The Yakuza Path: Better Than Suicide

by Amy Tasukada

Nao weaved Ikida past the waiting areas to where the detective’s desk crowded the space. With every step to Yamada’s office, Nao’s eyes darted around searching for Aki. He couldn’t see Aki anywhere, which meant he likely remained in an interrogation room. Nao bit the inside of his cheek, hoping he was all right.

  Detective Yamada’s office sat toward the back wall, with only windows for walls. The soles of Yamada’s feet stared up at Nao from their position on the cluttered desk. His rumpled collared shirt and loosened tie didn’t annoy Nao as much as the hat covering his eyes. The loud snoring, however, really pissed Nao off. He slammed the door shut behind him. Yamada jumped, hat falling to the floor.

  “Oh, it’s just you,” Yamada said.

  Nao narrowed his eyes, but Yamada didn’t move his feet from the desk.

  “He’s behind the drugs.” Nao pushed Ikida forward. “And I’m under your midnight deadline.”

  “One of yours already confessed.”

  “I told you I would find the one who was really behind it, and you’ve rejected who I brought?”

  Yamada sighed and kicked his feet from the desk. “The guy we nabbed during your little train station affair confessed to it all.”

  “People lie.”

  “He wrote the whole thing down, signed it and everything.”

  Nao’s fingers curled into a fist. “I never drank sake with Aki. So his confession isn’t that of a precious Matsukawa like you wanted.”

  Yamada ignored Nao and shifted the papers on his desk. Nao gritted his teeth together then grabbed a fistful of Ikida’s hair.

  “Look at who you are dismissing!” Nao yelled. “The Kyoto police would rather have some nameless thug than him?”

  Yamada’s eyes widened. “You’re going to surrender your underboss?”

  “He’s the one responsible for all the filth destroying the city.”

  Nao couldn’t read the expression on Yamada’s face, but he didn’t immediately reject Nao’s offer. Ikida stayed quiet, except for a few mumbled moans.

  Yamada held up a signed paper. “I already got the other guy’s confession. How do I even know Ikida’s going to talk?”

  Nao’s muscles tensed, and he jerked Ikida’s head higher and tugged the tie out of his mouth. Ikida winced and let out a small groan.

  “Ikida, what do you want to say to the nice detective?” Nao said.

  “I-It waas me,” Ikida slurred out.

  “See?”

  Yamada stood. “What’s wrong with his mouth?”

  “It slipped out of place.” Nao waved his hand. “He has TMJ.”

  “He’s not going to tell me a different story about his jaw once you’re gone?” Yamada let out a small laugh. “Or maybe I should say write out.”

  Nao leaned down and whispered in Ikida’s ear, “Remember, I know where your family lives. The moment you went behind my back, you severed all ties with the family as far as I’m concerned. When you go to jail, you can rot there for all I care.”

  Yamada looked up from the papers on his desk when Nao finished. He smiled; for once Yamada was ignoring the law in Nao’s favor.

  “I’ll take your underboss, and we’ll call it even,” Yamada said.

  “And the one who already confessed? I want him released.”

  Yamada shrugged. “He wrote it down.”

  A lump caught in Nao’s throat. Aki didn’t have anything to do with the drugs and didn’t deserve to be locked in jail for it. Yakuza confessed all the time to crimes they didn’t commit. Nao shook his head. Aki wouldn’t make it five minutes in jail.

  “Too bad,” Nao said. “‘Kyoto police take down Yakuza underboss’ would’ve made an excellent headline. If I don’t get Aki back, you don’t get to keep Ikida. It’s one or the other.”

  Yamada glared at Nao, but then the edges of the detective’s mouth curled into a grin.

  “Okay, you play a good game, kid.” He grabbed Aki’s confession and tore it up. “Papers can get lost.”

  Nao smiled. “I’m glad you see it my way. I want Aki released now.”

  “I guess we don’t have to charge Aki with obstruction of justice for lying.”

  “How generous.”

  Yamada winked. “Next time I won’t be.”

  It took less than twenty minutes for Yamada to pass Ikida off for processing and fetch Aki from the back.

  Aki’s eyes grew wide when he met Nao’s gaze before he lowered his head. He followed Nao out of the police station but didn’t say a word.

  They arrived at the car, but Nao didn’t get in. He turned to Aki, getting a view of his lowered head.

  Nao crossed his arms. “Explain.”

  “I’m sorry for my—”

  “I said explain, not apologize. And look at me when you talk.”

  Aki gulped and glanced up at Nao through his hair. But aside from the white patches on his neck and speckled on his exposed face since his makeup had worn off, he looked fine. The police hadn’t hurt him, which warmed Nao.

  “I heard you and Kurosawa talking about a traitor while I finished my shower.”

  “So you were eavesdropping.”

  Aki bit his lip but nodded. “Yes. Then, when I had some time, I went to the gym before dinner, and everyone talked about how you needed backup at the train station, so I went. I was on the group text. You needed someone to take the blame, and I wanted to help.”

  “I see.” Nao tried to hide his emotions. “So how did you get the drugs?”

