Kiryu was amazed at the assortment of food she made for them both with the purchased meat. The moment they woke up had her slipping on a robe and moving into the kitchen to start cooking. He did wake up with a massive headache with intense aching all over his body, though. He had to drink her herbal cocktail first before being able to move around.
"You'll want to take it easy today," she frowned and served him a plate of various seared meats over a bed of white rice. "And I want you to eat all of that. You need the protein for healing. Let me know if your teeth give you issues, too, from the punch to your jaw."
"Yeah…" he sighed. She set another ice pack down for him to use if he needed it before sitting next to him to eat. When the odd phone rang, she had it right next to her to pick up the call. She didn't even let the caller have a word in to start a conversation.
"Hello. The owner of this phone is dead. He kidnapped my husband to use in an illegal cage fighting ring and was killed in complete retaliation. Please reach out to a colleague of his. This phone is now confiscated for an investigation to be done to track down other illegal schemes. If you leave a message, you may be brought in for questioning. Thank you. Goodbye," Saiki said and hung up right after. Kiryu snickered lightly and sighed with a shake of his head.
"Did you unlock the password to it?" he asked.
"I did. It was stupidly easy. I just ran a backend code and cracked it. Then removed the need for a password," she shrugged. She squeaked when he pulled her chair next to his and put an arm around her. "You'd be shocked at how many pictures he has on this phone showing illegal gambling, poaching, fighting…it's a mess! The Daidoji will enjoy every bit of it. I was tempted to leave a voicemail with what I just said, but I don't want to tip too many off."
"Good. Oh. We never found out when to meet with them…" he frowned.
"Hmm…" she frowned with him. He brought out his phone to call a number and set it to speaker.
"Hey. When do we meet for lunch? We never got that information," Kiryu said when the call answered.
"Ah! Yes. Um…let me get back to you on that…" the male voice said.
"You have five minutes before I call the whole damned thing off. And send it as a text message so I can save the address," Saiki warned. The call disconnected and she nodded at her husband. They finished eating and sipped water to discuss what was next on the agenda. Then his phone got a text message with the address to a rather high class restaurant. "It's been over five minutes, but…that restaurant is pretty fancy. Hmm…"
"Replying that this is acceptable. And now…I will forward this to Ebina…" Kiryu said and did just that. He stuck the phone in a robe pocket for now. "We have a couple hours. Damn, my jaw hurts!"
"Open your mouth so I can see your teeth?" she asked. He opened his mouth to let her examine where his teeth were affected. She went into her workshop and brought out a set of dental tools. He looked at her with surprise. "What? Anyone can get these. I just want to see if any of your teeth are sensitive when pressed on. Nothing more."
"Right…" he sighed and opened his mouth again. She used the small, hook-like scraper to gently press down on his back molars. He winced, but she saw no bleeding or cracked teeth.
"Your teeth should be fine. It's just your jaw that took the blow. Good. Okay, let me see about making you a set of clothes," she muttered and moved to start on that. Instead, he pulled her into his chest to hold her.
"Get on that later…" he growled enticingly in her ear.
"You'll strain yourself and hurt your side," she warned.
"I've done worse," he grunted and lifted her into his arms. His phone rang to show it was Ebina calling. "He can leave a message."
"Sure thing…" she grinned and squeaked when he carried her into the bedroom. He put his phone aside and set her on the bed. Then he pulled the robes off of them to toss aside and cradled her close to savor her intense warmth.
"I will never stop telling you how much I love you, Aika," he muttered and kissed her in a needy way. He had just lost himself in her when his phone buzzed again. He growled hard at the intrusion while shuddering for control at what consumed him now. She had herself carefully entwined around him to keep him locked to her. She ran a hand over his cheek and panted with him. When the phone rang again, he grimaced and grabbed his phone to see who it was.
"Kasuga?" she frowned. "Send him a text?"
"Doing that now…" he grunted and sent the same text he did to Ebina to Kasuga. "There. And…meet you there…okay…"
"Good. That should buy us some time. Hopefully," she sighed and let him cradle her close. He did set an alarm to ensure they knew when to start getting ready before pressing his face into her neck. She closed her eyes and ran her hands through his hair.
"This…is what I need…" he whispered. "I just…want a day…doing this…"
"You think you can keep it up all day?" she mused. He found himself laughing softly at the thought.
"I think…that might hurt me more…than any solid punch. But…it's just holding you. Cradling you. Knowing that you're with me. I'll never get enough of this feeling. This…right here…is solid bliss…" he muttered out.
"And adopting the others as our own?" she asked while massaging her fingers through his hair.
"Another step of bliss. I think…maybe…once it's done…a campfire night. What do you think? We all hike somewhere and enjoy the outdoors," he mused.
"That's a bit fun, actually. We can do that," she smiled. A smile touched his lips, and he sighed with complete contentment now. All he wanted to do was rest in her arms with her against him. She started to hum a soft tune while stroking his hair. He listened to her and enjoyed the sound of her voice. At her chuckle of amusement, he made a questioning sound. "Oh…just that you could easily be old enough to be my father. But I honestly don't care."
"Since when did age matter?"
"Never did. Just found it a bit humorous is all."
"I see."
"I did want to ask you something."
"Hmm?"
"If I did manage to escape again…if we did meet up again…what would you have done?" she asked. He blinked at that thought and rolled the question around in his mind.
"First I would have asked your name. Then asked where you went before. Maybe asked if you could show me where you were kept away. I likely would have told you to stand behind me if Dog Catcher started to look for you before deciding to leave the area to talk further," he mumbled out. "I definitely would have taken you somewhere safe to talk a lot more in depth on what was going on with you. Then went straight to the patriarchs with you to show you accepted me as a trusted colleague and that Dog Catcher was using you for his own purposes."
"Heh. Dog Catcher would do everything he could to steal me back to his side. I don't think he'd have gotten very far."
"No. He wouldn't have. Because we would have questioned the women that helped you learn how to read and write. And we would have confiscated Dog Catcher's way to get to you and likely further compensated you for the torture you went through from him. That would have been done after completely investigating him and uncovering what he was using you for. And he likely would have been killed with a unanimous vote."
"You would have insisted on that?"
"I would have."
"I think…I would have requested for you to become my new guardian…"
"Oh?"
"I do. Because no one would have even attempted to fucking touch me if you were in the way. As much as you know what I can do…I would have taught you things I learned in return. Like I'm doing now. Even when we met after so long, you still saw me as an equal partner to you. I've never had that before. And if the Daidoji tried to take you away, I would have found you. And likely been in the same setup as you, too."
"You would have followed me…?"
"I would have. I have no loyalty to anyone else. But for you? You know exactly what I do for you. It's been said that I had no weaknesses. Before…it was true. But…I do have a weakness now. It's you. If the Daidoji managed to get you back under their control…they'd also have me," she whispered. He blinked at her with surprise, rose up a bit to kiss her gently and rest against her again. "I love you, too, Kazuma. You know the lengths I'll go through for you.
"You already saw me slaughter an entire army of men to get you back to my side. And I'll do it over and over again within half a second of a heartbeat. And, if the Daidoji ever did get you back to work for them, all they would have to do is order you to tell me what to do. I would obey you without any question because of my loyalty to only you. That's something we can't tell them about."
"That's a very scary thought. And you really gave those guys no chance at all. Normally…I'd say no to that. Not to kill them. Stun them out of commission. I mean…they have families, too! But I warned them! So many times! And one of them said…what's a weak girl going to do to all of us? That was when I knew that nothing would change their minds. They were all like Dog Catcher in the end."
