Family

Ryuji approached the podium in front of a large gathering. He glanced around at the meeting hall of the Tenjou headquarters, now restored after the chaos that ensued from announcing the previous chairman. About a month had passed. The Battle of Cinema Square had been covered to death at this point, and the public had turned its eyes to something else that had caught its fancy.

Ryuji scanned the crowd, seeing the respective families grouped into sections. He looked back at the family heads behind him on the stage. There were several new faces among them, sitting around the powerhouses of the Shirokawa and Arabaki families. They were ones that had shown particular strength during the grand fight against Samukawa and the police.

Shindou was nowhere to be seen. He had been excommunicated after his petty schemes, and last time anyone heard of him, he had skipped town. Most of his underlings had been absorbed into the Shirokawa family, giving it the most manpower in Tenjou. Shirokawa wasted no time in setting things right, giving each of them a chance to redeem themselves by aiding in the reconstruction of the Tenjou headquarters and filling in the holes that Samukawa had left.

Offering the young members a second chance was his form of kindness. But for those that remained defiant, a sudden knife pressed against their backs made sure that no insubordination was tolerated.

Arabaki was still in bandages after he had nearly destroyed himself fighting Ryuji. While he had botched his challenge for the Chairman’s seat, his ambition and heart were in the right place. Ryuji offered him a sign of peace and no ill will, which he gratefully accepted. He was convinced that the Yama Ryu remained as indomitable of a presence, no matter how much the times had changed.

Ryuji finally faced forward again, swallowing as he fought his nerves to begin his speech. It was the first time he would use words, rather than fists, to invoke a sense of power. He had never been much of a talker, preferring force instead. But some things could only be conveyed in a setting such as this.

“Needless to say, the Tenjou Clan went through some trying times. But through everyone’s efforts, we stand in this hall today on the road to recovery. That isn’t to say that the future will be a piece of cake. We may be the top organization in Japan now, but as we’ve seen, our neighbors in Kansai continue to remain vigilant.”

Ryuji looked to the back of the crowd, where he spotted a man hiding his face behind a medical mask. The people around him were oblivious to the high-ranked Azumito officer casually listening in on the meeting, but Ryuji let it pass. It wouldn’t take long for word to get out anyways. Especially for a man that posed as a slimy swindler to perfection.

“Regardless of who is on top, the Gokudo will remain a prevalent force, the shadow to the light in this society. Many of us have experienced this darkness, having nowhere to go but down, where normal people in society shy away from. That is why our home started in a place called Kakushicho. It is hidden from those unwilling to be tainted by the truth. It is a place where people stop looking into all the bad that has happened to those that end up here.”

Ryuji, more than anyone else, knew this by heart. He grew up here, became king of the streets, and continued to prowl through them every night. All of his fighting had been an attempt to run away from the disappointments of his younger days.

“But if you end up here, if you are willing to accept the saké cup, then you become family. Society may have given up on you, but we will fight for you. Society may have deemed you as worthless, but we have places for you. And as long as you hold your family in high esteem, as long as you respect your aniki and look after your kyoudai, we will make sure that you don’t fall any further.”

Ryuji paused for a moment. He looked out into the crowd, full attention on him. He was the unbeatable Yama Ryu. He was their very symbol of power, and they were all looking forward to him taking them forward into the future.

“The next question on everyone’s minds is, who is going to lead this great family? I’m sure you all have your favorites. One of them is speaking before you. And I felt nothing but pride as I led you all against that fake of a chairman that tried to take power and change who we are. Unfortunately, I’ll have to renounce my claim to the seat.”

A burst of surprised muttering spread through the crowd. Ryuji anticipated it, but there was no denying it. The Yama Ryu was a crutch that kept the Tenjou from growing by themselves. He was in the crosshairs of too many, whether it be from fear or awe. It left no room for others to distinguish themselves with such a grand shadow casting over them.

“The Tenjou Clan is much more than the Yama Ryu. It is full of remarkable people in which the Yama Ryu wouldn’t exist if not for them. And in one particular case, the Tenjou Clan wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t put aside old grudges to reach out for aid against a common foe. We often forget when we have our differences that we shoulder the same burdens. When something endangers our very livelihood, the Gokudo are united against it, or we all fall trying. That is how it has been for ages, and I can’t see that changing under your new chairman, Shirokawa Yukinori.”

