"It's just us now," Kiryu muttered while holding his wife to him in their bedroom. They were fully undressed in their haste to get close, and now they were both reclining back in the bed. "Talk to me, love. Give me your worries."
"What more is there to say?" Saiki whispered and clung to him. "Everyone assumed my father murdered my mother. I was kidnapped and hidden away from them. They were ordered to not go into the house. Who the fuck ordered that?! I can only assume one person…"
"Dog Catcher," Kiryu growled.
"Or someone was told to reach out. To keep others from knowing the truth. Maybe even given a lie that I couldn't be found. A truth, but also a lie that I was being searched for," she muttered. "I just…don't know what to think…"
"Yeah…" he muttered and ran a lazy hand over her back.
"There are times…that I honestly believe that the only good thing in my life…was meeting you…" she whispered. He squeezed his eyes tight at this and nearly crushed her to him. "You are…the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Aika…"
"My mind is so fucked up at times! Your voice…pierces through something. A veil of nothing. It forces me to come back to myself. I'm so scared of what would happen to me if you're gone…"
"If anything happens to me, you go to Ugajin," Kiryu said seriously. "Let him help hide you away. You could live your life on The Castle in hiding now. You'll never have to worry about being hunted down. Heh…"
"What?"
"Technically…I could also retire on The Castle…" he mused. "But I'd never want the kids to go there."
"True. But I'd rather only be around you," she sighed and ran a hand up his chest. "I'd let no one else be so close to me."
"Even if I was gone?"
"I wouldn't be able to do it."
"I see."
"And if I was gone?"
"Shut up," he grunted and hugged her close. He saw his phone going off with Ugajin's name on it. He sighed and put it on speaker. "We're both here."
"Okino is going to see who owns the house. Chi-chan took pictures of everything and just sent them to her email. Also…ah…" Ugajin tried to piece together was he was planning to say next. "Chi-chan and I…agreed to date."
"You already confessed to her?" Kiryu mused.
"Well…not officially, mind you. But…we both realized that we were…compatible to a point. It's an odd sensation around her! She admitted it was the same with me. And she's taking me out to dinner as a business investment for the future house reconstruction.
"We also agreed to use this as a bit of a test date. If it works, well…we may discuss future plans. But, I will admit, I was very surprised when she suggested it. But I was even more surprised when she called out my cousin for her interests in me," Ugajin chuckled.
"Okay. What was said?" Kiryu had to ask.
"She asked, rather bluntly, why Okino had the hots for me. She further said it was disgusting and to no longer fantasize about me. That it was now…her job to do," Ugajin said and found himself laughing at it. "Needless to say…I am flattered by that comment."
"Well, Chi-chan isn't related to you," Saiki said to get Ugajin laughing a bit more with agreement. "Kazuma and I were talking about a few things. So…I may as well tell you this. If anything happens to my husband…he has ordered me to go straight to you for support."
"I'll hide you away on The Castle if anything happens!" Ugajin said adamantly. "And if anyone thinks they can touch you, they go through me."
"I told you so," Kiryu grinned.
"I'm sure," she smiled and let him kiss her deeply.
"Anyways, Rabten is still sleeping. Do we wake him up?" Ugajin asked.
"Move him into the upstairs bedroom. Then wake him up to confuse him," Kiryu advised. That got Ugajin laughing at the thought and the phone disconnected. "I don't think Gelek was at the cemetery."
"No. He stayed behind with Rabten. I'm sure he wanted to make sure that one stayed asleep, too," Saiki chuckled. "He should wake up Rabten and hide the needle. Then say he has no idea what was being spoken of as though I never showed up."
"That's funny," Kiryu grinned and texted Ugajin of the plans. He got a laughing emoji sent back to show it was approved. The phone was set down and he quickly moved to tackle his wife to get her laughing. He pressed kisses all over her face and turned with her to have her on top of him now.
"What's on your mind now?" she asked.
"Only you," he muttered and rose up to kiss her in a slow, loving way.
"When should we reach out to the kids…?" she asked and arched herself when his mouth moved over her neck.
"Good question…" he mumbled and caught her mouth with his again. He moved her underneath him now and spent the next ten minutes proving how much he needed her. When his phone buzzed again, he grunted with irritation. Her back was pressed against his chest, and she reached over to grab the phone for him.
"What?" she asked with a touch of exhaustion.
"Ah…we were wondering what was next to do," Tomi said.
"Ask Ugajin. Kazuma and I are resting. In fact, please have Seonhee send me the information to a doctor that she trusts. We may as well try and figure out what this crap is that got pulled out of my husband," Saiki said and glanced at Kiryu's look of concern.
"She'll text you in a bit," Tomi said and hung up the call.
"You want to do that now?" Kiryu frowned.
"I do. It's all in my deep freezer, so it's ready for transport. I even have dry ice to pack it all into. That will ensure it gets there properly. I even have all the correct labeling for medical study needs for laboratory purposes," she smiled.
"How in the hell did you have all of this?!" he asked to get her laughing softly. "I still have no idea how anything got approved!"
"Neither do I," she admitted. "Once again, Dog Catcher had measures in place. When I realized I could get nearly everything that I needed, I made sure to ask for things a little at time. I built up a stockpile. Things that I knew I needed or even would need later. I collected and stored quite a bit. Nothing was wasted."
"There had to have been something that crossed my desk…" he muttered and thought hard. Then he paused. "Wait…"
"Do you remember something?" she asked curiously.
"I think…I saw on occasion…something about 'building expenses' on a few invoices…" he muttered. Then his eyes widened. "No way…!"
"What?" she asked.
"One of those expenses…it was titanium ore!" he blinked and sat up lightly. He looked at her and continued, "I was curious, but I figured it was for new weapons for the Tojo Clan. I signed off on it. When I asked about it later, the main blacksmith we worked with had no idea! So I asked about it to our distributor. He said it was for a special project. That everything was fine. That means he knew about everything…"
"Probably about building needs. But not about me," she frowned. His gaze turned into one of protective need, and he pulled her right into his lap.
"I did notice that after I made that discovery…I saw no more odd purchase orders cross my desk…" he muttered and pressed his mouth onto the top of her head. "I was bypassed."
"Well…now you know what the titanium was for…"
"Your weapon."
"Yes. And other weapons, too."
"I honestly don't know what to think now. Either way…I'm with you. You are my wife. No one will change that," he mumbled and closed his eyes. "You really are the most amazing…attractive woman I've ever known…"
"Kazuma…"
"I will gladly rip open anyone that gets between us," he grunted. Then he glared at his buzzing phone. "I am turning that thing off."
"Then I'll be called! Besides, it's Taichi," she smiled. That changed his mood quickly and he answered the call.
"Uncle Kaz!" Taichi said with delight.
"Hey!" Kiryu chuckled.
"When do I get adopted?! A lot of us want to know. We would have texted, but we know all the messages would be a bit much," he admitted.
