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chapter twenty-one
the callous heart
Tetsu stayed in the room long after Cobra, Hyuga and Gillian had cleared out, staring at the spot where his lover once sat, trying to comprehend to conversation that the blonde had with Hyuga before she ran off. He mentally applauded Gillian for her strength in resisting the glass of sake, and wondered how long to give the Canadian before he ran out and tried to find her.
"You have no idea what she's going through." Shu Kato spoke softly. "Hold her close tonight, be her strength when she isn't sure she has any. I know the signs when I see them: her hands were shaking, she was dying for a drink."
Tetsu turned to look at the Daruma's second in command. "You don't know anything about Gilly Wagner, Kato." He scoffed
"I know more than you think." Shu pushed, reaching inside his jacket pocket for his phone. He clicked it on, showing Tetsu the picture frozen as his home screen: Shu's red hair falling freely around his face, the arms of a pale brunette wrapped around his neck as she placed a kiss to Shu's cheek. "Her name was Fuyu. We were supposed to get married. She was an alcoholic as well. Fuyu's second relapse killed her."
Tetsu took the phone from Shu's hand, uncertainty in his movements as he wondered where this conversation could be heading. Shu's phone screen had gone dark, and the younger man clicked the button on the side to light up the device, the screensaver shifted to another picture of Fuyu. The brunette was leaing against the side of a red motorbike, her black uniform spotless, hair in a prim bun. A silver badge glistened on her chest.
"Fuyu was a beat cop, the best one Daruma territory had ever seen." Shu smiled fondly, thinking of the woman he had once loved, a fondness in his voice that told Tetsu that he still loved her. "I was twenty years old, I just got out of Rasen for assault and battery. My first night free of that place, and I got into a stupid bar fight over at Bar Odake in Sannoh, you know the place." Shu grinned. "I violated my parole after being on the outside for two hours. Fuyu was the cop that responded to the call. I think she took pity on me, told me she thought I was cute and she wouldn't report me if I'd go to dinner with her. I said yes, and I never imagined that I was going to fall in love with her."
Tetsu's face softened as he passed Shu the phone, both men taking seats on either side of the low table. Tetsu reached for Gillian's untouched glass of sake, uncomfortable having this conversation while sober.
"God, Fuyumi was the light of my life. Kept me out of trouble, she did. So imagine my surprise when I found out Ukyo was her father." Shu laughed grimly, downing a freshly-poured glass of sake. "I nearly pissed myself. But he's a decent guy, her mother is the emotional wreck." His eyes began to well with tears. "I loved her so much, god damn it. She was it for me: funny, beautiful, smart. She knew how to kick ass if she needed to. I was going to marry her."
When Tetsu finally spoke, his voice was quiet, mind filled with thoughts of his sister and Hans Chen, her new French boyfriend, as well as his parents- two of the most in-love people he had ever seen. "I'm so sorry, man."
