I woke up a little while later. My head was still spinning and the lights above me focused slowly as I opened my eyes. I groaned softly to myself as I turned my head as I saw Jun standing not to far from me. He was writing something down, latex gloves on his hands as he had taken off his suite coat, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the tattoo of the character Chaos written on his left inner wrist in the same black ink that Aya had. He looked down at me as he said,

"Hey. How you feel?"

"Light headed."

"That'll happen when you loose blood. Can you sit up?"

"I don't know."

"Try."

So I did. When I went to put my arm down to get some leverage I saw couldn't. It was in a sling. Jun helped me up as I felt dizzy for a few minutes before I then felt fine.

"How do you feel?"

"Okay...sorta. What happened to my arm?"

"You took a bullet about here.."

He gestured to his arm, pointing to the inside of his own bicep, showing me where I was shot.

"The bullet didn't go through all the way so I had to cut you open and get it out. You lost some blood so I had to get someone to donate."

"Oh...who?"

"Who else?"

"Oh.."

"So, after I sewed you back I noticed that you probably couldn't move that arm or tense it without causing a lot of pain because the bullet hit the muscle. You'll be fine in a while but I wouldn't move that arm if I were you."

"Okay."

"Also, it'll leave a scar. I tried not scar you any further, but the bullet itself ripped open your skin."

I looked down at my now bandaged arm as I sighed and said,

"Okay."

"Don't get it wet so when you shower be careful. And for once, please be the one yakuza in this syndicate that listens to what I have to say okay?"

I nodded as he then said,

"Well...stay here. I'll get Jia."

I nodded again as Jun the peeled back the gloves from his hands and threw them away, unrolling his sleeves as he then picked up his coat from a chair near the door and left. I waited a few minutes until Jia came back. He had a cigarette in his hand as he said,

"Hey Joryu."

"Hi."

"You seem fine."

"I am thank you."

He nodded as he said,

"If you could have one thing right now, what would that be?"

I paused to think as I looked down at the floor and then back up as the answer became clear.

"I'd like to go back home for a while."

"Fair enough. You can leave tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah. After I straighten everything out here with Sung Hyun's death and all, I'll have to go back to Japan myself. I don't need you to stay so you can go home earlier then everyone else."

I bowed my head slightly as I said,

"Arigato."

He walked over to me as he said,

"You did good tonight kid. It was very professional how you didn't even stop when you got shot."

"I didn't feel I should."

"And that's why you're a born and bred yakuza."

He smiled as he then said,

"Before you leave tomorrow, I'm taking you out tonight. If you're up to it."

Refuse the oyabun of the 36 Moons? I think not.

"Arigato Jia. I am."

"Come on then."

I got up off the table as I walked out of the small make shift hospital in the basement of the 36 Moons building as I followed Jia to the lobby. I couldn't put my coat back on since it was stained with blood and had a hole in it so I just went in my shirt, the sleeve now missing, my arm now in a sling. Toki, Mikkie, Akio and Jun all came with us to the Pearl Tea House. Aoki had gone to see Aya and Gabriel and Tai went home for the evening. I was privileged enough to be invited to Jia's private room and sat down as if in a traditional tea house. Toki sat in between both Jia and Mikkie and since apparently it was inappropriate to hit on your boss in front of everyone, he proceed to hit on Mikkie. As Mikkie reach up to pull his hair back, Toki helped him, gathering it in his hands, his fingers touching Mikkie's face and neck every chance he got. He also called him Ghosto or Little Ghost constantly. Mikkie had enough and smacked his hand away, telling him he could pull his own hair up since it was after all his hair. Toki smirked at him and played with the ends of Mikkie's long hair. We ordered dinner and sake for the table. After Toki poured his own drink, he poured one for Jia, then one for Mikkie. Akio and Jun talked to each other, getting their own drinks as I sat with an empty cup. Toki looked at me from across the table as he said,

"Ne, Aka-chan you sure you can handle this?"

