by Amy Tasukada
Saehyun had told them not to fire. Why were they doing it, unless Nao had pulled a gun on them? Saehyun had to get to him. More shots rang out, and before Saehyun could take another step closer to the kitchen, everything went silent.
Then the murmur of people talking in Korean filled the space.
“We’re all good in here!”
Saehyun nodded. “Go check and make sure every Matsukawa is dead. Shoot them again if you have to. Then we need to get out of here before the cops show up. I’ll deal with the civilians. We don’t need any souvenirs. If Lee is a success, we’ll have no one left to send them to.”
Extra shots were fired into the Matsukawa’s heads, but Saehyun didn’t care. He ran through the kitchen and to the tearoom. His eyes widen. Blood was everywhere. Nao had to have ducked behind the counter. He was smart enough not to get in the line of fire.
“Why did you kill the civilians?” Saehyun yelled.
“They wouldn’t get down once they heard gunfire.”
“The police will want someone to blame for this shit!” Saehyun grabbed the collar of the nearest member. “Are you willing to take the blame, because I’m sure as hell not!”
Saehyun pushed the man away. He fell on one of the bodies.
“Sloppy! All of you are fucking sloppy.”
Saehyun turned over their bodies, searching for a yukata. Nao had to be safe. He had to be all right. Sirens echoed in the distance, but he needed to find Nao so they could leave together.
“Come on, boss. Let’s go.”
Turning over another body, Saehyun slipped on the blood. He slammed into the floor, the civilian’s lifeless eyes staring at him.
“Nao!”
“Boss, come on.”
After staggering to the tea bar, Saehyun lifted himself up to look over the edge. A yukata. Indigo blue like the one Nao wore.
It was him. Saehyun would recognize that indigo yukata anywhere. He needed to get Nao to a hospital. They could save him.
Saehyun pulled his body over the edge and tumbled down to the floor. He reached out to Nao, grabbing the edge of his bloody yukata. The sirens grew louder.
“I didn’t want this. I’m so sorry.”
“Boss, come on!” Three of the underlings grabbed Saehyun.
He struggled and punched one of them in the eye, but the others grabbed his limbs.
“He’s dead! All of them are dead!”
Rain clouds gathered as the sticky humidity leached through the windows to the inside of the Matsukawa headquarters. Nao’s spoon floated on his ramen while he focused on a piece of paper and the notes he’d scrawled across it while talking with his tea broker earlier in the day about the milk oolong. A sample was being sent over for him to have an official tasting. Comparing it with his others in the teahouse was next on his checklist. Once the festival was over and the Koreans stopped…and Saehyun…
Nao closed his eyes. Saehyun was part of all the mess. Why couldn’t he stay inside like Nao suggested?
The dozen syndicate members from Osaka and Tokyo crowded the space. Their mumbling for more tea woke Nao from his memories. At Oyama’s request, they’d stayed to help guard the city. The house was filled. Nao had surrendered his private room to help hold them all. He stayed out of their affairs and helped the underlings prepare dinner in order to keep himself busy.
“You’re one of the Matsukawa, aren’t you?” one of the Osaka syndicate asked. He was thirty-something with copper-colored eyes.
Nao opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Could he be so numb that even his vocal cords were frozen?
“No.” A Tokyo member spoke for Nao. “He’s the old boss’s kid, Nao Murata.”
“Ah, so you’re Murata’s son. We heard of your viciousness even in Osaka. Oyama said you skinned two of the Koreans alive. Sakai has you serving tea now?”
Nao hid behind a sad smile, not sure how it managed to get there. He had no reason to explain even if he could.
Tokyo whistled, though the look in his eyes made all of Nao’s nerves fire warning signs. “Skinned them alive? Damn. But you did that in Tokyo a few years back. So it was nothing new for you.”
It was time to go. Nao stepped away from the table, but Tokyo grabbed his elbow. Nao gave a light laugh, but the grip on his arm only increased. He was stronger than Nao. While Nao was swift, Tokyo’s muscles bulged out of his button-down shirtsleeve.
