Entry 84: Those who don't deserve it

October 1st: Morning

Covering my eyes from the bright fall sun, I let out a small sigh before looking at my surroundings. Ijincho, the large and wonderful city that just so happens to be one of if not the most dangerous places for my first client. Speaking of which, I turned to the young black haired woman who looked like she came here on vacation. Wearing stylish black sunglasses and carrying a large suitcase, Shiki Ono let out a whistle. "Ijincho! Just as beautiful as the last time I saw it! Cool place, don't cha think Ogata?"

I would agree with her if it wasn't for the small group of suited men not too far from the train station we stood in front of. Five men who were clearly Yakuza were in a small circle, smoking but also taking glances at us. I knew we weren't going to just come into this city unnoticed but I would have hoped that we'd have at least a few hours of a head start. Given the fact that it's called the Ijin three, I'm sure those guys will report to the Geomijul immediately. Great. "Let's just check into our hotel before we get shot."

"Pah, you worry too much." Weren't you the one who told me they were after your life? I was already starting to miss home as we walked through the city. It was far more congested than Asahiyama. Surprisingly giving me a claustrophobic feel. Didn't think that I'd get this sort of reaction from being so far from home. This trip sort of happened haphazardly, while it'd be better to take our time and plan this out, I'm also a high school student who wants to go to college. So I can't miss too much school, especially with university tests starting at the end of this month. I'd thought about waiting till winter break but then there'd be no telling when they'd make their move. Best to take the initiative, even if it's a bit of a little weak of an option. Not to mention I had to skip the fireworks festival this year. This better be worth it. "...Ogata."

"Yeah, I already noticed. Just relax and keep walking." We haven't been here for more than thirty minutes and we're already being followed. And watched too. Glancing to my side, I saw a few people looking at us through the windows of nearby buildings. "Here I thought this city invited tourists." But they haven't come up to us yet, nor seemed to want to harm us. Maybe the Geomijul aren't as mad at Ono as she thinks. But then again, Maybe they're surprised that she showed up with the same guy she apparently made a deal about. Still wondering about that but I feel like if I learn what she wanted to do, I'd punch her in the face. Nevertheless, we were able to get to our hotel without any real issue.

The small hotel was in the center of Ijincho, intentionally picked by me to make sure we didn't end up in an alley that could end our trip early. Unfortunately though, the receptionist looked like he was about to shit himself when we walked in, so clearly we were walking into a boss fight. "W-Welcome to Ijincho, sir and M-Madam! How may I help you?" Ono and I shared a look before turning our attention back to the shivering receptionist. So, what's the move here...

Ono however, took the lead. Clasping her hands together, she gave the man a lovely (fake) smile. "Oh hello there! Thank you for the welcome sir! But, my boyfriend and I are a little hungry! If it's alright, could we send up our luggage and then go get some food! I heard your Chinese food here is to die for!" Hm, not a bad misdirection. Pushing away that she called me her boyfriend, ew, it's a good way to innocently get away from here and regroup.

"U-Um..." Moving his eyes left to right, the receptionist clearly didn't know what to say or do. Jeez, did this guy even think one step ahead? Oh wait, he's a civy. Almost forgot. And because he's a civilian, he also doesn't want to be in this situation. And what would any crime family do if a tool they used didn't have its wanted effect? Ugh, I'd rather not have that on my conscience.

"Just tell us our room number and then go home, alright?" I felt a bit sorry for the man. He clearly just wanted to do his job, not be forced to send kids to what he assumes is their deaths. Ono clearly didn't agree with my decision but she stayed quiet.

"...Floor 3, room 10. H-Have a safe trip!" Exaggerating a bow, he sent us off. It wasn't until we were in the elevator that Ono spoke once more.

"You're way too soft, Kuro. He would have been fine." Shifting to her side, the wannabe criminal took off her glasses and rested them on top of her head. "You and I both know that they'd be idiots for killing a civilian. That'd bring a lot of unwanted attention."

