I will cut your throat if you hurt him

The penthouse was quiet as the blue-eyed resident sat on the sofa, occasionally glancing at the door to see if his roommate would return.

He sighed and ran his hands through his unruly hair, almost oppressed by the silence. His attention shifted to the phone on the table, remembering how Jiro had told him to contact him if he needed anything.

Almost a day had passed since the man had left and he was getting more worried. He was beginning to think that something bad happened, but still for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to call him.

Natsuo jumped when he heard the door open, but instead of seeing the white-haired man as he had hoped, he saw a black-haired woman wearing a dark jacket and ripped stockings.

Ayumi slammed the door shut and kicked off her dusty boots.

"Is Jiya home? He isn't answering his phone," she asked in an irritated tone.

"He is at work," Natsuo answered, disappointed not to see the person he expected.

"Well then, we drink by ourselves. He has alcohol here, right?" Ayumi announced and headed straight for the kitchen.

Natsuo surveyed her cautiously, trying to think of an excuse to decline the offer.

"Let's just chill around. I'm not in the mood for going out," she said as she pulled out a bottle of rice wine and searched for a corkscrew in the drawer. She popped the sake open and took a pair of glasses from the cabinet, acting as if she were at home.

Natsuo sighed, shaking his head as he accepted the invitation, thinking maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a drink.

(Later that evening)

"Are you a bitch or are you up to something fun?"

Natsuo rolled his eyes. His face was a bit flushed from the alcohol, even though he hadn't drunk more than two drinks.

"I challenge you to play against me," she giggled mischievously and poured herself a fourth glass of rice wine.

"What is the game?"

"You decide. Poker, chess, fighting or racing - " she said and threw a potato chip into her mouth before continuing.

" - anything you want. I'm up for everything."

"Okay, chess it is," Natsuo replied, instantly assuming he could outsmart her and win the contest, maybe even humble her a little. Since it was the only game he was allowed to play as a child, he was quite familiar with it.

Ayumi chuckled as she opened the console and handed him one of the controllers.

"Then let's see who is the smarter one," she stated with a smirk and began to set up the game.

Natsuo grabbed the device. They sat on the couch in silence and focused on the screen as they prepared to play.

Ayumi started the match confidently, making her move as her opponent watched intently. Natsuo followed suit and pushed his pawn forward, watching as his rival analyzed the board. She contemplated her next step before finally making her decision and positioning her knight to threaten his pawn.

The two rotated their pieces back and forth, making strategic decisions and plotting their steps as they took turns. The brunet was determined to outwit the black-haired one while she was committed to staying one step ahead.

As the parts were eliminated one by one, the tension in the room steadily grew. Eventually, one of them made the decisive move and won the game - Ayumi gasped and a wide grin spread across her face.

"Checkmate!" she yelled, triumphantly throwing her hands up in the air. She burst out laughing and tipped her head back, clearly reveling in her victory.

A tight, uncomfortable knot formed in Natsuo's stomach as he realized that she, who was obviously more drunk and uncoordinated, had fooled him in a game that required intelligence and strategy.

"No way, that was pure luck. Come on, let's do it again," he snorted, a frustrated note in his voice.

"One condition," Ayumi agreed as she leaned closer, the smell of wine on her breath mingling with her own perfume.

"If I win, you have to let me cut and style your hair however I want - for one year," she said as she held one of her fingers up.

"And you can't complain about it. You can't change it. Not even once. You have to keep it."

"Ugh, fine," Natsuo grunted and hurriedly clicked the 'rematch' button, ready to defeat the other one and prove himself to be the better player and smarter person.

He was motivated to win, so he thought more critically and came up with creative solutions. Ayumi studied him with a small smirk, sipping her wine and munching on snacks at the same rate as she devoured the pieces on the board.

As the game progressed, the man slowly realized that his plan was failing. No matter what he did, nothing worked. She was too crafty and outsmarted him again. Her minions were rapidly decimating his own and he was running out of options.

Natsuo turned to watch her, his expression a little nervous.

"You weren't serious about that before, were you? The haircut thing?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could.

"Grab your coat," Ayumi said and finished her glass with a satisfied grin.

(A while later)

"Have a seat," the woman instructed as she switched the lights on in a small salon and gestured to a chair in front of a mirror.

Natsuo watched the rock-themed interior intently as he stepped through the door.

The place was decorated with edgy posters and artwork. The floor was covered with black and white tiles, reminding them of their previous game. A skull chandelier lit the space like a macabre waterfall with its pale white bones cascading from the ceiling.

A wooden and custom-made leopard-print chair was on the other side of the room. In front of it, a large mirror was hung with two ornate lamps.

Ayumi had already removed her jacket and donned a black apron to cover her clothes. Western rock music filled the air after she turned on the radio and gathered her tools at her work table.

"You are actually a hairdresser?" the loser of the bet wondered as he stood awkwardly at the entrance.

"How do you think Jiya's hair always looks so gorgeous?" Ayumi laughed and motioned for him to sit down a second time.

Natsuo reluctantly complied and allowed the woman to drape a dark cape over him. He looked up at her sighing, not quite believing that he was going to go through with it.

"Make sure you don't whine or my hands might slip," she said as she combed his shoulder-length hair, tracing the locks with a steady hand despite her drunken state.

"Do you treat your customers like this every time?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Only the ones who lose bets," Ayumi replied with a smirk as she picked up the scissors and began to snip away his hair, which hadn't been trimmed in years.

Natsuo shut his mouth, feeling embarrassed and foolish for agreeing to the deal in the first place.

"But let's talk about our common friend."

Ayumi spun the chair around so that her customer faced her and pointed the sharp scissors at him, like she was threatening him.

"Now, tell me what happened between you and Jiya," she said harshly, staring at the brunet with cold eyes.

Natsuo gulped, his face flaming as he recalled past events.

"What is the reason he has been so happy lately? How are you treating him better than me?" she questioned with narrowed eyes.

Natsuo stared at her, feeling his heart pounding as he tried to come up with a response.

"Happy? Really?" he stuttered.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, really. But you need to promise to do whatever you can to keep him that way. I will cut your throat if you hurt him," she warned as she leaned closer.

Natsuo nodded his head, not daring to say a word. Seeing that, her shoulders relaxed and she carried on cutting his hair, moving the scissors effortlessly.

"What is with the name Jiya, anyway?"

"That is my nickname for him. You can't use it. I own the patent."

"Okay, I won't. How did you two even meet?"

Ayumi chuckled.

"I was actually going to meet a doctor, but someone ran into me in a hurry. Jiya, of course. I was studying to be a hairdresser back then and said he had nice hair, which was already white."

She took a small pause and smiled.

"So I asked him if he wanted to get a cup of coffee afterwards since I was bored and had nothing else to do. I don't usually care about people like that, but he seemed somehow different."

Both of them fell silent for a moment.

Natsuo's insides burned when he recalled how he had collided with the little ghost after leaving the counselor's office, but their encounter didn't end that pleasantly. Just then, more than anything else - more than wishing he had won - he wished he would have acted like a decent human being instead of hiding his feelings and acting insecure.

"He has suffered so much. And all this yakuza stuff..." Ayumi sighed heavily before continuing in a confident voice.

"We must do everything in our power to protect him. He needs us more than you can imagine."