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‘I do have a question though.’
‘Sure thing. What ya wanna know, Kiryu-chan?’
‘Did you not get a sunburn, lying on that beach for so long?’
Saejima could barely hold back a laugh, patting Majima’s shoulder.
‘Believe me or not, Kiryu, but that guy must sweat SPF+50 because when I met him, he was pale as a ghost. He didn’t even get an eyepatch shaped tan.’
‘Now, now, I did get a bit sunburnt, okay!’
‘Where? On your ass?’
‘Ya don’t have to know that! I wouldn’t even show ya to begin with!’
It was genuinely amusing to watch those two bicker over the tiniest things. He wanted to join in and laugh, but a sudden coughing fit cut him short. The sound immediately silenced them, their attention shifting to him in concern. After taking a few sips of water, Kiryu set the glass down and glanced back at them.
‘Somehow, this story still sounds so unreal. Modern day pirates, lost treasures, giant squids… Sounds like your typical Tuesday, Majima-no-niisan.’
‘Of course. With me, ya can’t get bored!’ Majima puffed his chest proudly in an exaggerated manner ‘Ya know that the best, don’t ya, Kiryu-chan?’
‘Absolutely. Even when I go for walks around the hospital garden, I am sure to check all the manholes around, because who knows what may happen.’
Check the manholes?
Saejima furrowed his brows, unsure if he was missing an inside joke between them. He vaguely recalled that back when he was still in prison, Majima and Kiryu had been running around Kamurocho - some of their encounters downright bizarre, thanks to his sworn brother's antics. Just then, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked the caller’s name.
‘Sorry guys. I’m gonna leave ya for a minute. Don’t let him talk for too long or he will start singing sea shanties while I’m not here, Kiryu.’
‘I’mma not disturb any patients, come on. Also, don’t say ya don’t like my voice, who have been singin’ with me when we were on that boat, huh!’
As soon as the door closed it became quiet, the silence only disturbed by the beeping of machines around and noises of cars passing nearby the hospital. With Saejima around it was somehow easier to speak, but now Majima was not able to utter a word. All he did was to look at Kiryu.
Dear Gods, that chemo really did take a toll on him.
He had grown noticeably thinner, the change most apparent in his face. Though some hair still remained on his head, Majima couldn’t miss the neatly folded knit caps nearby - likely brought by Haruka and the others. It wasn’t unusual for cancer patients to use them to conceal the effects of treatment.
His hands, too, had changed - the hands that once beat the hell out of him years ago, now seemed suited for little more than holding a book or a glass of water. Majima didn’t want to believe Kiryu had become this weak, but one look at him made it impossible to deny. It made his chest hurt.
‘...future?’
Kiryu’s voice pulled him out of his train of thought.
‘Hm?’ Sorry, I didn’t focus. Repeat again?’
‘That’s fine. What are your plans for the future, Majima-no-niisan?’
‘Darn, Kiryu-chan asking such hard questions. Though I admit, that’s a good one.’ Crossing arms on his chest, he leaned against the chair ‘I can think of some things. Though, even if I make some plans, life doesn’t work that way, ya know. One day I can think that I will take on some job to help other folks around, but then BAM! Ya get swooped by the giant bastard and land on a foreign island to become a pirate.’ He laughed quietly, his face quickly going sour ‘Fer real though… I dunno. There is still some shit to clean up after this whole Palekana fiasco and Second Dissolution. I feel that’s gonna take ages to do.’
‘Indeed. I would be glad to help out but-’
‘Ya ain’t goin’ anywhere, Kiryu-chan. You’ve done yer part, now leave it to us. I know it’s probably something ya think about a lot, but enough is enough. Ya finished yer business with this shit and I ain’t gonna let you put yerself into danger again, old man.’
He didn’t say that with any hint of malice, Kiryu knew that. As he laid his face down on the pillow, he let out a quiet sigh.
‘There is… perhaps one business I haven’t finished though.’
‘Haw? What’s that?’
‘It’s not really related to Palekana or Second Dissolution… or perhaps Yakuza itself. It’s something personal.’
‘Right. Ya still have those kids at Okinawa and Haruka-chan-’
‘...No. It’s not about them, actually. Perhaps it’s about something I didn’t come to realize until recently, now that I’ve got more time to think about many things. It was kind of similar when I was still at the Daidoji temple but… at that time, I still thought about matters related to the Tojo Clan.’
A strange wave of uneasiness went through Majima’s spine. He had known Kiryu for ages now, damn, it’s been more than 35 years? That guy had never had any proper rest since he entered yakuza at an early age. There was always something he had to take care of, someone he had to take care of - Majima knew that Kiryu always put others above himself and he wished he could kick his ass every time he did that.
But wasn’t Majima the same, putting others, especially Kiryu, above himself? How many times did he try to help that man in ways better or worse? Helping that guy to get back to his previous glory, getting shot, stabbed, hell, he went to Hawaii to find a goddamn cure for his illness, knowing that shit’s probably not even real to begin with. Yet still, he wanted to try.
