It was two hours later when Tomi drove up to the massive luxury resort hotel. They did make a small detour to her underground home so she could grab a digital copy of the cassette tape to USB. She even ensured the clip with the murder confession was on it, too. Something told her it was going to be needed, and Kiryu was completely agreeable with it. Then she decided to take a quick shower and change her outfit to her black lace pants and halter top. They spent an extra fifteen minutes this way, but it had to be done.
Ugajin was handling all of the impatient text messages neatly, and they had finally gotten on the road three hours before dusk hit. She was woken up with Kiryu as they had both fallen asleep during the ride back to Tokyo. When they all got out to meet up, Ugajin was sighing. "They were insisting to order us limousine services. I texted them that we were already on our way with friends. They feel…miffed."
"Why?" Saiki frowned.
"They like to spoil family at events like this. Expect a lot of unneeded luxury pampering," he grimaced. "None of it optional."
"I've never had it," Saiki shrugged. "So, fine. I'll check it out once. If I don't like it, I'll leave the area."
"As you say," Ugajin chuckled. Kiryu rose a brow at it all, but he lifted his wife into his arms to let her snuggle into him with relief. A kiss was pressed to her forehead and he walked into the overly luxurious lobby.
"I think my family scheduled an event here before," Chi-chan mused. "My father does come here for getaways, but I was never really with him."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Ugajin nodded. He let her lean into him and he sighed hard. "I don't miss this place. Everyone always met up here."
"Will they be mad at what you're wearing?" Saiki grinned.
"I don't care about what they think," he smirked at her.
"And you shouldn't," Sa-chan nodded.
"Glad I tagged along," Adachi mused. Nanba was already admiring the outer structure of the hotel. "Where to now?"
"I want to force them to wait. I want to see what the room looks like that we were booked. If I like it, I'll take pictures to make the room match the one at home. Even on The Castle, too," Saiki said with a form of hidden delight. "But I really want to know who made the disgusting comment first on my father killing my mother."
"I think I have an idea of who started that," Ugajin sighed.
"Do tell," she said and let Kiryu carry her into the hotel lobby.
"There was one that wanted your mother for himself. He was overly jealous. At least, I think that's why he did it. Once again, it was all speculation. You might even be able to spot him if you see him," her brother smirked.
"He gets slapped in front of everyone if I spot him," she growled. "And that's if he spread the rumor just for wanting my mother."
"I might punch him in the face," Kiryu grunted. "It would be my right to show I won't put up with anyone messing with you."
"Whatever you want to do, dear," she chuckled. He kissed her ravenously and looked over at an elderly couple purposely walking over.
"Is it really you, Aika?" the old woman asked.
"Until I know you can be trusted, I would prefer to be called Saiki. This is my first time meeting everyone, so I need to ensure of who can be spoken to at measure. You may have seen me before, but I have no memories of you. Nothing against you, but…it's a protective standpoint for me. All from how I was raised, I'm afraid," Saiki said lightly.
"We wanted to look at the bedroom first, but I suppose that won't happen," Kiryu said. "And I'm keeping her in my arms to ensure of your protection. My wife was kept in a horrible state. She only fully trusts me right now. If I put her down, well, her past training removed any thoughts of reaction time if she's under attack. She just attacks and kills the problem. And I mean she kills the problem. If I knew of her, I would have freed her. But she was kept hidden from me, too."
"Oh!" the elderly man gaped.
"I will say this. We've been married for under a week. But I've known her forever. Our first meeting fifteen years ago was brief. I've been trying to find her ever since then. After we found each other again recently…we dated for month. We got married after that. We just…can't see each other with anyone else," Kiryu smiled lightly. Saiki nodded at him and let him hug her tight.
"I'm glad she is safe now," the elderly woman smiled.
"And now I need to know. Who are you?" Saiki asked.
"Right. We should have introduced ourselves first. We are your grandparents from Hori being our son. I am Kon Hikaru. This is Nagano Hikaru," the elderly man said gently. "We are…so grateful…that you are here now."
"My grandparents…" Saiki murmured. "I see…"
"Your mother's parents are here, too. They are Hamamoto and Terada Yukiko. If we knew where you were…well…" Nagano said. Saiki started to shake, and Kiryu quickly turned with her to calm her back down.
"That fucker…destroyed my life…!" she seethed.
"Easy!" Kiryu grimaced and crushed her to him. "He's dead now. He's dead. I know. We both knew it was a risk coming here. Just remember this. With him doing what he did, it allowed us to be together at last. We talked about this, right? We came to terms with this. Just keep calm. Let me do the talking?"
"Please…" she trembled hard. He nodded and pressed her face into his neck gently to let her hear him breathing. He closed his eyes and focused to help soothe her shattered state to mend back together. He felt her stop shaking and savor his arms around her. He let her feel how much he loved her to soothe her even more.
"That's it. Just focus on me," he muttered.
"You see what she's going through," Ugajin said to his grandparents. "She has to take things slowly. If she doesn't…she'll snap."
"Ah…!" Nagano cringed and pressed a hand to her chest.
"She's not used to large gatherings. She can't handle situations that she's unsure of. Just let her husband work with her and keep her focused. Please follow his lead. This is important," Ugajin stressed gently.
"I don't think I can go in there," Saiki whispered.
"It's okay. Let me talk," Kiryu soothed and kissed her forehead. He turned to her grandparents and said, "She's fighting to stay focused. This is not good. If she goes in there and the wrong thing is said…"
"Many wrong things were said," Kon frowned and shook his head sadly.
"If she finds out who said the wrong things…" Ugajin said with a bit of worry. "If you know who they are, don't let them approach her."
"The only thing I want to know is who started the rumor of my father murdering my mother. Because I was there on the night of the murder. I saw that fucker slit their throats open!" Saiki seethed out. She started to tense, and her husband knew exactly what that meant.
