Have A Heart (Food Wars! Mafia AU)

Chapter Eight: Isami-Sama

'Why the hell am I feeling flustered? It's not like I said anything wrong.' Tightening my grip on the steering wheel at the sudden awkwardness, I could feel my face warm up in embarrassment. 'Why am I getting embarrassed over something like this? Don't friends normally compliment each other?' 
Pulling into the side of her apartment building, Tachi-san suddenly stuttered. "Th-thank you, I-Isami-san." Turning to look at her, she practically refused to look me in the eye as she unbuckled her seatbelt. 
'Does she not like compliments? Is that why everything's so quiet?' Pouting unsure, I called out for her just before Tachi-san opened the door. "Here's my number, call me if anything happens, or comes up alright?" Covering her face with her hair, she nodded before taking the business card from my hand, quickly leaving through the gate. 
Pushing the button to roll the window up, I smacked my head against the wheel. 
"What the hell is wrong with me? I should've just kept my mouth shut if I had known she didn't like compliments." Sighing, my phone suddenly pinged. 
Checking what it was, I had a text message from an unknown number. 
"Are you still at the gate? -Bana-chan." 
Releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I replied back. 
. 
< 
Me: Yes, why? 
Tachi-San: Don't leave yet. 
Me: Okay? But why? 
> 
.  
Raising my brow curiously, Tachi-san didn't reply after that. About to put my phone away, I got a sudden call from Kabutoyama-san and answered it. "What is it?" 
"Isami-sama, the bomb placed under Ambrosia-Don's car has been removed. We are going through the security tapes to see who it was that put it there." 
Feeling my blood boil, I clenched the steering wheel tightly. "Check every inch of that car. I want you to search inside and out for anything else that may have been tampered with." 
"Understood Isami-sama." Hanging up the phone, I scowled at nothing in particular, only really calming down once Tachi-san knocked on the window. 
Unlocking the door, she sat on the chair with a first aid kit, a water bottle and a washcloth. Raising my brow confused at her, she gave me a stern look as she took her hand out. "Hands." 
Giving her both my hands when she ordered me to, I stared at her cleaning before bandaging my hands when a thought suddenly came to mind. 'I don't want you to be the next Don.' Where is this coming from? 'Damnit. Itsuki-sama's words got in my head. I'm sure she has to take the title, whether she wants to or not, it's not up for debate.' 
Looking up at me with angry puffed cheeks, I couldn't help but chuckle. "This isn't funny! Were you even listening to a word I was saying?" 
"Not really, I was lost in thought." Grinning at her, she took me by surprise and had flicked my forehead with a huff, frowning as I rubbed the spot. 
"Forget it. Make sure you take care of your hands, and thank you again for the ride home." Giving me a sheepish smirk, I grinned back at her. 
"Any time, be safe Tachi-san." 
"Drive safe, Isami-san." Giggling as she took her first aid kit and other stuff, she closed the car door and headed back up to her apartment slightly limping. 
. 
. 
Entering the mansion after parking, everyone looked nervous as I walked by. "Isami-sama!" Turning my head, several men and a woman bowed before speaking. "Isami-sama, it's the man we've been questioning." 
"Did he die?" Shaking their heads, I wasn't really in a good mood. "Then what about him?" 
"W-well, we had Aldini-Don come talk to him as you said, b-but..." 
"He refused to cooperate. Even with the Don in front of him he said he would only talk to you, even after all the beatings we gave him." 
'Persistent bastard, isn't he?' Sighing, I walked up to my room as I shouted. "I'll be down in a bit, don't touch him." Closing the door behind me as I heard their "yes, Isami-sama!" salute. Taking my suit jacket off and putting it on a chair, I sighed when I noticed someone on my balcony. Walking up to the person ready to fight, instead I smiled. "Niisan! What are you doing here?" 
Giving me a side grin, I leaned over the railing as he did the same. "You have a better view of the forest, plus I was waiting for you." 
"Waiting for me? If it's about the person that refuses to talk, don't worry. I'll be heading down soon." 
"I trust that you'll take care of it, but that wasn't the reason." Putting his arm around me, he smirked playfully. "When are you going to have a girlfriend? Do you have someone you like at least? Mom's been pestering me about this whenever she calls from home." Hearing him say that, my eyes widen as my face felt warm. "You do have someone! Who is it? tell me!" 
Laughing at my blushing face, I stammered. "I-it's not l-like that Niisan!" Covering my face with my hands, Takumi-nii kept laughing as he poked me. 
