Boku no Yakuza Aijin, Part 2
For the rest of the week Sachiko itched with the urge to continue the scene she had drafted detailing Jin and Kamenashi's first meeting, but unfortunately real life got in the way. She still had to keep up with her normal schedule, consisting of, among other things, attending classes, doing homework, and then sitting through more classes before she could go home. Normally this didn't bother her, but having this unfinished project in the back of her mind made it impossible to focus. Try as she might to pay attention, ideas kept striking her, and she heard Jin and Kamenashi's voices speaking to each other as tentative scenes played themselves out in her head. By the end of her class periods, she had more notes for her manga jotted down in the margins than she did the topics her teachers were giving lectures on.
What had her particularly distracted was the note on which she concluded the last scene. By meeting Jin and giving him the necklace, Kamenashi had set events in motion, and the nagging urge Sachiko felt at almost every waking moment of every day was to put to paper the pending consequences of his actions. Finally over the weekend she got a chance. Curled up in bed late at night, warm and sleepy after her bath, she sharpened her pencil and set to work on the continuation of Jin and Kamenashi's story.
The soles of Jin's sneakers scuff along the pavement as he walks along, his shoulders hunched, and his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Almost a week has passed since he inadvertently got himself involved in a business transaction among yakuza, and still the voices he heard in that dark, stifling alley echo in his head; the sights, smells, feelings and sensations he remembers with perfect clarity, even though it was easily the most terrifying night of his life. Almost a week has passed, and still Kamenashi has not come to re-claim his treasure. Jin feels the weight of the pendant around his neck with every step he takes.
He gets lost in thought somewhere along the way to work, worrying about whether or not Kamenashi has the resources to track him down, or if men besides Kamenashi might find him first. (The hairs on the back of Jin's neck prickle sometimes, like he feels he's being watched by someone who might want to do him harm, but he figures it must be his imagination, because he only gets the sensation after he thinks to look around for such unscrupulous characters.) Thankfully Jin walks this route to work often, so it's unlikely he'll lose his way again, even if the details of his surroundings blur to the point where all he sees are the pavement before him and what's playing in his mind's eye as thoughts shoot rapid-fire through his head.
Vaguely he wonders if getting himself lost will help him find Kamenashi faster. They'd stumbled across each other unexpectedly in an alley once before, so what was to stop it from happening again? Perhaps if he had gone into hiding when he came to possess the necklace, but he hadn't tried to do anything like that, even for the sake of his own safety. He wanted to make himself available to Kamenashi should the other man attempt to contact him, so he had continued with his life as usual: living as openly and honestly as possible and taking things one day at a time, just as he always had. If Kamenashi was as powerful and influential as he appeared to be, he had thought, then it shouldn't take him that long to find him...
Jin trudges along, and he sighs when, once again, he reaches the café he works at without any encounters with either cute gangsters in expensive suits or big, burly, scary guys who want to blow his brains out. At this point, either circumstance would be preferable to another eight straight hours on his feet, bustling around and slaving away in the small, stifling kitchen to serve food to otaku and teenagers. He takes one more long look at the street before he heads inside, greeting his co-workers with as cheerful of a good morning greeting as he can muster (which isn't very, considering this latest disappointment regarding Kamenashi and the more general belief he has that any time before 10AM shouldn't exist) and disappearing into the kitchen.
He's about halfway through his shift, beads of sweat disappearing into the headband he wears to keep his bangs out of his face as he cooks, when his boss comes in to take over his position at the grill. “Some weirdo out there says he needs to talk to you,” he says. “Mafia from the looks of him. Hurry up and see what he wants.” He's trying to remain stoic, but it's clear to Jin that he's bothered by the thought of having a mobster in his establishment. Jin's heart leaps, wondering if Kamenashi's the one waiting for him and if his boss will excuse him from the rest of his shift if it means getting the gangster out of the café. He discards his dirty apron and tries to do something about the streak of flour running down the side of his face before rushing out of the kitchen.
His face falls, however, when he reaches the dining room. The gangly figure waiting for him clearly isn't Kamenashi. Although his first instinct is to sulk, his common sense quickly kicks in, and he realizes he knows nothing of this man's affiliations. It's entirely possible that instead of seeking him out on Kamenashi's orders, he's in league with that girly-looking guy with the butterfly on his face, and he's come here merely to pop him in the head with a bullet and rip the pendant from around his neck while the light leaves his eyes. It's hard to pout when he could easily be walking to his death.
“A-Akanishi Jin,” he says, showing the other a low bow. The stranger returns it, and Jin feels his fear abate slightly when he looks into his face. He vaguely wonders what about this man had his boss so freaked out; he's got a big nose and a weird haircut, and he doesn't look nearly threatening enough to be in the yakuza. Perhaps under that big, beefy stature, his boss is actually a bit of a wimp.
