by Amy Tasukada
“Yes.” Nao closed his eyes, imagining her there. Her high cheekbones and crimson lipstick, but more so the power inside her that left all under her to follow orders, even if she was a woman.
“You’re back in the family?”
“Not exactly. Sakai and Oyama decided I was unbiased and would be the best to answer the call. They’re here in the room with me, though.”
“Sakai wants to cover all possibilities. Put me on speaker. He’s probably having a heart attack since he can’t hear me.” Nao put her on speaker as she continued. “I’m sorry to hear about Father, but you’ll always have us as your family.”
“Thank you,” Nao said but felt detached from the words.
“What’s the call about?” Miko said. “I get one a month, so…”
“Yesterday, Sakai read the will. You were named the successor of the Matsukawa.”
She laughed. “A lot of good that will do in here.”
“Who should act as the boss until you come back?”
“Have Oyama take over until I get out of here.”
“I humbly accept your gracious offer,” Oyama said. “I promise to do everything I can in order to protect the city.”
Nao watched the small flash of disappointment wash over Sakai’s face before he returned to a blank expression.
“You’d better,” Miko said. “Put him on the phone so we can discuss plans while I still have time.”
“When’s lunch going to be ready? We usually would have it over an hour ago,” Saehyun yelled at the new recruit from the sofa.
The cook came into the living room. His small teenage frame reminded him of Nao, and his blue shirt reminded him of Nao’s yukatas.
“Sorry, I’m not used to cooking big meals.”
“There’s only a dozen of us here today since everyone is out getting what they can during the funeral. Usually we have at least thirty.” Saehyun shook his head. “Go make me some tea.”
“Tea. Yeah, I got that.”
The cook strolled back to the kitchen, mumbling to himself. At least Minwoo had been able to cook meals on time, and they weren’t half-bad. Lee needed to replace him as soon as Gion was over. They still needed to kill two leaders before Godfather Taejin called their debt paid. Taejin had come and gone like a phantom. Not even Lee had brought it up, but he’d been too giddy picking out the best glass for the dead godfather’s eyeballs.
With every important Matsukawa attending the funeral, it proved worthless for Saehyun to go on patrol. Not to mention the fact a dozen other yakuza members from all over Japan would be in Kyoto. He decided it was best to watch the clips of the funeral on TV and hope he could pick out the next Matsukawa leader from the news footage.
He found a program showing footage of the funeral and focused on the images. Suits, suits. Then a kimono popped into the shot, and the camera lingered. Saehyun leaned forward, as if getting closer would help validate the image.
Nao?
He didn’t even look injured. Saehyun’s heart pounded in his chest like a fired gun. Nao was still alive. They could be together again. A wide grin crossed his face. All Saehyun needed to do was reach Nao. Once the Double Moon controlled Kyoto, Saehyun could leave, and together they could both have a life away from the underworld like Nao had been able to do for years.
Lee stepped in front of the TV. “When’s lunch? I’m getting hungry.”
Lee’s complaining knocked Saehyun out of his fantasy of watching Nao pour tea for their customers.
“He’s not done yet,” Saehyun said.
“I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I miss Minwoo. Who knew that some tea merchant could go crazy like that, huh? Speaking of the bastard, is that him?” Lee pointed to the screen.
“Yeah.”
“He dresses like an idiot.”
Saehyun cleared his throat. “It’s his way of keeping the old traditions alive.”
Lee plopped down on the sofa. “You sound like his bitch. You’ve hung out with that Japanese too long if you can recall all the crap he told you.”
Kyoto was a place of history. Even if in two weeks, its underworld would switch hands from Japanese to Korean control, Saehyun would make sure the switch went unnoticed by the average citizen. To them it would remain the heart of Japan.
“Hey.” Lee punched Saehyun’s arm to get his attention. “You still think the jjokbari is hot enough for your dick that he’d come if you call? We can get him back for what he did.”
