Lights of Ginza

"Let's go there next!"

Kaysie glanced at Amy as she walked beside him, their arms interlocked at the elbow. Clutched within Kaysie's freehand was a multitude of shopping bags. The two were casually making their way through Ginza, a bustling shopping district in the heart of Tokyo. The young woman's eyes were glued on a high end clothing store.

"That's fine and all, but wasn't I supposed to take you to school?" Kaysie asked as his eyes shot around. He assessed the faces and figures of those around him.

"Well that was before you decided to try to murder me." Amy replied as she tugged Kaysie along into the store. Kaysie cut his eyes towards his companion. Amy glanced back and raised her eyebrow at the sight. The atmosphere turned quickly as Amy displayed a playful smile. "I was joking, Kaysie." She spoke coaxingly as she brought her face near his. Resting her head on Kaysie's shoulder and closing her eyes, she added, "I couldn't be happier being here with you."

Kaysie chuckled to himself. "Happy to be spending my money you mean." Kaysie replied.

Amy giggled then said, "the money is a bonus." The girl looked up and winked afterwards. Kaysie smiled slightly.

"Hurry up and get what you want." Kaysie said as Amy moved out of his embrace. Amy's features caused her to stand out and many eyes were on her. Kaysie looked at each person, diligently, as he was still wary of danger. He knew better than to let his guard down. He was a wanted man in enemy territory accompanied by a person of high profile. There was no way of telling if the Inagawas had abandoned their pursuit.

Kaysie's mouth curled up into a slight grin. Who was the hunter? Who was the prey? The last Hiroji felt exhilarated by the current situation. He was always a fan of adrenaline, which in turn caused him to acquire a taste for gambling. Gambling to Kaysie, however, never occurred in the form of currency. Money was something the young man knew he would never run out of. He prefered a more scarce and valuable resource. Kaysie gambled with lives, both his and other's.

As much as Kaysie enjoyed Amy's company, like any other person currently in Kaysie's life, she was expendable. Kaysie could think of an infinite amount of ways to use the girl to his advantage.

"Hey, I'm going to try this on real quick." Amy declared, a few paces away from Kaysie. The young man waved her on with a smile. Kaysie sighed a bit as he slouched his stance, supporting his weight on a clothes rack.

"Cute girl."

Kaysie turned quickly towards the voice. His gaze was met by intense green orbs. June stood beside Kaysie, the seasoned martial artist hadn't so much as sensed a presence approach.

June shifted her gaze away from Kaysie. Kaysie, on the other hand, couldn't look away from her captivating image. June leaned close towards Kaysie's face, her eyes searching where Amy once was. "I don't peg her for your type though." June whispered coaxingly.

Their eyes locked. June's emerald eyes were filled with mystery, that woman was an adventure that Kaysie desired to experience. The dark mistress' lips curled up into a rose' smile, it held a clear message. She shouldn't be trusted, she shouldn't be acknowledged. Everything about her was wrong.

Yet everything about her was right.

June moved closer to Kaysie as she placed a finger near his chin. The young gangster's eyes narrowed as a grin spread across his face. In that moment nothing else existed. Everything was a blur. All Kaysie could see was the woman before him. He was captivated, he was completely at her mercy.

Kaysie drew back suddenly, breaking the drunken spell. He could sense June's surprise. June attempted to move closer, however Kaysie took a few steps back. June stopped, her face was stern. For the first time since Kaysie met her, he was able to read June's expression. She was wondering why he wouldn't give in to his desires.

"You're good you know," Kaysie started, looking June up and down. "You almost had me." Kaysie added. The young man now paced towards the mistress. Stopping inches before her, June breathed in deeply as she looked at him. "But I'm not a tool. You can't use me June. Oh..." Kaysie paused as he looked away. "Thanks for the smokes." He finished as he displayed the carton of cigarettes June had gifted. Then with a grin and a slight wave goodbye, Kaysie turned and walked away.

Kaysie could still feel June's eyes upon him. He felt them from the moment he reunited with Amy until the moment they completed their shopping hours later...

"Did you hear that?"

Kaysie's eyes shot around in concern.

"Hear what?" Amy asked, she fumbled with her keys, attempting to insert them in the lock to her apartment door.

