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Suburbs were one of those things Kazuya had heard of, but never actually experienced. The people he usually associated with either lived in luxurious mansions filled with extravagant displays of debauchery or shady slums filled with different but equally exciting flavours of debauchery. From what Kazuya heard, middle-class suburbs were boring, endless mazes of the same boring type of houses, filled with the same boring type of people.
Which was probably why those same boring people stared at his limo so openly as it snaked through their boring neighbourhoods- it was probably the most exciting thing they’d ever seen in their whole boring lives.
Kazuya was thankful for the tinted windows as he stared back at the slack-jawed drones, sipping on a crystal flute of champagne and orange juice. Even though he knew they couldn’t see in, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed- they were staring at him like he was some sort of animal in a zoo! It was somehow worse when people tried sucking up to him for his money- at least they attempted to hide it!
A silver car- some boring middle-class brand Kazuya didn’t even recognize- rolled to a stop beside the limo as it slowed to a stop at a red light. The driver, some average(boring)-looking woman stared at Kazuya’s limo, trying to peer through the tinted glass curiously.
The crystal flute cracked in his hand as Kazuya gripped his drink furiously, and mashed a button on the controller next to him.
“How much farther? This is taking so long!” He snarled, dropping the cracked flute into a trash bin and grabbing another. Each glass was probably worth more than all of the cars around them, which only made Kazuya want to break more.
“Sorry sir, many people are on their morning commute to work so there’s a lot of traffic. We will arrive in half-an-hour or so.” The driver’s voice crackled through a speaker sheepishly. Kazuya’s grip tightened on his glass. The old Kazuya would have broken another flute, yelled at his driver, rolled down his window and cursed at the cars around them, and then call an escort to clear the roads all the way to his destination. But then, the old Kazuya probably wouldn’t even be here. The old Kazuya was dead.
Or, dying.
At least, he was trying to kill the old Kazuya.
“... let me know when we get there, then.” Kazuya grumbled into the intercom and swung back his drink- just champagne this time. The new Kazuya took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
**************
“We’re here, sir.”
Kazuya’s eyes snapped open and he scrambled to the window, pressing his nose against the tinted glass. And… he was immediately underwhelmed.
The limo was parked outside a large boring-looking apartment building, nearly identical to the other apartment buildings in the area. He definitely was still in the suburbs, to Kazuya’s disappointment. He let out a dramatic sigh and slumped into his seat, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with the diamond-encrusted lighter he kept in his breast pocket. What was he doing here? He should be at home- still in his double California king bed, comfortable in his silk sheets with the smell of his gourmet breakfast rousing him from his sleep gently. And sure, he’d woken up in shitty slums before, but somehow this boring neighbourhood was worse than any dingy motel floor-mattress. Whatever, he was here now. At least he still had something to look forward to.
Kazuya took a long drag from his cigarette and sat up, knocking on the tinted window. Right away, one of his black suits opened the door for him, and Kazuya flinched from the bright morning light. He stepped out and took another pull from his cigarette, blowing the smoke into the warm morning air. Birds were singing, and somewhere in the distance, Kazuya could hear a school and children laughing. It was so idyllic it made Kazuya feel sick.
“Sir, would you like us to escort you up?” One of his black suits asked. Normally, this would go without saying, but it seemed even his goons recognized how… safe it was here.
“Nah. In fact, beat it for the rest of the day.” Kazuya took another pull from his cigarette. “Actually, you know what? We might end up at a pachinko parlour all night if I know him. I’ll probably end up calling you tomorrow morning.”
“Ah… are you… sure?” The black suit said, shifting uncomfortably. Kazuya couldn’t blame him for feeling uneasy- it wasn’t often he did anything without his bodyguards. And things usually ended up badly when they weren’t around. To be honest, the idea of being so… unprotected made Kazuya a bit nervous, but he already promised that he would come alone. Kazuya waved his cigarette, feigning annoyance.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Scram.”
Kazuya continued smoking his cigarette, watching as his bodyguards obediently piled back into the limo and drove off into the maze of suburbs. Kazuya stood on the sidewalk, already feeling a bit hot in his pinstripe suit. He continued smoking, looking up and down the empty street, a bit relieved to be alone, though it was weird. With how packed the road was earlier, he had expected the street to be just as crowded, but with a glance at his watch, he realized everyone must be at work.
He shuddered at the thought. He couldn’t imagine waking up in a boring house, going to a boring job, living a boring life. These people must be insane, he decided. He would certainly go insane if he had to do the same thing every single day. He glanced up at the normal, boring apartment in front of him and wondered how people could possibly live like that their whole lives.
Today, he was going to find out.
**************
Kazuya stared at the plain, slightly discoloured, door in front of him. The nameplate confirmed this was the right place, but still, Kazuya was struggling to believe someone like him would live somewhere so… boring. After everything he’d been through and everything he’d done and everything he has, Kazuya couldn’t understand how someone who won 2.4 billion dollars from Teiai corp could live somewhere so plain.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After a few painfully silent moments, he could hear footsteps approaching the door and took one last shaky breath before pulling his classic smirk and leaning against the doorframe. As the door swung open to reveal the apartment’s scruffy, half-awake occupant, Kazuya felt his heart skip a beat.
“Kaiji, baby! Ready for our date?!”
“This is not a date, and I told you to stop calling it that.” Kaiji grumbled, running his fingers through his messy hair as he blinked drowsily. Judging from the messy tank-top and the striped flannel PJ pants he was wearing, Kaiji must have just woken up. “Are you always this loud in the morning?”
“Why don’t you invite me to spend the night and you can find out?” Kazuya smirked as Kaiji shot him a sharp glare.
“Never in a million years. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but come in.” Kaiji moved to step aside to let Kazuya in, but hesitated, giving him a stern glance. “Assuming you came alone?”
“Well, since I’m a gentleman I don’t normally cum alone, but since you wanted me to so badly…”
Kazuya smirked wider as Kaiji snorted in annoyance but moved to let Kazuya step into the hallway, closing the door behind him. As Kazuya slipped his shoes off, Kaiji walked back down the hallway towards what Kazuya assumed was the kitchen, judging by the enticing smell of coffee.
As he walked down the hallway, Kazuya peeked into the two rooms with open doors- the living room and bathroom. He was tempted to open the door to the third room to peek inside, but decided to not push his luck- this was his first time at Kaiji’s apartment. He didn’t want it to be his last.
Kaiji’s apartment was surprisingly boring. The walls were bare of anything, save for a clock and calendar in the living room, a key hook in the hallway, and some mirrors in the bathroom. The furniture was plain, and while there were some empty beer cans and takeout bags in the living room, the apartment was overall clean. Kazuya wasn’t sure what he was expecting when Kaiji invited him over, but this was so underwhelming he was somehow disappointed. He at least thought Kaiji would have a pachinko or slot machine. Maybe that’s what the third room was filled with?
“I didn’t expect you to actually show up on time, I’ll be honest.” Kaiji called from the kitchen, snapping Kazuya from his thoughts. He walked into the- now unsurprisingly- plain kitchen as Kaiji poured himself a cup of coffee.
“You should know by now that I’m a man of my word. If I say I will be somewhere at 9:00am, then I will be there at 8:30am so I can have a quick smoke.” Kazuya grinned as Kaiji poured a second cup and offered it to Kazuya. Black. He watched in amazement as Kaiji sipped the black coffee.