"Kehe how's it feel to get teased? Feels pretty bad right? Right?" 
"Ta~ku~mi~!" Getting a ping on my phone, I took it out and before I could do anything, Takumi-nii snatched my phone. "Niisan! Wait!" Getting flustered when I saw who texted me, I tried to take the phone back when Takumi-nii locked me outside. "Niisan! Unlock the door, and let me in!" 
"Ho~h? Look at you giving me an order." Smirking, he held the phone up to the glass door. "This person must be pretty important." 
"Niisan please! She is important, but it's not what you thi--oi!! Stop ignoring me!" Cleaning his ear out with his pinky, he turned his back to me as he went through our messages. 
"Ooo~h I~sami~. You were driving and texting? That's very unlike you." 
Sulking, I gave up and sat against the door. Takumi-nii reading everything out loud in weird voices; pretending to be me and Tachi-san all the while I blushed furiously. 
" 'Is your hand okay? The bandages aren't too tight, are they? 
'No. They're perfect, thank you Tachi-san. You really didn't have to do that. 
'I didn't have to but I did. That's what friends do. 
'Oh? Are we now? 
'You're the one who keeps persisting." Hearing the door unlock once he was finished embarrassing me, I felt mortified. My hands were covering my face but even when Takumi-nii sat next to me laughing, I couldn't bring myself to look up. 
"I didn't reply to her or anything, here." Placing the phone next to me, I still couldn't uncover my face. "So her names Tachi-san? Who is she?" 
. 
"S-she's a resident doctor." I muttered, crossing my arms over my legs and keeping my head down. "She's intimidating, sassy, ill-tempered and sarcastic." 
"Um...Isami?" 
"But she's the most kind-hearted, selfless, carefree and beautiful person I've ever met." Letting the word "beautiful" slip out again, Takumi-nii punched my arm lightly. 
"Damn, you're crushing really hard on her. Is she a civilian? An undercover member? A princess or leader?" 
Lifting my head up, I sighed heavily as I stared out into the balcony, the nice breeze passing us by on this semi-hot day. "You know her too." 
"Hm? I do?" Thinking about it for a moment, I could see the gears turning in his head as he let out a gasp. "Y-you like Ambrosia-Don?!" 
Covering my face with my hands again, I shouted out. "This is so embarrassing!" 
"Dude, you just met her like two days ago!" 
"I know!" 
"How could you have a crush this fast?!" 
Groaning aloud, I scratched the hell out of my head in frustration. "I don't know! I wasn't even thinking about it! Not until you brought up that damn topic!" 
Patting my back unsure what to do, I glared at him for his comment. "Look on the Brightside, at least you made marrying her an easier decision. Go get her champ." 
Rolling my eyes, I banged my head against the glass door lightly. "I hate this, this is so stupid. She probably doesn't even like me back." 
"Oi! Quit bringing yourself down. Any smart woman would pay more attention to these." He pointed at my chest where my heart was and also my head, meaning my brain. "Rather than this." Looking at him with a "really dude?" expression as he used his hands to move all around my face. I understood where he was coming from, but it didn't make me feel any better. Sighing, I stood up and patted the dust off me, helping Takumi-nii up in the process. 
"Anyways, I'm going to change and see what's keeping this guys mouth shut, I'll let you know what comes up." Agreeing with me, he left but not before teasing me again as he walked out. 
. 
Changing into a burgundy dress shirt and black slacks, I put my brown dress shoes on after washing the gel out my hair, heading downstairs after looking in the mirror for a final check. "Buon pomeriggio, signore Isami." A maid bowed with a smile before going back to her daily chorus. 
Nodding at the woman in acknowledgement, I put my hands in my pockets as the men and woman from before patiently waited for me, opening the door to our dungeon. 
Okay, so it's not really a dungeon. It's more so a large basement, but you get the idea. 
Walking up to the man strapped to the chair, he seemed to be unconscious. "Acqua, adesso." Rushing over to me with two filled buckets, I grabbed one of them before throwing the water onto the man; startling himself awake. "Good. You're up." 
Smiling at the guy as if I saw an old friend, I ordered someone to bring me a washcloth. Using said washcloth to wipe the blood off the persons face. "Th-thank you?" 