It never hurt to try to change things, and perhaps ‘right now’ was the time to try once again.
After all, it was one of the reasons why he came here tonight.
‘...That’s funny. I also got a lot of time to think shit over. Ya know, even though I didn’t remember anything, I felt there was always somethin’ missing.’
Kiryu looked at him curiously, all of his attention now focused on Majima. When was the last time he saw him this serious? Probably when he went to that shed. Majima had exactly the same look on his face when their eyes met once again.
‘Go on.’
‘We told ya that there was a treasure, right. Shitton of gold, jewels and other stuff that one can dream of. But there was also another one that Jason has been lookin’ for for Noah.’ Majima leaned in closer to Kiryu, his voice getting a bit somber ‘As I mentioned before, lil’ kid’s got quite a bad asthma since he was a baby and that was one of the reasons why they moved so far away from Honolulu. As Jason was a treasure hunter, he hoped that besides finding the main treasure, he could find somethin’ to cure that kid’s condition.’
Kiryu’s eyes widened slightly. Majima shook his head as he continued.
‘But then, stuff got bad and he lost his ship in the colosseum, all of it going to waste. He just decided to give up completely and that’s how he ended up staying at Rich Island. Years passed by, kid grew up and everythin’ looked to be progressing as usual… But that wasn’t the case. Ya know, the more you suppress shit, the harder it gets to keep it in, right?’
‘I… know. I know it well.’
‘Yeah. Of course ya do. Anyway, that’s how the story goes until I met Noah and we decided to conquer the seas together. Shit was so fun, often dangerous but that’s what makes life more interestin, right? Yet… as I said, there was somethin’ missing. The entire time.’
‘Did you recall what it was?’
‘Yeah. I did, actually. It wasn’t anythin’ related to mythical treasures, pirates, hell, even thing with yakuza or stuff that happened here. Once I got my memory back, I pieced all the facts together and understood everythin’. It was related to me. Me and…’ Swallowing, Majima prepared himself mentally for what was about to happen. He was ready, more than ready ‘...you, Kiryu-chan. It was always related to you and how I felt… no. How I still feel about you.’
Silence.
Majima waited for Kiryu to say something, looking straight into his eyes. No harsh battle in the pirate colosseum, no fight with a literal Eldritch horror could prepare him for the most difficult battle of his life that was baring his true feelings to the man in front of him.
He finally said it.
‘...That’s…’ Kiryu finally spoke, making Majima nearly flinch. Was he really that on edge? Maybe he was. But when he saw the faintest hint of a smile tug at the corners of Kiryu’s mouth, a strange warmth spread through his chest ‘That's a surprisingly tame way to say it for someone like you.’
Majima kept staring at him, completely flabbergasted.
‘....Haw? What’s that supposed to mean?!’ His voice shot up before he quickly lowered it to a whisper ‘K-Kiryu-chan, what the hell?’
‘I thought you were going to confess in your usual manner.’
Oh shit.
He was so done for.
‘So ya prefer me to do some shit like jumpin’ out of a cake or what? I don’t think they would allow me to do it at the hospital, haha-’ Quickly trying to turn the situation to his favor, he noticed that Kiryu was still looking at him with that gentle, warm gaze. He wasn’t making fun of him, right?
‘You said you were thinking about your feelings for me. I guess it makes it a bit easier for me then.’
‘Kiryu-chan…?’
Kiryu’s hand felt so warm against Majima’s palm, covering it completely and giving it a light squeeze.
‘You know… Haruka visited me recently and we talked about a few things. I told her about my promise to Yumi and how I managed to deliver her final wish to Hawaii. She was so happy to hear that I finally closed that chapter of my life as well and moved on. But just like you said, something still felt missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, couldn’t sort out my thoughts… so I told her about it, all at once.’
No way.
Is Kiryu…?
‘She’s a smart girl and understands those things better. It was quite good to tell her what I kept in my heart for so long and… she made me realize how scared I was. In front of her, at that time, I was not a Dragon of Dojima or a walking legend that could move mountains, fight hordes of dangerous men or even shoot a helicopter down. I was… just myself. I was just Kazuma Kiryu, a man who was too scared to allow myself to feel anything like this towards someone again. Now, with my current condition, I thought that speaking out may make things worse, but I was wrong. With so much time to myself, I also felt that I would explode at some point. I told her that too… and you know what kind of response I got?’
Kiryu sighed quietly.
‘“Don’t be afraid of your feelings. It’s never too late to speak out.”’
‘Kiryu-chan…’
‘Of course, she also told me that if I don’t confess to you, she will go to the fortune teller to ask when’s the best time.’
‘Wha-’ Majima almost jumped in his seat ‘Kiryu-chan, yer so bold?! Just say ya like me or somethin!’
‘ I do. I do like you, Majima-no-niisan.’
The Mad Dog of Shimano was on the verge of losing it, in the best way possible. He needed a moment to process it all - the sheer honesty coming from Kazuma Kiryu of all people was enough to make his eye sting just a little.
