Love of a Lifetime

couple of sandwiches, but they were going to have to buy the rest of
their picnic from a Poppo’s. Haruka returned in fresh clothes, and
Kiryu showed her their lunch. “Sorry, Haruka. No eggs. But we can
stop in at a convenience store on the way there.”

Haruka nodded with a smile. “Okay. Can we also get something
sweet to drink?”

“Sure. Just nothing too sugary.”
“Promise.”
Taking her hand, Kiryu led Haruka out into the sunlight, their
lunch packed up between them. It was a beautiful day. Kiryu hadn’t
been paying too much attention to the calendar these days, though
he was sure it was Sunday. First, they hit up their local corner store to
buy some tea, tomago, fresh incense, chips, and a candy snack for
later. After that, Kiryu hailed a cab, and off they went to Tokyo
Cemetery. They rode in silence, with Haruka stuck to Kiryu’s side like
a barnacle. Kiryu’s arm naturally conformed around her body,
keeping her safe and secure. They arrived by 9am, paid the taxi, and
headed deeper into the cemetery. Despite the weekend, they were
the only ones there. It was a massive plot of land, which stretched
across the equivalent of three city blocks. Beyond the modest
treeline, Kiryu could still see the stretch of Kamurocho. Right dead
center, surrounded by a construction crew, was the Millenium Tower.
Still ashy black and missing its top three floors. “There they are,
Uncle Kaz.” Haruka tugged on Kiryu’s hand, leading him down a row

101

to two brand new headstones. As he read the names, Kiryu’s throat
tightened.

Nishikiyama Akira
1968-2005

Sawamura Yumi
1969-2005

Haruka approached her mother’s grave, incense in hand, and put
them in Yumi’s canister. Kiryu helped her light them, and together,
they prayed in silence. After which, Kiryu added incense to Nishiki’s
grave and did the same. They then laid out a blanket and set up their
picnic. “Mm.” Haruka bit into her sandwich and turned to Yumi’s
grave. “Uncle Kaz makes the best sandwiches, Okāsan. Did you teach
him how to cook?”

Kiryu smiled, popping open his tea. “Yumi definitely helped me
when I was growing up. I used to burn water, I was so bad at
cooking.”

Haruka giggled. “No way!” she said. “That’s impossible. Water
doesn’t burn!”

“It does so,” Kiryu said. “At least, when you’re as bad at it as I
was.”

Haruka took another bite. “Uncle Kaz, after this, can we go do
something fun?”

102

Kiryu nodded. “But we have to remember to go shopping before
we head home. We’re almost out of everything, and we should
probably stop buying cheap dinners from Poppo’s as much.”

Haruka opened her mouth, ready to say something else—perhaps
a suggestion of their fun activity for the day—when she spotted
something over Kiryu’s shoulder. Her face fell, and she stood,
clutching her can of tea in two tiny, trembling hands. “Uncle Kaz…”
Kiryu turned. Walking towards them at a leisurely pace, a plastic bag
on his arm, was Majima Goro.

“Yo,” he said casually. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” On instinct,
Haruka pressed herself against Kiryu for safety and gripped his
sleeve. Immediately, Majima held up a hand. “Relax, little miss. I
come in peace.”

Kiryu frowned. “I hope you’re not looking for a fight. This isn’t a
good time.”

But Majima shook his head. “Not interested, no. I uh…” He
glanced down at his plastic bag. “I spotted you two in town. Figured
this was where you were headed.”

Kiryu sighed. “Still spying on me, huh?”
“No. Just… got lucky, I think. Anyway, I came by to pay my
respects.”
Kiryu hesitated. He turned to Haruka, who kept a wary eye on
Majima during the entire exchange. “Is that okay, Haruka?” Haruka
looked at him. “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to. But I
think Majima-no-niisan is here to say hello, that’s all.”

103

Haruka thought long and hard. She eyed the bag in his arm and
pointed to it. “What’s in there?”

“Ah.” Majima opened it up. “Well I didn’t want to show up empty
handed.” He pulled out a small bouquet of flowers. “You think your
mama would like these? They’re real pretty.” Haruka glanced at Kiryu
for one last bit of confirmation before taking the flowers and laying
them on Yumi’s grave. “Oh, and I got something for you, too, little
miss.” Pulling out the second item of his bag, he revealed a huge,
pink Bunchan plush, no doubt from a crane game. Haruka’s eyes lit
up as she took the toy. Without thought, she squeezed it tight. “I
guess you can consider it an apology for everything. I’m sorry I scared
you so bad, kiddo. Nothin’ personal, you know? For what it’s worth, I
never was gonna hurt ya.”

Haruka frowned. “Then why did you act like it?”
Majima smiled, sadly. “Afraid that’s just how it is in my line of
work. But, it’s all behind us. So you have my word that I won’t never
try and kidnap you again.” He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
Haruka thought it over before nodding. “Okay. I forgive you.” She
sat next to Kiryu, looking over her plushie. “Besides, I’m sure if you
tried again, Uncle Kaz would beat in your skull.”
Majima cocked an eyebrow and smiled at Kiryu, who sipped his
tea, nonchalant. “That right? What have you been teachin’ her, there,
Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu shrugged. “Haruka’s a perceptive girl. Plus, she’s not
wrong.”

104

Majima laughed. “I guess not.” After a moment, Majima glanced
at his empty bag and put his hand in his pocket. “Well… I’ll let you
two have your picnic then. Hopefully I’ll see you around.” He turned
to leave, and Kiryu and Haruka glanced at one another, silently
coming to a decision. Without a word, Haruka stood from her seat,
approached Majima, and took his hand. Majima looked down in
surprise.

“Why don’t you sit with us?” Haruka asked. “We got tomago.”
Majima lifted his eye to Kiryu, who nodded with encouragement.
A smile returned to Majima’s face. “You sure she ain’t actually your
kid?” He sat down next to them, and the three finished up their
picnic in the sunshine. After their food, they decided to walk into the
city, where their first stop was the closest arcade. Majima, as it
turned out, was a wiz at most of the games, and even showed Haruka
the best ways to beat the prize machines. They had spent an entire
hour inside before Kiryu even noticed the time. By the time they left,
Kiryu had to buy Haruka a brand new backpack just to keep all of her
new toys in one place. Though Bunchan retained the honor of being
cuddled as they walked.
Finding a grocery store, Kiryu and Haruka compiled a list of
everything they needed, and with Majima’s (completely unneeded)
assistance, they went up and down the aisles, collecting a cart full of
groceries. Kiryu had no doubt that they’d be set for months after this.
Carrying the groceries out of the store, Kiryu took a majority of the
burden, while Haruka insisted she at least carry the bag of eggs.

105

Waving down a taxi, they headed for home. They were dropped off a
block away, and walked together towards Kiryu’s apartment, with
Haruka in the lead. Kiryu glanced at Majima, who whistled as he
swung two bags of groceries back and forth with every step.

“So?” Kiryu asked, getting his attention. “What’s with the sudden
visit?”

Majima tossed a bag over one shoulder, and Kiryu was silently
thankful that Haruka was handling the eggs. “Just thought I’d see
how you were doin’, you know? You shouldn't be alone after
something like that.”

“I’m not alone,” Kiryu defended. “Haruka is with me.”
“I mean, sure,” said Majima, “but I know you. You’re not exactly
gonna pour your heart out to a ten year old, are ya?”
“She’s nine…”
“All the more reason.”
Kiryu hesitated. He watched her head bob back and forth as she
hummed to herself, blissfully unaware of their conversation. “She…
has enough to deal with. She doesn’t need my issues.”
“And there it is.” Majima’s words brought Kiryu’s attention back
to reality. “You realize that if you keep it all bottled up, all that grief is
gonna explode one day? Trust me, it won’t be pretty, Kiryu-chan.”
Kiryu knew he was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to agree.
Reaching the door to his apartment, Kiryu unlocked it and let them
inside. Only then did it hit him how embarrassing the state of his

106

home was. “Holy shit,” Majima remarked, looking over the piles of
trash along the floor.

Haruka, totally unbothered, put the eggs on the counter and then
skipped to her room, where she would deposit her new friends. Kiryu
did his best to avoid Majima’s eyes as he brought the grocery bags to
the kitchen. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I… haven’t really had the urge to
clean so…”

Majima set his own bags on the table and put his hands on his
hips. “I’ll say…” Still, there wasn’t judgment on his face. It was more
worrisome than anything. “Kiryu-chan, when was the last time you
left the damn house? Other than today.”

