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meligumii · 6 days ago

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LETHAL CRAVING

Shikaba x OC

ACT I CHAPTER 2 | THIS IS NOT WHAT LOVE IS

Abt. A watch, a mirror, in the elevator. Who knew that simple day would change her life for good. For Tsugumi, she would've never expected her life to take a turn. But is it for better or worse?

Chapter Synop. A small peek into the past is the start of Tsugumi’s eventful week, from the return of her mother, to her sudden and seemingly frequent encounters with Shikaba—her world will begin to spin out of control, and she doesn’t even know it yet.

cw. DARK CONTENT. dark romance. eventual smut. physical assault. physical abuse. asphyxiation. blood(?). nose bleeding(?). implied underage sex(not written in detail just stated that it happened). implied stepcest. gaslighting(kinda). talks of arranged marriage. misogyny. redpill talk. objectification of women. (1) kiss.

wc. 13.1k

r.18

Tsugumi’s heart beat loudly against the walls of her chest. She turned quickly at the sound of his voice, hoping— praying that he didn’t see her face. Sadly, she reacted too late. Ankoku clenched his fist and quickly strode toward her.

He harshly grabbed her jaw, gasping softly at the sight of her reddening cheek and cut lip that now wobbled. Her body tensed in his tight hold. “What happened to your face?” He repeated, eyes filling with a growing panic. Tsugumi stayed silent. Maybe he’d go away if she didn’t answer.

She could only hope to see such a fantasy come true, as her lack of response only served to replace his worry with anger. His hand moved to grasp her neck tightly, slamming her body into the bathroom door.

The impact knocked the wind out of her. She couldn’t even gasp for air due to the pressure against her throat, his fingers pinching her airways. She could only dryly cough and struggle to pry his hands from her neck.

“What. Happened” He demanded a response. “G… Genji… ro…” She began, words breathless and almost silent. “Sss… h… hit m-me… ugh…” She explained, scratching at his hand. Ankoku ignored the sudden burning sensations and pressed her further against the door.

“Take care of yourself!” His expression turned into one of worry again, the shift in his demeanor as terrifying as always. “I don’t want to see any bruises or scars on your face! It kills me” He whined. Tsugumi nodded quickly, knowing Ankoku hates to see his things getting damaged.

“Mm… mm…” Small hums were the only sound she could manage well. Ankoku grumbled softly, squeezing her neck tighter, in a sudden outburst groaning loudly and punching the door next to her head, cracking it slightly. Tsugumi squeaked and flinched, moving her head as far to the side as she could.

Even if she hadn’t moved, she knows the hit wouldn’t have connected with her face. That’s the one place Ankoku would never injure. He glared at her, pushing her with more force before finally letting go. Tsugumi took in a huge breath of air, coughing it all back up as she slid down to the floor.

She brought her shaky hand up to gently caress her sore neck while Ankoku stormed off to his room. She felt a wave of relief wash over her being, feeling lucky that he decided to leave it at just that.

She slowly picked herself up— her body trembling due to lack of strength— and stumbled to her bedroom with her head hanging low. She could barely manage to push her door close, having to lean her weight on it, pushing herself back up after hearing the latch click.

Her cheeks burned as tears welled up again. She still refused to let a single one fall, rapidly blinking them away. Slowly, Tsugumi made her way to her bed, flopping down and lazily rolling onto her side. Exhaustion hit like a sudden tidal wave, and she easily drifted off to sleep.

“So, can you help?” Genjiro asked, now seated at his office desk, his guest seated comfortably across from him. He was a rather muscular older gentlemen, likely in his late 40’s.

His hair was black and slicked back. It fell just below his ears, the left of which was pierced by a gold hook-shaped earring, with an undercut. His eyes were dark brown, shielded by round framed shades.

His had a thin mustache, and barely the stubble of a beard. He was dressed head to toe in designer, and a ring on almost every finger, excluding his thumb and ring fingers. Okamura Mahiru, a well known gangsters who commands a small yet famously powerful group— Yokoakuma.

He took a drawn out sip of his bourbon, courtesy of Kakihara, semi-melted ice sloshing around as he placed the cup down, breathing out obnoxiously. As if to show he was savoring the taste. “It may be difficult” He admitted, placing the cup down in the table, harder than necessary.

Genjiro frowned. “I need certainty” Mahiru clicked his tongue softly, shaking his head. “That’s the problem with spoiled rich kids, thinking everyone has to bend to their will” He complained.

“So you’re saying you can’t?” Genjiro raised, Mahiru snorting. “I never said that—” a smirk grew on his face. “—it’d be difficult yes, but in this world anything is possible as long as the price is right” He rubbed his thumb and index fingers together.

“I already know that. I’m willing to pay, so I just need you to get the job done properly” Genjiro nodded.

10:03am, bright and clear skies. At Toyogihashi High School was abuzz with life, its students currently in their morning classes. One class in particular— the second year class 2– were in gym class, engaged in an intense game of boys vs girls dodgeball.

In the back, on the girls’ side, Tsugumi stood boredly. As none of them had flew her way yet, she figured she was safe for the remaining minutes left, just under 30. She fiddled with the ends of her gym shorts, knuckles softly grazing her knees.

Gym was her least favorite class, right next to math. Every day she entered the gym, she wished it’d be her last class for life. But, it never panned out the way she wanted.

A flurry of red abruptly clouded her vision, flying straight toward her face brought her back to the moment she was in but she was too late. The red flurry— the dodgeball— hit her clean in the nose. It fell from her face just as quick as it flew.

It bounced away from her, the height lowering with each one, though continuing to echo through the suddenly quiet gymnasium. Tsugumi groaned softly, looking around to meet the wide eyes of her classmates.

Pins and needles— she felt a sudden sting build up in the back of her nostrils; irritating her enough to twitch her nose, while a cold liquid rolled down her lips. The gym teacher soon made it toward her, pulling napkins from his khaki cargo shorts on the way.

“Inazuma! Are you okay?!” He asked worriedly. Tsugumi hummed softly, neither nodding nor shaking her head. He pat her back, gently pressing the stack of napkins against her nose.

He put the slightest bit of pressure in his hold, until she took the napkins from him, doing the work herself. “Hold it like that and go to the infirmary. And don’t lean your head too far back” He reminded her, patting her back a few times.

Tsugumi walked slowly, somewhat thankful for the incident allowing her to skip gym class. The nurse also allowed her to stay there for the remainder of the period, to which she was also grateful for.

Now seated on of the infirmary’s gurney’s, near the window, she stared out at the blue sky. Her view was slightly blocked by the trees outside the school building, though she didn’t mind it much.

Not as much as the itch in the back of her mind— the feeling that she was missing something.

More accurately, that she did not belong. “What am I doing at school anyway?” She mumbled, clenching the bloodied tissue in her lap. She shook her head softly, dismissing the thought, where else would be this morning, if not at school?

Seated in the back of the car, after the school day had finally come to an end, Tsugumi only lamented that she couldn’t rest in the infirmary for the entire day. Unfortunately, her nose bleed wasn’t a serious enough injury for that.

At the moment, she and the chauffeur were waiting for Ankoku, who at the moment was saying his finally goodbyes to his friend, finally walking toward the car after waving for about the 20th time.

‘His name is Mogawa, right?’ Tsugumi glanced at Ankoku’s friend once more before turning to look out her own window. Momiji was the only one of Ankoku’s friends she’d remembered the name of.

Not only because he’d frequented their home as if it were his own, but because he was just as— if not more— peppy and annoying as Ankoku. He finally arrived, the car ringing once he opened the door, only stopping once he slammed it closed behind him.

“Hey!” He greeted happily. Tsugumi hummed softly, not tearing her eyes away from the greenery decorated in the schoolyard. “I heard you went to the infirmary. Is your stomach hurting?” He feigned a worry-laced tone, which actually made Tsugumi sick.

Though, not as much as his next words

“Was I too much last night?”

If she didn’t want to have to look at his face, Tsugumi would’ve turned to face him with wide, disgusted eyes. She clenched her teeth, deciding it best to not respond at all, and staring body out the window as the car pulled off.

Ankoku hummed loudly, leaning forward to get a better look at her face. He noticed her nose, that twitched every few moments, was red with a small bruise forming on the bridge of it. He now stared at her with wide eyes and mouth agape.

