Hi! I'm so sorry that this chapter took me a while. I wished of nothing more but to write everyday; unfortunately I can't due to other commitments in life – life's not fair sometimes. (sighs)
Enough with the ranting! Seriously, I cannot express how grateful I am to my readers! Thank you for your favorites, follows and reviews! To all my reviewers: Asami's clown, Loverly, hawk1891, God-d-ess Eternity, inuyashalover1216, Nbsiren, raindropdew, Samerys707, c0c0ly, Rose Nusrat, JoEdgardHom, knox, Blueorchird, Nhaara, tataniastorm, tbb2, omitchi, Chret, Haruki-kun, Suspicious Crow, guest, Ana, caroline, Pigyz-kun, CreedHartnet13, demianlunz, Sage, whitenagel, oosuan, Camillian, Rewinsan, yuki, Reinri, AsamiFanGirl, tamira03, White Rose, Platoniclus Nue and Sezthekitty. Thank you!
Special thanks to BelovedEnemy for translating my fiction into Russian! Please check out the Russian version in ficbook!
Thanks RiveReinStyx for the beta!
This chapter is dedicated to Rein, Happy Birthday! May you have a very blessed birthday and thank you for being such a wonderful friend!
Disclaimer: Viewfinder and its notable characters belong to the great Yamane Ayano sensei. I do not earn anything from writing this fan fiction.
So he lost the bet, big deal. Correction, he didn't even start the bet with Asami in the first place; the older man had forcefully made the bet and proceeded to mess him up before he could protest. Akihito didn't consider the bet legitimate and had no plans to follow Asami's rules but that traitorous bodyguard Toru HAD somehow managed to capture a perfect shot of him cross dressing in a nurse outfit and sent it to Asami. That wasn't the end of Akihito's humiliation; the bodyguard recorded his little wriggling butt dance in front of the hospital and that too, found its way to Asami's phone. The yakuza would never allow such opportunity to pass by; he blackmailed Akihito into going to Sion with him or the embarrassing photos will be on top of Takeda's desks in the morning.
Akihito crossed his arm as he stood in front of the closet he shared with Asami, frowning at the clothes hung neatly before him. He didn't remember having so many suits when he opened the closet to grab his coat yesterday. Somehow, Asami had managed to sneak in more clothes into his closet without him knowing. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Akihito grabbed a black suit nearest to him and checked the label: Burberry. Rich bastard.
He put on his dress pants, amazed by the softness of the material. Then, he ran his fingers through the expensive fabric of his white designer shirt before putting them on.
"Good choice."
Akihito looked up to see his lover walking out of the bathroom with a towel hung loosely just above his hips. A few droplets of water fell from his wet hair and onto his torso as he padded to the closet. Asami Ryuichi is without a doubt, the sexiest man Akihito has ever laid his eyes on. He resisted strong urges to lick the water from his chest and quickly looked away as he concentrated on buttoning his shirt.
"So, ready to go to work?"
"Sly bastard; I don't see why I should follow you to work."
Half dressed; the yakuza walked towards Akihito and tilted his chin.
"A lost is a lost, Akihito. Be a man, suck it up."
"I told you that I won't concede defeat. You forced me to play in your perverted games and blackmailed me!" Akihito said crossly.
"Admit it; you enjoyed our little competition more than I did, so much so you passed out after the second round."
"THAT's –" A healthy blush formed on Akihito's cheek as he pushed Asami's hands away. Truly at a loss for words, the photographer stormed out of the bedroom, leaving his highly amused lover in the room.
Kirishima and Toru were at the living room, waiting for him.
"Takaba sama," Toru bowed.
"Toru, you traitor!" Akihito marched to his bodyguard. "I trusted you but you allied with that perverted bastard!"
"I apologize. I was under orders to report your whereabouts." The guard bowed.
Akihito placed his hands on his hips. "Report doesn't mean you have to snap my photos secretly and send it to him!"
Toru remained indifferent with Akihito's outburst. "The hospital belongs to Asami sama. Even if I didn't, Asami sama would have gotten it from the security cameras."
Akihito clamped his mouth shut, hated the fact that Toru was right.
"Takaba sama, if you would sit down, I will dress your wounds." Toru stepped aside to allow Akihito to sit on the couch.
Akihito groaned but sat down anyway. "There's no need, Toru. Look, it's healing nicely." To prove his point, Akihito shrugged off the white shirt he was wearing and moved his arms vigorously. The wound Inoue Daichi inflicted on his arm two days ago were already healing.
"No, Asami sama instructed that your wound is to be cleaned and bandaged before you step out of the penthouse." Toru knelt next to Akihito and opened the first aid kit.
"That controlling jerk," Akihito held his arm out for Toru.
"Takaba sama," Kirishima pushed his spectacles up. "You are accompanying Asami sama to work today. When you are the office, please refrain yourself from using profanities. You will address Asami sama appropriately."
Akihito winced when Toru applied the antiseptic cream. "Kirishima, I didn't ask for this. Your boss forced me to go with him. Perhaps if you could persuade him to leave me here, you won't have to worry about me embarrassing him at the office."