I nodded, now hating that he was calling me Aka-chan all the time. I completely understood how Mikkie felt being called Little Ghost or Ghosto all the time now. Toki reached across the table as he filled my cup then sat back down as I picked up the cup and drank. It wasn't too bad. Everyone had dinner except Toki and Jia. They just sat, drank and smoked. Toki knocked back three cups so far and he was fine. His cigarettes and lighter sitting on the table as he used a plate as an ashtray, Jia doing the same, his own cigarettes in a case, a matching silver lighter right on top of the case. I wondered why they didn't eat though everyone else did. Once everyone finished eating, Jun looked up as his hair hid his face from my point of view as he said,

"Jia why didn't you order dinner?"

"Not hungry."

"You're never hungry."

Toki laughed, a cloud of smoke leaving his mouth as he said,

"Li has an eating disorder."

"So do you Toki."

Toki looked at him as he said,

"Don't start Li."

"I didn't. You did."

The looked at each other as Akio then tucked his hair behind his ear and said,

"So, what now Jia?"

Jia broke his glare from Toki as he tapped his cigarette against the plate and said,

"Well...I guess we're about to tie up loose ends with Sung Hyun's people. Get his remains out of here as soon as possible and then we're resting until the next big problem arises."

We nodded as I drained the last bit of sake from my cup. By the end of dinner, I had only two cups of the stuff and I was feeling drunk already. Toki had knocked back his fifth and pouring his sixth. Same with Jia. Everyone else was on their third. I had no tolerance to sake. After some talk and some dessert, Jia paid for the dinner as everyone thanked him and we then left. I was feeling tipsy, not having a head for alcohol since I don't usually drink. I reached up to my forehead as I felt so warm. Jun looked at me as he said,

"You're fine right?"

I nodded as he said,

"Get some sleep. And remember what I said about that arm."

I nodded as Toki said,

"Ne, Li the Aka-chan is drunk. I don't think he can drive."

Jia looked at me as he said,

"Yeah...he's drunk."

"I'm not drunk." I retaliated.

Jia laughed as he lit what had to be his seventh cigarette that night as he said,

"Yeah, you're not drunk."

I wobbled slightly back as Mikkie grabbed my good arm to keep me steady. Jia hailed a cab as Jun and Akio laughed. They waved good bye as they started walking to the subway. Mikkie said,

"I should go myself Jia."

He gave a slight bow of the head as he went to hail his own cab but Toki grabbed his wrist and said,

"Ghosto, just share a cab with us."

Mikkie snatched his hand away as he said,

"Don't touch me."

Toki went up behind him as he held him close. Mikkie stayed still for a moment as he then pulled away and said,

"That's why I won't share a cab with you."

He hailed a cab as it stopped and he got in. Toki turned to Jia and then to me as he said,

"Aka-chan come on."

I sighed and walked over slowly as Jia got in, Toki and then me.

I was feeling tipsy, a little drunk and sleepy worst off. I leaned my head back against the seat of the cab, my right arm resting in a sling against me. I started dozing in and out of sleep as Jia and Toki spoke to each other in a whisper as they usually did when they were together. I yawned turning away from them as I started dozing in and out of sleep the entire ride. When I was jolted back awake, I turned my head slightly, thinking we got there already but we were just at a light. I turned my head to Jia and Toki, Toki leaning back on the seat, Jia's leg on his as Toki's hand carefully set there. I couldn't see their faces but I got a pretty clear idea of what they were doing since they obviously thought I was sleeping. When the cab finally got to my hotel, I felt Toki tap me as he said,

"Aka-chan, wake up."

I picked my head up as I yawned, turning towards the window as I saw my hotel. I thanked Jia for the cab as I got out. Before I got out however, Toki said,

"I'll walk you up."

"I'm okay. Thanks."

