I worried for the next week. Sugihara stayed quiet and even when he did set foot in Tokyo, he didn't make a sound. The lower heads were watching for him, the top heads got the word and I was let known. I awaited the worse and yet for a week nothing happened. Jia himself had to track down Daisuke and Toshimasa when they left Yokohama and got word they were in Sapporo. Jia hated having to leave Tokyo, but he knew he had to talk to them and convince them somehow to break their contract with the Teo Chiu. He did not want the Teo Chiu to have an invitation to come into Japan when they pleased. So Jia packed his things, took Toki, Aya and Akio with him and headed to Sapporo. Tai was left in charge in Tokyo over the rest of us and we just had to wait. I wasn't sure if anything would happen while I waited and it had been one week.

During the time Jia was in Sapporo conducting business, I sat by myself, sometimes having lunch with Hisoka if he wasn't working and I would talk to him. He asked how things went with Miya.

"We separated for a while until this blows over."

"He accepted it?"

"Yeah."

"That's good. When this whole thing is over, maybe you can pick up again."

"I hope so. I miss him a lot. Taking this time from him is worth it if it means something better for him later."

I thought for a moment as I started to eat. Once I finished, I said,

"Hisoka?"

He peered at me from behind a curtain of sandy blonde hair, a single bright green contact looking at me.

"Hm?"

"Why are you encouraging me to go back to Miya? Everyone kinda seems to back peddle on this whole love is a taboo thing."

Hisoka nodded, setting a piece of sushi into some soy sauce as he said,

"We don't. But you're gonna do it regardlessly. The most we can do, is hope for the best and hope nothing happens."

I gave a weak smile and went back to my lunch.

I had to keep my head clear, thinking of my job and wondering what was happening. Over he next week, Tai would call us in every now and then, letting us know that Jia had spoken to Daisuke and Toshimasa and neither one wanted to break a deal with the Teo Chiu.

"Jia says they seem scared of breaking it off with the Teo Chiu. Plus they would go broke within a week flat. If the Teo Chiu doesn't back them, they fall and paying Jia and letting the Teo Chiu in Japan is giving them just enough. Jia is getting mad though and he wants them to break the deal otherwise they have to leave Japan. Daisuke, as always is being stubborn about it. Toshimasa says he can't give up the deal. Jia is trying to convince them for now with words before he gets his best on this."

I sighed, leaning back against the door as Jun said,

"So if they break the deal with the Teo Chiu, they loose funding and go broke. Also they risk their lives since the Teo Chiu might kill them. However, if they keep dealing with the Teo Chiu, Jia might kill them since they are giving the Teo Chiu an open door into Japan."

Tai nodded as he said,

"The lower heads spot Sugihara but he doesn't seem to be doing anything."

"We can't risk him doing something." I said.

Mikkie then said,

"We shouldn't sit around and wait for Sugihara to do something anyway. We should just kill him now. Dump his body in the ocean. Be done with it."

"I would agree if not for the fact that for now, the Teo Chiu have a way in Japan. That would just bring them on us right away."

Aoki then lit a cigarette as he said,

"Tai, it's not a bad idea. We need to end this before it starts."

"I know. I agree but Jia says until the Teo Chiu have their contract broken, one way or another, we can't do anything."

I sighed as I said,

"Tai, what if something were to happen?"

"For example what?"

"I don't know. I was just saying that for now."

"Then, we would deal with it."

I didn't say much of anything else and waited until he dismissed us.

For the rest of the week I waited for word to get back that the Teo Chiu had their contract broken or for something to happen. But instead, by the end of the second week, Jia finally called. Tai called us in to let us hear the conversation since Jia was on speaker phone.

"The contract is broken."

Gabriel swept his hair back as he said,

"They agreed to finally break it?"

"No, Daisuke's dead."

"Why?"

"I got tired of asking him nicely to listen to reason. So I swung my power in his face, saying I owned this country and he should be so lucky I'm allowing him to conduct anything here. He refused to beak. So I just snapped my fingers and Toki shot him once."

"Killing shot?" Asked Tai.

"Does Toki know anything else?"

We looked at each other knowing he didn't.

"So, it scared Toshimasa enough that he broke the contract."

I then said,

"Wait...Toki just shot Daisuke in front of Toshimasa?"

"Hai. Blood splattered all on the side of his pretty face. It was enough."

"So does that mean you're heading back to Tokyo Jia?" Said Jun.

"Hai. I'm on my way back."

We hung up as I decided to go get some dinner. Jia and everyone else wouldn't be back for a few hours so I had my cell phone on, my MP3 player on with one earphone as I sat at a restaurant and had dinner by myself. It was late getting late that night and I was getting bored but I knew going home to sleep was out of the question. I had to go home for a while though, I couldn't spend my time outside with nothing to do. I got back on my bike, got my helmet on and went back home. I dropped off my keys on the table near my door, then kicked the door closed behind me. I took off my coat and loosened my tie as I took out my ear phone and started to go to my room. I wanted to change for a moment before I went to pick up Jia that night so I took everything out of my pockets, throwing it on my bed as I pulled out some jeans and a regular loose shirt that had no sleeves. I pulled back my hair as I started tightening my belt when my cell phone rang. I picked it up and looked at it as I didn't recognize the number. I clicked on the talk button as I answered.