"No!" Kiryu said sharply and turned quickly. He finally had to take her right out of the hotel. He moved straight to a curbside bench to hold her in his lap. Kasuga, Goro, Taiga and Daigo moved to form a wall around them to shield them both. Nanba, Adachi and Zhao moved to form an outer wall to keep others back. She was in tears of rage now, and he rocked her against him. "Easy…"
"How…can they say…he killed her…?!" she bawled out. Goro grimaced with his single eye and swallowed at what he was witnessing. "I saw it! The fucking bastard admitted it! And they have…the fucking gall…to say that…?!"
"We know the truth," Kiryu muttered and kept rocking her.
"I can't, Kazuma…" she whimpered softly. "I just…I can't…"
"I know," he frowned and held her close. "Emotional pain is worse than the physical. You can heal from the physical and have the scar. Unless in a bad spot, there usually is no pain other than the memory of how you got it. Emotional…it pierces over and over again. No matter how much it heals."
"Yes…" she swallowed and let him comfort her.
"That's it…" he muttered softly and stroked a lock of her hair. "Just keep calm now. It likely wouldn't be so hard if such things weren't said. I know all too well of what you're going through. Mine are old scars. Yours are fresh wounds. Let me show you how to turn the wound into a scar."
"Please…" she whispered and let him kiss her in a slow, loving way.
"Is she out here?" a male voice asked.
"Don't approach her!" Ugajin warned. "She's not ready to meet anyone. She has to calm down."
"She can't be that bad! She should be eager to meet with us," the male argued. Kasuga gave a growl to show he wasn't budging. Even Nanba tried to persuade the arrogant man to go back inside.
"Keep your face hidden," Kiryu muttered. Then he looked at the ones around him. "Back away a bit. We don't want to give the wrong idea. If that idiot comes over here…just make sure he's not too close."
"Very well," Daigo agreed to start giving space to them. Goro clearly wasn't happy about it, but he knew that Kiryu was right on trying to keep the peace in a public area. Kasuga grimaced at this and caught Sa-chan's worried look. Tomi, Seonhee and Joongi were standing nearby to intercept anyone else to keep things as calm as possible.
"I brought the wrong cardigan…" Saiki winced.
"I am your shield," Kiryu muttered out and gave a hard glare at the man when he strode over. The man paused with shock at the glare of warning. "My wife is unwell. If you don't leave us now, she will not hesitate to jump out of my arms and cut you in half. I'm doing everything I can to keep her calm. Don't make this harder for me."
"Kazuma…" Saiki whispered and rose up her hand to caress his cheek. "Take me home, please."
"Yeah," he nodded and sighed hard.
"Why doesn't she want to meet with us?" the man asked.
"Inaba, I told you that her mental state is not like ours," Ugajin said on walking over and shook his head at it all.
"You want me to stay? Why?" Saiki finally asked out loud.
"But…we've all searched for you…" Inaba said. "Can't you at least tell us what happened? Anything at all?"
"Then tell me this. Who was the one that started that disgusting rumor that my father killed my mother?!" she snapped out. "You tell me that. You show me that asshole! Because I want that person on a fucking stage watching a video and listening to an audio clip! Then I want that person to tell me to my fucking face that it still happened! That's what I fucking want!"
"I…know who it was…" Inaba swallowed.
"I was there! I watched their throats get slashed open!" she spat. "Why should I consider a family that thinks this as my own?!"
"Hush…" Kiryu whispered and kept hugging her trembling form. She had her arms wrapped around his neck to cling to him. He knew if she let him go that people were going to die all around her.
"No one…went…into that fucking house…!" she shivered hard.
"Easy…we know…" Kiryu mumbled in her ear. "Focus on me."
"Is that person here?" Kasuga asked.
"Yes. He is," Inaba nodded.
"Is he hiding?" Daigo asked.
"Sort of. He did see the photos. He's already been eating his words," Inaba sighed hard. "He just wouldn't shut up about it until now. Even then…well…it was mentioned. The idea was a bit embraced as the only reason on what happened. We just…we didn't know."
"Did he want my mother for himself?" Saiki growled out.
"That I don't know," he admitted.
"Well, if she changes her mind and wants to leave, I'm not stopping her," Ugajin grunted. "And I'll be going with her."
"Ugajin?" Chi-chan asked. He looked at her grimly and let her hug him. "What's going on?"
"Trying to make a decision," he said. Seonhee and Joongi were patiently waiting nearby with Zhao to see what was going to happen next.
"Do we tell them what happened?" Kiryu asked his wife.
"Only after we confront that fucker. I want him to fucking beg me for forgiveness," Saiki said with a hard shiver for control.
"Fine. Get the area ready for us. Now. Before she changes her mind," Kiryu grounded out. There was a flurry of action for the next five minutes. The signal was given that everything was ready. He looked at her and said, "Did you want to walk with me?"
"Yes," she nodded. He kissed her and set her down on her feet. She let him lead her back into the hotel lobby. He followed Ugajin into the main meeting room where over thirty people were. Saiki finally lifted her dark blue eyes to study each person there. Many of them gasped at the sight of her.
"She's almost exactly like Kai…!" a woman whispered.
"She's the same height as her, too!" a man said.
"So…your mother was also your height," Kiryu chuckled at his wife.
"That's…good to know…" Saiki nodded.
"No one approach her yet. But, she does want the one that started the rumor that Uncle Hori killed Aunt Kai. That one needs to come up to her. Right now," Ugajin said. "And I say this before she decides to get that one up here personally."
"I was there. I saw their murderer open their throats as they slept," Saiki said with a growl. "And I have a video confession about it."
"Ah…" a man paled. Then her gaze locked right on him. He appeared to be the usual Japanese man, but his black hair was lightly tipped with frosted highlights and parted neatly at both sides to come down to his shoulders.
"You. You said it. Get your ass up here in front of me. Or I'll take out my whip and drag your bleeding corpse over to me!" she snapped. Kiryu narrowed his eyes at the man and kept a hand on his wife's back. The others there were clearly nervous now, but they were also shocked at this, too.
"Focus," Kiryu muttered.
"Trying…" she grounded out.
"Kurata?! You started that garbage rumor?!" Ugajin gaped with disbelief.
