#nagano sake

[myjapan-me]

Yoshinoya Sake Brewery, Nagano, 2

[sharp7datwikk]

信州の地酒品評会 - 2024.08.31

この日は、『長野県のご当地グルメに合う信州の地酒品評会』へと足を運んできました。 全国で2番目に日本酒の酒蔵が多い長野県なのに、こういった催しがこれまでには無かったということが、不思議。　そう、今回がこれ、初開催でした。　例えば白米にはお茶、例えばパンには紅茶かコーヒー、そんなより自然に相性の良い組み合わせを好む人間からすれば、こういった相性を問うようなイベントというのは、もっと開催されていていいと思うんですよね。　って、この想いは『唎酒師』を取ってからはより強くなっているのですが・・・・・・。 ともあれ、初回のイベントをたっぷり満喫しようじゃないかと会場となった『深志神社…

[keydiary]

無量山　純米大吟醸

ボーミッシェル

Muryouzan

Beau Michelle

[ctl-yuejie]

nagano - spring

[tenjiiku]

1995 / i do

6k words

masterlist | next

“I’m never going to trust a man ever again! Never! Never in a million years!”

A woman wails to two of her friends in an empty ramen shop during a chilly Winter night in November. Said ramen shop was aptly named Minano Ramen, a few miles away from Minano Station, Saitama. Said woman had no correlation to the location (as she was a bona fide country-bumpkin, hailing from somewhere in Nagano), nor to the type of provisions being sold at the aforementioned ramen shop (she was in a committed relationship to whole wheat and everything which came from it). Still, her company grounded her — which is why said woman, Amaya Bando, persisted under such shoddy circumstances.

You, being one of Amaya’s closest accomplices, gently pat her back as she lounges across half of the dining table. Her blouse was an utter disaster, and her hair was in an even more uncanny state of disarray. Being as you were sitting in the stool next to her, you were in charge of physical comfort for the night: The Good Cop. Your friend, the owner of the family-owned Minano Ramen shop, Umeko, was overseeing the harsh, motivational talks — as she was across the counter from both of you, wiping down dishes to close up for the night: The Bad Cop.

“Amaya-chan, you will sprain a muscle exerting yourself like this,” you coo, ever-so-softly, gently running a hand through the woman’s chestnut coloured hair.

“So be it! It will just be another tragedy added to the list that is my life! What is one more, anyway!?”

“You’re turning red,” Umeko coolly interjects, passing a glass of ice cold water to the hysterical young woman, “calm down before you burst a blood vessel.”

Amaya, sniffling, finally lifts her head from the counter. She is, indeed, flushed in the face. Her nose is an almost violent shade of burgundy — and she blows it once more in the handkerchief you hand her. Your brows furrow and your lips pout. You did not like seeing your friend like this, even if she currently resembled a spider monkey.

“I just thought—,” a gulp of water, an exhausted moan, “I just thought Sota would—would be the one, you know?”

“For fuck’s sake— he made you pay on the first date. I’m glad he left you.” The Bad Cop chastises.

“You deserve someone so much better, Maya-chan,” The Good Cop consoles.

Amaya’s eyes fill with tears. She opens her mouth — presumably to resume shrieking — but nothing leaves. A few seconds pass just like this, her mouth gaping and her teardrops escaping her eyes to fall on her flushed cheeks.

“You think she’s paralyzed?”

“Umeko— you… don’t say that. She’s upset.”

“Over Sota…”

“Yeah, so?” Umeko shoots you a look which screams ‘Are you serious?’ which makes you snort and murmur a quiet, “What?”

“Sota.”

“I know Maya-chan’s ex-boyfriend’s name, Umeko.”

“The man with the receding hairline. Who made our dear Maya-chan take the bus home — knowing he had a car — from their first date. Which she paid for, by the way.”

Amaya chokes and you jump at the sound, gently patting her back and shooting Umeko a stern glance. Umeko only snatches the napkin you scrunch in your hand away from you and walks away into the back, presumably to throw it out. Or leave you and Amaya to your lonesomes. That too was a possibility.

“Why do you care so damn much about who and who didn’t pay on the first date?!” Amaya hollers, suddenly gaining the strength of twenty bulls when being on the receiving end of Umeko’s cold indifference.

Before you can interject, the woman is already returning to the bar, hot on her heels. You open your mouth — but, like Amaya, excluding the frenzy — nothing falls out.

“That should have been a sign! No good man would have taken you on such a shitty date. And what do you do? Call him an hour after you return home and tell him you had a good time! A good time! Your socks were soaked from the downright torrential rain for god’s sake!”

“Umeko—”

“Yeah?! Well— I—I’m a nice woman! Unlike you! I—I see the good in people. And Sot—So—… whatever-his-name, he—he did many good things after!”

“Amaya—”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Ume—”

“He—He bought me flowers! Took—Took me on other dates that he—he did pay for, by the way! Since money is everything to you!”

You sigh shakily into your cup of coffee and lean your cheek against your palm, grinning when you receive a message notification on your phone.

>> (19:00) Where are you?

“Yeah, he bought you chrysanthemums! You’re allergic to chrysanthemums! He basically tried to kill you!”

“Why—Why are you so mean?!”

“Why are you defending the man who dumped you to be with someone else?!”

A silence befalls the shop after Umeko’s last statement. The two women engaged in the for-some-reason argument recline into themselves. Peering up at them, you shake your head before sending a reply to the message you received moments ago.

>> (19:02) Minano’s. Witnessing Ume and Maya in a brawl. Got off work?

“I think we can all agree here that Sota is the real McCoy of dickheads. And I think we can also agree that Amaya is much too beautiful and kind hearted for half of Earth’s population — and that Umeko can use Benadryl.”

A huff escapes Umeko’s lips and she runs a hand through her dyed yellow-blond hair. Amaya snorts a laugh, snot escaping her nose and the last of her tears pouring from her eye. You squint a little at the sight, and take a tissue from the rusted napkin dispenser to hand it to her.

It is a peaceful quiet for a few seconds. Then Amaya asks, her voice strained with a hint of pure amusement tinted between, “What the hell does being the real McCoy mean?”

“The saying originates from Elijah McCoy. Quite a famous inventor in the late 1800s, owned many patents after a bunch of dupes followed his name.”

Umeko guffaws at your statement. She looks at Amaya. “Can you believe she’s the one in a committed relationship between the three of us?”

You snicker and smile smugly to yourself, with Amaya letting out a chortle of her own. She sighs, scooting her stool closer to yours to rest her head on your right shoulder. You pet her cheek with your left hand, the other holding your phone open.

“Where’d you find such a man like Rin?” Amaya sighs gently, nuzzling into the sherpa of your coat.

Umeko sets down the last bowl on the counter before leaning against it, elbows propped up as she sneaks a glance towards your phone screen. She leans closer, seemingly also wanting to know the answer.

“Find? They’d been attached to the hip since university. If anything, he wouldn’t leave,” Umeko teases. You grin shyly and shrug your shoulders, careful not to exert the gesture and disturb Amaya’s newfound calmness.

“Yeah,” you murmur, “I just got lucky.” Turning towards Amaya you lightly pinch the fat of her cheek, “It’s about to run out. I can feel it.”

The low lighting of the bar sets Amaya’s piqued expression so naturally — it was as though it were her instinctual reaction to everything.

“You’re just a perpetual pessimist. I’d be willfully ignorant and quiet if I were you. Evil eye is a thing, you know.”

“Since when did you become so spiritual?” Umeko retorts.

“Since my ex stole ¥11,000 from my shoebox and left without sparing so much of a goodbye in the middle of the night.”

Umeko and you still for a few seconds. It is so silent you can hear the bellowing of the snow outside the shop. Then, Umeko murmurs, very quietly, “The hell? You never told us that. That’s a crime.”

“It’s fine… he left his Grand Seiko watch.. I bet it will fetch a good price.”

You grin and Umeko huffs. “Good girl, Amaya.”

The chime of the door opening alerts the three of you. Though the closed sign was turned, the establishment remained unlocked. No one had ever dared come inside when the patio lights were off. At least, not until now. The sight of the person at the door, however, pains a pleasant smile on your face. You hop off of the stool, not without a groan from Amaya who has to resume laying on the cold marble of the bar table, wrapping your arms around your body to adjust your coat.

“Yo, Itoshi, we’re closed.” Umeko’s voice hollers from across the shop. Rin grins at the statement, and it grows when you approach him.

“Hello, Honda-san, Bando-san.” he greets formally, taking your purse with his free hand and adjusting it to fit into the crook of his elbow, where his briefcase rests. The side of his mouth lifts as he looks down at you — adjusting the collar of his peacoat.

