I stood by Jia's side later that afternoon. Tsubasa had returned with Ai'iro after they finished seeing Jiki at the hospital. Estuya and Yuki came back too. The oyabuns sat and talked while the rest of us stood near the doors waiting. Toki had a cigarette as I went into my coat pocket and got my mp3 player out again. I only put one earphone in this time as Estuya and Ai'iro spoke. I eventually pulled on Estuya's coat as I whispered,

"Ne, I thought yakuza weren't suppost to get married."

He looked over at the crowd of oyabuns as he then said,

"Oh...well it's not encouraged but one can if they wanna."

"Doesn't your boss look a little young to be married?"

"He is young. He's only in his thirties."

"Oh..."

I went back to listening to my music as Toki put his arm around me. He leaned in as he decided to listen to what I was listening to. I didn't pay him any attention. Ai'iro then looked over at me as he said,

"What you listening to?"

"Luna Sea."

He nodded as he said,

"Heard of a band called L'arc~en~ciel?"

"Yeah."

"Listen to them. They're good."

I nodded at the recommendation as Jia then called Toki and me over. We went over to the desk as I turned off my mp3 player and stood near the desk, Toki went over to Jia's side as he sat on the corner of the desk, Tsubasa sat on one chair, Yuki on the other. I didn't want to stand to close, especially because Tsubasa was distracting. His dark eyes looking up, his pale, pink colored mouth that was the color of a newborn rose parted slightly as his white blonde hair fell over his shoulders in gentle waves of white and yellow. On his slender fingers he wore a large onyx stone that covered almost an entire finger. He crossed his legs as he leaned back in the chair and I almost forgot myself. I looked back at Jia as he was talking Toki. He lit a cigarette as Jia then said,

"Joryu, this is Yuki. One of my many partners in crime. Yuki, this is Joryu. One of my newest."

Yuki turned to me as he said,

"Cute."

I blushed slightly as I cleared my throat and said,

"Ne Jia?"

"I've been discussing the situation with my people here. They've all heard of the Sung Hyun situation and what they're planning to do to get to me. I am the head of this after all. Without me, it all falls apart."

He smirked as he then laughed, Toki nudging him. It's almost as if he didn't take it seriously. He then smoothed his hair back and said,

"Anyway, I want you to stay around here for a while. The minute something goes on, I'll send you and Toki."

I nodded as Estuya and Ai'iro received similar orders and we were all then excused. We went down to the lobby as Ai'iro and I switched mp3 players and we listened each other's music for a while as Estuya had a cigarette. Toki was still upstairs as I then said,

"Ai'iro."

He looked at me and said,

"Yeah?"

"Tsubasa's really pretty."

He laughed as he said,

"Never saw anything like him huh?"

"Nothing alive anyway."

"And Tsu gets another one."

"Another one?"

"Everyone thinks Tsubasa is the prettiest thing around. It's why they call him the ningyo."

"Oh...he is pretty."

He leaned back as he looked at me for a moment as he said,

"You know...you sorta look like someone."

"I do?"

"Yeah...sorta like...a younger Aoki. But without the scar."

I looked away as I looked at the mp3 player and said,

"He's my dad."

"Oh...shit. Honto ni?"

I nodded.

"You resemble him. No wonder you're here. It's in your blood."

"My best friend didn't want me to be."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"You're so young. You're about as old as Aya was when he started."

"Aya was eighteen too?"

"Yeah. He's a political genius. He was even in the Diet back in Japan."

"Whoa...how did he get in?"

"Make up. Lying his way in. It's why they call him Deception. Do not be fooled by that pretty face."

"You know a lot."

"I'm the next best thing to an oyabun kid."

"What do you know about Aoki?"

"Aoki's real quiet. Doesn't say much to anyone. Got one of the best shots around. He's also blind in one eye."

"He is?"

"It's why he wears the sunglasses. To hide the scar and to hide the white eye."

