Ashen Moon: Volume 2 - Chapter 11

The content warning is in the footnotes⁰.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

The sidewalk was littered with dirty puddles formed by trampled, half-melted snow. As Kato walked towards the building housing the office, he stomped through the slush, his steps splashing noisily. The wind was bitterly cold, cutting across his cheeks, and his vision was filled with flickering white noise. Looking up, he saw that it was snowing again. The white flakes fell into the gray puddles, sinking into the muddy water and disappearing.

When he entered the office, Suzuki, who was lounging on a sofa in the break room where the gang members usually hung out, looked up. Suzuki was twenty years old, a man who had joined the gang a year ago through Yamahira's connections.

"Hey," Kato called out. Suzuki lazily stood up and bowed, saying, "Good morning," while brushing aside his long bangs and looking at Kato with a bored expression. His insolent attitude irritated Kato, but he couldn't kick him out because of Yamahira's influence.

"Don't get any of the girls in our territory pregnant."

"Uh, sorry. I kinda messed up..." Suzuki replied with a casual smile. Kato wouldn’t complain if it was a consensual relationship resulting in pregnancy or an abortion, but Suzuki raped women without using protection. Two cases had already come to Kato's attention.

"If you knock up another girl in our territory, I'll cut off your balls. Keep that in mind."

Suzuki's face turned pale.

"Even if you deny it, there are plenty of ways to find out the truth now."

He had been thinking of giving him a warning, so this was good timing. Leaving the trembling Suzuki behind, Kato entered the boss's office. The desk against the wall, where the boss usually sat, was empty.

It had been summer when Soichi disappeared without a trace after being caught in the explosion at Shinagawa's funeral hall. Despite a thirty-person search effort, there hadn't been a single clue. Time passed, and the cicadas' cries ceased, the leaves turned and fell, and now it was snowing.

The explosion had been orchestrated by the eldest son faction of the Guren group, who were vying for succession with his half-brother. However, the eldest son and two of his top executives were subsequently killed.

The Guren group faction responsible for the massive incident tried to flee the gang, but the groups that had lost their leaders in the explosion wouldn't let them escape. Countless hitmen were deployed, avenging their fallen comrades by hunting down and killing the culprits.

Kato himself had captured and interrogated several members of the eldest son's faction. They confessed through tears that they only intended to kill the half-brother and his wife, not involve other groups, and that they didn’t know so many explosives had been planted. The person who prepared and planted the explosives had disappeared. It was suspected he might have been a mole from the fifth-generation Touzen group.

While the Guren group was certainly involved in Soichi's abduction, the mastermind remained unidentified. There was also a possibility he was held by the Touzen group, but that would make the search even harder. Either way, Soichi’s trail had gone cold.

Kato continued to think there had to be a clue somewhere, believing that a change in perspective might reveal something new.

"Mr. Kato, may I have a moment?"

From the other side of the door, Inoue's voice called out.

"Come in."

Inoue, who didn’t look like a typical yakuza and had the appearance of a downtrodden salaryman, walked into the boss's office.

"It's cold today," he said with a laugh, squinting his eyes.

"Suzuki was complaining about the cold and shivering out there."

Inoue mimicked Suzuki’s shivering, clearly mocking his fear after Kato had threatened to cut off his balls. Inoue had likely overheard the conversation.

"Honestly, Suzuki is worthless," Inoue said, shrugging with an exaggerated gesture. "He's worse than shit. At least shit can be flushed away, but we can’t get rid of him that easily."

He continued, "He's useless, lacks guts, constantly harasses women, and rapes them. He's a perfect example of a scumbag. But as the saying goes, even a fool has his uses."

Inoue’s expression was confident.

"So how do you plan to make use of that scum?"

Inoue grinned as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Mr. Yamahira is involved in the adult video business, right?"

While most of the Motohashi group's funding came from Soichi's ventures, they also had income from protection fees and festival stalls. Yamahira, a veteran member, had long been in the underground AV business, adapting to the times from books to videos, DVDs, and online distribution, maintaining steady revenue.

"I sometimes help out with that, and the director has been looking for a male actor who can handle rough scenes. Suzuki might fit the bill."

Raping hostesses was a problem, but pairing him with AV actresses wouldn’t be an issue. As a gang member, there would be no need to pay him an appearance fee. Indeed, it seemed a good way to make him useful and profitable.

"Use Suzuki in the underground AVs."

"I'm glad you're so understanding, Mr. Kato. Suzuki just sits around the office doing nothing, getting in the way."

Inoue was observant about people within the gang, and his Kansai dialect was a useful tool. Even serious conversations were delivered with a playful twist. Kansai dialect... Osaka...

"The boss might not be in the Kanto region."

Inoue's eyes widened slightly.

"I'm not sure..."

"We’ve been focusing our search on Shizuoka and Tokyo, but haven’t found any leads. Maybe we should center our efforts in the Touzen group's territory in Kansai next."

Inoue was silent for a while before nodding and saying, "That sounds reasonable. I've already checked with my contacts there, but I'll ask again to see if any new information has come up."

Inoue left the room.

Kato immediately called Hachi. Hachi had suffered burns and broken ribs in the explosion. After a month in the hospital, he joined the search for Soichi as soon as he was discharged. He regretted more than anyone in the gang that he hadn't been able to protect the boss.

"Hey, Kato."

The office door opened without a knock, and Yamahira, dressed in his trademark light purple suit, entered, followed by two other gang members. Noticing Kato was on the phone, Yamahira sat on the sofa without a word. Kato continued his conversation, giving Hachi instructions before hanging up.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Lounging on the sofa, Yamahira asked, "Who were you talking to?"

"Hachi. I’m considering expanding the search for the boss to focus more on the Kansai region."

Yamahira told the two gang members, "You two, get out," and they left the boss's office. Being alone with him likely meant this was a conversation not meant to be overheard.

"Kato, call Hachi back."

"Why?" Kato asked, puzzled.

Yamahira didn't answer immediately.

"Hachi is currently searching for the boss. Why does it have to be Hachi?" Kato pressed.

"It doesn't have to be," Yamahira finally said. "But the boss has been missing for six months now. Hachi's been running around like a hunting dog this whole time. It's about time to call him back and have someone else take over."

"Hachi has good instincts. He's perfect for the search," Kato insisted.

Yamahira scratched his bald head. "Have someone else take his place."

"There's no need. This is fine as it is..."

"Kato!" Yamahira shouted in his raspy voice. "Get a grip! How long do you plan to keep using so many men to search for the boss? Listen carefully. Nobody but you believes the boss is alive and will be found."

Yamahira’s words hit Kato like a blow to the head.

"No one can say it to your face because they’re respecting your efforts. So, I'm saying it. We've exhausted all our options and still found nothing. The boss was killed by Guren group's eldest son or his lieutenants, and his body was either buried or dumped at sea."

Kato clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

"Watch your mouth. Even you can’t just say whatever you want. There are things that should not be said. The boss is alive," he said, striving to keep his voice steady.

"If he's alive, where is he?"

"I don't know. But..."

"How can you be so sure he's alive when you don't even know where he is? You’re deluding yourself!"

Kato couldn’t respond. Yamahira pointed a finger at his face.

"Have you looked at yourself lately? You're emaciated and look awful. Everyone knows how much you admire the boss. But life has an end. Even the previous boss met his end. Face reality. A ship has to keep moving forward, even if the captain is gone."

It wasn't over. The boss was alive. There was no way he could be dead. Kato hadn’t seen a body.

"You've heard the stories, right? About that depraved Guren group lieutenant, Abe? He enjoyed torturing men and women, stuffing them until they screamed and split, and he killed many. If anyone could dispose of a body without leaving a trace, it would be someone like him."

