One Month Later

Hajime gazed out the window of the 747 Jet, as they were preparing to take off. The sound of passengers chattering and the low hum of the engine filled the cabin. Peko was standing in the isle helping Fuyuhiko put his luggage in the overhead compartment. Natsumi sat next to Hajime and had her arms crossed, deep in thought. All four of them were wearing formal clothes, in preparation for the gathering they would be attending. Hajime had bought a new suit with some of the salary he had received from Natsumi's father, as well as new shoes. He didn't want to slack off on appearances, at a time like this. He noticed that he had gained some noticeable muscle mass and was able to fill a suit better than he had before. He looked older, more professional, and even a bit more manly.

Fuyuhiko was also sharply dressed. Peko and Natsumi both looked surprisingly womanly and mature. Peko wore a traditional black kimono that really suited her demeanor. Natsumi wore a white party dress that showed off her shoulders. She had a black coat over it at the moment, due to the chilly weather.. Natsumi had taken extra time to touch up her hair and she wore lipstick. She looked much more feminine and refined than Hajime was used to seeing her, but she had somewhat of a frown on her face as she was lost in thought.

"Is something wrong?" Hajime asked her, breaking her concentration.

"No, I'm fine. You should be the nervous one. I mean, you're gonna to be meeting my father after all," she said, as Hajime undeniably felt pangs of uneasiness about that prospect.

"It's nothing to worry about. He was the one who invited me in the first place," Hajime said, reassuring himself more than Natsumi. "He's been really generous towards me and I would like to thank him in person."

Natsumi didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but she let it slide.

"Whatever. Just don't do anything embarrassing or stupid. You should probably keep the talking to a minimum," she warned.

The plane began to take off and soon they had a northern trajectory, straight to Sendai, which Hajime had heard was beautiful this time of year. He had never been there himself, however, and this would be a new experience for him. They were going to attend the annual winter festival, which was financed by the public face of the Kuzuryu family. The festival lasted from Christmas to New Years and was one of the city's biggest events of the year. Both tourists and local families attended in droves.

Unlike the festival, which was open to the public, there was an extravagant Christmas Party held by the Kuzuryu family. It had an exclusive guest list of only the most powerful and influential Kuzuryu associates from all over the country. Thanks to Natsumi's father, Hajime was a VIP guest to this event, but he didn't quite feel prepared. The thought of being around all of those powerful businessmen, politicians and career criminals made his stomach tie into knots.

Upon landing in Sendai and checking out their luggage, the four of them were greeted by a group of three men in suits. They looked like they were straight out of a movie. They had a strong, menacing presence to them. They were outwardly calm, but Hajime could tell they had a lot of muscles underneath their suits and they could easily take someone apart in a fight. The men smiled warmly at Natsumi and Fuyuhiko, bowing to them and welcoming them to the city. These men were their security escort to the party. Security precautions were taken very seriously during this event and some of the Oyabun's best men were assigned to this party in particular. Hajime, Natsumi, Peko and Fuyuhiko rode in a car similar to the one they had taken during their vacation, earlier in the year. Their security entourage formed a small caravan of vehicles that escorted the car to its destination. They reached a large, luxurious resort, perched on a hill, overlooking the cityscape. The architecture was rustic yet pristine. Many wealthy couples could be seen, exiting from fancy cars and limos and lining up to be checked in by the front door security. Hajime and the others took a back route. They were obviously VIPs and didn't need to undergo the same security checks as everyone else.

They entered a large ballroom where there were tables lined with delicious food and baked goods. There were tables with champagne and fine wine as well. Live music could be heard in the background, along with scattered conversations. People stood around conversing, discussing topics that were way above Hajime's head and pay-grade. This room was filled with some of Japan's most important and powerful people and Hajime couldn't help but feel small in comparison. He followed and stayed close with his own group. Natsumi and Fuyuhiko seemed to be a little on edge too, although, not as much as Hajime.

"I was never a big fan of these parties. Half the bastards in this room would push their own grandma down the stairs if they could make a couple bucks. I recommend you don't talk to any of these guys, Hajime. Some of them are alright, but a lot of them are just bad news," Fuyuhiko warned him, as they walked.

Hajime surveyed the room, watching the partygoers conversing and gossiping. Natsumi crossed her arms and sighed to herself. "It's only natural in our family business that we're gonna have to deal with people who aren't as honorable as we are," she sighed, disapprovingly.

( Exactly how honorable is that? ) Hajime sarcastically jeered in his head. Fuyuhiko continued to explain things.

