[Fanfic] Wait For Me [Chapter 7]
Title: Wait For Me [Chapter 7]
Rating: T
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: A sequel to my earlier fic, Gravity. Time is moving faster than before, and one question will be on the mind's of both Hiruma and Mamori. How long is too long?
Notes: I'm sorry for how long this took! It's been over a month, right? I'm sorry! Got a bit too caught up with my other fic, but now that that's almost over, this fic is back on the roll again. My mind's been pretty cloudy lately, it still is right now. XD But I wrote this on the day where I could finally push myself to write... hopefully even as I reread it now, this chapter is all right. If you find the concept strange, or vague, it could be either I didn't explain it well, or I will explain it further in the upcoming chapters. Feel free to comment and let me know if you have trouble following this fic. I'll do my best to fix things up.
Until then, enjoy Chapter 7. ^^ Much love to moodylollipop once more for her help and support.
~*~
Yamato had bought her a canned drink from a nearby vending machine the day she cried about Hiruma. She accepted it without much resistance and allowed him to walk her to a bus stop. He offered to wait with her, though she had told him it wasn't necessary. But according to him, "You look like you could use the company."
They were silent as they drank their canned drinks at the bus stop. The road was rather busy, but even then the passing cars felt like nothing more than a part of the painted scenery before them. "Are you still angry?"
She didn't expect him to break the silence. "At who?"
"Him, of course," Yamato smiled a little. "You both seem to be fighting a lot lately."
"Have we?" Mamori couldn't tell. To her, fighting with Hiruma was like an everyday occurence. It had never crossed her mind that their spats were serious, although today would be a rare occasion. It had finally broken her down after all. "I suppose we have, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. We're all just stressed up over the upcoming Rice Bowl."
Yamato nodded in understanding. "You're a very patient woman, Anezaki. For the amount of strength and determination I've seen from you, I really do believe you deserve so much more."
"Is that why you actually stood up against Hiruma today?"
He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I suppose that could be a reason."
The bus was coming now. Mamori stood up and threw away her now empty canned drink in a recycle bin. Then she smiled at Yamato before entering the bus. "Thank you... I really appreciate your kind words, Yamato-kun."
~*~
Mamori could never really figure out how she really felt for Yamato. Like everyone else in the Devil Bats, she initially saw him as nothing more than another team member, one which she kept under her wing of care whenever needed. But he was a strong, independent man who was capable of handling himself, much like the current Quarterback, so she knew she didn't have to watch out for him as much as the other new members of the team in Saikyoudai.
Even so, Yamato had found a way to make his presence a strong one in Mamori's life during her time at Saikyoudai, more so during her last year. She found his company strange at first, but it soon turned into a welcoming presence when studies and football became overwhelming, with his calm demeanour bringing out the mature side of her that made her see things clearly.
The people around her were quick to notice this, and soon rumours began to spread about this strange love triangle between her, Yamato and Hiruma. It brought scorn among her female classmates, who often ostracised her from group projects and discussions. It made her male classmates uncomfortable, knowing that not only did Mamori have a whole team of American Football players under her care, but two of the popular ones were after her, thus they had to be careful in her presence, or so they perceived.
She was no stranger to these rumours, but this became the reason Mamori never went for parties, social activities or any other clubs in college as she focused only on her studies and football. She only went for events where she was sure that at least the presence of her Football Club members, the old Deimon Devil Bats members and her best friends, Sara and Ako, were available, which were few and far between.
This was why it had never occurred to her to attend such an event such as a Pre-Graduation party. This was something only the popular students went to, and Mamori didn't make enough friends to warrant at least some company without scorn or hesitance. Yet here was Yamato, a guy who had previously only asked her out for cups of coffee and small talk, now asking her out on a date for something she never enjoyed. "I knew you were popular, Yamato-kun, but I can't deny I'm surprised you're even thinking of going for this," said Mamori.
Yamato shrugged, chuckling. "Well, it is true that we Wizards aren't exactly known for our wild partying ways outside the locker rooms. But you cannot deny that since we will be graduating, we might as well make the best of our time in college. And what better way to make your college life complete than to join a party?"