“It’s Amaya, Rin-kun. A-ma-ya.” The half-drunk woman slurs into her mug of beer. You shoot Rin a teasing smile, making him apprehensively run a hand through his hair and loosen his wool scarf — a bright neon pink colour — which you bought him as a joke years ago, but for whatever reason he wears consistently through the cold season.

“What are you doing here?” You whisper to him as Umeko and Amaya argue on the latter’s alcohol tolerance — or, lack thereof. You place your warm hands on his cheeks, turning his face left and right as you look for any imperfections.

“I was in the neighbourhood. I thought you knew?”

Rin murmurs in the low voice you like so much — the one that leaks in the bedroom. Your eyes widen and you look up, meeting his roguish gaze. You subconsciously cross your legs and shyly adjust your hair and pencil skirt, looking down at your sore feet clad in heels.

“I—I didn’t think you were this close.”

And he really was not. His office was a good twenty minutes away from Minano Station, by train. Thirty, if you consider the harsh Winter blizzard and Friday night traffic. But if Rin Itoshi was anything, he was your overzealous lover.

“I wanted cheesecake,” he says, so casually deflecting your onslaught of guilt. It never hits you. He never lets it.

You laugh at this softly, shaking your head. He leans into your one hand that still cups his cheek and you can feel his smile against your skin.

“Your hair is a mess.” You mutter, bending down to meet his eye.

“You look very pretty.” He replies instantly, making you flustered all over again. Rin has gotten better with pouring out compliments in recent years. It still takes you aback each time you are the receiving end of them.

An obnoxious cry breaks the two of you out of the daze you find yourselves in. You turn to find Amaya glaring at you with disgust, then looking towards Umeko.

“Blah! If you both are going to be in love and whatnot, please do so with a five kilometre distance away from me.” She utters and Umeko resumes to bicker with her regarding what constitutes as too much beer to consume in one sitting for a four foot one woman in her late twenties.

Rin looks at you, confused. He bends down a little bit, to accommodate for the strain you put into your neck. You feel the side of your mouth twitch. You can practically see his tail wagging.

“Breakup. Sota is an asshole.” You explain. Rin hums.

“I never liked him. He tried getting me to invest in Worldcom. Its trajectory is not looking good.”

Amaya, still listening in on your conversation and tuning out Umeko’s incessant lecture, sits up as straight as a brick.

“What? So Sota’ll lose money?” She inquires.

Rin sighs, taking his hand to rest around your shoulder and nodding. “If he still holds, definitely.”

Amaya makes a sound between a choke and a laugh and simultaneously claps her hands. She leans back in her chair and you quickly step forward to catch it — Rin being pulled with you.

“Umeko-chan, keep the celebratory drinks coming!” The woman cheers loudly, chugging her empty mug and presenting it to the tired woman across the counter. Said woman sighs exasperatedly — turning her gaze to Rin and yourself.

“You two should leave. Amaya is an obnoxious drunk and I don’t want to ruin the eve of your 30th birthday.”

You giggle at this, and turn your eyes to Rin. You ask him mentally — “Should we?”. And he gives an answer by positioning your purse and his bag — “We should.”

“Alright. Maya-chan, drink responsibly.” You murmur, placing a kiss on Amaya’s temple. She hisses so you take a step back. You nod towards Umeko. “Umeko, take care.”

“Yeah, yeah. You better send us photos of the celebration tomorrow.” She answers, furrowing her eyebrows when Amaya raises her mug and slurs gibberish on simultaneously wanting to be loved and to be a cat.

As Umeko ushers you both out, the door chimes softly, signalling the end of the raucous camaraderie. The cold night air greets you once again as you step onto the snowy streets, your hand held tightly in Rin’s. Neon lights cast ephemeral shadows on the white canvas beneath your feet, creating a surreal ambiance. Rin’s touch provides a comforting anchor in the quietude of the night. The city, wrapped in its wintry silence, seemed to only amplify the tenderness exchanged.

“You’re so warm…” you whisper to Rin.

“Am I?” He mumbles, his voice deep and smooth. It sends shivers up your spine, “You’re making me incredibly nervous, dressed like that.”

A wind blows by. You blame the sudden gust of cold for the sudden rigidness you find yourself experiencing.

“Rin…” You mumble, hiding your face in his forearm.

He only laughs, and stops walking when the two of you are under a street lamp. Opening your eyes, you find him in front of you — looking as though you have a treasure he desires. He takes your cheek in one hand, caressing your cheekbone with his thumb. You lean into it, placing a kiss against the expanse of his thumb, and you giggle when you see a sudden redness develop on his face and earlobes.

“I love you.” He murmurs, leaning down to capture your cold lips with his warmer ones. You sigh, content at the warmth and the fluttering feeling travelling up and down your frames

When the two of you part, your whisper to him — a want, a need, something you have never received from anyone before. Until him.

“Never leave me.”

When Rin smiles, you know you are safe.

“Always.”

.

.

.

Five minutes after you arrive home, you vomit the contents of Minano Ramen Shop in a spectacularly violent fashion. In the quaint washroom you currently are in — still in your work clothes and with Rin in his half undone peacoat — resides two toothbrushes in a Miffy cup Rin bought for you for Christmas, a poster of the album cover of The Bangles, All Over The Place which the two of you found venturing small thrift shops in the corners of Shinjuku and pencil marks on the door frame — measuring your height for the last two years, bi-monthly (you have only grown half a centimetre. Rin has grown five.)

“Oh, love.” Rin mutters, holding your hair back as you clutch the toilet seat for dear life. You cringe at the smell, tear up and sniffle, then resume emptying the contents of your stomach — unwillingly, “I’m here. Let it out.”

Rin is very patient. You hang your head low, tears soaking your face. You do not want to see what you look like in the mirror. Probably anything but pretty. You can sense Rin bend down onto the soft bathroom mat beside you, massaging your shoulder and running a comforting, large hand down your back.

“Are you alright, darling?”

“Yeah, I—I think,” you gag before you can finish your sentence — and continue vomiting. Rin stays with you, his gentle voice acting as an anchor to ground you.

The whole ordeal lasts nearly a minute — but it felt like one hundred million years to you. By the end of it, Rin is carrying you to your shared one bedroom as you slur your words of protest.

“I can walk, Rin. I puked food… I think. Not blood. So I’m not dying.”

“You talk too much for a sick person.”

“I’m not sick,” you say, holding back another gag when you smell the remnants of vomit on your chin. Rin lays you down on your queen-sized bed, magically pulling wet wipes from his person and cleaning your face off. It is scary how overly attentive he can be at times. You were convinced he possessed psychic abilities for the first few months you started going out. Unfortunately, to your dismay, he was simply born with an innate sense of observation skills.

“Stay here.” He orders you, like you are a wet dog. He stands from his crouched position, and you feel much too dizzy to follow as he leaves the room.

He enters with a thermometer. You grunt.

“Rin… this is ridiculous.”

Of course, he does not listen to your demands. Hooking his index finger and thumb to your chin, he gestures for you to open it. You obey, of course — because you are hoping this attentiveness of his will stay after he is done this checkup of his.

“Your temperature is fine…” He murmurs, gazing down at the device. He looks up at your tear-stained face and his lips twitch, “I will go brew some tea.”

Anyway, he is gone again — and far be it for you to divert him from his rigid mind. You lay there, roughly for five minutes. You wonder if Rin is preparing anything else for you other than tea. You would not put it past him. Something possesses you when you are left to yourself, though. It has been happening for the past few weeks. A sudden intuition or shift in your brain — it tells you: ‘Something is wrong. Something is not right.’

You don’t know what exactly drives you to take a pregnancy test. You just turn your head to your bedside table, open the drawer, and see the plastic bag from the pharmacy. You picked up medicine for your frequent headaches and nausea, but, as stated previously — something possesses you when you are left alone. And, at that moment, it drove you to purchase some pregnancy tests. Plural, because this Thing is quite persuasive and nagging.

Rin returns to the bedroom, a tray with miso soup, warm rice, a cup of jasmine tea and leftover mackerel from this morning in his hands. He does not find you there. He calls for you, with no answer.

“Honey?”

A sound from the bathroom catches his attention. He places the tray on the bedside table, coming to you.

“Darling! What are you—”

You sit on the toilet seat, your hands shaking as you hold one of the tests in your hand. Your eyes are wide, and Rin sees it before you even have to tell him. He falls to his knees in front of you, bracing you by placing his hands on your thighs.

“It’s positive, Rin,” your voice is soft and weak. You can make out the sound among the ringing of your ears, “Am I losing my mind? Are you real?”

“Y/n…” Rin’s voice is even more gone. He opens his mouth, then opens it again. You can hear the tremble in his tone, “Is this real?”

