Since that day Quentin spent hours upon hours researching them, their backgrounds, their kill count, anything that the internet could get without directly interacting with them was there. Kind of hard to keep confidentiality in the era of technology, you'd think. Even his own face was on pictures of independent news sites and law enforcement, as if he was a celebrity's secret boyfriend avoiding the paparazzi... only more violent.

He couldn't bear to get up or leave home; the artist ordered food and spent days without getting up from bed, he couldn't even bother to paint. What inspiration was there in zeir life? Maybe he just wasn't meant for love, one of his crushes was dead, another disappeared from the planet, and the other one... no, it meant nothing. Did Kaihou even like him in that way? Was he even into guys? At least he'd never have to know, even if he really wanted to.

When the door's automatic lock opened, nobody came through. Quentin didn't feel like getting up, so he just waited a few more seconds. Nothing. 

He sighed, taking his blanket off and getting up from the couch to answer the door himself. "Seriously, the door's op-"

Eyes wide, mouth agape. The boy opened the door and saw Kaihou hunched over, holding the side of his hip as blood drenched his tuxedo.

"I'm sorry- I-"

You're always causing trouble for me, lord. Kaihou looked in embarrassment as his father left their meeting room. After he explained Kabashito's bargain, his father began to lecture him about not standing up and making a threat to assert themselves instead. Maybe that was why he took it upon himself to attend the Winter Gala in his sister's place to settle things quickly.

Once he arrived, he immediatley looked for Godfather Kabashito. The Winter Gala was the kind of event where different organizations would talk about alliances and deals, like a villainous version of some UN meeting. Kaihou got some attention being the representative of the Lotus Commission, one of the big 3, but ignored it in his search.

Finally, he could spot Kabashito, talking with some older men. From his position he could tell none of their pins belonged to a big organization, perhaps Kabashito was trying to accumulate smaller tribes who could chip away at the Commission's forces.

He made his way over to their table, as the men saw the sigil on Kaihou's coat, a gold lotus with ingraved outlines, they quickly backed away, leaving him and Godfather Kabashito alone. 

Kaihou bowed to him and sat down, quickly interjecting before the Godfather could get another word. "Apologies, I spoke to my father earlier and he refused to your cash deal."

Kabashito sighed with a light smile, "I expected as such, your father is a cocky man."

"Is he? Because from the looks of it he understood that you would only make such a small offer if you were going to frame the person providing the money."

Kabashito looked at his expression, a serious but confident look, as if he thought he'd cornered him. He laughed, "You Munasawagis are so loaded you consider a hundred-grand a small offer. Incredible, how privileged you folk are... it'll be all the more rewarding when someone finally takes you down."

"So you are planning an ambush, huh?"

"Don't kid yourself, if I planned on bringing you down I wouldn't be the only one."

He opened his mouth to argue, but found no words to say.

The man in front of him continued. "Finally realizing nobody fears your clan anymore? Your father is aging, and if he's leaving you in charge of all people..." He snorted. "Should've been your sister, if he put any thought to making her the hier we might have more trust."

Kaihou looked down, realizing that he was responsible for the distrust of his clan. Was he that incompetent? Was he so concerned with boys and TV that he became too irrational? Fuck that, he had a mission.

The boy stood up from his seat, laying his pointer finger on the table. "Well then you better start trusting me now because there's no way in hell I'm letting you tear my family down."

Kabashito laughed, "Listen, boy, you don't scare me."

He twitched his eye, "But I know the power the Lotus Commission holds does, that's why you want to take it down, right? Because we have connections from the mayor to the national legislature that could put you in shambles, because we have the money that can attract any CEO in the country, because we have spies around every corner keeping track of all your alliances and moves. Your people will put their loyalty to us before they put it to you."

He raised his eyebrows, casually. "Well then... I'm impressed. You finally understand the power you have, albeit a bit melodramatic and exagerrated." Kabashito stood up, brushing off his robes and grabbing his glass of wine. "To be honest with you, neither I nor my clan have any plan to betray your father. I just want to encourage you to step up as a leader considering how your father's a little too..." He swirled the glass. "Old-fashioned to choose your sister."

Kaihou nodded, smiling a little. As Kabashito walked away, he made his way to the door, only to be interrupted by a hand tapping his shoulder.

"I've been trying to reach you this whole time, kinda rude to ignore your elders, Kai." He turned around, it was Uta, young leader of another of the big 3, the Black Rose Alliance. The news of Uta's admission to leader spread like wildfire underground, the Alliance functioned through an elected vote of a council, and if they trusted him to lead then he was surely a strong force. But for Kaihou, Uta was just his childhood best friend.

"Hey!" He perked, "Sorry, I just had to handle some stuff with another clan."

"Of course, of course." He whistled. "Well, I need you for a little while, can we talk in private?"

The next thing he knew, he was bleeding out in a stairway. Kaihou's instincts made him knock Uta to the ground, using his elbow to hold him down in a chokehold while holding his wound.

"WHAT'S- WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" His eyes bulged, while his best friend could only look at him with a satisfied expression. 

Kaihou whimpered, grabbing the gun and freeing one of his hands to aim it at Uta's head. "I-I thought-"

Uta didn't respond, he knew Kaihou couldn't bring himself to do it. 

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Kaihou screamed, throwing the gun down the stairwell. "ANSWER ME!" 

Once again, nothing but the sound of the gun clattering down to the bottom floor. 

He didn't have the time to stay here talking anyway, he could think later, he had to act now. Wiping hheis tears, Kaihou punched Uta with his free hand and ran down the stairs to make it to an emergency exit. The boy didn't bother turning around to look at his shooter, if he did, he'd see that Uta was standing idly, watching him escape.

As he stumbled out into the street, going into the alleys to avoid any bystanders seeing and trying to take him to the hospital. He didn't want their help... not after...

Focus.

Kaihou leaned against the wall and slid down, exhausted. Why did Uta do it? If he was trying to kill him, why didn't he aim for his head? Maybe he wanted to draw it out... who the hell knows? He lowered himself, he didn't know anyone in this part of the city, besides...

Quentin. He got up and stumbled towards the apartment, it was only across the block. If he covered his white shirt the red wouldn't show. 

The artist held his hands out as Kaihou finally reached him, collapsing. "It's- It's fine- you have nothing to apologize for." 

"I... didn't know anyone else around."

Quentin grabbed his arm and put it around zeir shoulder to support it, "We need to get you to a hospit-"

"N-no. No hospitals."

"Fine." He laid Kaihou on the couch and took off his outer coat and button-up, exposing the wound, which laid almost directly across his healing one from a month ago. "It looks like it went completely through, so I guess I'll just bandage it... at least whoever did this didn't aim for your old scar."

The boy laughed woozily, "Twinning bullets." 

Quentin grabbed his first aid kit from the bathroom and started wrapping the bandages around his waist. "Jesus, what happened?"

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Yeah, I care."

Kaihou explained everything, from the Kabashito clan to his betrayal.

"The Lotus Commission is one of the big 3 in the organized crime realm, I'd go as far as to say we're the strongest. S'probably why there's so many people trying to get us, they think we're weak now as leadership is shifting from my dad to me."

"...Fucking hell." Quentin sighed, "I'll ask you more later, just go to sleep."

The artist kissed him on the forehead and began to make his way to his bed until Kaihou grabbed his wrist. "No... stay, I can't sleep anyway... It's too cold."

He gave a weak smile, "Alright." 

For the rest of the night, Quentin sat against the couch Kaihou was laying on, both covered by a heavy blanket watching a Drama until they dozed off.