Chapter Text
A low, content hum echoed in the office, mixed with the sound of shuffling papers and the clicks of the keyboard typing. Dark eyes glued on the laptop screen, reading up adequate reports and statistics regarding the company’s growth. Every once in a while he would flex his gloved hand or readjust the loose strands of hair that framed the side of his face. Whereas his eyes would occasionally glance either at the ring on his bare hand or at a single photo frame.
It’s only him and Xiao Qiao in the picture that was taken a few years ago, the two of them enjoying themselves warm takoyaki at a street vendor that his sister and her one-eyed husband were familiar with. The latter was the one who took the photo. Frankly speaking, Tachibana would decorate his desk with one or two more photographs, especially ones that included his husband and their 11 year old surrogate daughter, Haruka.
But alas, he had to restrain himself.
With his underlying reputation as the ‘Real Estate Broker in the Shadows’ since the 80s and Kazuma’s Dragon of Dojima fame, he’d rather keep their privacy in the dark in case of future guests and unwanted strangers. Tachibana looked down at his wrist watch, it’s past five. His beloved and Haruka should be home, preparing dinner together and he found himself smiling, quietly looking forward to it. His idle thoughts were then interrupted by the shrill ring of his desk phone.
He clicked on the receiver button, “good afternoon, Tachibana speaking.”
“Good afternoon to you too, President.” One Inamori Sachiko’s curt voice muffled through the speaker, “Shiraishi-san is coming in soon with the reports.”
Tachibana’s smile perked up at the mention of his chief operating officer “alright, let her in.”
Within seconds, there was a polite knock on the door before it opened, entering Marina and her ever-cheerful self.
“Good afternoon, Mr. President! Taking it easy after the board meeting earlier?” She greeted with a boisterous grin and took a seat opposite him.
“Afternoon, Marina-san.” Tachibana greeted warmly. He adjusted in his seat and let out a sigh. “Why of course. I do appreciate the team’s support, including yourself in appeasing our ever-demanding shareholders. By the way, how is Katsu faring?”
“Poor thing had to take a nap.” Marina gave a sympathetic smile before adding, “hopefully she’ll get used to it like Nugget. Although I hope I’m not pushing her too much...”
“Yes, I’m aware Nugget had been one of our most prominent figures for a long time, thus the burden Katsu has to bear along with her other siblings. Still, I’m confident that she can catch up to her mother in no time.” Tachibana assured her as he took the small stack of documents from Marina’s hand.
Speaking of, the legendary chicken herself has retired (miraculously at such a long age) and is now aiding the management over at Sunflower Orphanage where both the staff (especially the Headmistress, Tamashiro) and the children adore her together with Pochitaro, who also served as a their companion. Marina gave him a moment to read up on the latest reports before quietly asking, “if you mind me asking...how’s Kiryu-kun and Haruka-chan been doing lately?”
Tachibana blinked, looking up from the documents. He tilted his head in confusion, “didn’t you meet him in cooking class last weekend?”
Her eyebrows knitted with concern. “I know but...I just realized it’s been a few months since the whole thing with the Jingweon Mafia.”
Ah. Despite retiring from the police force a few decades ago, Marina still kept a keen lookout for any cases and crimes in Kamuro. Tachibana lowered the papers and leaned back in his chair to ponder over his response.
“Hmm, for starters, Haruka has been doing very well at school grade-wise. She’s also been sharing with us how her classmates started their own little kick-the-can tournament.”
“Oh?” Marina perked up at this, curious. “Dare I ask if they have their own high score ranking?”
Tachibana chuckled, “you’re spot on. And Haruka is in the top five, in case you’re wondering.” With a hint of pride embedded in his voice and his operating officer giggled at the sight.
If anything, Tachibana felt at ease at the child-like mundanities Haruka got to enjoy lately that doesn’t involve clan politics and inconsiderate fools who were willing to lay their filthy hands on her. Overall, she’s been faring better, mentally and physically in comparison to the last two years.
(Unwanted memories glimpsed in his mind. Of her wrenched sobs, of her croaked mumblings whether she can also sleep in their bed, as nightmares of her dead mother refused to go away.)
Having similar thoughts, Marina let out a sigh of relief and said, “I’m glad. she deserves it.”
