Hello again! I really have to start working on my assignments but since I am procrastinating at the moment, I might as well write another chapter!
To everyone who has taken time to read, follow, favorite and review; what can I say besides a BIG thank you! Thank you to BcozI'mNaughty, Serinji, , raindropdew, Nhaara, Chret, FanofBellaandEdward, bellissima-kirei, Asami's clown, romanceisdead69, Summerstorm, whitangel, KittyCiel656, leo0256, finderlov, Haruhi-kun, Ana, JoEdgardHom, larasGEE, sage, CreedHartnet13, oosuan, innocenteyes, God-d-ess Eternity, Neko, Lovely, nana, Moonyx, Nbsiren, Pigyz-kun, pbs, Wragziez, kaname143, Suspicious Crow, moiira, Rewinsan, iphy-chan, knox, bishyfreak, yuki, demianlunz, yuichichan17, mna24Grila, Reinri13, farorerayzes, Platoniclus Nue, loveroffanfic14 and AngelRuby235.
Thanks RiveReinStyx for fixing my weird sentences!
Warnings: Lengthy chapter ahead!
Disclaimer: Viewfinder and its notable characters belong to the great Yamane Ayano sensei. I do not earn anything from writing this fan fiction.
Kirishima stood next to Japan's top crime lord in a warehouse near Tokyo's Yokohama Port. His boss, Asami Ryuichi sat on the single chair in the warehouse flanked by Suoh and a few others by his side. Legs crossed and a cigar in his hand, Asami didn't speak as he waited for the head of Tung Shing group to arrive.
The warehouse was eerily quiet despite nearly ten armed men stood behind the yakuza. All were too afraid to even move from their designated spot, in case their boss got irritated with their movements and shoot them for disrupting his train of thoughts.
Kirishima himself stood still next to the boss, unmoving. He did occasionally glance at Asami to check if he needed anything from him. The secretary noted that his boss was highly displeased; especially after finding out that the drug supply from China was laced with white powder upon inspection. To make matters worse, Kirishima had pulled Asami away while he was on a shopping trip with his lover. He was thankful that Akihito survived the shopping trip without scratches aside from the minor incident at the boutique, or there would be hell to pay for the Tung Shing group.
Kirishima gave his brain a quick scan to check for any pending tasks from Asami but there were none. Asami's last orders were to purchase that little store in Ginza and remove all sales personnel of the boutique effective immediately. That had been taken care of yesterday.
The secretary checked his wrist watch; Mr Mah was twenty three minutes behind time. Damn these Chinese and their shrewd sense of time.
"Kirishima, how long have we been working with the Tung Shing?"
Kirishima jolted from his spot when Asami's voice rang out in the quiet warehouse. He pushed his spectacles up. "A little over six months, Asami sama. I believed the shipment we received from them is the second shipment."
Asami took another drag of his cigar. "The first? Were there any problems?"
"No, everything was in order," the secretary answered. "Asami sama, if I may, the Tung Shing group – "
Kirishima's statement was halted by the sound of the metal doors opening. The guards slid their hands into their black coats and closed their hands around their guns, awaiting orders. The boss of Tung Shing, Mah Wing Shing strode in confidently with a cigarette in his hands.
Kirishima managed, just barely to stop himself from twitching at the sight of the Chinese mafia boss. Mr. Mah donned a floral shirt of rainbow colors, black dress pants and leather shoes. As if that wasn't bad enough, the short, stocky man dyed his crew cut hair gold and wore a huge gold chain around his neck. The bespectacled secretary counted at least six gold rings on his fingers.
His men were equally unsightly; all five had almost the same ugly pattern on their shirts with the worst set of teeth Kirishima had ever seen.
Mah smiled as he walked leisurely into the warehouse and Kirishima once again, winced at the sight of his gold tooth fixed on his upper canine.
"Asami san!" Mah greeted as he extended his hand for a handshake.
Asami passed the unfinished cigar to Kirishima before standing up, buttoning his coat in the process. "Mr. Mah," he greeted coolly, ignoring the Chinese mafia boss's handshake.
Mah withdrew his hand as though as nothing had happened, threw his head back and laughed heartily. "You're still as good looking as ever, Asami!" the man spoke in perfect Japanese.
So, he knew how to speak Japanese. Kirishima thought angrily as he remembered how the man had feigned stupid when he tried speaking Japanese to him.
"Mr. Mah, I didn't fly you here for some idle talk," Asami spoke in clear, commanding tone.
Mah stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes. "I'll cut to the chase then. Asami, those are some serious accusations you are throwing at Tung Shing."
Asami slid his hand into his coat. The yakuza's gesture warranted all five Tung Shing members to pull out their guns to point at Asami. The yakuza's men did the same, whipping out their guns from their coats directed them straight that the Chinese mafia.
Calmly, Asami took out a small packet from his coat and threw it to Mah. The guards of Tung Shing lowered their guns upon their boss's instructions while Asami nodded at Suoh who in turn signaled the guards to do the same.
"What is this?" Mah took the packet and sniffed.
"A small sample from your shipment here," Asami replied, walking towards the table with a wooden box and rested his hand on it. He continued, "Mah, you have been in the business for a number of years now. Surely, I do not need to tell you that the packet you are sniffing is heroin?"
"What about it?" Mah stopped sniffing and looked at Asami.
"The heroin isn't pure. My men had it checked; the box contains nearly 30% of white powder in every packet that you sent."
Mah took a step forward and growled. "Asami, are you implying that I am cheating you?"
The stocky man threw the packet on the floor, resulting white powder to be strewn around the floor. "How dare you throw those accusations at me! I checked everything myself before sending the shipment!"
