Chapter 6:Actions & Reactions
Hideo Sasaki
"YOU DID WHAT?!" I scream at Fuutarou and Mickey as they did the pushups I commanded them to do as punishment. Fuutarou was barely phased by it unlike his big friend who was struggling over here.
"They deserved it Hideo. Pieces of shit got what was coming to them" Fuutarou said with ease like the workout wasn't even phasing him. I'm trying to be mad right now but I'm actually kind of impressed.
"What about you Mickey, what do you have to say about this?" I ask Mickey as he gasps for air after every push up. He might be struggling but he's getting them done.
"Fuu... Called... So I... showed up..." Mickey said practically out of breath. I'm supposed to be the responsible adult right now. I'm basically his fucking guardian for Christs sake, but God damn it I'm so fucking proud of these boys right now. Loyalty and fighting, the building blocks of brotherhood.
"Ok, so let me get this straight. You heard these boys talking shit about your new friend who you just fucking met and your response to their shit talking ... WAS TO BREAK ONE GUYS KNEE CAP AND THE OTHER GUYS ORBITAL BONE?!" I scream as they both got quiet. I'm trying my hardest to be a serious disciplinarian but I think even Fuu knows I'm having a hard time because I swear I hear him chuckle under his breath. I let out a breath as i start rubbing my temple. "Get the fuck out of here Mickey"
"Yes... sir" Mickey said as he struggled to get to his feet and walks out the gym. Fuu stops his pushups and begins to stand up.
"Nuh uh. Not you. Keep going" I say as Fuutarou rolls his eyes and gets back into the push up position.
"Did you just roll your eyes at me? Bet" I say as I grab a 45-pound plate and place it on his back. He grunts a little but doesn't stop his pushups. He barely even slows down. "Were there any witnesses?" I ask firmly.
"No... Sir" he answers.
"Any weapons left behind at the scene"
"No sir... Just hands" he answers again.
"Anyone other than Mickey know you did it?" I ask as he goes silent. "Damn it Fuu! who else fucking knows?" I ask as I kick the weight off his back and tell him to get up so I can get all the details clearly.
"Miku knows. We didn't speak about it, but she knows. Hideo i don't know what the big deal is anyway. A couple dickheads were talking shit about someone i care about so i beat their asses" Fuutarou said with an attitude. This kid got some fucking balls.
"Beat their asses? Fuu you literally snapped a kid's leg in half and cracked the other kids' skull! Thats where the orbital bone is you fucking!... ok. You know what. It's over and done with. We already got the footage erased thanks to me for calling in a favor to the principle" I say as I close my eyes and rub my temple even harder since this kid is driving me crazy.
"See, it all sorted itself out" Fuu said before I snapped.
"It didn't 'sort itself out' you idiot, I SORTED IT OUT. And because of you I'm out over 10 grand!" I yell out.
"Fuck Hideo... I'm sorry man I..." Fuu began apologizing before I interrupted him.
"Just forget about it" I say waving him off. We walk over to my office as I grab a seat and motion over at him to grab me a beer. I take a long sip of this fine Japanese lager before I finally calm down and ask "so you care about this one?" to which Fuutarou gave me a side eye. "Hey you said it, not me"
"Miku's sweet. She didn't deserve to be disrespected the way she was. My father used to talk to my mom like that, I couldn't stand by and do nothing bro" Fuutarou said as he took a sip of his own beer.
"Careful Uesugi, that's a dangerous game you're playing" I say with a laugh.
"I knowwwww. Fuck man. I can't help it. What should I do" Fuu says without having to explain himself. The kid is so easy to read and he knows it
"The short answer? Don't do it. The long answer? Don't do it because you were literally fucking her identical sister not even a week ago" I say as he lets out a big groan in disapproval. "out of curiosity, why this one? If you were gonna get with another one, why not go with the one who couldn't take her eyes off of you when she made you breakfast?"
"Who? Nino? nah, not my type. She's cool though, she got an attitude, which is kind of a turn on, but Miku is just… different" he says as the corners of his mouth perk up a little.
"Kid, there's no happy ending here. You know that right?" I say giving him my honest opinion. He has to know that this isn't a winnable situation.