"Did you tell them what I was called?"
"I did. They said they never heard of you and I was lying."
"Heh. We'll see how that flies in the future," she grinned. Then she gazed at him with concern. "How are you feeling, though? Any other pain?"
"No. Just the pain of not being able to hold you whenever I want…"
"Flirt."
"I'm being serious."
"And now?"
"I told you. Complete bliss."
"Kazuma…" she whispered and cradled his head in her hands. The kiss they shared was deep, intense and full of protective love for each other. For twenty minutes after that, all they could do was hold each other. Neither of them felt so much contentment in doing just that. He heard his phone ring, but it was not the usual ringtone at all. Frowning, he reached over to grab his phone to check it.
"Hmm…I don't recognize this number. I guess I'll answer it and let you take over if it seems to be something bad…" he frowned. He gestured for silence and answered it. "Hello?"
"Kazuma Kiryu?" a hesitant man's voice asked. Now Kiryu blinked at the sound of the voice to show instant recognition.
"I'm not sure. Is this…Tsuruno?" Kiryu asked.
"Ah! I finally got a hold of you!" Tsuruno said. "Yes! It's me! Yuki Tsuruno! Formerly the Watase Clan Captain!"
"Okay. What do you want?" Kiryu asked warily.
"Who is it, dear?" Saiki asked. He grinned at her and kissed her.
"Someone I used to work with. I'm surprised that he's still alive," Kiryu said and reclined on his back to let Saiki snuggle into him. Then he put it on speaker since she already started talking.
"Ah…you are not alone?" Tsuruno asked.
"No. Not anymore. I'm with my wife. I got married. And she's no stranger to what I am. She was also a Tojo Clan member before. We reconnected and found ourselves highly compatible," Kiryu chuckled.
"Women aren't meant to be Clan members…" he replied with confusion.
"Kazuma, if this fuckhead hurt you in any way, I will lop off his head if we ever meet him," Saiki growled. "I'm done watching you get pulled around while I'm trying to keep your health secure. Fuck that shit."
"Everything is fine," Kiryu soothed her. Then he regarded the caller. "As you heard her, she literally does cut off the heads of those that upset her. It's her nature. And I've watched her do it when I was nearly kidnapped in Tokyo last night. State your business and we'll talk in a civilized manner."
"Who is she?! To talk to me like that? Does she want to die?!" Tsuruno growled out defensively.
"Tell me. Have you ever heard of a secret weapon that the Tojo Clan had?" Kiryu asked calmly. There was confused silence now. "She's the weapon. She found me. You may know her as…the Headhunter of the Yakuza. Not fully talked about and even forgotten about on purpose. But she's back around and sought me out first to reveal herself at last."
"Ah…what…are you…seriously?!" he sounded stunned. "The most lethal weapon of the Tojo Clan is a girl?!"
"Was a girl. She's my wife now. She is in her thirties. Not a girl anymore, but she's still extremely lethal due to the fact that she never stopped training herself. Don't piss her off at any point in time. Please," Kiryu said with complete warning. "I have meeting plans today. What do you want?"
"Eh…" Tsuruno said with absolute hesitation now.
"Aww…I scared him. Poor little man…" Saiki snickered.
"Quiet," Kiryu grinned and made her squeak with a warm squeeze.
"Was she the one that took out that Clan…?" he asked.
"She was. All two hundred of them under twenty minutes," Kiryu confirmed. "I know news of that traveled fast."
"It was under five minutes, but I wasn't keeping the time," Saiki said with dismissal. "So, answer my husband's question. Why did you call?"
"It's about The Castle…" Tsuruno started.
"So the place still exists. Wasn't it claimed under Watase rule?" Kiryu frowned. "And I don't know if I ever want to go back there."
"There's been a small uprising there with the fighters. Many are fighting for complete control and rule over the place," the former Captain explained.
"Hmm. So…if we go in and I take out the competition…could I lay claim to it?" Saiki mused with a small grin.
"I want you nowhere near that place," Kiryu muttered.
"I know that Nishitani was taken in by the Daidoji," Tsuruno said lightly.
"As was Shishido…" Kiryu muttered.
"Keeping history from me?" Saiki mused again.
"History that I want eradicated from my mind for the rest of eternity," he grunted out. "Nishitani used to run The Castle for the Kijin Clan. He's a nasty, perverted man that loves to beat others down around him. He even got a rise when I was beating the living shit out of him. It was just gross."
"Huh. Sounds like him and Goro have a thing or two in common," she snickered. That got Kiryu barking out laughter at the thought. "But how did this one get your phone number? That's what I want to find out."
"I'm…actually going to be your escort to the Daidoji appointment…" Tsuruno said. Kiryu narrowed his eyes at this news. "I was called to be a…friendly face to help with this. They did pay me for this, or I would have said no. They also don't know about The Castle. I'd like to try and keep it way."
"You are not as friendly as you want to be. You also gave the Daidoji millions in yen as a rental agreement to get me to help with the First Dissolution. I think you should fully stay out of what the Daidoji wants. Especially since it involves my wife. Not me," Kiryu warned.
"Okay. That was not told to me," Tsuruno admitted.
"I already beheaded a full group of Daidoji men when they had Kazuma and a possible adopted son at gunpoint. I'll kill the rest of them if they try to fuck me over. Watch me," Saiki said with a complete edge in her tone.
"Hush now," her husband soothed and kissed her. He knew she wasn't calming down.
"I took out a full moving car of those bastards!" she seethed.
"What's this?!" Tsuruno asked with complete shock.
"They tried to run us over! I fucked them all up!" she growled. Kiryu muted the phone to get her attention.
"Aika," he said gently. That got her to seethe again, but she forced herself to calm down. "I know. I know. I was there. You saved my life. You saved Taichi's life, too. Don't work yourself up over this. Just be with me. Protect me. And let me protect you. Okay?" he said gently. She gave him a hard frown, but she found herself nodding with agreement. He kissed her lightly and unmuted the call. "Sorry, I had to calm her down."
"What's happened to Hanawa? Isn't he helping you?" Tsuruno asked.
"He…died in Hawaii. From an attack," Kiryu said softly.
"Oh…I'm sorry…" the man said respectfully.
"So much that you never really told me about," Saiki frowned.
"I'll tell you everything. My life…really had a lot of twists and turns. A lot more than yours, unfortunately. And I thought I told you about Hanawa," Kiryu sighed. "I'm sorry if I left out some parts."
"I'm just teasing you," she winked. "But I do want to know about these others that you speak of."
"You will learn everything after our meeting. Just remind me," he chuckled and got a rewarding kiss. Then he regarded the call again. "Okay. When do you plan to be here?"
"Within the hour," Tsuruno said.
"Hmm. Fine. My alarm was set to go off in twenty minutes. Very well," Kiryu said and hung up the call.
"What should I wear…" she mused.
"Good question…" he mused with her and set the phone aside. Then he went quiet when she moved to sit up on top of him.
"Can I wear you?" she crooned out. He growled with a grin and sat up to kiss her lustfully. He let out a low groan when her hands moved to roam over his chest before finally resting on his shoulders. When his phone rang again, he completely ignored it to satisfy his complete need for his wife. After five minutes of resting against each other, he checked to see who tried to call him.
"Joongi…?" he mumbled and called back.
"We're almost ready to go. We'll meet you there, right?" Joongi asked.
"Yes. The Daidoji are even sending an…old friend…to escort me there. I know him. He's neutral," Kiryu said calmly.
"Hmm. Okay. I'll inform Seonhee," Joongi said and disconnected.
