Love of a Lifetime

A smile hit Kiryu's face, and he shook his head. It was charming
and light, and Kaoru realized that it was the first time she'd ever seen
Kiryu smile like that before. “If you're not careful, you're going to be
kicked out of every bar in Tokyo, Majima-san.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Majima flopped backwards onto Kiryu's legs,
stretching out like a cat in sunlight. “I'm only actin' out cause you're
stuck in here. How long you got locked up in this hellhole anyway?”

“I should be discharged in the next couple of days.”
“Not good enough.”
“I can't heal broken ribs any faster.”
Majima grumbled, and Kaoru shrank a bit where she stood.
Maybe she should wait until Majima was done visiting before she
tried bothering them. Before she could wander away, however, a new
topic of conversation caught her attention.
“Hey, Kiryu-chan. What's the deal with you and the lady cop?”
Karou's heart jumped into her throat. “You mean Kaoru?” She
poked her eye around the door frame to get a better look. “What
about her?”
“Well...” Majima rolled his stomach onto Kiryu's thighs and kicked
up his feet behind him. “You interested in her or what? Does my
Kiryu-chan have a girlfriend?” A light flickered in Kiryu's eyes, and he
looked away. There was embarrassment there, and Kaoru could have
sworn she saw blush on those stony cheeks. Majima shifted forward
and sat on his knees. Tenderly, he cupped Kiryu's face. “You know I
don't mind, right?”

251

Kiryu looked up. “Majima-san...”
“Listen, if you like her, you like her. I don't want you to think I'm
holdin' you back, big boy.” Majima ran a thumb beneath Kiryu's eye,
and once again, Kaoru was witness to something she'd never seen
before on Kiryu's face. It was soft and genuine. Suddenly, Kaoru felt
like she was spying on something she had no business seeing. “You
just say the word, Kiryu-chan, and I'll step aside. Hell, I'll even be
around if she don't mind you gettin' my one-eyed trouser snake
special every now and again.”
“Majima...” Kiryu laid his hands on Majima's hips, bringing him
closer. “You know I wouldn't just abandon you like that...”
Majima leaned in. With Kaoru's heart clenched, she watched as
the two men shared a long, loving kiss. It was so different than the
one she and Kiryu had up on that tower. That was an act of passion. A
last ditch effort for human connection before the end of the line for
both of them. This was... Kaoru had trouble describing it. There was
history there. Tenderness. A kind of understanding that Kaoru could
only dream to know. When the kiss broke, Majima flashed a smile.
“Well, no matter what you decide, Kiryu-chan, I'll always be right
there with ya.”
Kiryu nodded, smiling warmly. “I know.”
Kaoru hesitated. Maybe visiting wasn't a great idea. She held the
flowers close to her chest, which was heavy, yes, but perhaps not as
heavy as it should have been. She turned to leave, when she was
brought face to face with a nurse, holding a tray of medication.

252

“Oh!” The nurse blinked in surprise. “Please, excuse me.”
“Sorry,” Kaoru backed up, which unfortunately let her into the
doorway of Kiryu's room. As the nurse passed on her way to a
different hospital bed, Kaoru heard Kiryu's voice from behind her.
“Kaoru...?” She turned. Majima was no longer in Kiryu's lap, but
instead standing at his side, hands in his jacket pockets.
Kaoru regathered her senses and nodded her head. “Hello, Kiryu-
san,” she said, trying to push down the embarrassment. She put on a
smile and offered the bouquet of flowers. Kiryu took them, and
Majima bent down to get a sniff.
“Well look at that!” Majima inhaled deeply, only to come up
coughing and sneezing, pollen on his nose. “Ohh! Fresh!” He
coughed a little more, and Kiryu put the flowers on his bedside table.
“I just wanted to see how you were,” Kaoru said, hands behind
her back
“Thanks,” said Kiryu. “I'm doing much better. My physical therapy
is going over real well.”
Kaoru's smile widened. “That's great to hear...”
Majima looked between the two and then cupped the back of his
head with both hands. “Well! I'm sick of this fuckin' hospital food
they're shovin' down your gullet. I'm gonna go grab you some real
grub, eh, Kiryu-chan?”
Kiryu nodded. “Sure.” With that, Majima took his exit. Somehow,
Kaoru felt even more exposed, and she looked away. “Thank you for

253

coming to see me,” he said. “How are you doing? Have you spoken to
Ryuji at all?”

“I have. He's been arrested for kidnapping, but probably won't
face much jail time.”

“That checks out,” Kiryu agreed. An uncomfortable silence met
them both, and Kaoru cleared her throat.

“Actually uh... I only came to stop by for a little bit. My
department has me working over time filling out all the paperwork.”

“I see,” said Kiryu. “That can't be fun. I'm sorry about all the
mess.”

“It's fine,” said Kaoru, waving it off. “I'd take paperwork any day
over the alternative.” Being dead. “I um... My boss is talking about
transfers soon. I'm hoping that this case will make me look good
enough for a pay raise.”

Kiryu's expression was genuine, and his smile returned. “You
deserve one, that's for sure,” he said. Another silence followed.
Kaoru examined all the beautiful flowers and cards of his loved ones,
wishing him to get better soon. All these people who cared for Kiryu
Kazuma. His former clan, his friends, his daughter... And Majima
Goro.

She hadn't imagined that. As the fog of fantasy faded away, Kaoru
began to realize just how big Kiryu's world was, and just how much of
an outsider she felt in it. Still, that was a conversation for another
day. Putting on a smile, she walked to Kiryu's bedside and kissed him
gently. Kiryu returned it, and said nothing.

254

“I'll call you later,” she promised. Kiryu smiled in thanks, and
watched as Kaoru walked out of the room. The farther she got down
the hall, the faster her smile sank. She turned a corner, and once she
was sure she was totally out of sight, she thumped her forehead on
the wall behind her.

“Hey, Copper-chan.”
Kaoru spun around to see none other than Majima Goro sitting
on a gurney, munching on a bag of chips. He looked relatively
unbothered, and casually bounced one leg over his opposite knee.
“You leaving so soon?” he asked, shoveling more snacks into his
mouth.
Kaoru stood up straighter. “Busy day,” she said.
“But Kiryu-chan was all excited to see you. I know he was.”
A frown found its way to Kaoru's face, and she folded her arms.
“Majima-san... What... what exactly is your relationship to Kiryu
Kazuma?”
Majima crumpled up the empty chip bag and tossed it aside.
After which, he hopped from the gurney and leaned casually against
it instead. “He's my Kiryu-chan,” he said simply.
“But what does that mean?”
Majima laughed. “What, you need specifics? We're together.
Goin' steady. Domestic. We're doin' the do on the reg, baby-doll.”
“Ok, that's enough specifics.”
“I take it you overheard,” Majima guessed.

255

Kaoru nodded. “What did you mean, exactly, when you said you'd
step out of the way if he wanted you to?”

Majima tilted his head. “Well... you like Kiryu-chan, don't you?”
Kaoru didn't answer, which was all the answer Majima needed.
“Listen, there's nobody on this Earth like Kiryu-chan. Much as I'd like
him all to myself, if his heart is in another place, well...” Majima
shrugged. “Who am I to deprive him of that?”

Kaoru's shoulders slumped in shock. “And you'd... you'd give him
up that easily?”

“Well, maybe not entirely,” Majima confessed. “But I'd be more
than happy to share him, if that's what Kiryu-chan wanted.”

“And if he didn't want that?” Kaoru took a step forward, her eyes
digging for the truth. “What would you do?”

Majima's smile had dipped from playful to sad. He returned his
hands to his pockets. “If he really wanted it,” Majima said, “then
that's what I'd do.”

“But how? How could you give up a man you love that easily?”
“Because, Copper-chan...” Majima lolled his head, his expression
betraying the years of sleepless nights and withering age he often
kept so well hidden from the world. “There ain't nothin' in this life
more important to me than Kiryu-chan's happiness. If I gotta endure
a lil' heartbreak for that... well...
“Then I guess that's what's in my cards...”
“...”
“..oss...”