“Uh.” Kiryu hesitated. “Well, sometimes I’ll go on the porch to
smoke.”

Majima sighed and held out his hand. “All right. Give me a trash
bag.”

Kiryu blinked. “What?”
“You heard me. Trash bag.”
“Majima—”
“Now, Kiryu-chan.”
Kiryu huffed. Leaning down, he pulled a garbage bag from a
container under his sink and handed it off to Majima. Before he could
protest, Majima set to work. He picked up the empty beer cans, the
take out boxes, the paper plates, and the used napkins. Once the
living room was picked up, Majima opened the curtains, letting in a
bit of sunlight, and searched the closet until he found a vacuum. He

107

went over the entire carpet, often finding loose change or old
cigarette butts in the process. He threw out the full ashtray, wiped
down the coffee table, and beat the dust out of the couch cushions.
Once the last of the groceries were put away, Majima had the
apartment looking brand spanking new.

Kiryu leaned against the counter with a sad smile. “You didn’t
need to do any of that.”

“Of course I did,” Majima said, matter-of-factly. “You really think
I’m gonna let you live that way? Absolutely not.”

“Oh wow!” Haruka’s tiny voice caught the attention of the two
men as she walked into the living room. She was still clinging to
Bunchan. “It looks so nice now!”

Majima grinned. “Well we’re not done yet.” Majima pointed at
the sink full of dishes. “Me and your Uncle Kaz got some dishes to do.
Why don’t you watch some cartoons while we finish up?” Haruka
happily agreed as Majima removed his gloves. Soon enough, the two
were working together, washing and drying all the dirty plates, cups,
and silverware. Kiryu glanced at Majima, who was in the middle of
happily drying a soup bowl.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. Majima glanced at him. “I know you
said otherwise but… you really didn’t need to do this. Any of this.”

Majima’s hands slowed down. “Yeah,” he said. “I know. But I
wanted to. Sometimes having somebody there… it makes all the
difference.”

108

Finishing up the last dish, Kiryu turned off the water and dried his
hands. “Yeah,” he said. “It really does.”

◈◈◈

“Is she asleep?”

“I think so…” Kiryu peered into the dark room to try and see if

Haruka was faking it, but after a few seconds longer of watching,

Kiryu could tell that she was out like a light. Kiryu nodded and shut

the door silently. “Come on. I need a smoke.” Majima agreed, and

they stepped out onto the back porch for a cigarette. For a while,

they stood in comfortable silence, watching the city lights twinkle in

the night sky. “Haruka seemed happy today,” Kiryu remarked. “She’s

been having bad nightmares.”

“That tracks,” said Majima, ashing his cigarette against the

banister. “The kid went through some serious trauma.”

“Hopefully she gets some good sleep tonight.”

“And what about you?” Kiryu lifted his head to see Majima

staring. “When was the last time you got any shuteye at all?”

Kiryu smiled, bitterly. “Prison.”

Majima shook his head, and the two returned to their silence.

The longer they stood there, leaning against the railing, the heavier

Kiryu’s heart felt. He tried smoking to straighten himself out, but

nothing worked. A week of pushing down that emotion, of trying to

just brute force his way through grief, was starting to take its toll.

“I still smell it,” he suddenly said. “The ash. It’s like it’s stuck in my

nose.” Kiryu heard his voice crack and cleared his throat. “Every time

109

I try to sleep, I go back there. I want to call out to Nishiki. Tell him to
stop. But it’s like… it’s like I have no voice. And I can’t run. My body’s
too heavy.”

“Don’t tell me you blame yourself,” Majima said. “Kiryu… there’s
nothing you coulda done, from what I hear.”

Kiryu shut his eyes tight. “I was there. I could have dragged
Nishiki out. I… I could have taken Yumi and got out of there before it
was too late. Or I could have called for backup, even. Gotten
someone to help. Kashiwagi-san or… or… Oh God, and Kazama-san… I
lost them both after losing Kazama-san, too. Everyone. Everyone is
gone and I just… I don’t know how I... ” Kiryu’s breathing became
frantic. He tried controlling it, but his mind was dizzy, which only
made it worse. Kiryu pinched his nose tightly. “I should have done
something different. I could have done something… different…” He
didn’t realize Majima’s hand was on the back of his neck until he felt
a tender squeeze.

Everything came tumbling down. Kiryu’s legs shook beneath him,
and his shoulders trembled. He crumbled against the railing, bracing
himself with his elbows. Rebellious tears fought their way down his
hardened face, and he focused as much as he could on his uneven
gasps for air. He felt Majima shift beside him. Without a word,
Majima’s forehead came to rest on Kiryu’s temple. There they stayed,
with the world softly turning around them. Kiryu wasn’t sure how
long they were there. At some point, his cigarette burned out
completely. He didn’t even notice it drop from his fingers. Through

110

his haze, he saw Majima’s other hand on his arm. He reached for it,
as though it was his last lifeline, and grasped it firmly. Majima
returned the pressure in kind, if only to keep Kiryu grounded.

Eventually, Kiryu managed to get a handle on himself. He took a
deep, calming breath and straightened out his back. His arms still
rested on the banister, and Majima’s hand was still in his own. Boldly,
Majima reached up and wiped away a tear from Kiryu’s cheek. “It’s
late,” he said. “Let me get you to bed.”

Kiryu sniffed. “I can go to bed on my own.”
Majima nodded. “I know you can.” Still, he didn’t leave Kiryu’s
side. They pulled away from the balcony and headed into Kiryu’s
room. Majima closed up the doors and drew the shades. Kiryu, with
little thought, stripped down to his boxers and sat on the edge of the
bed. Majima watched him, and for a moment, both of them shared a
thought. It was a thought that came with no explanation, no words,
but one that was mutually understood. As though through instinct
alone. But finally, Majima tore his eyes away, and turned to the door.
“I should let you sleep…”
Kiryu took his wrist before his brain caught up to his body.
Majima and Kiryu once more locked eyes, and for a split second,
Kiryu seemed to regret his decision to reach for him. But once he
overcame the embarrassment, Kiryu shook his head. “Can you… stay?
Just… just for tonight. Please.”
Majima didn’t hesitate. He clasped his hand around Kiryu’s wrist.
“Of course,” he said. “Scoot.” Kiryu did so, and Majima tossed off his

111

jacket and gloves, sliding into bed next to him. “Hope you don’t mind
the pants. I don’t like underwear.”

Kiryu gave him a look, but one that was more entertained than
disgusted. “Sure,” he said. They laid on their backs and stared up at
the ceiling. Kiryu was already feeling a headache from those few,
angry tears. He wiped his eyes dry and rested his hands on either
side of his hips. “This was… a really nice change of pace… Majima-no-
niisan.”

Majima turned to look at Kiryu. “I’m glad,” he said. Kiryu shifted a
bit, and the pair of them locked eyes. Once again, there was no need
for words. Between them, Kiryu felt the curl of Majima’s pinky over
his own. Kiryu didn’t shy away. Like two magnets coming together,
neither drew away. Eventually, their hands were locked, and both
men laid on their side, staring at each other. With a tender hand,
Majima traced his fingers down Kiryu’s jaw. Kiryu didn’t flinch.

“Majima?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
“That night… the first night we met… Do you remember it?”
Majima’s smile widened. “Of course I do. What about it?”
“You said something.” Kiryu stared down at their hands. “You said
you ‘felt a thread.’ I… never quite got what you meant.”
Majima suddenly looked surprised. “You remember that?” Kiryu
nodded. “Well… for one thing, Kiryu-chan, you’re remembering it
wrong.”
Kiryu blinked. “I am?”

112

“That night wasn’t the first time we met. See, we actually met for
the very first time back in Sotenbori.”

