I didn't see Kazuki for another two days after I returned to Tokyo. I was waiting for the kiss marks to fade mostly, but any other not so trivial reason was to just gather myself and start acting like I always did. After I was satisfied with the way I appeared, I pulled my hair back, got dressed and went to see Kazuki. I stopped by his office as I saw him working, on the phone, conducting business as he tucked a strand of dark hair behind his ear. I knocked on the frame of his door as he said to whoever he was speaking to,

"I'll have to call you back."

He hung up as he took out the ear piece from his ear as he stood up and I walked into his office.

"Yuurei..."

"Hi."

He smiled as he walked around his desk and met me for a hug. He kissed my forehead as he said,

"How was New York?"

"The same as always."

"And the celebration?"

"It was fine. Not really my scene though."

"I know."

He let go of me as he checked his watch and said,

"Wanna get some lunch?"

I nodded as he closed up his files on his desk and we then were on our way.

I sat across from him at a small table. I kept looking down and away from him as I drank my tea periodically. He then said,

"You seem off."

"I'm still a little tired."

"No work yet huh?"

"No. Things have been stable since Hong Kong."

"Ah, speaking of which, I got in touch with the kid from London..what's his name? Uh...Tyler?"

"Taylor."

"Yeah Taylor. Anyway, the kid is cleaning up London quickly. He's smarter then he gives himself credit for."

"What's his father got to say about all this?"

"Believe it or not, he's doing it behind his father's back."

"How?"

"Damned if I know. But he is. Taylor is moving quickly and setting up connections and making associates left and right. His father doesn't have a clue."

I nodded as I said,

"When do you think he'll talk to Jia?"

"Probably when he's done, which I assume wouldn't be too far off. The boxing rings are all set up already, he's got his promoter and his boxer all which are already known. If he can get the casino started, then Xiao Tien and Toshimasa could have, yet another place to go."

I nodded, stirring my tea softly as I said,

"They have so many rounds to make already."

"Yuurei, what's wrong?"

I looked up as I said,

"Nothing why?"

"I know you don't really care of what the owners of the game have to do. You seem so distracted and...away."

I sighed to myself as I said,

"Nothing is wrong. I told you, I'm still a little tired."

He didn't seem to believe me. The look in his eyes said something else as he looked at me. I said nothing and continued with my tea.

He spoke about something else, the topic changing since I knew he didn't want to aggravate me. It was easy to make me angry and Kazuki knew that, so he often left me alone to whatever was devouring me inside. After lunch, we went for a walk, my mind floating away for most of the walk so I said nothing back. I responded to nothing he said until I noticed he got quiet himself. When I turned and looked at him I noticed he stopped talking.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to not pay attention."

"I figured I was wasting my breath."

"I apologized."

"Are you angry with me?"

"No, why?"

"Because you're usually like this when I did something to upset you."

"No, I'm not angry with you."

I stopped walking as I said,

"Where are we?"

"Roppongi. We're close to Jia's building."

"Oh..."

Once we got to headquarters, I thanked him for lunch and went inside. I was on the moon and I couldn't figure out why. I went upstairs to check in on Tai since I knew he would be working. I knocked slightly since the door was open as I heard him allow me in. I came inside as he greeted me and offered me a seat.

"What are you working on now?" I asked.

"London and Hong Kong files. Also I just got my papers on Mizui's business. Which of course is booming."

"It's a whore house in the middle of sin city."

He nodded as he said,

"He's almost rivaling our bootlegging business and other casinos. I'm not sure of what humanity likes most, fucking or loosing money to odds."

"Either way they're loosing money."

"True."

Tai sighed, bringing his hand up to his face as he smoothed his hair back and said,

"So...what brings you around?"

"I had nothing else to do."

"I wish I had that option."

"Shouldn't Jia take care of some of this?"

"He handles the people personally. I just do the paperwork."

"Ah...so at least he does do something."

"More then it seems."

Tai rubbed his eyes for a moment as he said,

"I should talk to Jia sometime soon...or maybe Furukawa. Getting a hold of Jia now is almost impossible."

"How come?"

"He's sleeping. Usually he turns off all his phones and since Toki is almost just as hard to get a hold of, Jia isn't around."

"Why not just see him at his apartment?"

"I would but coming into my oyabun's apartment as he's sleeping is rude."

"Good point."

"I'll contact Furukawa."

Tai and I continued talking for a little while before we were interrupted. We turned to see Gabriel standing by the door as he said,

"I had a feeling I'd find you here."

"Hi Gabriel." Said Tai.

I waved to him slightly as Gabriel came in, jeans and a black shirt on him as he tucked back his short blonde hair. Tai said,

"Look at you all dressed down."

"I didn't see the point in wearing a suit today."

Tai shook his head as he then said,

"What can I do for you?"

"Dinner plans."

"Oh right."

He checked his watch as he said,

"I better go. I still have to do some light grocery shopping."

I almost laughed, trying hard, but failing at seeing someone like Tai buying groceries and retaining his usual persona. I shook my head as Tai said,

"I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, hey I have to eat."

Gabriel laughed a little as he said,

"I'll see you soon then."

He waved to me before he left and Tai began to stand up. He towered over me as he went over to his coat rack and picked up his white full length leather coat. He swung it around as he put his arms through the sleeves and said,

"You have plans for tonight Mikkie?"

"Not that I know of. Something usually comes up later."

He nodded as he pulled the coat up and adjusted the lapels as he said,

"Come on. I'll walk you to the lobby."

I got up and followed Tai out of his office as he shut the lights off and locked the door behind him once we left. Once we got down to the lobby, we parted ways and I said good night to him as I walked home. As I did, my cell phone rang and I answered for it to be Akio.