"Oh..."

"Didn't know that?"

"I thought it was just to hide a scar."

"Nope. He's blind in that eye."

"So...I heard there was this rumor about him and Aya..."

"Oh it's true. They got busted a while ago."

"Aya's not that much older then me..."

"Hey your old man has good tastes. And the fact that Toki couldn't even nail Aya and Aoki did....it was more of a classic moment."

I sorta laughed as did Estuya. A moment later, the laughter stopped as the front glass doors opened and Aoki walked in. He had a cigarette in his mouth, his hands left blood prints on the glass as he turned to us and said,

"Jia here?"

I nodded as Ai'iro said,

"What happened?"

"Got some work done."

He went to the elevator and pressed the button. A moment later, he went in and the doors closed behind him. Meanwhile the rest of us looked at each other as I stood up and said,

"I should go check if Jia needs me or something."

Estuya shook his head as he said,

"Nah, sit and wait. They'll call."

I sat back down and did just that. Every now and then someone would appear, going inside and upstairs before they left. Around two in the morning, Jia came down stairs himself and said,

"Joryu, we need to go."

"Where to?"

"Downtown. Seems like Tai found our boy."

I got up as close behind came Yuki and Tsubasa. Ai'iro and Estuya went to their own bosses as Yuki then said,

"Jia, I'll call you tonight. If I don't get home now my wife will wonder. I don't want her worrying."

Toki smirked as he said,

"It's why I told you not to get married."

Yuki laughed as he said,

"Later."

Estuya said bye to me as he left and then Tsubasa said,

"I should go make sure everything is fine with Jiki. You have everyone at your hand though."

"I do. I'll see you later."

Jia kissed his cheek and then the ningyo left as Jia then notioned us to go.

I drove us downtown where Tai stood waiting at a corner. He was holding a cup of coffee and as the car slowed down, he walked over to it as he leaned down and the window rolled down. He had to kneel down because unlike most members, Tai was a tall, broad man. He knelt down as he said,

"Kon ba wa Jia."

"Kon ba wa. So you found him?"

"Hai. Seems he lives right over there."

He pointed across the street from us as I looked. I noticed a small crowd of people outside. Toki sat up as he squeezed between the front seat and the passenger seat, as he leaned forward, squinting slightly as his cigarette stuck out of the side of his mouth. His hand came up and rested on top of my thigh as he held himself up and said,

"Looks like Sung Hyun's boys are outside. I count...five."

Tai then said,

"There are five. Two more inside the lobby. Sung Hyun's up on the tenth floor."

Jia then said,

"And no one noticed you?"

"Nope."

Toki looked over his shoulder as he said,

"How can anyone not see you?"

Tai shrugged as he said,

"So...what now Jia?"

Jia looked at the crowd as he said,

"Toki sit back down. I can't see."

Toki looked at me as he smirked, his hand giving my thigh a gentle squeeze and as he started sitting back, his fingers slid inside my thigh and near.....more personal areas. I looked at him with wide eyes and he kept on smiling until he sat back. Jia then said,

"Drive by."

He moved over as he made Tai get in as Toki squeezed up beside him. Tai then said,

"Up the street, Gabriel's sitting inside the diner."

I nodded as I drove up slightly and stopped in front of a small cafe where at the window, Gabriel was sitting. He had a cup of coffee beside his arm as he read a newspaper, his dark brown hair falling over his blue eyes. Tai got his cell phone out as he called Gabriel. I watched as Gabriel picked up his cell phone beside his cup of coffee and answered. Tai told him to come out and then they hung up, Gabriel coming out and getting into the passenger seat. Jia then said,

"Drive around the block Joryu."

Gabriel then looked over as he said,

"Jia what happened with Aoki?"

"He butchered some of the heads in Queens to squeeze out information about who shot Aya."

"He find out?"

"Yeah. It was one of the closer heads of Sung Hyun. He threw his remains in the Hudson."