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“...boss...”
“Hey, boss.”
Majima's blurry eye cracked open, and he lifted his heavy head
from the back seat window. The sound of the airport was starting to
creep in, and Majima sat up, cracking his back. “Ugh...” He looked at
himself in the rear view mirror. “I look like shit...” Oh well.
The door was opened for him, and he stepped out. The heat of
the summer made him swelter in this goddamn monkey suit
Kashiwagi was making him wear. Stupid weather, stupid business
meetings. Why couldn't they all just talk on the phone like civilized
humans, rather than fly off in fucking three piece suits to sit around
growling at each other?
“Boss.” One of his underlings handed him a brief case and ticket.
He took both and stared at the ticket stub.

0763 TOKYO → OKINAWA
ONE WAY, 12:30

“Do you need any escort to the tarmac, sir?” he asked.
“No, I should be good.” Majima stuffed his ticket into his breast
pocket.
“Sir?”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to visit the Fourth Chairman while you're in
Okinawa, sir?”
Majima didn't react or respond. He merely looked up at the
screen which showed departures and arrivals, trailing his eye to his

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flight. “If there's time.” That surprised the underling, but he knew
better than to comment on it. Majima didn't say another word, and
instead headed into the terminal, and made his way to the private
planes.

The meetings went on as Majima expected. They were long,
arduous, and dull. Majima was barely present for any of them,
catching only bits and pieces of the conversations when he needed
to. Something about building a military base in Okinawa? Or no, that
was a resort? Well, what the fuck ever, Majima couldn't even come
close to caring. The whole time, while he sat in his black suit directly
in front of any fans or air conditioners he could find, his mind was on
one thing, and one thing only.

He was not looking forward to visiting Morning Glory.
When the meetings let out, Majima took some time to explore
downtown. It was a mere blip of land compared to what he was used
to. At least the air was cooler here than it was back in the city. His
stomach ached from hunger, but he didn't think he could keep
anything down. For a while, he just walked in circles, mindlessly. He
went over his words again and again in his head. No matter how you
sliced it, this was going to be painful. The only question was... how
honest was he prepared to be?
Finally, Majima forced himself up to the monorail station and
bought a ticket. Morning Glory was just a stop away. As if the world
was telling him to get shit over with, the train was right on time.
When Majima boarded, he sat by the window, and watched the

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beautiful, ocean landscape whiz by. He was barely on the train for ten
minutes, and eventually caught sight of a tiny, sea-side town as it
turned a corner. Despite never having been to Kiryu's orphanage
before, he spotted the place almost instantly. It was the only house
with a handful of snotty kids running around in the front yard. It had
to be.

Majima got off at the Morning Glory stop and lingered at the
station. His eye had been fixed on the orphanage since noticing it on
the train. Taking a shuddering breath, he started walking. The closer
he came, the more he noticed the laughter of children. There was no
noise pollution here. No honking horns, or dulled out music. The
loudest thing around was probably the cicadas, awake for the first
time in their lives.

Majima walked along a neck high wall, until coming to a stop at
an entrance. Through the opening of the gate, he watched as a
gaggle of kids played with a rubber ball. It was like something out of a
postcard. All perfect and happy and picturesque. He could only
imagine how content a guy like Kiryu was, watching over this litter of
stragglers. Majima had no doubt that Kiryu was more than fit for the
job. In fact, he bet Kiryu packed their lunches and helped them with
their homework. He bet that late at night, when the little ones would
wake up scared, Kiryu would scare away the monsters in their closet,
and stay with them until they fell asleep.

There really was nobody else like the guy.

259

Majima broke from his thoughts as a blue, rubber ball fell to his
feet. He blinked down at it, and a small boy with glasses ran out to
fetch it. When he picked it up, he spotted Majima's shoes and craned
his neck to get a better look. “Ah—!” Majima opened his mouth to
explain, but the boy's face was already flush with fear. “U-Uncle Kaz!”

“H-hey, kid—!” But it was too late. The boy was already high
tailing it into the house, with a few of the others following suit.
Majima wondered if he should just turn tail and head back home, but
before he could make a decision, Kiryu stepped out into the sunlight.
He looked so different now. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a
tropical shirt, with no sign of his signature gray suit in sight.

“Majima-san...?” He stepped off the porch in his bare feet,
approaching Majima with a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Eh?” One of the other little boys, a scrawny kid with scrappy
hair, looked around Kiryu's leg at Majima. “You know him, Uncle Kaz?
He looks scary.”

“That's not very nice, Koji,” said Kiryu. He turned to the kids.
“Everyone, this is Majima-san. He's my friend. You can trust him. Say
hello.” The kids said a disjointed greeting, bowing at different times.
Majima hadn't exactly intended the visit to be this social, but he said
hello all the same. Kiryu turned back to Majima. “You're just in time.
We're going to sit down to eat soon. You're welcome to join us.”

Majima burned with guilt. “Oh uh... I don't think I'll be stayin' that
long, Kiryu-chan.” He glanced behind him. He definitely couldn't do
this here, in front of all his kids. “Hey uh, can we—?”

260

“Uncle Maji?” Like a final nail in Majima's coffin, Haruka's voice
parted the sea of timid kids. Even in the few months Majima hadn't
seen her, she looked like she'd grown a lot. The island life suited her
well. Her face lit up, and she raced forward, hugging Majima tight
around the middle. “Uncle Maji! You came to visit!”

Majima's heart twisted. “Hey, Princess...” He pat Haruka's head.
God, if he didn't do this now, he wouldn't have the guts to do it ever.
He looked up to Kiryu, his face somber. “You mind if we go talk?”

Worry flickered over Kiryu's face, but he nodded. “Sure.” He put
his hand on Haruka's shoulder, and she turned to him. “Make sure
everybody's got their homework done before dinner, and we'll watch
a movie after.”

“Ok,” said Haruka. She gave Majima one last squeeze before
ushering the kids back into the yard. Kiryu motioned Majima to
follow him, and they headed down to the beach. The sun was
starting to set beyond the horizon, giving the whole world a sheen of
vibrant gold.

“You should have called me,” said Kiryu, hands in his pockets.
“What's with the surprise visit, Majima-san?”

“Daigo had business in Okinawa, and I got dragged along with
him,” Majima explained. “I didn't know if I would have time to visit
so...” Majima did his best to keep his eye trained on the shoreline. He
pulled out his pack of cigarettes and popped one in, before offering a
stick to Kiryu. But surprisingly, Kiryu refused.

“Trying to quit,” he explained. “For the kids.”

261

“I see.” Majima lit his smoke and tucked the pack back into his
blazer. “How're you likin' it here? You love them lil brats or what?”

Kiryu's smile was sincere. “Yeah,” he said. “They're good kids.
Smart. Caring. Got a lot on their shoulders, but they help each other
out.”

Majima's lips flashed a smile. “Sounds like your old crew,” he said.
Kiryu nodded. “Orphans go through a lot. But we go through it
together. That's how we survive.” A wind picked up, making Kiryu's
Hawaiian shirt flutter in the wind. “Majima-san...” Majima caught a
glimpse of Kiryu's anxious eyes, and his stomach flipped. “What's
wrong? You haven't been answering a lot of my texts lately. Is there
something going on in the Tojo Clan?”
Somehow, that stung Majima in a strange way. Of course Kiryu's
first instinct was to check on the family. He took a drag of his smoke
and looked off into the distance. “Nah,” he said. “Things are pretty
smooth, surprisingly.”
“Then what's up?” Kiryu edged forward. Majima stared at the
sunset through the smoke, doing his damndest to push down his
emotions. “Majima-san...?”
“I'm dumpin' you.”
Another wind hit the beach, kicking up small sprays of ocean
foam and little bits of sand. Even if he wasn't in a full suit, Majima
doubted that he'd be able to feel it. He couldn't afford to feel it. He
needed to be sealed off. From anything and everything. One crack,
one hairline fracture, and the jig was up. If he was going to get

262

through this, he needed to play the part, and play it well. Not like he
hadn't done it before...

