I couldn't go home covered in blood. When I walked out from the exit, Akio found me as he hesitated to put his hands on me. Blood had sprayed across my face and hands, my white button shirt was soaked in it and I carried the now covered butterfly knife in my hands. Akio sighed as he pulled me out, calling Aoki and Aya on our way. I drove though Akio thought I was no position to. I was fine though my biggest worry now was going home like this.

"I can't let Miya see me like this."

"Let's go to my place. You can wash up there."

So we headed back to Akio place. He gave me a change of shirt as he left me alone in the bathroom where I washed my face clean of Sugihara's blood. I looked at my reflection as the blood stained my cheeks, my nose, the sides of my eyes and on my forehead. Some landed on my mouth in which I had wiped away, leaving the stain of blood there instead. As I scrubbed off the drying blood on my face, watching the soft browns and red wash away in the sink, I was thinking about what I became. It was in my genes to cruelly end someone's life with your own hands. I could do it without blinking an eye. When I had that knife in my hands, I wasn't thinking about any consequences.... just cutting Sugihara's throat. I wanted him to die. I kept thinking about Miya, how he must have been so scared, how he probably wondered why this was happening to him if he had nothing to give them, no money, no expensive things he carried...they didn't want any of that...they wanted to get him so they could get to me, so they could get to Jia. I lifted my head up as I noticed the Chinese basket swinging above the floor, still there looking the same. I turned back to the sink as I washed my face clean, removing my stained button down as I washed my neck off. I left a mess of washed off blood in the sink and I should have washed it away but I wasn't even near being done yet. I had to soak my hair because I realized that too was stained in blood, making the blonde tint in a soft pink. Once I was finally done, I changed into the comfortable shirt as I gathered my now ruined shirt as I walked out. I saw Akio on his couch, lighting a cigarette as he watched the news. He exhaled as he tapped the cigarette against an ashtray on his coffee table as he said,

"They found Sugihara's body."

I watched the news as they announced that he was dead, his throat slit but the murder weapon was missing and there was no lead. I had even left a clean trail behind me. I then sighed and went into my pocket as I got out my Thailand cigarettes and took out the last one I had as I walked over to Akio and sat down. I threw my shirt beside me as he lit my cigarette for me and said,

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Anything you wanna share?"

I shook my head as I said,

"Really random things."

He nodded as I inhaled, checking my watch as I said,

"My shirt is ruined."

"Happens now and then. Leave it here. I'll throw it out."

"Thanks."

I handed him the ruined material as I then said,

"Akio..."

"Hm?"

"I didn't feel anything."

"I know. It's in your blood not to. Emotion is not something I think Aoki could pass down."

"Is that normal? To just kill someone face to face and walk away like nothing happened?"

"It's normal...for a yakuza."

I finished my cigarette as I got up and said,

"I have to go home. Miya's waiting for me."

I leaned down to put out my cigarette as Akio grasped my wrist and I turned to him as I kissed him good night. I went home after that, taking the car and arriving home later as I parked and got out. I didn't realize how cool it was that night until I got out of the parking garage and started walking inside my building. I got home a few moments later as I changed quickly and went to bed. I crumbled up the note I had left for Miya as I got back in bed and took him in my arms, minding his bruises. He curled towards me, his fingers grasping at my shirt as I felt his face near my neck, his warm breath under my chin as he breathed softly, gently, never even aware I had left him for a little while. I stroked his back softly, luring him into his deep slumber again as he settled down eventually I picked up his hand and brought it close to my mouth as I kissed it, feeling the forming scabs on his fingers as I then closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Usually, whenever Jia conquers an enemy, the 36 Moons celebrate in the only way they know how. I was not in the mood to celebrate. I didn't want to. I declined the offer to go to any party, wanting to stay with Miya for as long as I could. I never wanted to leave him again unless I really had to. I would make sure no one else ever hurts him again. Over the next few days, Miya started healing, his tongue hurting him when he tried to eat sometimes, but he could speak. It was all that mattered. He never bothered to ask me why anything had happened, why they attacked him, why they nearly cut his tongue out because he wouldn't speak about me. As he got better, I asked him,

"Tsuki...don't you wonder about what happened to you?"

He turned to me, his hair falling over his eye again, covering the soft bruises on his face as his bottom lip, which was still healing, the scab still in place as he said,

"I know why it happened. I don't need to ask."

"You know?"

"Jo...you're a yakuza. It's natural that it would."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too. But I love you...so no matter what, I'm not gonna leave you."

"I'm putting you in danger."

"I walked into this knowing what you were doing Jo."

I nodded as he kissed me softly. I held his hands, the bruises less now as I said,

"It won't happen again."

"Don't make that promise. You never know what's coming up."

I nodded as he smiled and laid his head down on my chest, his dark eyes looking up at me as he smiled and said,

"Jo....I'm hungry."

I laughed as I got up and went to make him something to eat.

