Chapter 3
Yuki
The past week went by way too fast. I spent all my time making two beautiful clay pots and catching up on some of my TV shows. It was heavenly.
Letting out a sigh, I feel miserable as I’m driven to Molecule, one of the best clubs in Tokyo, that’s partially owned by the Yakuza. It’s where all the trust-fund babies and rich people prefer to hang out.
When the car stops right by the entrance, Kentaro gets out from the front to open my door, and I exhale heavily as I climb out.
I’m dressed in a Balenciaga sweater and sweatpants that flare wide at my feet, the clothes very bulky. It’s already second-nature to walk like a man, my steps wide while I roll my shoulders, giving other people the impression I don’t give a fuck about anything.
I hear a woman gasp and whisper, “That’s Ryo Tanaka. His father is the head of the Yakuza. He’s so good-looking!”
I glance at her, and the moment she notices, she waves at me, grinning as if she thinks she stands a chance with me. Her friend leans forward, looking excited as she asks, “Ryo, can we sit with you in your private section?”
Over my dead body will I pretend to be interested in a woman. Besides, it’s way too risky. One of them might get handsy and discover the disguise is fake and that I have breasts.
I glance away and ignore them as I enter the club. The bouncer doesn’t even search my guards or me, and we’re given a respectful bow.
As I make my way to the VIP area, I glance at all the clubbers, admiring the pretty outfits the women are wearing with a twinge of sadness in my chest.
I wonder what will happen to me when Ryo returns to take his place as the Kumichō. Will he be happy to see me, or has all the training turned him into a cruel monster like our father?
My heart squeezes painfully at the thought that Ryo will be a carbon copy of Father. Not sweet Ryo, who always made me laugh and spent endless hours by my side.
Staff keep bowing their heads for me as I walk past them. Reaching the section where I usually sit, I flop down on one of the couches, letting out another sigh. I place my right arm on the backrest while letting my legs fall open, the position casual and careless.
The entire VIP area is made up of sections separated by wooden partitions that only reach an inch or so past the couches. It’s so guests can see who else is in the VIP area but still have some kind of privacy. Each section contains two leather couches and a coffee table.
I pull my phone out so I can play a game. For the next two hours, I’ll try to beat my high score while putting up with meaningless conversations if anyone stops by to talk to me.
There’s a group of car fanatics who love to hang out here. Jun, their leader, constantly tries to form a friendship with me, but for everyone’s safety, I keep them at a distance, being polite but not too friendly.
A server comes and Sho orders aged sake for us to drink. With my head bowed and my eyes on my phone, I scrunch my nose. I hate it. It’s too strong for my taste. I’d much rather have a sweet cocktail, but that won’t fit with the image I have to uphold.
I hear a burst of laughter close to my section. It’s such a happy sound, and glancing up, I see a western couple taking a seat in the section across from mine.
The woman is so beautiful that my lips part as I stare at her pale skin and long, dark brown hair. She looks the same age as me, and I can’t stop myself from admiring the sparkling gold cocktail dress, high heels, and jewelry she’s wearing.
When the man beside her leans in to press a tender kiss to her lips, my heart constricts with a longing that will never be fulfilled.
The man is attractive, and together they make a stunning couple.
“Are you still happy, Mr. Vitale?” the woman asks, a loving smile around her red painted lips.
I wonder what it would feel like to wear makeup and pretty clothes. Would a man look at me the same way he’s looking at her?
“Yes, Mrs. Vitale,” he replies before chuckling. “I’ve never been happier.”
Mr. and Mrs. Vitale. Their accents sound American.
Everything around me is forgotten as I watch the happy couple interact. For a brief moment, I drop the act I have to maintain, and my lips curve into a smile.
“Hey, Ryo,” I hear someone say in my native language, “I haven’t seen you here in a while. Where have you been?”
Before I can glance at Jun, Mr. Vitale catches me staring at them. His brown eyes narrow on me, and I quickly turn my gaze to Jun and give him a generic reply, “I was away for business.”
“The whole group is here.” Jun jabs his thumb over his shoulder to where they’re all sitting, giving me hopeful looks. “Want to join us?”
Being seen with me would boost their status.
I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
Reaching for the drink that arrived while I was lost in the couple across from me, I take a small sip before leaning casually back against the couch again.
“Okay,” Jun says, a disappointed expression on his face. “See you around.”
When he leaves to join his friends, my gaze returns to the couple. Mrs. Vitale tucks some of her long hair behind her ear, the movement feminine and hypnotizing.
The urge to copy her movements surges through me, and it makes me feel even more miserable than when I arrived at the club.
Her eyes meet mine for a second, and her features tighten. She shifts closer to her husband and says something to him I can’t hear. The next second, he snaps at me, “Stop staring at my wife.”
My eyes flick to his annoyed ones, then I shift uncomfortably in my seat while my gaze drops down to the phone in my hand.