"Our father says that Natsumi and I need to work on our public face. We need to get used to dealing with these rich and powerful assholes and scumbags. Because like it or not, they are the ones who have real influence in this country. If our family didn't keep an eye on them and didn't manage the system, then everything would become chaos," Fuyuhiko explained.

This was a world that was totally alien to Hajime. This was the true underbelly of Japan, and this underbelly was not as separate from the rest of society as he used to imagine. It was a sophisticated power structure with hierarchy and interweaving connections. It's roots sprung upward and were deeply entwined with everyday business and politics. The factor that distinguished organized crime from petty crime was that it was woven into the power structure of the elites, inseparable from it.

It was difficult for him to imagine what it must be like to grow up in this kind of world. Hajime had just been recently introduced to it, but Fuyuhiko, Peko and Natsumi had been forged by it. He began to feel concern for them. One day the weight of this world would fall on their shoulders, as it did on their father's. Speaking of which, the Oyabun was supposed to arrive soon. Hajime would finally be able to come face to face with one of the most powerful men in Japan.

The music suddenly stopped, creating an eerie silence in the room which made people instantly quiet down. Hajime looked over to see a man in a suit, dinging a metal spoon on his glass to get everyone's attention. The man was young, in his mid 20s and wore a white suit. He had short black hair with patterns shaved on the sides, not too dissimilar to Fuyuhiko's. He was well built and looked intimidating. Upon a closer look, Hajime could see that his face was slightly scarred with cuts. He looked like he had been in some serious fights. He had a sour, annoyed look on his face, that seemed to be permanent. As the room grew quieter, he spoke up.

"Attention, honored guests of the Kuzuryu. The Oyabun is about to arrive. So, please deliver him your undivided attention," he said, in a tone of voice that made it sound like an order, rather than a request. Everyone gravitated towards the back entrance of the ballroom. Hajime and the others had to practically shove their way through.

The double doors to the room were slowly opened by two notably well dressed servants. A man walked in, flanked by an entourage of four suited guards. The man had an aura to him that was palpable. He was only a few inches taller than Hajime, but he was rugged, well built, and carried himself with distinction. Hajime could instantly see a resemblance to Fuyuhiko and there was no denying it. This man was the Oyabun, Matsushige Kuzuryu. The man stopped for a moment to look around the room before he smiled. Despite his rugged, scarred face, his smile seemed welcoming and genuine.

"Welcome, my honored guests and friends. I hope none of you had trouble finding the place," he said, which elicited a moderate, but somewhat forced laugh from the crowd

" I am proud to have you all here for our 45th annual winter festival. This has been a prosperous year for us all and I am certain that next year will be the same. So, please indulge yourselves, this evening. You know I will!" He said, walking over to take a glass of wine off of one of the tables. He gulped it down in one fast motion, as the room clapped. "I wish to speak to each and every one of you at least once tonight. So, please don't be shy in approaching me. Even if I do end up having a few too many drinks," he said, lifting the empty glass in his hand, closing the speech on a light note. The crowd gently applauded and the Oyabun made his way through the room, shaking various hands and interacting with guests, as the background music resumed.

Hajime couldn't deny that he was impressed by the Oyabun. He had such an air of confidence about him. Some aspects of his looks and demeanor closely reminded him of Fuyuhiko. However, the Oyabun had far greater poise, emotional control, class, distinction, and an unwavering persona. Decades of experience had morphed him into a monument of a man. Hajime couldn't imagine what it must be like for Fuyuhiko to have to live up to such a lofty father figure. The expectations placed on his shoulders must have felt absolutely crushing. The Oyabun had many individuals he needed to greet and interact with before he could take some personal time with his own family. Such was the life of the Japanese godfather. Business matters had to be attended to strictly, in order to keep order and stability within the organization. Finally, after half an hour, he was able to make his way over to Hajime's group.

"Man, some of those guys will talk your damn ear off!" He chuckled. His guards were also in tow, but they kept their distance, serving to keep other party goers away from the group, allowing the Oyabun and his children some privacy.

"Natsumi, you look stunning. I swear you look more and more like your mother every day," he said, causing her to blush, adorably. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Stop trying to embarrass me, dad… " She complained as he embraced her backwarmly.

"You really gotta get someone to write better speeches for you, dad," Fuyuhiko said smugly. The Oyabun turned to him and chuckled.

"Hey now, that's cold. I spent all night writing that," he said, sarcastically. Fuyuhiko crossed his arms.