You sniffle and your voice is wrecked as you whimper out, “What? Why are you asking me? I peed on the stupid thing and now it’s saying this. You think this is a sick prank?” You lightly hit Rin at the chest with your hands, but by the fifth swing he is bracing your wrists and looking up at your tear filled eyes with a pair of his own.

“Rin…” you feel your feet grow numb, and the ringing grows louder and louder, “I’m pregnant.”

.

When you were young — you would guess around seven or eight — you had a neighbour, Sana-san, who had a new man over everyday. Or, every night. You would watch her greet them from your parent’s bedroom’s terrace — typically around dinner time. Mama never let you watch television shows around 6:00 pm, so you resorted to watching your very own live reality show.

One particular evening, when papa was working overtime, and after watching Sana-san greet a man — who looked no older than 23 — with a hug and a kiss and a smile, you find yourself seeking out mama who cuts small chunks of potato directly into the hotpot. You only reach her hip, but you manage to fetch your stool so you can reach the counter height and observe as she makes your favourite beef curry.

“Mama,” You ask as she goes to wash her hands, “Why does Sana-san have so many husbands?”

Mama makes a sound between a choke and a grunt. You see her back stiffen and her hairs stand up. She turns to you, and in the softest voice she can manage, she explains to you.

“They—They are not her husbands, kitten.”

“But I saw her kissing them.”

“Where?! Where did you see that?”

“From the terrace. Every time I feed Inari.”

The stressed woman buries her face in the palms of her hands. You tilt your head, and follow her as she gestures to you outside the kitchen. Was she upset that you housed a bush warbler, whom you named Inari? You sit on the couch, as she crouches you in front of you with her apron still on.

“Kitten…” she starts, “Listen to me, Sana-san is a… very peculiar woman. She has her own ordeals and I have mine. I only have papa and she… she chooses to have many lovers.”

“Lovers? What does that mean?”

“It’s in the name. Someone you love. They are your lover.”

You hum at the explanation, then smile widely, “I want to be like Sana-san when I grow up. She has so many of them.”

Mama’s eyes widen the size of saucers, and she clasps your hands on her own. You flinch at the sudden movement.

“Kitten!” She blurts. You tilt your head.

“What?”

“You don’t— You shouldn’t strive for that. I mean, it’s nice, you’re right — she has many… many lovers. But it is even more special if you have one true lover that will stay with you forever and ever — like your Prince Charming. Right?”

You look into mama’s eyes. She seems tense. Strange, considering most of the time she is very much composed. It must be important, then, that you take her word for this situation. Though Sana-san seemed delighted every night, you were never the early bird — so you never saw her expression when her lover for the night would leave in the morning. Was Sana-san aware that they were going to leave? If she knew, how did she manage to say goodbye? Would she even get the chance to if they left without saying anything?

The possibilities all send an unpleasant feeling in your stomach. You want to eat curry and forget about it.

“I guess so…”

And that was it — at least for the night.

The next month, you saw Sana-san for the last time. She had come over, actually. You remember mama telling you to go upstairs when the woman came. But, being the sneaky seven or eight year old you were, you managed to hide yourself around the corner of your living room. You recall seeing Sana-san sob into her hands, and mama holding her small frame. You’d never seen Sana-san cry — not like this, not in general. The woman seemed so much smaller to you at that moment. You did not know what she was crying about, until you were thirteen and were running errands with your mother when you asked in the chip aisle — casually and erratically.

“She got pregnant. Her.. partner at the time wasn’t pleased. Neither were her parents. She moved to Australia, to live with her Grandmother.”

You swore to yourself from that day forward, you would never allow yourself to ever be in Sana-san’s place — even if you had to let go of everything good in life.

.

But you were a naive thirteen year old. You acted like you were thirty at that age. Now that you are twenty nine — you are acting as though you are nine again. Maybe living with your debilitated grandmother would be better than finding out you are pregnant with snot and vomit covering your shirt.

“Y/n.” Rin calls for you, squeezing your hands, “Everything will be okay. This is… it’s all alright. At least, it is to me.”

“You’re fine with this?” You ask, and your voice is drenched in anxiety and an unfamiliar rawness.

“Of course.” Rin expresses, looking down to meet your eyes when you lower your face to avoid his, “Are you?”

“I—I’m going to be a mother, Rin.” You whimper, “You—You’re going to be a father.”

The sudden realisation hits you — and it feels like a million pounds descend on top of you, not giving you any room to breathe. You feel terrified yet ecstatic, all at once. The beginning of an end.

“Oh—Oh,” you fall into Rin’s embrace, and he holds you — all of you, the dirty bits and emotional parts.

“I’m right here,” he whispers, “I love you.”

Through your sobs and whines, you murmur a small anxiety which makes Rin laugh and you feel alright.

“I drank black coffee. An hour ago. What if they’re hurt?”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” He whispers, and you feel a wetness fall on the top of your head, “We’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.”

.

.

.

The next morning and late into the afternoon, you decide to take on the role of an interviewer, with Rin being your more than willing subject.

Brushing your teeth together in the one bathroom you have in your shared apartment, staring at each other’s features — trying to see which one falls first:

“What if—What if my feet start to swell? And my boots don’t fit anymore? I’ve heard that happens…”

“We can buy new boots, love.”

Rin, frying an egg for you on the stove as you stir your cup of coffee again and again and again with a spoon — as though your milk and espresso could be anymore amalgamated. The pigeons you shelter in the heated house you impulsively spent two weeks salary on — when you stumbled upon one shivering in the corner of the building entrance — chirping a morning melody for you in the snow-covered balcony. Brrr brrr brrr:

“Where will the—the,” your voice becomes a whisper, as though you are uttering a profanity or a strange secret, “baby,” then it returns to its normal tone, “sleep for the first few months?”

“With us, of course.”

“What if I smack their face? You know I’m a violent sleeper.”

Rin brings you your egg in one hand, and in the other, a bowl of freshly cut strawberries. He places a kiss on your forehead when he leans down towards you, “I am pretty sure there are beds for newborns we can look into to prevent that from happening.”

Standing, frozen, in the food bar of the grocery store — eyeing today’s special: sashimi. Rin directly behind you, reading the discount of chocolate chip cookies — 2 for the price of 1!:

“I am not allowed to eat raw fish. I—I shouldn’t. Well, I don’t know. Mama ate it all the time when she was pregnant with me. I turned out fine, didn’t I?”

“You did.” Rin murmurs, holding your hand but not turning around, making his arm bend in an uncompromising manner, “You turned out beautifully.”

You turn your head to Rin, then back to the sashimi, then back to Rin. You walk up next to him, and wrap your two hands around his forearm, resting your head against his bicep.

“I will eat tempura.” You mumble, and without looking, he pets your cheek as he reads the sale written on the sign.

And, the present — as the two of you sit side-by-side in your childhood bedroom, on your twin-sized bed that still has the same sheets on it as you left it (washed, you hope, if your overzealous mother remained overzealous enough):

Only a lamp is on. Its golden hue sets a peaceful tone. The window is open, the curtains bellowing at the cold Winter breeze filters through the wires. This was your sanctuary for so many years — until you left for university. You shared so many memories in this room, and now your unborn child… (Fetus? Really, what should you refer to them as at this stage? They must be not even the size of an edamame seed) resides in the same room you had your first kiss in.

You sit quietly, just like this. You can feel Rin observing you, as he always does. Except, unlike all of the other times, he gives you your space — room to act as unadulterated as you please.

Your mouth opens, and you can feel your lips tremble when you hear your mother and Rin’s laugh with one another about the wilted tulips outside, on the porch.

“I— we have to tell… our parents.” You say, your voice the quietest it has been today, “Just in case… in case anything happens. They’ll… They’ll have to find out eventually— if—if that happens, right?”

Rin has your left hand in his lap. He holds it with both of his, gently massaging the skin. He picks it up, and places a small kiss, before returning it to rest on his thigh.

“Nothing will happen. But, you’re right. We should tell them, preferably before you start to show. It would be a little… awkward if that were to happen.”

You laugh, and you cannot help but let a few tears leave your eyes. You turn your face to Rin’s, urging him to hold you. He obliges, and runs his thumb across your under-eye to catch your tear before it falls. You cannot believe how hormonal you are already starting to act. You are apprehensive on finding out how you will completely and utterly change as a woman — as a human being — for the months to come.

“Papa is out buying me a cake, right now. And his unmarried daughter is pregnant. God.” You can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Is that what you are worried about? Having a child out of wedlock?”

You snort, “Out of wedlock? What are we? In the 80s?”

“Darling.” Rin whispers, and damn him for calling you that — because he knows you like it so much, “If that is what you are worried about… it’s trivial.”