It wasn't till we were clearly getting closer to an encounter that Ono started to change. She was trying her best to look unaffected by everything and just as smug as usual. But, she was clearly shaking , and her voice wasn't as even as it usually was. "Relax. If they wanted to do something, then we would have been hurt by now. At least at the moment we know what we're walking into." Huffing, my arch-nemesis turned away from me and crossed her arms. "I didn't come all this way to just leave you to die. You're my client, and I'm not going to start my career with a failure."

The ding of the elevator kept any response she'd had at bay and the two of us walked onto the floor. Slowly but surely, we walked to our room and without hesitation, I opened the door using the keycard we were given. I reserved a two bed room for the weekend. It was meant to be a place that the two of us would simply use to sleep as we went about our business. Opening the door, that was what I was met with. A small resting room attached to a bedroom housing two twin sized beds. It was pretty good for what I paid for, though, I don't remember there being anything about a roommate in the description.

Sitting in the center of the living room, drinking a cup of tea, was an admittedly beautiful Korean woman. She had dyed pink hair that was parted to the right and was wearing a black suit and tie. "You're here. Here I assumed you'd take longer." Placing her cup on the table, the woman stood up and smiled at the two of us. "Good morning, Kuro Ogata, Shiki Ono."

"..." Ono was stunned silent, not that I could blame her. I expected some nobodies or even a captain of the Geomijul. Not the leader herself. Seon-hui, even if Library doesn't know a lot about what happens within Ijincho, we know the leader of the Korean Mafia when we see her. Shit, just what kind of trouble did you get yourself into, Ono? For our arrival to lead to someone so important being in our room... being killed might be one of the best things that could happen to us.

Deciding not to let the situation get out of hand however, I spoke up. "Hello, Lady Seon-hui. Forgive me for my nervousness, but I did not expect my presence to lead to meeting you. I'm sure you're quite the busy woman. But thank you for the kind greeting." I made sure to give her a polite bow. After all, my goal was never to get into a fight or even antagonize the Geomijul. Only to earn Ono's forgiveness.

I couldn't tell if my feeling came though because the woman just held the same professionally polite smile. I'm starting to regret not going with my brothers whenever he met with Yakuza heads. I've got no idea what she's thinking. Seon-hui crossed her arms before she began to speak again. "It's my pleasure, Ogata. After all, it isn't every day that a member of Library infiltrates my turf. Let alone the brother of its head." The word Infiltrate did not mean good for us. Great, she clearly sees us as a threat. Not good.

"You misunderstand, Lady Seon-hui. We are not here for any Library business. In fact, I am a member of Library in name only. I will be leaving the organization soon enough. I am here because of her." I motioned to Ono, who was placing myself between her and the woman she crossed. "It is my understanding that she had promised you something and failed to deliver. And because of that you are... angry to say the least. Is there any way that we can peacefully fix this?"

Grinning, the woman began to... unbutton her shirt? "Thank god. I hate having to be all serious." She only unbuttoned until her chest was a bit more exposed. She haphazardly threw off her tie and sat down once more on the ground, taking her tea into her hands. "Alright then, lets talk. C'mon then, why're you still standing there?" May as well. Best to show respect, in this sort of situation, so I sat across from her, unzipping my sweater as I did so. Ono took a bit more time and a nod from me to finally join us. "So, what can we do?"

"Well I was-"

"Not you, Ogata. Shiki, you know that what you did was unjustifiable. Not only did you come to the Geomijul during our weakest point and promise quite a bit, but you used our influence and intelligence to bring us nothing. If I can be honest, you're lucky that you weren't shot on sight." I'd heard that all of the Ijin three were in quite a bit of trouble last year and that's not even including the war with the Omi. The Seriyu clan lost their head, the Geomijul lost its supposed infinite resources and the Yokohama Liumang's head retired. On paper, going to them when they are weak is a smart move, if you promise something that could help, then they'd have nothing to lose for trusting you. But, if they get better on their own and you fail then... I can see why she ended up on their shit list. Add in the fact that she's a former Omi then she's in even more trouble. "Then you run away and bring a member of Library to my city. Give me a good reason why I should forgive you."