"Hey Mikkie, you busy?"

"No, why?"

"Come to the Eiryo no Koshitsu."

"Do you really think I'd go to a place like that?"

"No man, of course, we're not here to fuck, we havin a poker game."

"Why at a whore house?"

"For privacy's sake. We can't keep getting interrupted at bars and shit."

"Oh and at a whore house...that's less distraction?"

"No it's just prettier atmosphere."

He laughed slightly as I sighed and said,

"Sure...what time?"

"Around ten."

"Okay...though I'm not sure of where this place is."

"Ask Baby-Chu. He'll know."

"Hai...I'll talk to you later."

I hung up as I went home to change.

Around nine thirty, I called Jo and asked him to tell me where the Eiryo no Koshitsu was. Instead, he offered to pick me up.

"I still got the car."

"When don't you have the car?"

"I don't know..."

He laughed as he said,

"Okay, I'm on my way to get you."

"Thanks Jo."

We hung up as I finished getting dressed, wondering for a moment if Jun was going to be there. As I went down to the lobby, I called Jun to find out, only to discover he was already there. I shook my head and waited for Jo to pick me up. A little while later, the both of us entered the Eiryo no Koshitsu, Mizui welcoming us. He shifted his hair slightly as he said,

"I'm glad you came. Come in, please."

As we removed our shoes, a few girls took our coats. Mizui then walked us over to a large wall where two girls stood, their hands on what appeared to be knobs. Mizui gave a signal as the girls pulled the doors back and there sat even more girls. Lovely women shaped like American girls, having China doll faces, wearing whores clothes. Some smiled, others gave seductive eyes, some clutching their arms together to make their breasts bigger as they leaned forward. Mizui said,

"Your associates already picked a few...but you two are entitled to your own flesh."

Jo smirked as he said,

"Where to begin."

I waved it off as I said,

"Jo can have my choice. Where's the game?"

Mizui lead me to a back room where I went inside to see the trio already sitting there getting comfortable, wearing bathrobes, girls surrounding them as they smoked and played cards. Even Jun was comfortable in this atmosphere, except he wasn't smoking. The room itself was beautiful, the table made of ebony and painted gold, the chairs slightly wide, cushioned with velvet and matching the table. There was rice paper walls around us and a screen near the corner of the room. From behind there were clothing hooks where everyone else's clothes hung. The room smelled of jasmine and vanilla, pillows of soft pastels colors thrown about the room as the girls sat there, talking among themselves or just peering up at their customors for the night. Vases of crystal and fine china were placed about small tables made of the same kind of ebony as the center one where we played poker. Flowers of every kind poured out from the vases, giving the room and more fresh scent though smoke was beginning to clutter it. Lastly, the entire room was bathed in a soft light, bright enough to see, but darker then the rooms outside. Toki looked up at me as he said,

"Hey Ghosto, why you dressed?"

"What a question." Said Aoki.

"Aren't you always askin him that Toki?" Said Akio.

They laughed as Jun rolled his eyes and continued with the game. Jo eventually came in, his own two girls following him as he sat down, pulled up his hair and adjusted his bathrobe. I was the only one dressed, with no female clinging onto me as we played poker.

The game went on for a couple of hours, girls coming in and out of the room with drinks for us, emptying out the refilled ashtrays as they giggled and flirted with the trio, Jo and Jun. I was left unbothered as I threw out loose change and later on changed cards as the stakes began to climb. I finally asked for something harder then water when Mizui stopped in to check on us. He asked how things were and then excused himself again. We continued to play for a couple of hours more, getting anxious and bored since the game wasn't moving and hasn't been for the past half hour. Eventually, Jo and Akio folded and Jun, Toki, Aoki and myself remained. The girls still lingered around us, offering us something to eat while we were here. Jun agreed to the offer as did Jo as Akio gave a slight nod. Toki didn't want to fold since it's the longest time he's ever been in a game. As we all concentrated, random whispers, soft footsteps and clothing being rustled was all that was heard, someone's cell phone rang, startling all of us. Aoki looked up as he said,

"That's mine. My bad."

He set his cards face down as he went into his pocket of the bathrobe as he retrieved his phone, glancing at it for a moment as he answered. As he spoke, Akio and Jo flirted with their girls of choice as Toki smoked, not really paying attention to his girl though she looked American. Well, looking American and being American were two different things. She stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders as he leaned back, sighing, smoke exhaling his mouth. Jun was being fed by his girl as I just waited. Suddenly, Aoki hung up as he stood up and said,

"We gotta go."

"What's going on?" Asked Jun.

"Not sure. Aya said details are sketchy. He said something about Hong Kong."

"Shit again?" Said Toki.

"I guess." Said Aoki.

He went behind the screen first to change as Jun then said,

"Mikkie, you remember when Kaoru said to Jia, when he dies, that won't be the end of his problems in Hong Kong...but the beginning?"

I nodded as Toki said,

"Oh shit...you think that's it?"

"But Kumo is suppost to be handling all that." Said Jo.

"Maybe it was too much." I said.

Toki sighed as Aoki then came back out, dressed again as he said,

"Well we won't find out until we leave."

Toki threw his cards down as he said,

"Jus as I was gettin somewhere."

After they were all dressed, we met up with Mizui as we left. The girls all hugged and kissed everyone else, asking them to come back soon as Mizui thanked them and we all left. Right now, my main concern was Hong Kong. Did Kumo fail to do as he was asked? What of Kaoru's promise? I remembered him saying he would put Jia's name on a curse...I was beginning to wonder if it was true. I got no bad feeling however, so I wasn't sure just how bad the situation was. All I could do was wonder until we reached Jia.