High & Low Finale

20th Act: The funeral

The next morning was finally there. It was raining without stop. The sky had a dark grey color. The sun was hidden behind dim and shady clouds. And although it was morning, everything looked so dull and foggy. Everything was set for Yusuke's wife's funeral. The wake, the burial in a family grave, and periodic memorial service. Everything was ready. The authorities were informed, and a death certificate was issued. Every friend and relative were notified by the family. (Mostly by Tetsu ((Gokusen Tetsu)) and Minoru). Cobra did also informed, Yamato and the four SWORD leaders. Not only about the funeral. But mostly about the accident; if an accident you would call it.

The funeral was organized faster than usually. First, because of Yuki. Secondly, because that night Kuroda-san and Sawada concluded that the hit and run accident. It wasn't an accident at all. They were afraid, there was more to come. And they wanted everything to be settled. Oedo, SWORD and the Amamiya Brothers were all on guard.

The previous night after the accident happened. After Yusuke's wife died, they held the tsuya (wake). All funeral guests wore black: men wore black suits with white shirts and black ties. Women wore black dresses or black kimonos. That night, until the morning everyone gathered there. There was everyone from the Oedo family. Old clan members, new ones, anyone that was connected to Kuroda-san. There was Shin's friend, from Kumai, Noda, and the rest. Yankumi's students were also there. Her first student to the last. (The only one missing was Yanbuki, and Shin's sister. Those two were in New York. Of course, they were also informed. But it would take them more than a day to return to Tokyo. Hayato, Natsumi and their daughter were already on a plane.) There were also Yusuke's friends, and students. Ryusuke was also there, with Kira's working buddies. The four SWORD leaders, most of Hoodlum Squad members, Naomi, and the Amamiya Brothers did arrive last. The only ones missing were Cobra and Kira.

The stench of blood was fresh as it dripped onto the ground from Yusuke's wife's body and Yuki's. That smell and the image haunted Kira's mind. It didn't matter how fast she ran that night. She shivered with the eeriness of it, or perhaps it was the cold and the rain which must have to hover her. It was never supposed to get this bad. Why did it get so bad? She wondered around the streets for hours. But nothing change, her terror was still the same. The pain just too much to take. Too much to express.

Cobra wasn't much different. The rain and the cold did already do their harm. He was almost frozen as he was looking for Kira for hours. And the death of Yusuke's wife or Yuki's critical condition didn't make it any easier. But he could control his emotions. He didn't lose himself. He was stronger than he used to be. But he knew Kira wasn't. He looked for her at Shin's old house. He went back to the Oedo family home. He called anyone he could think of, even Ryusuke. But Kira was nowhere to be seen. Finally, it hit him. Maybe he is at Naomi's or somewhere in Sannoh district. He drove there as fast as he could. At Itokan Diner she wasn't, neither at Bar Odake or his room.

After a while, he spotted her at the end of the Sannoh district. She was sitting at the end of the street, leaning against an old wall. Her clothes were all wet, filled with mud and ripped. Her make up, worn off. He couldn't tell if it was from the rain or her tears. Last, but not least, it was her facial expression. She looked like she had lost her spirit. Like she was still falling in that abyss. Cobra turned his bike off. He climbed off his bike and strode was she was. He grabbed her from her arm and lifted her up, crushing her against the wall rough.

"Oi, Punk! What are you doing?" he yelled glaring at her with a deadly gaze. In all his life, he was never worried so much. Kira wasn't just devastated, sad or angry. She was something worse. And that was killing him inside. He didn't know how or what he had to do. But he would kick her back to reality if he had to.

Kira didn't react when her back hit against the wall. It was like she couldn't feel anything. She glanced at Cobra, with a dark gaze. "It's my fault!" she mumbled.