Taking in a deep breath, Ono closed her eyes for a moment. The next, she opened them and all of her nervousness was gone. She went right back into being the sly woman she always is. "Cuz I really wanna live! Pwetty pweese!" Is she for real right now? I'll hand it to her, this crazy woman doesn't let the threat of death get in the way of making fun of someone. It's almost commendable. Almost. "Nah, didn't think that'd work. But, in all seriousness, I don't really have a good reason other than saying that I hope you can look the other way. I get that I fucked up and honestly, I never intended on following through with my promise anyway. I was just hoping I'd have the power to ignore you when the time came for you to be pissed at me. Shit didn't work out so well thanks to a certain quintessential idiot." I'm literally here to save your life.

Seon-Hui chuckled at the girl's statement. "Bold to say that to my face."

"Hey, don't ever say I wasn't honest."

"You're only honest when it means you can be rude to someone." I said under my breath. I wish the black haired girl was this honest when she was targeting me. It would have saved me so much headache. I ignored the glare that my client was giving me as I gave Seon-hui my full attention. "Allow me to be honest. I personally do not like Shiki Ono. Not only has she caused a lot of trouble for me, Library and Sanctuary, as well as Asahiyama as a whole. But she's also put my family in mortal danger, got me shot and tried to choke the life out of me. All in one summer."

"What, does an apology not work these days? I swear, people are so sensitive now." Shut the fuck up. Please shut the fuck up.

"Even saying that." I calmed myself before I continued. "I don't think that hurting her will solve anything. I do not know what Ono promised you and I'd honestly rather not know. I do know however that Ono's a smart and dedicated girl. Annoyingly so. But she's also obviously a fool and dreams far too big , not to mention that she's young. I'm sure that there are other ways that she can repay you. Please." Scooting back, I prostrate myself in front of the woman, digging my head into the floor. "If even I, someone who's been wronged by her in such a way, can come to somewhat forgive her, then I'm sure you can find it in your heart to do so as well."

The silence in the room was loud, yet I did not move an inch. Not until I got an answer. A minute passed before anyone even breathed. "Huh, I've got to say, you've got a future in social work." Huh? Looking up, I was met with the pink haired woman smiling at me. "Your speech could use a little work, try not to insult your client would be the first rule I think. But, that's what college is for, right? " Now I was completely confused and so was Ono. She and I stared blankly at the woman, not really knowing where this was going. First of all, how the hell does she know that's what I want to be?! The only people who know that are the Nakano family, Shiro and Ono. Can the Geomijul read minds? An admittedly cute giggle came from her. God I almost forgot how cute kids can be. Shit, now you're making me feel old."

Groaning to herself, Seon-Hui decided to go back on topic. Seemingly because she didn't want to deal psychic damage to herself once more. "Anyway, you make a point. Shooting Shiki would be a waste of a bullet, and why kill someone when you can simply gouge them for all that they got."

"H-Hey, I'm eighteen! I barely even have a part-time job!"

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to scam a group as powerful as the Geomijul." Honestly, I can't even argue with her there. "Two Billion yen. That's how much you owe us."

"Two-"

"Billion?!" Holy shit! That's way to much fucking money! Just how much of their services did you use?! "T-That's got to be some sort of exaggeration right? I mean... how the hell am I supposed to pay that back?!"

"You'll figure it out." Holy fuck, that's cruel. Now wouldn't be the best time to talk to her about what I want to be paid, huh? "Look, I'm not cruel, and you are just a kid. Unless you're going to work the streets, then you aren't going to give me that money any time soon. I'll give you fifteen years. But I expect a payment every month. Could be as much or as little as you want, but I expect my due when the time comes."