Saehyun’s throat tickled with insults to sling back at Lee, but he watched the screen in hopes of another glimpse of his lover.
“Have they announced the next person in charge yet?” Lee asked.
“Should happen after the service. They still haven’t started.”
The news broadcast switched to a different story. No longer able to catch Nao in a frame, the rumbling returned to Saehyun’s stomach.
“So it’s Sakai or Oyama, yeah?” Lee said.
“Unless they want to surprise us.”
“Aren’t you glad I got Miko out of the picture for you?”
Saehyun rolled his eyes. “Two of my teams followed their movements since the start.”
“Good. So we should plan a double attack to get them both at once. We’ll cut off so many heads, the Matsukawa will be unable to grow back. Those Japanese with their…”
Lee’s rant continued, but Saehyun ignored it. He could contact Nao tonight then arrange the attack on the next-in-command. In the battle, he could fake his death and take Nao with him. They could live together without Godfather Taejin thinking Saehyun was on the run. It would be the best approach, since there was no guarantee killing Oyama and Sakai would topple the Matsukawa.
Everything fell to Nao, however, and Saehyun had called and knocked on Nao’s door at least five times a day. Saehyun shook his head. He was such an idiot for not piecing together Heejun’s plan sooner.
“Those stupid fuckers,” Lee continued. “They’re going to pay for how they treat us. Taking an island that’s rightfully ours and then their prime minister parades around war-criminal graves like they’re fucking saints—”
A knock on the door was the only thing that ended Lee’s speech. Saehyun breathed a sigh of relief.
“Cho!” Lee yelled more into Saehyun’s ear than to the kitchen. “Damn it. That’s right. He’s dead. Saehyun, get the door.”
“Why do I have to get it? Make the cook do it.”
Saehyun wanted to stay by the TV. He needed to know when the funeral ended so he could reach Nao.
“Your Japanese tainted our drug supply. So you answer the door.”
Saehyun stood with a sigh. He tried to keep an eye on the news as he walked to the door. His breath caught in his throat as he looked through the peephole. It was Taejin. In one smooth motion, Taejin tugged the silver chain on his vest and pulled out a pocket watch. Clicking it open, he glared right through the peephole back at Saehyun.
“I said answer the damn door!” Lee screamed.
What Saehyun wanted to do was barricade every door and window in the house, but he knew Taejin would find a way in somehow. How many times in Osaka had Saehyun woken to the moans of the headquarters settling, only to find Taejin standing there watching in the darkness?
Taejin grinned, putting his pocket watch away. “The longer you make me wait, Saehyun, the worse you’ll be begging for your release.”
With a quivering hand, Saehyun unlocked the door. A voice inside him begged him to stop, but Saehyun had no choice but to let the wolf in. Taejin stepped inside, looming over Saehyun like a dead tree with a purple bird’s nest for hair.
“Are you two so desperate for money you couldn’t hire someone to answer the door?”
“We’re shorthanded at the house.”
Taejin bent down, his nose centimeters away from Saehyun’s, forcing hi
m to stare into those burnt-bronze eyes. Each tick from the pocket watch scorched Saehyun’s ear like the warmth of a freshly fired gun.
“Heejun said your Japanese fuck gutted your house workers then used their insides to taint your drug supply.” Taejin’s breath itched Saehyun’s ear. “Found a Japanese as messed up as you?”
“Taejin, you came to visit?” Lee said, coming into the entry.
“I’m only here to make sure you two don’t get any ideas to run away from our little agreement.”
“We wouldn’t think of it. We got the Matsukawa by their balls. Now we have to castrate them.”
Taejin chuckled, pulling away from Saehyun and following Lee toward the dining area. Saehyun’s heart beckoned to find Nao, but with the wolf in the house there was no way he could escape. He met the other two in the dining room. The soft murmur from the TV added background noise throughout their conversation.
“We could hire more people if we got more drugs,” Lee said.
