𝓓𝓸𝓰 𝓸𝓷 𝓪 𝓛𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓱

Self-Reliant

It's 2006, one year since Shimano died and one year since you've fled your old boring lifestyle. You've changed your appearance as best as you could and started working in the shadows, alone.

You didn't mind it, it was peaceful and you worked for yourself. You could have had some people to work for you if you wanted, you could have easily been a patriarch of your own family, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded, a little too stressful. You knew all too well how the Yakuza world works. Even if you did have people work for you and they actually submitted to you, they'd eventually crumble because higher powers in the underworld would use any means necessary to snuff out potential competition.

You worked in the shadows, cleaned up your own messes, and slowly clawed your way up in the underworld, without Shimano's help. You didn't need him, you never did, you leeched off him and you got bored. But there was something about your old lifestyle that you particularly missed. The luxury? The drama to keep you entertained? Teasing other higher ups? You couldn't remember, not like it matters anymore.

You concealed your irezumi perfectly with clothes you found most fashionable and lived your life. If things needed to get dirty, you hid your face behind a kitsune mask, and you did it pretty well.

Nobody knew of you enough to rat you out in any way. You did your job and left. Sometimes you'd have to kill, beat up, collect debts, or just threaten someone, nothing new in your book.

Aside from choosing to stay in the dark, you knew everything. All the current drama and problems between families or clans was at your disposal. When you weren't bashing faces in, you were a normal citizen. You heard enough gossip to pin point who is who and what they were up to and who they were working for.

That's what you were doing now.

Sitting at a packed bar, you sipped at your drink of choice, a fine red wine. A short black knee length dress with long sleeves hugged your figure perfectly while the dress complimented the color of your hair. With it you wore simple black heels, making you just an inch or two taller but not too much, and a thin dainty necklace adorn your chest.

Your heels tapped against the metal foot rest on the stool you sat on, getting comfortable as you tuned in to different conversations around you. It was a comfortable atmosphere.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Said an eager voice behind you.

"You may do the honor." You smiled ever so slightly. You rotated your seat just a little and looked up through long eyelashes. Just an eager man wanting to get to know you, you'd bet your money that he wanted more but it was fun being a cock block.

The bartender placed another glass of wine infront of you, just as you finished your first glass.

"Do you come here often?" He asked, desperate for a response.

You sighed quietly, typical bar question.

"No, I don't actually. This may be my second time but I haven't been here in a month." You lied, you actually come here once a week, or just whenever you feel like it. You tend not to stay at a place for too long.

You listened to the slightly buzzed man talk more and more. It was obvious that he liked to talk about himself. Although you weren't at all interested, you tried to add in the to conversation to be polite but it was useless.

The door facing the drunken man's back opened, an all too familiar face walking in, inspecting the room.

Goro Majima.

Once Shimano's captain, you heard he started his own family and is now a patriarch, also a Tojo Clan subsidiary. You've heard rumors of him being the Mad Dog of Shimano. Unpredictable, wild, crazy, powerful, strong, anything related to that, he was just that.

All the memories flooded your mind.

You remember when Shimano gave you a thick wad of cash and sent you off to Sotenbori for a week to stalk Majima and Sagawa, make sure they didn't do anything stupid. You weren't very sure why but you weren't going to say no to a little vacation.

You also recall a time where you and Majima had to run errands for Shimano. You two went to collect simple debts. You weren't sure why you were sent along but you assume it was to watch Majima. You knew he had a rough past so your patriarch wanted you to "inspect him closely".

You and Majima walked side by side, no words were exchanged. You could feel him glancing at you from your peripherals but you didn't give it a second thought.

You regretted that.

Majima quickly turned, unsheathed his tantō and pointed it at your face, mere centimeters away from your nose, all within what felt like a second. But you too were quick.

Within the short span of a second, you flung your head back just slightly and gripped his wrist with a tightening grip.

He was good, his nickname lives up to the reputation. He was thinking the same about you, he heard the things Shimano's underlings have said about you when it comes to combat.

"What's yer prerogative here, woman?" His voice dropped an octave, blending nicely with his Kansai accent as his dark orb scanned your (e/c) ones.

"It's none of your business." You stated, smirking ever so slightly.

You wanted to kick yourself for the thoughts you were having. You didn't know much about this man but you were stupid if you didn't admit that he was hot.

"Hello??"

You snapped back into reality, disappointed, your attention now back on the not-so-sober man infront of you.

"Hm? Sorry." You gave an apologetic nod.

"I was asking you what you thought about Yakuza coming into joints like this. Kills the vibe, am I right? I think they need their own places to drink at so we don't have to worry about being harmed because of someone else." He continued to run his mouth some more, his words becoming a little slurred.

You glanced at the booth near the door where Majima sat with his boys. A few of them had their arm around a woman, drinking and having a good time, and Majima just looked bored. Was that what you missed from your old life? Surely not?

To your surprise, you both made eye contact. You felt your blood run cold, you could have jeopardized yourself in that very moment.

You casually looked away, hoping he would think it was just a coincidence. You knew you changed your looks pretty well but you couldn't help but overthink.

"Excuse me for a minute, ladies room." You slid down from your stool and bowed slightly.

You turned a corner and walked down the hallway to the restroom. You pushed the door and entered the empty, dim lit room. With a boring drunken man running his mouth and an extremely attractive ex-colleague staring you down, you needed a breather. If Majima found out your identity then there's no doubt others will too, then all scopes are on you. Not even just because of being Shimano's lap dog, but you always happen to meddle in different affairs when you do your "jobs".

Spending three minutes thinking about the worst possible situations, you exit the restroom. Standing outside the door was the Mad Dog himself.

You looked at him and raised an eyebrow, trying to keep your cool.

"Hey there, ya got a sister? Ya look like someone I used to know quite well." He leaned against the wall.

You look at him dumbfounded, was he serious? He didn't know shit about you.

"No. I don't." You responded and left no room for conversation.

You took initiative and weaseled past him, not daring to look back. Once you turned the corner and entered the main room, you paid your tab and left, leaving your drunken friend confused and disappointed. That was enough being out and about for one night. Once you left, you stayed the night at a hotel.

As you readied yourself for bed, your mind dwelled on possible outcomes of tonight.

Would that be the last time I see him? What if he follows me? Do I need to add onto my long list of back up plans? Do I need to start switching bars?

The only good thing out of that was that all the overthinking exhausted you, giving you an easy night's rest.