Demon's Protégé

EVIDENT THREATS AND OBVIOUS LIES

Jin Sasai could already sense the man approaching them from a distance before he could even see him.

It is Ito Yamazaki.

The one and only man he has ben keeping his abs on since that time the man's name had been menthioned to him when Jin continued to investigate about Cherry.

Just like in his photos, he clearly looks too old to be a new Yakuza boss. His gaits are quite slow and lazy as he crosses the hall to reach them with three big guystrailing him behind.

This is actually the very first time for Jin Sasai and Kenji Yanagi himself to meet the middle-aged man in person. There has not been a chance prior to this for them to formally be introduced and because of the past incidents that had taken place, Yanagi has been too careful of engaging and associating himself with ohter bosses because of evident and indirect thrats he kept getting in the past few months.

And today, it just so happen that a funeral is held. Ito Yamazaki knows this is the only chance for him to directly present himself to the infamous young Yakuza boss. His enemy. His biggest rival and the man who could possibly be the only wall he must cross to get to the top.

Kenji Yanagi.

As soon as Ito finally reaches their side, Jin Sasai quickly stands up from his seat, together with three other men surrounding Kenji. Aoi Chiba notices the sudden commotion and turns her head oblviously to where Jin is facing and instantly catches the sight of Yamazaki.

She almost gasps upon meeting the old man's eyes yet has been so quick to look away in an instant. She begins to feel nervous and tries hard not to show any kind of emotion on her face as she decidedly turns to the opposite direction and looks at Kenji Yanagi who has been sitting beside her. Kenji is not looking at her at the time, he is also staring up to the old man himself.

It takes Kenji a moment before he finally stands from his own seat, and meets Ito's stare in a steady stance.

"Yamazaki," he greets him with a jut of his jaw, his tone cold and too distant to be that friendly.

"Yanagi," Ito replies right away, a sly smile drawing up on his mouth, "We've finally met."

It is not directly expressed but it is very obvious how intense and heavy the tension is building between the two bosses. There is not even any move for a handshake and all that the two do is just look at each other's eyes as if they are having a silent conversation... Aoi Chiba could only watch from her seat, a little uncomfortable as she dares not to look at either any of the two men. She looks down on her lap instead, and focuses her attention to it.

The air becomes very stuffy and a little heated until Yanagi finally cuts off the silence.

"I've heard quite a lot about you," he remarks, his smile looking a little condescending despite his words as he continues, "You're very prominent in the red-light area."

Yamazaki has only begun his career as a Yakuza boss a little over just a year ago yet he somehow gets very notorious in just a short time of establishing his gang family. Kenji Yanagi knows all of the little businesses he has been doing even in one of Yanagi's territories but he already decided not to confront the man at this time. He still needs a hard and irrefutable evidence to put him down and now, that is something Yanagi is still lacking on his part.

"Not as notable as you though," the older man rebuts, but his smirk looks too fake to even mean what he just said, "I'm very honored and pleased if you have thought of me in that way already. 'Cause in fact, I am actually aiming for that kind of reputation since the beginning... Something as significantly eminent as yours today since not everyone could really reach that peak of fame like you did."

"You seemed like you're regarding me a little to much higher than what I really am, Yamazaki," Yanagi states with a spark in his eyes, "No one could possibly be at the peak of fame especially if that person is a Yakuza. We're supposed to be grounded and discreetly recognized."

"I don't know, though," Yamazaki refutes, "Women don't think the same about you. Must be because of your superior genes and appearance. I can't pretty much compete against that anyway."

"Speaking of women," Yanagi responds with a raise of a brow, "I think you have to scratch that part now, Yamazaki. I don't really like being misunderstood especially with my woman hearing this entire conversation between us. Would you mind taking that back for her?"

For a moment, Ito already guesses what Yanagi is trying to do and as he watches the young boss turns to someone sitting beside him, Aoi Chiba's

face comes to view. He gently takes her arm and brings her to stand up while Ito just silently observes them. Aoi Chiba shakily looks and stares back at him, he does not even bat an eye.

"Meet my fiance," Yanagi quickly introduces, his voice sounding very proud yet cleverly mocking, "Her name is Cherry. Pretty, isn't she?"

"I have to agree," Ito Yamazaki smirks back, not even taking the bait as he skims Cherry's body from her head to her feet, "And she's a bit familiar."

"I got her from you," Yanagi quickly replies, an answer that has not been predicted and had come out a bit forced and gritted, "So I think I have to thank you."

He is toying around, and it is clearly shown in the way his eyes shoot darts right back to the older man. Ito Yamazaki almost loses his temper as he tries not to give anything away from that sudden impactful vague statement he just gave him. Yanagi must really know now, even without having to manipulate him. Seems like, Yanagi turns out to be not really much of a total i***t after all. But Ito does not ever mind if this young boss tries to keep playing along with this entire scheme. It all just becomes even more entertaining with him putting up with it.

"Is she one of my hostesses in the Club?"

If Yanagi wants to play this game this way, then Yamazaki will just follow it all for the sake of this f*****g humor he thinks could work out. It does not even faze the old man. Not even a little bit.

"No, I don't think you get any of my point now, Yamazaki. Aoi Chiba is MY woman," Yanagi sternly corrects him, surprisingly switching into an intimidating aura with his eyes suddenly turning sharp and menacing as the young boss leans an inch closer to Ito as soon as he utters his words in a softer yet threatening whisper, "She was never yours or will ever be. SHE'S ALL MINE, you hear me?"

He must be really insane... to be this f*****g obsessed over a woman like her. What did she ever do to him to make him act this way?

Yamazaki is not even sure if he will actually laugh upon realizing that the seduction is really working very effectively with this naive simp or if he should feel scared that this guy is now suddenly becoming an even more forbidding opponent because of that woman.

There is a blur forming right between them at this point, but Ito still could not clearly notice it. He is too blinded by greed to even read between the lines. And so, for a moment, the older man just hesitates as he tries to match the young boss' stare before he eventually speaks back with the only thing he could come up in his mind at the time.

"I understand," Ito softly obliges, letting the young man take the lead for now, "Then, I won't have anything else to say."

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