"What if I talk to Ichika? What if she's cool with it?" He says as he straightens up.
"Ok kid. I'll play. In this fairy tale world where your ex is cool with you leaving her for her sister, you still have to answer for the fact that you're Kurai Yoru, or did you forget that part? You think this girl is gonna be ok with someone who does the things you do? Someone who snaps a kid's leg in half for making a mean joke? Think Fuu. Once you got that mark, you gave up the typical high school boys life. The only reason you're even still in school like Mickey is because the both of you were lucky to be protégés to people who still want you to experience parts of a normal life because we know that's not what's in store for you in the future. So go ahead. Try and get the girl. Maybe her sister ends up being ok with it and you get to date her in peace. But my original statement still stands kid, you don't get the happy ending here as long as that Moon is tatted on you" I say as I see every ounce of hope he had leave his body.
Ever since he joined the organization, I've never seen him regret his decision, not even in the slightest. He's excelled in every challenge set before him. He's never questioned an order and has learned from every mistake. I couldn't ask for a better protege. This is the first time I've seen him acknowledge the weight of the moon. What it truly means to be Kurai Yoru. I never have pity for deserters. When we catch them and have them begging on their knees for their lives, I never second guess our rules and regulations. Each member is fully aware of our ways before they get their mark. Fuu was no exception, but being so involved in his upbringing has made me look at his case differently. He was a child when we brought him in. Much younger than typical protégés, but he was also much more mature than some of the adults. He's also one of the only ones with no family ties in the organization. maybe watching him grow up in front of my eyes has made me soft but I can't help but wonder what his life would have been like if I just had my guys kick him out just one more time. What would he have grown up to be? A jock? A scholar? Just another delinquent? One thing is for certain is he wouldn't have to worry about the organization standing in the way of him and some girl he has a crush on. Teenage romance is a part of growing up. A rite of passage, and here I am feeling guilty for taking that away from him.
"Here, take this to Akira. I got some extra vegetables at the market today and i wanna make sure she's eating right" i say trying to change the subject. "And don't forget you got a pick up at Shiloh's tonight and Goro's tomorrow"
"Yeah, I got it" he said defeated as he took the bag of vegetables and left my office.
Part of me wants to tell him to man up, but the other part of me completely understands what he's feeling right now. I was my father's protege just like Akira's father was to his father. We were born into this life. We had no choice about being Kurai Yoru. Fuu fought tooth and nail for a chance to be Kurai Yoru, but he only did it because he didn't see any other way to support his family. I wonder what I would have been in a different life...
Akira Takebayashi
"Alright ladies. We are already making great progress!" I say with excitement as all the girls groan in unison after a 4-hour study session. "Cmon don't act like that! We're almost done. Let's do our history review and we can call it a night"
Ding dong
All the girls look up at me for me to tell them who was as the door but i was just as surprised as them. I get up and run to the door and look through the peep hole and I'm surprised to see it's Fuu. He didn't say he was coming by today.
"Hey what's up, everything ok?" I ask after opening the door. He's in his 'uniform' which always makes me stare at him for way too long. It's a beautiful black suit with a black dress shirt underneath with the collar open. Tailor fit to his broad shoulder and biceps. He would've looked so handsome if it wasn't for that disgusting cigarette i know he put out before he rang my doorbell since I can smell it on him.
"Hey Takke, Hideo wanted me to drop these off" he says as he holds out a bag full of vegetables. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your lesson..."
"Oh, why hello there Mr. Handsome. Don't you look dashing tonight, what's the occasion?" Ichika said from behind me laying it on thick. She's clearly looking for a reaction because even Fuu looked at her like he didn't see that coming from her either after what happened at the party.
"Hey Uesugi!" Yotsuba yells from inside as the others wave over at him.
"Are you here for a lesson from Akira too? Why don't you join us?" Ichika says with a flirty smile as she tugs on his arm.
"Yeah Uesugi c'mon!" yotsuba yells out
"Join us Fuutarou!" Itsuki says next
"Yeah, it's getting boring in here!" Nino said after finding her confidence again since she was with her support system.