“...What...?” Kiryu's voice was barely a whisper. “Why? What is...?
Is... is it something I did?”

Majima put his hand on his hip, focusing on his cigarette. “Nah,”
he said. “Just figured it was time. Kinda bored of the whole thing,
really.”

“Bored...?”
“Yeah. You bein' out here, me bein' in Tokyo. It's really just a
hassle. So we better just call it quits while we're still on top, you
know?” Majima lingered, and finally turned to look at Kiryu. That was
his big mistake. The look on Kiryu's face made his heart shatter in a
million tiny pieces.
Kiryu had always had beautiful, warm eyes, even when he was
scowling. Now, they were wide in shock, and pricking with tears. His
jaw was slack in disbelief, and his shoulders were slumped. He gaped,
trying to find words that never came.
“I... I see...” was the first thing he could muster. He swayed where
he stood, and searched around him, as if trying desperately to find
something else to garner his attention. “You're... you're just done...?”
Majima, rather than risk taking it all back, stood in silence. His
cigarette burned between his fingers, forgotten. He watched as Kiryu
floundered, finally turning away just as tears threatened to spill over.
“All... all right then... If you're done... if you're done, you're done... I
guess.”

263

A whole new wave hit Majima. Maybe he was projecting. Maybe
he was making it worse. Hell, maybe he really was as nutso as
everyone thought. But what hit him then, as Kiryu quietly accepted
Majima's decision, was anger. Anger, desperation, and an unbridled
disgust. Whether that was aimed at himself or Kiryu was still up for
debate.

“So that's that then, huh?” His brain definitely did not give the
green-light for his lips to start yapping, but here he was, running his
mouth. What else was new? “You're just gonna tuck your tail in and
accept that shit?”

Poor Kiryu turned back around, adding confusion to his look of
heartache. “What are you saying?” he muttered. “If that's how you
feel... that's how you feel. I'm not going to try and force you to... to
change your mind...”

Majima clenched his fists, squeezing the filter of his smoke into
flat paper. “You... fuckin' asshole...”

Now that brought a spark of anger to Kiryu's eyes. “What? I'm the
asshole?”

“You're just gonna let me tank this shit?” Majima said. “Why?
Cause it's the noble thing to fuckin' do? You're not even gonna try
and fight me?”

Kiryu was starting to lose his composure. “Is that what you
want?” he demanded. “Is this some kind of trick to get me to fight
you, Majima-san?”

264

“It might as well be! Shit, I expected somethin' outta you, at least!
Get mad! Hit me, or—or somethin'! Jesus Christ, at least call me a
fucking bastard for breaking your heart like this! Don't just stand
there and let me wring you out to dry!”

“What are you even talking about?” That deep voice was starting
to get louder, and Majima could almost feel the head of the dragon
lift from Kiryu's back. “You come here, in front of my kids, and break
up with me, and then you get mad cause I wanna respect your
decision?! How fucked up are you?!”

“Last I checked, pretty fucked!” Majima threw his hands into the
air and rounded back to Kiryu, seething. “Goddamn it, don't you dare
make me feel worse about this by takin' the higher ground, you
fucker! You always act so fuckin' wise and well adjusted, well it pisses
me off! Where the fuck is the Dragon of Dojima, huh!? Or have those
little brats made you so soft that you can't even take a swing when
some bastard tramples all over your goddamn heart!?”

That seemed to be the magic word. With a mighty yell, Kiryu let
his fist fly, and when skin met skin, Majima was launched off his feet
and hurled into the air. He collapsed on the sand, coughing and fixing
his jaw. He barely had time to collect himself when Kiryu's foot met
Majima's stomach, and he went spinning like a top. Majima forced
himself to his feet and looked up, seeing Kiryu already yanking off his
shirt.

“You want a fight, Majima-san?” Kiryu growled. “Fine.” He threw
his shirt to the sand. “I'll give you a fight.”

265

In a swift move, Majima followed suit. With their souls on display,
they dug their heels into the sand and faced off. Majima knew, deep
down, that this was solely for his own benefit. He wasn't a “lets be
friends” kind of guy, especially not after what he'd done. Seeing Kiryu
again after his night with Sagawa would only bring Majima pain and
guilt. Which was why, he decided, that it was easier for Kiryu to hate
him, than for Majima to ever see that smile again.

Kiryu lunged at Majima, and the fight began. Immediately, this
was different than any of their other brawls. Back when they were
merely associates, their fights were competitive, yet professional, in a
way. There was a sense of respect between them, as though they
were two office workers getting coffee. When they became friends,
their matches got, well, friendlier. And when they started dating, it
wasn't uncommon for their swings to end with the pair of them in
bed. This was completely different.

With every swing exchanged, Majima felt Kiryu's pain. He felt the
anger and the uncertainty. There was a desperation there, as if
winning the fight would bring clarity to Majima's real reasons. Or at
the very least, would dull the pain. No punch was pulled, every kick
followed through. And for a while, they were evenly matched. But
Majima soon learned he was at a disadvantage. While Kiryu was
barefoot, Majima's shoes were clunky and heavy in the sand,
weighing him down. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to
eventually give Kiryu a leg up on the fight. After a full two minutes of
exchanging blows, Majima miscalculated, and one leg sweep from

266

Kiryu landed Majima flat on his back. Kiryu fell over him, pinning him
to the sand.

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck is happening or not!?”
Kiryu boomed. “This isn't like you, Majima-san! What is really going
on!?”

“ARAGGH!” With all his might, he shoved his knee into Kiryu's
side, bowling him over. Majima managed to grab Kiryu's wrist, and
the two flipped over. With Majima on Kiryu's stomach, he pinned
those broad shoulders into the sand, his eye wide and untamed.

“You wanna know!? You really wanna know, you son of a bitch!?”
Majima sent down a right hook, making Kiryu's head snap to the side.
“Because I'm not good enough!” He hit Kiryu again, though this time,
Kiryu braced for impact and kept his head stationary. “I've never
fuckin' been good enough for you!” Majima started pounding on
Kiryu's chest, his words moving a mile a minute.

267

“All this time, all this time you coulda fuckin' had anyone!
Anyone! But here you are, wasting your goddamn life over someone
like me! Don't you get it!? This was going to happen eventually, it was
only a matter of time! Because there's no way! There's no way I
could live up to your fucking standard!” Majima raised both fists high,
fingers laced together, and slammed them down right dead-center of
Kiryu's chest. He gasped, his body jerking at the impact. But when
Majima raised his hand for another strike, Kiryu finally caught it, mid-
air. Majima tried hitting with the other hand, but Kiryu caught that
one, too. Majima tugged at Kiryu's grip, but it was no use. The man
was like a gorilla. Majima shut his eye tight and grit his teeth, trying
desperately not to break. The raw violence of their fight began to die
off as the truth took its place. Eventually, Majima stopped struggling,
and he curled forward, Kiryu still propping up his hands.

“You're so good...” Majima muttered. “You're so good, and it was
only a matter of time before I fuckin' ruined... ruined everything...”

Kiryu's grip loosened on Majima's arms. “Goro...” Majima's head
snapped up. Gently, Kiryu cupped Majima's face. That anger from
before, that heartbreak, was all gone. And that was the final straw.

Majima collapsed into Kiryu's chest and sobbed. He didn't even
try to talk. There wouldn't be a point. Kiryu's massive arms wrapped
around Majima's body, holding him there. The sand and the wind
cooled off their hot skin as they laid there, letting the sound of the
ocean calm them down. Soon enough, Majima's turmoil came to a

268

close, and all he felt in its place was heaviness. Kiryu finally sat them
up, rubbing Majima's face dry.

“Kiryu-chan...” Majima folded his body deep into Kiryu's arms,
clutching him. “I did something... I did something and I...”