Asami darkened his eyes. "My men inspected the goods upon arrival and found all packets have been contaminated and yet you have the audacity standing here, saying that I accused you?"
"Do you have proof? Your men could have said anything!"
"You want proof?" Asami signaled Suoh over. Suoh walked to Asami and retrieved his knife from the waistband of his trousers. At Asami's nod, Suoh took a packet of heroin in the box and stabbed at it, tearing the bag open. He emptied the contents on the floor.
"The proof is here. The heroin is supposed to be pure white. Your eyes are not blind. The packet I opened just now, there were two colors. You mixed the heroin with white flour," Asami said in a low, dangerous voice.
Mah who still looked composed, defended his name, "How would I know if you repackaged the heroin just to frame me? The goods have reached Japan for a few days now, you could have done anything. What you showed me wasn't concrete enough! "
"As a matter of fact, I do have another thing to show you," Asami spoke calmly but everyone in the warehouse knew that their boss's temper was threading at a thin line.
Sensing his boss's displeasure, Kirishima quickly stepped forward and passed the tablet to Asami who in turn passed to Mah. "Remember him? He was one of the boys you sent to guard the shipment."
Mah gripped the tablet hard and gritted his teeth as he recognized one of his own men sat motionless on a chair in a similar warehouse he was in. The man's eyes were opened wide as he stared downwards at his blown apart mouth.
Asami gave a fierce grin. "Hell of a way to go, don't you think? Of course, before that, I managed to extract some very important information from him, in Putōnghuà."
"Do you want to know what he said in Mandarin?" Asami retrieved his phone and pressed the play button.
A sobbing man's voice rang out. Crying and pleading in his national language, he screamed and shouted for nearly a minute before finally revealing that the heroin has been contaminated, as per Mah's orders. A gun shot was then heard and the man stopped pleading.
"You bastard, you dared to kill my men?" Mah's voice was trembling in rage.
His men whipped their guns out to point at Asami but Suoh was quicker. In two strides, he was next to the Chinese boss, a gun on his head. The other guards scattered around the five guards, guns out and ready.
The yakuza slid the phone back into his pants.
As expected from the Chinese mafia, he was still calm despite being outnumbered. "What do you want?"
"My money and a replacement of the heroin," Asami walked back to the chair, unbuttoned his coat and sat down gracefully.
Mah cursed a long line of Chinese profanities. He thought long and hard before breaking a smile. "What if I don't agree? You and I both know that it is impossible to kill me. I am a citizen of China and the Chinese government will not close an eye if six of their own are killed in Japan."
Ignoring Suoh's gun on his forehead, he walked a step closer to Asami. "Not to mention my son will definitely avenge my death. We, the Tung Shings are powerful in China, Asami."
Mah slid his hands in his pants and mocked, "So, do you still think you have the rights to negotiate with me? You are ten years too early Asami!" Mah laughed before he continued, "And yes, I purposely added white power into the heroin packets, what are you going to do?" Mah laughed.
Asami cocked his head at Kirishima. "Kirishima, proceed."
Kirishima nodded and retrieved his phone. "Done, Asami sama," he said after a short moment.
Mah stopped laughing. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, confused by Asami's calmness.
Asami took a freshly cut cigar from Kirishima and allowed the secretary to lit it with his custom made butane lighter. He drew the smoke in, savored the taste in his mouth before puffing the smoke out. The yakuza took a few drags, taking his time.
"What did you do?" Mah snarled.
Asami remained unshaken. "You'll know soon, Mah. I think you'll be getting a call any minute now."
On cue, Mah's phone rang that particular moment. The Chinese boss reached for his phone and answered it without breaking his gaze from the yakuza. After listening for a short moment, he shouted furiously in Mandarin before hurling the phone away.
"What did you do, you bastard?" He grabbed his gun from the waist band of his pants and pointed at Asami.
This time, Asami didn't give Mah a chance; he had his own gun out and pointed at the Chinese mafia. Aiming at his hand, Asami fired a single shot, disarming the man. As Mah fell on the floor, groaning and cradling his injured hand, his subordinates pointed their guns at Asami but the yakuza's men disarmed them by firing shots on their legs.
Asami curved a sadistic smile. "You're not the only one who knows how to play games, Mah." He took another drag of his cigar. "I merely fed some important information about your drug processing locations to your government via the Japanese Law Enforcement."
The yakuza checked his watch. "By now, a few of your factories would be raided and your precious son? He'll be arrested too."
"You son of a bitch!" Mah spurted out.
Asami knelt down next to Mah and cocked his gun at the Chinese's plump cheeks. "You think you can outsmart me by supplying me impure heroin? I warned you during our first meeting. There would be hell to pay if you think you can cheat me." Asami snarled and fired another shot next to his ear. The deafening shot near his ear had Mah rolling on the floor, screaming in pain.
Pleased with the amount of blood pouring out from Mah's ears, Asami stood up and passed his gun to Kirishima. He turned to walk away; only to have the Chinese stopped him.
"Why didn't you kill me, Asami?" The man panted heavily as he spoke.
Without turning back, the yakuza spoke, "It gives me more pleasure to see you squirming. And I heard that China's capital punishment is death by firing squad," Asami smirked. "I'll definitely enjoy that."
Without waiting for Mah to reply, Asami strode out of the warehouse and slid into his limousine. "Kirishima, progress?" he asked the minute the secretary climbed into the front passenger seat.
"Inspector Mori updated me that the Chinese police have raided Mah's main heroin processing center and they are on the move for the remaining five. His son was arrested," the secretary answered.
Asami nodded his head. "Leak Mah's whereabouts to Mori. He'll try to escape the country via the sea. Mori can pick him up from there."