"Everyone just wanted a reason!" Kurata winced.
"Shut the fuck up and come here!" Saiki spat out. She pulled the whip out from the shortened pole, used it on a nearby chair and dragged it up to the main floor near her. The whip was set back, and she glared at the man again. "Sit. Down. Right here."
"I…don't know if I should…" Kurata started to panic.
"We can get him," Goro said.
"Do it. Before I start killing people," Saiki tensed. Kiryu finally knelt down on one knee and pulled her close to sit on it. He whispered softly to her to help her focus on him again. A gentle hand was moved over her back, and she closed her eyes with a shake of her head. Then he growled out a mutter that made her blush and stare hard at him with disbelief. He grinned and kissed her before refocusing on the guilty man. He pointed at him and gestured to the chair.
"Come on," Taiga grunted and led the man up to the basic chair with plush cushioning. Kurata sat down and winced when both Goro and Taiga put their hands on his shoulders to keep him there.
"First, you all will watch a video. Then you all will listen to an audio clip. Is there a television with USB capabilities?" Saiki asked. "Also, you all are to call me Saiki. I don't trust any one of you right now. My real name is only reserved to those I trust. You'll see why in a moment."
"I found a television," Tomi said. He and Sa-chan wheeled it up to them, and Kasuga plugged it into power. Seonhee and Joongi kept watch over the room. Zhao was in front of the main door to monitor who entered and left. Saiki was able to move over to it to examine it. Then she plugged in the USB stick and worked the controls to activate the files. Now they all watched the meeting with her kidnapper and his friend.
"I can't watch it…" Saiki frowned.
"I know. Focus on me," Kiryu said. A chair was brought over to them by Chi-chan for him to sit on. He pulled her right into his lap, and he had her listen to his breathing. A song was softly hummed into her ear to drown out all of the other noise. But she heard the family sputter with rage. She heard one of the women break down into sobs of horror at what happened to the man at the end of the video footage. She knew that everyone was outraged.
"It's over," Ugajin said when he moved over to them.
"Okay. Let me play the audio clip," she nodded. She got up again and activated the audio file. Now they all heard the hidden audio. Sa-chan was shocked. Chi-chan was speechless. None of her current friends had heard this yet. When it was done, she ejected the USB and turned to glare at the suffering man in the chair with a seething scowl.
"Do you think her father murdered her mother now?" Kiryu asked. He had moved to his wife's side to pull her into his arms.
"No…" Kurata swallowed.
"Why? Why did you say it?!" Saiki asked through clenched teeth.
"I only…said it as a possibility…" Kurata said with tears falling now. "I never…expected it to go…like this…"
"And why did no one look in that fucking house?!" she demanded.
"Because we were ordered not to," an old man said sadly. "We were told it was a crime scene. That we would be told when to go in, but…"
"You never got the message to go in," Kasuga frowned hard.
"We never did," the man's elderly wife nodded. "I wanted to know what happened to Kai. We all grieved! We searched for you, Aika! We spent so much money, but nothing came of it…"
"Don't…call me that…!" Saiki fumed.
"Hey," Kiryu said gently. "Let me tell them where you were."
"I don't see the point," she said. "They'll want to see where I was. I still live there. It's still my home. I can come and go as I please now. I don't want anyone to go there."
"They don't have to. They just want to know what happened to you. Let me tell them," he said. She looked away to show she wasn't going to argue with it.
"Who are you?" one of the women asked him.
"I am Kazuma Kiryu. Formerly part of the Tojo Clan. But I am also known as the Dragon of Dojima," he said sternly. That got many to gasp out loud at this news. "Yes, it was rumored that I was dead. Yes, I am a former yakuza. So is my wife. We are married. It's been less than a week, but I knew of her for a very long time. And we love each other intensely.
"I just couldn't find her to save her. But I saved her life as she saved mine. But she was brought in by force. And she does have a tattoo. No, she will not show it off. It was also forced on her. What I have to say is lengthy, so everyone should get comfortable."
"I…" Kurata started and went quiet at Saiki's glare.
"I'm not done with you," Saiki said with complete mistrust.
"Can you please let him go?" Okino said from where she sat. "I'll make sure he doesn't go anywhere."
"I'm sorry. But he needs the hot seat for a bit longer," Saiki said. "I want him to sit here and listen to everything. I want him to beg for forgiveness when everything is said and done."
"I didn't expect my idea to get blown out of proportion like this!" Kurata finally caved. "I mentioned it once! Only once!"
"Then who blew it out of proportion?" Saiki asked. She cut her glare to the other grieving members. Then she saw one young woman shiver. "You. Swap places with him."
"Ah!" the woman gaped. "How…?!"
"My senses are honed to insane measures. I've been locked up underground with nothing else to do. For thirty years…all I did was train and teach myself on how to do things. Because my kidnapper called me his pet dog!" she hissed out.
"And we killed him for that. For everything he did to you. And he was a coward when I tried to confront him. He always ran away to hide from me," Kiryu said with a heavy sigh of distaste.
"You were kept hidden from practically all of us," Daigo frowned. "None of us would have approved how you were being truly kept."
"Why didn't you give her back to us?" Nagano asked.
"Because it wasn't our choice," Daigo said. "I was part of the Tojo Can board with Kiryu. Her very existence was kept secret. We only knew her as 'the weapon'. We didn't even know her true name, and she didn't know it, either, until recently. Her title in the Tojo Clan…it was the Headhunter of the Yakuza. She is trained to only know how to kill. We didn't even know that this 'weapon' was a young girl. That's how secretive it all was."
"I knew of a weapon. I didn't know who it was, either," Goro nodded.
"Same," Taiga said with a small shrug.
"We found her birth certificate in a baby book by the bed. Including a photo of her being held by her parents. And her name was on the wall in her old room. That's how she discovered herself," Kiryu said. He knew his wife was still pissed.
"I still want that woman in this chair. Swap out. Now," Saiki ordered. Kurata gave a small frown at the family member and the exchange was done. While he was in a nice three-piece suit, this new woman that sat down was in a rather skimpy dancing gown of dark blue.
