ENGLISH VERSION - Second Star to the Right (Mikey Bonten)

Chapter 11: Hell is empty, and all the devils are here

POV AYANA

I don't know where to look. Everywhere I turn, there's nothing but debauchery. Shakespeare once said, Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. Well, if it's empty, it's because they're all at Bonten. My eyes scan the room, but he's nowhere to be seen.

Ran drops my arm to head over to the bar. I don't even have time to see who he's meeting before Rindou's already pulling me through the crowd.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," he says.

Curious eyes turn toward us as we pass. With my jeans and Mikey's hoodie, I clearly stand out in this world.

Rindou stops in front of Kakucho, standing still in a strategic spot where he can observe everything.

"You've met Kaku before, yeah? Number 3 around here."

I nod, meeting his gaze. He just gives me a curt nod in return.

"And here," Rindou continues, nodding to a guy sitting with style, a wine glass in hand, "that's Kokonoi. Let's just say he's the bank... or the cheapskate, depending on whether he likes you or not."

Kokonoi flips him off before shooting me a sideways look, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He raises his glass at me as a greeting.

"Next," Rindou moves a few steps ahead, "that guy over there is Takeomi. Thinks he's the Godfather. Call him Don Akashi; he'll eat it up."

Takeomi's face twists at the title. He narrows his eyes, looking me up and down as if trying to remember something. An arrogant smirk plays on his lips, but he says nothing. I'm probably just a minor detail to him.

Rindou keeps going, stopping this time in front of a massive guy slouched in a chair that seems too small to hold his bulk.

"That's Mochi, our enforcer."

Mochi's gaze lands on me briefly, showing zero interest. Just his presence exudes raw, intimidating power, like a guy who could break someone in half with one hand.

Finally, Rindou stops by Sanzu, who, unfortunately, I already know too well. Leaning against a window, he's twirling a Beretta in his fingers, a sadistic grin on his face.

"And here's our dear Sanzu, Mikey's right-hand man. Don't stare into his eyes for too long; it's bad luck."

"Go fuck yourself, Rindou," Sanzu growls.

Our eyes meet, and a shiver runs down my spine.

Rindou leads us toward Ran, who's chatting with a model-looking brunette. They're seated on a U-shaped couch around a glass coffee table, with a few drinks and a half-empty bottle of whiskey. Ran is at the center, relaxed, his hand resting on the brunette's thigh. Sanzu follows close, his weapon still in hand, his cold stare fixed on me, savoring every reaction.

"And last but not least, the Haitani brothers, the hottest guys on the team. We take care of the clubs, among other things," Rindou says proudly, slinging his arm around his brother's shoulders.

"So, if you wanna have a good time, we're your guys, babe."

"You say that like she's gonna stick around for long," Sanzu adds coldly.

The brunette eyes me up and down, her gaze full of judgment and disdain.

"Who's she?" she asks, her voice sharp.

"Mikey's girl," Rindou declares with a smug grin.

"I'm not his girl."

"She's not his girl," Sanzu confirms, his cold gaze pinned on me. His disdain for me is unmistakable.

"Then what are you to him?" a new voice chimes in. I turn to see a tall guy with half-bleached hair. He sits down next to Sanzu.

"Just what we were missing. Hanma, the last exec of Bonten," Rindou says, introducing him.

Hanma fixes me with a cocky smile, takes a drag from his cigarette, and blows the smoke in my direction, pure provocation. Mikey's words echo in my head, and my chest tightens.

I hold his gaze. "I'm nothing to Mikey."

"Come on, you don't even buy that yourself," he chuckles, his smile widening.

I shoot him a glare, which he returns with a challenging grin.

"You must really hate Atsushi for dragging you into this shit," he sneers, fishing for a reaction.

"This is all your fault," I snap.

"Our fault?" He snickers, his laugh dripping with scorn. "He wanted to play with people bigger than him. He's the only one responsible for what's happening to him."

"You must have forced him. He had cut ties with all this."

Sanzu lets out a cruel laugh, while Hanma keeps smiling, completely unfazed.

"You're an idiot if you believed that," Sanzu says, his piercing eyes locked on me.

Rindou drops a tray filled with shots in front of us.

"Let's skip the whole love, power, and betrayal soap opera! Time to get the party started."

"To Bonten!" the brunette shouts, raising her glass. The others join in chorus, "To Bonten!"

Rindou offers me a glass, but I shake my head.

"She's such a buzzkill. Why'd you even bring her?" the girl asks Rindou.

He shrugs. "Thought it'd be funny to see her here, like Bambi among wolves."

"Let me be the hunter; I'll shoot Bambi down in two minutes," Sanzu sneers, twirling his Beretta in his fingers.

Everyone bursts into laughter—except me, obviously.

"We're just messin' with ya, sweetheart. He wouldn't do anything without Mikey's go-ahead," Ran adds nonchalantly.

Suddenly, the conversations around us stop. The music fades, and all eyes turn to the entrance. Mikey appears, shrouded in an ominous aura. His empty gaze sweeps the room.

For just a moment, when his eyes land on me, there's a flicker in his gaze. But it disappears just as quickly, replaced by an inscrutable, dark expression.

He approaches us, his face set.

"What the hell is she doing here?" he asks in a cold voice.