Kirishima pressed a few buttons on his phone. "Understood, Asami sama."
"And get someone to video tape that execution of his."
Kirishima gulped. "Yes, sir."
Satisfied with the successful negotiations, Asami took out his phone and dialed Akihito's number.
Akihito sat crossed legged on the tatami mat in an exclusive restaurant owned by Asami, sulking. His best friends were having the time of their lives, stuffing everything they could get their hands on in their mouths. Thankfully, they were in a private room or the snobbish patrons dining outside would no doubt lose their appetite at the sight of his two friends bingeing down food like cavemen who hadn't eaten for days.
"Akihito, stop sulking and dig in!" Takato spoke with his mouth full.
"Yeah! This is great stuff! I've never eaten a high grade tuna belly before!" Kou added as he dipped a piece of sushi on the soy sauce before stuffing it into his mouth.
"And we don't even have to pay!" Takato managed to say before he chomped down the sushi roll in one bite.
Akihito reluctantly picked up his fancy chopsticks and toyed with the perfectly cut salmon slices in front of him. He looked at his guard at the end of the table, sitting perfectly still as he enjoyed his own set meal. Feeling annoyed all of a sudden, Akihito slammed his chopsticks on the table and moved to Toru.
"Do you seriously have to report EVERY single movement I make to Asami?"
The guard stopped eating and arranged the chopsticks on the chopstick holder neatly before turning to Akihito. He bowed a little. "I apologize, Takaba sama, it is my duty to report."
The photographer frowned. "I know but it doesn't have to be in detail!"
Yesterday, Kou and Takatou had called him while he was working, reminding him about their little Christmas gathering. They made plans a week ago and placed Akihito to be in charge of booking the restaurant they usually patron during New Year's Eve at the obaasan's place but the photographer was so caught up with a few jobs that he had completely forgotten about it. By the time Akihito called the weird old lady, she cheerfully informed Akihito that her restaurant was fully booked – first time in ten years.
Akihito groaned in despair and was wondering how to break the news gently to his best buddies who were eagerly looking forward to the Christmas present exchanging party. He tried calling other restaurants but reservations were so full that Akihito had better chances buying Setsuna's concert tickets than booking for a place in the restaurant.
He went back to the penthouse and tried searching for places but the only available restaurants were the ridiculously expensive ones. He was about to call Kou to cancel their plan when Asami stood by the bedroom door with arms across his magnificent chest and a satisfied grin on his face.
Akihito knew instantly that Toru had reported unnecessary things to Asami again. His stubborn self wouldn't agree to Asami's request of using one of his upscale traditional Japanese restaurants but the older man coaxed him into agreeing, using dirty methods that involved a lot of bed actions.
"Takaba sama, it is Asami sama's orders."
Akihito punched his guard's arm lightly. "It really wouldn't hurt if you keep some things from him."
"Akihito!" Takato crawled to him with his mouth full. "The food is really good! Can we order another set?"
"Takato, can you at least swallow your food before you talk?" Akihito grumbled as he brushed off a few grains from his hands.
Takato covered his mouth with his hand, trying to chew the remaining food before swallowing. "Can we order another round? It's on the house right?"
"No!" Akihito said stubbornly.
Kou, feeling lonely sitting all by himself, deserted his seat at the other end to join them. He draped an arm around Akihito. "But Aki-chan," Kou whined, drawing circles on his friend's chest before continuing, "This is Asami san's restaurant right? We can practically clean house and walk away."
Akihito smacked Kou's arm away, irritated. He should have known better than to let his friends know about the restaurant's ownership. Akihito couldn't find a way to lie to his friends; not that he could do it anyway since Kou is usually sharp. Besides, who would believe that a photographer who had to chip in for a glass of milkshake would be able to secure a last minute booking at such expensive restaurant?
"Shut up, Kou," Akihito sulked. "We're NOT cleaning house."
"Don't be a spoilsport. Don't you pity us? Your best friend, Takato hasn't had the chance to sample the tuna belly," Kou emphasized the word best friend as he patted Takato's head gently.
"Would you even deny us the simple pleasure of eating the ootoro?" Takato used the luxurious napkin on the table and dabbed his eyes, in pretense of wiping his tears.
Kou nodded his head sympathetically. "You poor thing, how long has it been since you've eaten a decent meal?"
Continuing their pitiful act, Kou pretended to sob, "Too long, Kou. I cannot remember – "
"Arg! All right, stop your nonsense! We'll order another set!" Akihito nearly screamed from frustration. God, he loved his friends but they are a major pain in the ass sometimes.
The duo perked up. Throwing the napkin on the floor, Takato gave a victory fist in the air while Kou sat back, gloating at his success.
"Toru, can you call for the waitress?" Akihito asked, ignoring his friends.
Toru wiped his mouth elegantly and bowed. "Takaba sama, allow me to place the order," the guard said and got up from his seat.
Akihito watched Toru slid the door opened. A waitress in traditional Japanese kimono sat in seiza style with her legs folded neatly underneath her thighs. She modestly placed both hands on her laps and bowed when Toru opened the door.
Toru spoke to her in a low voice and the woman bowed again before sliding the door close.
Takato whistled. "Talk about high class."
Akihito sensed another wave of Kou and Takatou's tease attack so he quickly diverted their attention by suggesting that they should start the present exchanging session before the food arrives. The plan worked because Kou and Takatou's eyes literally sparkled at the mention of presents. Akihito received a camera bag from Kou and Takato; they sheepishly told Akihito that they chipped in to get the bag since they were a little low on funds. Akihito didn't really mind as he loved camera accessories.
Takato seemed to like his shirt too since he tried it on immediately after receiving the gift from Akihito. When Akihito removed Setsuna's concert DVD from his bag and presented it to Kou, he nearly squealed. "Wow, thanks buddy!"
