15. Pawns Feel Uncomfortable on a Shogi Board

In both chess and shogi, pawns are expendable pieces, sacrificed to achieve a greater goal. Of course, in shogi, a pawn can be promoted to a tokin, causing havoc in the opponent's camp. But even then, its life doesn't become any more comfortable.

In a game where projects worth hundreds of billions of yen were at stake, Yukino and I were nothing more than pawns. But even pawns can corner a king, and an experienced player knows better than to ignore them.

I continued spending a significant amount of my free time — and even part of my working hours — searching for those responsible for the schemes against the Yukinoshita family. Haruno had given me a useful hint: someone was determined to prevent the family's company from building the Moon Garden.

Weeks of investigation in this direction led nowhere. Naturally, Yukinoshita Kensetsu had competitors; they weren't monopolists, neither in Kanto, nor even in Chiba. But the portrait of the family's true enemy refused to take shape.

The first red flag came from an acquaintance of mine, someone I had only interacted with online. He suggested that a man going by the name Sato Kobayashi might be connected to organized crime. However, this source wasn't particularly reliable when it came to yakuza matters. Fortunately, he was self-aware enough to admit it.

The next warning came through indirect channels. Yukino's boss, despite specializing in child protection cases in civil litigation, occasionally took on criminal defense work — usually for former clients and almost always pro bono. During one such case after a court hearing the prosecutor's representative unexpectedly brought up Yukino in conversation. According to him, lawyer Yukinoshita was on the verge of becoming a toxic asset, and for the firm's sake, Takasu-san would be wise to get rid of her in advance.

When asked the obvious question — how a prosecutor's assistant had inside information on a lawyer who barely ever worked on criminal cases — he vaguely cited "well-informed sources" in the prefectural police.

Taiga Takasu took out her frustration on yet another makiwara, then decided to conduct a little investigation of her own. Surprise, surprise — the young prosecutor's assistant had allegedly been in Kuronaga-gumi's pocket for quite some time. Smirking with vicious satisfaction, Yukino's boss dropped this revelation in her lap and promised to back her up if needed.

"She'll be the one bringing me care packages in prison," my beloved had quoted her boss, amused. Yukino had a deep appreciation for that kind of biting sarcasm, and she was a master of it herself.

I had hit a dead end. My greatest achievement in fighting organized crime was breaking up a gang of wannabe junior high thugs back in my days as a beat cop. I had no information, no connections, and no leverage — nothing to even begin planning my next steps.

What worried me most was that the prosecutor's assistant had mentioned sources within the prefectural police. Clearly, I wasn't the only channel through which these schemers were trying to undermine the Yukinoshita clan.

To continue the investigation, I needed a reliable source on organized crime and its potential ties to the construction business in the prefecture. Someone competent, trustworthy, and unaligned with either the yakuza or the Chiba police.

For someone with my social skills, finding such a person was an exceptionally difficult task. But within two weeks, I had managed it.

The air was thick with humidity after yet another downpour as I navigated the winding streets of Tokyo, searching for the address I needed. In Chiba, I could find my way blindfolded, but Tokyo was a different beast — one I only knew in broad strokes. Fortunately, modern technology allows even someone as geographically challenged as Yukino to find their way in unfamiliar places… most of the time. Four out of five times. That's an 80% success rate, which is pretty good, isn't it?

At last, I rang the intercom at the gate of the house I was looking for. The entrance swung open, and I found myself stepping into what looked like a film set from the Edo period. Both the house and garden were elegantly antiquated and deliberately out of step with modernity. The illusion, however, was somewhat ruined by a historical artifact from a very different era: a deep crimson Fairlady 280Z. I couldn't help but wonder if it had a 600-horsepower engine under the hood. Then again, from what I'd heard, the real-life prototype of the Akuma Zetto had been scrapped years ago. The Blackbird, on the other hand, was supposedly still serving its speed-obsessed surgeon owner.

The man who stepped out to greet me leaned on a cane. I greeted him properly. Detective Hiroto Katagiri had earned a formidable reputation at the turn of the century as one of the few incorruptible officers in the Tokyo police force. He was a relentless crusader against organized crime, someone neither the syndicates nor their money could sway. There's no such thing as a former cop, and according to rumors, even in retirement, the old detective still had his ear to the ground when it came to the Yakuza's dealings in Kanto.

Katagiri had to be well into his seventies by now. His skin was loose, his graying hair thin, and his short beard unevenly trimmed. His arthritic fingers trembled slightly, yet his eyes remained sharp and perceptive.

He accepted the customary gift with polite gratitude and invited me inside for tea. We sat on the back terrace, sipping the fragrant brew while appreciating the meticulously tended garden. Finally, once the formalities were out of the way, he got to the point.

"Detective Hikigaya, you've come all the way here to seek informal advice from a retired officer from another prefecture. Why the trouble?"