"Your name, please?" Kiryu asked.
"Ah…" she faltered.
"Kida! It was you?!" Okino gasped. Then she looked at Saiki. "She's my younger sister. I never realized it, but it does make sense. She is the one that gives out all of the news to everyone."
"Ah. One of those people. I will make sure to avoid you in the future," Saiki grunted with disdain. Kida's jaw dropped with shock at this. "You slandered my parents. You spread a false accusation that has struck me like no other dagger or blade could have ever done. You are now not someone to be trusted to me. I will never speak of any secrets in your presence."
"I…" Kida swallowed and shook hard.
"I don't care that I was never found. I care that this disgusting lie was cherished and worshiped! Why in the fucking hell would I want to associate with someone that willingly spreads accusations without research?!" Saiki snapped.
"Calm," Kiryu muttered and rested a hand on her back. "She knows now. Back down please."
"I've had to live with that memory of watching my parents die. Over and over again…" Saiki grimaced and clenched her hands into fists. "And none of you bothered to try and seek the truth for yourselves. All you had to do was go into that house. Even after a month! You would have seen everything and known what really happened! But none of you did. So, sure. Learn about my past. Find out what happened to me. But I will never let any of you call me by my true name until I know I can trust any of you. I am known as Saiki. Only a rare few…will call me Aika."
"I am Kai's mother. Your grandmother," the other elderly woman said. "I am Terada. I understand why you say this completely. I will honor your choice."
"I am Hamamoto. Your grandfather. I agree to this, too," he nodded slightly. "You've…been through a lot. And you didn't agree to it. We should have been more curious. But we also feared what others would have done."
"I'm going to enforce it," Ugajin said and moved to stand next to her. "You would have been my baby sister. Even if our grandparents would have taken you in, I wouldn't have accepted anything less."
"You are all a bunch of strangers to me. I need time to reflect and process things. Considering that someone brazenly decided to hack into my personal network and got his computer blown up in retaliation," Saiki seethed out lightly. "If he's here, well…be glad I don't care to notice that one. Besides, why should I trust a family that doesn't give a chance? Why should I trust others that base judgment on false truths? I don't see any of you as my family. I was happy at first. Just knowing that I wasn't alone. But then…I learned what was going on. So…why should I get to know any of you at all?"
There were no answers. No one could answer her. Kiryu cleared his throat and said, "I will tell you of her past. But none are to say a word. When I'm done, I will answer questions. That's if there are any. My wife is…barely controlling herself. And I'm proud of her for this restrain. Because if she didn't have it…none of you would be leaving this room alive."
"Ah…!" Okino gasped audibly.
"I will start talking. No one else speaks. If my wife falls asleep, then let her sleep," Kiryu said. Then he started to talk, and he stroked a lock of his wife's hair to keep her calm. He talked about what they learned with her earliest memories. How she was denied to learn and grow until a group of women helped her. He told them of the ten minute meeting he had with her.
He spoke of what happened with her back and that she was touched by her kidnapper. He told them how she taught herself everything she needed to know. Then he told them of the medication she was given to help her mind. Everything was laid bare to them now.
"I'm sure there's a lot more that we don't know. She could only remember so much. There's more coming back, too. But…this is what we know for sure," Kasuga nodded. "She's still recovering from a lot of garbage."
"It's true. We are not her family. Not yet, anyways," Kon said softly.
"We did reclaim the wedding rings of her parents. They were stolen by Dog Catcher. It's what we call her kidnapper. That guy is not worthy of a name," Kiryu grunted. Saiki was nestled protectively in his embrace, and he didn't stop stroking a lock of her hair. "And before any of you ask…her hairstyle was also forced. It was to show off the tattoo on her back at all times. Her scalp was redone to let no hair grow down her back."
"I…wow…" Kurata blinked.
"I…I'm sorry…" Kida swallowed. Saiki glared at her, but gestured that she could leave the stage. Then she sighed and leaned into her husband with complete exhaustion from the ordeal.
"Kazuma…" Saiki murmured.
"Yes?" he gazed at her.
"Take me home…" she whispered.
"Yeah. Let's check out the room here. We'll take pictures. Then we'll go back," he nodded and rose up with her.
"Will we get to see her again?" Kon asked hopefully.
"Coordinate through me," Ugajin said. "This is…very rough for her. She will be out of the country next week for her honeymoon. Maybe we can do small gatherings when she gets back. It depends on her. Just let me be the one to talk to you all for her. Okay?"
"Of course," Nagano nodded. Kiryu was able to get the room key, and he was shocked that it was the penthouse suite on the highest floor of the hotel. Saiki would have been impressed, but she was too emotional to care. He took the elevator straight up to it and opened the door to stand in the massive luxury suite entryway. He gave a low whistle and moved straight to the giant poster bed in the master bedroom to sit down on it with her in his lap.
"Talk to me?" he whispered.
"Why…?" she asked and let the tears fall.
"It's just us now," he muttered and kissed her ravenously. He knew she needed him as much as he needed her. Pants were pulled down with undergarments in their haste to get close. They both shouted when they joined, and all he could do was hold her fast to him. He continued to hold her tight to keep her there. He closed his eyes to rest and relish in her warmth.
"I think…this is what I really needed…" she whispered softly.
"Is it?" he asked gently.
"Yes. I know we have the doctor appointment in the morning. The grounds crew appearing to check over the land. The kids coming over for dinner. But I think…the day after tomorrow…I just want this…" she swallowed.
"We'll plan for it," he promised and kissed her thoroughly. "Even though it may happen in Hawaii…some things can't wait."
"And now?" she murmured with complete comfort in his embrace.
"Thirty minutes. We'll rest," he mumbled and took in a deep breath. "Let them battle it out. We really need this right now. No garbage. No confrontations. They know all about you now. We don't need them to meddle in our affairs. Or us in theirs. You fought a massive battle. You won."
"Emotional battles…" she shivered and pressed into him to get squeezed. "I prefer the physical ones…"
"Much like pain?"
"Yeah."
