Chapter 5

Someone Special

Showing up at Stray whenever he had the time, even for a short while, had turned into a new habit for Majima. He was becoming increasingly fond of the place — not to mention its owner. When it came to the latter, however, he was conflicted. He was somewhat loath to admit it to himself, but he genuinely enjoyed being around her. He had fully expected to lose interest after he had had his fun, but, to his surprise, that was not the case. There was something about her that drew him to her, made him want to come back for more. While it was true that, so far, they had been butting heads more often than not, there was no malice hidden behind it — quite the opposite.

The more time he spent in her company, the clearer it became that when she looked at him, a yakuza was not the only thing she saw. She made him think that she could see the person behind whatever names society had given him, which seemed to matter more to her than what he did for a living. From what he could tell, it was not an act, either. Perhaps that very kindness was why so many people were drawn to her and her bar. Stray itself had become a hideaway of sorts for him, somewhere he could relax and forget about the troubles of his daily existence for a time.

A voice at the back of his head, however, kept reminding him that he was skirting a very thin line. Descending the stairs to the bar once more, he pushed the whispers out of his mind. That evening, he wanted just two things: to see her, and to just be himself.

Walking inside — the cool air giving way to the familiar warmth filled with the smell of tobacco smoke and baize, the intense music in his ears — was like stepping into a different world entirely. The night was still young, and the place was nowhere near as packed as it could be. As per usual, Majima's gaze instantly drifted towards the counter. To his surprise, however, Tsuki was not there — her co-worker and friend, Aki, was tending the bar alone. He scanned the room, searching for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. By now, he was certain that it was not her day off. Something was not right.

Only one way to find out.

"Yo, Aki-chan," he greeted the girl, sitting down, arms folded on the counter.

She instantly tensed up when she saw him. Even though she no longer ran away at the mere sight of him, she still seemed on edge, to say the least, whenever he was around — a stark contrast to her boss's cordial and casual treatment of him.

"O-Oh, Majima-san. W-Welcome. What would you like to drink?" she mumbled nervously.

"Is Tsuki-chan in tonight?" he cut straight to the chase.

Aki seemed to consider her words carefully before answering, almost like she was debating whether or not to tell him the truth.

"S-She is, but… She's busy, so I'm not sure when she'll be back…"

Majima raised an eyebrow at her cryptic answer.

"Oh? What's she so busy with that she left ya to take care of everythin' all by yerself?"

The girl fell silent. If she was pretending not to have heard him in hopes that he would let it go, it would not work.

"C'mon, Aki-chan, can't ya tell me?"

While it might not have been entirely fair, manipulating her fear of him was a surefire way of getting what he wanted. He did not even need to put on a threatening face or change his tone — at this point, he knew that it was enough that he simply kept talking to her and sooner, rather than later, he was sure she would give in.

"Actually… S-She's meeting with someone special today," she answered timidly. "She's with him in the VIP lounge in the other room but… She told me she didn't want anyone to disturb them."

Someone… special?

Majima's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Only now did he realize that he had been so caught up in his own feelings that he had never considered Tsuki could actually already have someone near and dear to her. With how secretive she usually was about her private life, it was not out of the question. It felt as if someone had suddenly emptied a bucket of ice-cold water on his head.

"Special?" he breathed, his eye wide. "Who?"

Seeing him so surprised, Aki looked even more uncomfortable than before. She was probably regretting having told him even that much, but knew there was no going back now.

"I… I actually don't know his name, but Tsuki told me he was someone important to her who really helped her out before she opened Stray… He never came by before today — at least not as long as I've been working here — and she never told me about him, either, so it was a surprise to me, too…"

A storm of conflicting emotions and thoughts was now raging inside him. On one hand, he wanted to get up and leave, furious at what a fool he had been. On the other, a burning desire to find out who it could be that was so special to someone like Tsuki compelled him to see the man with his own eye.

"Ya said they were in a lounge in the other room?" he asked, his expression darkening. He stood up from his seat and straightened.

"Y-Yes, but…!" Aki halted him in a panicked voice. "I mean… You can see for yourself if you want, but unless it's urgent, please don't disturb them! A-And definitely don't say it was me who told you where they were!"