"Anyway, it's good to see you, dad," he muttered grumpily. Fuyuhiko felt that he was far too adult and a badass for a hug, so he reached out his hand to shake his father's. The Oyabun clasped Fuyuhiko's hand and yanked him in for a quick one armed hug and a pat on the back.

"You are making our family proud, son. Never forget that," the Oyabun turned his attention to Peko and gracefully took her hand.

"My my, Miss Pekoyama! You are looking womanly, beyond your age. My son is lucky to have you at his side," he said, kissing her hand in a gentlemanly manner. This caused Peko to blush crimson, as did Fuyuhiko.

"Y-you are far too kind, sir," she said, smiling shyly.

"Hey pops. Lay off a little, will ya?" He fumed as the Oyabun let out a laugh. The Oyabun then looked at Hajime. As their eyes locked, Hajime felt a tsunami of anxiety. The Oyabun seemed like a good man, but that wasn't enough to ease Hajime's nervousness. This man was one of the most powerful people in Japan, perhaps even in all of Asia. On top of that, he was Natsumi's father, so that didn't help things. He stood in front of Hajime and reached out his strong hand.

"You must be Hajime Hinata. Finally, I get to meet my daughter's savior face to face. I trust you've been doing a good job looking after my little princess," he said, taking Hajime's hand in a strong grip. Natsumi blushed furiously in embarrassment and puffed her cheeks angrily.

"Daaad!" She whined at him calling her that in front of Hajime. Her father just chuckled, slowly letting go of Hajime's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too sir. It's an honor. I never really got to thank you for everything you've done for me," he said, with a humble bow. Natsumi was a bit confused by this and wondered what Hajime was referring to exactly. He had brought this up before and she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something.

"There is no need to thank me, my boy. In the Kuzuryu family, we believe in equal repayment. No evil deed towards our family goes unpunished and no good deed towards our family goes unrewarded. That's just how we do things," he said, patting Hajime on the shoulder. "Anyway, we can discuss things more later. It's about time for the feast. I'm starved," he said, as the aroma of the finest food was already wafting its way towards them. They all made their way to the banquet hall, which was lavished with an absurdly long table. The table was decked out with a veritable smorgasbord of food. Some of them were Japanese dishes, but there were also many western holiday delicacies that made their way into the mix, which Hajime had only rarely been able to try.

The Oyabun sat at the far end, at the head of the table. He was, of course, immediately flanked by Natsumi and Fuyuhiko, his children. Hajime and Peko sat next to the two siblings, respectively. It made Hajime feel a little uneasy to be put in a position this close to the Oyabun, despite being, by all accounts, a nobody, compared to everyone else in the room. Everyone settled into their respective seats and the room fell silent as the Oyabun rose from his chair. He held a small glass of Sake. Upon closer observation, Hajime noticed that they had all been given cups of warm sake, for the purpose of a toast.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention, I would like to call a toast, before we partake. It is customary that we raise a glass to one among us who has shown exemplary service to our family. And that is why I would like to dedicate this toast to a young man who is with us today. Mr. Hajime Hinata," he said, as Hajime felt his heart drop into his stomach. His face grew pale. He looked up at the Oyabun with shock. The man was gesturing in his direction and the whole room was honing their attention on Hajime. Hajime didn't know if he was supposed to say something or just stay silent. So, he sat there awkwardly.

"This young man put his life on the line and suffered grievous injuries to save the life of my precious Natsumi, the light of my life. He showed bravery and dedication and he has even agreed to continue protecting my daughter. I am proud to have him under my employment, as my daughter's confidant. I can think of no one better to dedicate this toast to and I hope he has a flourishing career with my family..." He said, raising his glass. Natsumi puzzled at one of the last things he said.

( Employment?" What? )

Hajime never mentioned anything like that to her before. She turned to Hajime and whispered, "What did he mean by that?" But she was drowned out as everyone cheered and else raised their glasses in unison. Everyone began eating, except for Natsumi. She thought things over for a moment and then turned to her father.

"Dad, what did you mean when you said that Hajime is under your employment?" She asked, in a demanding tone. The Oyabun looked at her casually.

"Oh. Hajime agreed to work as your confidant at Hope's Peak. He did an admirable job protecting you, so I figured he seemed right for the job. I made sure to have Miss Pekoyama provide him with proper training as well," he explained. Peko also looked up from her food and tilted her head curiously at Natsumi.

"Were you not aware of this, Lady Natsumi? I am terribly sorry. I thought Hajime would have told you by now. My apologies," she said earnestly.

Natsumi grew more flustered. She turned to Hajime, demanding answers.