“And when you can pay me for a new shipment, then you can get some. I don’t believe in charity.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Once we finish the Matsukawa off, we’ll take their funds.”
“Good, because the only way I would stop hunting you down would be when I held your corpses in my hand.”
The cook brought out the pot of tea Saehyun had requested, enough cups for all three of them. Lee poured the tea. Saehyun took his and drank. Bitter and oversteeped, it tasted like shit. He missed Nao.
“You two are doing pretty well for yourselves.” Taejin held the teacup. “I can’t remember the last time a yakuza boss was killed by someone not in his own family.”
“Oh, is there another person for lunch? I only made two dozen dumplings,” the cook said.
“What do you mean two dozen?”
“I was going to go to the store to get more ingredients, but I was already running late.”
Taejin turned to Lee. “Who’s training this kid?”
“We had to rush training for a lot of the recruits.”
Taejin stood, glaring at the cook, and signaled for him to follow. Saehyun grimaced. He knew what was coming, and with a full view of the kitchen he would be witness to it all.
“How long have you been the cook?” Taejin asked, leaning beside the stove.
“I only started a few weeks ago.”
“When did you come to Japan?”
Taejin lifted the lid to the dumpling pot as the recruit talked. Steam wafted up, and Saehyun couldn’t look away. Taejin grabbed the pot in one hand and threw the steaming water on the recruit’s face. His screams pierced Saehyun in a way violence never had before. He thought back to the pachinko parlor manager and the way the man had screamed when he’d broken his knees. Saehyun cringed.
Taejin grabbed the recruit in a hug, restraining his arms from his blistering face.
“Next time I’m left waiting, I’ll have Korean.” Taejin licked the recruit’s ear. “Now, get out and don’t return until you’ve brought enough food back for everyone.”
The recruit ran off. There was no way he was coming back. Another cook needing to be replaced, and with no cash flow that would be difficult. Half their recruits had already left after not being paid for two weeks.
Taejin turned back to Lee and Saehyun. “Less than two weeks now. Don’t worry. Once you take over Kyoto, you’ll have my full support like all the other mafia factions. But this fight belongs to you two.”
“We’ll prepare a room for you,” Lee said.
Taejin laughed. “I’m not going to stay in this dump, but I’m keeping my eyes on you both. The Osaka police are coming down hard, but I owed you, and I settle my debts. You’ll pay yours soon.”
Lee smiled. “I assure you, Saehyun and I will happily add all of Kyoto to Korean control.”
The television grew louder, switching to live coverage after the funeral. The Matsukawa walked out, and all Saehyun could see was the somber look on Nao’s face.
“He’s their new leader.” Taejin pointed at the screen. “He looks more concerned than anyone else. You know who that is?”
“That’s Oyama,” Saehyun said. “He mostly hangs out at a boxing place.”
“It would be easier to get him at that teahouse,” Lee added. “You know the layout there. He might blow off steam sometime after the funeral. We can attack immediately.”
“You have to get your hands dirty, too, Lee,” Taejin warned. “If you’re attacking, then take the other head off at the same time.”
Saehyun stood. “I like that idea. We can get Oyama and Sakai at the same time.”
Taejin grinned, his smile sending a shiver down Saehyun’s spine. “Seems perfect. Saehyun can do the teahouse while Lee attacks Sakai.”
Saehyun took another sip of the tea. The bitter taste was more from breaking his promise to Nao than the fact that it was oversteeped.
“I’ll get going on scoping Sakai out.” Saehyun stood. “He’s big on his office. I’ll talk to the team to get a watch on it and his home.”
Saehyun headed toward the door, trying to not look at Taejin.
“You’re leaving?”
“I want to get a jump on this. Give me a call if something happens.” Saehyun stepped out the door and sighed with relief. He pulled out his phone and searched through the contacts to get to Nao’s number. He called but received nothing… again.