“Funny thing, I count ten fingers on your hands.” Tokyo glared at Nao. “I was under the impression you would have nine. You see, your father sent one and said it was yours.”
He grabbed Nao’s hand up to lie flat on the table. The bones in Nao’s wrist twisted under Tokyo’s grip. Nao couldn’t pull away.
The yakuza pulled out a knife and held it up to Nao’s fingers. “Maybe it’s time to fix that.”
“Oi! Some of us are trying to eat here,” Osaka said.
The Tokyo member didn’t let go. In fact, he only pulled the knife closer to Nao’s finger. His fingers wiggled against the wooden table.
Another yakuza slammed his spoon down.
“Are you seriously going to screw up everyone’s dinner because you got sent the wrong pinkie years ago?”
“He killed my brother.”
“He probably had it coming to him if he acted like you!”
Nao continued to struggle, and the Tokyo member pressed the knife against Nao’s pinkie finger. Blood dribbled out. Pain shot through Nao’s hand, and with one swift kick, the chair the Tokyo member sat on fell back. He hit his head against the floor. The knife was still in his hand. Nao’s memories of his past took over. In that moment he no longer cared about hiding parts of himself away. He was in full control. He walked over to Tokyo and stomped on his hand until it surrendered the blade. Nao kicked the knife away, but Tokyo jumped to his feet and planted a right hook to Nao’s jaw.
The punch rattled through his head. But Nao also saw where the knife landed. He ran to it and picked it up. Tokyo would pay for what he’d done. Nao kept the knife low as he ran, knowing that making a show of it would only alert Tokyo.
Four others saw and grabbed Nao’s arm while three went to restrain Tokyo. Nao held tightly onto the knife, but with enough hands forcing it free, it slipped from his grip and onto the floor.
“Chill out, man.”
Nao pushed away from the others and walked to the kitchen, where he washed his hands underneath the water. A Matsukawa underling there was cleaning up the dishes from the meal.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be gone after a few days.” The underling gave Nao a reassuring smile. His heart-shaped face looked too sweet for someone in the yakuza.
“Yeah, we could use their help to carry out Oyama’s attack on the Koreans’ safe house. We’re going to get them.”
The house phone rang, and Nao stared at it until the underling picked up the line.
“Sakai wants to talk to you.” The underling handed Nao the phone.
Nao’s eyebrows scrunched together. When would Sakai ever want to talk with him?
“Hello?” Nao said.
“Why aren’t you answering your cellphone?”
Nao had forgotten about the device since the funeral. It was probably dead somewhere in his shared room.
“Your teahouse was raided.” Sakai’s voice was flat. “The police want you here to check it out.”
Nao closed his eyes and thought of yoiyama. The teenaged Koreans he’d slit open, allowing their insides to spill onto the drugs. He could push it aside again as he had before with Shinya, he could walk the Philosopher’s Path and drown the memories under tea. Yet could he drown them when his teahouse was tainted? He swallowed, but it didn’t help his dry throat.
They pulled up to Nao’s teahouse. Police were dotted about, their clean and crisp white gloves directing people away. The whole area was taped off. Nao stepped out o
f the car and walked over to Sakai, dark blood seeping through a thick bandage on his head.
“They attacked you too?” Nao asked.
“Yeah, but I held them off, and they ran when they heard the sirens.”
“What happened here?”
“The Koreans killed Oyama while they attacked my house.”
Nao eyes widen. “Oyama is dead?”
“Two hours ago, according to the police.”
“Is this—they did it here?” All of Saehyun’s promises were fake.
Sakai shook his head. “You don’t want to go in there.”
Nao ignored Sakai’s warning and stepped into the teahouse. The police called him after him, but he could barely hear him over clogged ears.
The entry was a mess. Tables were turned over, and blood splattered up the walls. Various chalk outlines of bodies were all over the place. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling out large clumps. They fluttered like the last of Nao’s hope.
