Are You Worthy?

The first time Akio saw that old man in the corner of his eye, he wondered if a dashing suit would make him look adequately masculine as well. After all, the gentleman before him was oozing testosterone from every pore as he bowed. The sight of muscles barely contained in a high-quality suit, stretching with each flex, probably should have hinted other things. But Akio had it in his head at that moment – what does it mean for him to be a man?

His danger sense only kicked in when said gentleman proceeded to grip him by the shirt and heave him into the air like he was expected to fly.

Fly he did… right into an abandoned building that just happened to be a place away from prying eyes. Or even ears for that matter. The ruckus he made as he crashed into a pile of boxes, its contents exploding all over, made him realize that the only voice around was his own groaning as he tried to make sense of the situation.

He looked down, seeing tons and tons of marbles rolling away. He had apparently been tossed into some warehouse for a toy company. The situation of ‘losing his marbles’ felt oddly fitting as a result.

The crunch of marbles being stepped on drew his attention to the gentleman approaching, knuckles cracking like he was here to complete his business.

There were not many reasons Akio could think of that would get him into this kind of situation. He didn’t recall pissing off anyone enough to warrant such brazen violence. He felt like he had been a rather good boy as of late. The insults coming from his mouth were far overshadowed by the actions of a certain pair that constantly fought each other.

The pure intent that someone would pluck him off the street and toss him into a secluded place for a personal one-on-one only meant one thing.

“You’re somehow involved with Misaki Haibara, aren’t you?”

A slow clap filled the warehouse with its echoes. The gentleman took a moment to rub his chin before replying.

“Got some brains. Not bad, kiddo. What tipped you off?”

“Something about that liftoff you gave me. It felt oddly familiar. There aren’t many people that can move like you, even less that would bother to kick the ass of a pathetic guy like me. I know when someone can end me in one blow. The fact that you bothered to do this instead means you have some personal business with me.”

“Not going to run?”

“As if. I’m toast either way. I’d rather have a chat and figure out why, rather than get pegged in the back as I’m fleeing.”

“Very well.”

Akio wasn’t able to see it. All he knew was that he suddenly tasted bile and his body could no longer stand. The grind of a punch thrown into his stomach gave him enough sense to look up at the huge man staring down at him. He seemed so much bigger up close.

“Fuck… that hurts more than a Misaki attack…”

As Akio started to black out, he felt a pat on his shoulder.

“Of course. I was the one that trained Mistress Haibara. You’re lucky that you didn’t run. Avoided the wrath of my briefcase.”

v

Akio woke up to a sudden snap against his ear. He panicked as his hands gripped onto the sides of an armrest, realizing that he was in a comfy leather chair. He was in an office of sorts, no…, a home office. He spotted valuable trinkets behind sealed shelves, curated objects to show off personal wealth, and an overall meticulous environment that embraced success. The reek of high-end everything was so out of this world that Akio wondered if he had been isekaied for a moment.

Fantasy became dead when he spotted the same man that had knocked him out. He was standing off to the side, a servant patiently waiting for his master’s command.

A chair behind a lavish wood desk rotated, revealing the person who summoned him.

Akio was instantly struck by a piercing glare, confidence overflowing. The middle-aged man tapped a cigar onto an ashtray, eyeing him up and down like he was prepared for a fight. The aura that came from him made Akio weak in the knees. Thankfully, he was already sitting. He could clench his bowels just a bit tighter to maintain composure.

“Tenryu Haibara. I’ve heard some things about you from my daughter. Wanted to meet this Akio Wada myself.”

In that instant, Akio knew where Misaki got her terrifying personality from. He had hoped that it wasn’t the case, but now, he had to stare at those gates of death that wasn’t held in check by obsessive love.

“Well, feel free to speak, Wada. It’s not a meet and greet if I’m the only one doing the talking.”

Akio chuckled, even though his stomach hurt to do so.

“Hell of a meet and greet if you have Mr. Commando over there knock the stuffings out of me as a pre-game. Given Misaki though, I guess it’s just another Friday.”

A slight smirk appeared on Tenryu’s face.

“You pass the commitment check. I’ll give you that. Guts and grit, however, do not guarantee any measure of success. We live in a society where results are what truly matters.”

The way Tenryu spoke – it was listening to a deal where all the cards were already in his hands. A growing suspicion that Akio had no room for negotiations clouded his thoughts.

Businessman, my ass! Your papa is looking like the crime lord of a corporation empire!

Akio looked down at himself. He was nothing in comparison. Just the typical schoolboy with no real merits. The number of things he could offer weighed less than the minimum wage worker already under Tenryu’s grasp. Even still…

“If you’re telling me to back off from Misaki, that’s none of your business.”