However, her lips tugged into a concerned frown again. “That said, how about Kiryu-kun? Other than being a big help over at Sunflower Orphanage.”
Tachibana nodded with a smile, “he is. Tamashiro-san finds him very reliable.” Then, his smile grew wide. “In fact, she found him so dependable that she’s trying to recruit him in the local neighborhood women association.”
“W-what!?” Marina burst into laughter.
“It’s true!” Tachibana laughed heartily at the memory.
He remembered it exactly. It was one of those days when Tachibana paid a visit to the orphanage while Kazuma was working. The headmistress whined to him about his refusal, to which Tachibana fully agreed with her while Kazuma’s face was fully flushed from embarrassment. Even Nugget gave her cluck of approval at the idea. And yet, despite Kazuma’s many attempts to turn down her offers (as lending a hand to the orphanage’s management can be rather busy), the dragon still couldn’t refuse Tamashiro’s requests (or her puppy eyes to be precise) when the association needed some extra hands. Especially street events that require heavy lifting or teaching rude delinquents a lesson.
As expected of his lovely, kind-hearted husband.
After recovering from her laugh, Marina gave him a mischievous grin. “Tell him he should join. Combining that with his cooking, I think it suits him.”
Tachibana chuckled and beamed, “I fully agree. His meals have been nothing but delicious. The bento he prepared for Haruka and I today was also delightful. Lately, he expressed interest in making pork buns from scratch.”
Marina shot him a mock glare, leaning on the desk with her elbow. “Tch, that sounds nice. Having your meals prepared by such a cute husband.”
“I’m fully aware of that.” The usual gentle smile on his face turned into a prideful smirk. She rolled her eyes at the sight.
In spite of their banter, Tachibana can’t help but release a worried sigh. “Despite all that said, I’ve just observed how Kazuma-kun has been quiet lately…It’s almost as if he’s hiding something. I believe it’s been...over a week?”
There was certainly amiss with his husband’s behaviour recently. Sometimes he’ll look in his direction with an odd, hesitant expression and when Tachibana tried to ask, Kazuma just brushed it off, saying it’s nothing. Not even Haruka had the faintest of clues when Tachibana confided in her about it.
Marina grimaced, equally concerned. “Any idea why? I also thought he was kinda distracted during cooking class.”
Tachibana gave it a thorough thought, his mind recollecting previous events. Was Kazuma still saddened over the forced separation between Sayama and her long-lost brother, Goda Ryuji? He openly expressed it before, finding the Osakan Police Force’s decision to post her overseas cruel. Painfully aware it was just to cover up the actual truth, and to leave her brother behind in bars for a year or more. It was no secret that Kazuma pitied Goda despite his deeds.
(“Maybe he can join your company once he’s out. That is, if he has nowhere to go”, the dragon absently suggested at one point in bed.
“I don’t think he’ll be fond of the idea.” Admittedly, the visual image of Goda behaving behind a salesman’s desk sounded amusing.)
Hm, perhaps not. Besides, it was only recently he noticed the odd behaviour. Could it have been during a visit at Tojo's Headquarters? During the aftermath, Daigo was deemed a successor as the Tojo’s Sixth Chairman to which his beloved felt obliged to help guide him to make up for his negligence.
“From what I recall, he told me he had to go to Tojo’s Headquarters a few days ago.” Tachibana finally shared.
Marina blinked, “is Dojima-san not fully settled in yet? Then again, it is a massive role to fill, especially considering the Tojo Clan as a whole.”
He snorted at the last comment, she couldn’t have worded it any better. “A fair statement. Although, I think Daigo-kun is getting accustomed to it as Kazuma’s visits slowed down overtime. Still, that’s my best guess so far as to why he’s been acting strange lately.”
She frowned, “and you haven’t approached him about it?”
He averted his gaze, “I’m afraid not. I thought he’ll sit down with me about it sooner and well, regrettably I’ve been rather focused on work…”
Marina shot him an unimpressed look, leaning in from her chair. “Honestly, President. You have to be pushy sometimes!”
Said president sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “heh, duly noted. I will certainly do that, Marina-san.”
The operating officer huffed, crossing her arms, “you better!”
