Note: Scene is based off from 7th volume/Ten EP 3. It took me a while to notice that Akabayashi and Anri's mother share many similarities to Shizuo and Anri, that sometimes I wonder if the author made it a coincidence or not. (Also, Happy Valentine's Day!)

"Akabayashi-san?"

"Hey, is that you, Anri-chan?"

The formal and casual greetings slipped through their mouths as the girl and her family friend—a tall, scarred man in a suit with a walking stick—caught eyes outside an antique store.

"You're so grown up now! What's it been, two years?"

"Yes. Long time no see." Anri bowed her head, unperturbed by her friend's—Mizuki Akabayashi's—normally intimidating appearance. The courtesy was soon followed by curiosity, however. "Why are you here?"

Referring to why he was outside the desolate, but cherished antique store—Sonohara Hall—he gave a slight chuckle and replied, "Oh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood." They then entered a brief discussion about how she was doing at school, and the redhead couldn't help but be amazed of how far she had come.

"Um, I'm really grateful for all you did back then."

"You say that every time we meet, but you really don't have to worry about it," Akabayashi remarked, flattered by another bow from Anri. "The mistress... your mom, that is... She did a lot for me, you know."

"But... If you haven't saved me from that day, I don't know what would've become of me..."

Her grateful smile proved a point though. Ever since she had lost her parents in a tragedy, Anri found herself under the unofficial wing of Akabayashi, who told her that he owed her parents a favor and provided her the basic requirements, including an apartment and a savings fund not to be touched until she turned eighteen. Despite having a strong footing in the underworld (much to her ignorance), he truly wanted to protect her from the lurking dangers within the city.

The scarred man smiled warmly, but quickly fell into a serious expression. "Hey, listen. There's something I wanted to ask you about the latest trends at school..."

The girl reminded him that she wasn't very good at keeping up with trends, but he assured her to tell him what she already knew regardless. "Have you ever heard of the Dollars?"

Her breath briefly caught in her throat, puzzling him through his tinted glasses. She merely answered that she had heard some friends talking about it, nothing more.

"I see. Well, I hear they're a pretty dangerous bunch, so you'd better stay away from them."

Anri obediently nodded from his request—but that wasn't the only danger Akabayashi wanted to bring up.

"Oh, and another thing, I happened to see you with that bartender the other day."

A far more audible gasp filled the air, (not?) surprising him to know that she had a much stronger reaction to the infamous man than a troublesome gang. If he didn't examine her downward gaze long enough, he wouldn't have noticed the peachy flush that was settling within her cheeks.

"Was that supposed to be a secret? Isn't he a little too wild for you to hang around with?"

"Heiwajima-san is not a bad person," Anri defensively stated. Akabayashi could tell that she had to downplay their relationship by referring to his last name. "He may come off as brash at times, but he's really a kind man deep down. He's not so bad once you get to know him." She paused for a moment, sensing that the scarred man didn't seem convinced enough. "He's never been in any way violent towards me, nor has he ever put my life in danger. He wouldn't even dream of it."

"Still, he has enemies, you know," Akabayashi said. "Maybe someday some thugs might get back at him by hurting someone he cares about. And what if he flies into a blind rage one day and ends up hurting you in the process?" The harsh reminder sent a terribly bleak chill down her spine, freezing her hopeful spirits, to which his expression softened. "Please, Anri-chan, just be careful around him, okay? If anything ever goes wrong, I want you to come to me without any hesitation."

"... Okay." Another nod, albeit reluctantly, came from the girl yet again. She didn't know whether she should argue back or simply resign by his warning, but she was interrupted when a classmate—Yagiri-kun, as she referred to him—called her name. Apparently, he wanted to talk with her about something related to his girlfriend.

"All right, I'll be taking off now." Akabayashi turned and walked away from the scene, waving at Anri without ever looking back.

And as he walked away, he began to scratch his head over her newfound friendship with Ikebukuro's ticking time bomb.

Quite frankly, he didn't know what to make of it. He already knew that Shizuo Heiwajima was not an inherently bad man; after all, he was the one who saved little Akane Awakusu from Russian kidnappers, and Akabayashi was forever grateful to him for that. However, being grateful at a distance and spending a lot of time with someone were two very different things.

Judging by Anri's embarrassed flush from earlier, it was clear that she had developed some sort of affection for him. To what extent of the affection wasn't shown, but Akabayashi knew of the ever-common scandalous tales of teenage girls going after older men. While she definitely wasn't the loose type, what if Anri found herself to be a victim of nasty rumors regarding their closeness? What if Heiwajima ended up taking advantage of her? What if he blew up one day and put her life in danger, even if it was by accident?

The last part was far more concerning to him than the other two, but his line of thinking was a little bit hypocritical to his own admission. It's not like being a high-ranking member of the Awakusu-Kai was an entirely safe profession either; to leave Anri in the dark about it may bring more repercussions than benefits in the future, though in what way wasn't delved by him.

Akabayashi gave a deep sigh. Really, he swore that maybe it was life's twist of fate to have the girl associate herself with dangerous men.

Heh... dangerous men, huh?

He mused at the passing thought, which eventually bloomed into a kind of sweet reminisce. Back when he used to be a bodyguard for a previous yakuza. Back when he used to be a violent man.

But he didn't reminisce over those things. No, those things were long dead to him now. What he did reminisce though was the scar given to him over his right eye. Given to him by her.

The only woman he ever loved.

That ghostly, glowing, red-eyed woman who had stolen his heart with her blade—and stabbed it when she rejected his love, stating she had a husband and a daughter. Right nearby Sonohara Hall—the place where he had been originally ordered to attack the store owner, her husband.

Pulling himself through his crippling rejection, he had brought himself to ask the bewitching woman who her name was, and she replied, Sayaka Sonohara. From then on, he treasured her name in his wounded heart, keeping it locked within him with no intention of ever letting it out. He would never forgive himself if he ever forgot her name and beauty, even as her spirit lived on, watching over him and her daughter.

Akabayashi gave himself a small chuckle. A violent man attracted to a Sonohara, he mused to himself. While he never fully acknowledged it, he saw a lot of his former self in the young bartender: reckless, hotheaded, utterly ruthless, quietly merciful. It was almost like history repeating himself.

However, the rules of attraction shouldn't apply to Anri and Heiwajima—not with the Red Devil around at least. But he knew that Anri wouldn't stay a little girl forever. Soon she would blossom into a young woman, fully prepared to make life choices.

And maybe, when she turned old enough, if her affection towards the bartender bloomed into something more, then who was he to object? He could only pray that she knew how to handle him, and that he would treat her well without any suspicions.

Or, at the very least, fulfill an old attraction that never bloomed beyond a slashed bud.