Ryuji turned to his shell-shocked friend, who gawked stupidly at him before the weight of it hit home. Even with all the noise that had erupted in the room, he could clearly see Shirokawa mouthing, “You fucking ass!” right at him.

Regardless, Ryuji started a rhythmic clap and chant for him that spread throughout the room. No one dared to reject a decision from the man they respected, so confusion turned to cheers that beckoned Shirokawa to come forward.

Ryuji had decided long before this moment that he would no longer climb his mountain but become a guide to help others scale their own.

v

“Damn it, Ryuji. You could’ve warned me before you pulled that shit!”

“And miss that same look as when you experienced what kind of ‘surprise play’ Ozaki’s girls were into? Not a chance.”

“I’m even more butt-hurt by this. Do you know how much work you’re dumping on me? And now, you say that you’re even leaving the Tenjou Clan?!”

“I’ve made up my mind, Shiroyan. Ozaki’s taking up the Yamaoka Family reins, not that I’ve told him. But he does a better job keeping them all in line than I ever did.”

Shirokawa plucked the cigarette from Ryuji’s mouth and took a long draw on it. He looked like he needed it, having been thrown under the bus and hit with surprise after surprise. After a few puffs to recollect himself, he finally sighed.

“What’s in store for the great Yama Ryu then?”

“Feels like a good time to go back to my roots. Set up shop and give back a little.”

“You mean-”

“I still have all the equipment and recipes that my parents left me. Maybe one day, they’ll even want to see my face again. All that talk about family made me think about how I could have done things better in the past. After all, a certain fairy gave me the courage to step out of the shadows.”

“About Grace, have you…”

“Only what the Doc’s told me. Freedom is a hard thing to grasp when you’ve never experienced it. I’m sure it’ll take some time to figure things out, but she’ll be around. I’m sure of it.”

The phone in Ryuji’s pocket buzzed.

“Speaking of which… Yo, Haru. How’s that face healing?”

“Surprisingly slower than the jail time I got slapped with. Given how violent I got in a government building, I figured my reputation was cooked. Things somehow worked out in the end.”

Ryuji knew exactly how Haru got off so leniently, courtesy of the Server of Rye. A person charged with assault against a government worker typically faced a few years behind bars. Given that Haru had also injured several in the middle of breaking-and-entering, his future looked rather bleak.

However, he possessed a ton of documents on Project Grace, which had become a hot topic connecting Samukawa and the NPA. They were willing to drop all charges if Haru remained tight-lipped on the controversy as the NPA fought to deny all involvement. Since he was one of the few closely connected to the uncontainable Grace, Haru held significant leverage. Already, he had returned to his position as director of Tokyo Medical Center.

“Take care then. I’ll try not to get in any more situations that’ll end up with fairies in my head.”

“Don’t worry. Grace is the only one that I know of. I’m sure she’ll have an eye out to keep it that way.”

“Secrets are so hard to keep nowadays.”

“Especially when a certain someone applied for a food license to reopen a certain shop in Kakushicho.”

“Got me there.”

“Speaking of which, Grace sends her regards.”

A message popped up on Ryuji’s phone, which contained a random link that reeked of a phishing scam. Ryuji only clicked it because the link was followed by “From your beloved Ojou, Miyabi/Grace.”

Instantly, a window for YesTube popped up. Grace walked onscreen, wearing a cute waitress outfit, waving out to the audience.

“Hey, hey! A new shop’s coming to town! It might look shady, but it’s got the goods down! Yamaoka Bakery~~~ The place to lift your spirits when life is anything but savory!”

Grace ended her jingle with a twirl of the skirt. It was perfectly executed, aside from the actual lyrics themselves.

“You… might want to hire a better songwriter.”

“Excuseeeeee me! But Haru was the one that came up with that!”

“No comment,” Haru quickly said over the phone, sensing Ryuji’s leer at him.

“Wait! You can hear what I’m saying, Grace?” Ryuji commented instead.

“Of course, this is a live feed, you know. I can hear you through your phone.”

Ryuji chuckled. Shirokawa laughed as well.

If he had such support going forward, there was no way that he would regret his decisions. The streets would still be his to roam, only in a different way.