“Nakamaru Yuichi,” the other says, and he hands him a business card. A business card. Really. Jin's never gotten a business card from a gangster before. Not that he has a ton of experience dealing with gangsters, but he always thought that people affiliated with the mafia would lack the time or patience for such formalities. Though perhaps that was part of why they called it organized crime. Hm. Jin examines it and finds out this Nakamaru guy is a lawyer. Even more interesting. What business would a lawyer with ties to the mob have with him?
Jin's question must have shown on his face, because Nakamaru answers, “I'm here in regards to the, uh...” He trails off when he sees the leather rope bearing the pendant around Jin's neck, disappearing beneath the neckline of his shirt. At least he has the sense to not wear it out in the open... Nakamaru clears his throat and begins again. “My client would like to arrange a meeting with you concerning the return of a particular item that's recently and mistakenly come into your possession.”
Something about how the lawyer says 'mistakenly' makes Jin want to smash his fist into his overly-large nose. He has half a mind to tell him that if his client (whom he's now figured out is Kamenashi, but knowing this only adds to his irritation) is so concerned about his necklace, he should have come to fetch it himself, and then make fun of his hair for good measure, but he holds his tongue. Just because this guy is a lawyer doesn't mean he's without a gun. Jin hasn't gotten shot yet, and he'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much.
Nakamaru ignores the peeved look Jin's giving him, instead reaching into his breast pocket to hand him a sealed envelope. “Please accept this note from my client. He has informed me that enclosed within it is detailed, time-sensitive information regarding the meeting, so please be prompt.”
He bows again and takes his leave as Jin opens the letter, his eyes moving back and forth over what Kamenashi has written for him.
I'll be waiting for you at the izakaya athe izakaya called Cha Cha Hana at 1-1-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku at 1P.M. Do not be late! Also, do not draw attention to yourself, and come alone!
K²
Jin examines every inch of the letter once he's finished reading it, looking for more than just the brief instructions and pouting when he doesn't find anything. It's then that he has to remind himself that Kamenashi's interested in completing a business transaction and not sending love letters. Though it would have been cute if he had signed it with a turtle instead of...well, Jin can only guess what K-squared means.
He skims the contents of the note one more time before slipping both it and the envelope inside his wallet. He then curses loudly when he thinks to check his watch. Time-sensitive indeed! With only twenty minutes until one, he'll have to run pretty much the whole way. Even if he felt comfortable explaining to his boss that he has to leave work because a high-ranking gangster is all but demanding a meeting with him at a bar across town, he doesn't have the time. He can only hope his absence won't cost him his job as he rushes out the front door.
Loose strands from his ponytail cling to his sweaty face as he pushes open the door to the izakaya. He hasn't even caught his breath when a waiter whisks him into a private room at the back of the establishment, where Kamenashi's sitting at a low table, waiting for him. Jin feels vulnerable under that intense gaze, and he fidgets a little as he takes a seat across from him. Kamenashi isn't wearing his sunglasses, but the guarded look in his eyes makes him feel like he's looking into mirrored lenses instead of someone's face. His tongue feels large and clumsy in his mouth as he fumbles for something to say. Kamenashi beats him to it.
“I see you found the place all right,” he says, swirling the straw in his glass of iced tea. There's a casual air to his voice, but Jin can tell he means for the comment to be anything but. For one thing, he's looking at him as though he should feel guilty for getting there a few minutes late. Jin hates feeling like he's getting scolded, especially for something that wasn't his fault.
“Yeah, but Naka-something-kun could have been a bit quicker with your note,” he shoots back. “I had to run all the way here.” He probably shouldn't speak so casually to someone like Kamenashi, but he doesn't believe the other will harm him for it. Though his logic of, 'I wouldn't hurt anyone who looks like my dead lover, so why would anyone else?' might not be the sturdiest.
Kamenashi returns his cool gaze and wraps his lips around the straw held delicately between his fingers to take a sip. Jin watches the slight lowering of his eyelids, appreciates the way his lips purse and his throat bobs as he swallows, but at the same time he thinks he'd like to get this over with. He doesn't like this guarded, composed Kamenashi nearly as much as the one who kissed him. Not to mention, he's hungry. He had to skip his lunch break to come over here, and he always feels more obstinate when his stomach's rumbling.