“We… we did?”
“Sure did. Back in 1987. Before the empty lot drama broke the
scene. I don’t blame you if you don’t remember, o’course. We barely
said two words to each other. You were with your old lieutenant. He
was doing some business out in Osaka, and you were brought along
for the ride. So when I saw you again at my promotion ceremony… I
guess I got it in my head that it was fate, us meeting like that. And
after I heard that you protected Makoto—” Majima paused. There
was pain in his eye, but it died as soon as it had come. “I knew there
wasn’t a mistake. Whether you believe in destiny or not… I knew I
was meant to be in your life, one way or another.”
A tiny smile tickled Kiryu’s lips. “A red thread.” Majima nodded.
“If I knew then what I do now…” Majima chuckled. “I think I
mighta jumped you before you ever left The Grand.”
Kiryu’s eyes lit up. “The Grand… wait… I think I do remember.”
Kiryu paused. “Why the hell did you cut your hair?”
“Pffft, shut up.” Majima squished Kiryu’s nose with his finger. “It
was a fucking bother.”
“Hm.” Kiryu ran his thumb up and down Majima’s hand
mindlessly. “I remember you,” he repeated. “I remember… thinking
you looked really cool.”
Majima snorted. “Seriously? In that monkey suit?”

113

“Yeah. Totally cool. Like you were a James Bond villain or
something.”

“Well… I think I prefer how I look now.”
“I think I have to agree. You’re more you now.”
“Damn skippy,” Majima agreed. Outside, a bit of low traffic
rumbled beyond the balcony, and a breeze flowed into Kiryu’s room.
Majima shivered and pulled the covers over them both. “This is a tiny
ass bed for someone your size, Kiryu-chan.”
“Oh… Do you want me to sleep on the couch—?”
“Oh my God, no, you big oak tree. It’s your goddamn house.”
Majima thumped Kiryu playfully on the forehead. “This is fine. Unless
you’re weirded out about this kind of stuff. I figure, hey, if we can
knock each other around with electrical boxes, we can share a bed,
no problem.”
Kiryu pondered it, thoughtfully. “I guess you’re right,” he
admitted. He glanced behind him. Both of them were just inches
away from the edge of the mattress on either side. “Still… this is
pretty slim. Why don’t you get on top of me?”
Despite his playful banter, Majima’s head shot up in surprise at
the suggestion. “Say what?”
“Here.” Practically picking Majima up completely off the bed,
Kiryu shifted until he was laying dead center, and then lowered
Majima onto his chest. Majima, wide-eyed, tried to keep his head
tilted away, lest Kiryu see just how red his cheeks had grown. “There.
More comfortable, right?”

114

“R...right…” Majima laid his head on Kiryu’s impressive pectorals.
One ear to his skin, Majima listened to the deep and rhythmic
beating of his heart. Slowly, that embarrassment ebbed. Majima laid
his hand on Kiryu’s stomach, tracing every scar and blemish with his
eye. Kiryu’s body told so many stories. Every scratch, every cut, had
something to say. Majima wondered, one day, if he could know
everything Kiryu’s body had to offer him. “Hey… can I ask you
something?”

“Zzzzzzzzz.”
Majima was met with gentle snoring, and he lifted his head.
There was Kiryu, dead asleep. Finally, after a week of agonizing, he
was out. Majima shook his head and laid it back down. “Nevermind.”
He buried his face deep within the folds of Kiryu’s body, resigning
himself to rest. “Sleep well… my Kiryu-chan.”

115

2006
The Date

Kiryu-chan!! I’m in the mood for steak! Ikinari at 7??
-XOXO, Majima

The note hung innocently off the front door of Kiryu’s apartment.
Though why Majima bothered to run over all the way across town
just to leave a note instead of texting him was anyone’s guess. Kiryu
was just coming home with Haruka from her first day of school when
he spotted it fluttering under his apartment door number. He and
Haruka glanced at each other and he took the note from the tape.

“Is that from Uncle Maji?” Haruka asked.
“It is.” He flipped it around, but there was no other information
on the note. “I guess I have a date tonight.”
Haruka’s eyes lit up. “A date! Yeah, I guess you do have a date,
Uncle Kaz!” Once the door was open, Haruka dumped her school
things and took Kiryu’s hand with both of her own. “You gotta start
getting ready!”
“H-Haruka—” Kiryu laughed, with barely the time to take off his
shoes at the stoop. “It’s only 3:30. There’s no need to rush.”
“Yeah there is!” Haruka argued. “It’s your first date with Uncle
Maji! You need to be perfect!”

116

Kiryu paused in thought. “No… wait…” He went through every
notable interaction with Majima in his head. “I’m sure that… we’ve
had one before… maybe…”

But Haruka shook her head. “Nope! Just cause you’ve seen Uncle
Maji since you started going out, that doesn’t mean it was a date!”

“I…” Kiryu wanted to argue, but frankly, Haruka had a point.
“Wait a minute… you’re only nine. Why do you know so much about
dates?”

“The older kids at the orphanage taught me,” Haruka explained
proudly. She raced into Kiryu’s bedroom, with her caretaker right
behind her. “The first thing you need to do is pick out what you’re
going to wear.”

“I do…?” Kiryu looked into his closet and pulled out that same
gray blazer that he always wore. “I was just going to dress normally.”

Haruka wasn’t having it. “No! This is a special occasion, Uncle Kaz.
You need to dress super fancy.”

“I don’t think I have anything super fancy.”
“Hmmm.” Haruka rifled through his wardrobe and gasped. “Ooh!
How come I’ve never seen this before?!” She pulled out, to Kiryu’s
horror, a vivid orange dress shirt with a yellow chain design printed
all over the fabric.
“Urm…” Kiryu scratched his head. “It’s what I wore in the 80’s,”
he explained. “It’s not really in fashion any more.”
Haruka held it up to Kiryu’s shoulders. “I think it’s neat,” she said
with a grin. “You should wear it!”

117

“Oh I don’t know, Haruka…” Kiryu put the shirt away and
thumbed through some of his other clothes. “Let’s see what else I
have…” That’s when he noticed something fall off a shelf. Picking it
up, he recognized it instantly. When Kiryu bought his favorite gray
suit, it came with a third piece, which he’d never bothered to wear
before. It was a matching gray vest, silk-backed, with a wine red
outer pocket on the left breast. Kiryu held it up to the light and
examined it. It looked like it was still his size.

“Uncle Kaz?” Kiryu turned to Haruka’s curious gaze.
“Give me a little privacy, yeah?”
“Okay.” With a grin and a skip, Haruka headed out to the living
room, letting Kiryu change alone. He took off his comfortable day
clothes and slipped into his usual gray pants/wine shirt combo. Only
this time, he rolled his sleeves up to the elbow and put on the vest. It
fit snuggly, bringing in his natural waist. Kiryu folded over his collar,
flattened out the front, and when he was satisfied, walked out to the
living room for approval. Haruka nearly jumped off the couch.
“Woooow!” she crooned. “Uncle Kaz, you look—you look—”
“Is it good?” Kiryu asked.
“You look like a prince!” Haruka threw up her arms and then ran
to Kiryu’s side, examining every inch of his new outfit. “Wow… You
look like one of those idols on the billboards downtown, Uncle Kaz.”
Kiryu chuckled. “I don’t know about that,” he said, “but I think
the vest makes a big difference.”

118

“Huge!” Haruka hung off Kiryu’s arm with a wide grin. “You’re
gonna be the most handsomest guy in town, Uncle Kaz.”

“Thanks. But I do still have some time before the date. Why don’t
I help you with your dinner for tonight first?”

“Okay!”

◈◈◈
When Kiryu showed up to the steakhouse, he did so with an
insatiable stirring in his gut. He told himself he shouldn’t be this
nervous; after all, it was only Majima. But Haruka had made such a
big deal about it needing to be perfect, he wondered if he was going
to end up ruining their first official night out. His leg bounced
throughout the cab ride, which he nearly forgot to pay for by the
end. Reaching the steakhouse, he realized that he was about three
minutes late.
Now, Kiryu Kazuma was not a man prone to panic.
But right then? He was panicking.
I’m late… What if Majima already left? What if he thinks I stood
him up? All these questions ran through his head as he hurried up
the steps to the restaurant above the lobby floor. I hope he’s not too
angry…
“KIIIIIRRYYUUUUU-CHAAAAAAN~!”
Kiryu froze. Well, at least he wasn’t angry. Turning, Kiryu spotted
the source of the voice. It was Majima, except… not quite. Rather
than show up in his usual duds, Majima wore a tight fitting, pink
turtleneck sweater with capped sleeves, an adorable high-waisted

119

black skirt, thigh high boots, a fluffy pink coat slumped to his elbows,
and a bright, hi-lighter yellow wig, braided to one side. Even his
eyepatch was swapped out for a heart shaped piece. He waved his
long, pink nails in Kiryu’s direction, his eye twinkling. “Over here,
stud!” he cooed.