“Majima-san.” Kiryu waited until Majima was looking up at him.
“Let's go inside. You might catch a cold out here.” Majima, with no
energy left to argue, obliged, and the two gathered up their clothes
and limped back to Morning Glory orphanage. Walking onto the
property, the kids looked up from where the sat, waiting on the
porch. One of the older girls with pigtails approached, cautiously.

“Uncle Kaz...?” She looked between the two men. “Are you two
ok? We heard shouting...”

Kiryu nodded. “We're fine, Ayako. Everything's okay.”
The girl, Ayako, didn't seem convinced, but Haruka approached
right on cue. “Ayako-chan,” she said, “Uncle Maji is Uncle Kaz's
special friend. Sometimes they fight, and sometimes it gets loud. But
they love each other, no matter what.”
Kiryu's ears went red. “Haruka...”
Majima, who felt more emotionally drained right then than he
had in days, broke into a weary smile. He chuckled under his breath,
head hanging limp. “She's right, lil' miss.” With his arm around Kiryu's
neck, Majima tightened his hand on his shoulder. “No matter how
much I fight yer Uncle Kazzy here... it's always all right in the end.”
Majima straightened out and wiped his nose on the back of his arm.

269

“I think... I should probably go. I caused enough trouble for ya, Kiryu-
chan.”

But Kiryu, without hesitation, took Majima's wrist. “At least stay
for dinner,” he said. “Please?”

Majima faltered. There was no getting over that gentle tone of
voice. It was Kiryu's secret fucking weapon, and it worked on Majima
like magic. “O...okay...” Still leaning against Kiryu, he and the kids lead
Majima inside.

270

Chapter 5: powerless

“So you're Uncle Kaz's special friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Where did you meet? In Tokyo?”
“Yeah, we—”
“Why are you wearing an eye patch?”
“Well uh...”
“Are you a pirate, Uncle Maji?”
“Taichi-kun, don't be rude. Do we get to call you Uncle Maji yet,
mister?”
“Well what else are we supposed to call him? Haruka-oneesan
calls him Uncle Maji. What are we supposed to call you, Uncle Maji?”
“Everybody.” Kiryu's voice turned every head his way, quieting the
kids' questions like magic. It was dinner time, and he and Haruka sat
at the head of the table. Majima was seated across from them on the
opposite end, with all the other kids on either side between them.
It was a tsukune night, and even with Majima added to the bill,
there were plenty of skewers to go around. But, despite how
delicious it smelled, none of the kids were interested in the food.
That's because, the minute they sat down to give thanks, each one of
them sent rapid fire questions at Majima, intent on finding out every
little detail about him they could. After the emotional whirlwind on

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the beach, Majima felt a little blindsided, and was thankful when
Kiryu reigned them in.

“Majima-no-nissan has had a very busy day. It's nice that you
want to learn about him, but try to be considerate. Let him eat and
relax a bit. All right?” The kids nodded, and Majima breathed a sigh
of relief, flashing Kiryu a tiny smile.

Dinner, as it continued, was a warm affair. The food was delicious,
and Majima was pleasantly surprised to discover that Haruka had
prepared and seasoned it all on her own. Kiryu still supervised the
actual cooking, of course. But Haruka was proving to be quite the
little independent miss. Then again, she always had been, if Majima
remembered correctly.

After the first few abrasive introductions, the kids were a delight
to listen to and watch. They were lively and boisterous and teased
each other like a real family should. Not to mention their love and
respect for Kiryu was painstakingly obvious. Majima remained
relatively quiet by comparison. Not because he wasn't engaged.
Quite the opposite, in fact. For years, “family dinner” meant politics,
accusations, backstabbing, and formality. It'd been so long since he'd
felt this kind of familial warmth coming from so many ends of the
table. It was nice. That was the only way Majima could describe it.

When dinner was over, Kiryu inspected some homework, making
sure everyone was on track for the next day of school. Three of the
kids were tapped for dishes duty, and the rest relaxed in the sitting
area, watching TV. Majima realized, as Kiryu invited him into his

272

office, that their little reprieve from reality had come to an end. It
was time to face the music.

Kiryu's office was simple, though Majima wasn't expecting
anything less. A desk, a futon, a table for work. There were a few
books on a shelf by an outdated desktop computer, and a rotating fan
ran constantly in a top corner of the room. Kiryu gestured to the
cushions by the table, and Majima took a seat. As he did, he noticed
the clutter on the table top. Some empty cans of beer, a few open
bills, and, most notably, a used ash tray. “I thought you were trying to
quit,” he pointed out.

Kiryu sat down, pulling a half empty pack of smokes from his
rolled up newspaper. “I am,” he said. “It's a process.” He popped one
into his mouth and offered a second to Majima, who took it. They
definitely both needed one for the conversation ahead of them. Once
their smokes were lit, and they'd had a moment to rest, Kiryu leaned
forward, his elbows on the table. “All right,” he said quietly. “I need
you to tell me the truth.”

Majima ran his thumb against the filter, watching as smoke
ribboned its way above their head. “It'll hurt you,” he said.

“I know,” Kiryu replied. “But I want to know anyway.”
Majima sighed through his nose. “I cheated on you.” No use sugar
coating it. He did what he did, and to say otherwise would be to
insult Kiryu further. When Kiryu didn't answer, Majima glanced up
from his cigarette. Kiryu's expression hadn't changed. With his hand

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over his mouth and his cigarette between his knuckles, Majima
watched that cherry glow and die as he focused on his smoke.

“I see.” Another lengthy pause lingered between them. “Why?”
“Does it matter?” Majima said.
Kiryu hesitated. “I guess not.”
For a while, the only sound between them was the clock over
Kiryu's futon, and the muffled echo of the TV in the other room.
Kiryu got half way through his cigarette before finally tapping it on
the ash tray. “Are you in love with them?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Whoever you cheated on me with. Are you in love with them?”
Majima couldn't answer that fast enough. “No. Not even close.
Half the time I think about it I want to go back and rip the fucker's
arms apart.” Despite the passionate answer, Majima wasn't sure if it
was what Kiryu wanted to hear or not. Maybe a “yes” might have
been easier to stomach. Majima put his hands on the table and
leaned in. “What happened was a moment of weakness, Kiryu-chan. I
was... lonely, and insecure, and he... he knew how to push all my
buttons.”
“Do I know him?”
Now that was a question. Majima scratched his scalp in
frustration. “Yeah,” he said. “You've met him.”
“Who is it? Someone from your family?”
“No.”
“Someone from another family?”

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“No. At least... I don't think so.”
“So it's a civilian? Who?”
Majima furrowed his brow. He took a deep drag of his cigarette
before answering. “Sagawa Akito.”
Kiryu visibly balked at the name. His eyes widened and he
lowered his hand, almost forgetting the smoke in his fingers.
“What...? Sagawa Akito. You mean... the guy who—?”
“Yes.”
“Wha...” Kiryu floundered, clearly not expecting that kind of an
answer. “How did it happen? Why did it happen? I thought...”
Suddenly, Majima saw a flash of rage go across Kiryu's face. “Did he...
Did he force you to—?”
“No,” said Majima quickly. Heart low, he tapped his ashes and
then rested his cigarette on the notch of the tray. “Kiryu-chan, listen.
This isn't anyone's fault but mine. I don't expect forgiveness here.
Shit, the fact that I even got to sit at your table was more than I
deserve.” Majima put his hands flat on the table and bent forward,
bowing humbly. “But for what it's worth, I can't apologize enough. I
am... so sorry for this.” Kiryu didn't respond to Majima's apology.
Frankly, Majima figured there was no way he could. Sitting back up,
Majima kept his head lowered, his face blank. “So...
“Are we done?”
They heard laughter through the thin walls. A commercial was
running loudly, and the kids were causing a ruckus in the play room.
The dishes were done, no doubt, which meant it was the last few

275

hours of play time before bed. All those sounds, all that happiness,
was outside Kiryu's and Majima's bubble of reality.