"Don't worry. Yer secret's safe with me," he replied in a low voice, trying to assuage her fears.

His pulse quickening, he made his way through the bar in search of the truth, whatever it was.

At the back of the room where the two pool tables stood, partially blocked from view, there was a semi-circular alcove, three steps leading up to it from the floor. This must have been the VIP lounge that Aki had mentioned — he had been oblivious to its existence, since he had never set foot in the other room before that evening. Had it not been for his current predicament, he would have probably remained that way.

Walking closer, wary not to give his presence away, he finally spied Tsuki on the long couch that ran along the wall inside the alcove. She seemed different to how she usually was when he saw her at work — she looked more at ease, a colorful drink in her hand, laughing and talking leisurely as if she was just another patron. It was a side of her he had not seen before, but instead of being pleasantly surprised, he felt horrified. Staying out of sight did not matter anymore — he had to know who the man she acted so casually around was at all costs.

Who he saw when he approached close enough to see further inside the lounge, however, left him baffled. It would have been bad enough if the person on the other side was a total stranger, but it being someone he recognized made it even worse. Tsuki's drinking companion, the special guest Aki had told him about, was none other than the owner of Sky Finance, Akiyama Shun.

Frozen to the spot, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing, Majima felt anger welling up inside him. He wanted to go up there and snatch her away from Akiyama, but he knew that would accomplish little — if not make matters worse than they already were. Seeing how happy she was, he thought that, perhaps, it was best if he simply walked away.

While he was debating his next course of action, Tsuki happened to turn her head to glance at the room during an apparent lull in conversation, and her eyes met his. For a split second, she seemed genuinely surprised to see him — then, a smile lit up her face as she raised her hand and waved to him merrily. Akiyama's gaze followed hers; the moment he saw who she was waving to, his eyes widened in shock.

"Majima-san! Over here!" she called out, beckoning him to come closer.

He decided he would bite. This was too much of a coincidence for him to let go, after all. For some reason, he felt like an unspoken challenge had been issued to him the moment he had spotted Akiyama. He was intrigued; he needed to find out exactly what Tsuki's relationship with him was. Trying to act aloof, he climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the pair. He locked eyes with Akiyama, but before either made a move, Tsuki spoke up.

"Were you looking for me? Don't tell me… Did Aki run away again when she saw you?"

"Uh… Naw, actually—"

"Majima-san? Whatever brings you here?" Akiyama interjected, having recovered from his earlier surprise. Now, he appeared confused instead.

"What, can't a guy stop by for a drink at a bar he likes?" Majima spread his arms wide, replying in his usual, mocking manner. "'Sides, that should be my line, mister moneylender," he lowered his voice. "What was yer name again?"

"Akiyama."

Tsuki watched their exchange with no small dose of curiosity and a furrowed brow. There was tension in the air, and if Majima's stare was anything to go on, it was not of the good kind.

"Wait a minute — you two know each other?"

They both looked at her as if they had suddenly remembered she was also there. Her timely intervention seemed to have done the trick.

"Oh, uh… In a way," Akiyama smiled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "We met briefly a few months ago, you see, so you could say we're acquainted."

"No kidding? Now there's a story I'd like to hear. Do you mind if Majima-san joins us?" Tsuki's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Not at all. If Majima-san doesn't mind either, that is."

"Sure, why not."

Tsuki scooched over closer to Akiyama, then motioned for Majima to sit down next to her.

"Great! Now that that's settled, let's get some new drinks, shall we?" she proposed joyfully. "On the house this time as well, of course. So, what'll it be, gentlemen?"

"Are you sure it's fine?" Akiyama hesitated. "I wouldn't want to take advantage of your generosity any more than I already have."

"Don't be silly. It's the least I can do for a guest as rare as you," Tsuki shrugged it off with a wave of her hand.

"Then I'll have the same as before, thank you," Akiyama smiled.

Observing Tsuki's behavior with utmost interest, Majima felt like a fish out of water. She was in unusually high spirits — either she was already tipsy or there was something else going on under the surface. Somehow, he much preferred it to be the former.

"The usual," he blurted out without giving it much consideration when she turned to him.

