A/N- Hello again, dear 'Okane ga nai' fellow fans, thank you for reading and reviewing my story, I hope you enjoy it.
This is the time to remind you about the 'Adult contents' warning I've put in the summary, because this story is going to get darker from this chapter onwards (Even dark lemons are ahead….) I hope you know by now that this is not a bubbly sweet story.
This is also a good time to let you know- this is complete fiction story, any resemblance to true people and events is pure coincidence.
I used some Yakuza slang in here, and tried my best to explain it within context; I hope I succeed in that.
Warning- coarse language
Paper plans
The Nightly Lily
"Purple?"
"Yeah, I think it fits your gorgeous blue eyes, don't you agree? Here, done, take a look in the mirror." Mie finished fixing the wig on his head and took a step backwards; she wore a proud smile on her face.
Ayase breathed deeply and turned to the mirror, where he saw a stunning beauty, he needed few moments to realize that he was staring at his own reflection. He also realized with a pinch of sorrow that he looked like a flat-chested girl.
"We need to find you a dress and fix your make up and then we are good to go."
"Remind me why do I have to dress up as a girl again?" Ayase mumbled.
"Because your hideous bodyguard is waiting downstairs at the lobby and we don't want him to tug along, do we? He'll never suspect two girls heading downtown parting, he'll think you stayed all night at my place, eating snacks and playing 'Guitar hero'. Am I a genius or what?"
"A true mastermind…" Ayase looked at the beaming girl, so excited about their night out as if they were going to her favorite rock band concert and not to a Yakuza packed underground nightclub. Tomo had a night shift and the poor guy had no idea what his girlfriend was up to, saying he will be pissed off if he finds out was an understatement, Kanou would probably go berserk too, if he knew, that is why their disguise must be perfect.
Ayase picked up a comb and started brushing his blazing wig, while Mie wiggled herself into a tiny black dress that matched her new jet-black hair; she looked like a hot, sexy witch.
"Let me do your makeup." she said, "I don't want you to look like a drag queen."
"Mie-chan, what should I wear?"
"Mmm…. I think I have a fabulous pink dress for you. It's a little too tight on me, but I'm sure it will be a perfect fit for you, I just need to remember where I've stashed it…"
Mie opened her closet and started pulling out the outfits, and throw them on her bed, but none was the pink dress she was seeking, so she got up on her toes to reach the upper shelves where she stored boxes.
"Mie-chan, watch it!" Ayase tried to warn her, but he was too late.
A box fell down from a high shelf, scattering its contents all over the bedroom floor. It was toys, colorful sex toys, lots of them.
Mie blushed horrible, Ayase could not help but giggle, which made the poor girl blush even more.
"It's Tomo's stuff!" Mie nearly screamed, "He's the pervert, not me!"
"It's ok…" Ayase continued laughing, "Kanou-san has a collection too; you should see his stuff and then figure out who the real pervert is …"
Mie lifted up her gaze towards him, puzzled, and he gasped, what did he just say? Was there any way to take it back? No chance, the damage was done, she already put two and two together.
"That man is sleeping with you, ne, Ayase?"
It was the boy's turn to blush; he gulped and lowered his head.
"You two have sex!" She repeated herself, this time making a statement, not asking.
Ayase nodded, blushing still, he could not return her gaze.
"I knew it..." she declared dramatically, "Guardian, my ass!"
"It's…it's more complicated the- then you think." Ayase stuttered.
"Is it? Why hide this from me, Aya-chan? I'm not homophobic, you should know by now. You should have trusted me more! I'm hurt!"
"B-but you don't even like Kanou-san."
"Your point is…?"
"I'm sorry." was all Ayase could say.
A sound of a text message interrupted them. Mie picked up her phone to look at it and frowned. "Isao-kun is waiting at the parking lot, we'd better hurry."
"Mie-chan…"
"We can talk about it later. Man, you really pissed me off! and here I thought we are best friends and that we have no secrets between us. I never hid anything from you… Gah, the timing sucks! Now we are heading to a fucking Yakuza lair. You own me the whole story, mister!"