He was unable to think of anything to say, opting to lean back in his seat, his fists clenched atop his lap, teeth grinding in his mouth. Tsugumi was confused by the silence.

By now, Ankoku should be chatting her ear off, throwing in the occasional crude joke. But now there were crickets. She decided not to question it for a minute more and simply relish in the rare peace and silence she was granted while in his company.

For a moment, a creeping sense of deja vu tickled in the back of her mind. The car ride was short, once arriving home Ankoku was the first to exit, just barely waiting for the car to stop.

Tsugumi wondered what was wrong with him as she reached for her car door. Before she could even pull the latch, it was yanked open. She yelped as she fell forward, and before she could properly collect herself, her arm was yanked up as she was dragged out the car.

Looking up, she was faced with Ankoku’s back, confused as to why he was acting this way. She stumbled behind him, a bit lightheaded as he dragged her further into the house, through the foyer.

Disregarding the need to take off their shoes, Ankoku dragged her to the living room, tossing her onto the floor. “Ankoku… wait… not here…” Tsugumi pleaded, glancing behind him toward the door where the Chauffeur stood, averting his eyes once their gazes met.

Her eyes shakily moved back to Ankoku, who towered over her. He kneeled over her, knees on either side of her body. Tsugumi closed her eyes, pursuing her lips, accepting whatever he meant to do to her.

To her surprise, his hand shot straight for her neck and squeezed tightly. She instinctively latched her hands onto his wrist, squirming underneath him as she struggled to pull his hand from her neck.

“Ankoku… What…? W-why..?” She croaked. “Don’t act dumb!! Do I look blind to you?!” He shouted, his saliva spraying her face. “I-I don’t know… what y-you… mean…” She stuttered, continuing to struggle beneath him. “I can see your face just fine, Tsugumi!” He rolled his eyes..

Ah, that.

Of course it was obvious she was injured. But why was upset with her for that. “I just… g-got hit… b-by a… dodge… ugh… d-dodgeball…” She explained. “Why weren’t you more careful?!” Ankoku’s face now showed confused.

“H-how was I s’posed… t-to… know that w-w-w… would… was—” Tsugumi bit her tongue, letting out a strangled cry as he slammed her head against the floor.

The carpet did little to soften the blow, a pounding starting from the back of her head. “Your face..” He began, his tone much softer than his actions.

“It’s beautiful… so so beautiful, especially when you smile— fuck I love your smile” He grit his teeth. His lips curved into a smile, only for an instant, before his face dropped into a blank expression.

“So why the hell would you get a bruise on your face?! Are you crazy?!” He asked, screaming into her face again. No. She wasn’t crazy. But Ankoku… he was a different story.

“It’s perfect… and it needs to stay that way… Don’t get hurt again, okay?” He asked, and Tsugumi cringed at the order. She realized there was no reasoning with him, and if he decided it was her fault— it was her fault.

If he told her to be careful, she needed to be careful.

She nodded her head, and satisfied with her compliance, Ankoku released her. Tsugumi rolled to her right, coughing loudly while tears burned her eyes, her throat quickly becoming sore.

Ankoku grit his teeth, kicking her stomach, hard enough to push her back over on her back, pressing his foot down on her gut. Tsugumi groaned, sputtering saliva due to the sudden impact.

“I’m seriously, Tsugumi” He glared at her, while she nodded quickly, hoping anything would get him away from her. “Use your words” He told her, increasing the pressure on her belly. “O-okay… I w-won’t get hurt..” She stammered, sighing as he lifted his foot.

Again, she rolled over, not having the mental strength to even attempt to push herself upright. She glanced up at Ankoku, who seemed to be suspended in time, just staring down at her. What else would he want to do to her?

He knelt down, Tsugumi flinching as he reached his hand to her shoulder. He grasped it firmly, shaking her body softly. “Tsugumi, get up” He told her. Her eyes that burned with tears met his blank ones.

She couldn’t ignore his order, weakly pushing herself almost upright, just until her arms were straightened. That took a lot of energy; as she panted— though trying her best to hide it.

His hand lingered against her shoulder as he repeated his order for her to ‘get up’ over and over, shaking her body back and forth.

“Huh?”

Tsugumi blinked, finding herself laying in down in her pitch black bedroom, as it was now night time, no light found its way in through the windows. Again, she blinked, startled by the sight of Ankoku leaned down next to her.

Ah, it was just a dream. A dream of the past.

She sat up, Ankoku leaned back only slightly, staring at her in silence for a few moments, taking in a deep breath when he finally decided to speak. “I… I’m sorry…” He began, pressing his thumbs together where they were between his legs.

Tsugumi stared blankly at him, her eyes now fully adjusted to the darkness. They were so close, that she could see the pain and turmoil on his face. She almost felt bad for him.

“I went too far…” He admitted. “I-I shouldn’t have done that” He reached for her face. She flinched and recoiled, this only serving to agitate him, quickly despite his calmness just a moment ago. “Come here” He ordered, and she obeyed with little hesitation.

She leaned toward him, as he placed his hand gently in her neck, wrapping them around the back of it. Using his thumbs, he tilted her head to the side in order to get a better look. There were three red marks— three lines— forming on the left side of her throat, and one shorter on the right.

As he continued to inspect them, he mentally kicked himself for doing such a thing to the person he swore he’d love and cherish. “I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…” He repeated, slowly dragging his hand down, letting it plop down on her left leg.

He looked up, wide eyed meeting hers that seemed glassy. His gaze flicked down to her lips, as he licked his own. Ankoku huffed softly leaning in to close the short distance between their bodies, pressing a soft lingering kiss against her lips.

Tsugumi neither leaned forward, nor backward, again flinching once his lips touched hers. Once he leaned away, he smiled sweetly at her— he’d always enjoyed these intimate moments they shared. “Get some sleep, okay? I love you” He huffed softly, pushing himself up.

He slowly walked toward the door, sparing one longing glance before finally leaving, closing the door gently behind himself. Once the latch clicked, Tsugumi felt a cold tear run down her burning cheek.

It was like the damn opened, and she wiped harshly at her eyes trying as best she could to stop crying— sobbing as quietly as she could listening to the sound of Ankoku’s furthering footsteps.

On yet another outing, Tsugumi was dressed in a baggy white shirt, the right side tucked up to reveal her midriff, and a light wash denim mini skirt. On her feet she wore white calf high socks and photon dusk high dunks.

She breathed out softly, the heat of the spring sun soothing in her skin. Almost soothing enough to distract from the whirlwind of yesterday’s events. Luckily the bruises were minimal enough to cover by caking makeup over the marks, and pulling her hair in front of her shoulders.

She decided to treat herself to some cafe brownies— the type that were fresh out of the oven and melted in your mouth, not the stale ones left on display for god knows how long. The ones currently placed in front of her on a white ceramic platter,

There was still a clear line of steam flowing from the pastries. Just in taking one bite, she savored the sweet taste, the gooey texture, along with a slight crunch from the chips scattered throughout. Once she finished one, she licked the residue from her fingers, reaching into her bag for her phone.

Just as she did so, the chair on the side of the table slid back, the sound of metal scraping across the concrete made her cringe. A huff fell from the mouth of the person, as they relaxed in the chair. Tsugumi looked up, eyes wide as she took in the sight of a familiar scar faced man.

“Hey there~” He waved kindly, a grin as wide as that day. She dragged her tongue across her teeth and inner cheeks, assuring there was no chocolate left, and swallowed thickly before speaking.

“Uh… hey…”

“Tsk…”

Ankoku scratched his head, looking down at his checking account. 30,000, given by Genjiro. It wasn’t nearly enough to pay off the debt accumulated by him and Momiji. “Oh, hey Anko” A sweet voice filled his ears.

He perked up, looking toward the entrance to the living room, where Koume— his step mother stood, dragging a suitcase behind herself. She was pale faced, and on the short side, but full formed. Despite being close on 40 years, she didn’t look a day over 25.

Her hair was curly, falling at her shoulders, the color a darker brown than Tsugumi’s hair, with her bangs covered her thinly trimmed brows and swept to the left. Her eyes were a deep brown, the tiniest bit of red shining within them, with long lashes defined by dark brown mascara.

