Work at the Red Lion Group turned out to be surprisingly pleasant for Takku. Everyone treated him civilly, even though he was the most junior member on the staff. He was scolded a few times, but only when he deserved it. And even then, they only referred to his mistakes. No one mentioned the fact that he was a delinquent, or blamed him for not having basic knowledge with regards to business. Whenever he was given a task, he was also given precise instructions on what to do; not just left to figure out on his own.

Subconsciously, Takku began to turn up for work with his shirt buttoned up and tucked neatly into his pants. His language became more refined and respectful, even when he was around his friends. He found himself paying attention to the news headlines just to keep abreast of current events that were often discussed in the office.

Kutta looked at his friend admiringly. Takku was still a delinquent, yes; but he was a smart delinquent – if that made any sense. He was turning into the likes of Ren and Yamato and Ryu and Hayato senpai-tachi. Kutta was certain that his best friend would one day be as successful as the four men.

It was a Friday, so Takku didn't have to go to work. All of their friends always made sure that they hung out with Takku on Mondays and Fridays so that he would not feel like he was missing out.

"So… where to?" Mukai, a skinny boy asked.

"Where do you wanna go, Takku?" Kutta asked.

"Hmm. There's a new cosplay café near my office. I think the waitresses are dressed in sailor moon outfits this week… I thought you guys might want to check it out." Takku smirked at his friends, who were already starting to drool.

"YES YES LET'S GO!" All of them yelled excitedly, no doubt thinking about the tiny skirts and creamy thighs.


As they were about to leave the café a few hours later, Takku patted his pockets frantically.

"What's wrong, Takku?" Kutta immediately asked his friend.

"I can't find my wallet." Takku frowned. "Maybe I left it at work yesterday? Let me run there and check. I'll only be about 5 minutes."

"It's okay. I'll pay for you first." Kutta offered.

Takku shook his head. "I'll need it for the weekend too. I can't survive until Tuesday afternoon without my wallet."

The other boys were of course more than happy to have an excuse to loiter around in the café for a few more minutes. "Go ahead, Takku. We'll sit back down to wait for you."

Takku nodded and sprinted to the office. He turned a corner at full speed and accidentally knocked into a man, sending both of them sprawling onto the ground. "Sumimasen." He muttered hastily as he got up to leave.

"Wait a minute boy, you knocked my boss onto the ground and you want to leave just like that? Not a chance!" Another man grabbed him by his collar.

Takku was annoyed to say the least. "It was an accident, and I already apologized, you fucktard!" He spat back, shoving the man's hand off his collar and onto the ground.

"Why you little piece of—"

"What's going on here?" A familiar voice interrupted.

Takku looked up. "Ryu-senpai!"

Ryu walked over. "What are you two doing here?"He asked the two men. "And picking a fight nonetheless? I know for a fact that this is not your turf, Tarou."

"How do you know who I am?" The man whom Takku knocked down by accident asked suspiciously. It was Tarou Daiki, the man who had kidnapped Ichi and threatened Ren with a gun; and then got his finger chopped off as punishment.

The second man peered at Ryu for a moment. "He looks familiar, Aniki."

Ryu smirked. "I was there the day you got punished by your Oyasan, Tarou."

Tarou's eyes flashed in anger and humiliation at the mention. "You're from the Oedo clan?" He asked sharply. It was clear that he was trying to keep the insolence out of his voice. Ryu wondered why.

"No, I'm not." Ryu said simply.

This time, it was Tarou's turn to leer at him. "Ah. It's no wonder you don't know. The Oedo clan and the Kakita clan are allies now. You know what this means, don't you? My enemies—" He sneered at Takku and Ryu deliberately. "Are their enemies too."

Ryu's blood ran cold. Now he knew why Tarou was so cautious earlier when he thought that Ryu was from the Oedo clan.

Tarou grabbed Ryu's collar roughly. "Should have known that little piece of information before you came sprouting shit in my face, huh?" He was pissed at Ryu for reminding him of his failure. It was because of that that he no longer had a chance to assume a higher position in the ranks. His Oyasan had not removed him from his previous position of Division Leader, but even some of his henchmen looked down on him behind his back, he knew. He was considered a 'lesser fighter' than all of them.

