It's A Miracle You've Survived This Long

That day, when I arrived back at the Bara-gumi's temporary out-of-sight headquarters, the warehouse, I was greeted by an unfamiliar figure. Standing just outside the door was Ninagawa Charlotte, in front of her was a twenty-something-year-old woman, her messy silver hair draping down her torso like a cape. She was wearing the familiar rose-patterned black suit, but hers appeared to be messy and wrinkled, with the pants having been torn in multiple places and a glistening layer of red blood sticking to the cuffs near the bottom.

I stepped out of Kazuya's car, semi intrigued by the sight of yet another female in the crew besides Charlotte and myself. I couldn't deny, she was absurdly cute; the barbed-wire tattoos that peeked out of her collar on her neck added a flair of maturity to her doll-like face.

I had only caught the tail end of their conversation as I approached, but what I overheard from Charlotte was,
"...and I told you to be more careful! I don't even want to imagine what you did to those poor souls after you already completed your task. Don't you have any shame, Harumi?"

The silver-haired maiden, known as Harumi, let out a soft chuckle, twirling a metal spike between her fingertips. She spoke in a playful, feminine voice,
"Like I said, it's so fulfilling to watch those men crumble like stale cookies. It's their fault for saying that our product is crap, so I shoved some up their noses and beat them senseless while they got high."
She ended her sentence with a flourish of her hair, stepping past Charlotte without even referring to her as "boss."

"Harumi, stop being such a problem child! I should have you locked in that iron cage for your disobedience today!"
Charlotte snapped loudly.
"Who do you think has to face the repercussions for your actions?!"

Harumi slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Charlotte seething in anger under the blistering sun.

It seemed that I missed my mark to ask who this Harumi character was, as Ninagawa Charlotte didn't appear to be in any mood to chat. It's true, that despite being her Kobun now, I was still terrified of her. She had a face that resembled the Japanese pop star, Hikaru Utada, but when she scowled, that face soon turned into one of a Yasha yokai. I decided to keep my distance, heading inside with Kazuya following shortly after.

* * *

It wasn't until around three in the afternoon that my fatigue finally took hold of me. I sat idly at one of the few card tables that resided in the center of the warehouse, my eyes finally drooping shut and my cheek pressed firmly against the cold plastic surface. I was unaware at the time, but I had been watched for several hours before the door to the warehouse flew open with a thud, Ninagawa Charlotte slamming her hand down on the table to startle me awake.

"Who gave you permission to sleep, puppy?! I told you I would be assessing your skills today, didn't I?"
She huffed a cloud of thick smoke from her mouth, her kiseru pipe hanging loosely between her red lips.

Immediately, I jolted to my feet, bowing my head low as to apologize for such a rookie mistake.
"Sorry, boss!"

"Don't apologize to her,"
a voice called out from the hallway.
"She's just pissy because of my screw-up this morning."
Harumi entered into the now-dark room, still twirling that metal spike between her fingers.

"Stay out of this, Harumi. Just because we sleep together doesn't mean I won't sever your finger for what you put me through."
Charlotte dropped that information casually, giving me only a few seconds to put the pieces together.

Sleep together? So Harumi is Charlotte's girlfriend or something? That would explain why Harumi lashed out fearlessly earlier.

"I'm telling you not to take your anger out on your Kobun. You have a nasty habit, Charlotte."
Harumi approached me, pushing me behind her like she was protecting me from something. Truth be told, I didn't feel the least bit safe behind this girl with bloodstains on her pants.

Charlotte let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as she contemplated her next words.
"All I'm asking is that you stop causing so much trouble for me. I nearly had to prostrate myself to prevent the Doku-gumi from pulling out of our contract. No drug sales mean no more expensive meals and salon trips for you, got it?"

Harumi's stiff shoulders seemed to relax a bit, and she nodded her head softly.
"I get it. I'm sorry, darling."

"No, you're not. But hearing you say it gives me a bit of hope."
Charlotte tossed the ball of ash from her pipe into the nearest ashtray, giving me a sidelong glance before saying,
"It's been a hectic day, puppy. We'll start your assessment and screenings tomorrow. I need a drink."

Harumi bent her posture forward a bit, whispering in my ear,
"Want to go to the bathhouse? My treat."
and smiled at me like I had been her friend for years.

"The... bathhouse? I guess so?"
I spoke softly, wondering if she thought I smelled bad or something.

"Cool. There's one not too far from here if you want to walk with me."
She giggled to herself, practically prancing out of the warehouse with a skip in her step.

* * *

I stayed a few paces behind Harumi as we walked into the bathhouse, where an older couple spoke to Harumi, like old friends catching up at a grocery store. She paid a fee for two, and motioned for me to join her in the women's side of the rundown store.

I entered cautiously, keeping my eyes on the few stragglers that were in various states of undress at this time, so close to the shop's closing hour. Harumi wasted no time in kicking her suit off her legs and yanking the wrinkled blazer from her body. The blazer did a fantastic job of hiding what was underneath, as I had no idea that Harumi would be so well-endowed. I could feel my cheeks heating up at just the sight of her.