  Aki’s eyes lit up. “I found the dealer and punched him!”

  Nao tried to stifle his laugh, but the image of Aki punching the drug dealer popped into his head. “You punched him?”

  “Yeah, Fujimoto showed me a few things.”

  “The thing is I didn’t ask you to take the blame or for your help with anything involving the drugs.” Nao crossed his arms over his chest.

  Aki pressed his lips together then bowed. “I’m sorry for my indiscretion.”

  “You’re in charge of making sure the toilets are clean enough to eat from.”

  “Please forgive me, I wanted to help the fa—”

  “Aki, look at me.” Nao leaned against the car.

  A layer of watery gloss covered Aki’s eyes. Did being part of the Matsukawa mean so much to him? He was willing to be thrown in jail and take the blame to help the family out. Yet the way Aki looked at him made Nao’s heart ache.

  Nao stretched out his hand to touch Aki but stopped himself and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You need to do everything I say without question.”

  “Anything you desire.”

  Nao pulled out his phone and held it out. “It’s even more important if you’re going to be my secretary. Do you think you can handle it?”

  Aki reached out for the phone, but Nao pulled it back.

  “You can never fall in love with me,” Nao said.

  “I—”

  “And understand I will never harbor any feelings for you. Can you fulfill your duties knowing that?”

  Aki took Nao’s phone. “I humbly accept your gracious offer.”

  Aki’s smile made Nao’s lips tingle, but he could never allow them to press against Aki’s again. Kyoto wouldn’t allow it, and Nao’s duty lay with the Matsukawa.

  Nao cleared his throat. “You’re still making my tea.”

  “Whatever you desire.”

  “Good. Your first task is to arrange a party at the geisha teahouse tonight. Invite all the ward leaders, and make sure Sakai is told to come a half hour later than everyone else. There’s a punishment he has yet to serve.”

  Aki nodded and scrolled through the contacts in Nao’s phone.

  Nao turned to Kurosawa. “Sit in the back with me. There’s something I need to ask you. Aki knows how to drive, so he can take us back to headquarters.”

  “SAKAI SHOULD BE here in a few minutes,” Aki whispered into Nao’s ear.

  Nao nodded and smiled to the eleven Kyoto ward leaders gathered along the red lacquered table with geiko and
geiko-in-training between them. Nao sat between Aki and Kurosawa, with Yuiko on the other side of Aki. The endless supply of sake and food drove away the drowsiness from the long day.

  Though the real fulfillment of the day would start once Sakai had arrived, Nao wanted to make sure to take the extra time to give the street side of the family the entertainment they deserved. From the moment he’s been chosen to lead the Matsukawa, Nao had defaulted to what Sakai had suggested, but that would no longer be the case.

  A smile crept across Nao’s face as he caught sight of his phone clutched between Aki’s white fingers. It had only been a few hours without the device, but Nao couldn’t imagine him ever needing to keep it on him again. Aki was more fitted for a secretary than beating up people for late loan payments on the streets.

  Nao traced the crack running down the center of the phone’s screen.

  “I never want to touch this phone again,” Nao said. “So you’re free to get it exchanged for one that’s not damaged.”

  “Yes, Father Murata.”

  “Tomorrow, call Kohta and tell him we can set up an apprenticeship for him. Then, depending on how good he cleans, I’ll see about him officially joining the family, after the appropriate amount of time has passed, of course.”

  Aki gave a weary smile but typed out a reminder on the phone. He looked better in his ill-fitting suit than he did in the purple jumpsuit uniform of the house recruits, that was for sure. Nao stared at one of the missing buttons on Aki’s jacket sleeve. It wouldn’t look good if the godfather’s secretary didn’t have all the buttons on his suit accounted for. And it would be more fitting if Aki’s suits were tailor-made to hug his lean body.

  Nao licked his bottom lip. “Find a Japanese suit designer, too. I want new ones, and we’ll have some for you.”

  Aki’s cheeks reddened. “Father Murata, I don’t…”

  “Consider it part of your new uniform.”

  With no room for argument, Aki nodded. He had proved he could be trusted, and knew his way around a phone better than Nao ever wanted to bother learning. Aki had never really fit as a standard yakuza anyway and would be better off by Nao’s side. Aki knew they could never be anything more than friends. So Nao never needed to worry about that line being crossed.

  The drinking continued in the same lighthearted fashion until the door slid open and Sakai entered. His eyes widened, and he lingered in the entryway. The conversation lulled to a hush, and Sakai readjusted his tie with everyone’s eyes on him.

  “Please excuse my tardiness,” Sakai said, then cleared his throat. “I seem to have been told the wrong time.”

  Nao grinned. “No, you’re exactly on time. Have a seat.”

  The only open seat was far from Nao and not a proper place for someone as high-ranking as Sakai. A neck vein protruded out of Sakai’s collared shirt as he sat at the end of the table. All of Nao’s muscles relaxed because for the first time he had the upper hand when it came to Sakai.

