“Did you eat well?”

The text from Erika was more comforting than YF would have expected. “Yeah I really appreciated it, thanks,” YF replied.

“Good.”

A few seconds later another message from Erika came. “You’re ready for the wedding this weekend right?”

“Oh shi—” A few people on the train turned to look at him. He put his head in his hands. Not only had he forgotten about it, he had forgotten to visit Eiji at the Ward Office as well. YF couldn’t even remember if he told Eiji that he had moved to the Ward Office. That was something he could take care of later. For the wedding there was nothing more for YF to do other than show up. The big problem was the goshugi money. Where was he going to get that?

Just as he started ruminating over it, he arrived at Daimon-dori. YF picked up his backpack and exited the train, onto the street that he had patrolled so many times before. Though he had only gone for less than a week, it felt like he had been gone for years. Surprisingly, he also felt less nostalgia for the area than he had anticipated.

YF made his way through the mid evening shopping crowds to the Nakajima Enterprises office. When he arrived, the door was manned by a few men YF recognized as Higashikuni’s, the first time the wakagashira had visited him at the koban. YF was expecting one of them to start some trouble, but he only bowed with thinly veiled contempt, motioning for YF to proceed up the stairs. YF ascended slowly, noting the multiple pictures on the wall of past Nakajima family captains, including Nakajima. At the top of the stairs was a portrait of Doguchi Munetaka, the Chairman of Tomon-kai in the capital. YF doubted anyone from Tomon-kai Headquarters had ever even been to Itsugo. He proceeded to the office and knocked gently on the door.

“Come in!” he heard a voice from inside call out.

YF pushed the button to slide open the door and bowed once to Higashikuni, who was standing in the middle of the room and already making his way to YF. When Higashikuni reached YF, he bowed with his hands against his knees and then wrapped his arm around YF’s shoulders, gripping his left shoulder hard.

“Glad to see you!” said Higashikuni. “Come in come in! How are you doing Mr. Sakai?”

YF was not sure what made Higashikuni so chipper but he decided he did not like it. “Doing well, let’s sit down.”

“Of course!”

YF took a seat in a leather chair facing the door, with Higashikuni sitting across from him.

“Business going well?” asked YF.

“Of course!” said Higashikuni.

YF supposed that losing a bunch of guns would do little to slow down much less stop sectarian activity in Itsugo. It made him wonder what Nakajima needed them for anyway.

“Good, I need your help to protect the good citizens of Itsugo.” YF swiped until he got the file he had prepared for Higashikuni. He then swiped it to the latter’s terminal.

Higashikuni’s smile quickly faded. “Mr. Sakai?”

“I’m going to need some names, the orders are coming from the top, and we need to maintain peace in the Villages for national renewal, you know how it is.”

Higashikuni looked up from the terminal, a somewhat different feeling smile forming across his face. “Tea or a drink perhaps?”

YF waved his hand and stood up. “Forgive my manners but I must get going. They’re giving me a lot to do and very little time to do it. Please just send me the names and we will arrange how to create some accountability. ”As he turned, he saw two men with pistols in their hands standing in the doorway.

“I insist, Mr. Sakai. Please stay and have a bit of tea. We can discuss the details as we drink.”

YF turned back to the seat and sat down. “You have my attention.”

“Taniguchi!”

“Hai!”

“Fetch us some of the best Ardan Red. Should be in the basement. Brew it at the right

temperature please," Higashikuni ordered.

“Yes sir!”

YF tilted his head slightly. “Didn’t realize you liked tea as much as Nakajima did.”

“Nakajima shacho,” Higashikuni corrected. “And Nakajima shacho impresses on all of us the importance of tea when forming relations. Everything is smoother after a good cup.”

“What will be smoother between us after a good cup?"

"All in due time."

The two of them sat in silence until Taniguchi came back with a tray of teacups, kneeling down by the table and setting one in front of YF, and then one in front of Higashikuni. Taniguchi rose, bowed, and then exited the office.

"Please," said Higashikuni.

YF looked down at the dark red liquid. He then picked up the cup in one hand and drank about half of its contents. The tea was not as hot as he expected, so he finished the rest of it. "Tastes pretty good."

Higashikuni did not touch his cup, instead leaning forward toward YF. "I just had to make sure."

"Make sure of what?" asked YF, trying as hard as he could not to show his anxiety.

"You're still one of us, through and through."

"That depends on what you mean by us. From this town yes. I don't acknowledge any other association between the two of us."

"You a patriot, Mr. Sakai?"

"As much as any of us can be, why?"

Higashikuni nodded. "I'll send you the list of names Mr. Sakai. I appreciate you coming in person to make your request."

"Wouldn't do it any other way."

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"Taniguchi!"

"Hai!" Taniguchi came back into the office and bowed.

"Please show Mr. Sakai out, and send him with a box of this fine tea."

YF made as if to refuse, but then thought better of it. "Much appreciated Higashikuni."

Higashikuni smiled wider. "Of course."

***

YF did not want to visit Uwada Enterprises offices, instead calling Mizuno over to the spot where the latter had given him the rifles and body armor. YF swiped the case files over to Mizuno, who scrolled over them quite a bit longer than Higashikuni had before replying.

“Sure,” said Mizuno. “We will look into these cases and punish those who have not complied with company rules. Thank you for informing us, Mr. Sakai.”