You are hormonal and cranky and pregnant, so, obviously you flip out on him over a very rational statement with no hidden undertones.

“What? How is that trivial you bastard? Are you going to be a deadbeat father— only visit during holidays and their birthday, is that it—”

Rin cuts you off — shuts you up, for a lack of a better term — with a suggestion so out of left field it almost makes you jump.

“I want to—I want to marry you, Y/n.” He starts, his voice louder than it was before, “And… And I want you to want me to marry you, too.”

For a few seconds, you say nothing. You just stare at him, as the moonlight behind you paints him in an evanescent glow. For a moment you think you are looking at an apparition from a dream. But Rin looks at you — and he looks at you with all the seriousness of a thousand men.

“You propose like this? When I look so hideous?” You say, your voice weak.

“You never look hideous. Ever. For as long as I’ve known you.” Rin mutters, getting off of your twin bed to only bend down on one knee in front of you. His hand plays with the hem of the dress you wear. He kisses the tips of your fingers, each one, looking up into your eyes.

“You—You are serious about this.”

“I am always with you. You know this, more than anyone.”

You feel your breath hitch. You feel the urge to hold him. Do something to sedate this uneasiness within you. So you mutter a half-brained statement, successfully pushing this off of you.

“You… Grandma does not even know who you are. Neither do any of my distant cousins. We—We’d have to let them know, too. Right?”

Rin pauses. His eyes widened. Your lips tremble as he cups your right cheek.

“Is that a yes?”

“I—There’s so many—There’s so many things to take into consideration—,” you start. But Rin does not let you finish this time.

“I know,” he says, voice low and you feel the thousands of pounds lift from your frame. “But is that a yes?”

.

You hold Rin’s hand as the two of you make it downstairs to the living room. You adjust your dress, and Rin his tie. You make sure to stop in front of a mirror to wipe the remnants of red off of Rin’s lips. He only smiles down at you — almost as though he is proud of the current situation.

Really. What the hell was I thinking? Having sex with my parents downstairs, in the bedroom I used to play dolls in. What type of answer is that to someone’s proposal?

“Sweetheart,” you jump when Rin’s father and yours appear from thin air. You instinctively grab onto Rin’s forearm, and his hair falls on his face when he bows to greet your father. The man in turn only holds a hand out, and Rin stands up straight again.

“Happy birthday,” Rin’s father smiles at you, holding out an envelope. Your eyes widen.

“Otousan… you shouldn’t have…”

What leads from that conversation is a lot of back-and-forth. What the etiquettes one should follow on someone’s birthday are — even those who may be close to the birth haver. Your father rehashing his thirties, with Rin’s father going into vivid detail about all of the spicy details and drama which enfolded in the University of Tokyo, where he was taking his masters.

By the time your fathers let the two of you be, your feet are already sore.

“It’s starting, already.” You sigh dramatically, and you can’t help but giggle at Rin’s expression.

“Relax, honey. My feet are just sore. I’m not giving birth at this instant.”

Rin’s eyes widen even more, and he looks around him to make sure no one is listening. He knocks his forehead against yours.

“You’ll be the death of me,” he mumbles, low, eyes flickering between your eyes and lips.

“Keep it in your pants, Itoshi.” You bite back, kissing his cheek. He places a hand on your hip, but before you can even start, a tired voice speaks up behind Rin.

“Still seeing my brother, huh?”

Rin turns and you watch his face drop. You grin and step in front of him.

“You ask that every year, Sae-san.”

“And every year I hope to hear another answer,” The red-haired man retorts. You shake your head as Rin and him start to argue amongst themselves.

Hearing a knock at the front door, you excuse yourself to fetch it.

“I’ll get that.” You say, leaving Rin and his brother to fight in your living room — you have learned you can lead a horse to water but cannot make it drink.

You were not expecting anything when you opened the door. It could be a few other family friends mama invited. You were happy and you were content. You had a loving family, a loving partner, and a cake awaiting your arrival.

But, when you turn the door and your eyes meet the man who stands there — the same as he left you — you are suddenly nineteen again, and going through the first heartbreak of your life.

“Long time no see star-girl,” he says, a nickname you have not heard in nine years.

“Yoichi…”

You were right, last night — your luck was beginning to run out.

[flagwars]

Olympic Flag Wars: Round 1

To celebrate the ongoing Olympic Games, this tournament will focus on the flags of Olympic host cities, including both summer and winter Olympics. For simplicity’s sake, I will be using the modern flags of these cities rather than the flag and country names from the time of the city’s Olympics. Not every host city has a flag, so not all of them will be included. I hope everyone enjoys this tournament!

Round 1:

1. Athens, Greece vs. Seoul, South Korea vs. Montreal, Canada vs. Stockholm, Sweden

2. Munich, Germany vs. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil vs. Sochi, Russia vs. Tokyo, Japan

3. Barcelona, Spain vs. Berlin, Germany vs. Antwerp, Belgium vs. Moscow, Russia

4. Atlanta, Georgia vs. Melbourne, Australia vs. Nagano, Japan vs. Calgary, Alberta

5. Turin, Italy vs. Helsinki, Finland vs. Paris, France vs. Sydney, Australia

6. Innsbruck, Austria vs. St. Louis, Missouri vs. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Grenoble, France

7. St. Moritz, Switzerland vs. Vancouver, British Columbia vs. Los Angeles, California vs. Salt Lake City, Utah

8. Rome, Italy vs. Amsterdam, Netherlands vs. London, England vs. Sapporo, Japan vs. Oslo, Norway

[tala-bez-i]

At first sight Chapter Twenty-Four

(m!reader x Bonten!Haruchiyo Sanzu)

Fluff/slash/reader is male/cursing/BontenTimeline/drugs and alcohol mentioned/violence/blood/death

All characters that appeared in the Tokyo Revengers manga and anime belong to Ken Wakui.

Words: 4844

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You and Sanzu sat in the backseat of the Haitani brothers' elegant car as you drove with a few men in two more cars to Sato, Nagano and Kuroda's hideout, which you had received a tip from a trusted source. Thanks to Nagasawa and Junko, you were 100% sure that the men were there, so you didn't anticipate any problems. 

Despite focusing on checking your gun and the number of bullets in each of the three spare magazines you had prepared, you listened to the excited Sanzu's story. Of course, he had already taken some of his drugs, which he seemed to only part with for sleep purposes, but he still seemed to have a clear head. 

Of course, every few minutes Ran Haitani had to tell him not to unbuckle his damn seat belt, and you managed to put it back on for him about three times, but apart from that, nothing deviated from any norm. Haruchiyo usually followed safety precautions when he rode in the front of the car with you, but it was more than once the case when he rode in the backseat. You still hadn't been able to figure out why he did this, but you suspected the tinted rear windows gave the illusion of invisibility. 

“Sanzu, for fuck's sake, behave yourself.” Ran said, now slightly irritated, looking back over his shoulder. 

“I'm behaving, what the fuck do you mean?” The pink-haired man answered him, loosening his seat belt. 

“Then behave better because there is no difference.” 

“Fuck you.” Sanzu muttered under his breath, and you shot him a warning look, which he responded with a snort and a roll of his eyes. “Okay, but it's not my fault that I'm so full of energy.” 

It was... 

“You shouldn't have taken the pills.” Rindou commented on this, looking at him in the rearview mirror. “If you screw something up…” 

“He won't screw anything up.” You interjected with a sigh. “I will be there for him. Let's stick to the plan." 

“Then... If he screws up, you'll be responsible for it, L/n.” The older Haitani said in a calm tone, and you knew exactly what that could mean. 

“I won't screw anything up.” Sanzu grumbled quietly, making a grumpy face and turned his head to look through the glass. 

“You won't. We have twelve other people with us. We will deal with Sato and his men in no time.” You said, directing your gaze to the rearview mirror so you could look at Rindou, who gave you a quick glance and a nod. 

“We don't know how many there are.” Ran reminded and you shrugged. 

“And they forget who they are messing with.” 

"Exactly." Sanzu laughed quietly, not taking his eyes off the views through the car window. “This is the night when they will regret coming out of their mothers' wombs.” 

“I'd love to push them back in there.” You mumbled and Sanzu turned his head towards you. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see his half-amused, half-disgusted expression. 

"You are disgusting." 

“We're getting there.” The younger Haitani commented and after a short while you saw an abandoned three-story building. 

The car stopped and other Bonten cars stopped near you. No one got out of the vehicles waiting for your signal. There was silence inside the Haitani brothers' car and you felt a strange shiver run down your spine. 

“So…” Rindou began, taking the keys out of the ignition. 

“Yeah, so…” His older brother cleared his throat, and you realized you weren't the only one who felt a twinge of uncertainty. 

