Midnight Pretenders (BL)

Chapter 17

The foreign jazz band on a platform by the corner of the event hall plays an eloquent mood in the background bringing in a heavenly purr to the ears and Ito Yamazaki finds himself humming with the familiar foreign song they are playing. It was a classic track and the female singer makes her own rendition with a playful vibe to it. Ito even likes it, he unconsciously smiles upon hearing the voice soaring with an adlib run at the chorus.

Ito Yamazaki looks around him as the song comes to an end and nods to somebody he recognizes as one of his pals from gambling from a distance. He does not take any action of trying to socialize with anybody there so he just casually takes a sip from the glass of champagne he has gotten from a waiter a while ago to relieve his time of waiting for the Dojima clan's Chief to speak at the platform.

He stays blended near the buffet that is being displayed near the right side of the huge hall as he lets the taste of the sweet liquor stay inside his mouth for a second before gulping it down. As he takes another scan at his surrounding this time, Ito pauses and rests his eyes at a certain direction upon immediately seeing Aoi Chiba's presence from where she is standing near the entrance of the hall with Sakamoto and his walking stick.

Are they close? He has never seen Sakamoto approach women before, he even heard rumors that the old guy has been a homosexual. So it is quite interesting that he is talking to a woman like this... Most of all, Kenji's woman to be specific. The man that Sakamoto has sworn his allegiance to. She must have been really getting too attached to the Yanagi family.

So, what are they talking about then? At this point, Ito Yamazaki will never be surprised anymore if ever Sakamoto has already known his connection with Aoi Chiba all this time. He knows how very capable Sakamoto is with all the dirty work. The man is really good at sourcing out and fishing impossible information... That is one thing that he really hates and likes about this old guy, as Ito muses over it.

But going back to the incident that had happened beforehand, Yamazaki never really planned out that Sakamoto will be affected by the explosion he had orchestrated in Yanagi's office in Shibuya. He had only wanted to put a childish scare but never expected it to actually blew up so big like how it did. And now, knowing that there is really no other way to come out of this conflict unharmed and without getting nasty, Yamazaki plans to take responsibility for it.

The only way for him to rise up the ladder is to fight with the Yanagi's head-on. A brutal collision. However, it might take some time before he could really prepare himself for that. In the meantime, Yamazaki has to focus more on the possible promotion coming ahead. This time, he really has to get it... That executive seat. He needs to push it more so he could match with Yanagi and put him out of the circle.

If the rumors about the Dojima head retiring by next year is really true, then Yamazaki does not have any much time left to slack off.

He has to make sure that Aoi Chiba will do her part.

Upon thinking about her, Yamazaki returns to his senses and catches the sight of Yanagi himself walking into the huge entryway of the place with his men trailing behind him. He smoothly maneuvers his path to approach Aoi and Sakamoto, the face of the young boss tight with intimidation and unreadable seriousness and Yamazaki just watches the scene from the distance from where he has been standing at the time.

That damn Yanagi family.

They are all thorns... that Yamazaki needs to pluck out of this world to breathe comfortably.

He flits his eyes towards Jin Sasai standing between Aoi and Yanagi and smirks.

How lucky of Yanagi to actually have someone as unique and loyal as Sasai, then? In Yamazaki's part, he has never really been sure of who is to trust within his own men... Some of them have been only with him for the money and the privilege they could get being a part of Dojima. If ever he could only snatch that capable young assistant from him...

But Yamazaki is not one to feel threatened. He knows for sure there will come a time for Yanagi to fall out of his pedestal.

"Boss."

Right at that second, Yamazaki hears the faint call of his subordinate popping up behind him and he quickly turns to look back and address the young man.

"She can be out of the place in the middle of the party later," the young man tells Yamazaki in a very hushed tone, making sure no one is listening to them. Upon hearing his words, Yamazaki quickly lets out a mocking chortle and pats the younger man on the shoulder, looking quite pleased.

"Well, just make sure it will play out well this time," Yamazaki responds, sipping again from his glass and eventually drinks up all the remaining champagne with a triumphant smile. "Is our guy with her too?"

Yamazaki has not really noticed his planted spy coming in with Aoi nor Yanagi a while back, yet he already figured he will be here since the traitor is also a very trusted ally of the Yanagi's.

"She is," his young subordinate confirms right away and continues, "She will be giving us more feeds about the Red."

Oh, will she?

"Very well," Yamazaki only nods and finally turns around again to return his empty glass to the waiter passing them by, only to take another filled glass for himself. As soon as the waiter leaves he returns his gaze to the young man beside him, "Go back to your post and return to me after half an hour."

The young man just gives a firm nod at him and bows before stepping away. Yamazaki looks around again... He sees Yanagi's group crossing the floor towards the direction of another known family of the Dojima. He observes them as they greet each other.

He even smirks when Yanagi shows a smile to the other boss. Yeah, just grin all you want you bastard, Yamazaki thinks to himself.

He takes another sip from his champagne, feeling tipsy as he is never really a heavy drinker.

"Make the most out of your happiness... cause it won't ever last that long."

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