"Right. Now then, let me show you a trick."

She stood up and, passing Majima, approached a folded curtain on the edge of the curved wall next to the lounge's entrance. Pulling the curtain aside, she revealed a telephone mounted on the wall. She picked up the receiver, pushed a button, and waited.

"Hey, Aki? Yeah, I know. Sorry for the headache, but could you bring us another round of the same? Only, make it two glasses of whisky this time. Heck, actually, bring the whole bottle. Yeah. Thanks a lot," she relayed the order to Aki on the other side. "Pretty useful, huh? Just another neat little thing that was left to us by the previous owners," she commented, returning to her spot between Majima and Akiyama. "So, what's the story between you two? I know I should probably be surprised you know Majima-san, but I can't say that I am," she addressed Akiyama.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Akiyama seemed stung. "Do I really look that shady?"

"Oi, who are ya callin' shady?" Majima pitched in, scowling.

"Yeah, well… Sorry to dash your hopes, Tsuki, but there's really not much of a story to tell," Akiyama maneuvered around Majima's irritated remark. "Majima-san had some business with me — nothing shady, mind you — so he paid me a visit at Elise. That's pretty much the long and short of it."

"Huh? Really? That's it?" Tsuki looked at Majima expectantly.

"That's it," he confirmed.

There was, of course, more to the story, but it was nothing she needed to concern herself with at this point. Explaining the finer details of what had happened back then would only reopen old wounds — for both him and Akiyama.

"So… Since we're doin' this question time thing already, I got a similar one for ya — how do ya know Tsuki-chan?" he glanced at Akiyama, seizing the opportunity.

Instead of answering the question, Akiyama turned to Tsuki and pointed a finger at Majima.

"You let him call you 'Tsuki-chan'?"

She gave him a resigned smile.

"Believe me, I tried. It didn't want to stick, so I gave up," she sighed.

"Don't change the subject," Majima interjected impatiently.

"Sorry, sorry," Akiyama said, still amused. "Truth is, I was the one who lent her money to open this very bar."

Majima's eyebrows arched up. It made perfect sense now.

"Yep," Tsuki chimed in. "I was still missing some funds when I set my heart on opening Stray last year. I was in a bit of a tight spot back then — I'd already lived in Kamurocho long enough to know loan sharks were a terrible idea, but no bank would give me a loan, either. Then, I found out about Akiyama-san's Sky Finance and, well, here we are."

So that's how it is, Majima thought. Akiyama lending money to Tsuki so she would have the means to buy the property, refurbish it, and open Stray was the connection they shared. The fact that he had been the only one willing to lend her money when she needed it must have been what made him so special to her. He felt a little relieved, but was that the whole extent of their relationship? She seemed to genuinely be enjoying herself in his presence. He was seeing a different side of her, one he could not deny he liked. Deep inside, he fervently wished she would be like that around him, too.

"I'd say it worked out pretty well, in the end," Akiyama noted with a smile, leaning back and spreading his arms on the backrest of the couch.

"Why, thank you. I'm glad, too, and it's all thanks to you placing your faith in me."

"Come on, you're giving me way too much credit. It was really all down to your conviction and tenacity. I simply provided a means to an end," Akiyama chuckled. "I'll never forget how well you bore the tests I gave you to prove your commitment to your dream. You hid it well, but at one point I was sure you'd give up on the money and straight up kill me instead!"

Tsuki started giggling, hearing his side of the story.

"That's actually quite true, those tests were pretty terrible," she said in between bouts of laughter.

"Nothing you couldn't handle, though," Akiyama summed up.

"Should I even ask what kinda tests those were?" Majima spoke up, genuinely curious.

"Please don't," Tsuki shot him a pleading look. "I'd never live it down if this kind of stuff got out. And I definitely don't want you to know — I'd probably never hear the end of it."

"Right, right," Akiyama chuckled. "Can't let the rough and tough image be ruined, after all."

"One more word about this and I swear—"

"Oh?" Majima raised his eyebrows. "Now I wanna know even more."

"See? You're just making it worse!" she gestured at Majima.

At that moment, Aki approached them, the tray with their drinks and a bottle of whisky in hand. She glanced at Majima, quickly put the glasses and bottle on the table and scampered away without a word. Akiyama followed her with his gaze.

