Niikura stayed in Tokyo for a while longer, talking with Jia as my oyabun worked out plans for all of Tokyo and London. Kyoto, after all was the other power city aside from Jia's beloved Tokyo. Niikura had organized, planned and prepared just as well as Jia. He was ready for any given encounter so when Jia was ready with London, naturally, he let Niikura know to get involved to plan out the money they'll both begin to amount. Jia was tired for a lot of the paper work and spent most of it talking with Niikura at the Dragon Leaf, having drinks and eating dinner. Xiao Tien was obviously the object of Niikura's affection since he liked to protect him so much. He treated the China Doll as if he was made of the finest, frailest china. It almost seemed like...well what it seems like is anyone's guess. It had been a few days since Niikura arrived and we returned to our regular pattern. It was around twelve that afternoon as I walked into Jia's building. I was gathering the last of my hair up, twisting it into a long spiral as I pushed the glass doors open with my shoulder and walked inside. I saw Jo sitting on the sofa of the lobby, his head tilted back, in his mouth was a stick of some sort of cookie thing, the box sitting beside him. He pulled the stick away from his mouth as he picked up his head and said,

"Hey."

He gave a wave as he put the stick back in his mouth like a cigarette as I said,

"What are you eating?"

"Strawberry pocky."

"Oh."

"Want a stick?"

"No thanks. I never really got into that."

He scoffed as he continued nibbling on the stick and said,

"Everyone loves pocky."

I shook my head as I picked up the paper from the coffee table and opened it as I said,

"Anyone here?"

"Yeah...Niikura and Tai are talking upstairs. Jia's suppost to come in soon. He called a little while ago to let me know."

"You didn't pick him up?"

"I offered, but he said it was okay, he was going to take a cab. Since everything is pretty mellow now, I said okay."

I nodded, turning the page of the paper as Jo continued to snack. He then said,

"Why are you here so early?"

"I'm usually here earlier then this. I over slept today. I should ask you that question though."

"I couldn't sleep in today. I thought it would be a bad idea."

"Akio does it all the time."

"Yeah but Akio's got seniority."

"True."

We both sat quiet for a while until Akio himself came in, sunglasses on, his Valentino suit pressed and taylor made just for him, dark brown hair falling over his shoulders as he walked in with a cup of something in his hand. He held a small plastic spoon in his hand as he said,

"Hey. What's going on?"

Jo looked up at him as he said,

"What's that?"

"Ice cream. I saw it on my way over here. Looked good so I bought one."

Jo sat up a little more as he said,

"Can...can I see?"

Akio smirked a little as he said,

"Baby-chu if you want some, ask."

"Can I have some?"

"You know can anytime you want."

Jo narrowed his eyes as he said,

"I meant the ice cream."

Akio laughed a little, reaching up to his sunglasses as he removed them and sat down beside Jo and offered him the cup. The cup itself was clear and was filled the brim with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, bits of cookies floated around in it as it was topped off with mounds of white whipped cream. Jo took the spoon and dug in, devouring it by the spoonfuls. Akio watched him as Jo ate it quickly, taking his time in between mouthfuls to chew and then swallow and then lick his lips. Akio picked up the box of pocky as he said,

"Hey Mikkie."

"Hi."

"Been here long?"

"No. Not really."

We were quiet for another while until we heard the doors opening again. We looked over to see Toki coming in, holding onto the door handle as he leaned down, picking up his jean cuff as he held a cigarette in the same hand. His hair was spiked up again, a bandanna around his head, the blonde bangs falling around his face as he then stood up straight, a dark blue short sleeved button down shirt over his wife beater. He then said,

"It's gettin hot again."

Akio waved to him as I looked away, going back to my paper as Toki said,

"Hey Playboy. Surprise to see you here."

"I was just about to say the same thing."

Jo continued eating as Akio looked at him and said,

"Damn Baby...you could have saved me some."

"I did."

Jo handed back the cup, although it was now more then half empty. Akio looked at it sadly as he said,

"My ice cream..."

Toki laughed as he said,

"Man you should know better then givin Baby food!"

"I didn't think he was gonna eat it all!"