The two men teetered on a knife's edge, waiting for one or the
other to drop. To give the final verdict. Was this enough to destroy
them? Majima's attempt at a breakup, clearly, had not stuck. Which
meant that the ball was in Kiryu's court. One word either way would
make or break their relationship. Possibly for good. Kiryu finished his
smoke and snubbed it, letting his fingertips linger on the paper.

“I... There's a lot to think about,” he finally said.
Majima nodded. “Of course.”
“It won't be... easy. To trust you after this.”
“I don't expect it to be,” Majima agreed.
Kiryu folded his arms on the table, staring at the fake marbling.
An illusion, to make the plastic look more valuable. More desirable.
But in the end, no amount of facade could disguise the cheap
material underneath. “I think...” Kiryu began slowly. Majima, back
straight, held his breath. “I think... I need time.”
It wasn't a great answer, but it was better than a “fuck you, get
out.” Majima folded his hands in his lap, both frustrated and content.
Throwing punches was definitely easier. “Of course. You... you can
take all the time you need. And whatever you decide, I understand.”
Kiryu didn't reply. Majima stood and fixed his cuffs. In reality, he
needed something to do with his fidgety fingers. “Well. The last plane
is probably gone by now. I'll get a motel room in town and leave

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tomorrow.” Majima glanced at Kiryu, who hadn't moved. “I'm sorry,
Kiryu-chan. Really.”

Kiryu only nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”
Majima left the room and headed to the front door. He had been
hoping to sneak out, unnoticed. But that, apparently, was not how
things were going to go. Just as he was getting on his shoes, Haruka's
voice stalled him. “Uncle Maji!” Her glee was like a bullet through his
heart. He paused, glancing over his shoulder as she approached him.
“Are you leaving already?”
“Yeah,” said Majima, addressing his shoes. “Sorry, Princess. I
wasn't supposed to stay this long, even.”
“Ok...” Haruka took Majima's hand, and he looked down at her.
“The next time you visit, you've got to stay longer. We can all go
fishing or shopping together!”
Majima's chest twisted, and he forced a smile. “I'd love that,” he
said honestly. Finishing with his shoes, he put his gloves back on and
turned to Haruka, hand in his pocket. “Listen, kiddo... Me and your
Uncle Kazzy... we're going through some stuff. You gotta do me a
favor and keep your eye on him, all right? Make sure he eats and shit.
Gets to bed okay. Can you do that for me?”
Haruka's wide eyes, once so innocent and pure, now swirled with
wisdom beyond her years. Without a word, Haruka hugged Majima
tightly around the middle. After a moment of surprise, he hugged her
back. “Yes,” said Haruka. “I promise to take care of him for you.”

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Majima squeezed Haruka's shoulder. “Good girl.” With that as
their final goodbye, Majima left Morning Glory, and walked alone
into the night.

It took some time, and a lot of wandering, but Majima eventually
wound up back into the down town district of Okinawa. He noticed
off hand that even the nightlife of the island was piddly compared to
Kumorocho. There were a few clubs thumping, but the streets were
quiet. Plenty of shops and restaurants were closed for the evening,
and the monorail was now running at half capacity. Majima figured if
he walked long enough, he'd find his way to a suitable place to crash.
As he did, he thought about Kiryu's answer.

Majima was going to have to put in the extra effort after this. He
meant what he said when he said that he didn't expect to be
forgiven. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try to re-earn that trust.
Even with the knowledge that Kiryu may break things off in the end,
Majima would give his best effort to deserve the right to stand by his
side again. Maybe not as lovers, maybe not even as friends. But as
men. As colleagues. As someone worth the presence of Kiryu
Kazuma, if nothing else.

Eventually, Majima found himself in front of a local motel. It was
nearly eleven at night, and Majima's aching feet told him just how
long he'd been wandering by himself. He'd probably walked the
whole of downtown three times over by now. Fortunately, the front
desk was open 24/7, and there were plenty of vacancies. After paying
for his room in cash, Majima took the key and headed up to the

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second floor. He stopped at a vending machine for a tea, stepped
inside his room, and got comfortable. It was too early to sleep, so he
stripped down to his drawers and flipped through the TV channels.
Nothing caught his interest.

Majima's phone rang. He glanced at the screen. An unknown
number. Probably a spam call. Majima let it go to voice mail and
sipped his tea. A few minutes passed, and it rang again. The same
unknown number, though Majima noticed at it was Osakan. Maybe a
salesman calling about The Grand. Majima rejected the call and went
back to the TV.

It rang again.
Majima, frustrated, shut the TV off and held the ringing phone in
his hand. It was the same number. He hit reject and stared. For a
moment, it was silent. And then, for a forth time, his phone rang with
that very same number. In no mood for bullshit, Majima flipped it
open and held it to his ear.
“The fuck do you want?” he demanded.
“Hello, Majima-chan. Finally decided to pick up, huh?”
A cold spill ran down Majima's spine. “Sagawa...” He grit his
teeth. “How the fuck did you get my number?”
“Nice to hear from you, too.”
“I'm hanging up.”
“Wait—” But Majima snapped it closed. Mere seconds after, it
rang again. Seething, Majima answered.
“I don't want to talk to you, asshole.”

279

“You're not being fair. I gave you your space for a whole week. I
wanted to be considerate of you, Majima-chan.”

“Then consider this: I never want to hear from you again for as
long as I fucking live.”

There was a shift of ice on the other line. Majima could almost
imagine the high priced booze Sagawa was enjoying, probably on the
company card. “You don't sound happy.”

“What was your first clue?”
“I heard you went to Okinawa today on business. Did you see
Kiryu-san today?”
“You keep his name out your goddamn mouth,” Majima hissed.
“I take it that's a yes.” Again, Majima heard Sagawa drink on the
other line. “Why are you so abrasive, Majima-chan? I'm just checking
up on you. Making sure you're okay.”
“Fuck you.”
“If you'd like. I was thinking when you got back. I can reserve the
room and everything. Have it waiting for you in Kamurocho.”
Majima leaned in, sneering into his phone. “You listen to me,
fucker. And you listen good. I have no interest in seeing you again.
Period. You got lucky last time, but I ain't about to fall for this shit
twice. You seem to think that just because you caught me at a low
point you have some kind of power over me? Let me tell you this
now. If I ever see you in Tokyo, if I ever see you in Okinawa, hell, if I
ever see you anywhere outside those ten fuckin' blocks of Sotenbori
ever again, I will not hesitate to slice you like cheese in the middle of

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the goddamn street.” No witty comeback this time. Majima didn't
even hear Sagawa take a sip of his liquor. “Are we clear, asshole?”

Finally, he spoke again. “You're sure?”
“Damn right I'm fuckin' sure.”
Sagawa sighed. “In that case then... It was nice while it lasted.
Maybe one day you'll change your mind.”
“Not fuckin' likely.” Without even a proper goodbye, Majima shut
the phone with one hand, stuffed it under his pillow, and turned the
TV back on. His phone didn't bother him again for the rest of the
evening.

◈◈◈
As the sun rose over Morning Glory, the household stirred for
another beautiful day in Okinawa. It was Sunday, so the kids were
unburdened by school. Breakfast on the weekends was always a
hassle, but Haruka (with the help of the older kids) always seemed to
manage to feed everyone. But that morning, as she handed out
plates of eggs, she noticed that one plate stayed on the kitchen
counter, untouched. Haruka glanced at the wall where Kiryu's office
lay. She hadn't seen him all morning. Setting her own breakfast aside,
Haruka walked Kiryu's plate of eggs to his door. She listened for a
moment, but heard nothing inside. Maybe he was still asleep?
“Uncle Kaz...?” Haruka knocked. Still, no answer. She pried open
the door and looked inside. Kiryu was awake, laying flat on his futon
in only a pair of sweatpants. His mind was elsewhere, one hand
between his head and his pillow, which was propped against his wall.

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In his free hand, resting on his chest, was a lit cigarette. Though the
ashes half way down the smoke indicated he hadn't exactly been
paying it much attention. He didn't even notice Haruka's presence
until she walked in and made herself known. “I made you eggs, Uncle
Kaz.”

