Yui's PoV

A woman's expression brightened and a girl skipped with spring in her step beside her also smiled as they both walk towards Soryu and I.

We're at the airport, when I first actually saw Mei Ling in person, but with a girl looking no more than a freshman as well.

"Mei Ling, welcome to Japan. Um... who's this?" Soryu also seems to find the girl unfamiliar.

"Right. Daddy forgot to tell you. Soryu, this is Li Yan (you can pronounce it like 'Leanne'), my daughter, she's twelve this year."

"Is that so? Simon never mentioned a granddaughter of his." He was suspicious as I thought, even though it's someone he's known for years.

Li Yan giggled, I had her figured out to be a cheery person. Doesn't seem like the future leader of a mob.

"You never introduced who this is?" Mei Ling dragged her attention to me.

"Just a girl I bought off the auction...." His voice sounded distant for a split second before going back to his stern cover, "she can take care of Li Yan's needs."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Li Yan, as you just knew. What's your name?" her grin was very wide, I couldn't even show that expression if I tried. I'll just end up looking creepy if I force myself to laugh.

"I'm... Yui."

"Yui." She repeated, "that's written as 'gentleness' right?"

I'm pretty sure my eyebrow just twitched. That is exactly what it was written for and exactly why I don't like people calling me that. It doesn't suit me at all. I don't deserve it.

"Look, you are going to follow my orders during Mei Ling and her daughter's visit, you hear? Then you might get out of this whole thing alive." Soryu whispered to me as the two female walked in front of us, laughing and chatting. I had that kind of relationship with my mom when I was Li Yan's age, as well....

"...And if something went wrong?" I ask, and probably shouldn't have.

For the first time, a warning smirk floated onto his face, "Relax. Then you won't care anymore. You'd be dead."

"Erm...." I coughed it off. I quickened my pace  so I was side by side with Li Yan. She seems a bit noisy, but also that she has no ulterior motives. Of course I'm not letting my guard down, but at least now I don't need to see her as an enemy.

"Mei Ling! Pleasure to have you back again! You're as beautiful as I clearly remember."

Anybody could've guessed who said that. None other than Baba, who greeted her as soon as we walked in.

"And who might this pretty young lady be?" Li Yan giggled at his words, and said to Mei Ling, "mum? Who is this guy? He's funny."

"Hey, girl. Prepare us some tea." Soryu ordered so I went along to the kitchen to find some cups and leafs.

"Yui?" As soon as I open a cupboard though, Mei Ling stepped in behind me.

"Yes, Mei Ling?" I answer as respectful as I can muster.

"Sorry for being blunt but... are you in any way related to Soryu..? In a relative kind of way?" her question shocked me. I almost dropped the cup that was in my hand. The first thing that came to me was lie, but when I looked her in the eyes, she had just the same look as a mother. Ugh, no!

"Of course not!" I say dramatically trying to sound offended by the very thought.

"Right...! Pardon my rudeness. It's just that you remind me of a certain woman from angles." She gave me a small smile before heading back into the lounge.

Certain woman? I'm sure she was talking about my mom. I do tend to act like her at times, and of course I have some of her features, since she's my mom. But I also know that I shouldn't trust anyone here until they've earned it from me.

"Sorry for the wait." I set the tray of tea that I just brewed on the coffee table.

Then, the lounge door opened as everybody was talking while taking sips of tea.

"You called, sir?" a quick voice asked, aiming at Soryu. I set down my cup to see a man with orange blond hair saluting to Soryu. He seems genuine at first glance.

"Yes. Mei Ling is back and—"

"MEI LING?!? Where??" his eyes darted around the room until he spot Mei Ling waving to him with a calm smile on her face. Wow, this guy sure is energetic.

"Hi. I'm Li Yan. Mei Ling's my mother." She introduced herself first.

"Oh hey! I'm Ryosuke Inui! Nice to meet ya!" how's he so genuine all the time? What an innocent one he is. Ryosuke... he's probably the guy mom described that called her 'princess' all the time.

"Inui..." Li Yan cocked her head, "Like Shiba Inu? Can I call you puppy?"

What..?

"Uh..no... it's Inui... not Inu...." He seems slightly troubled.

"Stop barking, dog." Eisuke has his trademark smirk as he taunted on.

"It's Inui! I'm not a dog." He still has a troubled expression.

"Hey dog. You can be my pet." Ota also put in, making Inui even more troubled.

"Not a dog..." he tried to say.

"Hey Inui." I instantly thought of something I thought Inui was capable of doing, so I said.

"Like I said, I'm not Inui...I'm dog...."

...

"...Wait, what?"

The whole room bursts out laughing when realization hit him of what he just said.

"Yui, you're funny!" Li Yan said while laughing.

"Yui? I've never met you before." He stared at me blankly.

"Inui." Soryu's stern voice finally brought him back on track.

"Yes sir?!"

What did mom describe him like again? Oh yeah. 'Ryosuke worships the ground Soryu walks on'.

I can see that.

"She's just another girl we bought off the auction." Soryu said as quickly as he could, "anyway, you'll need to take care of Mei Ling and Li Yan during their visit here, too. It's still possible that other mafia groups want to do them harm."