Kirishima paid no heed to Akihito's requests. "Takaba sama, this is a serious matter. Asami sama is a –"
Akihito waved his good arm at Kirishima. "I get it, Kirishima; I'll be good all right? I'm glad you're not my bodyguard, I'll go crazy with your nagging."
"Takaba sama, it's done. Would you like me to cover the mark on your neck?"
Akihito looked at his bodyguard, puzzled. "What mark?"
Toru touched the hickey on Akihito's neck softly. "The mark here."
Remembering what Asami had done to him the previous night; Akihito immediately slapped a hand on his neck in attempts to cover the mark from Toru. He glared at Kirishima who snickered at his reaction. Embarrassed, he rose from his seat and strode into the bedroom. He flung the closet open where a full length mirror was attached to the back of the closet door and tilted his neck slightly to the left. True enough; an angry red mark was spotted just above his collarbone.
"Asami! Do you have to leave a mark?" Akihito grumbled as he buttoned the top button on his perfectly fitted shirt before proceeding to put on his tie.
Ignoring Akihito's remarks, he moved behind the photographer. "You are tying it wrongly, Akihito. A fifth grader can do better than you." Asami brushed away the younger man's hands to help him.
"Unlike you, my standard attire is jeans and t-shirt. My job hardly calls for fancy suits and tie." Akihito tried to reply calmly even though his heart was racing from the closeness.
"You look good in suit; you should wear them often," Asami kissed the nape of his neck.
"St—stop it. Toru and Kirishima are waiting outside. We'll be late," the photographer tried to squirm away but was held back by Asami.
"The beauty of being your own boss, Akihito is to have your subordinates wait for you."
"You conceited bastard."
Asami bit the spot where he left the hickey last night. "Your punishment for the name calling," Asami said when he finally released him. He retrieved his coat and slipped it on before walking out of the room.
Akihito groaned at the angry mark. Covering it with his palms, he walked out to the living room once again and instructed Toru to put a band aid over it. The stoic bodyguard looked curiously at the enlarged hickey but obliged without questions.
"Asami, why are we going to the club at ten in the morning? Your club doesn't open until seven this evening." Akihito leaned back against the leather seat of the limo as he looked at the yakuza who was busy flipping a few reports on his hands.
Asami carelessly dumped the papers on the seat to look at Akihito's scowling face. "We are not going to the club; we're heading to the office."
Akihito moved closer to the older man. "Then, what the hell am I supposed to do at Sion?"
"Let's see. You have a few possible options."
"If your possible options involve office sex, you can forget about it."
Asami chuckled. "Why do you think you're coming to Sion with me if it isn't for the sex?"
Akihito stared at Asami, flabbergasted. "You mean you went through all the trouble of blackmailing me just to make me submit to you at your office? You pervert, I won't be your stress reliever!"
The yakuza grabbed Akihito's arm and pulled him closer. "Then, why don't you submit to me now – here?" he whispered near Akihito's ear.
Akihito fought back a blush and tried to push the older man away. "No! Have you fucking lost your mind? Kirishima and Toru are sitting in front!"
Asami bit the lobe of Akihito's ears. "Then you just have to be quiet," he whispered seductively.
Desperate to stop Asami's advances, Akihito blabbed out the first illogical thing that came into his mind. "You're missing a point! The limo wouldn't fit both of us!"
Asami raised his eyebrow before curving a smile. "Care for a bet, Akihito?"
Realizing he had uttered something incredibly stupid, Akihito quickly countered, "No, what I meant was – "
His feeble attempt to offer an explanation was interrupted by Asami pressing the intercom to connect to the driver. "Kirishima, drive around for another 30 minutes before you head to Sion."
"Very well, Asami sama," Kirishima's clear voice answered.
Asami disconnected the intercom and stared at his lover, amused by Akihito's shocked reactions. "Shall we begin?" he said and pulled the boy for a kiss.
By the time the limo pulled into Sion half an hour later, Akihito was positive that Asami had drained every drop of his energy. His knees were so weak that he couldn't even step out of the car without stumbling.
"Tired?" Asami asked as he held onto Akihito's arm to steady him.
"It's all your fault, you bastard." Akihito shot Asami an angry glance.
"Takaba sama, we are at Sion. Please address Asami sama appropriately," Kirishima said as he closed the limousine door.
Akihito glared at Kirishima. "He deserved it!"
"Akihito, behave or I'll drag you to my office," Asami threatened. He nudged the sulking photographer into the building by placing his hand on the small of his waist.
Akihito hadn't been to Sion many times willingly; the older man usually ordered his guards to drag him back to the headquarters through the back entrance. He could have gone through the front door if he weren't kicking and struggling against the bodyguards' restrains but Akihito never wanted to give the yakuza the pleasure by submitting willingly.
Akihito noticed the atmosphere at the foyer turned cold when he walked in with Asami. Men and women stopped talking as they stared at the unlikely guest their boss had brought along. From the corner of his eye, Akihito noticed a few women had gathered, whispering among themselves while the men lowered their eyes, avoiding direct contact with the yakuza boss.
As they made their way to the private elevator, the employees of Sion bowed at them, which Asami took little interest in returning the greeting.
"Asami, I swear by noon I'd be on your employees' hottest topic. I already saw them whispering about it just now." Akihito said the minute the doors to the private elevator closed.
