Chapter 9
The hallway outside Ryuji's office was quiet.
Too quiet.
Keiko Nakamura walked down the corridor slowly, her heels echoing softly against the polished floor.
Her face was calm.
Controlled.
But inside… she was burning.
Under my protection.
Those words repeated in her mind like a knife twisting deeper.
She had stood beside Ryuji Takeda for years.
Years.
Through wars.
Through betrayals.
Through blood.
And now…
A girl who had only been here for weeks was suddenly standing under his protection.
Keiko's nails dug into her palm.
Unacceptable.
She pushed open the door to a small private room inside the headquarters.
Two men were already waiting.
Both loyal to her.
Both looking uneasy.
One of them spoke first.
"Captain… attacking the new girl directly wasn't a good idea."
Keiko closed the door quietly.
Her voice was soft.
Dangerously soft.
"You think I don't know that?"
The men exchanged nervous looks.
"Boss clearly favors her," the other said carefully.
Keiko's eyes darkened.
"Favor is temporary."
She poured herself a drink from the cabinet and took a slow sip.
"But weakness…"
Her gaze hardened.
"…is permanent."
The first man frowned slightly.
"What are you planning?"
Keiko turned toward the window overlooking the city.
The red neon lights painted her face in shadow.
"That girl is hiding something."
"What makes you say that?"
Keiko smiled slightly.
"I've watched people in this organization for years."
Her voice lowered.
"And Yumi Sato doesn't behave like someone loyal to the syndicate."
The men shifted uneasily.
"You think she's a spy?"
Keiko swirled the glass slowly.
"Something like that."
She set the drink down.
Then turned back to them.
"If she dies here, the boss will investigate."
"That's obvious."
"So we don't kill her here."
The room fell silent.
The second man leaned forward.
"Then where?"
Keiko's smile returned.
Cold.
Patient.
"There's a shipment leaving the port tomorrow night."
The men nodded slowly.
They knew the job.
Dangerous territory.
Rival gangs.
Perfect for accidents.
"You want her sent with the escort team?" one asked.
Keiko's eyes gleamed.
"Yes."
"And when the rival group attacks…"
Her voice dropped.
"…Yumi Sato dies heroically during the mission."
The first man hesitated.
"And if she survives?"
Keiko picked up her knife from the table and twirled it between her fingers.
Then she stabbed it into the wood with a sharp crack.
"She won't."
The room went quiet again.
Then the second man asked the question they were both thinking.
"What about the boss?"
Keiko's expression didn't change.
But her eyes were cold.
"Ryuji Takeda is many things."
She slowly pulled the knife back out of the table.
"But even he can't protect someone from a battlefield."
She walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she added one final sentence.
"And when Yumi Sato is gone…"
Her voice became softer.
"…everything will return to the way it should be."
The door closed behind her.
But neither man in the room noticed the shadow standing outside the hallway corner.
A young guard who had heard everything.
And who wasn't sure whether to report it to the boss…
Or stay silent.
Because in the Yakuza…
Choosing the wrong side could be deadly.
If you want, the next scene can become extremely intense: