Chapter Text
The door to the hall opened. Majima could see Kiryu standing at the other end, by the altar. Kiryu's white suit and gray shirt were a perfect fit. It was no surprise, because Majima had helped him pick it out. The music started, it was a festive melody.
“Come on, Majima. Oji-san is waiting for you,” said Haruka. She was wearing a rose-coloured dress with a floral pattern. She was holding a basket full of flowers, with the rings that Kiryu and he had chosen lying underneath.
“Couldn’t leave without the flower girl, heh,” said Majima.
“That's right,” Haruka giggled and walked through the door. She threw flowers with every step she took.
Majima was happy that Haruka had chosen the dress he had suggested. Even though they weren't dressed in matching outfits as planned.
He still mourned his white kimono embroidered with flowers. Goromi should have thought twice when she kicked the attacker in the face in her wedding dress. The tight dress wasn't made for such movements.
So now all that was left was the boring black suit. The bouquet of flowers in his hands was the only splash of color in his outfit. What a shame.
He tugged at the collar of his shirt, which was way too tight for his liking, took a deep breath, and entered the hall. His heart was hammering in his chest. He was Mad Dog, damn it. Why couldn't he just stay cool? He was acting like a teenager with a crush.
But when he saw Kiryu standing in front of the altar, waiting for him with a slight smile on his lips, he couldn't help himself. He smiled back. It wasn't a crazy grin like the one the Mad Dog was known for. Until a few weeks ago, he had no idea he was capable of such a smile.
The guests stood up and started clapping. In the front rows were Dojima, the leader of the Tojo clan himself, Nishida, and other guys from Majima Constructions. Even Date, the cop, had mixed in with the yakuza. He stood at the very edge, his expression shifting between joy and confusion.
And who else was there? Well, almost the entire Tojo clan. They had rented the largest venue in all of Tokyo. It was going to be a wedding that the yakuza would talk about for years to come. The music quieted as Majima reached the altar. He stopped next to Kiryu and gave him a nod as a greeting.
“Ya look handsome,” Majima said and winked, if one could call it a wink with only one eye.
Kiryu muttered something that sounded like “Thanks.” He looked him in the eyes. Suddenly, the people around him were forgotten; he felt like he was drowning in Kiryu's brown eyes.
“You look good too,” Kiryu murmured, grabbing Majima's hand.
Majima almost expected to wake up and find out that it was all just a dream. Or that he was dead and this was heaven. Even now, Majima still couldn't believe how this had happened. Everything began with a simple request from Dojima. It started as a joke. It was just an opportunity to tease Kiryu. But when did it stop being a joke, when did it suddenly become serious?
______________________________________
A few weeks earlier, Majima sat in his office. He sighed and pushed the papers aside.
“Again,” he muttered.
He didn't know the exact figure, but the mountain of debt was growing every day. Majima buried his hands in his face.
He had imagined it would be easier when he founded Majima Constructions. But since the building permit for their biggest project had been rejected, one investor after another had pulled out.
Was it time to admit that his dream had failed? But how would he tell his people?
There was a knock at the door. “Sorry to bother you, boss,” called Nishida.
“Come in,” replied Majima, quickly hiding the documents in his desk drawer.
Nishida entered and bowed in greeting. His yellow helmet slipped a little as he did so. He held his cell phone in his hand. His expression was nervous.
Majima leaned forward and tilted his head questioningly. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Daigo Dojima called,” said Nishida, waving his cell phone in front of Majima's eyes as if he had to prove it by showing him the call log.
“Huh? The hell’s he want now?“, asked Majima.
Nishida shrugged. “I don't know. He asked you to come by as soon as possible. Apparently, he has a lucrative offer for the company.”
“A’right, get the damn car ready ‘n let him know we’re on our way.” Majima stood up.
He hadn't been involved with the Tojo Clan for quite some time. But a bit of action, or at least a distraction, was perhaps exactly what he needed at the moment.
__________________________________________
The drive took far too long. At noon, the streets of Tokyo were overcrowded.
Majima tapped his finger impatiently on the tanto in his coat pocket. Eventually, he started to scoot around on the back seat.
"I'm sure it'll work out, boss. It's probably nothing that you cant handle. After all, we're talking about Dojima here. Hes fair, right? And hopefully the pay will be high enough to save the company," said Nishida, staring intently at the road.
Majima froze. Then he sighed.
When had Nishida found out about it? Had he seen the papers while cleaning up? Somehow, the guy always knew everything. That's why he was such a damn good assistant.
