102:　契約(けいやく)の瞬間(しゅんかん)

'We'll be having a dinner tonight with a businessman interested in using my service, are you in or nah, Yuzuki?'

I looked up from my PSP to my Dad. 'Sure. Is he going to be fine with me around?' I asked.

Dad shrugged. 'I think he's cool with it. We'll see if he's worth my service.'

I leaned against the sofa. 'A businessman asking for your service... what do you think his business this time is?' I questioned.

'Ever heard of the Akashi Corporation?' he said. 'They once collaborated with Sony and Apple.'

I tilted my head, thinking. 'No idea.'

'Well, we'll see tonight.'

-

He has that charming, glistening red hair God knows it was dyed or not. He has a confident smile. He has an intimidating yet soft gaze. He has that grace of a warrior as he walks. Even I know that lot about him to that extent. The man across whom Dad called Masaomi bowed his head slightly.

He smiled and I nodded with a small smile, which might look disrespectful to others, but he nodded back and looked at Dad. 'Takato,' he addressed Dad politely but firm. 'Nice to meet you.'

Dad returned the smile. 'Back to you.'

I bowed my head. 'I'm Miyamura Takato's daughter, Miyamura Yuzuki. Nice to meet you, Akashi Masaomi-san.'

'Of course,' Masaomi said. 'What about your son, Takato? Where is he?'

Brother reflex. A name I invented. Dad and I quickly gazed at him grimly. 'I'd rather you not speak of my son, Masaomi. That's a sensitive topic.' Dad said.

Masaomi leaned back and his stare softened, as if pleased at our reactions. 'I shall not speak of him again. Forgive me.' He answered.

Dad waved his hand. 'Fret not. Let's just eat, shall we?'

I reached out for the utensils placed neatly on either sides of my plate. 15 minutes passed in silence until Dad spoke up. 'I'll go straight to the point.' He began.

Masaomi looked up from his food and turned his attention to Dad.

'You weren't my type. I wasn't intending to take your request but your confidence has changed my mind,' Dad sneered. 'Speak of your intention, Akashi Masaomi.'

Masaomi nodded. 'An insider has betrayed me. My son is the next successor of business, or so I thought—well, at least for now, but he contacted the Yukimura clan to aim for my son. His name is Akashi Seijuurou, a student of Rakuzan High School in class 2-A. I'm asking for your protection from the Yukimura clan. They want him dead so someone else could overthrow me, and whatnot. I did not ask for the police because they don't have the time to tend to my problem. Payment is up to you. Let's start at 500, 000 yen.'

I narrowed my eyes and raised my hand, recognizing his son immediately. Both of them turned to me. 'Masaomi,' I spoke and he didn't seem to be bothered by it. 'I poisoned your son last week and I apologize for it.' I bowed my head.

He froze for a moment then chuckled and soon it turned into a soft laugh. 'That's fine, he was in a coma state for a few days but he's healthy enough to go to school now. Since I'm asking for the Miyamura protection, I might as well forgive you and let's just think of it as a meaningful introduction of him to you.' Masaomi replied.

'I'm really sorry—' I said again.

'What in the seventh heaven were you thinking, Yuzuki?!' Dad yelled and slammed his hands on the table furiously. 'Why did you go and poison someone!?!!'

'It was an accident.' I retorted.

'To hell it's an accident when you poison my client!!!!' Dad protested.

I gave him a V-sign and turned to my victim's father. 'I'm interested in the payment.' I told him.

Dad smacked my head. 'That's my line!'

Masaomi turned to me. 'Oh, Yuzuki, you're suspended because of my son, right? I'm sorry about that. I'll tell the principal Seijuurou's alive and kicking so it's better if he shortens your suspension time. And of course, the payment—'

'Don't ignore me, you two!!' Dad interrupted.

-

Yakuza. Mafia. Secret Service.