"I'm conducting an unofficial investigation. My fiancée's family is being targeted in a prolonged psychological pressure campaign. It didn't take me long to trace it back to people connected with Kuronaga-gumi."

"That sounds like Rentarō Hoshino's handiwork. He fancies himself a modern-day Yagyū Munenori, a master of blending violence, strategy, and intrigue."

"So far, it hasn't escalated to violence. And I intend to keep it that way. I can't let my fiancée get caught in the crossfire."

"A noble intention. But when dealing with the Yakuza, everyone suffers. Especially the innocent. What makes you think Rentarō and his people would have any interest in your fiancée's family?"

"Her father is a major real estate developer — Nobuo Yukinoshita."

Katagiri raised an eyebrow.

"Not a bad catch, detective. Which daughter — his eldest or the youngest?"

"The youngest. Yukino Yukinoshita."

"Good choice. My eldest daughter knew Haruno Yukinoshita from graduate school. And I know the Yukinoshita family from… professional encounters."

"Could you tell me what kind?"

He nodded.

"I suppose it's safe to talk about now. The first time the Yukinoshitas came onto my radar was in the summer of 1995. Back then, the family was still under the control of old Daigo Yukinoshita, your fiancée's late grandfather. He tried to secure a massive municipal contract in Tokyo — major renovations for several schools. He was counting on protection from Matsuju-gumi, but he miscalculated."

"Pardon my ignorance, but I've never heard of Matsuju-gumi."

"And that's precisely because of what happened next. They used the Yukinoshita deal as a pretext to expand their influence in Tokyo. Hideki Matsuura wasn't afraid of bloodshed. Neither was Shinzo Todzawa, whose path he crossed. It turned into a bloody war. The conflict dragged on until the fall of 1997, and we were still dealing with the aftermath years later, even after Todzawa's death. The Yukinoshitas avoided working in Tokyo for years afterward, even when offered contracts. Matsuju-gumi, meanwhile, was weakened significantly and, by the turn of the century, collapsed entirely, absorbed by what is now Kuronaga-gumi."

I frowned. None of this was comforting.

"So, the Yukinoshitas regularly cooperated with the Yakuza?"

"Daigo Yukinoshita? Absolutely. But 'cooperated' isn't quite the right word, detective. He used them to his advantage. Played the role of a submissive businessman while, in reality, manipulating gang leaders as he saw fit. His son-in-law, Nobuo, doesn't have that skill. He's been playing the political game since his youth and keeps as much distance from organized crime as possible. If he deals with anyone, it's Mizuho-kai. But Toshiyuki Kaneda wouldn't go head-to-head with Kuronaga-gumi. There's nothing to fight over, and his group isn't as powerful as Rentarō's."

"What's their specialty?"

"Mizuho-kai started as specialists in illegal immigration. They control the black market for labor, have stakes in organized prostitution, and are involved in smuggling — drugs, weapons, you name it. Their legitimate businesses revolve around maritime transport, port logistics, and wholesale trade. Kuronaga-gumi, on the other hand, launders money for other syndicates across Kanto, runs underground gambling rings, and engages in loan sharking. Their legal operations? The same businesses, just within the boundaries of the law."

"Then why go after a major construction firm?"

Katagiri exhaled.

"According to unverified reports, Rentarō has made a series of poor investments in legitimate businesses over the past few years. He may be trying to eliminate a competitor through extralegal means."

"Could a man named Sato Kobayashi be connected to Kuronaga-gumi?" I described the suspicious figure I had encountered.

Katagiri nodded.

"That's his real name. He's a distant relative of Rentarō. Not an official member of Kuronaga-gumi, but he has the oyabun's trust. He presents himself as an investment consultant, but in reality, he's a middleman for shady yet still legal deals. As far as I know, he has no criminal record."

"Sato loves boasting about staying within the law." I hesitated before telling Katagiri about the attempted smear campaign.

The old detective frowned. "That's a foolish and dangerous game, detective. It would be all too easy to twist the narrative, to turn you into the villain hiding corruption in your future father-in-law's business rather than exposing it."

"What would you advise, Katagiri-sama?"

"Claim that Sato is trying to frame the Yukinoshitas. Expose him as a self-serving schemer through legal channels. Don't emphasize the Yakuza connection — that would only escalate things. Make Rentarō understand that continuing this charade will cost him more than it's worth. But you'll need political backing for that. Do you have anyone you can turn to?"

"I might be able to ask Haruto Tsurumi, the deputy chief of CCPD. I'm on speaking terms with his niece."

"That should work. As far as I know, Tsurumi-san isn't the type to take bribes."

"I'll follow your advice. Thank you for your help, Katagiri-sama."

As I left the old detective's home, his words lingered in my mind. After all, a pawn doesn't need to checkmate the king to win the game. It just has to set the stage for the stronger pieces to tear down the king's defenses. Now, all I had to do was make sure I wasn't the kind of useless pawn that gets sacrificed too early.