"I didn't eat it all! I left some at the bottom."

"That's whipped cream!"

"Oh...my bad. Thanks for the ice cream."

Toki continued laughing as he said,

"Damn, he jus ate all your ice cream."

Jo lit a cigarette as he leaned back and said,

"Want some pocky?"

Akio glared at him as Jo smiled innocently.

Jia came in a few moments later as he said,

"It's getting hot again."

Akio waved to him as he said,

"Niikura is upstairs talking to Tai."

"Fuck, he got here sooner then I expected."

Jia then stopped to kiss Toki's cheek and then went upstairs to meet with Niikura. The rest of us spent the afternoon in the lobby and while everyone else talked, smoked and laughed, I sat quietly by myself. Jun eventually came in as he sat beside me, nudging Toki over as he said,

"Everything is so quiet."

Jo nodded as he said,

"But quiet is good. We just need to settle and maybe we can finally start growing old."

"Or some of us can jus keep rotting." Toki said as he looked at Aoki.

Aoki turned and looked at him as Akio, Jo and Jun started to snicker. Aoki, sitting beside Toki on the sofa as Toki sat on the arm, leaned to his side slightly and brought his leg up as he put it to Toki's side and shoved him off the arm. Toki fell with a crash to the floor as everyone began to laugh even harder, only this time Aya and Gabriel started laughing too. Aoki pushed up his sunglasses as he put his arm around Aya and said,

"Fuck you. I'm not old."

Toki got up quickly as he said,

"You BASTARD!"

Aoki flipped him off as Toki put his hand in his pocket and said,

"Yeah well you can say you're not old but you are! Thas never gonna change!"

"I am not old!"

"You are too! You're older then everyone in this room put together!"

"You act like you're some young little kid!"

"I know I'm not I jus fuck em."

He smirked as Aoki cracked a smile and started to laugh as he shook his head and turned back to Aya. Everyone was still laughing as I leaned back in the sofa, very bored. I had to admit, it was funny, but cracking a smile in front of everyone would shatter my image. I had already broken once, I would never break again, least in front of people. Furukawa stopped in during the laughter as he said,

"Excuse me...?"

Toki's laughing face suddenly stopped, wiped clear from his face as he stood up straight, an unlit cigarette in his mouth as he said,

"What you want?"

Gabriel got up as he said,

"Furukawa-san." He bowed his head.

Kazuki nodded back as he said,

"I still like your hair."

Gabriel gave a laugh as he said,

"Jia's upstairs. Niikura is also there."

He nodded as both of them went to the elevator, Kazuki give me a smile as he walked through the lobby. When I turned my attention away, I saw Toki who looked so furious. It was almost frightening to see how violent and how quickly his temper rose. I looked away quickly as Aya got up, gracefully stretching his arms over his head as he arched his back and said,

"I better go. Jia would probably need assistance."

Akio sighed, not wanting to go but know he had to. He got up, following Aya after Aya leaned down, kissing Aoki for a moment before walking away, tugging on Jo's hair playfully as he left, Akio right behind him. Toki sat down beside Aoki this time as he said,

"I hate him."

He lit his cigarette as Aoki said,

"You hate everyone."

"Not everyone. Just him. He's so fuckin lucky he's got business with Li. I'd so fuckin killin him if I saw him walkin in the street."

I frowned deeply because I knew that tone of voice. It was the serious, violent nature in Toki that makes him, him. It's what enabled his survival, it's what put fear in people when they saw him, it's what caused his bloody, cut throat reputation to be very much real. I knew he was not kidding. Given the chance, Toki would slit Kazuki's throat and smile graciously as he was bathed in his blood. I saw that dark side of Toki I had seen a few times before and I knew he seriously, seriously hated Kazuki. And the only reason he did hate him, was because of me.

Eventually, Toki, Aoki and Jo decided to go do something in Tokyo while Jun and I headed for a late lunch, early dinner. We ate, quietly for the most part until Jun said,

"Should I be mad at you?"

"Why?"

"You got marks all on the side of your neck."

