Chapter 47
It was in the middle of the night when Usagi abruptly woke up. No, it wasn't a dream – she felt certain of that. Seiya was quietly snoring beside her on the couch. They hadn't even made it to his bedroom, their bodies craving each other so intensely. Usagi sat up, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. The glow on her lips still lingered, just like in the magical moment when Taiki's apartment door had closed behind them. She lovingly gazed at the sleeping man on the sofa. It was still hard to grasp, and yet it seemed to be real.
Her gaze briefly wandered around the room. On the table lay the untouched letter from Shingo, and a nervous flutter spread in her stomach. She leaned forward and reached for the envelope.
"Big Sister" was written on it, just like in his last letter. Since the lighting conditions were poor here, she rose quietly and went into the bedroom not to wake Seiya. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted to the light. Slowly, she sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her finger over the lines of the envelope. Her heart raced, and her fingers trembled as she carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.
Her throat suddenly felt dry, as if a thick knot were forming in it. The uncertainty about what she would find in Shingo's words made her emotions go haywire.
Hey Usa,
I don't even know how to start. Just now, this guy with silver hair picked me up from the villa. He claims he's from you. I don't know if I can trust him, and I don't even know if this letter will ever reach you. But honestly, anything is better than the life I had to lead in there.
They separated me from you and Chibiusa, isolated me from the outside world. Every day, teachers came trying to teach me something, but honestly, I often didn't understand the point behind it. After classes, I was locked in a room, with only two boring books for company. At least it was warm, and I got regular meals. That was probably the only positive compared to being on the streets.
I don't know if it was a mistake to listen to this guy and go with him. He says he has a connection to you, but who knows if that's true. So here I am again at one of those turning points in my life, and you and Chibiusa are farther away than ever.
Mom always said we should stay together so everything would be okay. But now we're all scattered more than ever.
This guy says he's taking me to the airport, and we'll see each other soon. I have no idea if it's a good idea, but I had to try. He keeps swearing that he's in contact with you, and I pray he's not lying to me.
Hopefully, we'll really see each other again soon. I miss you both so much.
With love,
Shingo
Usagi held the letter tightly to her chest, and tears found their way again. Quiet sobs escaped her throat as she stared at the letter. She didn't know how long she sat there, fixating on the spot on the wall.
A clearing of the throat broke her thoughts, and as she looked up, Seiya leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, observing her attentively. "Is everything okay, sweetheart?" he asked in a husky voice.
Eagerly, she wiped away her tears. "It... it's nothing."
Seiya approached slowly and crouched in front of her. He took her hands in his and looked up at her. The letter lay on her lap, and he immediately understood why she was so stirred up. "Yaten really did it. He really did it. Shingo is safe," she sniffled.
Without another word, he gently pulled her into his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. Usagi clung to him, and although she now knew that Shingo was safe, the worry for the little, innocent Chibiusa still weighed heavily on her. Her sister was equally alone and in the clutches of Kenji. _
Taiki leaned back, hands interlocked behind his head, staring into the impenetrable darkness. Thoughts swirled in his mind as he reflected on the developments. Amy lay softly at his side. Taiki could feel her steady breath as she slept peacefully.
He could hardly believe that Yaten, who usually reacted impulsively, possessed such logical acumen and had devised such a well-thought-out plan. The idea of swapping Kakashi's blood pressure tablets seemed almost genius to Taiki. Once his father's shares were in his hands, Kenji would lose any decision-making power. With his 60 percent, Taiki could override him at any time. Finally, Taiki would have the opportunity to make a difference. The plan was brilliant, and Taiki realized that Yaten had indeed thought of everything.
The prospect of taking over the majority of his father's company shares was not only a strategic move for Taiki but also a step towards change. With 60% of the shares, he could override Kenji and finally make decisions that would positively impact the well-being of the people and the future of Tokyo.
Thoughts of the already accomplished infiltration of Michiru into the brothel scene a few years ago made Taiki realize that they had already taken initial steps to improve working conditions. However, the complete restructuring of Tokyo would be a tremendous challenge.
Taiki closed his eyes and put his arm around Amy. Now that she was by his side, he felt strengthened; she gave him new strength.
Yaten had settled in his favorite bar. He raised two fingers, and the bartender immediately knew what he wanted. He had switched from whisky to cognac several hours ago, just because it should be something special to celebrate the occasion.