“Huh, still. I kinda was hoping you’d go on a bender the night before and forget or something.” Kaiji admitted, then met Kazuya’s surprised stare. “What?”
“How can y- Nothing. Nevermind. And as if I would forget such an important event as our fourth date!” Kazuya pulled himself together quickly and grinned as Kaiji choked on his coffee.
“Fourth date? You think we’ve been on four dates?”
“Well yeah! There was the night we first met- and what a thrilling first date that was- then the second time we met, though you did think you were going to be killed or kidnapped- then the third time we met- which fair enough, I did catfish you but we still had a good time gambling and drinking all night- and now today!” Kazuya counted on his fingers, enjoying the shocked look on Kaiji’s face. “This is our fourth date, which means it’s about time you put out, don’t you think?”
Kaiji shook his head in bewilderment. “You are insane, Kazuya.”
“If I’m so crazy, why do you keep asking me out?”
“Ok, first of all, I’m not gay. Second, even if I was gay, this would still not be a date.” Kaiji said sternly, and before Kazuya could interrupt- “I told you I’d show you what normal people do since it’s obvious you’re so far from reality you have no idea what it’s like to be normal. You are crazy, but I think a little dose of reality might help.”
It was true, but hearing Kaiji say it out loud made it sting. The last time they had met up, they had gotten into another debate about ethics or morals or some shit Kazuya had already forgotten about, and the drunk Kaiji Itou had proposed he show Kazuya what a day in the life of a “normal” person was like. To be honest, Kazuya could care less what poor people do. But, it did mean he got to spend a whole day with Kaiji. And he was trying to kill old Kazuya. Old Kazuya would never pretend to be poor for a day. So they agreed, exchanged numbers, and set the date. Kaiji had some annoying terms- leave your wallet at home, come alone, wear the least flashy clothes possible, and some other terms Kazuya forgot and didn’t care about. The only term he did agree to was to come alone, but that was mostly because anytime Kazuya’s bodyguards were around, Kaiji was tense and prickly, and not in a fun way.
“Ok, call it whatever you like, Itou baby. But I expect at least a kiss goodnight.” Kazuya smirked, because annoyed Kaiji was really the cutest Kaiji.
“If you’re going to be like this all day, you can just go home.” He bristled, earning a chuckle from Kazuya. He quickly grabbed Kazuya’s wrist and frowned at his pinstripe suit. “And another thing, I told you to dress normal! You’re wearing the same flashy suit you always do!”
“It’s the closest I could get! Besides I don’t see why it’s so important I dress like some blue-collar drone.” Kazuya protested, tugging his arm out of Kaiji’s grasp, and smoothing the fabric. Kaiji rolled his eyes.
“Because we’re going downtown and pickpockets will be on your ass like flies on shit the whole day.” Kaiji sighed, sipping his coffee. “Trust me, when I was picking pockets you would have been the perfect target. Too much money and too stupid to notice a few fifties missing. Come on, I might have some spare clothes that might fit you.”
“What?!” Kazuya gasped as Kaiji started to walk out of the kitchen. “Listen, Itou, I will play along on your little field trip if it makes you happy, but if you think you can dress me in some... ugh, poor person rags, then I’m done here!”
Kaiji glanced over his shoulder at Kazuya, his eyebrow cocked.
“Promise?”
**************
How anyone could be comfortable in such a harsh fabric like jean was completely beyond Kazuya. He was used to cotton, polyesters, silks, tweeds, hell even corduroy or velvet would be preferable- on the other hand, Kazuya did have to admit the jeans Kaiji loaned him did make his ass look great.
After a brief argument back at Kaiji’s apartment, Kazuya had finally agreed to wear some spare clothes of Kaiji’s and wash off his makeup and what he could of his hair gel. Now he was walking down the street after Kaiji wearing an old pair of faded jeans and some yellow graphic T-shirt with a light jacket. His father was probably rolling in his grave if he knew Kazuya was wearing poor people’s clothes, but then again Kazuya had done much worse things that would have pissed the old man off since he died. At least Kaiji let him keep his silk scarf and tinted glasses after Kazuya had to convince him he wouldn’t be Hyoudou-freaking-Kazuya without them.
“Will you hurry up? We’re going to miss the train.” Kaiji snapped Kazuya from his thoughts. Kazuya shook his head and picked up his pace to walk beside the other plainly-dressed man.
“I don’t get why you won’t let me call my limo. People drive to work, don’t they?” He couldn’t help but grumble. Kaiji insisted they talk public transit downtown, and Kazuya was absolutely dreading it. Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t wearing his nice clothes if the public transit was as disgusting as he had heard. Or at least, how it seemed to be depicted in movies. In America.
“Yes, but most people use transit. Cars are really only for getting places transit can’t take us.” Kaiji shrugged, yawning again. “It’s easier and sometimes faster to move around Tokyo by transit, which means less and less people are getting their licenses these days. And so, we are taking the train.”
“Do you take the train every day?” Kazuya asked curiously, trying to imagine Kaiji following a routine. Kaiji shook his head, however.
“Nah, not every day. Sometimes I don’t need to go into town and just hang out around here. But I need to pick up something I ordered and I don’t think you would get the full experience just hanging around the suburbs.” He shrugged as they crossed the street to the train station. The plaza outside the station was busy, but not crowded, and once again Kazuya felt a bit uncomfortable with how idyllic it felt. Kaiji, on the other hand, seemed perfectly relaxed as they walked across the plaza.
“Excuse me! English?”
Kazuya and Kaiji turned as a group of young foreign women approached them, looking worried. The woman who called out to them would probably have been pretty if she wore some more makeup and maybe wore something from this year’s Saint Laurent collection. The new red leather jacket might look good if it were paired with so-
“English you spoken?” The woman repeated in broken japanese, looking desperate. Kazuya watched as Kaiji tensed and shook his head and hands, giving her a nervous look.
“S-sorry, no! No English… er, English… no… spoke?” Kaiji’s english seemed worse than this woman’s japanese, and Kazuya couldn’t help but chuckle at his pronunciation. Kaiji shot him a glare and Kazuya grinned at the crestfallen woman.
“Ah, sorry about him, baby. His english is abysmal.” Kazuya could feel Kaiji’s shocked gaze as he effortlessly switched to english. The woman brightened and let out a relieved laugh, waving her companions over.
“Oh thank god! We were starting to worry we’d never find someone who could help us. A lot of japanese people speak enough English to figure out what we need, but not enough to help us out!” She smiled. “Think you could help us? We are trying to figure out how to get to Shibuya.”
“I don’t know how but he does.” Kazuya motioned to Kaiji, who was staring at him in surprise. Kazuya winked at the women, earning a flirty giggle from one of them. “Here, I’ll ask him and translate for you- hey, Kaiji, these fine ladies are trying to get to Shibuya.”
“You- the- Shibuya?”
“Yes, Shibuya, keep up. Think you can show ‘em how to get there?” Kazuya crossed his arms across his chest, feigning annoyance. He was living for the look of genuine surprise on Kaiji’s face. It made his lips look extra kissable somehow.
“Uh… yeah… I’ll show them on that transit map over there…” Kaiji said a bit sheepishly, glancing at the women and nodding to a sign with the Tokyo transit scrawl. Kazuya translated and followed as Kaiji led them to the map.