"It sounded like wind chimes, or a bell." Kaysie said as he turned to Amy. The girl turned her keys along with the door handle, and pushing her palm forward, the door glided open.

"Probably one of the neighbors." Amy replied casually.

"Yea…" Kaysie replied, something felt wrong. For some reason a pit had formed in Kaysie's stomach, and he had no clue why. He was breathless for a moment. The last time he felt this way was when he was a child.

Kaysie had a phobia of darkness when he was a boy. One night he cried for his father. Hiroshi had sat beside Kaysie's bed and told his son stories of heroic japanese warriors. All the while shadows had danced around his wall, cast from a small candle. The murky figures would seem to illustrate the scenes Hiroshi told. There were many nights when Kaysie's fears were too harrowing to burden alone, so his father would sit beside him. Hiroshi would speak in a soft, mesmerizing voice, easing his son's mind with noble tales. On nights when his father was away on business, Kaysie's mother would lay beside him. She would run her hand through his hair and hush all his insecurities away.

Kaysie's parents were harsh when necessary, yet they always displayed their love and affection for him. And there had been no one Kaysie respected more than his father. Funny how dramatically things had changed...

"Kaysie."

Kaysie looked towards Amy, the young woman leaned against the doorway. Her blue eyes glowed under the ceiling lights outside her apartment. They reflected the image of the deepest blue of the sea, waving gently under a gallant sun. They were beautiful eyes, but there was something else present within them. Kaysie could sense concern. "What's wrong?" Kaysie asked as he showed a faint smile, a poor attempt to reassure his companion.

Amy wasn't suede of her worries. Her eyes narrowed as she brought a hand to rest on Kaysie's arm. The former yakuza looked down at it, her pale fingers ran over his forearm. "You don't have to say anything, I think I get it…" Amy spoke, her voice slightly above a whisper.

Kaysie laughed slightly as he turned his gaze away. "What's there to get?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. Amy continued to caress his arm as her eyes wandered near his chest. She remained silent. Kaysie watched her, what did this girl know about him? Nothing. Kaysie wasn't some high school hero who would sweep her off to some bullshit teenage girl drama sunset. Kaysie was a murderer. It wasn't bad enough that he killed countless of people, destroyed countless families, and ruined countless reputations; but Kaysie was forced to kill his own friends. Kaysie was forced to watch his mother die.

The images and sounds were fresh in his mind. The conviction in his mother's eyes. The sound of Reiji arming his gun. The guilt on the faces of his former brothers. His mother's lips parting, her voice speaking in an even tone. Continuously begging her son to retreat to Yokohama and escape from Japan. The way Reiji hesitated as Kaysie screamed for his former uncle to stop.

How his mother's eyes widened, darkness encompassing her once glorious brown eyes, as the crack sounded from Reiji's gun. The worst was when she fell. How her body collapsed to the floor beside Kaysie, her dead eyes staring into her son's. The thud from her body rang in Kaysie's ears like a volcanic eruption, the vibrations from the fall shook the ground like an earthquake, the blood that flowed towards him looked as harrowing as a tsunami.

And if all of that wasn't enough, there was his father. Why did his father betray them? Why did Kaysie have to kill him? For as long as Kaysie lived his miserable existence, he would probably never find any answers. Why had it come to this?

Kaysie felt warmth on his cheek. He looked down as Amy wiped tears away from under his eyes. "What the hell am I doing…" Kaysie muttered as he drew out of Amy's reach. Holding a hand before his face in an attempt to hide the sight of his sorrow.

"You're crying Kaysie." Amy said, Kaysie's eyes peeking at her from between his fingers. His face hot with shame and embarrassment, both intensified by his lament. Amy moved towards him, and wrapping one arm around his neck and the other clasping the back of his head, she rested her head against his chest. "It's okay to cry, so don't hold back." Amy whispered.

"What do you know?" Kaysie asked, his voice wavering with his tears. Amy remained silent as she strengthened her embrace. What was this girl trying to do? Did she pity him? Some American girl ignorant to the harsh reality of the world, was she claiming to understand him? How on earth could she understand what Kaysie was going through now? He had killed his own father, what could she possibly know about that? How could Amy understand what that felt like? "What do you know?" Kaysie repeated as his weeping began to overtake his voice, rendering him inaudible.