Miku was the only one that was quiet. I can't be the only one who noticed because Fuu was looking right at her.
"Sorry ladies, I'm actually on my way to work but maybe next..." Fuu began saying before being interrupted.
"w-we're doing history next..." Miku said sheepishly from inside. "Right Akira?"
"Um.. Yeah. We were just about to go over this week's practice test. C'mon, I have your favorite snacks" I say with a smile as I tug on his free arm since Ichika is still holding on to the other.
"...Cool ranch Doritos?" He said with a raised eye brow.
Fuu comes in and sits at the end of the table next to Miku as Ichika rolls her eyes and sits next to him. The lesson was pretty normal aside from Fuu knowing most of, if not all the answers. The few questions he didn't know Miku jumped up to answer. They laughed over being able to finish each other's thoughts and even compared each other's test when they were done. The entire time Ichika was sitting right next to them trying to get in on the fun but Fuu just brushed her off respectfully by being short with her.
Normally it isn't hard to talk around Fuu, but seeing the way he looked at Miku made this lesson so difficult. It's only been a couple days since they met but he's so infatuated by her, and I know if I can notice, her sisters can definitely notice
After about an hour he excused himself and left. We all said good bye, but once the door closed behind him Ichika stood up and said "what the fuck was that?!" to Miku.
"What was what?" Miku replied with a confused look on her face as all the girls look at Ichika concerned.
"You told me there was. Nothing between you two yet here you two were all over each other!" Ichika yelled as stomped like an angry toddler.
"Ok guys let calm down..." Yotsuba tried saying before they both told her to butt out which caused my sweet Yotsuba to cower next to me.
"You're angry because he sat next to me for a history lesson? Because I actually knew a couple of answers unlike you? Get over yourself Ichika" Miku said firing back at her
"He's only talking to you because he's trying to make me jealous, you know that right? He's using you to get back at me because he's butt hurt that I kept him a secret from all of you. We may not have been dating but we spent a lot of time together. We're just going through a rough patch right now so don't think you're anything more than a fucking rebound" Ichika said as we all went silent. She went too far.
"Rebound? What was there to rebound from? You guys never dated but you 'spent a lot of time together?' We all know what that really means Ichika. The only one here who's been used is you" Miku said as we all gasped as She turned around and started packing her bag.
"Hey I'm not done talking to you!" Ichika screamed as she went to go pull on Miku's hoodie but grabbed her headphones instead which got caught up in the hoodie and snapped. "I... I didn't mean to..."
Miku looked at her broken headphones in Ichika's hand before screaming out "YOU BITCH!" As she cocked back and punched her square in the nose, drawing blood almost immediately as Nino grabbed Miku and Itsuki grabbed Ichika.
"YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH, I HAVE A SCENE THIS WEEKEND!" Ichika yelled in a muffled voice as she clenched her nose in pain.
"FUCK YOUR SCENE AND FUCK YOU!" Miku said fighting against Nino who was just trying to hold her back. "GET OFF OF ME!" Miku screamed as she got loose from Nino and started marching for the door. I thought about standing in front of her but this wasn't any of my business. I've seen plenty of disagreements over at the academy or at the organization's restaurant, and 9 times out of 10 they all resolved themselves after the guys cleared their head, that's all Miku needs right now.
She slams the door and Ichika starts crying about how she won't be able to be on camera. Yotsuba ran back from the kitchen with paper towels to clean up the blood.
"Yotsuba go after her so she's not by herself" Itsuki said with a nervous tone as she cleaned up Ichika's face.
"FUCK HER! LET HER GO.." Ichika began saying before yelping when Itsuki squeezed her nose.
"This is your fault Ichika; you went too far" Itsuki replied. Her face was stern. Like a mother scolding her child.
"I'll go with you" I said to Yotsuba as we headed out the door looking for her. We looked around but couldn't see where she had gone. We stopped by the guard shack in the front to ask if they had seen where she went but they were watching some soccer game. They quickly turned it off when they saw me approach them like kids getting caught with their phone in class.
Shortly after we picked a direction, we realized we probably picked the wrong way and Miku was nowhere to be found.