Yamahira voiced the dark suspicions Kato had been pushing out of his mind.

"There's no evidence that the boss fell into his hands."

"There's no evidence he didn't, either."

Kato glared at Yamahira, who returned the glare with equal intensity before his harsh eyes softened slightly, like melting ice.

"Kato, I'm not telling you to stop looking for the boss. It's about balance. Keep men on the search, but also allocate people to the profitable ventures, especially now that we’ve lost the boss’s income streams. You're the underboss. Your duty is to keep the organization that the previous and current bosses built going."

A feeling he had kept at bay began to creep up his spine—something named "giving up." Kato wanted to beat Yamahira into silence. Did he think Kato hadn’t considered every possibility? The unnatural silence, the lack of clues after an exhaustive search, all pointed to one conclusion: the boss might be dead.

Abe was rumored to burn bodies. He supposedly had a contact at a pet crematorium who could incinerate bodies at high temperatures, leaving no trace. Kato had Hachi track down that contact, an ex-yakuza who quickly confessed after some pressure. This man had taken photos of bodies before cremating them to use as leverage against Abe someday. Soichi wasn’t in any of those twenty-two photos... he wasn’t there.

"Listen, Kato. We're fine with you leading us," Yamahira said, his tone soothing in a way that made Kato's skin crawl. "You can be the boss, or the acting boss if you prefer. The Motohashi group needs you at the helm. Everyone in the Rano clan knows you're tearing yourself apart looking for the boss, and some groups are already trying to take advantage, thinking our territory is poorly managed."

"Leave the territory management to those in charge of it. You might think I'm fit to lead, but I'm not. I can't generate the kind of money Mr. Soichi did. We need him."

Yamahira stood up and walked over to Kato, punching him in the face. The heavy blow sent Kato flying backward, crashing into a sideboard. The combat-hardened Yamahira hauled Kato up and punched him again. Blood spurted from Kato's nose, staining the dark gray carpet Soichi had chosen.

"Even if the boss is alive, we can't face him if our group falls apart. Your job is to keep this organization going. If I had the strength and support, I'd take over, but I don’t. You're the best candidate. Even the previous boss saw that. We need you to stay calm and lead."

Blood from his nose dripped into Kato's mouth, tasting salty and metallic. He spat it into his hand.

"Kato, I used to think of the boss as your puppet. A puppet whose arms and legs you moved as you wanted. Sure, he had talent and could make money, but no matter how much he tries to act dignified, he's still just a bitch who spreads his legs for any man, not someone a yakuza would respect."

Yamahira shook his hand, flexing his knuckles after the punch, and left the office.

After a while, Kato’s nosebleed stopped. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Blood was caked under his nose, and his swollen cheek made him look like a haunted house ghoul.

It had been about six months since Soichi disappeared. Kato knew the chances of finding him alive were diminishing over time.

Yamahira might scorn Soichi as a mere puppet or a bitch, but Kato believed in his capability beyond that. No, he had decided it himself. Supporting, protecting, and building up the organization alongside Soichi was his life's purpose. His life's direction had been senselessly taken from him. The Motohashi group under Soichi's leadership was his ideal, his vision.

Soichi might be dead. Kato couldn't deny that possibility. But he felt, somehow, that he wasn’t.

If he was dead, Kato needed to know. He needed to know who did it so he could exact revenge, slowly and painfully. Even if Abe had already been killed, Kato would dig up his bones and grind them to dust, feeding them to pigs.

Yamahira’s punch had brought clarity. He wouldn't stop searching for Soichi. He wouldn’t recall Hachi. They would search until they found a trace, even a bone fragment. But he also had to ensure the organization ran smoothly, with no complaints or doubts about the search.

Kato left the boss’s office. Inoue, looking alarmed, said, "Mr. Kato, your face..."

"It was Yamahira," Kato replied.

He went to the bathroom to wash the blood off his face. The water stung his split lip. As he looked at his swollen face in the mirror, he saw snow falling outside the window.

...He imagined snow falling on Soichi, covering him, hiding everything. But under the snow, grass would sprout, and yellow flowers would bloom, giving Kato a faint glimmer of hope.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

Beyond the open shoji screen, the cherry blossoms, illuminated by lanterns, stretched out like a white belt, with the bustling sound of people admiring them in the background. A cold wind brushed the back of my neck, faintly carrying the smell of gasoline.

"Kato, are you drinking?"

Yamahira, who was sitting next to me, leaned in with his face close, his breath reeking. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were unnaturally red. It hadn't even been ten minutes since we boarded the houseboat, but he was already drunk.

"I'm drinking."

"Don't sip it like a cat. Down it in one go, all at once."

He poured beer into my glass with such force that it spilled over the edge. Just as I was about to reprimand this annoyingly drunk man, Runa, trying to calm him, held down his right hand.

Runa worked as a hostess at "Stripe," a cabaret club backed by the Motohashi gang. She was a woman from Kansai who had joined the club about two months ago. With her beauty, surpassing even that of an actress, and her smooth talk, she quickly became the club's number one hostess. Soon, she became Yamahira's mistress. Yamahira had been without a partner since his wife passed away three years ago, but recently he took Runa everywhere with him. Despite their thirty-year age difference, relationships with such age gaps weren't unusual in this line of work. Runa, with her good looks, had the guts to become a yakuza executive's mistress. She might have been involved with similar men back in Kansai.

For the club, a money-making woman was a treasure, but Runa's promiscuity was a flaw. Men flocked to her on their own, and when she flirted, simple men misunderstood immediately. When she first started working, she caused several skirmishes by sleeping around with the low-ranking members, but after becoming Yamahira's mistress, that stopped. Though she was behaving now, her promiscuity wouldn't be easily cured, and I felt that she'd cause trouble again over some man.

Inoue, who also came from Kansai, was exasperated, saying, "Even a shabby guy like me gets hit on by that woman. She's a natural-born flirt."

"I'm really sorry for Yamahira."

Runa wiped the beer-soaked table with practiced ease. At the club, she wore glamorous dresses, but today is a cherry blossom viewing party, she was in a low-cut knit sweater and a miniskirt. When she bent forward, her ample cleavage was visible, and her sweet, feminine scent filled the air. She gave me a meaningful glance, swept her long hair back, and smiled.

"Hey, get some tempura."

Yamahira slapped Runa's butt.

"Oh, not again!"

"Get a mountain of it for Kato too."

"Alright, alright."

Grumbling, Runa took a plate and walked to the back of the boat, where a performance of frying various ingredients in front of customers was happening.

"She's got a great body, but she's too young for me."

Yamahira watched Runa's slim waist with a lecherous look.

"But, well, I've fallen for her, so there's nothing I can do."

With a sigh, Yamahira poured beer into his glass. I tried to do it for him, but he stopped me, saying "It's fine."

"Kato, did you like the boss?"

I wasn't sure what he meant by the question, but there was only one answer for me.

"I respect him as the leader of our group."

"But the boss looked at you like a woman, didn't he?"

Yamahira pointed his finger at my forehead.

"You and the boss seem to be looking in the same direction, but you're not. To me, it seems like you're looking in completely different directions."

Yamahira made an L shape with his thumb and index finger, pointing them in different directions.

"To be blunt, neither you nor the boss need to be in this world. You're smart and could make it anywhere, and the boss would probably be better off sitting in a room typing away on a computer."

Yamahira clenched his hand into a fist and put it back on the table. Hachi, who had approached unnoticed, poured beer into Yamahira's empty glass. The fine bubbles rose like living creatures.

"Here you go, I got a mountain of tempura."

Runa returned with a plate heaped with fried food.

"Thanks, baby."

