I spent a week in Seoul. But only three of those days did I actually work. The rest of the time I spent having fun. Well...fun...sorta. It was questionable fun because one, I was with a bunch of yakuza who were scarier when they were laughing and pulling jokes on each other and two, I wasn't with Miya. Jia had already established himself as owning all of Seoul. Everything was already signed over willingly by Sung Hyun's nephew Yu Jun all because he wanted to save his life. So within a small matter of time, Jia claimed all of Seoul, it's legit business and it's fronts as part of the 36 Moons empire. Jia had one of his own come in from Tokyo and work out the legal matters with Gabriel and Akio before everything else was done. The rest of us celebrated. We attended clubs, parties anything that required liquor and music. It was at one party where I watched them play the, who can drink the most before they pass out, contest. In the 36 Moons, the heaviest drinkers were Toki and Aoki so they sat at a table, bottles of Korean beer, hard Korean liquor and any other kind of alcohol all around them and different sized glasses set between them. Everyone spilt into sides cheering for Aoki or Toki. Aya and Jun stood on Aoki's side, cheering him on as Mikkie and Akio stood on Toki's side. Jia, myself, Tai and Gabriel stood in the middle watching them drink shot after shot. Toki seemed really in his element, having a cigarette in his hand as he took four shots of soju one right after the other without flinching. But Aoki was calm himself, the cigarette he was holding hardly leaving his mouth when he took his shots. I stood beside Jia as I turned to him after getting a cigarette from him. He lit it and I said,

"Who do you think will win?"

Jia inhaled his cigarette as he put his lighter away and said,

"Toki. He's this close to being a drunk. He can put away more liquor then Aoki can."

I looked back as I saw Akio and Aya pouring vodka into a normal sized glass half way for Aoki and Toki. Akio gave the glass to Toki who took it and took the cigarette out of his mouth and began to drink it. The small crowd around us watched on as the music blasted throughout the room. Toki finished his drink and leaned back in the seat as everyone cheered for Toki. Aoki looked at the glass, half a normal sized glass of vodka was a lot to take in considering everything else Aoki already drank. He then said,

"Fuck..."

And Toki smirked at his victory. Jia sat beside him as Akio patted him on the shoulder and Aya comforted Aoki in his loss. As for myself, I went back to enjoy the rest of the party.

A week in Seoul spent celebrating. It wasn't too bad since I was laughing, enjoying myself with the people I was slowly starting to call my friends. Especially with Akio. Akio was the closest person I had to call a friend since he was my "big brother" in the syndicate, teaching me how to conduct myself and showing me the way around things. He was also the person I talked to the most about anything. The last night I was to stay in Seoul, I sat on the balcony of our hotel room. I had just hung up with Miya and there was a party going on in the main ballroom. I didn't want to stay there long so I slipped away and came back here alone to call Miya. I had missed him so much and just hearing his voice sent shivers through my entire body. I leaned against the doors since I was confident my roomie wouldn't be back for a while since he was at the party as I admired the view from above. I could almost see the entire city from the view up here. It was beautiful...and Miya was still in my mind. I cradled my cell phone in my palms as I sat on the floor, my legs open as I looked down every now and then, wanting to call Miya again since I missed him. But he had to go bed...he lived a normal life and had class the next morning. I had told him there was a good chance I might be going home soon...and I was hoping it was true. I sighed, looking back up at the clearing sky, hearing the city below, getting lost in my thoughts of romance when the door behind me suddenly disappeared and I fell backwards. I heard a laugh as Akio looked down at me and said,

"There you are."

"Oh..hey Akio."

"You drunk?"

"No. I just fell."

He reached down as he helped me up to my feet as he said,

"What're you doing all alone out here?"

"I called Miya."

I held up my cell phone before tossing it on my bed as he said,

"Oh...I figured."

He reached his hands up to his hair as he ran his fingers through it, pulling it back, revealing his pretty, yet handsome face. He then said,

"Not in the mood to party?"