"I'll tell you everything, promise." Ayase sniffled.
"I hope you mean it, here is the dress, put it on."
oOOo
The thug who was supposed to guard Ayase sat in the lobby and smiled at the pair as they came out of the elevator.
"Hey, pretty ladies, where are you going?"
"Out," Mie answered giggling. "Kabukicho."
The overgrown man sighed, "Oh, the sleepless town… wish I could join you, but I'm on duty, have fun girls."
"We will, we will, thank you." Mie giggled, making stupid facial expressions that males, for some reason, considered cute. She grabbed Ayase by his hand and tugged him away.
He did not know if to feel relieved or insulted, because the guard did not even suspect him, after all, this guy followed him around for two day now, shouldn't he at lease recognize his face?
"That was easy." Mie commented as if reading his mind. They came downstairs to the open parking lot, where there was only one car with its headlights on.
"Here is Isao-kun!" she pointed out at the young man, leaning on the beat-up red Toyota, his bleached hair shone with an orange halo beneath the streetlamp; he was smoking his cigarette in a calm manor, but actually he was very nervous.
"Can I help you, girls?" he asked the two beauties who stopped and stared at him.
"Isao-san, it's us!" Mie answered.
"No fucking way!" he chuckled; smoke escaping quickly through his pierced nostrils. "Squirrel, is that you? Damn, you're a hot looking chick! How did you…"
"A bra stuffed with socks on the upstairs and duck-tape downstairs." Mie explained without blinking but she made Ayase blush horribly in the process.
"Mie-chan!" he tried scolding her, squirming.
"Good job." Isao laughed.
"Thank you." Mie smirked.
"Can we go now?" Ayase hissed through clenched teeth.
Isao nodded, he took one more breath of nicotine and his face became more serious "Look, you guys, before we go there are some things you need to know to keep you safe, ok? This is no regular nightclub that we go to, we are going to a private Yakuza club and there will be some scary people there. Now, I'm just a small fry chimpira, you know what I mean? A low ranked foot soldier, so if you fuck things up, I probably won't be able to protect you."
"What are you trying to say?" Mie asked.
"Lay low, let me do all the talking, and the most important thing is- never ask any questions, ok? Never! Just look stupid and pretty and follow my lead." Isao finished his cigarette and tossed it on the asphalt floor, and then he opened the car's door and waited for them to get in. Ayase took two steps forwards, but Mie stopped him, gazing at Isao with searing eyes.
"How can we trust you?" she asked, "As far as I know, you may lead us to a trap."
Isao snorted at the accusation "Look babe, this is what Ayase wants, and you know that I didn't exactly volunteered. Besides, I'm taking my chances here too, ok? Yakuza will not appreciate Katagi coming snooping around, and they will be very angry if they find out I brought civilians there. If you feel like backing down now, it is fine by me."
"No, I want to do this." Ayase said in a quiet voice but full of determination. "I want to know more about that Aida Osamu. You said you'll get us to a man who knew him. I want to meet that guy."
Isao smiled at him "Yup, I can do that, get in."
Ayase throw a questioning look at Mie before entering the car, she was still at unease.
"If you lead us to a trap, I swear I'll get the place swamped with police officers."
Isao rolled his eyes impatiently "Yeah, whatever… get in."
oOOo
The ride was surprisingly quiet. Mei-chan sat in her place with hands across her chest. Ayase wondered if she was angry with him for keeping such a major secret from her, he wanted to explain his actions but he was not going to start this chat in Isao's car. Isao too was jumpy and said nothing throughout the ride, he only smoked in chains.
Ayase was left with no other choice but to look outside, to the ever-changing view of nighttime Tokyo. He looked at the blazing neon lights, decorating the huge buildings, overflowing with shapes and colors. Everywhere were ridiculously enormous TV screens filled with beautiful people, smiling and trying to make you buy random products.