Amused by the photographer's embarrassment, Asami turned to grip Akihito's chin, ignoring his secretary and bodyguard's existence in the car. "Why, those gossipers. I'll get Kirishima to send them a warning."
Embarrassed by the public display, Akihito slapped Asami's hands away. "There's no need to be so extreme, you jerk!"
"Takaba sama," Kirishima warned.
"Okay! I'll stop now, all right?" Akihito sulked.
They reached the 30th floor almost immediately, considering the elevator had no stops. As they stepped out of the office, Asami instructed his secretary to take Akihito to his office; the photographer looked surprised with the request but he didn't question any further.
Asami turned to Toru the minute Akihito disappeared into his office. "Suoh is at the basement. He'll be joining you today."
Toru bowed. "Yes, Asami sama."
Asami checked his Rolex watch. "It's almost noon. Oda Kyousuke will be discharged from the hospital soon. Toru, you know what to do. Do not disappoint me. Report to Kirishima when you're done."
"Understood."
Asami nodded and left Toru bowing before him. He walked into the office to find his lover sitting on the visitor's chair, looking completely clueless as he attempted to read the reports in front of him.
He gave a backward glance as Asami entered the office. His beautiful face broke into a frown. "What the hell are these?" Akihito waved a thick file at Asami. There were a few more on his table.
"Reports on Marukoshi and The Fixer," Asami answered casually as he took his seat.
"So?"
"Akihito, have you forgotten that you are the owner of Marukoshi and The Fixer? As the owner, it is your duty to keep up with the profits and the well-being of your establishments."
Akihito fired up instantly. "Bastard, I told you that I didn't ask for this! Take these back, I don't want it!" Akihito pushed the files across.
The yakuza ignored the files, took one of his and flipped it open. "Let's see, if you manage to do me a favor, I'll consider it."
"Define favor." The younger man glared.
Asami closed the file to look at his lover's scowling face. "Now, that's a tough one."
"You can forget about it if they involve any illegal or sexual favors."
"Then, Marukoshi and The Fixer will remain yours."
Akihito sprang up from his seat. "That reminds me, how many more are there? You said you'd get Kirishima to pass me a list!"
Amused by his lover's reaction, the yakuza smiled. "Why not try finding them out Akihito? It'll be like a treasure hunt."
"You sadistic bastard, I'll show you!"
"Do try."
Frustrated at being played into Asami's hands, Akihito marched to the door and flung it open. Kirishima stood by the door with a smirk as though he had anticipated Akihito's outburst.
"Takaba sama, if you are touring around Sion, take this. It allows you to travel in Asami sama's private elevator and access to other places."
Akihito took the tag from Kirishima's outstretched hand and studied it. His passport photo stared right back at him with his name and employee number at the bottom. Akihito turned to the amused yakuza boss in the room and glared at him. Knowing that it would be futile to start an argument with him, Akihito said nothing as he clipped the badge on his coat before turning to walk away.
Still fuming, Akihito strode to the elevator where he rode up earlier. Swiping the card, he randomly punched a number on the panel, not caring where it would bring him. As the car rode down in silence, he briefly wondered where Toru went. He recalled Toru mentioning that he would be doing some work at Sion but the guard did not mention which floor.
Ah, screw this. He didn't need Toru to play tour guide in Sion. He could damn well explore the place on his own. The elevator doors opened suddenly and Akihito found himself staring at a huge cafeteria. The atmosphere at the cafeteria turned completely silent as thirty pair of eyes stared at Akihito, puzzled by his existence in the cafeteria. Slowly, the silence broke into whisperings and Akihito could somehow guess their topic considering he overheard a few employees muttering the word 'lover'.
Others had even wilder imaginations; deducing him to be Asami's nephew. Mortified with the amount of attention he was receiving; Akihito hurried out of the cafeteria and walked to the end where the fire escape staircase was. He jogged up two floors, pushed opened the door and noticed a restroom on his left with a blaring sign, 'Under Maintenance' plastered on the door.
Perfect, Akihito thought as he entered the restroom. The empty restroom didn't look an inch that it needed any maintenance but the photographer couldn't be bothered. He was tired of the attention he was receiving and needed a place to hide. He surveyed his options before deciding on the last cubicle at the end of the room.
That bastard; he is enjoying this too much. Akihito thought angrily as he placed the seat flap down before sitting. He winced at the sharp pain on his bottom, reminding him of their little activity in the limo earlier. He cursed at Asami again, hoping that perverted yakuza would sneeze endlessly as a result of his curse. That'll serve him right.
Akihito sat at the very same spot until he felt somewhat ridiculous at his own actions. He ordered himself to suck it up, admit defeat and returned to Asami's office where he could at least escape from the unwanted attention. He stood up, unlocked the door and was about to push the door open when he heard raised voices. And the restroom door slammed.
"You fucking screw up, Kawamura. You were supposed to get the tender to Toudou Corporation!" The male voice was hot and pissed.
Akihito contemplated to open his mouth to warn whoever was there that they had company but decided that it was best to remain silent for a while.
"You're blaming me, Fukada? You let it out of hand!" Kawamura responded, equally angry.