The more he looked at her, the bigger his smile became. “Mom!” Ankoku shouted, rushing to hug her, his frame engulfing her body whole. She giggled softly, patting his back. Today was her first day back after her sudden and impromptu ‘vacation’ as Ankoku knew it.

Still, she could say every day she was gone she missed home more and more. “Have you guys been doing well?” She smiled as he released her. “Yes ma’am…” He showed a shaky smile, scratching the back of his neck.

“…What is it?” She asked, leaning forward to try to meet his gaze. Ankoku frowned softly, unsure of how to explain the situation to her. “…Tsugumi and I… we got into an argument yesterday… I feel really bad… I think I went too far…” He mumbled, getting quieter as he went on.

“Awww~ It’s alright~” Koume giggled, patting his arm softly. “You know, since she was little, Tsugumi has always been mature and forgiving. It couldn’t have been that bad, right?” He nodded along with her.

“Right. So I’m sure if you just apologize and talk it out, you’ll make up like that” She snapped her fingers. Ankoku smiled softly, sighing as if all of his worries washed away that instant. Koume just had a way with words.

“Yeah… you’re right…” He nodded again. ‘I’ll apologize when she comes home’ He told himself, smile growing as he laughed quietly. ‘She likes going on walks, right? Maybe I’ll take her on one too as an apology…’ He nodded to himself.

“Alright, I’ve gotta unpack~” Koume motioned to her suitcase, before dragging it upstairs.

“Sir, you have a phone call” One guard entered his site office. He walked toward Genjiro handing him his cell from across his desk. Genjiro sighed, running a hand through his hair, ruining the style.

“Hello?”

“G… Give… up…”

A chill shot through his body, hearing the hoarse voice of the supposedly powerful Okamura. His voice was raspy and breathless as he coughed, before there was a thud on the other end and a moment of silence.

“Tsk… y’know, for an old man, you sure ain’t wise”

The voice changed on the other end— it being none other than Taira Yotsurugi, speaking in a clear tone of scolding.

“Listen, don’t play these dirty games with us. ‘Cause we’re way better at ‘em”

“Tsk…”

“Just pay what you owe, and we wouldn’t have to resort to our own tricks, which are far dirtier than you could even imagine”

Genjiro could then hear the sound of inhalation, likely the drag of a cigarette.

“And you have to be careful. You know, with that pretty daughter of yours just free and out in the open~”

Genjiro’s heart dropped to the floor at those words. Flashes of a young, wide-eyed Tsugumi returned to his memory. Those silver eyes that immediately drew him to her, wanting to protect their shine.

Just the thought of her hurt, scared— or even worse… he shook his head at the idea.

“What… What did you do…?”

His voice cracked desperately, just before a low beeping filled his ears. His body was overcome with a surge of rage as he chucked his phone to the wall across his office. “DAMMIT!!!” He slammed his hand on his desk, turning to the man.

“Get in touch with Kakihara and team security team B! Find Tsugumi! NOW!!” He ordered, the man wasting not a second before he rushed out the office to complete his new task.

Tsugumi sat, nervously and slowly rocking back and forth in her chair. Right across from her sat the man from the elevator, smiling gleefully. ‘Now I wish I brought it out with me…’ She thought, remembering that she’d checked on it earlier.

Just to make sure no one had found or tampered with it. Afterwards, she simply pushed back underneath her bed before leaving. That decision, along with many others in the past couple weeks, caused her to face hardship after hardship.

Despite his laid-back demeanor, Tsugumi could tell this man had the ability to hurt her. Badly. That much made abundantly clear by how on edge her security team was. Had this been a threat they could handle, he would’ve been apprehended by now, and she would’ve been moved to a separate location.

“Yo” He turned to one of the men behind him, who stepped up. “Get me a strawberry milkshake with extra whip cream, and a French Vanilla latte” The man bowed before entered the cafe. A milkshake sounded good right about now.

He then flicked his hand forward, the rest of his entourage stepping up to Tsugumi’s security team. She glanced around nervously as they seemed so easily taken care of, being backed away from her.

Her blood ran cold, as she straightened in her seat, teetering on the edge of it. “That’s better” He smiled. “Getting to know each other’s easier without an audience, hm?” Tsugumi nodded along with him.

“By the way, my name’s Shikaba”

“I… Inazuma Tsugumi”

“You didn’t look too surprised when I sat here. You wouldn’t happen to already know why, would you?” He grinned widely, leaning his chin on the back of his hands. Tsugumi clenched her fists atop her lap, and bit her lip in attempt to calm herself.

“…I’m sorry” She decided it best to apologize before anything else. “I-I know my excuse w-won’t make s-sense… ss… so I won’t even say it…” She spoke slowly, trying to ignore her heart that beat wildly.

It would be difficult to explain that her step-brother gets violently jealous if he finds out about her having the slightest bit of contact with another man. “B-but I really… r-really didn’t mean t-to… st-t-teal it…” She finished, now gazing up at him earnestly.

Shikaba smirked, watching her tremble— despite it being quite warm outside. “Really…?” He hummed. “Am I s’posed to believe someone can steal something accidentally?” He frowned playfully.

“I p-promise to g-give it… b-b-back…” She nodded, avoiding eye contact again. “And I should believe you? A thief?” He combatted. Of course, Tsugumi knew he couldn’t fully trust her. In fact he had no reason to trust her at all.

Not only was she a stranger, but she was a stranger who stole from him, without even trying to give an excuse, but she seriously doubted he’d believe her if she tried to explain it.

At the sound of sniffling, her head snapped up to face Shikaba. “And… that was my favorite watch… a gift from my dead grandpa, y’know!” He sobbed dramatically, wiping at dry eyes.

Just then, the man returned with their order. Completely disregarding his act, he picked up his coffee cup, sliding the milkshake toward Tsugumi. She was still a little startled to find he was faking his cries, but gladly took the drink.

“Um… thank you… a-and ss… sorry… I w-will… seriously… um… g-give it back…” She told him, swirling the white and red striped straw around the shake before taking a long sip. It was good, refreshing.

It wasn’t often that she mixed flavors— chocolate brownies and strawberry shakes… she’d never think to do it. Shikaba hummed softly, tilting his head at her. He seemed to be inspecting her face, as if he was in the middle of solving a difficult puzzle, or question on a quiz.

He then lifted the cup to his lisp, taking a sip from the sweet beverage, eyes never moving from her. “Excuse me, sir…” The man coughed, alerting both their attention. “Tsk…” Shikaba’s brows furrowed, glaring at the man.

The man flinched back as he met with his boss’ scrutinizing gaze, holding up a cellphone as if it were a shield. “S-sorry… but you have a call…” He presented it.

Shikaba clicked his tongue, taking the device to his ear, it his knocking against his earring, he answered with an exasperated ‘hello’.

“I’m sorry”

He smirked, the defeated tone of Genjiro’s voice’s was music to his ears.

“Listen, I’m kinda busy. Hanging out with a friend”

He glanced over at Tsugumi. The two locked eyes for a moment, before he swiped off the call screen, opening the camera app, turning the camera to face him. He lifted it, holding up with peace sign, being sure to get Tsugumi in frame.

She only stared confusedly at the camera, before he snapped the photo. He sent it, putting the phone back up against his ear.

“See that? Ya jealous? Hm?”

“What…??”

Genjiro’s, on the end, trembled as he looked at the picture. No matter how many times he blinked, no matter if he wiped any smudges from his screen, or his glasses, there was no mistaking it. That was Tsugumi.

He knew he wasn’t seeing things, but there was no reason for the two of them to be together. ‘I’d know if they were acquainted… so he must be holding her hostage…’ He thought, gritting her teeth. He thought of a million ways to send someone after him.

‘No… calm down… she doesn’t look hurt in the picture… and she can be used as leverage… let’s just calm down and try to negotiate…’ He told himself, putting the phone back up to his ear.

“…what do you want?”

Shikaba cackled loudly, startling both Tsugumi and Genjiro, attracting a few stares from people walking by. Granted— they were already staring due to the amount of men in suits all in such close proximity.

“I didn’t ask you for anything, y’know. Besides, you’re the one who called me”

“STOP MESSING AROUND”

“Phew! You’re loud”

Shikaba held the phone away from his ear for a moment.

“You’re old, so maybe you don’t know— but if you just talk normally into the phone, I can hear you just fine”

“I’m serious! Leave Tsugumi out of this… she’s got nothing to do with any of this… just…”

“Hm? But it’s no fun that way~ and that’s not exactly true”

“What?”