“Haruka...” Kiryu sat up and snubbed out his cigarette. After
which, he grabbed a paper fan and tried desperately to clear the air.
“Ah, sorry. I didn't realize what time it was.”

“It's ok.” Haruka put the plate on the table and knelt in front of
him. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Huh? Oh.” Kiryu nodded. “Yeah. I guess I'm just a little tired.
Didn't sleep well...” Haruka furrowed her brow, giving Kiryu a once
over with scrutiny. Kiryu blinked. “What?”

“Are you sure that's all it is, Uncle Kaz?”
“Yes.”
“Are you one hundred percent sure?”
“Haruka...” Kiryu put his hand on Haruka's head. “I promise you
I'm okay. Thank you for the eggs.”

◈◈◈
“The next flight to Hong Kong is now boarding in terminal 23.
Please make your way to terminal 23 for the next flight to Hong
Kong.”
Coming from the tarmac, Majima walked through the airport with
all the urgency of a Buddhist monk. At least being back in Tokyo
meant that there were plenty of distractions from his guilt. What

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little he retained from the meeting in Okinawa lead Majima to
believe that Daigo would mobilize his men quickly to jump on
whatever land deal the Tojo Clan had their sights on next. Which
meant that things were probably going to get dicey for the Sixth
Chairman if he wasn't careful. Land deals were always more
complicated than they ever needed to be.

As Majima headed outside to the pickup area, he checked his
phone. He'd texted his boys to pick him up around noon when his
plane got in. Maybe he should take the rest of the day off? Go grab a
hot bath and a drink, start fresh tomorrow? That sounded just fine to
him. He had only just started thinking about where to get a cocktail
when a car screeched its way through the airport pull-around.
Majima stood up straight and alert as the black car skid to a stop
right in front of him. The driver got out, sweaty and frantic, and put
Majima on edge.

“Boss!”
“What happened?”
“I-it's Nishida, boss!”
“Nishida?” Majima got into the car, and the driver followed suit.
Before the airport authorities could chase them down for speeding,
they were out of there and onto the highway. “What happened to
Nishida?” Majima demanded. “Where is he?”
“That's just it, sir! No one knows!”
“The fuck does that mean?”

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“He went to collect on a small debt for the family, and hasn't
come back. He's been missing since last night!”

Majima glared. “He's not the type to be late... You think he got
caught up in something?”

“We think he's been kidnapped, boss.”
“Kidnapped? Why?”
The driver pulled an envelope from the front seat and handed it
to Majima. Inside were photos. Not unlike the photos of their debtor
a few weeks ago. The subject was Nishida. Bound and beat to hell, he
was tied to an external pipe system. The kind that were outdated in
older, crumbling buildings. Unique, but not enough to pinpoint on
the spot.
Majima flipped through the photos, until he found the final
picture. The inside of an office. It wasn't remarkable by any stretch of
the imagination, but Majima knew that office anywhere. Because it
was an office that used to be his.
“Turn around.”
“What?”
“We need to go to Osaka.”
“Sir?”
Majima leaned forward, gripping the seats, and hollered: “When I
say jump, you say how high, you get me!?”
“Y-yes sir!”
“Drive to Osaka! Now!”

284

Frantically, the driver sped off the highway, went across the
bridge, and started heading west. As he drove, Majima pulled out his
phone to call in the cavalry, when an incoming text stalled his hand.

12:35
Come alone or he dies.

Majima grit his teeth. Stuck between a rock and a hard place,
Majima snapped the phone shut and focused on the road. That, and
what he was going to do to that bastard Sagawa once Majima got his
hands around his fucking neck.

◈◈◈
“Aniki!” Rikiya's voice rang out as he and Mikio stepped in
through the front door. Haruka was there to greet them, and Rikiya
turned his attention to her. “Hey, lil sis. Thanks for calling us. He still
in bed?”
Haruka nodded. “He hasn't moved all morning.”
“He's not sick?” Mikio suggested. Haruka shook her head, and the
two yakuza exchanged worried looks.
“We'll go talk to him,” Rikiya promised. He and Mikio headed to
Kiryu's room, and Rikiya knocked. “Hey, Aniki! We're coming in!
Excuse us, please!” He opened the door and they looked inside. Kiryu
was at least sitting up now, but the trail of cigarettes and empty beer
cans said plenty about his current state. He sat cross-legged on his
futon, elbows on his knees. He didn't exactly seem pleased to see the

285

pair of them, but he didn't kick them out, either. “Hey, Aniki. How're
you feeling?”

Kiryu's brow knit firmly over his nose. “What are you doing
here?”

Rikiya and Mikio sat at the table. “In truth, Haruka-chan called us.
She said she was worried about you, and wanted to see if we could
come help.”

“I'm fine.” Kiryu pulled out a fresh cigarette, and, he noticed, his
final one. He lit it and leaned against the wall to smoke.

“Well if you're fine...” Mikio offered, “then why have you been
sitting here in the dark all morning?” He gestured above them. “Your
light isn't even on.”

“I have a hangover.”
“Oh...” Mikio glanced at Rikiya, and then continued. “You... you
want us to get you some coffee? There's a great place that just
opened up—”
“No thanks.”
“Well—well how about a little fresh air?” Rikiya suggested. “A
nice ocean breeze might clear your head. Make you feel better.”
“No.”
Rikiya rubbed his head. “Come on, Aniki. Your kids are worried
about ya. At least tell us what's up, huh?” Kiryu said nothing, and
closed his eyes. Mikio edged a little closer.
“Aniki...” he began carefully. “Were you... dumped?”

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Kiryu's eyes snapped open in a glare that shook them both to
their core. Rikiya, acting quickly, shoved Mikio's head down in
apology, his own doing the same. “He didn't mean that, Aniki! Please
excuse Mikio, he's an idiot!”

“That's right!” Mikio echoed. “I'm an idiot!”
Kiryu sighed, lessening his glare. “No... it's all right.” The two
lifted their heads, and Kiryu finished his smoke. “I wasn't... dumped. I
mean. I was almost dumped. But now I...” Smoke between his first
two knuckles, he pinched his nose with his thumb and ring finger. “I
don't know...”
Mikio leaned in. “So you were?”
“No, he just said he wasn't,” Rikiya corrected.
“But he almost was.”
“Yeah, but he wasn't.”
“Aw Jeeze, my head hurts.”
Kiryu leaned over and put out his last smoke. It wasn't doing
anything for him anyway. “I got cheated on,” he finally said. That hit
the boys like a ten ton nuke, and the stared, slack-jawed in shock.
“What?!” Rikiya demanded. “Are you shittin' me, Aniki!? You got
cheated on? You!?”
“Boy she must be one dumb broad to cheat on our Aniki!” Mikio
announced. “Aniki is a pinnacle of manliness! How stupid does a
woman gotta be to leave him in the dust?!”
“Pretty damn stupid!” Rikiya agreed. He slapped his own knee in
a show of manly support. “Don't worry, Aniki. There are plenty of

287

girls out there for you! Why, if you need help scopin' 'em out, me and
Mikio would be happy to take you out on the town, wouldn't we,
Kyodai?”

“That's right!” Mikio nodded dutifully. “We'll take you out, and
pretty soon you'll have all the girls crawling at your feet!”

“And the drinks are on us!” Rikiya continued.
Mikio paused. “Wait, they are?”
Rikiya ignored his friend's worry for their pocket books and
leaned forward with a righteous scowl. “Or maybe you wanna go get
the guy who moved in on your girl? If this was back in Tokyo, we'll
happily come with you. Nobody disrespects our Aniki and gets away
with it.”
“Yeah!” Mikio chimed in. “Nobody steals your girl, Aniki!”
“Majima-san is a guy.”
Both Rikiya and Mikio froze, mid smile. They looked at each other,
as if to verify that the other heard Kiryu correctly. Kiryu stood,
revealing that he had at least put on proper shorts, and grabbed a
loose shirt from the ground. Throwing it over his shoulders, he
walked out of his room, through the threshold of the house, and
down towards the beach.
It took a while for Kiryu's eyes to adjust to the sunlight. It was
ungodly bright, but Kiryu didn't need to watch where he was going.
Once the land had sloped enough, Kiryu plopped down, his feet
lingering on a cool wet patch of sand. Sea foam was just starting to
tingle at his toes, and he felt anchored, at least a little bit. For a

288

while, he was unbothered. Until he heard the crunching of Rikiya's
shoes approach from behind.