"Not really."

I sat down on the edge of my bed as he checked his watch.

"It's only two. It's usually the tip of the hour for us to have fun."

"Yeah. But I'm not really in the mood."

He sat beside me, his fingers brushing back my hair as he said,

"What's the matter?"

"Miya. I miss him a lot."

"Jia will send you home soon. Don't worry about it."

I shrugged as his fingers cupped my chin and he turned me towards him and said,

"He will. But you gotta remember you're working too."

I gave a laugh as I said,

"You call this work?"

He smiled as he said,

"Hey someone's gotta do it."

His hand slid away from my face as he smiled, stroking my hair back as he said,

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I take it back. What I said about you lookin' like Aoki. You really don't."

"I never saw it anyway."

"You're different. You got this...adorable quality about you."

I gave a small smile, feeling relief that for once someone saw I didn't look like Aoki. I reached up to my hair to tuck it back behind my ear when I felt his hand grasp my fingers. When I turned to him, I felt him come closer and before I knew it, his mouth was on mine. So here I was...Akio kissing me. And it wasn't bad at all. It was a lot more gentle then Toki's kiss...probably because Toki had hunger behind it. Akio was sweet..reminding me of a more grown up version of Miya's. I was kissing back when I remembered Miya. I moved back as I realized the situation I got in. My partner, the guy who was like my older brother had just kissed me and I had Miya waiting for me back home. I felt my eyes get wide as he smiled, his eyes got so seductive all the sudden as he said,

"You okay?"

I nodded as I then stopped and said,

"No, wait. Akio...you can't...this is weird."

He laughed as I realized how juvenile what I said sounded.

"I didn't mean that. I mean this is awkward. Besides...I have Miya and...you know."

He nodded but that seduction in his eyes didn't go away. And it wasn't intimidating like Toki's glare was...it was just what I kept saying it was. Seduction.

"I think you're...good looking...kinda..hot.."

He smiled, his mouth on mine again as I closed my eyes and kinda fell back into it. If I never knew a real act of seduction before, I sure did now. Akio was good...very good. And I had a hard time regaining the concept of speech again. I lost all idea of what I was going to say when he kissed my neck, slowly unbuttoning the shirt buttons down to my collar bones. I was letting him, becoming enthralled with the idea of having Akio. God he was a good kisser...my skin shivered when he touched me. I probably would have let him do anything he wanted if not for the fact that when I laid down, I saw something silver caught in the moonlight laying not to far from me. I was about to ignore it when I felt Akio kiss me again but then I realized it was my cell phone. And I remembered Miya. Speech came back to me and the gentle reminder was there that I had someone waiting for me at home.

"Hm...Akio.."

He stopped as he said,

"What?"

"I can't."

He sat up, tucking his hair back behind his ear as he said,

"I was actually expecting to hear that."

He stood up, feeling the side of his pants as he found a pack of cigarettes and took it out. He sat back down as he took one out as he lit it with a packet of matches and offered me one. I sat up as I took one and said,

"It's not that I wouldn't but-"

"Relax. Don't explain. I know you have Miya. I'm surprised you let it go as far as it did."

I lit the cigarette as I said,

"You're not mad?"

He shook his head as he said,

"I'm not Toki. I take rejection okay."

He then got back up and said,

"I'm going back to the party. You comin'?"

I shook my head as he smiled and said,

"I'll see you later then."

He then left.

I begin to think my whole existence ignited some weird thought in everyone's mind to either baby me, or wanna fuck me. Why I don't know. The next morning, Akio woke me up. He was in his suite and tie again as he said,

"Hey Aka-chan, you gotta get up. Jia's waiting for us down stairs."

I nodded as I got up and went to get ready. After getting showered and dressed Akio and I went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and went inside to have breakfast. Everyone was already eating so we took our seats as Jia said,

"Ohayo."