"What do we do? Miku left her phone so we can't even track her location" Yotsuba said nervously.
"Hold on, let me call Fuu. He has uncle's car so he could find her quicker" I say as I pull out my phone and call his cell. I don't get a pick up right away so I call again and he picks up on the first ring.
"Takke I'm busy right now is everything ok?" He says in a whisper. I forgot he was on a job but this was important. I may not live in the heart of Ryzo like him and uncle but I'm still close enough that Miku shouldn't be walking around the streets by herself.
"Miku and Ichika got in a fight. Miku left and now we can't find her can you help..." i say quickly before he cut me off.
"I'm on my way" he said before hanging up immediately.
I put my phone in my pocket before Yotsuba looks at me with a concerned look on her face. "He's not going to help us?"
"The opposite actually, he's on his way" I say back as I give her a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be ok, Fuu fixes everything"
"We've gotten into fights before but they've never been this bad, especially Miku. Normally it's between the others about something stupid like eating Itsuki's snacks or using Nino's clothes. And it's NEVER gotten physical before. Maybe a shove here and there, but never a full-on punch" Yotsuba said as tears began forming in her eyes.
"it's none of my business Yotsuba, but Miku wasn't wrong. Ichika started it and went too far. Ichika breaking her headphones, regardless of it being an accident or not, was just the icing on top" I say as Yotsuba nods in agreement. "No matter. Fuu's gonna find Miku and they'll make up in no time because that's what family does".
Yostuba wipes away her tears and smiles as she hooks onto my arm and we walk back home. Yotsuba has been my favorite since day one, and after a day like today it only goes to show I'm and excellent judge of character, aside from not knowing how much of a bitch Ichika could be.
Miku Nakano
it's been about 2 hours since I left Akira's. With no phone to get an Uber with, I just started walking until things started to look somewhat familiar. Obviously, it was dumb to leave without my phone and wallet but my anger was enough to outweigh my regret. They all look down on me, not just Ichika. No one stepped in to tell her she was wrong, no one stepped in to say she was being a bitch. So that means they all agree with her. They all think Fuutarou is only speaking to me to make Ichika jealous, and they're probably all right... Fuutarou would never pick a girl like me when he has someone like Ichika throwing themselves at him. She said it herself, they're just in a rough patch.
I ended up in a little market with a bunch of street vendors. Aside from leaving my phone, I also left my wallet. The smell from some of these stands was making my mouth water since we didn't get to have lunch. I start walking back towards the Main Street before passing an alley with a bunch of guys there hanging out.
Whoa, where do you think your going little lady, let me talk to you for a second" said one of the men.
"Damn baby, don't be rude. Let me get to know you." Crooned another.
I had to force my feet to pick up the pace and push past the fear building up in the pit of my stomach but I could feel them inch up behind me their unwanted warmth creeping up behind me. My heart began to race as I went from speed walking to full on running. Their taunting laughs, never sounded far away. I make it another block before I get to another alley and what do I find; more of them. They gather like pack rats and still come out to try and talk to me. I start to slowly back up but suddenly feel myself bump into the same guys I was running from.
"Now, what do we have here? Do you know where you are?" Said one of the new guys.
Then the suspense of the inevitable began. I could hear all of them talking about me. What I was wearing, how big my boobs were and what they wanted to do to them. How my legs looked. I couldn't help but start shaking from anger and fear as they all inched closer. The man I bumped into had placed his hand on my shoulder then he began rubbing my back. The one who chased me came up next to me and ran his filthy hand up my skirt and I suddenly felt his grimy fingers grab my ass. With heavy tears forming in my eyes, I was frozen in place and I hated myself for it. Was this really about to happen?
I look up and see he had a tattoo of a moon on his neck and then it hit me.
"I'm looking for Fuutarou Uesugi" I say in the sternest tone I could muster at this point. And almost like cockroaches being sprayed with raid they all backed up immediately and started talking amongst themselves.
"Fuutarou? Is she talking about Hideo's kid?" Said one of the men.
"Uesugi is the generals protege you fucking idiot!" Whispered another to the one who grabbed my ass.
