Chapter 7:

The guards stayed outside the house, to make sure that I didn't try to leave without their supervision. Takenaga spoke with them calmly, trying to get an understanding for my situation from a neutral standing.

Noi brought me some tea as I told her my side of the situation. She listened calmly and waited until I had finished before voicing her opinions.

"Well, I'm glad he finally decided he needed you," she said. "But I understand why you're upset. I would be devastated if Takenaga did that to me."

"What should I do?" I asked, looking at her with worry.

"For now, you should hear us out," Takenaga said. "Starting with an explanation on what Kyouhei had gone through since the last time you saw him."

I nodded, I was more curious on how he got the scars than what happened in general, but I decided to hear out the full story.

Takenaga sat in the sofa and began to tell me Kyouhei's tale.

Kyouhei's hands were strangely calm, he hadn't really killed anyone before; just beat the crap out of them enough to land them in the hospital. But the first time he killed was a week before Takenaga's wedding. His boss, Tanaka-Sama, sent him to assassinate the Jordanian family ring leader, Kikuchi Hajime.

It was the only way they would let him take the day of the wedding off, if he could get rid of their rival gang's leader. Kyouhei reported to his boss with a photo and a text message a moment after the murder.

As he walked to a bar to calm his shaken nerves, he got an answer.

"Good work, Takano," the message read. That was all he needed to know that he got the requested day off.

Entering the bar, Kyouhei ordered saki and, once presented to him, he downed it in three gulps before leaving, it didn't do much to calm his nerves drinking. He needed to do something better for his body, he knew. For the meantime, walking would have to do.

"Kyouhei?" Kyouhei turned to the speaker and stared at Yukinojo in relief.

"Oh, Yuki," he greeted, hiding his discomfort with a smile…but it didn't work, he frowned again. He hated fake people and fake smiles and such because he couldn't do them. His emotions were easy to read, and Yuki read them easily.

"What's wrong," Yuki asked, concern apparent in his voice.

Kyouhei grabbed his friend and they headed towards the park. "You know I joined the Yakuza right?"

Yuki nodded. "You gonna tell me you killed someone."

"Tonight," Kyouhei said. Yuki stopped. "What?"

"Why?" he demanded.

"My boss said he'd let me go to Takenaga's wedding unless I got rid of a rival gang's leader."

"Takenaga would have rather you not go."

Kyouhei snickered. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Yuki sighed. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, just give me a moment to shake it off."

"Sunako-chan would be ecstatic," Yuki mentioned.

"She's going to the wedding?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Yuki smiled.

Kyouhei laughed. "Dude, you're hilarious as ever." He turned to face Yuki. "Hey, how about you tell me how the others have been doing, as well as yourself."

"I work at one of Ranmaru's hotels now. I'm a manager at the nearby Morii hotel."

"Cool. So you work for Ran-chan," Kyouhei teased.

"Pretty much," Yuki laughed. "As you know, Takenaga and Noi are getting married next week. Takenaga's taking over the family business and Noi's starting a chain of spas."

"How predictable. And Sunako?"

Yuki smiled. "She's working at our old school, as an English teacher."

Kyouhei laughed. "I feel sorry for those poor students! 'Quiet, you don't want to get Nakahara-sensei mad. She'll put a curse on you.'"

"I pity those students just as much as you do," Yuki added. "Well, we'll see how much she's changed; maybe she'll be more ladylike."

"I doubt it."

"Wanna bet?" Yuki challenged.

"You owe me a free meal ticket at the hotel you manage. If I win."

"And if I win, you have to act like Ranmaru for a week."

"Damn…"

The wedding still wasn't for a week.