A Short Talk (Asakano-kun x Asakano-sama)

The sun was in the process of waning, proceeding in a downward path within the bounds of the burnt tint of the evening skies that hung over East City and much of Yochi. I stood in a pair of khaki cargo shorts, flip flops and a sports tee shirt. I was in the back yard of the home where I lived alone with my mother in a suburb of East City. The backyard was a place where I often trained at when I was at home. At this particular moment, however, I was not training. I found myself in the presence of my uncle, the same uncle who held rank in a low level yakuza order. From time to time, he would request my services and rely on my strength to assist him. Inversely, for the assistance I gave him, he offered financial and social support to the house that my mother and I shared. Most important in that was company that my uncle brought, in the form of my aunts and cousins, that seemed to cheer my mother up; she always loved family. Either way, at this time, my under asked to speak to me alone in the back yards, so obediently, I walked with him to evade the presence of the women within the house. Ah, originally he had come over with my aunt, their daughter, and a few of his men in order to visit my mother. There was a bit of me that didn’t like it much when he came over. It was fine for the others, but my uncle in particular was a risk due to the ties he held with the Yakuza. Technically, I had ties in the yakuza as well, though I was merely a part time fixer and not someone actually fully involved in it; or so I thought.

307

My uncle stood in the short manicured grasses of the back yard in a pair of traditional wooden tabi and two toed white socks leading into a black and tan kimono wrapped in a white tie. In our presence were his two grunts standing with their hands folded over one another in front of their belt buckles, keeping a distance away from us, but still close in performing their roles as body guards. Their presence wasn’t really an issue in my mind; it was almost as if they were part of the background. My attention would be on the uncle who called me here. My hands were casually in my pockets as I stand with one knee cocked a bit in a casual and relaxed stance waiting for my uncle to start. I had been becoming increasingly annoyed with my required work as a yakuza runner with the increased self interest in becoming the hero of the city. It felt hypocritical of me to attempt to fight crime while partaking in it, even if the type of threat was different when classified between spiritual and physical. I was gaining a sense that right was right and wrong was wrong. The gray area was the bother, but I didn’t view humans as good and spirits as bad; I only judged actions. That would probably make me the opposite of that police guy who’s theories on spirits I had pieced together from Izumi, who by the way, didn’t seem a good match for him at all, but that would be a different line of thoughts.

263

Dressed almost as if he were going to visit a shrine, his side is to me as he begins to speak, starting out with, “Seiki-kun, you’ve been doing very well for me lately. I wanted to praise you on a job well done. Because of you, I’ve been able to increase my standing in the Yakuza. The organization looks favorably upon my faction and our results.” I look off and to the side at hearing this. I wasn’t all too interested in being praised for doing things that were ultimately wrong. Perceptive, my uncle picks up on this and his visage shifts as he inquires, “You don’t like helping me?” I turn my gaze back to him and answer, “It’s because you’re my uncle. I enjoy helping out my family and those close to me, but I don’t like doing things like I’ve been doing… hurting people, handling money… things like that. I feel these things are wrong and you shouldn’t be doing them. At the very least, I shouldn’t be helping.” My uncle frowns as he speaks back, “you’re ideals are out of a manga. You’re too light hearted. Do you think the world is so convenient that you can get what you want without taking it?” I didn’t want to get into a verbal tug of war with him, so I stayed silent and look to the side. He continues, “Your father, for instance, worked like a slave for the company he was with and in the end you see what happened to him, don’t you?”

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Anger boils within me as I look up defiantly at my uncle. I felt that his words were against my father, who I viewed as a good man. The only wrong he committed was the way he took his life and left my mother and me alone. Those I had a good amount of animosity towards that man, I still respected him as my father. My uncle notes the anger and holds up a hand, speaking to me saying, “calm down. Though he was a fool, he was my little brother… I cared for him as brothers do for one another.” His words don’t do much to calm me. He continues, “…and you are his son. As I am your father’s brother, you should heed my council.” I speak, answering him back in an annoyed manner, “so is that what you wanted to tell me?” He shakes his head and looks up with a stern visage as he comments, “I’m just making sure that I know your way of thinking on certain things. How is your career coming? I hear you’re getting a co starring role soon. That should help out with things around the house and taking care of your mother. Your father would be proud.” My gaze continues downwardly as he speaks on my father again. I knew he was simply pointing out the things that he’s done for me, but even though it was a great opportunity, I would stop acting if it meant I had to be a slave.

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He nods his head and comments, “well, just remember our agreement. Don’t forget who it was that you crawled to when you needed help with finances and your mother. Now that you’re doing a little better, don’t forget how you got there. I wish you luck in your upcoming role.” His words stung when they came out, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing a reaction on my face. The feign seems to work, at least a small amount. Seeing that he was not getting through to me, he digresses, “I’m not an evil man, you know…We were close… me and your father… though he and I had different views about how to handle things. He resisted my way until the end. Do you think I turned my back on him in his loneliest hour? I reached out to him, but his morals and his pride drove him to the solution he found and he is no longer here with us. But, I am here. I have my own set of morals and value as a man and I also believe in right and wrong. We are not killing children and women… we are not selling drugs to the poor. Everything I’ve had you done is against my competitors that do not hold the same values as our family. To us they are the bad and we are the good; I will not throw you into a situation where you must compromise your honor! Believe in that to settle your unsettled heart.”

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With that he nods to his men. Catching this non verbal queue, they walk to and open the door to the house for him. He walks past me and to the door of the house. He pauses for a moment as he comes shoulder to shoulder with me and gives me a passing glance with no words before he continues on and moves his way walking in with his men following. I stay behind looking down and towards the ground with the teal strands of my hair covering my face. I knew that I had to find a balance in my life between working for him and pursuing my own life. I wondered if all the talk with Izuya was fantasy talk. We wanted to bring hope and assistance to the city, but for a place with Division 12 and various other spirit vigilantes and spirits fighting on behalf of the humans, I wondered if I could even make my mark here. It was a frustrating thing to think about, but I wanted to believe that what I was doing was right. I give a light sigh before I lift the incline of my head upwards and gaze at the darkening skies above. I would do my best since that was all I could do.

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