My time in New York was a hectic one. I had to learn English and fast. I picked up a few words here and there, but it took a lot of effort for some of the heads to keep switching back and forth from English to Japanese over and over again. So I had to learn a few phrases and make them stick. I was scared I would easily annoy someone because they were talking to me and I couldn't understand a fucking word they were saying. Jia was patient enough and switched back and forth to speak to me, but Toki every now and then got frustrated and would just give up talking to me all together. Everyone else gave a little sigh and switched back and forth, knowing it wasn't my fault for not knowing this language. Jia had to work out some problems with New York. He had taken the land by force and blood shed, his last enemy was left with a hole in his stomach...that was a lot to be said.

As I guessed, I pulled double duty, standing in as a guard since everyone else was busy. Hisoka and I were the only ones not doing much, besides Toki so we filled in as guards. This is where I learned to stand still and silent for hours. One of Jia's connections in New York was what everyone called the ningyo. Hisoka had told me about him, the head of the Yami that was suppost to be this beautiful, doll like creature that ever roamed the earth. I thought it was exaggerated...until I actually saw him. The famous Takehito Tsubasa who really was a talking, walking, breathing ningyo. White skin that looked like it had dusted over with chalk and baby powder, dark, dark eyes that were like ebony, white blonde heavy hair that cascaded around his oval face and past his shoulders, soft rose pink lips and dressed all in black. He was a ningyo. I was a little stunned when I first saw him, so much so that Hisoka nudged me and told me not to stare. Tsubasa was pretty...he was almost as enchanting as any girl I'd ever seen. Even the way he spoke and walked had grace and finesse to it, his hand gestures soft and swift through the air, his perfectly done eyebrows arched just right over his almond like eyes. Toki however, who loved to hit on anyone and anything that pretty, ignored and basically snubbed Tsubasa as if he was nothing. Shock on my part if I'd ever seen it. Anyway, Jia and Tsubasa spoke about New York's battling problems. Jia's last enemy, Emanuel, had a sister. He had let her go since he thought she posed no threat and it turned out that he was wrong. In the past few years, she had traveled through California and made ties with some people there taking her to Korea where she married into a large Korean mob family. That family is now traveling from the West to the East which was the problem. Jia did not want to be responsible for the death of this girl's second husband since her first was also shot and killed and her brother was also killed. But he knew he would have no choice if the situation came down to it. Tsubasa said he had heard through Flushings, a largely populated Korean area that gangsters were slowly sliding in, setting up shop and gradually sneaking in through other parts of the city. They were seeding in and Jia knew it would only be a matter of time before the situation got serious. I stood beside Hisoka in his office that afternoon, Toki on Jia's other side as Tsubasa sat in the chair across Jia's desk, his own two guards standing beside him. Jia explained he didn't want it to come to blows and he wondered why the Koreans were invading New York.

"We had not had any bad blood with Korea. Why start a war in a city they know is owned by me?"

Tsubasa shrugged as he said,

"I don't think it has to do with the city so much as it has to do with you. You after all, killed Alexandra's brother. Blood or not, the loss was great. That could be the main reason."

"If it is, that's so fucking stupid. Alexandra was lucky she was able to leave with her life and she wants to retaliate with me over this? Un-fucking- believable."

He lit a cigarette as did Tsubasa and Toki.

"What if they do want New York, Li?"

Jia turned towards Toki as he said,

"Then we'll have to battle it out won't we."

Tsubasa sat up slightly as he said,

"The Koreans are stronger then they were a few years back, Nothing like a Japanese yakuza, but they are people of pride and honor. A person's word will be kept until the death of it."

"Fuck that, we yakuza have the same code of conduct."

"It's different here Jia, you know that. Among people like us, you can easily buy us out or point a gun. To these people, pointing a gun means you have the full intent to not hesitate and pull the trigger once it's drawn."

Toki scoffed as he said,

"Right...so these people wanna keep Alexandra's vow of revenge?"

"It could be something else. Bigger then Alexandra." Said Jia.

They paused as Jia leaned back in his chair, his hair falling over his eyes as he looked for the ashtray he had failed to get out so now ash was dropping all over his desk. He cursed as Hisoka lifted up a folder on his desk and put the ashtray next to Jia's hand. He gave a quick nod of thanks as he tapped the cigarette against the brim and then moved it to Toki and then to the center for Tsubasa. They continued having the rest of the conversation, all of which was lost to me in a name dropping mix of broken English and slang. I understood a few words here and there, but nothing like before.

