Tojoctober Day 8 - Score
(...You Better Throw the First Punch.)
Alt title is the second half of a lyric from “The Good, The Bad and The Dirty” by Panic! At the Disco.
Saejima confronts and assists Majima with what's been on his mind.
A continuation of the story from Day 2!
(Yakuza 4, 5, and 6 Spoilers)
—------------------
The morning sun, despite being in the sky for a while, shines a soft light on the courtyard of the Tojo Clan Headquarters. The only people outside, sitting on the stoop of one of the outdoor buildings are the Sixth Chairman's advisors: Saejima and Majima. Majima is slowly smoking a cigarette, watching the clouds he creates drift into the light blue sky. Saejima is nursing himself, as during their fight, he did get nicked by Majima's blade a couple times.
For a while, the two are silent, each engrossed in their respective activities, but appreciating that they aren't alone.
Saejima speaks up, breaking the silence and the somewhat weird air that has started to manifest.
"Somethin's been botherin' you, brother."
Majima lets out a long sigh, his expression ridden with melancholy.
"Whadya mean?" Majima asks, clearly dodging whatever topic was about to be discussed.
"It's been ages since we've fought like that. Not to mention the funk you've been stinkin' the office with."
Majima's head spins around, expression wild with disbelief. He gives Saejima a light shove in the shoulder.
"Haw? Ya sayin' I smell?"
Saejima gives Majima a glare.
"Have you been washin' up?"
"The fuck!? I have great hygiene!"
"So ya know that's not what I meant."
Majima's gaze moves away from his brother, and looks back at a rising smoke cloud that he made.
"Brother… ya know I trust you."
"Of course, Majima."
Majima swivels his gaze back to Saejima, this time hard and fierce.
"Not a peep about this to anyone, not even Daigo."
Saejima's expression remains unchanged by Majima's tonal shift. He's one of the few people who's unfazed by the Mad Dog's whiplash of personas. Comes with the territory, when he's been your sworn brother for over 3 decades.
"Whatever gives ya peace."
Majima drops his cigarette onto the ground, putting it out with his shoe. He picks up the butt and pockets it to throw away later. He takes a deep breath, and with his next words, Majima's tone and voice soften. His brother has to lean in close to make sure he hears him. Most would think Majima’s fallen quiet so he's not heard; Saejima thinks it's out of fear. Whatever this was, it was something the Mad Dog kept close at heart.
"...I don't think he's dead."
Saejima lets out a chuckle. Could he be any less specific?
"Majima, there's a lot of de-"
"Kiryu-chan."
Saejima stops short. Kiryu’s name had not been uttered by either of them since Daigo read his letter. Saejima had missed the man, sure, but Majima saying that name carried so many emotions with it that he couldn’t decipher all of them.
"There's no way that Kiryu-chan is dead."
Saejima starts to speak again, hoping he has the right angle on this situation.
"We weren't at that fight, so we don't know how-"
"Saejima. Please."
Saejima sighs, the reason for why he was playing devil's advocate was lost on his brother. But he knows he hasn’t heard everything, so he shoots Majima an apologetic look.
"The thing is, I've seen Kiryu-chan survive fuckin' everything. Brutal fights, gunshots, stab wounds, stab wounds I made, any attempt made on his life. Fuck, he even survived bleeding out in the snow!"
Majima glances at Saejima, and he gives him the nod to keep talking. Majima holds his gaze. A beat passes, and he continues.
"Here’s the kicker for me… Ya remember when I faked my death?"
"Yeah. You fooled everyone in Kamurocho and beyond, except for those who were in on it."
"But who did I fail to fool? Who knew me inside and out and didn't believe for a second I was dead?"
"....me." Saejima responds. He remembers everyone talking about how Goro Majima was killed a few years ago, but not for a second did Saejima believe the news. There would only be one way that he’d believe Majima had kicked the bucket, and that would be the gruesome sight of his corpse.
"Exactly. Ya see, it's not in the same way as you, brother, but I feel like I know Kiryu-chan."
