Yakuza!!!

Chapter 16

In the pov of Mei

Christmas is getting closer, and yesterday Yamaguchi-san ordered to decorate the house.

I helped, of course, as I had nothing else to do either, and so I was put to help Riri-san with the hallways decorations. 

We put up mistletoes and other decorations in silence, but I noticed she wasn't herself. She seemed restless. 

I simply minded my own business at first, handing her decorations to hang them to the ceiling. 

She, however, kept glancing at me.

She seemed like she wanted to ask me something, but she was disturbed by the others walking around the hallways cleaning and preparing. 

The house was surprisingly lively. Usually, it's quieter as most of the subordinates are working or hanging somewhere among themselves.

They rarely obstruct me.

I looked at Riri and sighed.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" She flinched but soon nodded.

"I thought miss might know." I tilted my head.

"Know what?" She looked away from my eyes but, in the end, fixated them on mine before asking.

"Do you know where Ken is? He was your bodyguard, right? He left for work a couple of weeks back, but he hasn't been back since. I'm worried about him, and I thought that as you are Yamaguchi-sama's fiancé to be, you would know. That he would have told you."

I stared at her. Now that I think about it. I haven't seen Ken ever since the number of my guards was raised. I had assumed he was put to other work.

What's going on?

"No. He hasn't told me anything, but I can ask him. I'm curious now as well." She bowed to me, sincerely smiling.

"Thank you! Thank you, Ichinose-sama!" I smiled a little awkwardly.

"Call me Mei, please. Being revered with sama feels weird." She nodded to me enthusiastically, and I smiled.

It's quite weird. I thought she was a little mean when I first met her, but she's really kind.

"Do you like Hakamada?" She blushed from head to toe, and I giggled.

She turned her head away a little and talked to me with a little bit of a pushed voice.

"I-I-It's n-not l-like that. I-I don't like him or anything." She was puffing her cheeks, and I smiled a little crookedly.

Whoa, a real-life tsundere. 

My thoughts melted my face into a smile.

"What about you? Do you like Yamaguchi-sama?" I almost coughed aloud and stared at her.

"No. I don't like that man." I could feel my face warming up a bit, and I frowned.

Why am I blushing because of that guy? We have indeed gotten closer due to me seeing him every day. I even find talking to him about my day rather nice, but there's no reason for me to like him.

He's just an idiot.

I looked at Riri and smiled.

"I'll go talk to Yamaguchi-san about Ken now. Can you handle the rest of these alone?"

She nodded, and I escaped the analyzing gaze of Riri.

This sucks. Why would I ever blush for him?