13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Thirty minutes later, Naomi returns, looking all blissed out. I tease her all the way back to IS-Halls, which backfires the moment she asks me what I was up to while she was making a mess of the mermaid cosplay girl.

"Nothing," I deflect, suddenly interested in the traffic lights timer. It shows twenty seconds.

"Why is that? I thought you had your eye on that redhead?" she says, nudging my shoulder. "Or did she turn you down? Ouch ."

How exactly do I tell her I didn't even get to approach the girl because I ran into Chai and rubbed my ass against his crotch? And do I omit the part where I didn't dislike it?

"Well," I start, which makes her snap her attention to me and narrow her eyes. God, where do I even start? I haven't told her about Chai, period.

"Oh, this gotta be good. Was she gay? Married? Was her husband/wife there when you hit on her?"

The red light changes to green and we cross the road. It's just past one in the morning, so there are no cars. Everything is quiet and still and that somehow makes me even more nervous about telling her.

"I ran into this guy…"

"What guy?" She pauses as we reach the dorm.

"You remember that club we went to on the first day? You took me home because I wasn't feeling well."

"Yeah, of course I remember. You almost puked on me."

"I did not ."

She waves me on. "Whatever. So, what guy?"

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 the konbini yesterday? 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 did what ?"

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.

I grip her arm. "This is awful."

"Sorry to dump it on you. But it kind of feels good, not gonna lie. Think I needed the rant."

"I'm here and willing to listen anytime." And because I know her somewhat by now, I add, "And I'm happy to assist in any way I can."

She smiles, her fingers grasping mine. "Thanks. I might take you up on your offer if my plan fails."

"Your plan? "

"C'mon, Leo. I know we haven't known each other for long, but you think I'd just sit still and let them force me to have someone's dumb babies?" She laughs, the sound carrying determination. "I've been doing some marketing projects for a while now, while studying. I've got good references. I hope it will be enough to find a job at some big international company that's willing to relocate me across the States or even abroad."

Naomi is probably one of the strongest people I've met in my life. I can't imagine the stress and the pressure her family is putting on her, but even though it sucks, she's not going down without a fight.

"You are amazing, you know that? You got this," I say, my voice a little breathy. Then I grin. "And if your plan is slacking behind, we can just pretend we are crazy in love together. That should help, right?"

She laughs, taking a puff of her cigarette. "I don't know, Leo. With your newfound interest in grinding your ass against other dudes' dicks, I question if you'd be able to pull it off."

I bump my fist into her arm. "Ugh, you just had to go and ruin our deep bonding moment by making fun of my predicament."

"Sorry, couldn't help it. But I do appreciate the chat. You're a nice guy, even if you are a bit of an idiot sometimes."

We bicker for a bit, throwing friendly jibes at each other's personality flaws. Once she finishes smoking, we follow the stone path back to the shrine. The silence sits heavy in the air, which is humid and smells like rain. The hairs on my arms rise as I stop and look up. I can see patches of stars peeking out from behind gray clouds. The moon is partially obscured too, and there is something foreboding about the whole thing that makes me pick up my pace so I can catch up to Naomi and go home.

"Uh, Leo," she says as I reach her. Braced as if for an attack, she's standing about halfway to the stone gate at the top of the stairs. "Is it just me, or is there someone by that tree on the left?"

My heart jumps in my throat as I follow the direction she's pointing in. She's not imagining it. There really is someone there, and as they move, I realize they aren't alone.

"Naomi, go back. There was a path leading into the woods. I'm pretty sure it will take you down the hill."

"What about you?" she whispers, clutching onto my arm.

"I'm right behind you."

"No. I've seen enough horror movies to know this isn't a good idea," she says, shoving her hand in her pocket. She fishes out her phone and unlocks it, the screen illuminating her face. "I've called the police! Uh… Kei… Keisatsu! Po-li-ce," she bluffs at the three people blocking the way down as she taps away at the screen.

Two of them stop where the dirt turns into the stone path, but the third one keeps walking toward us.

"I don't think that will be necessary," he says in a deep bass voice, slipping out of the darkness when he reaches the nearest lamp. "I'm just here to talk to Mr. Caruso."

Me ? What the hell is up with random dudes knowing my name and looking for me?

I ball my hands into fists, scowling at the man. It's hard to make out his features from here, but I think I recognize him from somewhere .

"Who are you?" I demand, my stomach knotting. I have a bad feeling.

The man laces his hands in front of him. He's wearing a dark-blue suit and looks to be in his late thirties. "I'm Aran, Chief of Security for the Akiyama Group. On behalf of Mr. Kwanchai Akiyama, I'd like to apologize for the trouble he's caused you."

Oh . I blanch, irritation stirring within me along with a hint of excitement. Of course this has to do with Kwan-fucking-chai. Why wouldn't it?

I study the guy as best as I can, given the limited light, and it clicks where I've seen him. He was with Chai at the Nagoya Port restaurant. He's the man with the long-ish hair and the no-nonsense air about him.

"Right. If that's all, can you and your goons, like, fuck off?" Naomi tosses at them, crossing her arms. "Not gonna lie, it's kinda creepy with you three just standing there. Plus, we don't wanna have anything to do with you."

"It wasn't my intention to startle you," Aran says, and lifts one hand. He follows up with something in Japanese and the two guys behind him look at each other in slight confusion before disappearing down the stairs.

When he just continues standing by the lamp, I clear my throat. "Did you want something? I already told Chai I'm not interested in being a bodyguard."

Aran cocks his head, staring at me as if he's studying a strange specimen. "I understand that, yes. However…" He produces a letter from the pocket of his suit jacket. "I believe Mr. Kwanchai Akiyama never shared the details and benefits of the position." He places the envelope on top of a gravestone. "While I have advised him that it's best to hire a professional, he seems set on you, Mr. Caruso. I'm sure you've experienced firsthand what that means. As such, I ask that you consider the offer in earnest. The contract in the envelope outlines the terms and compensation."

I frown at him and open my mouth to argue, but he lifts his hand.

"Please have a read through before you give me your answer. I've left my phone number inside." Dipping his chin in a nod of respect, he flashes me a quick, polite smile. "Have a great evening and I hope to hear from you soon, regardless of what your answer is."

Just like that, Aran leaves as if he didn't just ambush us in the middle of the night at a graveyard.

"Jesus Christ, Leo. You weren't kidding. These people stink of trouble." Naomi jogs over to the grave and snatches the envelope, then tosses it to me. "But you should totally read it. I'm dying to know what they are offering."