Chapter 34: A 'Gift' for Little Shinobu

Chapter 34: A ‘Gift’ for Shinobu

“I will settle these scores! Wakagashira, that was truly not my intention!”

Kazuko Takenaka gazed out the window, her heart still racing. The words of Takeshi Iwata kept echoing in her mind; the sheer intensity he displayed when he stood up at the end had been truly startling. Yet, Kazuko had also noticed a small detail: Iwata had drained that cup of sake in one go.

A truly interesting character.

Just then, one of her subordinates came running over in a flurry.

“Why all this panic!” Kazuko summoned her aura as a boss, and the man stopped dead in his tracks.

“Boss, that…”

“Speak!”

“That Takeshi Iwata… he beat the two men we sent to pick him up into the ground.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean… he really beat them into the ground.”

“What? Oh… ha-ha-ha…”

Seeing the indescribable expression on her subordinate’s face, Kazuko immediately understood what had happened. That guy Iwata must have… kicked those two rude underlings right in their manhood. How could she not laugh? But it also made her realize that this ‘Demon’ Takeshi was truly tough.

***

The position of Wakagashira was nothing more than a hot potato. In Iwata’s mind, this position had nothing to do with him, and even if he could have it, he had no interest in it. Within the Yamamoto-gumi, countless fights and brawls had erupted over this very seat.

However, thinking back to the past of Masahisa Takenaka… could it be that he was destined to walk the same path? Fumiko Yamaguchi was backing this man of little power to suppress Hiroshi Yamamoto.

Wait a minute.

Does this Boss Kazuko have the same power as Fumiko Yamaguchi? If not, why is she stirring up all this trouble? And if she does, is she trying to reenact the Yama-Ichi War?

Iwata pondered it over and over, but he still couldn't make sense of the situation. It was all very strange. Take Suo and Moriyama, for instance; they weren't part of the militant faction, yet now they seemed to be rebelling against Hiroshi Yamamoto, attacking him repeatedly. And here was Kazuko Takenaka, clearly a member of the militant faction, claiming she didn't want to fight anymore while trying to rope in a guy like him who was only interested in making movies.

What was going on with these two sides? They were both acting against their nature, but why? He couldn't figure it out, but Iwata knew what he had to do. He didn't want to continue being a Yakuza; one of his goals was to lead a normal life. For now, he seemed safe, but he would have to be even more careful in the future.

Those two bastard Yakuza needed to be taught a lesson. That would also serve as a warning to Boss Kazuko, so she wouldn't think she could have him wrapped around her finger. As for Kazuko herself… her soft, fragrant body was certainly enough to stir up wild thoughts. But Iwata knew very well that in the current situation, he couldn't just ‘break through’—ahem, what was he thinking?

He quickly stopped his wandering mind. Business came first. Suddenly, Shinobu’s pure, lovely smile appeared in his mind, instantly dispelling everything else. It was as if a light had swept away the darkness of the world. A smile appeared on Iwata’s face; though he looked fierce, this smile was not unpleasant.

Yes, he really should thank that girl.

***

The days until school resumed could be counted on one hand. Shinobu was growing increasingly restless. Actually, it wasn't that she hated school, but everyone felt this way as the holidays drew to a close. It must be said that Shinobu’s grades were quite good; even though she hadn’t officially started high school yet, according to her teachers, she would have no problem getting into a university.

So…

“Sister, I want to go see the uncle.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Why?”

“No reason!”

“I need to talk to him about the movie.”

“You’re just a kid; what could you possibly talk about regarding movies?”

“I’m not a kid! I’m the lead actress!”

“Fine, you’re the lead actress, but you still need to keep your distance from him!”

“Why?”

“It’s for your own good.”

“The uncle is a good person!”

Shinobu felt helpless; her sister didn't seem to be listening, though she understood her intentions. It was indeed for her own good, especially since the negotiations with Toho were nearly finalized. Still, Shinobu wanted to go play with the uncle.

One day, while feeling incredibly bored, a very special letter arrived. It was addressed to her. As the younger sister in the house, there was usually no mail for her. So, she immediately guessed what it was about.

Quietly, making sure her sister didn't see… luckily, her sister didn't pay any attention to the mail and was far too busy; otherwise, this letter might never have reached Shinobu’s hands. She hugged it like a treasure, hurried to her room, and tore it open impatiently.

Huh?

There was no letter—or rather, not a single word—but there was something inside.

A concert ticket for Kohhy!

And it was for the Budokan!