"You're welcome!" Seeing him eye me while I was still smiling, he cautiously asked if I was Isami-sama. "Hhmm, am I Isami?" Looking away pretending to think about it, I looked back at him with a nod. "Of course I am." At the confirmation, he seemed to have stiffened even more. After I finished cleaning his face, my smile grew a bit. "There you go, now I get to put a face to the thorn in my side." Chuckling darkly, the man widen his eyes in shock. 
"Isami-sama..." Watching him bow the only thing he could move, I titled my own head confused just before the man looked me in the eyes. "I have a message for you." 
"What? Is that all? If it's a message you could've relayed it to anyone else, instead you went through massive beatings just to deliver whatever it is?" Silence. Sighing as I got up, I gripped his Adams Apple tightly as I glared bored at him. "Now you're just wasting my time. If a cats got your tongue, then you're useless to me alive." Releasing him when my phone ranged, he began throwing a coughing fit as I saw it was Kabutoyama-san. Turning my body around as I answered. "I'm busy, this better be important." 
"I-Isami-sama, the one who planted the bomb was the same man who attacked Ambrosia-Don, he planted the bomb the day after you had sent her home." Raising a brow at this, I felt my anger starting to rise but I knew I needed to stay calm. "We've identified him as Eishi Tsukasa, he's twenty-five years old and was an assassin for hire but is currently working for Azami." 
"Anything else." I could hear him gulp at my sudden tone of voice. 
"Y-yes Isami-sama. When we stopped the video to see his face, he was staring at the camera smiling, like he knew he would get caught." Hanging up, I closed my eyes and started to think, trying to keep my breathing steady. 
"Qualcuno lo ha cercato?" 
(A/N: Did anyone search him?) 
"S-Sì signore, lo abbiamo controllato mentre andavamo qui. È pulito." Clenching my hand into a fist, I turned around when I heard this bastard start to laugh. 
(A/N: Y-Yes sir, we checked him on our way here. He's clean.) 
"What's so funny?" 
"You." Looking up at me, I could tell his demeanor had changed. "The message I was suppose to relay to you was this; "no one can protect the Dupont's Don, Isami Aldini. And you being the president of the hospital won't change anything within its walls. Ambrosia Tachibana will be another unfortunate incident, in order to grow my empire'." After he was done saying his message, I snapped. 
Pushing and leaving his head in the second bucket of water for two and a half minutes, I proceeded to beat him. After that, I don't exactly remember what happened--only that I barely stopped myself when I saw the grin on his face finally disappearing. Inhaling a large breath, I breathed out looking at the ceiling. "Kill him." 
Turning around, I took the washcloth from earlier to wipe the blood off my hands. "I-Isami-sama? But what about que--?" 
"He withstood numerous beatings from my best men. All to relay this fucking message." Turning my head at the female who tried to speak up, she flinched at my glare. "He has no further use so kill him." 
"Y-yes Isami-sama." Bowing deeply at me, I threw the washcloth on the unconscious body, walking away slowly as I spoke. 
"I want you to pull out his eyes, and stuff them in his throat. Make sure you cut all but his middle fingers off and deliver the dead bastard to Azami, when you find out where he is through Kuga-san. Make sure to send one finger each week as a fucking reminder. Azami just declared war on the Aldini and Dupont Mafia. So wars what we're gonna give him." 
"Yes, Isami-sama!!" Everyone saluted in unison just before I slammed the door behind me, unsatisfied when the barrel of a gun erupted faintly throughout the hallway. 
. 
Changing out of my work clothes into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, I stared up at the ceiling of my room after laying on the bed; covering my eyes with my arm as I cursed under my breath for not keeping my anger in check. "Isami?" Hearing Takumi-nii knock on the door, he let himself in and sat on my bed after closing the door. "Hey, don't let that bastard get to you, okay?" 
"But what if he's right? What if we can't protect Ambrosia-Don." Hitting me down below with one of my pillows, I let out an indescribable groan. 
"Oi! That bastard doesn't know what he's talking about. You have security detail around her, twenty-four-seven, and you even told me there's people specifically stationed to protect her within the hospital. Not to mention you said she's friends with Erina Nakiri, princess to the Nakiri Mafia; it's an almost guaranteed fact that the Nakiri family is protecting her without realizing who she really is." 
Holding onto my privates as I took a fetal position, Takumi-nii patted my back comfortly. 
"You're keeping in check with everything, so like I said, don't let that bastard get you down because he doesn't know what he's talking about." 
Taking a moment for the pain to lessen, I sighed and sat up next to Takumi-nii. "I guess you're right...do you think we should tell the Nakiri family? To try and start an alliance with them since they shunned Azami?" 
