Chapter Text
Saiki huffed as he collapsed into his leather chair. Running one of Japan’s soon-to-be strongest underground gangs was tougher than it sounded. But still, results were results, and the results were worth it. It was late evening and he’d need to get ready for bed soon. He’d already changed into suitable sleepwear. He just needed to finish up a few more details, wait for his bodyguards to arrive and go to sleep. He was looking forward to it.
“Boss, it’s me, Teruhashi. May I come in?” A voice sounded from the hallway of his office.
“The doors open.” He called back. Teruhashi stepped in (in a white shirt and black skirt with tights) and handed him a file of paperwork. “It’s all done, you just need to read through and sign it.” Teruhashi instructed. Teruhashi was one of his most loyal employees. She was a brilliant secretary and was also good at manipulating people. It made deals with other local gangs easier.
Hopefully, these documents from an adjacent gang would let them have more territory. Knowing Teruhashi’s skills, he wouldn’t have to hope too hard. “Is that all for today?” She sounded.
“Of course. Thank you Teruhashi. You’re free to go.” He replied. Teruhashi bowed slightly and left the room. He read methodically through the documents, pleased at their expanded territory. Finally, after lazily looping his signature around the bottom of the last page, he set the files down and leaned back in his chair.
“Sir, it’s your bodyguards. Can we come in?” A deep voice called from outside in the hallway. Aren and the others were here then.
“Great, let yourself in.” Saiki stood up from his office desk and collapsed onto the nearby bed. “I’m going to sleep. Aren, stand by the hallway door. Nendo, stand by the front door, and Hairo, stand at the back door.” He ordered, yawning. “Only wake me up if there’s an emergency. And my alarm is set for 5 am.” He told Aren as Nendo and Hairo went to their posts. Aren nodded stoically and went to stand outside in the hallway. Aren wore a black slightly armoured outfit. He didn’t really need armour, but it was a precaution.
Saiki yawned again. Being a gang leader was time-consuming. Everyday he woke up at 5 am and every night he went to sleep at 11 pm. Six glorious hours of sleep awaited him, so long as there were no interruptions. Saiki hummed satisfied, and drifted off to sleep.
...
An alarm woke Saiki from his slumber. He grumbled but got up. On queue, Aren walked in. “Good morning sir, there were no interruptions last night. Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Nah, Teruhashi should be here soon.” Saiki began to comb his hair.
“Very well, sir. I will get my colleges and leave.” Aren confirmed. Then he left. Just as Saiki finished getting dressed, Teruhashi knocked on the door and walked in. “Good morning boss.” He greeted happily.
“Good morning Teruhashi, what’s on the agenda for today.”
“We need to oversee the base for an inspection, and send out employees to control the new territory we have.” Teruhashi read of her list from her clipboard.
“Very well, escort me to the base, would you?”
“Of course, boss.”
In his private chauffeur, driven by Chiyo in a pale pick dress (who’d wanted a job to fund her expensive shopping habit and go out with boys), Saiki sat in the back next to Teruhashi, discussing the new benefits of the expanded territory. Within a few minutes, they were at the base: an abandoned warehouse made of wood on the outside, and a metal coating on the inside. Saiki thanked Chiyo, and went into the building, escorted by Teruhahsi.
Upon arrival, the doorman, Kaido, in a mandatory suit, bowed as he greeted them. Kaido was picked on for most of his life and needed a place to belong. Saiki had offered him that. “Good morning boss, the base is ready for inspection.” He confirmed.
“Thank you.” Saiki said simply before going through the revolving door. Once in the main room, he saw Mera sitting at a table. She wore a green top and brown trousers.
“Hello Mera, what are you doing?” He asked, straight to the point.
“Hello boss, today I am in the process of taking poisons to increase my immunity.“
“Good, that will help significantly, Mera.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, before going back to the bottles of poisons. Mera was a dedicated employee. Her family had originally been on the verge of poverty, and she was willing to do anything to provide for her family. Saiki respected a dedicated employee, so it worked out for both of them.
Up next, he went over to an office desk where thier main source of intelligence and strategy sat, scribbling on a work pad. The intelligence officer wore a white shirt and trousers.
