Sleeping With Money (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 26🌻

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Gulf came to on a hospital bed.

First jumped up in excitement. He looked like he'd been crying.

"This is great!" he said. "Sir! You're on the news! A live broadcast, a newsflash! You were in the newspapers, too! I cut them out for you. You even made it into the sports papers!"

As first excitedly babbled on. Gulf gradually figured out what must have happened. What had started off as local news, soon made its way to the national networks. The media had jumped on the breathtaking tale of two brave men escaping a burning building.

"A guy from another gang recorded it on video," First continued. "I'll show you! Here, watch!"

He replayed the story on a television next to the bed. In the video, two men emerged from the burning building. Both had coats over their heads and were covered in soot, so Gulf couldn't determine who was who. But Mew had definitely risked his life to save him.

A reporter's voice narrated, "One man who ran into the smoke-filled building was a gang member. Now he's out. Oh. It's two men. There are two men. Looks like they've escaped unharmed."

So a gang member had run into a burning building. What a story. It had catapulted him into news, if only for a short time. Soon, some financial scandal involving a well-known politician took the spotlight. So his story was now old news, much to First's annoyance.

Gulf, still dazed from just waking up, was finding it hard to take in all this new informarion. Just then, First's cellphone rang.

"Boss, it's the president."

Gulf took the phone and heard a loud scream.

"You, Gulf! What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Huh?" was all Gulf could say.

"You asshole!" the president cursed. "The Kantou Hinodegumi is a gang. Gang members don't get rescued! You made us look like wimps---we're the fucking laughingstock of all the gang!"

The president was definitely angry. Gulf heard him throwing something across the room.

"You are no longer a member of Kantou Hinodegumi," the president barked. "This is it. You have no connection with us. And if you give our name to the media, this won't be the end of it."

The president raged on some more, then finally hung up.

Gulf was stunned.

"Is the president mad?" First asked innocently, taking back his phone. "Lots of people have called about you."

The Yakuza hated being ridiculed. But even if Gulf said the whole thing was a big lie, he still couldn't go back to the gang.

What was happening to him? Had he been reborn in the fire? He was finally free, and he didn't even have to lose a finger.

Gulf started to laugh.

"Not bad," he said.

"Huh? What do you mean, sir?" First asked.

"I'm not in the gang anymore, he fired me," Gulf announced. "If you wanna keep your job, you'd better get over to his office."

"No! My place is with you! If you go, so will I. I'll follow you anywhere!" First declared passionately.

"Don't be such an idiot!" Gulf lifted himself up on the bed to get a better shot at First's head.

Just then the door opened, and in walked Mew. As soon as he saw him, Gulf's heart skipped a beat, but he avoided direct eye contact.

Mew gently called out, "Uh, First, can you give us a minute? I need to talk to Gulf."

"Sure. See you tomorrow, sir! We can talk about it then!" First said with a wave. He was still loyal, despite Gulf's brand-new lack of power.

"What does he want to talk about?" Mew asked with interest.

He's wearing a suit. He must not be a patient here.

"Nothing, really," Gulf replied. "Is the old man all right?"

"Turns out Mr. Rachan was never there in the first place," Mew said.

"Huh?" Gulf gasped, raising his eyebrows.

Mew sat on a stool by the bed and crossed his legs. "Lovely gets a lot of information, not just on your Hinodegumi, but in the Asahigumi, the group above you. One of their members leaked the order to burn Mr. Rachan's factory. I knew you wouldn't listen to me, so I decided to keep quiet and see what happened. The day you were planning to make your move. I found Mr. Rachan in bed with a cold. I took him away. Caused some trouble, didn't you, Gulf?"

"So you knew everything?" Gulf asked incredulously.

"I only checked to make sure everything would be safe," Mew said. "But I didn't predict that First would get drunk and spill the gas, or that you would run into the burning building. I called out for you to stop, but you didn't hear me. As soon as I realized that, I ran in after you."

"Oh, I see," Gulf mumbled. "I should say sorry."

"No need to be sorry," Mew said. "I want something else."

TBC