Eventually, the sky darkened with the sun fully set. The oranges and reds slowly fading into black, notably casting shadows in his office space if it weren't for Kamurocho's illuminating lights. Marina quickly ushered him to hurry home to his adorable husband and equally cute daughter. Tachibana simply laughed in response as he packed up his belongings.
“I’m home!”
Tachibana’s voice echoed in their moderate sized penthouse, placing his briefcase to the side so he could sit on the steps to untie his shoelaces.
“Welcome back, Uncle Tetsu!” Haruka’s infectious energy can be heard from the kitchen, the sounds of her footsteps grew closer to him and soon found her arms around his neck. The older man turned his head to find his daughter greeting him with a wide, beaming grin. There also appeared to be a speck of flour on her right cheek.
He fondly chuckled at the sight and patted the top of her head fondly. “Hello Haruka, what appears to be the menu tonight?”
She let go and exclaimed excitedly, “chicken karaage!” She then started to bounce on her feet. “Uncle Kaz just started frying some of them, c’mon!”
Tachibana managed to place his briefcase on the closest entryway table as Haruka tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the kitchen. He was hit by an enticing aroma, followed by sounds of faint sizzling and finally, there by the stove stood his beloved Kazuma adorned in a pink, frilly apron (a fitting gift by Majima which came in a pair for the both of them).
Said beloved turned his head to them, his lips curled into a shy, warm smile. “Welcome back, Tetsu.”
Tachibana first stared, mesmerized. Despite the numerous times he came home to such a domestic sight, Tachibana still felt his heart skip a beat.
(One where his Kazuma is not staining his fists with blood. One where his Kazuma is not in disarray. One where his Kazuma is not crying over someone he loved and lost.
Instead, one where he is truly happy and content.)
Haruka appeared to release his hand at some point, allowing him to walk towards his beloved and instinctively wrapped his arms around his waist, nuzzling in his neck. Kazuma nearly jolted at the immediate contact and his grip on the strainer tightened.
“H-hey! They’re still cooking!”
Tachibana just held him closer and placed a gentle, apologetic kiss on his lips, hoping to wipe the trademark scowl from his face. “But I only wanted to show my affections.”
He peered over his shoulders, to find the pieces of coated chicken starting to resurface in the oil.
Haruka crossed her arms at the side and lightly scolded him, “actually, Uncle Kaz has a point. It’s not safe frying stuff if you’re distracted. Sides, we also need to set the table and take out the rice.”
“Listen to your daughter.” Kazuma shot him a slight mischievous grin.
Tachibana sighed in defeat, “very well, if you say so…”
Reluctantly, he loosened his grip and followed after their little girl. The both of them went over to the cupboards, Tachibana passed her the bowls so she could fill them up from the rice cooker before grabbing the white plates and utensils. Each of them had their own chopsticks, Haruka’s was pastel red with a flower patterned handle, whereas her uncles were a dragon-phoenix ironwood pair (Tachibana’s gift, he’ll never forget the blush on Kazuma’s face when he explained the symbolism behind it).
It wasn’t long before the table was properly set up, just in time for Kazuma to finish cooking the rest of the chicken, garnishing it with greens and gently squeezing a slice of lemon over it for added citrus flavour.
Haruka nearly drooled as her uncle placed it in the centre of the table, her eyes glued on the dish and hungry to steal a piece. “Waaa, that looks so yummy!”
“I agree. It even appears worthy enough to serve in a dining establishment, Kazuma-kun.” Tachibana praised him, taking his seat next to him.
Kazuma faintly chuckled, pleased with their remarks. “Thanks, all that is left is the tasting.”
Tachibana smiled, “true. Now then, shall we?”
Haruka eagerly nodded, clasping her hands together and her uncles followed suit.
“Itadakimasu!”
Without hesitation, Haruka was the first to snatch a chicken as if it was a race.
“Careful, it’s still hot.” Kazuma berated her quietly.
“I know, I know.” She mumbled with a pout on her face, before gently blowing on it and cautiously took her first bite. Almost instantly, her eyes lit up. She quickly chewed and jerked her head towards Kazuma.
“It’s really good!!” The little girl exclaimed, almost awe-struck before turning to her other uncle. “Try it, Uncle Tetsu!”