He said it calmly, still eating, not even looking at me as if he had said nothing. I adjusted my collar slightly, letting my hair fall back over my shoulder as I said,

"No, you shouldn't be mad at me."

"Good."

He looked up finally as he said,

"After Niikura leaves, we'll probably be on down time again."

I nodded, eating slowly for a moment as I said,

"You going to do anything?"

"Not that I know of."

After our late lunch early dinner, we headed back to Jia's building. There, Jia was saying good night to Niikura and Masao as the soon left. Tai sighed and said,

"Are we near being done?"

"Pretty much. Tomorrow is it. After that I don't care what explodes, I'm staying in bed."

Tai gave a laugh as Furukawa said,

"Things are getting better for you Jia."

"I know, but I'm exhausted."

Jia walked back through the lobby as he went towards the elevator and said,

"I'll be in my office, everyone else can go home."

We nodded as we left and I went home.

After picking up my weeks worth of mail, I went back to my apartment, closing and locking the door behind me as I started flipping through the various trash as I found a letter. Addressed to me as Araya Ryo. Once I saw the return address, I sighed heavily as I threw the rest of the junk away and sat down on the sofa as I tore the end open and took out my father's letter. It had been some time since I last saw my family and it was under less then pleasing circumstances. I sighed faintly with relief as I realized the letter was from my mother. She let me know of things at home, my father, the temple and finally, she let me know my younger brother was getting married. Well, that's just perfect. Shine the light on me next. I'm ever so sure my Shinto priest father would love me bringing Toki to Kamakura and announcing him as my lover. Yeah...a yakuza and a male. That would definitely kill the old man from sheer shock alone. I smirked at the idea. Anyway, she wanted me to return to Kamakura for at least the weekend of the wedding and I groaned, not really wanting to go to Kamakura but not really able to deny my mother's wishes. I cursed and struggled with myself, trying to figure out if I should go. I checked the date of my brother's wedding and saw it was this coming weekend. I cursed softly as I realized I would have to go since there was no excuse for me copping out last minute. If only I checked my mail a little sooner.

The next evening, Niikura finally left, taking the Owners of the Game with him as he went back to Kyoto. Jia sighed in relief as he finally gave us down time. He was more then looking forward to a few days of rest. He asked Jo to take him home since he was in no mood to take a cab. As he walked out the door, Toki stopped him, putting his arms around his waist as he said,

"Where you off to?"

"Going home. I'm in no mood for your nonsense tonight."

Toki stuck his tongue out as he said,

"You like my nonsense."

Jia smiled slightly as he said,

"You fed those disgusting animals of yours I'm assuming."

"Yeah, yeah. Fed 'em and everything."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Okay let go, I'm going home."

Toki let go as Jia then left. I started sneaking my way out as Toki said,

"And where you off too?"

I sighed, turning around as I said,

"I'm going home too."

He sighed, dismissing it as he turned and started going through is pockets, looking for his cell phone and his cigarettes as he said,

"Aite, I'm on my own tonight I guess."

I felt almost bad for turning him away when it wasn't really the case. I had to pack for my weekend. I checked my watch, knowing I promised to meet Jun around seven for coffee and I still had an hour. I vaguely wondered if I could get into Shibuya within the hour. I then decided a few minutes of being late was well worth it. I walked over to Toki, tugging his wrist as he looked up from his cell phone, his cigarette already lit as I walked him over to the stairwell and went inside. I took the cigarette from his mouth as I put my arms around his neck and made him lean down to kiss me which he willingly did. His arms got inside my coat as we kissed for a few brief moments. When we pulled back, he said,

"What's that for?"

"I'm going to Kamakura this weekend. I have some family things to take care of."

He nodded as I then said,

"I'm going to leave tomorrow morning and I won't be back until Sunday. I can't spend time with you tonight because I have to meet Jun later and then I have to pack."

He nodded again as I moved my arm back, bringing the cigarette close to my mouth and inhaled as I then exhaled and I leaned up again, kissing him again as he kissed back. Once I was done, I moved back, giving him his cigarette as I buttoned the front of my coat and then left, rushing slightly to catch the next train into Shibuya before I was later then I would be already.