Hisoka and I were to escort Tsubasa and his guards out after Jia placed a loving kiss on the ningyo's face. It was like a butterfly kiss, Jia's lips barely skimming the surface of Tsubasa's soft looking pale cheek. But it was affectionate nonetheless. I was a little surprised. Jia hardly seemed like the type to be affectionate in front of anyone. I walked with Tsubasa and his two guards as Hisoka walked in front of us. I was actually a little curious about the ningyo, how pretty he was, how his mind worked and actually how old he was. He hardly looked twenty but I knew he had to be much older then that. His guards for that matter didn't look old either. After we walked them outside and to their car, Hisoka and I walked back to the building. I was scolded then. He grabbed my arm as he said,

"Don't do that again."

"Do what?"

"Stare in the middle of the conversation. I know you're new and that's what makes this hard to say but you gotta learn quick kid. Don't think because your daddy is Aoki and that you drive a car for the oyabun of the 36 Moons that you're in good. They'll snap your neck and throw you in a gutter in two seconds if you annoy them. You learn what it means to be a yakuza and especially a yakuza in this syndicate get me?"

I nodded as he let go of my arm and then motioned me to go back inside.

There is no room for compassion in this game.

Not like I deserved it. But what did I know. It's not like it was my life's ambition to ever be a yakuza. I had walked into this without a thought or a care in the world. I just wanted to make money. I figured after maybe a month or two, I could get enough and quit, go back to Japan, go back to school and live on my own forever and ever without ever having to lift another finger to work. I was tempted to stay longer because it seemed the longer you worked here, the more you got paid. Plus, the connections you made here could protect you if worse came to worse. I learned one thing right away, Toki and Jia were tight. If Toki said one word about any of the lower heads that worked for Jia, that would be that. We were expendable and because of a past mistrust, Jia took no chances. If anyone was suspected of anything, our bodies would be thrown in ditches. And I did not want to end up like that. I was already annoying Toki by pushing his buttons...not like I intended too...but I did anyway. If it got any worse, I could find myself dumped on the streets of New York with no place to go.

During any break I got, I was reading. I was determined to teach myself English. Of course now I wished Miya was here because he knew English better then me. And I of course knew no study methods. I just kept reading the words and phrases and the translations over and over again until they started to stick. It was a small book I bought from a Japanese book store across the street from Grand Central Station one afternoon as I walked with Hisoka through the city. I had to learn that as well. Now I carried the small lavender book in my pocket and took it out to study when I was on break. As I sat in the building one afternoon because it wasn't too important for me to drive since all you had to get to get anywhere was take a cab or train, I studied. It was late afternoon and the higher heads of the 36 Moons walked in and out of the building all day. I had done almost nothing all day. Hisoka was around but actually busy and since I was the newest one, I didn't have anything to do but wait to be called upon. I checked my watched as I realized how much I missed Miya when I saw someone's shadow coming over me. I turned and saw Mikkie coming in. He sat down, his coat in his hands, his hair pulled up in a high tail since it was hot outside as he said,

"What are you reading?"

I turned the cover of the book to him as he gave a slight laugh and said,

"I did the same thing when I first got here. Trying to learn a language as fast as possible. Even worse, I had to get rid of my accent."

I gave a little laugh too because I knew I had the thickest accent so far. He tucked a loose strand behind his ear as he said,

"Reading it isn't going to help if you don't start speaking it. Okay?"

I nodded as he said,

"You'll get it. You're a bright kid."

He stood up as he put his coat back on and then left the building.

Over a course of a week and half, the situation appeared to get worse with the oncoming battle with the Koreans. They were here and there was nothing left to do but draw arms. I had never in my life seen a gun unless it was in pictures or on a screen much less held on. Hisoka never carried one but he knew how to shoot one and the top heads...well they were always armed. I pulled Hisoka over to the side one night as I said,

"I don't know how to fire a gun."

"How come?"

"I don't know! It's not something they teach in high school! I'm gonna get my ass in trouble!"

Hisoka sighed as he said,

"Look, Jia knows you're inexperienced. He won't send you to battle now."

I thought Hisoka was right. Little did I know. As Jia began assigning everyone, he put his hand out to Toki, who put a gun in it and Jia looked at me and handed me the gun as he said,

"Joryu, I'm gonna trust you know Manhattan. You've been walking it for a week and half."

I looked at the gun in is hand, the handle facing me as I said,

"Jia...I.."

"I know you're new. Experience is the best teacher kid. You'll never learn by watching."

I took the handle of the gun as Toki laughed and went over to me. He locked it and then turned the safety on as he said,

"You wanna keep that on otherwise you'll shoot yourself in the foot. This takes it off again."

