Chapter One

"Just one night of freedom," Aiko exclaimed as she snuck out of her study group. 

She had been kept under a strict routine for as long as she could remember, her only respite being those years before her mother died when her father was no longer around. But now, living with her dad again, she was constantly told where to go, when to go there and who to go with and Aiko could no longer take it.

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The lights changed from green to red, and the busy city street slowed to a stop. Aiko pulled her bag over her shoulder, took one last look around and crossed the intersection. She wasn't sure where she was or where she was heading, but being babysat by her father's choice of a 'good boy' had sickened her beyond breaking point. She'd played the role of the quiet and mannerable daughter for too long and with no respite. For one night she wanted to be free, like in the days when she was still with her mother.

Why did he insist on bringing me here? she screamed internally, kicking her anger out at a not-so-real pebble and turning down a small side street.

The streetlights began flickering above her as the dusk set in. Her father would be expecting her home within the next hour but, even if she did know which way home was, she had no intention of making the trip right then.

Aiko made her way to the end of the small square that the street had turned onto and pulled her purse from her pocket. She hadn't eaten since lunchtime, something she often did and wouldn't normally have thought anything about if it wasn't for the sweet, nutty aroma that wafted from the doors of a nearby soba shop.

Just one bowl, she thought, tipping the coins from her purse into her hand and then paused at the sound of a chime indicating the door opening, and waited. Two boys walked out of the shop and passed her, laughing, while another two boys argued at the doorway.

"You shouldn't have ordered so much," said the first, his blond hair shimmering on his shoulders as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I wouldn't have if I'd known you'd eat most of it," the second boy, with long black hair, replied.

"Well, you said let's go out and eat."

"I said that I was hungry," the second boy shouted before grabbing the first into a headlock and pulling him out from the doorway.

The blond ducked out of the black-haired boy's grip turning in with a right-handed punch to his stomach.

Aiko looked up at the boy who'd been hit. He was clearly annoyed, possibly angry, but he wore the brightest smile she had ever seen as he lunged forward to throw a right hook at the blond boy, his own hair dancing around his face as if experiencing the joy with him.

Despite his effort, and absolute zeal, his hit missed as the blond jumped out of the way, eventually backing into Aiko and setting the coins that she held in her hand flying in all directions.

Aiko too lost her balance and stumbled backwards, landing flat on her bum on the ground.

"Oi," a fifth boy shouted to his friends and then, taking one of Aiko's hands into his, helped her back to her feet. "I apologise for my friends' behaviour."

Aiko's gaze skimmed the dragon-shaped tattoo on the shaved side of the boy's head and quickly looked down at her ground hoping to locate her coins. He too had blond hair which was tied back in a braid, but his physique overshadowed the other blond, who was of much smaller stature.

"No problem," she said. "It's fine."

"Allow me," the first blond said and then crouched and began to pick up the coins.

Awkwardly Aiko glanced over the five boys. The first of the two boys who had exited together was a boy with short silver-lilac hair. He was also crouching and picking up the few coins that had dropped near him, while the boy he had joked with moments before stood by his side.

That second boy was clearly a fighter. If the two small scars on his face hadn't given it away, his short, stocky frame likened to that of many boxers Aiko had seen would have.

She'd heard there were still a number of gangs in the area, and a lot of middle schoolers were members of the gangs. Her father himself, when he could be bothered to speak with her, had warned her to steer clear of any groups of boys that might be hanging around. As far as he was concerned they were all drug takers, thieves and rapists. He would probably already be calling the police if he knew that she was surrounded by, what could only be, five gang members. But if her father's description was true, wouldn't they simply have bumped into her and then walked away laughing?

Interrupting her train of thoughts, the smaller blond stood back up and stretched out his hand. "I hope this is all of it."

She looked down at the small pile of coins in his hand.

"I guess. Thank you," she said opening her own hand in front of his into which he poured the coins.

"I think these are yours too," the silver-haired boy said, dropping a few more coins into her hand.

"Thank you."