"Sure, no problems."
"Do you want to have a go at it after I watched it?" Kou asked as he removed the DVD from the plastic covers.
"It's all right. I got to see them perform the other day," Akihito said a little too quickly and cursed immediately for letting the information slipped.
"WHAT?" Kou and Takato nearly shouted.
In a heartbeat, Kou was next to Akihito, shaking his shoulders. "When was this? Where did you meet them? Why didn't you tell us?"
Takato sandwiched Akihito's face and forced him to look at him. "And you call yourself our friend!" Takato accused.
Akihito smacked his hands on the floor repeatedly to indicate that he'd surrender. Takato and Kou released him but stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Uh—so I happened to see them performing the other day," Akihito said, rubbing his cheeks.
Kou crossed his arms. "Where? I just checked their official website; Setsuna is not scheduled to perform until the countdown concert on the 31st."
Akihito scratched his head. "Here's the thing, I –,"
"Takaba Akihito, spill now or I'll send your naked photos to Asami san." Takato threatened.
As Akihito continued to fumble with words, it was his guard who saved him from the awkwardness of explaining. "Asami sama arranged for a private performance at Club Sion."
Kou and Takato had their jaws dropped. "You mean Asami san went through the trouble to get them to perform for you?"
Again, Toru spoke, "Setsuna is signed under Asami sama's record company."
"WHAT?" Kou and Takato shouted in unison.
Akihito smiled sheepishly. "Uh—yeah. Sorry guys, I didn't mean to hide it from you."
His friends looked at him, jealousy written all over their faces. Kou placed both hands on Akihito's shoulders. "Akihito, you got to get us the tickets to the concert!"
"WHAT?" It was Akihito's turn to be surprised.
"Please, ask Asami san to get us some tickets! Since Setsuna is signed under his record label, getting the tickets should be a piece of cake!" Kou pleaded.
"No!" Akihito said firmly. Getting the tickets for Kou and Takato would mean that he had to ask Asami for a favor. He knew the yakuza well; owing Asami a favor is not something he look forward to repaying.
"You get to see them but we can't?" Takato accused, crossing his arms in displeasure.
"I'll try to pull some strings from the entertainment journalists but I AM NOT going to Asami for this!" Akihito said stubbornly.
Kou let go of Akihito and sighed. "You are weird, Aki-chan. You can literally get free tickets but you choose to buy them with your own money?"
That's because you don't know the perverted yakuza, Akihito thought. "Listen," he began only to be disrupted by his phone ringing. Grumbling, he fished his phone from his jeans pocket and nearly groaned when he saw the caller.
"Akihito, are you enjoying yourself?" Asami teased the moment Akihito answered the call.
"Asami, I thought you had a business meeting?" Akihito checked his watch; only 9.30 p.m and in Asami's world, 9.30 p.m. is considered early.
Asami chuckled. "I did but it ended a few minutes ago."
Akihito noticed his lover was in a good mood so he presumed that the business meeting went well. Of course, he didn't want to think what sort of business meetings Asami was having and the older man didn't make any attempts to discuss about it either.
"Are you still at the restaurant?" Asami asked again.
Akihito sensed Takato and Kou watching at him mischievously and he quickly raised his finger at them, a warning sign that they should stop advancing to him.
"Even if I say I weren't, you would have gotten confirmation from Toru. That spy will tell you everything!" Akihito snorted.
Asami chuckled again. "I am pleased that you're finally learning."
"You are such a possessive bastard, Asami. I – " Akihito's sentence was left hanging as Kou and Takato began to shout, "Asami san, we want tickets!"
Akihito quickly covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "Guys, what the hell? It's too early to get drunk!" he hissed.
"What tickets are your friends talking about?"
"Nothing," Akihito answered a little too quickly.
"Akihito," the yakuza growled a little.
"Kou and Takato are a little drunk," Akihito replied, unsure if Asami would buy his lame explanations.
"I see."
Akihito could sense Asami smirking. That bastard; he is enjoying himself. "Anyway, if there isn't anything important, I'll end the call now. I am still entertaining my guests," the photographer said sarcastically.
"Then, I shall leave you with them," the yakuza replied, clearly amused.
Akihito pressed the end button quickly and placed the phone on the table. "That possessive, perverted bastard! He is having too much fun!"
He glared at his friends, expecting to see them smirking but they looked flabbergasted. Wondering what made them shut up; he followed their gaze and cursed when he noticed his friends were staring at his black diamond encrusted phone. Damn, he had forgotten about that.
Akihito reached out his hand, intending to keep the phone in his pockets; his friends however had nimble fingers. Kou snatched the phone away before Akihito managed to close his fingers on it.
"Aki-chan, correct me if I'm wrong, although I don't think I am, but is this the black diamond encrusted phone that I read in the magazine a few days ago?"
"I don't know what you're talking about and stop calling me Aki-chan!" Akihito grumbled and leaned forward to take the phone from Kou.
Kou raised his hands, causing Akihito to fall on his face. He then passed the phone to Takato.
"I don't think it's crystal, Kou." Takato gave his opinion as he weighed the phone on his hands. "Yep, heavy too."
"Guys, give it back!" Akihito sat up and made another unsuccessful attempt to snatch the phone away. Kou and Takato must never know the truth about the phone or he would have to buy ear plugs to stop his friends from teasing.
Realizing that Akihito would never answer his question, Kou turned his attention to the guard. "Toru san, when did Akihito buy this phone?"
"Toru!" Akihito warned.
Toru, who was sipping his steaming hot green tea, replied, "Asami sama bought it for Takaba sama at Ginza."
