Ohayou Gozaimasu

Chapter VII

(Thank you all for your patience and support! This chapter focuses on information from Junko and Ryoko's past, although center's on Ryoko's a bit more. I hope you enjoy, and once again, thank you all so much for everything!)

Chapter VII: Echo

Ryoko's eyes widened and her body cringed as if the very words had impaled her. Kazuka kept a serious expression while Junko appeared for a moment like she was about to be sick. Once a vicious yakuza boss set their eyes on something, whether person or inanimate object, they would always manage to attain it one way or another. But this, however was a much more surprising case, as the girls had been promised they would be left alone after Ryoko had nearly crushed his dominance in an infuriated act of defiance to keep Junko safe. It had been a risky move, but to Ryoko, it had been a taste of revenge...Revenge of what he had stolen from her. And she had not wanted Junko to be just another face ripped away from her... Not after everything they had done.

The dark haired beauty's fingers tensed into the emulation of another half-hearted fist. This time, Junko let her. The prominent head of the high school yakuza gang was looking for her. Kurazawa Keita was looking for her... That meant he was not... The thought of him churned a sick feeling in the pit of Junko's stomach, and she unconsciously reached out to cling to Ryoko's tensed arm. That boy was infatuated with Ryoko. Borderline obsessed. He had taken away so much from her to threaten her to keep her in the criminal yakuza group... Even the younger girl once, but Ryoko had come to her rescue on multiple occasions. Then they had run off together to be with each other, which they assumed would be the end of the yakuza madness. But Ryoko had never officially voiced her resignation. Needless, it probably would not have done much good even if she had. When a yakuza boss desired something, they would endeavor tirelessly to obtain it regardless of anything in their way. And that achingly sought for "something" was none other than the lovely brutish Inumori Ryoko. Though Ryoko was sure that they had--

It took every natural fiber of the older girl's subdued being not to punch the male again. Junko was not in any position to stop her anymore.

"I thought this was over." She snarled between gritted teeth. "I am done being a pawn. I—I thought I had--"

The blonde man ran a sullen hand through his hair, an apologetic glint in his shaded azure eyes. "Just because a player is out does not mean the game is necessarily over. Whether the other players are in unanimous agreement or not cannot prevent anything. Besides, you need to work on your aim a little better."

Ryoko could feel her lithe muscles tense underneath her flesh once more. She grabbed onto Junko's hand a bit too tightly to control herself. Junko swallowed a silent whimper. "Why Minato?"

"Like I said before, he is looking for you. He figured you would not have gone too far from Shibuya. And he sent Kabuto to track you two down after you ran off. It is chaos, Inumori-san, he has lost his mind with this. Except this time, he is furious."

Ryoko blinked and mulled over the information. She knew he would come looking for her Just like her and Junko's parents. She looked at her former blonde companion. He was fortunate it was raining at the moment and that it was at an early hour. While he had the slight appearance of a common cosplayer, he did hold an unshakable aura of suspicion that one could find ominous. A suspicious character indeed.

Yet the older girl's frustration was not directed entirely at him. It was shattered; concentrated highly among the recollected faces of the Kuro Inu yakuza members. They were all male; she having been the only female of the group. A few faded faces struck a chord of good terms here and there, but others burned her mouth with an overflow of acidic abhorrence. Only three, one including the male before her, stood on high terms. She had been their superior in the ranks. The other two pursued the blonde everywhere, as all three followed her. A pang of insecurity squeezed her being at the memory. If Kazuka was here, were the other two as well?