Akihito slowly raised his legs to his chest, hugged them tight and sat perfectly still.
"The tender was supposed to be delivered to the Toudou's! They are offering us a damn good rate for it and now because you were late, we lost three million fucking yen!"
"How the fuck could I have known that the manager from business development division managed to get the tender before I do?"
"Damn you Kawamura, I should have taken the tender myself instead of trusting you to do the job."
"Maybe you should have, then you wouldn't be blaming me for this!" Kawamura sneered.
"Shut up, you know very well that if we managed to sell the tender to Toudou, we'll be rich! Three million yen, a million each!"
It took Akihito no more than a few seconds to understand that he overheard two employees engaged in white collar crimes. From what he had heard and understood, Fukada and Kawamura intended to sell information of a huge tender project to a rival company.
A million a person; that means there's another person involved. Akihito thought.
"So, have you transferred the funds to my account?" Fukada asked, calmer now.
"What money?"
"God, are you the fucking Finance Manager or what? I ought to drop you from this. The fake invoice we created for the purchases of pharmaceutical goods! The check has already been issued and cleared right?"
"Don't threaten me, Fukada." Kawamura warned. "You don't know how much trouble it took me to persuade Kirishima to get the boss to sign the check. Kirishima is already suspicious about the invoice."
Fukada kicked one of the cubicle doors opened, and Akihito jolted. "Fuck. If Kirishima starts to suspect something amiss, we better lay low for a while. That man never misses anything!"
Another door slammed open. Akihito felt fresh bead of sweat on his forehead. He couldn't believe he was hearing this in Sion. Akihito might not know how Asami ran his legitimate business but he doubt it would be any different from his illegitimate ones. Never in his life would he have thought someone, employees of Sion nonetheless, dared to steal from the yakuza.
Akihito brought a hand up to his mouth and clamped it shut, in case he was breathing a little too loudly. He wondered if the men could hear his heart beat beating rapidly or if they could sense company in the restroom. He prayed silently that his phone wouldn't choose this crucial moment to ring or beep.
And it happened. His phone rang, causing all three men in the restroom to jump in shock. Akihito recognized the ring tone – Asami.
"Who's there?" Fukada asked, pushing the doors open one by one.
Without thinking, Akihito removed his employee tag and threw it into a corner, hoping that someone would pick it up and send it to Asami if he didn't make it out alive. He took a deep breath and pushed the door before stepping out of the cubicle.
"Who the hell are you?" Fukada asked.
"A new employee," Akihito answered bravely, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. He had a good look at the two traitorous individuals. Both men looked like they were in their late thirties. For some unknown reason, the man whose voice Akihito recognized as Fukada had a meaner look.
"How much did you listen?" Fukada growled, advancing towards Akihito.
"Fr – from the start!"Akihito took a step backwards and found his back touched the wall. There wasn't any place to run, considering he was hiding in the last cubicle.
"What do we do with him? Should we inform - "
"No!" Fukada cut Kawamura off. "We'll deal this on our own. Remember what we did to the bitch who eavesdropped on us?"
Akihito ordered himself to calm down as he tried to think of a way to escape both advancing men. He thought of using the same trick he did with Oda's bodyguard – kicking the men in their nuts but he wasn't sure if he could pull it off successfully, considering he was outnumbered.
"You are cheating the company's money. If the boss knows about this – "
Kawamura laughed. "The boss? You are really new around here; aren't you? Everyone in Sion knows what sort of business the boss is doing. He earns billions from his underground business. What's the harm in taking a little?"
I know that better than you do, bastards. I literally slept with him. Akihito refrained himself from bursting out at that thought.
"That doesn't mean you can leech it off him," Akihito raised his voice.
Fukada shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Now that you know about us, we cannot let you go… alive." The man gleamed as he cracked his knuckles.
For the moment, it was silent in the restroom; no one spoke as they tried to anticipate each others' move. It was the call from Asami that triggered action. The minute the phone rang; Akihito crouched and sprang, trying to push his way through the men. His attempts were futile, Kawamura managed to send a kick at Akihito's stomach.
Akihito's body registered by falling backwards and slamming his back against the wall. Akihito let out a scream as he fell on his knees, clutching his own stomach. Before he had a chance to recover, Fukada grabbed his collars, pulled him up and dragged him to the middle of the restroom. Akihito tried to resist by fighting blindly, throwing aimless punches at his attackers.
"Hold him!" Fukada barked orders at Kawamura. The man stepped forward to grab a fist of Akihito's hair and yanked it back.
Akihito yelped from the pain; he raised his hands, trying to push the hand away but Kawamura's firm grip pushed him to the front before slamming his head on the mirror.
Akihito heard the mirror broke and tasted his own blood as he fell, hitting the marble sink before collapsing on the floor. The last thing he heard before he succumbed to darkness was his own phone ringing incessantly.
Kawamura stared at the unconscious body on the floor before turning to look at Fukada.
"Check the phone," Fukada ordered.
Kawamura crouched to retrieve Akihito's phone. "The Controlling Freak called two times." He looked at Fukada, "Girlfriend?"
Fukada laughed. "She won't be seeing him again."