______________________________________
At the entrance to the Tojo Clan headquarters, he was greeted by a yakuza in a black suit.
“Welcome, it is an honor to meet the former Mad Dog,” he exclaimed, bowing deeply.
“What a suck-up,” Majima thought, flashing his teeth. It wasn’t a grin, more like baring his teeth like a wild animal. He couldn’t deny that the word “former” gave him a sting.
The yakuza flinched when he saw Majima’s grimace. “If you would kindly follow me. Dojima-san is already waiting,” he stammered and led the way. He kept glancing back, as if he expected Majima to stab him in the back with a knife. Majima followed him with bouncy steps. Good to see that he still had it in him.
The yakuza stopped in front of a large door. With a gesture, he motioned Majima to enter and held the door open for him.
The office was modest. Daigo Dojima sat in his black leather chair behind his desk. “I'm glad you could make it on such short notice, Majima. I'll get straight to the point. You're getting married,” Dojima said without flinching.
It took a moment for his words to reach Majima's brain. He blinked quickly several times and stared at the chairman of the Tojo clan with his mouth open.
“Haw?” was all he could manage to say.
Dojima sighed: “You heard me right. Of course, it's not a real wedding. But it has to look like one. Because my wedding is coming up soon.”
"Congrats ‘n all, but what’s that gotta do with me, huh? Don’t tell me yer askin’ me ta marry ya." Majima interrupted him and feigned surprise.
Dojima cleared his throat and shook his head. "Majima, please. This is a serious matter. The Omi Alliance has somehow found out about it. I suspect they have placed spies in our ranks. In any case, I have reason to believe that they want to sabotage my wedding. However, my sources have told me that they only know that a wedding is taking place, but not that it's actually mine. That's why I need you, for a fake wedding that takes place before mine. As a distraction. This way, we can find out where the gaps in our security system are and who the moles are."
“But ya could get someone else ta do it. I ain’t even officially in the clan no more, anyway,” Majima replied, crossing his arms.
“But you still have enough contacts in yakuza circles and more supporters than you think. That should be enough. The wedding has to take place in a month. And everything has to look convincing. But who among my men would be crazy enough to not only get to know someone in such a short time, but also marry them right away? Your reputation as a mad dog is perfect for this.”
Majima couldn’t deny that. “ Let’s say I play along with this crap. What’s in it fer me?”
“I know the company isn't doing well. A generous donation from the Tojo clan would certainly be helpful. And I'll take care of all the expenses and planning for the wedding.” Dojima answered.
Majima nodded thoughtfully. “Not bad, Dojima, ya got it all figured out, huh. But last week my goddamn buildin’ permit for my biggest project got shot down. Change that… an’ I’ll throw ya the biggest damn weddin’ this city’s ever seen,” Majima threw his hands in the air and laughed.
Dojima sighed with relief. “All right, that shouldn't be a problem. I can give you a list of potential trustworthy candidates.” He took out a small folder.
Majima shook his head. A broad grin flashed across his face. “ No need fer that. Already got the perfect guy fer the job.”
“Oh, may I ask who the lucky one is?”
„Kiryu-chan, of course” Majima called out and left the office with a spring in his step.
Dojima furrowed her brow. "That's the way it is when you work with the mad dog. You have to expect anything."
Outside, Majima was met by another yakuza. Had the other one run off with his tail between his legs? The new guy was a bit more professional. After a quick bow, he silently accompanied Majima outside. Majima didn't mind, because he was lost in his thoughts anyway.
_______________________________________________
The next morning came far too quickly. Majima yawned and grumpily rummaged through the bowl of cereal with his spoon. The chocolate rings were completely soaked with milk.
Nishida hadn't reached Kiryu yesterday. Not even when Majima had ordered him to call for what must have been the tenth time. And the text messages had also gone unanswered.
So he was even more surprised when the door to his office suddenly opened. His spoon slipped out of his hand in surprise. He landed on the overdue payment notice and soaked it in milk and chocolate loops. Who dared to disturb him so early in the morning?
Standing in the doorway was none other than Kiryu.
“Is everything alright Majima.” He panted.
“Kiryu-chan,” Majima called out in surprise and looked at him questioningly. Nishida hadn't even informed him that Kiryu was here. Had Kiryu simply rushed past the reception desk?
“You called so many times. I didn't have my cell phone turned on. When I saw all the messages in the morning, I thought something had happened.” Kiryu spoke quickly and looked at him intently. Almost as if he was worried?!
