Rating: G
Pairing: Asami/Akihito
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Yamane Ayano, not me.
Author's Note: I apologize for the distinct lack of Asami in this chapter. Things were getting too long, so I decided to split things into two chapters. I solemnly swear that he will show up in Chapter 6. It will be posted soon!
Another long, sleepless night had a galvanizing affect on Akihito. He got angry. He was done with moping around, wasting all his energy on thinking about useless things. It still made his face burn with humiliation when he thought about those first few days after Asami had taken him to his place, actually thinking he might call or show up. He'd been so stupid, jumping every time his phone rang. He knew better now.
Still, if Asami thought he could just play with him then toss him aside and hope that Akihito would slink away quietly, then he had greatly underestimated him.
Akihito had been foolish to even give the bastard a chance in the first place. Even if he put on a good front about being a legitimate businessman, Akihito knew very well he was involved in shady business, no matter that he'd only been able to scare up a flimsy rumor or two. It was obvious to him now that Asami had probably planned this all along, maybe just for the misfortune of crossing Asami's path at all and daring to stand up to him. He'd set out to make Akihito fall for him, to make him trust him even a little, and then he'd shown his true colors.
It wasn't like Akihito had fallen for him. That was going too far. No, he'd just been swept up in Asami's wake for a while. But that didn't mean he had actually started to care about Asami. Who would like a pushy, arrogant bastard like that? Besides, he'd never ever actually believed that Asami wanted anything from him other than to get into his pants. He wasn't some silly kid who had been expecting romance and flowers or anything like that. He just didn't like being treated as a joke or someone that could be ignored and taken lightly.
Anyway, he'd promised himself all those months ago that he'd get something on Asami Ryuichi, and now he'd keep that promise. Asami wouldn't know what hit him, and he'd regret the day he'd decided to mess with Takaba Akihito. The only question had been: which camera would he bring with him on his quest to see-he shook his head violently-to dig up dirt on Asami.
He smiled grimly as the train slid to a stop and he got out, pushing through the crowd to get to the top of the stairs and out on the street. First stop was the station, where he would see if he could turn up anything that might be helpful in his...investigation. Yeah, that was the right way to put it. It would be good to see Yama-san anyway. Funny how after all his run-ins with the police back in high school, minor though they were, Yama-san's station had become kind of a comfort zone for him.
At least Yama-san always talked straight to him and treated him like more than a troublesome kid. Mostly. Not that had he had any intention of telling Yama-san what had happened with Asami. No, he'd just see if he couldn't ferret out some real info on what went on behind Asami's public face.
He was waved through to the back by the cops at the front desk, and he continued on toward Yama-san's office. The blinds were down but Akihito could see through the open slats that he was on the phone, slumped in his chair with a tired, rumpled air, and he appeared to be arguing with whoever was on the other end.
Not wanting to intrude, Akihito stood just outside the cracked door to the office and waited.
"I told you not to worry. I'm handling the situation."
He gave an angry sigh. "Of course I don't think of her that way. I just meant that I'm making sure she'll be taken care of."
Akihito's brows drew together as Yama-san rubbed tiredly at the bridge of his nose.
"Fine, I'll call the hospital again. Yes. Yes. I promise." He sighed again. "I've got to go now. Yes, I'll see you at dinner."
He hung up the phone and only then noticed Akihito waiting outside. He waved him in.
"Akihito-kun, it's been a while. What have you been up to lately? Tagging the sides of delivery vans again?"
"Oi! That was a long time ago! Are you ever going to let me live kind of stuff down?"
"No."
Akihito made a face and plopped himself in the chair in front of Yama-san's desk. "What's up with you? Everything okay?"
"What?" Yama-san glanced at the phone. "Oh, you heard that? It's nothing." He dismissed the concern with a shrug, picking up a mug of dark, oily liquid. "Just some administrative business I need to take care of. My daughter had to go in for a few tests, and dealing with insurance companies is always a nightmare."
He took a noisy sip of his coffee then spat it back out. "Ergh, it's gone cold. Saito!"
"Yeah, boss." A young, clean-shaven cop stuck his head in the door.
"Stick this in the microwave for me."
"I'll just pour you a new cup."
"Nah, this one has just right the combination of sugar and cream and coffee."
Akihito tipped his chair back on its back legs and shot Yama-san a cheeky grin. "Haven't you heard that stuff will stunt your growth?"
"Is that what happened to you?"
Disgruntled, Akihito let his chair drop back down with a loud clatter. "Hmph, I come by to keep you company and this is how you treat me."
"Sorry, kid. It's been a rough day." Yama-san ran fingers through his short hair, leaving it even more rumpled than before. His red-rimmed eyes gave Akihito the once over. "You have been staying out of trouble, I hope."
"Of course." Akihito's grin popped up again. "In fact, I was really hoping to start helping you out around here. If I want to be a really amazing photojournalist then I need to get some experience. Anything good going down right now?" He patted his camera bag fondly. "I'll capture whatever you want in my viewfinder."