The blond boy bowed his head slightly before fixing his deep black eyes on Aiko. "We are both sorry also. Isn't that right?" he said, gesturing to the boy he'd been fighting with.

"You're the one who bumped into her," he moaned.

"Baji," the blond boy said, the previous sweetness leaving for a moment, replaced by more of an authoritative voice.

"Sure. Sorry," Baji said. He crouched to pick up a single coin and pressed it into Aiko's still open hand and then walked away.

"Thank you," Aiko said once again, to which she received a slight nod from Baji, who didn't bother to look back.

The rest of the boys followed suit, each with a smile, a small nod and then they all left in the same direction as Baji.

'Baji,' she repeated softly to herself somewhat impressed with her first interaction with, what was now confirmed as the 'Tokyo Manji Gang' if the golden embroidery on the back of their black jackets was to be taken as factual anyway. She looked down at the coins in her hand and smiled. Her hunger had gone and had been replaced by a new sensation that fluttered inside her almost out of control. She'd only been back in Japan for three months and apart from the three people her father had practically commanded her to hang out with, she hadn't made any friends.

Ichika, Yui and, her father's choice of a male companion, Daichi weren't exactly bad people. They were simply clones of the types of people who had contributed to her mother's dislike of Japan and was one of the main factors in her leaving all those years ago taking Aiko with her. The type of people who say what they're supposed to when they're supposed to and have no opinion other than what they were told to have. The type of people her father liked to surround himself with. The type of person he hoped she was, or would try his best to mould her to be.

"Aiko?" a boy called as he left the Soba shop.

Oh, she thought letting out an unimpressed sigh. Then there was him.

He was the kind of person who, if you didn't know better, you would think was as straight-lined as Daichi.

Of course, he wasn't.

Behind the face he showed to the adults, or anyone else he might need to impress to get to where he was heading, he was a cold and callous person who used whoever he could, however he could to get whatever it was that he wanted. She had almost, unwittingly, given him the chance to use her if it hadn't been for Yui's warning. She'd told her about his attempt at 'corrupting', as she called it, their friend Ichika. Thankfully, Ichika's ethics were strong, and she would not be swayed into doing anything other than what had already been chosen for her.

"Are you out here by yourself? Where's Daichi and the others?" he asked, taking cautious steps towards her.

"I'm not with them."

A slow, crooked smile curled onto one side of his face. "Then I guess I'll be your date ... haha ... I mean, company."

His warm hand pressed against the small of her back as he guided her towards the soba shop door, waving the boys, with whom he had exited the shop, off with a dismissive flick.

The butterflies that previously fluttered around her stomach suddenly became as heavy as lead, plummeting to the depth of her belly.

Her hunger had already left, but now the thought of eating, with Junichiro as her companion, removed the idea of enjoying any kind of meal far from her mind.

"I was actually on my way home," she said sliding out of his reach.

"Really?" he asked, clearly not convinced.

"The darkness is already starting to settle," she said, her eyes drifting along the deep purples and blues that lined the sky. "I'm probably running late. Thanks for the offer, maybe another time." Then, turning on her heels, she headed back towards the main road.

Two quick footsteps pattered behind her, and Junichiro was, once again, by her side. "I should probably accompany you. I'd hate for you to get lost. I didn't even think you came into the city centre by yourself."

"First time for everything."

"Really?" he said once again, grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her in beside him. "It's probably better you stay close. There are boys with bad intentions here." He jutted his chin out in the direction of the five Tokyo Manjiro boys who stood around a bunch of motorbikes, laughing and scuffling as they had earlier.

I doubt their 'bad intentions' are worse than yours, she thought and, with that, pulled her hand free and ran in the direction of the five boys.

Baji looked up as she called his name, a deep frown forming above his golden-brown eyes.

"This isn't mine," she said and pushed one of the coins into his hand.

He eyed the coin for a few moments and then looked back up at her. "It's not mine."

She nodded and continued, her gaze set directly on his with a silent plea in her eyes spoke that louder than the words she said. "You can keep it. I'm not hungry anymore. In fact, I feel really unwell."