Yamahira, with a lecherous look, stretched his nose. I realized he had sent Runa away to talk to me alone.

"Nature calls," he muttered, standing up and stumbling towards the restroom. When one of the lower-ranked members tried to accompany him, he shooed them away, saying, "Don't follow me! You're annoying."

Runa quickly slid into the seat next to me that Yamahira had vacated.

"Kato, do you like fried food?"

"Yeah, I guess."

I answered noncommittally, but she laughed for some reason and stared at me.

"You have such beautiful light brown eyes, Kato. You're tall and look a bit foreign, really cool. Do you have a girlfriend?"

I wasn't young enough to take a hostess's compliments seriously. Though I wanted to ignore her, she was Yamahira's woman, so I humored her.

"No, I don't."

"What kind of woman do you like?"

"Someone who isn't noisy."

I hinted that it wasn't her, but whether she understood or was pretending not to, she laughed cheerfully.

"There's a girl at the club who likes you, her name's Mika."

I knew her. Every time I went to the club, I noticed her hot glances, but I hadn't made a move. Since Soichi's disappearance, I hadn't felt like being with a woman. It wasn't that I'd become interested in men or was being faithful to Soichi; I just didn't have the desire. Maybe I was getting old.

"What do you think of her?"

Runa's slow Kansai drawl was common among young hostesses, but it grated on my ears.

"Don't you like that type? Or do you prefer someone older?"

Since she mentioned an older woman, she must have heard my preferences from the club's staff.

"I'm busy right now."

"Then..."

Runa lowered her voice, bringing her lips close to my ear.

"...when you want to, what do you do?"

The sweet scent, her breath touched my earlobe.

"I like your type, Kato, so call me anytime. But keep it a secret from Yamahira."

Even at a gang gathering, she boldly seduced me, without any regard for who might see. Was this a plot by someone trying to drive a wedge between me and Yamahira? I remembered she was from Kansai. She might be a spy from the Fifth Generation Touzen group. I laughed, grabbing Runa's chin.

"Don't get carried away."

In a low, threatening voice. Her beautiful face paled. When I let go, she quickly drew back and returned to her original seat.

The dull roar of an engine echoed. The houseboat, with the cherry blossoms lining the riverbank, quietly sailed through the night. I looked around the tatami room of the boat. The Motohashi gang's executives, the late boss's wife, and many members were on board.

It was the late boss's wife who suggested the flower viewing on the houseboat. Though it had become a tradition for the gang to enjoy flower viewing on a houseboat every year, with our boss Soichi missing, no one felt like celebrating. But the late boss's wife suddenly said she wanted to see the cherry blossoms along the Sumida River to cheer up, and thus, this year's flower viewing on the houseboat was arranged in haste.

The matriarch is sitting in the place of honor, picking at sushi while watching the cherry blossoms. Her husband passed away, and within a year, her only son who succeeded him went missing, plunging her into a deep depression. The members of the group hoped that this outing would lift her spirits, even if just a little.

The cherry blossom viewing party became a chaotic affair, with young members singing and dancing to liven up the atmosphere. A teenage member was stripped completely and teased by the women of the group.

Soichi did not enjoy boisterous gatherings, though he did enjoy watching fireworks and cherry blossoms, preferring to do so quietly and with a few close companions. He was a man of sharp intellect who understood the essence of style. Wearing a kimono accentuated his slender frame.

With Soichi gone, the Motohashi group saw a significant drop in income. However, with contributions from subgroups and previous earnings, they were managing. Recently, Inoue took the lead in starting a construction business. Inoue had experience as a master craftsman from his time in Kansai. Though the front company had a dirty reputation, it generated steady and reliable income. Yamahira's underground adult video business was also doing well.

The number of members searching for Soichi was reduced, officially. Instead, Kato privately hired members from subgroups to continue the search.

Even without money, the group could manage. Even without Soichi, they could still "get by" and "manage," but Kato's mind refused to accept this as the shape of the group he had envisioned.

When Kato stood up, Hachi, who was sitting diagonally across from him, also rose. Kato intended to go to the rooftop deck of the houseboat, with Hachi following closely behind.

"I’m just going to get some fresh air. You stay here."

"The Abiko group also has a boat out tonight."

It was well known that the Motohashi group's leader, Soichi, was missing, which had reduced their funding. This had led to recent skirmishes on the edges of their territory, as Yamahira had pointed out. The Abiko group, in particular, had once declined but was now regaining strength.

"You might get sniped."

"It's night and we're on a boat. I don't think Abiko has a sniper that skilled. If I get hit, you can have a prize."

Kato thought it was a decent joke, but Hachi didn’t even crack a smile.

"They might bring someone from the mainland."

Due to high risks and low rewards, there were fewer Japanese willing to be hitmen these days. Many groups were hiring Chinese assassins, who were cheaper and could kill their target and return home within two days, avoiding capture.

"I’ll stick with you while you’re outside."

Hachi was adamant. Possibly because of Soichi's disappearance, Hachi guarded Kato like a watchdog. Realizing it was impossible to chase him away, Kato climbed the stairs to the deck with his bodyguard, hearing voices from above. Someone was already there.

"All actresses are somewhat cute, and sometimes there are real amateurs, which makes it super exciting, almost like a real rape."

That voice belonged to Suzuki, a scumbag known for forcing himself on hostesses in his territory, but he had found his true calling as an adult video actor. He was treasured in underground AV because he could get an erection on command, like a dog trained to bark.

As Kato climbed a few more steps and saw the deck, he noticed Nishida sitting across from Suzuki. Nishida had been working in Inoue’s construction business lately, so he was rarely seen in the office. Even under the dim light of the deck’s lanterns, Nishida’s face was noticeably tanned.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Suzuki asked.

"Not since I came here," Nishida replied.

"Do you go to brothels when you want sex? That’s a waste of money. If you act in AVs, you can have sex without paying. Want to join?"

Suzuki, feeling a sense of camaraderie due to their close ages, might have been trying to get Nishida to join him.

"No thanks, I’m busy with other stuff," Nishida refused flatly. Though Nishida had a reputation for being quick with women, he hadn’t caused any trouble since joining the Motohashi group, perhaps thanks to Inoue’s strict guidance.

"I can’t believe you’d pass up such a sweet gig. Unless you prefer boys or children?"

Suzuki nodded knowingly, despite Nishida not reacting.

"Some guys are like that. I’m fine with any woman, but I can’t do guys. I heard the boss Kato and Soichi were a thing. When I heard, I was scared shitless, thinking he’d want my ass, but I was relieved to hear he’s bi. This industry has a surprisingly high rate of gay men."

Nishida grabbed Suzuki by the collar and punched him, dragging him up to punch him again. Hachi, who seemed ready to intervene, watched calmly.

After watching for a while, it became clear that Nishida wasn’t going to stop. If left alone, he might beat Suzuki half to death and throw him off the boat. While a slight beating was acceptable, killing him would disgrace Yamahira, who managed Suzuki.

"That’s enough."

At Kato's appearance, Nishida stopped immediately. Suzuki, curled up on the deck, slowly raised his head, realizing it was Kato. His eyes darted around as he wiped the blood from his nose and bowed repeatedly.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry," he muttered, while Hachi stomped on the back of his head.

"Watch your mouth. Or you’ll end up chopped up and thrown into the Sumida River."

The boat rocked with the engine noise, and the sound of water. The reality of the threat made Suzuki tremble.

Kato had come to the deck to clear his head but lost the mood. Leaving Hachi to "leave him be," he returned to the room to find Yamahira fondling Runa's breast over her sweater, his face red with drink.

"Where did you go?"

"Just getting some fresh air."

Yamahira pulled Runa's breast out of her sweater, exposing her large, firm right breast.