"We have to get the paperwork ready," Kiryu started.
"We already have it!" Taichi said with a grin in his tone.
"What?" Saiki asked with surprise.
"You think you're the only one that knows how to go in and get adoption papers?" Taichi asked with a small chuckle. That got Saiki and Kiryu laughing at it. "So, when do we all meet up?"
"Give us an hour. Do you know where the Survive Bar is?" Kiryu asked.
"I think so. Text it to all of us?" Taichi asked.
"I can do that. Also, there is an underground fighting champion that may be residing with us. He is Saiki's biological cousin. He sees her as a baby sister, and his family would have adopted her in if they found her. You'll be meeting him," Kiryu said to keep things calm. He saw Saiki texting the Survive Bar address to the group chat from her phone. He nodded and got the confirmation that it was received by the others.
"Oh! That's cool! Okay," Taichi said with excitement. After he hung up, Saiki saw her phone buzzing with a text from Ugajin. She still had her phone and pulled up the message. Then she gasped with shock.
"Aika?!" Kiryu frowned. Now he looked and went quiet. "He sent you family photos…"
"Of me…with my parents…" she shivered. When she saw how her parents were with her and taking pictures with others, her gaze hardened. "How the fuck can they say that he murdered my mother?!"
"I know…easy now…" he said and looked through the photos with her.
"You can see it in his eyes…he loved her…so much…!" she choked up.
"And you, too," he nodded and cradled her sobbing form. He saw a text come in from Ugajin that explained how Okino sent him all of the photos the family had. "Looks like Chi-chan sent her the photos of the house. Okino sent them to the rest of the family. All of them are horrified and ashamed of what happened. They really want to meet with you in a peaceful way."
"I don't know…" she said and was given a tissue to blow her nose on. "I honestly don't know. They'll ask questions about me. Where have I been? What happened to me? I can't answer those questions. I don't think I can ever answer any questions like that."
"Which is why we'll likely have to see to a large family event. I'll definitely do all the explaining. And…he's stressing there are demands to see you today. Hmm. A family dinner tonight?! That's too soon. But you do have a few very wealthy relatives…the hell?! We already have reservations to the best restaurant in Tokyo?! So…back to Tokyo again?! Ugh!" he scowled with disgust.
"Yeah. It looks like it's locked in," she frowned hard. "What time is it?"
"The time is currently…early evening. We have two hours to spare before we need to get on the road if we plan to make it in time. Looks like Ugajin is saying all of our friends are invited, too, as part of the condition. We at least have that! And there goes my phone…" he muttered and saw the text from Seonhee. "She sent us an address to send the samples of my possible cancer to. I think the postal service is still open. What do you think?"
"Let me box it up with dry ice. Maybe, instead of mailing it, we can have someone deliver it. The address is in the area. Is my back okay?" she asked. He had her tilt her head a bit to check.
"It's scabbing up nicely. I'll put more ointment on it for you," he nodded. "We might be able to remove the stitching, too. We'll do that tomorrow to ensure that cut is fully scabbed over."
"I can let you do that," she smiled.
"Okay. Let's take care of this," he said and kissed her gently. He put on a set of briefs and pants. She put on her underwear and chose to just wear the black lace cardigan for now. He muttered under his breath at her to get her laughing softly. When she looked at the drawer containing the swimsuit, he growled out, "No. I'll deal with this for now."
"Whatever you say, dear," she smiled and giggled at the kiss pressed to her cheek. They both moved into her security room, and he saw the frozen samples in various petri dishes.
"That's what formed out of me?!" he blinked at the small globs of frozen stuff. She nodded and took out a box for shipping medical samples in. She packed it with dry ice and set two of the samples into it. She had collected ten of them, and she figured this would be enough. "You have any of that salve?"
"I do. I turned my gloves inside out, so there's some of it left on them."
"Send them a glove, too, with a note to check what it is," he said. She nodded and separated out one glove carefully. Styrofoam packing was used to further secure the items down to ensure nothing would shift if jostled around.
"I may put some of that stuff in a tiny container for next time if what's on the glove isn't enough. Rabten left some of the ingredients here, too. The bags are here, but it's not listed as to what is used. I'm going to get a small pinch of each item to send in for analysis," she mused and started to do just that. She used tongs and a small scoop to ensure she didn't touch anything, and seven small containers were now set into the medical box.
"Here's the packing tape," Kiryu said and handed her the roll of it. He held the box shut for her to seal it up after ensuring everything needed was in there. After that, he put a little more numbing salve on Saiki's healing wound to ensure it stayed sealed off. A small bandage was even put on to ensure the scabbing would continue. He did judge that another day should pass before removing the stitching.
"And we're seriously going back to Tokyo. I have to wonder if my parents moved out of that city to get away from the family," she frowned in thought. Then she sent a text to Ugajin to ask him. At the response, she smirked. "I was right."
"Yes. You were," Kiryu sighed. She labeled the box with the address given by Seonhee and judged she had an hour to get it to where it had to go.
"Hey, Seonhee," Saiki said on her phone. "I have the shit from Kazuma boxed up including some ingredients from that salve. The hospital really isn't that far off. Is there a courier you trust?"
"I'm sending Joongi right now. The medical staff knows him and accepts packages from him all the time," Seonhee said without skipping a beat. "No need to ship it this way, and he can hand it over personally."
"Good. If anyone else took it, I'd have questions," Saiki nodded.
"He'll be there in five minutes in his car," Seonhee chuckled. After the call disconnected, Kiryu took up the precious box and glanced at Saiki.
"I'll put on a robe and give it over. You think he'll come to the elevator?" he asked. "Hmm. Maybe I should go outside to meet him. I'll get dressed lightly. You can watch the cameras."
"Considering how we're dressed right now…" she chuckled. "It would be best for you to give it over."
"And it's rather interesting how you and Seonhee regard each other."
"We both understand that we are top ranking bitches with business needs. We respect each other as true allies. Such a thing is a rarity," she smiled. "We both know our boundaries and work either with them or around them. And she wants me to train her with her men. She knows what I can do to better them all."
"Makes sense," he chuckled. Saiki moved to watch the cameras, and she saw Joongi park in a discreet location to walk over casually. She signaled to her husband. He had dressed in a shirt, shorts and sandals to meet up with him.
"I'm here," Joongi said when Kiryu greeted him at the elevator.
"I know. Here," Kiryu said and handed over the box. "It has dry ice."
"Got it. I'll text you when I get it to the hospital we work with," Joongi promised. Kiryu nodded and Saiki ensured he left safely. Right after he drove off, Kiryu sighed and moved to see Saiki in her workshop.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Making a whip design for Seonhee. A gesture of thanks," she murmured and started to sketch out a near-likeness of her own whip. He nodded and paused at a new set of sketches for his gloves.
"An upgrade for me?" he grinned lightly.