Humming in thought, Takumi-nii held his chin. "Perhaps, though I'm not sure how it'll go down." 
"Well you know I'll always have your back and protect you." 
Throwing his arm around my neck tightly, he held me in a chokehold as I struggled to get out of his grip. "Oi, just because I'm the Don doesn't mean you get to treat me any differently when we're alone. We're brothers, not just Don and bodyguard. Our brotherly bond actually means something." 
Is he waiting until I fall unconscious?! "Okay, okay! I get it! Can't...breathe." Releasing me, I glared at him after I was done throwing a coughing fit. 
"I'll go to the hospital and look for Erina-hime, maybe she'll be willing to give a meeting?" 
"One can only hope Niisan, she has a pretty bad temper." 
"Is she worse than Ambrosia-Don?" 
Scoffing almost like a reaction, I wasn't too sure. "I don't know, I do know that Ambrosia-Don gets more stubborn when she has a bad temper." 
"A~w~ look at you talking about your crush. I'm sure if I told mother, you could hear the wedding bells." 
Groaning annoyed, I hit him upside the face with a pillow. "Don't you dare! It's not even official!" Laughing through it all, Takumi-nii kept teasing me before leaving the room, saying how since his work here was done, he's heading to the hospital. Rolling my eyes, I caught myself in the mirror and sat in front of it, clenching my sleeves tightly as I gave myself a hug. 
. 
A dark chuckle erupted through the room, causing chills to run down the back of my neck. "You look so pitiful, are you sure you're really me?" 
Glaring at the reflection that had a sickening smile, my apathetic frown deepened as I blankly glared. "Leave me alone Imasi." 
"A~w, why the cold shoulder? I'm just stating the obvious." 
"Stating what? You aren't even real, just a figment of my imagination." 
"Then why am I still here, hm? It's because you want me to stay." 
"Shut up." 
"You want me to tell you how much of a piece of shit and good for nothing you really are." 
"I said shut up." Feeling my anger building up to it's boiling point, I dug my nails into my arms. 
"Well it's not like you don't already know that, after all, I am what you think of yourself." 
"Get the fuck out!!" Shouting as I clenched my head, I heard a knock on the door and ordered the person to be dismissed without an explanation. Locking the door, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around, glaring at the illusion in front of me. 
"Come now Senpai! What? Just because you're starting to like someone, everything will suddenly change?" Gripping my chin, the soulless blue eyes with black sclerae narrowed down at me. "You're nothing compared to your brother. Brotherly bond? What kind of crap was he spewing, I almost gagged at him." Pushing past the illusion I named Imasi a while back, I kept telling myself that this thing wasn't really here as I stepped outside, sliding down the brick wall as I felt my heartbeat racing with adrenaline. "You know damn well he's only pitying you because you're his brother. But, did you really think Tachi-san would ever pick you over him? I know you know she's around you because you weren't caring for her, but rather, making sure she's still in the dark. Do you honestly believe she'll stay when she finds out that you've lied to her?" 
"I haven't lied to her so far, at least nothing big." I murmured while pressing my palms against the back of my head, trying to do breathing exercises when Imasi--no, this illusion, sat next to me and threw his arm around my neck like what Takumi-nii did earlier. 
"Haven't lied? Right, I guess not. But you haven't been truthful to her either. She's a Don, Senpai, and not just any Don. She's supposed to claim her title and yet what are you doing? Nothing but being a wuss about it." 
"I'm not being a wuss, I'm slowly transitioning her into this life." 
"Don't make me laugh! Now you're just making excuses, Nuntius."
Deeply scratching my head slowly, breathing wasn't working to calm me down. And this asshole using the nickname I had earned didn't help in the slightest. "I'm not making excuses, it's the truth." Why am I still encouraging this figment of my imagination?
"Right, well you wanna hear my truth?" I stayed quiet as I could feel myself panicking little by little as I tried further to stay calm, but could feel my head spinning and breathing getting shallow. "You are just a waste of space. Your only purpose is to live, and die protecting the Don's. No one really cares about you, sure they'll smile and listen to whatever you say, but it's not because you have control nor is it respect. It's because you're their Don's brother, so they have to listen too whatever you say." Sniffling as I huffed quickly, my hands found their way towards my ears, but the bastards voice still ranged clear as day. "But do you know the real reason why that is? It's that you're not good enough. Not for your family, not for Tachi-san, hell not even for yourself! And you never will be, because you're just simply last place compared to everyone else." Watching him stand, I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks as I bit my lower lip. "Oi, oi, Senpai. You know what you should do to make it up to everyone?" Staring at the illusion in front of me give a sinister grin as he stood on the ledge of the balcony. "You should do everyone a favor, and die. Take a look! it's really simple, and even then no one would notice till much, much later." Spreading his arms out, he pushed himself back and disappeared after a moment.