"But why invite me, too?"
"Come on, Anezaki, even you are aware of how you've completely isolated yourself from the rest of the college to dedicate yourself to your own dreams and the Wizards," Yamato replied, smile still intact. "You never gave yourself a chance to really experience what college life is about, especially with all the rumours hanging around you. And before you say anything about that, yes, I am aware of those rumours. As does everyone in the Wizards but we didn't mind it at all as we knew who you really are."
Mamori opened her mouth, ready to laugh off those rumours, but the heaviness in her heart kept her focused on what Yamato had just said. Hoping to at least ease her doubts a little, she asked, "Is that how you define college life, Yamato-kun? Partying?"
"There are many definitions on what constitutes college life, Anezaki," said Yamato, his tone becoming serious. "To many people, going through college life includes skipping many classes while scoring top marks. To others, it's about being popular and making a lot of friends. I am only suggesting that you attend this party with me because I can see you clearly need a break from everything that has been happening lately. The change of pace would do you good, and from what I've heard, you clearly enjoyed the last party you attended."
She blushed, remembering how she was partially drunk at that party. Did Yamato know that too? "Well, I wouldn't say I enjoyed it that much but..."
A familiar sound reached her ears, but it was so soft and so sudden that Mamori barely caught it. She gazed out of the café’s window and into the darkness of the other side of the road, her eyes transfixed on a black car and a dark alleyway in the distance. But there wasn't anything to see... She quickly looked back at Yamato, gathering her thoughts back into focus. "But... I suppose you're right about me needing a change of pace. Even then, I really wouldn't think about going to a college party. You know the kind of reputation I have there."
"This is why I want you to come with me." Yamato's confidence radiated through his posture, ready to place a comforting hand over Mamori's to assure her. "I told you this before, and I'll say it again. You deserve so much more than what you have, Anezaki. You're a strong, smart, confident woman and you don't deserve to have these rumours bogging you down. From the way people perceive you, to Hiruma leaving you, you deserve none of that. So take this chance, Anezaki... Take this chance to see things beyond your comfort zone, to finally be a part of your youth, and I promise I will guide you through and keep you safe."
Yamato took this chance to stretch out his arm and hold Mamori's hand. "You deserve to live a little."
Mamori stared at Yamato's hand, fascinated by his boldness and his desire to help her. The words he said echoed in her mind, familiar, but she couldn't figure out why this was happening, what she really felt. In her desperate attempt to understand what was going on and what to do, her eyes wandered again to the window, to the black car and the dark alleyway. Her heart ached, she knew something was terribly wrong. But her mind was cloudy, none of her thoughts could align. In the end, she turned her gaze back to Yamato, and after taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and said, "I..."
The yakuzas chased Hiruma as he led them away from the public eye and down an alleyway, close to where the city café was. Hiruma couldn't check to see if Anezaki was inside, but for now, he had a problem. The alleyway he was in led to a dead end, and his time was running out.
He had one last trick up his sleeve to finally end the constant chasing and fighting and he had to make sure it goes well.
"So tell me Chairman," said Hiruma as he turned around to see the yakuzas still behind him, now walking as it was obvious Hiruma had nowhere to run. "You do realise that using yakuzas for your company would lead you into serious trouble with the law if they find out? You're obviously sharing some of your profits with them if they're willing to work with you this much..."
The two yakuzas had their guns ready now and began to shoot at Hiruma. He had no time to grab his gun as he had one last thing to do, so he avoided the bullets the best that he could as he dived into the back of a dumpster...
But felt one bullet graze through the skin on his right arm. Hiruma clenched his teeth from crying out loud, though the pain slowly ate through him.
"Are you seriously trying to blackmail me in your current state, Hiruma?" the Chairman laughed, "It sounds like they're about ready to kill you! Why don't you just give up and do as I say already? We're running out of time!"
The yakuzas were about ready to send out another round of shots as they got closer. Just a bit more..."But what if I do have one last trick up my sleeve, Chairman? After all, I can just press one button and I'll alert the police of your doing..."
