THE INEVITABLE FATE

Is she really prepared to take part in this DEVIL'S GAME?

The silence fills in the room as Cherry remains quiet while she waits for Kenji to come back again and finish their impending business already. It has been quite a long time since the second he has left the place, yet there is still no sign that he might be back anytime soon.

As the time keeps running on, Cherry's patience is also slowly decreasing in between staring towards the corpse from a distance and glancing at the door that has yet to be opened. She suddenly feels a little edgy and restless as she tries not to move from where she sits on the couch. What is taking that man so long?

On the other hand, the black-suited guy, whose name is Jin, seems to be on the opposite track as he only stands from where he has been positioned to stay on guard near the door, with his eyes staring straight at something in front of him. He barely blinks or stirs or even flinches as he strictly keeps still... Like some kind of a fixed statue on his spot.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Cherry asks this out of curiosity as she finally speaks over the stillness of the room and gives Jin a pointed stare. She has been studying the man through stolen glances at him since the moment Yanagi has left them alone there. And now that she seriously stares at Jin for quite much longer and steadier after voicing out her question, she eventually takes note of those very broad shoulders, big chest, and the thick black swirls of a tattoo peeking above the collar of the crisp white shirt he's wearing, with the art running up to the side of his ear and all the way around his nape.

He's so much more different in the aspects of physical appearance compared to the infamous Kenji Yanagi.

Yanagi, in fact, is quite too sophisticated and very beautiful for a man to even be a Yakuza boss. At first glance, he wouldn't even give the vibe that he could hurt someone. No one, who doesn't really know his true identity, would have actually guessed that he's the dangerous man who bears the infamous name that is very well-known around Tokyo for its notoriety and grim reputation. He's so good looking and misguidingly deceitful that his looks alone could actually manipulate any person who does not even recognize him.

But this Jin, however, is entirely something else. He is silent and broodingly scary at first look. There is also something so spontaneously ominous with the way he just carries himself around. He could even disappear in the background without anyone ever noticing him despite being so big and tall.

But those contrasting sides of the two men could also be the very reason why they complement each other so well.

Cherry already knows Jin is Yanagi's right-hand man. He's the one who has so much knowledge about everything that concerns the young Yakuza boss and works very closely around him and the people connected to him. He plays a very important role in Yanagi's life. He's his bodyguard, the secretary, his confidante, and the one who deals with all the stuff Yanagi doesn't do himself. She even heard quite a few things about what he does and had already done for Yanagi since the time he became his assistant—to which some of it had been very gruesome and forbiddenly cruel that even the underground criminals had also feared to speak about it with others.

"You do the dirty work for him, don't you?" Cherry blatantly asks this as she persistently engages the quiet man into a conversation with her even though he still does not speak back. He does not even give her the slightest attention as he only stares at the wall in front of him. But Cherry still chooses to talk to him until she could finally make him respond back.

"You must be the one who always gets bloodied for him... It must be hard, huh?"

She wouldn't really know. And she only got the silent treatment from him.

"I bet you even caught bullets for that man with that body. You have, haven't you?"

Still, no answer. And Cherry just raises a brow as she stares at his nonresponsive figure and slyly smirks.

"Have you ever killed a woman before?"

Another silence.

"How many have you really killed for him?"

Nothing again.

"So would you only talk if your boss tells you so? Is it one of his rules? What a strict bastard, then."

Those few last words somehow finally got to him.

"I would really appreciate it if you don't address Boss Yanagi in such a disrespectful way, Miss Cherry."

The very moment he finally answers and reveals his voice to her, Cherry has been so startled. She never really expected to hear such a soft-spoken voice with just enough deepness to make you think he's actually preaching not refuting against the words she just said.

His voice does not even sound too low, and it isn't also too pitchy for a man. In fact, it actually just resonates smoothly with a surprisingly warm and calming tone, in contrast to how vicious he actually looks from the outside. For a moment, Cherry could not react accordingly as she just gapes at him with a surprised expression drawn all over her face.

"I haven't killed a woman before, and I don't keep records on how many I've killed until now. You're also wrong about my Boss. I speak whenever I want, whatever I want, whichever way I want, and it does not always matter if Boss Yanagi wants me to or not. But it would still depend on the situation if I speak or not, and only because I chose it to be that way," Jin further explains, still talking in that consistent neutral tone. And now that he's starting to run his mouth off with words flowing out like fluid through his gentle voice, Cherry could not help but feel like she has been deceived for a second.

"Boss Yanagi does not kill anyone who's innocent, especially if it's a woman or a child," he goes on with now a little edge in his voice, "But if tonight, you do something that will harm the boss in any way, I won't ever really hesitate to pull the trigger on you. And that, I am sure of Miss Cherry, I will do in a HEARTBEAT. "

He pauses as he turns his head and finally faces her with those mysterious sunken eyes. His threat has been evidently expressed even with his stare alone.

"So, does that finally answer all your questions now?"

It has been more than enough.

"Even if he wouldn't want to kill me, you would still do it? And he'll just forgive you because you're one of his men, won't he?"

The logic of her question is very simple, but the answer requires a seemingly hypocritical response.

"No. He'll probably cut ties with me," he does not even hesitate when he answers her back, "But I'll still kill you if it means I could save him. I'd be willing to face any form of punishment for that because he's my boss."