"I don't like this, Kazuma," she frowned.
"I don't, either. But I'm not worried. Because you will scare them all to death and then some," he chuckled. She pressed a kiss to his mouth and forced herself to move from his side.
"I think I want a solid at home day, too," she said while slipping on a black thong. He growled at the sight of her and got her to squeak when he reached for her. Then she grinned and pointed at a red string hanging out of a drawer.
"No," he said to get her laughing. "You are not wearing that out."
"When we get back…?" she asked and nuzzled around his ear. He let out a slow breath and cleared his throat. "If it's just us?"
"Yes," he said with a small nod. He could only watch her dress with complete denial before he had to turn and do the same. He was able to put on briefs and his pants. Then he paused at the feel of her hands moving over his back before moving to roam over his chest. He turned carefully to keep his bruised side from flaring up to grab her. "Wearing the black lace?"
"With a dark red cardigan…" she muttered and got a heavy kiss.
"How are we supposed to do anything if we can't even keep our hands off each other?!" he grunted and got kissed back.
"I just want you to walk around like this with your shirt parted…" she purred out. He gave out another growl and kissed her with complete relish.
"I want to take off your wedding dress with my teeth…" he grounded out in her ear. Another kiss was shared between them before he set her down.
"We should just start making out when we get bored," she mused.
"I am totally down for that," he grinned.
"Hmm…I do have a new halter top…" she mused.
"Oh?" he asked. She moved and quickly changed into one that looked like a partial corset front that tied up in the front. Black lace with dark red fabric decorated the front, and he tensed hard at the sight of how her soft mounds were clearly revealed in the tightened strings. "That…is as bad…as the thing you call a swimsuit! Damn!"
"So…you like it?" she grinned a bit wickedly. At the sight of the necklaces being suspended where they were, it took intense self-control to keep from snatching her up all over again. "I do have a set of matching pants…"
"Put them on," he grunted. He watched her change into the leather-like red and black pants with complete appreciation. The black lace cardigan with vinyl coverings was chosen to wear, and he found himself pulling her close to lift her up. "I love this. Wear it more."
"Or less?" she chuckled and gasped when his mouth moved over everything he could get to. He sighed irritably at his phone alarm, but he could only set her down with complete dismay. He had to take in a deep breath for control before finally fixing up his shirt to finish dressing. She gave him the glasses with the anti-toxin refilled and grabbed her black leather belt. Her phone and the odd phone were taken up next, and they both slipped on their shoes.
"Can I get weapons in my shoes?" he asked.
"Maybe. I'll think of what I can do," she nodded. He had his eyes locked on her rump the whole time, and he lifted her into his arms when they got to the elevator. She chuckled and frowned at the colors that were starting to show up on his cheek. "Do you need anything else for this?"
"What you gave me is helping. I think we still have some painkillers in one of your pouches. Don't we?" he asked. She checked and nodded that she found the small container. "Good. I'll take a couple when we get there. If I need it."
"Okay," she said and got kissed softly. It started to turn fierce just as Tsuruno came up to them in a sleek, dark red car. Kiryu and Saiki both turned to give a mild glare to fully catch the man by surprise.
"Ah! Oh! Um…" Tsuruno paused. She noticed the Japanese man was wearing sunglasses, sported a gold chain necklace and was wearing designer clothes of purple, red and black. She wasn't impressed. Even his black hair was clipped and shortened in layers along the side. His slight mustache was carefully groomed before he came to get them to show he was trying to be professional. He was clearly in awe of Saiki, and Kiryu was not happy at how she was getting stared at.
"Interesting. Do I sit in the back?" she mused and ensured the elevator was locked down to get hidden away.
"We both will," Kiryu said. He set her down gently and watched her toss a tracking device under a back wheel. He gave an amused sound and let her in the car first. He got in after and let Tsuruno start to take them to where they had to go.
"Hmm…now…why did you miss that turn…?" Saiki asked with complete amusement. "We're not going to the restaurant. Does the Daidoji even know about you? Or did you lie?"
"I have to go around another way. We may be watched," Tsuruno said. "It also ensures we aren't followed. It's not far, so we'll still be on time."
"I smell a lie…" she frowned.
"Don't pull out the scythe here…" Kiryu grimaced.
"I wouldn't do that. I have my sickles…" she said in a dangerous tone.
"Please! We're almost there!" the man said. He was struggling to focus on driving without panicking at her threat. She saw he was starting to sweat with complete nervousness. That alarmed her even more.
"Saiki…focus on me…" Kiryu whispered to her. He saw she was starting to struggle. "Not good. Tsuruno! Where are we going?!"
"We're here!" he said and slammed the car into park. They were at the backside of the restaurant in question. She was already pissed off. He was shaking from head to toe and just in shock of his reaction around her.
"Not a good first impression for her," Kiryu sighed and helped her out of the car. "Darling, just stay with me."
"I'm ripping something apart…" she seethed.
"Not yet. Listen to me. Now," he said to get her full attention. "Protect me. Listen to what's said. Do nothing unless I give a signal."
"Very well…" she muttered. Then he mumbled softly in her ear to get her laughing with complete delight. "Promise?!"
"Trust me. No need to promise," he grinned and let her leap into his arms to kiss him hard. Then he looked at the former Captain. "Be glad I'm able to calm her down. Now, where is the meeting?"
"Right. This way," Tsuruno nodded. He led them into the fancy restaurant, and Kiryu had to set his wife down to walk at his side. She counted five men outside that worked for the Daidoji. Now the vibe she gave off was completely on edge to show she was ready for anything. Just by glancing around, she saw five more members of the Daidoji armed and sitting around watching them and trying to blend in with the customer crowd. She whispered this to her husband in her singing tone of what she saw in the restaurant to get him nodding.
"I hope the meeting is uneventful and the place still stands," he muttered. He looked out a window to see Seonhee and Joongi walking out of the dark blue car. He saw the others walking around outside to hang out, order a drink and do casual chit chat to show they were now on the property.
He watched Saiki pull out her phone to text on it of their arrival and to stand by. Then she looked over at the private room they were led to. Several Japanese men in suits rose up to welcome them in. She counted four of them and they all looked alike with slicked black hair, suits and sunglasses. The only way to tell them apart were from the slight differences in their faces. One had a mustache while another had a goatee. Another was clean shaven, and the fourth one had a five o'clock shadow. All four appeared to be men of authority, and she made careful note of them all.
"Hello. It is a pleasure to meet with you," the man started with the clean shaven face started.
"Sure…" she said with complete mistrust. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Don't bother to introduce yourselves. Before I get all…comfortable…do know that I have not yet forgiven your organization for the bullshit you tried to pull on my husband and almost adopted son. Don't fucking try it again. Even on anyone else we know. Got it?"
"Ah…yes. You have my foremost apologies…" the man said.
"Fine. Now…what the fuck do you want with me? Since you're not getting my husband back at all," she growled. "Even with the million yen you want to wire me. If that's still happening, that is."
"That was not told to me, either…" Tsuruno muttered loudly to himself.
"We are aware of that," the man said and sat down. "And, yes, we still want to pay you that amount. For compensation. Not for a job."
"Hmm. I see. And get all ten of your guard dogs out of here before I decide to decorate the restaurant with a fresh coat of crimson paint," she said. Now the men looked at each other with complete surprise that she noticed them.
"Ten?" Kiryu asked her.
"Five waiting outside. Five inside. I told you of the five inside. Either way, that was not part of the agreement. And if you choose to keep them here, then I get to have others on my side here to fill in the gaps. Is that agreeable?" she asked. "You're already on thin fucking ice as it is! And you can't buy your fucking way out of this shit."