The yakuzas had found him. But at that moment, Hiruma turned his phone towards them and set it on loudspeaker. The chairman's words echoed through the alleyway.
"If you even dare to tell the police about my use of yakuzas, I will bring you down to hell with me where you belong! I'll tell them that you were the one who suggested the use of yakuzas and that you introduced me to them. It would be easy, seeing as Agon is pretty much like a yakuza himself. Do you think they would believe you? Besides, I have enough money to pay their stupid leader to agree with this story, and that they are in no way working under me but under you. They are MY fucking puppets, all of them, and they will do as I say! This is something you better do now because not only will I make your life a living hell, I’ll make your precious woman suffer the shame and indignity you’re going through by never being able to work in Japan! I won't even let her leave this country! That's how much power I have over all of you!"
Everything was said out loud that even the yakuzas stood shocked by such a confession. Hiruma grinned. People really were easy to manipulate. Pulling the phone close to him, he spoke, "I don't think you know much about the yakuzas, Chairman. Yes, they have their own code of honour, but they don't always honour a client who's willing to piss on their leader and lie to save their own asses."
There was a long silence that was only filled with the bustling sounds of the city in the distance and the voice of one of the yakuzas who was now making a call. While he couldn't hear what was happening with the Chairman, but when he finally spoke, all his earlier pride was diminished, only to be replaced with nervousness. "... What did you do, Hiruma?"
Hiruma's right arm was stinging now, the bullet wound was a lot deeper than he thought, but he was thankful the bullet didn't penetrate through. Cleaning this up shouldn't be bad... "Kekeke, giving you your comeuppance, Fucking Bastard," Hiruma grinned as the yakuzas walked away, disinterested in Hiruma. "Next time you hire yakuzas, get the ones who don't respect their leader and fellow members."
"How did you even know what kind of yakuzas they were?!"
"Their tattoos said enough about them," said Hiruma. "They had a lot of tattoos representing honour, and I am familiar with their leader. You can thank the Fucking Dreads for that. You have such a hot temper when I kept defying you, so I knew you'd crack at some point. I took a gamble, and you fell right into my trap."
The Chairman was cursing out loud now and then the phone line quickly went dead. Hiruma cackled a little more, feeling a burden on his shoulders lift. That should be enough, he calculated in his head. He wondered for a moment if they would mention his name to the police, but Hiruma could pull a few strings to ensure nothing bad would come out of it. The company would have to deal with the yakuzas for now and that would be a serious blow to the company as they would lose a lot of power needed to even apprehend Hiruma or Anezaki. And as they waste their time handling the yakuzas and the possible accusations linked to it, they would have to deal with their bad image and law suits that are bound to come from the smaller companies. Their stocks would drop, they would lose all their power, a number of people in the company could get arrested...
He had actually taken a company down.
The idea in itself felt ridiculous. Hiruma knew he was capable of the most insane things, but this one just took the cake. It had taken a long time, and the opportunity came at such a ludicrous timing that it was hard to believe, yet the fact still remained. He had actually taken a big corporation right by the tail and brought it crashing down. And by doing so...
He was finally set free.
Hiruma took a few steps forward, wondering if it was okay to see Anezaki in this state. He was hurt and bleeding, but surely he can tell her everything now. She would listen, she would understand...
The phone he was holding in his hand rang once more. Hiruma hesitated for a moment, cursing at its timing. But he wondered if something happened to the Fucking Dreads. He picked it up and instead of hearing Fucking Dreads, an obnoxious voice with an accent spoke up instead. "I probably caught you at a bad time, didn't I?"
Despite his pain and exhaustion, Hiruma grinned. "You definitely did, Fucking Big Nose. To what do I owe the honour of getting a call from you? Don't want to waste the time of a fucking player of the NFL."
Clifford was unphased by Hiruma's crude and sarcastic remark. While it has been years since he had last spoken to the blonde demon, he knew very little had changed. "I heard you refused to be a part of an NFL team that came down to Japan specifically to see you."