“Akechi, how are you?” He called out.
“I’m doing good. I’m currently practicing my skills of deduction by watching horse racing and such. Afterwards, I will test my mental arithmetic in order to increase my IQ. Finally, I will strategise the best way to cover the new territory.”
Akechi talked a lot.
“Sounds good.” Saiki nodded before moving away, followed by Teruhashi. When first starting his gang, he needed people he could trust to be loyal and secretive. He figured the best way to start would be to recruit his childhood best friend. Akechi was bullied in school, and Saiki was his only friend who stood up for him, so Saiki knew he would join. Being bullied could really change someone’s world view and morals - and not always for the better.
Next up, he spotted Auira sparring with Toritsuka. They both were powerful, and intelligent. Auira was academic and deductive whilst Toritsuka had a wide range of knowledge in varying subjects. Both knew marshal arts. Together, they worked as a good team.
“What’s your plan for today?” He asked them once they finished sparring, with Auira winning.
“Today we’re going to spar to train ourselves, and then take a test that Akechi gave us to see the gaps in our knowledge.” Auira replied, grinning at her victory over Toritsuka.
“What she said.” Toritsuka narrowed his eyes. “Best out of three?” He asked Auira, who grinned as they began to spar again. Saiki left them to it. Auira was a talented employee who’d wanted to make a name for herself, so Saiki had offer her a job. Toritsuka just wanted money to go out with girls. Saiki didn’t respect that, but so long as Toritsuka kept his mouth shut and did his job, he didn’t care.
Once done with the inspection of his most active gang members, Saiki headed up to check in on his nighttime bodyguards. They were all asleep upstairs in one of the spare rooms. Aren had joined due to his attachment to Kaido- he wanted to make sure Kaido was safe. Nendo had joined because he had deemed Saiki his ‘best bud’. Hairo had joined because of his attachment and continued rivalry with Nendo.
Overall, the gang was a good, solid foundation to what Saiki would build to be his empire. He chuckled at that.
“Something funny?” Teruhashi asked.
“Nothing much, Teruhahsi.” He smiled and began to flick through paperwork.
...
It was late afternoon, and time to patrol the new boarders. Saiki’s power duo, Auira and Toritsuka as well as his three bodyguards, Aren, Nendo and Hairo followed him, Teruhashi and Akechi were there as they arrived at the new area.
“What’s the plan?” Saiki looked over to Akechi.
“Auira and Toritsuka should stick together at the perimeter we previously had, as they knew they area best, and Aren, Nendo and Hairo should patrol the new perimeter. Is that good?” Akechi asked. Saiki nodded and the mentioned guards began to walked out the circle the perimeter.
“That’s all for today Akechi.” He told his childhood friend, who went off to his own house.
“Excuse me sir.” Teruhashi asked. “But if your bodyguards are here, who will guard you whilst you sleep?”
“I’ll stay at the base tonight. It’s fortified so it should be safe. Now then, two things we lack is numbers and funding. Can you employ some guards to control this perimeter? With the expanded territory we need more numbers. Also, have a look into that guy who approached us about funding. If he’s talking the truth, take him up on the deal, if not, make sure he never speaks again.” Saiki instructed.
“Understood, should I accompany you back to the base?” Teruhashi asked.
“No, it’s alright, Teruhashi. You have enough to do and little time, so I’ll leave you to it?”
“Are you sure? You’ll be unguarded until you get back to the base.”
“Teruhashi,” he sighed. “I’m all the guards I need. You know how powerful I am.”
“I guess that’s true. Well, goodbye boss, safe journeys.” Teruhashi waved goodbye as she skipped off.
Saiki walked back to the base uninterrupted. He went into his temporary bedroom and went to sleep, another day complete.
...
“Sir, we captured a trespasser, or rather, several trespassers.” Aren’s voice woke Saiki. He grumbled. He’d been awake for a while but had a reluctance to get out of bed. He sat up to see three men handcuffed and gagged at Aren’s feet. Nendo and Hairo were behind him. There was no rest for the wicked, he supposed.
“Who are they?” He asked, sitting up.
