Chapter１５

ThewoundpoisoningcausedChanintofaintallnight,untilhewokeupandthenewdaybecamecold.Hetriedtogetoutofbed,buttheordertorunawaywasstillhangingfromhishead.Buthedidnotmove,andhiswholebodyscreamedwithpain.Historsodidn'tmoveanywhere,therewasnopain,hisbreathinghurtalittle,andhehadtolieinbedasbefore.Whenthepainbegantosubside,hiseyessawhisbody,whichwasnowcoveredwithscarsandwhipmarks,bothredandswollenmarksandbleedingcracks.Onlythefirstthoughtofrunningawaysuddenlydisappeared.

Onlyifyouescape,youcan'tescapeanyway,andyoucan'tsurviveevenundersuchcircumstances,withoutconsideringthatyouarediggingyourowngrave.

Finally,Icanonlyliedown,waitingforthetimetoturnaroundslowly,whichistantamounttowaitingforthedyingpatient,lyingdownwillstop,andwhenIamabsent-minded,Ihearsomeoneopenthedoorandcomein.WhenIlookedintohiseyes,IsawMamoruwiththetray,soIwasn'tinterested,Iknewhewouldtakecareofme.

"Areyouawake?"

ChaninjuststaredmotionlessanddidnotresponduntilMamorumasatinanearbychairandthatmomentofsilencewasbrokenagain.

"Youmusthavebeenveryweaklastnight,soyouhadahighfever.Iwouldhaveaskedtheyoungmastertotakeyoutothehospital,butthismorningthefeverwentaway.Luckily,youareallright.Otherwise,Iwillputthedoctorandnurse'smouth."

Chaninlistenedandgiggledinhisheart.It'snobigdeal,justbreathingalittlebig,andtheripplesonhischesthurtmorethanusual.Howcanhebefine?

"Wouldyoulikesomethingtoeat?SoIcantakemymedicine.Imustdressyouupagain.Itwilltaketime."

"Youcandowhateveryouwant,"Chaninsaid.

Hisvoicewashoarse,andMamoruliftedhisbodyandsatup.Thepainmadehisfacetremblealittle,andhehadtostopmovingforawhileuntilherealizedthathehadadaptedtothepain.Mamorufedtheporridgehewasholdingagainandagain.

Itseemsalittlestrangethatallofasudden,anunfamiliarmanrepeated,andthesamemanwhobeathimhalftodeath,cametofeedriceandwater,butChanindidn'tthinkmuch,soheopenedhismouthandpickedupaspoonfuloffatwhitericegrainsandstuffedthemintohismouth.Iswallowedaftertakingafewmouthfuls,andmybodywantedtorestmore,soIgavehimsomemedicineandlaydownasusual.

"Iwashedthemedicinelastnight,andthenputitawayonce.Thiskindofinjuryisnotveryserious,anditwillbecuredinaweekortwo."

Mamoruexplained,holdingalcohol-soakedcottonswabsinhishand.Chaninjustnoticedthathehadalmostnoclothesnow,onlysmallunderwearcoveringhispart.Heshouldbeshy.Infact,thistimetheyoungmanwentbacktobedandbandagedeachother'swoundsmotionless,butitwasverygood.

Itseemsthattheshameofbeinghalfnakedinfrontofamanhasdisappeared...IthasdisappearedsinceLanefirstinsultedhisdignity.

Chaninlostinterestinsuchatrivialmatter,andsuddenlythoughtoflastnight'sscene.Thelastreveriewoulddisappear,andhecouldn'thelpasking.

"Now,ifIwanttoknowaboutyourboss,canyoutellme?"

"What?"

"Whoareyou?Whatdoyouhavetodowithgangs?"

Seriously,hemadeMamoru,whowasrubbingthewoundonhisforearm,sobadlythathestoppedandstaredatChanin'sface,whichwasstaringathim,foramoment.

"IthoughtIsaidthatyouhavenorighttoknowiftheyoungmasterdoesn'tallowit."

"ButIthinkhetookoffhisclothesinfrontofmelikehewasdeliberatelylettingmeseethetattoo,whichshouldmeanthathehasallowedmetoknow."

ChanincleverlyreadaboutRan'sbehavior,andMoruhimselfsawit.Fromthenon,heknewthatRanhaddeliberatelyexposedhisidentity,thenshutitdownforawhile,andthenthrewthecottonswabinhishandintothenearbytrashcan.Thatvoiceisverysmooth.

"We'regangsters."

Chaninisalsoskeptical,justnotsure,becauseRanishisbrotherand,moreimportantly,heisThai,anditseemsabitstrangethathisinvolvementingangsissoinfluential.

"Icanguess,butI'dratherknowhowyou'reconnectedtogangs."

"DoyouknowtheRedSakuraGang?"

Therewasnoanswer,butwasaskedback.