YF was well aware that both groups would pick some of their lowest ranking foot soldiers to take the fall and go to prison. It was almost a rite of passage for the families. Still, if whoever was behind the renewed push on Division Four to solve the cases was satisfied, YF supposed that the goal would be achieved.

“I’d like another favor,” said YF.

“What is it Mr. Sakai?”

“I need money for my best friend’s wedding this weekend.”

“How much?”

“I’d like to give him double the goshugi amount for a close friend if possible.”

Mizuno pursed his lips. “Quite the sum.”

“Shouldn’t I have gotten something for the operation I just pulled?” asked YF.

“What operation?” asked Mizuno.

YF did not anticipate that question, and was unsure how to respond.

“Whatever you need from aniki you should ask from him immediately,” said Mizuno. “It’s best not to conceal things from him.”

“I think you can understand why I don’t want too much help from him.”

“And yet you already have, or you wouldn’t have undertaken some sort of operation for him.”

YF looked away.

“I do not want to ask or know too much,” said Mizuno. “But I believe for millenia most of us were taught to let business be business, and personal matters, personal matters. It’ll be a painful endeavor to try to make wise decisions in arenas where both are concerned, particularly in critical moments.”

“So you’re not fronting me the money?” asked YF.

“This time aniki did not order me to act against my better judgment, which means I will not. I think it best you talk to him yourself.”

“You’re right that I shouldn’t have dragged you into this,” YF admitted, though internally he could feel the dread of asking Uwada for anything churning his stomach.

“No, I’m glad you let me know.”

“Let me know the names within a week,” said YF.

“Sure,” said Mizuno.

***

“So what the fuck’s a Town Liaison supposed to be?”

“They get me to travel a bunch and talk to the people they don’t want to talk to in Itsugo. In return I get a train pass, which I wouldn't even have gotten unless I requested it specifically.”

“No pay raise?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Sounds like something we would do,” said Eiji.

YF had heard some people dealt with their wartime experiences by detaching themselves from most things. He was not sure whether Eiji was always like this or if his service made him that way. Either way, there was always a charismatic carefree nature to Eiji that drew people to him effortlessly. It was something YF envied.

"Ready for the big day?" asked YF.

"Feel like it's taken way too long to plan. Needs to just come already."

"How's Kaede feel?"

"She's all right. Don't see her much between work and the planning. She accused me a few times of not caring enough, so I pitched in."

"Pitch in how?"

"She got the invitation design down to two choices. I picked one, but even then had to convince her before she would go with it."

“Anything else?”

“Picked the reception food.”

“What? Trays full of tuna nigiri?” asked YF.

“You bet.”

"Uh huh."

"How did the planning for yours go?" asked Eiji.

"We had ours in Ikusayama," said YF. It was more or less planned by Erika's mom, and with Erika's mom being rather popular in the whole Prefecture, YF doubted she had to spend much effort to do it. Or was he mistaken? Erika had a habit of saying everything was fine when it was not. It was likely she got that from her mother, as YF did not remember his father in law acting as calmly as either of them. Perhaps his mother in law's carefree attitude on the day of his and Erika's wedding was just a mask.

"Yeah I know that. I went," said Eiji. "I mean like who planned it?"

"Oh, it was Erika's mom." If Erika’s mom led a rebellion it should mean that Erika was just as hardy, wouldn’t it? YF hoped that Erika could handle the stress of remaining in hiding with a possible threat to her life. Did Uwada actually send his men as he had promised? YF felt an overwhelming desire to go back to the apartment and be next to her. But if he did, they would have no money for even their most basic needs.

"Something the matter, man? You look distracted."

YF turned to Eiji. "I'm—I’m fine, not distracted."

"Shut up and tell me what's going on."

YF looked off to the side. "What's wrong with me Eij?"

"What does that mean?"

"Something's just wrong. I can feel it."

"You need to get a bit more specific than that."

YF was surprised to feel tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm…I'm scared." He turned to see a look of fear and confusion on Eiji's face.

"What's happening?" asked Eiji in a low voice.

YF found himself involuntarily spilling everything that had happened. "Erika's back, I'm about to have a baby, but things are happening beyond what I can understand. Something's going on, something's going on with me, something's going on with her. And I'm not sure I'm going to make it through whatever it is."

“You getting cabin fever from sitting in the koban so long?”

The fact that Eiji did not seem to take what he was saying seriously made him feel even more alone than before. “Yeah—yeah maybe that’s it,” said YF.

YF felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

"Look at me," Eiji said calmly.

YF looked up at him.

"As long as I have anything to say about it, it's going to be fine."

"I'm not sure either of us can do anything about it," YF whispered.

Eiji grabbed YF by the shirt collar and pulled him up. "Keep it together. Erika does not need this right now."

YF found himself choking up as he tried to reply.

Eiji gritted his teeth. "I will be a dead man before I let anything happen to you or Erika. I'll—"

"There's been an attack in Nishida City Sanchome at a night club on the 36th block. Multiple casualties reported. Officers be advised there are reports of heavily armed sectarian bands…"

Eiji let go of YF. "Ride with me, I have an extra rifle in the back.”

YF stared at him blankly.

“Get your ass up now!” Eiji shouted.

YF scrambled up off the chair, following Eiji as the latter rushed for his squad car.