OMUP Building, Shibuya
July 8, 2065 7:36 PM
The three of us arrived at Makoto Takeo's reception room. He was known as the head of the Second Oniwaban Yakuza clan. The room was a meeting space sealed off from the outside world by deep red curtains. A holographic television quietly played a daily singing program to ease the atmosphere. We adjusted our suits, making sure they looked as neat and respectful as possible. Seto glanced at me and gave a subtle signal—he didn't feel good about this job at all.
Haruki turned to us with a smile. "Let's hope everything goes smoothly."
I lowered my head and stood behind my boss as he waited. Less than five minutes later, a thin man in a gray suit stepped into the room, followed by three bodyguards.
Takeo Arai, the successor to the leadership of the Oniwaban II Yakuza, and Makoto's heir.
"Good evening, everyone. I apologize for the late hour. I was tied up with my father Makoto's funeral."
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Haruki said, expressing his condolences.
"Those two young men—are they your assistants? Please, have a seat."
Seto and I hesitated, but when the company president insisted, we sat beside Haruki.
"The deal you proposed regarding the spar business is quite interesting," Takeo said as he took the head seat. "You need capital to circulate this quarter, correct?"
"Yes. We're short on liquid funds right now. If the deal is delayed, we won't be able to inject the money in time," Haruki replied.
"I understand. Business has been sluggish lately. My father was a good teacher. He taught me to rely on myself—don't cheat, but be smart. If the other side uses fire against us, we respond with explosives. But they're still missing one crucial thing."
Arai raised his index finger as all three of us focused on him.
"Trust. Without it, nothing moves forward. A good subordinate doesn't need outstanding skills—just loyalty. I'd rather have someone who loves us than someone who bites from behind. Unfortunately, my father still had doubts about me, and I never got the chance to prove myself to him. My business has been improving, but it seems you have a snag as well. Three months ago, five kilograms of my hottest product—uranium—disappeared. Just five kilos, right when demand was at its peak. The price was nearing a hundred thousand dollars. Even if you took it, I doubt you could sell it for that much. Heh."
Takeo stood up and walked over, sitting beside us. "You two are Haruki's promising newcomers, right?"
We nodded. "Yes. We handle deliveries," I answered.
"Deliveries?" he said oddly. "Faces like yours doing deliveries? That's not very exciting, Haruki. These two work for you, yet they're just riders?"
It felt like he was deliberately probing.
"It seems we're getting off topic," Haruki said calmly.
"Oh? Business is exactly why I'm here. I'd like to take these two employees of yours as part of closing the deal."
Hearing that, Seto sprang to his feet. "Kusso yaro!"
He grabbed Takeo by the collar just as the guards raised their guns and pressed them to our temples.
"We'll give you the money you want," Takeo said coolly. "All you need to do is hand these two over to me. I'll punish them according to company rules."
"You knew all along, didn't you?" I asked.
"How could I not? Ask the man who helped arrange my father's funeral—the one who opened my eyes to everything."
Takeo pointed toward the hallway. Heavy bootsteps echoed closer, until a masked man appeared and slammed a cartridge onto the table. Orange gas leaked from it at once. I knew immediately who he was.
"It was a setup!" Seto shouted. "You bastard! I'll fuckin' kill you!"