"You also stalked him for a good long while, according to him."
"That's not my point." Majima responds with a chuckle. Saejima had a feeling that Kiryu and Majima had a relationship that was more complicated than on the surface, but Saejima only heard word about their first antics from Kiryu. He had been meaning to broach the subject with his brother sooner, but since he went back to prison in 2010, they hadn’t had much time together, let alone just the two of them.
"I think of Kiryu-chan's death announcement, and just… somethin' doesn't sit right."
"Is it because you see the similarities between your situation and his?"
"Maybe? But I always intended on coming back to the living. When it was safe to, ya know?"
He swears he hears his brother’s breath start to shake.
"But, I'm not sure he intends to return." Majima's tone shifts into one of sadness, and Saejima doesn't need another signal of what Majima's wellbeing is. He starts to feel really shitty. His brother had been suffering for a while, and Saejima only thought to speak up when he was about to be pummeled by the man. And Majima’s issue was not the denial that Saejima thought he'd have to combat. Majima had very good reason to believe that Kiryu still walked among them. It goes to show just how wicked smart his brother is. Underneath the mad dog persona is one of the sharpest brains Saejima has ever known. But with a sharp mind comes even more intense emotions, which was what Saejima excelled at, at least when it came to Majima. Not to mention from the way he was speaking, Kiryu must’ve been his closest relationship. His death was making Majima crack, and he had become too good at hiding his problems with laughter and violence for something so simple to be plaguing him this much.
No, the problem was that Majima was so confident that Kiryu wasn’t dead, he feared that no one would believe him.
Better late than never, then. Saejima thought, before breaking the silence that had briefly fallen between them.
"Majima… I know he meant a lot to you. So I won't try to hit ya with any weird reasoning."
"But yer still thinkin' it. Ya probably think I'm crazy. I mean-I know I am, but crazy in a bad way." Majima's voice wavers.
"That doesn't matter. Ya think it'll change anything? Hell, I thought you had betrayed me for 2 decades, and that still didn't change anything."
Majima's eye flickers away briefly. Saejima continues, unrelenting.
"If you ever see him again… what do ya think you'll do?"
For the first time in a while, Saejima sees not anger, but sorrow, reflected in Majima’s good eye.
"Well… that'll be a score I need to settle with the man himself. Why he did this," Majima gestures to the air, "Why he put his friends and family through anguish. Why…" Majima's expression changes, and Saejima knows that look better than anyone: while still traces of sorrow remain, Majima was looking into his memories.
"Why he would make me think that he broke our promise."
The two advisors fall back into silence, nothing left to be said. They gaze out at the blue sky and the clouds drifting by, some birds starting to chirp in the trees. After a while, Saejima scoots over, touching shoulders with his brother. He makes eye contact with him, the one eye wrought with a bit of confusion. It's out of character for him to initiate physical touch. With what Majima had laid out in front of him, it’s like the answer was staring at him in the face.
Kiryu could still be alive. No… he is alive.
"If it's worth anything… I believe you."
For the first time since their fight, Majima smiles. A genuine smile, not one of the Mad Dog, but of Goro Majima.
"Thanks, brother. Ya don't know how nice that is to hear."
A beat passes. Majima sighs, and Saejima gets the feeling that he had been holding that in for a long time.
"Ya mind if I rest my head? It's been a while, and emotional shit is fuckin' exhausting."
Saejima lets out a small laugh, any fucks he was giving about appearances being thrown to the wind.
"Sure."
Majima lets his head fall onto Saejima's shoulder, and shuts his eye. Saejima watches him shift his body until he's finally comfortable.
"Felt good to let that all out. Thanks, brother. For… everything."
Saejima smirks, "Thank you for everything, Majima. I don't know what I'd do without ya."
Saejima still has many questions, and a desire to learn about Kiryu from his brother, but now isn’t the best time to talk about it. Instead, Saejima looks back at the clouds, and in that moment he could swear that one of them looks like a very familiar dragon.
4 notes
·
View notes