And finally… we've arrived to our stop… to this capitalist castle... heh…
Soon, the black sedan rolled to a smooth halt before the gleaming glass-high-rise building of KHX Tower.
Renji stepped out from the car, last time he had stood in front of this building, he'd been wearing worn-out delivery jacket, with silly chicken helmet. As a mere dumpling store deliveryman.
Now he stood in a tailored suit, opening the door for the woman who owned the building.
…Life's weird…
Reika stepped out gracefully, adjusting her collar. "Well then, Renji, I'll contact you later for pickup. If everything goes according to schedule, we'll be done by five in the evening."
"Yes, ma'am."
Shira lingered a second longer. She stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the pavement, and lowered her voice so only he could hear.
"Take your break. But please… do not let your guard down, Renji." Her eyes held his steadily. "I believe you understand the gravity of your situation, right?"
"…I… understand…"
Now that I think about it… it's pretty damn scary…
"The car is bulletproof. If you need means to defend yourself, check the compartment under the center console. And call me at once."
Renji swallowed cold air down his throat.
…I hope I'll never have to use it…
"…I think I'll stick to just calling your number first, Shira-san…"
A faint smile touched her lips before she disappeared inside, catching up with Reika. And the doors slid shut.
Renji just stood there for a minute absentmindedly, as several cars passed to and fro.
"Well then…" He muttered to himself, climbing back into the driver's seat. "Seven hours is a long hour…"
Resting his hands on the steering wheel, staring at the reflection of the tower in the windshield.
Should I… head to Waragyo…? I've got to clean-up Tetsuo's place…
The thought alone felt like walking toward a cliff. Even after telling Shira that morning he was fine, there was something heavy in his chest, like a thick fog.
Not now… not… now… I'll go later…
He started the engine and pulled into traffic. "…For now… I'll look some food..."
Am I really making the right choice this time…? Now that I know Reika-sama… is in this kind of world…
"Kokuren…"
The traffic light turned red. He slowed the car to a stop, along with his mind.
A sleek metallic-deep crimson coupe rolled up beside him, a single-short honk catching his attention, made him turned his head.
The driver's tinted window rolled down. And Renji sees a face that he had met not long ago.
"…Hmm…? that guy…"
A handsome face leaned slightly toward him, wearing a confident, easy smile that looked like it had never known doubt. Renji rolled down his window.
"Yo. Renji, right?"
"Uhh... Kouga… Seiryuu-san?"
"Oh, you remember? I'm touched!"
"Well… your name's cool, actually."
"Ha! I'll take that." Kouga tilted his head. "Your boss is in a meeting, yeah? You're on another errand?"
"Ah… no. She let me off until it's over. I was thinking of grabbing some food."
"Food? Where to?"
"…Hmmm, I'm about to head to Astro Patty joint at the next intersection."
"What…? Burger…?" Kouga brows frown mildly in disdain.
Come on… do you guys have problem with burger…?
The image of Shira staring at him with similar look after the mention of fast-food appeared behind his eyes.
"Screw that. Come hang with me." He said as if the decision already made, and the light turned green.
Kouga winked and accelerated the striking deep-crimson car smoothly ahead.
Renji hesitated for half a second, but still he followed him.
"…Well… guess, why not…"
The car he followed led him to Shibuya's busy, morning street.
As Kouga's car slowed to a stop in front of the closed bar, Renji too, ease the car behind him—parking the car. Both men comes out, Kouga casually gestured toward Renji.
"Follow me, down here."
"…Ooo--kay…"
They both walked to a jazz bar tucked between two store that clearly way past its business hours.
The air changed as they descended the cramped stairway. Stale cigarette scent clinging all over, a faint trace of mixed perfume that had soaked too deeply into the interior without ever had a chance to fully leave.
"… seriously…? The sun still shining bright, Seiryuu-san…"
"Same like night snack, heh."
Inside, in the middle of the bar, someone was cleaning the floor. A man in a white shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows glance up from behind the counter.