"That was weird," he noted, changing the subject. "Is Aki-chan alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Tsuki waved it aside. "She's still getting used to Majima-san being a patron. She can't seem to get over her fear that he'll kill us and dump our bodies into the river one day."

"O-Oh. Is that right?" Akiyama let out a nervous laugh, glancing at the man in question.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Majima frowned, picking up his glass. "Where else would I get served free drinks every now an' then with these two dead?"

Tsuki, who was trying to get a sip of her new drink, snorted into the glass, nearly spilling the liquid. Akiyama just sat there, an awkward smile on his face.

"Circling back, I say we make a toast to one more dream fulfilled," he said, raising his glass. "And to Majima-san proving Aki-chan wrong."

"Pfft," Majima scoffed, but joined his glass to theirs all the same. After they were done, he spoke up again. "So, does that mean ya bein' here tonight is 'cause ya wanted to see how yer investment paid off?"

Akiyama nodded.

"That, and to check how Tsuki was doing. Guess both of those are connected, though, aren't they?"

Secretly, Tsuki had been closely observing Majima for some time now. He was being unusually persistent with his questions, even for him. He seemed so fixated on her connection to Akiyama that it was becoming suspect.

"Waaait a sec," she turned to Majima without warning, her eyes now moving between him and Akiyama as if in some sudden realization. "Don't tell me you thought that Akiyama-san and I were—"

"W-What? 'Course not!" Majima instantly went on the defensive, stopping her from finishing the question.

Had she seen right through him? Suddenly, he felt so hot he could have sworn someone had turned up the heat in the already warm room.

"Is that so? Why are you so flustered, then?" she pressed him.

He found her intense gaze truly terrifying — it felt as though she was staring directly into his soul.

"Damn, once ya bite, ya don't let go, do ya?!"

"Nope. You should already know that by now," she gave him a smug smile. "I had a feeling there was something more to this. Didn't take you for the jealous type."

She was visibly enjoying this, a sly grin on her face now. In contrast, Majima was squirming under the scrutiny.

"No, there wasn't. And I ain't jealous, why the hell would I—"

"Now you're blushing, you know."

"'Cause you're sayin' stupid shit!"

"Am I really?"

Akiyama watched them with interest, quietly sipping his whisky. When the opportunity presented itself, he cleared his throat meaningfully.

"I'm flattered, truly," he said, momentarily stopping Tsuki from torturing Majima further. "However, I don't think I'd be man enough to handle someone like her, even if she wanted me," he smiled bitterly.

"Now, now, Akiyama-san, don't sell yourself short, " Tsuki rebuked him in jest.

Her attention diverted away from him thanks to Akiyama, Majima seemed to deflate.

"Changing the subject a little, how exactly did you and Majima-san come to know one another anyway? I have to say, it was quite a surprise to see him here."

"Oh, us? We met, what, about a month ago at this point? Purely by chance, too. Majima-san happened to stumble into Stray one evening, I served him a drink, we started talking, and the rest is history," she explained.

Majima noted that she had left out some crucial details about that night from her story, and he was grateful to her for it. The gist of it was true to fact. Akiyama did not need to know the fine print.

"Talk about a small world, huh? You must be quite happy to have a customer like that."

"You bet. He can appreciate good liquor, unlike some people who only come here to get wasted on the cheapest stuff available. Not that I don't value those other customers in equal measure, of course."

Akiyama scoffed.

"Is that your personal opinion or the entrepreneur inside you talking?"

"Hey, don't make me put all my cards on the table here, alright? Jokes aside, though… That's what I really think."

"What's the point of drinkin' otherwise?" Majima joined in, having seemingly recovered from Tsuki's earlier assault. "If I'm drinkin' at a bar, I might as well drink the good shit. I got standards to uphold, y'know."

"Right? The way I see it, it's a win-win. All I need to do is make sure I can provide the good stuff and he's a keeper," Tsuki laughed.

"Just don't forget to take care of your other patrons as well," Akiyama noted with a smile.

"Oh, I would never. Who do you take me for?" she feigned offense.