"He's not dead yet. What do we do with him?"
Fukada thought long and hard. "We'll hide him somewhere. When office hours are over, we come back, finish the job and dump him somewhere."
Kawamura didn't look like he liked the idea but for the lack of a better option, he agreed. "Where should we bring him? We cannot carry him out like this! There are security cameras everywhere."
Fukada grinned sadistically. "Not everywhere. Remember what Satoshi said? The cameras were supposed to be installed in every corner but he tweaked the working papers so that we can have our private meet ups at the emergency staircase. The nearest camera is located about five feet from here and this restroom is out of its coverage."
It was Kawamura's turn to smile. "And Satoshi said that it applies to the entire building of Sion."
Fukada patted Kawamura's back. "Let's get moving."
Asami stared at his phone as he attempted to call Akihito for the fourth time. The same cheeky message from Akihito greeted him, informing the caller to leave a message after the beep.
The phone had been switched off. Akihito would never switch off his phone; even on a stake out he would politely leave him a 'Bastard, I'm busy' message.
Asami turned to his assistant standing next to him. "Kirishima, find Akihito."
Kirishima looked up from the documents, surprised. "Asami sama?"
"Call the security. Check Akihito's whereabouts."
"Understood." Kirishima immediately retrieved his phone.
While waiting for Kirishima, Asami called Toru.
"Asami sama," Toru answered.
"Progress?"
"Oda and his bodyguards left half an hour earlier than the intended time but we managed to track them down. We have completed the duties as ordered."
"Good. Report to Sion immediately."
"Understood, Asami sama."
Asami ended the call and turned to look at Kirishima. His usually calm secretary had a worried look. "Asami sama," he began.
Asami's eyes turned cold. "Where is he?"
"I told the team to track him but we lost his whereabouts at the cafeteria."
"Security cameras?"
Kirishima cleared his throat, not liking his boss's reaction next. "Asami sama, it seems the cameras were only installed in main areas. Emergency staircases are not covered."
Asami shot Kirishima a deadly glare. "I remembered saying that I want the entire building covered."
Kirishima took a step back and bowed. "I apologized, Asami sama." He looked up at his boss. "But I recalled reading the working papers; it clearly stated everywhere, except the restrooms."
Asami stood up, buttoning his coat in progress. "Bring the documents and blueprints of the building. We're going to the control room."
Kirishima opened the door for the yakuza. "Right away, boss."
Asami's unannounced arrival in the control room had all five employees scrambled up from their seats to greet their boss.
"Show me the last footage where Akihito was seen," Asami ordered without preamble.
"Y—yes sir," the young man stammered and quickly pressed a few buttons on the keyboard for the screen to be enlarged.
Akihito – his Akihito gave his employees a very mortified look before walking out of the cafeteria hastily. He turned left into a hallway and disappeared from the sight; he didn't appear in any of the cameras after that.
"How long ago was he missing from the coverage?" Asami asked and leaned against the table as he watched the footage again.
"A - a - about 45 minutes now, sir." The employee spoke in a trembling voice.
Asami cursed silently. He had no doubts that something had happened to Akihito and if he didn't deduce incorrectly, someone was behind his disappearance. Akihito's phone was switched off after the second call, which meant that whoever who was involved turned it off, in attempts to stop him from tracking Akihito's location via GPS. The yakuza felt his blood boiled at the thought that something might have happened to the younger man. The culprit will be found and executed; slowly and painfully, Asami thought and was surprised that he was already looking forward to the punishment session.
Asami retrieved his phone, intending to call Kirishima when the secretary walked in with Toru and Suoh behind him. He spread the documents and blueprints on the huge table located at the center of the room.
"Asami sama, the blue prints and documents, as ordered."
Asami turned to Suoh. "Suoh, lock down Sion. No one leaves until Akihito is found. Increase security on the front and back entrances." His voice was flat and cold.
Suoh nodded and quickly retrieved his phone as he turned to leave the room.
"Toru, check the fifth floor. Bring some men with you."
"Yes, Asami sama," he bowed and left hurriedly.
"Kirishima, check the blueprints. I want to know what rooms are located at the end of the corridor on the fifth floor," Asami ordered and sat on a small chair Kirishima offered. As Kirishima scrutinized the map, Asami lit a cigarette in efforts to calm his raging temper. He took no more than a few puffs when his thoughts were disturbed by the phone ringing.
"Asami sama, you might want to see this," Toru's voice sounded slightly shaken. "Restroom at Level Seven."
The yakuza stood up. "Kirishima," he called and the bespectacled secretary immediately stopped his given duties to follow his boss out of the room.
The elevator to the seventh floor was the longest Asami had ever ridden despite it took no more than ten seconds for them to reach. By the time he reached the restroom, Toru was already standing at the door to greet them. The guard bowed and stepped aside to allow Asami to walk in the restroom.
The first thing Asami noticed was a broken mirror with blood traces on it. His eyes travelled down, noticing the red splotches on the sink before finally fixing his attention to a small pool of blood on the floor.
"I found this in the last cubicle." Toru handed Akihito's employee tag to Asami.
