I yawned to myself, covering my mouth as I did so when Jun looked at me. He raised an eyebrow as he said,

"You okay?"

I nodded, holding onto my cue stick as he said,

"If you're tired we can leave."

"We just got here."

"Yeah but you're the one yawning like you haven't slept in years."

"I'm not that tired. I'm actually refreshed."

"If this is your refreshed, I can't wait to see you totally invigorated."

I didn't say anything as he took his shot. He then sat up straight, the solid red ball sinking into a hole, the orange one bouncing off the side as he began to walk around the table.

"It's getting dark."

"I know. I saw it too. It's why I asked if anything happened."

"What you getting omens or something?"

"Something like that. I mean, when was the last time you saw the sky darken like that so early in the year?"

He shrugged, probably thinking I was just being...insane. No matter, once he missed, I took my own shots, sinking in about four balls, one right after the other. Jun pouted slightly as he said,

"Now...why do I agree to play this game with you?"

I shrugged as I said,

"Because I suggested."

He then sat down against one of the stools as he said,

"I didn't know there was a pool hall around Ueno."

"Yeah..."

"How often do you play?"

He watched me sink another shot as I said,

"Anytime I free time off and I'm not exhausted. I've been exhausted lately so I haven't been playing enough. My shots are all off."

He scoffed as he checked his watch as I said,

"Got some place to be?"

"Not really."

"In a rush to go?"

"Iie. What's with all the questions?"

"You seem like you rather not be here."

"It's not that."

I missed my shot as Jun then went to take his. I looked around the half empty hall, too early in the evening for most of the crowd to come in. Once Jun and I finished up our game, we left as the teenagers started coming in and we left to go for a walk.

Jun was quiet for now, his dark brown hair, once highlighted with red was back to a dark brown, still parted to the side and falling over half his face. He never moved it, it never moved any further back then it had to. I wondered sometimes how he saw anything like that, but he seemed to manage. I had my hands in my pockets, my hair loose around my face, scrapping below my chin just a little. I remembered Toki's words again, I was nineteen again. I remembered my hair was about that short when I first joined...it was no wonder he saw me that young again. As we walked through Shibe Park, I paused for a moment, glancing up at the sakura blossoms, the petals holding clusters on the ends of dark branches. Most of the walkways in the park were already littered by sakura blossoms that had fallen already earlier. Jun noticed I stopped as he turned and walked back over to me. He stopped as he said,

"You okay?"

I nodded, looking away from the blossoms as they fell around me due to a gust of wind.

"I'm having something of an epiphany."

Jun looked at me strangely as he raised his eyebrow and said,

"What are you realizing?"

I thought for a moment, looking down at the petals as I said,

"Nothing...just something personal."

He nodded as he then sighed and said,

You going somewhere?"

"I was thinking about going to Jia's building for a moment."

"You got work?"

"Iie...but I have nothing better to do."

"Sou ka...I'll see you later."

"Ja..."

He then went ahead, walking down the rest of the path until he was out of my sight. I eventually turned and went in the opposite direction, but not after gazing up at the blossoms for a little while longer.

Once I reached Jia's building, I walked in, glancing over to the left, the area of the lobby where the sofas were. Four sofas, one against the wall, one across it and to smaller love seats on the sides. A small, rectangular table in the middle and a smaller table to the side of the sofa against the wall with a lamp. It reminded of a living for some reason, though not too far from the sofa that had it's back facing everything was a tall, slender table, a vase of flowers sat in the middle of the lobby floor. Further ahead were the elevators leading to the main offices upstairs and through the building, across from that the stairwell door and on the far right was a door that lead to the basement which was the medical office. In the back were smaller offices no one used and were there for storage purposes. I looked over to the sofa where Aya was sitting, his hair falling around his oval face, his legs bent at the knee as he rested his foot against the table in the middle. He slouched, doing paper work by the soft glow of the light as I noticed he had taken off his tie and it was rolled up and placed inside the side pocket of his coat. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone and his hazel eyes flickered over the work. When he noticed me he sat up slightly as he said,

"Kon ba wa."