"Very well. It's just for safety…" the man in the mustache started.
"I get it. I don't fucking care," she said and texted for the others to come in. Then, to their surprise, Ebina walked in with Goro, Taiga and Daigo. "Yes, we have Ebina here, too. He wants to help with reforming others that are left over."
"Hmm…" Kiryu glanced at them all and sat down. Saiki sat right in his lap and leaned into him. "Just stay calm."
"This is the calmest I'll ever be," she murmured.
"The hidden weapon was a female…all this time…" Ebina said with amazement. "Ah…okay…"
"Don't get cocky. Or you might just lose yours," she said sweetly. "I did it to another as an example. I don't mind making another."
"The only cock she wants to keep is mine," Kiryu smirked.
"So true," she chuckled and let him kiss her ravenously before refocusing on the other men. "I do, however, have a nice little treat for all of you."
"And that is?" the man in the goatee asked while sitting down. She slid over the odd phone and told them of the history on how it was obtained. Kiryu showed the bruise on his jaw as proof. Then she had him show them the side bruise from where he got kicked. The others there had no idea about the full injury to his side and were livid.
"Really?" the man with the five o'clock shadow mused over the phone.
"Very. And you can see the warehouse that has new decorations. Here's the address…" she said and slid over a piece of paper. "I hope no one reacts to gore. I left…a lot of bread crumbs…"
"Easy…" Kiryu mumbled in her ear. When he got glanced at, he said, "It's very easy for her to forget who she is in hostile situations. I'm the only one that can help her see reason through it."
"So…you help keep her under control?" the man with the mustache started and gaped at the sickle weapon that was in front of his nose. She had even moved onto the table to get right in his face.
"Don't…get any…fucking…ideas…" she said with a cold hiss of warning. "Your deals…are with me. Not my husband. If I think he's threatened…not even a hospital will bring you back to life."
"Oh, boy…" Nanba winced at that. Adachi was grinning lightly. Ebina's jaw dropped that she didn't even miss a beat. She really is trained to know nothing but how to kill! This could turn out really bad…
"That's not even her real weapon," Tomi chuckled.
"Stay out of it," Chi-chan rolled her eyes. Sa-chan just shook her head, and Kasuga was keeping a close eye on the doors and windows. Taiga, Daigo and Goro were also on edge and waiting to jump into whatever fight may break out. Joongi, Seonhee and Zhao were now standing behind Kiryu's chair.
"Saiki," Kiryu frowned. She looked at him and sat back in his lap. He ran a hand over her back to calm her down. "I know."
"Okay, well, we would like to wire you the money," the man with the goatee said. "We can do this now."
"You know what? I don't fucking want it anymore," Saiki said. Everyone stared at her with surprise. "You can't keep a straight story. You can't come here under neutral circumstances. I'm done working with all of you. Keep the phone. You can do what you want with it. I'm leaving."
"Now you can't just do that!" the man with the mustache said. Then he found himself gaping with a knife thrown and sticking out of his chest where his heart was. It slipped right through the ribs neatly from her intensely critical accuracy. Ebina's jaw dropped. The others were in stunned silence.
"Yes. I. Can," she said with a look of absolute anger on her face.
"Saiki!" Kiryu said with his own shock.
"He'll live. The dagger is a mere millimeter away from his beating heart. I have a few others exactly that length for warning. But if he struggles, it will pierce. I'm trained not to think about what to do. I just do it. That's my thought process. I don't like a situation? I just get rid of it. No negotiations. No bribes. Nothing like that. My husband is the only one that can talk me out of things. But even he knows that I cannot be fully controlled if I feel that the situation is starting to go out of control," she said calmly. "So…he'll live. He just can't move."
"Saiki…" Kiryu sighed and gestured for everyone to settle back down.
"Nanba. I'll pull the dagger out. But you must apply pressure right away. Ready?" Saiki grinned. Nanba was quick to grab several cloth napkins that were lining another table. She jumped onto the main table and yanked out the dagger. The man shouted and passed out when the napkins were applied. She jumped back down and wiped the dagger clean as though nothing was wrong.
"How…can she just…?!" Tsuruno gaped. Ebina was pale on watching all of this. Now Kiryu saw why she did what she did. As much as he didn't agree with it, she was proving that she wasn't one to be messed with. At all.
"And you. Don't think I haven't forgotten the fucking mess you put my husband through. I have half a mind to gut you open and pull out your innards to hang out a five story window! Don't fucking cross me or that may just happen. And I'd do it while you still live so you can watch it happen. You will wish I killed you fast," she growled at Ebina. Seonhee found herself nodding with complete agreement. Ebina cleared his throat and looked away.
"The ambulance is here," a staff member said. They were warned in advance that something might go wrong, and the restaurant was already compensated in advance. The wounded man was carefully carried out to get rushed out and treated. It was done through a back way to keep the other customers in the restaurant calm. And the Daidoji guards were told not to intervene or they'd be in even worse shape.
"So…you don't want the money…?" the man with the five o'clock shadow asked carefully. "I mean…"
"If you want to give it over as a gift with no strings attached…then fine. But it won't go through my account. It will go through another for safety. Or you write a check or give cash," she said. At this, a suitcase filled with paper yen was set on the table and opened. She glanced at it, judged the bills seen and the layers of them that filled the case. "Interesting. Prepared. Fine. If you need me to do a job, then payment needs to be done in full in advance. If there is a time limit, let me know. Just know that I won't do a job if I already have an agenda. And pricing varies on what the job entails. Also…it won't be cheap."
"Of course. Ah, shall we get something to eat?" the man with the goatee asked. "We were supposed to have lunch, right?"
"Very well. Kazuma?" Saiki looked at him. He gave a small nod of agreement. He kissed her softly and whispered something to make her giggle at him. Then she took a small stack of bills out to toss on a table. "I'll pay for this. My treat."
"Ah…we had everything pre-paid…" the clean shaven man said.
"Oh…" she mused and swiped it back up to toss in the case. It was snapped shut, and Kasuga was quick to take it to guard over.
"Sir! Is everything-?!" a guard said on walking in and was now flat on his back with an acupuncture needle in his forehead. Her hand was outstretched to show it was flung out within a mere second of the guard walking into the room.
"This is why I said to get rid of them," Saiki growled.
"She doesn't even think about it…" Ebina breathed.
"To think is to make a gap for hesitation. I've been trained how to bypass that as long as I have the right tools for the job. And I make sure to bring all of my tools with me," she smirked. The needle was reclaimed for her, and the bewildered guard was hauled out by his fellow coworkers.
"All of them?" Goro had to ask.
"You're just a tool. And not very useful," she grinned wickedly. Kiryu coughed out laughter, but Taiga was dying with it. Ebina had to clear his throat and look away with his mouth pursed shut. Even Tsuruno had to bite his tongue at the comment. When Joongi glanced over at Goro, the one-eyed man sighed.
"I am only putting up with it because of how hot you are," he said.
"I'm a married woman now. Maybe one of the guys here can help you out," she grinned again. Adachi slapped a hand over his mouth to laugh hard.
"That is not funny…" Goro muttered.
"I can't breathe!" Taiga gasped and wiped away tears.
"Brutal," Daigo snickered loudly.
"Fuck off! Both of you!" Goro snorted.
"Okay, so…what can we order…?" Saiki asked when handed a menu. Then she turned to stare at the door when a pale man with swept black hair to the side sauntered in. She noticed he wasn't Japanese, but more of a Korean descent, and she felt her husband stiffen up at the sight of him. The three men left in the room were puzzled on why this one showed up and gave him a seat.