I bowed my head slightly as did Akio and said,

"Ohayo Jia."

I ordered breakfast as Akio did and Jia spoke to us in Japanese as Toki had his head down, a cigarette still burning from his hand as he held a hat over his head as Jia said,

"I thought my situations with the Koreans was going to get worse or gradually lessen but it seems like I finally found the main head to cut. Yu Jun forfeiting the empire it took his uncle a lifetime and two generations to build has just been shut down. So, add Seoul as an easy victory. We'll stay another day, making sure everything is set in stone and now that Nishiki and I have one of ours here taking everything in and making Korean connections here, we'll go back to Tokyo in peace."

We nodded, happy with the arrangement as we then finished out breakfast. Once we were done and we drank the last of our coffee, Toki still passed out on the table as the cigarette burned to the filter, Mikkie having to take it out of his hand, Tai said,

"So Jia, what of today?"

"Today, only you and I will work. Everyone else is free to do as they wished. This city is memorized, our people are in, we have nothing else to do. Any problems do come up, it's nothing any of you couldn't handle."

We nodded as I finished up my coffee, setting down the cup as Aoki and Jia lit a cigarette. Aoki offered Aya one and he took it as Jia nudged Toki awake as he said,

"Toki, come on get up. We're gonna go."

He mumbled, clearly hung over as he rubbed his eyes and said,

"Where's mah cigarette?"

Mikkie answered him once he set his cup down.

"You burned it to the filter. I put it out for you."

"Thanks Ghosto."

He kissed his cheek as Toki stood up and said,

"Where we going? Is breakfast over?"

"Hai. Try staying awake next time."

Jia stood up as he and Toki left. Mikkie then finished up as he got up, Jun following as Akio and myself stood up. Gabriel and Tai along with Aya and Aoki finished and they soon left.

I spent the rest of the day in Seoul shopping. I didn't speak Korean since English was still tripping me up every now and then, but Korean store owners translated as best as they could for me. I bought a few things, not really sure what else to do with my time since I had nothing else to do. With my mp3 player in my ear, I went around Seoul. Girls looked at me sometimes, mostly school girls, still in their uniforms as they smiled. I would smile in return before they would laugh, bringing their hand up their mouths before turning away. I called Miya when I was sure he would be home. I have to buy him a cell phone. Anyway, I talked with him as I walked around and I told him I would be home tomorrow. He was excited to hear that and I was just happy saying it. When we hung up, I went back to the hotel where I packed up some of my things since we were leaving tomorrow. Akio was in there, watching TV...or at least I thought he was because he was asleep, still in his suite, but his coat and tie were off as he slept on his side. I started packing some of my things, so excited to be leaving tomorrow. I just hoped nothing would come up to make us stay or go anywhere else. Once I was done, I heard Akio say,

"You done packin' already Aka-chan?"

"Hai."

He sat up, tucking his hair back as he said,

"I feel better. I was exhausted before."

I nodded as I said,

"Yeah...you did wake up kinda early."

He nodded as he rubbed his eyes again and then said,

"What you do all day?"

"Shop. I had nothing else to do."

He laughed as he said,

"I should have done that."

We had dinner later on, finding out that everyone was having dinner at different times so it wasn't a group thing. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel where we waited around to leave. At twelve, Aoki came to our room to tell us we were leaving. So we grabbed our things and left for the airport. Two hours later, I was taking a cab back into Tokyo, to my apartment where I went inside, dropping my stuff at the front door and went to my bedroom and changed as I got in bed, Miya already sleeping. He turned towards me right away as he woke up. He hugged me, kissing me as he said,

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

And we kissed again and again. My mouth felt strange though...after being touched by Akio....it was just feeling different. I pulled back as I said,

"Miya.."

He looked up at me, his slender hands brushing back my hair as he said,

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He kissed me again as we then got comfortable, getting ready to sleep. He still had to go to class the next morning.