Okay, so it's not as bad as it could be. Two billion yen is an insane amount of money, yes, but fifteen years is a decent amount of time to pay that. Yeah, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, this is a horrible situation to be in. But, given her current situation, there isn't any other realistic solution. Ono fucked up, there was no other way of saying it. And she fucked with a powerful underground group. We didn't expect to come here and for the Geomijul to be like 'Oh, it's all good! Just forget about it!" So honestly... I think we got out of this with a win.

Ono however, seemed to have one last question. With a glare of pure annoyance, she asked Seon-Hui, "What about interest."

"Forget it. I'm feeling generous today, and two bil is already a lot to ask from an eighteen year old. Just don't skimp out on me or I really will just have to do what I have to." Standing up, the leader of one of the strongest still standing criminal organizations just... walked out. Leaving Ono and I alone in my now sort of useless room. After all, we just fixed everything. Well, sorta.

And so, I turned my attention to Ono and said, "This might be a bad time to say this, but I still need you to repay your half for the room."

Slowly, my client turned her head to me and growled. "Fuck you, Ogata." Sheesh, ungrateful aren't we?

Same Day: Evening

Now what? Our train home isn't until tomorrow night and now I don't exactly have anything to do until then. I didn't expect to solve our problem immediately, nor did I expect Ono to throw me out of our room after I asked for payment. To be fair though, I should have seen that coming. It was a little rude what I said. At least the food is good. I thought as I bit into a chicken kebab. I was taking a seat in a large park that I found after taking a walk through the city. Nino, Miku... God I miss them. I saw them just yesterday, yet I was already missing them. Sure it might be because I know I won't see them for at least another day but... I'm starting to think that Ichika was right about us being too clingy with each other.

It was as these thoughts were overtaking me that I saw something very strange. A large tiger was running through the park towards a man wearing a red suit who looked to be getting ready to fight it. Wait what? Blinking twice and wiping my eyes, I looked at the strange sight once again. Yeah, that's a tiger and a dude about to fight. Why the hell isn't anyone reacting?! Is this a normal sight?! This city is way more dangerous than I thought! What was even weirder was what happened next. The black and orange tiger jumped towards the man. The two of them roared and the man PUNCHED THE TIGER IN THE FACE! Okay, I must be high or something. The tiger fell onto it's back, slowly got up and seemingly pouted. "Okay Charlotte-chan. That's enough, go back to Yasuda before you make any more trouble." The man said as he shook his right hand.

The tiger growled but seemingly followed the man's instructions. Turning around and going... somewhere. Is it safe to let a tiger just wander around?! Deciding that maybe I should do more than just watch this weird act, I walked up to the man. As I got closer, I slowly began to recognize him. Now that I think about it, there's no way I could forget that hair. "Is it safe to just let it go like that, Mr. Kasgua."

"Who're you calling Mister?!" Turning around to face me was none other than Ichiban Kasuga, the strange man who I met in Kyoto. "I'm only forty. Wait... Ogata? What're you doing here?!" I wasn't expecting him to recognize me, but sure enough he did. "What, are you here for more advice? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still not any more knowledgeable about romance as I was before."

Chuckling to myself, I waved the older man off. "Nah, I'm doing alright. Thanks for worrying though. Only In Ijincho to handle some business with a friend. Running into you was a complete coincidence." I'd mostly forgotten that Sir Kasuga was in Ijincho. Contacting him had come up in my mind when we were first planning out how to come across what we'd do. But after deciding that it'd be to strange a request, we decided not to go down that road. Wait, that isn't important right now. What the fuck did I just watch? "Anyway, um... is it alright to just let a tiger do whatever it wants?"

As if what had just happened left his mind, Kasuga let out an "oh" before chuckling to himself. "Don't worry. Charlotte-chan gets a bit rowdy sometimes and escapes her cage. She just wants to play, so with a little scolding she'll go back to Yasuda." I was starting to wonder if this man was being serious, but then again, none of the citizens here seemed to be even a little scared when the tiger was running around. This city's crazier than I thought. The Ijin three might be the least dangerous part of this city. "But don't worry about that, I always take care of any weird things that happen around here. Which... is getting a bit out of hand. I mean, I had to fight a giant Roomba once. My life can get real weird sometimes." If it wasn't for the embarrassed smile on his face, I would think that he was trying to fuck with me. Helps that I just saw him take down one of the earth's strongest creatures. I've got to get out of this city. "Oh, what kind of business do you need to do by the way? I could help if you need it."