“Can I join you?” he asked. Kiryu nodded, and Rikiya sat next to
him. They looked out into the ocean together, watching the sunlight
dance on the waves. “I'm sorry that happened to you,” Rikiya finally
said. “It sucks, no matter what. You don't deserve that kind of
treatment.”

Kiryu propped himself on his arms, closing his eyes. “Sorry,” he
said. “Haruka shouldn't have dragged you two into this.”

But Rikiya waved it off. “Nah. She's worried about her Uncle Kaz.
And she has every right to be. Heartbreak is no joke, Aniki.”

Kiryu flashed a smile for a brief moment. “Yeah.”
“So?” Rikiya wrapped his arms around his knees, and caught
Kiryu's attention. “You mind if I ask what happened?”
Kiryu sighed. “He came to Okinawa for business. He tried
breaking up with me last night, but something was wrong. I pressed
and... found out the truth.” He closed his eyes. “I don't really know
what went on in his head when it happened. When we fought... he
kept talking about how he couldn't rise to my standard or something.
I still don't know what he meant.”
Rikiya paused, mulling it over. “I think I do.”
Kiryu opened his eyes and looked over, taken aback. “You do?”
Rikiya nodded. “Yeah. When I first saw you, all I could think about
was how scary you looked. Back when I thought you were just here
to mess with us, I was so terrified at the idea of trying to run you out

289

of town. But I had to put on a brave face, you know, for Mikio.
Couldn't let him see his captain shaking in his boots. And then I got to
know you.” He smiled, kindly. “Aniki... I don't think I've ever met
anyone like you, yakuza or otherwise.”

“What does that mean?”
“Look at you, man. Look at the kind of stuff you do.” He gestured
behind him. “You left the Tojo Clan to come to a little nowhere part
of the world to raise a bunch of orphans. Even after we tried chasing
you out, you stuck to your guns, because it was what was best for the
kids. Not to mention, you had every right to beat both mine and
Mikio's skulls in, but you didn't. You might have one hell of a
terrifying exterior, Aniki, but you've got a good soul. It makes a guy
want to rise to your level. Makes a guy want to be... I don't know.
Better?”
Kiryu turned back to the ocean. “It's... not on purpose,” he
confessed. “I just do what I think is right.”
Rikiya nodded. “I know,” he said. “That's what makes you 'aniki,'
Aniki.” They sat in silence a little while longer. Rikiya sighed and laid
flat on the sand, hands behind his head. “Look, I've never met the
guy. So I can't say for sure what was going through his head. And
don't get me wrong, this ain't me defending a cheater. But... I can't
imagine dating you. Because no matter what I did, I don't think I'd
ever feel good enough to be by your side.” Rikiya poked open one
eye open. “You think he mighta felt that way, too?”

290

Kiryu didn't know how to answer that. He watched as a little shell
washed up by his foot. It was a beautiful, bone white spiral, with
flecks of pink and blue in its creases. As Kiryu watched it, tiny legs
spouted from its opening. The hermit crab within scuttled away, and
dug deeper into the wet sand, closer to the surf.

◈◈◈
Majima was out of the car by the time they were at the outskirts
of Sotenbori. Without a word of explanation, he pumped his legs as
fast as they could carry him down Shofukucho Street until he
managed to find a bridge to carry him to the north side. He knocked
down his fair share of passersby, but didn't bother sticking around to
apologize. The sun was setting over the river, and the lights of Osaka
were just starting to blink alive.
Crossing the Bishamon Bridge, Majima had to practically leap
over some toppled garbage cans until he arrived at the front door to
The Grand. It was too early to open yet, and when Majima tugged at
the front doors, he found them locked. A broken window would
cause too much police attention, so he went around to the back.
First, he tried the door to the kitchen. That also wouldn't budge.
He took one scan around him, and when he was satisfied that no one
was looking, kicked the door with all his might. The lock snapped
from the door frame, and Majima rushed inside. The kitchen was
bare. Not even a prep cook was around, getting ready for the
evening. It only confirmed Majima's suspicions. Sagawa had closed
The Grand for the night so that he could get Majima alone.

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Majima rummaged through a drawer and found a carving knife.
Sliding it into his breast pocket, he left the kitchen and walked out
into the house. “Sagawa!” he thundered. His voice echoed against
the wide walls of The Grand, now so eerily quiet and dark. Not even
the service lights were up. Majima seethed, spinning back and forth.
“Sagawa, you let the poor bastard go!”

A gentle creak caught his attention. He spun around and spotted
a door on the stage, barely ajar. If Majima remembered correctly,
that door lead to the cellar for instrument and costume storage.
Majima kept his hand ready at his knife's handle and carefully made
his way to the stage.

Once at the door frame, he gently kicked it. No gunfire yet. There
was a light dangling at the bottom of the steps. Majima moved quiet
as he could, all his senses on high alert. Once he reached the bottom
step, Majima looked around. Among the furniture under tarps and
the instrument cases cluttering the corners, there was no sign of
Sagawa. But in the very back of the cellar, chained to a water pipe,
was Nishida. Gagged and bound with gnarly bruises all over his face.

Majima stalled and spun around the cellar, sliding the carving
knife from his jacket. “I know you're here, fucker,” he growled, slowly
making his way to Nishida. His captain, just coming to, suddenly shot
up at the sight of Majima, and mumbled frantically against the duct
tape on his mouth. “You think I won't burn this place to the ground,
you're sorely mistaken.” Again, no answers. When Majima realized it

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was getting him nowhere, he hurried to Nishida's side and started
untying him.

“Jesus... I'm gone for one day and you get yourself captured.” He
yanked off the tape, making Nishida cry out. But before he even got
so much as a “thank you,” Nishida snapped his head up, wide-eyed.

“Boss, behind you!”
Majima turned, his knife out and ready. Before it made contact,
Sagawa's wrist stopped it dead on, and a painful prick broke the skin
on Majima's neck. By the time he realized Sagawa was injecting him
with something, it was too late. A powerful dizziness overcame him,
and like a lead weight, Majima collapsed to the ground, out cold.

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Chapter 6: ticking clock

The first thing Majima was aware of was his breathing. Nothing
else about his body was really turned on quite yet, so he focused on
that. His lips were cracked, and his throat was dry. His tongue tasted
like cotton. He tried wiggling his body, but could barely get his
muscles to twitch. Feeling anything other than his own weight was
also a bit of a challenge, although the more he focused, the more he
began to notice little things.

He was laying down. He thought? Yeah. He was laying down. He
definitely wasn't sitting or standing. The air was cold. Was he naked?
No, those were his pants, for sure. Shirtless though. Did he fight
someone? He felt sore enough. But not “just got my ass kicked” sore.
More like “coming out of a drug coma” sore. Majima got a bit of
movement in his fingers, and managed to shift his wrists. His hands,
he noticed, were behind him. And as he tried moving his arms, he felt
something sharp and uncomfortable dig into his skin. Cold... metallic.
Handcuffs? Majima tried pulling with a little more power behind it.
No dice. They were handcuffs, without doubt.

Eye still closed, Majima tried lifting his head, but felt something
else fight against that, too. This wasn't metallic, or cold. But it was on
good and tight on the base of his neck. Something on the front of it
jingled, and Majima could smell the distinct scent of good leather.

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“Nng...” A moan managed to crawl out of Majima's lips and he
finally cracked his eye open. All around him, the world was a blur of
reds, blacks, and browns. Everything was more or less a vague shape,
rather than anything he could really identify. But he did notice a light
source, and perhaps even a chair. The more he focused, the more he
realized that it wasn't just a chair, either. But someone sitting in it.

