Shinae thought she had made the worst decision of her life.

"SHINAE-CHAN~! LOOK OVER HERE!", exclaimed Ran excitedly. His eyes shone like a child as he pointed to a dress, "Look! Look at this dress! It will look great on you, I'm sure! Let's buy it!"

"It looks a bit revealing.", Rindou commented, "I think that white blouse and grey cardigan looks better on her."

"What?? She'll look like an old woman in those! What do you think? Shinae-chan?"

The two heads are both turned at her, expectantly.

"I... don't want to buy anything...", she groaned. "You said you'd just show me around!"

"We are.", Rindou sighed regretfully as they walked pass the window with the cardigans, "You didn't agree to buy anything since we left, Shinae."

Ran nudged him lightly on the shoulder with a smirk on his face, and Rindou flinched as he realized he has called her by her name for the first time.

But Shinae paid no attention to that special occasion. Nor was her mind on the clothes she'd missed out on.

The only thing Shinae had been looking forward to is an opportunity to get away from the Haitani siblings and sneak off to her business, but it seemed too much to ask for at the moment.

She stopped to look at a clock in a barbershop on the side of the road.

3:02 already...and they left home at 2:15!!

"... the income from the casinos had really dropped these few months, haven't it, Rinrin? They don't give us half as much as before, but I guess the pubs have made up for the rest. Oi, Shinae-chan~! Speed up a bit, won't you?", Ran called, looking back at her. Rindou turned back and held out his hand.

"Are you tired?"

Shinae sighed and paced towards them and took Rindou's hand.

"Of course. Are we going to walk every street of Roppongi today?"

"Yep, Shinae-chan."

She goggled at Ran.

Does he know what sarcasm means?? And walking every street?

"But why? Why all of Roppongi?? It's huggeeee!!"

"Of course it is? We rule it, honey, that's why.", smiled Ran proudly. "And if you're tired, I can always give you a piggy ride back home, Shinae-chan, like last time~!"

Rindou pushed him away from Shinae, but she was busy starting to notice how everyone was staring at them and avoiding their way.

So... they really rule Roppongi. Everyone seems to know and fear them. A wonder I didn't notice before. Interesting. Another wonder why Akuito's gang haven't gotten crushed yet.

"Hmm... You rule it? Tell me more."

"Oh, you're interested?", Ran's eyes glistened, "Well, whatever you request, m'lady."

Shinae scoffed, but she wrung her hand free of Rindou's grip and trudged on between them.

Ahh, people never miss out on a chance to boast their accomplishments. Go on, you two, and be occupied on that subject!! I need to get away from both of you!

"...And when I finished that gang leader I turned around and help little Rinrin.", laughed Ran. The boy huffed.

"I could have handled him on my own, brother."

"Of course, of course. I accidentally went to far, and that vice president was gone gone. So there, that's how we get to rule Roppongi.", finished Ran.

Shinae felt like she ought to continue the story before it ends.

"Realy? Didn't you get punished or anything?"

"Oh yea, a few years in Juvie, in fact.", Ran continued, "And that's where we met Izana Kurokawa, and the others in S62 generation, too. We spent like, two? Or was it three? Yea, three years in there. Wasn't that horrible, though, but Mom was heartbroken and furious over the matter. We've also sworn to be under Izana's command since then, honestly he is a ruthless ruler. That's why we joined Tenjiku when we left juvie, and practically gave Roppongi to him, but he has other regions to take care of, too, so we still rule it..."

Rindou also seems entranced with their stories also, and definitely didn't notice how Shinae's steps began to silently slow down to a stop.

After making sure that neither of the siblings were paying attention, Shinae quietly slipped away and joined the huge crowds on the busy streets.

When she was sure that neither of them were in sight again, Shinae felt in her pockets. The 5,000 yen Ran gave her to spend on their trip was still safely lying in her left pocket.

I'll go to Aniki's grave and lay flowers first...

🌼🌼🌼

She held tight to it and walked along the streets before stopping before a tiny, cozy flower shop.

The bell on the door rang cheerfully as Shinae pushed it open and step in.

"Oh, hello, young miss!", an even more cheerful voice greeted her, as her eyes met with a pretty, young woman standing in the middle of big, colorful bundles of flower, "What do you want to buy?"

"Um... a bouquet of daisies, please. Marguerite daisies."

"Anything else?"

"Nothing, please."

The woman smiled, "Well, that should be quick. I'm not having any booking at the moment, so you can wait here and I'll arrange it now for you, if you want."

Before long, Shinae was holding a bundle of dainty white daisies, with ivory petals surrounding tiny bright yellow centers, with shiny green leaves peaking out from here and there. Truly and peacefully beautiful. Reminiscence flooded Shinae's mind again.

These... are Aniki's favorite kind of flowers, and so it's mine, too. He would buy bundles and bundles of them whenever their blooming season comes around. He'd even stop on the middle of the country road and pick daisies growing wild on the side of it while we ride his motorbike together. He'd put some in my hair and fiddle with it, and we'll ride home hugging a big bunch of it. There now, I've brought them to his grave every year, and I'm bringing them there this year, too...

"Miss?", asked the young lady hesitantly.

Shinae's thought was cut off, and she turned to the woman before her.

"Sorry... I was just thinking some things out... How much would it be, please?"

"3,000 yens, please."

Shinae paid and received her change before walking out of the door.

With the remaining money, she took a taxi to Aomata cemetery in the outskirts of Roppongi.

🌼🌼🌼

It was about four when Shinae reached the spot. She paid for the ride and began to walk to the familiar spot. 

She was merely a few gravestones away from Aniki's spot when she made out two figures standing before his gravestone in between the white and grey forest of stones. Before she could wonder why anyone would be standing before her Aniki's grave, one of the two figures raised their voice.

"Why would you waste time over such meaningless shit?"

Shinae's mind went blank.

She stood dead, appalled the second she could recognized the voice. Every single drop of blood in her body have drained from her face. Every one of them have gone bitterly cold. Her dazed and dismayed eyes enlarged by the seconds, and every single evidence of light in it has left. She felt the shiver in her body exploded through every nerves and numbing her limbs so much she felt the bundle of daisies became almost too heavy to carry. She gasped continually for air, but her lungs seems to have collapsed from the shock. 

The second she was able to think straight again, streams of thoughts ingulfed her mind.

What?... Impossible... Impossible! No! SHE CAN'T BE HERE!!! What is this?! IMPOSSIBLE! I must have misheard! It couldn't be TRUE--

But deep down, Shinae knew. There is no use denying it.

She had heard it right.

What she heard... was definitely Mother's voice.

P/s: Guys, just informing that all landmarks and places in this ff is fictional :))