Chapter 6:
Bright Lights and Looming Plights
The bell dinged and the parlor of LeBlanc was open to Akira, and he immediately caught sight of Ryuji. He wore a deep reddish-purple sport coat over a black button up shirt with grey swirling designs barely visible under the jacket, and a gold chain matching his hair adorning his neck. Stepping out onto the floor in a white sport coat and slacks and orange-gold shirt, Akira waved at his companion with a slight smirk, Ryuji responding in turn.
"Hey, man," Ryuji greeted him. "You clean up good. A gift from the Boss, I'm guessin'?"
"Yeah, it was in my closet," Akira looked down at himself. "Absolutely not what I normally wear, but apparently we gotta keep up appearances. At least it fits and feels good, almost like it's already been broken in."
"That's 'cuz we only get the real good shit, man! Now, c'mon! A suit like that is no good unless it's strutting up the street or at the club; basically anywhere there's ladies to catch a glimpse of ya," Ryuji smirked and winked, putting a hand on Akira's shoulder. "Let's hit it, Kurusu! Ya ready?"
Akira nodded, acting not nearly as emphatically as Ryuji, but he did muster a genuine grin. "Alright, alright! Let's get moving and get this meeting over with."
"That's the spirit! C'mon! It's showtime!"
The two young men walked out onto the street, immediately greeted with a raucous display of people coming and going between all the stores and restaurants on the strip. Lines of likely over a hundred people on either side of the street were trying to get the attention of cabs, waving wads of bills in the air. Funky disco pop poured out of one cafe from a garbled speaker system, while a tiny adult entertainment store blasted the pulse pounding beat of a hair metal track from a much more kept up system, the jarring contrast mixing in a way almost perfectly resembling the Kamurocho night life.
Akira and Ryuji walked side by side up the street, coming onto the famous entertainment strip of Tenkaichi Street. Fewer people gave them as much as way as they had in the morning, though Akira chalked it up to them already having had a few drinks. But even while they were not shown as much respect, the same glances, glares and stares Akira was almost becoming used to came in great amounts. He noticed Ryuji watching each person who gave them a look out of the corner of his eye, occasionally winking or smirking at the girls he caught the attention of. Akira found it amusing, and the confidence almost respectable.
"Hey, boooys!" a high-pitched woman's voice crooned from their left. Akira and Ryuji paused their walk and found the source of the voice. Two young ladies, both no more than twenty-four, wearing purple and blue bedazzled cocktail dresses, waved at them as they stood in front of a risqué looking stairwell bathed in deep violet light. "You big, handsome men looking for a good time?" the first girl put her hand on her cheek in a teasing display of faux innocence that her Cheshire grin betrayed wholly.
"We've got the most fun girls on the strip," crooned the second young lady, "even able to keep up with dangerous men like you," she winked.
"Sorry, ladies," Ryuji raised his hand with a flirtatious grin, "but we're on our way to an important meeting," he dragged out the last two words, obviously playing with them for what it was worth. "But we'll keep your lovely faces in mind if we find some free time, okay, honeys?" he winked.
"Aww," both girls frowned in unison, "you big boys really wanna work on a night like this? Don't you wanna see what we offer on our, well, menu?" the first girl smiled seductively.
"More than anything, hon," Ryuji nodded, "but the boss wants this done, and we're men of honor, so we gotta see it through."
"Oh, but men of honor always treat their ladies the best," the second girl winked again. "Well, if you get lonely tonight, you'll know where to find us!" Both ladies blew Akira and Ryuji a kiss, with the first girl blowing a second to Akira, who raised his eyebrows and grinned.
"Take care, ladies," Akira said with a wave. "See ya around!"
"You better," the first girl giggled.
Ryuji winked at both of them, and the two men strutted off once again.
"Man, they were laying it on thick," Akira muttered when they were out of earshot.
"It's how you know that business has been slipping, and their boss is probably pissed. In case I get too drunk, be a pal and remind me to talk to Boss about the place, see if we can give them some assistance."
"Gotcha."
"Cool."