But it seems Kamenashi anticipated that. The same waiter who showed Jin in slides the door open and sets a platter of steaming gyoza in the center of the table, leaving again without so much as a word or glance at either of them. His attitude is a clear mark that this particular establishment is no stranger to yakuza patronage, which probably explains why the gangster chose it as their meeting place. The platter contains more than enough dumplings for two, and Jin has to swallow to clear away the excess saliva gathering in his mouth as a result of the delectable aroma wafting about the room. Kamenashi must have ordered for him...right? There's no way a stick like him could put away so much food in one sitting.
The sound of the other man breaking his chopsticks distracts him from his thoughts, and he takes the lack of a response when he hurries to do the same as a sign that he's allowed to start eating. He fills his plate, and they mumble, “Itadakimasu...” almost in tandem. For a while, the only sounds that pass between them are those of food being consumed, and it feels a bit like the most awkward date Jin's ever been on. He has to remind himself again, then, that it's not a date.
He clears away almost half the platter by himself before he realizes Kamenashi's long since set his chopsticks aside, and is now silently watching him eat, an unreadable expression on his face. Jin straightens a little and stares back. It seems the time for discussion has come. “I kept the necklace safe for you,” he says, pulling it out from behind his shirt. Kamenashi's eyes flicker to the door, and even though there's no one lurking around outside, he stands and moves to close the small gap between the shoji screen and the doorframe.
It seems touching the necklace has become a nervous habit for Jin, because his fingers find it again as he watches the gangster move about the room. “Hey, thanks for lunch, but...you really didn't have to do that. You just want it back, right?” The silence is starting to stifle him, or perhaps it's just the air in the room now that the door is closed. He always has been just a touch claustrophobic. He runs his tongue over his lips once, tasting some of the salt and sauce left over from the meal. He doesn't miss the brief flash of something akin to interest in Kamenashi's eyes as he re-takes his seat, before they become impassive again. Oh, he thinks. So that's what this is about... All of a sudden he doesn't feel so stupid for having clammy hands and butterflies in his stomach.
Eventually Kamenashi finds his voice. “Yeah. If you could just--” He flinches a little and shifts to pull his vibrating cell phone from his pants pocket. He moves to take the call outside, but abruptly stops halfway to the door and sits back down. It's likely he's realized he'll have more privacy inside the room than out. Jin glances down, fiddling with his napkin in his lap and pretending not to listen in.
“Kamenashi. Oh, hey, Koki, what's up? No, I'm not busy.” He pauses to glance over at Jin. “...Yes, I'm alone. What's going on? Why do you sound so-- Wait, what did you just say? Koki, that's not possible. It's--fuck, really? Shit. ...Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah, I know. I...I'll figure something out. Thanks for the call. ...Yeah, I'll catch up with you later. Thanks... Bye.”
Jin worries his lower lip between his teeth as he watches Kamenashi end the call, then lean forward to rest his elbows on the table, pressing the heels of his palms to his temples. Kamenashi takes a deep breath and Jin can see the tension in the line of his shoulders when he lets it out as a long sigh. At that moment, he wants nothing more than to massage it away for him. In his mind's eye he sees a man who looks like him do exactly that, and Kamenashi curls into the touch, eyes falling closed in bliss instead of squeezing shut with anxiety. “Shit,” the man across from him mutters again.
Jin glances at him, but remains silent, figuring it's better to let him work out whatever's bothering him on his own instead of saying something stupid and making the situation worse.
Kamenashi remains silent and rigid for a few more, tense minutes, clearly in deep thought, before rubbing at his eyes as though tired and letting out another sigh. “I know it's a lot to ask of you,” he says, “but I need you to hold onto the necklace for a bit longer.”
Jin's first instinct is to ask him why, but he doubts the gangster would tell him, so he considers it a bit more carefully and instead asks, “Are you sure? I figured you'd come to collect it as soon as possible because you would think it safest with you.”
The gangster shoots him a surprisingly unguarded look--one that tells him he's read his thoughts exactly and this sudden turn of events has blown his well-laid plans to smithereens. “Unfortunately circumstances change. I can't tell you exactly what's happened, but you need to know that the situation's just gotten a lot more dangerous.” For everyone involved, he adds mentally.
Jin nods evenly in understanding. This is the Kamenashi he likes--the one who speaks to him as an equal and shows his emotions instead of hiding behind guarded looks and mind games. It's unfortunate that he's only seen this side of him when he's distressed, but the fact that he knows it exists is promising. What exactly it's promising for isn't clear to him yet, but it certainly keeps him intrigued.
Kamenashi stands, re-pocketing his phone and throwing some money down on the table to pay for their food. “Come on, let's go,” he says, hurrying to stand at the door, and Jin rushes to obey, not liking how his tone makes, 'Let's go,' sound a lot more like, 'We need to get out of here.' Are they in danger?
