A/N: Implied SA in this chapter folks.

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In the safety of Kimiko’s bedroom, Suzuna sat uneasily on her bed, gaze lowered. Kimiko tapped her foot, unsure if she was allowed to be here for this. Akito was no help, he just stood with his back to the wall, arms crossed, face as impassive as ever.

“I will get you something to drink,” Kimiko said a little too loudly, startling the girl. “I'll get you some water…” she tried again. It was then that Kimiko the trembling and the purple welts that crumpled the delicate skin of her wrists. 

“Do that,” Akito said, basically shoving Kimiko out the door.

Kimiko walked to the kitchen in a daze as the party continued, oblivious to her growing terror. Hands unsteady, she filled a glass with some water and downed it herself.

The Kimono…those men. One of them had a Katana.  Knees threatening to buckle, Kimiko gripped the counter with numb hands. 

She knew what Rein was. It was the first thing she looked into when she got home from Akihabara that day. Kimiko pressed a palm against her face. She had pushed it to the back of her mind, forcing it to her subconscious. Her go-to coping mechanism. But she knew what he was.

With a steadying breath, she filled the glass again, and headed for her room. Best to just give them the water and leave. 

Akito knew, that was certain. And for whatever reason, he never brought it up either. She had tried to speak to him about it, but the words never came. As if saying them out loud would give her the confirmation she didn’t want to hear. And now it had caught up to her. 

How did they know where she lived? What had they done to poor Suzuna?

Kimiko hesitated as she reached for the door handle, she could hear the muffled sound of Suzuana’s crying. The sobs stopped abruptly, when she knocked. Kimiko gave it another minute before entering the room. 

“I’m sorry,” Suzuna said, when she noticed Kimiko, wiping her tears and trying to regain her composure. Akito was sitting next to her on the bed, her hand in his. He shook his head at Kimiko’s enquiring look. He still didn’t know what happened. “I ruined your party. I don’t know why my brother sent me here.”

“No, not at all! Please, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.” Kimiko heard the absurdity in her own words—offering sanctuary to a yakuza in her tiny apartment—but pressed the glass into Suzuna’s hands anyway. “Here. Drink.”

“Thank you,” Suzuna took a small sip. They were quiet again till Suzuna cleared her throat and turned to Akito,  “Have you heard from my brother?” 

“No,” Akito said, the alarm flashing across his face, “I haven’t spoken to him in around two weeks. Why? Has something happened?”

“Oh…” Suzuna wilted as if all hope was lost. Tears falling over pale cheeks, she fumbled with the glass, spilling water in her rush to wipe them. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright.” Akito took the glass from her, and both he and Kimiko noticed the large bruise on her neck. “Suzuna-” Akito stopped, like he was trying to find his patience, then more gently, “tell me, where is he?”

“I saw him yesterday morning…then some things happened.” Suzuna looked apprehensively at Kimiko. Sensitive information. Kimiko turned to go, but Akito held her by the wrist.

“She can help,” he said, squeezing her wrist, “I have a feeling you might want to have a woman around. You can trust her.”

Suzuna pushed loose hair away from her eyes, “It’s a long story, and I can’t explain all the details but Ni-San is in trouble. Eiji Shinoda has split from the Yamakichi Gumi because of what he did. Lots of people were killed.”

Akito’s face hardened as Suzuna continued, “Ni-San has been working extensively in South Korea, expanding our operations. It’s all his work, what they have achieved there. He was in Seoul until yesterday, sorting out a deal that had gone bad. He wasn’t supposed to return till Monday…”

A deal? Drugs then. Kimiko resisted the urge to express her disgust. Rein had reached a new low.

“Eiji Shinoda is a bad man, even by our standards,” Suzuna smiled, she expected and accepted our judgment, “mostly because my adoptive father enabled all his despicable behavior. So, this time, when he asked for yet another ridiculous thing, Oto-San couldn’t say no.”

The way she said those words…the slight flinching of her body, the revulsion twisting her features. It spoke volumes. Kimiko crossed her arms, bracing herself.

“I was only asked to look my best because people were visiting. He even sent the Oyabun’s personal groomers. I should have known…” Suzuna grabbed fistfuls of the red fabric as if she wanted to rip it off her body, “I was helpless to stop the-the things that followed…I tried! I’m not weak, I-” a fit of sobs wracked her.

Kimiko moved without thinking, gathering the girl’s head against her stomach. Suzuna’s muffled voice broke her heart, “I feel so…so filthy…” 

She was just a teenager. There were no words that could ease that pain. So Kimiko stayed silent, holding her.

“What happened to Rein?” Akito’s voice was void of care or sympathy. 

Kimiko stared at him wide eyed. 

“Where is he!?”

Anger boiled in Kimiko’s chest, hot, acidic. How could he be so callous? Did he not realize Rein could have been part of this—that this was the world he lived in, the life he chose? Rein was lecherous, corrupt. How many girls had he already condemned to this fate?

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