Walking on the strip, Akira continued to have his senses assaulted on every front. Intoxicatingly good smelling food permeated the air just as much as did the distinct musk of cigarettes and alcohol. Music of all kinds blasted from all sides, but he still managed to catch exerts of people's conversations as he passed. Many a woman talked about the incompetence, and occasionally impotence, of their boyfriend or husband. Many a man lamented their performance at their jobs, or that of their superiors, and still some commented on the obviously suspicious duo that was passing them by, though they would then immediately divert their gaze elsewhere.
"We're here," Ryuji said after a minute more of walking. Akira looked up at the building to their right. Small in height though vibrantly colored, a brick and mortar building two stories tall with a neon sign over the door reading "Asylum" in stylized, heavy serif font. Outside the building was a long line of people waiting to get in, and a beast of a bouncer standing at the door with arms crossed. "Act cool." Ryuji started walking right past the line and to the door with no regard for anyone glaring at them or commenting angrily about how they were flagrantly cutting. Akira was confused, though had seen no reason to not be confident in Ryuji's more developed understanding of the yakuza trade, and its benefits.
After getting bevies of off-color remarks behind their backs, Akira and Ryuji came up to the brawny bouncer, clad all in black. He looked the two of them up and down, glaring down at them with the most unimpressed gaze Akira had ever seen. He let down his arms and Akira half expected him to toss them all the way across Tokyo with a single motion, but instead he took hold of the doorknob and opened the large wooden door to a hallway completely bathed in deep blue light. "Enjoy your evening, sirs," the bouncer said.
"Thank you very much," Ryuji bowed his head slightly as a chorus of awes and boos escalated behind them. He looked to Akira and motioned with his head to follow him. Akira nodded to him and the bouncer and they made their way inside.
A pulsing electronic beat accompanied the assault of blues and violets entering their eyes as they walked into the narrow hall. Ryuji seemed completely unphased, though Akira mist not have appeared so casual.
"First time in a club?" Ryuji asked, stopping halfway down the hall and looking at some risqué posters and fliers lining the walls.
"Is it that obvious?"
"You know it. You look like a virgin church boy in a porn theater, dude. I told you to act cool, remember?"
"I thought I was," Akira said more sheepishly than he intended.
"Well, then act like me. Cool, low stare, raise your eyebrows a bit looking completely unimpressed by everything you see, like you've seen it all a million times and you're bored of it."
Akira nodded. "I'll try."
"Well, don't just try but make sure you do it. We're here on business first and this is your time to make a good impression. Also, just don't fuck up the meeting by acting like you're a small town boy."
"Even though I am?" he replied sarcastically.
"That's my point. Now, c'mon," Ryuji waved his hand, "let's get you a taste of life outside of your mom's arms."
The beat and driving instrumentation became louder and louder as they approached another set of double doors. Ryuji took the doorknob at hand then smirked at Akira. "Be cool. It's gonna be a good night."
"I trust you, man."
"Heh," Ryuji chuckled, "that's great. Just don't be so trusting with our coworkers."
Before Akira could question that ominous statement, Ryuji pushed the doors open, revealing a spacious but crowded lounge bathed in many shades and colors. The music roared so loud Akira felt it was a miracle anyone could even have a conversation. His ears almost hurt upon being assaulted by the sensations.
"Ah, finally!" Ryuji stretched his arms in the air. Akira had to strain his ears to make out anything he was saying. "Back in my element! You're gonna be cruising for a fun night, my man! Now let's get this checkup bullshit out of the way so we can kick back!"
"Just lead the way!"
And that he did. Ryuji weaved through the crowds like a fish through water, while Akira felt about as graceful as a toad. Small-town girls like he was used to, these women were not. His sense of confidence was dissipating about as quickly as his raging heartbeat as he constantly bumped into ladies and gentlemen who all looked far more acquainted with this scene than he was. Just act cool, he thought. You'll have time to learn what to do here later, just act cool.
They then passed by the bar, lit in orange and blue in the back of the club next to the dancefloor where many congregated, though Akira's definition of "dance" did not seem to fit what many of these people were doing. He kept his hands in his pockets and his expression aloof as he noticed three women checking he and Ryuji out from the bar like a trio of lionesses on the prowl, though he suspected that they considered Ryuji the powerful prospect lion in himself, while Akira was more likely a hapless zebra. In fewer words, prey.
"Hey," Ryuji glanced back at him, trying to appear casual about it, "I said to act cool. You're botching it."