"Kon ba wa."

"Is something wrong?"

"Iie...just checking in. What are you doing here during down time?"

"Oh, a favor to Tai. The whole thing with the Teo Chiu gave some paper work for us to do...you know the usual stuff. Buildings, property and Nago is still dealing with Soryo's absence so Mrs. Soryo and him have been sending messages back and forth along with the Teo Chiu...so..Tai and Gabriel have been buried. He asked me to help out."

I nodded as I said,

"Anything I could do?"

"Not really Mikkie. But thank you."

I felt myself frown slightly, damning my own ignorance as I sat on the other couch, across from Aya as he continued doing work. I sat in silence for a few more minutes before Aya's long lashed eyes peered up at me again and said,

"You bored?"

"A little."

"Me too. I called Jo here though."

"Why Jo?"

"He'll know how to do some of this. I can get half of it done because of him."

"Sou ka. He knows how to do these kind of things."

"Hai."

I waited for a while longer until I heard the doors opening again as I turned and saw Jo walking in. He had a bag in one hand and a cigarette in the other as he said,

"Kon ba wa."

We both greeted him in return as he walked around and said,

"Ano Mikkie....I didn't know you were going to be here."

"It's okay."

Jo set the bag down, which proved to be take out, on the table as I then said,

"I already ate."

"Ah...sou ka. If you want some though, I bought more then enough."

I nodded as he sat down next to Aya and Aya took a break, giving his paper work over to Jo as he started to eat. I watched them for a little while. Once they started getting touchy feely with each other, I got up and went to see Tai. I went up to Jia's floor as I walked out from the elevator and went to Tai's office. I knocked before coming in and once I was given permission, I walked in. Tai was working as usual, Gabriel on the other side of the desk as they both had stacks of folders around them.

"You two working late again?"

Tai sighed, nodding as he said,

"Hai. Nothing new. What brings you here?"

"Nothing better to do."

I sat down beside Gabriel as Gabriel looked up, his blonde hair falling softly around his face as he blinked a few times, blue eyes brighter then before. I noticed he looked more American then anything now. He yawned as he said,

"If I had nothing to do, I would not come back here."

I shrugged as I said,

"I wasn't sure of what else to do."

Gabriel then leaned back in his chair as Tai said,

"Is Aya still downstairs?"

"Hai, Jo's there helping him."

Gabriel scoffed slightly as he said,

"Right, Jo helping Aya. That's like saying Aoki's helping him."

Tai shook his head as he said,

"Aya wouldn't and Jo wouldn't dare. Not unless he wants to get shot by Aoki."

Gabriel laughed slightly as he checked his watch and said,

"Hm...not too late. You guys wanna get some dinner?"

Tai looked at me as I said,

"Ah, no it's all right. I already ate. You two go ahead."

"Are you sure?"

"Hai."

I got up and excused myself as I went back downstairs. I saw Aya was back to working, Jo picking at his food as he worked as well. I decided to go home. There was nothing else I could do. I took the train on my way home, lost in thought as I hung onto a pole, the subway carts slightly full of salarymen who were just now getting off work after working those late hours. A few school girls stood in the crowds, the smart ones had their backs facing the doors. I held onto a pole, leaning my head on it as I Iooked down at my hands, picking at my fingers as I looked at my thumbnail. It was getting a little jagged around the edges and I figured it was time for me to cut it. I brought it up to my mouth as I started chewing on it, thinking again about nothing in particular when I felt someone inch up behind me. I dismissed it, thinking it was people moving around since we were approaching the next stop. However, when I felt them stay behind me, pressing up I got angry and started reaching into my coat to get my gun, give them a scare and show these perverted salarymen that not everyone is a school girl who will just stare ahead and cry. Just as my fingers grabbed the grip of my gun, I felt their hand clamp down on me and I quickly turned only to see Toki's smirking at me.