"W-what do you want with Uesugi?" Said the one who followed me.
"He's my friend, I need to speak to him" I say as his face goes white and says "the academy is 3 blocks that way on 8th street. You know we were just playing right ma'am? We ain't mean nothing by it…." he started stuttering as beads of sweat began forming on his bald head. He was nervous. Very nervous. And all I said was Fuutarou's name?
I ignore him and start walking as fast as I could until I couldn't see them anymore. It's like once I was outside of their view I regained my ability to breathe. I saw the martial arts academy where Fuutarou lived and started sprinting there. Full speed. This academy equaled safety. I get to the front steps and start gasping for air. I only ran 2 blocks but I wasn't Yotsuba, running wasn't my strong suit.
I notice right away that all the lights are off in the entire building, not just downstairs. After everything that just happened, I don't want to take my chances leaving so I just take a seat on the steps leading up to the second floor and decide to just wait for Fuutarou. He's the only person I want to see right now. The only person who can make me feel anything other than fear and anger right now. Is it too cliche since I barely know him as a person? Maybe. I'm just hoping he doesn't think I'm a stalker or something.
"Can I help you?" Akira's uncle said as he walked into the stairwell.
"Sorry I was just waiting for Fuutarou" I replied. I tried my best to hide my current emotional state, but I guess it wasn't good enough. He must have seen my face and knew something was wrong or maybe he was a mind reader because he just walked up the steps, sat next to me, and gently put his arms around me as I started shaking and crying.
"What happened Miku?" he said gently after I began calming down.
I told him everything. Everything from my fight with Ichika to what happened in the alley. What the men said to me and how they only backed off after I mentioned Fuutarrou's name. His face was calm and emotionless, but there was something about his eyes that seemed off. A slight twitch that caught my eye if only for a second. He asked me what the men who touched me looked like. Just as I finished describing them, Fuutarou walked in the door downstairs. His eyes shot open when he saw me.
"MIKU! I WAS LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU I..." Fuutarou started saying before Hideo interrupted him.
"Fuu, head over to 5th and Cherry and tell Kenji and Minato and their respective crews to come to the restaurant immediately" Hideo said firmly. His tone was cold and direct. So much different than his normal talking voice. So different it even caught Fuutarou off guard. He didn't question the order he was given, he bowed and left immediately after giving me a sympathetic look.
"Here is the key to Fuutarou's apartment. Go in and make yourself at home. Feel free to spend the night and order anything you like. All the food spots around us have a tab for me. I'm gonna step out for a sec. Fuutarou should be back soon and I should be back a little late tonight so please don't stay up too late since you have school tomorrow ok?" he said with a warm smile. The same kind of smile Fuutarou would give me. I see where he gets it from. "Oh, and it's not my place to tell you what to do, but as you very well know, Fuu tends to over react when someone he cares about is hurt. Let me take care of this for you tonight and you can tell him about it tomorrow. Or don't, I'll leave it up to you" he said as he patted me on the shoulder and left.
I walk in the apartment thinking I would get washed away by a wave of relief but that wasn't the case. I feel dirty. Having those disgusting pigs touch me was horrible but the feeling of being powerless was even worse. I walk into the kitchen and open the cabinets looking for tea. Everything was so neat and organized. All the boxes in the cupboard were aligned according to their height, the spices were in alphabetical order, and the containers had labels on them.
While I was waiting for the water to boil, I start walking around the apartment. Even though I was here a couple days ago, there's so much I didn't notice the first time. Maybe because there were so many people or because I was always in conversation or occupied, but it's hard to accept that this is his place. I open the door to his room and notice how his bed is perfectly made and his clothing rack was color coordinated. I sit on his bed and notice the picture frame of him with a woman and a baby girl. Must be Raiha and his mother. Fuutarou's hair was its natural color here, the same color as his mothers. His father was absent from the photo but after hearing what Raiha said about him, I'm not surprised there.