"Yes. I plan to use the mechanism you squeeze to move between elemental attack features," she grinned. Now he gave a very approving sound and sat down to watch her work. "Did you want to cook for us? I think we could both use something. I honestly don't really want to go anywhere right now."
"We do have to meet up with the kids."
"Ah…that's right…" she sighed and set down the pencil.
"First we take a shower," he smiled. She nodded and moved into the bedroom. He waited a full minute before walking up behind her. Then he tackled her to the bed to hear her screech.
"Kazuma! What the hell?!" she gasped.
"You told me before…this was a fantasy of yours, right?" he muttered and ran his mouth over the back of her neck. That got her to gasp and go quiet. "So…I was right about that?"
"Maybe…" she shivered.
"Do I proceed like this?" he asked and ran his hands over the front of her cardigan to undo the single clasp. She groaned with sheer delight at how his hands freely moved over her now.
"Ah…I never really…thought that far ahead…" she admitted.
"Maybe if you just…got on your hands and knees?"
"Oh…" she winced.
"Wait. No. I know what that reminds you of."
"No. It should be okay…with only you, though…"
"Are you sure?" he asked carefully. He saw her nod, and he bent down over her to whisper softly in her ear. "Just know this. You are never lower than me. The moment you feel distressed…tell me. I never want you to be uncomfortable. I love you too much to let you feel anything less than equal. Okay?"
"I know…" she said softly. Now he had her shouting out with what he did next. He got her to a point that she couldn't move at all for a good ten minutes when they both reached a pinnacle point in their passion. They ended up reclining in the bed, and he had her held protectively against his chest.
"I'll have to do this…a lot more…" he chuckled in her ear.
"Asshole…" she barely managed to voice out.
"I'm not Goro," he growled and got her laughing softly. "But I do know you enjoyed this intensely. So, I'll have to do this much…much more…"
"I'm sure," she sighed and closed her eyes to rest a bit more. He pressed a hand to her belly and let out his own sigh of complete contentment. His eyes were closed while he listened to her breathing, and he opened one eye when his phone buzzed. Sighing loudly, he moved to find it and check who was calling.
"Kasuga. We'll be at the Survive Bar in an hour. The kids from Morning Glory will also be there," Kiryu said calmly.
"Joongi wanted me to tell you that he dropped off that package to the hospital. But something happened when he got there…" Kasuga said carefully. Now Saiki's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to look at her husband. He put the phone on speaker for her to hear everything.
"What?!" Kiryu growled.
"Was it the Daidoji?" Saiki asked.
"No. Someone said his name was Amon, and-!" Kasuga started before going silent at Saiki's hiss of hatred.
"That's my grudge. If he intercepted a medical package meant for examination to get my attention, well…he got it. And my wife's attention, too. I still have the address to the hospital. Joongi's there?" Kiryu asked while moving to dress quickly. A spray of deodorant was tossed to him after she used it to show there was no time to take a shower.
"Joongi was able to keep the package on him, but he's holed up with the medical staff. He refuses to give over the package to him. I mean…how the hell did he find out it was yours?!" Kasuga asked with confusion.
"He likely had a man on the inside. Think about it. He knows that my husband has cancer. He was likely waiting to see if anything came of it to intercept and use it against us. But now he's up against me. He's fucking dead," she growled. "If the kids show up, guard them, please."
"Oh, we all intend to!" Kasuga said.
"Hey. Did you want me to show up?" Ugajin asked when he got on the phone. "I can get over there."
"No. Protect the kids," Kiryu said bluntly. The call disconnected and Saiki was soon wearing a black stretch miniskirt, a dark yellow halter top and her usual undergarments. She did grab her jewelry and the black lace cardigan to throw on to hide her back. He was back in his custom suit and putting the false glasses on just in case. His gloves were tested before being set in his inner coat pocket, and she had on her black leather utility belt. Her bladed shoes were next to show she was ready to leave with him.
"Ready?" she asked. He nodded, and they moved through the elevator to lock it down when they stepped out. There was a man from the Geomijul waiting for them on Seonhee's order in a white car. He drove them straight to the hospital, and Saiki got out to survey the tall, white, multi-level building with red lettering.
"It's just past noon. What do you want to do?" Kiryu asked her.
"I'd scale the building, but not in broad daylight. We have to go in. I just don't like cameras," she grimaced. Seonhee showed up with a group of her men to show support, and the two of them joined her group quickly.
"Fourth floor," Seonhee said. Saiki nodded and walked in with the others.
"Stairs. Not the elevator," she muttered.
"They would expect any way in," Seonhee frowned.
"But they won't expect me," Saiki grinned and darted off into the double doors. Kiryu grimaced and rushed after her.
"Saiki!" he grunted out.
"Sorry…" she murmured out into his ears. "Try…and keep up. Just remember…your training…"
"I didn't do…stamina training yet…!" he growled and managed to barely keep in time with her.
"Crash course…!" she giggled playfully. "Time…your breath…with your run…and you will…do just fine…"
"Okay…" he grunted out and focused on his breathing. He blinked with surprise to find that he was recalling how he would do this before. He felt a bit of his stamina slowly increase, and he worked on keeping his breathing timed with each footfall he did. Now he found himself keeping in step with her.
They got up to the fourth floor, and they both kicked the doors opened with a perfect form of synchronization. He looked at her with amusement. She grinned at him with complete approval. At the sight of the men lining the hallway with guns drawn, she clucked her tongue with disappointment. Several of the men recognized her and started to panic hard. "Oh! You remember me. This makes it…so much easier…"
"I'd rather not have anyone die here…" Kiryu sighed.
"Okay. A choice. Take me to where your boss is. Or I line the hallway with your heads. What'll it be?" she asked. When one of them aimed a gun, she let out an acupuncture needle to jam it. He shouted when it exploded in his hands. The same thing happened at every single gun brought up. When a man took out a knife, he was soon flat on the ground in a dead sleep from a needle to his forehead. She grinned widely and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ah…this way…" one of them swallowed.
"Good boy. Let's move. And if anyone tries to pull any shit, I will not hesitate to start up a slaughterhouse," she warned. "You should all be grateful that my husband wants no one to die today. If he can help it. But make no mistake. I will attack back in self-defense. We are in a hospital…but it won't be easy to stitch you all back up."
"And she won't hesitate to attack back," Kiryu nodded. A man tried to jump them and got impaled on a sickle weapon. She gutted him open and kicked his body away to land sitting up against a wall.
"I purposely missed his vital organs. He'll need to get stitched back up, though. As long as he doesn't move too much, his organs will stay in place," she mused. Then her gaze cut to the men shaking around them. "Next?"
"No! Ah…this way…please…" the initial man said with a hard swallow. Medical staff were able to rush in to put the severely wounded man on a rolling bed to get carted away to the emergency room.
"I'm proud of you," Kiryu muttered softly to her. She gave him a light blush and continued to walk with him. She did reclaim her needle on passing the sleeping man. He was held back by the others and told what she just did. That got him to shake with absolute fear and think twice on what he wanted to do.