He smiled as he looked at the liquid in the glass, letting it swirl. Pride flowed through him, not only for his performance tonight but also for the successful execution of his plan. Curiously, he wondered how the conversation in Taiki's apartment had continued after his disappearance. Both Taiki and Seiya seemed overwhelmed—despite his repeated suggestions, especially to Seiya, to finally lay all their cards on the table. "Their own fault," Yaten thought and took a small sip, letting the taste linger on his tongue, as befitting such a fine drop.
While savoring the flavor, a thought crossed his mind. Had he really forgotten a small detail in his brilliant plan? He closed his eyes, reconsidering everything carefully. Finally, he pulled out his phone, his fingers dialing Setsuna's number with precision.
"Yeah?" came her brief response.
"I wish you a Merry Christmas too, Suna," sounded Yaten's calm voice.
"Cut the crap, I'm in the middle of a job. What do you want, Yaten?" she snapped back.
"What kind of job? I thought you were on Mrs. Chiba's case for me," he asked, confused.
"I am, but some other lucrative offers have come up here that I couldn't refuse. Quick jobs, paying much better than your assignments. So, why are you calling? My target is about to show up here."
"I need your help, once again," Yaten grumbled into the phone.
"I didn't expect anything different. Don't make me pull everything out of you, time is money."
"Suna, you need to leave early tomorrow. The new target is a Spanish island, Tenerife. There, you'll meet a teenager, Shingo Kimura. Quite a hothead... You need to teach him all the essential basics, both defense and offense, and protect him from potential attacks."
An irritated snort reached him from the other end. "I'm not a damn babysitter, Yaten. I'm an assassin, in case you missed that!"
"Suna, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Trust me, his safety is of the utmost priority right now. The kid is half a Chiba and doesn't even know what a weapon feels like. He needs at least to be able to defend himself. Come on, I owe you one for this." "You're not getting away that easy. I'll get back to you as soon as I'm done here. Think of a damn good offer," she ended the call.
Yaten reached into the small bowl of peanuts and took another sip of his drink. His gaze held a mixture of contemplation and tension. Setsuna was the only one he could entrust with this delicate task. Shingo, the young hotshot, was full of energy but completely inexperienced. Only she could teach him the necessary skills, both in defense and targeted attacks.
Thoughtfully, he tapped his fingers on the counter. Apart from this task, the first part of his plan seemed flawless.
Nearly an hour passed until the expected callback finally came.
"So, now I have a moment for you. Did I understand you correctly earlier: You want to hire me as a babysitter for a teenager. What about the oh-so-important job I came to the States for? Is that suddenly secondary?" Setsuna hissed through the receiver.
Yaten leaned back on the bar stool, almost losing his balance. "Hold on," he mumbled into the phone. Then he pulled out his wallet, paid the bill, of course with a generous tip, and got up.
The fresh air hit him, and only now did he realize how much he had drunk.
"So... Yeah, you got it right. This kid is the priority now. Teach him everything, close combat, handling weapons, everything that can somehow save him, as quickly as possible. If my father or, worse, Kenji, find him, it's really a matter of life and death... and before you ask, yes, you can defend him to the death."
"What about the financials?" she asked skeptically.
Yaten leaned against the house wall. "I'll pay whatever you need. Get a villa or something there, and yes, I'll add a little extra to your daily fee," he grumbled.
"Oh man, so important that you don't even try to haggle me down? Well, suits me. Where do I find the target?"
"Suna, don't call him that, or I'm afraid you might do something to him."
An amused laugh reached him. "Well, he won't survive the training you're demanding here without any injuries."
"You'll handle it. When can you be there?"
"Yaten, no idea. You just informed me about it. I need to check for a flight first... But are you sure I shouldn't keep an eye on the Chiba longer? I thought it was so important to you."
A sudden uncomfortable feeling spread in Yaten, one he could hardly interpret. "Yes, absolutely sure. Her identity is clarified. I'll explain it to you calmly... We'll arrive on the island in two weeks as well... Then we'll talk."
With a deep sigh, Setsuna hung up again. Yaten glanced at the black display once more and then hailed a taxi.
"To the Black Moon," he gave a brief instruction and closed his eyes.