Tachibana complied as he took one, carefully taking a bite of the freshly-cooked chicken and chewed. Just like Haruka, his eyes immediately lit up and it tasted as utterly delicious as she claimed. Crispy, not too oily and impactful with flavour.
With the verdict already written on their faces, Kazuma gave a faint, triumphant grin. “Nailed it once again?”
Tachibana nodded and released a blissful sigh. “We truly do not deserve you, Kazuma-kun.”
The grin on his beloved’s face slipped, his cheeks tinted a pretty shade of pink as he grunted, “h-hey, you really have to say embarrassing things like that?”
“But it’s the truth. Isn’t that right, Haruka?”
“Uh-huh!” Their surrogate daughter chirped, giggling at the dragon’s flushed expression.
It wasn’t long before the table filled up with idle conversations. At first, Haruka whined about a few of her teachers, the particular ones with favouritism or who were very stern with the class. Thankfully, her mood lifted when she mentioned her small circle of friends and the school’s little kick-the-can tournament, especially how her rank has gone up to third place after beating another classmate's distance. Kazuma then shared the latest update at Sunflower Orphanage, specifically about how Pochitaro and Nugget made another friend after successfully bringing them out of their shell. Tachibana rarely talked about work, the nature of it is still complex for Haruka to comprehend. Instead, he just shared stories about his closest colleagues and how Katsu has been familiarizing with the work environment.
Eventually, the trio finally cleaned their bowls and plates, transferring them over to the sink. Before accompanying Haruka to aid her with the dish washing, Tachibana slid up to Kazuma’s side, now currently cleaning up the stove area and nearby countertop.
“Kazuma-kun?”
His beloved blinked at his voice, facing him. “Yeah?”
“Mind if we sit down after this? I feel we need to have a proper talk.”
Kazuma stiffened. Ah, bingo. Tachibana leaned in closer, maintaining his cool expression, “you’re aware of what I’m implying, aren’t you?”
The other man lowered his head and pursed his lips. He slowly nodded, “yeah-”
“Hey!”
The pair nearly jumped and whipped their heads towards Haruka. She has a frown on her face, mindful of the plate in her hands as she huffed, “you two can be lovey-dovey later!”
Kazuma’s cheeks dusted with pink, stammering, “w-we were just-”
Taking this opportunity, Tachibana easily wrapped one arm around his beloved’s waist and pulled him closer. He pouted, “but I like to tease your Uncle Kaz.”
Kazuma threw him a glare and grumbled, “oi.”
Haruka just rolled her eyes at her uncle’s antics. “Clean-up first. Then, kissy stuff later.”
Kazuma groaned with embarrassment while his older husband laughed, “understood, Haruka.”
Before joining their daughter, the two men exchanged silent glances. They have a lot to talk about.
It’s only the two of them at the table. Normally, the TV in the living room area would be on while Haruka focused on her homework of the day. This time, she retreated to her room to give them privacy.
Kazuma appeared nervous, averting his gaze while the older man waited patiently, sipping his warm herbal tea. His beloved fiddled with his hands and Tachibana found himself staring at the silver ring on his left hand. While same-sex marriage has yet to be legalized, that didn’t stopped from Tachibana growing fond of the idea. Then again, perhaps that’s what succumbing so close to death does to a selfish man like him. That he needed another reminder of his beloved to keep so close to his heart and mind. Whereas Kazuma, who bluntly told him in his face that he doesn’t need some fancy jewelry to validate their relationship. Nonetheless, he appreciated the gesture and accepted it with trembling hands.
(That train of thought shifted. As little did they know, Kazuma was thrown behind bars some time after that. The silver ring being his physical reminder, aside from the many, many letters Tachibana sent.)
“So...”, Kazuma slowly began, finally meeting his eyes, prompting Tachibana to lower his cup on the table. “If you may recall some days ago, I told you I had to go over to Tojo HQ. It was actually Kashiwagi-san’s request.”
Tachibana grimaced, his neutral feelings towards Kazama’s right hand man diminished overtime. “even though you don’t want to tie yourself to the Tojo anymore?”