“Heh~ Y’know, I just realized. She’s your favorite, right? I’m right, huh?”

“Tsk…”

“Anyways, let’s talk later, yeah? Since I’m out with a friend”

Shikaba didn’t even give him the time to respond before hanging up, tossing the phone to side. His subordinate struggled to catch it, while his attention returned to Tsugumi. “You know some weird people~” He joked.

‘Who was he on the phone with?’ She thought, as she was unable to hear anything— mostly due to being lost in her own thoughts and fears about what this man might do to her.

‘I’d know if he was friends with Ankoku… and Genjiro wanted me to avoid him so there’s no way that’d be him..’ She told herself— her mother was definitely out of the question. “Oh, hey!” Shikaba turned to the man next to them.

“That call must mean Taira’s all done cleaning up, right?” He asked, the man nodded silently. He sighed loudly and dramatically, his lips forming a wobbly pout. “I hate paperwork” He grumbled, standing up— chair scraping backwards as he it was pushed back.

“Oh…” Tsugumi whispered, carefully eying him. “I got some business to take care of, so I gotta go” He nudged his head forward, the man offering her a small white card.

“Now, make sure you hold onto carefully. Don’t lose it, or else you’ll be in big trouble~” He spoke politely, placing a hand on her shoulder, leaning down next to her ear. His warm breath on the side of her throat made her shiver.

“And next time, don’t take drinks from shady guys like us if you didn’t see who made it yourself” He warned, Tsugumi now trembling for a different reason— eying the half drunken milk shake in front of her.

“Nothin’ bad’ll happen this time, just be careful, kay?” He pat her shoulder twice, leaning up and turning around, waving one hand at her. “Ciao~” He walked off, the man— along with the rest that arrived with him— quickly caught up.

“Miss!!” Tsugumi’s security team rushed back to her, while she was stuck in a daze, staring at Shikaba’s furthering back, until he and his men turned the corner. She looked down at the card in her hand.

‘Yokohama Immortal — Hands For Hire’

Quite the ambiguous title, and underneath was a phone number. She sighed deeply, today’s encounter making one thing abundantly clear.

Taking that watch got her in over her head.

Tsugumi leaned back on her bed, hands flat on the mattress and slightly behind herself. The first chance she got, as soon as she spotted a bin on the streets, she’d tossed the card in there.

Just being near him, despite his relaxed and almost happy demeanor, Tsugumi could sense a dangerous vibe coming from him. And that ‘hands for hire’ bit didn’t serve to dispute this. ‘I’ll send one of the guards to give him the watch’ She nodded to herself.

Maybe one of the newer ones. The ones who most likely didn’t feel much of a sense of loyalty to Genjiro, and wouldn’t tell every single thing. That way she could keep the whole ordeal under wraps. They didn’t hear the conversation anyways, so no one would be able to report about the watch.

Tsugumi, at the moment, depended on the team keeping their mouth shut to Genjiro in order to save their own hides. After all, each and every one of them abandoned their posts beside her, leaving her completely open to danger. She sighed deeply, stretching her neck.

‘The Yokohama Immortal…’ The name was ridiculous. Like a child trying to sound cool, or the name of some delinquent filled biker gang. “Tsugumi” she flinched, snapping her head up to see Genjiro standing at her open door, his hands clasp in front of his waist.

“…yes?” She spoke softly, and hesitantly. Did they really tell him? He was quiet, the silence awkward for the both of them. “…Are you alright?” He finally asked after a deep breath. “Hm?” Tsugumi’s eyes widened for a moment. She really didn’t know how to respond.

She could tell he was nervous. Was he apologizing for yesterday? That was strange. He’d usually act as if it never happened. “I mean…” He spoke up again. “…have you met any strange people… lately…?” He asked. “…No” She knew she was taking a risk by lying.

He might’ve already know, it may the reason he’s asking now. But she’d get further into trouble if she admitted it after all this time. But, there was a tiny chance that there was a separate issue.

‘I shouldn’t say anything about it’ She convinced herself, depute knowing she could get in trouble if he ever found out about how much she’d been lying lately.

She assured herself that even if the guards told him what happened, none of them could say for sure she knew him personally. For all they know, that could’ve been the first time.

She could lie and say he stopped to hit on her, and ordered her a milkshake. No one was too certain of any relationship, or lack there of, besides Tsugumi and Shikaba themselves. Genjiro huffed loudly, letting his hands fall to the side.

Tsugumi scanned his face, which seemed full of confusion. Was he upset? She couldn’t tell. Genjiro bet his lip harshly, wondering what was going through her head. ‘Why is she lying?! Or maybe… did he threaten her?! Or even hit her??’ He frowned at the thought.

‘How could someone hit such a delicate girl…?’ He huffed again, meeting her shining eyes. “Tsugumi, if you tell the truth, I promise you won’t get in trouble” He sighed. His tone seemed earnest, but Tsugumi couldn’t trust it. “I am telling the truth” She tried to assure him, but sounded unsure of herself.

Genjiro pressed his fingers to his temple, rubbing circles on them. “…Okay…” He let it go, quickly turning away. ‘I’m 100 percent sure he threatened her, and that’s why she’s not saying anything…’ He thought, brows furrowing.

‘Even those sorry excuses for a security team… they were separated so I can’t get a proper report on what exactly was said between the two…’ He shook his head, stomping down to his office.

As the sound footsteps faded, Tsugumi released a prolonged sigh. It was clear that Genjiro didn’t believe her, based on how he continued to pry, but for the first time she was left unpunished for lying. It filled her with a sense of unease.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

That she didn’t know. But what she did know was the Shikaba— The Yokohama Immortal— was dangerous. It was the right call to throw the card away. Tsugumi gasped, her body tensing at the familiar sound of rushed footsteps up the stairs.

She easily recognized them as Ankoku’s, for second contemplating how fast she could get to the door to close it before he got up the stairs. But, that wouldn’t deter him, because if he wanted her he wouldn’t respect the privacy of a closed door.

She groaned mentally, watching nervously as he ran right past her room. She flinched at the sound of a door slamming from down the hall. “…that’s weird…” She mumbled, blinking twice from her daze of consfusion.

Usually he’d come to her room. Especially with how fast he was running, she swore he was headed straight for her room. She leaned a bit further back. If only he could be like this for the rest of the day.

Or better yet— for the rest of her life.

+45********** Hey~

Tsugumi Why are you texting me?

+45********** You keep asking the same question🙄

+45********** I said I wanna be friends with you.

+45********** You looked like you needed one too

Tsugumi I don’t

In Tsugumi’s eyes, being around others was one of the most exhausting things in the world. She’d love nothing more than to run away, and live quietly without any more human interaction for the rest of her life.

But that would only be a dream come true; and none of her dreams ever came true. Well, none of the good ones anyways.

+45********** As your only friend, that hurts my feelings

Her self proclaimed friend.

+45********** But I only wanted to check up on you. I’m busy so later~❤️

If they were so busy, there was no point in texting her at all. In fact, Tsugumi wouldn’t mind if they never texted her again. She clicked her tongue softly, blocking the number again, although she had a feeling it’d be useless.

Still, if only temporary, it brought her some relief.

As soon as she pressed the block button, she got a phone call from a different numbers. She furrowed her brows, yet at the screen— it was getting out of hand at this point.

“Leave me alone”

“Oh~ You sound upset”

Tsugumi gasped softly, Rather than ‘Ikki’ it was Shikaba.

“It’s you…”

She could only regretfully say.

“Oh, did you confuse me for someone?”

Tsugumi could hear a soft whistle in the background of the call.

“Listen. I told you not to lose it, but you went and threw it away. Why? That’s kinda rude, y’know”

“How did you get my number?”

“Answer my question first”

“…I just didn’t want to get involved with you”

“Smart, smart~ But you still owe me”

“I’m having someone return it”

“Oh, really?”

He groaned dramatically. Tsugumi could visualize the likely exaggerated frown on his face.

“I thought you’d wanna come see me again. I thought we really hit it off”

She scoffed at the notion. They didn’t talk about anything really, so what was he talking about ‘hit it off’? It’s ridiculous.

