Chapter 6: Chapter 6: A Deal Between Men
~Renji POV~
I was on the rooftop of the bar I'd brought back under my control, sipping coffee. 'Can't believe four days have passed since then.' After the giant whose name I still didn't know, rescued the children from the basement I called the cops. He set the kids down upstairs and left. The blond kid went with him, practically clinging and sobbing when the giant tried to get him off before giving up.
Taking a sip, I picked up the newspaper on the railing. A small smile crept onto my face as I saw a picture of a ruined building belonging to a gang not far from here. 'Seems you've been busy again.' The next day's news had reported the destruction of three gangs which were two smaller groups and a larger one. The only evidence of who was responsible was a spray painted symbol I recognized from the giant's arm.
Finishing the coffee I headed downstairs to the bar floor. Another thing that had happened? The CCG. 'Fucking bastards.' I know not every investigator in the Commission of Counter Ghoul is a prick, but the ones who showed up after I reported two dead ghouls? Absolute bastards. They wanted to sweep everything under the rug. When I tried reasoning with them, they threatened me with prison time as an "accomplice" because I'd cooperated with ghouls.
Gritting my teeth, I stomped down the stairs. To cover everything up, they decided to announce that the ones responsible for the abducted children died fighting another ghoul the CCG killed. 'Bastards, the lot of them.' The only silver lining? The kids were reportedly back with their families. That, and...
'I found out what I want to do with my future.'
Sighing, I entered the bar's main floor where the remaining three original members of my gang sat waiting. Taking a seat, I laced my fingers together and spoke.
"Now that we're all here, I'll tell you what's going to happen with this gang."
They looked tired, but I continued.
"I'm planning to meet the giant who saved us. I want to merge our gang with his—"
A hand slammed on the table. One of them stood head bowed, voice shaking.
"Enough, Renji!"
I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as he continued.
"We're done. Not just with the gang but all of this. We've lost too much."
Looking at the other two, I saw they avoided my gaze. Their silence said everything.
I clenched my hands, exhaling deeply before nodding. "Then leave. This place is for a future you don't belong in."
No protests came. Chairs scraped against the floor, and their footsteps grew faint as they left.
"Good luck, Renji." one said before the door closed behind them.
I slumped in my chair, closing my eyes. "Now to find a giant. Shouldn't be too hard."
~Takeshi POV~
The past few days had been hectic.
Taking down gangs was nothing new for me, but dealing with a extremely clingy child? That was.
Daiki, the blond boy who had given me his name sat on my left shoulder, legs swinging idly. He was vastly different from the terrified child I'd rescued.
{Pic}
As I walked through the streets, I felt the usual mix of wariness, fear, curiosity, and amusement from the people around us. I'd learned a few things about Daiki. He was fourteen and not seventeen as I'd assumed. His parents had sold him to the ghouls for money.
'He's also a surprisingly good painter.'
After begging for me to take him with me to a gang running an extortion scam, he'd found black spray paint and marked my Yakuza symbol on a nearby wall while I was dismantling the gang. The news picked it up the next day. Since then, he'd insisted on accompanying me, though he stayed hidden during fights. Afterward he'd reappear paint in hand, leaving the now signature mark at every scene.
It had become a topic of growing interest among the locals.
"T-Takeshi-san, are you o-okay?"
I nodded and gave a thumbs up.
'He's also very perceptive.'
It surprised me how quickly he could read me, picking up on hand signals and gestures few others ever understood. Our "conversations" flowed easier with each passing day.
"S-someone's coming." he whispered, tightening his grip on my neck, a silent signal he was ready to hide.
I followed his pointed finger to see someone running toward us.
'Renji I think?'
"Finally, I found you!" Renji gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
I raised an eyebrow, while Daiki shifted slightly, ready to duck behind me if things turned violent. Not that I expected a fight with so many onlookers.