I went to the office the next afternoon when Jia called me. I left Miya home and told him I would be back soon. I arrived in my normal attire as I saw Jia and a few of the other syndicate members around in his office. I thought I might getting scolded again for not wanting to attend the celebrations the past few days. But instead Jia shook my hand as he said,

"I am very proud of you. The entire time you have been working for me, you never once betrayed a bit of yourself. You have taken down my past two enemies with little help from anyone around you. You have taken your hits and still stayed. And you are nineteen years old."

I nodded as I bowed my head and said,

"Arigato Jia."

"I've been saying it since I saw you...it's in your genes to be one of us. I'm asking you to be one of my top heads. I no longer want you being one of my dozens for hire."

I thought about it for a moment as I said,

"Do you think I could handle this?"

"You didn't think you could handle it before and you did. I won't ask you again."

I nodded as I said,

"Arigato...I'll accept."

Jia smiled as he said,

"I haven't had a new one in a while. You need a syndicate name. You'll also need a tattoo."

He turned the hand was shaking over as he gestured to the pale, clean wrist. I looked down at the white flesh as he said,

"Akui..."

I thought for a moment as I said,

"Venom?"

"Also meaning malice."

He smiled as he said,

"You'll get accustomed to it."

"I like it."

He let go of my hand as he said,

"Good."

He let me go afterwards as Akio put his arm around me and said,

"Akui huh? Good name for you. Fits too."

"You think so?"

"Hai. You have this way of sneaking up someone. That and you're fast. Much like venom is....like from a spider especially."

I sorta laughed as he said,

"Seriously. So...come on."

"Where we going?"

He checked his watch as he said,

"First off, gotta get your drunk."

"It's four in the afternoon."

"Hai, but trust me it'll hurt less if you're drunk."

"What'll hurt less?"

I asked as he dragged me across the lobby.

"Your tattoo."

"Oh..."

Within a few minutes, Aoki, Toki, Mikkie, Aya, Gabriel, Akio and myself were at the Dragon Leaf. They poured sake for me, cup after cup as I was drinking with them. I didn't want to get drunk because I was a sleepy drunk. Plus I black out if I have too much. But Akio said it was better if I was drunk. So after about six cups of sake, I started passing out, my vision getting hazy and I couldn't keep my head from lolling to the side anymore and I blacked out for a long time. When I came to again I was in a car. I was still somewhat wasted but not as badly as before. I felt my left wrist throbbing as I heard Toki talking to Aoki, who was driving. I looked to my side as I saw Akio there, Aya on the other side as I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly. Akio noticed as he said,

"Hey Aka-chan is up."

Toki looked over as he said,

"Damn...sound sleeper. Ghosto wasn't that bad."

I looked down at my throbbing wrist as I saw it was bandaged around as I said,

"What happened?"

Toki smirked as he said,

"You're Akui ain't ya?"

"I got a tattoo?"

He laughed as did Akio and Aya a little. Akio said,

"Yeah I told you it would be better if you were drunk."

"It hurts."

Akio held my wrist as he said,

"It'll be a little swollen for a few days, but once it goes down, you'll love it."

I nodded as I noticed we were in front of my apartment as I started getting out.

"Thank you...I think..."

They laughed as I got out, a starting headache already pounding

I went to sleep that night and I was so tired plus I had a headache. I woke up much later that morning with Miya picking at my wrist. I woke up as I said,

"Ow..."

He turned and said,

"Jo what happened to your wrist?"

"I got a tattoo."

"You what?!"

"I got a tattoo. Last night."

"Why?"

"I had to."

"Had to?"

He was just repeating the tail end of my sentences now. I smoothed my hair back as I said,

"Yeah...for the syndicate."

"Jo..."

He frowned as I sat up, ignoring my head ache as I put my arms around him, kissing his unbruised cheek as I said,

"I love you."

He melted into my embrace as his arms came around me and said,

"I love you too Jo...I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be baby. It's just a tattoo. I was gonna get one anyway."

He sighed as he got closer to me so I laid down, taking his weight on mine as he said,

"You feeling okay?"

"Yeah why?"

"I figured you got drunk because you're still in your clothes from yesterday."

"Oh.."

He smiled as he kissed me. I went to move his hair back from his face but he wouldn't let me. He frowned slightly as he said,

"It covers the bruises."

I nodded as I kissed his full lips once more before he turned and got off me as he said,

"What's the tattoo of?"

"My syndicate name."

"What's your syndicate name?"

"Akui."

He put his head on my chest, right over my heart as he said,

"You are venom."

"How come?"

I run my fingers through his soft hair as I said,

"Why?"

"You poisoned my system."

I laughed as he did too.

The next day after setting ice on my wrist all morning and most of the afternoon, I peeled back the bandage and saw the kanji, the black ink on my wrist now saying Akui...venom. Now a real yakuza...from the womb till now. Forever meant to be.