All your dark and secret fantasies

Jiro's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. His rather drained eyes darted toward a black-haired person sitting beside him, who talked animatedly. He was barely paying attention, because he wondered if his roommate was okay without him.

"Come on, let's get this over with. We are here," he sighed as the newest yakuza member finished his meaningless story. Jiro had promised to train new recruits and was given the task of showing the newcomer another guarded location for their clan.

They reached their destination when the car pulled up to a large, impressive estate outside of Tokyo. The place was surrounded by dense oak forest, offering plenty of privacy and keeping prying eyes away. When the suited men stepped out of the vehicle, they saw a wooden building with white walls and an imposing gate.

"So, where are we?" a man named Shoji Arata asked looking up at the huge structure.

"Just prepare yourself. You will soon find out," Jiro answered, thinking the other one's somewhat innocent attitude could soon change once he got a better understanding of what the yakuza was really about.

Shoji fixed his padded coat and watched his mentor with an apprehensive gaze. He had a youthful appearance when he wore slightly worn jeans and a plain t-shirt underneath his jacket. His black hair was cut short, with no particular style. Overall, he looked like a normal college student, rather than a criminal.

They walked up a stone pathway and passed through a garden that looked bare and lifeless after winter had taken its toll on the once vibrant greenery.

Two more men in tailored suits emerged from the shadows, stiffening their posture and hiding their stares behind matching hats. The guards stepped aside and allowed them in after Jiro acknowledged them with a sharp nod.

They made their way through the entrance and hallways, passing paper lamps that highlighted the detailed murals on the wooden walls.

Eventually, they stepped into what seemed to be a bathhouse. An enormous pool of steaming water was surrounded by bamboo plants and benches. The winding corridors continued deeper into the heart of the building, with more spaces and baths, each with its own unique features.

Shoji's mouth hung open as he saw naked women strolling the area and serving tattooed men liquor. All of the women were in their early twenties, looking guarded and solemn as they moved around gracefully.

Whenever Jiro visited the place, he wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible. He didn't want to look when the burly men escorted the frail girls upstairs, knowing they would be forced to perform services that were against their will. They had just been unlucky enough to end up in that location, most likely because of a variety of reasons, trapped in a cycle of injustice and suffering.

"This way, ane-san wants to meet you," Jiro said as the new recruit stared at the scene before him, his mouth still partially open.

He led Shoji to an office, where scents of sage and lavender smelled in the air. The room was lit by a single lantern on a dark desk - and behind it sat a woman, puffing on a pipe and watching intently as they entered the room.

The two men bowed in respect to the waka gashira, the first lieutenant of the yakuza, who ran the disguised brothel and managed various smaller groups within the clan. She was addressed formally as ane-san, but higher-ranking individuals could call her by her given name.

"Mika, we have a problem. The Baron did it again," a man with full body tattoos declared shortly after walking into the office, ignoring the two subordinates in their presence.

The woman with long, black hair flowing down her back sighed heavily as she leaned back into her chair. She rubbed her arched eyebrow and let her maroon-brown eyes close for a moment.

"Don't tell me he killed another girl?" she asked in a cold, steady voice.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, it looks like you have a job to do," ane-san instructed the two juniors, who still kept their heads down as a sign of respect for their superior.

Jiro clenched his fists and heard Shoji gulp loudly beside him.

"But before you go, let's give our new recruit a warm welcome," the woman said as she stood up, her tall and feminine figure silhouetted against the only lamp in the room.

"You can use any girl you like. The next night, she will do whatever you want. All your dark and secret fantasies will come true, if you wish," she promised as she smoked her pipe again. Her eyes glanced at the white-haired one, who was standing still and looking at the floor, not daring to move.

"Takuya. Let me speak with you, in private."

Two other men bowed once more before leaving the leader and the lesser-ranked man alone.

"Did you have something to do with Miyahara's arrest?" Mika questioned, her keen gaze piercing through him.

Jiro's eyes widened in surprise as he listened to ane-san's words. He could feel sudden sweat trickling down his neck, but he maintained his composure and didn't allow his anxiety to get the best of him.

She puffed her pipe, releasing a thin cloud of smoke that slowly drifted towards him, temporarily veiling his face.

"You had violated the agreement before. Two weeks later, Miyahara is abruptly arrested, and... a person with ashen white hair is seen wandering around their hidden base," Mika pointed and stroked his hair, lightly brushing his scalp with her long and manicured nails.

"Do you have anything to tell me?" she asked in a deep tone.

Jiro swallowed, still not meeting Mika's stare.

"They kidnapped... someone from my family," he replied.

"Someone from your old or current family?"

"He wasn't a yakuza."

Jiro knew that the rules of the organization were clear - once they joined, members had to abandon their past lives behind, even their families. The clan didn't tolerate emotional attachments, so he only told that to gain some sympathy points - even though he suspected it wouldn't make a difference.

"Although my brother is very angry with you, he has decided to be forgiving, since it all worked out well for him," Mika said, referring to her younger sibling - Aoi Kamiwara, the absolute leader of their yakuza.

"You will be punished, however. Be there when he summons you and show remorse," she continued, walking back to her desk.

"Yes, ane-san," Jiro replied and bowed his head again. He knew he had to accept the outcome of his actions and agree with whatever sentence was handed down. Those were the rules of the yakuza.

"You may leave. Train the new one well and get rid of the mess upstairs."

Jiro swiftly excused himself, not wanting to anger Mika Kamiwara any further. He knew how she could make his life unbearable if she chose to, so he wanted to avoid it at all costs.

Shoji was waiting for him, watching the other approach with an unreadable expression.

"Is someone really dead? What are we s-supposed to do?" the young man stammered as he followed the grim-looking figure.

Jiro paused and frowned as he turned to look at the fellow behind him.

"Why did you join us? Did you know what you were signing up for?"

Shoji's face turned pale as he struggled to speak for a second.

"I-I needed the money."

"So, why didn't you go to a regular job then?" Jiro snarled and tightened his jaw as he continued.

"You should know that when you join the yakuza, there is no turning back. You have to be prepared to do anything they ask of you, no matter how dangerous or immoral it may be."

"I-I know that... my father was a part of the yakuza, which is why I was allowed to join... I will prove myself to the oyassan, I promise."

Jiro shook his head, dreading what they were obliged to do and what awaited them on the second floor. It wasn't the first time he had been dealing with that kind of trouble, and he doubted it would be the last.

"You won't touch or harm any of the girls here, even though ane-san said you could. Understand?"

Shoji immediately nodded, looking like he feared his mentor more than the first lieutenant he had just met. Jiro motioned for him to come with him, not wanting to waste any more time, so he could return to the person waiting for him at home.