"Hai?"

It was quiet for a moment so I thought it might have been a wrong number.

"Hai? Someone there?"

Since I didn't hear anything I was about to hang up when I heard,

"...Jo..."

Miya. His voice was shaky and soft as if he was scared.

"Miya? What's wrong?"

He didn't say anything for a moment before he said,

"Where are you?"

"I'm home. What's wrong? Miya tell me."

I heard the phone moving as I heard another voice.

"You didn't think I'd stay quiet for this long without doing anything did you?"

The small knot in my stomach that settled there for almost two weeks now, tightened to horrible pain as I said,

"If you do anything to him..."

"You'll what Joryu? Kill me? I laugh at that threat since last time you missed."

My fist tightened against my jeans as I said,

"What do you want?"

"To watch you suffer. You dare to bring anything against me except yourself and I will have the pleasure of watching you suffer as I slit his throat. Are we understanding each other?"

"Fine."

He hung up as I looked at the things on my bed. Sugihara said to not let anyone know where I was going or what I was doing. I had to though. I couldn't risk me being stupid and actually listening to what he said. I picked up the phone as I called Akio's cell.

"What's up Baby-chu?"

"There's been a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't pick Jia up tonight."

"Why?"

"I....Sugihara is in Tokyo. He got a hold of Miya. He's after me and told me not to get anyone else involved...or he'll kill him."

"If you go buy yourself he'll kill the both of you!"

"I know...but..I can't risk him hurting Miya."

"Damnit Baby-chu! Call Mikkie tell him, tell someone!"

"I can't. I have to go now."

I hung up without another word as I picked up my gun, checking the clip as I picked up my blade, sticking that in my pocket as well as I picked up my cell phone and grabbed my keys and left.

I was being stupid. But I could think of nothing else, knowing it was my fault. I knew this was a personal grudge between me and Sugihara and I knew he had pulled Miya into it, though I had tried to kept him out of it. Sugihara knew he could get to me easily through Miya. He played that against me, used it like a pawn in a chess game. I was trapped with no other means but to go against him on my own. I arrived at Miya's apartment, the knot in my stomach so tight, the pain was racing through me at high speeds. My hands hurt when they clenched but it was all I could do. I went to Miya's apartment where I knocked on the door and waited. It opened slowly as I saw Miya. Once he looked up at me, I could see fear in his eyes. He softly said my name before he was pulled back and Sugihara stood there. He smirked at me, him being the arrogant bastard he is as he said,

"You better be alone or this can end right here."

"I am."

"Good. Tell me something, why did you listen?"

"It's your insane thoughts that make you think this is something personal. You forget, I had a job to do. And you bringing my life into this is just fucked up."

He laughed slightly as he said,

"The Teo Chiu value me for my ability to get under my enemy's skin. I have done that well with you. And this pretty young thing you have here, may have nothing to do with it. But I'm bitter and narcissistic. I have earned this well."

He shoved Miya in front of me and I wondered for a minute what he was going to do. I watched as he went into his coat and withdrew his gun. I pulled Miya away from him, ready to take the shot myself if I had to, but it was too late. Too slow...I didn't move nearly as fast as I wanted. I heard the gun fire and I anticipated the pain but instead, I felt Miya crumble in my arms. We both fell to the floor as I looked down at Miya and he seemed to be in shock. I then looked back up at Sugihara as he came a me with a punch. I was temporarily stunned as I then tried to reach for my gun. He stepped down on my wrist until I let it go and he kicked it down the hall. He then turned and walked away. I was dazed for a second before I started getting up, looking at Miya as I said,

"Miya...Miya... look at me. Say something."

I felt his blood start passing through my jeans as I knelt on the floor. He wouldn't say anything, he seemed in shock as I held his hands, trying to hold him up as I felt his blood soaking through me. I didn't know what to do or say. I felt myself talking but I didn't know what I was saying. When I reached into my pocket to get my cell phone, I saw my hand was stained in blood. Miya still refused to say anything, but he blinked and panted heavily, which told me he was still alive. I called for help, doing my best to keep him here. I kept talking to him, telling him not to go, that I was sorry, that he meant everything to me. I begged him not to go, that it was all my fault. I begged him to not go somewhere I couldn't follow. I couldn't make him say anything and for what felt like forever, he laid motionless in my arms, his only signs of life were him breathing and his slow blinking. I didn't see or feel anything in that time other then him. I swore people opened their apartment doors to see what was going on, after the gunfire was done with. Finally, the ambulance came. And they took him from my arms though I didn't want to let go of him. I was scared that the moment I did, I would loose him. The police came as well as they tried to sort out the mess of what was going on. I held onto Miya's hand as they had him on the stretcher. I went so far as outside to the lobby with him. The police stopped me then and the ambulance had to keep going. My hand slipped from Miya's grasp as he looked at me. I fought and argued with the police, telling them I had nothing to do with anything and to let me get to Miya before anything happened. They wouldn't let me. And out of my rage, my fury and my fear, I balled up my fist and punched the shit out of the cop stopping me. Of course, that made matters worse and soon I had a pile of cops on me, getting me down to the floor as I struggled to be let go of. They arrested me instead and I ended up going to jail that night.