I don't have to sit next to her, right? I don't know if I would be able to keep my eyes off of her if I did.

Slowly, I shed my brand new suit, folding it neatly inside one of the many baskets that lined the walls. My underwear came next, followed shortly by the washing of my skin and hair. I immediately covered myself with a white towel to avoid stares.

Harumi was the first to enter after her scrubbing, clad in a horrifying portrait of ravenous crows tattooed on her back, and barbed-wire patterns stretching from her navel up to her neck; some of the wire even extending onto her thighs. Her arms were completely bare, save for the few black rings around her wrists, and the same patterns on her ankles.

Like clockwork, the remaining women in the bath began to stand up and shuffle out of the building with haste, a few of the younger girls asking their mothers why they had to leave so soon, to which the unanimous response was,
"The bathhouse is closing early tonight."

Of course, I knew it was because Harumi was yakuza.

Great, now my chances of sitting far away from her were severed. I guess I'll have to endure it.

Harumi leapt into the water with a "Whoop!" and a splash. Her silver hair was now sticking to her face, and the frightening tattoos on her body were covered beneath the water's surface.
"I always love having the bath to myself. Bonus points if it's a cold, rainy night~"
She spoke in a sing-song voice.

I entered much more calmly than she had, shedding my towel and letting out a sigh as the hot water moistened my already sweaty frame.
"I haven't taken a proper bath in years. This is bliss~"
My voice came out equally as excited as hers.

"Years?"
Harumi cocked her head to the side.
"What's your story anyway, puppy?"

I could feel a vein on my forehead twitch at being called "puppy," by her. I turned my head away from her curious glance, mostly to hide my own frustration.
"Don't call me that. I'm a human and I have a name."

Harumi scooted closer, her plump breasts now pressing against my arm.
"Well, what's your name?"
She smiled innocently enough, despite the compromising position.

"Mika... Umeda Mika."
I scooted away.

"Umeda Mika? Like, Umeda Sora? I suppose you both have the same hair color."
Harumi gently stroked my hair, giving my face a serious once-over.
"How did you end up in the Bara-gumi's custody? I gave Sora enough money to last multiple years if she was careful."

My eyes went extremely wide.

Who the fuck is Sora?! What does she mean by money?!

"You... did what? I'm just a homeless orphan who stole from Kazuya. They beat me senseless and locked me in a cage until I groveled like a dog and did that stupid sakazuki thing!"
I immediately put up a defensive barrier, pushing Harumi's hand away from my hair in a fit. I wasn't sure who she thought I was, but I definitely didn't know any "Sora."

Harumi's eyebrows shifted, and her eyes glistened with what I thought were tears.
"Oh... my mistake. I... it's probably just a coincidence."
Her playful demeanor evaporated, much like the steam rising into the fluorescent lights above us.

"Can I call you Mika-chan?"
She added in a softer tone.

"Chan? Like, meaning friend?"
Once again, I could feel my cheeks heating up, and it wasn't due to the temperature of the bath either.

"Yup, meaning friend. Don't you have any friends, Mika-chan?"
Harumi fidgeted with her own hair, now seemingly aware of my position and how I ended up here.

"N-no... not really. I haven't even met my parents, let alone a friend. I suppose I have that weirdo Masaaki that I can call a friend now."
I hugged my knees to my chest, playing with the calm surface of the water.
"Other than that... I haven't seen my mentors in a few years"

"Masaaki?"
Harumi giggled, finally looking my way again.
"That guy's hilarious. You should see him when he drinks, always trying to snuggle up to Kazuya-nii like they're lovers."

I found myself laughing softly at the thought of it. I could imagine Kazuya pushing Masaaki away after having one too many.
"That's so funny! When I got my suit, Kazuya had to step outside in order to avoid Masaaki's advances."

Wait... did Harumi just call him Kazuya-nii? Nii meaning Onii-chan?

"Kazuya-nii?! Harumi, is Kazuya your-"
I was cut off immediately.

"No, he isn't my older brother. He's just someone I consider an older brother figure in my life."
She finished her laugh and stood up, offering me a helping hand.
"Come on, it's getting a bit warm in here. Coffee milk is on me tonight."

I accepted her hand, letting her pull me to my feet and helping me exit the tub together.
"Coffee milk? I've never had it before."
I smiled as I watched Harumi's jaw drop wide open.

"What?! You've never had coffee milk after a steamy bath?!"
She yelled loudly and dragged me into the changing area.
"That's going to change right this instant, Mika-chan! Prepare to have your taste buds demolished!"

I slipped into my suit, laughing a bit louder at her dramatics.
"Demolished?! It's just milk."

"Yeah, well I can tell you definitely need some. You're skin and bones, Mika-chan. Let's demolish our taste buds together!"
She pumped her fist in the air, encouraging me to do the same.

"Y-yeah!"
I cheered, pathetically.