"I want to make a deal with you." Renji said, straightening up. Glancing around, he gestured for me to follow. "Let's not do this here. My bar's nearby."
After a moment I nodded, walking ahead of him until he caught up.
"I'm surprised the cops haven't tried anything." Renji remarked.
I glanced down, taking in his appearance properly for the first time. He was shorter than I'd thought, about 5'9 with a brown braid, a messy fringe, and sharp green eyes. His lean build suggested a fighter, one who likely relied on his legs.
{Pic}
'Taekwondo? No... something else.'
My thoughts broke as Daiki answered for me, his small voice hesitant.
"T-They did t-try to get T-Takeshi-san."
Renji mouthed my name but waited as Daiki continued.
"B-But when they got out of the c-car, h-he kicked it onto its s-side, and w-we left."
I rolled my eyes, ignoring Renji's wide eyed stare. It had been a habit back home as a way to rattle newbie cops.
'Good times.'
As we reached the bar, I helped Daiki down.
Renji scratched his head. "Right... I don't know if you've eaten, but I can whip up something before we talk?"
I glanced at Daiki who nodded, then turned back to Renji with a thumbs up.
"Right, food coming up!"
~Scene Change~
Almost two hours later, we had finished the food Renji cooked for us, and now we were sitting with either a drink of water or a glass of whiskey in front of us. I waited for Renji to speak as he cleared his throat.
"I... I want to merge with your gang." he said, his voice a little hesitant. I raised an eyebrow but kept quiet, listening to him. He stared down at his glass, then back up at me with a determined expression.
"When I was younger, I dreamed of creating a gang that would eventually become the biggest Yakuza in Kyoto, but I failed. I almost gave up on that dream." He smirked, taking a gulp of whiskey. "Then you, you giant fucking monster, walked in and destroyed the things that made me give up on myself."
He leaned forward slightly, holding up a finger. "I want to be part of your gang, to help you achieve whatever you plan on doing. But I have a few conditions."
I raised my brow higher, waiting for him to continue.
"First, no child trafficking. Drug smuggling's fine, most of us are involved in that anyway." he said, raising another finger. "Second, I want to be able to refuse any requests that go against my morals." Another finger came up. "Finally, I want the option to leave at any time, knowing that nothing will happen to me for doing so."
I heard Daiki's teeth grind together, and he stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "T-That's ridiculous! Not only are tt-hose terms all in your f-favor, but—"
I raised my hand and patted his head, calming him down and gesturing for him to sit. I turned back to Renji, who was now watching me, his face slightly nervous. 'He must've realized that if he said that to an actual Yakuza boss, he'd probably be dead by now.'
I grabbed the glass of whiskey with two fingers and drank it all in one go. As I placed it back down, the glass clinked against the wooden table. I stared Renji in the eyes.
'He has the same goal as me. And he's shown some morals, even after being under those two Ghouls for who knows how long.'
I tilted my head and gestured for a pen. Renji pulled one from his pocket along with a piece of paper. I quickly wrote down my answer, showing it to him. He read it aloud:
"I accept, but you'll be the one to handle the paperwork?"
Renji tilted his head, but then he smiled, standing up and extending his hand. "Alright. I don't think the paperwork will be much. So what's next, Boss?"
I smirked and grabbed the paper back, writing down what I wanted to do in Kyoto.
Renji read it. "What?!"
Daiki who had been curious glanced at the paper, stood up and joined Renji in his shock. Renji yelled once more. "You want to expand and take over Kyoto in eight months?! That's fucking impossible!"
I snorted, shaking my head in amusement. 'The founder of the East Mountain Gang did it in a year at least according to the Boss. So I'll do it in eight months.'
I shrugged as Renji collapsed back into his chair. "So, if you're so confident then that means you already have a large enough gang to back you up, right?"
I shook my head, pointing to him then to Daiki then to myself.
"Wha—only us?!" Renji exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
I nodded.
Renji slammed his head onto the table, groaning. "Fuck my life."