An audible gasps came from the two friends. "It - it means that this is the real black diamond!" Kou quickly placed the phone back on the table.
"How much was the phone?"
"It was priced at – "
"TORU!" Akihito raised his voice, halting the guard from divulging further information.
Kou waved a hand at Toru. "Never mind, I can look it up on the Internet later."
Takato went behind Akihito and locked his arm around Akihito's neck. "You lucky bastard!"
A soft knock on the sliding door broke the scuffle. The woman in pretty kimono came into the room, carrying a huge platter of sashimi. Akihito was thankful that the lady came at the precise moment to distract his friends or he would have to endure endless humiliation from them.
By the time they had finished with their meals, Akihito was relieved that his friends seemed to have forgotten about the tickets and the phone.
The manager was appalled when Akihito requested for the bill and immediately went on his knees with his head bowed so low that it touched the tatami mat. He apologized to Akihito profusely and gave his assurance that he would improve the quality of the food and pleaded Akihito not to inform Asami about his incompetence. The photographer tried to reason that the food was excellent and he simply wanted to pay but the manager wouldn't have any of his explanations. After ten minutes of futile explanations, Akihito gave up. He thanked the manager and went outside the restaurant to join his friends.
"That was a great meal!" Takato said, rubbing his belly.
"Thank you, Aki-chan," Kou draped his hand on Akihito's shoulder.
Akihito slapped his hand away. "Stop calling me that! Please remind me why you guys are my best friends because you never seem to stand on my side," he sulked.
"Aw, stop sulking Aki-chan. You know we love you," Kou winked.
"Ew, stop it! You're grossing me out," Akihito laughed.
"Where is Toru san? Kou and I bought a small gift for him," Takato said as he retrieved a small box from his bag.
"He went to get the car," Akihito answered, rubbing his bare hands together for some warmth. He realized he hadn't give Toru his present either. He had bought the guard a pair of warm socks and it was the only item he could afford since he spent almost everything on Asami's tie.
"Takaba?" A voice called out, halting Akihito from his thoughts. He looked up and tensed when saw Ishida Atsuki walking towards him with a fake smile plastered on his mouth.
Akihito hated Ishida. A fellow photo journalist like himself, Ishida is attached to a rival tabloid newspaper whose specialty involved fabrication of news. As much as Akihito hated to admit it, Ishida is good at what he does. He has sharp instincts and took great shots, although most of his shots were heavily altered before printing.
"What a surprise!" Ishida sauntered towards him, a back pack swung behind his shoulders. He looked around the restaurant and whistled. "Working?"
"No, what are you doing here?" Akihito replied curtly.
Ishida took no notice of Akihito's rude reply. "On my way back from work," he smiled.
Akihito knew that taunting smirk. He had most probably taken some very good shots and was dying to show them off to Akihito. Fortunately for Akihito, Ishida's brains were no bigger than a bird's and with an ego as the size of a mountain; it was easy to taunt him to spill his guts.
"Oh?" Akihito raised an eyebrow and gave him a 'I-don't-believe-you' look. "Really? What sort of work did you have today? Stalking film stars for their secret rendezvous Christmas dinner?"
Ishida took the bait instantly. He pulled Akihito aside, away from Kou and Takato and unzipped his camera bag. He retrieved his camera, pressed the replay button and pushed it onto Akihito's hands. "Check this out," he breathed heavily as he spoke, excitement clearly written all over his face.
Akihito froze when he saw the shots. Asami stood in a warehouse, flanked by Kirishima and Suoh by his sides. He was holding a packet of white powder which Akihito assumed to be drugs.
"And look at this," Ishida said excitedly as he pressed the next button.
A Chinese man with bad dressing sense had his gun pointed at Asami. Akihito noted that Asami was looking too calm for a man who had a gun pointed at him.
"And finally, the best picture goes to this!" Ishida announced pompously as he pressed the next button again.
Asami was seen crouching next to the Chinese man with a gun pointed to the man's cheeks. Akihito's hands went weak. Asami had just called him, announcing arrogantly that he had finished his business meeting. Could it be this was the meeting he was referring to? Akihito shuddered a little and was thankful that Ishida was too preoccupied to notice his pale look or his trembling hands.
"Great isn't it?" Ishida bragged as he showed Akihito a few more shots.
"Ho—How did you manage to get these?" Akihito asked when he finally gotten his strength back.
Ishida gave a wide smile when he noticed how shocked Akihito was. Not wanting to miss the chance to prove that he was better in the industry, he quickly revealed his sources, "One of Asami's men told me this."
Akihito's eyes widened at the statement. Asami's guard betrayed him?
"I had to bribe him and it didn't come cheap. I have to admit, I was quite surprised when he called me personally to offer the information. I wondered if he's with the police." Ishida continued.
"Akihito! Are you all right?" Kou shouted.
"Yeah! I'm just talking to Ishida!" Akihito shouted back, trying to mask his nervousness.
Ishida kept the camera in his bag pack. "Takaba, looks like I won this round. Your stories on Inoue Kyousuke and Sion might have been successful but this is the cream of the crop! I have to get these to the editor, ASAP. See you around!" Ishida mocked and left the photographer standing on the same spot.
Kou and Takato immediately came over the minute Ishida left. "Hey, buddy you all right?" Takato asked when he noticed how pale Akihito looked.
Akihito didn't answer Takato. He was too busy thinking about the photos Ishida had just shown him. He hadn't realized that seeing a gun pointed at Asami would affect him so much. He knew the yakuza had dangerous dealings but seeing the evidence with his own eyes shocked him to the core. He swore his heart nearly stopped just now, thinking what would happen if Asami was shot.