At first, Kiryu wasn’t sure if he was looking at the right person.
But after a moment of taking it all in, who could it have been if not
Majima Goro? Who, at this moment, hopped towards Kiryu and took
his hand, eagerly. “Come on, let’s get a table! I’m starved.” Before he
could say a word otherwise, Majima dragged him off to a corner
table, and the pair sat down, ready to enjoy their evening. “I honestly
can’t remember the last time I was able to get a night off to myself,”
he said, pushing his coat to one side. “We gotta make the most of it.”

Finally, Kiryu found enough of his voice to speak. “...The outfit is
nice.”

“Isn’t it?!” Majima held up his arms to show off the soft, argyle
fabric of his new sweater. Kiryu only just noticed that in the center of
the breastbone was a cut out heart. Bits of his tattoo were peeking
out from either side. “I got it months ago, but didn’t know when I’d
get the chance to wear it.” He eyed Kiryu’s own choice for the night
and reached out, toying with the top button of his vest. “Where’d
you get this little number, Kiryu-chan?” he asked. “You look damn
good in a vest…”

Kiryu looked down. “It was just in my closet,” he said. “Came with
the suit. Never wore it till now.”

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“Oooh.” Majima propped his chin in his hands, tilting his head to
one side. “Well don’t I feel special? You getting all dressed up for
me.”

Kiryu smiled. “Of the two of us, I don’t think I’m the one who’s
dressed up, Majima-no-niisan.”

“Ah ah ah!” Majima shook his finger at Kiryu. “None of that. I’m
not ‘Majima-no-niisan,’ tonight. It’s ‘Goromi-chan’ for the evening.”

“I see… In that case, Goromi-chan… Should I refer to you in the
feminine?”

Goromi-chan flashed his–or rather, her–biggest smile. “Would
you? That’d make my whole night.”

Kiryu nodded. “If that’s what you’d like. Just let me know if you
change your mind.” Kiryu had been so distracted that neither of them
noticed the waiter approach.

“Good evening,” he said, trying his best to be professional despite
the appearance of his table. “I um… I’ll be your server tonight. What
can I… get started for you…?”

“Mmmmm.” Goromi swiped her menu from the table. “Lemme
get the house porter. Make that sucker rare, yeah? I like my meat big
and bloody.” She looked over her menu. “What about you?”

“Hm.” Kiryu scanned the menu. “I think a New York strip will be
fine, thank you. Medium rare.” He handed the menus to the waiter,
who wrote down their orders, nodded, and scurried off to the
kitchen. “So… any reason why I’m seeing Goromi-chan again?”

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“Why not?” Goromi answered. “This is our first official date, after
all. It needs to be memorable, don’t you agree?”

“That’s what Haruka said. I guess I’m the last one to figure this
stuff out.”

Goromi giggled. “Ah, Kiryu-chan. I hope you never change.” Under
the table, Kiryu felt Goromi’s boot gently brush against his leg.
Despite the heat on the back of his neck, Kiryu kept his smile and
glanced aside. Perhaps he should have been embarrassed by the
sight of his date, but Kiryu felt no such shame sharing a table with
Goromi. He knew, in her own strange way, that this was a show of

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appreciation. A kind of extension of trust to be utterly herself, no
matter if the rest of the world would see it as ridiculous or silly.
Because it wasn’t silly, not to Kiryu. He didn’t know if it ever was in
his mind…

“How is the princess by the way?” Goromi asked, stirring her
water. “Is she afraid that I’m going to steal her daddy away?”

Kiryu shook his head. “Actually, she’s been pretty excited. She
helped me get ready and told me all about first date etiquette. You’d
think she was the one going out and not me. It amazes me the things
little kids know these days.”

“Well she’s always been a sharp one,” Goromi commented. Her
face sobered slightly. “I’m glad she’s not scared of me anymore.
When I got ordered to nab her, I made sure nobody laid a finger on
her the entire time.”

“I know that,” Kiryu said. “You’re not the kind of person to hurt
kids.”

“Yeah, well.” Goromi tapped her nails on her silverware. “Truth is,
if she did hate me for it, I wouldn’t blame her. You both went through
so much…”

Kiryu hesitated. “Goromi-chan.” She looked up. “Please. Let’s not
talk about it. I want to have fun tonight. Is that okay?”

Goromi split into a wide smile. “Yeah, all right, big guy. No more
sad talk.” Suddenly, she brightened and showed Kiryu her nails. “Hey,
check these out! Look at how detailed they are!”

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“Hm?” Kiryu took one of her hands and observed. Indeed, the
artist who had applied her nails went the extra mile and painted little
teddy bears on some of the acrylics. “Ooh. That’s some real nice
work. You have to have a steady hand for something like this.”

“I made sure they were on there nice and tight,” Goromi said,
admiring them. With a twinkle in her eye, she curled her fingers like a
claw. “Gotta make sure they last, you know what I mean?”

The dinner went over swimmingly. They chatted, often times with
Goromi being far too loud for her own good. When their steaks
arrived, they ordered a couple of frosty beers to round off the dinner,
and spent an hour enjoying their meal. Their plates were soon licked
clean, and they spent the rest of their dinner relaxing over drinks. If
they did get any looks their way, neither of them noticed.

Once the bill was paid, Goromi insisted that they go out for more
drinks, and Kiryu happily obliged. Finding their way to a pool hall via
taxi, Goromi paid for a round of billiards and set up a classic game of
solids vs stripes. As she did, Kiryu couldn’t help but admire her legs in
those boots. Even after all the crazy shenanigans he’d seen in
Kamurocho, Kiryu was hard pressed to find anyone who could look
that good in both a mini skirt and a professional business suit.

“Right!” Once she was finished, Goromi removed the triangle and
grabbed two pool cues from the wall. “Here.” She handed one off to
Kiryu, who chalked his immediately. “Who wants to break?”

“Ladies first,” Kiryu joked.

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Goromi twittered and lined up her first shot. Bent over her stick,
she made sure to wiggle her hips just a bit before launching the cue
ball dead center, scattering the rest across the green felt table. Her
first ball in was the 1 ball, and thus, the solids were hers. And for a
few turns, all was well. About half way through the game, however,
Goromi noticed that their glasses were empty, and offered to buy the
next round. Kiryu watched with a gentle smile, having hardly paid
attention to the game at all. So far, the night was perfect.

Which was why he should have expected a fly in the ointment. A
drunk asshole nudged into him while Goromi busied herself at the
bar. “Aaaaay man,” he slurred. “Whatchyu payin’ for that one?”

“What?” Kiryu turned, brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I’m talkin’ price, my guy,” he continued. Looking him over, Kiryu
guessed he was some kind of low end business man, having no real
friends to drink with him after work. He wore a poor quality suit that
was just a bit too big on him, and had two, beady eyes under his
grimy glasses. “That fine piece of ass at the bar. How much did you
spend on that? I got a thing for trannies. You got her all night or is
she takin’ clients after you?”
Kiryu sneered in disgust and pushed away from the drunkard. No
use wasting time on someone like that. Unfortunately, the pervy
salaryman was not keen on the idea of ending the conversation early.
“H-hey—!” He grabbed Kiryu’s arm, too fargone to understand the
gravity of challenging a man like Kiryu. “Come on man, I ain’t gonna

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cramp your style or nothin’. I’ll wait my turn. But you gotta help a guy
out.”

“Oy, Kiryu-chan.” Goromi, hands full of beer, wandered back over
to their drink table. “They didn’t have that imported brand you like,
so I just got what was on tap.” She turned, spotting the drooling
drunk practically undressing her with his eyes. “Yo, who the fuck’s
this?”

“No one important.” Kiryu took a swig of his beer. “He’s just some
idiot.”

“Hey baby…” Clearly not one to read the room, the drunkard
approached Goromi with what he apparently thought was a sly smile.
Boldly, he took Goromi’s hip. “How much fer like… an hour? No, two
hours?”