"Just give me that package. And then I'll go," Amon said with a gun drawn on Joongi. Joongi was standing in front of the medical staff that had the box, and now he pointed at Amon to look behind him with a small smile.
"If you touch that box, I will happily gut you open without any regrets," Saiki growled out in a low, dangerous tone. Now Amon froze up with shock. "That box holds parts of my husband's cancer. I don't know how the fuck you learned about it, but you just gave me a reason to rip you to pieces without a second thought."
"That's…what that box had?!" Amon gaped with surprise.
"You could have just asked what was in it," Joongi sighed and shook his head. "What did you think was in it?"
"I was told it was unique medical ingredients!" Amon growled.
"It has that, too," Saiki smiled. "And it's a possible cure for my husband's cancer. But like fucking hell are you getting your nasty fingers on it. I need it diagnosed to see what it is. And what is invading my husband's body. So, now I have a decision to make. Do I gut you open? Or lop off your head…?"
"If he can get out of this medical room, I can start diagnosing the contents," the doctor started. Amon turned to swerve the gun at the man and shouted at the acupuncture needle that neatly jammed into the bullet chamber when the hammer was pulled back. He swore with shock when it backfired and dropped the gun. Joongi nodded to Seonhee to show she helped clear out the hallway with her support group, and now her men flooded in to secure the room further.
"I broke your toy…" she pouted. "But now…I did have a question…"
"I'm not answering shit!" Amon snarled. Then he gaped at the scythe that came out. He backpedaled into a wall when she shoved it right into his face. The hospital staff let out gasps of shock at the weapon, but Joongi stayed in front of them to protect them.
"Who…told you…about the package…?" she asked slowly to ensure he heard her correctly. "If you lie…you'll be four pounds lighter…"
"It was…an anonymous call…!" he panicked.
"The number. Now," she growled. Seonhee was the one that collected it and checked the number. At how it was a disconnected line, Saiki sighed. "Of course, it was a spoofed number. Clever. I'll keep the phone, though. If they call again, I want to be the one to answer it. Also, hmm…"
"What?" Kiryu asked and let her move to lean into him. She put the scythe away for now to show her attention was moved elsewhere. Seonhee's men had neatly apprehended Amon to keep him there and from trying to run off.
"I need to find out how it was discovered that I was making a package with your ailment in it. I'm going to…check something…remotely…" she said and started to take out her phone. She punched in some commands into an app she had and let it run a scan. That was when she narrowed her eyes at something found. "Well, fuck. Someone was able to mildly hack into my network…"
"What?!" Kiryu blinked.
"It's okay. It was only audio through the cameras. So now…I'm gonna trace it…like this…" she grinned. She took out her whip and a connecting cable to hook into one of the hidden ports. She plugged the other end up into her phone and looked at a nurse. "Do you have a good computer I can borrow? I won't hack into it. I just need a screen for better viewing. Is it possible?"
"Would a television work?" she asked.
"Ah! If it has phone mirroring, then yes," Saiki nodded. She was led to an unused room for the television to be connected up to her phone for mirroring. Kiryu watched with intense fascination at how she used her phone to remote into her network using the computer in the whip. She activated a program that reversed the connection the hacker had in her network. Then she grinned and said, "There. Now whoever did it will have to replace their computer or device. I locked it out and burned out the motherboard with a BIOS kill code."
"I have no idea what you just said. But it sounds nasty," her husband said.
"I made their computer go 'boom'. I'll put it like that," she grinned even more and squeaked when he hugged her. "I also tagged their location."
"And…where are they?" he asked.
"Getting it now…" she muttered and got the address to appear. "Tokyo address…interesting…"
"Okay. The only ones we know in Tokyo are your family that now know about you, or someone in our travels recently," Kiryu frowned hard.
"I'm sending this address to Ugajin…" she nodded and forwarded it. She got a call the moment it was sent.
"Where did you get that address?!" Ugajin asked quickly. The situation was explained, and he swore out loudly. "That's the address to a family member that excels in cyber security and attack. I'm sure he heard about you, but for him to track you down like this?!"
"Well, I just blew up his system with a code I reverse sent back," she smirked. Now Ugajin died laughing at this news. "Once I found out someone was infiltrating, I retaliated. Only thing to do, right?"
"I'll have to nudge you if he shows up at the event! I'm just…yeah…he's an idiot! Just the fact that he only got audio from your system tells me he didn't have complete access. But it was just enough. I have to wonder why he did what he did. Unless it was to test you…"
"Well, if you know who it is, then you can call him and tell him not to show up or risk getting killed. His choice. His first impression to me is now shit and no longer valid to me," she said with dismissal. When Amon's phone rang, she looked at her husband before answering it. She made sure Ugajin's call was on speaker to let him overhear. "Hello? Who's this?"
"You are not Amon…" the male said.
"And you must be the one that tipped him off that my husband's medical mystery was sent to a hospital in a box. Right?" Saiki asked. "And I also bet that you are the one that hacked into my network to know what was being sent out. Is your computer okay? Or did I blow it up?"
"How…did you…?!" the man could only ask.
"You do know that you hacked into your 'baby cousin's' network, right?" she growled. "The same 'baby cousin' that you were to be meeting later tonight. Right?! And please answer me before I think you're a fucking coward."
"That was your network?!" the man asked with shock.
"Yes. It was, originally, part of the Tojo Clan. But I kept a part of it alive for my needs. Since I was kidnapped by a member of their organization," she growled out even more. "I was going to explain all of this later. But you just proved that you are lower than shit to me."
"Ah…I…well…" the man floundered.
"Damn it, Yoneda…" Ugajin said with disgust.
"Ugajin?!" the man asked.
"I'm on another phone on speaker," Ugajin said. "You're in deep shit. I told you not to do anything! And you did it! Despite the warning!"
"I saw it as a challenge! I mean…" Yoneda sighed hard.
"Stay the fuck out of my life," Saiki said and hung up on the man. Then she regarded Ugajin's call. "Do I really want to meet a bunch of backstabbers?"
"I'll be with you. So will Kiryu. And they'll have to get through me first before they can get to him," he promised. "I'll request to have Kasuga and Daigo with me, too. I'm sure Goro and Taiga will even volunteer to help. Even though they are former yakuza, it will force second thoughts all around. Some of the kids are showing up now, though. They're waiting for you. They know you both had an emergency to deal with."
"That's fine. We need to finish up the mess here. Then we'll head straight over," Kiryu said and hung up the call. Saiki took her phone back and looked at Amon to show she wasn't sure what to do next. Seonhee had her men push Amon to his knees to force him to look up at her. She gave over his phone to let it be confiscated by Seonhee for now.
"I never gave second chances," she said. "So…new choice…"
"Okay…" Amon swallowed.