It didn’t take much for Kazuya to turn on the charm and by the time they were standing in front of the map, he was surrounded by the giggling and openly flirting women. Not that he was actually attracted to any of them, it just felt good to be seen as so desirable- especially in front of Kaiji. Kazuya translated Kaiji’s instructions as he pointed to various locations on the map, telling the women where and when to get off, what ticket to buy, and so on. It was frankly really boring, but one of the women seemed to be completely enamoured by what Kaiji said, despite not being able to understand him. For some reason, the doe-eyed look she was giving Kaiji pissed Kazuya off. It was pathetic, really.
Kazuya watched with growing annoyance as Kaiji led the group to the ticket station and showed them all how to purchase a ticket from a machine, and handed it to the doe-eyed girl. She blushed and thanked him in shitty japanese, and when she touched Kaiji’s sleeve Kazuya felt his annoyance boil over.
“Alright, you’ve got your tickets. He says you should go take the Yamanote line and you will get there in an hour or so.” Kazuya snapped suddenly, shaking one of the women off of his arm. The women looked surprised at his sudden mood shift and thanked them sheepishly. Kaiji frowned at Kazuya’s tone, though he wasn’t sure what he said, he could probably read the mood.
“U-um, thank you again. Maybe we will see you around? We’re in the area for a few days...” The first woman who had approached them said, giving Kazuya a stupid friendly smile. Kazuya just shrugged and walked off, leaving Kaiji to say goodbye in quick, broken english before racing after him.
“That was… weird. Did they say something wrong?” Kaiji asked, unable to hide the confusion in his face. “Wait, first, how do you know english so well? You sounded fluent!”
Kazuya waved his hand absently, hiding how actually annoyed he was. “Nah, they were just boring, and taking forever and I just want to get a move on.” He lied with a shrug, “And of course I know english fluently, my mother spoke english and my father made sure I was fluent so I would be able to help when he had American business partners over. Come on, don’t we have a train to catch?”
“Well, yeah… but you didn’t have to snap at them. They were just asking for help.” Kaiji frowned as they approached another ticket machine. Kazuya leaned against the machine as Kaiji bought two tickets to Tokyo station.
“Whatever, they’re gone now anyway. That’s my good deed of the day done.” Kazuya’s yawn was cut off as Kaiji shoved a ticket into his chest. Kazuya scrambled after him as Kaiji led the way down the escalators to the train platform. They stood there for a bit in silence, watching other passengers gather slowly in anticipation of their train. Finally, Kaiji broke the silence.
“So are you bisexual, then?” Kaiji asked, looking straight ahead. Kazuya flushed and shifted his weight between his feet uncomfortably, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard.
“Nah. Definitely gay.” Kazuya confirmed once he decided it was safe to do so. He could feel his heart beating in his throat, and started to daydream fantastical scenarios in which Kaiji admitted he loved him and they held hands and he let Kazuya treat him like a prince and- he had to stop himself before his thoughts got too carried away. Kaiji himself had said multiple times already that he wasn’t gay. As much as Kazuya wanted it to happen, it probably never would, and daydreaming wasn’t going to help him get over Kaiji.
“So why do you always have girls hanging off you?” Kaiji asked, shooting him a genuinely confused look. “If you’re gay, I mean.”
“Well, what’s the point of being a powerful and rich man if he isn’t surrounded by beautiful women?” Kazuya shrugged. Kaiji frowned at this and Kazuya blinked. What did he say wrong this time?
“So women are just accessories to you? Like a shiny new Rolex or diamond-topped toothpicks?”
“No! Well, sort of. It’s more about how I look when I have a lot of beautiful women around me, it just makes me seem a lot more… interesting.”
“So… you’re gay, but you like to flirt with women because they make you look better. But you would never hang out or otherwise interact with them?” Kaiji scoffed, and Kazuya felt a flare of annoyance. What was he implying?!
“When you say it all fucked up like that, yeah it sounds bad!” He snapped. “But it’s really not like that! I like women- like my mom, and… well, that’s the only woman I can think of right now.”
The look Kaiji shot him made Kazuya’s anger flare.
“Wipe that shitty look off your face!” Kazuya yelled, unable to pull back his anger. The small crowd of people waiting on the platform were staring at the two of them, but Kazuya could care less. If Kaiji wanted to start a stupid argument about stupid women on a scummy platform waiting for a scummy train, then that was his choice. Kazuya crossed his arms and let out an annoyed sigh, avoiding looking at Kaiji, who stayed quiet. He hoped he felt bad. They stayed quiet for a long time, listening to the murmur of people around them before Kaiji finally broke the awkward silence between them.
“Kaz, I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to piss you off. I just want to-“ He began, but was cut off by an announcement over the PA system;
“The 10am train to Tokyo station is now arriving on platform three.”
Kazuya finally glanced at Kaiji, unable to help himself.
“It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize.” He shrugged, feeling his anger ebb as he met Kaiji’s eyes. It felt good to be challenged, people usually just agreed with everything Kazuya said. And even though it drove him crazy, it was one of the many things Kazuya liked about Kaiji. He wasn’t afraid to say it like it was. Kazuya figured the “normal” person thing to do would be to apologize for shouting at him, but frankly, some things he refused to change, and his stance on apologies were one of them.
“Well… alright. Come on, we are still going to have fun today.” Kaiji offered him a cautious smile, which made Kazuya’s heart skip another beat. Kaiji thought they were going to have fun? Together?
“Kaiji, baby, are you sure this isn’t a date?” He smirked, and Kaiji’s smile disappeared as the train rolled into the station.
“You just have to ruin a nice moment...”
**************
The train had been surprisingly clean, though Kazuya would never admit it. It was still fairly crowded, and they had to stand among… ugh, businessmen on their way to work, but at least Kazuya got to be close to Kaiji. He was almost disappointed when Kaiji tugged on his sleeve and they got off the train among the sea of people. It was so crowded, Kazuya felt a little overwhelmed and felt like his brain was spinning from all the sounds and movements, and if it weren’t for Kaiji, he probably would have gotten lost right away.
Kazuya did have to admit, he was a bit impressed with how easily Kaiji was able to navigate the crowded station, pushing through the sea of people while Kazuya found himself bumping into people every other step. It was a relief once they were outside the station, and Kazuya suddenly became relieved again he wasn’t wearing his pinstripe suit as the warm sun shone between the tall skyscrapers. It was weird, looking at the buildings his father- no, he now owned, from below. Did all of these people really pass this way every day?
“Come on, the bookstore is just a few blocks away.” Kaiji interrupted Kazuya’s thoughts and led the way down the steps of the station into the street. Even here it felt too crowded for Kazuya’s comfort but Kaiji didn’t even seem to notice anyone else.
“What’s so special about this bookstore?” Kazuya asked as he followed.
“Well I ordered a book to come to this location, but really there’s nothing special. It’s just a chain so I probably could have gone to one closer, but it’s a good excuse to get you into a regular store. Besides, you can look at the kinds of books normal people like to read and maybe get some ideas.” Kaiji offered, as they waited at a crosswalk for the light to change. Kazuya prickled slightly at his last comment.
“What, you think my ideas aren’t good enough?”
“It’s not that, it’s just… well, most people prefer books with… happier endings.”
“That’s not always true. I know plenty of books that have unhappy endings.”
Kaiji nodded sheepishly and started across the street along with the crowd as the light changed. If there was one thing Kazuya didn’t mind being lied to about, it was his writing. Kaiji was free to critique his clothes, his skin, his money, his lifestyle, his philosophies, everything- except for his books. It seemed Kaiji was smart enough to keep his opinions to himself in that regard, Kazuya realized as they made their way through the busy blocks of downtown Tokyo.