“How many?” Nao asked.
“Six died, but about a dozen are injured.”
Nao drove his nails into his arm. He couldn’t help but recall what Saehyun had said, that he would make sure the teahouse was safe from all of that mess. But at that moment, the only place he could return to after the fighting was over was tainted. His tea house was bathed in blood, and it was Saehyun’s doing. Saehyun didn’t care enough about him to keep his teahouse safe from the attack.
He wanted to walk the path to clear his head. Even if it was late at night, it would be his first walk since the funeral. But it would not be all right. He would be reminded of Saehyun.
He rubbed his eyes, feeling them water. After the Matsukawa carried out Oyama’s plan, Nao was going to return to the teahouse, where he could forget about Saehyun. With his teahouse a bloody mess, he had no future left.
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of this,” Sakai told the police detective.
“This is a bit different. A lot of citizens were involved, so we can’t look the other way.”
“We gave you the tips on the floats.”
“And we thank you for that.”
Sakai shook his head and tapped out a cigarette while Nao ignored the rest of the conversation and continued to wander while the detective in charge was occupied. A huge blood stain flooded the back of the tea bar. In fact, tea was everywhere, cans spilling open. Nao crumpled up the tea card the funeral director had given him. Nao didn’t want to ask who had died. It didn’t matter—the waiter, the cook: he’d allowed them all to die.
Nao pulled Sakai away from the detective.
“What do we do with Oyama gone?” Nao’s voice came just above a whisper.
“I’ll act as temporary leader until we can get word to Miko. I’ve started to work on the backup plan as it is.”
“We haven’t even done Oyama’s plan.”
“We’re getting killed out here. Not to mention how much this will cost. We’re going to do the backup plan and negotiate.”
Nao sighed. Father hadn’t called for help because of pride.
“So you’re doing the backup plan now? Going to let Kyoto get carved up like all the other cities in Japan? I can’t believe it.”
“People are dying.”
“All the more reason to fight.” Nao’s voice shook. “Miko would never agree to it. And Oyama’s plan can still work.”
“Even he knew we needed a backup plan. We’re trying to get the violence to end. And the police need to be in our corner. I called the Double Moon leader already and discussed the treaty details. It’ll be over soon, and the city won’t be a bloodbath.”
“Believe me.” Nao clenched his teeth. “It’ll be over with soon.”
In a way Saehyun could understand why Nao would walk the Philosopher’s Path to stay calm. The looming trees and gentle flow of the water trapped in the canal trapped all of Saehyun’s thoughts. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. If only each step didn’t remind him of the man he loved.
No matter how much Saehyun wanted to, he couldn’t escape what he’d done. He turned back and headed for the train station. It was four in the morning, and Saehyun could maybe get a few hours of sleep before the meeting with Lee and Taejin.
“Not wearing any kind of disguise while going out? That’s a bit sloppy.” Saehyun jumped at Taejin’s voice.
“Well, they haven’t caught me yet.”
Saehyun shrugged, and Taejin joined him by his side.
“Your picture’s plastered all over Osaka. And then the cops here? Such temper.”
“Why are you out here so early?”
“Making sure you don’t run. Though you were running circles all night. Who were you looking for? That Japanese?”
“Thinking of our next move.”
“That’s what the meeting’s for. You’re getting excited?” Taejin grinned. “We can wake Lee when we get back.”
They walked back to the safe house. At least when the whole mess was over with, Saehyun would get paid enough to get his own apartment. That, or in two days he’d be in a jail cell. At least then he would only have to share a room with one other person until the Japanese government tied a noose around his neck.
Taejin woke up Lee while Saehyun brought out a Kyoto map. The five wards controlled by the Double Moon were outlined in red with two large stars. One of the stars was at the Matsukawa headquarters, and the other was somewhere in the business district deep in Japanese territory.
“Could we wake up the cook?” Lee yawned. “He could make us something.”