"Let him go!" Takku shoved Tarou violently. The other henchman moved to pull Takku off his Division Leader, but was rewarded with a punch in the gut. Ryu tried to stop Takku, but instead got struck by Tarou. A fight ensued.


Ren was just going up the steps of his office building when he felt a sudden sense of foreboding. He halted his steps and flared his senses. There, a few hundred metres to the right, he detected a hint of danger. He decided to check it out himself.

Ren closed his eyes and swore under his breath when he saw that it was Ryu and Takku that was being confronted by Tarou and his henchman. Now he couldn't choose to walk away. Ren normally kept his Yakuza side well-hidden around the business district. There were too many eyes in that area that would recognise him in an instant. Ren assessed the surrounding area. There was no one nearby at the moment, seeing as it was nearly 4 in the afternoon. Lunch was long over, and office hours had not yet come to an end.

He strode into the open. "Tarou." He said warningly.

"Kuroda-sama!" Tarou and the other henchman immediately backed down and cowered in shock.

Ren looked at Ryu and Takku with a mixture of concern and displeasure. "Are you guys okay?"

Ryu looked at Ren sheepishly. "Yes." He nudged Takku when the boy made no move to answer. "Yes, Ren-senpai." Takku answered slowly. He was still thoroughly confused. 'What was Ryu-senpai and the man talking about? Why did the man called Ren-senpai 'Kuroda-sama', and why are they so afraid of him?' A thousand questions were swirling in his head.

"What happened?" Ren knew that he couldn't just dismiss the matter if Ryu and Takku were at fault. With the Kakita clan as their ally and Tarou as one of the Kakita clan's Division Leaders, Ren would have to treat his grievances fairly.

Ryu nudged Takku again. "I'll explain later. Deal with the matter at hand first."

Takku nodded. "Umm. I accidentally knocked into this man." He pointed to Tarou. "I said sorry, but this man—" He pointed to the henchman. "grabbed me. He was yelling at me when Ryu-senpai came. I'm not sure what happened afterwards. They said some stuff and that man (Tarou) was going to hit Ryu-senpai, so I tried to push him away. And then this man (henchman) punched me and we all started fighting."

"What did you say to Tarou, Ryu?" Ren asked evenly, although he had a pretty good idea what Ryu had said.

Ryu looked guilty. "At first I just called him out and stated that this isn't his turf. He asked me how I knew his name, and his henchmen said I looked familiar; so I said that I was there the day he got punished. He asked if I'm from the Oedo clan, and when I said no; he told me that you are now allies and that his enemies are your enemies. He then told me that I should have known that before I said those things to him. He hit me… And the rest is just as Takku-kun said."

Ren nodded. He looked at Tarou and the henchman. "Anything to add?"

They shook their heads. "No, Kuroda-sama."

"Next time, if you have any problems with anyone on my turf; you come to me, you understand?" He asked Tarou and his henchman. They nodded dutifully. "Since Takuya has apologized for the accident; and I think all four of you were equally at fault for the fight, let's call it even retribution and leave it at that, alright?"

"Yes, Kuroda-sama." Tarou and his henchman answered. "Please excuse us." They got up and left as fast as they could.

Ren huffed exasperatedly as he pulled Ryu up. "Seriously, Ryu. What if you blew my cover?"

Ryu grinned. "Sorry, Ren. Couldn't help it. My young mentee was in trouble." He ruffled Takku's hair. Takku pushed Ryu's hand away.

Both Ren and Ryu chuckled. They were once like that too. "So what are you two doing here on a Friday afternoon?"

"I came to pass Hayato some forms he wanted. I was in court today, so I went down to civil division to collect them for him." Ryu explained.

"I forgot my wallet." Takku mumbled. "Oh shit, the guys are still waiting for me at the café!"

Ren snorted. "The cosplay café? I think they would be happy to stay there until tomorrow if you let them. Come on then." He led them back to the office.