Yama-san snorted. "Come back after you finish school and we'll talk."
"But I'm ready now. Seriously, Yama-san, just give me a chance, a tiny little lead, and I promise I'll come back with pictures that will knock your socks off."
"No can do. You should be worried about homework and having fun right now, not chasing after criminals."
Saito came in and set down the mug down on Yama-san's desk, then leaned against the doorsill, looking on in interest.
"But, Yama-san-"
"I said no, kid. I mean it." He leveled a forbidding look at Akihito, who was about to try protesting one more time in spite of it when the phone rang.
"Yamazaki." He listened for a moment. "I'm on my way." The phone slammed back in the cradle and Yama-san got up, cursing. "Listen kid," he said sternly as he pulled on his jacket. "Concentrate on school right now, not the streets. You've always been reckless, and after all we've been through to get your head on straight, I don't want you to come to a bad end now. Got it?"
Akihito gave a sulky nod, and Yama-san ruffled his hair on the way out. "There's plenty of time for all the rest of it."
Well, that was that. Akihito sighed and slumped down in his chair. He hadn't even had a chance to work Asami into the conversation. And so much for not being treated like a kid.
"Detective Yamazaki is right, you know. Just last week one of the reporters that comes around here got threatened by one of the gangs he was sniffing after." Saito brayed laughter. "Apparently, he came on really strong with one of their girlfriends, who works at one of their hostess bars."
"I wasn't planning on flirting in some hostess bar! I was going to do real investigating!" Indignantly, Akihito straightened up in the seat.
"Hey, it's all real investigation if it gets you the information you need. Remember that."
Struck by a sudden thought, Akihito smiled. "I'll bet you're working on something really cool now, aren't you, Saito?"
The young cop visibly preened, clearly enjoying the admiration. "I'm working a case now that we're just about to wrap up. I can't tell you the details, but it's going to be a pretty big story when it finally breaks."
"Wow," Akihito breathed, feigning awe. "So do you ever work on any of the gang-related stuff?"
"Sometimes we work with the Organized Crime division. Usually, though, it's with the Department of Security when we're working on a drug bust."
"Have you ever gone after a really big player?"
"It takes years to build a case like that. It's not easy to do. Sometimes you have to settle for the smaller busts. Chip away at the infrastructure, you know?"
"Ah, I see." Akihito nodded. "So if you wanted to, say, go after someone like...um...Asami Ryuichi, how would you go about it?"
"Asami Ryuichi?" Saito frowned. "I don't know much about him. No one does. High class club owner, right? I've heard a buddy of mine over in Organized Crime mention him a few times. Not part of one of the established groups. He's a big deal, though, yeah. A real up and comer a few years ago and now a major power in Tokyo. He's clean, though. I mean on the surface. They haven't been able to pin so much as a parking violation on him. He's into everything: real estate, stocks, politics, entertainment."
Akihito leaned forward. "So what does O.C. want with him then?"
"Well, he's rumored to be involved in smuggling: drugs, guns. You know."
"Wow."
"Yeah, stay far away from him, kid. Guys like that, they have no qualms about doing exactly as they please, and they have the money and influence to back it up. A guy like that would eat you up and spit you out if you got too close."
"Yeah," Akihito's eyes narrowed. "I can believe that."
"Well, I better get back to my reports. Take it easy, kid."
"Yeah, see you later," Akihito said absentmindedly, already planning his next move.
Shit, he was so bored, not to mention, tired, cramped, and smelling like a carton of sour milk that had been steeped in rotten onions. Three days of casing out Asami's various establishments and nothing. Though, he'd gotten quite familiar with the tiny alley he was currently camped out in.
His first idea had been silly. He could admit that. There had been no reason to even check out Sion Group's corporate headquarters. One look at the expensive neighborhood and the imposing, modern building that housed Asami's main offices, and Akihito realized that he stuck out like a sore thumb. He wouldn't be able to easily get past the security in the lobby, and even if he did it would be too much of a risk. Asami would surely recognize him even if he was wearing some sort of disguise.
And it's not like Asami would be conducting drug deals out of his corporate headquarters. In fact, it didn't seem like Asami conducted any business out of those offices. He'd spent several hours of the day peering through his long-focus lens and hadn't caught one glimpse of Asami or any of the men he'd seen him with before. He tried not to dwell too long on the cause of the disappointment that made him feel as if he'd swallowed a ball of lead.
Eventually, he'd gone down the list of clubs he was able to confirm Asami owned. In the end, he'd chosen Sion to case. After all, it was Asami's first club, the flagship, and it was apparently the most exclusive, where the rich and powerful in Tokyo went for privacy for whatever forms of entertainment or business went on behind the plain, but intimidating doors that barred entry to the inner sanctum. It was also the one to which Asami had invited him so long ago. He'd bet anything that Asami showed up there pretty often.