"You asshole."

He laughed as he said,

"You thought it someone else?"

"I should have known it was you."

I shoved him back as he kept laughing. I noticed his hair was tucked away under a black knit cap, a light matching coat was on him as well and black jeans as he wore a white shirt underneath. He grabbed the pole just above my hands as he said,

"Going home?"

"Hai. I imagined you would have been out with your two friends."

"I'm on my way actually. Then I saw you and decided to come say hi."

He smirked as I turned away, sighing slightly as he said,

"Why you goin home?"

"I have nothing else to do."

"Wanna hang out with us?"

"God no."

He laughed as he said,

"Let me walk you home."

"I can walk just fine by myself."

"Come on...I'm jus walkin you home."

I shook my head as I said,

"Iie....I'm fine."

"I'm not sayin it for your sake. I'm sayin it for my own."

"You're so annoying."

"If I am, then why you still talkin to me?"

"As if I had a choice not to."

He laughed slightly as he smiled at me. I sighed, looking down as I said,

"Whatever you want."

"Nah, if it was whatever I wanted, then I'd do more then jus walk you home."

I felt him tuck my hair behind my ear as I smack his hand away.

"Hey...you still wearin em.."

I felt my own hand tug on my earlobe as I untucked my hair and hid the platinum hoops I wore as I turned my attention away.

The train stopped a few moments later as I got off, Toki behind me. He put his hands in his pockets as we approached the stairs leading to the surface and he got his cigarettes out. He took out one out and lit it as we began walking to my street. He smoked, inhaling and exhaling quietly as he said,

"You want one?"

"Iie."

"Still not smoking?"

"Why is it so important to you that I smoke?"

"No reason. Jus curious."

I shook my head and we continued to walk. Once I got to my apartment, I stopped him and said,

"Thank you for walking me home."

He smirked as he said,

"No problem."

He leaned down to kiss me and I leaned back quickly as I said,

"What are you doing?"

"Sayin bye."

"You can say that with words."

He laughed slightly as he said,

"It's a kiss on the cheek."

"Get away from me."

"Come on...what do I gotta do to get a kiss good night from you?"

I paused to think as I said,

"What's under your hat?"

"Ah...."

He backed away quickly as I said,

"It can't be that bad."

"It's not."

"Then?"

He sighed as he said,

"I'll show you, but I get a kiss good night."

"It's not that serious. You're bound to take off that hat sooner or later."

I turned to go inside as he said,

"Okay...I'll show ya."

I turned back around as he reached up and took off his hat. His blonde bangs were gone. His hair which was once all black was now dark red, hinting at brown, his bangs gone, cut to fit the length of his hair while all of it was slightly angled. He ran his hand through it as I said,

"When did you do this?"

"Today."

"Sou ka..."

He stood there patiently, looking at me with his eyes slightly widened as if awaiting approval. I glanced up at him as I said,

"What?"

"Damn....what you think of it?"

"Oh...well...it's.....different. I've never seen you without the blonde before."

He sighed slightly, finishing his cigarette as he said,

"Aite...good night then."

I then felt myself grab his wrist gently as he looked over at me and smiled. When I let go of his wrist just as suddenly, he smirked. I cleared my throat as he then leaned down and kissed my cheek, his mouth lingering slightly on the side of my mouth, almost as if waiting for me to turn. I wanted to turn. I found myself wanting to turn and yet I didn't. I knew I couldn't because if I did, it would be an initiation to start everything all over again. It would be an open invitation to Toki, to tell him to come back in my life and ruin the stability that took me so long to build long after he came in the first time to wreck it and bring it all down. I couldn't do that to myself again. So I didn't turn. Toki moved back as he then said,

"Night Ghosto."

"Good night Toki."

He then left, getting his hat back on as I went back inside my apartment.