Finally, Kaiji stopped in front of a store and pulled Kazuya out of the throng and into the store. It was packed, wall to wall, with shelves and tables of all kinds of books, and Kazuya felt a little excited seeing so many. He really did like books, and had a personal library at his mansion, though he suspected the books there probably were not sold at some… chain bookstore.
“Take a look around, I’m going to go see if my order is in.” Kaiji said and left Kazuya to browse as he headed to the checkout counter.
Kazuya began walking up and down the rows of shelves, not really noticing the genres or orders, and picked up and flipped through books as they captured his interest. These definitely were not the kind of books he normally read, but he had to admit, some of them did look interesting. He hadn’t actually planned on buying anything, but as he browsed he began to gather a few interesting novels. At some point, he bumped into Kaiji in the manga section, and Kaiji nodded at the novels Kazuya was carrying.
“Find good stuff? Make sure it’s under fifty bucks, I don’t want to be spending my whole budget in one place.” He commented, putting a book back onto the shelf.
“What? Don’t worry about it, I can buy my own books.” Kazuya scoffed. Kaiji shot him an annoyed glance.
“Oh yeah? With what money? You left your wallet at my apartment, remember?” Kaiji reminded him, and Kazuya blinked in surprise. Right, they did have that argument this morning, but that was like, five arguments ago. “Don’t worry about it, my treat.”
“I’ll just show the cashier my Teiai ID, and he’ll give it to me. I think I own this chain anyways.” Kazuya frowned, glancing down at the books he was holding. Just because he didn’t have his money on him didn’t mean he was poor! Kaiji should know he was loaded, it was Kazuya’s money he won! 2.4 billion was a lot, but Kazuya made double that in at least a week.
“Kaz, normal people don’t flash IDs at cashiers and get what they want. You’re being a normal person today, which is why I made you leave your wallet at home. You can go a day without spending money.” Kaiji scolded him and turned back to continue browsing the manga. Kazuya huffed dramatically but didn’t say anything else. He made a mental note to mention Kaiji at the next stakeholders meeting for whatever chain this was and make sure he got books for free in the future. That’ll teach him.
As Kazuya leaned against the bookshelf opposite the one Kaiji was browsing, he noticed the plastic bag he was holding.
“Is that the book you ordered? What is it?” Kazuya asked bluntly. Kaiji stiffened slightly and kept his eyes on the shelf.
“Oh…it’s… uh… just an… instruction manual…” he mumbled, and Kazuya perked up, interested.
“An instruction manual, eh? What kind of instruction manual? Let me see!” Kazuya snatched the bag away from Kaiji, and before he could do anything, pulled the book out of the bag.
“Oh, Itou, you have a severe problem.” Kazuya laughed, as Kaiji turned bright red.
The book Kazuya held was none other than a pachinko machine strategy guide! And newly released by the look of it.
“After beating the Bog, you still need something like this?” He teased, and Kaiji snatched the book out of his hands.
“It has some good tips! Besides, every Pachinko machine is different, even when they come from the same manufacturer.” Kaiji blushed and shoved the book back into the plastic bag. “Come on, let’s check out.”
“Look at you! You’re a real gambling addict, aren’t you?” Kazuya teased as he followed Kaiji to the checkout counter. Kaiji hissed a quick “Sh!” at him as they lined up, but Kazuya loved the shade of pink his nose bridge turned when he was embarrassed, and wanted to see it darker.
“Stop it, Kaz.” Kaiji blushed and glanced at the people around them. A woman in front of them glanced back and giggled at Kaiji, making Kazuya irritated.
“I bet we are going to end up spending the evening at some casino, aren’t we?” Kazuya prodded further, hoping the woman in front of them would stop throwing stupid looks at Kaiji.
“Kazuya, will you be quiet! No, we are not going to a casino tonight, it’s Tuesday!” Kaiji snapped, his face finally that colour of pink Kazuya was trying to get painted on his main mansion’s bedroom walls. He had fired at least three different painting crews at this point- none of them could get it right.
“What does it being Tuesday have to do with going to the casino?” Kazuya blinked as they shifted up in line.
“Wh- dude, most people don’t go to casinos on weekdays.” Kaiji sighed. “They go to work the next morning and have to spend the evening getting ready.”
“That’s… so boring.” Kazuya snorted and followed Kaiji to the counter. He was still tempted to flash his Teiai influence, but Kaiji was giving him a suspicious look, so Kazuya put his books on the counter.
“Never been so humiliated…” he grumbled but didn’t say anything else as Kaiji cheerfully paid for his books.
**************
The day went surprisingly well. Kazuya probably had a grocery list of things he would refuse to admit by the end of it, but seeing how the other half lived was sort of interesting. It sucked for poor people they had to work almost every day of their life for their entire life, but at least it was convenient for the most part.
If Kazuya had learned one thing today, however, it’s how much waiting poor people had to do. Waiting for trains, waiting on trains, waiting in lines, waiting to cross the street, waiting for coffee, waiting to go absolutely insane.
Kazuya came to the decision he hated waiting the most as he stood beside Kaiji in line at some convenience store he probably owned. The old woman at the counter several people ahead of them was slowly counting out her change, and Kaiji refused to let Kazuya pull his Teiai ID and cut the line and probably not even have to pay for the groceries.
“You realize we probably could already be on the train back by now, right Itou?” Kazuya sighed, staring up at the fluorescent lights above. Gross, were there dead flies in there? He’d have to have a word with whoever managed this dump.
“Yep, looks like we will have to catch the next one,” Kaiji yawned, looking completely unconcerned. “I didn’t expect you to be complaining about spending more time with me after aggressively flirting with me all day.”
Kazuya perked up. So he had noticed! Not that he was subtle about it, but Kaiji noticed! And was talking about it!
“Well, that’s only because the faster we get outta here, the faster I can show you some real flirting back at your-“ Kazuya was cut off by a loud beeping from Kaiji’s pocket. He pulled out a flip phone and nodded at Kazuya. Kazuya shrugged and held up his hands, and Kaiji flicked the phone open and held it up to his ear.
“Hel- Jeeze, ma! Stop screaming!” Kaiji pulled the phone from his ear, wincing as a shrill, frantic voice came through the receiver. Kazuya perked up a bit and looked at the phone with interest. Kaiji’s mom? Kaiji had a mom? Of course, he had a mom, but he had a mom he still talked to?
“Ma…? Mom, slow down.” Kaiji sighed into the phone, exasperated. “Yes, deep breath, that’s right. Okay… explain what’s going on.”
Kazuya strained to hear what was being said on the other end of the line, but wasn’t able to catch anything while he shuffled ahead with the rest of the line as the old woman finished counting her change and meandered off. Kaiji opened his mouth several times to respond to the frantic murmuring, but by the time it was their turn at the counter, he hadn’t gotten a word in.
“Okay! Okay, fine, I will come over- yes now. I’m out with a friend, I just gotta drop him off, then I’ll be over- No, Mom- No, ok?... Ok, fine. Yes, I- okay, bye.” Kaiji let out a groan and snapped his phone shut, sighing in relief.
“Sorry Kaz, looks like we will have to cut this short. I have to head to my mom’s place, from what I could understand, her washing machine is broken…?” Kaiji shook his head and dropped some cash on the counter and grabbed the bag of groceries.