Amy began to run her hand through the back of Kaysie's hair. The warmth from her body and her touch soothing Kaysie, coaxing out his sorrow the way a doctor would coax poison from a wound. Kaysie's tears were flowing now. "What do you know?" Kaysie whispered one final time...

Golden rays from street lights illuminated the dark pavement of the Chuo expressway leading out of Tokyo. The road was relatively vacant of traffic in both directions, a rare occasion. Smooth jazz, the only thing that could help put Kaysie's mind at ease, hummed gently inside his car. He cruised towards the address Ikkousha had given him.

Amy had invited Kaysie into her apartment, however Kaysie refused. To him it seemed that forming any types of bonds now would lead to a sinister trap. Mentally, Kaysie wasn't ready to place his faith in anyone, but the pain in his chest caused him to second guess his decision. He was neither glad nor sorrowful about his thoughts of seclusion, he simply understood that he required solitude.

He rolled his fingers on the leather steering wheel. When he arrived at his destination, he would be cutting it close to midnight. But what did he care? Old man Pete would get over it, he seemed the passive type. Besides, what could he possibly do to Kaysie?

Bright lights approached from behind, and glancing up at his rear view mirror Kaysie was blinded by two yellow orbs. He averted his eyes towards his side view mirror, there was a black jaguar approaching from his lane. Suddenly a second appeared from behind it, veering into the left lane. Glancing to his right side view mirror, another jaguar had glided into the right lane.

The Inagawas were back.

Kaysie's brow furrowed as a flush of irritation encompassed him, he wasn't in the mood for this. Reaching with his right hand, he withdrew a handgun from his glove compartment and placed it on the passenger seat. It was a silver Glock 40, with an extended clip of twenty one bullets, each waiting to deal their fury at Kaysie's discretion.

The two cars on either sides of him pulled up towards his flanks. Kaysie cut his eyes towards each one. The Inagawas were acting surprisingly bold again. Granted they had a reason to dislike Kaysie, however they had no reason to actively seek him out like this. Kaysie's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. The expressway was emptied and now he was in company of Inagawa family members. It all seemed too convenient for a simple coincidence. If the Inagawas were after Kaysie, then it was for a purpose that surpassed the Hiroji scandal. Something was wrong.

A flash brought Kaysie's eyes glancing to the car on his left. The window was heavily tinted, shrouding the passengers in an eerie darkness. A roar sounded from Kaysie's rear and his head jolted forward. The rear car connected bumpers with Kaysie's GTR. The cars on his flanks glided forward slightly, attempting to cut off any possible paths of escape. Well, what to do?

In an instant Kaysie had snatched up his glock. Turning and aiming, he pumped hot lead through his rear window and into the rear car. The shrill sound of shattering glass accompanied the pop of Kaysie's gun. The rear car's horn sounded as its tires turned and screeched. Like a tumbleweed in a violent storm the car whipped about and began to roll over. The sound of metal crashing and crumbling echoed about as it went.

Immediately, Kaysie eased his brakes. The two cars that flanked him now shot forward as Kaysie tossed his hand gun aside. With both hands on the wheel Kaysie whipped it full nock left, his hair blowing around wildly from the awkward draft caused by his blown out rear window. His car came screaming to about face, and, affording a pause to shift gears, it roared forward. The GTR's engine emulated the most furious thunder as it soared past the wreckage of a once glorious sports car.

Kaysie shifted gears as his car increased its pace. Well out of distance from the expressway, Kaysie cut his eyes around. Empty roads. His foot remained steady on the gas pedal as he shot through an intersection.

A mental alarm went off as Kaysie felt a pit form in his stomach.

He whipped his head towards the left quickly, his GTR halfway through another intersection. Two large headlights greeted him. Without a moment to react, Kaysie was jolted in his seat. The sound of metal gnawing against metal in a cannibalistic frenzy rang throughout his ears. His head slammed every which way as his car tumbled and rolled around violently. Kaysie's eyes opened and closed with each dreadful crash. The young man yelled in pain as he felt something pierce his midsection. The car was still tumbling when Kaysie lost consciousness…

Kaysie heard voices shouting as his vision began to return. The street lights flushed figures into an obscure haze. "Where is he?!" Someone shouted, the voice sounded familiar.