"W-what is all this? Why didn't you tell me any of this? My father was paying you to look after me this whole time!?" She asked, starting to look upset and angry. Hajime stopped eating and looked at her, seeing the distress in her eyes.

"Woah woah, it's no big deal. It was just a…. precautionary measure, on your dad's part. I agreed to it," Hajime explained, trying to calm her down. Natsumi continued to fume angrily.

"If it's not a big deal then why did you keep this secret from me?! This whole time..." She trailed off before standing up, out of her seat and then stormed off.

Hajime reached after her.

"Wait! Natsumi..." He called as she left the banquet hall to head outside.

"Hmm… It looks like I made a miscalculation," Natsumi's father chuckled. "Looks like even after all these years, I still don't understand women. I'm not even sure that I want to, at this point," he joked, as Hajime stood up.

"Please excuse me, sir. I'm going to go after her," he said. The Oyabun nodded.

"You should. Her food's gonna get cold. Tell her to hurry back!" He said, as Hajime hurried after Natsumi.

He looked around the ballroom but couldn't find her. Eventually, he found her standing outside on the balcony, in the cold winter air. Natsumi was leaning against one of the railings, glumly, looking out at the lights of Sendai in the distance. She wasn't wearing a coat and Hajime could see her shivering slightly.

"You shouldn't be out here without a coat, you know. You're gonna get sick," Hajime said. Natsumi didn't move from her spot.

"Whatever..." She mumbled, dismissively. Hajime walked up behind her and took off his coat. He put it on her back and shoulders, encasing her in a comforting warmth. He was wearing a long sleeve collared shirt underneath it, so he wasn't too bothered by the cold air.

"What are you, my babysitter? That's what my father hired you for, right?" She sneered, cynically. Hajime sighed and scratched his head.

"I don't know why you're so bent out of shape about this. It's not like it matters. It doesn't change anything-" he said before Natsumi yelled.

"Yes it does!" she snapped angrily. She sulked and her eyes were watery. "I thought that… Actually, I don't know what I thought. Just forget it!" She trailed off, staring out at the city, depressed. Hajime pondered for a few moments. The only sound to be heard was a whistling breeze and the faint murmurs of the banquet hall.

" Do you think the only reason why I stuck around with you was because your father was paying me?" Hajime asked, to which Natsumi spun around to look at him angrily. She had tears welling in her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I think that!? Suddenly everything makes sense! Why you've been sticking with me all these months, why you've been able to put up with me this whole time, why you've been helping me… I should have realized it earlier. Everything adds up now!" She ranted, as tears began to overflow down her cheeks. She couldn't stand the idea of crying in front of him again, so she raised her forearm to cover her eyes. "I was stupid! fucking stupid! Why didn't I see it!? Why did I think ...that we..."

She was interrupted as Hajime grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm down out of her face. He looked down into her eyes for just a few brief moments. He then moved in, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes went wide with surprise for a few brief moments as their lips met. Her eyes slowly closed and then she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back. They held each other close as their lips remained locked for what felt like a lifetime. Natsumi's lips were warm with a twinge of sweetness. She stood on her tiptoes and refused to pull away from him. Time seemed to slow down for them. Natsumi placed her hand on the back of his head as they shared a moment of unrestrained passion, under the winter stars.

They finally broke away from each other and panted slightly. Their hearts were both drumming an orchestral avalanche in their chests. They just looked at each other for a moment before Hajime took Natsumi's hand in his.

"Listen to me Natsumi. I don't care about your dad's money or about anything else. All I want is to be by your side. I just want you. That's it. Don't ask me why, because I can't tell you for sure. I don't have any experience in this kind of thing. All I know is that ever since I met you, I've been living, for once. For once, I don't want to be anywhere else other than where I am, right here. Right now," he said, taking her hand and placing it on the left side of his chest, where she could feel his throbbing heartbeat.

Natsumi felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She stared into his eyes, struggling not to cry again, as she leaned in towards his face, to kiss him again, but as their lips met, the door of the deck suddenly opened. Natsumi and Hajime jumped as it swung open and they jumped apart from each other just in time. Fuyuhiko was standing there, in the doorway, annoyed.

"Hey! How long are you two gonna stand out here? Your fuckin food's getting cold… Man it's cold as shit out here," he said clutching his arms.

Hajime glanced at Natsumi and she glanced back at him, exchanging a sly smile. As Fuyuhiko turned to walk back inside, Natsumi slipped in close to Hajime again and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"T hank you, Hajime," she whispered.

.