Chaninkingthoughtforamoment.Heseemedtohaveheardthenamesofthegroup.

RedSakuraGang...Japan'slargestmafia,withalmostpoliticalandbusinessinfluence.Repeat,therearemanyforeigncooperationenterprises,oneofwhichisChanin'scompany.

Chaninsuddenlyrememberedthatwhenhisfatherwasalive,hisfatherhadtoldhimnottoassociatewithpeopleinthisgangifpossible,anditwasbestnottocausetrouble.Butatthetimehewasnotinterestedbecausehecaredonlyaboutotherthings,andnowherealizedthathehadtakenawrongstepunconsciously.

"Ifyouhaveheardofit,youwillbefamiliarwithourboss'sname."

SakuradaSeiichi

Thicklipswillautomaticallysaysomeone'sname.Yes...Hewouldrecognizethenamewhenhisfathermentionedthegangtohim.Thenameoftencomesoutofhisfather'smouth.It'snotunusualifyoucanrememberit.

Mamorunoddedandwenton.

"YoungMasterSeichiisthefatheroftheyoungmaster."

"What?"

WhenAlanwashisfather'sson,hisbrowsuddenlyrose,andhiseyesbegantowonderwhatBaimamorumeant.HowcouldSeichibeRan'sfather?

IwillunderstandwhenMamoruexplainsagain.

"Themistress,themotherofthemistress,hasbeenmarriedtothemistresssinceshewassevenyearsold."

Chanin'sbeautifuleyebrowsloosenedslightly.

"Stepfather."

"Yes,stepfatherandstepson."

Hearingthisnews,ChaninwassurprisedwhyRanhadsuchgreatinfluencethattheoldfoxeswantedtodevourhiscompanytogether.Hewaswillingtosellhisshares,whichmustbebecauseheusedhisstepfather'sinfluencetothreatenhim.

"It'sgreattohaveabigstepfather.Howdarehebullyotherslikethis?"

KnowingRun'sbackground,I'mafraidthathewillassociatewithsomeonewhoshouldn'tassociatewithhim.

ButMamorushookhisheadattheremark.

"Theyoungmasterdoesnotusetheinfluenceoftheuncle,andhehimselfhasinfluence."

"Youmean..."

Chaninwasskepticalandsaidproudly,seeingthesmilearoundMamoru'smouth.

"Doyouthinkasuccessor,agangster,canscarepeople?"

Laneisnotanordinarygangmember,butthesuccessorofthegangboss!,

Thisiscrazy!

"TheformerdirectorsofyourcompanyallhaveotherbusinesseswithJapanesecompanies,which,ofcourse,areunderourcontrol.Theyoungmasterisjustproposingthatifyoudon'tsellyoursharesinyourcompany.Doyouthinktheywilltakehugerisksinordertokeepyoursmallcompany?"

Beforehecouldrecover,MamoruexplainedChanincha'shandsandfeetagain,andhardlyfeltanything.Hewasverysurprisedatwhatheknew.TheestrangementbetweenhisbrotherandLanehasnowdoubled.Ineverthoughtofahalf-bloodedfraternitylivinginadifferentworldfromhim.

"Youwillunderstandhowmuchinfluencethelittlemasterhas."

Seeinghissillyexpression,Chanincan'thelpthinkingthatRunismuchmoreterriblethanexpected,butMamoruseemstobeproudthatRunisso.Aftershefinished,shesmiledandtriedtodoChanin'swounduntilshefinished.

"That'swhyIaskyoutoobeytheyoungmaster,foritisgoodforyouandyourmother.Canyoubelievemywarningthistime?"

Afterfinishingthewound,hesaiditagain.Chanindidn'tanswer,justtakingalookbeforehewasgoingonabusinesstrip.Itsuddenlyoccurredtohimthathehadforgottensomething.HewalkedbacktoChanin,tookouthisshirtpocketandhandedhimapairofglasses.

"Asforthebudgetforglasses,Ihaveaskedtheyoungmaster,butitisbestnottohaveanopportunitytospendthisbudget,whichisnotworthit."

It'sdefinitelynotworthit.IcanseefromlastnightthatifyouoffendpeoplelikeRanagain,youwon'tkillhimatonce,butyouwillkillhimslowly.Thisriskydecisionwillalsomakepeoplefeelverypainful.

"Iwillforgiveyouifyouhavenothingtodo.Asforyourservice,pleasedonotdoitforthetimebeinguntilyouarefullyrecovered.Callmeifyouneedanything,andIwillgiveittoyou."

Chaninglancedattheintercomatthebedsideandnodded.

"Thankyou."

"Theyoungmasteraskedmetogiveittoyou.Ifyouwanttothankyou,goandtelltheyoungmaster.Itishewhocaresaboutyou,notme."

Atsomepoint,hewalkedoutoftheroomandletChaninclosehiseyelidswearily.

Worried,

Whowillbelieveit!