I sat in a police station for hours. I was handcuffed, my hands behind me as I sat in my blood soaked jeans and shirt. My hair now loose, falling around me. They were talking about giving me to a heavy sentence since they found my gun upstairs. Fingerprints showed it was mine. I sat there, rocking on the bench back and forth, my leg shaking as I thought of Miya. I kept thinking about him, praying he was okay and I cursed each and every one of these fuckers that kept me here instead of letting me see Miya. I cursed Sugihara and swore that if it took my final breath, I would get him back for this. And I would slit his throat this time, not missing. I would in fact, make sure the cut was so deep, I'd take off his fucking head if I had to. Around two in the morning, Gabriel showed up. I knew it was Gabriel despite the fact he wore a hat to hide his hair and that he used a false name. Gabriel had a record and couldn't practice real law, but he sure as hell knew what he was doing. He found out how much they had set on bail for me and though it was rather high, Gabriel paid it anyway. They wouldn't give me back my weapon, saying it was illegal for me to have one anyway. I would be charged a fine and all that shit, Gabriel said I would pay for anything and everything and walked me out of the station. As we left, walking down the steps, Gabriel pulled off his hat as he said,

"Goddamn it Aka-chan what happened?"

"I have to go to the hospital."

"You hurt?"

"No, Miya is. I have to go."

"You can't now."

"I have to go right now!"

I went up to the awaiting car as I saw Aoki was driving, Jia in the back seat. Jia didn't look too pleased with me.

"Get in the car Aka-chan."

"I can't. I have to go to the hospital. I'll be back soon."

"This is not a request, it's a fucking command. Get in the car."

I didn't say anything but I started walking away. I heard the car door opening as I saw Aoki step out. He walked over to me, grabbing my arm as he said,

"This is the bullshit that started all this fucking trouble anyway. You heard Jia, get it the fucking car."

He slammed me against the car hard enough that I almost fell back. I also hurt my chest in the process of slamming against it. I lifted up the latch of the door as Aoki watched me and I got inside. Jia smoked, the smoke coming out from his mouth as Gabriel got in the passenger seat and Aoki started the car. Jia then said,

"Why didn't you tell someone to come with you?"

"I didn't have time."

"You had time enough to call Akio."

"If I would have called Mikkie, or anyone else, they wouldn't have made it on time."

"You did a real stupid thing Joryu. Why is it whenever it comes to Sugihara all you can do is fuck up?"

"Jia, please yell at me later but I have to go to the hospital! He shot Miya! That was his whole getting revenge on me because no matter what he did to me he knew it wouldn't matter!"

"I told you about that."

"I know! Please, can I just go?"

"What hospital?"

After I told Aoki, he quickly took me there. I rushed out from the car, barely waiting for it to stop as I ran out, rushing in past the emergency entrance. I rushed to the front desk, giving them Miya's name as I was told he was on the fifth floor. I took the stairwell, knowing it had been hours since Miya was hurt and I should have gotten there sooner. I couldn't though...but I tried to hope for the best. Once I got to the fifth floor, I went to the desk there as they told me he was down the hall. As I approached the hallway, my stomach, my insides, everything was hurting so badly I felt as if I would get sick. I saw Miya's parents outside, his mother crying as his father held her. I cleared my throat, hoping they would tell me something, though I know they hated me. Miya's parents thought I was the worse influence on their son. When they had tried to keep him away from me by cutting off the phone, I went to his house. When they stopped allowing me to come in through the front door, I snuck in through Miya's bedroom window. I approached them as Miya's mother stood up. She started to yell at me, blaming me for everything.

"This is all your fault! You caused all this!"

"I'm sorry...please I can't say how sorry I am. Is he okay?"

"You stay away from him! You caused nothing but his pain and misery! Stay away from him or I'll call the police! GET OUT!"

She slapped me...hard. I turned my face, letting the feel of pain race through my face as her husband then told me to leave right away. I decided to just go since they obviously wanted to hear nothing of what I had to say.

I walked away as I took the elevator back down to the lobby. I walked back outside to where I saw the awaiting car. I got back inside as Jia looked at me. He then said,

"Well?"

I blinked for a moment as I said,

"I think he's fine."

"You think?"

"His parents were there. They wouldn't let me see him."

Jia sighed as he leaned back against the seat as he said,

"Deal with later. At least he's alive."

He gestured to Aoki to drive ahead.