Whenever they stopped at a red light, Ayase could hear the low booming sounds of baselines escaping clubs and restaurants, once even a hostess leaned over the window and tried to lure Isao into her host club. Everywhere masses of people, dressed up in every style and color, making Ayase's mind dizzy, coming in and out of Karaoke bars and Pachinko halls.
Ayase could not help but wonder were Kanou was at this hour, surly he was not spending all his work time at his office, he was probably out somewhere, roaming the streets. Kanou-san knew this city by hard, he knew its morning face and its night face and he knew the monsters lurking in its shadows.
Kanou-san was one of this city's unknown kings, and Ayase slowly recognized it as time went by, he was just hoping he could be a helpful pawn at his service maybe he will manage to pay his debt that way. Maybe if he saves Kanou's life just this once, they will be even and he will gain back his freedom. Here is one uplifting thought.
"We're here." Isao woke the boy from his passing thoughts.
"Where are we?" Ayase repeated after Isao, his heart speeding up.
"At the 'Nightly Lily', the Hana group favorite nightclub."
"Looks exclusive…" Mie-chan's eyes scanned the fancy decorated entrance and wondered what the place looked like on the inside "Impressive." She concluded.
"Yup, remember to stay quiet and let me handle everything. Don't ask questions." Isao's eyes pierced through Ayase and they both knew. This danger zone showed no tolerance for mistakes.
"Wait at the entrance, I'll park the car and join you."
After three days that were steamy hot, this night was a strangely chilly one. Mie and Ayase got out of the car and looked around.
Isao took them to a club, and on the first glance, one can think that this was an ordinary nightclub, but on the second glance, you could start noticing the heavy tattooed men entering and exiting the place, driving in and out in a black BMW or Mercedes-Benz.
The guards at the entrance were staring at them, one was wearing an outlandish purple tuxedo, they other one was wearing a black suit that Kanou would have wear as well, and both were wearing shads in the middle of the night.
"The neon lights must be so blinding…" Mie snarled at the guards.
"Mie-chan!" Ayase whispered. "Don't tick them off before we even got in!"
"Gosh, sorry, I'm just nervous, you know, if Isao chooses to, he can get us into real troubles. Do you trust him?"
"No." Ayase could not help but admit it "But I want to help Kanou-san. You don't have to come in if you don't want to."
Mie glared at the boy and nearly gasped. Was he really willing to get in there alone? He was braver than she thought.
"I mean it, Mie." Ayase insisted "You own Kanou-san nothing; you can go home right now."
"And let you have all the fun? I don't think so."
"You are crazy." Ayase smiled.
"I prefer to call it 'Adrenalin addict'."
"Hey, babes." Isao came back to them. He took off his black leather jacket and his white cotton singlet showed off his tattoo, decorating his left shoulder blade and upper arm. "Ready to go? Remember leave all the talking to me."
"We get it, be beautiful and dumb." Mie summed it all up.
"Exactly." Isao smirked "Let's go."
Ayase tried his best to control his fear as he approached the guards; they looked scary, even scarier than the goons he met at Kanou's office. They looked like they could kill him in a heartbeat. 'What am I doing here?' he wondered but then remembered to take a deep breath, doubts were his greatest enemies right now, those hounds could smell fear.
"Yo, scumbag!" one of the guards barked at Isao, but to Ayase's surprise he hugged him. "Where have you been?"
"Around…" Isao answered
"Twat, you have ammo on you?"
"No, Aniki, I'm light today."
"Good dog Isao!" The other guard sent a hand heavy with jewelry to pet Isao's bleached hair.
"Man, you mess up my do…" Isao backed away, chuckling.
The frightening goons joined him in his laughter. "Who are the hotties?" they shifted their attention to Ayase and Mie.
Ayase felt his heart raging in its cage, Mie tried not to gasp.
"Job interviews.", Isao threw the first idea out of his mind.
"A chance to see some swamps, you say?" One of the thugs cracked a wink.
"Get in, little brother." Said the other as new guests arrived that needed their attention.