The next afternoon, after waking up around ten that morning and laying in bed until eleven, I showered and dressed and left my apartment to get something to eat. After I was done, I started walking over to Jia's building, even though I knew I couldn't really do much. I decided to see if I could at least play delivery boy for Tai. When I got to the building, I saw a white foreign car parked in front of the building, gleaming white, the windows tinted. I wondered why it was there since no one could really park in front of this building. Jia had made that clear and cops Jia had paid made sure to ticket the hell out of anyone that dared to park their car there. I didn't look at it too much as I approached the doors and began to open them. As I did, I glanced at the glass, watching them behind me as the window rolled down slightly and then engine started up before the car pulled out and drove off. I went inside, the door sliding shut behind me as I watched it go. I took notice of the license plate along with the year and make of the car. A white 2000 BMW. I got my cell phone out as I called Jo. His line rang for a moment before he answered.

"Hai...?"

He paused to yawn as I said,

"I think we have a slight problem."

"What's goin on?"

"I just saw a white 2000 BMW parked outside the building. It watched me go in then took off."

"BMW? Hm...not in this city. I'll check it out. That shouldn't be too hard to scope."

"Hai..I'll call you if anything else should come up."

We hung up as I turned and went inside.

I ran a few errands for Tai, helping him Gabriel and Aya out when I could. Jo showed up sometime later as he said,

"Ano, I checked around which is why it took me so long. The car has been seen around, but the lower heads don't know who it belongs to. They're checking into that now."

I nodded as Gabriel over heard us. He then took some of the files I had in my hands as he said,

"What car?"

"Oh, I saw some car here this morning. It was parked out in front."

"Oh....maybe I should let Jia know."

I shook my head as he said,

"It's just a car. For all we know it could have been some salaryman."

Gabriel frowned slightly as he said,

"Then why even concern yourself about it?"

"I'm taking precautions. Should anything happen, I'll let Jia know."

Gabriel nodded as he tucked his hair behind his ear and then went to Tai's office. Jo waited until Gabriel left as he said,

"You want me to go find out what's going on?"

I buttoned the front of my coat as I said,

"Hai, I'll go with you."

Jo nodded as we then took the elevator downstairs and began to leave.

Jo and I went through the city as I noticed he had just as many stops and connections as Toki or Aoki. Jo hung around the Kabuki-Cho almost as much as the trio, just during different times. He knew strippers, waitresses, owners of bars and lower heads that lived around the area. He managed to talk to a few of them, but heard nothing of this owner pushing a BMW. As we left one of the bars in the Kabuki-Cho, he said to me,

"Maybe it was nothing."

"Maybe. I just feel wrong if I didn't check into it."

Jo nodded as he said,

"Paranoia."

"The one thing that keeps us all alive."

He nodded as we continued walking. Once we got back into the Roppongi District, Jo decided he was going to get something to eat.

"You wanna come with?"

"No, I'm good. I should head back to let Gabriel know it was nothing."

"Hai hai..I'll see you later then."

He then turned and began going to a near by coffee shop as I started to go back to Jia's building. I hailed a cab and got in as I then left.

By the time I arrived back at Jia's building, Tai was aware of the car. I let him and Gabriel it was nothing, Jo and I both checked into it and it didn't seem to be a big deal. Tai nodded as he said,

"We'll look out for it just in case."

"I know, I haven't completely written it off, but for now, it's just a car." I said.

Tai nodded as he and Gabriel went back to work as I lingered around. I stayed put, only going back and forth sometimes to get Tai and Aya's paperwork exchanged but other then that, I was relaxing most of the time. I checked my watch around ten at night and I was about to go home and call it a night when I heard the front doors opening. I looked over to see Hisoka walking in, his blonde hair falling over his face flatly, green contacts peering out as he said,

"Mikkie?"

I nodded as I stood up from the sofa as he said,

"I called Jo, but I got his voicemail, I figured I should come here."

"What's going on?"

"I saw that car again. A woman was coming out of it though."

"A woman?"