He showed me how to take the safety off and on again before he left it in my own hand. Oh God what was I getting into. Falling head first into a world I had never even dreamed of. So much for just driving a car. As I listened to orders, now following English better, Jia ordered everyone to different areas of New York, pairing everyone up as he went along and two by two everyone begin to leave. Tai with Gabriel, Jun with Akio, Aoki with Aya, and Hisoka was ordered to take me to Manhattan. Mikkie and Toki stayed behind with Jia as Hisoka took me by the arm and led me out of the office.

I still had the gun in my hand, so in the elevator, Hisoka told me to put it away in my coat or the brim of my pants, the back part underneath my shirt was the best place. I made sure the safety was on as I did as told then said,

"Hisoka...I'm worried. I've never done this before. I never even fought with anyone besides my mother."

He laughed slightly as he said,

"Relax. You're armed just in case. You never know what's gonna happen so best to be prepared then get fucked if you get caught in a mess. You'll learn quick I told you."

Inexperienced child. I could wonder why anyone would want to do this. The over romanticized tales of yakuza being rich and powerful...ha....I could laugh at all the TV and mangas I read in my lifetime that once made me believe that they ruled the world like fine outcasted kings of a modern time. On our walk through Manhattan I begin to think this was Jia's way of keeping me in experience but at the same time out of harm's way since I still new. Most of the problems were accruing outside of Manhattan. As we walked, I realized that it would be two weeks soon and by the looks of things, I was not returning to Japan anytime soon. I wanted to call Miya. I turned to Hisoka as I said,

"What's the time difference from here to Japan?"

"A day plus an hour I guess."

"Huh?"

"Right now it's..."

He paused to check his watch as he said,

"It's seven at night. In Japan it's about eight in the morning."

I cursed to myself. Miya was already in school taking his exams.

"What's her name?"

"Huh?"

I looked back at him, his blonde colored hair falling to the sides of his face.

"Who's name?"

"The one back home that's got you thinking about time differences."

"Oh...it's no one."

"You knock her up? Is that why you need money?"

I would have blushed had I not had so much pride.

"No! I did not knock anyone up! And it's not a she. There is no she. I don't have a girlfriend."

"Boyfriend then?"

"No! Not that either!"

"Good."

I paused as he said good.

"Why good?"

"You don't need your head in the wrong place. Girls, guys, relationships do that."

"Oh..."

"It's a taboo that we have in the syndicate."

"I'm not allowed to fall in love?"

"Not allowed...? No, you can, it's just frowned upon if you do."

"Why?"

"Think about it. What do we do all day? We are involved in illegal work, in this country and in Japan. We're armed and if we have to, we kill. If we have enemies, who do you think is the first target?"

"Oh..."

I never even thought about that.

We walked for a few hours until we ran into some of the Korean heads now flooding New York. Hisoka and I had to fight them off and I got into my first fight. I took a few shots myself, but nothing serious. When they took off, Hisoka called Jia to let him know and then we went back to work. When we got back to the building after a certain time, Jia had my wounds looked over by Jun, the resident doctor. He held my face, making sure none of the cuts would get infected as he pressed his cold fingers to my eye, looking to make sure it wasn't too heavy as he said,

"He's fine. Just a few scrapes. That eye looks a little swollen though. Put something cold on it."

I nodded as Jun then backed away. Jia got everyone's report as he then excused everyone. I was on my way behind Hisoka, ready to go home and call Miya when I heard Jia say,

"Joryu, come back here."

I stopped and quickly turned around, Jia sitting on the front of his desk, a cigarette in his mouth as Toki lit it for it him. I was worried I did something wrong as I approached Jia.

"Hai?"

"You did good today for your first run."

I nodded as I said,

"Arigato."

"I want you to learn more kid. You got one of the best yakuza's genes in you. I expect something more from you then just a spoiled brat, I'm scared, I make a better fuck toy attitude from you okay?"

I nodded as I then left his office.

I found Hisoka in the lobby waiting for me as I asked him about Aoki. Since Jia said I had one of the best yakuza's genes in me, I begin to wonder just how good Aoki really was.

"Aoki? Man...that guy was born into the syndicate."

"He was?"

"He was fourteen when he started."

"Damn...why so young?"

"Who knows. There are stories all over the 36 Moons about him. He scares people by just standing there. That scar he got, there's rumors someone jabbed out his eye in a fight, others say he did it himself to prove himself to the original oyabun of the 36 Moons...only Aoki really knows. But he never shows his eye to anyone. Only the top heads of the 36 Moons have seen it."

"So...he's really respected?"

"People are scared of him. They know what he's like. You don't get a syndicate name like Wrath without earning it."

Wrath....I had genes to follow up to...

I couldn't keep being as scared as I was. I was going to learn. And like Hisoka said earlier...I would have to get my scars sooner or later...

........no time like the present.