Lowering his head, he rested it gently against Kiryu’s hospital blanket. Without a word, the other man reached over, intertwining their fingers together.
‘Shit… Shit, Kiryu-chan, you can’t do that.’ He murmured ‘I had to prepare myself for a few days before coming here, thinking yer gonna straight up refuse me, and yer here talkin’ like this? Where did ya learn to be so unpredictable?’
‘I surely know one guy… Are you not happy?’
‘Don’t ask obvious questions, idiot. I could literally jump out of the window now. I would yell if I could, but then they would kick me out and none of us want that right now.’
Majima couldn’t look at Kiryu’s face right now. The heart in his chest was about to burst.
‘...Haruka-chan knew?’
‘Yeah. She had a feeling for a long time and told me she was more surprised that we never… pursued anything further. To her, it was more obvious than it ever was to me. After thinking it over, I realized she had a point. But in our world, relationships like that always come with risks. I sure experienced it first hand.’
‘Yer right… Though, ain’t she angry? Ya know, ‘cause of her mom?’
‘No. She was happy that I kept my promise and delivered the ring to Hawaii, just like Yumi wanted. She also believes that Yumi would want me to find happiness while I’m still here.’
‘Heh… Guess I owe Haruka-chan a thank-you next time I see her. She’s always had a sharp eye.’
They sat in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s presence, before Majima spoke again.
‘Ya know… Jason wasn’t the only one who searched for this treasure. Not sure if you managed to catch up on it but I… did too. I wanted to find that damn elixir, or whatever it was, and give it to you.’
It made Kiryu chuckle.
‘What?’
‘That’s so like you, Majima-no-niisan. Going to so many lengths for someone like me, even to try and find a mythical treasure.’
‘That’s because it is YOU, Kiryu-chan’ Finally raising his head to look back at Kiryu, he hoped that he didn’t look absolutely pathetic with his eye being all glossy ‘I’ve been so fucking crazy about you since the 80’, ya know? Take a hint.’
‘Even if I’m not the Dragon of Dojima any longer?’
‘I don’t care about the Dragon of Dojima shit. No matter what form, name or state you are in right now… All I care about is you. I can't say it more clearly than this.’
Bringing his hand to Kiryu’s face, Majima brushed his fingers against the man's cheek. His skin felt so warm under his touch.
‘Ya don’t even know how long I kept this shit to myself… I would even fight a god for ya, Kiryu-chan, ya know?’
‘I know. But please don’t do that. No need to fight any gods or cults anymore.’
‘Sure… We got Kasuga for that shit. I’m sure next time we talk to him, he’s gonna tell us he fought an incarnation of Yamata no Orochi or somethin’. His next weapon gonna be Ame-no-Habakiri or somethin’.’
‘I hope he just sticks to Dragon Quest bosses in that regard…’
As they got closer and leaned their foreheads against each other, a thought appeared in Majima’s mind. Perhaps the treasure he had looked for wasn’t an elixir of the everlasting life. It had been right here, in front of him, all along. All he had to do was to reach out for it.
‘Yeah. I think… I got what I wanted, Kiryu-chan. Treasure hunt is over.’
Only a few centimeters separated them from joining their lips together. Kiryu’s breath kept tickling Majima’s face, inviting him to get closer and get the last piece of that ‘booty’. That would be, if not for the sound of the sliding door and Saejima entering the room once again, making the two of them instantly move away from each other.
‘...Am I disturbin’?’ Saejima asked an obvious question, seeing the boiling anger on Majima’s face while Kiryu looked slightly embarrassed.
‘Like hell ya are, goddammit kyodai! Couldn’t ya wait a couple of minutes more? Important matters are being discussed here! Read the room!’
‘Important matters, ya say-’
Exchanging looks with Kiryu, Saejima shook his head and left the room, leaving two of them alone again. Majima slid his hand across his face, letting out a heavy sigh.
‘Sorry, mood’s ruined.’
‘Not exactly. I’m afraid if he didn’t enter, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.’
‘Yer one to talk. Get better soon, so I can take you on a proper date. The one ya will never forget! Somethin’ like a romantic cruise on Goromaru, for example!’
Hearing Kiryu laugh again made Majima feel so warm inside, how disgusting. He could never get enough of it.
‘Just promise me one thing.’
‘Yea, sure?’
‘Pay Nishida and Minami accordingly if you do so.’
‘Ya already knew I was gonna involve them? Kiryu-chan knows me so well~ Fine with me.’
For the rest of the visit they talked as if they were back in Kamurocho years ago, just two fools caught up in their usual antics. At that moment, the outside world didn’t exist. No hospital walls, no worries - just them. And no one was there to interrupt.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Saejima took a slow drag of his cigarette, smirking as he typed out a message to Daigo.
“It seems our pirate found his treasure in the end, ya better pay up, boy.”
A moment later, his phone buzzed with a reply of a single sad hamster sticker.