"I can get that. Only so much one can do. But you're not alone, Aika. Never alone. Not as long as I can help it," he promised. He felt her tears start up, and he kissed her softly. "It's okay now."
"Is it…?" she whimpered out.
"It is. Because I am with you," he said and kissed her again in a more urgent way. Then he pressed a hand to her belly. "I didn't tell them about this. I don't want any of them to know. Not yet, anyways."
"It may not be…" she started before going silent at his gaze.
"I don't care," he said and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to say you are. Even if you're not. It helps me put my foot down."
"Really?" she asked and he cracked a grin. "My loveable idiot…"
"My amazing wife," he chuckled and kissed her before rolling fully onto his back to let her rest on him. "Oh. There's a television here…"
"Hmm?" she smiled. He sat up a bit more and she watched him flick through the channels. He came to an anime station and blinked at the cartoon playing. After watching for a few minutes, he found himself confused.
"A man that kills things with one punch…?" he blinked.
"What's wrong with that?" she asked.
"I don't know. It would seem a bit boring. Wouldn't it?"
"How? Much like me, the problem would be dead. Right?"
"It's not that. It's like…you get to a point in your progress. You've gone as high as you can. And then you're just…done. Nothing more to gain. Nothing more to do. You can continue to excel at what you do. Keep training. Invent things. But when there's nothing challenging anymore? What would you do?"
"I haven't really thought of it that way before," she mused. "I'm always learning new things. But it is true. Once you master something, if there isn't anything else to learn, well…huh!"
"See?" he grinned. He turned off the television and yawned. Then he looked up at the ceiling deep in thought.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
"I want to…do some karaoke…" he said with a small grin.
"What?!" she asked and laughed when he turned to pounce and tickle her. She squealed at it and found herself blushing softly in his arms.
"There you are," he smiled and kissed her. "This is the real you."
"You think so?" she smiled back.
"Yes. This is who you are. A smart, wonderful woman who was dealt the nastiest set of cards that anyone would ever want. But you had me in your deck. And now I will be the one that shields you for the rest of your life," he said and let her bury her face into his neck. "Don't think you're alone anymore, Aika."
"With you…I know I won't be…" she murmured.
"That's right," he agreed and closed his eyes. He opened them when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Sighing, he took it out and checked it. "It's Ugajin. Just making sure everything is well. I'll text him…all good now. And…give us thirty minutes. Send. Okay. Done."
"Good," she nodded and ran her hands up his chest. "May as well get naked…to a point…"
"I don't think we need to do that," he said. Then she pointed at the massive tub in the bathroom. "Oh…well…that changes my mind!"
"Good!" she grinned and got up to quickly strip down. She kept her jewelry on, though, but she knew exactly what she wanted to do. He stared at her figure while she moved and checked over what was available. She pulled up a bottle of bubble bath and noticed there were massive jets all through the tub. Now she grinned, turned on the water and dumped a quarter of the bottle into the running stream. He found himself getting up quickly at the sight of that.
"That's way too much!" he said and was soon undressing to walk over to join her. "This is going to get messy."
"Nonsense!" she grinned. "I always wanted to do this."
"Really?" he asked with amusement. Then she dumped in more of the bubble bath liquid. His eyes widened when the jets started to churn out over two feet of bubbles in under ten seconds. It was even worse when two of the jets were pointed out of the tub to spray water and bubbles all over half of the bathroom at full blast. Including all over them. "Aika! What did you do?!"
"I thought they were all turned inwards!" she gasped with absolute laughter and quickly turned the jets off.
"This is a disaster!" Kiryu gaped and groaned while getting out the spare towels to start cleaning up the bubbles. Then he paused at the sight of all the bubbles starting spill out of the tub. "Turn that water off! Quick!"
"Done!" she said while still laughing and snickering like crazy. They ended up draining all of the water and cleaning the bubbles down the drain. It was a painful ten minute task, but once it was done the water was reset. A proper amount of bubble bath was added back in, and he was finally able to get into the heated water with her. He sighed with intense relief and turned off the water after it reached his desired height.
"We need a tub like this. Without the bubbles," he said to get her laughing.
"But…the bubbles are fun! Much like honey…" she started and grinned at his small glare. "Maybe I can wear a red swimsuit in here, too…"
"Shut up," he said and got her laughing again. He did close his eyes to enjoy the heated water with her, though. Then he opened his eyes to feel a tickling sensation on his chest. "What are you doing?"
"Giving you boobs…" she snickered on rounding out bubbles on him.
"Absolutely not!" he said and wiped off the bubbles quickly. She was dying with laughter and squealed when he started tickling her mercilessly. "I am making a note to myself. No bubble baths with you unless I'm awake."
"Awww! Then where's the fun in that?" she asked and giggled at his nibbling to her jawline. "I was thinking a good ten minute soaking before we get out. There's a shower, too, so we can wash off what's left of the bubbles."
"I like that idea," he nodded and relaxed again with her. He was about to start drifting off to sleep until she started singing softly. It was a song he never heard before, and he found himself listening with rapt attention. When it was done, he gazed at her with silent wonder.
"What?" she asked softly.
"You really are the most amazing woman I've ever known," he whispered and kissed her passionately. "Nothing…no one…will ever tear you away from me again. I always say this, but it's true. I've never been so amazed that you are my wife. You…are everything to me…"
"Kazuma," she said and let him kiss her desperately. He sat up a bit and kept her held against him now. "What are you thinking of?"
"Why…I could never find you…" he muttered. "I was forced to give up. To lose hope. To forget about you. I shouldn't have! I should have used the Daidoji to find you! To tell them of you as a hidden weapon. To see if they could track you down. With the only condition that I speak with you first. To show…that I remembered you. To see if you really did remember me…"
"I probably would have jumped into your arms…" she swallowed. "I wanted to do that when we met again…but you had others with you. I didn't know if I'd be attacked. I had to keep my distance. I had to show I trusted no one…"
"Talk to me, Aika."