“Let's get this over with.” Sanzu growled and got out of the car. 

“Wait…” You tried to grab his hand, but the man was faster, leaving you no choice but to follow him. “Fuck…” 

The remaining men followed closely behind you and Ran motioned for them to split up and try to enter the building through other possible entrances. You noticed that many of the windows had no glass or the windows themselves were boarded up with fiberboard to prevent intruders from entering. Who would want to sit here? 

“According to information from Nagasawa, there are two entrances, but you can easily use the unblocked windows.” Rindou reminded and you all drew your weapons at the same time to keep them at the ready, but none of you raised them. “Our targets should be sitting in one of the rooms at the back of the building on the third floor.” 

"What is this place?" You asked as you approached the main entrance. There was a roof over it, with traces of a plaque visible on it, which probably contained the name of the building. 

“Private clinic for the insane. It closed down about twenty years ago.” Rindou replied to you, focusing on the double doors. 

"Great. Why?" 

“The business collapsed when it came to light that two nurses were killing patients. They allowed them to do this for almost five years.” Sanzu said with a wide smile on his face. “Patients' well-being above all else.” 

“Harsh.” You grumbled and went inside. 

The hall of the former clinic was large and its elegance faded over time. There was rubbish and dead leaves lying everywhere, and there were lamps on the walls with peeling wallpaper, most of which had broken lampshades, but some of them were still working. 

“Shouldn't they cut off the electricity here?” You asked, looking around the room. 

“They did it, although as you can see it was enough to bypass a few security measures…” Rindou replied to you, his voice echoing further. 

“There's no guard.” He noticed Ran's contemptuous tone and looked at you with a sly smile. “Let's split up and surprise our hosts. Rindou.” 

He moved to the left, and his younger brother followed obediently, leaving you and Sanzu the hall to the right. 

“Let's not delay, Y/n. I wonder what they have hidden here.” The pink-haired man laughed, looking at you with eyes in which you saw a mad gleam. “Bring me luck again and you will receive another reward.” 

Your cheeks started to get warmer, and thoughts started to enter your head that you shouldn't focus on at the moment. You snorted quietly and shook your head, following your, at this point, boss. 

You walked in silence down the corridor immersed in semi-darkness, the echo of your footsteps bouncing off the walls. Still, no one was stopping you and you could see Sanzu becoming more and more confident. He stopped in front of a door and pushed it open with his foot. It opened with a creak of hinges and the interior of some kind of office, probably a doctor's office, appeared before your eyes. There was an old, rickety desk in front of the half-boarded window, and most of the floor was covered with scattered papers. 

Sanzu picked one up and you looked at it, peering over the man's shoulder. 

“These are patient files. Shouldn't they archive it?” 

“I don't give a shit.” The other replied by dropping the paper back onto the dirty floor. He moved on and you gave the room one last glance and followed him. 

You quickly climbed the stairs to the next floor, which seemed cleaner, as if someone had used it more often, and Haruchiyo's shoulders shook with silent laughter. 

“I guess we need to start keeping an eye out, L/n.” He said calmly and at the end of the corridor a door opened with a cracked frosted glass insert. 

You saw four of your men who let you know that the way was clear, so you moved on. Suddenly, a flash of light came through the boarded-up windows, and after a few seconds you heard the sound of thunder. 

"Wonderful weather." Sanzu joked and another cold shiver ran down your spine. 

Suddenly, you heard a few quiet curses from down the hall and the sound of something heavy being pushed across the floor. You and Haru looked at each other and moved towards the sounds. Your heart was beating faster due to the adrenaline. 

You stopped in front of another room where you heard a quiet shuffling sound and Haru looked at you. His pupils were dilated from the drugs he had taken. He put his index finger to his lips, which were twisted in a cruel smile, telling you to remain silent. You raised your gun slightly and when Sanzu kicked the door, you both ran inside. 

In the dim light that came through the poorly sealed window, you saw a figure that you immediately recognized as male. Sanzu tried to throw a punch at the enemy he encountered, but he quickly dodged it and responded quickly with the same, but the pink-haired man managed to block the incoming punch without the slightest problem. 

You attacked the figure from the other side, trying to hit his head with the gun, but he leaned back greatly, avoiding the blow again. Unfortunately, this time the character bumped into some old furniture and lost his balance for a moment. That was it. 

Your companion grabbed a dark figure by the jacket and threw it against the wall. You immediately jumped towards them and placed the barrel of the gun under the young man's chin, whose eyes almost popped out of their sockets in utter terror. 

“Oh fuck, please don't…” You heard a familiar voice and recognized the young man in the dim light. 

“What the hell are you doing here, Miyata?” You asked in disbelief, feeling your heart begin to grow cold. 

“Miyata? Yata-chan?” Sanzu said in surprise, not letting go of the boy. On the contrary, his slim fingers tightened their grip on the thief's jacket. “You should be with Madarame at his club.” 

“I… I'll explain everything…” The young man began in a tearful voice and you saw tears begin to form in his wide eyes. “I'll really explain everything, boss!” 

“Shut up.” You growled, feeling anger surge through you. "What are you doing here?" 

“A-Akira called, and I had to meet him. I…I had no choice!” 

“You work for us, not him.” Sanzu said calmly, looking at him closer. “Or maybe you were working for him all along, huh?” 

This time, Yata didn't say anything, his eyes darting from Sanzu to you and back again. 

“Mikey let you go on with your life, why did you fuck it up?” 

The young man you had grown to like looked down and swallowed hard. There was guilt written all over his face. 

"Hey!" The pink-haired man yanked him hard enough that his head hit the wall. “You've been asked a question, you little shit.” 

“Kuroda took me in once. I had no choice..." Said the boy, trying to free himself from Sanzu's grip, which he didn't like at all. 

“Where do you think you're going, huh?” He smiled and turned to you. “Boy is a fucking informer. You know what to do, Y/n.” 

“No, please Boss L/n, no!” Yata started crying, but you didn't say a single word. 

When Haruchiyo's hands let go of the traitor's jacket and the man stepped back, you pulled the trigger without hesitation. There was a bang that, as fate would have it, merged with another thunderclap, which this time struck somewhere closer and the lifeless body of Fuku Miyata fell to the floor, leaving a smear of blood on the old wallpaper. 

“And he could be useful.” Sanzu sighed theatrically, leaning over the body and shaking his head. “Don't hold it against yourself, Y/n. It's not your fault that some people are too weak and cowardly to take advantage of the opportunity once given to them to redeem themselves." 

He straightened up and smiled at you. "Cheer up. This is not the first and not the last time someone has betrayed Bonten.” 

“I take it more personally.” You replied in an icy tone, taking a tissue from your pocket and carefully wiping your face, where you could feel the wet droplets on it. When you looked at the tissue again, you saw red spots. 

"That's good. Correctly." Number two commented on it and you moved on. “I wonder what he was looking for there.” 

“I don't give a damn. Kuroda is mine.” 

“Ooh. And for what reason?” 

“Because Sato is yours and Nagano belongs to the Haitanis.” 

“Where did this idea come from, hmm?” Sanzu became interested, looking at you carefully. “I believe Kuroda rules them and I'm just behind Mikey in the hierarchy…” 

“Because he screwed up Miyata's life.” 

“Yata screwed it up himself.” The man grumbled. “You got him, Mikey gave him another chance and he blew it because he was more afraid of Akira. Kuroda is mine.” 

"Please." 

Haruchiyo looked at you dispassionately, but after a short while he sighed and turned his head to look straight ahead again. "So be it. But don't fuck with him. Get this done quickly.” 

"Thank you." 

“Give it up.” The other one grumbled and you stopped in front of another staircase. “He won more than just your sympathy. He had a few whores wrapped around his little finger and Kakucho spoke highly of him.” 

“We fell for it, that's all.” You said calmly, feeling disappointed and angry at yourself. You should have predicted that Akira wouldn't surround himself with such wimps as Yata made himself out to be. 

You started climbing to the next floor and as soon as you walked through the door, you were greeted by a sight you weren't expecting. The windows along the entire length of the corridor were covered very tightly with fiberboards, so that no light from all the lit wall lamps escaped outside. 

This floor was well-kept and there wasn't a single dead leaf or piece of trash on the carpeted floor. It was clear that you were in the right place. 

At the end of the hall, you saw the Haitani brothers walking through the door, accompanied by some of the people from Bonten who had arrived with you, and the rest of the people stood on either side of the branch that must have led to the previously mentioned back of the building. Against one of the walls lay the limp bodies of three men you hadn't seen before. Some of them had traces of blood and beatings on them, but you didn't hear any shots. 

Maybe the storm drowned them out? You saw the glint of blades in the two men's hands and realized that they were being extremely careful not to lure your targets into the corridor. 