As they stepped back out onto the street, Kaiji offered the bags to Kazuya. “Here, since we probably won’t be cooking with these, you can have ‘em. Take ‘em home and try them… or throw them out and buy some gourmet dinner and watch snuff films or whatever it is you do.”
“Why don’t you hire a repairman for her? Do you even know how to fix a washing machine?” Kazuya frowned. They had planned to go back to Kaiji’s apartment and cook something… plebeian, judging by the ingredients Kaiji insisted on.
“My mom is a bit… paranoid, with strangers in her place. Besides, knowing her, she probably just put too much soap in.”
“So then let’s just quickly swing by her place, sort it out, and head back to your apartment?”
Kaiji shook his head.
“No, that’s… well, first of all, I definitely don’t want you knowing where she lives.” Kazuya rolled his eyes. As if it wouldn’t take him less than one phone call and five minutes to find out where everyone who had ever even talked to Kaiji lived.
“Besides,” Kaiji continued, “there’s no such thing as ‘quickly swinging’ by my mom’s. A ten-minute visit is at least three hours in my mom’s world.”
“Well, can’t you tell her you’ve got company waiting? Come on, Kaiji, we are having such a good date…” he smirked and reached over to fiddle with Kaiji’s coat zipper. Of course, Kaiji slapped his hand away and shot him a frustrated glare.
“Not a date. And don’t touch me. And you should go home.” Kaiji said and started off towards the train station. “Come on, I’ll buy you a ticket or you can use a payphone or something.”
“Ugh, no. If you insist on ending our date early, I’ll just call my ri-“ Kazuya felt his heart drop as he patted his jean pockets. They were empty. His cellphone, his ID, his cigarettes- gone.
“Oh fuck.” Kazuya’s voice trembled, and Kaiji stopped and whipped around, his eyes wide.
“‘Oh fuck’? What ‘Oh fuck’, Kaz?” Kaiji said quickly, his eyes darting to Kazuya’s empty pockets. He rolled his neck and slumped, rubbing his eyes as he realized what happened. “Oh fuck. You got robbed.”
Kazuya trembled with both anxiety and rage- someone had taken his phone! His Teiai ID! His cigarettes! That same someone was definitely going to be dying a slow and painful death.
They stood on the sidewalk, facing each other for a bit, as both Kaiji and Kazuya tried to process what happened and what they were going to do next. It was extremely doubtful that some good samaritan would return the lost items.
“I guess you can take the train home and-“
“No, even if I wanted to, I don’t think it’s safe for me to travel alone. Even though I’m “disguised”, at this time people who are more likely to recognize me are probably heading out.” Kazuya rebutted, annoyed. He had already gotten robbed- he didn’t want to be humiliated by getting kidnapped by some punk hoping to get an easy ride out of debt.
“I’ll call a taxi, then, and you can go somewhere you own and-“
“I don’t have my bodyguards, I’m dressed like a commoner, and I don’t even have my ID to verify who I am.”
“... well, then let’s just go find a payphone and call someone to come get you.”
“Yeah, do you happen to know my bodyguard’s number off the top of your head? Because I certainly don’t.” Kazuya snorted. “I barely know my own phone number, nevermind other peoples. And any numbers I do have written down are back at your apartment with my clothes.”
Kaiji let out a frustrated growl and crossed his arms across his chest as he stared at the ground, lost in thought. Kazuya shifted uncomfortably. He liked annoying Kaiji, but he hated being an inconvenience. The last thing Kazuya wanted was for Kaiji to hate spending time with him. Finally, Kaiji reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out with a deep sigh.
“If there’s a better solution, then I can’t think of it. Looks like I have no choice.” He grumbled as he dialed a number and held the phone up to his ear. Kazuya watched him curiously as the line connected.
“Hey ma, it’s me again. Yeah, make sure you’re decent, I’m bringing a friend along.”
**************
Twilight in the suburbs was honestly kind of pretty. The purple sky and the orange lights from inside the homes and apartments around them created a pretty contrast, and the more distant lights of the city seemed to twinkle like stars.
From the steep sidewalk up the hill to Kaiji’s mom’s apartment complex, Kazuya couldn’t help but feel oddly at ease in the quiet neighbourhood. It was definitely a relief after the noise and crowds of the city all day, and weirdly enough Kazuya finally understood why people would choose to live in the suburbs.
“I can’t believe I’m taking Kazuya Hyoudou to my mom’s house.” Kaiji sighed, exasperated next to Kazuya. He shot Kazuya a quick glare. “You remember what I told you, right? You can’t mention-“
“What I do, who I am, how we really met, your gambling addiction, Teiai, and basically anything from the last couple of years of your life- is that about it?” Kazuya sighed again. This speech was getting old, especially because Kaiji kept repeating it every other sentence. “The story you do want me to tell her is that I’m just a coworker friend of yours and we were on our way to a small business dinner in the city. I am also not allowed to mention that I got robbed, because it will make her freak out. Come on Kaiji, can’t we spice that story up a bit more? I’m an author and I would never write a character with such a lame backstory.”
“Absolutely not. With my mom, the lamer the better.” Kaiji said as he nervously chewed on his pinky fingernail. “Anything more exciting than that and we will be stuck there all night. Do my nails look short enough?”
Kaiji held up his fingers and Kazuya shuddered, disgusted, as he looked at Kaiji’s hastily chewed-off nails.
“...yeah. They look… short.” He said his lip curling with disgust. Kaiji didn’t even seem to notice how grossed out Kazuya was and inspected his own nails again.
“If they’re too long or have any dirt under them, she will try to do it herself.” Kaiji explained without looking up. If this was how he normally groomed himself, Kazuya really didn’t blame her.
“... sure, Itou. Next date I’m taking you to get mani-pedi’s.” Kazuya frowned. Kaiji tore his gaze from his nails to Kazuya quickly.
“Definitely don’t say ‘date’ around her!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything that might make her think you’re gay.”
“That’s not it. She doesn’t care if I’m gay, but if she thinks we are dating then we will absolutely never leave. She will grill you for hours.” Kaiji shuddered, lost in a distant memory. Kazuya bristled at the idea of Kaiji introducing some random girl to his mom. “Trust me, Kaz, for your own good, do not joke about that!”
“Fine! Fine! Jeeze, Itou, you need to relax, you act like your mom is some kind of witch.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Kaz, I do love her. She’s just… a lot.” Kaiji warned him as they turned another block. Up ahead was a series of condo complexes, and Kaiji seemed to tense a bit more, somehow. They must be getting close then.
“I’ll just turn on the charm, then. If she’s anything like you making her fall in love with me will be no problem.” Kazuya grinned, glancing at Kaiji who had gone quiet. He didn’t even rebuke Kazuya’s tease. “Wow. You do love me, huh? Is that why you’re so quiet? Hmmm…. say nothing if you want to get married next week?”
“What? Kaz, stop. We’re here.” Kaiji said, biting his lip as he turned to the lobby of a tall, plain-looking apartment building. “Please, just… don’t be yourself.”
Ouch. Kazuya winced physically from the sting of that comment and followed silently. Kaiji didn’t even really know Kazuya’s real self- anytime he was around Kaiji he couldn’t even think normally, nevermind be himself. Was he… annoyed with the person Kazuya was when he was around? Sure his word didn’t come out right, but was he really that bad? Kazuya moped and hung back a bit as he followed Kaiji up the flights of stairs to his mom’s apartment door. He watched as Kaiji hesitated, took a deep breath, and knocked.
