07-21-2023, 03:05 AM
Kiyohito was at the sink, replacing recently cleaned dishes into the cabinet overhead. Behind him the television was on scenes of baseball, but the sound was directed into a bud propped in his ear. He almost didn’t hear the knock but that he kept one ear free for that very purpose. Now that he was a Edenokōji-gumi man, he half-expected it to be a messenger, or worse.
Since meeting Yuta Hayashi and making his deal with the Edenokōji-gumi oyabun, Kiyohito spent the whole night preparing for his first task. It wasn’t so different than what he did for Korii-kai except that he felt dirty. Like his loyalty was washed away. He was here to find Haruto and take him back to Tokyo for justice. This was the exact opposite charge, and yet, he wondered if his father meant for all this to happen. By all accounts, he should have paid in blood already. Was it all a ruse to let the two sons escape? Reform their lives far away from the dishonor strewn through their family? Kiyohito almost hoped it wasn’t true for how easily they were set adrift. He’d rather die cast by the chains of loyalty than live in dismissal. Yet neither was he hurrying home to make good on his oath.
He flung the towel he'd been using on the dishes over his shoulder. His shirt sleeves were rolled past the elbow for the work, and while the collar at the neck was open, no water drops darkened the flat front of the button-down.
He left the ear bud on the counter and cautiously opened the door. As soon as he realized who was on the threshold, he pulled it wide.
“Eidolon,” his gaze roamed her face unsure if he was pleased to see her or not. “Are you okay?” he glanced at the stairwell behind her, but finding nothing but shadows and muffled apartment sounds, he stepped aside to invite her in, curious over the goods that laden her.
“Please?” he said and offered to unburden their weight.
Since meeting Yuta Hayashi and making his deal with the Edenokōji-gumi oyabun, Kiyohito spent the whole night preparing for his first task. It wasn’t so different than what he did for Korii-kai except that he felt dirty. Like his loyalty was washed away. He was here to find Haruto and take him back to Tokyo for justice. This was the exact opposite charge, and yet, he wondered if his father meant for all this to happen. By all accounts, he should have paid in blood already. Was it all a ruse to let the two sons escape? Reform their lives far away from the dishonor strewn through their family? Kiyohito almost hoped it wasn’t true for how easily they were set adrift. He’d rather die cast by the chains of loyalty than live in dismissal. Yet neither was he hurrying home to make good on his oath.
He flung the towel he'd been using on the dishes over his shoulder. His shirt sleeves were rolled past the elbow for the work, and while the collar at the neck was open, no water drops darkened the flat front of the button-down.
He left the ear bud on the counter and cautiously opened the door. As soon as he realized who was on the threshold, he pulled it wide.
“Eidolon,” his gaze roamed her face unsure if he was pleased to see her or not. “Are you okay?” he glanced at the stairwell behind her, but finding nothing but shadows and muffled apartment sounds, he stepped aside to invite her in, curious over the goods that laden her.
“Please?” he said and offered to unburden their weight.