Kazuma heavily nodded, “yes. And...the meeting wasn’t exactly related to the clan.”
Oh? How curious.
His husband hesitated once more, taking a deep breath before finally sharing, “Kashiwagi-san offered me a position to manage an orphanage in Okinawa.”
A pregnant pause.
Huh. The image felt rather fitting, Tachibana thought to himself. “Was it under Kazama-san’s?”
Kazuma blinked at his indifference, before responding, “u-uh, yeah…The previous caretaker passed away. They’re still searching and Kashiwagi-san thought I was a suitable candidate. Date-san thought so too.”
Tachibana raised an eyebrow. “Date-san?”
Kazuma flushed, “y-yeah, he’s the only one who knows so far.”
“I’m hurt, Kazuma-kun.” Tachibana confessed with a betrayed expression, resting his elbows on the table.
His beloved bowed his head, undoubtedly ridden with guilt. “S-sorry. I didn’t know how to break it to you or Haruka. Since it requires moving, you’ll be much further away from work and Haruka has to change school and leave her friends behind...”
As expected, his dearly beloved never failed to stop considering others but hardly for himself.
“But what about you?”
That question made his beloved raise his head. “Huh?”
Tachibana maintained eye contact and repeated calmly, “I said, but what about you, Kazuma-kun? What is it that you want to do?”
Kazuma paused, lowering his head and taking a moment for himself. “To be honest...I...I was thinking for a long time.” He inhaled again, desperate to find the words. “What reasons would I, a former yakuza, have to go to Okinawa and run an orphanage? You already have a very steady position, so the income will be stable. It will be for Haruka’s future. But above all … I want to help children without parents.”
At the last sentence, his beloved’s sharp eyes boldly met his, ablaze with determination. Tachibana nearly found himself lost, mesmerized by his strength and virtue. Especially to the likes of him. Finally, his lips curled to a warm smile and said, “very well, if that’s your decision.”
Kazuma stared back, puzzled. “That’s all you’re saying?”
Tachibana continued smiling and took one of Kazuma’s hands into his gloved one, intertwining their fingers, “why of course. After all, I promised to be by your side.”
The confusion on his husband’s face morphed into bashfulness, bringing his other hand to cover up his blush. “I love you so damn much, you know that?”
Tachibana gently chuckled, pulling his beloved’s calloused hand and laying a kiss on his knuckles. “I love you too, dear.”
They broke the news to Haruka afterwards in the living room. At first, she was silent, looking down at her lap.
“Is that why you’ve been so quiet around us, Uncle Kaz?” She mumbled, still not meeting his gaze.
Her uncle nodded weakly, “yes...I’m sorry I kept silent about it from the two of you.”
Another pause. Eventually, she lifted her chin and declared, “then, I have a request.”
The two men blinked at her response.
“What is it?” Kazuma asked.
“Let me help out.” She answered with such confidence and added, “sides, I can understand the feeling of a kid without parents, too.”
“Haruka…” The anxiety on his beloved’s face shifted into immense relief and admiration. His lips tugged into a faint smile, “alright, I appreciate all the help.”
She grinned, bright eyes sparked with determination, “yeah! Let’s do our best!”
“You said it, Haruka.” Tachibana nodded with a smile.
(Of course, she berated Kazuma for thinking of her as baggage. His husband meekly apologized once again and Tachibana just felt proud by her growing confidence.)
“I suppose it’ll be a bit quiet here.”
Makoto voiced out with a hint of sadness as she stirred the broth in a large pot for the sukiyaki, filling the Majima family kitchen with a comforting aroma. It was his sister’s idea to have a hot pot at their residence for a family gathering before their departure to Okinawa. Meanwhile, both of their husbands just went out as his brother-in-law requested for one last spar somewhere (much to no one’s surprise).
“You, Goro-san and the children are always welcome to visit.” Tachibana assured her with a faint grin, momentarily taking a break from finely slicing the meat.
“You’re just saying dad doesn’t have anyone as crazy strong like Uncle Kaz to annoy.” Mayumi, the older twin and his teenage niece who took after her father, dryly remarked as she and Haruka helped to assort the essential ingredients into different plates.
