Chapter１７

BeforeRun'smenbeatamanwithoutsphincteronhisneck,hisunbearableshoutingnumbedhisface,andhisbigmanwasexhaustedinaninstant.Unconsciouslyhesatinhischair,buthisconsciousnesswasstillclear,andbothearsheardoneofhissubordinatesaskinghimwhattodowithhimforinsultinghisownmaster.Herefused.Whenhisexpressionbecameclear,andhowangryhewasatwhathehadjustsaid,heputonanunabashedlook,andthenhegrabbedhishairandlookedupintohiseyes,whilehisvoicewasstiff.

"Saywhateveryouwant.Yourvoiceisjustbarking.Anyway,youaremine.Ifyouwanttobefreeagain,gotohell."

"Youkilledme,whydidyoudothis?"Chaninchallengedmenottoforget.

"Itoldyouthatifyoudie,itwillbenofun.Ifyouwanttodie,thenfindyourownwaytodie.Itisnotdifficult,butdoyoudaretoleaveher?Leaveheraloneinmyhands,andbecarefulnottodie."

Shewasthreatenedbyhermotheragain.Chaninisshortofbreath,hislipsaretight,hedoesn'tknowwhattodowiththepersoninfrontofhim,andthenheseesRan'smockingsmile.

"Doyoustillwanttobefree?Ordoyouwanttocontinuetobemyslavetomaintainmymother'slife?"

"You'reanasshole."

"Animportantheirtothegang.It'snotsurprisingthatit'sbad.We'reallgray.ButI'mprobablygrayerthantheaverageperson."

WiththathepretendedtoshakeChanina'shead,thenheshookhishand,pretendedtogooutoftheroom,andorderedtheend.

"I'mgoingtoseehertomorrow,forIdon'tknowwhenyou'llbeback."

Thenhevanished,andhadhismenuncuffedhim,andfreedhimfromamiserablemeal,buthehadnotyetrisenfromhischair,andlayonhisback,withhiseyesclosed,motionless.ExhaustedbytheterriblefeelingthatLanesoreluctantlyimposedonhim.

Ran'swordsareorders.Thenextday,Chaninwenttothehospitaltoseehermother,asRansaidatdinneryesterday.HewasforciblyclothedbyMamoru,coveringhistorsosothathismotherwouldnotseethewoundsleftonhim.Atthesametime,heliedtoSongsaphathatChaninwouldgotoJapanurgentlytodiscussbusinesswithRan.HismotheralsoexpressedherbeliefmanytimesandtoldtheyoungmantotryhisbesttoassistRaninhiswork.Thismakespeopleverywrong.Ican'tsayhewasdraggedawayreluctantly,soInoddedandadmittedit.Later,Ilearnedthatwhenhewaslockedupathome,heoftencametothehospital.Itwasnotintendedasathreat,butrathersoimpressivethathismothermisunderstoodLaneasakindangel,andhepulledherandhersonoutofthepit.

Infact,themanwasaterriblemonster,slowlydevouringherandherson'slife,butshecouldnothaveknown,onlyChaninknewwhatRunwasreally.

RanisgeneroustoChanin,lettinghimstaywithhismotherallday,insteadofrushingbacktothephoneasbefore.Chaninkepttellinghermothertotakegoodcareofherself,andaskedhermothertodissuadeheragainandagain.SoherealizedthathewasactingjustlikeRuntoldhim.

WhenwearrivedinJapan,everythingwentaccordingtoRanchanin'srequest.Withoutanypreparation,Mamoruarrangedeverything.Inthemiddleofthenight,hewastowedtotheairportandflewinbusinessclass.Arriveatthedestinationinfivehours.TheswelteringweatheroutsideNaritaAirportmadetheyoungmanmoreanxiousthanbefore.Hecan'tevenseethenextminute.HefollowedRunandMamoru,asdidsomeofhismen,totheexit,wherestoodagroupofmeninblack,hisfirstvisittoJapan.Butforthefirsttime,hewassoexcitedthathecouldhardlywalkoutofhislegs.

TheyweretakentoavanboundforTokyo.Hisbodyhasbeenexhaustedsincelastnight.Hewantstohavearest,buthecanonlyclosehiseyes.Hisheadistootensetorelax.Yes,becauseI'vebeenthinkingabouthowSeichi,theleaderoftheRedSakuragang,shouldposeifImeethim.IaskedMamoru,andhejustsaid,"Youcantakeyourtimeandspendsometimeinfrontofyou."

HereallywantstocallMoruandtellhimhowtorelaxhimself.HeistheleaderofthelargestganginJapan.Healsotoldhimtorelax!

Althoughhedidnotspeak,hehadbeensittingquietlysincehesetfootonthelandoftherisingsun.Butevenashesatquietly,hedidnotforgettoobservehismaster.Today,helooksunusuallycalm...Maybenot.Whatsheseemedmoreworriedaboutwasherface.Shedoesn'tshowanyexpression,butthewrinklesbetweenherheadandeyebrowsandhereyesarealwaysthinking,whichmakesChaninknowwhatsheisworriedabout.

ItwasthefirsttimehehadseenLane'sface,andhewasdelightedratherthanwonderingwhyLanelookedsonervous.

Whenhiscarpulledupinfrontofahouse,hisanswerwasbewilderedbythesplendorofthemodernJapanese-stylehouse.

No...Notahouse.Itmustbecalledamansion.It'smuchbiggerthanhethought.

