Yakuza!!!

Chapter 23

In the pov of Mei

I felt a feeling returning to my limbs. I, however, couldn't move. My eyes felt heavy, but I could move my lids. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around calmly, asserting the situation.

My hands were tied to a pole, and I was somewhere that looked like a cellar. 

It was dirty and dusty. There was this musty smell in the air. 

The room had nothing except me in it. It was empty and poorly kept, and the only light source was a small oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.

I tried struggling to free my hands but failed. I'm tied tight. 

I tried to look for anything sharp nearby, but the only thing around was the pole I was tied to.

I was still wearing my doctor's coat. It was dirty now, though.

The air was humid. I wonder if there's a body of water nearby? 

I closed my eyes and tried to listen closely to noises.

Apart from the humming of machines and the distant sound of cars driving past, I could hear light chattering.

I can't say what they are saying. They talked in Chinese, and I couldn't comprehend them because I didn't know the language.

Why was I taken? Is this revenge for helping Yamaguchi? Or are they planning on using me?

I felt cold sweat dripping down my back as I heard voices getting closer to me. I could now understand what they were talking about as they talked in Japanese.

"That woman should awaken at any moment now. After all, the drug should lose its effect." The guy talking had a deep male voice, and I recognized it. It was the guy from the parking lot.

"Yeah. I called the boss a while back. He should be here soon. He said we were under the radar and that she's searched already. It seems like the Yamaguchi has started moving seriously. The men under the current leader Yamaguchi Rei are employed, and the old leader's men who have sworn to fight for only him till he dies are moving. It seems like she's so important that even the previous generation leader is making his move. I can't see the current leader asking help from him, though."

Yamaguchi's father is? Why?

"You said it. They will also figure this place out soon as we freed that guy that was kept here. He will figure out that we are still at the caf. Because of this, we will change the location as soon as the boss arrives."

A man kept here? Can't it be Ken, right?

I heard a noise from the hallway. A door opened, and the men standing there froze in their place.

"Boss! She's over there."

I froze slightly. He's coming here. Should I pretend to be asleep? Or should I confront him? What are you supposed to do in this kind of situation?

I felt my hands shaking. 

That's weird. My hands have never shaken during surgery, and you would expect that to be more stressful. You are in charge of someone else's life, but now the only thing at stake is my own. Maybe that's why? When I'm doing surgery, I'm in charge. The operation room is my home field but here. I have no control over anything.

The door clicked open as the key turned in the lock, and the door creaked open. 

Everything from here happened so fast. 

The door opened, and a man stepped in. I'm so familiar with that man that it hurts to see him here. I had thought I knew him the best, but it turns out I knew nothing. There he was, looking at me with slightly distressed eyes. His hair and clothes were messy, and he seemed somewhat hunted.

I looked at him, eyes probably almost popping out of their sockets. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Chou was standing in front of me.

Not as my childhood friend, not as my best friend but as my kidnapper.

"Chou? What is this? Chou!" At first, it was a question, but then it formed into a scream.

He smiled slightly, looking at me with this weird look on his face. Look, I had never seen before. 

He dismissed the other two from the door and closed it. Then he walked to me and crouched in front of me. 

"I'm sorry, Meichi, for being so forceful in bringing you here. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. You were being held there, but you don't need to worry. I will take you away. Somewhere safe and nice. I'll make sure your parents will be well off too. Everything is going to get better soon."

He brushed his hand against my cheek and smiled. For a moment, I could see the little neighbor's kid. Well, I guess he never was a kid compared to me. He is older, after all. He just seemed younger.

"Chou. Are they forcing you to do this? To be a criminal? If so, I can help you." I was hoping maybe he really was forced, but I felt the last bits of hope being drained from me as he shook his head.

"I'm not being forced, Meichi. This is who I am. My father was the previous leader of the Chinese mafia. I told you I jumped to China to partake in his funeral. That's when I found out, and ever since, I have been their new leader, and I have worked to overthrow the Yakuza. I did all of it, Meichi. I shot that man planning to kill him, planning to kill him and freeing you and all of Japan from their rule of terror. You know people are suffering because of him. You suffered because of him. You if someone should understand."

This time it was my turn to shake my head. As I did, his expression got visibly angrier.

"Killing is not a solution, Chou. It never is." He looked furious, but I didn't flinch. It's just Chou. He wouldn't hurt me.

"He kills people, Meichi! Can't you see that? I'm simply doing what he does, or are you so blinded not to see that?" His hands were on my shoulders, and he was shouting at me. 

"I know he kills people. I know he has killed people and will kill people. I know he does, but I can't see him as evil Chou. He has most likely endured terrifying things that I can't even imagine. I can't even comprehend what he has experienced, but I don't think he is evil, and I don't think you are evil either. Just stop this." 

He looked hurt, and I felt my heart being torn.

"Are you that brainwashed by that man? Has he ruined my Meichi this badly? He can't get away with this. You are mine, not his. You are mine, right? You will come back to China with me, right? We will leave this hell hole of a country. I know you would love China. It's so beautiful. If you just say you will come with me without a fight now. I will forget everything you just said. I will even leave this country alone. Just say you will come with me."

He seemed maniac. His eye was twitching. I have never seen him like this before.

"I can't leave Chou. My family is here. My job is here. I'm not leaving." I looked up into his eyes, and he was glaring.

"I guess I was too generous. So I will take you with me, but as you aren't coming by yourself, I'll take that man down as I go, and I will use you as bait. So you will witness with your own eyes how he dies. That's just to make you see and understand. That you are mine and no one else's." 

He took a strand of my hair and kissed it, now looking completely crazy. All that I once knew was gone from his face.

"I can't wait to see your face. I bet it's beautiful even while frightened. I have never seen you frightened. I'm excited to see that, but till then, be a good girl and stay here, okay." He stood up, and my tensed-up body relaxed as he exited the room.

He intends to kill Yamaguchi. Well, he did shoot him once already. But I don't want him to die. The thought tore me up from inside. The idea of seeing his lifeless body on the ground terrified me. 

I felt a tear rolling down my cheek and laughed nervously.

I never guessed I would say this, but I care for him.

I'm in love with him.