"Stop it already," she said, lightly slapping his face, but Yamahira just laughed and sucked on her breast. Despite her gentle protests, Kato noticed her secretly clicking her tongue in annoyance.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

Even if no one lived there, the room still got dirty. Kato had the wife of a member clean Soichi’s apartment once a week.

On a sunny break between rain showers, the freshly cleaned and ventilated room smelled fresh. Kato realized that Soichi always wore the same perfume or body wash. The room had always held his vivid scent, but now it had faded away.

Kato went to the bedroom and opened the walk-in closet. Soichi's scent lingered there, bringing relief. It wasn’t just his absence; Soichi’s traces were disappearing from the world.

Kato had lived in this mixed world of filth and diamonds for decades. As a yakuza, being missing for nearly a year meant Soichi was likely dead.

As time passed, reality crept closer.

Even without Soichi, the group would continue. Kato would continue to live in this world with the Motohashi group, as if nothing had happened. Indeed, the group was already operating that way. What, then, was "Motohashi Soichi" to him?

With the vision of a strong group led by Soichi gone, Kato couldn’t imagine what form the group would take next. As Yamahira suggested, finding a body might provide closure and allow them to move on.

In the quiet bedroom, Kato's smartphone rang. It was Inoue.

"What's up?"

"Suzuki messed with Runa. She claims he raped her, but Suzuki insists it was consensual."

Being from Kansai, Kato had suspected Runa of having ties to the Touzen group and had her monitored. She seemed unrelated to the Touzen group but was promiscuous, involving herself with hosts and shop clerks. Since they were all civilians, Kato hadn’t informed Yamahira.

Yamahira knew what kind of woman Runa was and still kept her as a mistress. But if a member touched her, it was different. Suzuki had no loyalty. Not that Kato had expected any from him.

"Report to Yamahira and let him handle the punishment. Help him if he asks for assistance."

If it only cost Suzuki a few fingers, he’d be lucky. Yamahira might kill him in his rage.

"That's what I planned, but Suzuki insisted on talking to you."

"I shouldn’t have to get involved."

"He says he has information and wants to trade."

Suzuki must realize he was in serious trouble. But Kato doubted he had any useful information.

"He says it’s about the missing boss…"

The sky had been clear, but now it was dark, and heavy rain began to pour, beating against the polished windows.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

Since I instructed not to lay hands on him, Suzuki, who was lying on the floor of the office's boss's room, only suffered a few hits to the face and bore no bruises on his body, clad only in briefs.

"I told him to tell us about the boss, but he insisted on talking only to you, Mr. Kato," Inoue explained, looking down at Suzuki with a stern expression. Suzuki, who should have been in a dire situation, had a calm, almost amused expression on his face.

"Tell us about the boss," Kato demanded. Suzuki, with his hands tied behind his back, waved his hands and said, "Untie me first. Then we can talk."

Nishida, standing next to Inoue, raised his right foot as if he was about to kick Suzuki, who reflexively curled up.

"Untie his arms," Kato ordered. Nishida, still with a stern face, removed the tape binding Suzuki's arms. In his briefs, Suzuki repeatedly rubbed his wrists.

"Where is the boss?" Kato asked again. Suzuki sat cross-legged on the floor and replied, "First, you have to promise me you won't tell Mr. Yamahira about today and won't ask any questions."

His tone was disrespectful for someone speaking to a superior.

"I want to keep working in AV. Just keep it to yourself. Runa isn't stupid enough to talk on her own. Also, promise that you won't lay a hand on me in the future," Suzuki continued arrogantly. Even Inoue cracked a bitter smile at his attitude. In this industry, sleeping with an executive's woman usually results in losing a few fingers. If you can't stand it, your only option is to run away. For Suzuki to ask for leniency and still want to stay in the group was beyond bold.

"Fine," Kato agreed.

"Write it down," Suzuki demanded. Kato had Nishida bring paper and pen and wrote down that they wouldn't tell Yamahira about today and wouldn't use violence, stamping it with his seal. Suzuki carefully put the paper into his briefs.

"Where is the boss?" Kato asked for the third time. Ignoring the question, Suzuki asked, "Can I put on some clothes?"

"Nishida, bring him some," Kato ordered. Nishida left silently. Suzuki, seemingly reassured of his safety, hummed a tune. Kato walked over to the boss's desk, yanked out the phone cord, and threw the phone against the wall. The plastic phone shattered with a crash, and Suzuki's humming stopped abruptly.

Kato grabbed a coat hanger and smashed a flower vase on the console desk. The vase shattered, and its pieces scattered. He then destroyed anything in sight: a clock, a steel cabinet. The sounds of destruction echoed. Suzuki cowered in fear, and Inoue stood expressionless, not intervening.

Nishida returned with clothes. Kato threw the coat hanger by the window. The office, now in shambles, made Nishida pause in surprise, but he quickly threw the clothes to Suzuki, remembering his task.

"W-What was that? Super scary. I should've recorded it," Suzuki's voice shook as he dressed, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Where is the boss?" Kato asked again. Suzuki, very softly, began to speak, "The boss's info is my last card. If I spill, I'm dead for sure."

Impatiently, Inoue stomped the floor, making Suzuki flinch.

"Enough already," Inoue squatted before Suzuki. "You have no idea what negotiating with yakuza means. From our view, you'd be dead three times over by now. I promise we won't do anything bad. Just talk. Otherwise, our acting boss might accidentally kill you."

"Seriously, I don't want to die," Suzuki trembled.

"I said I'd take responsibility," Inoue assured, patting Suzuki's shoulder gently. Suzuki hung his head in silence before slowly raising it.

"I work under the alias 'E-Dog' in the underground scene. I have about 3,000 followers on social media. Last week, another underground production company invited me to be in their video. The offer was tempting, but it was in Kansai, and the pay was low. Yamahira said appearing elsewhere would lower my value, so I declined. But the scout gave me a sample video, saying to contact them if I changed my mind. Bored, I watched it, and I saw someone who looked like the boss in it."

Kato demanded to see the video. Suzuki fetched his smartphone from the members' room, but the screen was too small to identify the face. The video was transferred to a computer and played.

"This is it. This is the boss, right?" In an office-like set, a woman in a suit was on all fours, skirt lifted, being taken from behind. The man was masked, showing only his eyes and mouth. The body resembled Soichi, but the eyes were different. It was someone else.

They should've known when Suzuki mentioned AV work. A man who couldn't penetrate a woman without a dildo in his ass couldn't be an AV actor. It was impossible for Suzuki to find clues they couldn't. A sense of hopeless relief spread.

"Inoue," Kato called. Inoue responded from a distance.

"Report that Suzuki slept with the mistress and hand him over to Yamahira."

"Wait a minute," Suzuki clung to Kato's arm. "We made a deal. I have proof..."

Inoue took the paper from behind.

"Give it back!" Suzuki lunged, but Inoue tore the paper to shreds.

"What are you doing!" Suzuki, trying to reclaim it, was kicked down by Inoue. Nishida stepped on his head mercilessly.

"You're naive. Believing a yakuza's promise is foolish," Nishida scoffed. Suzuki yelled in anger and lunged again, but Nishida tackled him onto the sofa. They dragged him down and kicked him until he was subdued. Nishida taped his hands, feet, and mouth and dragged him out of the boss's room.

The room fell silent. Seeing the destruction he'd caused, Kato felt a twinge of regret.

Just as Kato was about to leave, he noticed the sample video had paused on a still of the sex scene. He accidentally played it further. The screen switched to a gang rape scene with multiple men surrounding a single woman. It was a promotional clip of various scenes.