Frantic clattering from inside the apartment preceded the door swinging open and a shrill squeak of joy as the occupant spotted her son.
“Kaiji!” His mother squealed excitedly and wrapped him up in a tight hug. Even though she was shorter than him, she seemed to pull Kaiji off his feet into the tight hug, and he squirmed, his cheeks flush.
“Ma!” He spluttered and she stepped back, looking sheepish.
“Sorry Kaiji, I’m just so excited to see you… Ah!” She let out a shriek as she spotted Kazuya, making him jump in surprise. She grabbed Kaiji’s arm and pulled him into the apartment behind her. “You were followed by a punk! Quick, call the police, I’ll-“
“Mom! This is the friend I told you was coming.” Kaiji frowned and pulled her gently aside, to let Kazuya walk in. “I told you, we were on our way to a work dinner. So we can’t be long, we have to get back on the train.”
“Oh, right! Sorry, I’m Kaiji’s mom, but please, call me Hatsue.” She smiled and bowed politely. Kazuya returned the bow and couldn’t help but notice how… cute she was. She was definitely’ Kaiji’s mother, and Kazuya could tell they had a few shared features, and even though she was relatively plain-looking compared to the women Kazuya normally hung out with, she was still very cute. Her bright, warm gaze was welcoming and reminded Kazuya of his own mother. He ignored the old pang of sadness at the memory of his mother and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Kazuya Hyou…” He trailed off as Kaiji frantically shook his head and waved his hands behind Hatsue. “...Hyousuke. Kazuya Hyousuke.”
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet a friend of Kaiji’s! He never used to even visit until recently- can you believe that? It took forever for me to get his cellphone number from him!”
“Yeah, and I regretted it the moment I gave it to you.” Kaiji grumbled but winced as Hatsue reached over and pinched him playfully.
“Oh, you! Well, come in, Mr.Hyousuke. I promise I won’t take long, I just need my son to look at a few things…” She trailed off and quickly scurried down the hallway. Kaiji bristled and stormed after her, leaving Kazuya to close the door behind him and follow into her apartment.
“‘A few things’? Mom, I thought it was just the washer?!” Kaiji groaned. They chattered from the room up ahead while Kazuya slowly made his way through the hallway, curious. Unlike Kaiji’s apartment, Hatsue’s was well decorated, tidy, and filled with family photos and older furniture. This must have been where Kaiji grew up, Kazuya realized as he paused to look at a framed photo of what he assumed was the Itou family. A good-looking bunch, though Kazuya would probably have never even noticed them on the street- they were fairly plain. Kaiji’s father was rather handsome, and the young Hatsue was looking at him lovingly, while Kaiji seemed to be tugging on his sister’s blouse, earning an irritated look from her. Interesting. Kazuya didn’t even realize he had a sister.
“Mr.Hyousuke, would you like something to drink?” Hatsue called from down the hall, and Kazuya jumped and quickly scurried into the kitchen, not wanting to get caught snooping around. The kitchen was homey and smelled absolutely delicious, and Hatsue smiled at him with that warm, welcoming smile again. Kazuya noticed Kaiji frustratedly inspecting a washing machine neatly stacked in a closet off to the side and couldn’t help but observe how nice his ass looked bent over like tha-
“I have tea, coffee, juice, or if there’s something you’d like that I don’t have I can run to the corner store and pick it up!” Hatsue interrupted Kazuya’s oogling and pulled a chair out from a table for him. Kazuya sat down and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Kaiji, who leaned out from the washing machine closet.
“No you won’t, I told you, we aren’t going to be here long enough anyways.” He insisted and turned back to the washing machine. Hatsue shot him a displeased look which melted away as she turned back to Kazuya.
“My son can be so cruel to his mother sometimes, it’s no wonder he’s still single.” She sighed and turned to the cupboard, pulling out a kettle and three teacups. “You’ll never find a good boyfriend with a snappy attitude like that, Kaiji. You attract what you put out there you know, I heard that on the radio-“
“Mom!” Kaiji whipped around from the washing machine, his face bright red. He quickly stormed over to her and pulled her out of the room, leaving Kazuya alone in the kitchen, feeling thoroughly confused. From the hallway, it sounded like Kaiji was trying to whisper, but Hatsue either didn’t know how or didn’t care to keep her voice down.
“What? Oh, Kaiji! It’s the modern age, I’m sure you’re… well, if you got fired for being gay then you’d be able to-... I mean, if you invited him along, I’m sure he doesn’t care. What? If you don’t know him that well then why did you bring him along? You’re making no sense…”
Kazuya frowned to himself but tried to look busy inspecting the kitchen around him. Several of the appliances looked older and yellowing, definitely not the most up-to-date. Jeeze, for someone who had won 2.4 billion, he should take better care of his own mother. But Kazuya’s thoughts wandered back to the conversation from the hallway.
So Kaiji is gay. Then why did he tell Kazuya he wasn’t? And even worse, why did he keep rejecting him? If he wasn’t gay, then sure, Kazuya could understand his hesitation, but what was the problem if he was gay? Kazuya was basically perfect in every way. Well, maybe he did have a few flaws. As if those mattered, though. He was rich!... but then again, so was Kaiji. Apparently, though he certainly didn’t live like it. Maybe Kaiji was well off enough that he didn’t see the purpose of having a boyfriend?
The old Kazuya could understand that sentiment since he figured love was either simply obsessive sexual lust or money-lust. But the new Kazuya… well, he still thought that way, but Kaiji was different. He didn’t want to just fuck him, he also wanted to be around Kaiji all the time. He felt dull and bored all the time, but anytime Kaiji was around Kazuya felt electrified and energetic, like he had touched a live wire or drank a bunch of energy drinks. It was literally not possible Kaiji didn’t also feel this way if he was gay. So why did he keep rejecting Kazuya’s advances? It was frustrating how confusing it was…
“Sorry about that, Mr. Hyousuke.” Hatsue pulled Kazuya from his thoughts as she and Kaiji returned. She looked ashamed, while Kaiji refused to meet Kazuya’s eyes and silently went back to working on the washing machine. “I didn’t realize you might not know. I forget these things, sometimes. I hope you don’t judge him any differently because of this.”
“Not at all,” Kazuya blinked in surprise. “I don’t care at all. In fact, I sort of suspected. We tend to have a good nose for sniffing out others like ourselves,-” he tapped his nose and glanced at Kaiji’s back, smirking, “-Isn’t that right?”
Kaiji continued working as if Kazuya hadn’t even spoken while Hatsue squealed in delight and wrapped Kazuya in a tight hug. Kazuya flinched at the sudden touch, his confident act dropping as he processed her squeeze, and before he could realize he actually sort of liked it, she pulled away, gripping his shoulders tightly.
“Oh, that’s so nice! That radio programme was right, you do attract what you put out there! Let’s have some tea, I have so many questions. Do your parents know? How do they feel?” Hatsue smiled and quickly returned to her kettle, plugging it in and dropping teabags into the cups.
“Well, my mother died when I was young and my father died recently-“
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear! My husband died when Kaiji was still a boy, it was hard for a while but since he got this new job things have really started to turn around for us, hasn’t it dear?” Hatsue smiled and turned to Kaiji, who didn’t even acknowledge their conversation and continued tinkering with the washing machine.