But that bastard called an hour ago and said that his business meeting had been successful. That meant that he was all right, wasn't he?
The photographer vaguely heard his friends calling him again but he ignored them. There is another problem right now. If the photos were leaked to the press, Asami would be arrested for drug dealings, gun possession and a string of other charges Akihito didn't want to even think about. God, what should he do now?
Akihito closed his eyes and took two deep breaths to calm his raging heartbeat. He pondered for a few seconds before opening his hazel orbs again. This time, there was fire in his eyes. I'll get the photos back; there'll be no questions about it.
Decisions made, Akihito began to feel his temper rising. That bastard, Asami! Who said he could have his photos taken by another photographer? I should be the one taking photographs of his underworld dealings, not some lowly photographer like Ishida Atsuki!
"Hey Kou, Takato! Ask Toru to drop you guys off. Tell him I'm taking a detour," Akihito pushed his present to Kou's hands and sprinted off before his friends could question him.
Toru was mistaken if he thought he managed to survive another day without any incidents. After a satisfying dinner, the guard left his master with his friends at the front door of the restaurant to bring the car around. Luck was not on his side; his boss's BMW was blocked by another patron and he had to jog back into the restaurant to knock on doors.
By the time Toru managed to locate the owner, fifteen minutes had passed and he hoped Akihito wasn't going to give him an earful for being late. He was momentarily alarm to see Akihito wasn't standing with Kou and Takato when he drove the car to the front of the restaurant. Thinking that Akihito had probably gone back in to get something, he killed the engine and stepped out.
"Where is Takaba sama?" Toru asked, expecting Kou and Takato to giggle silly at his friend's forgetfulness.
His friends' worried looks had Toru broke into cold sweat. "Akihito bumped into a colleague from work. Ishida, I believe was his name – he showed Akihito some pictures and he looked a little troubled," Takato said uncertainly as he looked at Kou.
Kou nodded his head. "Yeah, Akihito was paled for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he had this fierce, enthusiastic look on him and chased after the guy."
"Toru san? Are you all right?" Kou asked when he noticed the guard had gone slightly pale.
Toru looked at Kou. "Do you know how to drive?"
Kou looked surprised by Toru's unexpected question. "Huh? Yeah, I do. I just got my license – "
"Good, drive the car home. I'll collect it from you later," Toru cut him off and threw the keys to Kou.
"Which way did he go?" Toru asked again.
"Headed to the west," Takato said as he pointed to the direction where Akihito took off.
Toru didn't wait for a reply. He sprinted off, leaving Akihito's friends looking at each other, trying to make sense what had happened. The guard contemplated for a second if he should call Asami but he realized failure to inform his boss would result in heavier punishment. With great reluctance, the guard retrieved his phone from his pockets and dialed Asami's number.
"Asami," his boss answered at the second ring.
"Asami sama? We have a problem," Toru spoke clearly despite he was running at a fast pace.
His boss's voice turned cold. "Where is he?"
Toru shuddered at the tone but quickly pushed it away as he explained briefly what Kou and Takato had told him, all the while scanning the busy street for his master.
"Where are you right now?"
"I am heading towards Asakusa."
"I'll send the men. Continue to look around. Check the back alleys," Asami ordered.
"Yes, Asami sama."
"And Toru?"
Toru halted his steps, recognizing the easy tone of his boss.
"Make sure you find him and he better be all right," the yakuza warned.
Toru gulped, nodding his head as though his boss could see his nonverbal reaction. "Understood," he replied when he finally found his nerve back.
Quickly, he disconnected the call and ran into the back alleys, praying that he would find his master before anything happens to him. He'd be damn if he wasn't worried about the boy too. Sure, he's reckless and obstinate but beneath his bratty attitude, Akihito is actually pretty likable. As he worried about the boy's safety, his thoughts switched to Asami's warning earlier. He gulped; he really didn't want his boss throwing his loaded gun at him again.
Akihito followed Ishida from a safe distance, trying to camouflage himself among the busy crowd to avoid being detected. He had thought various steps he could use to take the photos away with minimal damage. The street was busy and Ishida was no fool either; he brought the backpack to the front and held onto it tightly, protecting it from pick pockets. There was no way Akihito could have taken the photos from Ishida without utilizing some force.
He loathed what he was about to do. Akihito knew the way to Ishida's office. In another few blocks, he would have entered the back alley, cutting through main roads to get to the newspaper agency. The plan was to intercept him there and rob him. Akihito shuddered at the word. Never in his entire life would he resort into this: robbing someone.
Akihito pushed the guilt away, knowing that it simply wasn't the time and place to question his morality or journalism ethics. There weren't any options to begin with; either he does it or Asami goes to jail. Despite his mind was set, the next question that popped into his mind was, How am I going do it? It wasn't Akihito could just go right up to Ishida and merrily told him that he wanted to rob the man?
Luck was definitely on his side. Unable to resist the smell of the takoyaki, Ishida stopped by the stall to order a box and Akihito quickly ran to the nearby convenience store to grab a pen knife, a beanie hat and a Santa clause mask. He stepped out, thinking what he should do with his clothes when he noticed an old man draped in his torn jacket begging by the roadside. Akihito went up to him and offered to trade his expensive coat with the ragged piece of clothing. The old man looked at Akihito and blinked at his odd request but since he was freezing from the thin jacket, he didn't protest.
Akihito slipped on the man's dirty jacket, trying his hardest to ignore the pungent smell. He zipped it up to the top and slid his hands into the pocket. Right on cue, Ishida paid for the Takoyaki box and walked away, slipping into the back alley for a short cut.
It is now or never. Akihito thought as he slipped on his beanie and mask. He took out the pen knife and walked along the deserted alley, taking a backward glance every now and then to check if there was anyone following him.