"Ah, Kou-san," he greeted, leaning the broom aside. "You're early today."
"Or late, long night?"
The man chuckled, "Just the usual. Girls still lazed around in the back."
"Perfect timing." Kouga took out a key card from his wallet, tapping it to the door sensor behind the partition beyond the main counter. "Borrowing the room, yeah."
The bartender nodded without question.
A soft beep. The lock clicked open.
"C'mon." Kouga walked ahead.
"P-pardon the intrusions…" and Renji followed with unsure steps past the guy who continue cleaning the floor.
W-where am I going…
The staff room felt like the backstage of a theater. There was a low rectangular table at the center, flanked by deep leather sofas. A coat rack leaned in the corner, several sequined jackets draped carelessly over it.
Three women already made their home inside.
One was scrolling lazily through her phone, another massaging her ankle, the third leaning back with her smoke, eyes closed as if deciding whether to nap or not.
Their dresses, glamorous under nightclub lighting, now looked slightly disheveled. Bare shoulders and thighs exposed, fabric slipping casually along collarbones without the careful posture required in front of clients.
When they noticed Kouga, their fatigue shifted instantly into ease familiarity.
"Kou-chan!" one called, voice warm with affection. "It's been a while!"
"What do you mean a while…? Your bite the other day still stings y'know."
Laughter rippled across the room.
One of the women stood and crossed over without hesitation, fingers brushing his sleeve in greeting. Another lightly tapped his chest with two fingers in mock reprimand.
"You disappeared early last time."
"Business, business," Kouga said, slipping smoothly into the sofa as if he belonged there more than anywhere else.
Renji remained near the doorway like a misplaced furniture.
Until one of the hostesses passed by him on her way to get some liquor bottle notices him.
"Eh, who's this cutie, Kou-chan?" she asked lightly, glancing at Renji over her shoulder.
"Be nice to my friend, hehe."
"We're always nice," One huffed under his arm.
Renji bowed instinctively. "H-hello, g-good morning."
Short silence, then followed by soft laugh from the three women.
"Hey ladies, we're borrowing this room for a bit, kay?" Kouga ruffled their hair gently, then gestured toward Renji. "Take a seat over there, man."
Renji did as he told after picking the only chair there without anything hanging on it, as the other chair covered with the stacks of those women clothes and underwear.
After one of them brought two glasses and two bottles of liquor which Renji never saw, leaning close to Kouga's ear, she said "Need anything else…?"
"Oh yeah, you guys have something to eat?"
"Wow! What is this?? Kou-chan yearn for my cooking?"
"Hey, you can give me your lovely effort later, for now, anything for my friend to eat."
"Haha! Okay, okay… there's some leftover bread, I'll make you guys a toast."
"Thank you, my love." Then Kouga turn his head to Renji, and began casually. "So, you good, man?"
"…Good? Oh… yeah. Good, I can eat some toast."
"Hahah! Not that, I mean… it must've been rough losing someone like that. First time for you?"
"Oh… Not… really… lost someone before too. Though… never mind, let's not talk about that…"
"Heh. Cool, cool." Kouga straightened and offered his hand. "Let's do this properly. I'm Kouga Seiryuu. Shinpei Takaori's right-hand man. Dropped him at KHX earlier too. Noticed your car in front of me."
Renji shook his hand, Kouga gave a firm grip and handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Seiryuu-san."
"Come on. Just Kouga. Chillax, man."
"I see… then… Kouga... san…"
"Heh."
Kouga reached for the bottle, then poured to the glass, he lifted his glass without asking. "Cheers."
Renji awkwardly followed.
*Clink*
"So, Renji… how long you've been her driver?"
"Hmm… a little over a month now."
"Whoa. Total greenhorn."
"No kidding. A lot happened in that short time."
"Well, that's normal in our world." Kouga swirled his drink. "What bugs me is you don't look like someone tied to yakuza. How'd you get hired?"