"I was 11 when my mother passed" Fuutarou said as I quickly put the picture back down on the side table. "Relax. It's ok Miku. I saw you boiling some water, wanna have some tea with me" Fuutarou said as he started making his way back to the kitchen. I can feel my cheeks burning up from the embarrassment. This feels like the 10th time he's caught me doing something weird, but just like every other time, he doesn't make me feel weird at all. I make my way into the kitchen as he's preparing a tray with the teapot and 2 cups. "c'mon, let's go out on the roof. The weather is perfect tonight"
We make our way upstairs as we look out across the city. The neon glow made the city feel like it was from a different planet. I've lived inside the city my whole life. Ryzo was more so on the outskirts. Seeing the city from this far away was new to me. It was refreshing, especially after a day like today. We take a seat on a couple lawn chairs they had set up here and Fuutarou places the tray on little fold out table in front of us. He pours me a cup before pouring one for himself.
"Matcha, right?" he says before taking a sip. "I never really knew how much I would like it until you came around and showed me. The soda not so much, but this tea is amazing". His light laugh was infectious. I had absolutely zero control over the corners of my mouth. I saw what happens when he hurts people. The same person making me tea right now is the same person that put 2 people in the hospital with life changing injuries.
I take a sip and feel warmness fill my body. A gust of wind blew passed me and that warmness went away as a quick shiver ran through me on this chilly fall night. Fuutarou looks at me and immediately takes of his suit jacket and drapes it over me.
"You should totally wear it like a Snuggie so you can still drink your tea" he says as we both start laughing.
I put mycup down and put it on just like a Snuggie. "Like this?"
"Yup, just like that. You're starting to make me jealous. You look TOO comfy, I may have to take back my jacket" he says with a smirk.
"Nope. No takesi backsies" I say rolling my eyes sarcastically as I take a long sip of my tea. Fuutarou starts laughing as we both stare at the city skyline together.
I'm waiting for him to bring up Ichika. To bring up how he was looking for me for hours. To ask why I came here of all places. But he isn't asking any of that. He's just happy I'm here. I'm not a bother to him. I'm welcomed here.
"Why aren't you asking me what happened?" I say as I avoid his gaze and look straight ahead.
"Because the only thing that matters is that your safe and happy. You're with me, so I know you're safe. And from the looks of it, I think you're happy. So, tell me Miku, are you happy right now?" He says as I continue avoiding his gaze by looking straight ahead. I can feel him. His eyes burning into my temple. I'm not scared to look at him, I just know ill be at a loss for words if I do and I really don't want this conversation to end just because I can't come up with the right words to say.
I want to tell him about what happened in the alley but after what Fuu did today to those boys for saying mean things about me, I can only imagine what he would do to someone who actually put their hands on me."I'm happy Fuutarou... Thanks to you" I say surprised by my own courage. I don't know how I had the guts to add that last part but I'm proud of myself. I look over at him and see a little part of that crescent moon tattoo behind his ear underneath his messy blonde hair. "Can I ask you a question?"
He let out a soft sigh and put his cup down. "What's with the moon tattoo... right?" he says as I nod my head. Do you remember what I told you when I asked if you've heard anything about me and Takke?"
"You said all I needed to know was that you weren't bad people" I say to him.
"A lot of bad people have this tattoo, but so do a lot of good people. I'm not a bad person Miku. One day I'll tell you everything you wanna know, but right now I really just want to sit up here and enjoy this tea with you" Fuu said as that trademark smile of his crossed his face. The wind blew just enough that his hair moved enough to see the tattoo in its entirety. Such a small tattoo having such a massive importance to him is so confusing, but maybe I really am just better off not knowing. The same way Hideo thinks it's better Fuutarou is better off not knowing what happened to me today. Both things can be right in their own way. I don't need an answer tonight. Sitting up here with him is enough.
I take another sip of my tea and place my head on his shoulder. I feel him turn his head a little before gently resting his head on top of mine. I'm safe, I'm happy.
Hideo Sasaki
I pull into my spot over at Mari's Kitchen, Akio's restaurant, and our main location where we conduct business. I lock the doors and walk in through the back door as I see the group of guys I sent for. Surprised they got here before me. Right away they stand up and bow and immediately start apologizing.
"Please Master Sasaki we had no idea!"
"Please General I didn't even touch her I swear it!"
