Running into her

Chapter 9 - The Yakuza Side Of The Family

“It’s the least I could do.” The corner of Itsuki’s mouth crooks up by a millimetre.

Their conversation is cut short by his father’s voice. “Itsuki! Come here and greet your cousin!”

Reluctantly Itsuki trudges forward from the shades of the mansion to the front yard, praying that the flame-haired girl wouldn’t make a big deal out of his visit to her hotel room yesterday. How is he even supposed to excuse that? Lying has always been more of Kazuya’s forte than Ituki’s. More accurately, the coming up with creative lies, that is.

He meets them with a twitch of a smile and bows. “It’s been a long time.”

Leonara Rhinehart, or Sayu-chan apparently, smiles brightly, nods as form of a bow and answers in English. “It’s been too long. Ten years, is it? Wow, you’ve grown really tall.”

So she’s going to pretend yesterday never happened? Itsuki could live with that. Itsuki even preferred that. There’s nothing worse than having his Dad question him about why he visited his cousin pretending to be someone else.

“Of course, you too. I hardly recognized you.” He says politely in English.

“Wow, you must be quite the heart breaker these days. You’ve become a man! And a handsome one at that!” she smiles brightly, nothing like the smiles she had been smiling yesterday. It irks Itsuki somewhat, the way she’s treating him like a child. If memory serves correctly, they are both of the same age with only a few months difference.

“Hahaha! He may have inherited my looks but he is lousy with women. Maybe you could give him some pointers.” Itsuki’s father laughs loudly. She laughs along with him as though the joke was actually funny

Itsuki glances side-ways at his giddy father. How the cold-hearted and cruel Boss of the Arakawagumi turns into a bumbling fool before females has always been a mystery. More so before daughters and nieces. The differences in expressions make him hardly recognizable. It’s extra worrying considering how Itsuki still doubted this cousin’s real identity. Perhaps Kazuya’s paranoia is rubbing off on him.

“Itsuki’s your only cousin who can greet you right now, unfortunately. Ryoko and Kyoko went to see someone sing in Osaka. I’ll never understand what they see in girly looking boys, but it’s hard to say no to them, you know? And Ichirou is … somewhere. God knows where that boy runs off to sometimes. Well, he’ll be fine, I have some of by men tailing him, so as long as he doesn’t lose any fights and shame me, all is well.”

And again with his loud giddy laughter.

She laughs along again and says nothing. Not like Istuki’s father gives her much of a chance to talk anyway.

“Oh I’m so sorry dear, making you stand here like this in the heat, let’s go in.” Upon Isamu Arakawa’s word, all the subordinates in the courtyard, already in two straight lines making a path for them, stand up straighter, and as though on cue, bow 45 degrees.

“Wow Japanese culture sure is something. This reverence/respect thing is hard to get used to.”

Itsuki’s father stops. “Sayu-chan, do your servants in America not respect you properly? Do you want me to send you some proper traditional Japanese ones? Speaking of which, has your uncle been neglecting you? Has he tried taking away your inheritance from you? I’ve never really liked him to be honest. A word from you and I’ll gather a group of my top subordinates to take care of everything for you. Just give me a list of people who bother you. Did that uncle of yours even get some proper guards for you? With all the trouble you attract you need some real professionals. I think it’s best if I get some of my boys to guard you.”