"Ryu-senpai, what was going on just now? Why did they call Ren-senpai Ku—" Takku started to ask as they walked into the lobby, but Ryu hastily covered his mouth.

"Later, Takku-kun." Ryu said firmly.


"Tell me now what's going on!" Takku said defiantly when they finally sat down in Ren's penthouse apartment. He had picked up his wallet, went to tell his friends to go back without him, waited for Ryu to finish talking to Hayato, waited for Ren to wrap up his work, then went for dinner in a nearby restaurant (which they still insisted was too public); and still they had not told him.

Ren took a deep breath. "My birth name is Kazama Ren. But I'm also widely known in the Yakuza as Kuroda Ren, the younger brother of Kuroda Shin." He looked at Takku to see if the boy remembered the name.

"That's… Yankumi's husband, isn't it?" Takku asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Shin is my brother in name, in bond and in blood. I was his Shatei, his right-hand man; when he first took over the Oedo clan five years ago. At the moment, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I am also the temporary wakagashira – that means second-in-command – of the Oedo clan. I'm a man with one foot in the Yakuza and one foot in the 'outside' world, so to speak."

Takku was speechless. His boss was half-Yakuza! So, in a sense, he, Takku, was actually working for the Yakuza!

"Yes, the Red Lion Group was initially founded to be a legal front for the Oedo clan's businesses; but we've grown quite a lot since then. And yes, most of our profits go back to the clan, which is why the Oedo clan is so powerful today." The Oedo clan had finally managed to clearly outrank the Sano clan in terms of strength and influence, making them the 'official' number one in the Yakuza.

"Okay… Then what about the punishment thingy Ryu-senpai was talking about?" Takku asked gingerly.

Ryu shuffled shame-facedly, knowing that it was his fault for bringing it up today. Both Ren and Tarou had obviously moved on from it, seeing as they were now allies. "That's my fault for reopening old wounds. Tarou once kidnapped Ichi – you know, the guy who is now a barista and bartender? Ren went to rescue Ichi, and Tarou got punished by his boss for kidnapping katagi – that's what they call us non-Yakuza people – to win a turf war. It's a bit of a sore spot apparently, because he can no longer get a promotion in his clan." Ryu checked with Ren for confirmation. Ren nodded.

Takku frowned, still trying to process all the information. "But now he and Ren-senpai are allies." He stated puzzledly.

"He has been punished for it, Takuya. I see no reason to hold any more prejudice towards him. Moreover, just because the two of us have a bit of bad history doesn't mean that the rest of our clans should suffer for it. That is why both of us are willing to put the past behind us."

Takku nodded. He guessed it was fair. Unconventional; but fair nonetheless. He, too, would like people to accept him again after he was adequately punished.

Ren spoke up. "If you feel uncomfortable working for me with this knowledge, you can work with Ryu instead." He offered.

Ryu nodded. "We won't force you into an uncomfortable situation, Takku-kun; debt or no debt."

Takku reflected on the offer. He wouldn't mind working with Ryu; but then he would feel indebted to Ren. Ren had helped him with his debt, gave him a golden opportunity when no one else would, and had trusted him to work in his company despite having zero knowledge and experience. Everyone in Ren's company also treated him like a real human being, for the first time in his life. It was more than Takku could ever hope for. "I would like to stay, Ren-senpai."

"Very well. Just let me know if you want to leave."

"Does the rest of the staff know about your dual-identity?" Takku asked. Maybe that was why they were so accepting of delinquents.

Ren shook his head. "No. Only Hayato knows in the whole company. And to answer the mystery you're pondering, Hayato and I don't tolerate judgmental people. The staff knows that any sign of prejudice will result in an immediate dismissal, regardless of whom it is directed towards."

They were interrupted by the front door opening. "Tadaima!" Yamato called out cheerily.

Ren exhaled a deep breath. He guessed it was time to let everything out in the open. He didn't want Takku to discover that he had hidden something else so important from him on a later date. Ren himself, too, hated information being kept from him on purpose. "Okaeri, Yamato. I'm with Ryu and Takuya in the study." He called out.