"Unless you have two billion yen, then I don't think I need help?" The man went pale for a moment, something I found a bit amusing. "Nah, I was just joking. Don't worry, everything went fine. In fact, now I don't really have anything to do till tomorrow." And exploring the city is definitely the last thing I would ever do. First I had to be scared of crime families, now I don't know if a killer crawfish is gonna pop out and harass me. "Got any recommendations? Especially for souvenirs. I've got quite a bit of people expecting some."

With the excitement that you'd only see in a child, Kasuga completely turned to me and grabbed my shoulders. "Oh like you wouldn't believe! There's Chinatown, our Suimon professor, the big Sega store, and so many sweets! Oh! Oh and eve-" Suddenly, the older man stopped, blushed like a maiden and let go of me. "S-Sorry, I get a bit excited when people ask about Ijincho. I... really love this town."

Seeing him force himself to get rid of his excitement felt a bit sad to me. Jeez, now I feel like an asshole if I don't take his offer. "Could you show me around then, Kasuga? I'd love to see what about this town you adore."

"Y-Yeah! Come on!" Motioning me to follow him, the red suited man looked like he was a kid in a candy store. Jeez, someone marry this guy before he marries the city.

Same Day: Evening

I didn't know whether to be mad at Kasuga or at myself. The reason being that I spent way too much money on souvenirs and sweets for my friends and family. Hopefully this will be enough to make Nino and Miku forgive me for missing yesterday's festival. Walking into my hotel room was a little hard given how many bags I was holding, but I was able to do it. Opening the door, I was met with Ono, laying on the floor and eating a bag of chips as she watched TV. "Oh, your back. What'd you buy me?"

"Absolutely nothing. These are for the people I actually care about in my life." The girl blew a raspberry at me in response but I simply ignored it and placed the bags down. "Anyway, did you seriously spend the whole day here? What, are you still scared?" Finally, with Ono's life now safe, I was able to take some joy in her situation and her dissatisfaction in it. Was it a bit petty? Sure, but come on. The girl has been a pain in my ass for the better part of a year, I'm entitled to a bit of this, right?

And she was giving me so many oh so juicy reactions. Growling at me, the black haired girl threw an empty chip bag in my direction. "Shut up, asshole! Do you have any idea how many Geomijul thugs might be out there?! Even if Seon vouches for me, one or two of em are gonna be stupid enough to go against her. Besides, what can I do? I'm two billion yen in the hole!"

"Kasuga told me about an underground gambling ring around here. Maybe you can make a good dent now." An empty soda bottle flew past my head. "Hey I was only giving some advice. They say ninety percent of gamblers quit right before they hit it big. You don't want to be one of-" A full tub of ice cream hit me square in the nose. "OW! You fucking bitch! Why'd you do that?!"

"So you could shut the fuck up! Now leave me alone before I cut you!" To show her seriousness, Ono pulled out a switch blade and flashed it at me. So, like the big man that I am, I followed her orders and decided to go into our shared room. The room was simple, it held enough space for two futons and a connected bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I was able to sigh and relax. Finally, now to get to bed. Setting up my own sleeping space as far into the corner as possible, I plopped down on the floor and took out my phone. It's pretty late, their tutoring session should be done by now.

Hoping that I wasn't interrupting or waking anyone up, I video called Miku. The reason why I was nervous was because I didn't want to incur a certain tutor's anger. Our high school lives are coming to a close soon and with it come the most important tests of our lives. So of course, Taro has been going insane and forcing everyone to study nonstop. Even Miku, who is just taking a culinary test, is being forced to study math and science. Hope they have the energy to even talk. Once the ringing stopped, a Miku appeared on the screen, smiling. Aw~ I love you~ "Hi-"

"MIKU PUT THAT PHONE DOWN! WE'RE NOT DONE!"