“Don’t ever submit,” Kentaro growls at me in our language. “The idiot insulted you. Stand your ground and stare him down.”
If I don’t carry out orders, I face punishment, so against my will, I look at Mr. Vitale, but luckily, his attention is on his wife.
To my dismay, Kentaro aggressively shouts at Mr. Vitale in broken English, “You disrespected my friend, Baka. Say sorry.”
Friend, my left butt cheek.
“Don’t cause trouble,” I mumble to Kentaro.
I don’t like Masaki one bit, but I wish he was here. He’s the only one who can keep Kentaro in line, but he never accompanies us to the clubs.
“Your friend better keep his eyes off my wife,” the foreigner growls.
Oh dear.
My lips part to apologize so I can de-escalate the situation, but Kentaro stands up and aggressively says, “Or what?” He lets out a cocky chuckle. “Do you know who you’re fucking with, baka? The Yakuza.”
Hearing the word Yakuza, Mr. Vitale’s features tighten. He gets up and takes hold of his wife’s hand, pulling her slightly behind him.
He’s so protective of her.
“Let’s go,” Mr. Vitale tells his wife, but as they step into the aisle, Kentaro blocks their way. It has the foreigner saying, “You don’t want to do this.” He turns his head slightly toward his wife, whispering, “Push the buttons, baby. Just in case. If things get out of hand, run.”
I watch as she presses one of the dials on his wristwatch and the matching one on her wrist, then I notice two other foreign men coming closer.
One looks at Mr. Vitale and asks, “Everything okay here, sir?”
“No.” Mr. Vitale shakes his head, and the men immediately move in front of the couple.
They have guards.
“Nice watch,” Kentaro mutters while pointing at Mr. Vitale’s wrist. “Give it to me, and you and your friends can go.”
“Fuck off.” Mr. Vitale’s expression grows angry, and not caring that Kentaro is in the way, he begins to walk, pulling his wife behind him with each of their guards taking up a protective position in front and behind them.
When the guard at the front shoves Kentaro backward, Sho jumps up, yanking his gun from where it was tucked in the waistband of his chinos.
“Stop!” I snap at my guards while also climbing to my feet.
Unfortunately, it gets the attention of Jun and his group, and when I see them getting up and rushing our way out of the corner of my eye, panic floods my chest.
This is very bad.
I quickly bring up Masaki’s number and press dial. When I place the phone to my ear, I see Mrs. Vitale is receiving a call.
While I listen to the ringtone, I hear her say, “It’s the Yakuza, Daddy. We’re at a club, and they’re looking for trouble with Riccardo. They won’t let us leave.”
“Hey. Hey. Hey!” Kentaro shouts as he lunges toward Mrs. Vitale to grab the phone from her, but before he can get close to her, Riccardo and the guards go into action, and my eyebrows fly into my hairline.
“Run, Gianna!” Riccardo shouts at his wife when Jun and his friends hurry to help Kentaro.
I gasp as Riccardo punches and knees Jun, and while Kentaro fights one of the other guards, Riccardo aggressively moves toward two of Jun’s friends.
Gianna doesn’t waste time and clambers over the couches to get away from the brawling group of men.
I stand like a dumbstruck idiot and stare at the chaos.
“What?” Masaki snaps in my ear, reminding me I’m busy calling him.
“Kentaro started a fight with foreigners.”
“Get out of there right now,” Masaki orders. “Go to the manager’s office and wait for me.”
I move, doing the same as Gianna and climbing over the couches to get past the group of men. When I make it to the aisle at the same time as Gianna, she lets out a shriek, which gets Riccardo’s attention.
“Gianna,” he roars like an enraged bull, and as he tries to fight his way through the group of men, I hear gunshots ring through the air.
“Noooooo,” Gianna shrieks, and forgetting about her own safety, she begins to run back toward the danger. “Riccardo!”
Not thinking, I grab hold of her arm. “Don’t. It’s too dangerous.”
She swings around, and when her palm burns across my cheek, I’m stunned for a few precious seconds, and it gives her time to yank free from my hold. She shoves me hard, and I stumble backward before regaining my balance.
Gianna pushes her way through the men until she reaches her husband and sinks down to her knees beside him. She presses both her hands over his chest to stop the bleeding while crying out, “Someone call an ambulance. Please!”
Seeing Sho and the two foreign guards have also been shot, shock shudders through me.
Somehow, I manage to dial the emergency number and give them the address for the club.
With a growing sadness in my heart, I take one last look at the couple who were so incredibly happy before Kentaro ruined it all.
Running in the direction of the bar, I dart down a hallway before shoving the door open to the manager’s office. I shoot inside, and when I shut it behind me, I suck in deep breaths of air.
“Mr. Tanaka?” the manager asks as he quickly rises to his feet to bow to me. “What can I–”
I point to the door. “Fight. People are injured.”
“Kuzo,” he curses, immediately rushing out of the office and leaving me alone.
I can’t believe that just happened.
Kentaro, you stupid bastard!