"Kidding, kidding!" Akiyama chuckled, raising both his hands in an exaggerated defensive gesture.

A sharp ringtone unexpectedly cut into their light-hearted chat. Akiyama reached into his pocket and, having glanced at the screen of his cell phone, silenced the call.

"That's my cue, I'm afraid," he sighed, putting the phone away. "Looks like I need to head back."

"Already? Now that's a shame," Tsuki sounded genuinely disappointed.

"You know that if it were up to me, I'd hang around longer, but if I don't take care of other business tonight as well, Hana-chan will have my head on a spike."

"Well, there's no helping some things, I guess. It was a pleasure having you here tonight," she gave him a warm smile, which he reciprocated. "Hope you'll drop by again — maybe this time sooner than a whole year from now?"

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best." He paused, as though he had just remembered something. "Actually, before I go, I'd like to have a word in private with Majima-san."

Hearing this, Majima gave Akiyama a puzzled look.

"Oh," Tsuki seemed a little surprised by his request. "Of course. You know where to find me, should you need me." She got up, taking what remained of her drink with her. "Have fun, you two. And, Akiyama-san… Thank you again. For everything," she bowed before skipping down the stairs leading from the alcove and making her way to the other room, greeting some of the usual patrons, who had come in while she had been in the VIP lounge, along the way.

Majima was taken aback — he had never seen her bow to anyone; he could not even imagine it. The debt of gratitude she owed Akiyama must have truly been great for her to act this way. Just when he thought he was getting to know her, she again proved him wrong. There was still so much he did not know about her, he realized.

Once she was out of sight, Akiyama reached for the pack of cigarettes on the table, took one out for himself, then extended the offer to Majima.

"Care for a smoke?" he asked, but the other man said nothing, continuing to regard him steadily with a narrowed eye. "Guess that's a no," he sighed.

"What's this 'bout, all of a sudden?" Majima was quick to get down to business, eyeing his companion with apprehension.

Akiyama took a long drag of his cigarette, and watched the thin cloud of smoke slowly dissipate in the air before answering.

"It's about Tsuki."

His interest piqued, Majima's ears perked up.

"What 'bout her?"

"How do I put this…" Elbows on his knees, Akiyama leaned forward and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, looking away awkwardly for a moment. "There's something more going on between you two than you're letting on — isn't there?"

Majima tensed up, feeling his heartbeat quicken. He had not expected Akiyama to get straight to the point so quickly. Deciding to stand his ground, he stared at him with thinly veiled hostility.

"There ain't," he answered curtly, his voice gruff.

Akiyama, however, remained unconvinced.

"No need to get defensive," he met Majima's gaze straight on. "In all honesty, my question was rhetorical, but your reaction only confirms it, even if you claim it to be otherwise."

Majima's lips were now a thin, straight line, his eye shooting icicles Akiyama's way. The most annoying thing was that he was onto something.

"If you're wondering where I got the idea from, I noticed the way you look at her," Akiyama continued, his voice serious. "I have no idea what happened between you two, and I'm not about to pry, but I never thought the Mad Dog could look at someone in such a… gentle way. On top of that, when you saw us together, you seemed possessive and acted defensively until, I assume, you felt I wasn't a threat anymore — which, in turn, leads me to believe she must be important to you. Am I wrong?"

"Tch." Majima gritted his teeth and looked away. He could simply deny everything, but he suspected that, at this point, Akiyama would not believe him, no matter what he said. Hearing the things he was trying not to think about spelled out for him like this by someone else annoyed him more than he cared to admit.

"More importantly, though, I saw how her eyes lit up when she saw you. I know she's made it her policy to be kind towards everyone who comes here, but that was something entirely different."

The moment Akiyama said that, Majima's scowl faltered for a second. He could not yet determine whether the man was screwing with him or not. His tone of voice suggested he was being serious, but since when was he so adept at reading people? Admittedly, their meeting over half a year earlier had been relatively short, so Majima had little knowledge of what he was capable of. Perhaps, this skill of observation was something he had practiced over the years while running Sky Finance? Or… was it he who was so easy to read, in this case? Either way, what was his endgame here? Why drag such things out into the open? Questions such as these running through his head, Majima regarded Akiyama with suspicion.

