In the back room of a club, 4 individuals sat around a table in silence. Compared to the last time that they gathered, each man looked much wearier, sporting additional scars.
The atmosphere was tense, as if they were all waiting for something, or someone.
In the next moment, the door to the room opened, revealing an older figure dressed in a traditional Kimono. It was black and gray, sporting gold trimming which hinted at his status.
"Boss."
Everyone at the table got up from their chairs, bowing towards the older man as he made his way towards them.
"Sit…" His voice gave away his weariness, though no one took it as a sign of weakness.
As he sat at the head of the table, everybody waited patiently, not daring to speak.
"It's good to see you all again." He stated, some warmth returning to his tone.
"Tsukasa, Shin, Tomoya, Naoki. It's been a tough year for us all."
The four figures nodded, each wearing a complex expression. Each of the men had lost people, yet somehow they had all managed to survive until today.
There were no additional words that needed to be spoken, everyone present was familiar with the sacrifices that were made to keep their position in the underground.
"Boss, what has happened for you to gather us like this? Are we at risk once again?" Tsukasa asked, his body stiff.
"Mmm…"
At this acknowledgment, the 4 figures all reacted in a similar fashion. They had believed that the rival gang from Hokkaido had retreated after failing to integrate themselves into Tokyo.
Or perhaps they hoped this was the case.
Tomoya's face turned up in a frown. He'd bolstered the security watching over his family for the past 12 months, keeping both his sons and his wife under constant surveillance.
Just when he thought it was all over, he'd been summoned here.
"Have we been attacked?" Tomoya asked, his expression darkening.
"Not directly." The boss stated, letting out a sigh.
"Last night, the Hokori family carried out an assassination on our turf. They made no attempt to hide the body, even leaving evidence to lead the cops right to us." He said gravely.
SLAM
"Those bastards!" Naoki shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
If it weren't for the amazing craftsmanship of the table, it likely would have split from the force of the blow.
Everyone was seething in anger after hearing of the Hokori family's dirty tricks. It was bad enough that they'd been trying to take over their turf over the past 12 months, yet now they had broken the unwritten rule.
Since they failed in their hostile takeover, it seemed that they'd resorted to involving law enforcement, jeopardizing their entire livelihood.
The atmosphere in the back room plummeted as the 4 figures ruminated over the news. Being under investigation by law enforcement would hinder their current operations, causing their businesses to stagnate.
It could be considered a low blow.
"So what do we do now?" Tsukasa asked, running his hand through his balding hair.
Fresh scars were visible on his arms, depicting the struggles he'd been enduring over the past year.
"Well I assume we'll have to lay low." Shin answered, though his features were pulled into a frown. His hand gripped the handle of his katana, as if he was itching to draw it.
"Shin's right. However, by doing this, the Hokori family will also have to lay low with all this attention they've drummed up." Tomoya stated.
The boss nodded, satisfied that his lieutenants understood the impact of such a thing.
"Who did they assassinate?"
"Some 40 year old woman who was carrying a lot of cash. I think her name was Sachiko or something." The boss didn't seem too concerned about the woman's name.
Tomoya's face twitched for a moment before he let out a sigh.
"You knew her?" Shin asked curiously.
"Eh, she was a hostess who worked around the area. Honestly she was not worth the amount of trouble she brought." He stated, his face turning up in a wry smile.
"Even in death she only brought me more problems."
There was a few moments of silence before the boss spoke up, moving the conversation along.
"We'll need to cease some operations from this point forward. Use only our most loyal subjects for our larger businesses, we can't afford for anyone to become an informant."
"Yes Boss."
The 5 then began to go over the specifics, ensuring that everyone was on the same page.
***
Daichi was wearing a black suit as he stood in front of the mirror. His wide shoulders made his jacket look a little tight, yet it hugged his slim waist perfectly.
"You don't have to come." He said softly to the teen beside him.
"I already said I'm going with you. Plus, I already paid the rental fee for the suit." Ken chirped back, fixing his tie.
"How come you know how to tie a tie so well?" Daichi asked in wonder.
"Err… I just watched a youtube tutorial earlier, ha ha."
Ken felt that he almost gave away his biggest secret of being a regressor in that moment. Since he'd worked at an office job for a few years in his previous life, he wore a tie essentially every day for years.
Daichi had no reason to refute his words, since he wasn't that hung up on such a detail.
"Still, I never thought my first time wearing a suit would be for a wake." Daichi said, his tone a little vulnerable.
"Are we ready to go?" Chris asked, popping his head into the room.
Both boys turned around and saw there father in a perfectly fitted black suit and raised their eyes in surprise.
"You're coming too Dad?"
Daichi was shocked. He didn't expect his father would want to attend considering what she'd done to him before her untimely death.
"I may never forgive your biological mother for what she did to you, but she brought you into this world. For that, I'll be forever grateful." Chris said with a small smile.
Daichi felt a lump form in his throat, forcing his eyes to water up.
"Mmm." He nodded.