episode_0030

Episode 30

“Arrived, Seonwoo. It’s a bit cramped, but I hope you’ll understand given the circumstances.”

These were Ayase’s words as we entered a traditional mansion that looked like a palace that we would only see in Japanese movies.

I see. This place seemed cramped to Ayase.

As I was about to enter the long, lined garden following her, several members of the organization who had been waiting in the mansion approached me.

They looked at me with eyes full of suspicion, then lowered their heads and asked Ayase cautiously.

“Miss. This person is… … ”

“I can vouch for Seonwoo’s identity. Do you have anything else to say?”

“… … No. There isn’t.”

I thought he was going to say something more, but he surprisingly left cleanly. However, he left the gazes of those who still couldn’t help but look at him with suspicion, took off his shoes in the hallway, and went into a room.

Is this a tatami mat? How interesting.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Seonwoo. I hope you can understand as everyone is on edge.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to bow your head every time.”

It’s good to be polite, but if it’s too much, it can feel distant. Ayase seemed to understand what I meant, and her stiff face relaxed a little as she continued to speak.

“Yes. Then I will explain what is happening in our organization now.”

Ayase’s explanation was exactly as I had seen on the app on the way here. Ayase’s father, the head of the Minamoto-gumi, had been attacked a few days ago, and because of that, the situation was on the verge of war.

“Which organization is the most suspicious?”

“This is Fujiwara-gumi. Our power is similar and our territories are close, so we have been in constant conflict with each other for generations.”

That was information I already knew.

However, as an outsider, it would be suspicious if I knew too much about the Yakuza’s circumstances, so I had to pretend to slowly gather information one by one.

“Did you catch the culprit who stabbed your father?”

“Unfortunately, not yet. I think it was probably stolen from Fujiwara-gumi.”

No. He is already dead. By a traitor within the Minamoto-gumi.

“So what is the current situation of the Minamoto-gumi? Are you thinking of going to war right now?”

“Of course, but it is not as easy as it sounds. As my father said, my father’s right-hand man, the vice-chief, is also a moderate and is against the war.”

The deputy chieftain seemed to be saying that reconciliation with the Fujiwara-gumi was necessary and that he would take on the role of mediator.

Because of this, there is continued friction with the hardliners and young blood.

“To be honest, an all-out war would be very dangerous for us as well. If the three major organizations were to go to war now that the Yakuza’s position has been greatly reduced due to the Anti-Terrorism Act, what would happen…? … ”

Ayase lowered her head. Although she was only a young girl in her early twenties, the weight of responsibility on her shoulders was enormous.

Of course, if she wanted to, she could live by pushing the burden onto others, but the problem was that Ayase couldn’t have that kind of irresponsible personality.

And it’s my job to do something about this.

“Ayase.”

“Yes?”

“Do you trust me?”

When I asked Ayase a question after hearing the whole story, she seemed puzzled but was about to answer.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside.

Then, a bloody member of the organization burst into the room.

“Miss! Avoid!”

“What’s going on!”

“Those Hankure bastards hired by Fujiwara-gumi…!”

I thought it was time to come, so I got up from my seat and said.

“I’ll go and hear the answer when I get back.”

I went down into the garden through the open door outside the room.

“… … … ”

My feet started to hurt, maybe because I was only wearing socks.

—

“Seonwoo?!”

There was no time to stop her. Her lover got up from his seat without a care and threw himself into the fight as if he was going out for a walk.

“No!”

“Miss!”

Ayase tried to follow Lee Seon-woo while screaming in her mind, but was stopped by other members of the organization.

Lee Seon-woo is definitely tall and has a good physique. This is probably because he doesn’t neglect his training. In a normal fight, he probably wouldn’t lose.

But the fights of the yakuza are completely different. No matter how much you train your muscles, they cannot stop a sword.

“Seonwoo!”

He desperately called out his lover’s name, but there was no answer. He couldn’t shake off the hands of the members of the organization that were trying to stop him.

He was obviously very happy when he offered to help him. He was happy, but it wasn’t like he wanted to be helped in this way.

Ayase regretted it. She shouldn’t have accepted his help. She was just too happy. Her eyes were clouded with indescribable joy at the fact that the one she loved had made up her mind for her.

He was a civilian, and we shouldn’t have brought him to a place like this.

If he was kind, it was obvious he would act like this.

“Please. Please…!”

The sounds of shouting, fighting, and cursing that were so loud it hurt my ears gradually died down.

It was something I always hated to hear since I was little, but now I wish it would just continue.

But then, cruelly, the sound stopped. When it finally reached a quiet silence.

“Miss!”

Ayase forcibly shook off the members of the organization who tried to dissuade her and ran into the garden.

And then I saw it.

“What the heck. Why are you coming out in such a dangerous way?”

The sight of the lovers, shaking off their bloody hands with a calm demeanor, just like when they left the mansion amidst dozens of Han-gu-re who had raided it.

“Seo, Seonwoo?”

“? Why?”