I was a little surprised to hear that. But I kept to myself. I drove around the block as everyone prepared their guns. I made the turn around the block and started slowing down as we approached the building. Jia, Tai, Gabriel and Toki all took their places by a window, rolling them down as the car crept up slowly. I stopped, everyone had their guns out as Gabriel leaned over me to take his shot. I watched as people ran, some of Sung Hyun's heads falling to the ground others trying to take shots back themselves. As screams echoed through the streets along with the gunshot blasts, Jia then shouted at me to go and I peeled off, the screeching tires leaving marks behind as we drove off and mixed into the traffic up ahead.

We returned to Jia's building later that night as everyone called everyone to check up on each other. It was damn well near three in the morning when we finally dismissed. I went home to fall asleep right away. It was almost six in the morning when I heard my cell phone. It couldn't possibly Jia...he went to sleep himself...at least I prayed it wasn't. I sat up as I answered.

"Moshi, Moshi..."

"Joryu, I need you to come pick me up now."

"Ne Jia...I'll be there in ten minutes."

I hung up as I went to get up, yawning as I went to pick up Jia. By six thirty we were in the hospital where we went to pay a visit to Aya. Toki was still sleeping so I was to accompany Jia as we went inside his room. I was a little surprised to see Aoki already sitting there, his head down on Aya's bed. Once we came in Aoki's head shot up as he then saw it was just us. He yawned as he said,

"Hey Jia."

Jia nodded in return as he said,

"You were sleeping here all night?"

"Hai. I relieved Jun last night after I got back."

I stood by the door as I looked at Aya. Pretty Aya as he's always been known was in the worst condition I had ever seen him in. According to Hisoka and Estuya, Aya has always looked exactly the same since he was nineteen. He's in his early thirties now. His face was tilted towards Aoki so I couldn't see much of him. His usually bouncy, shiny, silky looking caramel hair fell flat around him, his left arm was wrapped in bandages from his shoulder down to the wrist and it was in a sling. The rest of him was in white, covered by the hospital gown and the sheets. In his other arm he had wires and tubes coming out of him checking his vitals. Aoki didn't say much, or even look any different facially anyway. But it was the first time I had ever seen him without a cigarette in his mouth. Jia pulled up a chair beside him as he said,

"You can go home now."

"I'm not leaving until someone else comes here to keep watch."

"That won't be until around eight."

"Then I'll wait."

Jia looked at Aya for a moment before he said,

"You can at least go have a smoke. I know you're dying for one."

"It can wait."

"Go get some coffee at the most. You'll need to stay awake."

Aoki said nothing for a while until he just sighed and said,

"I rather not."

"He's not going anywhere Aoki. Me and Joryu are here. We'll watch him."

Aoki looked back down at Aya then got up as he said,

"I'll be back in a second."

I moved away from the door as Aoki went out. I clasped my hands behind my back as I said,

"Jia?"

"Hm?"

"Is Aya okay? I mean...will he?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine."

I looked down at him as I said,

"Aoki's close to him huh?"

"In a way. I'm not around all the time...so whatever goes on between them is...between them."

I didn't say anything else. A few minutes later Aoki came back in with a cup of coffee. He sat down again as Jia said,

"You need anything else?"

"No. I'll just wait until someone comes at eight."

Jia nodded as his cell phone rang and he quickly answered. He nodded a few times as he said uh-huh and then stood up as he said,

"Aoki, I have to go."

"It's okay. Go ahead."

He nodded as he then notioned me to follow him. On our way out the door, I looked over my shoulder to see Aoki looking back down at Aya, reaching up to his sunglasses as he took them off and set them beside him. I couldn't see the mark on his face...his hair was in the way. I turned back and followed Jia out the door.

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Definitions

Honto ni?- Really?

ningyo- Doll

Kon ba wa- Good evening

Moshi moshi- Telephone greeting for hello