"By doing what?" Akira asked with a plainly frustrated tone.
Ryuji rolled his eyes as they came up to a door opposite the dance floor, near a more secluded lounging area. "I'll walk ya through it later, now just buck up."
Akira had half a mind to flip him off, the uncomfortable feeling he had from being in a completely alien environment making him extremely agitated, but he swallowed his anger and just nodded.
Ryuji opened the door slowly, revealing a small, brightly lit office. In contrast to the bombastic and overwhelming sensory overload of the main floor, nothing about the manager's office was remotely similar. A desk was placed in front of the back wall, filing cabinets about a man's height were next to it, and in the middle of the office was a coffee table with chairs surrounding it. Seated at the desk was a tall man in a business suit pouring over some papers with a cup of tea next to him. He was bald, likely about forty years of age, and wore a pair of academic looking glasses on his weathered, scruffy face.
"Nakano-san," Ryuji addressed him after closing the door behind himself and Akira. The man looked up from his papers and examined the two young men with a cold expression. "My employer and I appreciate you being able to speak with us this evening," Ryuji bowed, with Akira following suit immediately. "We understand you are a very busy man, and we do not wish to take up any great amount of your time."
Nakano-san spoke with a gruff and confident voice. "I will always take time to speak on matters regarding the Boss," he replied. "Please have a seat, young sirs. Is there anything I can order for you while we talk?"
"Thank you," Ryuji said as they sat in the leather seats, "but I won't be needing anything. I'll just grab something at the bar when we're done. Kurusu, do you want anything?"
"No thank you, but I appreciate the offer."
"Of course," Nakano nodded, then took his cup of tea in hand and sat in one of the seats across from the young men. "Sakamoto," he addressed Ryuji, "I am surprised that the Boss was so trusting of someone of your age to represent him. He must trust your judgment greatly."
"The Boss knows I'm very familiar with the area and the club. He figured a simple meeting like this would be a good way to prove my knowledge of all this."
"And you're companion here," he looked to Akira. "Kurusu, was it?"
"Kurusu Akira, sir," he bowed again. "I'm a, uh, new hire. Ryuji has been my mentor of sorts."
"No doubt because you two seem to be about the same age, yes? Well, don't let me get too in the way of your training then, and let's get this matter resolved quickly."
"I agree completely," Ryuji nodded.
"Now, I am sure you were made aware of our… well, troubles as of late, Sakamoto."
"The Boss told me some of it, but he wanted you to explain your side of the story. Apparently, you've been having problems with gangs harassing your patrons?"
"And the employees too. Groups of hoodlums loiter around the property, both inside and out, accosting out staff and harassing our guests, especially the female clientele. We've received reports of everything from women being shouted at to men trying to solicit them to follow them to God knows where. And just last night we… Well..."
"What is it?" Ryuji pressed.
"We… received a call from a woman living in Shibuya. She said she and a friend were visiting Kamurocho and made their way to our club two nights ago. However, her friend never showed up back at their hotel that night. She said she contacted the police, other clubs and restaurants around town, but none knew anything about her whereabouts, including us."
"Holy shit," Ryuji muttered.
"This coincided with the rise of harassment recently, and it has led to suspect the worse."
"Kidnapping," Akira finished for him.
"Exactly." Nakano shook his head in a display of shame. "We cannot confirm anything yet, but we are not willing to take any more risks. We… I would be most grateful for the Sakura family to provide us with more security resources to keep our patrons and staff safe."
Ryuji nodded again, seemingly biting his lip at the same time. "Your club is an important asset to the family, and I have no doubt the Boss will be able to provide support, sir. I'll get in contact with him immediately. Though, the matter of price will still have to be talked about."
"I'm aware, yes," Nakano said. "The gang activity has slightly deflated our profits, but I am willing to invest more to help gain back that money in the long run. The Boss has always been kind to us, I am willing to repay him."
"Then I can all but guarantee you'll have what you need," Ryuji said. "I'll call him right after our meeting, and it must be your lucky night after all, sir. The Boss said he'd do his best to see you tonight in person, though sent us in case something came up. He's a busy man, after all."
"Oh, I completely understand. As great as it would be to speak with him in person, I cannot ask that he put aside everything he is doing just for us."