“Don’t you wanna be friends? You’re surrounded by weirdos, so I’ll be your one normal friend”

Tsugumi didn’t respond, long enough to repeat ‘hello’s’ into the phone, though she let that become background noise to her thoughts. It was now clear to her she couldn’t avoid him all together.

‘He probably found out who I was through the hotel security cameras’ She thought, that much was obvious. But finding her exact location, and meeting her there in person is another story. Especially as someone always followed by a special security team.

Not only that, but he scared said security team, to the point where the entire group abandoned their post, given by their strict employer. ‘He even knew that I threw the card away… that means he was testing me, because he already had my number…’ Tsugumi frowned.

The most important thing in the situation seemed to be that Genjiro was afraid of the man. Or, at the very least, didn’t want her involved with him. This meant he was likely someone who commanded a lot of people— someone she should not offend.

She groaned at the thought of having to walk on eggshells around yet another person she didn’t even want to engage with. Still, at the end of the day, she blame still lies with herself— after all she did take the watch.

“Okay, I’ll save your number”

“Oh, you disappeared for a moment. But why the sudden change of heart? I didn’t even get to threaten you yet”

Yeah. He’s crazy. So crazy that there’s even a chance he’s looking at her right now. Tsugumi warily glanced around, looking out her window.

“I just think I shouldn’t get on your bad side”

“I can’t believe the youngest is the smartest”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing for you to worry about~ S’long as I get my entertainment out of it”

“…and your watch…”

“That’s a given”

“…right…”

“I look forward to seeing you again~”

Shikaba tossed his phone to the side, slouching down in his bed. “That family’s turning out to be some of the most entertaining people I’ve met~” He chuckled. Taira whistled, nodding from the lounge chair across the room.

“I wonder how she’d feel to know she’s just talked to the Yotsurugi’s third in command” He hummed softly. Shikaba’s ever present grin widened. “I kinda wanna mess with her some more. Get her all riled up— maybe even hit me. Then I’ll tell her” He sighed.

‘I wonder if she’s as easy to provoke as her father…’ He made a mental note to himself to try it soon. He turned his gaze to Taira, who lazily leaned his head back, arms loosely hanging over the side of the chair. “Think she’ll even beg on her knees to save her family?” He hummed.

“If she’s real loyal, she may even sell an organ” Taira perked up at these words. “If she’s healthy, her kidneys should go for a good price” He added, Taira laughing softly. “You’re one crazy bastard” He shook his head.

“What’s crazy is that an entire family has accumulated their own separate debts to me” He rolled his eyes. “Ever heard of one so in sync?” Taira shook his head. “Ours definitely isn’t” He snorted.

Tsugumi bit her thumb nail, nervously staring at the new contact— ‘Shikaba’. She’d prayed that Ankoku wouldn’t go through her cellphone. A new number would set off some alarms in his head— and one call would reveal that it was a man.

If that happened, she’d then be on the receiving end of physical abuse. The sound of knocking at her door made her jump, yelping softly as she looked up, relieved by the face. She breathed softly and deeply in attempt to calm herself.

“…Mom…” She looked up at the smiling woman. “Hey~” Koume’s tone was sugary sweet as she walked toward the bed. Tsugumi hadn’t seen her mother in a month— since they brought in the new year.

“You feeling alright, baby?” She hummed, caressing Tsugumi’s cheek. As soon as Koume’s warm palm reached her face, Tsugumi nuzzled her face into it. It soothed her. “I heard you and Ankoku got into a fight” She tensed up at the words.

Is that what he told her? It was less of a fight and more of a one-sided act of violence. Tsugumi forced herself to smile as she sat up straight. “It’s fine” She lied. “You know, I had really hoped you two can get along…” Koume grabbed Tsugumi’s hands, smoothing her thumbs over her knuckles.

“…I know it’s been hard to accept them as your new father and brother… but we should all try to get along” She pleaded. Tsugumi could barely stop herself from screaming out. To say she was confused was an understatement.

It’s been 6 years now, since this twisted family was formed.

This is the kind of talk you’d have, and that Koume did have, either right before or right after they meet. By this time they should already be performing as the ‘perfect’ family that Koume envisions. But time means little to a woman always too busy drowning in her own addiction to realize what goes on under her own roof.

Tsugumi sighed, struggling to keep up her shaky smile. “We got over it already” She lied again, slightly comforted by Koume’s beaming smile before being brought into a sweet embrace.

Tsugumi loved her mom. Even though she was completely oblivious to the things going on around her, whether it was purposeful or not, Koume was her one pillar in life. The one whose smile made all of her fears fade.

She wants desperately for Koume to be the best mother in the world, and pick her— but she knows it’s unlikely. So for all these years she’s decided to hide her pain and keep her mouth shut in hopes of never having to hear the feared line;

‘You’re lying’

She almost cringed at the thought. “How are things otherwise?” Tsugumi blinked, tilting her head slightly. “…Good. I’m okay” She nodded. She’s anything but okay. But Koume doesn’t need to know that. Koume, who now stared at Tsugumi with a worry filled gaze.

‘…Gumi…’ She almost said it out loud. She knew her daughter, better than anyone else could. She could tell Tsugumi was hiding something, and had been for the past few years. As Koume knew it, her daughter was always a closed off and silent child.

Since she could remember, Tsugumi would never ask for anything, and stayed to herself— she had little need for adult supervision so she knew she’d be fine even if she had to leave her alone for a few hours to go out and work.

She often relied on the idea that Tsugumi would come and talk to her ‘when she was ready’, whenever she needed it. She never tried to pry, and would always wait, with open arms and a lack of judgement.

So for now, all she would do is smile and hold her gently. “Well, I’m overdue for a nap” She gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, Tsugumi breathing out an ‘Okay’ as she left the room.

“Gen, you sure drive a hard bargain!” The man across from Genjiro laughed heartily. He was tall and plenty muscular, which he liked to boast about. His eyes were sharp, and orange, with thick brows above. His hair was short, and parted on the right.

His grin was wide, dimples more evident the further his smile spread. He was Kyōgoku Shigeo, the current CEO of Goku Technical Engineering— GTE— owning 93 percent of shares.

Currently, Genjiro was looking to purchase a few, as well as draw up a collaboration agreement between the two companies. If the deal went through, I.J Security would be able to shift into the home security field with ease, and bring in more revenue.

More revenue that would help pay off their debts. “Alright, fine, I’ll agree. But, I do have some terms of my own— oh, but don’t worry it’s definitely something to help solidify the deal, so you’ll get what you want out of it as well” He smirked.

“What are the terms?” Genjiro asked. “I’m talking about marriage between our two families” He chuckled softly. “Hm? I wasn’t aware you had daughters” Genjiro raised his glass of water to his lips.

“I don’t” Shigeo shook his head. “I’m talking about between my eldest, Hyouga, and your daughter. Tsugumi is her name, isn’t it?” He asked, Genjiro clenching the glass in his hand. “With… Tsugumi…” He spoke softly.

He decided to place the glass down, so as not to shatter it and cause a scene. “Well, with all these rumors going around about my kid, especially last year when he’d supposedly gotten this woman pregnant, I’m sure you remember that fiasco” He ranted.

“Oh, but I’m sure you’ve had to deal with your fair share of… rumors involving your children…” He smirked, Genjiro’s jaw tightening at the implication. “Well, whenever it’s a rumor; it’s easy to disprove” He remarked.

“Of course~ Of course~ So, anyways, I’m thinking if we marry our two kids we won’t have to hear things like those ever again, would we?” Genjiro hesitated. He’d made plenty of business deals over the years, but none of them involved marriage involving Tsugumi.

He himself never considered the possibility. He cleared his throat, pulling at his tie. “…isn’t your son already in his mid twenties? Tsugumi is only 19” He retained a calm tone. “She is an adult” Shigeo almost cringed, masking the slip up with a smile.

“And I don’t understand the talk of age gaps, especially considering you’re almost a decade older than your own wife” He smirked slyly. “Still… marriage for Tsugumi… I’m a little hesitant to put her in that situation…” He continued.

“What? But you weren’t apprehensive at all about your son being married” Shigeo combatted. Genjiro’s brows twitched as he smiled. “Boys and girls are different… and Tsugumi isn’t even my real daughter” He added.