Goromi turned to Kiryu, dryly. “This fucker for real?”
“I think so,” Kiryu said with a shrug. “You want him gone?”
“Come on, what gives?!” The drunk was now red in the face, and
his hand tightened. “My money’s as good as his! Sure maybe I ain’t
as…” He gave Kiryu a once over. “...tall… But I can be a good client!
Better even! I’ll find us a nice hotel room and everything!”
“Sorry, shorty,” Goromi said, waving him off. “You can’t afford me.
Now get.”
“Wha—?!” The drunk’s red face burned bright as neon. “You
don’t know that you fuckin’ bitch!” That, however, was very much
the wrong thing to say. Tired of this worm interrupting their date,
Kiryu took a step forward, towering over him by a fair margin. “I…”

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He barely managed a squeak. “I have… friends… b-big… big scary f-
friends.”

“Ooh, you hear that?” Goromi teased, hanging off Kiryu’s arm.
“He’s got big scary friends.”

“I do—!” he protested. “They… they’re yakuza! They’re real
yakuza a-and… and if you don’t take my money that’s… that’s big
trouble for whoever your boss is…”

Kiryu and Goromi exchanged glances. While Kiryu shook his head,
Goromi snickered, leaning one arm over Kiryu’s shoulder. “Wow,” she
mused. “Big scary yakuza friends… Well in that case, I better mind
myself, eh, Kiryu-chan?” She slid away from Kiryu’s side and took the
drunk’s chin in between two loud acrylics. “After all… what could it
hurt?” The drunk was just starting to light up with excitement, when
Goromi struck.

Taking her free hand, she latched onto his crotch. His face drained
of all color as she dug her nails deep into his junk. He didn’t even
have the wherewithal to shout in pain. All that left him was a faint,
strained gasp. Goromi didn’t let it linger. She grabbed him by the
collar and, with one fluid motion, threw him across the room and
into a pile of chairs nearby. The whole bar stopped at the
commotion. Kiryu in particular was silent, watching the drunk wither
in a pile of arms and legs. Something inside him stirred. Something
that he hadn’t felt since he was a teenager. He put his hand to his
chin, as though pondering something, in order to try and distract him

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from the sudden tingling in his pants. Though frankly, he couldn’t
help it: that was pretty hot.

“Right!” Goromi rolled her neck and stretched her arms. Kiryu’s
eyes went to that slender body, and all the muscles that shifted
under that soft pink sweater. His tingling got worse. It kind of
reminded him of moments before a fight. The adrenaline, the
excitement… Goromi scraped his scalp with her nails. “This place
blows. Let’s get outta here.” Kiryu agreed, and they wandered out of
the bar with no regard to the moaning pile of flesh left behind in
their wake.

Once outside, Kiryu offered Goromi a smoke, but she never took
it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Kiryu, in full view of the
street, and nudged their noses together. “Kiryu-chan,” she purred.
“It’s gettin’ late, ain’t it?”

“I guess…” The offered cigarette was forgotten between his
knuckles.

“What do you say you and me hit up a hotel? I’m sure we can find
an empty room at this hour.” Goromi walked her fingers up the front
of Kiryu’s chest, and toyed with his collar. Kiryu’s ears went red.

“Goromi-chan…” he breathed. “I…”
“That’s them! Right there!” A rude voice interrupted their
canoodling, and both Kiryu and Goromi turned to see the slighted
salaryman nursing a black eye, backed up by a handful of punks. It
was a surprise to see that the pervy bastard had any friends at all,
but yakuza they definitely were not. If Kiryu had to place them, they

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were probably some rag-tag biker gang, mostly in their young
twenties, with flashy jackets and vividly dyed hair. One stepped
forward, clearly the leader of the bunch. His hands in his pockets, he
looked decidedly bored while he addressed the pair of them. He was
also closer in age to Kiryu and Goromi than he was to the others.

“Yo,” he said. “I saw you hurl my little brother across the bar. That
shit don’t fly in our territory.”

Goromi snorted. “Seeing how easily I chucked that pervert, I’d say
that shit does fly around here.” Kiryu tried to swallow his laughter.

The leader sucked on his teeth. “Listen,” he said, “I won’t say he
didn’t deserve it. But you can’t go throwing my bro around like that.
It’s not polite.”

“Yeah!” the sleazy businessman interjected. “I probably need to
go to the hospital for broken bones. You should offer to pay my
medical expenses!”

Kiryu, his hand on the small of Goromi’s back, eyed him up and
down. “You look fine to me.”

“You keep your mouth shut!” the salaryman barked. “What kinda
man makes his woman fight her own battles, anyway!? I bet you
couldn’t last one round with my big bro and his friends!” Clearly, the
“big bro” was not ready to sign up for a fight, but for the sake of his
pride, said nothing to quiet his sibling.

“Oh?” Goromi turned to Kiryu, playfully tugging on his chin. “You
hear that, Kiryu-chan? You’ve been an inconsiderate date by not

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immediately swooping in to my rescue. Looks like you have to fight
for my honor.”

“I guess so,” said Kiryu thoughtfully. Spotting an electrical box,
Kiryu scooped Goromi up into his arms and sat her out of harm’s way.
She giggled and bounced one leg over her knee, taking a cigarette
from her purse. “This won’t take long.”

“Have fun,” she sang. Kiryu smiled and rounded to the punks,
cracking his neck.

By now, the leader was starting to get antsy. “Look,” he said,
“there’s no reason we can’t just settle this, man. Just give us some
cash to deal with my bro’s medical bills, and we won’t have to hurt
you.”

“Wha—!?” The salaryman turned to his big brother,
flabbergasted. “The fuck are you talking about!? He’s totally alone!
Quit being a pussy and fuck him up, Kyou!”

Kyou the biker sneered back at him. “Shut up!” he snapped. “This
is the third time I’ve had to bail your ass out of trouble because
you’re a fucking pervert, Michi!”

Kiryu put his hands on his hips. “I’d listen to your brother,” he
advised. “It’d be smarter for you all to walk away. This won’t end well
for any of you.”

Now, it looked like Kyou was the one who was offended. “The
fuck does that mean?” He gestured at Kiryu vaguely. “You’re one guy.
We outnumber you, old man. You really gonna stand there and
pretend like you can take on all of us? For serious?” Kiryu didn’t say

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anything, which seemed to get under Kyou’s skin. “Fine. Fuck it.
Michi, go stand over there.” His brother did so, and Kyou cracked his
knuckles, his boys gearing up for the action. “This won’t take long.”
With that, he and his boys jumped at Kiryu without warning.

Fortunately, Kiryu was ready. Grabbing a sushi sign to his right, he
swung wide, knocking back three of the five in one fell swoop. The
sparks from the burst neon were enough to dazzle the other two, and
Kiryu used their haze to his advantage. Grabbing one, he flipped
them completely over his head and into his standing companion. The
sounds of bones breaking cracked through the street like lightning. As
they crumbled to the ground, Kyou was getting over his (likely)
concussion with enough energy to go at Kiryu, fists flying. Kiryu
weaved his head with every punch, and after the fourth attempt, he
grabbed Kyou’s arm, twisted it, and brought the elbow down to his
knee. Kyou screamed as Kiryu shattered his radius bone as easily as
breaking a twig for kindling.

As Kyou stumbled back in white hot pain, one of his boys
managed to wrap his arms around Kiryu’s thick neck in an attempt to
headlock him. This did not go over well. Kiryu at first looked like he
was struggling, but the moment one of the punks approached him
with a metal pipe, Kiryu turned at the right time, making the punk on
his back take the blow for him. With a twist and a throw, Kiryu was
free, and he swiped the pipe from the ground. Kyou was just
wobbling to his feet as Kiryu got a better grip on the pipe. Once he
was happy with the balance, Kiryu reared back and swung it like a

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golf club. It made contact with Kyou’s nose, and down he went like a
sack of potatoes.

Kiryu let the pipe drop as he looked over his puddle of fallen
adversaries. Though to call them as such was to use the word
incredibly lightly. Not only did Kiryu not have a scratch on him, but he
didn’t even work up a sweat. Ignoring the punks collectively moaning
at his feet, Kiryu turned to Goromi, who was grinning over her
cigarette.

“What a man.” She held out her hand, and Kiryu helped her off
the electrical box and to her feet. She flicked away her cigarette and
clawed up Kiryu’s chest. “I woulda jumped in, but I did just get these
nails done, y’know.”