"I was ordered to be the backup man if anyone went down…" the new man grinned. "Oh…Kazuma Kiryu! How exciting to meet you again!"
"Nishitani…" Kiryu growled.
"I don't think I'm hungry anymore. I think it's time to leave," Saiki said and set down the menu.
"Just because I got here?" Nishitani frowned.
"You're upsetting my husband. He won't eat if he's pissed. And I'll just constantly think of gutting you open and lopping your head off to make him chuckle," she muttered with boredom. "Let's go."
"Husband?!" Nishitani blinked.
"Yeah. Her husband. And before she gets pissed, I think she's right. Let's get out of here before she changes her mind," Kiryu grunted out.
"My restaurant is free," Zhao muttered out.
"Good. Let's go there," Saiki nodded.
"I have the suitcase," Kasuga said lightly.
"That's fine. We'll take it home first to examine it," Kiryu said.
"Aww! Come on! I've been forced to be a good boy now!" Nishitani started. Then his jaw dropped at the sight of the six foot long scythe that came out to play. She held it right at his neck before anyone else could stop her. Ebina was speechless. Tsuruno was unable to react.
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Before I make you do that. Permanently…" she growled in a low, dangerous tone. "I haven't killed anyone yet today. It's a new record for me. Don't push your luck. Now. As I said. I am leaving. The deal is done. You've done enough already. Don't make me regret not killing any of you. I can easily change my mind."
"Okay…" Nishitani swallowed. Why do I feel so…fearful?! Oh! This is the most aroused I've ever been in my whole life!
"Saiki…" Kiryu rose up to whisper in her ear. She let the scythe flow back into the pole to set back on her belt. Then she turned to leave with him and the others. Now the Daidoji saw her main weapon. And they knew that she knew how to use it with an unmatched skill.
"Leave that guy to me if he shows up," Goro muttered when they got outside the restaurant.
"Why?" Seonhee asked.
"Because he got a hard on like I tend to when I get threatened by her! I call that competition," Goro growled and adjusted his eye patch.
"Ugh…" Kiryu grimaced.
"Let them scratch off each other's cocks…less for me to deal with…" Saiki sang in her husband's ears. That got him to look at her and shake his head.
"Could I join you?" Ebina asked. "I really do want to help…"
"Talk to Daigo. You put my husband on edge. And I really don't want you anywhere near me. I might forget that my husband wants you to live," Saiki shrugged. Then she looked at Tsuruno. "You should accompany him. Until my husband tells me that you're safe to be around…I say no."
"Oh…" the former Captain blinked.
"He's fine. He did help me out here and there. As for Ebina…yeah. Second thoughts on him for now," Kiryu said.
"Okay," Saiki smiled. "We'll ride with Joongi, though."
"That's fine," Joongi said.
"We'll go with your new friend to make introductions," Daigo said on glancing at Tsuruno. Ebina knew he was going with them this way.
"Oh. Did your ankles heal, Joongi?" Saiki asked.
"I have a few…lingering marks. But they are going away," Joongi said with a small nod to her. "It's almost as though nothing happened."
"Good to know. I'd feel bad if you couldn't strip properly for Seonhee," she grinned. Seonhee died laughing at Joongi's look of shock.
"Kiryu," Ebina said to get his attention. "I…really am glad that you're still alive. Even though I told you to kill me…as I would only keep coming back…"
"I can do that. I can kill you right now," Saiki said.
"No," her husband grunted in her ear. Then he lifted her up in his arms to let her cling to him. "He needs to finish what he started with the Second Dissolution. He needs to own up to what he promised. Let him do that."
"Fine. He gets one more chance. I found him before. I can find him again. So, let me cement that for us. Ebina! Grow a fucking pair and use them! I don't care what your beef is anymore, but don't you fucking dare slack off now that I'm around. Finish the job. Or I'll finish you," Saiki said with a hard glare at the well-dressed man. "And I won't even ask for permission. I'll just find you and end it."
"I…understand…" Ebina said with a small nod.
"Anyways, Zhao? Your place? Or do I head back real quick to drop off the suitcase?" Saiki asked. "I'm not sure we should travel around with so much…"
"Our place first. Then we'll go straight to the restaurant," Kiryu said.
"Got it," Joongi said.
"I'll meet the rest of you there," Tomi said. "I'll take the ones with me to Zhao's place first."
"I'll follow the van," Tsuruno said and moved to his car. Daigo, Goro, Taiga and Ebina went with him.
"Kasuga. Suitcase," Kiryu said. It was handed over, and he got into Joongi's car with Saiki. Then they looked up to see Nishitani running out of the restaurant in a panicked way. Goro was quick to block his path. Taiga was planning to stick around Goro regardless of where he went.
"Hey there. What's the hurry?" Goro grinned wickedly.
"The love of my life is leaving! I don't care if she's married! I'll kill that dragon and claim her for me!" Nishitani hissed out.
"Hmm. I'd agree with you, but she'll just slaughter everyone else. So…nah. Get past me first," Goro smirked.
"Go. Now," Kiryu growled at Joongi. Seonhee nodded and sent a message to the Geomijul guards to ensure they wouldn't be followed.
"Would you object if I made an example out of that one?" Saiki asked.
"Nope. Not that one. If he tries his luck, you finish that job," Kiryu nodded.
"Oh, goody. I get a toy…" Saiki grinned wickedly.
"Only when I give the okay to do it. We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves right now. I do want to ask you something," he said and let her snuggle into him.
"Hmm?" she responded and let him cradle her.
"I know you want to wait three months to do anything major…but I think we should have our honeymoon in Hawaii next week. Just for a week. Then we come back. If we lay low and act like tourists, well…we should be okay. I'm sure Gelek will want to come with to keep an eye on me. That means Rabten, too…" he muttered and closed his eyes at the feel of her hand in his hair.
"Possibly. I don't see why not," she mused. "I'm sure Rabten might have gone to Hawaii. Maybe. So…there could be a job there…"
"We'll ask," he nodded. On reaching the park, he mused at the suitcase. "Technically…we could start building. I'd almost say the reform building first. This way we could use the extra help if we do decide to build an orphanage."
"True. Heavily monitored, of course. If any decide they want to help with the children…they'll have to pass my test of trust. I will not let those children learn any negative needs from anyone. I've been through that. No one else needs to," she said softly. He nodded and kissed her gently to show he understood.
"I want to get these jobs of Rabten's done. Before you start to show off your pregnancy," he chuckled softly.
"You don't know if I am or not," she frowned.
"Like I said before. I'm not going to give up the hope that you are. If it's false, then fine. No harm in constantly trying," he grinned. That got her laughing softly with agreement. "You know, maybe we should hit the bank and drop all this cash off. It may be better."
"You think so?" Seonhee asked. "I can text the others that we're making a stop. We'll be fine."
"We can drive around for a bit, too. It will keep us away from your affairs to look less suspicious," Joongi suggested.
"No. It's good to have the two of you with us in case something goes wrong. We need the witnesses when it comes to money transfers of this magnitude. I just don't want to make it seem like something else," Saiki frowned.
"I know who we can talk to. Joongi. Take us to my bank," Seonhee nodded. Joongi rose a brow, but he was quick to start traveling there. Seonhee looked at her phone at a text to reply back. "The others are at Zhao's now. And helping install a karaoke stage…"
"Very good," Kiryu chuckled. "We might be able to go to the Survive Bar later tonight. We'll have to plan for it."
"Whatever you want to do," Saiki said pressed into his chest.
