Page 24 of Who Said Mobsters Were Scary?
I squint at the IS-Halls building’s glass door, trying to see if there is any light coming out of the lounge area. There is, which means Gamer Girl is still up.
“Do you wanna go for a walk? We can check out the shrine down the road. It’s on the hill behind the tall apartment building.”
Naomi takes out her phone, flicking her thumb over the sensor. Shrugging, she tilts her chin in a nod. “Sure. It’s too early for me to go to bed anyway. Now, are you gonna tell me why the hell you didn’t get laid tonight?”
As we head to the hill, I give her a recap of my encounters with Chai. By the time we’ve reached the top where the shrine grounds start, her initial amusement has shifted to concern.
“Shit, so he ambushed you at thekonbiniyesterday? That’s why you took ages…” she recaps, her eyes taking in the gloomy surroundings.
We pass a stone gate where the stairs turn into a path. Light is scarce as there are only a few lamps, and the shrine building looms dark and tall above the weathered gravestones. The grass and plants are neatly trimmed, kept at bay by a flimsy iron fence littered with white banner flags with Japanese writing.
“Yeah. But I think he was telling the truth today at the club.”
“But he still approached you,” she points out, stopping in front of the purification trough. We both wash our hands. “What did he want?”
“He asked if I’ve changed my mind and want to work for him. It didn’t sound like he’s willing to let this go until I agree.”
She snorts. “So, he’s not only a stalker, but persistent, too.”
I swallow, fumbling with the hem of my shirt. “And we danced. And it was kind of hot and I may or may not have ground my ass against him.”
Naomi lets out an impressive wolf’s whistle and whips her head at me. “You didwhat?”
I avert my eyes as I feel warmth rush to my cheeks, trying to peek into the shrine through its window. But it’s too dark and I can’t see anything. “He was teasing me, so I teased him back.”
“Okay… but straight guys don’t normally grind against other guys to tease them back. Nor do they find it hot.”
She does have a point.
“This isn’t that important right now. Plus, I’m still processing that part.” Not that there is much actual processing involved. It’s more feeling it out, really. No inner drama involved. “My point is, what the fuck do I do?”
“Well, first of all, do you or do you not want to work as some suspicious dude’s bodyguard?”
It sounds even worse when she puts it that way. Everything in me screams no, but at the same time I can’t help but be a little intrigued.
As we walk around the shrine grounds in the dark, I consider again what Chai is asking. He’s not confirmed it, but I’m pretty sure he’s involved with the Japanese mafia in some way. He mentioned security earlier, so maybe he’s some high ranked lieutenant dealing with that when he’s not too busy getting almost killed by rival gangsters. It would explain his fighting skills.
Even if he can offer me good pay… do I want to mess with something like this, though? I shudder. There is only trouble waiting for me back home and I most definitely need to avoid a repetition here. No matter how curious I might find myself about Chai.
We reach the end of the graves. From here, a view of the area at the base of the hill opens up. The apartment building is to the right, and I can just about spy the top of IS-Halls, too. There is a baseball playfield in the distance, its net lit up by massive floodlights. Beyond it, I can see the reflective surface of a lake in the middle of what has to be some a park.
“I shouldn’t get involved with him any further,” I say to Naomi belatedly.
She lights up a cigarette and takes a puff. “That’s probably for the best. You really don’t wanna mess with the mafia.”
Don’t I know it.
I’m of half a mind to tell her about my troubles back home, when her phone pings with a message. She pulls it up and frowns, expression growing sourer as she types a reply back.
Unable to help my curiosity and wishing I could cheer her up from whatever ruined her mood, I ask, “Everything okay?”
She gives me a strange look, like she’s debating whether to confide in me or not. I don’t press her, waiting patiently. Eventually, she sighs. “Okay, so there is a reason I signed up for a Year Abroad even though it means it will take me two extra semesters to graduate. It’s my family. They are very traditional and… don’t understand my sexual preferences. My dad is pushing for an arranged marriage since he found out I’ve been fooling around with girls, and I really can’t deal with that right now.”
That sounds horrible. I don’t know what to say. I had no idea. “Shit. That sucks.”
She exhales, hanging her head back. “Tell me about it. I tried talking to him, but he just won’t listen! And my mom? God, she’s so useless, always taking his side.” She snorts bitterly. “I had a fight with them just before I left. You know what she said? It’s just a phase, Naomi. Once you marry and have kids, you’ll understand.”
I gape at her, my brain struggling to comprehend. Mine would have never said something like that. What I remember of my parents is only good things. Understanding, support. Laughter. It’s not that I didn’t get scolded when I needed to be, but they always listened. They never stopped me from doing the things that I wanted to do.