Asami took the tag and stared at his lover's photo. Curling his fist in anger, he punched the mirror nearest to him, shocking his assistant and the guard. He looked at his subordinates and spoke in a cool calmed voice, "Kirishima, get Suoh to gather the men. Leave no rooms unchecked," he paused to look at Toru, "And when you find the bastard, keep him alive."
Akihito woke up to a massive headache. Clutching his head, he groaned, struggling to sit up. He leaned against the wall, touched his forehead gingerly and winced at the pain when he accidentally pressed on the wound. The bleeding had somehow stopped but he could feel a massive bump on his head. His jaw and cheekbone hurt like hell too; he must have knocked himself on the sink when he fell. He poked his stomach; as expected it hurt.
After giving preliminary check of his injuries, Akihito took a good look at his surroundings. He was in some sort of store room; an unused one for Akihito could see cob webs on the pail and dusts on the shelves. He forced himself to stand up, ignoring the pain on his stomach and walked to the door. Locked; no surprises there. He reached for his phone from his pocket but found it empty - no surprises there either.
Since he couldn't kick the door open, Akihito looked around for anything that he could use as a weapon. Fukada and Kawamura were going not to leave him alive for long. They will come back; he was certain of that.
How long has it been since he passed out? Akihito thought and wondered if Asami had noticed his disappearance; the photographer prayed that he would, considering he didn't answer his phone calls.
But, this is Sion. Asami would never suspect anything; this is his turf after all. Akihito's inner mind argued.
Before he could come out with something to counter that thought, he heard the door unlocked and the door swung open. Fukada and Kawamura stood at the entrance, looking extremely displeased.
Fukada strode in, followed by Kawamura. "Who the fuck are you?" Fukada hauled Akihito up from the floor and shook him.
"The boss just ordered a lock down on Sion. No one knew why the boss did that but rumor has it that he was searching for a young man."
Already weak from the blood loss; Akihito could only stay still and stared into Fukada's hateful eyes.
"ANSWER ME!" Fukada smacked Akihito's face.
Takaba Akihito, you are not going to give in so easily. Even if you're going down, give them hell. Akihito thought. He cracked a smile, ignoring the painful crack on his lips and sneered, "Who do you think I am dickheads?"
Fukada pushed Akihito away and struck a fist in his gut. Akihito fell on the floor, hands clutching his belly as he curled to the side. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even find the strength to scream.
"Answer us and we'll make your death less painful," Kawamura stepped forward to crouch in front of Akihito. Dragging him up by the collar, he forced Akihito to stand up before punching him on his face.
He fell backwards, knocking several items behind him. As he struggled to sit up in the heap of old pails and card boxes, his hand managed to close on a stick. Summoning all his strength, he stood up and swung the broom stick at Kawamura, not caring which part it would land.
He heard Kawamura groaned but he couldn't be bothered. He focused his attention on Fukada instead who was already lunging at him, growling like a tiger intending to capture his prey.
Akihito acted on reflex. He dropped the stick, went in low and heard himself growling before plowing a punch into Fukada's gut. He didn't have time to ponder and ran to the door, knowing that Kawamura didn't lock it when he came in. Cool, fresh air greeted him as he ran away from the room to an open area.
It's no good, Akihito thought. He was so weak and in pain that he could hardly walk straight. Adrenaline long gone, the blows he took just now started to hurt badly. He managed to reach the open area before he stumbled and fell on the floor.
He heard footsteps. Ah, it's no good. Looks like I'm doomed after all, Akihito closed his eyes.
That was how Toru found Akihito. He was growing frustrated from the empty search and thought of walking up to the restroom on the seventh floor again, searching for any clues that might help him locate his master. If they didn't find Akihito soon, he dared not imagine what his boss would do. The cold, predatory gaze Asami gave him when he asked him to look for Akihito had him fighting back a shudder.
A set of footsteps heading from the opposite direction had Toru halted his steps. Curious, he walked towards the direction, wondering who was still loitering around since no staff was allowed to leave their workplace until Akihito is found. What greeted him almost made his heart stopped. Takaba Akihito- his master staggered into the open area before he stumbled and fell on the cold marble flooring.
"Takaba sama!" Toru ran towards his master. He checked his pulse and breathed in relief that he is still breathing. Pulling out the phone from his pocket, he speed dialed his boss's number.
"Asami sama, I found him. Third floor. "
From the corner of his eye, he noticed two men walking towards them. One held his stomach while the other had a hand pressed on his neck. Toru had no doubts that they were the culprits. He glanced at the other two guards who had just arrived and nodded at them. By the time Fukada and Kawamura noticed Akihito, it was too late. The guards had already subdued the men before they could even defend themselves.
The private elevator opened precisely at that moment and Asami strode out of the car, furious. He quickened his steps to Akihito when he noticed his young lover lying on the ground, badly bruised and beaten.
Asami knelt down, checked his pulse; weak but very much alive. He shook Akihito gently. "Akihito."
Slowly, Akihito's eyes fluttered opened. "You're late." He offered a weak smile.
Asami helped him on his feet. "Are you all right?"
Akihito managed to stand for a few seconds before falling into Asami's arms. "Yeah, just a little dizzy."