"Work for me and live. Or your head gets buried in a box next to your coffin. What do you say?" she grinned. Kiryu looked at her with surprise, but he remained quiet. Amon's face went white as a sheet. "Of course, this means you'll also be working for my husband. And if you fuck up even once with me…you're dead. So…what'll it be?"
"I have to work for you…or you'll kill me…?!" Amon gaped.
"I don't mind killing you," she shrugged. "But…my husband really doesn't want me to do that anymore. Not unless it's absolutely necessary. You pissed him off before. I find it absolutely necessary to kill you. But he says no. So…technically, he's saving your life."
"I will not work for-!" he paused at the sight of a sickle now moving to his throat. Kiryu cleared his through, but he kept a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Say the full sentence," she said with a small grin. "Loudly."
"Ah…!" he cringed. "What would I…have to do…?!"
"Aww. You changed your mind…" she frowned. "Well, I want you to go to The Castle. It's a floating boat that I own. You will be put to work there. If you go against any orders, I will know. And when you are put to work, it means you will fight in a coliseum against challengers. You will get a very nice paycheck, too, and a luxury suite. So, it's not all bad. You just…beat up a bunch of snot-nosed kids that think they have what it takes. And you get paid to do it. That should be your dream job! Right?"
"That's…that's it?" Amon blinked.
"Take it or leave it," she said.
"I…well…if I say no…I'm dead…" he swallowed.
"Trainable. You got it," she chuckled and removed the sickle. She didn't put it away, though. "Last chance. Take my offer?"
"Yes…" he grimaced. "What of my men here?"
"Cut them loose. Or transfer leadership to me. Your call on that one," she shrugged. He scowled, but found himself sighing. "You'll still be bound until you get to your new home. And don't think about escaping. I always find who I'm looking for. It's been proven time and time again. And I'm a very patient headhunter. Don't ever cross me."
"You'll sign a contract when you get to The Castle. A fighter by the name of JUSTICE1975 is now expecting you. A room is being set up now, and you'll get a week to settle in. You'll be taken to Sotenbori. Just do what you're told," Kiryu said with a small nod to him after sending out a text blast. Ugajin confirmed it was received and a new room would be taken care of.
"I'll still find a way to get even!" Amon growled.
"Oh. If you say that line again, or even try to touch my husband, I'll see that as a breach of contract," Saiki said with a neutral glare at him. Amon blinked at this. "I told you. You are also working for my husband. He and I are partners. You should know what a partner is. Or don't you?"
"I…" he swallowed at the sight of the sickle.
"Don't. Fuck. Up. This really is the golden opportunity chance of a lifetime. Because there's only one main rule on that boat now. Don't fuck with me. Ever. Anyways, Seonhee, can we get him to his new home?" Saiki asked.
"The two holding him will take him there and head back after the transfer is done," Seonhee nodded. Saiki nodded and whispered to her softly. "Ah. Yes. Bonus pay is included for this."
"We'll take care of it, Ma'am," one of the men said. "Don't worry about bonus pay. We got this."
"If you insist," Seonhee nodded to him.
"Joongi…place a tracker…under the car tire…?" Saiki sang out to him. He walked over to collect one and follow the others out. Seonhee nodded when she was secretly informed of what was going to happen.
"We'll get to analyzing this right away," the head doctor said. Saiki helped them open up the package to ensure everything was still untouched and frozen. The medical staff was highly impressed, and all of the samples were moved into their laboratories for study. She gave over her direct number, set a specific ringtone and looked at Kiryu with a smile.
"We ready to go meet the future kids?" her husband smiled warmly.
"Let's go," she nodded. He noticed she was nervous, and he placed an arm around her shoulders to keep her close. Then he paused and motioned to another nurse. Saiki blinked at him, but she was moved to expose her back where the bandaged wound was. It was carefully removed, and the nurse examined the stitches with intense scrutiny.
"Oh! I can get someone to look at that," the nurse smiled. Another doctor was called over to help check the wound, and the stitches were carefully removed.
"There is enough healing there. Just keep the area clean and bandaged. What happened?" the doctor frowned while gently removing the overgrown scabbing to clean up the area.
"A tattoo artist's needle was stuck there for almost twenty years," Kiryu frowned. "It was causing her problems and recently removed by another surgeon. She had a tetanus shot for rust, but we just wanted to make sure the area healed."
"Really? Let me recheck the area," the doctor said. Taking a magnifier out and a set of tweezers, he carefully checked around the healing skin to pull out two small pieces of metal. "It was…definitely deteriorating…but this is the last of it."
"Thank you," Saiki said softly.
"You saved my staff! It's the least I can do to ensure your health," the doctor chuckled and discarded the metal flecks in a hazmat container. "I'll put on a clean bandage with some sterilizing ointment."
"It's appreciated," Kiryu nodded. He helped ensure the bandage was set right and pressed down gently.
"There we go. And we'll definitely need to see what is happening to you, sir. We did get ahold of your prior medical records. If this 'salve' really did pull cancer out of you…it would be the medical breakthrough of the world!" the doctor sighed. "We'll need to study it intensely."
"I really want to know what the ingredients are. A monk from Tibet brought them. He said they were really expensive and hard to get. Apparently, you mix all of the ingredients together in boiling water. It makes a paste that's a bit oily. Then you smear it all over the body of the affected person. But it leaves an intense burning sensation on the skin until it sinks in.
"I had to put my husband to sleep with acupuncture until it dissolved into powder after ten minutes. I had to do one side of him, woke him up and he was able to turn to get the other side," she explained. "It was also admitted that the salve was to sink into the skin. It wasn't supposed to draw anything out. That's why I want the cancer pulled out examined in full."
"Interesting. Definitely making a note of that…" the doctor said and did so on his clipboard. "We'll run some tests for sure."
"Please do," she smiled. "And call me the moment you find out anything."
"We will," the doctor promised.
"Okay. Now let's head out," Kiryu chuckled and lifted Saiki into his arms. As he walked down to the elevator, one of the men that tried to stop them earlier walked over with a purpose.
"I need to ask you something…" the man said nervously.
"Walk with us," Kiryu nodded with a neutral tone. "State your business."
"Amon-san…gave all of us an offer to go our separate ways or work under you," the man said. "Was this right?"
"It is," Saiki nodded.
"Well…all of us would like to work under you…" the man said. "I was chosen to be the messenger."
"How many of you are there?" Kiryu asked.
"Thirty of us," the man chuckled.
"Okay…" Saiki said and pulled out her phone to call Ugajin.
"Something up?" her brother asked.
"We have more recruits. Let Samejima know. And if he asks why I didn't call directly, it's because I want my orders to go through you. If there was an emergency, I would call directly," she chuckled.
"Got it. How many more?" he asked.
"Roughly…thirty men," Kiryu said. "They all worked under Amon. They all want to work for my wife."