"Fucking right you are! Didn't think you'd call me about that fucking shit."
"Well, I want to say you did the right thing in rejecting them. That team will do almost anything for money. I highly doubt you'd be happy with them, especially since your kind of play relies heavily on a team that isn't as superficial as that."
"Come now, Fucking Big Nose," Hiruma cackled, leaning against the cold wall as he tried to ignore the pain. "I highly doubt you're calling me just to fucking congratulate me on that. Let me take a guess... You heard about the proposition I made with that Fucking Coach. And now you've come to strike a deal with me."
There was a short silence before Clifford continued. "... You were expecting my call, weren't you?"
"You were the likeliest to respond," Hiruma replied, exhaustion slowly claiming him so his mad pretense was slowly dissipating. "Even if I didn't get a fucking call from you, I would find some other way to get into America."
"You would do anything but refused to take the easy route? I knew you had a conscience, Hiruma, but this is beyond my expectations."
"Don't get fucking cheeky with me, Fucking Big Nose. It was never about the money. If I want to get into the NFL, it'd be on my fucking terms. Now tell me if I'm going to be granted that."
"Yes."
Clifford's reply was so quick, Hiruma couldn't even think of a reply. The consequences of that agreement, the weight of it, slowly settled unto his shoulders.
"Of course, you will have to fight and make your way to the top as you'll be slotted in at the very bottom of the talent pool," Clifford continued. "But I have no doubts that you'll pull yourself through just fine, knowing the kind of 'talent' you have. But it'll probably take years. You being Japanese doesn't help much, but seeing as you don't want to start any other way, I'm sure you're ready to deal with it."
"... When do I leave?"
"Next week. I know it's a short amount of time but this is the only slot I have available for you, unless you're willing to wait until the end of the year. And I highly doubt you would want to waste time any further."
"... Got it."
"Are you sure?" Clifford asked. "Didn't think you'd hesitate that much. I suppose it's cause you know you'll be leaving everything behind in Japan? Including a certain someone?"
Hiruma didn't bother to answer him. He wasn't that surprised that Clifford knew about Anezaki, but the pain and exhaustion kept him from thinking straight. For some reason, despite knowing that this was what he had been aiming for, he felt another form of pain that made his eyes wander outside of the alleyway, where a glimpse of the cafe could be seen.
"Well, I probably did catch you at a bad time," Clifford continued. "I'll email you the rest of the details in a couple of minutes. Just get your entire information ready by tomorrow to send it out. A day late and you'll lose your chance."
The phone line went dead, but Hiruma's feelings were still numb. He placed his left hand against the wall and pulled himself up. Leaving the alleyway, he looked to see if Anezaki was still inside the café, but he noticed that she was standing outside of the cafe now. Her expression looked worn and disappointed.
Then he saw someone driving down the road, stopping right in front of Anezaki to let her enter. Just as they drove off, Hiruma caught a glimpse of who the driver was.
Yamato.
The memory of how Yamato would be there for her whenever Hiruma was away or being terrible to Anezaki filled his mind... and then another reality sank into Hiruma's thoughts that rooted him to where he stood.
And the desire to meet up with Anezaki slowly began to disappear.
Chapter 6 | Chapter 8
~*~
Extra Notes: I hope Hiruma taking down the company makes sense somehow. While I understand how businesses work in general, the whole yakuza thing is new to me so I admit, it's probably pretty anti-climatic. I did my best to make sure there's some form of logic even though the whole concept is ridiculous, but I welcome any criticism that can help me write this better in the future, even though the whole company/yakuza issue is done by this chapter.
Also, yes, to those who had access to the teaser I wrote for this fic before I started it, do take note I will change things quite a bit. XD Not THAT much, the setting will be the same. But what they say will change as a lot of what they say in the teaser has already been mentioned before.
And while the timing of everything in this story feels rushed, do be patient with me. I did want things to happen pretty quickly. But in retrospect, I am worried that the timeline of this story is a bit too quick. XD It sure didn't feel that way when I planned it... haha! But I'll work my way around this so do be patient with me! Thank you for your support!