What a loyal right-hand, huh? But what a pity as well... Cherry could only snort as she looks away and keeps her thoughts to herself.

"So are you still going to kill him?"

His question has been uttered quite so out of the blue. Cherry turns to look at him again. Their eyes clash in a silent competition as Cherry keeps her silence just for a few seconds before she finally gives him a response.

"Yes," she says this with utmost confidence and Jin's face quickly turns so dark and brutal as he gives her a deathly glare, "And I don't care if you kill me for that. I'm already planning to do it myself after I'm done with him."

That still does not make him feel any less threatened by her words.

"So, consider yourself exempted from the burden," she ends in a triumphant note, and the strain between them just goes incredibly heated with fury as they stare viciously at each other.

"Man..."

Jin moves so suddenly that Cherry actually jolts from where she has been sitting on the couch to stare at him with a wary look on her face. She hears him chuckling even when his lips are shut closed and the sound he gives her somehow summons a strange kind of fear from a few meters away.

"What a twisted woman you are," the huge guy just remarks after a moment. And as soon as he speaks the words, a very menacing grin slowly forms on his lips as he continues, "Well, if that's so, Miss Cherry. Let's just see who kills the other first, then."

It should have sounded like a mean joke... But it only gives Cherry a bitter aftertaste as she watches the man returns to his stoic demeanor like before. And it seems like things have just turned way too twisted than expected in this game...

Now, the first move has already been made.

_____________________________

"You know me, Mr. Gingo."

While Cherry and Jin have ended up agreeing to some sort of a deal back in the VIP room, Kenji Yanagi, on the other hand, has been getting too busy making arrangements with the Pandora Club's manager, Gingo Miura. Their talk has been taking quite too long after Yanagi provided the old man the details about the murder that had just taken place in one of the expensive rooms inside the club.

"I'm not one to make an offer this big just for anyone," Yanagi smoothly continues as he casually sits on top of the manager's wide desk and looks down on the man from the other side of the table, with a demeaning smirk, "And it's not every day that you also get something like this from me. Right?"

The truth is, Yanagi had just proposed a huge bargain with the manager in exchange for some information and a "special purchase" he wants to buy off and keep to himself. Yet the very reason for his intentions has been viewed as very personal and too selfish to even be considered strictly business.

The manager wasn't convinced and now he's pretty wary of why Yanagi is trying to insist on it. But Yanagi still tries to push for a better arrangement while also making sure that he's keeping things formal and done over the table. Things must be mutually acceptable for the two sides and Yanagi could not really afford the loss in this bargain.

Though it seems like the old man is still not sure of the very idea. So now, Yanagi is down to raising more dangerous leverage for the man to finally agree with him.

"I don't care how much, Mr. Gingo," Yanagi aggressively insists in a firm business-like voice, "Just name the price and I'll send you the money right now... In cash."

"Miss Cherry is one of our very important figures in this club, Mr. Yanagi," the old man earnestly reasons out as he shakily wipes the sweat trickling down the side of his wrinkled face, looking a little bothered and nervous, "I'm not trying to reject the offer, and I know you wouldn't really ask anything unless it's something very important or crucial for you. But please do understand how great this matter would really affect the business here in Shinjuku. Our regulars have increased in the last few months because of Miss Cherry and a lot of them are high-ranking people... So-"

"But who owns the place, Mr. Gingo? Who takes control over the district? Money can just go in and out of this club... Just like how it goes the same way with business. Establishments get closed down and re-opened from time to time, don't they?"

It has been too subtle and vague, but the manager could very well comprehend the hinted threat in those words Yanagi just told him.

"I understand, Mr. Yanagi. But, what about the Yamazaki Family? What would I tell Boss Ito about Cherry's sudden disappearance? I can't just tell him I sold her to another Boss of the Dojima Clan."

"That's why I'm giving you good money to think of something for that... Ain't I?"

"He would kill me," the panic in the old man's voice became very obvious and expressed as he widens his eyes and looks at Yanagi with a worried face, "And then he'll chase after you too."

Yet despite the fear that the man has insinuated in his response, Yanagi only laughs at him as if it has been a very funny joke.

"That? That's what you're so worried about?"

The mere thought does not even faze nor make Yanagi sway from where he lazily sits over the desk. He just smirks and pulls out another cigarette from a silver case he takes out from his suit's front pocket. He lights the stick with a lighter and takes a swift drag.

"Mr. Yanagi-"

"Mr. Gingo, are you somehow trying to imply that I won't stand a chance against Ito? Someone like him? With that weak leadership? Do you even know how to choose a side wisely?"

"But the conflicts among the families of the Doji-"

"There'll be gang wars..." Yanagi abruptly cut him off, as he immediately shoots a menacing glare towards the old man's face and looms over the manager, "Soon, there'll be blood everywhere in Tokyo. It's going to put a lot of people in trouble and fear, Mr. Gingo. And now, either you want this business growing safely under my wing or you'll just let it wither and get burned into flames along with Ito once the announcement of the new executive next month gets official... It's all up to you. So, what's it gonna be, then?"

It's a very clear threat now and the old man gulps audibly as he slowly begins to feel the helplessness melts him down on his seat.

"You gotta choose wisely here, Mr. Manager."

And he really must be, because right at this very moment...

The second move has also been made.

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