His frown softened slightly as his eyes narrowed in thought and flickered back and forth between Aiko and Junichiro who still stood waiting. "Do you know him?"

Aiko nodded slowly.

"Is he your friend?"

Aiko shook her head while keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Baji's.

A small smile melted onto his lips as he straightened himself up. "Hey," he called, walking over to Junichiro. "Where do you think you're taking her?"

Junichiro glanced back to the soba shop, hoping to see his friends who he had already dismissed. "I was ... er ... taking her home."

"She won't be needing your help now, so you can go ahead ... alone."

Junichiro raised his hands and bowed his head slightly. "Sure, fine. Yes, I guess she's covered."

Aiko let out a sigh of relief. That was easy. But easy didn't seem to be what Baji had been desiring, so before Junichiro had the chance to walk away, Baji continued.

"Furthermore," he said grabbing a hold of Junichiro's shoulder. "She happens to be a friend of mine. So the next time you see her, you can just keep walking." And with that, he slammed a fist straight into Junichiro's face.

Aiko jumped, threw her hands to her mouth and glanced quickly around the other boys, none of whom seemed concerned. "I didn't expect him to do that," she said softly enough for only the two boys nearest to her to hear.

The silver-haired boy turned to her with a smile. "That's exactly what you should expect if you decide to get Baji involved."

Right, she reminded herself. She was the one who had gotten him involved in the first place, she couldn't really complain about his tactics. She pulled her hand away from her mouth and smiled bravely, despite the opposite feeling being the one that currently consumed her. "Junichiro will probably be mad next time I see him."

"I don't know. He probably won't want to get another one of those," the stocky boy replied with a small laugh.

Junichiro, who had been on his knees with his hand over his face, stood and bowed several times before staring wide-eyed between Baji and Aiko and then he hurried away without another word.

"Maybe," she agreed. "He is mean, but I guess he's also a coward."

Baji made his way back over to his motorcycle, wiping his knuckles against his thigh. "If he trouble's you again, you come and find me."

"Baji's not a bad friend to have, ey?" the silver-haired boy laughed, which caused a deep frown to set on Baji's face.

"Friend?" he asked. "I don't even know her name."

"Murata Aiko," she said quickly, not wanting to miss the chance of a friendship offer.

Baji let out a short puff of air from the corner of his mouth and then smiled. He was known to throw the word friend around a little too loosely sometimes, but he hadn't regretted any outcome so far. "Baji Keisuke," he finally said.

"Nice to meet you," she started, not sure where she was hoping to take her newfound friendship, or if she could take it anywhere at all. "Are you all members of the Tokyo Manji gang?" she asked, beginning with the most prominent obstacle.

Baji nodded. "First division captain." He lifted his left hand to his chest, revealing the golden embroidery along the side of the arm that stated his role in the gang.

"Wow," she muttered. Not only had she met gang members, but the first division captain. Maybe he had taken his division members out for a meal, she wondered, but then their interactions earlier didn't seem like that of a captain and his underlings.

A sweet smile crossed the silver-haired boy's mouth at the same time as her realisation that they were in fact not his underlings.

"Mitsuya Takashi, second division captain," he said, turning his arm for her to view the embroidery also.

"Pah," the stocky boy next to him announced. "Third division captain."

Aiko bowed her head slightly at both boys before turning to the last two boys. "Fourth and fifth division?" she guessed with a shy smile, and she knew she was wrong before they burst into laughter.

The jacket, the way he wore it, and his whole stance suddenly stood the smaller blonde out from the others.

"Draken, vice commander," the larger boy, with the dragon tattoo said. "He's Mikey."

Oh! Of course. The dragon tattoo. Mikey and Draken. 'Tokyo Manjiro'. Aiko realised, hoping her embarrassment was hidden as she momentarily pressed her hand against her head.

"Toman?" she asked, referring to a gang name she had heard referenced a few times in school gossip.

Mikey smiled and nodded his head. "You've heard of us?"

