Midnight Pretenders (BL)

Chapter 21

Taiga Goto's voice pitches a tone higher as he slyly chuckles at the confidence Kenji Yanagi is showing him. Even when he has already been convinced more than enough by this sudden meeting with him, Taiga still decides to humor the young Yakuza boss for a moment just to idly let the words sink into his head.

He had also heard about those rumors. That the Oyabun will soon retire from the top seat, and someone is being cooked to take over him afterward. There have been quite a lot of conspiracies about it and everyone inside the clan has clearly noticed the deteriorating relationships between the bosses in the organization. Even the Oyabun had pointedly spoken about it in his own speech during the last celebration of his birthday.

It is no rocket science. The Dojima clan is slowly collapsing. With those f*****g traitors gradually working their way into the cycle to manifest doubts among the members.

"I don't want to fail my family, Goto," Kenji remarks this after a long moment. And Taiga can fully hear the severe anxiety and worry in the sound of Kenji's voice when he spoke.

"And I truly believe you feel just the same as I do," Kenji adds on as he looks up and meets Taiga's stare who is still standing from a distance near the doors, "We can never let the clan fall apart, Goto."

Kenji is right.

They can never let that happen.

"But how do you suppose we can overpower a bigger ratio of other Yakuza families against us two?" Taiga willfully asks as he starts walking down the room and finally takes his seat on the couch near Kenji.

Yanagi watches him with a steady stare and takes a moment before he takes the opposite couch as well. And for a brief few seconds, he does not dare to reply back to Taiga. He still is carefully weighing over his words.

"Do you think we can really surpass the odds of all with just you and me?" Taiga adds with a quirk curve of his mouth. It does not seem to bother him though, even if that is going to be the case. Taiga just wants to test out if Kenji is really committed to this completely.

"Why? Do you think less of your capabilities as the head of your own family, Goto?" Kenji dares back with a much edgier tone. It was not really a threat nor any much of an offensive remark. Kenji only said those words because he knows that Taiga would hate being questioned about his capability to lead his men.

Though not much of an effect on the other man's side, Taiga still did not take the question very well. He could clearly hear the challenge in it as he sits up and levels his gaze with Kenji.

Impressive, he thought to himself. Taiga feels rather more impressed with Kenji's audacity now.

"You seemed to be very confident of not failing in the end," Taiga comments after a while, "You want to be the next Oyabun? Fine. You can, but you have to tell me first why it should be you... and not me?"

It is certainly a trick question. Yet Kenji still gladly takes the bait with no pressure. He is no longer threatened to even be confronted about his qualifications nor even taken aback about it. He has already gone prepared himself for all of this. And as he smirks and crinkles his eyes at Taiga Goto, he gives him the ultimate answer to his one-million-dollar question.

"Because I would never kill anyone for it," Kenji briefly replies, his smile unwavering.

In an instant, Taiga initially thought he had heard Kenji Yanagi entirely wrong. He was not really expecting that kind of an answer and it was surprisingly too far from the whole point. Because he would never kill anyone? Is that it?

"I value brotherhood more than power, Goto," Kenji eventually clarifies when he soon notices the bewildered expression on the older man's face, "And to protect this clan, I have to do something that can wash off all the traitors completely. And you, my friend, is the only person who can work this all out for me. So, you can never be the Oyabun, Goto, because you are going to be my right-hand in everything."

Is he really proposing that kind of offer to him? For real?

But it is not as if Taiga does not like the very idea. He never really covet the Oyabun's position in the first place, he has always pretty much preferred to be just standing along the sidelines and solely focus all of his attention just to his own family alone. And if this young boss really is very dedicated in pushing his own ambition to become the Oyabun himself this way, then it certainly sounds like a very good plan to finally destabilize and secure the whole future of the Dojima clan.

It might sound a little corny and funny, but they really have to be the heroes of their own families and save the whole Yakuza clan from being demolished. And if they must start things out from the traitors, then there is really no problem with doing that right away.

"You want me to corner Yamazaki, then?" Taiga actively points out, shooting straight to the point. And by his own words alone, it can already be concluded that he has already agreed to the alliance.

"Will you swear your allegiance with me?"

It is no longer a question anymore. Taiga has never really thought of rejecting the offer. But since this is a very crucial partnership, Kenji still needs his vocal affirmation.

"Yes," Taiga finally reassures, his voice deeper and pressed on. He shifts on his seat and slowly turns serious as he stares back at Kenji with a straight face, "You have all of my loyalty. I will support you. It's you and me now."

And with that, Kenji finally breathes out with relief.

This is now where it will all start.

This time, the game has already changed.

It has been days since that one traumatic day that she had almost died so dramatically in vain.

Two weeks after that confidential meeting between Kenji Yanagi and Taiga Goto, Aoi Chiba is once again left secured inside the pension house under strict instructions of the Yanagi Boss that she must not be allowed outside of the territory.