“You were a good cook,” Taejin said to Saehyun. His cool tone curled every hair on the back of Saehyun’s neck. “But you’re far from scrubbing toilets and cooking meals for the syndicate, aren’t you? You have Lee to thank for that.”
He had Lee to thank for dragging him into the mess his whole summer had been. He had Lee to thank for meeting Nao and then destroying their relationship by kidnapping him. For making him hit his lover’s teahouse, only for Nao to get shot in the crossfire. If he was any more thankful to Lee, he’d rip those ugly dreadlocks out of his head and shove them down his throat.
Saehyun shook his head. Two days before the end of Gion was no time to think about giving Lee a new hairstyle. He grabbed a sandwich—tomato and cheese. It was pathetic. They needed to find a new cook.
Taejin cleared his throat. “We were discussing your future, Saehyun.”
“Lee and I still have two days. There’s no need to turn us in yet.”
“Be warned, I always hold my end of an agreement. I won’t take you two to the Osaka police until the last festival of Gion has ended. Lee’s made a few calls while you were patrolling last night.”
“Really?” Saehyun raised an eyebrow. What kind of plan would that coward come up with?
“I contacted Sakai.”
“Are you going to frame him like the Matsukawa underboss? They won’t fall for the same plan twice.”
“No, no. Nothing like that. Let me finish.”
Saehyun watched Taejin. He looked bored with the whole conversation, waiting for them to fuck up so he could move on to his next little project to take over the next Japanese city.
“I offered the Japanese a treaty. They give us six wards, so they’d keep other five.”
“Yeah, sure, that sounds fine.” Saehyun nodded.
Taejin laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Fine for Heejun, since he’ll take over when you two are brought into the police. The agreement we had was that you guys take over all of Kyoto. Or did you forget that already, Saehyun?”
“That’s why we’re going to hit them here.” Lee tapped the Matsukawa safe house on the map, then the other star. “And Sakai’s office.”
“That’s a public building.”
“Yeah, we have a fall guy set up to pretend to sign the treaty there, then we
shoot him.”
“Is it the new cook?”
That one not only got a laugh from Lee but also Taejin. Yet it was Lee’s finger on the Matsukawa headquarters that bothered Saehyun. It was a suicide mission. Well, it wasn’t as though taking over Kyoto wasn’t one as well. Taejin’s agreement with Lee was only a four-month extension of their lives.
“We’re attacking the Matsukawa’s headquarters?” Saehyun tapped the star on the map. “That’s asking for death.”
“Full and complete eradication of every Matsukawa,” Taejin repeated. “You kill Sakai and everyone that calls that headquarters home. I’ll call it a done deal. You two then have full control of Kyoto as another faction of the Osaka branch.”
“Sounds fair enough, Saehyun?” Lee smiled.
“So I’m going alone with my team into that mess?”
“Of course not, Saehyun.” Taejin grinned, and his eyes locked on Lee. “Just because Lee’s a coward doesn’t mean he forgoes equal responsibility for taking over Kyoto.”
Lee’s mouth dropped, exposing even more of his lunch. Saehyun couldn’t help but grin. That was news for Lee, and for once, Saehyun could envision a noose around his neck too.
Lee cleared his throat. “Of course, Taejin.”
“It might be better if you don’t hand him a gun, Saehyun. He’ll do less damage that way.” Taejin laughed. “Weapons aren’t your strong point, Lee, but Saehyun’s not doing this alone.”
“So when does this plan go down? Tomorrow or the next day?” Saehyun asked.
“The treaty is being signed tomorrow at six in the morning. The office staff isn’t supposed to be there yet, according to Sakai. We should lead a dual attack like we did with the teahouse.”
“Making me get up early, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Saehyun stood, the chair squeaking against the wooden floor. “I should start on the plan, then, yeah, get a few people down there to see if we can get some kind of map of the place.”
A melody played over Saehyun’s phone, and he reached into his pocket.