Both you, Sanzu and both Haitanis approached the branch and the leader of the small group of men explained the situation to you. From the room at the end of the corridor, you could hear loud bursts of laughter, some shouting and insults, but apart from three people, there was no one else in sight. 

“We checked if they had any keys with them and it turned out that one guy had a whole bunch. We have checked and blocked off all accessible rooms on this floor.” One of the men, whose face was marked with small scars as if from shards of glass, spoke softly. “No additional opponents. There are some crates in two rooms that we haven't checked…” Another clap of thunder, followed by a burst of laughter at the end of the hall. “To the left there is a small warehouse made of two connected rooms. The shelves are full of some packages and bottles.” 

"Contents?" Sanzu asked calmly and the man turned his hard, professional gaze on him. 

“I suspect drugs and alcohol. Not verified.” 

"All right." 

"I'm not sure." Ran interjected, grimacing slightly. 

"What do you mean?" 

“Would they keep such valuable goods here unattended?” 

"Right." You muttered, looking at the dead bodies against the wall and Sanzu huffed in annoyance. “But then again, we don't know how many people are behind that door.” 

“Maybe they let the guards take a break.” Rindou nodded, checking his gun. “They're having a good time there.” 

Suddenly there was a startled cry that sounded like a woman's, followed by another burst of laughter. 

“Too good for my taste.” You grimaced in disgust and looked at the leader of the thugs. “Do we have any losses?” 

“None. It was an easy job.” 

“So, what are we waiting for? These motherfuckers are getting on my nerves.” Sanzu shook his head, relaxing the muscles in his neck and shoulders. “I want to go in there and fuck up everyone, including the whores they have there.” 

“Leave some for the rest.” Rindou laughed softly and Ran signaled to approach the observed door. “It's time to get down to work.” 

The closer you were to the door, the more words you heard, which were drowned out by the storm outside. It seemed like no one on the street would pay attention to the sounds of gunfire you were sure would happen that night. This will be the end. One of the problems will be solved... 

“It's show time.” Sanzu laughed and kicked open the double doors, which hit the walls inside the room with a bang. 

The heads of everyone gathered inside turned towards the entrance and any conversation or laughter died in the throats of people, both men and women. The room was quite large and well-lit by lamps that hung from the ceiling with peeling paint. 

You counted about twenty people in various degrees of undress, including seven prostitutes. It seemed like you had interrupted the orgy and you were amazed that they were so willing to have fun with each other under the circumstances. People really reacted to stress in all sorts of different ways. 

“Good evening, gentlemen... And ladies.” Sanzu greeted cheerfully, although there was a menacing note in his voice. “Sorry for the intrusion, but…” Men from Bonten lined up on either side of you and aimed their guns at the group. “For reasons well known to you, we are obliged to return the favor to you.” 

“No offense…” Ran interjected, and from the tone of his voice you assumed he was directing his words at terrified women. “I should say it's nothing personal, but your hosts know it's complete nonsense.” 

“You bastards…” You heard the voice of the man who started your latest adventure. 

“Ladies, if you want to survive…” Sanzu smiled, leaning forward slightly. “You can still change sides…” Three women started walking towards you, and two of them were immediately shot by a man in a dark gray suit who was standing right next to Sato. “Or not…” Haru finished in a surprised voice. 

"Kill them! What are you waiting for?!" The former club owner screamed, and his subordinates grabbed their weapons. 

Not everyone managed to draw it because members of the Bonten gang opened fire on them. The bullets flew in both directions, hitting not only the bodies, but also the furniture and walls, causing the remaining women to burst into uncontrollable panic, which resulted in them being caught in the crossfire and dying on the spot. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw one prostitute who managed to break through your ranks and hid behind the wall right next to the door. At least one... 

The bullet that whistled past your head brought you back to the ground and you focused on your opponents. You knocked over an empty table and hid behind it, dragging Sanzu with you, who snorted at you very displeasedly, but remained cautious. You saw Ran and Rindou do the same, finding cover behind another table. Three of your men were lying on the floor, but only one of them was still moving. His commander dragged him behind one of the couches, leaving streaks of fresh blood on the floor. 

“Kill them all damn it! What am I paying you for?!” Sato screamed again and Sanzu leaned out from behind the table, aimed the gun, squeezed the trigger and there was a scream of pain. 

“Hit.” He smiled widely at you and went back to exchanging fire with the rest of his still alive opponents. “Oh no, you're not going anywhere…” He growled, and before you could react, he was on his feet and chasing after two men who were leaving the room through a door at the opposite end. 

“Sanzu!” You shouted after him, but he ignored you, so all you had to do was shield him with your own weapon. 

“Where is this fucker running?!” You heard Rindou's voice. 

"Leave him! Don't get in his way!” Ran answered him and when you saw the bottles of alcohol that the pink-haired man passed by exploded due to the impact of the bullet that was intended for him, you jumped up and followed him. 

“L/n!” 

You ignored Rindou's calls and ran after your friend, sending several bullets towards the man along the way, who was aiming at Sanzu's back again. They all hit their mark and you ran out into the dimly lit corridor. You saw Haruchiyo disappearing around the corner and you followed him with a loud curse. 

“Sanzu!” You called out again, and when you heard the first few shots and a groan of pain, your heart sped up again. “Sanzu! For fuck's sake!” 

You came around the corner and saw the body of one of the men running from you on the floor. You stopped next to him to check if he was still alive, but as soon as your fingers touched his neck you felt wetness. You turned his body and saw that at least two bullets had hit him in the neck, causing him to die instantly. 

You wiped your hand on his suit and headed down the hall, resuming your pursuit. You saw another door behind which you heard the sound of shooting and stopped. Your first instinct was to rush inside, but you knew you could get shot or die right away, and dying was the last thing you wanted to do, so you crouched and carefully peered inside. 

The room looked like a conference room, which surprised you, but you didn't pay much attention to it. What interested you most was Sanzu, who was hiding behind the tables, his face was full of determination and focus, but as soon as he saw you out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head towards you and in his bright eyes you saw madness and indescribable joy. 

You nodded at him and moved, leaning heavily in the other direction, trying to get at your opponent from behind. 

“Akira!” Sanzu shouted and the shots stopped. "Give up! You don't have the slightest chance!” 

“For you to just kill me?!” A hoarse voice answered him. 

“You're going to die anyway!” At Sanzu's words, Kuroda laughed briefly. “Don't drag it out. You better shoot yourself in the head, otherwise I'll do it for you!” 

“I have a better idea! How about I put a bullet in your fucking head?!” 

“Nah, I'll be fine!” Sanzu laughed from the other side of the room than you saw him, and it occurred to you that he had moved, apparently trying to get to Hachirou Kuroda as well. 

“Fuck…” The other one swore, realizing it too, and you heard the tramp of feet, and after a while, several shots hit the wall and the furniture standing in the road. 

You looked out from behind the table you were hiding behind and saw a pimp standing behind a wide concrete column, who was responsible for disappearing prostitutes from the streets and handing them over to Emiko and Daisuke. 

“What did you get out of it, Kuroda?!” Sanzu shouted again. "Money? Satisfaction?” 

“You can suck my dick, you fucking dog!” 

“Not nice, very rude.” 

“We were getting girls for the syndicate, but you were paying less and less!” 

“Bullshit!” The pink-haired man growled furiously. 

“Maybe yes, maybe no…” Akira growled, peeking out from behind the column, and as soon as the bullet from Haruchiyo's gun hit the concrete, sending shards of debris everywhere, he hid again. “They paid us more to kill those whores!” 

“Who paid you?” Sanzu asked as he shot towards the column one more time. “Uchiyamas?!” 

Kuroda let out a raspy laugh and from where you sat you saw him nod. “You have no idea! Too bad you got them, and the business went bust. They were seriously fucked up and the price didn't matter to them at all!” 

“We got the whore, but the motherfucker escaped!” Sanzu said and Kuroda straightened up, quickly emerging from behind the column and hiding again. 

"You are prattling nonsense." He said more quietly, and you heard the surprise in his voice. "Seriously?" 

"Seriously." 

There was silence for a moment, then the man burst out laughing again. “You're screwed! Oh fuck, you guys are totally fucked!” 

“Huh? And why is that?” Sanzu asked a little hesitantly and in your mind, you could see the confusion written on his face. 

“Because since he escaped you and you haven't found him yet…” He chuckled. “That means he'll get to his boss!” 

“Nagano is dead!” The pink-haired man got angry, and you moved closer to the pimp as quietly as you could so as not to attract his attention. 

“Nagano was a nobody! Just like that idiot Sato!” 

“So, who is your boss?” 

