A/N: To all Bungou Stray Dogs lovers out there, there's gonna be a tiny crossover section in this chapter hehe ~
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═══ FAMILY FORTUNE ═══
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With Black Dragon being larger in numbers than Toman, Akiko was disappointed when the bike shop turned out to be their meeting place instead of some mysterious underground cave or something dark like that. Then again, she thought of the kind of person that Shinichiro was and recognized the sentimental value. It made her smile.
Since it also was a mere routinely meeting, only the executives showed up, none of which were familiar to Akiko, with the exception of Inupi. The blonde was quick to join the side of another boy who wore his hair in a deathhawk style, the medium-length dark locks framed the right side of his face in a wild wavey fashion, and his eyes reminded Akiko of a sly cat who knew exactly how to determine which fish would not only be the biggest but also the tastiest. Compared to Inui, who appeared rather reserved upon first impression, Akiko had a feeling that this boy was a different story.
"Akiko-chan! I didn't think you would tag along!" The excited voice of Takemichi echoed through the bike shop.
Akiko spun around to find him entering just a minute after they arrived. "Takemichi-kun, hey. I didn't think I would be coming, either."
"Well, now that we're all gathered, let's start!" Shinichiro announced and stood in front of the group.
While the executives made their reports, Inui and the other boy approached Akiko.
"You're the Hoshino girl everyone has made such a fuss about?"
"The name's Akiko," she automatically responded, hating the fact that her public image was mainly reduced to her last name and its reputation.
"No need to whip out those claws, honey. I'm only curious." He gave a sly smirk.
"Be nice, Kokonoi," Inui scolded him. "Don't bother her too much while I give my report."
When Inupi joined Shinichiro at the front, Kokonoi's eyes rested on Akiko.
She awkwardly cleared her throat and started an attempt at small talk - something she hated doing. "So, uh, what's your role in this whole gang business?"
"Making money is what I do best. That's why I take care of all our finances. After all, you can't buy uniforms of such high quality when all you've got is a single dime in your pocket," was Kokonoi's response.
"But you know all about riches, don't you, little Hoshino?" he added.
Akiko felt her whole body stiffen up. Money was the last thing she wanted to converse about. It had caused too many problems in the past, cost lives and ripped apart families. It didn't help that her family was short on money ever since Ken died and all his bank accounts had been frozen due to the investigation. The little fortune that Akiko was to inherit would only be made accessible the day she turned eighteen.
"Actually, I don't. I've never owned a single coin in my whole life," she admitted, averting her eyes to the floor. In a whisper, she added, "We can't even afford a house anymore."
If Kokonoi sympathised with her situation, he didn't show but he could recognize an opportunity when it presented itself to him. "And what do you plan to do about that?"
The question was innocent, although the intention behind it was unclear. Whether he was genuinely curious or just found a new way to reap the benefits out of someone else's misfortune, Akiko did not know. But if Shinichiro trusted him, she had no reason to doubt him... right?
"I don't know. Get a job?"
"How's that been going for ya?"
Kokonoi's eyes sparkled when Akiko heaved a sigh, shaking her head in defeat, shoulders slumping. "Not well. With a name like that, people have been rejecting my mother over and over again."
"What if I told you that I could help with your little money problem?"
Akiko perked up at the proposition. "Really? You don't even know me. Why would you offer any help to a stranger?"
His grin revealed shiny white teeth. "I have my reasons. The better question is... would you agree to a deal?"
Like a sign from the universe that warned Akiko never to get personally involved with the illegal side of gang business, her phone rang loudly. Hastily, she fished the device out of her bag and almost broke out in a nervous sweat when all eyes fell upon her.
She apologized and stepped outside.
Seina's name on the display made her heart skip a beat.
"Thank goodness," the brunette sighed into the phone. "I think you just saved me from making a deal for money."
"Oya? Seina-chan, I think your sister has the same poor judgement as you," spoke an unfamiliar voice, followed by an amused cackle. "After all, you keep refusing my proposal of a double- "
"Hand over the phone, Dazai-san!"
"But I want to get to know your sister! You're too much like Kunikida-kun and I'm in desperate need of a new friend to make my miserable existence a little more bearable!"
"Dazai! Get back here!"
Akiko momentarily pulled the phone away from her ear when the shouting and yelling grew louder. She used the time to search her brain for any recollection of her sister mentioning someone named Dazai but came up empty-handed. It was far from surprising and posed a reminder of how little Akiko still knew about Seina's life.
"You're such a man child," Seina huffed. "Go and bother Kunikida or Ranpo. Better yet, keep an eye on Atsushi and make sure Akutagawa won't try to kill him again."
"Ugh, why do you have to be so boring?"
Akiko chuckled at Dazai's obvious flair for the dramatics.
"Now, Kiko, tell me what this idiot meant by 'poor judgement'?"
"Oh, nothing important," Akiko quickly played it off. "Why did you call?"
"Trying to change the topic, I see. Well, I will let it slip just this once because I'm actually busy. I would have called sooner if Dazai hadn't kept me distracted this whole time."
Akiko could no longer suppress a grin. "Oh?"
"Not like that! He's a regular patient at the hospital. But that's beside the point. I'm calling because there's been a change in Junto's condition."
Instantly, Akiko went stiff again. She turned to look through the shop window, finding that both Shinichiro and Takemichi were glancing in her direction.
"He's still stable, right? Please don't tell me he's gotten worse again."
Seina was quick to shut down any worries Akiko might have had. "No, it's nothing like that. Junto actually opened his eyes for a few seconds but remained unresponsive. We think that he could wake up within the upcoming weeks. He's showing great signs of improvement."
"Can I visit him on the weekend?"
"Uh... sure. I'll talk to Mayu about it."
"Mum is still busy hunting for a job. But Shinichiro should be free."
Seina mumbled incoherently, apparently just as upset about Mayu's current situation. "Are you with Shin, by any chance? I was going to call him later tonight anyways."
Her eyes flickered toward the ravenette again. This time, he was laughing with Inupi, which made a smile appear on Akiko's face. "Yeah, we're at his bike shop. He's holding a meeting with Black Dragon."
"Good. Tell him that I'll be calling later. I gotta go before Dazai does something stupid again."
Biting her lip, Akiko nodded to herself. She felt an urge to ask Seina about her life, but she held back with the excuse that it just wasn't the right time. "Will do. Don't overwork yourself and take care, please."
The very same moment they ended the call, Akiko broke down. She paid no mind to the pain in her knees when they buckled and hit the ground. She was shaking violently. Streams of hot salty tears poured down her cheeks.
There was no suitable word to describe what Akiko was feeling. Relief was perhaps the closest attempt, mixed with a pinch of nerves, a handful of anxiety and a sprinkle of happiness.
Junto would finally be waking up.
Footsteps rushed toward the brunette as she laid balled up on the sidewalk sobbing into her arms.
"What happened?" asked Shinichiro, a panic-stricken look on his face.
Akiko raised her head. The smile on her face confused everyone.
"Are you hurt? Should I call an ambulance?" Takemichi spoke in a rush, clearly overwhelmed.
"I'm fine." Akiko laughed as she wiped her tears with the sleeves of her sweater. "Actually, I'm great."
Turning to Shinichiro, she grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "I'll get to meet my father soon."