"Aiko," Mr Murata called as she slowly made her way to the staircase.
Aiko froze.
There would be no sneaking in that night as he sat opposite his office door which had been left open.
Forcing each footstep, Aiko walked towards her father who sat, glaring, his usual expressionless face the manifestation of anger.
Mr Murata rose, straightening himself into a posture that, despite his slightly small physique, looked wholly menacing. "Where have you been?" he asked, looking down at her from his head which he still held high.
"We were at the park?"
"He came and took you like that, simply to go to the park?"
"He just wanted to talk."
"A boy has no business talking with a girl at this hour alone in the park." He emphasised all of the right words to make it sound a lot more scandalous than it was.
"Something happened to one of his friends and he needed someone to talk to," Aiko said, trying her best to defuse whatever thoughts he had.
"You dared to shame me in front of my friends and colleagues simply because he needed someone to talk to?" he said and then lurched forward and slammed his hand against her cheek with all the strength that he could muster.
Aiko stumbled before regaining her footing, her hand tenderly clasping at her throbbing cheek. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.
"How are you even associated with someone like him?"
"He's a friend. I've known him for a while now."
"From where? He doesn't attend your school."
Aiko shook her head. "I met him in the town centre the first time I skipped the tutor session."
"The first time?" he said, balling his hand into a fist.
Aiko dropped her head. "I had to get away. I can't follow your schedule anymore. It's non-stop. Everything is planned and controlled, there's nothing for me. I feel like I am drowning under all of your ideals and aspirations, daddy."
Mr Murata stepped forward again, a threatening look gleaming from his thinly narrowed eyes. "I organise many things for you to do for entertainment. Your mother has spoiled you with her foolish ideas." Despite the clear anger across his face, he kept his tone low and moderate. Each word grated her more than if he had shouted them.
"Her ideas were not foolish," Aiko screamed, seizing the opportunity to finally get her words off her chest. "She loved you and she lived here to be with you, but you turned it all into a hell for her and you suffocated her just like you're suffocating me."
Aiko jumped to the side as Mr Murata reached out to grab hold of her, but his movement was fast and he caught her hair which he pulled, bringing her back in close to him.
He straightened himself back up, looking even more menacingly at her. "You cannot handle a tight schedule and feel suffocated. So you offer yourself to the lowest bidder."
"I didn't offer myself to anyone, and Baji's not what you think he is." She struggled under his grip, each twist she gave only tightening her father's grip. "He's a good person. He's not just a street thug. It's just how some people get through life. Not everyone has what you have."
It was true. He was very fortunate to have everything that he had, but it hadn't come without hard work. Her grandfather had grown up in the lower ends of Shubiyu just as she imagined Baji did. But whereas her grandfather's friends were joining gangs and getting involved in all types of illicit behaviour, he had kept himself out of trouble and worked hard, building his business from scratch. Hard work was her grandfather's life motto, even her father had been made to work even harder than her grandfather before being allowed to receive any shares from the company.
"A true man makes his way in life without fighting and stealing."
"He's not a thief," she mumbled between sobs.
"That's enough, Aiko," he said with a finality that hit harder than his slap. He threw her back with a flick of his wrist as if discarding an unwanted sweet wrapper and walked back to his desk. "I have no more to say to you. Except that you will not see that boy again, nor will you continue to corrupt Daichi and the others with your unruly ways."
Mr Murata ignored her as she called his name, instead he shuffled through a small pile of papers that lay on his desk. She'd seen that stack before. They were the best boarding schools in Japan. He'd shown them to her on several occasions when he felt she needed motivation to behave herself. Only this time, he wasn't threatening her. The papers weren't there for her benefit.
"Daddy," she called again, rushing forward and gripping the edge of his desk. "Please ... please don't do this."
"Go to your room, Aiko."
"Please ... One of his friends was stabbed tonight so he just wanted to see me. He just needed a friend. Please don't send me away."
Mr Murata continued to ignore her, shutting his computer down and putting the papers into the drawer.
"Daddy," she called one last time, but her plea was left unanswered as Mr Murata walked out of the office.
* * *
Aiko woke the next morning to a knock at her door. The left side of her face, which boasted a reddened cheek and swollen lip, still stung.
Koyuki entered to inform her that she had a visitor who was waiting with her father to see her.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment dreading the fact that it was most likely Baji. There was no getting through to her father, he was solidly set in his ways, and a random visit from someone who he considered 'the lowest bidder' would never change his mind. Nevertheless, if Baji had made the effort to keep his word about approaching her father, she would play along and put her trust in him.
Aiko moved quickly to the bathroom to freshen up and then made her way down to the office. She still wore her night clothes which her father could consider disrespectful, but she'd had enough of trying to live up to his standards.
She knocked once before she heard her father's voice, directing her to enter.