God, you'd think Sojiro was some kind of religious figure to him. How many business relationships does he have in the area? And what did he do to get someone to be so respectful, almost reverent to him?
"Still, I'll get in contact with him and we'll sort this all out," Ryuji bowed his head. "Thank you for your time, sir."
"You as well, Sakamoto. And it was a pleasure meeting you, Kurusu," he turned to Akira.
"The pleasure was mine," he replied, bowing his head.
"Now, please enjoy the rest of your evening, young sirs. Any accommodations you may desire, we would be happy to provide."
"Thank you, we'll keep that in mind." Akira and Ryuji got to their feet and bowed again. "Be expecting a call from the Boss by tomorrow. We'll be investigating these matters immediately."
"Thank you very much. We are most appreciative."
The two young men then took their leave, making their way back out to the club floor. Akira's head was spinning at the implication of what he'd just heard. Kidnappings? They've got me dealing… with fucking kidnappings?! He shook his head, banishing the thought from it.
With the door closed behind them, Akira turned to Ryuji, speaking up as to get over the volume of the music. "Well, that kind of puts a damper on the whole 'cutting loose' thing, yeah?"
"Only if ya let it!" Ryuji pointed to a curving stairwell across from them. "Head on up there and grab a drink, maybe a lady or two while you're at it. I gotta make a call. I'll meet up with ya in a minute."
"I don't have much money on me."
Nakano-san is covering, man! Just remember, you're a newbie. Don't make it look like you're dining for free, okay? It looks very different when someone like you does it compared to someone with more seniority."
"I can imagine," Akira nodded. He looked up to the stairwell, seeing a glimpse of another bar surrounded by more lounging area, all of which seemed much more upscale and pricy then anything on the main floor. "Alright, I'll check it out. But I don't plan on getting drunk."
"That's what you think," Ryuji winked and nudged him in the shoulder. "Back in a flash! Don't start too much fun without me!" Without waiting for a response from Akira, Ryuji turned on his heels and beelined for the exit.
Akira smacked his lips, still coming to grips with the absurdity of his situation. So, protection deals, suspected kidnapping, working with yakuza, and now I'm told to just go get a drink? He looked up the staircase again before realizing he must look like a child lost in a supermarket. At least it might get my mind off things, he thought.
Trying to appear more aloof as previously instructed, Akira took his first steps onto the stairwell, looking down on the raucous displays beneath him. The "dances" were becoming more physical, more intimate, as the night went on and the drinks continued to flow. He saw beautiful girls grinding on less than beautiful men, college students throwing their hands in the air with complete disregard for the possibility of spilling their drinks, and old business men seated with beautiful young women, sharing drinks and laughter while paying little mind to the arm candy present with them. Akira felt alien, isolated, lost. A small-town boy in the big city was often sung about in pop music, but the reality of it felt far less romantic then had been described by the singers.
Just get a damn drink, he chastised himself.
The bar he approached was far more elaborate then the one on the main floor. The trim of the bar and the background was all in gold and bathed in deep blue light. A diorama of traditional Japanese art depicting people in kimonos basking in the vibrant moonlight as a white serpentine dragon looked down on them from the heavens was the backdrop to the arrangement of drinks and ingredients lined up behind the bartender. Unlike the bar below, there were a few seats left available, another indication of the increase in price. Akira quietly took a seat at the end for himself and looked at the menu hanging above him.
Many of the drinks and ingredients the small-town young man had never heard of, and many of what he did recognize sounded completely unappetizing. Akira also noticed that the people seated at the bar with him were not nearly as raucous as those on the main floor. Most seemed older, with maybe two of the five others seated at the bar being of college age. All of them seemed to be salarymen having understated discussion about their own lives, which Akira was able to gather since the music was not nearly as loud on the second floor. Even when he noticed the men sitting a couple empty seats down from him, they either did not notice him, or just did not care enough to acknowledge him.
"What'll it be chief?" a gruff voice said from Akira's front. Embarrassingly, Akira's head shot forward in the direction of the speaker as if he were a child who had just been found in possession of an adult magazine. Looking at him with eyebrow raised was a pudgy man a whole head taller than Akira, with beady eyes centered in his bald head. A double chin accentuated his face and led down to a set of broad shoulders constrained by a typical bartender's garb: a white button-up and velvet vest with a bowtie. All in all, not the image Akira would have expected to be tending a bar as fancy as the one he was currently sat at. "You gonna order something?" he asked again. "Or did your feet just need a break from dancing?"