He looked up from his phone, and there was Taejin standing a few feet away. He grinned and took the few steps to Saehyun. Saehyun’s heart jumped in his throat and stopped.
“You know the lock on your back door is compromised,” Taejin said.
“Yeah you won’t believe how expensive it is buying a new lock.”
Taejin pushed Saehyun to the wall. Taejin leaned one hand on the wall, and the other went straight to Saehyun’s crotch.
“Did you miss having my cock so much that you found a Japanese one?” he whispered in Saehyun’s ear. “He might’ve fucked you good, but you know I can do it better.”
“We don’t have time for it right now,” Saehyun said.
The tension built in Saehyun’s stomach as Taejin continued his unrelenting tease.
“Don’t be silly, Saehyun. Twenty minutes is all we need. Just a casual fuck, like old times.”
All Saehyun wanted was to find Nao and keep him safe from Taejin. If Saehyun didn’t play along like he would’ve back in Osaka, Taejin would begin to realize how much Nao had changed him.
“Don’t you dare think I’m swallowing.”
The gray of the Kyoto night went unnoticed by Saehyun, his attention fully on his phone. He swallowed, looking at Nao’s number. He turned back to the group of twenty clustered around him. Their faces were unrecognizable between the shadows of the buildings. They were strangers, and Saehyun wanted nothing to do with them. Instead, his gaze fell back across the street to the familiar sign hanging above the latticework doors and finally to the sign that read Nao’s Tea.
“Boss?”
“What?” Saehyun yelled.
“Is it time already?”
Saehyun exited the contact screen in his phone and pulled up the photos they’d gotten of the Matsukawa. He pushed the phone to the shadows, allowing those around him to look at the image.
“This is Oyama. He has to be snuffed out today. So get a good look at him. He’s the one that knocked off Hiro and everyone else who disappeared. Tonight is the night we get them back.”
“Can we go now?”
“We’re waiting for the other team to set up.”
He shook his head and pressed his lips together then walked away. Did they even know who Hiro was? He scrolled through the phone contacts until he reached Nao’s. He called, pleading inside for Nao to answer. It rang over and over again and went unanswered, like all the other times. He wanted to warn
Nao to get out. To leave the teahouse so they could run off together and not have to deal with the fighting anymore. Saehyun closed his eyes. Why wouldn’t Nao answer?
Saehyun’s phone lit up when he received the text from Lee, who was leading the attack against Sakai.
Two minutes.
In two minutes they would strike, a double-pronged attack so no one side could warn the other. It was a perfect plan, and if Nao would answer, Saehyun wouldn’t care what happened, because the person he had been destined to meet would still be safe. They could start life together. He was breaking his promise, though, and as each second passed Saehyun felt less like the man Nao deserved.
“Here. From what I know, Oyama will probably be in the back, one of the mahjong players,” Saehyun said, still staring at his phone.
He should call again, but his last call had gone to voicemail, and that was thirty seconds ago. He was running out of time. They were running out of time. The others would attack, and all he needed to do was run inside and protect Nao. Then they could escape together.
One minute.
“Fan out. Get ready for my call. Since Oyama’s in back, that team will have to strike first. Once you hear the shots fire, the front team can go. Remember, most people in front are average customers. Fire only if they resist.”
“But Lee said—”
“I don’t care what Lee says. He doesn’t think long-term. If we start knocking off average people, the police will get involved. Try not to shoot the customers. Front team, that means you’re there more for crowd control than anything else.”
The members nodded, and Saehyun’s phone brought up another text. Bang Bang :)
“Let’s go!”
Saehyun stayed back, getting the other Double Moon members inside before him. It would be a bloodbath, and Saehyun was the only one wearing a bulletproof vest. The first shots rang out, and Saehyun came into the room. Oyama threw over the mahjong table, tiles flying in the air as he reached for his gun. Saehyun’s heart pounded in his chest. The Double Moon was more prepared, all firing at once. Screaming came from the front, and shots were fired as well.