Yakuza!!!

Chapter 18

In the pov of Mei

I sighed while leaning on the VIP ward counter and went through the patient files.

Ever since yesterday, my heart has been a little unsteady. I wonder if I'm getting sick. I've been under a lot of stress lately, after all.

There have been many brutal surgeries, and then there has been the thing with Yamaguchi. So what am I supposed to do about it? It doesn't seem like he will let me go, but he hasn't been that mean lately either.

He's actually been quite nice and easy to depend on. 

I sighed and shook my head around.

Calm it, Mei! You have no reason to depend on him or anyone. You are independent and strong, just like your parents wanted you to be. So please don't ruin it now. Remember what you promised.

I won't be dependent. I won't get married. I won't fall in love. 

That's what I promised my mother. I won't break that promise.

"Mei? Is everything alright? You seem a little out of it." I turned around and heard the kind voice from behind me and saw Yui sitting in a wheelchair and smiling at me.

She was wearing blue hospital pajamas, and she had the iv tip still on her hand, but her complexion looked a lot better.

"Just thinking something. You going somewhere?" I shook it off and smiled at her.

"I was going to the cafeteria. You have time?" I looked at her surprised as she asked and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm on my break right now." She smiled brighter as I told her that and grasped my hand.

"Then accompany me. I have wanted to talk to you more." I nodded and helped her to move by pushing the wheelchair.

"To the cafeteria then." I smiled at her and pushed the chair towards the elevator.

After we arrived at the cafeteria, I got us some coffee and muffins and led us to a table.

I helped with the chair, and she sighed, seeming a little annoyed.

"I hate this chair. I have to be so dependent and ask for help from others. I'm not too fond of it. The only person I want to accept help from is my nonexistent fiancé." She sighed loudly and slumped her shoulders a little.

I looked at her curiously.

"You want to get married?" She shook her head.

"No, not really. I just want someone to call special—someone who treasures me. Father has, of course, asked about arranging a fiancé, but I'm not into that. So instead, I want to choose my partner myself. I, however, think I'm too young to get married." I nodded my head at her.

"It's like that, isn't it. You are supposed to be able to pick yourself if you even want to get married." She looked at me, surprised as I was so enthusiastic.

"You sound like you had an arranged marriage." I blushed slightly, and she looked at me, shocked.

"You had? Really? Who?" I shook my head.

"It's not exactly an arranged marriage, but it's the same in the aspect that I don't want to marry him." She stared at me.

"Is he forcing a marriage? Who is that douchebag." I smiled a little awkwardly.

"He's not forcing me exactly either. He's just not allowing me to be with anyone else either." She looked slightly confused.

"If he's not forcing you, then why don't you just leave?" I sighed.

"I would if I could trust me. He's not someone you get away from." She looked at me now, slightly scared.

"Who did you fascinate that badly?" I sighed and looked at her, defeated.

"I... His name is Yamaguchi Rei. He's the current leader of the yakuza." Her eyes widened as I told her, and she raised her hand to her mouth in shock.

"That Yamaguchi Rei. The man that every girl in this country yawns for, but nobody has gotten close to. That ice-cold man who has apparently never loved and has killed hundreds of men? He's so entranced with you that he won't let you leave his side? How did that happen?" I sighed and started telling her from the beginning.

I told her everything, and she just sat still and listened intently in silence until I stopped talking.

"I see now. You saved his life, and he now sees you as someone special because of that. It might be because he isn't used to receiving care as he has to always be wary of enemies." 

I sighed.

"He told me he likes me because I'm the first one to show him actual care and the first one who is worried about his health and treats him normally and not like a yakuza leader." She muttered, her lips a little.

"Well, he seems to have legit reasons to like you. He's just doing it wrong. Well, how do you feel about him? That's the thing that matters, right?" I stared at her.

Now that she mentioned it. How do I feel about him nowadays?

"Well, I don't hate him anymore, but I don't like him like that either. I don't."

Right?

"Well, as long as he doesn't force you to do anything, can't you just consider it a job. You get paid for it, and he gives you a place to stay. He also looks after your parents no matter what he says about it. It is the truth, however, that you aren't his fiancée until you say you are." I nodded.

"Well, I guess. He might get tired of me too and let me go." She smiled.

"Yep, and if you end up falling for him, it can't be that bad. He protects you, gives you expensive clothes, and feeds you expensive foods. You would get an extravagant wedding, and you could live in luxury." I shook my head.

"I don't want to live like that. Dependent on someone like a husband. I'm content as a single." She raised her eyebrows.

"You know, getting married doesn't mean you need to be dependent. You can be an independent married lady." I shook my head.

"I don't have anything against marriage, but it hasn't brought anything good to my family. If only my mother hadn't remarried and had just dated, we wouldn't have suffered so bad. Marriage ties people together for life, and you need to carry the other person's burdens as well as your own for the rest of your life. I can't see the shine in that." 

Yui scratched her head and sighed.

"If you think like that, I can't say anything. I hope, however, that you can find happiness." She seemed so profound, so I just burst out laughing.

"Don't worry about that. I'm plenty happy." She smiled at me.

"Well, that's good. Can you help me back to my room? Your break is ending soon, right?" I sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. I'll help you back up." So I went to take away the plates and helped her back to the elevator and up to the ward.