Baji was sitting on the small office sofa wearing a semi-formal suit, with Mr Murata seated on his office chair directly in front of him.
Mr Murata didn't speak except for the word 'sit' and he directed Aiko to the space beside Baji. Despite the situation, she was still excited to see Baji. She'd never seen him with his hair tied in a man bun which fit with his suit nicely giving him a hardworking-intern look. She sat down and gave a quick look in his direction while fighting her hardest to restrain her smile. Baji didn't seem to have that problem - a deep frown set on his brow as his eyes scanned her cheek and lip reminding Aiko of the bruising. She dropped her gaze quickly to her hands that she held on her lap.
"Your friend Baji tells me that he would like you to accompany him to visit Ryuguji in hospital." Mr Murata said and then remained silent, coaxing a response from Aiko.
Ryuguji? Aiko thought, being distracted momentarily. That was the first time she'd heard Draken's real name. Aiko glanced at Baji before nodding. "Can I?" she asked.
"Did you know Baji would come here today?" he asked, completely ignoring her question.
Aiko nodded.
"Yet you said nothing."
"You didn't give me a chance to say anything."
He let out a low 'hmm'.
Baji sat quietly with his finger and foot tapping in unison, as Mr Murata questioned Aiko about their first and subsequent meetings. He had already given Baji a similar questioning, so she assumed it was for the sake of catching out any errors. Baji had spoken mostly truthfully, giving the general description of how everything had happened while leaving out details that, although innocent enough, could easily be construed the wrong way.
Bringing her back to Chifuyu's house was left out for obvious reasons, as well as the attack. Baji didn't think it was fair to involve Daichi, who had made such an effort to cover the whole ordeal, he was also aware that such an event could easily warrant an immediate dismissal of any further conversation, which Baji wouldn't blame her father for.
Aiko's responses were more or less in sync with Baji's. Aside from going back to Chifuyu's house and the attack, which she left out for similar reasons to Baji, she didn't feel the need to lie much about anything else that had happened.
"That brings us to last night," he said, giving no indication as to whether he was pleased with the responses or not. "Your friend was stabbed so you sought out Aiko for comfort."
"I wanted to see her," Baji answered, his usual no-nonsense manner still active despite wanting to make the best impression. "I just needed to know she was okay."
"So you felt it was justified to steal her away like a thief in the night?"
"He didn't steal me away," Aiko interjected.
Mr Murata's gaze turned into a fierce glare as he glanced at Aiko. "A man should be allowed to speak for himself," he said with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I didn't steal her away," Baji repeated Aiko's words. His eyes clearly expressed his disapproval of Mr Murata's manner with Aiko, although his voice remained even.
Mr Murata locked his fingers into each other and placed them on his lap, assuming the position of a man about to give an interview. "What do you want from my daughter, Baji?"
Baji's eyes narrowed as he took a glance at Aiko.
"Come now," Mr Murata continued. "Let's not waste time. We know what this conversation is about."
Baji nodded. "I don't want anything. Just her friendship."
"So, you are only friends?"
"Her companionship," Baji corrected.
"I see." Mr Murata's eyes openly scanned Baji's apparel and overall appearance before speaking again. He wasn't nearly as clean-cut as Daichi, but he could pass as one of the boys you might meet at Aiko's school if Mr Murata hadn't already seen him in his full gang attire the night before. "You thought it was okay to take a man's daughter without first approaching the father? Did your mother not teach you basic etiquette?"
Aiko's eyes widened as she looked at Baji. His face remained sombre, but she knew it wouldn't be easy for him to tolerate disrespect towards his mother.
"My mother taught me fine. As I'm sure you taught Aiko well although you didn't know she was sneaking out and meeting up with me until I showed up last night." Baji kept his gaze fixed firmly on Aiko's father as he spoke.
"Are you suggesting that it was Aiko who moved in on you?"
"Nobody moved in on anybody," Baji said.
"Yet here you are, with some kind of hold over my daughter which causes her to disobey her father and shame her family."
"She wouldn't need to disobey you if you allowed her to have any say in her life."
Aiko's eyes flicked from Baji to her father and back as they discussed her as if she wasn't even there.
"Aiko is a vulnerable girl who does not understand the world of boys. I'm sure you recognised this."
Baji's eyes narrowed at Murata's insinuation. He wasn't one to take advantage of anyone, let alone girls.
"This is why you wanted to become close to her, isn't it?" Mr Murata coaxed.
"No," Baji said firmly. "It wasn't like that, at all. We were just friends, but then ..." Baji clenched his jaw as his eyes scrolled the flooring while he considered his words. "I started ... to care about her ... a lot."
"I see. You love her?"
Aiko held her breath as she waited for the answer which Baji never gave. Instead, he simply raised his head and fixed his gaze firmly on Mr Murata's, which somehow was enough of an answer for him.