"Even if ya were right… Why bring it up? What's it to ya?"

"To put it bluntly — I like her. And before you give me another death stare," he put his arms up in a defensive gesture, "I don't mean it that way. I simply want to give you some friendly advice, for both your sakes."

"An' what makes ya think I need any advice from ya?" Majima remained skeptical.

"It's simple, really," Akiyama smiled bitterly, shaking the ash from the tip of his cigarette. "She hasn't told you about her past, has she?"

Majima's eye narrowed once more, his eyebrows coming down in another frown.

"Her… past?" he echoed the other man's words.

"Tsk. Thought so," Akiyama sighed. "See, before I decided to lend her money, I'd had her tell me about herself. It was one of the tests I gave her, actually…"

"Seems pretty routine. How exactly was that a test?" Majima interjected, curiosity taking over.

He had sensed there was something odd about her the first time he had stepped foot in Stray. If it was somehow connected to her past, it would make a lot of sense. He wanted to know everything, and if Akiyama was willing to share, he would play along.

"Well… I specifically wanted her to tell me about things like where she was from, her childhood, teenage years, her life in Kamurocho… Basically, a rundown of everything that had happened in her life up until that point. Like you said, pretty regular stuff, considering we were still strangers and she'd asked me to lend her money."

"I'm guessin' there was some kinda catch?"

"The catch was I'd already done my research on her before meeting with her to hear her story. I knew pretty much everything by that point. What I wanted was to compare my intel with what she would tell me."

"Ya wanted to catch her in a lie? Why?"

"Because it would mean she hadn't been able to deal with her past before deciding to step on a brand-new path. People with less than savory life stories tend to hide the truth, even when it matters most. If her version was blatantly different from my intel or there were important parts missing, I'd know she wasn't serious about realizing her dream."

"So, since we're here an' all… It means she told ya the truth."

"That she did," Akiyama nodded. "I could tell it wasn't easy for her, but it was an important step on her way to come to terms with it and not treat it as something that made her undeserving of finding happiness. I wanted her to show me that she could learn to draw strength from it instead, moving forward."

"Hell, you're makin' it sound real ominous, not gonna lie," Majima tilted his head, intrigued. "I did have a feelin' there was somethin' lurkin' beneath the surface when I first met her, but now I'm dyin' to know what it is."

"Sorry to disappoint, but my lips are sealed. I've already shared more than I probably should have. I'd be a pretty crappy moneylender and an even worse friend if I spilled all of a client's personal history just like that, wouldn't I?"

"Feh. Be that as it may, ya said ya wanted to give me advice. I fail to see how that's it."

"Indeed. I wanted to give you some context first. The advice part comes next."

"Bring it, then," Majima said, leaning back and crossing his arms.

Akiyama's gaze turned somber; he looked more serious than all throughout the time they had spent together that evening.

"I want you to be careful with her, Majima-san. It has nothing to do with you personally, but you being a yakuza might end up causing her more harm than good down the line. She's been through a lot already, and, while she may think she knows what she's doing now, she might be deliberately ignoring the possibility that… befriending you may bring her dangerously close to a life she's been trying to distance herself from."

The frown on Majima's face turned into bewilderment, his eye wide in surprise.

"You're sayin' she had ties to the yakuza before?"

"I'm not going to say anything more than what I already have. It's up to Tsuki to decide whether or not to share the whole story with you. I simply want you to know she's more vulnerable than she may seem."

Having drunk the last of his whisky, Akiyama put out his cigarette and stood up.

"That said, I'm afraid my time's up. Still have some things to take care of before I head back home and these couches are dangerously comfortable."

Majima was silent, his concerned gaze now fixed on the table in front. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Right. Thanks for the company. Take care, and think about what I've told you. Till next time, then."

"...Ah."

It was all he could muster, having listened to what Akiyama had to say. He did not even notice when the other man had made himself scarce. His mind was racing, trying to imagine what kind of life Tsuki could have led to have come in contact with Kamurocho's dark underbelly. The implications of what Akiyama had told him were worrying, to say the least. Based on his words, she must have gone through some painful stuff if he had suspected she might try to hide her past from him. If so, then why didn't she treat him the way Aki did? Was there even any truth to it that she looked at him differently? If it was indeed the case that she had experienced hurt from the yakuza before, what was so special about him that she would choose to push those memories aside and go out of her way to show him such kindness as she did? In the beginning, he had expected that Akiyama's private talk with him would provide him with some answers, but, in the end, it had left him with even more questions than he had had before.