Ayase looked around with a bewildered face and was shocked once again.

Not only the Hangure who had attacked, but also the members of the Minamoto-gumi organization were all holding swords.

And yet, no one died. No one was even dying.

“What the heck is this…?”

“But I’d like to hear the answer to the question I asked earlier.”

Ayase locked eyes with Lee Seon-woo, who had suddenly come closer, and quickly lowered her head as if to hide her reddened face.

And he answered.

“… … Yes. I believe you♡”

She covered her stomach with both hands, as if trying to hide her uterus, which was starting to tremble on its own.

—

This works.

Oh, needless to say, I didn’t defeat all these guys alone. The Minamoto-gumi members also fought hard.

Anyway, I didn’t have much fighting experience in my life and it was my first time facing so many guys with swords, so it was a bit dangerous.

So, I tried to subdue them by beating them instead of killing them if possible, and I thought that there was nothing I could do if I killed them, but somehow I ended up subduing them all alive.

“Brother, where did you learn martial arts?”

“Hey, you’re killing me. I should go to the gym too.”

“Thank you for saving me earlier, bro! I’ll follow you for the rest of my life!”

Even the members of the organization who had been looking at me with suspicion when I entered the mansion began to look at me with very favorable eyes.

Of course, it’s a natural reaction since they saved their lives, but it’s a bit awkward to receive it because it changed so much all at once.

Surrounded by the organization members, Ayase approached and coughed loudly.

“Ahem! Seonwoo is tired from the fight a little while ago. Everyone, please step back and clean up.”

“Yep!”

After hearing the young lady’s words, the members of the organization dispersed in a flurry. I was curious about how the yakuza would deal with the aftermath, but I guess they wouldn’t kill the ones they had saved.

“Yes. Even for us, if this many people die, it would be a big problem.”

“Is that what Fujiwara-gumi was after?”

“That’s right. That’s why I can’t thank you enough, Seonwoo.”

I grabbed Ayase’s shoulder as she tried to lower her head again and pulled her into my arms.

“Seo, Seonwoo!”

Ayase was flustered, but she didn’t try to escape from his embrace. On the contrary, when he let her go, she made a sound as if she was sorry.

“Ah… … ”

“Then shall we go inside and finish what we were talking about earlier?”

“Are you okay?”

“No problem.”

I went back into the room, closed the door, told Ayase to wait a moment, and then opened the app.

Then I used the peeking hole function to download all the necessary information onto my phone and showed it to Ayase.

“This is…?!”

“Don’t ask me where I got it. I can’t answer. It’s not that I don’t want to answer, but if I do, you and this organization will be in danger.”

What I showed him, with somewhat plausible words, was evidence that the deputy chief of the Minamoto-gumi was in collusion with the Fujiwara-gumi.

The evidence downloaded was overwhelming.

There were also records of large sums of money being remitted from Fujiwara-gumi, text messages exchanged with members of that organization, and conversations that provided detailed information on when to attack the leader of Minamoto-gumi.

“The one who stabbed my father will be dealt with by the second-in-command…? Hey, Seonwoo! Is this true!”

“If it’s a question about the credibility of information, I’d say I’m willing to risk my life.”

After hearing the answer, Ayase jumped up from her seat.

“I’ll find the boss right now and make him pay!”

“Then it’s a civil war. First, calm down.”

“But Seonwoo!”

It was pitiful to see Ayase looking impatient, but I still had to shake my head.

“Not today. The second-in-command must have realized that the Hangure guys failed, so he must be on high alert, worried that his name might have been mentioned.”

“Then what do you want me to do!”

What can I do? I have to catch it.

“The young people who want war and the boss keep having friction. You create a place where you can mediate. Then, you spread the evidence so that all the members of the organization can see it, and then you catch them while they are panicking.”

According to the organizational chart and the relationships between members of the organization seen through the app, it is obvious that not all of the subordinates of the vice-captain drank with him.

So, if we just kill a few of the bosses, including the vice-captain, the situation will be resolved.

“Seonwoo… !”

I quietly patted Ayase’s back as she hugged me with a moved expression. Later that night, a small banquet was held to celebrate the victory of today’s battle and welcome me.

Everyone said they were sorry that it was a small banquet because the organization couldn’t make it too grand, but by my standards, it was grand enough.

After enjoying some food and drinks and washing up, I went into the room I was assigned.

Ayase, dressed in a pure white kimono-like outfit and kneeling, was waiting for me in the room.

Ayase, who had been waiting with her back straight, opened her mouth as soon as I entered the room.

“Seonwoo. You don’t know how much gratitude and joy I felt from you today. Of course, it’s not a very good situation, but I think it’s good to strengthen our bond with each other at times like this… … ”

“Ayase.”

I interrupted Ayase’s smooth flow of speech as if she was reciting a prepared line, walked forward, looked down at her, and spoke.

“Be honest.”

“… … … I wish you would hug me.”

“Okay.”

This alone was worth risking one’s life for.