“Yes, I’m sure this job has been very… lucrative, right Kaiji?” Kazuya smirked but felt a nibble of anxiety. Kaiji was refusing to participate or even acknowledge their conversation. Was he truly upset? The anxiety turned to slight frustration- what was the big deal? So what if Kaiji was gay! It just meant they could be together! Unless… well, there was the extremely unlikely idea that maybe Kaiji wasn’t into Kazuya. As if that was even a possibility, though. Kazuya was rich! And irresistible! Everyone loved him and wanted to be around him, if just for his money.
“I cannot figure this out, ma.” Kaiji finally spoke after an awkward silence where Hatsue seemed to acknowledge Kaiji’s silence and simply puttered about the kitchen, giving Kazuya a warm cup of tea which he sipped on politely, even though it came in a bag and tasted like cheap store-bought tea. “I don’t know what you did to it, but it’s beyond my skill level. I will have to call a repairman to come look at it tomorrow.”
“Oh, no! Kaiji, is there really nothing you can do?” Hatsue frowned. “If you must hire a repairman, make sure he’s not some pervert who will take advantage of an old lady! You know, I saw on the news that there was-“
“Why not just buy a new one?” Kazuya interrupted and earned a surprised look from Hatsue. She glanced between him and Kaiji quickly.
“Well, surely it’s not broken that bad, is it?” She asked, and Kaiji shook his head.
“No, it can probably be fixed. A new one is too expensive, Kaz.” Kaiji shot him a look. Ah, right. Another lesson. Poor people don’t just buy a new washer if the old one is broken, instead, they spend probably more to get it fixed? How much could a new washer even cost? 1 million? And judging by the dents and scrapes in the other dated household appliances Kazuya had seen, it was probably about time for a whole bunch of upgrades...
“I’ll send that guy who fixed the leaky shower a few months ago- you liked him right?” Kaiji said and Hatsue frowned thoughtfully. After a moment and a long “hmmmmm” she nodded.
“Yes, he was good. He kept talking to himself while he worked but I just turned on the radio and drowned him out.” She said, and Kaiji rolled his eyes.
“Alright, that’s settled then. We should get going, right Kazuya?”
“Oh! You’re leaving already? I was just about to start dinner. Do you like Yanagawa Nabe, Mr.Hyousuke? I just got the ingredients today-“
“Mom,” Kaiji said firmly, but his voice was still gentle- he was talking to his mother, after all. “As I said, we can’t stay long. We have a work dinner to get to.”
“Oh… right. I just figured… well, since you’re here… ah, but I suppose work comes first…” Hatsue looked absolutely dejected and Kazuya felt a pang of … sympathy?
“Actually, Kaiji, I meant to tell you, while you and your mother were in the hallway, the boss called and told me the dinner was going to be moved to tomorrow.” Kazuya said quickly, Hatsue brightening up and Kaiji shooting him a furious glare from behind her. “I was just going to head home, but Yanagawa Nabe sounds delicious, I’ve never had it.”
“Oh, then you must stay-“
“Are you sure it wasn’t a prank from Mr. Sugimoto from the accounting department?” Kaiji quickly interrupted. “He pulled the same prank at the last work dinner and I ended up missing an important client networking opportunity! We should head there anyway, just in case.”
“Nope, it was definitely the boss’s voice.” Kazuya nodded confidently, doing his best to hide the grin that threatened to break across his face as Kaiji stifled a frustrated sigh. Hatsue glanced between the two quickly, waiting for either to speak. After deciding their conversation was done, she confidently turned to a cupboard, pulled out a white apron, and tied it on.
“Well! In that case, I’ll get started! Kaiji, could you start chopping this leek, dear?” She smiled and began pulling out ingredients.
Kazuya leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his tea, smirking as Kaiji shot him a vicious glare while Hatsue reached above the fridge for the cutting board.
‘I’m going to kill you’ Kaiji mouthed, and pulled a knife out of a drawer as Hatsue handed him the cutting board and a leek. Kazuya pretended not to notice and watched with a satisfied grin as the Itous began preparing him a home-cooked meal.
**************
“What did I tell you about encouraging my mom, Hyoudou!” Kaiji exploded, his voice echoing on the empty side street, lit only by a few flickering street lamps and the distant city lights.
Despite Kaiji’s foul mood, the evening had been quite enjoyable to Kazuya’s surprise. He wasn’t sure what he expected by going to meet Kaiji’s mom, but he had actually enjoyed the evening. The Yanagawa Nabe had been delicious, and Hatsue was a great storyteller- especially in regards to embarrassing stories from Kaiji’s childhood. It was overall a painfully domestic dinner, but Kazuya enjoyed it mostly because of how much it seemed to bother Kaiji. It didn’t take much to prompt Hatsue to spill the beans on how Kaiji used to cry whenever she killed a spider, or how he would get his older sister to beat up his bullies, or how he was already a gambling addict in high school! And even better, the more he chummed up to Hatsue, the more pissed Kaiji became, though Kazuya had to admit he was good at holding back.
It wasn’t until they had finally said their goodbyes a few hours later and were walking back to the train station did Kaiji finally explode, turning on Kazuya as soon as they were a few blocks away.
“You never said anything about not encouraging her, Itou. You gave me a bible of things to not mention, which I might add, I stuck to quite loyally-“
“I figured I didn’t have to tell you to reject her invitation to dinner!” Kaiji snarled in response, and Kazuya flinched in surprise at how angry he was. It irked him and he couldn’t help but feel a flare of anger in response.
“So we stayed for dinner, what’s the big deal?” He snapped, gritting his teeth angrily.
“The big deal is that you’re an insane billionaire who tried to kill me and my friends multiple times, and I don’t want you getting my mom involved!”
“The first thing wrong with that is I’m a trillionaire, and I never tried to kill you, you knew the risks of One-poker and you accepted!” Kazuya couldn’t believe how ridiculous Kaiji was being! “And finally, I’m not a monster, as if I would do anything to your mother!”
“As if you wouldn’t threaten my mother to get what you want from me!” Kaiji scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest angrily.
“Wh- No I-...” Kazuya paused. As much as he hated to even think it, Kaiji was right. Using someone’s mother as a gambling chip definitely was something Kazuya had done before. But that was the old Kazuya! The new Kazuya wouldn’t do that unless he couldn’t find something better to use as leverage in a difficult situation. Kaiji raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with Kazuya’s hesitation.
“... I wouldn’t do that to you.” Kazuya finally spoke, confident. If there was one thing he could be sure of, it was that.
“Right, so you’re saying once you eventually get bored of me and we have another run-in like on the first night we met, you’re not going to use every chip you have against me?” Kaiji shook his head. “No, I know you Kazuya, you wouldn’t even hesitate.”
“Get bored of you?” Kazuya repeated, confused.
“Yeah, I’m just this shiny unattainable new thing for you, but I know if I give in you are going to eventually get bored of me.” Kaiji looked very uncomfortable and avoided looking at Kazuya, his arms still crossed. Kazuya felt a pang of surprise and felt his glasses slip a bit down his nose.
“Bored of you? How could I get bored of you? You’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met, Kaiji.” Kazuya admitted, feeling his cheeks flush slightly. “And I’ve met some pretty interesting people, I have to add. But all of them are boring greedy bastards who want my money. You are the first person I’ve ever met who doesn’t roll over trying to please me.”