Rating: T
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: A sequel to my earlier fic, Gravity. Time is moving faster than before, and one question will be on the mind's of both Hiruma and Mamori. How long is too long?
Notes: I'm sorry for how long this took! It's been over a month, right? I'm sorry! Got a bit too caught up with my other fic, but now that that's almost over, this fic is back on the roll again. My mind's been pretty cloudy lately, it still is right now. XD But I wrote this on the day where I could finally push myself to write... hopefully even as I reread it now, this chapter is all right. If you find the concept strange, or vague, it could be either I didn't explain it well, or I will explain it further in the upcoming chapters. Feel free to comment and let me know if you have trouble following this fic. I'll do my best to fix things up.
Until then, enjoy Chapter 7. ^^ Much love to moodylollipop once more for her help and support.
~*~
Yamato had bought her a canned drink from a nearby vending machine the day she cried about Hiruma. She accepted it without much resistance and allowed him to walk her to a bus stop. He offered to wait with her, though she had told him it wasn't necessary. But according to him, "You look like you could use the company."
They were silent as they drank their canned drinks at the bus stop. The road was rather busy, but even then the passing cars felt like nothing more than a part of the painted scenery before them. "Are you still angry?"
She didn't expect him to break the silence. "At who?"
"Him, of course," Yamato smiled a little. "You both seem to be fighting a lot lately."
"Have we?" Mamori couldn't tell. To her, fighting with Hiruma was like an everyday occurence. It had never crossed her mind that their spats were serious, although today would be a rare occasion. It had finally broken her down after all. "I suppose we have, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. We're all just stressed up over the upcoming Rice Bowl."
Yamato nodded in understanding. "You're a very patient woman, Anezaki. For the amount of strength and determination I've seen from you, I really do believe you deserve so much more."
"Is that why you actually stood up against Hiruma today?"
He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I suppose that could be a reason."
The bus was coming now. Mamori stood up and threw away her now empty canned drink in a recycle bin. Then she smiled at Yamato before entering the bus. "Thank you... I really appreciate your kind words, Yamato-kun."
~*~
Mamori could never really figure out how she really felt for Yamato. Like everyone else in the Devil Bats, she initially saw him as nothing more than another team member, one which she kept under her wing of care whenever needed. But he was a strong, independent man who was capable of handling himself, much like the current Quarterback, so she knew she didn't have to watch out for him as much as the other new members of the team in Saikyoudai.
Even so, Yamato had found a way to make his presence a strong one in Mamori's life during her time at Saikyoudai, more so during her last year. She found his company strange at first, but it soon turned into a welcoming presence when studies and football became overwhelming, with his calm demeanour bringing out the mature side of her that made her see things clearly.
The people around her were quick to notice this, and soon rumours began to spread about this strange love triangle between her, Yamato and Hiruma. It brought scorn among her female classmates, who often ostracised her from group projects and discussions. It made her male classmates uncomfortable, knowing that not only did Mamori have a whole team of American Football players under her care, but two of the popular ones were after her, thus they had to be careful in her presence, or so they perceived.
She was no stranger to these rumours, but this became the reason Mamori never went for parties, social activities or any other clubs in college as she focused only on her studies and football. She only went for events where she was sure that at least the presence of her Football Club members, the old Deimon Devil Bats members and her best friends, Sara and Ako, were available, which were few and far between.
This was why it had never occurred to her to attend such an event such as a Pre-Graduation party. This was something only the popular students went to, and Mamori didn't make enough friends to warrant at least some company without scorn or hesitance. Yet here was Yamato, a guy who had previously only asked her out for cups of coffee and small talk, now asking her out on a date for something she never enjoyed. "I knew you were popular, Yamato-kun, but I can't deny I'm surprised you're even thinking of going for this," said Mamori.
Yamato shrugged, chuckling. "Well, it is true that we Wizards aren't exactly known for our wild partying ways outside the locker rooms. But you cannot deny that since we will be graduating, we might as well make the best of our time in college. And what better way to make your college life complete than to join a party?"