"I wasn't even there at the time general, I was in the bathroom!" These scumbags began pleading as I smiled and walked into Akio's office.
I walk in and get greeted by Bash immediately who offers to take my jacket and offers Me a cold refreshment. I take off my jacket and say "not tonight kid".
"What happened?" Akio says without getting up from his desk. Simple and direct.
"We're about to find out" I say as I take the chair in front of his desk and turn it around facing the door. "Bash, would you let them know we will see them now"
With a bow Bashira opens the door and lets the group of 8 men into Akio's office. The men on security tonight put their hands on their guns because they know the only time non ranking members make it into Akio's office is when someone is about to be disciplined.
There was a long period of silence. I wanted them to sit in their fear. Watching the sweat drop from their foreheads. Watching them shake a little, fidget with their hands, avoid eye contact. All adds to the mental strain I want them to feel.
After about 2 minutes one of them shouts "MASTER SASAKI PLEASE I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!" The smallest of the group shouted. I don't remember his name but I think his nickname is worm or something.
"I DIDNT FUCKING DO ANYTHING"
"I WASNT EVEN THERE"
"SIR I WAS TAKING A PISS I WOULDVE STOPPED THEM IF I SAW"
"SILENCE!" Akio screams as all the men bow their heads. "Hideo, what is the meaning of this. Enough of the mind games"
"I was notified that the daughter of our good friend was stalked, harassed, and groped. These are the men responsible. I called them here today to get to the bottom of who did what before handing out the correct punishment. I brought them to you my leader because the friend I speak of is Maruo Nakano." I say as I stand up and walk over to his sword collection.
"They did that to one of Maruo's girls?! WHICH ONE OF YOU MOTHER FUCKERS DARED TO LAY A HAND ON HER!" Akio screamed as he stood up and slammed his fist down on his desk. He walked over and got in the face of one of the men who immediately started to cower. Akio and I might be getting up there in age but we still got it. "WHO DID IT. TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR ALL OF YOU ARE GETTING.." Akio said as one of the men interrupted him.
"Sir it was Kenji and Minato!" Said the worm.
"YOU FUCKING LIAR!" Yelled Kenji as Minato stepped forward.
"Do you the rest of you agree with that statement?" Akio asked the other men who all nodded in agreement. "Grab them" Akio said as our men swarmed them and brought them forward.
Kenji began fighting against the security guards but he was no match for them. Akio hand picks his security off of my recommendations. Each one of these men are the best of what the organization has to offer. Minato however was silent and motionless.
I finish sifting through all of Akio's blades before settling on a cleaver. "Ah, this should do" I say as I walk over and pick up a little side table that was holding a couple bottles of alcohol. "You're not emotionally attached to this table, right?" I ask Akio.
"Nope. Not at all" he replied as I set it in front of the 2 men.
"Alrighttttt... so... who wants to go first?" I ask as Kenji immediately starts screaming for mercy.
"You're oddly quiet. Nothing to say for yourself?" I say to Minato who was looking me in the eye.
"No sir. I did it. If you think I deserve to be punished then so be it" he said with his head held high. Trying to look tough for the other guys huh? Bet.
In one quick swoop I snatch his hand and slam the cleaver down on his wrist, cutting off his hand causing him to scream in agony. Blood immediately starts spurting out. He begins rolling around the floor as all the men look at him with terror.
"You think you can sway my decision by being 'honorable'? Where was your honor when you were groping a 17-year-old girl huh? Where was your honor when you chased her down after she tried running from you huh? HUH? You know she mentioned you specifically, right? Bald head, moon tattoo on the neck. You disgust me" I say as he continues screaming on the ground. I walk over and stand above him as I start stomping on his face, caving his skull in. Each stomp you hear a different bone break. The only thing you could hear in that room was the gurgling and the crunching sounds that came from his head each time my boot made contact. I finally stop and walk away as the men see what's left of his face. Kenji is sitting there shaking in fear as tears begin falling down his cheeks. "And you, you can either keep on being a fucking pussy and get a clean cut, or I'll take something else before I kill you too. Now put your hand on the table."
Kenji crawls to my feet crying. "PLEASE SIR WE DIDNT KNOW! MERCY! MERCY!"