“Wha...wha…” For a third time, Michi the perverted salaryman
interrupted their night. He stared at them, white as a sheet. “What…
what the fuck are you…?”

Goromi smiled as she flipped him the bird. “Wouldn’t you like to
know? Come on, Kiryu-chan. Let’s go get that room.” With Goromi on
his arm, Kiryu escorted his date toward the hotel district. They came
upon a small love hotel and headed inside. The old woman at the
counter was delighted to hand them a key, and wished them a good
time during their stay. As they rode the elevator, the high from his
back alley brawl was starting to wear off. Kiryu’s stomach flipped as
he thought about what he and Goromi-chan were planning on doing
tonight. Worry began to cloud his mind.

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The doors opened, and Goromi tugged Kiryu down the hall to the
room number on their key. “304… 305… 306… Here it is!” Finding
room 307, Goromi opened their door and they stepped inside. It was
a simple room, with a pink satin bed, some mood lighting, and a
basket of complimentary condoms. “Wheew! Let me get out of
these.” Goromi unzipped and kicked off her boots, her fuzzy coat
following after them. She flopped onto the bed, her arms and legs
spread wide. “Man this is niiiiice. I gotta get me a new mattress. I
sleep like shit these days.” Kiryu removed his shoes and hovered
awkwardly in the center of the room, taking in the sight. Goromi
lifted up her head, her wig starting to slip. “Oy. What’s up, Kiryu-
chan?”

“Hm?” He turned to her, distracted. “Oh uh… nothing.” Clearing
his throat, he sat on the edge of the bed next to her, hands laced
together between his knees. “So uh… what… would you like to do…?”
He hesitated. “Do you want to take a shower first or…?”

Goromi sat up, peering at Kiryu curiously. “Wait a minute… are
you nervous?” Meekly, Kiryu nodded. Goromi’s smile stretched wider
and she laughed. “Oh my god, how precious.”

“Don’t make fun of me, Goromi-chan.”
“I’m not!” Goromi took off her wig and tossed it by her coat. “And
‘Majima’ is fine.”
Kiryu nodded. “Majima-san,” he said. “Back to the masculine
again?”
“I think so, yeah.”

133

“All right.”
Kiryu looked at his hands, a little lost as to how to continue.
Fortunately, Majima wasn’t prepared to hang him out to dry.
Reaching out, Majima took Kiryu’s arm and leaned in, kissing him at
the base of his neck. “It’s wild to see someone like you so sheepish,”
he said. “Ten minutes ago you were this crazy unstoppable hulk, and
now it’s like it’s your first time…” The minute those words left
Majima’s mouth, Kiryu tilted his head away, and the reality of the
situation hit Majima like a ton of bricks. “Wait… no… no! You’re
kidding!”
“It’s not a big deal…”
“Not a big deal?! Kiryu-chan… are you seriously telling me you’re
a virgin right now?”
Kiryu stood from the bed, rubbing his neck with one hand in his
pocket. “Is it such a problem if I am?” he asked. He turned to
Majima’s slack-jawed expression. “Look I… I know it’s weird for
someone my age. But I never really…” He hesitated. “Growing up as
Nishiki’s best friend, I was never really anyone’s first choice. And
when we got older, I was so wrapped up in the life that I didn’t make
time for relationships. On top of that, there weren’t a lot of people
that I… felt… this way about.”
“Huh.” Majima, getting over his initial shock, laced his fingers
together thoughtfully. “What about Haruka-chan’s mama? Didn’t you
love her?”

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Kiryu went silent a moment. “I did,” he said. “I loved Yumi a lot.
But I was always too shy about it. Plus, I knew that Nishiki had similar
feelings. I loved them both, to be honest. But I guess it… wasn’t
meant to be. I came to terms with a lot early on. I’m big, I’m strong, I
look scary. I think I’m just one of those people that isn’t meant for
love. And that’s okay.”

“Bullshit.”
Kiryu blinked and turned to Majima, who was standing now. He
wore an expression of righteous fury as he continued. “Not meant for
love…? Kiryu-chan, are you fucking serious right now?” He
approached Kiryu and pressed into Kiryu’s chest with his fingers. “Do
you have any idea how big that dumb heart of yours is, man? It’s not
every guy who’d take in a kid off the street, or go out of his way to
protect total strangers. Not meant for love? Are you fucking crazy?”
Kiryu’s chest tightened. “Majima…”
Majima shook his head. “When you saw me tonight, what was
your first instinct?”
Kiryu blinked. “My…? What do you mean?”
“Did you think about turning around and walking away?”
“What? No, of course not. Why would I do something so cruel?”
“You see?” Majima held up a massive acrylic nail between them.
“How many dudes would see their date in drag and be that level
headed about it? Especially guys who aren’t as confident in love as
they should be. Do you have any idea what tonight meant, Kiryu-
chan?” He broke into a smile and laid his palm flat against Kiryu’s

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chest. “You didn’t bat an eye when I asked you to think of me like a
woman. Shit, it wasn’t even hard for you. You never even slipped up
whenever you said my name.”

Kiryu hesitated. “I… don’t get what’s so special about that,” he
admitted. “You’re always going to be you, whether you’re a man or a
woman. It doesn’t matter to me if you go by Majima-san or Goromi-
chan or anything else.”

Majima’s eye twinkled in the pink lighting. “My point is,” he said,
“that you never act out of thoughtlessness, even when you don’t
realize it. You’ve always got other people on the brain. Always got
their best interests at heart. You know how rare that is in anyone
these days?” Majima took another step forward, and rested his hand
on the base of Kiryu’s neck. “You… are one hell of a guy, Kiryu-chan.
You deserve love more than anyone in this shithole city. And I never
want you to think otherwise. Can you promise me that?”

Kiryu’s face softened. It wasn’t often that he teared up, but he
felt a lump swell in his throat. He desperately tried to swallow it, and
closed his eyes. “I’ll try,” he said. “I guess… I’m just not used to it…
But I’ll try.”

Majima nodded. “Then I’ll help you out any way I can.” Majima
kissed him deeply, and the pair fell into bed. Their movements were
soft and deliberate, with Majima making sure to go extra slow to
ease Kiryu into a rhythm. Their hands wandered, and soon enough,
clothes were starting to shed from their bodies. Before long, all they
were left in was their underwear. Kiryu in his usual boxer briefs, and

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Majima breaking his “24/7 commando” rule to dawn a pair of black,
lacy panties just for Goromi’s outfit. Kiryu chanced a look down to
see that Majima’s cock was already up and ready. He could see a
pearl of white seeping through the pretty black lace. Kiryu wondered
if he should reach out and touch it, or if that would be considered
rude.

He didn’t have much time to think, however, because Majima had
his own agenda. Pushing Kiryu onto his back, he sat on Kiryu’s waist,
resting his tight buttocks against the steadily growing bulge in his
underwear. Majima licked his lips, not caring that his lipstick was
smudged a while ago. Reaching behind him, he massaged Kiryu’s
package, letting him harden steadily under those cotton shorts. Kiryu
tried to keep his composure, though his cheeks were starting to get
redder and redder by the second. Majima grinned. “So cute, Kiryu-
chan…”

Kiryu laid his hand on Majima’s thigh. “I… Don’t we have to
prepare…?”

“I already did.” Majima leaned down and kissed Kiryu between
his eyes. “You think I haven’t been getting ready all week for this?
Trust me. I took care of myself.”

“But still…”
“Don’t worry about it.” Majima slid off the bed and headed to the
table full of goodies. He returned with a few condoms and a fresh
bottle of lube. He showed them off to Kiryu. “I know exactly what I’m
doing. You just lay back and relax.”