“Stubborn as hell, just like my daughter. Tell you what, maybe I should give you a chance.”

Tenryu stood up from his chair, smacking the desk like his amusement in Akio was growing. It must have seemed like all fun and games to him – a rich man’s entertainment in watching Akio struggle for a sliver of hope.

“Display the proposal, Gorgio.”

He walked right up to a giant TV screen. With a few taps on an iPad from the jacked butler, Gorgio, a map of Yokohoma was displayed. Tenryu drew a big circle around the city limits.

“My daughter is quite the young lady, having once wrapped the gangs in this area around her finger. Mind you, that was her own actions. No part from me. I simply allowed her to do as she pleased. A parent knows when to step back and let children spread their wings.”

“Your idea of letting Misaki fly is for her to become a yankee gang leader? A little bit out of the box thinking, ain’t it? What if she got hurt?”

“I didn’t pay Gorgio for any half-hearted training. If Misaki wanted to rebel by picking fights, I made damn sure she would win them all. That’s the Haibara way. Be the best if you’re going to do something. No holds barred.”

“And then, she got bored of that and gave it up. What’s your point in this, aside from boasting about her achievements?”

Tenryu walked right up to Akio and stared him down. It was the gaze that measured a person’s worth.

“I bet that you’re just a fling for her. She’ll get tired of you soon enough. Just like anything else that comes easy to her.”

Akio tried to stand up from the chair, but a strong hand was clamped on his shoulder from behind. At some point, Gorgio had jumped into bodyguard mode, keeping him restrained, but his body actions made his point loud and clear.

“Akio Wada, prove to me that you are what Misaki claims you to be. Prove to her that you aren’t simply riding on her abilities. Prove to me that you are a sufficient match to her.”

A bad feeling went down Akio’s spine. It was one of those dreaded tests. He hated those. The people that tended to offer him one of those ‘chances’ usually did it with a fixed result in mind. Looking back at the map, he gulped in anticipation of what was expected of him.

“Rule the streets. Take Misaki’s place, now that she has abdicated from it. That is the type of person you wanted to mingle with. At the very least, that should be what you chase after.”

“And what if I refuse? I have no reason to play into your amusements just because you’re her father.”

A piece of paper dangled right before Akio’s face. He reached up to grab it, scanning the lines carefully. It didn’t take long for his eyes to go wide.

“Transfer of schools? A rental lease for Shizuoka? That’s the next city over! How did you get my parents’ signatures?!”

“It was a simple matter to contact your principal to convey the ‘trouble’ that you have been facing at Shiomizu High School. The suggestion of a new start, all expenses covered, was floated. Approval on their end was instantaneous.”

Thanks, Mom and Dad. For selling out your son without even consulting him.

“Far easier than bribing the police to turn a blind eye on a potential missing person.”

Just what the hell kind of shady papa do you have, Misaki?!

Akio weighed his options. New school. New chance. New life as a protected witness. No Misaki.

“Not a chance. I’ll play your fucking game.”

Tenryu smirked. It was the grin of a person watching a desperate throwdown of the entire chip stack on double zero. Akio knew that he was that much of a longshot. But that didn’t mean he would regret forming that bet. It wasn’t a gamble if you knew how to fix the result.

As long as he had Misaki, his chances were-

“Before you even consider it, Misaki is not allowed to help, not until you prove yourself worthy. That would make things far too simple. Simple is boring. Boring is not worth the money. And money makes things go round.”

Akio could feel the color drain from his face. He had hoped not mentioning anything would let this loophole through, but luck had never been on his side. Unfortunately, how he froze up gave it all away.

“Ha, forget about Misaki’s favor. I’ll be impressed if you can even hold a speck of turf for yourself. A man hiding behind his supposed girlfriend’s achievements is a shame to the Haibara name. It’s time you know your place.”

Akio’s teeth hurt. He had been clamping down hard to keep hold of his pride. A fire burned in him, one that couldn’t be anything but self-destructive. But he didn’t care. Some things were worth burning for.

“Gorgio, see the boy back to his apartment. Gently this time. You have the weekend to prepare. By Monday, every street thug will know that Akio Wada is gunning for the crown and make an effort to get rid of you. Best of luck surviving.”

Before he could protest, Akio was grabbed by the back of the shirt and slung onto the shoulder of Gorgio, who marched him right out of the office. He was simply a sack of potatoes tossed into a limo and carted back home.

He certainly felt like one as he hobbled up the stairs and fell through the doorway of his apartment. Kicking the door shut, the last dregs of adrenaline from the situation had finally run dry. The realization of what he had ahead of him all came crashing down.