"Very well," he began. "If you love her then you must understand how important it is for her to not be associated with your world. Especially as your friend was stabbed last night."
Baji nodded.
"Daddy, please." Aiko had known the conversation would bear in such a direction, but the sudden articulation of her father's thoughts was still a surprise. Her father was forever the businessman, asking all the right questions to give hope to potential partners while setting up justifications for his decline.
"Aiko," her father said, his eyes not leaving Baji's. "Do not interrupt when men are speaking."
She dropped her head and set her gaze on Baji's hand which sat on his knee, slowly tightening into a fist.
"Mr Murata," he eventually said. "I've also considered this which is why I haven't seen her these last few weeks. But I haven't been able to stop thinking about her."
Mr Murata's eyebrows dipped, confused by Baji's sudden change of attitude as softness and authenticity over toned his words. His own attitude took on a softer note as he leaned into the arm of his chair to listen.
"I know you think I'm just a kid with problems who only knows how to deal with them by beating people up, and you're probably right. I get angry ... all the time. But somehow, whenever I'm with Aiko I feel just that little bit less angry. Like, maybe ... I don't know ... I enjoy being with her more than I enjoy hitting people, I guess." Baji gave a small laugh, shocked by his confession. "I would do anything to keep her safe, but I would also do anything to be able to be with her."
The room fell in silence for some time with each person deep in thought until Mr Murata spoke again.
"I appreciate a man who can own up to his responsibilities," Mr Murata said, his voice holding a friendlier tone than Aiko usually heard. "And a man who can speak so sincerely about how he feels is a true wonder. But I cannot consent to your relationship with my daughter."
Baji's jaw tightened as his brow dipped into a deep frown.
"Why, daddy? He answered all of your questions, he's trying to ..."
"Aiko."
Baji's fist noticeably tightened as Murata's voice resounded throughout the room.
Please don't lose your temper, Aiko internally pleaded Baji, at the same time reaching over to place her hand on his.
Baji's eyes closed at her touch and his face relaxed while his breathing shallowed out.
Mr Murata looked directly at her then for the first time during the conversation. "Do not overstep your boundaries, Aiko," he said with that same unusually soft edge accompanying his stern voice, and then with a light sigh he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card.
"If you wish to be true to your feelings, maybe you should rethink the direction of your life. But I intend to stand by my decision until I see any reason to change it. So, I'm afraid you will not see Aiko again after today."
"What does that mean?" Baji asked.
"It means there will be no more library or dojo meetings. Aiko leaves on Monday for a new school in a new city and will not be coming back until I deem it necessary."
Aiko's mouth dropped then, shocked by the news. "But daddy ..."
"This is not open for discussion," he said, his voice resuming its cold, firm edge. "You may walk Baji to the door and say goodbye." And then to Baji, he simply said, "Thank you for meeting with me."
Without responding, Baji took the card, placed it into his pocket and stood, waiting for Aiko to rise beside him before walking to the door.
"He made me say all of that for nothing," Baji said once they were out of Mr Murata's office and earshot. "He had no intention of considering me, did he?" He threw a kick at an imaginary chair before noticing Aiko walking in stunned silence. "Hey," he said, softening his voice. "It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna come and get you, remember?"
"I don't even know where I'm going," she said.
"Well, as soon as you do know, call me and I'll come."
Aiko looked up at him as her eyes filled. He was positive as usual, despite being annoyed. If he only knew what an excellent planner her father was. If he didn't want her found, it was quite likely that she never would be.
"Baji," she said in a small voice after she opened the front door for him. "I don't regret any moment that I've had since I met you. They've been some of the best times in my whole life."
"Stop it," Baji said dismissively. "You're making it sound final. That's not the case."
"I've never told you ... I ..." she wanted to tell him that she loved him and exactly how much she loved him. She wanted to tell him every sweet thought and feeling she'd had since they became friends, how much he'd brightened her world and made her enjoy living. But no words came out, only sobs.
Baji wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. She hadn't even cried that much the night he'd ended it with her. Perhaps she was still slightly drugged, but he knew it was more likely her stubborn-headedness and her insistence on being with him. She hadn't planned to just let him walk out of her life like that.
"Stop," he said softly into her ear, unable to understand why she seemed as though she had given up. Was Mr Murata's threat that serious? She'd said he'd threatened to send her away many times, was there something new in this threat that made her believe him? Whatever it was, he didn't care. His determination could be just as strong.
One of the house workers approached, making a small noise to clear their throat before telling Baji that they had been instructed to bring Aiko in and close the door.
Baji nodded in acknowledgement, but before letting go, pressed his lips against Aiko's ear and whispered. "This isn't the end, Aiko. I promise you."