“Good morning, Majima-chan. Sleep well?”
That voice. Majima tried lifting his head, but it was heavy.
Focusing his eye wasn't any easier. And his mind, foggy and slow,
took some time catching up to everything that had happened. The
man in the chair stood to his feet, and Majima could make out faint
details. A suit. A narrow frame. Dark hair. A name came to the
forefront of Majima's mind.
“Sa...Sagawa...”
The blur finally clearing, Sagawa Akito smiled as he leaned
forward, admiring Majima's predicament. “How are you feeling?
Those tranqs are a doozy, or so I hear.”
“Tranqs...” His tongue was having trouble forming words. He
racked his brain for everything that had happened. Nishida... Nishida
had been in danger. Majima drove to Osaka. Why was he in Osaka...?
That's where Nishida was. Suddenly, it all came rolling back. The trap.
The threat. The bait. The needle. Majima wanted nothing more than
to bite off Sagawa's fucking nose, but could barely move an inch. It
seemed that whatever Sagawa pumped him with was still going
strong in his system. It was impossible to say how long he'd been out,

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but long enough to be where he was. Speaking of, Majima took a
better look around him.

He was on a bed, stripped down to only his trousers. The room
itself looked like some kind of champagne room. Not something
Majima would have greenlit back in the eighties, but things were
different now. Majima had no doubt that the girls under Sagawa
made a few extra bucks by escorting their customers to a private
bedroom. Which would explain all the red and black décor. Sexy and
modern.

Majima again tried lifting his head. He got a few inches before
something pulled. The diamond collar was tight around his nape, and
attached, Majima realized, to a hook over the headboard.

Majima fell back into the pillow, the world teetering like a boat.
“Bas...bastard...” he breathed.

Sagawa chuckled. “Don't push yourself, Majima-chan.” He ran the
back of his fingers down the front of Majima's face. “It'll be a while
until you work that stuff out of your bloodstream. By then, I'll have
another dose ready for you.”

Majima sneered as best he could. He forced his eye to stay in
focus so that he could get a good look at Sagawa's smug face.
“What... did you...” He flinched, trying to move his arms against the
cuffs behind his back. “Did you...?”

It took a moment, but realization dawned on Sagawa. “Ahh,” he
said, putting two and two together. “Did I take advantage of this...
situation?” Majima let his fingertips trail down Majima's bare front,

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making his muscles twitch. Before he got to Majima's waistband, he
stopped.

“No,” he answered, taking his hand away. Instead, Sagawa tilted
up his chin, running his thumb over Majima's chapped lips. “Believe it
or not, I'm not that kind of a man. What fun would it be if you were
asleep? It'd be like fucking a corpse, wouldn't you say?”

Majima grit his teeth. But before he could wheeze out another
insult, a flash of light caught his attention. He lowered his gaze to
Sagawa's lapel. A family pin sat in its button hole. It took a moment,
but Majima recognized the sigil. “O-Omi...”

“Ah.” Sagawa eyed the pin on his front. “You noticed that, did
you?” Majima had so many questions with no power to ask them.
Fortunately, as Sagawa sat on the edge of the bed, he seemed more
than prepared to elaborate. “Wondering why? After all, they did kill
my uncle, didn't they?” He took out a thin cigar from his breast
pocket and stared at it in the lamplight. “Ojisan was a fool.” He
clipped the end of his cigar, bit the other side, and lit it. With a deep
inhale, Sagawa leaned back on one hand.

“I could lie and say I was forced into the Alliance. Ojisan left me
The Grand on the condition I join up. Something about continuing his
legacy.” He pulled the cigar from his lips and held it up, watching the
tip burn. “But to be honest... I joined because I wanted to. Running a
high end cabaret backed by one of the biggest crime organizations on
the western seaboard?” He chuckled. “I'd be an idiot to pass that

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up.” Sagawa eyed Majima, who hadn't moved much since awakening.
“You were just an added bonus.”

Majima pushed against the bed, trying to sit himself up. Sagawa
pinched the cigar between his teeth, and gently pushed Majima back
down into the pillows, firmly keeping him where he was.

“I'm telling you,” he said, “you need to rest. You don't have the
strength to fight those tranquilizers, Majima-chan.” Sagawa brushed
away strands of hair from Majima's face in a way that was almost
tender, had the circumstances not been what they were.

“I have to say,” Sagawa continued, “when your assignment came
up, I was delighted to volunteer. Considering my uncle's time with
you, I think I might have gotten the job even if I didn't. I like to think
it was fate.”

“A...sign...ment...?”
“Yes.” Again, Sagawa pet back Majima's hair, admiring his face.
When he was done, he sat upright and enjoyed his cigar. “Kamurocho
Hills. Your little pet project, Majima-chan. It's caused quite a stir
among the elites, you know. Now, that war was a nasty bit of
business, and the Omi Alliance has admitted defeat. But Goda Ryuji's
miscalculations were only a few pieces to the puzzle. There are still
ways for the Omi to get footholds into Tokyo.” Sagawa pulled his cigar
away and leaned over Majima, toying with his hair. “And that's where
I came in.
“The plan had two options. Take Kamurocho Hills from you by
force, or...” Sagawa leaned in, and without the strength for Majima to

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fight back, kissed Majima's temple delicately. “Persuade you to give it
up.”

Majima's anger, bit by bit, was starting to burn through his haze.
“You... were ordered... to sleep with...?”

Sagawa chuckled. “'Ordered' is a bit of a strong word here,
Majima-chan. That was more of a benefit than anything else.”
Sagawa's fingers laced through Majima's hair. “I didn't lie about
wanting you, you know. As a matter of fact, I nearly botched the
whole thing if your man hadn't come in to save the day.” Sagawa
sighed and leaned back where he sat. “I'd like to think I had more self
control than that. But it's difficult to contain myself around you.”

Majima mustered up his strength to speak again. “Kiryu... chan...
is gonna... fuckin...”

Sagawa's face went dark. “Yes.” He took a long smoke of his cigar.
“Kiryu-san was a bit of an unexpected obstacle. I'd heard rumors, of
course, but nothing concrete. Lo and behold, there you were, arm in
arm with the Dragon of Dojima himself.” His brows knit and he folded
his arms.

“I knew I needed to be delicate. Pry you away just enough to give
in, and then establish a rapport. It was going to be a slow process,
and I needed to be patient.” Though his face was calm, there was
fury in his eyes as he gazed down at Majima. “And then you had to go
and end it between us. Do you know how much that hurt, Majima-
chan? You forced my hand.”

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Majima twitched. His top leg shifted and fell to the bed. It felt like
a hundred pound lead weight. “Fuck...fucker...”

Sagawa stood, casually tapping out his cigar ashes on the bedside
tray. “Now there's only one option left.” He rounded to Majima,
eyebrow cocked. “Blackmail.”

Majima coughed out a laugh, which was pitiful at best. “With...
what...?” Majima winced, grinding his wrists against the cuffs. “My
driver... will call for... backup... any... second...”

“Oh?” A devilish smile crossed Sagawa's face. “You mean the
driver I hired?” Majima's eye widened. “You really need to pay more
attention to who's actually in your family, Majima-chan. It doesn't
make for inspiring leadership.” Sagawa smoked a little longer,
watching Majima struggle to the best of his ability against his binds.
“Now then. What to do, what to do...” Sagawa lightly pat Majima's
thigh.

“I was thinking we start with the basics. Get you all nice and
feeling good. Get out the toys, and pose you for a little photo shoot.”
Sagawa eyed the end of his cigar with a smile. “Can you imagine? All
those men who respect you. Who follow your orders. Imagine their
reaction when they see their boss done up like a sex doll plastered all
over the internet?” Sagawa took a few lazy steps around the bed, as
if musing to himself. “Such a shame. And when you worked so hard
to restore your reputation after that little snaffu of 85...” Sagawa's
eyes flicked over to Majima. “But trust me. There would be no
coming back from this, Majima-chan. All your life, for the rest of your

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