Kato was shocked by the close-up of the woman's hairless genitals, which featured a penis and scrotum. Despite the breasts, it was a transgender scene.

Kato remembered hearing about such AVs but had never seen one. The transvestite in the video had hair that was just past his shoulders and was as skinny as a chicken carcass. He was masked, bound and gagged. Every time the man thrusted his hips upwards, the transvestite's chest shook up and down.

"Hmmmm."

When the transvestite groaned, a chill ran down his spine. The transvestite in the image overlapped with Soichi's figure. He told himself over and over that it was just his imagination, that it couldn't be, but the shape of his legs, his arms, the line of his neck, his contours... he couldn't help but think that it was true. He moved closer to the screen, scrutinizing the details.

No matter how much he watched the video, the restraints around his mouth and the blindfold didn't come off, and the sticky sounds of their connection just got more and more intense. As he watched, the screen changed again. A long-haired woman in a uniform was being raped by a man in a tracksuit on a podium. It was a different work.

Kato went back to the transvestite gang-rape video once more. It lasted less than three minutes. He stared at the ass being violated by the men, and the mouth of the girl, restrained and gasping, drooling. The resemblance was uncanny, but he couldn't be sure.

He looked up to see Nishida, who had returned to the room at some point, picking up some shards of ceramic that were scattered on the floor.

"Nishida."

The man who had been cleaning up looked up and said, "Yes."

"Tell Yamahira... I don't care how much he beats him, but don't let him kill Suzuki."

◇:*:◆:*:◇

The scout had chosen a franchise café with an unusually large number of seats located in the underground shopping area of Umeda. Suzuki and Hachi sat side by side at a four-person table, while Kato took a seat at the neighboring table, pretending to be a stranger.

Although there were some older customers, the clientele was generally young. Kato, aware of his stern appearance, wore a navy blue suit to blend in, but felt conspicuous. He put on fake glasses to soften his look and hid his face behind a newspaper. Despite it being past the appointed time of 3 PM, their contact had not yet appeared. Kato wondered if the person had sensed something was off and fled. Every time Kato glanced at the neighboring table, Suzuki, who was already nervous, visibly trembled.

"Sorry for being late. I didn’t expect to hear from E-Dog again, so I’m really happy," said a man in his thirties, short and chubby, who finally arrived about fifteen minutes late. His name was Ueno. He wore a casual outfit of a shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, like he was going to the beach, with a large chain necklace around his neck. Despite possibly being trendy, he looked more like an arrested suspect with his shaved head.

"My apologies for contacting you on short notice. I happened to have business in Osaka," Suzuki bowed his head slightly, followed by Hachi. Hachi, unlike his usual self, had changed his hairstyle and wore a checkered shirt and jeans, giving him a dowdy, inconspicuous appearance.

"Are you considering appearing in our productions?" Ueno leaned over the table as soon as he sat down.

"I’m not cut out for it, but my friend here really wants to be an actor, so I thought I’d introduce him," Suzuki said, glancing at Hachi.

"Ah, I see," Ueno's voice trailed off with obvious disappointment.

"Could you consider using him in one of your productions?" Suzuki asked. Ueno, who had been unassertive, leaned back in his chair, and the chain around his neck rattled.

"We get a lot of aspiring actors. Even those with strong determination often end up being unusable. Besides, you guys are from the Kanto region, right? Why not work with E-Dog there instead of coming all the way to the west?"

Suzuki anticipated this response. He looked around and subtly pointed at Hachi with his thumb, lowering his voice. "I suggested he try working with our acquaintances, but he has a specific preference for transgender women and feminine men, unlike our focus on big-breasted and mature women. I heard you have a variety of genres, Ueno."

Ueno nodded in understanding. "I see. I’m a big fan of transgender rape videos like the ones with 'Black Rose Maia.'"

Hachi quietly chimed in. When they found a few seconds of sample videos, the transgender actor, named 'Black Rose Maia,' appeared in three videos, all involving blindfolds and restraints, and while the mouth restraint was sometimes removed during oral sex, the blindfold and hand and foot restraints were never removed.

Ueno smiled slyly, "I'm glad to hear that. I was involved in shooting Maia's series, which has quite a cult following."

"If there’s a next production, I want to be in it," Hachi expressed his desire.

Ueno shook his head. "That’s impossible. Rape and S&M genres are tough unless the actress already has masochistic tendencies. Maia got into serious trouble after the third video, they said she couldn't do it anymore. Despite decent sales, it was too risky to continue."

Kato trembled with anger. All of Maia's videos were appalling, one after the other, she was repeatedly raped by men, insensitively and violently like an object without any regard for her humanity. Soichi had a traumatic past of being gang-raped, and the videos brought back those nightmares.

Ueno, aware that Suzuki was from the industry, kept talking. Kato held back his urge to strangle the man, knowing it would cause trouble before getting crucial information. He needed to find Soichi's whereabouts.

"So Maia isn’t working as an actress anymore. Do you think she might be in the sex industry?" Hachi probed.

Ueno shrugged. "Many retired AV actresses do end up there, but I haven’t heard about Maia. She was weak and frail during the last shoot, barely able to speak. I feared she might have died during filming. If it wasn’t for the non-speaking S&M genre, the video wouldn’t have worked."

Hachi then asked, "Does Maia have a boyfriend?"

Ueno winked at Hachi, "There are men like you who are into that. But to be blunt, Maia’s boyfriend is a yakuza who kept her drugged up. Without the drugs, she wouldn’t have been able to do those videos. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s dead by now."

Kato pulled out his smartphone and sent a message. Hachi’s phone buzzed, and he excused himself to answer it, glancing at Kato and nodding subtly.

After leaving the café, Suzuki lied, saying he would drive Ueno home, and they got him into a rented van. Kato, who had left the café first and was waiting in the van, knocked Ueno out with two punches and restrained him with duct tape.

From the kidnapped Ueno, they learned that Maia’s boyfriend was named Kazuhiro Inouchi, affiliated with the Kamigashira gang. A search revealed that the group was a sixth-tier organization under the Touzen group. It seemed unlikely that such a small group would independently abduct a Rano clan executive. Usually, such orders would come from the top, and the lack of any leaks suggested no top-down directive. This led Kato to the unpleasant possibility that the abduction was personal, driven by a sexual obsession with Soichi.

The problem was, they couldn’t confirm Soichi’s identity from the video. Ueno was shown a photo of Soichi but couldn’t be certain due to the changes in appearance and poor health during the shoot. Seeing him in person would be quicker. Kato had Ueno contact Inouchi.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. This is Ueno from EroMani & Monkey."

Restrained Ueno, with Hachi pressing the phone to his ear, spoke while on speakerphone, allowing everyone to listen.

"Ah, it's you. What’s up?" Inouchi's raspy voice was hard to understand.

"Can we talk? It’s about Maia’s videos. They’ve been well-received, and we’d like her to appear again. Our boss is willing to pay well."

This was a ploy to confirm Maia’s status. Kato waited for the response.

"No way. She’s been particularly unstable recently, shouting suddenly."

So she’s alive, Kato thought. "The next video would have no dialogue, same as before. Would that still be a problem?"

"No, it's not happening."

"Alright. Another issue, I'm having a fight with someone because my car got scratched." Kato got Ueno to drop the bait.

Inouchi said, "I'll help you with the negotiations. If you leave it to me, I'll take a lot of money from the other party. I think we can split it 70:30." and he took the bait. It's a common way to make money by making the other party think that you have a yakuza behind you, threatening them, extorting money from them, and demanding a high commission. They arranged to meet at a park near Inouchi’s apartment.

Kato had to meet Inouchi and verify Soichi's identity directly.

