The silence was deafening, the only sound echoing through the wooden room coming from the ice clinking against the glass of whiskey.
Reiji opened his eyes after the long deliberation.
"Why go so far? I'm clearly not competent enough to lead the syndicate, nor am I even remotely interested. What about my stepbrother, who would practically give anything to be your successor?"
He brought up the son that his Dad's second wife had brought into the marriage, an ambitious guy that was a year older than Reiji.
They didn't get along.
At all.
But he had to admit, his stepbrother was built for this lifestyle, and would be the perfect person to take over the the operations once his dad wanted to retire.
Ambition? Check.
Ruthlessness? Check.
Cunningness? Check.
Fighting Skills? Check.
He basically checked every box that a gangster might need to be successful.
"Your brother..... Hmm, that isn't important right now. Like I said, I won't ask for your reasons for wanting to stay away from the business, and I expect you to do the same for mine. There's a right time for everything, and that moment isn't now. All you need to do is adhere to the deal," Daichi replied, dodging the question.
"Do you even know what a deal means? This isn't a deal, it's coercion," Reiji scoffed.
"Call it whatever you want. Do your best, and I'll cut down the duration accordingly, agreed?"
"....Doesn't seem like I have a choice. But I have a condition."
Daichi raised an eyebrow with slight interest.
"What is it?"
"I reserve the right to turn down a task if it's something I reeeallly don't want to do. Don't worry, I won't misuse it and deny every assignment, I want to shorten the time period as well after all," Reiji said seriously, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"....That's fair. I accept the terms," Daichi nodded, extending his free hand towards his son.
Reiji's eyes twitched as he stared at the calloused palm, finding the gravity and nature of this meeting quite amusing. It felt like he was meeting the leader of the Yagami Syndicate and not his father.
To be fair, that was exactly the case.
He sighed defeatedly and shook his hand, signaling the beginning of a chaotic journey.
One that would redefine who Yagami Reiji was.
And one that would provide a clue as to why he was brought to this world.
***
"Reiji, do you want to move back into the mansion? It must have been tough living by yourself, right? No wonder you look so thin, you must not be eating properly...."
Reiji blinked rapidly, his mind struggling to adapt to the sudden change in atmosphere. Just a minute ago, he was talking with the King of the Underworld, the leader of the biggest Yakuza group in the country....
And now?
He was talking to his father.
Though Daichi's face still looked indifferent, he could sense the layer of softness and emotion in his eyes. It was a little surreal because of how quick the change was, so he didn't reply immediately.
"....Are you mad at me for sending you away? I thought it was in your best interests, but maybe it was a little harsh..." Daichi continued, assuming his son was angry when he didn't get a response.
Something clicked in Reiji's mind, and things became a little more clear to him.
Yagami Daichi really was an idiot.
But only when it came to his family.
When working, he was a stern, cold, and intimidating man who controlled most of the black market, a symbol of excellence for the Yakuza members that practically worshipped him.
But at times like this, he was a father who didn't know how to parent his children.
It's not like Reiji was unaware of this, his memories somewhat indicated that already. But seeing it firsthand gave him a different perspective.
"...You don't have to worry Dad, I actually think that sending me away was the best thing you could have done. It forced me to be more responsible about myself, making me reflect on how I've been acting ever since.... You know," Reiji finally spoke, lying through his teeth without flinching.
He needed to show that he was willing to grow, it would only be more advantageous for him. Pretending like he was still that immature little shit was no longer on the table, not after the 'agreement' that they had reached.
"I see.... But still, now that you have reflected, maybe you should come back after all?" Daichi asked, the worry still laced on his expressionless face.
"N-No, I think this is better for now at least. I mean, think about it. I've been pampered my entire life, not knowing how to take care of myself if there wasn't someone there to do it for me.... These past few weeks where I've lived on my own, I realized just how much I've missed out on. Did you know, I've been learning how to cook recently? If I come back now it would be spitting on all the progress I've made, so please let me do this," Reiji rambled on, determined to at least keep his privacy.
'They want me to do Yakuza work? Fine. But leave me alone for the rest of the time!'
Daichi listened quietly, only showing a small reaction when Reiji mentioned cooking. He couldn't imagine his delinquent son with a ladle or spatula, it just seemed....wrong.
Maybe he just wanted to play with knives?
"...Fine, I'll allow it. But I want you to visit regularly or there will be consequences," Daichi warned, returning to the terrifying voice he normally used to intimidate people.
But to Reiji, all he could hear was a pouting daddy who wanted to meet his son. He couldn't help but smile, a warm feeling washing over him.
Then he remembered he was just forced into working as a gangster without his consent, wiping the amusement off his face.
"....Don't worry, I'll visit."
"Good, if you have anything else you can let me know. Otherwise, you may leave."
"Ok Dad, I'll see you soon," Reiji said, standing up from his chair.
As he turned to leave, something caught his eye. Hanging over the exit was a family picture, placed in a way that it could be seen directly from his Father's office chair.
He hadn't noticed it before because it was out of his line of sight, but his eyes widened when he saw it. It contained a younger Yagami Daichi, whose hair was much shorter and had no gray strands, and a gorgeous woman with curly orange hair and the brightest blue eyes.
The same eyes as the young child they were holding, who had black hair and the most adorable and innocent grin. The family looked happy, even Daichi had a rare content smile that didn't look out of place despite his usual nature.
'Right.... Even in this life I don't have a mother.'
Reiji eyes dimmed as he stood still, blankly gazing at the framed picture.
Memories of a lively and kind woman, the same one on the wall, flashed in his head. Alongside it, the despair and agony of losing that gift that illuminated life itself spiked through his brain, involuntarily causing him to tear up.
'Damn..... His emotions still haven't been completely flushed out?'
As he wiped his eyes, Daichi noticed that he had been frozen in place.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"H-Huh? Nothing, I'm leaving now," Reiji replied as he refocused his fuzzy mind.
Daichi glanced at the picture and back at his son, guilt washing through him for a brief second.
"....For the good work on the protection task, I'm transferring 10 Million Yen to your account. Let me know if you need anything else," he spoke, causing Reiji to stiffen again.
He turned back quizzically, but he didn't refuse it.
"Uh, thanks Dad."
"Mhm. Takeda will drop you back to your apartment," Daichi nodded before picking up another stack of documents.
As Reiji was reaching for the door, he thought of something.
"By the way, Beardy called you a softie. Do you know what he meant by that?"
Daichi narrowed his eyes and put down the paper in his hands.
"....On second thought, I need Takeda for something. Ask Raiden to take you back."
***
Reiji stepped out, breathing a sigh of relief.
'That didn't go well.... But not too bad either.'
"Boss! How was it? You didn't fight, did you?"
Beardy and Baldy quickly walked up to him, eager for an update. Reiji blinked slowly, and then patted Beardy's shoulder.
"It was really nice knowing you, thank you for everything," he said with a trace of pity.
"Huh? I don't understand?" Beardy asked in confusion.
"Dad said he needed you for something, so I was just saying goodbye. Baldy will take me home," Reiji just smiled innocently.
Beardy tilted his head, still bewildered, but he had no time to think.
"Is that so? Then I can't keep him waiting! I'll see you later Boss, Raiden, take good care of him!"
"Leave him to me Takeda-san, I will protect him with my life!" Baldy saluted with determination.
As Beardy entered his Father's office, Reiji walked off with a grin.
'Don't worry Baldy, I haven't forgotten your betrayal. Your time will come as well!'