"But why invite me, too?"
"Come on, Anezaki, even you are aware of how you've completely isolated yourself from the rest of the college to dedicate yourself to your own dreams and the Wizards," Yamato replied, smile still intact. "You never gave yourself a chance to really experience what college life is about, especially with all the rumours hanging around you. And before you say anything about that, yes, I am aware of those rumours. As does everyone in the Wizards but we didn't mind it at all as we knew who you really are."
Mamori opened her mouth, ready to laugh off those rumours, but the heaviness in her heart kept her focused on what Yamato had just said. Hoping to at least ease her doubts a little, she asked, "Is that how you define college life, Yamato-kun? Partying?"
"There are many definitions on what constitutes college life, Anezaki," said Yamato, his tone becoming serious. "To many people, going through college life includes skipping many classes while scoring top marks. To others, it's about being popular and making a lot of friends. I am only suggesting that you attend this party with me because I can see you clearly need a break from everything that has been happening lately. The change of pace would do you good, and from what I've heard, you clearly enjoyed the last party you attended."
She blushed, remembering how she was partially drunk at that party. Did Yamato know that too? "Well, I wouldn't say I enjoyed it that much but..."
A familiar sound reached her ears, but it was so soft and so sudden that Mamori barely caught it. She gazed out of the café’s window and into the darkness of the other side of the road, her eyes transfixed on a black car and a dark alleyway in the distance. But there wasn't anything to see... She quickly looked back at Yamato, gathering her thoughts back into focus. "But... I suppose you're right about me needing a change of pace. Even then, I really wouldn't think about going to a college party. You know the kind of reputation I have there."
"This is why I want you to come with me." Yamato's confidence radiated through his posture, ready to place a comforting hand over Mamori's to assure her. "I told you this before, and I'll say it again. You deserve so much more than what you have, Anezaki. You're a strong, smart, confident woman and you don't deserve to have these rumours bogging you down. From the way people perceive you, to Hiruma leaving you, you deserve none of that. So take this chance, Anezaki... Take this chance to see things beyond your comfort zone, to finally be a part of your youth, and I promise I will guide you through and keep you safe."
Yamato took this chance to stretch out his arm and hold Mamori's hand. "You deserve to live a little."
Mamori stared at Yamato's hand, fascinated by his boldness and his desire to help her. The words he said echoed in her mind, familiar, but she couldn't figure out why this was happening, what she really felt. In her desperate attempt to understand what was going on and what to do, her eyes wandered again to the window, to the black car and the dark alleyway. Her heart ached, she knew something was terribly wrong. But her mind was cloudy, none of her thoughts could align. In the end, she turned her gaze back to Yamato, and after taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and said, "I..."
The yakuzas chased Hiruma as he led them away from the public eye and down an alleyway, close to where the city café was. Hiruma couldn't check to see if Anezaki was inside, but for now, he had a problem. The alleyway he was in led to a dead end, and his time was running out.
He had one last trick up his sleeve to finally end the constant chasing and fighting and he had to make sure it goes well.
"So tell me Chairman," said Hiruma as he turned around to see the yakuzas still behind him, now walking as it was obvious Hiruma had nowhere to run. "You do realise that using yakuzas for your company would lead you into serious trouble with the law if they find out? You're obviously sharing some of your profits with them if they're willing to work with you this much..."
The two yakuzas had their guns ready now and began to shoot at Hiruma. He had no time to grab his gun as he had one last thing to do, so he avoided the bullets the best that he could as he dived into the back of a dumpster...
But felt one bullet graze through the skin on his right arm. Hiruma clenched his teeth from crying out loud, though the pain slowly ate through him.
"Are you seriously trying to blackmail me in your current state, Hiruma?" the Chairman laughed, "It sounds like they're about ready to kill you! Why don't you just give up and do as I say already? We're running out of time!"
The yakuzas were about ready to send out another round of shots as they got closer. Just a bit more..."But what if I do have one last trick up my sleeve, Chairman? After all, I can just press one button and I'll alert the police of your doing..."