"I know you're tired," he muttered in her ear and kissed her temple. "Just relax. Okay? Don't worry about a thing."
"I have to worry now," she mumbled.
"Why?"
"Two assholes want me. In order to get me, you need to die. As if I'll ever let that happen…" she grumbled with annoyance.
"Just keep giving me your herbal crap to drink. That keeps me alive," he smirked and saw the bank in question appear.
"How's your jaw?" she asked softly.
"Stings. But I'm fine. My side is…questionable," he admitted. She gave him a couple painkillers, and Seonhee passed over a bottle of water. "Thanks."
"Let me call the manager," Seonhee said and dialed a number. After some discussion, they were ready to go in. "He'll meet with us and help transfer the funds discreetly. He only asks for a small bank fee."
"Depends on 'small'," Saiki muttered.
"I can work with a thousand yen. Any more than that would be quite questionable," Kiryu agreed. They got out of the car and walked into the bank lobby. Saiki was stared at quite a bit, but Kiryu kept his arm around her.
"I'm married. Piss off," Saiki growled when a young man tried to walk over with a small smile. The glare Kiryu gave showed exactly who she was married to. The man stammered an apology and quickly left the bank.
"Ah! Hello! Yes. Right this way," the bank manager said to them from his office. Saiki noted how many cameras were around, guards standing in various areas and where escape routes were. Kiryu saw her eyes moving, and he easily judged that she was making a mental map of her surroundings. He even caught her looking at the air vents.
"Problem?" Kiryu muttered to her.
"No. Just being aware," she muttered back. He gave an agreeable grunt and led her into the room. Seonhee and Joongi were seated with them to show it was a complete business need.
"So, you need to move some funds?" the manager asked.
"Yes. I'd walk into my bank, but it's known where I go. I don't want anything to go wrong," Saiki nodded lightly.
"How much?" the man asked. The suitcase was now lifted onto the table and opened for his jaw to drop. "Ah…"
"A million in paper yen," Kiryu said. "Gifted by some wealthy friends to help us start a building project."
"I see…" the manager cleared his throat. "Well, we can open a bank account here and let you draw funds to transfer as needed."
"Hmm. Multiple accounts from different banks in case something goes wrong…" Saiki mused aloud. "That can work. I'll need it to be a joint account with my husband to have all the permissions I do."
"Of course! We can have this done right now," the manager agreed. It took twenty minutes, but they both had temporary plastic cards with new bank account paperwork. Seonhee advised to have all deliveries to go to her for now. Saiki knew it would all be delivered to the hidden base discreetly.
"Thank you for this," Saiki said when they left the bank.
"Oh, not a problem! And thank you for suggesting for Joongi to strip for me," Seonhee chuckled. Joongi coughed and hid his small blush.
"Maybe you should strip for him," Saiki said with a wicked grin.
"Whoever said I haven't…?" Seonhee muttered under her breath.
"Ah…yeah…" Joongi cleared his throat.
"Teasing game? Or main dish?" Saiki asked.
"Both," Seonhee said to get the short woman laughing at it all. Kiryu rolled his eyes, but they all got back into Joongi's car. "Okay. Zhao's restaurant."
"Yep," Joongi nodded and started the drive. Saiki yawned and snuggled into her husband's warm embrace. Kiryu studied her and frowned.
"Are you well?" he asked.
"Just a bit tired. I mean…you have been keeping me up at night…" she said with a small chuckle. He paused at that and glanced at Seonhee's snickering form.
"No regrets," Kiryu grinned and kissed his wife lustfully.
"I love you," she mumbled and let him kiss her again.
"And I love you," he smiled and let her press into his neck. He let her run a hand up his chest before slipping her hands under the jacket to hug his form. "What's wrong? Tell me?"
"Just enjoying this," she sighed and closed her eyes. He nodded and watched the street with Zhao's restaurant come into view. He ran a hand through a long lock of her hair to keep her calm. When they parked, he knew she was reluctant to leave. He whispered softly to her to get her to smile a bit.
"We'll eat and sing a song together," he said while running his thumb over her chin. She nodded and let him kiss her before moving away.
"I must admit something, though," Saiki said on getting out of the car.
"What's that?" he asked.
"You were quite adamant to keep me close to your side the moment we met again. Having me stand next to you. Sit in your lap. Carry me around…" she started. A giggling squeak escaped her when he lifted her in his arms to carry her.
"Just showing I wasn't going to let you run off again. And that I didn't want you to…be with anyone else," he said lightly.
"I knew it," Joongi grinned at him.
"I figured as much," Kiryu chuckled. He carried his wife into the restaurant and was shown the private room again. Only then did he set her down.
"There you are," Daigo said.
"Yeah. We made a stop at the bank," Kiryu nodded. He sat down to have Saiki settle in his lap. "Hmm. Where's Goro…?"
"He got into a sparring match with that other guy. He said he'd be here soon," Kasuga said. "Taiga is with him."
"Good. If he was by himself…" Saiki growled with mistrust.
"I know," Kiryu agreed. Zhao handed out menus and took down orders. Nanba was enjoying a beer with Adachi. Sa-chan and Chi-chan were comparing a light shopping venture and teasing Tomi about it.
"What do you think about Ebina?" Kasuga asked when he sat next to Kiryu.
"I don't want to think about him," Kiryu muttered and shared a bread roll with his wife. She buttered it lightly to feed him now, and he gave a pleased sound at the taste. They both looked over when Goro and Taiga walked in to sit down.
"That fucker got called back by his bosses. With a shock collar," Goro snickered. "Massive buzzing sound and he was flat on his ass!"
"Should have fried him," Saiki grumbled. "But…that does make me wonder…if it's possible…"
"What?" her husband asked.
"He wears a shock collar of some kind. I wonder if I can get remote control of the frequency if I know the brand of it…" she said with a wicked smile.
"That would be something," he grinned at her.
"I want to watch that happen if you can!" Goro said.
"Then a mission. You want to get in his way. You ask him about the collar. Be…friendly. To a point. Get it?" Saiki smirked.
"Hmm. I think I can do that…" Goro mused at the idea.
"Shishido may have the same thing," Tsuruno said from where he sat.
"Possibly. Only one way to see," Saiki nodded. Then she took out her phone to text Gelek. On the reply, she nodded to herself.
"Hmm?" Kiryu looked over and started to share a dish of seared fish, steak and pork with her. A bowl of honey was reached for to lightly drizzle over the meat. He was incredibly impressed with the flavors.
"I asked him about Hawaii. He thinks it's a good idea. And he's talking to Rabten now," she said. They took turns feeding each other pieces of meat with the honey glazing. When she saw a spot of honey on his lips, she pulled him close to kiss passionately. "That's some good honey…"
"Is it? I don't think I tasted it," he replied. Then he got a small spoonful of the golden honey to dot on her lips to kiss her. "Hmm. Very good honey…"
"I wonder…" she muttered and whispered to him in her singing voice. Now he looked at her with a smoldering glare of intense desire.
"Ah…I can only imagine…?" Tomi seemed to wince and got interested in the dish before him. Seonhee pursed her lips together and gave a mild glance at Joongi's silent form.
"So, what songs do we have for karaoke?" Nanba said to start changing the mood of the room.
"I'm sure there are plenty to choose from," Kiryu said without looking away from his wife. She offered him a piece of honey-glazed pork. He took the fork from her to set down. Then he growled, "We are definitely trying your idea later."
"What idea?" Kasuga asked. Sa-chan covered her mouth with her palm. Chi-chan even looked at him with complete amusement.