When he was sure that he was clear, he took a deep breath, plucked his courage and quickened his steps to Ishida. Since there was no way he could rob a person gently, Akihito pushed Ishida to the side, slamming his face onto the concrete wall before placing the knife on his face.
"Give me your bag," Akihito growled in a low voice.
When Ishida hesitated, Akihito turned him around and kicked him on the stomach. Akihito's weak punch didn't pose much damage to Ishida. He groaned from the kick but he was still standing.
"I said give it to me!" Akihito raised his voice and hoped Ishida would surrender his bag willingly as he really didn't want to start using the knife.
"Okay, okay!" Ishida raised both his hands up to surrender before slowly reaching for his back pack.
Akihito almost breathed in relief. As he reached out his hand to grab the offered bag, Ishida kicked him on his stomach, causing him to stagger a few steps behind. Before he could regain his composure, Ishida had slammed his backpack on Akihito's head.
Akihito saw stars as he fell back, kneeling on the ground. Ishida pounced on him, causing the photographers to fall on his back.
Ishida then straddled him, placing both knees on Akihito's arms, trapping the photographer beneath him. The photographer squirmed, trying to free his hands but given that Ishida was heavier, he couldn't find his strength to push him away. His head was still hurting like hell too.
Ishida grinned. "Not so tough now, huh? Let's see you true face, loser." Ishida mocked and placed his hand on Akihito's mask, intending to rip it off.
Akihito shut his eyes tight. God, this is it. Akihito thought, foreseeing himself and Asami getting hauled into the police station for different reasons. He waited for the nightmare but the mask did not come off, instead he heard a thud and a heavy lump fell on top of him. He opened his eyes to see an unconscious Ishida on top of him and blinked a few times at the unidentified male who stood beside him.
"Toru!" Akihito breathed in relief.
Toru kicked Ishida away from his master and crouched to help Akihito up. He pulled Akihito's mask and beanie away before checking on his injuries.
"How did you know it was me?" Akihito asked, rubbing his sore head.
"I can recognize your stature, Takaba sama."
Akihito checked his stomach; thank god there wasn't any visible bruise. "Luckily, Ishida is not as smart as you," he muttered.
"What are you doing?"
"I rather not talk about it," Akihito replied as he shrugged the coat off and passed it to Toru. "Do me a favor, will you? Burn it."
Toru took the offered coat. "Where is your coat, Takaba sama?"
Akihito crouched next to the unconscious male and took the backpack on the floor, unzipping it in the process. The photographer checked the contents before rummaging for Ishida's wallet. "I traded with the homeless guy near the convenience store."
"Takaba sama, would you please explain what is going on? Asami sama will – "
"I'll talk to him," Akihito interrupted his guard. He took all the money from Ishida's wallet and dumped it back on the ground.
Akihito stood up to look at his guard; he had never seen Toru looking so shocked. "Don't look at me like that, Toru. I swear I don't want to do this either. It has to look like a robbery."
"Takaba sama," Toru began.
Akihito swung the backpack around his shoulder and said, "I'll handle Asami."
Toru gave up questioning, knowing that his master can be rather obstinate at times. Seeing Akihito shivering from the thin raiment he was wearing, Toru immediately shrugged off his own coat and draped it around Akihito.
"I'll take you home," Toru said before retrieving his phone to call his boss.
Asami threw his single diamond studded phone on the back seat of his limo carelessly. He had just received a very vague report from Akihito's guard. Toru reported that he found Akihito at the back alley, scuffling with a reporter. He almost didn't believe his ears when Toru said that Akihito had traded his coat, put on a mask and robbed the reporter, taking his back pack and money with him.
The yakuza knew that there must be a reason behind Akihito's bizarre behavior but Toru mentioned that Akihito wouldn't justify his reasons for doing so and it left Asami to wonder what had happened between Akihito and Ishida Atsuki.
"Kirishima, get me information about a reporter named Ishida Atsuki," Asami ordered.
Kirishima looked at his boss from the rear view mirror. "Understood, Asami sama."
Asami diverted his attention to Suoh. "Suoh, pick one of the men to be Akihito's driver from now on. Ask Toru to assist you since the new guard will be working closely with him."
Suoh kept his eyes to the front as he answered, "Yes, Asami sama."
Asami was silent throughout the journey home. His thoughts were filled with the boy, trying to make sense of Akihito's behavior but couldn't come up with any. By the time Asami entered the penthouse, he wasn't at all surprise to be greeted by darkness. He reached for the switch and as soon as the lights filled the entire living room, he saw Akihito sitting on the couch, sulking.
Asami noticed that the boy had already showered since he caught the scent of the apricot shampoo that Akihito favored. Akihito had his knees brought to his chest with his arms wrapped around his slender legs. Eyebrows furrowed, he stared ahead as he sat completely still.
The yakuza unbuttoned his coat and draped it on the couch before taking the empty seat next to Akihito.
"That doesn't look like your camera," Asami began when he noticed a black camera sitting on the coffee table.
"It's not," Akihito replied curtly, still refusing to look at Asami.
The yakuza gripped his lover's chin and forced Akihito to look at him. "Look at me, Akihito."
Akihito gazed at Asami's golden eyes momentarily before slanting them downwards.
The guilty look on his lover confirmed Asami's suspicions that something was bothering the boy. "If you do not want to tell me now, it's fine. But you will tell me, Akihito," the yakuza warned.
Enraged by Asami's tone, Akihito pushed Asami away and turned to grab the camera from the table. He pushed the camera into the yakuza's hands.
"See for yourself, you bastard," Akihito looked away.