I have no idea what my father works as anymore. One moment he's a ruthless Yakuza, next moment he's a high-class Mafia, and the next one he's a skillful secret service agent. Dad basically does everything his clients ask for. Be it protection, house cleaning task, or even murders. Though, Dad does no murder he merely plans it.

That's where he receives millions. He has his own underlings that do his jobs. Most of the time, he would always have to deal with the Yukimura clan. The protection task Masaomi asked for was kind of different. It includes physical protection, mental protection, and technology protection. Firewalls, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus, and self-created apps to protect his tech activities would be developed in a short time, as soon as they could.

I tied my upper shoulder blade-length hair into a high ponytail. I'm not an agent under Dad. I am his daughter. I've never done his jobs; I've only seen them. Because of that, I actually know quite a lot, much as Dad does. I was sent to a Dojo to learn martial arts. I was sent to E-class because I violated most of the school rules.

Sadly, I was known throughout some people due to an accusation done by God knows who. It was rumored that I was the one who killed my own mother. It was rumored that I rob, steal, and kill. Of course, none of those are true. I have no important connections to the Yakuza slash Mafia slash Secret Service world. I was just a mere student.

Black hair with red highlights, 156cm, ill mannered, I might seem like a hardcore delinquent but inside, I'm only a normal girl with twisted paths. I badly wanted to go karaoke with my friends, I wanted to shop with my friends, I wanted to try dresses, I wanted to make braids to my hair, I wanted to squeal over high school crushes, and maybe fan-girl with my girlfriends!

I couldn't. Friends? I have some guy friends I know; they wouldn't want to go karaoke with me. Shop? Guys want to go shopping? Dresses? I'm too Yakuza-like I might get killed for being such an embarrassment to humanity. Braids? I only know how to tie my hair normally. Squeal? Crushes? To hell with those, I have neither.

I have always, always wanted to live normally. If only this Miyamura clan thingy isn't a thing, if only the Yukimura brats didn't injure my mother, and if only, I wasn't born in this family. Then maybe I would be living as a normal high school girl, running to school with a toast in her mouth.

Such a big dream, eh?

I heaved out a sigh and rubbed my face before turning away from the mirror and exited my room. I passed Dad at the living hall and he glanced at me. 'Training tonight, Yuzu? Good luck.' He said.

'I'll need it, thanks.' I waved him off. Suspension? That wouldn't stop me from going to the Dojo.

-

Sensei (that's what I call my Dojo trainer) decided to have a random sparring that night. When it comes to sparring, Sensei loves to pick me to be the first so I'd braced myself before anything else. We were told to sit in the form of a circle and Sensei looked around. He smiled at me and nodded. I stood in the middle.

'Any volunteer?' Sensei spoke, his voice husky.

Someone stood. 'I volunteer.'

I looked up from adjusting my belt to the speaker. My eyes widened, so much I thought it'd never be able to close again. 'M-Masaomi's son!' I stuttered. No one heard me though. I took a step back.

H-How in the whole world did he get here?! Another step.

Is he going to strangle me to death because of what I did to him? One more step.

How did I know him? Reason number one, his glistening red hair although slightly messy, his rigid structure (the heck did that mean), and his firm gaze as he watched me.

'Ooh! Akashi-kun, that's very good of you to come and volunteer! Come forward, young man.' Sensei beckoned him towards me. I stepped back again.

Akashi whatever-his-first-name-is tightened his belt and tilted his head slightly, giving me a soft smile. 'We meet again, Miyamura.' He said.

D-Didn't he call me Miyamura-san before? Where did that –san go?? Furthermore, why is my woman instinct telling me to run!? 'Y-Yeah, Kaichou, fancy meeting you here.' I replied.

He stood straight. Sensei raised his hand. 'Bow,' he commanded. We bowed at each other.

'Hajime!'

We didn't start immediately. He readied a defensive stance and I inhaled sharply. 'Aren't you suspended, Miyamura?' he whispered. I gritted my teeth. Crap. The president saw me outside of my house!

What a fateful encounter!