"I'm sure it involves honey," Adachi started to get Zhao snickering out loud.
"Oh. It definitely involves honey," Kiryu said in a low tone.
"Spread on? Or drizzled?" Saiki grinned knowingly at him.
"Depends on where it goes…" he replied with a growl and kissed her deeply. Tsuruno found himself glancing with amusement at Ebina clearing his throat to look away.
"This…is so unfair…" Goro sulked out loud to himself.
"Go across the street. Not in front of the restaurant," Zhao said calmly. Taiga burst out into tears of laughter. Daigo ran a hand over his forehead while he laughed at the whole thing.
"Do you think we can even do a little karaoke?" Saiki asked and chuckled at her husband's look of amusement.
"Is there a back room I can borrow?" Kiryu asked Zhao to get the man laughing incredibly hard at it. "And I'm being serious. I've been married for less than a week. And I'll be lucky if I even leave the hotel room if we do go to Hawaii next week. And I'll want to book tickets now."
"I can check on my phone," Saiki started before getting lifted in his arms.
"Back room. I need one. Or I go home," he said. Zhao ran a hand over his face and gestured for him to follow. "We'll do karaoke when I get back with her."
"Do I bring the honey?" Saiki asked. Seonhee burst out laughing at it.
"No. Because we'll never get back here," Kiryu smirked at her and followed Zhao with her in his arms.
"Here's my office. Um…try not to move things off the table," Zhao said.
"Ten minutes. We'll use the chair," Kiryu said and kicked the door closed. Zhao sighed hard and leaned against the wall to keep any staff from getting too curious. While the others waited patiently and finished their meals, Kiryu soon had his wife in his lap and growling at her pants.
"You wanted me to wear them," she grinned.
"I like them. A lot. But for this?!" he growled. Then he paused on watching her jump out of his lap to turn her back to him. She pulled the pants and underwear down slowly to catch his full attention. Then she bent over slightly and wiggled her rump at him. She gasped at what she felt next when he leapt out of the chair with a burning desire that overwhelmed his thoughts. She found herself pressed against the wall with him panting in her ear a few minutes later.
"Feel better…?" she managed to ask.
"Barely. Not until we get home. But the edge has been removed…" he mumbled with his mouth pressed into the side of her neck.
"I'll find a room with intense luxury needs for us in Hawaii. Including room service…a giant bed…massive bathroom…" she groaned at the feel of his hands on her sides. "I've never been spoiled like that…"
"We'll get on that when we sit back down. I want our honeymoon to start next week. Maybe we'll leave the room. I haven't decided yet," he grinned and finally managed to let her go. Saiki fixed up her clothes and let Kiryu carry her out. He nodded to Zhao to show everything was fine.
"Maybe we can kick the monks out of the room at Survive Bar if it happens again…" she grinned softly.
"I can see that happening," Kiryu agreed and sat down with her in his lap at the table. They were able to finish off their meal and sing a duet karaoke song after. As the group started to leave the restaurant, a Daidoji member was waiting in the restaurant lobby.
"We wanted to apologize for our…agent's infatuation," the man started.
"I don't care. What I am curious about is how you subdued him. What did you use?" Saiki asked. Kiryu had her pulled close to his side.
"You really don't need to know that," the man said calmly.
"I saw it was a shock collar," Goro said. The man looked at him with a small glare. "It knocked him flat on his ass!"
"You don't need to know how it works," the man insisted.
"But I do need to know. Because if he goes off course to go after me, then I need to know how to activate it to stun him for you. This is so you know to pick him up and that I didn't kill him," she said with a small smile.
"I see. I'll…discuss this with my superiors," he nodded and walked away.
"I don't think he will…" she muttered.
"Hmm…" Kiryu frowned. He took out his phone and sent a text. Then he got a reply. He grinned a bit and said, "They may take you up on your suggestion. Nishitani is reported to be…questionable. So they don't want to lose him, yet they do understand the concern. They'll get back with me later."
"Good," Saiki nodded. "Where do we go now?"
"Hmm. We could go to the Survive Bar now…" her husband thought aloud. "Or we just…say we can't wait and go home…"
"Maybe we can go for an hour," she smiled softly.
"That might work. Fine. An hour and then we go home," he agreed. As they walked out of Zhao's restaurant, he called a cab over.
"We aren't going with them?" she frowned.
"Not yet. I want to…do something first," he smiled. He had the driver take them to the river, and he got out with her. He led her over to where the bench was that he was sitting at in the very beginning. He sat down with her to look over the water and hold her close. "It was here. I felt you watching me here."
"I thought this place looked familiar," she said with a soft smile.
"To think…a little over a month ago…I never knew you were here. Looking for me. Searching for me to appear. Now we're married. Completely in love. So fully…completely in love…" he muttered and kissed her passionately. Her arms wrapped around his neck when he squeezed her closer with a contented sigh. All he wanted to do was hold her there and gaze out over the water.
"How much longer here?" she asked in a soft whisper.
"Not much longer," he mumbled and pressed his face into her neck. "Maybe…we should go home. It's so hard for me to just…be with you. With everyone else jumping in our way…"
"That's what the honeymoon week will be for, right?" she chuckled.
"Doubtful," he grunted to get her laughing. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone found ways to join us! Or have us go elsewhere…"
"Just turn your phone off," she grinned.
"I could…" he mused and blinked at the sound of a young woman giggling.
"Kiryu-san! I knew I recognized you!" a bubbly woman said and walked over. Saiki curled her lip back at the brown haired girl in the fashionable gown, but Kiryu calmed her with a kiss to her forehead.
"Yuki! It's good to see you. How is your sister?" he asked.
"Koyuki is good! Ah…we were hoping you could stop by again. We have rival businesses that are trying to get in the way of our business again. You helped us so much before! It really would help us out a lot," Yuki said hopefully. "I wasn't even expecting to see you here. I was driving around thinking about things and saw you sitting here. I had to take the chance to come over."
"What business do you have?" Saiki asked.
"Oh! Ah, we do catering to men like a gentleman's club," Yuki chuckled.
"Like Sa-chan. I see," she nodded. Then she looked at her husband, "Kazuma, what do you think?"
"I think we can help out. I'll text Kasuga now. If we're quick about it, then we can get to the Survive Bar just fine," Kiryu nodded. Then he kissed her and rose up with her in his arms. He regarded Yuki and said, "Lead the way."
"Oh! Ah…who…?" Yuki blinked at Saiki.
"Sorry. This is Saiki. She's my wife. We got married a couple days ago," he chuckled. "We've known each other off and on. We got together last month and hit it off rather neatly. So…I proposed. She accepted. We chose not to wait any longer than we had to."
"Ah! Now you have to come with me! I will totally cater you both for a good ten minutes with my finest in thanks! Come on! My car's over here," Yuki said and quickly led them away to where she was parked. She was also on the phone with her sister to tell her what she just learned.
"Will I regret this?" Saiki asked.
"Just stay with me," he soothed and kissed her gently.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear. He kissed her again and brought her to the car. Yuki was surprised when they both got in the back seat, but she noticed that Kiryu refused to let his wife sit apart from him. She seemed to shrug and was quick to drive them off to her establishment.
"Business really did do so well when you got Koyuki and I back together! I really can't thank you enough for that," she sighed. "Did you have plans next week? I'm sure my sister and I would love to cater lunch to you both!"
"We plan to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Just for a week, though," he nodded. Saiki nestled into his warm embrace and sighed with a touch of annoyance. He knew she was restless being in the company of others like this. "It's alright, my love. It's just small talk."