  Nao cleared his throat, sending a hush to all. “Many of you have heard the news of Ikida’s betrayal to the Matsukawa. I’m making it clear now. This family does not deal drugs, and anyone thinking they can will be found out. You won’t get a reprieve by being turned in to the police. Instead, I’ll rip you apart limb from limb myself. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Father Murata,” they said in unison.

  A moment passed, and Nao examined each of the ward leaders’ faces but found no twinge of discontent in any of them. Sakai’s face remained cold. Nao grinned to himself. Sakai’s expression would change soon enough.

  “With Ikida dead to us, it has left the position of underboss open.” Nao poured a cup of fresh sake into a bowl and took a sip. “I’m proud to say Kurosawa will be the new underboss of the family.”

  Nao passed the sake bowl to Kurosawa, who took his sip at the cheers of everyone.

  “Thank you, Father Murata.” Kurosawa smiled. “It’s truly an honor to work with you and to help keep Kyoto safe.”

  “I can’t think of anyone else I trust more for this duty,” Nao said.

  The cheering continued and so did the drinking. Nao glanced over all the ward leaders there. He might’ve grown close to Chen and Fujimoto, but in the next few weeks he’d know each of the ward leaders the same. They were the only family he had, and he would do everything to protect them.

  “I think it’s time for the entertainment to leave,” Nao said to Yuiko. “Stand by the door and make sure no one enters under any circumstances.”

  She nodded and hurried the women out of the room before sliding the door shut behind her.

  “Should we talk about the news?” Sakai asked.

  It was like him to decide to start the conversation, but after tonight Nao knew Sakai wouldn’t dare open his mouth before he spoke again.

  Nao cleared his throat. “I’m glad you were able to join us, Sakai.”

  “I wouldn’t miss the opportunity.”

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t miss any opportunity coming your way, but it’s time to pay for your indiscretion.”

  Sakai raised an eyebrow. “You are mistaken.”

  “I don’t believe so.”

  Nao pulled out a chef’s knife and slid it across the table between the plates of half-eaten food. Its blade slowed to a stop in front of Sakai. Those around Sakai inched away.

  “Perhaps you can explain,” Sakai said, ignoring the blade and glaring at Nao.

  “I don’t think you want me to.”

  “I’ve done—”

  “Don’t worry; I know what you did. If you like we can keep it between our new underboss Kurosawa and myself.”

  Sakai glared at the knife but didn’t touch the blade. A heated flush washed throughout Nao’s body, and his muscles tensed, ready for attack. He flexed his hand, letting his fingernails bite into his palm rather than lash out at Sakai.

  Nao cleared his throat and deepened his tone. “Maybe I’m not making myself clear. I need your finger for what you did.”

  “Come on, Murata, chopping off fingers is not how it is done anymore.”

  Sakai laughed, and it drove the room into a thick vacuum.

  “I’ll never accept a simple shaving of your head. Or are you worried the missing finger might ruin your golf game?” Nao grinned.

  “It will be bad for business, bad for all of us.”

  “Then wear a fucking prosthetic when you’re doing business, but you will either chop off your finger because you are leaving the Matsukawa or you chop it off because you’re staying and want my forgiveness.”

  Sakai gulped and glanced at Kurosawa, who turned his head away.

  “I would be more than willing to help you,” Nao said between clenched teeth.

  Sakai let out a deep sigh then placed a chopstick between his teeth. Nao leaned forward and held his breath. Sakai stretched out his left hand on the table. His shoulders slumped as he picked up the knife. It glistened in the soft light. Nao followed the blade’s rise and slam into the table, severing Sakai’s finger.

  His screams came muffled with the chopstick, but blood shot out of his hand. Sakai grabbed the end of his tie and wrapped it around the wound.

  Nao leaned back. “You’re free to leave, Sakai. The doctor only makes house visits now.”

  Sakai bit his bottom lip and fled the room.

  “Now let’s celebrate a stronger Matsukawa!” Nao said.

  They all held up their glasses and cheered. “A strong Matsukawa!”

  Nao couldn’t help but smile. It was best he had lived through the raid with the Korean mob, or else Sakai and Ikida would’ve infected all of Kyoto. The city would be safe with the help of the family and Nao as godfather.

  Look for One Thousand Cranes book 3 of The Yakuza Path series coming out in Winter 2017. It will be a novella with Aki as the main character. Check out Amy’s YouTube for behind-the-scenes updates. www.youtube.com/user/amytasukada

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  Amy Tasukada lives in North Texas with a calico cat called O’Hara. As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. She can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.

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  An anime fanboy.

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  ♦

  Sato doesn’t get out much. The anime company accountant spends his days at a desk and his nights working on his own small-scale robots. His geeky life is like a dream, but it has just one piece missing…

  The world only knows Aoi for his moans. The erotic voice actor of boy’s love dramas has legions of fangirls obsessed with his gasps of simulated ecstasy. And his new boyfriend Sato can barely handle the attention.

  As Aoi’s popularity rises and secrets about his past begin to reveal themselves, can the accountant and the voice actor rise above their problems to create something real?

  To start reading this lighthearted love story today, simply sign up for Amy Tasukada’s newsletter for this monthly slice-of-life romance.

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