Leaving Ueno in the back seat, Kato, Hachi, and Suzuki got out of the car. As they were busy with various tasks, the surroundings had grown quite dark. Kato hid by a streetlight, Hachi in the bushes behind a bench, and Suzuki beside the public restroom. They kept their eyes fixed on the park entrance, waiting eagerly. Sweat dripped from Kato's forehead. They had to catch Inouchi. This was a chance they couldn't afford to miss.

About ten minutes after the phone call, a man in gray sweats and sandals slowly entered the park. He was tall and thin, but his posture was stooped. He seemed to have a terribly bad posture. Kato observed him while pretending to look at his smartphone. The man appeared to be in his late thirties, with dark skin and bulging, bloodshot eyes.

The man walked up to the bench and clicked his tongue, muttering, "He's not here yet." Kato slowly approached him.

"Mr. Inouchi?"

The man turned and glared at Kato, who was wearing a navy blue suit. Clearly, he didn't recognize Kato as a colleague. "Huh!" he grunted, raising his chin arrogantly and baring his teeth.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ueno's representative. He asked me to inform you that he can't make it."

"What? He could have sent a text for that, idiot."

This confirmed it was Inouchi. Something snapped inside Kato. He grabbed Inouchi by the collar of his gray sweats and dragged him into the bushes behind the bench. "What the hell are you doing?" Inouchi yelled as Kato punched him in the face in the dim light.

"You're Inouchi of the Kamigashira gang, right?"

Inouchi's face twisted in shock. "Are you a cop?" he shouted before Kato punched him again. Using pain and violence to control people. Kato's fist became red with Inouchi's blood.

"Hand over the man you're holding captive."

Inouchi's eyes widened in fear. "How... how do you know...?"

"If you don't want to die, tell me where he is."

Inouchi's jaw trembled. "Mr. Kato, watch out!" Hachi shouted. The next moment, there was a thud, and Hachi collapsed diagonally in front of Kato. Turning around, Kato saw Suzuki swinging a meter-long piece of wood at him.

Kato jumped to the side to avoid it. The end of the stick embedded itself in the bushes between Inouchi's legs. Where did Suzuki find that thing? This was the worst possible situation for infighting.

"What are you thinking?" Kato shouted.

"Die, all of you!" Suzuki screamed back.

"You're going to beat me after this, aren't you? I know how you guys operate."

They had delayed reporting to Yamahira to bring Suzuki to Osaka for Soichi's search. The plan was to hand him over to Yamahira upon returning to Tokyo. Suzuki must have sensed what kind of punishment awaited him. That's why he betrayed them at this critical moment. Kato didn't want to use a guy like him, but there was no choice to get information from Ueno.

Kato grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Suzuki's face.

"Ugh!"

In the moment Suzuki closed his eyes, Kato tackled him. The impact made Suzuki drop the stick. Kato grabbed the unarmed man's chest and punched his fear-stricken face.

"Mr. Kato, he's...!"

Hachi's groaning voice brought Kato back to his senses. He saw Inouchi stumbling out of the park. They had lured him out but hadn't gotten the information about Soichi's whereabouts yet. Kato picked up the stick and swung it at Suzuki's shin. The sound of bones breaking echoed.

"Ahhh!"

With Suzuki incapacitated, Kato chased after Inouchi, still clutching the stick. The distance between them closed rapidly. Inouchi ran up the external stairs of a seven-story reinforced concrete apartment building and entered room 207 on the second floor. Kato tried to open the door several times, but it was locked. He pounded on the door with the stick.

"Open up!"

It was a narrow external corridor, but Kato took a few steps back and rammed the door with his body. The iron door didn't budge. He rammed it again, and again.

"Hey, be quiet! I'll call the police!" a woman in her sixties, wearing an apron, came out from the next apartment. Ignoring her, Kato rammed the door again and shouted, "Come out!"

A cry like that of a baby came from inside. Sweat poured down Kato's back. Something was happening inside. There was no time to waste. He looked around and saw a window with a grill beside the entrance. He wedged the stick between the grill and the window, using it as a lever to pull the two closest attachment points from the wall.

"What are you doing?" the woman shouted.

Kato removed the loosened grill and smashed the window with the stick. The glass shattered. He pulled the curtain aside and climbed in through the window. Crossing the dark, foul-smelling kitchen strewn with garbage, he saw a pair of feet sticking out from the back of the room. They were as thin as chicken bones.

The room smelled of blood. A person lay naked, bound by chains, with an eye mask covering their face. Their genital area was bright red, like a woman having her period. The smell of fresh blood filled the room.

Inouchi stood next to the person, holding a knife. His hands were stained red. Kato stepped forward, but Inouchi placed the knife against the motionless person's neck.

"You're Kato, aren't you?"

Kato was surprised that this man knew his name.

"So what if I am?"

Inouchi laughed maniacally, dropping something from his left hand onto the floor. At first, Kato thought it was a severed finger, but it was thicker.

No way... An awful realization flashed through his mind. Inouchi began chopping the finger-like object with the knife. Flesh was minced and became smaller.

"Stop it!"

Kato tried to approach, but Inouchi kept him at bay by holding the knife to the motionless person's neck. Inouchi picked up the minced flesh and put it in his mouth, chewing noisily.

What is this guy doing? Kato couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Kato, he kept whining about you. Even if I get killed, this belongs to me."

...After that, Kato didn't remember much. When he came to, Inouchi was lying at his feet, foaming at the mouth and covered in blood.

Kato approached the chained person. He removed the blindfold. Though emaciated and unrecognizable, it was undoubtedly Soichi. His skin was dry, pale, and cold, but he was alive. The joy of finding him alive was quickly overshadowed by the metallic smell of blood. Kato took off his jacket and pressed it against Soichi's blood-soaked genital area. No matter what state he was in, he had survived.

"I'm here to take you home."

There was no response. He couldn't undo the restraints on Soichi's neck and limbs, so he pulled out the fittings attached to the floor. The chains rattled.

"I'm truly sorry for being late."

Blood continued to seep through the jacket. To stop the bleeding, Kato pressed harder. Soichi's thin body twitched, and his eyes opened. His unfocused dark eyes looked at Kato. He parted his lips slightly.

“I love dicks."

The back of his eyelids grew hot. Thinking about the hell that had surrounded Soichi until now, tears flowed freely and wouldn't stop.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

The sky was covered with gray clouds, and it looked like it might rain any moment. If the heavy rain forecasted caused the sea to be turbulent, the boats would be unable to go out, and tomorrow would be a day off. Thinking that would be a chance to rest his bones, Kato walked slowly along the edge of the road where the white lines were fading.

The cheap nylon jacket rustled in the damp wind. When he saw the sign for the café "Salon," a drop of rain fell on his face. He naturally quickened his pace, entered the shop's awning, and shook his head like a dog.

The place was an old, decrepit shop that seemed to have stopped time about fifty years ago. Posters of swimsuits with dates from around ten years ago were casually posted, and the actress featured in them had died of cancer three years ago.

In a word, it was a terrible place, but there were still a few customers. There were no other options in this town.

At a window seat, he saw a familiar face he hadn't seen in a while. Hachi stood up and bowed deeply when he noticed Kato.

"It was a long way here."

Hachi, dressed in a gray cut-saw and a green windbreaker, did not deny, "It was quite a distance from the airport."

"Underboss..."

He started to say something, then corrected himself, "Mr. Kato, you seem to have gotten quite sunburned." In this small town, where being called the "underboss" could lead to rumors if overheard, his concern was appreciated.

"Yes."

Kato stroked his tanned cheek with his right hand. When an old man with a stooped back came to take the order, Kato ordered a "hot" and shooed him away.

"Have you been busy with work?"

"Finished before two. The early mornings mean early finishes."

