I didn't know what Furukawa meant by when he said he would make time for me. I didn't know what he meant at all. But I later learned when I found out Jia knew. Of course Jia knew since Furukawa was asking him for favors. And I wasn't even a business head to use that as a cover, so Furukawa out and told Jia. I was embarrassed as I sat in Jia's office and he asked me if it was true. If my face had never turned red before, it sure did that day. I hung my head as I tried to get my face back to it's normal pale stature as Jia said,

"Okay, so it is true."

I cleared my throat as I tried to relax as I said,

"Hai."

I heard Jia sigh as he leaned back in his chair. I picked up my head slightly to see his fingers run across the surface of his cigarette case, his nails scraping across the top. He sighed as he said,

"Then we have a problem."

"Jia, I'm not going to get involved with this guy. I know a bit better then that."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Trust me I wouldn't care if you decided to fuck him in the elevator. What worries me is Toki."

I sighed, looking off to the side. When it came to Toki, Jia and I have seen eye to eye on different levels. His jealousy often made me outcasted from things and though as hard as Jia tried to not let it get in the way of business affairs, he couldn't help but hate me anyway. He got over that when Toki devoted himself to Jia and Jia alone, but lately...it's like they're starting all over again. Including me in that equation. Toki has been bouncing around night clubs and strip joints and worst yet, chasing me all over again. Jia knows...mostly because Toki is unabashed and will do it in front of anyone.

"Jia...Toki needs to not care about my own personal affairs for once in his life."

Jia looked at me. Well, looked is a soft word. Jia glared at me as he said,

"Have you ever known him to stay out of anything you do?"

"Iie...but-"

"If Toki doesn't already know about Furukawa he will and he's going to make that man's life hell. You think my jealousy is bad..."

He scoffed and looked off to the side. I could kind of imagine what Toki's jealousy was like. If it was anything like his anger well then...I guess there was something to worry about.

"Furukawa can take care of himself though Jia. He is a grown man."

"Doesn't matter. Whatever Toki doesn't like he will make it incredibly hard for anything to be done. I can't have him throwing fits like a child everytime something goes on. I don't care about your personal affairs. They're yours to deal with. Just...don't do it here. I can't have Toki going on a rant everytime."

I nodded as I kept my word to Jia I would not allow anything of my personal life to come into this building.

It was awkward discussing Toki with Jia. Since Jia and I gave each other strange looks when we did talk about him because we had that in common. Once I was dismissed from Jia's office, I went down to the lobby, planning to leave for the day and get something to eat or find Jun one of the two. As I left the elevator, I walked only a few steps when I felt Toki's arms around me. I wasn't surprised knowing it was him as I said,

"What?"

He kissed my neck as he said,

"Where you off to?"

"Nowhere special."

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"I tol ya. I jus wanna spend sometime with you."

He let go of me as he walked around to face me. I sighed, looking up at him as I said,

"I was going to go meet Jun somewhere."

"Fuck him. I'm more important."

He smiled in his boyish manner as I shook my head and said,

"Another time."

"You always say that."

"I mean it."

I felt his hands take mine as he pulled me over to the sofa of the lobby. We sat down as I tucked my hair back and said,

"What?"

"I knew it's the only place I can get you to come with me willingly."

I started to get up as he said,

"Why you in a rush to leave me?"

"I'm not. I just have some place to be."

"You jus said five seconds ago you weren't goin anywhere special."

I looked away as he made me sit back down. He put his arm around me as he kissed my cheek, his other hand stroking my face as he said,

"Is jus you and me now...no else around."

I almost fell into his embrace, my eyes closing slightly as his mouth touched the side of mine. I turned my head slightly, our mouths touching slightly as I moved back just as fast and said,

"Ah...no. Toki. I have to go."

He sighed, pulling his hair back as he said,

"You always runnin from me."

"I have good reason to. I'll see you later."

I got up this time and finally left as I called Jun to meet him for lunch.

I hated being stuck between people like Furukawa and Toki. Both had some sense of determination, both were equally smooth with words and both made me think about running away. I had my past with Toki, I had my present with Furukawa. And it would be all around bad if Toki knew Furukawa's tendencies. Over the time that Furukawa adjusted to Nishiki's empire, as a favor to him, Jia allowed me to answer any question he had. The Kitsune kept his mind on business which was a very good thing, but once he was done for the day, he wanted to get me alone for the night. I still didn't respond to him and his advances, thinking only of how bad it would be to get into anything even remotely resembling a relationship. I didn't have a constant need to get laid like more then one of my associates so it wasn't even that. Furukawa, was determined. I didn't know why either. What was so alluring about me? Why not Jo, or Aya or....someone else aside from me? The only thing I appreciated about Furukawa was that he respected my personal space and wasn't so quick to touch me all the time unlike Toki who made it his goal whenever he was around me. I did appreciate Furukawa's intelligence. It was almost like talking to Jia when he spoke of business. He didn't trust many of the employees appointed to him so he did most of the work himself. The more I spoke to him, I found he had college degrees.

"You do?"

He nodded, tucking his hair back behind his ear as he chewed on his pen.

"A bachelors degree. An accounting degree...things of that nature."

"You could have been anything."

"I know. But anything else doesn't pay as much."

I scoffed as I said,

"You have education to benefit your criminal lifestyle."

He laughed as he said,

"Pretty much. It's helping me now though. I could balance my own books, and crunch numbers without having to pay anyone."

I nodded as we sat in his office that night. I was going through some of the folders on his desk seeing deeds and maps of properties in such when as we spoke. He exhaled as he pulled his hair back and said,

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What's your education like?"

"Nil to non existent. I dropped out of high school."