"What did they mean by swamps?" Ayase whispered to Isao.
"Your lower parts." Isao explained, scanning the hallway "Lay off the questions, ok?"
"Hai." Ayase said, feeling so small.
"Oh my god!" Mie gasped as they entered the hall. The music stormed at them along with ultraviolet and laser lights and smoke coming from a machine. The ventilated air was freezing cold, and it suited the tuxedo thugs hanging around, but not the half-naked girls that served them drinks and food.
They entered the main hall and many men glared at them, aggressively lusting.
"Hey, Isao, you filthy cunt, we missed you last Friday!" another friend of Isao approached him, this time in a leopard pattered suit, holding a huge glass of beer in his hand. Ayase noted that the tip of his pinky was missing. "Where have you been?"
Isao lowered his head, even in this lightning it was obviously he was blushing "I had to study for a test, Aniki."
"Yeah? Well, don't go legit on us, we are counting on you!"
"Aniki, have you seen Masaki-san?"
"That old bugger? What do you need him for? Come sit with us, I'll buy you a lap dance!"
"Aniki, please, business first." Isao tilted his head towards the 'girls'.
"Oi, new merchandise? They are beautiful, Isao, save me some."
'Gosh, they are all so repulsive!' though Ayase. 'They make Kanou-san look like a knight in a shiny armor.'
"Ain't Isao-kun look like a dork next to all of them?" Mie leaned over Ayase to whisper that in his ear, her thought were not far from his.
"Masaki-san is in the maintenance room, Isao-kun. Business first… hmpf… kids these days…"
"Arigato, Aniki." Isao said.
"Oh, my god, Aya-chan!" Mie wailed suddenly pointing her finger. She noticed a girl on the main stage that danced sensually, shedding her clothes to the howls of the hungry men watching her.
"She is just a stripper, you stupid girl." Isao hissed at her.
"She's underage, you blind moron!" Mie insisted.
"So? She's here by her own free will. It could get uglier later."
"Uglier?" Ayase asked, trembling.
"Yeah, I hope we will be outa here before the rape act." Isao mumbled.
"What rape act?"
"Sometimes they pick a victim on the street to rape here." Isao sighed, "They drug them, so they will remember nothing in the morning, now come on, the less time we spend here, the better!"
"A rape act, oh no… Tomo-kun must… I must…"
"Cops know." Isao snapped at her, "They're on the pay roll. Now hurry!"
The young Yakuza had to drag both of them by their hands, to wake them up from a state of shock.
"Tomo-kun would never…" Mie whimpered.
"Sweet dreams." Isao smirked.
They left the main hall and maneuvered their way through smaller passages. Every now and then they caught glimpse of what's going on in the dark smaller rooms, some of it was sad, some was vulgar, some of it was plain horrific.
Ayase felt like all his senses were being attacked, he felt like he was becoming numb, and he tried to fight his weakness and not fall behind.
At last, they reached the maintenance room, and Isao knocked on the door. A frighteningly bald man opened the door. He was skinny except for his puffed up belly, and he had scars and tattoo decorating his whole body. He wore a filthy grey singlet and dusty old jeans.
"Isao-chan!" He smiled a smile that was missing some teeth. "I was waiting for you all… get in."
The room was small and looming, filled up with broken electrical appliances, stuffed with brooms, squeegees and buckets filed with muddy water. All over the wall were photographs, some black and white, some with color, all accumulating dust and turning yellow.
"You want some tea, kids?"
"Yes, please." Isao said.
"Please, sit down.", Said the old man.
There were two broken office chairs and one wobbling stool they could seat on, Ayase and Mie sat down slowly on the office chairs, ready to jump at any sign of collapse, Isao took his chance on the squeaking stool.
The old man handed them paper cups and poured hot tea in them.
"So you came to hear the sad story of Aida Osamu, did you, kids?"
oOOo
Tbc
OooO
A/N- Comments, constrictive criticisms, and reviews will be highly appreciated. I hope you'll acknowledge my hard work ^_^