“Marriage solves all, doesn’t it? That’s how you got your beautiful daughter…” He sneakily licked his lips. “It’ll be fine. Let’s at least set up a meeting for the two” He pushed. “…I suppose that would be alright…” Genjiro finally conceded.

Shigeo grinned widely, a clear sign of triumph in his eyes. “Perfect! How’s Saturday sound?” He asked. That’s two days from now. “Seems we have a date” Genjiro nodded. “You mean they have a date” Shigeo joked.

Genjiro forced himself to laugh along with the joke. ‘I can’t sell Tsugumi like this. She’s too sweet for this world… I have to keep her by my side, and protect her…’ He had no intentions on letting Tsugumi have a boyfriend, let a husband.

He was sure there were plenty of other tech companies to help with this issue. He’d just have to hold out, and find another willing participant for the deal.

“Yeah, Momiji”

Ankoku held the phone between his shoulder and ear, as he flipped through one of the magazines he’d found on the living room coffee table. It was likely from one of Koume’s subscriptions— but he notices there were plenty of fashion catalogues.

This particular one was full of hand bags and purses. He decided that rather than a walk, a bag may be better. She, as much as her mother, liked to shop.

“I’ve got 70,000 to add to our funds”

Ankoku snorted, hearing the amount. He had yet to inform Momiji of his plans.

“Don’t worry about that anymore”

“What?! Wait, you got enough?! How?!”

“Even better, I got someone to handle him”

“What?! You did?!”

Ankoku laughed aloud, he couldn’t help it. He was just too proud of himself for finding the solution to their little debt problem.

“Anko!”

“Look, I just paid off someone to take out a hit on him”

“Who’s crazy enough to take on a job like that?!”

“You’ve heard of the Yotsurugi?”

He picked up the red marker that sat beside him on the bed, taking the cap between his teeth to pull it off. He circled a white purse, the first that caught his eye in the middle of the 16th page, ripping it out before continuing his search.

“I was able to talk to their third in command. Yotsurugi Shikaba? Says he’ll handle it”

“Really..?!”

“Yep. It seemed like he knew him. Like he already had his own problem with him. So don’t worry about it anymore”

“Alright! Let’s go out for drinks”

“It’s on me~”

Shikaba laughed loudly in his office, swirling back and forth in his chair. They certainly weren’t lying when they told him to rush back home for a visitor. What he saw, he wouldn’t have expected in a million years.

“Y’know, just laughing out of nowhere after being quiet for so long makes you look creepy” Taira remarked, from where he stood at the door to the office. “My bad~ It’s just hilarious” He wiped a real tear, chuckling softly.

“I mean, have you ever been hired to kill yourself before?” He asked, barely able to stop himself from laughing— confusing Taira. “Sometimes I forget people don’t know the Yokohama Immortal and Yotsurugi Shikaba are one and the same” He shook his head.

“Earlier, they told me to rush home cause of a shocking visitor. Imagine my surprise to talk to Genjiro’s boy, asking if anyone can help get rid of little ol’ me~” He chuckled. “Tempting offer~ It’s a lot~ so I told him yes” He smirked, tapping against a metal briefcase on his desk.

Taira snorted, leaning back against the wall. “What’re you gonna do now? What’s the plan?” He asked, now too, smiling at the situation. “Hmm… maybe I could waterboard myself. Or maybe toss myself in the ocean with cinderblocks for shoes” He joked.

The both of them startled by the door slamming over, a burly man panting as he rushed up to Shikaba’s desk. “I’m sorry for barging in like that, sir! But you have to see this!” He panted, placing down a manila folder.

“Hm? Looks pretty boring to me” Shikaba mumbled, ripping the top open. Pulling out the contents, which were a stack of photos— his smile grew wider as he surveyed each one. “Heh~ Taira, I’m gonna have to postpone offing myself” He looked up at the taller man.

Taira hummed, walking up to see what was in the envelope. He too smirked upon seeing the images. “There’s just too much entertainment in this world to leave it behind so soon” He smirked.

“We should pay our little friends a visit. Saturday is good”

“Will that be all today sir?” Ankoku’s eyes scanned the glass display in the jewlery store, inspecting the uniquely and intricately cut rings. He’d already purchased a gold plated heart shaped pendant, as a gift for Tsugumi in addition to the bags he’d ordered.

Maybe a ring would be good as well. What caught his eye was a gold infinity loop ring, diamond studded on the upper left side. “What’s this one?” He hummed, pointing at it. The woman’s eyes wrinkled as she smiled widely.

“You have a good eye, sir. The infinity love ring. It’s very popular among couples. Many believe the infinity symbol signifies good luck and longevity in relationships. There is even a custom option, in which our customers can add initials” She explained.

“That’s good. I want that” He nodded. “Of course. I’d just need to get a phone number, email, and home address, and other information such as the initials themselves, ring sizes, and color preferences” She told him, pulling up a pen and note pad.

He told the phone number and address, as she flipped to the next page to write down the rest of the information. “One should say an ‘A’ with the size 6. And the other a ‘T’— size 8” He spoke, the woman nodding along.

“Of course, sir. Someone will be in contact with you soon to give you updates on your order” She smiled, before he picked up his bag and left.

Tsugumi stood in the living room, untangling a few strands of hair from her right earring. She was dressed in a black ruched mini skirt, and an amore twist back sweater. For jewelry, she wore a black choker with a silver pendant and a few longer thin silver silver chains.

On her wrists were a few stacked silver bangles, and she wore silver tear drop earrings. The last thing she expected was to be woken up early this morning and told to start getting ready for a date— and she expected even less to be told it was at 1pm.

Currently it was 11:45 am, and Tsugumi could tell it would be an exhausting afternoon, but accepted it. Anything was better than being at home.

The door clicked softly, footsteps quickly approaching the living room. It seems Ankoku has returned, now stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of Tsugumi all dressed up. He was mesmerized.

She was gorgeous, the outfit now being one of the most beautiful ensembles he’d seen her in, a stark contrast to the usual casual fashion he was used to seeing her in. But in that moment it settled in why she may be dressed like this.

“What are you doing?” He dreaded hearing the answer he thought she’d give. “…I’m going on a date” Tsugumi sighed. She hoped the guy wasn’t as crazy as Genjiro or Ankoku, but seriously doubted her step father was acquainted with anyone sane.

“No…” He shook his head. “No you’re not” He told her. Tsugumi furrowed her brows, confusion written all over her face as Ankoku grabbed her wrist tightly. She flinched at the sudden pressure turned pain. “Ankoku, listen…” She huffed, fearful of what’s to come had he dragged her to any private area.

She tried to resist, but decided against it feeling her feet scrape against the carpet, hoping not to get rug burns. “Pardon me” A guard stepped in his path toward the steps. “Move” He ignored Ankoku’s order, standing firm under his scrutinizing gaze.

“I’m sorry, I cannot do that, sir” He shook his head. “Mr Kawasaki has ordered me to make sure Miss Tsugumi arrives on time, and it’s about time for us to leave” He explained. “Tsk…” Ankoku threw down Tsugumi’s hand, storming off to Genjiro’s office.

“Dad!” He shouted, bursting through the doors of Genjiro’s home office. “Setting Tsugumi up on a date?! Really?!” He shouted angrily. Genjiro sighed, not looking up from the paperwork on his desk. “Calm down, Ankoku. It’s none of your business. You should feel happy for your sister” He spoke calmly.

Ankoku’s outburst hadn’t moved him one bit. “How am I supposed to be happy about some bastard taking Tsugumi on a date?! What if… what if he gets handsy with her?” He argued. “Watch your mouth” Genjiro glared, finally looking up at him.

“This isn’t happening” Ankoku shook his head. “It is. And what business is it of yours? She’s your sister. And an adult” He scolded, the words leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

‘She’s an adult’

He mimicked Shigeo’s words and it felt horrible. “Tsk…” Ankoku stormed out, harshly slamming the double doors behind himself. Genjiro sighed, throwing his glasses down on the desk and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I should’ve raised him right—” He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands in front of himself. “—instead of spoiling him, and letting him get away with whatever he wanted..” He mumbled to himself.

‘Still, it doesn’t matter. I have no intention of going through with the marriage’

Kyōgoku Hyouga, the eldest Kyōgoku Shigeo’s three sons. He was very tall, likely over 190 centimeters, and muscular. His eyes were narrow as his father’s, matching in color as well. His hair was dyed a shiny gold color, short and parted on the right.