“Poor Uncle Nishida. Surely he’ll have to keep dad entertained somehow.” Tetsuya, the younger twin who’s a tad more considerate like his mother, sympathized as he assisted Daigo in setting up the hot pots, plates, bowls and cutleries on the dining table.
Yayoi stifled a chuckle behind one kimono sleeve, as she was in the middle of cleaning the mushrooms. “No need to fret. He’ll always have Daigo and Kashiwagi-san to bother.”
“Oh! You’re right, Yayoi-obachan!” Mayumi chimed.
“Please don’t remind me.” Daigo deadpanned, face freshly bruised from a recent challenge as he tested the heat of each pot, ignoring their chuckles and the children’s sniggers.
Minutes later, the preparations were done. Serving plates were covered with thin slices of meat, tofu, fish cakes, mushrooms, vegetables and dry noodles. Miniature plates, bowls and cutleries were properly arranged on the long dining table (appropriate for guests) with two hot pots in the centre for easy distribution. Makoto turned off the heat, covering the broth with a tight lid. The Mad Dog and the Dragon of Dojima have yet to return.
The adults took their places at the table as they waited, while the children moved to the living room to watch the evening cartoons and conversing with themselves. The twins in particular whining about how their youngest cousin gets to live next to the beach.
The latter just giggled, “like Uncle Tetsu said, you can always visit!”
“True…” The twins agreed in unison.
Upon hearing their conversations, Daigo heaved a wistful sigh as he leaned back in his chair, “a vacation on the beach sure sounds tempting…”
His mother threw a curt glare at him and tutted, “now don’t be lax on your duties, Mr. Chairman.”
“Well said, Yayoi-san.” Tachibana followed up with a teasing grin while his sister stifled a giggle behind one hand.
The sixth chairman’s expression just soured and begrudgingly replied, “yes, yes…”
“Speaking of work…” Makoto blinked in realization and turned to her older brother, “is your staff already informed?”
“They are. I’ll be passing over the leadership to Marina-san”, Tachibana gave a reassuring nod. He continued, “and I only entrusted with those who are aware of our relationship. Marina-san even happily told me to take as much leave as I like, while the others congratulated me on finally getting a honeymoon.”
It was actually Gin, the former Leisure King and now Chief Investment Officer who coined it, which the rest caught on. Overall, they simply told him to leave it to them. Tachibana couldn’t have been any more at ease to have a well-versed team like them.
His sister gave a relieved smile, “I’m really glad that you have such a reliable team.”
Tachibana gently chuckled. “You’re right, I’m truly fortunate.”
“Reliability and trust, huh.” Daigo murmured, resting one cheek against the back of his hand and leaning against the table. “If only such qualities apply to the clan. Perhaps I should also hire a lucky chicken to keep it financially afloat.”
“You should.” Tachibana eagerly nodded. Despite his initial skepticism after his introduction to Nugget, Kazuma proved him wrong after numerous reports of Yamanoi Real Estate Agency absurdly high profits during the bubble days. That unknown power remained strong even to this day, even after Nugget passed the reins over to Katsu.
Yayoi just shook her head at her son’s pessimism and Makoto gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Honestly”, the older woman sighed with crossed arms, “besides, haven’t the Hakaho Clan proven themselves by inputting a large amount of income to the clan lately?”
Daigo hummed, drumming his other fingers on the table, “hmm, true. Mine has been dependable so far…”
“I’m guessing Mine is the head of this clan?” Tachibana inquired, tilting his head at the new name.
As much as he intended to keep an arm’s length away from the Tojo Clan politics ever since the Empty Lot event. He found it rather difficult as a few managed to crawl their way out and hell-bent on dragging back his beloved (while trying to convince said beloved to not get involved) into the chaos. So, adding a list of names doesn’t hurt. At the same time, this Mine oddly sounded familiar.
Daigo confirmed with a nod. “Yeah, it’s a subsidiary of the Nishikiyama Family. Kanda, the recent patriarch, introduced him a few months ago.”
Makoto mulled over the name. “Hmm, Goro did tell me this Mine is the only decent person around and called the rest ‘idiots’, to put it nicely.”
The sixth chairman snorted, “and he couldn’t have said it perfectly.”