“What makes ya think that?” Majima asked.
Kiryu took the flip phone out of his pocket and tapped on it.
“Here,” he muttered, holding the phone out to him. 132 missed calls. 129 of them were from Nishida's phone.
Then Kiryu opened the text messages. The messages began with a simple "Kiryu, the boss wants to talk to you. Please come to the company.“ And they became increasingly desperate.
More and more spelling mistakes had crept in. Not because Nishida couldn't type. Rather, because Majima had ordered him to type faster and faster.
The last message was just “Heeeeelllpppppp.” No wonder Kiryu was confused.
Majima cleared his throat. “Ah, Nishida. He's always so overdramatic.”
He waved his hand dismissively. At the same time, he made a mental note that he had to prevent Nishida from talking about last night, ever.
“Then I've been worried over nothing…” He paused briefly. Then he turned toward the door. “I misunderstood the situation. See you later, Majima-san.”
“Wait,” Majima called out a little too quickly. He stood up so abruptly that the chair behind him almost tipped backward.
“Don’t ya wanna hear why I dragged yer ass here? Ain’t ya even a little curious?“, Majima said. His hand moved to the knife tucked into his waistband. Kiryu would not leave the room until Majima had heard his decision.
To his relief, Kiryu didnt go and stared at him intently. “All right. I'm listening.”
Majima let go of the knife and spread his arms in a dramatic gesture. “Let's get married, Kiryu-chan,” he exclaimed. A broad grin played around his lips and his teeth flashed.
Kiryū's eyebrow twitched slightly. Then he turned away abruptly. Again. “Stop joking around, Majima,” he said quietly.
“Of course not,” Majima hastily explained and told Kiryu about Daigo’s request.
But why was Kiryu just standing there motionless? Majima couldn’t figure out his reaction. If he could even call it a reaction. Kiryu stood there like a stone statue.
“C’mon, Kiryu-chan. Ya don’t help me, I’m gonna lose my job. Everyone here’s gonna lose their job. Don’t make me drop to my knees beggin’, huh?” Majima whined, putting on his best puppy dog eyes.
Kiryu nodded.
Wait, what? Majima blinked a few times. This time, it was him who was frozen in place.
This couldn't be real. No way. The strong and perfect Kiryu had just agreed to such an insane plan? Why would someone like Kiryu want to marry someone like him, the mad dog?
He had secretly fantasized far too often about how he and Kiryu would get together. Sure, it was fake and not a real wedding... even if he might have wished otherwise.
“What do we have to do? Do you have a plan, Majima nii-san?” Kiryu asked, pulling Majima out of his spiral of thoughts.
Majima sank into his chair and exhaled deeply. “Yeah, we gotta plan the weddin’, sure. But that ain’t enough. Ta fool the Omi, everybody’s gotta think we’re madly in love.”
“I understand. Then let's start preparations immediately. Don't worry, Majima nii-san, we will save your company.”
Majima clenched his fist under the desk. For a moment, he had accidentally dropped his act. Had Kiryu noticed? If he found out about his crush, he would never be able to show his face in Tokyo again. Maybe even in all of Japan.
How about Hawaii? Sipping cocktails on the beach didn't sound so bad.
But there was an easier way to solve the problem and save his reputation with Kiryu-chan for the time being. Namely, a crazy plan that only Mad Dog could come up with.
Majima fished a soggy chocolate ring out of the cereal bowl with his spoon. “Of course ya need a ring, Kiryu-chan.”
He fell to his knees in front of Kiryu and held out the improvised ring.
Kiryu looked at him expressionlessly. No, wait. Hadn't his eyebrow just twitched? Did that mean something? Was he angry? Majima couldn't figure it out.
Then Kiryu walked over to him and wordlessly took the improvised ring from his hand.
“Yes, I do,” he said. A little more quietly, he added, “That's how you say it, right?”
He put the ring in his mouth and chewed it with relish.
Wait, wait, wait. Kiryu had eaten the ring that had just been on his spoon. The spoon he had been eating from earlier. It was like an indirect kiss.
The heat rose to his face in an instant. “Save that for the wedding, will ya?” he muttered and quickly looked away.
“So we're engaged now. What's next on the plan?” asked Kiryu.
“A helluva lot. Weddin’s a ton o’ work, buyin’ rings, dresses, a goddamn cake. An’ most important, makin’ it loud ‘n public so everybody buys it,” said Majima.