Closure

It didn’t take the police long to arrive. By then Jiro had regained consciousness and started threatening everyone, claiming that his father could get them fired if they didn’t let him go. However, the officers who arrived were good friends of Mako’s father, who had retired from police service a few years ago, so they ignored Jiro’s protests and escorted him and his group to the police car.

Two more officers stayed behind to ask further questions about the incident. Genta and Taichi were done with their statements relatively quickly, but the officers decided to spend more time with Eloy. They weren’t accustomed to dealing with foreigners involved in fights, so they wanted to take extra precautions to ensure Eloy's wellbeing.

Ms. Yamane had been out taking care of some paperwork and arrived while Eloy was still talking to the police. Genta had to spend a few minutes reassuring her that everything was fine. He also managed to convince her not to call his mother, since it would only worry her. She seemed hesitant, but eventually agreed before going to check on Eloy and the girls.

That left Genta with Taichi, both leaning against the counter, avoiding eye contact and surrounded by an awkward silence.

“Why did you come to help me?” Genta asked after a few seconds.

“Because Jiro was trying to meddle in our business.”

“So does that mean that you’re not gonna stop going after me? I've already told you, both my mother and I want nothing to do with people associated with the Matsuda Corporation–”

“I’m not part of that damn company yet, Genta, my parents are.” The frustration in Taichi’s voice surprised Genta, making him finally look at his former friend. “So when I offer you money, I’m offering you my money, not my parents’.”

“And where do you think that money comes from?”

“Damn, it, why can’t you just accept it? Why do you and your family always have to complicate things? If your old man had just kept his mouth shut in the first place–”

“They were diverting public funds. They were stealing from people.”

“Genta, wake up, every big company does that at some level! And what did your old man get for playing the hero, huh? Yeah, sure, he managed to bring it to light and some corrupt people lost their jobs, but the high-ups stayed right where they were. He just stupidly got himself enemies and destroyed his life and yours. All for nothing!”

Genta took a deep breath. If the circumstances had been different, maybe he would have gotten angry at Taichi’s words. But he couldn’t be angry when Taichi looked as if he was about to cry.

“I don’t think my father wanted to play the hero,” Genta said calmly. “He was just a good man who couldn’t look away when realizing that people were being robbed, so he stepped in to help them. And yes, it was shitty and unfair that he got caught in the middle, and that we all had to pay just because he did the right thing.” Genta smiled with affection. “But I’m really proud of him. Both my mother and I are. And that’s why we’ll never accept any money that is related to that company.”

Taichi clenched his jaw and snorted before averting his eyes. “Fuck, you haven’t changed one bit. Keep being so stubborn and you’re gonna get a new damn scar one day.”

Genta’s eyes open wide when hearing some bitterness in Taichi’s tone. “Wait, are you still feeling guilty because–”

“I know you hate me now, but you were my friend back then, so what the hell do you think?” Taichi snapped. “Yeah, I felt guilty, but not anymore. Unlike you, I can’t afford to make certain enemies. So this is the last time I’ll help you.”

Genta looked at Taichi. Their relationship was complicated, to say the least. After Genta’s father was framed and accused of participating in the company scam, his family ended up in debt. Due to that, the plans his parents had to send Genta to University vanished in thin air. And as the saying went, bad things seemed to happen in threes, because his father fell ill just a few weeks later. Despite the man’s protests of not ‘wasting money’ on hospitals, they did so anyway. Even though the diagnosis was pretty clear, there was no way that Hiromi or Genta would allow the man to spend his last days suffering.

After his father passed away, Genta dropped out of college. He started working to help his mother, and in the meantime Taichi started hanging out with another group, in which Jiro Matsuda, the son of the Matsuda Corporation president, was the leader. Genta’s arguments with Taichi began back then, and one of the times when Genta happened to be present when Jiro and his group started to bully another student, he didn’t just sit still.

In retrospect, Genta doubted that Jiro actually planned to hurt him when extracting that knife. Probably he just wanted to scare him, but accidents happen when people wield a weapon without knowing what they’re doing. Genta still remembered the horrified faces of Jiro and the group when he was hurt, but especially Taichi’s scared and worried face. Taichi was the only one who stayed with him and called for help. But after Genta healed, they had their last fight, since Genta didn’t want to see Taichi again if he kept associating with that group, but Taichi couldn’t bring himself to leave it. Just like then.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Genta found himself asking. “You said that you can’t afford to make enemies, but you just beat the crap out of Jiro’s friends.”

Taichi snorted. “Nah, it goes both ways. My parents are Mr. Matsuda's main investors, so Jiro may be angry for a while, but we’ll be okay.” Taichi rearranged his wrinkled shirt. “I’ll be going then. Good luck with that shitty contest of yours.”

“Taichi,” the guy sighed and turned around with annoyance. “Just for the record, I don’t hate you. But I do think you’re an idiot for getting involved with those people, because you deserve better. And until you realize that, you better be ready. Because if I catch you bullying anyone ever again, I’ll beat you up.”

Taichi opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before snorting loudly. “I’d like to see you try, vagabond.”

Taichi was clearly fighting the hint of a smile before turning around and leaving, which also put a resigned smile on Genta's face. A complicated relationship, indeed.

He noticed that the officers had finally stopped asking Eloy questions, and that Eloy was throwing ‘subtle’ glances in his direction, clearly curious about what had happened between him and Taichi. The girls seemed to be outside, so they were alone.

Genta approached Eloy, making sure not to grimace and avoid setting his weight on his right foot. He preferred to think it was just a passing pain, a result of the recent fight. And if it wasn’t, he’d figure something out. There was no way that they were going to lose the third challenge because of a minor sprain.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Everything okay?”

“Yes, we kinda cleared the air. I’ll tell you about it later. But now, before I forget…” Eloy wasn’t expecting the soft smack in the back of his head, “...that’s for not locking yourself in the office as I told you so.”

“What the–” Eloy started saying in a funny mix of offense and irritation, adjusting his glasses that had slid to the tip of his nose because of the smack. “What was I supposed to do? Go hide and leave you alone–?”

And Eloy didn’t see the intense kiss coming, judging by the way he completely froze after Genta pulled back. “And this is for not locking yourself in the office, and staying with me instead.”

Eloy stared at him, wide-eyed and with his mouth opened.

And then, Genta finally noticed that Mako, Narumi and Cara - who apparently had just arrived in a rush - had just entered the bar at that precise moment.

Well…Shit.

“Wait wait WAIT! D-DID YOU JUST KISS?!”

“HAH! So that’s why you didn’t want to accept my money! Genta Ishikawa, I should make you pay me more for having lied to me!”

“I’m so happy for you two: it was time already!”

While the girls kept happily rambling, Genta awkwardly scratched the back of his head before looking at Eloy, who was smiling at him with irony before showing the thumbs-up gesture.

“Great way to keep the secret.”

Genta exhaled an embarrassed laugh while Eloy put an arm around Genta’s shoulder, dragging him forward to lean his forehead against Genta’s temple, also laughing quietly.

It seemed that they were going to spend some time being interrogated by the girls. And they totally deserved it.