“They won’t tell us.” Aren replied. Saiki internally cursed. For all their strength, his bodyguards didn’t have a high IQ. Saiki looked at the three bound trespassers closer. He failed to recognise them. “Get Teruhashi, she’ll know.”
“We’ve been unable to contact Teruhashi.”
“What?”
“I think she’s been captured.”
Oh, for Christ’s sake.
“Get Akechi to interrogate them. I’ll locate Teruhahshi.” Saiki responded, agitated. It wasn’t like Teruhahsi to get captured. Something was definably going on here.
Once the bodyguards and trespassers left, Saiki washed quickly, slipped on a suit and went to his house. He figured it was a start. There was a chance that Teruhashi wasn’t captured. Saiki called his chevron.
After a few minutes, he opened his front door and sat in his office, looking for clues. He pulled out his phone and texted Teruhahsi.
S
Where are you?
No reply. Dammit. Surprisingly, a few moments later, someone knocked on the door. He opened it to find none other than Teruhashi herself. “Hello, sorry about the wait boss.” Teruhashi spoke. But her hands signed something different.
I have a speaker on me. I’ve been captured. It’s located by the seafront.
“I’d quite like to take some vacation off, if you’d wouldn’t mind.” She spoke. So she’d been sent here to trick him? These people, whoever they were, didn’t know Teruhashi at all. She was smarter than that.
“I see.” He said. “How long we’re you thinking?”
“Two weeks?” She challenged.
“Make it one and a half.” He said, for no reason other than to make the people watching the camera think that this was a general conversation.
“One week and five days.” Teruhashi bargained.
“Fine. But be back early. I have a gang to run.”
“Of course, boss. Goodbye.” She waved and left. Saiki grinned. He always made sure that the people employed were capable. Whoever chose to mess with him was in for a surprise.
Before he went back to his base, he needed to make a call. The person on the other end of the line picked up after only two rings.
“Kusuke, I need a favour...”
...
Saiki wouldn’t go so far as to call himself worried. But Teruhashi was now missing. But this was fine, he knew her rough location from the details she’d signed to him. He had a plan. A good plan, even if it did involve Kusuke. Speaking of the man himself, Saiki’s brother was lounging in a chair across the table from him.
“Can you explain to me, one more time.” Kusuke huffed. “Why you need ten of my men?”
“To rescue my secretary.”
“She’s just a secretary, I’m sure you can find another one.”
“She’s more powerful than your giving her credit for.” Saiki was close to snapping. “She’s smart and manipulative. She’s essential to my plans. Her negotiation skills are incredible. I just need to get her back.”
His brother smirked at him. “Seems like you’ve got a bit of a crush Kusuo.” Kusuke teased. Saiki threw a pencil at him.
“Are you going to help me or not?”
“Fine, fine. I’ll send you ten men for a week. If you haven’t recovered her by then, it’s a lost cause.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
Saiki texted his team, as well as Kusuke’s and they all met up at his base. Akechi had interrogated the men and confirmed that they were from Megumi Toru’s gang. The name rang a bell, but he couldn’t place it. Whatever. “We’ll search the coast side. Aren, Nendo, Hairo, you three locate the base. Auira, Toritsuka, you two are with me. Ourselves and Kusuke’s bodyguards will storm the base. Everyone else needs to stay here in case they attack the base, got it?”
The trio of bodyguards began to search for the base whilst Saiki tapped his fingers on a table. Where had he heard that name before? Did Teruhashi say it? He remembered she once mentionsd a brother called…Mokoto Teruhashi! That was it! But whilst the names were similar, they weren’t the same. Unless it’s an alias, a voice in his head pondered. But why would Teruhashi’s own brother kidnap her? From what he’d heard, they didn’t have a great relationship. So maybe…hmm.
His phone rang from an incoming call. “Yes?” He answered.
“Boss, we think we’ve found the base.” Aren told him.
“Excellent, once we get here, you three should go back to the base and rest up. Be there to defend it.”
“Got it, boss.”
Saiki grabbed his suit jacket and gun, and went downstairs to meet his power duo and ten temporary body guards. He smirked. Bring the action.
...