Wondering what could be stored in the camera, Asami pressed the play back button. His blood boiled as he viewed the contents of the photos. The location of the meeting was a top secret; Asami had made sure of that. Only the few selected men who went with him knew of the place. Unless they were followed or Mah had leaked out their location, it was unlikely to have a reporter snooping around. Perhaps one of his men betrayed him?
He opened the compartment that housed the memory card and removed the card before slipping it into his pockets. "How did Ishida get this?"
"Ishida said his source was one of your men, who even contacted him personally and offered the information," the photographer replied.
Asami's eyes darkened. So his suspicions were correct, Asami thought and swore he would find the traitorous bastard and made him regret his actions. The bastard would be paying for his mistakes by tenfold; he would see to that personally.
When Asami remained quiet, the photographer stood up and placed his hands on his hips. He looked at Asami, eyes fierce and defiant, and his anger went full blast. "I should be worrying about other things; instead I was more concerned about saving your ass from getting lock up behind bars!" Akihito shouted before placing his hand on his face, covering his eyes to stop the tears from flowing.
"True, I never liked Ishida but I hated the fact that I stooped so low by robbing him!" Akihito continued angrily. "And did you know how many journalism rules I violated?" Akihito asked. "At least five!" Akihito raised five fingers at the yakuza.
It dawned on Asami that the boy had been worried about him being arrested and the photo, it probably shocked him and brought back unwanted memories of Hong Kong. The thought of Akihito sacrificed his own safety to protect him made Asami swell with pride for the boy.
The yakuza curved a smile before reaching out his hand to pull the boy onto his lap. As usual, Akihito would not be so docile to let him do as he pleases. Akihito struggled in his arms, shoving at him as he tried to wriggle away.
"Let me go, you perverted bas –"
Asami silenced him by crushing his mouth on Akihito's. The photographer struggled for a moment, trying to push him away but his kisses were so masterful that Akihito found himself tremble in pleasure. Asami broke the kiss and pushed his lover on the couch so he was lying on his back. He moved above him, trapping the boy with his body before cupping Akihito's jaw firmly to continue the kiss.
Akihito responded by placing his arms around Asami's neck; a sign of offering himself to the yakuza as he returned Asami's kisses.
After an endless moment, it was Akihito who broke the kiss. "You could at least say thank you," he grumbled.
Asami chuckled. "Then I think you deserved a reward, Akihito."
Akihito rolled his eyes. "Your rewards usually involve buying me properties or sex. So, I don't want any, thank you very much," he said sarcastically.
Pleased that his lover's mood had improved, Asami nuzzled his lover's neck as he slid his hand below, tugging at Akihito's boxer shorts. "What about I let you tie me up?"
Akihito thought he had heard incorrectly. "Excuse me?"
The yakuza gazed at his lover's confused looks and curved a smile. "I'll let you handcuff me and you can ride me. It's your favorite right?"
A healthy blush formed on the photographer's face. "You—you pervert."
"Who's the pervert now, Akihito?"
Akihito averted his eyes to the left, a habit he practiced when he was lying or blushing.
"I'm not!" he defended.
"Oh?" The yakuza raised an eyebrow. "I seemed to recall that you had fun tying me up once."
Akihito blushed harder and felt his boxers tightened. Tying up Asami had always been one of Akihito's major turn on but he knew his lover preferred to have it the other way round. The sadistic bastard love to see him squirming and writhing beneath him. Well, since he offered, Akihito supposed it wouldn't be a bad idea after all.
"Well?" Asami asked, amused to see the boy in deep thoughts about it.
"I – I'll take up your offer," Akihito whispered before gazing into his lover's golden orbs and smiled cheekily. "Be prepared Asami, I'll take you for a ride tonight."
Asami sat up, pulling the boy up in the process. "Then, go and choose your weapon," he teased, smacking Akihito's pert ass.
The photographer smiled coyly and disappeared into the room, already thinking which handcuff he should use on the yakuza. The minute the door to their bedroom was closed, Asami's eyes went cold and hard. He took his phone from his pockets and called his secretary.
"Kirishima, the location of the warehouse has been compromised. Relocate the goods."
Kirishima seemed surprised by the boss's orders. "Yes, Asami sama. But, how can it be?"
Asami loosened his tie before replying. "Akihito bumped into Ishida at the restaurant. He showed Akihito photographs of the warehouse during our negotiations with Mah."
"Then, the warehouse will be clean in three hours," Kirishima reported.
"Good. Get Suoh to gather the men who were at the warehouse earlier. Akihito said one of the men called Ishida personally to offer the location of the negotiations. Find him and have him brought to one of the warehouses." Asami ordered in a cool voice.
"Understood, Asami sama."
Asami disconnected the call and placed it on the table. He smirked as he stood up, circled his wrists a little, before walking into the bedroom to be tied up.
Translations:
Putōnghuà – Mandarin, the official language of the People's Republic of China.
Obaasan- Literally translated as grandmother but it can be referred to a female senior citizen.
Ootoro – Tuna belly
Seiza- The traditional way of sitting in Japan
Thank you for reading! I'd like you to know that I read and take all your ideas seriously. So, thank you for giving me all those lovely ideas and suggestions for this fiction! I really appreciate it!
The negotiation scene between Asami and Mah was 'choreographed' by my boyfriend who got a little too excited with it.
I already have the skeleton for next chapter but I need to add in more flesh before I start writing. I'll try to keep my updates fortnightly. It usually takes me about 5 days to write a chapter since I have trouble stopping at an appropriate length (scratches head). Plus, work and assignments are also killing me so thank you for being patient! (bows)
Question: I know my chapters can be lengthy at times. Please let me know if you rather have it split into two chapters instead of posting it as one long chapter. Thanks!