He also styled an undercut which revealed his natural black roots. He was certainly a looker— and it may have been a nice date if he didn’t talk so much, and if his entire speech wasn’t an abhorrent objectification of her.

From the moment he opened his mouth, it was clear he was a self-centered spoiled brat. He introduced himself to her, and without even asking her name, went straight into telling her how it was ‘good that she matched his type’.

The only problem, he told her, was her height, but that was almost an easy fix by her never wearing heels. He told her he can ignore it though, because she’s very pretty. He went on to tell her about his requirements for a wife.

To cook, to clean, and have 3 children, at least one was a boy, adding in that he was very apprehensive about having a daughter. On the topic of children, he then brought up how his woman needed to stay in shape, and drop the baby weight quickly.

That, of course, meant frequenting the gym— saying that she’d simply need to focus on weight loss, and stay away from weight lifting as too much muscles would turn him off. She has to be obedient, and not argue, he hates mouthy women.

After his tirade of what she had to do and not do in order to become his wife, he gave her no chance to respond and went straight into a rant about his ‘hobby’ of partying on his yacht. As if partying can be a hobby, Tsugumi rolled her eyes at the thought.

He talked about his cars, his houses, and all the expensive things he owns but didn’t actually work for, clearly in attempt to impress her. Tsugumi tuned him out 15 minutes into the date, now an hour in, and absorbed in the pasta on her plate.

She twirled it on her fork and swirled it around, yet never picked it up to eat it. ‘I wanna go home’ She thought.

“—yourself”

‘Tell me about yourself’

That must’ve been what he said. Tsugumi boredly met his expectant gaze. “…You don’t have to pretend to be interested in me” Hyouga’s smile faded after hearing her speak. “I’m fine being in an arranged marriage as long as we don’t have to see each other a lot” She shrugged, looking down at her plate.

Although he was annoying, he was probably the type to always be out and cheat on his spouse. Maybe she’d get the peaceful life she’d hoped for by marrying him.

Hyouga’s once giddy face contorted into an expression of confusion and frustration. “Tch… You’ve got a bad attitude, you know. Sounds like you need a reality check” He told her, running a hand through his frayed locks.

“No matter how cute you are, or how good your body looks, no man will want you if you talk like that” He scolded, pointing his fork at her. ‘I wish that were true’ She rolled her eyes, the thought of Ankoku causing her to lose the rest of her appetite.

“If you keep acting like this, you’ll be 30 years old with no man or kids, and be miserable. Then when you want a man, you can’t find one because you’re old and your eggs are all shriveled up” He continued. Tsugumi could scoff if she didn’t already expect this from him.

“That’s the problem with daughter” He grumbled. “Their fathers spoil them so much that they think the entire world needs to bend to their will. No man wants a whiney woman” At this point, Tsugumi began to tune him out again.

‘I wish I could be home. I bet no one there will bother me this much…’

“Genji, dear? Do we have guests?” Koume walked down the steps after hearing a slight commotion in the living room. As she closed in on it, she couldn’t see him— or anyone in there. She shrugged her shawl higher up on her shoulders as she stepped onto the last step.

Further near the entrance there were a few unfamiliar men in suits standing there. Perhaps they were new hires. “Ah, Koume” She froze hearing his voice, the shorter young man revealing himself from behind the group.

Shikaba, whom she first met as ‘The Yokohama Immortal’, grinning ear to ear. “I had a feeling he was talking about you. Glad to know I was right” He smirked. Koume could barely form any thoughts in her confusion.

Why was he here? It was close, yes, but the deadline had not come yet. First, it may be best to apology. “S-sorry… I…” She stuttered. “Relax~ Relax~” He told her. “Just call everyone down. We can have a joint consultation” He joked.

His laugh chilled her to the bone. “Consultation?” She spoke slowly. “About your debt. You remember, right?” He tilted his head, frowning with what seemed to be confusion. “Y-yeah…” She nodded. Of course she remembered her debt.

An astonishing 200 million is what she owed. Genjiro didn’t know, of course. But what he was suggesting was that the others in this house also owed him? That couldn’t be possible. She gasped at the thought of Tsugumi being apart of that group. There was absolutely no way.

She couldn’t miss something like that… but… she did have a strange look in her eyes the other day… was this what she was thinking about? Koume hesitated to turn around, freezing once he spoke again.

“And don’t try to get any genius ideas. There’s no you can go to get away from me” He warned. Koume swallowed thickly, nodding as she slowly walked away.

“Well, imma go stretch my legs” Shikaba grinned, nudging his head forward. Two of the men walked up behind him, joined by Taira as well. He led the group to the second floor, eyes locking onto the first door that was slightly cracked.

Without hesitation, he pushed it open. The rooms decor was minimalistic— a queen sized mattress pushed up against the corner, next to the window; a vanity to its left. A few brushes and perfumes sat atop the shelf of it.

He stepped further in, seeing a mirror leaned on the wall next to the wall on his right with two doors to the far corner, and on the last wall a taller dresser. “Is this Tsugumi’s room” He wondered aloud, walking straight to the double doors.

“It’s boring” Taira hummed, running his palm against the vanity surface. Shikaba pushed the doors open, inside a walk-in closet, packed with with designer clothes, shoes, bags, and hats. There was even a wall designated for jewlery.

“She’s got a lot of clothes though… and bags…” He mumbled, leaning his head further inside. “Don’t see the watch. Should we search the room?” Taira suggested, glancing all around. Shikaba stepped back, closing the doors and shaking his head.

“Nah. I don’t wanna mess up the room” The statement uncharacteristically polite, coming from him. “I’ll let her give it back to me in person” He shrugged, leading the group back downstairs.

His smile grew, seeing that Genjiro and Ankoku had joined Koume in the living room. “Whew~ Looks like the family reunion has already started. Only the daughter’s missing” He laughed. Koume flinched, worried for Tsugumi, at the same time nervous because she’d yet to explain her little ‘hobby’ to Genjiro.

Shikaba glanced back at one of his men who’d walked up to whisper in his ear. “Okay~ We’ll hit up that place after” He snickered. “Yotsurugi Shikaba…? Why are you here…?” Ankoku stepped forward confusedly. “Oh! Did you handle what I asked?!” He smiled excitedly.

Genjiro and Koume turned to him with wide eyes. The pair couldn’t believe, or understand what they were hearing. Everyone’s attention then turned to Shikaba who cackled loudly. “Didn’t think the heir to a company would be so stupid” He wiped a tear.

“How’re you gonna run things without a brain?” He taunted, tapping his temple softly with one finger. “…What…?” Ankoku tilted his head, not following. “Let me reintroduce myself” Shikaba cleared his throat, pressing the top of his cane to his chest.

“My name’s Yotsurugi Shikaba. Otherwise known as— The Yokohama Immortal” He smiled gently, Ankoku’s heart and expression dropping. “What…?” He whispered in disbelief.

“Surprise~” He shouted, doing jazz hands. The trio was silent and frozen with fear. “Tsk tsk. Relaax~” He waved his hand at them. “Who has a meeting standing up, hm? Let’s all have a seat” He tapped his cane against the floor, the sound muffled by the carpet.

The group slowly made their way to the couch, Shikaba plopping down on the recliner, slouching into it and resting his feet on top the coffee table. “Promise I’ll keep things civil” He assure them, clasping his hands over one knee.

“Now listen up. As each of you know, maybe not about the others but definitely about yourselves, you owe me what you borrowed and then some. You all know how interest works” He rushed through, waving his hands.

“And you~ Miss Koume~” He peeked his left eye open. “You owe me a looot~ More than you two can imagine.” He grinned, Koume cringing under their confusion filled stares. “Collecting outstanding debts must run in the family, huh?” He joked.

“I-I paid you, though…!” Ankoku spoke up, Shikaba humming softly at him. “That counts for something, doesn’t it?!” He added, confidence building in his tone. “Unfortunately not” Shikaba chuckled, Ankoku’s expression dropping again.

“See, you didn’t pay me with the intention to chip away at your debt— but instead to kill the person you owe” He began. “So, I’m sorry, that amount means nothing to your debt” He frowned, as if to taunt them with his faux-sympathy.