Asami tightened his hold around the boy, savoring his warmth for a moment before pulling away. He gripped Akihito's chin and took a good look at him. His beautiful skin was marred by bruises; a deep gash on his forehead, a cut on his lip, bruises on his jaw and both cheekbones swollen. He noticed Akihito jolted a little and held a possessive hand on his stomach. Asami pushed the boy's hands away to pull his blood- soaked shirt up and felt his blood boiled when he spotted two huge bruises, bigger than his own fists on his stomach.
"Akihito, who did this?" Asami asked.
Akihito held on to Asami to stop himself from falling. "Those two jerks over there," Akihito pointed a finger at the two men kneeling not too far away. "They were cheating your money - " Akihito pressed a finger to his injured forehead before continuing, "I overheard them and got busted – which reminds me, it's your fault for calling me at that moment!" Akihito managed to raise his voice.
Asami said nothing and turned his attention towards the two men with a gun each behind their heads. Fukada and Kawamura gulped when their boss gave them a murderous glance.
"Asami?"
The yakuza tore his gaze from the men to look at his lover.
This time, Akihito grinned. "I did you a favor. You promised to take them back."
Asami curved a smile, pleased with Akihito's fighting spirit. "I didn't but you earned your reward. I'll take one off the list."
Akihito smiled, feeling victorious. "Oh, and this story is mine. It's going to be a major scoop! I can already imagine the headlines – White collar crimes: two employees to be charged for criminal breach of trust." The photographer turned to Toru. "Toru, do me a favor, will you? Use your phone and snap some photos of these two idiots for my story; I lost mine."
Unsure if he should comply with Akihito's request, he stared at Asami who nodded at him, giving his approval. Toru retrieved his phone, took mug shots of the men and passed the phone to Akihito.
"Toru, take Akihito to the hospital," Asami instructed.
For once, Akihito did not argue when the guard stepped forward to put Akihito's arm around his shoulder before leading him into the elevator.
Asami waited till Akihito was out of his sight before he focused his attention towards the men. "Suoh," he said coolly, "take them to the basement."
Suoh nodded and hauled the men up, pushing them to the elevator.
"Asami sama, what about the story? Do you intend to let Takaba sama send the story for publishing?" Kirishima asked.
When Asami said nothing, Kirishima dared himself to speak again, "You realized that we have to make a police report if Takaba sama were to publish the story."
Asami slid his hand into his coat and pulled out his gun. "Yes, and we will."
"Asami sama, we can't – "
"Kirishima, the two men had to have someone backing them up and we're going to find out the mastermind." Asami smiled as he checked the magazine.
"But what about those two men?"
Satisfied with the condition of his gun, Asami slid it back into its shoulder harness. "We'll turn the two fools to the police though I'm afraid they will not reach the police station in one piece. The mastermind however, is a different story." Asami's voice was very much in control despite Kirishima already noticed a raging temper beneath his calm demeanor.
It took a mere 10 minutes to get Kawamura and Fukada to reveal their ally. In no mood for games, the yakuza broke Kawamura's arm and Fukada's leg before he started the interrogation. The duo, with tears in their eyes from the pain, was smart enough to give away their partner quickly or risk another bone broken.
Satoshi Yuichi, 52 years old, chief architect of Sion was brought into the room by Suoh. The man was stripped from his shirt, leaving only his pants as Suoh pulled his hands up, chained them before pressing the button on the machine to suspend him.
"Kirishima, call Inspector Mori. Tell them to collect these two from the lobby." Asami ordered as he removed his coat.
"Yes, Asami sama."
Asami flung his coat on the floor and loosened his tie. "Tell him to speed up the booking and the trial."
Kirishima thought it was an odd request from his boss but refrained himself from questioning any further. "Certainly."
"Once they are in prison, keep them alive for six months before killing them." Asami spoke calmly as he removed his cufflinks. "And spread the word in the prison. Whoever makes them their bitches, free supply of cocaine for six months."
Kirishima gulped as he pushed his spectacles up. He didn't know whose fate was worse; Satoshi's, Kawamura's or Fukada's. "Understood," he murmured, feeling sick all or a sudden.
Asami retrieved his sharpened katana on the wall. "Reschedule all my meetings for today; see that I am not disturbed."
"Yes, Asami sama." He bowed and walked hurriedly out of the room, giving Suoh a sympathetic glance before stepping out of the room. Kirishima was somehow glad that Asami was leaving him out of this; he really didn't want to know what his boss would do to Satoshi.
As he closed the door to the sound proofed room, Kirishima swore he heard the first swish of the katana. In the room, Suoh stood still at the door. Flanked by two guards on either side, Suoh began to tense as Asami calmly removed the katana from its scabbard. His employer glanced momentarily at him before beckoning him to his side.
"Asami sama?"
"Suoh, take the whip." Asami said calmly as he sat on the chair.
"Wh—what do you intend to do?" Satoshi's eyes widened when he saw Suoh walked to the end to retrieve the whip.
Asami gave an easy smile. "Satoshi, you should know the consequences of betraying me."
Suoh untied the whip, gave it a swish. The long whip gave a loud crack when it landed on the floor and all occupants saved for the boss, jumped at the sound.
Satoshi shook his head wildly as tears streamed down from his face. "No, please!" He pleaded.