"Oh, um…" Akira's tongue felt stiff and dry, and he vilely cursed himself for being so awkward. "I'm just looking over the menu," he finally got out.
"Sure thing," the man responded plainly. "Take your time." He then turned to clean a glass and ask one of the salarymen if he wanted an order of snacks. After the immediate sense of surprise at the bartender's reaction, Akira proceeded to mentally kick himself further for overreacting so much.
While he was busy scolding himself for acting like a child, two girls took the seats next to him, drawing him back to the real world. The girl next to him wore a white hoodie obscuring her face, while the Japanese girl on her left wore a simple dress and jeans. They both seemed engaged in enjoyable conversation, as the girl next to the one on Akira's left was continuously smiling at her friend. As Akira looked them up and down, his eyes fell on the chest of the girl next to him, taking in the sight of a rather… impressive bust evident even under her loose-fitting hoodie. Well, loose-fitting everywhere except in her upper middle section. Realizing the questionable nature of his actions, he forced his eyes away and back at the incomprehensible menu, until the girl removed her hood.
Long, flowing golden hair fell down past her shoulder half down her back, done up in twin ponytails. Her face was fair, her skin pale, unlike most Japanese women. She looked far more American than Japanese, despite speaking the language perfectly. Her lips were full and covered in ruby lipstick, and her eyes were a piercing sapphire color, like waves on the lake near his hometown in Summer. She turned her head away from him, looking to her friend and giggling about something. Some part of him wanted to speak to her, in spite of the conversation she was having with her friend. He felt drawn to her in some strange way, until something more abrupt drew him away.
"Piece of shit!" came a familiar voice roaring over the music. Akira looked back behind him in the direction of the voice, noticing the girls next to him did the same. He recognized that it was Ryuji's voice, and it continued to shout vile and constant curses, prompting gasps and concerned looks from those around him. Akira made his way to the railing overlooking the main floor and saw Ryuji in some sort of furious standoff with a tall, muscular man with a garish afro… and quite possibly the largest chin he had ever seen.
"The hell is he doing now?" Akira muttered before rushing down the steps.
"Just look at yourself," the tall man taunted Ryuji with an extremely condescending tone and body language. "You had so much potential, and you're blowing it on low-lifes. You ought to be in jail 'till you grow your first chest hair, Sakamoto!"
"And you should be in jail until you rot!" Ryuji got in his face with a murderous glare, teeth gritting hard enough to break them. "You have no right to judge me for my life!"
"Everyone does, with the dumbass choices you've made!"
People started getting more annoyed and concerned with the two men making a scene, and Akira stepped in between them quickly before anyone else could get involved.
"Whoa, whoa! Hey, time out!" Akira firmly pushed Ryuji back a few inches, hand outstretched and gaze darting between his companion and the large man. "Ryuji, the hell is going on here?"
"Stay out of this, Akira!" Ryuji tried to push him aside. "You don't know anything about this, so keep your nose out of our business."
"And who is this?" the man asked with a smirk and arms crossed. "One of your low-life worthless scumbag friends."
"Go fuck yourself, Kamoshida!" Ryuji pointed at him, fighting harder against Akira. "Why haven't you just hung yourself already?!"
"Oh ho, mean words, kid! I could report you to the police for that!"
"Don't make me do it for you!"
"Shut the hell up, Ryuji!" Akira screamed at him. "Let's just get out of here!"
"You don't even know what happened, Akira! Just stay out of this and let me take care of him!"
"You make one wrong move," Kamoshida pointed at him, "and I'll have the police take you down like they should have a long time ago!"
"Come over and say that to my face, shitstain!" Ryuji pushed Akira out of the way, breathing heavily and looking ready to kill whoever this Kamoshida was, but all three men were stopped in their tracks when a strong, commanding female voice raised over the crowd beginning to cheer Ryuji on to fight the man.