Auira and Toritsuka waited outside a wooden set of double doors. Saiki stood between them, with ten bodyguards behind them. Without hesitation, he pushed open the doors and the bodyguards ran in. The room was empty of people but there were many belongings. Stolen, probably. They went into the next room. Bingo. What looked to be Teruhashi Mokoto sat on a golden throne with ten bodyguards behind him.
“Guards.” He ordered. “Charge.” Saiki let the bodyguards fight it out as he made his way to Mokoto, Auira and Toritsuka behind him. “You must be Mokoto.” He drawled.
“Oh, has my sister talked to you about me?” Mokoto grinned.
“Hardly, speaking off, where is Teruhashi?”
“Why? Do you want to take her from me?”
“Yes.”
Mokoto’s eyes narrowed. “No one shall ever take my beloved sister from me! They all have impure intentions! That’s why the only man allowed to marry her is me!”
The room fell silent. What? Saiki noticed how some of the Mokoto’s bodyguards raised their eyebrows at that.
“What?” Saiki asked, hoping he heard wrong.
“I shall marry her.” Mokoto confirmed.
“Dude.” Saiki grumbled. “You’re her sister. What the fuck? Just tell me where she is.”
“I’m right here.” A gravelly voice replied. Teruhashi, with a long cut across her forehead, appeared behind Mokoto. Whilst her clothes seemed rustled, she looked relatively unharmed. “Now, if my stupid brother would do me a favour and drop dead, I’d like to go.”
“Kokomi!” Mokoto went to grab her. Teruhashi pulled out a pocket knife, keeping him at arms length. Saiki pulled out a gun. “Mokoto. Return Teruhashi or else.”
Mokoto tried to grab Teruhahsi, but she promptly kicked him and hurled him to the ground. Despite being a leader, he didn’t appear to have much fighting experience. Teruhashi, after disabling Mokoto, ran and hugged Saiki. Saiki flushed, not used to the physical contact.
“Thanks for coming.” She smiled. Saiki short-circuited.
“Umm, yeah, of course…Shall we go?” He asked, a little sheepishly. As they turned to leave, Mokoto stood up, eyes wild.
“Security! Don’t let them get away! But don’t lay a finger in Kokomi!” Auira and Toritsuka smirked and pounced on the two heavily armoured security guards. Teruhashi looked around and walked out. Saiki followed.
A few moments later, Auira and Toritsuka walked out, Toritsuka was limping slightly, but other than that, they appeared to be okay. “Let’s go.” Toritsuka winked. “I’m tired.”
“You were also too stupid to see a knife in your leg.” Auira grinned.
“Auira, I swear to god, I don’t care how attractive you are, if you don’t shut up-“
Teruhashi looked at them, amused.
“Do I still get that vacation?” She asked Saiki.
“Of course, if that’s what you want. Your welcome to stay at my house, considering I have ten bodyguards to spare.” Saiki murmured,
“Really?” Teruhahsi asked.
“Yes, there’s some things I’d like to discuss with you.”
...
“I want you to co-run the gang with me.” Saiki said, one evening, opposite Teruhashi. Teruhashi promptly choked on her tea.
“You want me to what?”
“If it’s okay with you?”
“Of course, but why?”
“You deserve a promotion. Plus, I thought it would be best to be on equal terms for…” His voice drifted off, embarrassed.
“Yes?” Teruhashi urged.
“Oh gods. Teruhashi, would you like to go out with me?”
Teruhashi blinked stoically.
“I mean-“ Saiki panicked. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine, and you can still rule the gang, if you’d like that. If not, oh god, have I made you uncomfortable? I’ve made you uncomfortable, haven’t I? I, that was not my intention-“
Teruhahsi gracefully saved Saiki from rambling to nothing by speaking. “Saiki, I kid you not, I have had a crush on you almost from the moment I met you.” Saiki froze. Teruhashi smiled and walked over to him. She casually leant down and kissed him. After a moment to reboot his brain, Saiki kissed back, standing up to hold her.
“Damn it.” Saiki muttered, after the kiss.
“What is it?” Teruhashi asked.
“Kusuke was right.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Saiki promised, before leaning in to kiss her again.