He nodded as he said,

"You still have a lot creditable knowledge to what you're doing though."

"Not really. Anyone who can read a map can do what I do."

He smiled slightly and I noticed it wasn't one of his cunning smiles, as if he was plotting something. I resist the urge to smile back as he said,

"Will your face break?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you smile....will your face break?"

I glare at him as he laughed and said,

"You don't like to smile do you?"

"No."

"Your teeth messed up?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I just...don't."

I realized I didn't have a logical explanation as to why I didn't smile. Even Aoki cracked a grin every now and then at Toki's actions. I would think about that later. I continued going through folders, separating something, explaining what I did know of Jia's lands and territory. Around one, I yawned as I rubbed my eyes and said,

"I'm tired. I'll be leaving now."

He nodded, watching me get up as he said,

"Busy tomorrow?"

"You don't honestly expect me to be working on my days off do you?"

He laughed again as he said,

"I was going to ask you to dinner."

"Why are you always trying to feed me?"

"I'm not exactly sure if you like doing anything else."

"I do."

"So, enlighten me."

I paused to think, thinking of what I usually did with my associates. I definitely did not want to say I go out sometimes and watch Jo get wasted as I knock back a few drinks with him, or how we go to strip clubs in the Kabuki-Cho, Jun and I talk long pointless walks in silence...but I do play pool.

"You know how to play pool?"

"To an extent yes."

It took him a moment to realize I was stating that I play. He then said,

"What's a good pool hall around here? I only know New York."

"In the Ginza District or the Shibuya one..."

I paused when I saw him looking at me as if he was amused. I got defensive as I said,

"What now?"

"Nothing."

"Then stop looking at me like that."

He smiled slightly as he looked away and I rolled my eyes as I said,

"Forget it. I'm busy."

"Maybe next time then."

I turned and left without another word.

I sulked with Jun later that night. Jun didn't exactly know what was wrong and I wouldn't come out and say it, but he already knew I was pissed off. I wanted to just out and say Furukawa had this interest in me that at first seemed like a good thing but can now turn out to be a mind field and he was now annoying me. Of course, I didn't say that, I just sulked about it as Jun and I had some coffee. Finally after my second cup was on it's way, Jun sighed and said,

"What's wrong?"

I frowned as he then said,

"You don't have to tell me but it's really pointless to act is if you're not mad when clearly you are."

I placed my hands on the table as I opened my mouth to speak and then stopped as I then tried again.

"Furukawa...he...he's...."

I paused again as I saw Jun looking at, waiting for me to finish.

"He has an interest in me."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said Jun. And he exasperates me to no end."

"So tell him you're not interested."

"That's thing....I don't know if I'm not."

Jun sighed, resting his hand on his chin as he said,

"You're never one to be confused by emotion."

"I'm not one to have any."

Jun took a sip of his coffee as he said,

"I don't know what to tell you."

I didn't say anything as I continued to sulk.

Furukawa's presence began to annoy me. Mostly because he said he had an interest yet he clearly annoyed me and then did nothing to remedy it. What kind of screwed up interest was that? I asked Jia after a week of that to no longer cut any more favors with Furukawa and myself. I told him I didn't care what Furukawa said and to tell him I wasn't going to show up. Jia nodded and said he would tell him and then I was left alone. I saw Toki every now and then, but during down time it was hard to get a hold of him since he was usually wasted and/or asleep. I found myself wanting to see him though, just so I could stop being so agitated by Furukawa and his warped interest. I wasn't sure where to start....other then Jo. I doubt Toki could hear his cell phone now...much less know what one is at his state of mind. So I asked Jo where he was headed one night as I called him.

"Liquid Room. Kabuki-Cho district. How come?"

"No reason. You wouldn't know where the trio is would you?"

"Not really...oh no wait. I spoke to Akio earlier. He said they were going to some strip joint."

"That could be anywhere."

"I know. Sorry Mikkie. That's all I know."

"It's okay. I'll talk to you later."

I hung up with him as I decided to get some rest. It was only a few hours, of peaceful slumber when I heard my cell phone ring. I fumbled for it in the dark, my fingers almost knocking over a cup I had left on the night stand as I grabbed my cell phone.

"Hai?"

"Hey...look out your window."

"Toki?"

"Yeah...look out your window."

I got out of bed as I went to my living room and pulled back the curtains as I looked down and saw Toki standing there. He looked up as smirked and I sighed as I said,

"What are you doing here?"

"Wanna see you."

"Are you drunk?"

"Nah...seriously. I wasn't in the mood to get wasted. I feel like I lost too much weight already."

I would have laughed but instead I curved a small smile as I said,

"You can't come in."

"I come all this way an then you leave me in the cold?"

"It's actually nice outside Toki."

"I know, I'm jus sayin is all."

I shook my head as he sighed and said,

"For a little while."

For a little while meant a few hours. Toki had fallen asleep on my couch, me beside him. I had to admit to myself that I had missed sleeping beside someone, the weight of his arm over me and the scent of his hair were some painful reminders, but all the same....nice ones. When I woke up the next morning, Toki was still asleep, his hand slightly above my face since his arm was bent over his head. He slept soundly though and he looked so peaceful. I swept his hair away from his face as he then woke up. He yawned in the most adorable way, reminding me of a cat as he then moved his arm and said,

"What time is it?"

"I don't know. I just woke up myself."

He put his arms around me as he laid his head back down and said,

"First time we woke up beside each other fully dressed."

I sighed, nudging him as I said,

"Shouldn't you go home?"

"I will...in a few."

I sighed, looking up at the ceiling as I then looked back at him. Well...that was on way to get over Furukawa's agitation.