Thewoodendooropenedandthecardrovetotheparkinglotbythefence.HewasinvitedbyMamorutogetoff.Hewasalittlesurprisedbeforehegottheanswer...

"Thebossdidn'taskyoutobuildaparkinglotnearyourhomesoasnottoblocktheview.Fromnowon,wehavetowalkin."

Obscuringthelandscape…IwantedtoknowassoonasIheardit,butwhenIsawtheJapanesegardenintheback,Iimmediatelyunderstoodwhythelandlordwouldn'tallowmetodoso.

Thisisheaven.

Heexclaimed,lookingaroundinhorror.HehasseenmanyauthenticJapanesegardens,buthehasneverseensuchabigandbeautifulgarden.IrealizedthatLanecrossedthebridge,belowwhichwasabigcarppond,andwalkedallthewaytothehouse.

SeeingLan,Irealizedthatthisgardenisheaven,ifnotahandsomemonster.Oh,it'saperfectparadiseifnotinagangsterhouse.

"Comein."

WhenMamoruheldouthishandbeforegoing,herealizedthathehadtofollowhim.Hiseyeskeptstaringaround.Hewaseagertotakethetimetoadmirethegarden.ButwhenIrealizedwhyIwasbroughthere,thelongingjustnowdisappeared,asifithadneverhappened.

Hewentintothehouse,breathed,andstoodstill.Hetookadeepbreathbeforegoingupthelowstairsslightlyabovetheground.Whenhewasabouttotakeoffhisshoes,someone'slowvoicesuddenlyrang.

"Ihavebeenawayforsuchashorttime,howdareyouslipawaylikethis,Lanmaru?"

EverytimeIfallintocalmandmylifealmoststopsbreathing,Icatchaglimpseofamiddle-agedman,whoisburlyandstillyoung,andwalksoutofthereceptionroomnotfaraway.Beforetheblackmenwhocamewithherbowedtoherinunison,shehadtobowtoheratonce.SheknewinstinctivelythatthenewcomerwasSakuradaSeiichi,whowastheleaderoftheRedSakuragang.EventhoughI'venevermet.

Whenhewasgreeted,heloweredhimself,thenraisedhisheadandmadeeyecontactwitheachotherwithoutsayingaword.

"Inevertaughtyousuchapettythief."

Althoughtheotherpersonspokeinagentletone,thepersonwholistenedtohimfeltthathehadbeenscolded.

"I'msorry."

"YouandIwillhavealongconversation,andyoudaretolietome,doyouknowwhatpunishmentyouwillget?"

"Sir,sir,sir..."

MamoruhastilyopenshismouthtomakeexcusesforRan,butwhenheislookedatbytheboss'ssharpeyes,hehastostop.

"Youtoo,Mau,Igaveyouthetaskofkeepingitinabox,notlettingyousquanderitwithit."

"I'msorry,sir."

Mamoruwasanotherwhohadtoapologisewithremorse,tallandstooping,afraidthathisbackwouldbebroken.ChaninalookedupandglancedatthelookonRan'sfacenow.Hewassurprised.Hiseyesweremoreanxiousthanwhathesawinthecar.

OrAlantewillbeafraidofthisman,

Youshouldbeafraid.Suchaterribleappearance,sayingafewwords,everyonewasfrightened.It'sstrangetobesopowerfulandnotafraid.

SeichisaidnothingbutlookedatthetatteredfacesofthestepsonandMamoru,stayedforamoment,andthenlookedagainatanotherunfamiliaryoungman,andsuddenlybrokethesilence.

"IsthisthetoyyouwanttoinvestinThailand?"

Therewasnoresponse,onlySeichiraisedasmile,andChanindidn'tknowwhattodo,sohebentdownagaintointroducehimself.

"IamChanin,adifferentbrotherofmymotherandmaster,andfromnowonIwillconveymygreetingstoyou."

Allthewordsthatcomeoutofhismouthareoutofhisownwisdom.

Survivalisthebest...Ijustunderstandwhatthismeansnow.

"MyLord?"

Seichismiled,wantingtobewithhisstepson'spronoun,Chanin,whileRunflushed.

"Takeyourtime,Iwilltreatyouasaguesthere,sothatyouwon'tbenervous."

Chaninwhisperedathankyou,whichrelievedmebecauseSeichiturnedtospeaktoBran,whowasstandingonthestone,whenhehadfinishedspeakingtohim.

"Asforyou...nowIwanttotalktoyou."

Whenthesoundwasover,hewentintothereceptionroomandletLaneutterasigh,whichseemedtobeanactofgettingcarriedaway,forwhenhefinishedhesuddenlyrealizedthattherewereslaveeyesonhim.Justanxiouseyesbecomestiff,lookingatChaninbehind,givingorderstoMamoruinaninstant.

"Takecareofit."

"Buttheyoungmastergoestoseetheyoungmaster,willyou?"

"Icanfindacottagebymyself,andletitstay,anddon'tdistractit.I'vespokentothemaster,andI'llcallyoulater."

MamorudidnotimmediatelyagreeandseemedworriedaboutRan,butthenhehadtogiveintoordersandletRanwalkintotheloungealone,whileheturnedtodealwithChanin.

"Mr.Chanin,thisway."

Putyourhandontheothersideofthehouse,andwhenChaninwalksaway,hestartstowalk,andChaninhasbeensurprisedsincethebeginning.

Sir,IthoughtIcalledyouDad.