"You've become quite the fisherman. You seem to have built up quite a physique."

"Honestly, it's a bit tough for a middle-aged man."

Kato gave a wry smile. …In Osaka, Soichi had been found chained up and drugged to prevent escape. Worse, he had been given highly addictive heroin. Heroin withdrawal is incredibly severe. Sometimes the withdrawal symptoms are so unbearable that people die, so Soichi was transported to a hospital connected to the organization and was gradually detoxified.

Despite being continuously sexually abused for nearly a year and having three videos of the abuse taken, Soichi had almost no memory of the events. And even after detoxing from heroin, Soichi's mind and heart did not fully return to normal. He always had a dazed look, as if he had lost some parts of his brain. His memory was so poor due to drug side effects that, in addition to old memories, even what was being discussed now seemed to disappear from his memory as quickly as writing in the sand at the shoreline.

When the boss was found, the Motohashi group was filled with joy. Although the group members were eager to visit, Soichi, who could barely remember the faces of the group members and couldn’t hold a proper conversation, couldn’t meet anyone. Only his mother, the matriarch, saw his face. Looking up at his tearful mother hugging him and saying, "I'm so glad you came back safely," Soichi tilted his head and asked, "Excuse me, who are you?" leaving everyone astonished. He didn’t even fully understand who he was. It was no longer a matter of whether he could fulfill the role of boss or not.

About three months after Soichi was hospitalized, the permission for discharge was granted. Kato told the group members, "The boss wishes to recuperate slowly," and entrusted the group's work to Yamahira and Inoue, leaving Tokyo with Soichi. They didn’t decide on a destination and didn’t tell even Hachi, who was their closest aide.

On the one-year anniversary of starting life in Hokkaido, Kato sent an email to Hachi. He had contacted him yesterday, but received a reply the same day, and Hachi flew in the next day.

"I didn’t expect you to be in a fishing town."

It wasn’t that Kato intended to live here from the beginning. He and Soichi had moved from place to place for about two months, and it just so happened that they ended up in a rural town by the sea.

"There must be many former colleagues among the fishermen. Is it okay?"

Hachi lowered his voice.

"So far, yes."

Kato took out a cigarette from his chest pocket and took a puff. Although there was enough money without working, a job was more natural in the countryside where an unemployed man stood out, and the only available work for a middle-aged man with no questions asked was fishing here.

Kato became a hired fisherman, or a "deckhand" without owning his own boat. At first, he faced some hazing as a newcomer, but it was only the basic stuff. After retaliating once, the harassment stopped altogether.

"Two days ago, or maybe the day before, a skull and ribs got caught in the bottom trawl."

"Things like that really happen?"

"First time I’ve seen it, but apparently, it happens occasionally. There’s a superstition that if you handle the bones carefully, it will lead to a good catch, and yesterday, other boats were swarming around ours like flies."

"...Suzuki might end up surfacing somewhere eventually." Hachi murmured. 

Suzuki, who had been an AV actor, sank into the sea with weights four days after Soichi was found. Kato only learned about this after everything was over, as he had left the disposal to Yamahira.

"He was trash, but thinking that he might be appreciated in this way at the end, it leaves me with a strange feeling."

"...Our industry might have more people who sank after fishermen."

They continued with trivial talk. After a while, Hachi finally got to the main topic, which was likely the biggest reason for his visit.

"How is the boss now?"

"Not much has changed."

"When do you plan to return?"

Kato had kept Soichi away from the yakuza world to prevent exposing his current dazed state, but there was no sign of him returning to his former self. Kato had finally begun to accept the reality that Soichi might live with a screwed-up mind from now on.

"...I need a little more time to think. Just tell Yamahira and Inoue that Soichi and I are doing well."

Hachi nodded solemnly and said, "Understood."

"By the way, Yamahira is having some trouble with a woman right now."

"Runa?"

Hachi’s brow furrowed in a troubled expression.

"Runa had her face scalded with hot water because she was resented for stealing the boyfriend of a hostess girl she worked with. Yamahira was supposed to marry Runa, but after being cheated on and seeing her face turn monstrous, he finally woke up and broke up with her. After that, he started a good relationship with another woman at a different shop, but Runa, jealous, brought a knife to that shop and attacked Yamahira, leading to some commotion with the group members getting stabbed and so on. Runa seems to be in custody now, having tested positive for drugs in addition to the assault charges."

After briefly discussing the situation in the group over the past year, Hachi left, saying he would come again if he wanted to eat delicious seafood.

After parting in front of the shop, Kato returned home. The old single-story house at the bottom of the hill was rent-free on the condition of upkeep. There are many vacant houses like this in the town.

Close to the port, with a garden and a high hedge that prevented anyone from seeing inside, this was the deciding factor in choosing this place. Kato trimmed the overgrown, jungle-like garden to a state where it wouldn’t be embarrassing if visitors came.

"I’m home."

He called out and opened the sliding door. At the same time, a white cat dashed out of the house. Since Soichi scattered food, there were four or five cats whose ownership was uncertain.

The single-story house had seven 13 square meters rooms, Soichi was nowhere to be seen. The front door was unlocked, but in the countryside, no one bothers to lock doors.

The rain, which had been heavy for a while, was now intermittent. Kato went outside again with an umbrella. Soichi, who rarely went out, didn’t have many places he would go.

Exiting the narrow alley lined with rustic houses and climbing the stairs to the embankment, the strong scent of the tide became intense. The light rain continued to sink into the gray sea.

At the end of the embankment, a dark silhouette was visible. Kato approached with his umbrella open. Soichi, drenched in a black trench coat, sat on the embankment, staring vacantly at the sea.

"What do you see?"

"Nothing."

"It’s raining now. Shall we go back? You’ll catch a cold."

Even when spoken to, Soichi didn’t move but suddenly shivered. Slowly, he stood up. He quietly accepted the umbrella that Kato offered.

White shirt and black slacks. Soichi always dresses similarly throughout the year. The wet shirt clings to his chest, making his nipples visible. Soichi has stopped wrapping his chest with a binder. Although Kato had shown him how to wrap it before, he would always undo it quickly because he found it uncomfortable, so Kato stopped insisting.

"You came home late."

Soichi muttered this softly.

"I was talking with an acquaintance."

Soichi said nothing and walked with his head lowered. After arriving home, while Soichi, now a drenched rat, took a bath, Kato prepared dinner. After eating together, Kato took his turn in the bath. When he came out and went to the living room where the TV was, Soichi was lying there in pajamas.

"Are you going to bed already?"

When asked, Soichi nodded. Kato went to the next room and set up two futons. There had been a time when, while moving around with Soichi, they had once looked at the sea from the embankment in this town, which was a stopover. Soichi, who was usually indifferent to his surroundings, showed interest for the first time. This interest led to the decision to live in this town, which was supposed to be just a stopover.

There's nothing interesting here. Just the port and the embankment. Even so, Soichi goes out to see the sea.

Even after setting up the futons, there was no sign of Soichi coming to bed. If a storm hits, the boats won’t go out, but Kato couldn't make that determination yet, so he planned to get up early the next morning and went to bed. He left a small light on for the man who would come later.

Usually, after a day of physical labor, he would fall asleep as soon as he closed his eyes, but perhaps because he had met and talked with Hachi after a long time, he found himself strangely awake.

Soichi, whose past memories were like cheese gnawed by rats, had lost all interest in the computer, which used to be a part of him. It was bought and set up, but showed no signs of use.

He either goes to the sea or spends the whole day playing with the cat. He never mentions the gang or his future. Even after getting off drugs and healing his lower-body injuries, he is still enveloped in an indelible sense of emptiness, which has gradually become a norm over time.