Then, as if on cue, the sound of the entrance door opened. Followed by barging footsteps and a very familiar boastful, jovial voice, “HONEY, WE’RE HOOOOME!”
“Speak of the devil”, Yayoi quipped with an amused grin, turning her chair towards the noise.
The children can be heard rushing towards the entryway, greeting back and barraging the two men with questions. The former acting-chairman stayed put in her seat while the others followed behind. At the entrance, stood Majima and Kazuma, both visibly injured, with attempts of patching themselves up as evident by the bandages on their faces. Not that it deterred the children from crowding around them. Mayumi was demanding who won with palpable excitement in her eyes. Tetsuya berated her for her impatience as he pointed out their injuries. Haruka, who had grown accustomed to their strange antics, just beamed that her uncles came back at the right time as dinner was ready.
Majima heaved a dramatic, woeful sigh as he slouched his shoulders. “Sadly kids but today, yer Uncle Kaz has bested me once again.”
Kazuma faintly smirked, radiating a smug satisfaction. “Hm. You tried.”
Cheers and ‘congrats, Uncle Kaz!’ echoed. Majima clicked his tongue at the dragon before hissing in pain. “Tch, couldn’t ya be a bit gentler on your senior?”
Mayumi snorted, “says the old man with the knife. A totally fair fight.”
“Exactly”, Kazuma agreed with a scowl. He then winced and carefully stretched his neck.
That predictably garnered petty complaints from the one-eyed man. Makoto couldn't retain her laughter at the sight as she walked closer to them, pulling a dejected cry from her husband for not cheering him up.
“Tachibana-san.”
The older man blinked, turning to Daigo, who was still observing the light-hearted banter before them. Slowly, the younger man turned to him, his eyes gleamed with determination, very similar to those of the Dragon of Dojima that he looked up to.
“I’m aware that there are still people who want revenge on Kiryu-san.” He stated solemnly, “because of that, I’ll try to ensure that no trouble come your way.”
It was then, a vivid memory glimpsed in Tachibana’s mind. He remembered Daigo’s deep bow, carrying the shame and burden of his dead father’s actions. He remembered Daigo’s tearful, anguish apology. But most of all, he remembered Daigo’s rough words:
“I’ll make damn sure to not repeat that fucking Empty Lot mess.”
Tachibana slowly smiled, “that would be much appreciated, Daigo-kun.”
The cemetery was the last place they decided to say their goodbyes.
They had greeted Tachibana’s mother first in a separate cemetery, gifting her with hyacinth flowers before making their way to Kazuma’s side. Haruka held her mother’s bouquet in her little arms, his husband was carrying both his brother’s and father-figure, while Tachibana volunteered to carry Terada’s.
Both Tachibana and Kazuma kept an eye out for any suspicious movement as they made their way. Haruka didn’t bring up their odd behaviour, as their lives were anything but normal. Instead, she just tightened her grip on her mother’s gladiolus bouquet.By the time they reached their respective graves, there weren’t any suspicious men in suits prowling in the corner much to their immense relief, easing the tension in their shoulders.
They placed the flowers on each gravestone and said their prayers in low voices. Both his beloved and their daughter have more to say to their individual loved ones. About how they’ll be much further away, the sunny skies and sandy beaches that they're looking forward to, and that they’ll strive to take care of their new family over in Okinawa.
Tachibana just stood behind them in respectful silence. His lips thinned at the sight of Terada and Kazama’s grave. However, he felt a pang of guilt when his eyes flickered over to Nishiki and Yumi’s. Despite Kazuma’s forgiveness and insistence that it wasn’t his fault for not realizing sooner during his long, aching absence, a part of Tachibana firmly thought their deaths could have been avoidable.
(If only he had seen through Nishiki’s mask and the demons lurking within him.)
Tachibana inwardly sighed, his eyes then lingered over his family and the future they’re heading towards. Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere less hectic. Somewhere his surrogate daughter doesn’t have to be wary about corrupted men in suits. Somewhere his beloved doesn't have to be concerned about the yakuza. Familiar faces flashed in his mind. Nishiki’s wavering smirk and Yumi’s tearful, fleeting smile.
His gloved hand tightened into a fist and his chest swelled with resolve.
‘This time, I’ll make sure to protect them.’