"In fact, you can take them to the shopping areas now, and maybe have din—" He starts to overthink himself.

"They can have all the fun in the world tomorrow, don't you think they should rest for today? After all, they may be jet lag and drained, everyone knows airplane food sucks." I cut him off.

"Yeah, Yui's right. I feel kinda tired after that plane ride." Li Yan's eyes are already half closed as her energy starts draining.

"...Right. Okay. Inui, show them to their suite."

As soon as the two left, though, Soryu turned his piercing gaze at me. "Don't you dare go cutting me off like that ever again."

"You were being inconsiderate, I'm pretty sure you have an idea of how tiring a plane ride is, right?" I shot right back at him. How did mom ever fall in love with this stubborn guy?

That evening, at my part-time work. I was cleaning glasses with a large handkerchief, just to rub off some light dust before pouring the drinks in them.

Hikaru just left, or else he'll be sitting in front of me right now. He probably went hitting on the girls upstairs. Meh, not that I care anyways.

"..Yui?" I heard a hesitant yet surprised voice call to me. My head jerked up. He looked familiar with those heterochromia eyes—dark grey with yellow rings.

I didn't speak. Where have I seen him before? As he made his way towards me to the counter, his blondish dark brown hair makes him look a bit like Zac Efron when he was a teen.

Even when he was right in front of me, just the counter table between us, I stare into his eyes. They're a beautiful shade of color. I've definitely only seen them once. But where??

My tongue pressed onto my upper gum as I struggled to remember a name.

"...Daryl." he said slowly with me. We ended up saying it at the same time. He seems amused as soon as I felt like 'oh him'. I thought I'd never see this guy again?

"What're you doing here?" I continue my work since I can't be caught 'slacking off' by the manager.

"I came for a quick drink." He started to scan all the samples of alcohol bottles on the shelves behind me.

"How come I've never seen you around here before?" I ask again. My suspicious nature doubting him.

"Well, it is my first time here." He seems nonchalant. It's either he's really innocent, or that he's an amazing actor. I didn't get a chance to ask again when he pointed out, "I'll just have a bottle of dragon seal red."

I picked up the wine bottle from inside the counter cabinets. The same time as I set it on the counter surface, he dropped a bill and took a seat. "Keep the change as a tip." He said as he popped open the cap.

The change as a tip...then that tip would be three hundred and twenty yen....No one here gives that much tips. Fine. I won't say no to free money in the form of tips.

We had a conversation, again. But nearly not as long as last time. My guard was completely up. How come a stranger appeared two times? I don't believe in coincidences. If it's just a one-timer, I'd be carefree or easy to talk to; but if it's more than once, I tend to think that person has an ulterior motive. He left after finishing his bottle, probably sensing my hesitance to chat.

Just then, I heard familiar footsteps stomping down the stairs. I immediately realize it's Hikaru. Sure it was. The grin on his face and a tiny tint of smudged red lipstick at the corner of his mouth says it all. I motion to the corner of my mouth and stared directly at him. He picks up the hint and wiped it away. Hopefully no one saw that.

Also, ew! He has to rinse his teeth at least five times if he tries to kiss me next time!

~~

Back in the hotel, I was in my temporary room in Soryu's suite, going through my phone. Before I went to sleep, I made sure the block GPS was secure. I had started to make sure mom can't track me down ever since the first hour I've decided to leave home.

My eyelids soon felt heavy and they close softly.

"W-who are you people?! What do you have to do with me?!" I shouted to four men chasing after me.

"Damn this girl's fast!" one of them shouted after.

"If we catch this girl, we might be able to threaten the Ice Dragons!" another persuaded the other three to keep running, "then we'll claim our reward!'

I had no idea what they were talking about. I don't know anything about these so-called Ice Dragons or how I had anything to do with them.

"...the connections between the Bell Crickets, and the Ice Dragons."

My dream flashed to that time when Soryu mentioned this. I picked up that the Ice Dragons is Soryu's mafia group, which is my father's group. He's the next leader-in-line to that group. And I'm his daughter. If they got a hold on me, they could black mail the Ice Dragons.

It all made sense now. It was his fault that mom and I are in danger.

But how did they know? Mom and Kishi are probably the only two alive who knows about this.

"Aahh!" my dream flashed back to the men chasing after me. My heart was pounding right in my ear for I have tried to run out of an alley for five minutes. Damn it! It's like a maze in here!

"No! Don't shoot! We can't risk killing her. Boss wants her alive!" One of them yelled. That was when I broke a cold sweat and sped up even more. If I annoyed these men enough, they might just shoot at my legs. They had guns.

Everyone glanced at me weirdly as I finally broke out into a main street. They won't do anything in the middle of the day here. I looked back into the alley I just ran out of. The four men were already nowhere in sight. But that would be an experience I would never forget.

My eyes burst open.

I was curled up into a ball. The sheets were a mess.

Yet I quickly sense that the door to the bedroom—which I clearly remember I closed—was cracked open a few inches.

Has someone been in here?

Nah the lock probably just got loose...

I never do self-comforting so I got out of the bed. The lock was really tight. A wind or something would've never blown it open.

I glance at the time. It was two in the morning. I need to go back to sleep.

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2130 words

Edited: May 30, 2016