Soraru x Mafumafu

A Part Of Me, From Me To You - Chapter 9

I had never witnessed how serious things could be if they were up to it, and I didn't think I would want to. For now, neither sides had lifted their fists or unsheathed their knives, but I had a feeling it could be a matter of time before that happens.

I held my hands together and squeezed.

"... Move," Urata-san said with a low voice.

Soraru-san said nothing but looked down at him with an icy cold glare. Urata-san looked as if he was about to knock into Soraru-san as a means to challenge him, but Shima-kun pulled Soraru-san back a little before Urata-san could run into him.

That was a bad move, Shima-kun. Soraru-san was getting more and more annoyed, and he was starting to lose patience.

"I caught wind that one of my men was here visiting," Urata-san searched for something under his sleeves and retrieved a piece of candy before passing it to Shima-kun. "Candy?"

"That can't be the reason why you're here," Shima-kun said, ignoring Urata-san's offer.

"Oh, but it is. I was told he was here to see the 'Forbidden Flower' at your place, and to my knowledge, I didn't remember you having something as fancy as that," Urata-san kept a smile on his face as he pulled his hand back and unwrapped the piece of candy. He popped it into his mouth and chuckled. "Then again, do I even need a reason to be here?"

"So you-" Shima-kun wanted to say something but he was then cut off by Urata-san.

"I was the one who funded you money to start your business because you told me that you wanted to start over. Do you remember that?" Urata-san asked and sat down on the nearest seat by the table. He pointed at Shima-kun to sit across him.

Shima-kun clenched his fists tightly by his side but he didn't obey. He remained in place, right next to Soraru-san.

"I do,"

"So it should be fair for me to come visiting from time to time, right?"

Shima-kun didn't answer.

"But have you thought about how your people have been disrupting our business?" Senra-kun suddenly spoke up in Shima-kun's place. "They come destroying our property, and then harassing our courtesans, to the point it traumatises them-!"

"Senra!" Shima-kun shouted.

"Do I need to remind you that if it weren't for me, this whole business that you have here wouldn't even exist?" Urata-san's tone turned cold after hearing Senra-kun fight back. "I could stop the funding, or better, I could just have this place demolished. We could see how you can continue your business in that manner. That would be fun, wouldn't it, Senra?"

Senra-kun immediately kept quiet after listening to Urata-san's threats. It was clear as day that he was frustrated that he was helpless in this situation and actually made it worse. Shima-kun couldn't do anything against the threat either because who knew what other threats Urata-san had under his sleeves?

Come on, Mafumafu, I thought to myself. I was an oiran, a courtesan of the highest status in the industry, and I was a master of conversations. All I had to do now was divert his attention from them, and put all of them on me before he continued threatening them with things he could possibly make happen. They had done so much for us, I didn't think I could let anyone look down on the both of them.

We only had a short time together, but it was enough for me to know that they were both working really hard for this place. This place was something they cherished and wanted to protect, and I could feel it. This place was what they would call 'a place to go back to' just like how being with Soraru-san was where I belonged.