"Huh. Okay. We can likely have them hunker down in the staff quarters. They can be hired security until moved elsewhere based on skills. We'll get them contracted in," Ugajin agreed. The call disconnected, and the three of them got into the elevator. Seonhee had already left to ensure the leaving car had a tire tracker with Joongi. On walking into the main lobby, all of the men there had bowed to show respect to Saiki.
"Different…" she mused. "All of you wish to work for me?"
"We do!" they said in unison.
"I'm unsure of the one you wounded, but we can reach out to him once he's back on his feet," the messenger said. "I'm sure he'd rather work for you than against you. We'll leave him a number to contact me at."
"Very well. Go to Sotenbori. A helicopter will take you all in small groups to The Castle. That is where you will be based at until needed elsewhere," she nodded. "And I'm not making a Clan…"
"We know," the messenger nodded and moved with the others to head off.
"Very interesting change in plans…" Kiryu muttered. "We'll definitely need to make a representative board quickly to help with finances, building needs and other things. We should work on that after tonight."
"Yes," she agreed in full. "I can already see Daigo as part of it. He suggested it before on being a member of one himself."
"Including myself," Kiryu chuckled. "I would also suggest Goro and Taiga. Even Kasuga. Any of the ones with us would qualify, really."
"I will let you do the hiring," she smiled. He lifted her into his arms swiftly to hear her giggle and pressed a kiss to her mouth. "Survive Bar?"
"Yes," he smiled and saw Tomi driving over to them.
"Hop on in, lovebirds!" Tomi chuckled. Right after Kiryu got into the back seat with Saiki in his lap, the minivan started off.
"Ignore us for a bit and focus on the road," Kiryu muttered out. He began to kiss his wife passionately as his way to spend the time during the drive.
"Ah. Okay…" Tomi sighed and chuckled. It was fifteen minutes later when the minivan came to a stop. He cleared his throat to get the couple's attention.
"We're here," Saiki said a bit breathlessly. He grunted as an answer and pressed another kiss to her mouth before letting her go.
"There's a bit of a crowd in there," Tomi grinned lightly and opened the door. Kiryu blinked and found himself laughing at the young adults that cheered at him. He sat down and pulled his wife into his lap to show he was ready.
"Uncle Kaz! Here!" Taichi said and pushed his adoption papers in front of them. Saiki pointed out where to sign, date and notate on each section. Ten sets of the papers were set up, and Kiryu blinked at a young woman that sat with him now. She gave him a warm smile and shivered with excitement.
"Haruka…" he smiled.
"Hey, Dad…" she smiled back.
"Saiki, I never really told you, but Haruka is my adopted daughter. Now…completely official…" he chuckled on signing the paperwork. He hugged her tight afterwards, and Saiki smiled that it was much like a father finally reuniting with his daughter after a long time apart.
"Here's Haruto's paperwork," Haruka said. She set the papers in front of him and pushed her brown hair back. He nodded and signed the paperwork with Saiki. "Ah, Saiki, Haruto is my son. So…technically you're a grandmother."
"What?" Saiki blinked and looked at Kiryu's laughing form. "Kazuma?!"
"I know. I'm sorry. But it's true. I mean…you don't mind, right?" Kiryu asked with a small grin.
"Nothing will hurt our children. Or grandchildren," Saiki nodded. "And Haruka, you can call me your mother now. If you want. I'll be learning a bit on how to be around you all, so I do want to start getting used to this."
"Oh! Okay! But, um…Mother…" Haruka said shyly.
"Yes, Haruka?" Saiki smiled warmly now. Kiryu found himself nodding with a large smile at this. Goro, Daiki and Taiga were there after seeing to most of the house renovations and found themselves chuckling.
"Can you…train me to do what you do?" Haruka asked softly.
"I don't know. I don't want any of you to know how to do what I do," Saiki said with a form of protective seriousness. Even the others around them looked over with surprise. "The things I do…"
"But I want to learn, too!" a young man said after adjusting his glasses.
"Seriously, Shiro?" Kiryu frowned at this.
Shiro looked at Saiki with rapt attention and said, "We all do! We've been talking about it. I mean, maybe not to kill. But…self-defense. You know? After what happened with Taichi…we should know!"
"We should really learn how to protect ourselves," another young man said.
"Koji," Kiryu sighed on looking at him. "Your mother trained intensely hard. Ever since she was three years of age. Even tonight…her other family wants to meet with her. She really wants nothing to do with them, but they are insisting. And, before you all ask, none of you will come with us for safety. We need to judge who is safe to be around and who to avoid."
"I will be with them," Ugajin nodded. "You all are my nieces and nephews now. I will beat up anyone into a bloody pulp that dares to touch any of you. And I don't mind teaching how I do weight training. But for the more advanced stuff…eh…that's up to her."
"Let's do this," Saiki smiled with an idea in mind. "Let Ugajin start you off on the basics. Build up your strength. Your core muscles. Your endurance. When you reach your limit with him, then I'll take over the more intricate stuff. Climbing buildings. Running as fast as ever. Even how to throw darts with pin-point accuracy. But you need the muscle and the stamina to even do a margin of what I do. Will that work?"
"Oh! Yes!" a young woman smiled.
"We'll see what we can do, Mitsuo," Kiryu chuckled lightly.
"Grandpa!" Haruto said when he ran over. The brown haired, brown eyed boy laughed with delight on seeing him.
"Hey!" Kiryu grinned and hugged him with a free arm. "You want to meet your grandmother? This is Saiki."
"Grandma Saiki?" the boy blinked at her.
"Not what I was expecting. But I do accept," she chuckled and let the boy settle between them. "Oh. Kids."
"Yes?" Koji asked and the others looked at them.
"Kazuma…might have gotten me pregnant," she smiled. Now there were gasps and cheers of delight all around. "I don't know for sure yet! He and I will be in Hawaii next week for a honeymoon. I'll be checking there."
"You have to tell us the results!" Haruka beamed with delight. "I will gladly help you out with the new baby!"
"We plan to," Kiryu chuckled. "And, trust me, I'm just as excited as the rest of you! Hmm. I'm going to want you all to have access to our home…"
"Oh?" Saiki frowned.
"Someone needs to keep an eye on the place. And if we build an orphanage? We need a few sets of eyes to help watch over things even more. I can trust no others as much as I trust our kids," Kiryu soothed. She still looked uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"
"It's my security room," she said softly. "I can understand everywhere else. But the security room is where my workshop is. With other secrets of mine. I don't want them to get too curious. It's just…a safety standpoint, really. I don't want anyone hurt in there unless properly trained in what to do."
"Then we won't go in there until you teach us," Haruka smiled.
"I would definitely trust you in there," Kiryu said. "I understand that everyone else may feel differently about this. But I would always trust you, Haruka. You are a very fast learner."
"Mom, what's wrong?" Koji asked and sat next her.
"You forget. Practically my whole life…I've lived alone. It's…very hard for me to trust others. I'm grateful that I trust Kazuma so much. He's proven himself to me. I only just met all of you. I know. Eventually, I will open up more to you all. I just…I need time," she explained gently.
