Push and Pull | Chuuya Nakahara

CHAPTER 1

"Chuuya Nakahara" She tasted his name as it rolled off her tongue. It sounded unfiltered and rough. It tasted like expensive wine and... apples.

"Saito Sakura" Chuuya reciprocated, trying out the swoops and dives of her name on his mouth. It was raw and unadulterated and it tasted like a strawberry daiquiri.

"This has been a meeting long in the making" Sakura stated more than asked. She stood her ground, allowing her gaze to drift among the crowd of armed honorary Port Mafia guards. In the center of all of them, stood Chuuya (who could have easily been swallowed by the mass of the armed guards due to his height).

"It has. You and your little pests have been a thorn in my side for quite some time." He told her, narrowing his eyes into slits. "You're a slippery little thing, aren't you?"

"No more slippery than water" Sakura idly smiled. This annoyed Chuuya. She reminded him a little too much of a certain suicidal maniac.

"Alright, it's over, kids. Let's make this quick. I don't have all day" Chuuya announced, shaking off his annoyance. He gestured them forward, "Come quietly and we won't have to shoot"

Instantly, Finn, Mavi, Eli, Caspian and Eileen who had been standing behind Sakura this whole time, tensed. They took a step forward. Finn assumed a fighting stance, Mavi aimed her crossbow, Eileen pulled out her machetes, Eli prepared his long katana blade and Caspian grabbed his twin revolvers.

"What? Is this supposed to scare me? Come on, give it up, kids. Surely, you know who I am. You can't win this. Just come quietly and we won't have to raise Hell" Chuuya told them with a scoff, though he couldn't help the smirk that pulled on his pink lips.

"He's right, you know" Sakura said. "Stand back" She ordered them, raising her hands on either one of her sides to hold them back.

"Eh?!" Eli let slip an exclamation. "But, boss— He, He's threatening us. You don't expect us to just go calmly, do you? Or maybe you want us to eat some bullets first?"

Sakura turned around to meet his gaze calmly. She raised a single finger up to her velvet lips as a motion to tell him 'Don't talk' and then, diverted her attention back at Chuuya. Slowly, she raised her hands above her head in surrender. "Tell me, Chuuya Nakahara, wouldn't raising fire at us completely defeat the purpose of your mission? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Mori sent you to recruit us. We're not much use to you dead"

"I think you're overestimating your value" Chuuya taunted her, looking into her emerald green eyes with his azure ones.

"No, I think you're overestimating yours. You think because you're a valuable gifted Mori won't hesitate to throw you out if you disobey his orders. I beg to differ. There's no amount of gravity that will help you if Mori decides to kick you out" Sakura corrected, her idle smile turning into a thin line.

"You're playing a very dangerous game for someone who has shotguns pointed at your head" Chuuya snarled. His very little patience was running even thinner.

"Is that right?" Sakura asked him with her hands still raised in surrender. "Say, Chuuya, do you know who leads these honorary guards you carry around with you like luggage?"

"Hah?! What does that have to do with anything?" Chuuya demanded, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets. Of course he didn't. Why would he? These men got paid to do the Mafia's bidding. They chose to sacrifice their lives. They chose to be nameless.