Even if his body returns to normal, his mind does not. Soichi now seems to lack attachment even to living, let alone to the gang. If he returns to Tokyo like this, he won’t be able to manage the gang at all. Even if he is put on the leader's seat, he would only become a puppet.

Kato hated the man, Inouchi, who had shattered Soichi's personality into pieces. Initially, Soichi was kidnapped by Abe from the Guren group. Given his sexual preferences, Abe probably intended to toy with him.

And Abe was a rat planted by the Touzen group in the Guren group. Soichi was handed over to the Kamigashira group of the Touzen group with the condition that he would be kept there until the heat died down, but before he could be retrieved, Abe was killed. Soichi should have been released sooner, but the Kamigashira group, intending to sell him into the sex industry, drugged him. However, Inouchi, who took a liking to Soichi, kept him personally. Even when Inouchi realized partway through that he was the head of the Motohashi group, he did not let him go. Inouchi was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and received a prison sentence. Kato used his connections to make it look like a suicide in prison.

The doctor said that if discovery had been delayed by just one more month, Soichi would have died from exhaustion.

When Kato asked the doctor if the damaged mind could be restored, the doctor answered, "I don’t know."

If Soichi doesn't return to his former self, the actions of taking him out and trying to restore him will become meaningless. It will become a question of what he is doing.

Will he return to his former self one day, or will he remain like this forever? This question has been lingering in his heart from before they started living in this town until now.

The sliding door opens with a clatter. Soichi, who usually would have come into the futon, sat down beside him tonight.

Kato slowly propped himself up.

"What's wrong?"

Soichi looked down.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

On rainy days, he occasionally complains of a headache.

"Does anything hurt?"

When Kato stroked his cheek, Soichi took his hand. He unbuttoned one button of his shirt and put Kato's hand inside his pajamas, pressing it firmly against one of his soft breasts.

"Do you want to be fondled?"

He nodded slighty. Soichi periodically invites Kato this way. Although he has a scrotum and can ejaculate, he doesn’t have a penis, so he has found a method of increasing pleasure by massaging his breasts instead.

Kato removed the pajamas from over his chest and embraced Soichi from behind. He vigorously massaged the round swell of his breasts with both hands. It seemed to feel good, as Soichi’s slender body wriggled like a cat.

When Kato pinched and pulled his nipples, Soichi let out soft nasal moans of "hmm" and "fuh."

Stimulated by the sexy moans, Kato also began to feel heat in his lower body. He pushed Soichi onto his back and took his nipple into his mouth. While sucking on the soft breast, he continued to vigorously massage the other side. The fleshy breast spilled out from between his fingers.

"Ah, ah, haa, ah!"

Soichi’s voice grew louder.

"Ah, ha... aaah, aaah!"

After letting out a particularly loud cry, Soichi’s body relaxed, and the color of his pajama pants around the groin had changed. When Kato pulled down both the pants and underwear, it was soaked from what appeared to be ejaculation.

Soichi’s penis had only a small remnant at the base. Given its length, urination is difficult, so it seems that in such cases, the urethra is routed between the scrotum and anus. However, if reconstruction of the penis were to be done, this procedure would be inconvenient, so it was left as it is, even though it would be a hassle to urinate.

Even when he comes, he has no force to ejaculate, so the semen slowly leaks out from the base of the penis, which is similar to a clitoris.

"It’s gotten dirty."

Despite feeling embarrassed and turning his face away, Soichi spread his legs wide and lifted his scrotum. He smeared his own semen into the narrow space and began to loosen it up. The sound of fingers entering and exiting the hole, squelching and squishing, echoed obscenely.

"…Do you want it there?"

Soichi nodded vigorously. Kato took a condom from the top of the makeup dresser left by the previous occupant and put it on. He pressed the tip against the softened area. Soichi let out a sigh, like a breath.

He pushed into the warm place. "Ah!" Soichi cried out, arching his back. Kato pushed all the way inside.

"Ah, ha..."

Each time Soichi writhed, his white chest trembled. The remnants of the penis became hard and pointed.

Soichi’s scrotum swayed between his legs. Kato tightly gripped it with his right hand. "Hah," he let out a scream, and the area accepting Kato tightened painfully.

Soichi twisted his upper body seeking an outlet for the pleasure. He released his hand from the scrotum and lightly pinched the remnants of the severed penis, causing Soichi to start gasping as if he had gone mad.

"It’s good, it’s good, ah!"

After pinching several times, Kato’s fingers became sticky. Thick semen began to ooze out from the hole. Kato pulled himself out and put his mouth on Soichi’s penis. He licked the hole with his tongue and sucked hard on the small protrusion.

"Ahhh!"

The semen leaking from the hole left a bitter aftertaste on Kato’s tongue.

"Yes, good. Ah, ah, it feels so good, good."

Soichi’s voice grew louder and louder, but it was drowned out by the sound of the rain. The rain shutters rattled.

Outside, the storm was raging. Before long, Kato found himself biting Soichi’s white neck. Unable to contain his excitement, Kato forgot to use the condom and mounted Soichi in doggy style, thrusting fiercely. The semen seeping from the pointed penis flowed down to Soichi’s chest, creating sensual squishing sounds each time he kneaded his breasts.

He changed position turning Soichi on his back and hugging both of his legs. While penetrating him like that, he wondered what kind of being this was. Neither man nor woman. An aberrant creature was here, intensely tempting him. Kato stopped thinking deeply and surrendered himself to the pleasure right in front of him.

◇:*:◆:*:◇

He woke up at 11 a.m. The room was dimly lit. There were no messages on his smartphone, so the boat hadn’t gone out. With no reason to get up, Kato stayed entangled with the naked body in front of him.

Soichi slipped out of his arms, put on a jacket over his pajamas, and left the room. Since the cat was being noisy, he might have gone to feed it. It was strange how, despite being indifferent to his own food, Soichi would get moving when the cat begged for food.

When Soichi returned, he sat down on knees right next to Kato. His nipples were red, probably from being played with too much.

The rain pattered on the roof tiles. Soichi, touching Kato's arm as he lay there, murmured, "I want to see the sea."

"It's stormy outside."

"I want to see the rough sea."

"The wind is strong too. You’re thin, so you’d be blown away and fall into the sea in no time."

Soichi seemed amused by the thought of himself being blown away and laughed.

"I’m not joking; I’m serious."

"If that happens, you’d save me, wouldn’t you?"

Kato wondered why he was so sure of that. He’d jump into the sea without hesitation if he saw this person being swept away.

"Don’t you want to go back to Tokyo?"

Soichi shook his head.

"Isn’t life here boring?"

"Not really."

Soichi rested his head on Kato's bent knee.

"Don’t you want to go back to Tokyo and return to the real work you should be doing?"

"What’s 'real' work?"

He was asked in return.

"I’m watching the sea, playing with the cat, and waiting for you to come home."

A cold hand stroked Kato’s cheek.

"That’s good."

Soichi smiled happily, as if embodying his words. Kato swallowed hard.

"I don’t need anything else."

Soichi took off his jacket. The curves of his chest. A beautifully strange naked body. Soichi lifted his own breasts.

"I don’t remember why I ended up with this body. My penis is weird too... but since it feels good when you suck on both of them, I guess it’s okay."

A slender body pressed down on him. In the dim light, Kato experienced a feeling of confinement, as if being entangled by a vine wrapping around him. He fleetingly imagined a future as an old, decaying fisherman, with this man beside him.

 

THE END (MAIN STORY)

Pressing it firmly against one of his soft breasts.

"Do you want to be fondled?"

He nodded slightly. (From the text)

Footnotes

0. Content warning: NSFW, body mutilation, cannibalism, r*pe, su*cide mention, torture.

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