The first night he waited for hours, taking long shots of people slipping out of expensive cars and through those formidable doors. He'd gotten an education in the types of people to which Asami catered. He didn't recognize all of them, but enough to know that plenty of the movers and shakers of the city passed through those doors and possibly under Asami's influence.
Still, there was no sign of Asami. There were no signs of any underhanded business either. It wasn't until the second evening, quite late in the night, almost late enough to be considered early morning did it seep into Akihito's awareness that the sleek black car-looking like any number of sleek black cars that had driven up to the club that night-was actually one he'd been noticing for a while. He'd seen it yesterday too, in fact, because he'd absently noted then that the license plate number reminded him of his grandparent's street address.
Not like that was a big scoop, but it was curious, especially since he was sure the car had driven slowly by the club a few times throughout the night and hadn't stopped once. He wondered if they were waiting for something or someone, or maybe just looking for them.
This time he tapped the license plate number into his cell phone to have checked out later. It was so late, it seemed most of the club had cleared out already, that he'd almost given up for the evening and was about to pack away his camera and leave for the night when a younger-looking man came out of the back alley door to the club-the alley Akihito had made sure to have a clear view of, hence his smelly surroundings and the fact that he'd probably be scrubbing grime off for hours.
The man was carrying a black trash bag, and he tossed it over the slatted wooden fence that screened the dumpster area. His next actions made Akihito tense, scenting potential action. The man cocked his head, appearing to be listening for something, and he looked around quickly before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up as he strolled casually to the end of the alley and checked out the street.
The two men who had been guarding the front doors all night had already gone inside, and the sidewalk was clear of people. He finished his smoke and flicked it away before heading back to the recesses of the alley. Akihito got several shots of the man, but it was when he looked over his shoulder one more time, then crouched down to wedge a small, wrapped package into a low corner-Akihito thought it was by a loose section of bricks-hidden by a thatch of weeds, that his gaze really sharpened and he clicked a series of shots in rapid execution. He knew he'd gotten at least of few that included the man's face and his hand on the package.
The man had just stood up and began to head back to the door when it opened and an irate older man started yelling at him to smoke on his own time and get back inside and finish cleaning up. His voice carried quite well across the now quiet street, and Akihito almost felt sorry for the guy getting yelled at. Almost.
He wondered what was in the package. Drugs, maybe? It seemed a little strange, though. He couldn't imagine Asami involved in something that seemed so petty. Was someone supposed to come and pick it up? Was the man stealing something and just stashing it there? Was he coming back for it later?
For a moment, Akihito was tempted to work his way over there and see for himself exactly what it was. A rarely exercised sense of self-preservation kept him where he was, though. He didn't know enough about what was going on to risk that yet. He'd wait a little longer and see what happened.
Less than an hour had passed before the door onto the alley opened again, and a group of chattering employees filed out, parting at the mouth of the alley and going their separate ways-the man he'd seen earlier included. Soon, there was nothing to be heard but the distant sound of sparse traffic on busier streets. He waited fifteen minutes to make sure the man wouldn't be coming back and then his curiosity grew too strong. He had to know what was in the package.
He stood up and moved forward, sticking close to the wall. The street was empty, the front of the club dark. He took one step out onto the sidewalk, and his heart froze. The soft purr of an expensive car disturbed the stillness of the night and Akihito jumped back into the concealing shadows, his heart beating hard.
It was the same car he'd noticed before, only this time it pulled to a stop in front of the alley and idled. A door on the far side opened and a man dressed in dark clothes got out. He went straight to the hiding place of the package and retrieved it, wasting no time in returning to the car.
Akihito had the presence of mind, at least, to snap shot after shot. He watched the car drive away, and then slipped quietly away. The trains would be running in a couple of hours. He'd buy a hot drink and a sweet bun somewhere and think about what he should do next.
He couldn't wait to get home and develop his shots, though. Apart from the excruciating boredom of the waiting, and the bad smells, and the niggling thoughts that he had so much classwork to catch up on, the last bit of it had been pretty freaking exciting. He could get totally get addicted to this.
In the security room inside Sion, a man stood in front of the many monitors that lined the walls, speaking into his small cell phone. "Yes, Asami-sama. It happened just as you predicted."
He touched the rim of his glasses and cleared his throat. "There was something odd." His gaze lit on one of the monitors where the image had been frozen and enlarged. "Someone else appears to have been watching, taking photographs. Yes, our front security cameras captured him. He was in an alley across the street. What? Oh, yes sir."
He moved quickly to a computer terminal and typed rapidly, then picked up his phone again. "Did you receive it?"
"Yes, he's gone now. No, I don't think he was seen by anyone else. He left soon after the pick up. Should I-" He broke off, his eyebrows drawing together as he listened. "Yes. Understood. I'll see you in two days, Asami-sama."
He shut his phone and looked up at the monitor again. He had thought the boy looked familiar. Resigned, he shook his head. His boss's peculiar taste in lovers had been taken to new levels this time. He snorted and spoke to the empty room.
"I thought you said he was harmless?"