137

“O-okay…”
Sliding off of Kiryu’s stomach, Majima slid off Kiryu’s boxers,
revealing the half erect cock underneath. Leaning in, Majima licked
up the side of Kiryu’s dick, sending shudders through his body. He
lathered up his hands and began working Kiryu with a blow-job-
handy combination. Kiryu gasped out and tilted his head back. He’d
touched himself, same as anybody, but never in his wildest dreams
did he imagine what something like this felt like. His mind went fuzzy,
and his breath came out hot.
From down below, he saw Majima staring at him. Gauging his
reaction. With the blood pumping desperately into his nether
regions, it wasn’t long before Kiryu was at full salute. Majima
removed himself from Kiryu’s dick and pulled off his own
underthings. Kiryu noticed how well groomed he kept himself;
shaved and exfoliated, even. It made Kiryu a little self conscious
about his own natural pubes, but Majima didn’t seem to care.
“Gimme your hand.” Taking Kiryu’s massive shovel fingers,
Majima squirted a bit of lube on their tips. He scooted up on Kiryu’s
body, sliding a condom over his dick with dexterous precision. “Finger
me, Kiryu.” He guided Kiryu’s hand to the back of his ass, and let
those slippery fingers find Majima’s sweet spot.
Tenderly, Kiryu began to roll his fingers around. The tightness of
those walls excited him, and as he stretched, he could hear the
squelch from within. Majima moaned, pressing their cocks up against
each other. It only made Kiryu harder. Before long, Majima had run

138

out of patience. He sat up on his knees, and with precision, slid down
onto Kiryu’s thumping head. Both Kiryu and Majima gasped.
Majima’s thighs shook and sweat, and he steadily worked his way
down to the base. It was a gradual progression, as Kiryu was not
exactly below average in size. Eventually, Majima managed to hit
Kiryu’s hips. They connected there for a moment, Kiryu letting the
pleasure settle over him. There was nothing in the world quite like
the feeling. That is, until Majima began to move.

It was slow, at first. The suction of Majima’s body was enough to
hinder the pacing, but they soon fell into a rhythm. Kiryu’s hands
cupped Majima’s thighs, guiding him into deep, meaningful throws.
Steadily, they started picking up speed. Using the strength of his legs,
Majima was soon bouncing off of Kiryu’s body, those inner muscles
milking his cock for every ounce of pleasure he could get. Kiryu, to his
credit, managed to focus despite his mind’s sexual fog. He felt
something in him begin to rumble. Kiryu was starting to grow antsy.

Grabbing tightly onto Majima’s hips, Kiryu suddenly flipped them
around, with Majima flat on his back against the sheets. Majima’s eye
widened, his chest heaving in surprise. “Kiryu-chan, what—?” He had
no chance to finish that question. With his knees dug into the bed,
Kiryu began to go at high speed, the sound of slapping skin echoing
loudly against the bright pink walls. Majima arched his back, his legs
high in the air, and cried out. Those beclawed hands grazed down
Kiryu’s naked back, some even breaking the skin against his dragon.
Kiryu was going at such a speed that the bed itself was starting to

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scrape against the floor. Majima sputtered for breath, his toes curling
and stretching in tandem.

“K-Kiryu—K-iryu I-I-I’m ga—ha—ahh!” With no strength to finish
his sentence, Majima came hard between them, his stomach
shuddering as pure ecstasy washed over his whole body. Kiryu
paused, letting Majima have his climax. But when Majima finished,
and Kiryu pulled away, it wasn’t for very long. He flipped Majima’s
limp body over, and hoisting those hips, inserted himself inside a
second time. Majima whimpered, grabbing onto the headboard in
desperate pleasure. He couldn’t even conjure up the words to
respond as Kiryu drilled him from behind. By now, it felt like the
whole room was shaking Kiryu’s power was utterly unmatched, and
his bullish breath spread hot over Majima’s slick neck.

“Fah...ahh...fuck!” Majima dove his face into the pillows, his dick
getting hard again. “K-Kiryu-chan…! Kiryu! B-b-bite me--!” Kiryu
didn’t need clarification. Grabbing Majima by the hair, he pulled it
back and sunk his teeth against Majima’s shoulder. Majima hollered,
his hand desperately searching for his own dick. “God fuck!”
Masturbating furiously, he and Kiryu synced up together, and with
just a few more thrusts…

“Ughn.” Kiryu froze up, grunting deeply in Majima’s ear. While his
cock stayed dry, Majima felt another wave of pleasure hit his whole
person, which undoubtedly had something to do with the sudden
load captured by Kiryu’s condom. Majima almost wondered if he
broke through the rubber itself with how powerful it felt. But when

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Kiryu finally dislodged and removed the latex, Majima was pleased to
see that yes, it was all there. Kiryu tossed it, and the two laid
shoulder to shoulder, staring at the ceiling. While they caught their
breath, Majima’s hand crept over to Kiryu’s, and their fingers
interlocked. They looked at one another, still high on pleasure.
Reaching out a tender hand, Kiryu ran his fingers up Majima’s cheek.
His nail dug underneath the leather strap of Majima’s eyepatch. He
was about ready to remove it, when Majima stopped him.

“Wait.” Those warm fuzzies subsided, and the two stared at each
other. Despite the fact that they’d just done the horizontal mambo,
Majima looked suddenly vulnerable. “You don’t want to see that. It
ain’t pretty.”

Kiryu hesitated. “But it can’t be comfortable, can it?”
“I’m used to it.”
Kiryu rolled onto his side, the two staring at one another. Kiryu
didn’t remove his hand. “It’s a part of you. You don’t need to hide it
away.”
It was clear that Majima wanted to protest, but instead, he let his
hand drop. It was all the permission Kiryu needed. Tenderly, he undid
the leather strap, and put the patch aside. There was Majima in his
entirety. The gash was old, but still brutal. Fortunately, Majima’s
eyelid covered most of the socket. It was a miracle it didn’t collapse
in on itself after all these years. After looking at it a bit, Kiryu leaned
in and kissed him tenderly just above the brow. He felt Majima shake,

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but knew he would never acknowledge that kind of weakness.
Holding Majima close, they curled up together in silence.

142

2006
Sunday morning eggs

Drip. Drip. Drip.
How much was that now? A liter? Five? At least two, right? Two
liters of blood, at least. Majima remembered reading somewhere
that any more than two and you'd end up dead. Or... maybe he was
making that up? Fun facts were useless these days. Anything that was
not direct, in this room, did not matter to him. Staring at the dark
reflection in the blood pool at his feet, Majima could almost make
out the details of his now marred face. Though the specifics were
hard enough to see with two eyes, let alone just one.
Damn. The socket was starting to ache again. Majima shut his
eyes, trying to numb out the dull, throbbing pain. “Shit...” Even
without the agony, he doubted if he'd ever get used to the sensation
of missing a damn eyeball. Why couldn't they just take a finger, like
normal? Fucking yakuza. Fucking Shimano. The bald fuck just had to
be extra, didn't he?
A rusty creak of Majima's cell door perked his ears, but he didn't
have the energy to lift his head. Majima was pretty sure that
whoever was walking in wasn't there for light chit-chat. From where
he was dangling by his wrists, Majima could only see the tips of shiny,
unscuffed shoes. He scoffed under his breath. Most likely new blood,
who just barely blew his first paycheck on some nice, fancy duds.

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Probably got breakfast duty. Bring the poor prisoner his crust of
bread for the day to keep him alive. Fuck what Majima wouldn't give
for a hot plate of takoyaki or something right about now... Shit, he
might even give up his other eyeball.

“So. This him?”
That voice. Majima twitched. Somehow, he knew that voice... and
somehow he didn't. Majima forced his head up, but couldn't get past
a few inches before gravity yanked it back down. Fortunately, the
speaker decided to kneel to Majima's height. Through his sweaty
hair, Majima was able to make out the shape of a face. Older, with a
hint of kindness behind a cold veneer of cruelty.
“Good morning... Majima-chan...”
Majima's gut twisted. His cracked lips formed a name. Sagawa.
How did he know that name? He'd never met this old fart before...
had he? The man—Sagawa—smiled with a strange warmth that took
Majima for surprise. “You're late for work,” he said.
“Work?” Majima's voice finally caught up to his thoughts. The
door behind Sagawa opened again. A row of girls, dressed in bright,
sequined hostess dresses, filed in. They stood in a row, totally out of
place in such a grimy and disgusting prison cell. “What...?” It was
then that the girls tilted forward in a humble, synchronized bow.
“Welcome,” they echoed. As they straightened up, Sagawa lifted
something in his hand. A piping hot paper bowl of takoyaki. It made
Majima's mouth water.

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“Open up, Majima-chan.” Sagawa, plucking an octopus ball from
the lot, held it up to Majima's mouth. Majima accepted it, chewed,
and swallowed, but tasted nothing. Matter of fact, he felt even
hungrier. “More?” Majima nodded, frantically. Sagawa held up
another piece. “Wider, Majima-chan...” Majima opened his mouth to
receive the food, when he saw, to his horror, what it was that Sagawa
was holding.