"When you had me sit in your lap in the van…I should have said no. But I didn't…because I wanted to be close to you!" she whimpered and got hugged tight. "I wanted to…do so much…but…I didn't know your boundaries. I had to take things slow. Let things build. Even when we first met…that first call to hear your voice…a part of me wanted to tell you to find me! My heart jumped in my throat! But…"
"There were others. I know," he swallowed.
"I had to let you come to me. To follow the trail I left for you so the others would know what I could do. But I wanted you to know I was there. I wanted you to see me without seeing me. I…" she trailed off and got kissed again. "I couldn't…show myself…as weak around others…"
"Yeah," he nodded and kissed her again. He pressed his face into her neck and whispered, "There's more. Tell it to me."
"If you were alone…when you found me…I probably would have dashed into your arms…"
"I…think I would have been taken by surprise. But…I know I wouldn't have fought against it. I think…I would have welcomed it, actually…"
"When we first kissed…I felt as though a dream came true…"
"Now that I think about it…yeah…" he mused.
"I was a bit scared on how it would be. How I would react to it. You…were my first kiss. I don't know if Dog Catcher did that…I doubt he would have. But you were my first kiss."
"Good. I am your first with everything. You know this."
"And when you kissed me again…I longed for it to happen even more…"
"I did, too."
"I was always chasing a dream," she whispered.
"Not the only one," he muttered and kissed her lovingly. He pulled her right into his lap to hear her muffled squeal. He growled lightly and held her down on him with small pants. "Damn. I think…I'm making up for lost time…"
"I can believe that," she chuckled softly.
"I'm not normally like this. I said it before. But…damn it! I just…I can't get enough you! And I know we are newlyweds. Everyone would expect this of us, anyways. But…every time I think back to how I lost you…how I couldn't bring you to my side…"
"Your turn. Talk to me," she smiled and let him kiss her gently.
"I felt like I lost a battle. And I hated it. Because it wasn't by choice that it was lost. It was by force," he frowned hard. "After that first meeting, I had to mentally focus to push you out of my mind. And when you left that note?! I was…aching to see you. To hug you. To talk to you. I never had such intense sensations before…"
"Even with Yumi?"
"I hate to say it, but…yeah. I knew I loved her. I shouted when she got killed. I thought…I couldn't go on. I had forgotten about you, though. There was so much going on. And when I had agreed to 'die' to protect Morning Glory…I had completely forgotten about you. I feel…so ashamed that it happened…"
"Kazuma…"
"When I felt you watching me…I didn't know it was you. But then I saw your cardigan. The flash of it. I was suspicious. On edge. But then I saw it again. I realized…that I was being allowed to see you. You were trying to get my attention in such a way…"
"I was."
"And then you sang to me…and I just knew," he blinked and hugged her to him even more. "I also knew that I had to protect the others with me. If I didn't…I didn't want any of them hurt. I didn't know what your mindset was. How you felt about me. None of it. But you remembered me. You sought me. You found me…"
"You saved me," she whispered and let him kiss her in a branding way. After it broke, he only held her close with his eyes closed. Nothing else needed to be said. There was nothing more that needed to be done. He only ran a hand over her back and kept his other arm securely around her. Another kiss was given to her a few minutes later before they both agreed to leave the tub.
It was drained, cleaned out and the shower was focused on next. They both scrubbed each other down and spent a leisurely few minutes more enjoying each other again. They dried each other off afterwards and finally dressed. She was quick to take a quick video of the room and snap pictures of various areas. Then she sent the pictures to Samejima with small instructions to secure a near-matching tub and shower with other items of interest.
"I love you," she said softly.
"I love you," he said and kissed her in his branding way a final time before smiling at her. "Time to go back?"
"I think so," she nodded. He lifted her into his arms to carry her out. To their surprise, they found the others there waiting outside the door. "Oh…"
"Yeah, we decided to wait here," Tomi nodded.
"For how long?" Kiryu asked.
"Ten minutes. I think?" Kasuga blinked.
"Yeah, roughly that," Adachi agreed.
"We had just settled down to wait," Nanba chuckled.
"I talked to both sides of your grandparents," Chi-chan said. "They were heavy contributors to the shipping company I'm in charge of. We're going to make plans on various things to help ease things along. I may even give them accounts that they can access and build up on at their leisure."
"That's fine," Saiki nodded. "You do what you can. I still have to think on things, but this can help."
"Can I take a peek in there?" Sa-chan giggled. Kiryu opened the door to the penthouse for her and let them all walk inside. "Wow! This is crazy!"
"Did you want to sleep in here for the night?" Kiryu grinned.
"Oh…well…I have to work in the morning…" Sa-chan frowned.
"You can sleep in!" Kasuga chuckled. "I mean…I could sleep on the couch…? Maybe?"
"Give it…a chance…for me…?" Saiki sang softly to Sa-chan.
"Ah…" Sa-chan sighed. "I…okay. We'll see how it goes."
"Let her pick the movie," Chi-chan chuckled.
"Maybe order the food, too," Seonhee nodded.
"That's fine!" Kasuga nodded in agreement.
"How would I get back?" Sa-chan asked.
"Text me," Chi-chan nodded. "I actually have a bit of a business venture now. We'll go back together. Ugajin will be with us, too, as it deals with his family. So, he and I need to get back down to the others. I have a room booked here, too, on a lower floor."
"Ugajin? Are you staying with her?" Saiki asked with a grin.
"Ah…" Ugajin paused and glanced at Chi-chan's blushing form. "We'll discuss that…later…"
"Are we leaving, then?" Nanba asked.
"Yeah," Kiryu nodded.
"Why is the floor wet…?" Sa-chan asked when she walked into the bathroom. "And…why is there bubble bath residue on this counter?"
"Oh…" Saiki cracked a grin. Kiryu sighed and told them what happened with the bubble bath. That got them all dying with laughter.
"Bubbles would be an awesome distraction," Kasuga mused.
"Hmm…" Saiki blinked at the idea. "I'll have to play around with that idea for sure. Back when I get home, of course."
"I look forward to what you have in mind," Kiryu chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Okay. I need to get my wife home."