"Oh. Hi." Yamato greeted them uncertainly as he walked into the study. He shot Ren an apologetic look, but Ren just gave him a welcoming smile as usual.

"Takuya, Yamato and I are dating." Ren said simply.

Takku's eyes widened. Ryu squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "They've been with each other for a very long time and they love each other very much, Takku-kun. Personally, I think their love is beautiful."

Takku's eyes darted between Ren and Yamato. They didn't seem like they would hurt each other. And it seemed that neither of them would think that the other's touch was dirty either. He watched as Ren greeted Yamato with a swift, chaste kiss. To his surprise, he found the gesture quite sweet, just like any other - heterosexual - couple he had seen kissing. Nevertheless, he still couldn't control the feeling of dread that was pooling in his stomach.

"Ren, can we get some tea? I'm feeling parched." Ryu prompted.

Ren took the hint. "Of course. Yamato, can you help me boil some water?"

As soon as they left, Ryu sat beside Takku. "Are you okay? Talk to me, Takku-kun." The boy looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Takku turned to look at him desperately. "Are you gay too, Ryu-senpai?" It was obvious that he was pleading for the answer to be a solid 'no'.

Ryu wavered. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want Takku to be afraid of him either. "I've only slept with girls before; but I'm bisexual."

"So… you… you've dated a guy?" Takku asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Although 'currently dating' would be a more accurate term."

If it was anyone other than Ryu that had made that admission, Takku would have bolted on the spot. But he trusted Ryu a lot more than any other person. And if Ryu thought that you-know-what was acceptable, then Takku would at least listen to his explanations. "Why… why do you like guys?"

Ryu considered the question. "That's an unfairly broad question, Takku-kun. I don't like all guys, just as I don't like all girls. There are no specific characteristics that I can pin it down to. I won't sleep with a girl just because she has long legs, and I won't sleep with a guy just because he is well-built. As to the guy I'm currently seeing; he is someone that I care about, and he cares for me very much in return."

"So, gender is just another characteristic for whomever you're attracted to?" Takku tried to rationalise.

"To us bisexuals, yes. Heterosexuals and homosexuals may be limited to a particular gender; but similarly, it boils down to both physical and emotional compatibility. Take Ren, for example. I've known him for about 8 years now; but I don't even know if he's gay or bi. He doesn't have eyes for anyone except Yamato. And he loves Yamato so much that I'm willing to bet if Yamato turns into a girl tomorrow morning, Ren would turn straight in an instant." Ryu joked.

Takku gave a tiny smile at Ryu's attempt at humour. "I think I understand what you're trying to say, Ryu-senpai. Just because Ueda was a perverted bastard doesn't mean that every other gay man is like him."

"You forgot paedophile." Ryu added. "Don't ever forget that, Takku-kun. It doesn't matter if both parties consented, or was pressured to consent; it is never right to touch a child – a minor I mean." He amended.

"Thanks, Ryu-senpai. Do you think Ren-senpai and Yamato-senpai are offended?" He asked tentatively, mentally slapping himself for his rude reaction earlier. 'Good job, dumbass. Did you not just found out that Ren-senpai is a Yakuza boss?'

"Of course not, Takku-kun. Come on, you can go find out for yourself."


"Ren-senpai, Yamato-senpai, I'm happy for both of you." Takku-kun said softly.

Ren smiled as he handed the boy a cup of tea. "Thank you. And I hope that one day you'll be able to find someone to love and cherish as well, Takuya."

"Can you call me Takku-kun like Ryu-senpai, Ren-senpai?"

"As with everything else, all you ever need to do is ask, Takku-kun."


A/N: No, Ryu's relationship will not be explored in this fic. The subtle reference used is very deliberate. That is the way I planned this storyline from the start.

But after the flood of 'what-happened-to-Shinkumi' enquiries at the end of 'Transformation of a Red Lion', I've decided that I will post a one-shot at the end of this fic. This may seem counter-intuitive, but I would actually encourage you to not read it (I think the story ends better on its own). Feel free to speculate and fantasise what happens to Ryu (especially in light of the events mentioned in the epilogue – just 2 more chapters to go, by the way).