I closed the door as I went to my hotel room and after I got to my room, I had the annoying task of having to undress myself without straining and stressing my right arm because if I even tensed it hurt. After twenty minutes I managed to change and I got in bed and went to sleep for the night. The next morning I got up and called the airlines for a ticket back to Japan. I booked a flight for four in the afternoon and then went to get ready. After taking a shower, being careful not to soak my bandages I slowly got redressed and started to pack. I had to lug everything around myself and lift up my bag. It was next to impossible to fold anything myself so I just tossed it in, thinking I could do laundry when I get home. When I was finally done it was twelve in the afternoon. I then went to get something to eat. I hated being half crippled, almost useless. I put my mp3 player in my ear as I put my coat on over my shoulders and went out to eat. I was right handed...but my right hand now not in use, I had to eat with my left which made me slow and awkward. I couldn't use my chopsticks so I forfeited them and used a fork to get done much quicker. After eating, my mp3 player still going on, I went for a walk. I was bored and I still had some time before I left before my flight. I decided to head over to the building just in case Jia needed something. I walked inside and went to the elevator as I pressed the button. Once it came and took me up to Jia's floor, I went and knocked on his door. Jia himself opened it as he said,

"Joryu? Weren't you suppost to be on a plane to Japan?"

"My flight doesn't leave until four."

"What can I do for you?"

"Just wondering if I could do something for you before I leave."

He smiled as he said,

"No, I'm good for now. Thank you though."

I bowed my head as I then left, seeing Mikkie on the way out. He waved bye to me and wished a safe trip before I then left the building. At three I left for the airport and finally went back to Tokyo.

I woke up much later...almost thirteen hours later. The overwhelming jet lag. I yawned, getting up from my seat and grabbing my bag as I left. I hailed a cab and slept until I got to my apartment. I was suddenly more awake when I remembered that Miya was there...waiting for me. I went to the elevator, going to my floor and then getting my keys out as I opened the door and walked in, taking off my shoes as I dropped my bag aside. I saw my apartment was lived in. There was mail on the dining room table, a napkin holder filled with napkins, Miya's shoes sitting beside the door, his coat on one of the chairs of the table. I walked in as I saw the TV was on in the living room, but Miya wasn't on the couch. Suddenly he came out of the bathroom, his sweat pants on as he towel dried his now semi short black hair. He stopped as he looked up and saw me. He dropped the towel as he ran over to me, holding me as he said,

"I've missed you!"

"I missed you too."

He then pulled away as he said,

"What happened to your arm?"

"Oh..nothing."

"Nothing? Jo, it's in a sling!"

"Oh well..it's just a...I've missed you."

"Jo, don't change the subject."

"I was shot."

"Oh my God! Jo!"

He held on to me again, tighter then before as he showered the side of my face and chin with kisses. I sighed, missing him more then ever before. I put my good arm around him, feeling his damp skin from his shower, feeling how soft it was. When he finished he looked up at me with his deep brown eyes as I reached up to his soaked hair and said,

"What did you do?"

As he looked at me I noticed his hair was long int he front but short in the back, giving him bangs, framing his pretty face. He smiled as he said,

"I just cut the back."

"You gonna dye it now that you're going to college?"

He smiled as he said,

"Hai. I always wanted to. I should ask you what you did."

He tugged at my honey colored blonde hair as I laughed and said,

"It wasn't my idea. But trust me, very few people I work with have black hair."

He laughed, leaning into me again as he said,

"Come inside. Sit down. I know you're jet lagged."

"I suddenly feel much more awake."

He smiled as he took my hand and brought me to our bedroom. As I sat down, the jet lag coming over me again, he left and brought my bag back. I yawned as he said,

"Go to sleep."

I nodded as I stood up, trying to take off my shirt that had taken me forever to put on. Miya went over to me as he helped me undress. Once I was done, I laid back down, watching my arm as I finally went to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was much darker out. I turned my head to see the clock sitting there, neon numbers glowing at me as I saw it was eleven. Miya was curled up beside me, sleeping soundly. I sighed, sweeping back his hair as I smiled, thankful to be back home.