Chapter 13: Special Treatment and the Female Wakagashira

Everyone else was so shocked by Kibana Naomi’s self-mutilation, induced by a few words from Seiko, that they didn’t notice Seiko’s unusual state, or rather, even if they did, they wouldn’t have paid much attention.
Saori, however, carefully observed that Seiko’s hand, holding the shotgun, was trembling slightly.
Indeed, as soon as they returned home, Seiko seemed to exhale the last breath she had been holding, kneeling directly onto the genkan floor.

“Saori.” Seiko turned to look at her friend, pouting her face, biting her lip.
Saori smiled, took two steps forward, and approached Seiko.
Seiko lifted Saori’s skirt and buried her head inside.
Saori felt Seiko’s cheek pressed against her intimate delta, breathing heavily, like someone suffering from altitude sickness greedily gasping for air.
While feeling Seiko’s warm breath, Saori gently stroked Seiko’s long hair: “I suspect you refuse to see a therapist precisely so you have a legitimate reason to crawl under a girl’s skirt.”

“You’re so noisy,” Seiko mumbled, “Lavender scent?”

“Mm, do you like it?”

“I still prefer the strawberry scent…”

“Tsk, you have to change your taste sometimes, don’t you?”
Saori felt Seiko’s stiff body gradually relax, and her breathing slowly steady, indicating she was gradually releasing the immense anxiety she felt.
Until, a soft, moist touch licked her lavender-scented panties.

“Wait a minute!” Saori quickly jumped back a step, holding down her skirt, and laughed, “While I don’t mind doing something here in the genkan, your grandfather will definitely be back soon. Are you sure you want to do it now?”
Seiko thought for a moment, then reluctantly said, “Fine. You’re staying over tonight.”

“Mm.” Saori nodded, then asked with a smile, “Still in the genkan tonight?”

“We’re going to my room tonight!” Seiko rolled her eyes at this “good girl” in most people’s eyes.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Yamagami Nobuo returned.

“Are you hurt?” Yamagami Nobuo asked Seiko as soon as he saw her.

“Not hurt.” Seiko spread her hands, showing Yamagami Nobuo that she had no injuries whatsoever.
Confirming Seiko’s condition, Yamagami Nobuo finally let out a sigh of relief: “I heard Takashi’s rough account; you handled it very well…”
More than just well, Yamagami Nobuo still couldn’t quite grasp the account Yamagami Takashi had given him, something about Seiko psychically manipulating the hostage-taker with just a few words, making it sound as if Yamagami Seiko was also known as Yamagami Yuri.

“But,” Yamagami Nobuo had to solemnly remind Seiko, “This time you were lucky. If you had encountered a different hostage-taker instead of Kibana Naomi, you wouldn’t have gotten away so easily. You must pay more attention to your safety in the future and not be overly confident.”

“Yes.”
Seiko nodded, accepting the reminder.
Yamagami Nobuo was right.
One of the most important reasons she had the opportunity to “talk down” Kibana Naomi was that Kibana Naomi didn’t actually want to harm her.
Otherwise, if she had encountered a truly vicious criminal, one more word from her, and he would have shot her.
Even if Seiko were made of steel and iron, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

“However, this matter is also a lapse on my part,” Yamagami Nobuo reflected, “Takashi is, after all, a man. For a girl like you, there are many places Takashi can’t conveniently follow you.”

“Big Brother Takashi has been very diligent in his work,” Seiko fairly defended Yamagami Takashi.

“What good is diligence if it doesn’t achieve the desired results?” Yamagami Nobuo said, “I am currently looking for a female bodyguard for you, but we only have so many people in the Yamagami-gumi, and I can’t find a suitable female bodyguard for the time being.”

“So, for now, let Takashi stay by your side. Once I find a suitable candidate, I will officially replace Takashi. You yourself should also be mindful during this period; don’t go to places where Takashi cannot conveniently follow you whenever you go out.”

“Understood, thank you, Grandfather.”
Seiko humbly accepted.

“Regarding today’s assassination attempt…” Yamagami Nobuo held a thick cigarette in his hand, mused for a long time, then said, “Who do you think is the mastermind?”

“Undoubtedly the Takada-gumi,” Seiko replied without hesitation.

“Why are you so sure?” Yamagami Nobuo pressed, intrigued.

“Kibana Naomi personally told me that he was guided by the Takada-gumi to return and seek revenge on you. His return ticket was bought by someone from the Takada-gumi, and even the gun was procured by a friend from the Takada-gumi,” Seiko explained, “For the Takada-gumi Yakuza to go to such lengths, to say they were simply being helpful, no one in the Yamagami-gumi would believe that.”

“We already ceded all our drug business to them; these outside Yakuza are too greedy and unreasonable,” Yamagami Nobuo said, displeased.

“Their logic is that they are a large organization and we are a small one, so it’s only natural for them to annex our territory,” Seiko said, “Therefore, the top priority is still for us to join the Yamaguchi-gumi as soon as possible. Once we join the Yamaguchi-gumi and have their backing, we can do many things.”
Yamagami Nobuo nodded: “I have already made contact with someone from the Yamaguchi-gumi. In a couple of days, I will personally go to the Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters and deliver the first jōnōkin.”
Jōnōkin is the tax that lower-ranking organizations pay to higher-ranking organizations. If the Yamagami-gumi wants to join the Yamaguchi-gumi, they need to bring a large sum of money. Regardless of whether they can immediately become a major official within the Yamaguchi-gumi, the first jōnōkin must be delivered at once.

“You go without worry,” Seiko fully assured him, “I will help keep a close eye on things at home.”

“Not just at home, but also within the Yamagami-gumi itself.”
Seiko paused slightly: “Within the Yamagami-gumi… with you absent, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to interfere, would it? After all, I’m not yet an official member of the organization.”

“Then I’ll make you the Wakagashira.”
Yamagami Nobuo pointed at Seiko.
The Wakagashira is not only the second-in-command, only subordinate to the Kumicho, but also the legitimate heir of the entire organization.

“Me, the Wakagashira?” Seiko’s expression was somewhat strange.
She pointed to her own nose, “Are there any female Wakagashira in the entire Japanese underworld?”

“Even if there haven’t been female Wakagashira before, there will be now,” Yamagami Nobuo said, “Your father is dead, and I, your grandfather, won’t live much longer. If you don’t become Wakagashira, then who will? The entire Yamagami-gumi, two thousand-odd people, they all rely on us for their livelihoods.”
Seiko was speechless, then finally nodded gently: “Alright, I understand.”

“Tomorrow, I will gather the senior members of the gang and announce this matter publicly.”

“No, there’s no need,” Seiko calmly shook her head, refusing, “The identity of Wakagashira would constrain many of my activities. For instance, the film currently being shot—if it were an investment from the Yamagami-gumi’s Wakagashira, it would undergo a much longer review period. So, I can serve as Wakagashira, but for now, you only need to inform the senior members privately; there’s no need to announce it publicly immediately.”
Yamagami Nobuo thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement: “That can be arranged.”