He sat alone in the VIP lounge for a while afterwards, mulling things over. Unable to reach any definitive conclusions, he decided to leave before Tsuki got the idea to come check up on him or, worse yet, join him for another drink. He could not face her right now, not with all these unanswered questions swirling in his head. He needed to process it all and figure out what he was going to do from that point forward.

Attempting to sneak past the bar and out the door unnoticed, he did his best to avoid looking at the counter as he walked by, hoping that the patrons who were already there would keep her busy long enough that she would not notice him slip by. It was a vain hope.

"Majima-san?" he heard her voice. "What's with the sneaking about?"

He cursed silently. Making it seem as natural as possible, he whirled around and approached the counter as if that had been his intention all along.

"Whaddya mean?"

She gave him a long, doubtful look.

"Okay… Sorry, maybe I was seeing things," she apologized. "Good timing, though. Akiyama-san said you'd probably come over soon, but since it had been a while, I was about to go check up on you."

"What for?"

He wanted to keep their chat as short as possible, lest he let slip what was really on his mind, but his words came out more callous than he had intended.

"To see if you needed a refill, for starters. The two of you were there for some time, after all."

Majima tensed up, hoping she would not ask him about the obvious. To his relief, she did not. Instead, she gave him an embarrassed smile.

"Speaking of which… Sorry for putting you through the wringer like that back there in front of Akiyama-san." She paused for a moment. "It was funny as hell, though, so maybe I'm not that sorry, after all… But I hope you know I did it just for shits and giggles."

"It's fine, I could tell ya were gettin' a rise outta me," he forced a smile.

"I've got to say, though, your reaction was kind of cute."

"Cute? The hell?" Majima snickered, but her words sent a pleasantly tingling sensation down his back.

"Oh, come on, just take the compliment, will you? I don't give them out too often."

"Can't remember the last time someone called me cute, I admit. An' it comin' from you somehow makes it even weirder. Ya sure you're sober enough to still be workin' tonight?"

"I'm fine, don't you worry."

"I'll take yer word for it. Anyhow, I'm off."

"Oh? Leaving so soon?"

There was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. It made him feel somewhat guilty, but he knew that what he needed most right now was some time alone to process that evening's revelations.

"I got things to do sometimes, too, y'know. I'll be seein' ya."

"Fair enough. Take care."

With her voice still in his ears and her smiling face clear in his mind's eye, he climbed the stairs out of Stray and disappeared into the night.

Tsuki followed him out the door with her gaze, thinking.

"That was weird, even for him," she said when Aki returned behind the counter.

"What was?" Aki said, visibly relieved now that Majima was gone.

"I can't put my finger on it, but he seemed more… distant just now. I wonder what happened back there between him and Akiyama-san?"

"Aren't you overthinking this a bit? Besides, you probably don't want to know what they talked about anyway."

"Hm… Maybe I am. And you're probably right."

It did not change the fact that she was curious as to the reason why Akiyama would want to talk to Majima in private. She expected he would allude to it at one point afterwards, yet he did not. The subtle change she could sense in him, however, left her a little concerned. She did not want to ask him outright about it, so it seemed that all she could do was to keep her curiosity at bay. With a small sigh, she pushed him out of her thoughts and returned to work with a smile on her face.

A few days later, Majima was lounging on the couch at the Family office in the Millennium Tower. Drumming his fingers on the couch's backrest, he stared blankly at the big flat-screen TV in front, the news broadcast serving him merely as white noise. He had just returned from another mind-numbingly boring meeting of the Tojo brass, but instead of going out into town to unwind, he had decided to make his way back to the office. Lost in thought, he bided his time — and waited.

"Boss?"

He turned his head when he heard Nishida's voice. The man walked up to the table in front of the couch, a single sheet of paper in his hands.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir." Nishida quickly bowed his head, extending his arms towards Majima. "I brought the report you asked for."