Pierced with a toothpick and bathed in blood, Majima's own
eyeball was staring at him, unblinking.

Majima lurched upright in bed, gasping for air. In an instant, the
vulgar scene was gone. The cell, the girls... and Sagawa. What stood
in its place was a room. Simple, and comfortable. A desk, pushed into
a corner, housed a pile of mismatched clothes, from which Majima
could spot his snakeskin jacket. The window, cracked just slightly, let
in a ray of blue gray sunlight, just barely peeking over the horizon. To
one side, Majima saw the evidence of last night's festivities. A few
empty bottles and cans of beer, and Majima's eyepatch laying
haphazardly on the bedside table to his left. To his right, of course,
was the host of his evening. Sleeping flat on his stomach,
unbothered, was the Dragon of Dojima himself. Kiryu Kazuma.

Majima laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. He wiped the
cold sweat from his brow. “Damn.” It'd been a while since he'd had
that kind of nightmare. He rolled the sweat between his fingertips,
staring at it. “Fucker's been dead twenty years and he's still in my
head...”

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“Ngh.” A grumble alerted Majima and he glanced over. Kiryu was
starting to stir. Majima wiped his face with the top sheet and laid his
chin in between Kiryu's shoulder blades, rolling his body over Kiryu's.

“Yo,” said Majima. “You awake?”
Kiryu's brows tightened. “...so early...” he grumbled.
“Yeah.” Majima leaned in and kissed the dragon on Kiryu's back.
“Sorry. Didn't mean to bother you.”
“You always bother me.”
Majima snorted. “I guess so.” They laid there a few moments
more before Kiryu finally decided to shift. He turned where he lay,
opening his chest for Majima to cuddle onto. As usual, Majima found
a perfect spot just under Kiryu's chin, and settled. “Though I can't
really fuck with you now that you're back in civilian life. I got
standards.”
Kiryu took a deep breath, lifting Majima's head. Listening to his
chest, Kiryu sure as hell sounded like a dragon sometimes. “I thought
that was the point of you coming over.”
Majima lifted his head, blinking. “Oh?” He grinned. “Kiryu-chan.
Were you trying to make a funny?”
Finally, Kiryu opened one eye and smiled, ever so slightly. “Yeah.
Did it work?”
“You gotta work on the delivery a little,” said Majima.
Kiryu's massive hand rested on Majima's head. “Delivery? That's
all I did... last... night...” Despite the jokes, Majima saw the shift in
Kiryu's eyes. Those stony cheeks tinted over, and Kiryu's awkward

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side reared its adorable head. Even after three months of serious
dating, Kiryu was still such a straight edge when it came to this. The
fearsome Dragon of Dojima, the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan
and the greatest fighter of Kamuracho, was a big, fat, nerd. Majima
kissed Kiryu's brow.

“Never change, Kiryu-chan.”
“Uncle Kaz?” Haruka's muffled voice sounded from behind Kiryu's
door. “I'm going to cook some eggs.”
Kiryu lifted his head. “Eh? Hang on, you'll burn yourself–”
“It's fine, I know how to cook them.” Without giving Kiryu
another chance, tiny feet padded off into the kitchen. Already, Kiryu
was starting to get out of bed, and already Majima was clinging
tighter to him.
“Kiryuuuu-chaaaan,” Majima moaned. “You heard the princess,
she can cook eggs just fine.”
“Those pans are heavy.” With Majima attached at the hip (quite
literally; the one-eyed yakuza's arms were latched on from behind
like a seat belt), Kiryu began to sift through his clothes, looking for a
reasonably clean pair of underwear. Kiryu had made it all the way to
the closet when he finally turned to address Majima. “Oy. Get off.”
Majima was now dangling like a bridge between the bed and Kiryu's
ass. His legs were barely touching the mattress by now. “I gotta get
dressed.” Ashamed, Majima only held tighter, and pressed his face
into the small of Kiryu's back. After a pause, Kiryu threaded his
fingers through Majima's hair.

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“Hey. You ok, Majima-no-niisan?”
Majima didn't know how to answer that. Carefully, Kiryu set them
both back on the bed. He scanned Majima's face in that Terminator
way of his, and Majima had to avert his eye just to avoid
embarrassment. “Did you have another nightmare?” he asked.
Majima leaned back into the headboard. Reaching over, he took
his pack of cigarettes and thumped one out. He rifled through the
bedside table, looking for his lighter. By the time he turned to search
the other side, Kiryu had held up a lighter of his own. Majima took
the offer and relaxed with his smoke before answering. “Yeah,” he
said. “I was back at the hole. And Sagawa decided to pay me a visit.”
Kiryu tilted his head. “I thought you didn't meet him until after?”
“Yeah...” Majima scratched his temple. “It's probably just my
brain being an asshat.” He closed his eye and took a long drag.
“Fucking broken ass brain.” After a moment, Kiryu got off the bed. He
slipped into his house robe and tossed Majima a pair of sweats.
“Let's go make sure Haruka doesn't burn the house down. Yeah?”
“Sure.” Once they were decent and Majima finished his smoke
(Kiryu was trying to keep Haruka out of range of cigarettes), they
headed out to the living room. At the moment, Haruka, now recently
turned ten, stood on a step stool in front of the counter. She was
humming to herself, stirring a bowl of scrambled eggs. She wore her
most recent birthday present: a printed two piece pajama set with
sentai heroes. Kiryu didn't know what any of them were, but Haruka
liked plenty of those kids shows whenever she could catch them.

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Kiryu walked over to Haruka and wished her a good morning.
“How are they coming along?”

“They're almost ready,” she said. “I just have to put oil in the
pan.”

“Well, why don't you let me do that, yeah?” Ever the dutiful
father, Kiryu dripped a bit of olive oil into the omelet pan and shifted
it around. “Be sure you add a little salt to it. Brings out the flavor.”

“Ok.”
Majima sat at the low table, folding his legs criss-cross on the
floor. “Oy, Kiryu-chan.” Kiryu looked over his shoulder. “You got
enough stuff for omurice? I'm starvin'.”
Kiryu tsked. “Pretty demanding first thing in the morning.” Still, it
was a toothless complaint. Kiryu gestured to the top of the fridge.
“Rice is up there. We might have some leftover chicken in the fridge
if you like.”
“Aahhhh?” Majima lolled his head to one side. “You're not gonna
make it for me, Kiryu-chan? Laaaame.”
“I'm not your wife.”
“Pthhhh.” Majima blew a raspberry in Kiryu's direction, but got
up anyway. With all three of them cramped in the kitchen, Majima
was able to get started. He was never exact when it came to cooking,
so scooping up about a cup's worth of dry rice, he rinsed it, dumped
it in the cooker, and tossed in about a cup and a half of tap water. He
shut the lid and hit the button, tossing the cup into the sink. “There.
Do I gotta cut up the onions, too?”

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“We don't have onions.”
“Pha! What kinda restaurant is this?”
“You're acting weird again, Majima-san.” Kiryu redirected his
attention to Haruka and put on a smile. “Think it's ready?”
“Ready!” Haruka proudly presented her bowl and Kiryu held the
pan steady as she poured the egg mixture in. Kiryu stirred as the eggs
went in, and Haruka watched studiously. From where he leaned
against the counter, Majima admired the two. There were times,
though far fewer these days, when he wondered where Makoto was
now. Perhaps she had a kid, herself? Living a perfect life, safe and
comfortable. Back then, Majima used to spend hours, even full
nights, thinking about her. Wondering if he should try and make
contact. Maybe even in secret. Those lonely evenings were gone
now.
Because, quite frankly, he didn't have any reason to be lonely
these days.
The three of them spent the rest of the morning cooking, and
once everything was ready, they sat down to eat. Majima, of course,
had insisted he draw little figures on all of their eggs with the bottle
of ketchup. Haruka's eggs got a pretty heart and some stars, Majima's
own was given a chibi self portrait, and on Kiryu's, Majima had
written the characters “ナード”.
“Nar-do?” Kiryu pronounced.
Majima grinned. “Yup.” He pointed. “Nerd.” That got Haruka to
giggle. Kiryu only shook his head. Breakfast went smoothly after that.

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