The yakuzas had found him. But at that moment, Hiruma turned his phone towards them and set it on loudspeaker. The chairman's words echoed through the alleyway.
"If you even dare to tell the police about my use of yakuzas, I will bring you down to hell with me where you belong! I'll tell them that you were the one who suggested the use of yakuzas and that you introduced me to them. It would be easy, seeing as Agon is pretty much like a yakuza himself. Do you think they would believe you? Besides, I have enough money to pay their stupid leader to agree with this story, and that they are in no way working under me but under you. They are MY fucking puppets, all of them, and they will do as I say! This is something you better do now because not only will I make your life a living hell, I’ll make your precious woman suffer the shame and indignity you’re going through by never being able to work in Japan! I won't even let her leave this country! That's how much power I have over all of you!"
Everything was said out loud that even the yakuzas stood shocked by such a confession. Hiruma grinned. People really were easy to manipulate. Pulling the phone close to him, he spoke, "I don't think you know much about the yakuzas, Chairman. Yes, they have their own code of honour, but they don't always honour a client who's willing to piss on their leader and lie to save their own asses."
There was a long silence that was only filled with the bustling sounds of the city in the distance and the voice of one of the yakuzas who was now making a call. While he couldn't hear what was happening with the Chairman, but when he finally spoke, all his earlier pride was diminished, only to be replaced with nervousness. "... What did you do, Hiruma?"
Hiruma's right arm was stinging now, the bullet wound was a lot deeper than he thought, but he was thankful the bullet didn't penetrate through. Cleaning this up shouldn't be bad... "Kekeke, giving you your comeuppance, Fucking Bastard," Hiruma grinned as the yakuzas walked away, disinterested in Hiruma. "Next time you hire yakuzas, get the ones who don't respect their leader and fellow members."
"How did you even know what kind of yakuzas they were?!"
"Their tattoos said enough about them," said Hiruma. "They had a lot of tattoos representing honour, and I am familiar with their leader. You can thank the Fucking Dreads for that. You have such a hot temper when I kept defying you, so I knew you'd crack at some point. I took a gamble, and you fell right into my trap."
The Chairman was cursing out loud now and then the phone line quickly went dead. Hiruma cackled a little more, feeling a burden on his shoulders lift. That should be enough, he calculated in his head. He wondered for a moment if they would mention his name to the police, but Hiruma could pull a few strings to ensure nothing bad would come out of it. The company would have to deal with the yakuzas for now and that would be a serious blow to the company as they would lose a lot of power needed to even apprehend Hiruma or Anezaki. And as they waste their time handling the yakuzas and the possible accusations linked to it, they would have to deal with their bad image and law suits that are bound to come from the smaller companies. Their stocks would drop, they would lose all their power, a number of people in the company could get arrested...
He had actually taken a company down.
The idea in itself felt ridiculous. Hiruma knew he was capable of the most insane things, but this one just took the cake. It had taken a long time, and the opportunity came at such a ludicrous timing that it was hard to believe, yet the fact still remained. He had actually taken a big corporation right by the tail and brought it crashing down. And by doing so...
He was finally set free.
Hiruma took a few steps forward, wondering if it was okay to see Anezaki in this state. He was hurt and bleeding, but surely he can tell her everything now. She would listen, she would understand...
The phone he was holding in his hand rang once more. Hiruma hesitated for a moment, cursing at its timing. But he wondered if something happened to the Fucking Dreads. He picked it up and instead of hearing Fucking Dreads, an obnoxious voice with an accent spoke up instead. "I probably caught you at a bad time, didn't I?"
Despite his pain and exhaustion, Hiruma grinned. "You definitely did, Fucking Big Nose. To what do I owe the honour of getting a call from you? Don't want to waste the time of a fucking player of the NFL."
Clifford was unphased by Hiruma's crude and sarcastic remark. While it has been years since he had last spoken to the blonde demon, he knew very little had changed. "I heard you refused to be a part of an NFL team that came down to Japan specifically to see you."