"Ugi, you can't stop me!" Still smiling, Miku appeared to be running around her home, presumably away from Taro. "Yotsuba help!"

"Yotsu hug!" The sound of something hitting the floor caused me to jump a bit as I watched Miku run into a room and shut the door behind her.

"Hi Kuro~" I stared at the screen dumbfounded, wondering if I should even acknowledge the chaos that seemed to be happening back home. Whatever, it'll be my problem after tomorrow. "How's everything going in Ijincho?"

Before I could respond, the door behind Miku opened before being swiftly closed. Shoving her face next to her sister, Nino popped into frame. "Oh, you're still alive." Her attempted disconcerting tone couldn't do much to save her image. Given she was smiling ear to ear with a small blush. Ah~ So cute~

"Hey to you too, Nino. Everything's going surprisingly well here. Hell, we already completed our mission. If you ignore the fact that Ono owes the Geomijul two bil, it went off without a hitch." It was easy to see that my partners found quite a bit of joy in the Ono's predicament. In fact they were smiling even brighter after hearing the news. Jeez, so petty. I love it. "Enough about me, how's the non-stop study session going?"

Immediately their faces fell. Miku gained a thousand yard stare will Nino looked like she wanted to destroy the very country. "When you get back, can you do me a favor and slam Ugi's head into a wall?"

"Not unless he hurt one of you."

"He hurt my brain! Kuro, you have no idea what we're going through!" Miku yelled through crocodile tears. "It's like cruel and unusual punishment! And then we have to see him flirt with Yotsuba... I wanna hurl." Ah, good to see they're taking their relationship well.

"Relax, we just have to deal with it for a few more weeks before exams. Then we can coast through the rest of the school year and plan everything else out." Even with the promise that this hell that they were experiencing would end soon, they didn't seem happy at all. "Plus, I'll be suffering along with you two soon enough."

"Hmm, maybe you have a point! With you here, Ugi'll have his hands full with the idiot who can't even add." I felt a bit offended at the comment of my lack of knowledge. But then again, it's not like Nino was wrong. Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I'll really need to put the work in if I want to get into the same college as Nino. "H-Hey, don't pout!"

"I'm not pouting." The two girls' began giggling at me and it was honestly super embarrassing. Thankfully, the sound of a fist banging on the door behind them saved me from any more testing. "Looks like your handler is calling for you."

"Eh, we'll be-" Before Miku could wave their situation off, the door opened. "... Did Yotsuba give you the key?"

"...maybe."

Seeing the horrid situation that was about to go down, I decided it'd be better not to watch as the people I love were dragged back into Hell. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Love you!"

"Ku! Hel-" I closed the call with a sigh. My life is weird no matter where I go, huh?

AN: Hello everyone. It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that, the break lasted way to long. I only intended to be gone for a month or two not for over half a year. Honestly, for a while I hadn't had the motivation to write anything, the only reason why I had been updating my other stories was because I had a backlog. Recently I regained the motivation to write and even more. That I'll talk about at another time. For now, I'm completely back. With my schedule being a little weird. This story will update every two weeks on Wednesday or Thursday. Lastly, I'm so sorry for being gone for so long, and I hope you all don't hold it against me for to long. I hope you all enjoy this update and thank you for reading!

Guest: Hey, yeah I'm back! I hope you liked the update. I know this one was a little light on the titular quints but next chapter will have them more, promise!

Hoghunter: Hey, at least there was a upside to the break. You said you caught up seven months ago so... my bad! So sorry for being gone for so long once again, I can't help but feel like an asshole for not updating so long. If your still here, I hope you liked the update and thank you for reviewing!

Mist33: Hey, It's been a long time! It's nice to see you again and I hope you liked the update.