Exchange (Soukoku & Shin Soukoku)

12- The Party

The first lesson Atsushi learned in the Port Mafia was not to make Chuuya-san angry.

The second was: Don't get Chuuya-san drunk.

He just found out there was going to be a party. He had never been to a party. Only to Hanako two's birthday party, where he ate carrots and tomatoes, and drank freshly squeezed cow's milk. He remembered that, after drinking that milk, he got indigestion.

But he knew full well, despite not having experienced them yet, that mob parties were vastly different from a cow's birthday party.

When he asked Akutagawa about it, to break the ice, the gangster said that he should be careful when Chuuya-san gets drunk. The last time someone pissed him off while drunk, that someone stayed up all night half naked in the body freezing room to deal. Then he told him, very kindly, to shut up, and that if he wanted to cry he would remind him how pathetic he was for the rest of his life.

Very kind, Akutagawa.

Kenji was in the cafeteria, talking quietly with one of the guards. Apparently, the guard's sister-in-law's sister-in-law's husband's cousin's sister's nephew lived in Kenji village. And apparently, the sister-in-law's cousin's sister's nephew of the guard's sister-in-law's husband was close friends with the owner's brother's cousin of Aiko, a cat that everyone in town loved.

The world is a handkerchief.

"Kenji!" Atsushi called "We were looking for you."

"Really?" He addressed the guard" Send my regards to the good man from Nosaka!"

"Clear! It was nice meeting you, Kenji-kun!"

As the man left, the blond looked at Akutagawa.

"Oh! I was looking for you" he mentioned happily.

"So they told me," Akutagawa muttered. We better leave.

"Where to?" Kenji asked.

"To find Chuuya-san."

They walked in silence. Atsushi noticed that the mobster was sulking more than usual, but he didn't say anything. Unlike Dazai-san, he did value his own life.

They were about to enter Kajii's laboratory when the door was flung open and Chuuya stormed out, unaware of the youths' presence. They, by their side, walked behind the adult.

"Chuya-san!" Atsushi called.

"Chuya-san, wait!" Akutagawa asked.

"Good morning, Chuuya-san!" Kenji greeted.

Nakahara stopped short and looked at them. Then he kept walking.

"Let's go home," he announced. "Akutagawa, tell your sister and Higuchi to come too. You said that they was already healthy, right?"

"Yes, that's right." In the next hallway, the black-haired turned right and said goodbye. "See you there."

Chuuya, Atsushi and Kenji walked to the exit and got into the redhead's car.

"Isn't it still too early to leave, Chuuya-san?" Atsushi asked.

"No, it's already past noon, and we have to get ready for the party," the older man replied, starting the car. "Prepare mentally, first of all."

Atsushi swallowed hard. Oh.

•[ ♡ ]•

It was already seven at night, and it was terribly cold, but they had to walk to the venue, their bones freezing.

But there was no problem, upon entering the basement (where there were no corpses, they had removed it for the party) they felt a wave of heat, which even made them sweat. Akutagawa, self-conscious in front of so many people, twisted his fingers.