Round Two (KBTBB FF)

39 - Progress

Soryu's P.O.V.

2 Weeks Later

"Oh, hey Sor! Come on in." Baba, who seems pleasantly surprised, invites me into his suite.

I close the door behind me and see Ota seated at the couch with a bright lamp pointed at a sculpture he's appraising.

"Hi Soryu, weren't you coming back in like... August or something?" Ota glances in my direction.

"I run both Hong Kong and Japanese branches with my second in command, so I travel to where I'm needed most. Have you been working, Baba?" I glance at some of the artifacts in boxes.

"Yeah, I just got back from Greece and Ota happened to be in the country." He picks up a bottle of liquor and tosses it at me. "Brought this back for you."

"Thank you." I glance over the bottle of Ouzo.

"What are you doing here?" Ota interjects.

"I came to speak with Baba."

"Cool, can I have your gun?" He extends an open palm.

"Ota, I'm sure Sor's not going to kill me." Baba glances nervously in my direction. "Right?"

To mess with Baba, I don't respond and place the gun in Ota's palm, to which he laughs out loud.

"Oh shit, really?" Ota grins. "You've always had a loose tongue with Soryu, so your time has arrived, old man." His comments make Baba pout.

"I'm not here to kill you."

"Oh thank god." Baba sighs with relief.

"But I do have a favor to ask." I speak to him in Mandarin and Ota frowns.

"Really? You don't even trust me with what you have to say?"

"This is for Baba's ears only. If you want in, learn Mandarin." I glance at him.

"Let's go to the kitchen." Baba responds.

We leave an irritated Ota behind and Baba closes the dining room doors behind us. He begins to boil water in the kitchen and I sit at the island.

"I'm only going to say this once, and I won't repeat any of it. If you make a big deal or tell anyone else, I'm going to stop talking to you."

"..Okay." He nods.

"First, I recognize that my behavior these past years has been poor and erratic. I thought I was going to be able to handle their passing, but a few hours after the funeral services, I received a package with divorce papers signed by Mei, and one of Satoshi's fingers." I see Baba's face harden. "It set me off and although not ideal, made me lose focus. So, I feel I owe you this one time apology for antagonizing and dismissing you when you made an effort to reach out to me, even though you didn't have to."

I watch Baba's reaction, and he just smiles.

"I was wondering where you had been, so I'm glad you're finally back. I'm sure Mei would be happy to see that you're making progress." He places a cup of Jasmine tea in front of me. "Satoshi would be proud to call you his father."