“Fuck you, you son of a bitch! You will find out when he starts slaughtering you one by one!” 

“You have one last chance, Kuroda!” 

“Fuck you!” Akira leaned out from his hiding place again and started shooting at the hidden Sanzu, so you moved even closer and as you stood right behind him, Haruchiyo shouted as if he telepathically knew where you were... 

“L/n!” 

You knew that hard tone of voice and you knew it only meant one thing. Kill. 

Kuroda quickly turned towards you, purest terror appearing on his face, and without a word, you pulled the trigger, hitting the man in the face... 

*bang, bang, bang* 

Akira's limp body slid down the column to the floor, leaving a stain of blood and pieces of light goo on the concrete. At least one bullet passed through his skull. 

You stood with your gun still pointed at him and when you heard footsteps, you didn't look up. 

“Fuck…” Haruchiyo drawled, standing next to you and leaning forward. He laughed and shook his head. “Nice, Y/n. Really good.” 

You muttered under your breath and secured your gun. As you licked your dry lips, you felt a metallic taste and then realized that Kuroda's blood had splattered on your face. You grimaced and pulled a tissue from your pocket to clean yourself. 

Sanzu started searching the dead man's pockets and after a while he pulled out his phone and a small notebook. He tried to unlock the device but failed. 

“Try his fingerprints.” You crouched down next to him and grabbed one of Akira's hands. 

This time the phone was unlocked and Sanzu immediately changed the security settings so that the man's fingers wouldn't have to be cut off. 

“Do you think he was telling the truth? That about Nagano and Sugiyama?” You asked, examining your companion for any wounds. 

"Yes. I don't think this dick was lying. Nagano was a nobody and your ex’s hubby was a much more formidable character than even Akira.” Sanzu replied to you while looking through the victim's phone. “Interesting, interesting...” 

You found a larger bloodstain on the pink-haired man's collar and pulled the fabric aside. Clean, no wounds. You're relieved. 

"I'm fine." Sanzu said calmly, getting up from his crouch and putting the finds into the pocket of his own suit. “Let's go, Y/n. There's nothing for us here." 

“Don't ever chase someone again while they're still firing... Please.” You said, calmly following the man. 

“That's why you're there to defend me, L/n.” He replied to you, and you bit the inside of your cheek lightly. 

Just before the door, Sanzu stopped and turned to face you. He looked at you for a moment before gesturing with his finger for you to come closer. You did it obediently and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. 

“I like it when you worry about me like that, you know Y/n?” He said quietly and grabbed your tie, pulling you closer to him. 

You tried to look into his eyes, but they moved down your face to stop at your lips. Your heart skipped a beat as Haruchiyo brought his face closer to yours and his hot breath fanned across your cheek. You turned your head slightly and the tip of your nose brushed lightly against his cheek. 

“I love it when you follow me like an obedient dog.” His tone was playful, but you knew he was telling the truth. Your lips connected for a brief moment, but it was enough to make the blood rush in your head. “Let's go. I'm curious about the others.” 

Sanzu moved away from you, letting go of your tie and you followed him again. 

<PREVIOUS/NEXT>

[morporkian-cryptid]

Jigen changed Nisei's mind about Lupin being a thief

Originally, Nisei was dead-set on Lupin becoming an honest man. He never considered his son's desires, why would he? He's his father and he knows better. Being a thief is dangerous, and he wants Lupin to be safe. The kid already suffered enough at Isei's hands.

He started considering it after he saw Lupin's First Heist - or at least understanding how important this was to Lupin, and that he couldn't make him back down. You can see it in his (Shinobu's) eyes, that he understands.

But even understanding Lupin's decision, he still tried to keep Lup away from the drama, tricking him into going to Nagano, out the bomb's range. Maybe he was starting to accept that he couldn't keep Lupin from becoming a thief one day, but he was still doing his damnedest to stop him from jumping into the action. Even after he was unmasked, he refused to give up the information Lupin needed, even pulling a gun on his son.

And then Jigen pulled a gun on Nisei, and Nisei did a 180 and offered Lupin a chance to prove himself.

Because he knew that with Jigen by his side, Lupin would be safe.

He hadn't see Jigen fight yet, I think as far as Jigen's skills go he trusted Lupin's choice - Lupin's first heist as Lupin the Third was stealing Jigen's heart, for God's sake, even Nisei can understand what that means.

He knew that Lupin had chosen Jigen, and the moment Jigen pulled a gun on him, he had confirmation that the inverse was true too. That Lupin had succeeded, that Jigen had agreed to be stolen, that by that point he would do anything to protect his partner. Jigen would have shot Nisei without hesitation if he'd done anything to threaten Lupin. And that is what changed Nisei's mind. That is what convinced him to give Lupin a chance - not give him his blessing, no fully accept his decision yet, but to give him a chance to prove himself. Because even with Lupin's skill, Nisei would only let him go if someone had his back.

"With this kid by his side, maybe my son will be safe."

Nisei may be terrible at being a father, but he genuinely cares about his son, he wants him to be safe. He went out of his way time and time again to protect him, as Phoolan in ep. 3 and as Shinobu in ep. 5. He knew he couldn't stop Lupin from pursuing his own path (he saw Lup going to Isei's contest and didn't try to stop him, he knew that Lup was installing traps in the house and didn't tear them down). He knows he can't really stop Lupin from pursuing that path, but he's trying as much as possible to delay it. To shield him from the full consequences of his choice.

"Being a thief is a two-way street. It's not just about what you acquire. Because you always lose a fair share, too."

This was what Nisei was trying to protect Lupin from, I think. Not from the physical dangers of thievery (Lup already put himself in plenty of trouble), but from the emotional damage. From losing things, people. I don't know what Nisei lost - I'm guessing Lupin's mother, but that's more a headcanon than a real theory. Nisei wanted to spare his son that pain. But with Jigen by his side, to support him, maybe Lupin is ready to handle that pain now. (And man did Lupin learn that lesson fast.)

"Consider the Walther a little farewell present from me."

Nisei's not going to be in Lupin's life anymore (not that he was ever very present, but that's another can of worms). And he's only agreeing to let Lupin go on his own, after Lupin has proven his skill, and after he's found someone to have his back. Nisei isn't going to protect Lupin anymore. He's trusting that Lupin is skilled enough to stay on top, and that if his skills ever fail him, Jigen will have his back.

He's entrusting his son's safety to Jigen.

[kuschelkissen]

22 Koumei? (fandom ask)

Give us a headcanon for [character]

When the brothers were separated, they didn't have a lot of contact. Hiro didn't talk, and I guess writing long letters wasn't really an option at that age. So Hiro's letters were mostly short/simple.

When he started talking again, they talked a lot on the telephone, but at one point, Koumei told him that he shouldn't call that often anymore. So it went down to once or twice per month.

Now, the phone calls are something that is confirmed, I don't remember exactly where it was, I think in one the QnAs Aoyama said something along the lines of Koumei telling Hiro not to call more often than that, and I think in one of these AR Chibis Talking videos, it was also something like that ("Hey, brother, do you have time to talk?" "Ah, no, not really. (and then some idiom I don't really remember, something something distance and cherishing what is close, IDK something like that ok?)").

And while it could be interpreted as Koumei being distant and cold, I (and other fanartists out there) interpreted it as Koumei trying to keep Hiro away for his own sake. To concentrate on the friends he made in Tokyo instead of him. To move on, away from Nagano and those traumatising memories...

Hah... now I made myself sad.

[yunadx]

: / / LOADING … NAGANO YUNA / /

20020924, 07:56 AM

FELINE EMPATHY

FELINE PHYSIOLOGY

YOUR BAD LUCK CHARM

: / / LOADING … AUTHOR’S NOTE / /

hello, everyone! my name is ryan (he/him, 28+) and i’m so excited to be here with all of you. 🤍 yuna is a brand new muse to me, and i'm so excited to get to know her along with you! so, if you’re interested in plotting, please 🖤 this post and i’ll reach out to you as soon as possible. i have d//scord available by request, so lmk if that’s easier! ngl, it’s easier for me, so… there’s that! 💜

: / / LOADING … BACKGROUND / /

yuna was born in tokyo, japan to a struggling single mother.

her mom is a notorious con artist and thief, and often used these skills to provide for them; taught yuna all she knows.

they relocated to south korea in year 2016, after her mom married a man from district x that she met over the internet.

although they have a more stable living environment and their lives have improved, yuna still relies on thievery and burglary.

hates the elite; feels no remorse stealing from them.

there’s a lot of charm to her. she purposely curates a highly feminine aesthetic. does so in order to dupe people easier.

in reality, she doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks of her.

if she loves you, she’ll give you luxurious gifts. sort of like when a cat brings its owner roadkill to show them love.

she will not like it if you grab her tail; she will scratch you.

you’ve been warned.