"I promise you, by the time I'm done; you'll be begging me to kill you."
Suoh moved behind Satoshi at Asami's nod, raised his arms and brought it down. Satoshi screamed at the first crack and it was music to Asami's ears.
Asami ordered one of the guards to pour him a whisky as he sat back to enjoy the show. The yakuza scrutinized the katana before running fingers through the shiny blade, pleased with its sharpness. In front of him, the spineless architect screamed as he was belted again and again by Suoh. Asami had no doubts his back would be decorated by whip lashes by now.
"Ple—ase, ah - Asa –mi ah- sama!" Satoshi screamed.
Asami passed the katana to one of the guards before taking the offered whisky, sipping it slowly. He watched Suoh whipped the tied man a few more times before he raised his hand to stop him.
"Turn him around," Asami ordered Suoh.
His personal guard pushed Satoshi around where he could survey Suoh's handiwork. As expected of his best guard, Suoh's lashes were powerful and Satoshi's back was already covered with traces of blood.
"I sw – swear I won't do it again, I will return all your money, Asami sama. Please – spare me," Satoshi begged.
Asami ignored his pleas and ordered Suoh continue. The guard raised his hands and was about start when Asami's phone rang.
Asami held his hand up, signaling Suoh to pause. "Asami," he answered.
"Asami sama, I have taken Takaba sama to your personal physician." Toru's voice rang out.
"And?"
"No broken bones or fractures but the gash on Takaba sama's forehead required ten stitches. Sensei has cold packed the bruises but he is worried that Takaba sama might be concussed and recommended an overnight observation at the hospital. Takaba sama refused, Sir. What are your orders?"
Asami listened to the report calmly although he felt his temper rising. "Let him do as he pleases. Take him home and stay with him until I arrive, clear?"
"Yes, Asami sama." Toru replied politely before ending the call.
Asami placed the whiskey on the table before turning to his other guard. He took the katana and walked slowly to Satoshi, locking his gaze with the former employee.
"Akihito suffered ten stitches on his forehead and multiple bruises," Asami said as he slowly circled the man.
"I didn't b – eat h –im," Satoshi forced the words out of his mouth.
Asami's fist shot out at Satoshi's belly. "You were part of the plan, the mastermind. You would have asked the two idiots to kill him."
Satoshi coughed out blood. "No, Asami sama. I would never do that, please believe me!"
Asami gave Satoshi a cold gaze, "That doesn't change the fact that you stole from me, Satoshi."
"I'll give it back, I promise!" Satoshi was crying again.
"You know Satoshi, I have always been fascinated with samurais," Asami spoke, ignoring Satoshi's pleas. "They follow strictly to the bushido codes and they die honorably." Asami swung his katana up and rested the back of the sword on his shoulder.
Sweat trickled down as Satoshi shook his head. "Asami sama, please – I will do anything! I beg you, please forgive me!" the man sobbed.
"The seppuku - " Asami interrupted, "is committed by the samurai voluntarily to die in honor or as a form of punishment for samurais who had committed grave offenses." Asami curved a smile as he laid the edge of the knife between Satoshi's ribs.
Satoshi's eyes were fixed on Asami's – wide and in fear.
Asami trailed the blade to Satoshi's stomach, pushed it in a little, earning another scream from him. He pushed another inch deeper and waited, wanting the architect to feel the sharp blade in his stomach before finally plunging the katana into his belly. Following the age old ritual, Asami pushed the katana to the left, and then to the right, slashing his belly open. As blood began to pour out like running water from a tap, the yakuza pulled the sword out and gave it a swish to remove the excess blood before signaling Suoh to take it.
"Don't worry, you won't die - yet. You probably have another hour to go," Asami said easily as he sipped his whisky.
Satoshi coughed out some blood. "Pl – please k—ill me."
Asami's eyes darkened. "Traitorous bastards like you do not have the rights to negotiate. You will die, Satoshi – slowly and painfully."
"Suoh, let him bleed to death and do the usual clean up." The yakuza ordered as he took his coat and cufflinks from Suoh's unsteady hands before walking out of the room.
By the time Suoh managed to leave the room, his long time friend Kirishima was waiting at the door. "Where is the boss?" he asked, covering his mouth to stop himself from vomiting.
"Showered and gone home," Kirishima replied, passing a wet towel to the guard. "Bad, huh?"
Suoh wiped his mouth. "The boss's punishments are getting more extreme."
Kirishima nodded, sympathizing with his friend. "Especially when it concerns Takaba sama."
The guard threw the towel into the bin. "Kirishima, tell Toru to keep both his eyes wide open on him. I don't think I can stomach another torture like that."
Suoh was right, Kirishima mused. Asami's actions were becoming more erratic whenever it concerned Akihito and the boy – He was practically clueless how much influence he had over the crime lord. As Kirishima walked out of Sion with Suoh, he silently prayed that Akihito would never leave Asami for the simple thought of them breaking up was already enough to scare Kirishima out of his wits.
A/N: I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter. I was nearly finishing when I realized that some of you might be expecting a very different chapter on Sion. I sincerely apologize if this is not to your expectation.
And the torture session is unbeta-ed. Please excuse me if you spot any mistakes!