"Hey!" said the woman. All three men looked to see the same blond girl Akira had been seated next to, standing in a wide, authoritative stance and glowering at Kamoshida. Behind her was the other Japanese girl she had been with, looking a lot less confident than her companion. The blond girl pointed to Kamoshida, somehow making her icy glare even more imposing. "Get out, before I call the police," she commanded him.
Ryuji, who was inches away from knocking out some of Kamoshida's teeth, stood up straight, a clear expression of shock sneaking to his face. Kamoshida looked between the girl and Ryuji, then shrugged dismissively.
Looking to Ryuji, he said in a low tone, "Stay out of my way, or I'll fuck you up way harder than track ever did."
"Same for you, you bastard," Ryuji muttered. Kamoshida turned around to face a group of three skeezy looking men, then pointed to the door with his thumb. The four men formed some kind of possy, then took their leave. When they finally exited the establishment, Ryuji spoke up strongly. "Back to your drinks, people! Show's over."
Akira was completely dumbfounded at what he had just saw, and the people around him seemed about the same. Awkwardly, hesitantly, they all went back to what they were doing, but Ryuji did not. He immediately walked over to the two girls and started talking to them in hushed tones. Akira, just as awkwardly as everyone else, walked up behind Ryuji and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ryuji turned around from the girls and looked at Akira. His facial expression suggested he was still fuming, but at least he seemed to have some bit of control of himself. "Yeah, he didn't hurt me or anything," he replied quickly. "But you shouldn't have gotten involved, Akira!"
"I didn't know what was going on and you looked like you were about to kill that guy, man! I couldn't just stand by and watch you—"
Ryuji stepped forward, getting in Akira's face just as he had with Kamoshida. "I had it in control!"
"Ryuji!" the blond girl interjected. "It's okay! He was trying to help."
"He's got no idea about him!" he wheeled back around to face her.
"Wait," Akira tried to get in, "you guys know each other?"
Ryuji took a deep breath, his tense shoulders falling back to a more normal posture. "Yeah, we do. We, well, went to high school together. In Shibuya."
The blond girl held out her hand to Akira. A very… un-Japanese thing to do. "I'm Ann," she said. "He's right, we knew Ryuji back in school."
Tentatively, Akira took her hand and shook it. "I'm Akira," he said slowly, awkwardly.
The girl behind Ann then bowed her head, her mannerisms more sheepish and reserved than her feisty, confident friend. "My name is Shiho," she introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you both," Akira nodded and bowed. "I guess you two know that Kamoshida guy too?"
"Yeah, we do," Ann answered. "He was a PE teacher at our high school. But… we really shouldn't talk about that here."
"You're right," Ryuji said. "Let's find somewhere quiet to talk. But we should still stay in the club for a while. Don't know if Kamoshida's gonna still be poking around outside."
"You're right," Ann said. "Let's find a booth upstairs, it's quieter up there." Ann then turned to Akira, looking inquisitively at him. "You were the awkward guy sitting next to me at the bar," she remarked.
"Awkward?" Akira raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, awkward," a ghost of a smile crept to Ann's face. "But, let's not talk about that now. Lots more important stuff to discuss than that."
"Akira doesn't have anything to do with this," Ryuji cut in sternly. "We don't need to include him."
"Excuse me?" he bumped Ryuji's shoulder.
"Don't fucking touch me!" Ryuji shoved him back.
"Ryuji!" Ann shouted at him.
"I just wanted to help you, Ryuji!" Akira glared at him. "I'm involved in this now, like it or not! Now calm yourself down."
Ryuji looked ready to curse at Akira again, or lay him out. But he froze, breathed and hanged his head low. "Fine," he said under his breath, then turned to the girls. "Let's find a booth." He turned his head back and glared at Akira, who bit his lip to stifle the unfriendly response that nearly burst from his mouth.
In awkward silence, the group made their way to the stairwell. Akira noticed the club starting to return to normal, and the music being played slightly louder, likely to get everyone's minds off of the intense scene that had just transpired. Akira felt an awkward tightness in his gut and a heat in his face. He felt embarrassed, pissed off at Ryuji, but also concern for him and the girls who obviously had a bone to pick with this Kamoshida man as well. In spite of the sick feeling that plagued his stomach and head, he followed on, interested, almost fascinated to find out just what had happened to these people.
"Fuck me," he whispered in the deep blue strobe lights.