"Hey Bash, give me your knife" I say as bash nervously walks over to me, stepping over Minato, who's corpse is still twitching on the floor, and hands me his pocket knife. "I'm going to give you one more chance to man the fuck up, put your hand on the fucking table, and take your punishment with honor like someone who deserves to have the mark of the moon"
"SIR PLEASE I..." he began crying out as I snatched him by his hair and stabbed him in the eye. The shock of what had just happened made him take an extra second before screaming at the top of his lungs. Before he could even move, I snatched his hand and placed it on the table before I cut it off with the cleaver just as I did to Minato.
I motion at one of the guards to give me his gun. I cock back on the pistol and walk over to his pathetic squirming body and start to aim at his head before Akio put his hand on the barrel and lowered my gun. I look up at him confused. "Huh?"
"Bashira, it's time" he says as he takes the gun from me and holds it out to Bash. I give him a look immediately that he shouldn't do this. He wasn't ready. He's too young to have a body. Akio looks back at me expressionless. His word was final. I look over at bash and the kid looked like he was ready to cry. He looked over at me to help him as if I had any power over Akio.
"Ak... My leader. Please allow me to finish. This is personal, Maruo is my friend, allow me to" I start saying.
"Bashira will finish it" he said sternly. My eyes are begging him to reconsider but it's clear that his mind is made up. This is a Kurai Yoru member training his protege and there is nothing I can do.
"u-uncle please..." Bashira stuttered as he stared at the gun.
"Grab the fucking gun Bashira, that's an order" Akio said. He stared directly into his eyes. Into his soul. His command was clear and direct. Aside from being his protege, Bashira was hesitating to obey an order from the leader of our organization. There's a reason why I have the title of 'general' and he has the title of 'leader'. Everyone thinks of the general as someone in charge, but it every war, every general reported to someone above him, and that person to me is Akio Takebayashi.
"Please kid, you don't have to do this!" Kenji cried out as he clenched his arm where his hand used to be. "Please have mercy! I've learned my lesson, i..."
"Shut the fuck up" I say as punch him in the mouth, caving in his front teeth.
"This man broke our code. This man represents the Kurai Yoru and chose to stalk and grope a defenseless woman. This organization will not stand for that as long as men like us draw breath. You are a Takebayashi, you are to lead one day. But first, you must learn to follow. I am commanding you to take this traitors life. I will NOT ask a second time Bashira" Akio said as Bash took the gun. Akiowalked back to his desk and took a seat. For a second there, I felt like Akio was being genuine, but he has to understand that what he's asking from this child is too heavy.
Bashira aimed the gun at Kenji's head. He noticed that the barrel was shaking so he held it with both hands trying to keep it steady. Tears began forming in his eyes. His lips began curling trying to stop himself from crying.
"PLEASE DON'T!" Kenji begged
"DO IT!" Akio screamed from behind him.
"MERCY!"
"DO IT"
MERCY PLEASE!"
"FUCKING NOW BASH"
"PLE..." BANG.
A/N
I'm really happy with how this chapter came out. The only frustrating part about writing is knowing how this story is gonna go and having to slow myself down to advance the plot. I had this fight between Ichika and Miku planned out since chapter 1. Maybe it's the pent-up anger I've had since the show but having Miku punch Ichika in the face was so satisfying to write lol. It was so difficult for me to write the sexual assault scene with Miku that I had to ask for help from my cousin who also writes fanfic. I'm really hoping the scene isn't taken in bad taste. Lastly, we've been hearing hints about Hideo's notoriety since the beginning, so finally being able to show you guys just how savage 'The dragon of the moon' is. Akira hinted at knowing her uncle was lead enforcer and how other characters show him respect. But most importantly from this chapter was Akio forcing Bash to kill a man and the mental consequences that are going to follow this young man in future chapters. Already got the next chapter started and plan on having it up even sooner than this one! next chapter is probably going to be favorite one yet. Appreciate all of you for sticking by especially for always hyping me up lol please let me know how you guys felt about this chapter! I'm more interested in the feedback here more than my previous chapters. Thanks again!