"Over there."

Kaysie's eyes grew heavy, and he struggled to keep them open. A man neared him, Kaysie could only barely make out the outline of his figure. Soon a chill pierced his being as two cold fingers were pressed to his neck.

The man leaned close towards Kaysie. "He's alive." The man muttered. "Can you hear me Kaysie? Try to stay awake." The voice spoke. Kaysie attempted to speak, however all he could muster was a horrid gurgle from deep within his throat.

"Hurry up and call an ambulance!" The man shouted as Kaysie felt his presence distance. He sensed the man lean in again. "Don't worry I'm going to apply first aid. You did well to survive that, but I suppose that was just luck. Let's hope that lasts you, don't you die on me now." The man whispered.

The weight in Kaysie's head became intolerable. Kaysie shut his eyes. "Don't die," huh? Kaysie couldn't even if he wanted to. He had no idea why he felt that way, he just did. Within another moment Kaysie had slipped unconscious again…

Kaysie felt weightless, as if he was afloat in a vast sea, bobbing with the lazy sway of the ocean tide. He was shrouded in darkness, but he didn't mind. He felt at ease.

A small bell rang in the distance.

"What a reckless thing you are."

The voice that spoke to him sounded neither near nor far. He recognized the voice, yet could not match it to a face. Kaysie attempted to speak, attempted to move, attempted to open his eyes.

Sit up.

Light rushed into his vision. Kaysie was blinded temporarily.

"Well, look who's back from the dead."

Kaysie recognized this voice, however it was different from the one before. As the young man's vision cleared, he became aware of his surroundings. He was atop a hospital bed, needles with tubes leading from them were poked into his arms. The room held a pleasant scent and a single opened window illuminated the room with natural light.

Turning to his right, Kaysie saw Pete. The old man was dressed in luxurious casual wear, he sat patiently at Kaysie's bedside. Kaysie placed a hand on his forehead, feeling a tight knot form within his skull.

"You were in a car accident." Pete began.

"Yea, I ran into a bit of a situation." Kaysie replied.

"Situation?" Pete asked. Kaysie paused as he looked up at the old man.

"Some old friends in the yakuza came to see me, things went south." Kaysie started. "What exactly happened, how did I get here?" The young man asked.

"An ambulance arrived at the scene of your wreck, after you were admitted to the hospital and in stable condition, I was contacted and notified." Pete replied. Kaysie rested his head back as he sighed.

"Seeing as I'm responsible for you, I brought you back here after your surgery." Pete spoke.

Kaysie's eyes shot wide.

"Surgery?" He asked quickly.

"You nearly died, my boy. A metal prod over a meter long was lodged into your abdomen. It entered in a jagged way, broke a bunch of ribs. The doc had to go so far as to do a blood transfusion on you." Pete explained. Kaysie breathed in deeply, suddenly he could feel a slight soreness in his midsection. "I know I said to have fun, but man you and I've got two different definitions of fun." The old man chuckled.

"Don't stress yourself, my foolish young companion. You're old way of life hasn't been jeopardized, you'll make a complete recovery." Pete comforted.

"That's some bittersweet news…" Kaysie looked out the window. Old way of life, huh. Thought the weary Yamagumi. The thin drapery swayed gallantly with a freshening breeze, a serene pond lay beyond. "How long have I been under?" Kaysie asked.

"Nearly two weeks." Pete replied. Kaysie closed his eyes briefly, releasing another sigh.

"Where are we?" The young gangster finally asked.

"Aso, Kumamoto." Pete answered.

"Kyushu?" Kaysie asked surprised.

"Yes, this is my personal estate. Had it for awhile now." Pete replied. "The fresh air and seclusion will do you good, Kaysaan." The old man added as he stood up. "Relax and bring yourself back to what matters." The old man finished, turning to walk away. Kaysie watched him with curiosity as he neared the door.

"What matters?" The young man asked, his voice stern, his eyes sharp. Pete stopped, placing both hands in his pockets.

"That's up to you to find." The old man said, quite philosophically, before departing while throwing up a peace sign.

Kaysie laughed slightly.

He inhaled deeply, a slight of pain stabbed at his sides. Exhaling slowly, he could feel the pain diminish. Rest. That sounded like a good plan...