“You’ve said that before…” Kaiji looked at him, thoughtfully, and Kazuya felt his heart skip a beat. He hated being so… open with his feelings, especially with Kaiji. Kazuya wondered briefly if he knew how easily Kaiji could destroy him if he wanted.
“So you find me interesting because I don’t let you push me around- what then? You want me to dominate you or something, and then when you’re done with me you want me to fuck off?”
“Goddamnit, no!” Kazuya growled, frustrated. Just when he thought Kaiji was starting to understand. Hell, Kazuya wasn’t even sure he fully understood the extent of his feelings for Kaiji.
“I just want to… do things with you, damnit. I like being around you even though my thoughts don’t make a lot of sense when you look at me. I’m not asking you to get married, and I don’t want to just fuck you, I just… want to be around you. I like doing stupid things like pretending to be poor, or eating dinner with your mom when it’s with you. That’s all I want, Kaiji. I’m not trying to trick you or do some weird long con.”
Kazuya felt naked, and he hated it. But at the same time, it felt good to finally say it out loud, and know that Kaiji was hearing it, instead of swirling confusingly around in his head. Kaiji was silent as he digested what Kazuya had said, and leaned against a streetlamp, staring at the lights of Tokyo twinkling in the distance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one and taking a long, thoughtful drag. Kazuya meandered over next to him, watching the city but his mind completely focused on Kaiji’s small movements next to him. After a moment, Kaiji offered his cigarette to Kazuya, and he took it, nodding in thanks and inhaling deeply, his lungs burning.
Was this the last time he would share a cigarette with Kaiji? Was he about to be rejected after having completely opened up to someone for the first time in his life? He couldn’t even bring himself to make some dumb joke or observation like he normally did, he just focused on the cigarette in his hand and the smoke in his lungs before passing the cigarette back to Kaiji.
They smoked in silence, watching cars and trains and planes and people all going about their lives, Tokyo more lively at night than at day, it seemed, and it felt so far away. Though they could see it all, aside from a distant roar of plane engines, it was fairly quiet on the suburb street.
Kazuya finally understood why people would choose to live in the suburbs. You could see everything from here, and if you wanted to you could pretend it doesn’t exist. On this sidestreet, they could even pretend they were the only people in the world, machines operating everything else. Kazuya figured he probably wouldn’t mind that, as long as Kaiji was there too.
“... I believe bad people can change, just like how good people can change.” Kaiji finally spoke, pulling Kazuya from his thoughts. “When I first met you, I was convinced you were the devil himself. And even now I still think that. But I do have to admit, Kazuya, you’ve changed.”
“I am trying to. You made me realize that first night, that there are people out there who aren’t just after my money. You saved my life after you won, you could have easily let me die and walk off with 2.4 billion.” Kazuya paused and took a drag from the cigarette Kaiji offered him. “It made me realize maybe I could be like you, if I wanted. I didn’t really want to, at first. It was nice enough just knowing I could be like that if I wanted. But the more I thought about you, the more I wanted to change.”
“Is that why you agreed to come with me today? Because you want to change?”
“No. Well, yes, but no. I want to change, but I don’t want to change who I am. Today was just more time I get to spend with you.” Kazuya passed the cigarette back to Kaiji. “I am changing, but in my own way. I will never ride the train to a 9 to 5, or wait in line at the bookstore or grocery store. That’s just not Kazuya. But the Kazuya I am when I am around you is the someone I want to become.”
“You don’t seem too different to me.” Kaiji noted genuinely as he took a puff. Kazuya shrugged.
“It’s hard to explain… it’s more inside.” Kazuya paused as he struggled to think of an example. “Today when we were at that convenience store, when I noticed how dirty it was, my first thought was that I probably own the chain and should see about getting it cleaned up. For others. I thought about doing something for other people that didn’t involve me making money. It was… weird.”
“I bet.” Kaiji smirked and Kazuya shot him an annoyed glance.
“I’m serious! Before you, I never would have thought something like that.”
Kaiji’s smirk fell slowly as he met Kazuya’s gaze and held it for a long moment. Kazuya couldn’t help but glance at his lips, and he considered leaning in to kiss him. He flicked his gaze back into Kaiji’s eyes, who had noticed his wandering gaze and turned back to look at the city. Message received, too soon.
“You know, as much as I am afraid of you Kazuya… I think I feel the same.”
Kazuya felt his heart freeze and he stiffened as he watched Kaiji take a final drag of the cigarette and flick it onto the ground, crushing it under his sneaker.
“Even though your father tried to kill me multiple times, and even though you tried to kill me a few times, I still find myself wondering what you’re up to when I wake up in the morning. I don’t run from you anymore and I still invite you on outings like today.” Kaiji paused, biting his lower lip thoughtfully. “I’m scared of you but I enjoy spending time with you. It’s sort of confusing, but after today I found myself less afraid of you and happier to be spending time with you. I… I think I’d like to do it again.”
Kazuya perked up hopefully.
“So… like, a date?”
“Yeah…. Yeah, I’d be ok with that, I think. A second date.”
Kazuya couldn’t help but laugh, earning a surprised look from Kaiji.
“Second date? No, you mean fifth!”
“We are not counting our previous meetings as dates, Hyoudou! One of us almost died in all of them!” Kaiji laughed incredulously, though he gave Kazuya a good-natured nudge.
“Fine, then. I will accept today as our second date, and our next one as our third.” Kazuya nodded, having settled the issue once and for all. Kaiji blinked at him still confused.
“What was our fir-...” realization dawned on his face and he shook his head. “Absolutely not, Kaz! The night we played One-Poker cannot be our first date! We both almost died, and then I was on the run for months!”
“Too bad, Itou. I can think of no first date more romantic than that. Looks like I will just have to do my best to top it for date number three!” Kazuya grinned as Kaiji turned slightly pale.
“No way, I’m planning our next date.” He said weakly, but Kazuya simply waved him off and turned to begin walking down the street towards the train station.
“Nah, I’ve already got my engineers working on a new machine. Kaiji, have you ever played Jenga?”
**************
The morning sun shone into Kazuya’s office at on the top floor of Teiai corporate brightly, reminding Kazuya of why he hated being here. Unfortunately, Kazuki insisted that he needed to be there for some meeting he had organized. When their father had died and they inherited Teiai, Kazuki and Kazuya agreed that Kazuki would probably be better at running the corporate side, and all Kazuya had to do was show up when Kazuki needed him to. Which was not often, considering Kazuki was quite familiar with Kazuya’s… personal life.
Despite knowing Kazuya’s mornings didn’t normally start until 4pm, Kazuki insisted this meeting could happen at no other time, and so Kazuya sat at his rarely used desk, sipping on imported italian coffee, feeling like a zombie. As he was scanning the schedule for the upcoming meeting - ugh, who cares about some government rule about having to be more transparent with Teiai spending? - Kazuya’s pocket began to vibrate. His personal phone? As he pulled his phone from his pocket, he curiously glanced at the caller ID. Who would be calling him at such a ridiculous hour on his personal ph- Oh.
“Kaiji, Baby, you just can’t get enough of me, can you?” Kazuya grinned as he flipped the phone open. “Did you want to schedule our next date? I told you, I was waiting to hear back from my engineer about that life-or-death Jenga machine, I was thinking of naming it the Love Drop, but I’m open to suggestion-”
“Kazuya! I just got off the phone with my mom- she’s hysterical! Some delivery men showed up at her apartment this morning! Did you buy her a whole set of brand new appliances?!”