"Hai, foreign woman. About so tall, dark red hair, slightly near her chin. She's got a figure on her."

"Great just what we need, someone to attract Toki's attention."

"Hai. She was going around the Roppongi area...has the money to shop. Later on she was seen at the Shibuya District."

"She couldn't be in the car alone."

"Iie, someone else is in there but we weren't able to tell who."

"For now it could be nothing. Keep a look out though."

Hisoka nodded, his hair falling back slightly to reveal a fading scar near his cheek. Once Hisoka left, I only imagined this woman being part of that bad feeling I was getting. I turned and went upstairs, knocking on Tai's office door as he allowed me in.

"Gomen..didn't mean to interrupt, but I had to let you know of something."

"What is it?"

"There's a foreign woman in that car."

Tai nodded as he said,

"Makes sense."

"What does?"

"Foreign car, foreign woman. It could be nothing."

I nodded as I said,

"I'm keeping an eye on it anyway."

Tai nodded as I then left. I decided to go home, catching a cab and then walking. I like to walk every now and then, it helps clear my head, my mind usually a muddle of thoughts. I got to my apartment and changed clothes, getting my things together and went to go play pool. Playing pool by myself was one of the things I did to pass the time. I often played on my own, thinking of nothing else but the perfect shot, smelling the second hand smoke of the crowd around me. I wouldn't drink alcohol, just a bottle of water, walking around the table and aiming. The sound of the ball cracking against another would often make me think of a gun shot, it was almost as loud and it always gave me the same reaction. To see where it was going. I paused for a moment after taking my shot, pulling the sleeves of my button down as I picked up the chalk cube and rubbed the end of the cue with it. I blew off the excess as I leaned down to take my next shot when I heard someone walking in and when I felt a chill. I always watched who came through the door...mostly out of habit. I ignored it and continued to take my shot when I didn't recognize them and didn't see them as threatening. I stood up straight as the new comer got a table next to mine. He smoked, one of his friends setting an ashtray down on the side of the table as the newcomer took off his coat, one of his other friends taking it as he grabbed a cue stick as his friend racked up the balls. I continued in my game, taking even shots, lining up when I could. I was done with my first game when the newcomer started his. I look over at him for a moment, seeing a dark colored blonde in his short hair, wayward spikes stuck out from his head as if he just rolled out of bed and shook his head out like that. He wore a regular suit, black pants, matching coat only he had taken off the coat and wore the button sloppily, the sleeves rolled up line mine, no tie, the shirt untucked and slightly wrinkled, almost all but save a few buttons were undone. He had not shaved, dark facial hair around his slightly sun darkened skin. I turned my attention away as I racked up for another game. I played for another forty-five minutes before I started to get tired but more hungry. I finished the last of my water, took my final shot and then put the cue away. I began racking up all the balls again as I heard the newcomer say,

"Hey kid, you're pretty good."

I ignored him, hating being called a kid. I set the balls down in the tray as I felt something poke the back of my shoulder. I turned as I glared at the newcomer who had a pool cue in his hand and he laughed as he said,

"Is that suppost to scare me?"

His friends laughed as I turned around again and finished the tray as I then grabbed my coat. I started putting it back on as he said,

"You look too young to be working anywhere special. That your daddy's suit?"

I turned to him as I said,

"What do you want?"

"Nothing kid....jus trying to make conversation."

He smoked, his fingers coming up to his mouth as he pulled the cigarette back, clouds of smoke leaving his mouth. I then said,

"I'm not the talking type. You want hit on a little boy then go find one."

He laughed as his friend said,

"He thinks he's grown."

I turned away ignoring them as I went to pay for my game, pulling out some of my change as I paid for my game and then I left. On my way out, I saw the white BMW sitting by the curb. I turned my attention through the glass windows of the pool hall I just left. My eyes fell on the newcomer and I wondered if it was his. The bad feeling I got before crept through my system again when I heard the sky above me breaking, lighting cracking across the dark sky as it began to rain.