The group trembled, each unable to speak, knowing any excuse wouldn’t help them. “Aww~ The moods so dim. I hate it~” Shikaba whined playfully. “Don't worry so much. I come with good news. I'm extending your deadlines to this fall. Isn't that great?!” He smiled, the three tensing at his words.

“An extension…?! Really…?!” Koume’s expression brightened. “What’s the catch? You can’t be doing this for no reason, right?” Genjiro asked warily. “What?!” Shikaba gasped, clenching his chest.

“How dare you accuse me of having ulterior motives! I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart!” He shouted, almost too earnestly. He was a bad actor, really.

“Now, everyone lighten up, smile~ You'll live longer if you stress less, y'know~” He told them. Of course, his demeanor as relaxed as ever, yet they could sense the seriousness in his tone. It was an order— and so they engaged in an awkward burst of laughter.

“Anyways—” He sighed, bringing his feet to the ground. “You aren't the only ones I have business with, so I'll see you later” He waved as he walked, stopping only a few paces away. “Oh, and Ankoku…” The boy perked up.

“Sorry, but I can't exactly take on that request of yours. You'll understand if I don't wanna kill myself, right?” He smiled, Ankoku slouching over again.

“Later~”

Tsugumi sat at the dinner table, alone now as Hyouga excused himself to the bathroom. Apparently what she suggested really upset him, though it wasn’t like she cared. She was more concerned about when the date would end.

Her purse vibrated, and she rummaged through the small bag, pulling out her phone and reading the name rolling across the screen.

‘Shikaba’

She decided to let it ring out. ‘I’ll call later’ She shrugged, pressing the power button. As soon as it finished ringing, it buzzed once more alerting her of a text message.

Shikaba Pick up now

Her phone rang again as soon as she read it, and as he told her to, Tsugumi answered.

“Hello?”

“You’re the best listener out of all of you”

“What?”

“Anyways…”

He ignored her question.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t have to tell you that. And you can’t find out for yourself”

If he found out where she was that day— at a random cafe in Yokohama— he can certainly find her location now.

“That was a test. And you failed”

“It wouldn’t be the first time”

He sighed softly, Tsugumi hearing the sound of rustling papers on the other end of the call.

“You’re at Majesty. On a date with Kyōgoku Hyouga”

Tsugumi nodded, despite him likely being unable to see her. But, she couldn’t exactly rule out that he could see her.

“By the way, that guys the type who thinks of a woman as his servant. So he probably won’t be that nice to you”

“I know. I don’t care”

“Really? I thought women hated that kind of stuff. Reri does”

“I don’t care because I’m not his woman. And I’m pretty sure no one will be from the way he talks”

“What about when you do become his woman? You’re on a date so that means you liked him at least a little, right?”

“I didn’t want to be on this date, and it’s none of your business”

“But it is. You still owe me, so I have to worry about you”

“I said I’d give it back”

“What if your husband forbids you to talk to men? How will I ever get my watch back? I’d suffer until I die”

Tsugumi rolled her eyes at his antic.

“Hmm… 5 minutes”

“5 minutes? For what?”

She scoffed at the dial tone, placing her phone down in her lap. “Tsk…” She mumbled, looking up at Hyouga who approached, glaring down at her barely finished dinner plate.

“I hope you don’t eat too much. I already said I don’t want a fat wife” He warned, sitting down with a loud sigh. “Good thing I’m not your wife” She mumbled.

At this point, she began to feel sorry for any woman who'd be tricked into marrying this man.

“Good afternoon sir. Do you have a reservation with us?” The woman asked, showing a perfected business smile. “I’m just here to visit someone” Shikaba chuckled, confusing the woman. “I’m sorry, sir, I cannot allow you in without a reservation” She furrowed her brows.

“Tsk… why do they have to be so slow?” He pouted, further confusing her. The phone then rang. “Please wait a moment sir” She spoke, lifting it after the second ring.

“Hello, Majesty, how may I be of service... ah... Okay... Okay... yes... Goodbye...” She nodded, placing the phone back down. “Would you happen to be Yotsurugi Shikaba?” She asked, and he nodded in response.

She hurriedly picked up a large stack of menus from the podium shelf. “Welcome, sir. Shall I lead you—” He cut her off. “No thanks. I got it” He shrugged, leading his group up the stairs to the third floor.

Inside were barely a few couples, despite the busy first floor. With one quick scan of the floor, he immediately spotted Tsugumi’s bouncing curls, sitting at a far table— in front of her sitting Hyouga. He almost skipped toward the table, placing a hand down as he faced her.

“Hey~” He smiled, savoring the startled look on her face, paying no attention to how many times Hyouga scoffed at him. “Don’t look so shocked. I told you I’d be here in 5 minutes” But that’s not what he said. He’d simply said the words ‘5 minutes’.

It could’ve meant anything. “Listen—” Hyouga began. “—I don’t know if you’re blind, but we’re on a date if you don’t mind” He stated, clenching his fork and knife in his hands. “You look happy to see me” Shikaba grinned, leaning forward.

“You’re seeing things” Tsugumi spared a glance at Hyouga’s frustrated expression. “Yeah, I’m seeing joy and delight on your face” He nodded, and Tsugumi grumbled softly. Hyouga dropped his utensils, startling Tsugumi.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!! What, are you deaf?! Listen, shor—”

Before he could finish his statement, Shikaba slammed Hyouga’s face into his soup platter, the liquid splattering around the table. Tsugumi flinched at the suddenly attack, and again as some of it splashed on her face.

Now the few groups around them stared at them. “Hey, it’s rude to interrupt someone else’s conversation” Shikaba scolded seriously, as if that wasn’t what he was doing at the moment. He snapped his fingers, pointing down at him.

His subordinates rush to the table, replacing his hand with their own, holding Hyouga down against the table despite his struggle. He lifted the neatly folded towel from the middle of the table, wiping off his face, as Tsugumi did the same with the one on her lap.

“Hey, this place’s boring, right?” He asked, dropping the towel on the table, bringing Tsugumi’s attention to him. “Time to go” He told her. She nodded slowly. “I have to go to the bathroom, though” She told him.

“Sure” He shrugged, leading the way. “Handle him properly” He told the group before walking away. She’d only spent about 5 minutes in the bathroom, shaking off her semi-dry hands as she left.

It all happened so fast, but now that she’d gotten a moment to calm down and think, she was sure she’d get in trouble for it later. If the guards weren’t there, Hyouga would definitely complain to his father about the ordeal.

As she walked past him, lost in thought, Shikaba grabbed her forearm, yanking her toward where he stood on the wall next to the bathroom. Tsugumi gasped softly, as he slid his hands to her waist, now holding her close to him.

Close enough to feel each others breaths on their faces. Because of her heels, she was now a bit taller than him. “You know…” He began, peeking his left eye open, meeting her nervously gaze.

“Dealing with you guys makes my boring job so much more fun. Especially you. So unpredictable, it’s the best~” He chuckled, rubbing his thumbs against her soft, knitted top.

“Really?” She spoke, shakily breathing out. Shikaba hummed, eying down her body. She went on to say something about the watch, but he wasn’t listening, preoccupying himself with inspecting her looks.

From the sweater that left just enough to the imagination, while at the same time enticing his unknown desires with an open back, down to the tight skirt that accentuated her plush thigh.

He slid his hands up, caressing her back. The coldness of his palm met her warm skin, sending shivers throughout her whole body. Tsugumi squeezed her eyes shut, muffling a short groan feeling her knees go weak.

She could barely catch herself, grabbing onto his shoulders for stability. Her eyes opened wide feeling her forehead hit his, and her lips just barely grazed his. Before she could say anything, Shikaba let out a breathy laugh.

“That’s not how you kiss”

He leaned up, at the same time, pulling at her waist, pressing his lips against hers. Tsugumi was shocked, pressing down further on his shoulders for stability.

His lips were soft moving against hers. She followed along with his rhythm, opening her mouth to take his tongue into hers. The kiss was gentle, his tongue scraping against hers slowly.

Tsugumi moaned, tilting her head to the right. Shikaba hummed softly, his lips pulled up into a smile, reaching his hand up to grab the upper back of her neck, pushing her further down.

Their tongues clicked as they pulled apart, Tsugumi only leaning back a few inches while the both of them heaved, out of breath. “Heh~ That’s better~” He smirked up at Tsugumi, who now looked away, face burning with embarrassment.

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