: / / LOADING … PERSONALITY / /

getting to know nagano yuna is a tricky thing. she's not shy. in fact, she loves meeting new people and getting someone talking, but once the dive into a conversation, the other person is quick to realize that she's someone who plays devil's advocate. not everyone has the energy for that, but it's something she loves to do. loves. she will almost always question your logic, and not because she doesn't agree with you or understand it, but she wants to test it; to test you. this is something that her mother taught her to do. she wants to see if there are any chips in a person's armor. if they tell the truth, or if they lie. if their mentality is strong. she uses communication in order to form hypotheses and investigate, all while her tone is sweet and high-pitched, and she bats her lashes at you. speaking of, it's easy for her to disarm people like this. yuna's a huge charmer. she puts effort into her appearance, curating an aesthetic that's highly feminine, even if a bit goth sometimes, and speaks in a manner that's delicate, but despite this, when the moment is perfect, she delivers the sickest burns and the funniest jokes. she's a natural. one of her favorite things to do is sit in the corner of a room with a friend, take in all the people, and break down who they are; even if she's never met them. she'll create huge stories about their lives just based on vibes and instinct, and they're often chaotic and hilarious. she has the capability of making a person feel quite small. instead of huge boisterous declarations of hate though, she's more the type to whisper something brutal in your ear—jabbing you right where it hurts, digging that knifepoint in seamlessly, then twisting it. nagano yuna is a switchblade. accurate, quick, sharp. she's intimidating, but only when you start chatting with her. more often than not, you'll see the cat ears, and the tail, and her carefully crafted outfits and feel endeared. her smiles are so sweet. when she looks at you, winks, and sticks her tongue out, it's so playful and cheeky. if you engage though, you'll quickly discover that she genuinely does not give a fuck about what you, or anyone else, thinks about her. this is scary. it means she'll speak her mind, no filter. yuna's morals are rather dubious. she's a thief, for fucks sake. however, if you're her friend, and she's loyal to you, she'll take care of you. it'll be in her own ways, but she'll look out for you; bring you things she's mopped from her latest heist; give you the best, most honest advice; slice and dice your exes with words (and her claws, if you want that); cuddle up to you for affection, but only on her terms; etc. she may act like a lioness, but deep down, she's really just a cat. that might tell you all you need to know.

: / / LOADING … PLOTLINES / /

i prefer to brainstorm plots! 💜 talk to you soon!

[myjapan-me]

Yoshinoya Sake Brewery, Nagano, 1

[sharp7datwikk]

おおつき酒店 - 2024.08.15

『フランス料理 ソルプレーサ』での『お盆の鉄板焼きランチ』を堪能した後、せっかくなのでと、『おおつき酒店』の角打ちへ出掛けました。 念願でもあったのです。　なかなか、日程や時間が合わず、または臨時休業等もあって開催日に足を運ぶことができていなかったのですが、ようやくにして利用することができました。 いや、幾度となく足を運んでいて、売店利用はしているのです。　角打ちだけが適わず、念願としていたのですが、これが食券式。　どのお酒を頼むか、どの料理を選ぶか、もちろん店の采配によっての設定なので制約はあるのですが、基本的には自らに委ねられています。　今回は、日本酒は『仙禽 木桶熟成 グリーンナチュール 無ろ過原酒』・『水芭蕉 純米吟醸』・『作 陽山一滴水…

[keydiary]

眞澄　純米吟醸 辛口生一本

Masum

[mandbtravels]

Day 13 - Nagano & Snow Monkey Park

Up and out of our room for 7.30am to try our first traditional Japanese style breakfast. It had lots of small bowls that included radishes, miso soup, Japanese omelette, salmon, spring vegetables, rice, mushrooms and aubergine and pepper.

We headed to Nagano station to get the first express bus up to the snow monkey park. From the bus stop it is then took 35/40 minutes to walk to the park entrance. When we arrived it was still early ish as the monkeys were still having their breakfast in the mountains and so there were only 10 monkeys in the park. We stayed there for an hour or so then headed down to get some lunch to allow the other monkeys to come down.

At around 1pm there must have been nearing 100 monkeys in the park, they had all been fed and were relaxing either in the sun or the shade, there were so many little babies which were adorable. I’m going to do a separate post or two with the photos as they deserve to be altogether!

On the way back down to the bus stop we stopped at the farmhouse restaurant as they were advertising craft beer, we each had a pint of Snow Monkey IPA, mine was hazy and Michael’s a normal IPA, both brewed in the Nagano prefecture.

Once back in Nagano we headed to Nishinomon-Yoshinoya sake brewery, a quick run around the museum and then onto the tasting. 8 tastes from the original sake to a new type with a new strain of yeast that were made it taste similar to white whine. Finally, a plum wine that is normally made from shochu (more like vodka) but theirs was made with sake, all were delicious!

Then it was dinner time and finding somewhere that either does fish or vegetarian options was near impossible. We came across a tiny restaurant and through google translate I saw the word shrimp so we went in. There was a young couple in there who instantly came up to as and asked if we would like them to translate the menu, they were so lovely. Michael had a roast pork ramen and I had a shrimp udon with an egg and tofu in a dashi broth, by far the best thing I’ve eaten! A brilliant meal, for the food, one bottle of beer and a lemon sour it was around £15, for the quality you couldn’t ask for any more!

[kabukicat]

松本の夜はここしかない！というお店を再訪。

最初満席で断られ、ほかの店をあたったもののやっぱりあきらめきれず戻ったちょうどそのとき、お客さんが出られて運よく入ることができた。

最初に出てくるつきだしの気合いがもう違う。1人につき日本酒3杯というノルマつきだけど、すばらしいラインナップでどれも美味しくいただきました。

#sake #日本酒 #居酒屋 #matsumoto #nagano

[nakamuso]

It looks like Taizoko Sensei's new work "Dandone" is about to start!

It was set at the end of the Edo period! It looks like "Hakozume" author Yasumiko's new work has finally begun! The title is "Dandone"! It was announced this morning that it will start from the June 15 issue of Morning #29.

In the shadow of the heroes at the end of the Edo period, Abandoning their personal feelings for the sake of the greater good and risked their lives for the sake of the cause, A samurai who was not like a samurai! The historical comedy about the "father of the Japanese police" is about to begin!

From past interviews, I had thought that the new work would be set in the Kamakura period, but it would be different from "Kamakura-dono no 13inin" because it would be set in the same time period! I had gotten through my social studies test by reading "Rurouni Kenshin," so this is the era I am best at!　

I know I am persistent every time, but I wrote this article in the past, if you would like to read it.

What does the title really mean? The story moves in volume 10 of "Hakozume: Policewoman Strikes Back! Review 5 mysteries and foreshadowing!

A lot of people have become addicted to this manga! The police manga "Hakozume" has been adapted into a drama starring Erika Toda and Meiku Nagano! We take the liberty of predicting the highlights!

I read "Hakozume" on my boss's Kindle and got hooked on it so much that I read it over and over every day, even though there were already three volumes published at the time. I was told that only Mr. Nakamura read "Hakodume" so many times, and it was because of that that I started asking myself from a very early stage, "Why does Chief Fuji have long hair for a police officer? I thought it was strange that he and Yamada got along so well despite the fact that he was sent away for power harassment. Isn't that creepy?　

I won't go into details because it would be a spoiler, but I'm a perceptive reader. Later, when all was revealed, I quickly told writer Akiko Fudo (pen name), "Actually, I noticed it from the very beginning.

You have the same haircut as Director Minamoto. That's how I felt, so when I learned that the first part of "Hakodume" was coming to an end, that made me sad. But I was shaken by the creative spirit of Taizuko-sensei, who said, "It's now or never if you want to do a new serialization.

I think it takes a lot of determination for a popular author to end a hit work (although not strictly speaking), and I applaud her courage in doing so.

In the issue of the magazine, there will be an interview with Ms. Taizoko, in which she will explain how the publication of the new series was delayed. I personally wonder if it is necessary to talk about the circumstances of the postponement.　Personally, I think so, but there may be a reason why she wants to talk about it.

I got the impression that "Dandone" was a bit like a movie from reading the blurb. Like "The Samurai's Menu" or "The Samurai's Account Book. I guess the title is also foreshadowing something. The main character has a two-block hair style. It's the same as the one in "The Samurai's Menu" and "The Samurai's Household Account Book.

I don't have any other clues at this point, but since it is said to be a "historical comedy," I am expecting another fast-paced gag like Ms. Taizako's. I am looking forward to next week's Morning!

I am looking forward to next week's Morning. Thursday release memo_φ(__…