"I know that," Taichi nodded. "So, if Haruka is the only one allowed there for now, then it's fine by me. We'll visit when we're all together. You show us what you know we can do to help. We won't go over any of your boundaries."
"Good," Saiki nodded. Then she turned to the door to see a Japanese man in a suit walking in. Goro, Taiga and Daigo were already giving a glare of warning. Even the bartender was keeping a close eye on the man.
"This is a place for kids?" the man grunted out on seeing Haruto.
"He's my grandson. He's visiting me. No one else has an issue with it. You have something else to say?" Saiki growled out in complete warning. Kiryu even narrowed his eyes.
"Heh. Didn't expect to see this place cater to young ones, either," he grinned and eyed one of the girls. Before Kiryu could say a word, Saiki was right in front of the man, a sickle was out and right at his throat.
"These are my children," she glared out with protective rage. "You have a problem with it? Walk the fuck out of here the way you came in."
"Ah…" Taichi blinked and gave a warning to the others to stay calm.
"As my little sister said," Ugajin grunted out and moved to stand with her. "These are my nieces and nephews. We all came here as a way to unwind. And we don't need alcohol to do that. You want to keep running your mouth off?"
"I don't think I can serve you," Osamu muttered. "You are ruining my clientele. There were no issues until you appeared and started up your conversation of slander. You need to leave."
"Take him," Kiryu muttered to Haruka and gave over Haruto to her. He moved to stand behind his wife and lightly touch her shoulder. Then he looked at the man and said, "My wife is ready to turn you into a headless corpse in front of friends and family. I need to keep that from happening. So, I am going to ask you nicely to leave before she drags you out there herself."
"Eh…!" the man grimaced and backpedaled out the door.
"I'm…going hunting…" she muttered.
"No. The kids want us here," he mumbled softly.
"He wanted…to touch…one of my daughters…!" she seethed.
"Mom, I'm okay," the young woman that was approached said.
"Eri, you're sure?" Kiryu asked her.
"I am," she smiled and nodded. "And I'm sure he'll think twice after seeing what Mom can do to him!"
"Very true," Saiki mused and put the sickle away. Then she grimaced from the light headache. "Ah…"
"Headache?" Kiryu frowned and lifted her up to cradle her.
"Mild…but yes…" she grimaced.
"She gets headaches when she forces herself away from killing something," Kiryu explained to them all. "It's from her training to only kill. She's trying really hard to break free of it."
"I want to know how to help with that," another young female in the group smiled. "I'll do everything I can!"
"Thank you, Izumi," Kiryu nodded.
"Do you think I can work for you, Mom?" one of the young men asked.
"You are…?" Saiki asked.
"Mitsuo," he smiled.
"I have a bit of a photographic memory, so I'll be able to put names to faces in full. It's part of how I'm so smart," Saiki chuckled.
"You're smart?" Shiro asked.
"I know how to do microtechnology. My scythe is proof. It's also a computer system," she grinned.
"What?!" Shiro gaped. "Ah…! I'm studying in all areas of science! I mean…I need to learn this!"
"It took me five years of intense study," she said seriously. "I can let you borrow a few of the books I have."
"Yes!" he grinned with excitement.
"I do have your number, right?" she asked. He nodded and ensured she pulled it up. Then she sent him a couple links for internet reading to get him started. He was shocked.
"I have never seen this before!" he gaped.
"I have a membership to this site and granted you permanent guest access," she snickered. "I actually think I could use an apprentice…"
"Did I ever tell you how much I loved you?" Kiryu asked her to get their new kids laughing at it.
"I always wanted to learn how to blacksmith," Koji admitted.
"I can teach you. I make my own weapons, my own clothes and even my own training setups," she nodded.
"You made your clothes?!" one of the other young women asked with shock.
"She does make her own clothes, Riona. She even made my suit!" Kiryu grinned lightly. He set Saiki on her feet to let Riona examine his custom made suit. "You like clothing?"
"I'm totally about fashion and fashion design! I mean…you could make your own line of clothing with what you're wearing!" she said with excitement. "And this stitching is amazing!"
"That's…something I never considered…" Saiki blinked. Now she looked at Riona with a warm smile. "You will help me with this?"
"Gladly!" she squeaked out with delight.
"I really want to work for you. I just can't seem to find the right job," Mitsuo frowned. "I really want to focus on one thing."
"What are you interested in?" Saiki asked him.
"I just don't know!" he admitted.
"I have a massive library in my home. You can look through the books there and see if something peaks your interest," she nodded. "Or we can have you do basic grounds work or phone desk needs."
"I'd like that," he grinned. The mood was already settling down, but the door slammed open to show the man in the suit was back with friends. Then all four of them fell down in a dead sleep with acupuncture needles to their foreheads.
"Darling…my toy came back…" Saiki grinned wickedly. "And he brought lots of friends…"
"Ugh…" Kiryu sighed.
"I didn't even see what happened!" Taichi gaped.
"That was so fast!" Haruka whispered.
"I'm learning that!" Koji said with a grin.
"We got this," Kasuga said and rose up with Joongi and Zhao.
"What do they want?" Gelek frowned. Rabten now realized what just happened to him earlier when he saw the needles.
"You…put me to sleep…?!" Rabten asked with shock.
"I did. I don't trust you. You lied to me on first meeting me," Saiki said with a glare at him. "And after Hawaii, we are paying you for the last two missions. In fact, fuck it. Pay him now, dear."
"Done. We'll still keep the one to do in Hawaii, but now we are paid in full. And don't complain! I don't want my wife to do any hardships from her condition!" Kiryu growled out protectively after wiring the funds. "You got paid. People will still live aside from one. Leave it at that."
"Fine…" Rabten said with defeat.
"And if you need more money for medicine, you will get paid for it," Saiki said bluntly. "Whatever I need to do to extend my husband's life. It will be done. Aside from killing people. I really need to try and cut that habit down as much as possible. I'm…tired of it."
"I know," Kiryu said and kissed her forehead.
"Mother, I do have a small request," Haruka smiled.
"And that is?" Saiki asked.
"Ah…your language. Can you…keep it down around Haruto? I really don't want him to learn such talk. At least…right now," Haruka said a touch sheepishly.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Yes, that is something I will need to control. When I start getting into that mindset…if I start, well…" Saiki frowned. Kiryu nodded at this and lifted her up to comfort her.
"I see. Okay. We'll both work on things together," Haruka smiled warmly.
"Thank you. I really am trying," Saiki sighed hard.
"LOOK OUT!" Kasuga shouted when something was lobbed into a window. Saiki didn't even miss a beat when she jumped out of Kiryu's arms, took out her pole to extend it and smacked whatever it was back outside like a baseball.
"Ah!" Shoji gaped.
"She doesn't even think about it!" Riona blinked. They all cringed and ducked down at the explosion that happened outside.