"Yep!" Tomi nodded and they all followed them to see them out.
"I want to go in the elevator alone with you," Saiki grinned at her husband.
"Why?" he asked.
"Want to fuck in it?" she muttered in his ear. He coughed and gave her a rather wicked glare of amusement.
"I don't think we can stop it," he said.
"We can try…?" she asked and traced a finger over his neck.
"She and I are going in the elevator. Alone," he said and moved her right into it to press the button for the bottom floor. While the others gasped and died laughing, he was busy making out with her.
"More…?" she asked between his kisses.
"I'm…tapped out for now…" he grunted and ran his mouth down her neck. "But…when we get home…"
"I get it," she giggled and kissed him back.
"I'll need to pull out the honey…" he grinned to get her blushing hard. To their dismay, the elevator doors opened. He kept making out with her, though, to show she didn't care about the interruption. When a male's voice coughed to show attention was needed, Kiryu glanced over with a small frown. "What?"
"Is this necessary?" the arrogant man asked.
"My husband and I are horny. I'm sorry if you're not getting laid tonight," Saiki grinned wickedly. Kiryu hung his head and laughed at it. "As you can see, I honestly don't give a flying fuck about what you think is indecent."
"Saiki…" Kiryu sighed and chuckled at her.
"Maybe this will change your mood," the man growled and took out a gun.
"Oh! Darling! He wants to play…" she said with complete delight.
"Ah…hmm…" Kiryu frowned now. "My love, I don't want you to kill him. There's no need for it."
"But…he took out a gun…" she frowned.
"What?" the man blinked.
"My wife is the Headhunter of the Yakuza. And I'm the Dragon of Dojima. I'll give you one chance to put it away and face the wall with shame. If you don't, I will put her down and let her cut your head off. Your choice," he warned.
"He shouldn't have a choice…" she growled dangerously.
"My mistake!" the man said quickly. He put the gun back and turned to face the wall. Saiki whispered in her singing voice to her husband on something she wanted to do. Kiryu grimaced to hold back a laugh and found himself nodding.
"Is my scythe sharp enough?" she asked on being set down. The scythe came out and just barely had enough room in the elevator, but the curve of it neatly went in front of the man to make him panic.
"I think it is. There's no need to use it. Please put it back," Kiryu said with a small grin. "There's hardly any space in here for it. We don't want others to see it, right? I really don't want to step in blood."
"Oh…I suppose. For you," she smiled and let the scythe withdraw. The man fainted dead away. Now she moved to collect the gun, and Kiryu put it in one of his large inner pockets. She searched the man everywhere else and took a picture of his ID card. She did notice how the belt buckle looked odd. She examined it and saw it had a small recording device in it. Narrowing her eyes, she took out a dagger and scratched it to kill it. Nodding at that, the elevator doors had just opened up to let them out. At the butler in front of the elevator, she said, "You may want to check on him. He fainted dead away! I hope he's all right."
"Oh! Of course!" the man blinked and got help to tend to the downed man.
"Come," Kiryu grunted out and led his wife outside the hotel lobby. He had just lifted her in his arms when he saw another odd man walking over with a purpose. Saiki curled her lip back to show she wasn't happy.
"Excuse me…" the strange man in the black suit started.
"My wife is getting pissed. State your business. We are currently getting ready to leave and get out of Tokyo," Kiryu said bluntly.
"As he said," Ugajin said on walking up behind the man. Goro, Taiga and Daigo were also standing with Ugajin now and looked eager to pick a fight.
"Everyone wants to play with us tonight…" Saiki giggled softly.
"No," Kiryu said gently to calm her down. Then his gaze turned into a glare at the strange man. "We were leaving. Don't stop us."
"I just wanted to know how she found the bug…" the man started.
"Bug?" Daigo frowned.
"Oh. The belt buckle. It looked weird. And I saw something mechanical on it. So I killed it," Saiki shrugged. Kiryu looked at her now with a raised brow.
"It was something that let our establishment hear things. It was heard that you were both high-ranked bodies in Yakuza Society. We would like your services," the strange man started and paused when both Saiki and her husband glared as one. Kiryu shook his head and turned to carry his wife away.
"Denied," Kiryu growled with his back turned. "I am retired. My wife wants no part of anything. The yakuza are gone. We are busy enough. Leave us."
"As he said. And we work for her," Daigo grinned.
"That we do," Goro said with a wide grin of his own.
"Idiot…" Taiga grunted out.
"Playtime is over, boys," Saiki drawled out. "We are leaving."
"I'll meet up with you tomorrow," Ugajin nodded. Chi-chan walked up to him and put an arm around his waist. He chuckled and let his smile vanish on looking at the strange man. "I don't know who you are. But don't piss off the wrong group of people. It's not wise."
"Just who are you, anyways?" Seonhee asked with mistrust. Joongi was already contacting members of the Geomijul to start researching.
"Are you with the Daidoji?" Kasuga asked.
"Them? They don't even know we exist," the man smirked.
"They do now," Zhao grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Kiryu-san's been in league with them. A bit by force, though. They always watch him."
"What…?" the man paused. Now he noticed someone walking away in a suit. "Oh…shit…"
"Bye!" Sa-chan beamed at the now retreating man.
"I wanted to play with him…" Saiki sighed out.
"I'm playing with you the moment we get home," her husband grinned.
"With bubbles?" she asked and got kissed ravenously.
"We'll see if we even make it to the tub," he growled out in her ear. He felt her shiver with excitement, and he got into the minivan with her. "I'm going to see if I can make out with you all the way back."
"Can you?" she asked and got kissed passionately as a response. With them going back to her underground home, Kasuga and Sa-chan were back in the luxury penthouse suite.
"Look. I'm going to take a chance. Saiki asked me. So it's mainly for her. Okay? Just…please. Act like yourself without the embarrassment," Sa-chan sighed. "Like how we were when we hung out to drink. Before things got weird."
"Oh! Ah, yeah. Yeah! I can do that," Kasuga nodded.
"Good. Are we watching a movie?" she asked.
