at them, as if it waited for them to notice it. Kiryu didn't know how it got there and his mind scrambled a bit to find the best answer.

He considered throwing it out for a second but then went against that. Kiryu raised from his knees and walked over to it, picking it up in his gruff hands. No doubt it was the one that Himeko showed him and carried yet, there was something else about it that struck him as weird. Well, weird wasn't the right word but it made this one slightly more unique than hers, as if it was left for him specifically.

"I got it a while back," Kiryu lied. "I was saving it to give it to you but since you're seeing it, here." He extended his arms out to her to allow her to give her the plush.

Unfortunately for Kiryu, she was incredibly smart for her age. Her eyebrow raised up and skepticism formed in the features of her face. Fortunately for Kiryu, she let it go and took it from him. "Thanks Uncle Kaz. It's really cute."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Yea, I do. I'll take it to my room now. Night."

"Night Haruka."

Just as she was about to leave, Haruka's hand kept gripping the knob. Her body didn't move and she kept her head to the door. Kiryu was about to go to her when she whipped back around with him, an eager expression radiating. "Hey, Uncle Kaz. Do you wanna go get sushi tomorrow? I heard some news about a sushi place that just opened up In Kamurocho. We should check it out."

Kiryu gave a small laugh, a slight smile on his lips. "That'll be good. Let's try it."

"Awesome! Now I'm too excited to sleep!"

"Well make sure to get sleep."

Haruka giggled. "Don't worry, I'll try." She finally opened the door and stepped through before giving Kiryu one last wave. "Night Uncle Kaz. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Night Haruka," Kiryu wished, his voice trailing behind Haruka. With one last look around, he fell back into bed, succumbing into darkness and it was one of the few times since Majima left that he hoped not to see him.