.
Hugging myself tightly, I didn't want to give in. I couldn't give in. Not now at least. Not when war has already started.
Muffling my screams against my arms, why am I so fucking useless? Staring up at the sky as the sun began setting, I wiped my face of the dry tears before pushing myself off and towards the ledge.
Gazing down apathetically at the patch of grass below, I stared a little longer than I had liked as my mind contemplated on that Bastard's suggestion for a quick second. Scoffing a chuckle exhausted, I pounded my already bruised fist hard against the marble ledge, and withstood the pain in a desperate attempt to make me feel something other than what I was feeling before. Releasing a shaky breath, I put my hands in my pocket after grabbing my phone as I left my room and down the stairs.
"Isami-sama? Is everything alright, I heard a shout earlier?"
Weakly smiling at an employee, I nodded. "I was on the phone with someone. I'm going for a walk, I won't be long." Nodding in concern, I grabbed my wallet as I made my way out the door.
.
.
Mindlessly walking around, I'd sigh and applied pressure to my sore hand when negative thoughts arose. 'I need to stop. I know none of this is true and it's all just in my head...but what if--.' Shaking my head, I need to stop thinking like this. 'I need to get my mind out of the gutter, and prepare for war.' Bumping into someone, I apologized and walked away when the person called for me.
Turning around to see the person smiling at me as they walked closer, I raised a brow at them. "You're Isami-san, right? Funny running into you here."
Tilting my head a bit confused, only taking in her appearance did I remember. "Ah, you're Tachi-san's cousin. Hello again." Bowing my head in acknowledgment to her.
Taking her hand out, she asked me to shake it while I raised a brow suspiciously again. "It's not like my hands gonna bite you." Reluctantly shaking her hand with my non-bruised hand after a moment, she wasn't even trying to hide that she checked me out. "You look like a normal person in those clothes. I was told by a friend that you're Tōtsuki's new president, is it true?" Nodding unsure where she's going with this, she crossed her arms as she huffed. "So...why's a guy like you, hanging around my cousin?"
"I told you before I'm her friend, is that so hard to believe?"
"Are you sure that's all?" Looking at her curiously, what did she mean by that?
'Does she know something? No it's impossible. Itsuki-sama said Tachi-san didn't know anything, and that her cousin is only half-aware. Which means she either doesn't know much or anything at all about the Families.' Nodding, I pouted my lips to seem a bit innocent and clueless. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just weird to me. My cousin doesn't normally let people get close to her, so I have a hard time believing you is all."
"Well we did have a rough start, but we eventually got to know one another." 
. 
Stepping closer in front of me, she glared intensely as she poked my chest. "If you do anything that'll hurt my cousin, I'll pulverize you. Got it?" Smiling in response to her "intimidating" smile, I let out a faint chuckle as I remembered my first interaction with Tachi-san. "Hm? Why are you laughing, did I say something funny."
Tachi-san's intimidating smile, had actually made me feel a bit frighten, which is rare.
"You weren't this overprotective earlier. If anything, you seemed more annoyed at Tachi-san."
"I was annoyed because I was worried, that's just how I am." Crossing her arms again, she pouted childishly.
"Right, well have a good night."
"Do you live close by? I could give you a ride home, this part of town isn't the best after dark." 
Waving her off with my bruised hand at her suggestion, I turned around. "Nah, it's fine. I like taking walks. Besides, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Taking a few steps ahead when I stopped but didn't turn around. "Tell Tachi-san to get some rest with the rest of her days off, and that she should stay off her ankle for a while too." Scratching the back of my head with the bruised hand embarrassed, I walked rather slowly as Yuki-san continued to talk to me.
"You should take care of your hand, it looks really bad all purple and blue like that." Walking away this time for sure, not a word left my mouth as I mindlessly walked around again. "Goodnight the~n!" Faintly hearing Yuki-san shout, I turned a corner after a moment when the back of my neck hairs stood.
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Posted: 11/18/19
Last Edit: 6/28/21