"Vaguely. Although I thought you'd look, er, scarier. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure you are all very scary, I'm scared right now. Or I might just be excited. I mean I've never met gang members before and now, suddenly, I meet gang leaders." She threw her hands up over her mouth to stop the outpour, something she often did when she was nervous.

The boys crossed glances at each other, but remained silent, except for Baji's muffled chuckles that he tried to hold in.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted. I should probably go. I'm sure you have lots of gang related things to do, but ... um ..." she hesistated a moment before deciding that, although she may never see them again, she would much rather see them on friendly terms than not. "Maybe, if I ever see you again ... would it be okay if I said hello?"

"Any friend of Baji is a friend of mine," Mikey said.

"Thank you," she said, looking around one last time to bid farewell to her new friends.

"Who's Baji's friend?" a girl asked as she walked up to Mikey.

Mikey gestured in Aiko's direction. "Murata."

"Please, call me Aiko," Aiko quickly interjected.

"I know you," the girl continued. "I've seen you in cram school a few times."

Yeah, that could only have been a few times thanks to my father's intervention, Aiko moaned internally. Her initial excitement at joining the cram school was quickly diminished after her father decided it would be better if she studied under a private tutor with Daichi, Yui and Ichika. The same private tutor she was currently escaping from.

"I think I recognise you," she replied to the girl.

"You can call me Emma. I'm Mikey's sister."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. I've never met one of Baji's girlfriends."

Baji groaned loudly. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Well, she's a girl and, apparently, she's your friend."

Aiko's cheeks flushed as she glanced at Baji through the corner of her eye and she suppressed a giggle. Sure, she'd noticed he was good looking. He had golden-brown eyes that seemed to sparkle when he smiled. A smile that, as well as being one of the biggest she'd seen, revealed two cat-like incisors which was a look that suited him well when framed by his black glossy hair. Subconsciously, she twisted a finger through her own black hair that hung similarly to Baji's over her shoulder and then quickly turned back to Emma.

"It's not like that. He just helped me out."

"We'll sort out the details later," Emma said, waving her hand in the air. "Are you coming to the meet with us?"

"What meet?"

"She can come, can't she, Mikey?"

Mikey shrugged his shoulders as he climbed onto his bike. "If she wants to."

"I don't know where ..."

Again Emma dismissed her as she climbed behind Mikey. "Baji will take you."

Baji was already on his bike preparing to start it up but turned with what Aiko was recognising as his trademark frown. "Why do I have to take her?"

"She's your friend," Draken laughed.

Huh? Aiko questioned silently. Where are they going? What's a meet? Am I really going to go with them?

The rest of the boys climbed onto their bikes. Pah was the first to back his bike onto the road, followed by Mitsuya.

"Come on," Emma called as Mikey too backed down onto the road and prepared to take off.

Baji pushed his bike up and stopped next to Aiko, his frown still set deeply.

"You don't have to take me if you don't want to. It's fine," she said.

"Just get on if you want. It's your choice," he said in the softest voice he'd used all night.

My choice?

He was right, hadn't that been the reason she'd snuck out of the study session and gone into the city centre. Her father had been taking all of her choices away since she'd arrived in Tokyo and she wanted to have one day when she made her own decisions.

She placed her hand on the seat behind Baji. "I've never been on a motorcycle before."

"First time for everything," Baji said, looking straight ahead of him.

She giggled softly at the irony of his words being the same words she'd said to Junichiro a short while ago, and with that, she climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around Baji.

Baji stiffened momentarily. He'd never had a girl on the back of his bike before, and a frightened one at that sent a conflict of emotions running through him. "You don't have to hold on so tightly," he said, rubbing his hand along hers in a comforting, almost stroking way.

"I'm scared."

He remembered the first time he'd ridden a bike. The faster, the scarier, but the quicker he'd gotten used to it. Baji chuckled, moved the bike forward slowly, and called out to his friends before speeding off. "I'll meet you guys there. I think I'm going to take the long way around."