"They tried to lob a fucking bomb in here?!" Saiki fumed.
"Mom?" Haruto frowned.
"Hush," Haruka whispered. "Grandmother Saiki doesn't mean it. She's trying to break that. Okay? She just saved us all! Let her fix this."
"Oh. Okay," Haruto nodded and pressed into his mother's arms.
"Shiro. You want to see what microtechnology can do?" Saiki asked and looked over her shoulder at him. He adjusted his glasses and moved to peek out a window when she walked outside to confront the men on the ground.
"You all okay?" Kiryu asked when he saw Kasuga, Joongi and Zhao blocking the four men from getting any closer.
"We're fine. And I'm very glad that Sai-chan was able to get rid of that bomb!" Kasuga growled. "There were kids in there!"
"Casualty of war!" the man that threw the bomb snarled. Then all four men paled at the sight of the scythe coming out to play.
"A casualty of war…?" Saiki asked in a soft tone. "Huh. I didn't kill anyone yet today…"
"I don't think I can talk her out of this one," Kiryu sighed. He glanced over to see Shiro's jaw dropped with amazement at the scythe. "Kasuga. Get in there. Get the kids away from the windows. I don't want them to see what's going to happen next if I can help it."
"Oh!" Kasuga blinked and rushed inside quickly.
"Darling…?" Saiki asked. Ugajin was blocking the way into the Survive Bar now from the inside. He saw her fight before and would be completely unfazed. He was looking out through a small crack in the door to judge if he had to rush out to help.
"The one that threw the bomb. He can go," Kiryu nodded. She grinned and dashed out with a quick lunge. The men scattered, but her scythe struck true when the man focused on screamed bloody murder. She cut his legs off and severed his head right after.
"Is Grandma Saiki okay?" Haruto asked.
"She's fine," Ugajin smiled. "She just beat up the one that tried to hurt us. Very badly. He won't hurt anyone ever again."
"Oh…" Haruto blinked.
"She killed him?" Taichi frowned.
"Yeah," Ugajin nodded. "Kiryu told her to aim at him. The others are spared. So far that we know, that is."
"Yeah, we're pretty safe," Tomi nodded.
"Why would someone do such a thing?" Chi-chan frowned hard.
"They got played and got mad," Koji said bluntly. "I've seen it happen before. So, they wanted revenge. But it was on the wrong group of people."
"Right," Izumi nodded. Kiryu carried Saiki back in with her weapon put away. He sat down in a chair with her in his lap before giving out a sigh of disgust at the whole thing.
"How are you feeling," he asked his wife.
"No headache. So that's a plus," she smiled and reclined into him. Then she felt her phone buzzing to answer it. "Hello? Oh! Ah, let me put you on speaker for him to hear this…"
"Hello!" the doctor from the hospital said. "I was able to analyze the cancer in Kiryu-san."
"You did?" Kiryu asked.
"Yes. It was definitely a form of Hodgkin's cancer. But the way it formed…we're still analyzing it. There…does appear to be a slight trace of radiation poisoning. Very mild, mind you, so it's almost neutralized, but I would like to do some bloodwork on you when you have the time," the doctor said.
"I have a place to be at tonight. I actually need to be on the road now. Can I meet up with you in the morning with my wife?" Kiryu asked. The room was silent with shock at the news.
"Of course! I'll schedule an appointment for…11:00 sharp?" the doctor asked. This was agreed to, and Saiki set it on her phone calendar.
"So…it was a form of cancer…" Kiryu blinked after the phone disconnected the call. "And it was pulled out of me…somehow…"
"That we know of," Saiki nodded. "But we don't know how much is left."
"But…if most of it was pulled?" Kasuga asked with hopefulness.
"We'll have to see," Kiryu nodded. "That we'll have to see."
"Well, what can we do now?" Mitsuo asked.
"I have an idea. You think we have time for some karaoke?" Kiryu grinned lightly. "You knew it was coming!"
"I think we can do a song. One song, though, as we do need to leave right after. A duet you think?" she smiled. Everyone cheered at this, and he led her to the small stage. "You start if it's a song I don't know. I'll follow your lead."
"Okay," he nodded and remembered a song to start singing it. She smiled and began to sing with him. She clearly knew the song, and the two of them soon had the room applauding with delight.
"I want to sing like that! What do you think of it, Ayako?" Riona asked the young woman sitting with her.
"I still can't wrap my head around how she was raised," Ayako admitted. "She can do so much. And she was caught just for doing that."
"I'm glad she's our mom now," Koji smiled. When the song ended, it was promised that more would be done later. Tomi took this moment to duck out to prepare his minivan for more travel. Joongi was already doing the same.
"Okay. Next on the agenda. Your mom and I have plans tonight as I said before. What do you think they should do now?" Kiryu asked his wife.
"I'd say they should go back to their homes. However, after the hospital visit tomorrow, I'd like you all to come by my home for dinner. So, Kazuma, after the doctor's' appointment, we need to get some cooking done," Saiki chuckled.
"I can help with that!" Zhao grinned. "I can start gathering up ingredients now. What do ya say?"
"That's fine," Kiryu nodded. "Okay, we need to go. Kids need to head home. The monks, well…stay here or find something to do."
"I am still recovering from jet lag," Gelek admitted. Rabten yawned to show the same. Ugajin led the young adults out, and they all got hugged by their new parents. It was promised they'd meet up again the next day, and Tomi was ready with the minivan all gassed up and ready to go.
"I can help transport," Joongi said. "Should we get Tsuruno and Ebina?"
"No," Kiryu said. "They are not exactly close friends. They can stay where they are for now."
"They are at the Geomijul headquarters. They're fine," Seonhee nodded. "Can we get the address to where we're going?"
"I have it," Ugajin smiled and sent out the text to both her and Tomi.
"That's a luxury resort!" Chi-chan blinked at the address. "My father would go there for weekend getaways!"
"Looks like you both got a room booked there," Sa-chan smiled at what the room reservations were. "You'll have to leave early to make it to the hospital."
"I don't even think I want the room," Saiki admitted. "I'll have to see."
"Maybe one of us could take over the room…?" Kasuga asked and glanced at Sa-chan. She sighed and shook her head.
"Well, if you do take that spot…I will suggest one thing," Saiki said to Kasuga. "Depending on whether or not you have a guest, I would strongly recommend watching a movie. And just be yourself."
"Maybe…I can pick the movie," Sa-chan said. Kasuga gave a hopeful look at her and was already nodding with complete agreement.
"Good. We'll see what happens when we get there," Kiryu smiled.
"Okay. Well, we'd better get on the road now," Tomi said.
"That we should," Kiryu said. Both he and Saiki hugged Haruka and Haruto before parting ways. Seonhee placed an order to have all of the new family members watched over for the rest of the night. She didn't like how three of the men got away. She had made her own plans to have them hunted down. Even the Geomijul men agreed to this unanimously and were already on the prowl.