Kaori Kobayashi was performing at the Budokan this year, but she was so popular that tickets were impossible to get. Although Shinobu was a fan, she could only dream of having such a ticket. How could she possibly have obtained one?

And now, this…

The uncle. It must be him!

***

Iwata-gumi.

“No one is allowed to disturb me!”

“Hai!”

“Even if there are visitors, don’t let them in!”

“Hai!”

“This script is crucial! The future of you guys depends on it!”

“Hai!”

‘Infernal Affairs’ was not yet finished, so Iwata naturally had to focus his energy on the screenplay. And once the script was written, he had to ‘draw’ it. Although most directors’ storyboards were just stick figures, or they didn't do them at all because it was too much work, if he didn't draw them out, problems might arise later.

As for the Venice Film Festival, it was similar to his previous plan of trying his luck at Iwanami. Even if he didn't succeed, it could still generate a certain amount of buzz.

So… better get writing!

***

Cat, Fish, and Clear were loyally guarding the outside of the Iwata-gumi office. Toyo Matsushige, Teruyuki Kagawa, and Kenichi Endo were currently away handling other matters. Consequently, Cat, Fish, and Clear didn't want to be outdone by the three new ugly guys—though they had thought they were ugly enough themselves, the new trio had even more ‘distinctive’ features.

Damn it.

Oh, looks like someone is coming.

“Who goes there! Oh, wait…”

“What do we do?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Cat, Fish, and Clear had wanted to show off their diligence, but the person who arrived was…

“Is the uncle in?”

“He is.”

“Hey, hey, about what he just said…”

“You idiot!”

Clear, the one with the yellow hair, smiled in a very approachable way and stepped aside, letting Shinobu pass through without obstruction.

Had these guys forgotten everything the boss had just said?! Fish started to warn her, but Cat said with a world-weary air: “You don’t really think the boss wanted to go to the Budokan to see a concert, do you?”

Both Fish and Clear nodded. They had bought the tickets from a scalper and hadn't understood what the boss wanted at the time, but now they understood: he was giving them away. A Yakuza fanboy? That sounded too embarrassing. The boss wouldn't be like that. They were relieved.

***

What would happen to Kazuma Kiryu after that? No, catching the mole the Yakuza sent into the police shouldn't be the main problem he considered. If the story was based on the Yama-Ichi War, the issue of succession was clearly more important.

Many ideas appeared in Iwata’s mind; he slowly organized them into a story, then set them down on paper. Master Jissoji’s advice was correct: he had to maintain the style of ‘A Violent Man’, so the plot had to be decisive.

Just as he was in the flow of writing, the door was pushed open.

“Who!…” Iwata was about to explode, intending to give Cat, Fish, and Clear a good scolding, or perhaps just send them to Thailand for a procedure so they could debut again.

But when he saw who had walked in, he lost his fire.

Shinobu was wearing the same white dress as that day, still sporting a white beret. Though she had switched to a denim vest, she was just as pure and cute as before. What could Iwata say?

“Did I disturb someone?” Shinobu skipped over.

“Oh, no.” Iwata didn't know why, but he felt a bit flustered, and immediately realized the girl was looking at his new script. “Don’t look at that.”

“No way? Director Iwata has a new project?” Shinobu’s eyes went wide, a look of surprise and cuteness on her face.

“Anyway, it’s not finished yet.” Iwata covered the script like a child.

Actually, when writing, one often doesn't want others to see, especially when it’s unfinished. Shinobu naturally understood this psychology, but seeing it in the uncle made her want to laugh. “Fine, I’ll let you off, but…”

She drew out the word.

“This ticket, it’s from you, right?”

Iwata glanced at the concert ticket and replied with a touch of tsundere, “I’m giving it to you.”

“Then why didn't you give it to me in person?”

“I was busy.”

“You’re not afraid of my sister, are you?”

“Her? Ha…”

When asked such a question, Iwata couldn't help but think of the woman who had been pinned against the wall. But how could he tell Shinobu about that?

“Really not afraid?” Shinobu felt she had gained complete control of the situation.

“Really.”

“Then what does this gift mean?”

“Just a gift.”

“So that’s how the uncle expresses gratitude.”

This girl!

Iwata blushed; he really couldn't do anything about her. But what he didn't expect was…

“Yasashii!” (Kind!)

Shinobu’s evaluation was truly powerful; in an instant, it pierced through Iwata’s fierce exterior and reached his heart. In reality, Iwata just felt that Shinobu was more than just a lead actress to him.

Unexpectedly, Shinobu changed the subject.

“But going to a concert alone is so boring.”

“Huh?” What did she mean?

Shinobu revealed a crafty, smiling face…