Majima's eye lit up. He snatched the paper out of Nishida's hands, but before he could take a closer look at it, Nishida interrupted him.

"If I may ask, sir — is there any particular reason you had me look into this woman?"

Majima placed the paper down on the table, tilting his head at his subordinate's question.

"Not sure yet," he gave him a curt reply.

"That bar she runs is quite infamous among the smaller families, I've heard," Nishida added. "It's stayed unclaimed for over a year now, but if you want to make a move on it, I reckon we'd stand to earn some good revenue, sir."

Majima held Nishida's gaze for a moment, considering something.

"Naw, leave it be. That ain't what I'm after right now."

His boss's lackluster answer surprised him, but after all the years he had spent at Majima's side, Nishida was not one to question his motives further. Even at the worst of times, there always seemed to be a method to his madness. Majima's request the other day had come out of the blue, but it had not been the first time he had had him dig up information on someone who was of interest to him. Usually, the reports concerned other yakuza or shady businessmen, though; rarely did they concern women. However, it did not appear like his curiosity on the matter would be sated any time soon.

"That's all for now. Ya can go," Majima promptly dismissed him, signaling their exchange as finished.

"Apologies for the interruption," Nishida bowed again before leaving.

Once he was gone, Majima grabbed the sheet of paper again. His eye traveled down to the top of the page before him — Kageyama Tsuki, 36 was the first line, followed by date and place of birth, and the names of her parents. He focused on that single printed line of text, thinking. Something inside was holding him back from proceeding further. Everything he wanted to know was right there at his fingertips. That single page held all the answers to the mystery that was her past, to which Akiyama had alluded during their private conversation at Stray. Given the amount of text, he could know everything in a couple of minutes, if he only read it. Up until that moment, he had waited for Nishida to deliver the report with bated breath, but now that he had it in his hands, he was hesitating.

Although his curiosity was killing him, it felt wrong — it was simply too easy. Moreover, something inside was telling him that he would be betraying the unspoken agreement they seemed to have. If he was to believe her — and she had given him no reason thus far to doubt the veracity of her words — she knew very little about him outside of what he had willingly shared with her. Had it not been for that friend of hers, she would not have even known his name. She could have searched for whatever information she could find on the internet at any point following their meeting, and yet she had decided not to. Her perception of him remained untainted. Even if the chances of it were slim, what would she think of him if she found out he had used his position to learn her darkest secrets?

Since when do ya care what others think of ya? A voice at the back of his head whispered. There was some truth in it — most of the time, he did not. This, however, was different. He did not want to risk losing the budding bond of trust between them. It meant more to him than the fleeting satisfaction of sating his curiosity.

"Aw, for fuck's sake," he growled, kicking the table.

This uncharacteristic indecision was making him angrier by the minute. Knowing it would not bring him any peace of mind, he made a choice. Grabbing it with both hands, he ripped the page in half, then put the two halves on top of each other and ripped them apart once more, keeping at it until the report was nothing more than shreds. Having gathered all of the remains up, he tossed them into the nearby trash can.

He paced around the room for a while, finally stopping in front of the row of tall windows. He had a feeling that, in time, he would learn everything that had been written in the report anyway. It was the journey that mattered, not the destination — and this particular journey had only just begun. Where it would lead him mattered little. Let Akiyama say what he will — hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. What awaited them at the end of this road — if anything at all — was up to them and them alone. He did not need more doubt than he already held inside his scarred heart. Finding Stray, finding her… It felt good, and brought him what little joy he felt there was to be found in his existence. He wanted it to last as long as it possibly could.

Having come to this realization, he was overcome by a sudden craving for a stiff drink and some casual conversation with one particular bartender. He could feel a new kind of excitement welling up inside him. The next chance he got, he would make his way to Stray. Like nothing had ever happened.

Author's Note

I have decided to publish the first five chapters at once in order to bring them in line with what I have already published on other writing platforms. From this moment onwards, the weekly/bi-weekly schedule I mentioned in the Acknowledgments will take effect. Feel free to let me know what you think of the story so far and, as always, I'm super excited to share the next chapters with you in the weeks to come!