"Is everything okay?" Yuki frowned.
"Sorry. With my wife's upbringing…she's not really one to…be around others very much. She's been isolated for a very long time. So, if you do cater us, please do it lightly," he warned carefully. Saiki winced and hid her face into his neck. He felt her shudder for control, and he started to gently stroke a long lock of her hair in his fingers. He felt her start to relax. "That's it. Easy now…"
"What's going on?!" Yuki gasped when she pulled up to her establishment.
"Hmm?" Saiki looked over to see a group of thugs blocking the way in.
"Is that the disturbance?" Kiryu asked.
"It is. Just a bunch of hired goons!" Yuki fumed. The car was parked and she charged over. "This is private property! You need to leave!"
"Hey there, pretty lady! Are you part of the property?" the lead thug grinned wickedly. Then he found himself on his back with a massive scythe at his throat.
"She said…to leave…" Saiki growled with a twisted grin on her face.
"Wow…" Yuki gaped.
"Saiki…" Kiryu said and walked up to rest a hand on her shoulder. Then he looked at the thug. "If you move, my wife will slice off your head. Don't want that? Go back to your boss and tell him you quit. Then never come here again."
Saiki glanced up at the other thugs to watch them jump back with complete fear in their eyes. Then she let her haunting song infiltrate into their minds to drive them off with terror. She tilted her head at the trapped thug under her scythe. " I should set…an example…"
"No," Kiryu said. "Please put away the weapon. You made your point. You have done your job well. You protected this place. You protected me. The job is done and everything is fine."
"I see…" she muttered and backed away. The thug scooted away and bolted quickly down the street. She blinked away the sensation to kill and put her scythe away. Then she shivered and trembled all over. Kiryu was quick to scoop her up and let her snuggle into him.
"Easy. Easy. The job is over. Just keep calm," he muttered in her ear and kissed her forehead. He looked over at Yuki to nod. "My wife…was trained at an extremely young age to know nothing but how to kill. I'm able to help her snap out of that mindset. It's why she doesn't do well in crowds. So, you can cater to us. But do not swarm her. She's not used to it at all."
"Has she ever been catered to?" Yuki asked with concern.
"No. My wife…was treated very harshly and always kept alone. If I knew about it…I would have rescued her. She's very delicate in certain situations. But she knows how to kill without a second thought. Anyways, we'd better get inside before she thinks she has to chase them down to slaughter them all where they stand. We don't want that," he frowned. "And as long as I tell her the job is done, well, she won't get a headache from various things."
"Oh! Okay! Come inside," Yuki said. She walked in and instructed the catering staff with small orders. The girls moved to set a table and prepare a couple glasses of wine. They lined the way in to bow to Kiryu as he carried in his wife. He nodded to them and set Saiki in his lap at a corner booth. A girl sat on each side of them to help serve drinks and a small meal.
"So…this is all you do?" Saiki mused.
"It is! Nothing more, of course. Yuki-san is amazing!" the girl next to Saiki beamed happily. "We are treated with intense respect."
"That's right! Where I was at before? It was terrible!" the other girl frowned. "More sushi?"
"Sure," Kiryu nodded.
"They just got married a couple days ago," Yuki said.
"Congratulations!" the girls said together. At the glasses of wine, he shook his head quickly to keep the drinks back.
"Ah, no wine, please. My wife might be pregnant," Kiryu chuckled.
"Sparkling flavored water!" Yuki said quickly. Saiki had never had such a beverage before, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.
"I'll need to obtain some of this," Saiki smiled.
"I can gift you with the best bottle we have as a wedding gift," Yuki smiled.
"Thank you," she nodded. She looked over at another girl that looked almost like Yuki walk in wearing her own lavish gown. The sisters hugged and were quick to start gossiping on what else could be given over as wedding gifts.
"Where can we send you gifts? And I'm Koyuki, so you know," the new young woman smiled.
"Send them to the Geomijul building. We don't really have an address yet. It's under the old Tojo Clan Headquarters ruins. Saiki was held there for a long time. We found it again and repurposed it. We do plan to rebuild on the lands to help former yakuza re-establish themselves into society. We may even build an orphanage, too," Kiryu explained. The girls chattered with excitement and began to build up a list of things to donate.
"Tell us when you start! We know a good contracting company!" Koyuki beamed at them both. "That was how our buildings were redone inside."
"Thank you! I'll take you up on that," Kiryu smiled with a nod.
"You know, you said you were going to Hawaii. I always wondered if a business could be opened out there…" Koyuki mused.
"You would abandon me?" Yuki frowned.
"Not for long! We can install managers here and you will need to join me if I find a good place!" Koyuki grinned. Now both girls laughed at the idea and started to bounce off things to do to get another business started. Kiryu was about to mention that it was time to leave, but Yuki suddenly stormed to the front of her building to confront a business man. Saiki looked at her husband with a raised brow. He glanced at her and rolled his eyes. She knew all too well that they've seen this scenario before.
"You will never make it here! Just give up and leave!" the man said.
"Is there a problem?" Saiki said when she walked up with Kiryu at her side.
"And you should join my team! Wow! We'll make twice as much with you working the tables!" the man grinned at her. Then he gaped at the scythe when it reappeared and nearly pressed at his throat.
"I don't…work…tables…" she growled. "I make bread crumbs…and force heads…to separate…from their bodies…"
"You really want to piss off my wife," Kiryu muttered. Then he lunged forward to punch the man's face right out the door. "And telling her to work tables in front of me?! You piece of shit!"
"Time…to kill…" Saiki grinned wickedly.
"No. No killing. Just…scare him off badly," he muttered in her ear. Saiki's haunting tune settled in the man's ears to cause him to scream with unknown fear. He was soon running down the street in a mad panic before he even knew what just happened. "Good job. It's done. I'm proud of you."
"Kazuma…" she breathed out and let the scythe vanish away. He scooped her up again in his arms to cradle her. Then he turned to regard the speechless girls that watched the whole thing.
"That is what my wife does. She listens to what I tell her to do in that mindset. Don't let anyone else know. Just know this. If you need us, call us. Here's my number now…" Kiryu said and had both girls put it in their phones.
"Next week you go to Hawaii?" Yuki asked.
"That's the plan. I still need to book tickets and a hotel, but I'm going to get on that tonight. I need to meet up with a few friends now. It was good to see you both again. And thanks for the bottle of sparkling water," he chuckled.
"Be sure to see us again!" Yuki and her sister bowed in thanks. A cab was called, and Kiryu got into it with Saiki to head to the Survive Bar.
"An hour there. Then back home. We'll book tickets and head out when it's time. I think we'll need a few outfits," he mused. He noticed she hadn't moved much at all and he grew concerned. "Are you well?"
"Mild headache…" she frowned.
"You didn't kill anyone. I noticed at the Survive Bar when you leapt over everyone…you were crying. But you didn't get the headache. That would not be good if you have to personally kill someone to keep the headache back. Even if the job was considered done. Even when we confronted Dog Catcher's bitch. You killed no one back there, but you got a massive headache. Hmm…"
"I didn't see it that way…"
"Yeah. At least telling you a job is done helps you snap out of it. It's just…the aftermath of how it affects you. Not good. This is something to keep in mind. How are you feeling, though?"
"Drained…"
"I see."
"I did a lot today. I just need to rest now."
"We will," he nodded and got out with her in front of the Survive Bar. He had her take up the bottle of sparkling water to take in with them to enjoy. All through the time there, he had only one main thing on his mind. He wanted to keep her happy and calm for the rest of the night. And he still planned to use some honey later that needed to be used in various ways.