Pᴀʀᴀᴅᴏxɪᴄᴀʟ (sanzu×rindo)

Chapter 1: Bonten

The empty bar table was now full, having all but one person in absence.

The colourful lights swung around the room, blaring at every corner of the booked room filled with supposedly dangerous people who were squabbling like little kids.

"When is Mikey coming?"

The gruff voice of Mochizuki Kanji sounded, silencing the noisy room despite the heavy background noise that continued on in the background, muffled due to the room they were situated in.

"Oh. You guys didn't know."

The males in the room turned to the male who spoke up, Bonten's one and only advisor, Akashi Takeomi.

His hand dug into the pocket of his pants, pulling out his phone as he switched it on, the white lights off the phone shining onto his sharp features. "He's not coming. He has something else to do." he commented, reading off the message Mikey had sent him an hour ago.

Pressing on the off button, he slipped the device back into his pocket, tilting his head up again, only to meet the stares of the others in the room.

"What."

Tired sighs slipped the lips of a few, as they slowly started to adjust themselves into more comfortable positions on the expensive sofa they sat on. "Why didn't you tell us?" Rindo asked, having been the calmest among all of them to respond to such situations.

"Well.....none of you asked."

Shaking their heads, they brushed off the fact that they were supposed to have a meeting here, deciding to just enjoy the night at the bar, and make best use of anything they could get in this bar.

Ladies wearing tight and revealing outfits started streaming into the private room they had booked previously, holding the lavishly priced alcohol. Their clothes—or more like the pieces if cloth clung tightly onto their skin, hugging their bodies as they took it upon themselves to be of best service for this group of men that just so happened to be VIPs of their bar.

"Kakucho, no smoking."

The said male clicked his tongue, turning his head away as he threw the cigeratte he was about to light to the dustbin at the corner of the room.

What a waste of money.

A chuckle left the lips of the elder Haitani brother, finding the defiancy and reluctance of Kakucho amusing and adorable for Bonten's number 3. "So harsh, Kokonoi."

The said men took a light sip of the glass of alcohol in his hands, the woman sitting on top of him doing her "work" as she tried her best to be of service to him.

"Shut up Ran. I don't want to pay extra money for your inability to follow rules." he harshly stated, eyes darting to the sign that hung on the wall, the words 'no smoking' stated clearly on it, despite the dimness of the room. "If not, I'll cut off your pay."

His threaten made the older Haitani laugh, finding entertainment in getting to know more about him. He never really did understand the male's crazy obsession with money, yet he had grown used to his nagging on how important money was.

Especially for people like them, who work in the underground. To keep their reputation, money was a necessity to them. Money does rule the world they were currently living in, after all.

For when it comes to money, math doesn't seem to be the worst thing on earth.

The older Haitani brother's lips perked up, his sly eyes, those sharp eyes of his scanned the room, analysing the state of each and every member of Bonten in the room. It was like a guilty pleasure, but he had always wanted to get to know more about each and every member.