Renji scratched his cheek. "To be honest… it kinda just happened. Long story short, I was just a part-time deliveryman. And at one particular day, I got jailed for something I didn't do. Reika-sama bailed me out."
"Oh?" Kouga's brows lifted slightly.
"She said it was partly her fault. Then she needed a driver. So… here I am."
"Hah… figures. That sounds like her."
"At the time, I thought I was just driving for some rich CEO, though."
"What, she didn't tell you?"
"Rather… I was too naïve… should've made sure… got to confused by the number of the money she offered to me…"
"Hahaha! Bet it's shocking. Welp, money's important."
"Yep… I hate myself… heh."
"At any rate, if you're staying full-time, we'll run into each other again."
"Kouga-san, you live in the mansion too?"
"As much as I'd love to," Kouga smirked, "the princess would kill me if I tried sleeping in her castle. I told you, right? I'm Shinpei's man. At least twice a month I'm accompanying him to your boss mansion."
"…Who's Shinpei?"
"Ah… dang… yeah… we're starting there, I guess."
He leaned back slightly, voice lowered with hint of seriousness.
"Shinpei, the advisor. Boardman Igarashi—Osaka, together with Hino they oversee the harbor. Tsuda. Murakami. Kitamura."
"Huh…" Renji noted the name inside his mind with blank expression.
"Your boss didn't tell you about these names yet…?"
"…Ummm, no…"
"Wow, you're lucky you met me… well, I'm just saying those names, if you want to know more, ask your boss, or her loyal guard."
"… Noted, sir."
Kouga took another sip. And gave him meaningful smile.
"If you want your life to sail smooth, remember those names."
"…W-what happens if I—"
Kouga's smile didn't change.
"You'll find out if you fucked around."
"I-I see—"
Their conversation interrupted by one of the women bringing a plate stacked with decently made toast.
"Here you go! Enjoy it, boys."
"Oh, nice, eat up, Renji, don't hold back."
"T-then… thanks for the food…"
Then long hours passed between them, Kouga asked how's life inside the mansion, but Renji answer with ambiguous reply, then they moved on to talking nothing about life and some dirty jokes from Kouga.
Until Kouga's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and clicked his tongue.
"Tch, duty calls." He stood and stretched his shoulder.
"Eeehh! Kou-chan, you're leaving?"
"W-well then, I'll—" As Renji about to stood up, Kouga push him back lightly back to his seat.
"What, take your time and relax here, you still got time until your boss needs you, no?" Kouga leaned to the women and smile at them while slipping folded bills, each into their cleavage with casual familiarity.
"Keep my friend entertained, girls."
They smiled warmly. "Okaaay! Of course!"
Kouga clapped Renji on the back. "Next time I'll teach you how to handle a woman… I see you're gonna need lots of it, yeah?"
"T-thanks… but I'm in no rush," Renji replied awkwardly.
And just like that, Kouga was gone.
--------
Few hours later, Renji found himself back at his car, staring at his phone—a short message from Reika.
'Reika: Renji, 30 minutes, wait at KHX lobby.'
Renji look at the clock, 4.16 pm.
"Haaaahh… truly… what a lifesaver…"
After Kouga left, time felt longer inside that staff room. The hostesses leaned slightly closer than necessary, asking about his hobbies, his favorite food, what kind of movies he liked in the middle of them forcing Renji to play darts and drinking game.
But every of his answer received the same polished enthusiasm, tilted their head in a cute manner just enough to seem interested. Every laugh sounded trained unlike when they with Kouga.
"Instead of relaxing… it felt like a personality interview…"
Until the vibration of his phone becomes his ladder to salvation. And like Kouga, Renji just bowed and left the room as the girls waved at him with their soft smiles.
He leaned back against the leather seat, staring at the low-lit ceiling. As his social battery was depleted.
"…Kouga-san… next time let's talk at Astro Patty, okay…"
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