Looking at Kamenashi, he can tell he certainly seems to think so. The shorter man opens the door enough to peer out, and Jin feels his heart pound in his chest when he sees Kamenashi's hand slowly reach for the gun at his hip as he surveys the dining room. Oh god, he thinks. Oh god, oh god, oh god, this is it, they're going to die. He and Kamenashi are going to step out into the open, and there's going to be a whole team of assassins standing there waiting for them. Someone, probably Kamenashi, is going to say something clever and snarky and oh-so-final, and then there'll be shots firing and blood and carnage and bullets everywhere, and they're going to be taken down Kill Bill-style, except neither of them is going to wake up from a coma and get awesome, bloody revenge like Uma Thurman did because they're not hot, American chicks with swords, and besides, they're going to die, and--
Jin jumps nearly a foot in the air when he feels a hand on his shoulder, but it's only Kamenashi, and hey wait, since when is that a comforting thought? Oh. Probably since he started looking at him like that, dark eyes full of urgency and a little bit of worry. “Calm down,” he says, and Jin does. He looks around and there's no blood, no chapel, no team of assassins. It's just him and Kamenashi in a little izakaya in Kabukichō. The door to their private room is shut again, and the gangster's hand is on his shoulder instead of on his gun.
“The coast is clear,” Kamenashi offers in explanation, cocking his head a little so Jin knows he's referring to the dining room. “I still don't like this, though,” he continues, and heat rises in Jin's cheeks when sharp eyes move up and down his frame. “I don't have anything for you to wear as a disguise, so when we get out there, keep quiet and follow my lead, all right? We're going to make a run for it.”
A million questions pop into Jin's mind, the most pressing being, “What are we running from if you just said the coast is clear?!” but he doesn't have time to ask any of them, because all of a sudden, he feels Kamenashi's small, but strong hand grip his, and déjà vu hits him in a rush when they start running. Except the last time this happened, they didn't have to maneuver their way through the cluttered, crowded kitchen of a restaurant in the middle of lunch service, and last time, Kamenashi didn't have his hand pressed to the back of Jin's skull, forcing him to look down but also keeping him hidden from view as they ran. But both of these things happen this time, and Jin finds himself trembling when it's over, even though they've only escaped out the back door and not several blocks down the street.
Instead of shaken up, Kamenashi's alert, his gun actually out and his finger on the safety as he scopes out their surroundings, but he relaxes slightly and re-holsters it when no one jumps out at them from around any corners. He heads back over to where Jin's still pressed to the wall with fright, and he reaches to slip the pendant back beneath his shirt, letting his fingertips linger a moment too long on the warm, sweaty skin over his heaving chest before realizing what he's doing and quickly pulling his hand back. He looks up at Jin's face to see if the taller man's noticed his little slip-up, but he has his eyes squeezed tightly shut, no doubt still trying to come down from the adrenaline high.
“Hey,” he says, and they snap open. It's a struggle for Kamenashi to meet that warm, liquid stare, but what he has to say is important, so he manages it. “Listen to me,” he mutters, hoping keeping his voice low will help calm Jin down. “We both need to get out of here. I need to get back and figure out what the hell's going on, and you need to go home. Go straight home, and once you're there, lock your doors. Better yet, stay with your parents if you can, or check into a hotel. Whatever you do, don't talk to anyone you don't know, and most importantly, don't go looking for trouble, because the way things are now, it'll find you a lot faster.”
Kamenashi looks up at Jin to see if he understands, and he receives a nod in response. “Good.” He takes a step back and once again pulls his cell phone from his pocket. “Now, let me see your phone.”
Jin presents it, and they share a nervous chuckle when they notice they're both carrying the latest iPhone. Jin holds his up to Kamenashi's, and they gently bump them together to exchange contact information. “I'll be in touch when I know more,” the gangster says softly, slipping his phone back in his pocket. “And...If something happens, or if you need anything...” He leaves the don't hesitate to call me hanging, but there's no doubt that Jin knows what he's trying to say.
There's an awkward moment between them, where neither man seems to know what to say or do to part ways, but eventually Kamenashi offers one final nod, then turns and starts to walk away. Jin watches his retreating figure until it disappears around a corner then turns his attention to his cell phone. As expected, the new contact (stored in his address book as K²) carries no picture and contains very little personal information. A small smile comes to his face as he flicks his thumb over the screen. He changes 'K²' to 'Kame' and adds a clip art image of a turtle as the contact picture before slipping his phone back in his pocket and setting off for home.
Even though he and Kamenashi are walking in opposite directions, with the weight of the pendant still around his neck and his updated phone deep in his pocket, he feels more connected to him than ever. They'll see each other again, and soon.
Part 3