"Fucking right you are! Didn't think you'd call me about that fucking shit."
"Well, I want to say you did the right thing in rejecting them. That team will do almost anything for money. I highly doubt you'd be happy with them, especially since your kind of play relies heavily on a team that isn't as superficial as that."
"Come now, Fucking Big Nose," Hiruma cackled, leaning against the cold wall as he tried to ignore the pain. "I highly doubt you're calling me just to fucking congratulate me on that. Let me take a guess... You heard about the proposition I made with that Fucking Coach. And now you've come to strike a deal with me."
There was a short silence before Clifford continued. "... You were expecting my call, weren't you?"
"You were the likeliest to respond," Hiruma replied, exhaustion slowly claiming him so his mad pretense was slowly dissipating. "Even if I didn't get a fucking call from you, I would find some other way to get into America."
"You would do anything but refused to take the easy route? I knew you had a conscience, Hiruma, but this is beyond my expectations."
"Don't get fucking cheeky with me, Fucking Big Nose. It was never about the money. If I want to get into the NFL, it'd be on my fucking terms. Now tell me if I'm going to be granted that."
"Yes."
Clifford's reply was so quick, Hiruma couldn't even think of a reply. The consequences of that agreement, the weight of it, slowly settled unto his shoulders.
"Of course, you will have to fight and make your way to the top as you'll be slotted in at the very bottom of the talent pool," Clifford continued. "But I have no doubts that you'll pull yourself through just fine, knowing the kind of 'talent' you have. But it'll probably take years. You being Japanese doesn't help much, but seeing as you don't want to start any other way, I'm sure you're ready to deal with it."
"... When do I leave?"
"Next week. I know it's a short amount of time but this is the only slot I have available for you, unless you're willing to wait until the end of the year. And I highly doubt you would want to waste time any further."
"... Got it."
"Are you sure?" Clifford asked. "Didn't think you'd hesitate that much. I suppose it's cause you know you'll be leaving everything behind in Japan? Including a certain someone?"
Hiruma didn't bother to answer him. He wasn't that surprised that Clifford knew about Anezaki, but the pain and exhaustion kept him from thinking straight. For some reason, despite knowing that this was what he had been aiming for, he felt another form of pain that made his eyes wander outside of the alleyway, where a glimpse of the cafe could be seen.
"Well, I probably did catch you at a bad time," Clifford continued. "I'll email you the rest of the details in a couple of minutes. Just get your entire information ready by tomorrow to send it out. A day late and you'll lose your chance."
The phone line went dead, but Hiruma's feelings were still numb. He placed his left hand against the wall and pulled himself up. Leaving the alleyway, he looked to see if Anezaki was still inside the café, but he noticed that she was standing outside of the cafe now. Her expression looked worn and disappointed.
Then he saw someone driving down the road, stopping right in front of Anezaki to let her enter. Just as they drove off, Hiruma caught a glimpse of who the driver was.
Yamato.
The memory of how Yamato would be there for her whenever Hiruma was away or being terrible to Anezaki filled his mind... and then another reality sank into Hiruma's thoughts that rooted him to where he stood.
And the desire to meet up with Anezaki slowly began to disappear.
Chapter 6 | Chapter 8
~*~
Extra Notes: I hope Hiruma taking down the company makes sense somehow. While I understand how businesses work in general, the whole yakuza thing is new to me so I admit, it's probably pretty anti-climatic. I did my best to make sure there's some form of logic even though the whole concept is ridiculous, but I welcome any criticism that can help me write this better in the future, even though the whole company/yakuza issue is done by this chapter.
Also, yes, to those who had access to the teaser I wrote for this fic before I started it, do take note I will change things quite a bit. XD Not THAT much, the setting will be the same. But what they say will change as a lot of what they say in the teaser has already been mentioned before.
And while the timing of everything in this story feels rushed, do be patient with me. I did want things to happen pretty quickly. But in retrospect, I am worried that the timeline of this story is a bit too quick. XD It sure didn't feel that way when I planned it... haha! But I'll work my way around this so do be patient with me! Thank you for your support!