"Whatever you want to do! Ah, did you want food? I can go get it for us…?" he asked with a bit of hesitation. "Or did you want to get it? I mean, I think we agreed that you would decide on the movie. And the food! Right?"
"Ugh. You really are a bumbling idiot…" she sighed and shook her head.
"Well…it's because…you make me like this…" he muttered softly.
"What?" she asked.
"I told you. I love you. I do. And I just…I feel like I have to impress you. I know! I know I shouldn't have to, but…" he started. She walked over to push him into a chair and press a finger to his lips.
"Shut up," she said. "I'd walk away, but this room is too nice to leave."
"I did…actually get you something," he said when she backed away.
"Do I dare ask?" she cringed. Then she blinked at the small, golden half-heart necklace in a small display box with velvet lining. "Oh…!"
"I have the other half," he smiled. "I mean…is this okay?"
"It's perfect!" she blinked and took it up. She put it on and said, "What does it say when it's whole?"
"Here," he smiled and put his half heart against hers.
"Forever yours…" she smiled.
"Yeah…" he nodded. "I mean, I can get another one!"
"No. This is good. I like this. I don't need anything else right now. This is…really sweet…" she said and blushed softly.
"Well, in all honesty, eh…Sai-chan suggested it…" he grinned.
"Okay. That actually makes sense," she said and did a face-palm.
"But it worked, right?! I mean," he started and got quieted again.
"Let me order the food. I'll pick the movie. I know what you like. I tend to like what you do, too," she said. "Don't overthink this moment. The necklace is perfect. The room is amazing. Don't spoil the vibe."
"Okay," he nodded. Then he froze at the kiss she pressed to his mouth. "Sa-chan…I…"
"Don't spoil this moment. Also, you are totally sleeping on the couch," she grinned. He gave a salute to her with a nod. In another room, Chi-chan and Ugajin were deep in discussion about what would be needed to renovate the old childhood home after talking to the main family. After thirty minutes of emails and phone calls, she finally put the phone down and leaned back in her chair.
"Done! Ugh! That's exhausting…" she yawned.
"I can totally agree," Ugajin sighed and shook his head. Now she looked at him and moved to rest her hands on his shoulders. She was standing behind him, and he felt oddly comforted by it. "I am in shock…"
"About what?" she asked.
"I spent…a very long time…trying to see if I could ever find that 'right one'. And to think my lost cousin may have led me right to her."
"You already think that?"
"It's weird. But I do. I don't feel put off by you. No fake vibes. Nothing of the sort. I've had my fair share of women, obviously. But…it was fleeting. Nothing was solid. Nothing was real. I didn't really think of much when I saw you. But your actions…your sincerity! I'm still highly surprised by it."
"I was used by another with the Tatara Channel. Blackmailed in the end. But I took it back and exposed a lot with it. What more is there to say?"
"You still have that channel?"
"Oh, no! I have it shut down."
"Want to bring it back?"
"Why?"
"The coliseum on The Castle. That's why," he grinned.
"Oh! For the popularity boost! And the recruiting…!"
"And special interviews with elite fighters," he grinned a bit more.
"Hmm. I don't know about reviving the channel. But…I could do another one…" she mused at the idea. "I'll need some help, though. Especially with all I do with the company. I don't really have much spare time unless I make it."
"We have lots of graphic design artists. We can alter your voice and give you a different avatar, too. You can pre-record certain events with no problem. You could even film the fighting to really get up close and personal. Come to think of it, I could also have an avatar to co-host with you. It sounds like fun! So…let me see what the others think…"
"What?" she asked with a grin when he got out his phone. He sent a text blast with the idea.
"Saiki wants it. Says do it. Kiryu is on board, too. So is JUSTICE1975 and the others. They are letting Akame know. This is so she can help set up a viewing area for you. She would know how to do all of that. When I get back, I'll have to supervise a few things…"
"When do you have to leave?" she asked.
"Well…not right away. I could stick to the mainland for a couple days. Why do you ask?" he looked at her. Then he found himself a touch speechless when she moved to sit in his lap.
"I hope…I'm not going too fast…" she said softly.
"No. This is the right speed…" he said and found himself kissing her. "And I'm sorry…if this is too forward…"
"No sense in going backwards," she smiled and kissed him back. When the kiss broke, they could only gaze at each other in silence.
"I don't know…if we should continue…" he muttered.
"I…honestly wouldn't mind," she blushed.
"Is there any protection somewhere?" he had to ask to get her laughing softly. "I don't want any accidents to happen."
"Whoever said it would be an accident?" she smiled. "I'm on the pill, anyways. But I know there could always be that slim chance…"
"I don't know if I can risk it. I mean…we only just met. We still need a bit more time. Don't we?"
"Do you think we do?"
"I…I don't know…"
"Maybe we should wait if you're hesitating."
"Ugh…" he frowned and sighed hard.
"Ugajin. I'm going to be honest," she said.
"Okay."
"I want you. Right now."
"Now?"
"Now."
"Well…how can I refuse that?" he grinned and kissed her hotly to start off the end of their night. The night fully ended when Saiki and Kiryu got into their underground home. She was mentally and physically exhausted. And Kiryu was right there with her when her careful demeanor crumbled down in the seclusion of their home.
"Easy…" he muttered while holding her in their bed.
"Do you think…I can come to trust them…?" she swallowed.
"In time. Certain ones, surely. But I'll be right there with you to judge any others. They go through me to get to you."
"And that man that wanted our services…" she glowered.
"Never," he grunted his own distaste.
"Do you think we can sleep?" she asked and found herself nestled in his arms. "I don't know if I'll be able to."
"Let's undress and find out," he muttered and kissed her tenderly. Only after they were undressed and secured in the covers did the night finally come to a close at last.
*Author's Note - The bubble bath scene. It actually happened to me! No joke! So, naturally, I had to put it in this story. And, yes, there is a tiny little Easter egg hint! I hope you allenjoy this chapter and thank you for reading! The song Saiki sings in the tub can be found on YouTube: utawarerumono - kimi ga tame*