After parting ways with Yukiko in the hallway, Togai had to stifle a laugh as he knew that the girl that lead them would immediately undergo a change in personality.
In fact, he was counting on it. After all, the Yamamoto family was experiencing an upheaval in power. Yamamoto Haruhiro, the man that was to be Yukiko's father-in-law, had been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer.
He had three months to live at most.
Already, there were fights within his group. That was why, Togai concluded, it was better for a syndicate to be based on a hierarchy with oyabun-kobun[1] ties rather than a federation. Otherwise, what was happening to Haruhiro would happen to them.
Shaking his head, Togai immediately switched his train of thought.
He had to call his wife and tell her the news.
Chuckling, Togai took out his phone, his eagerness seen by the many times it took for him to input the correct password; finally, his plan to get his wayward wife to return was starting to bear fruit.
Dialing her number, Togai had to wait for three dials before the call connected.
"Yeah?" Yasumi Miyuki's voice was annoyed.
Togai was shocked for a few seconds. It had been seven months and three days since the last time he had heard his wife. He took a deep breath before he answered her, "It's me."
"I don't have any money." At that, Miyuki hung up the phone and Togai was left completely flabbergasted.
What had gone wrong? Togai waited a few seconds and went over their conversation. He had only said 'It's me', so did she say that he wanted money?
With a confused expression, Togai typed her number again and the phone immediately connected.
"Fucktard!" Miyuki's voice was filled with outrage. "Stop deceiving people!" And then she hung up again.
The fuck? Togai's face was filled with black lines. Even after going over their conversation dozens of times, he still couldn't understand the reason for her anger. Giving up, he finally called Kenji.
"Yes, boss?"
"Miyuki hung up on me."
There was only silence on the other end of the line until Kenji coughed. "What happened?"
"After she received the call, I told her that it was me."
"How?"
"I said, 'It's me'."
Silence once again descended upon them. Kenji couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. Their boss was a genius with a high IQ, but his EQ was sorely lacking. "Boss."
"Un?"
"Haven't you ever heard of 'Ore ore sagi'[2]?"
"Yes," Togai sighed. "It's where an individual pretends to be the victim's family member asking for money. And they all start with 'It's me'- fuck."
"Do you understand, boss?"
"Fucking hell," Togai shut off the call and immediately rang up Miyuki once more. The phone hadn't even rang when his provider said that his call was blocked.
Anger filled his features and before he thought about it, Togai threw his phone at the wall, crushing his flip phone into pieces.
Flexing his fist, Togai had to wait for a solid ten minutes before he calmed down. He raked a hand through his hair before he walked into his room, picking up the remains of his phone.
He couldn't call Miyuki with the phone, so it was useless either way.
Now he had an excuse to buy a new one.
Satisfied, Togai grabbed the phone that the Yamamoto family had oh-so-graciously placed in his room. Of course, it was probably tapped, but calling his underlings to buy him a new phone wasn't of great importance.
It took thirty minutes for the two members he took with him to buy a regular flip-phone. Immediately, he set up the phone and called Miyuki.
"'ello?"
"Miyuki, it's Togai."
"Fuck!" She hung up.
Togai never knew how talented he was in being patient. The only signs of his anger was a slight creaking sound from his phone. His underlings shared a glance before they scrambled over each other to get out of his room.
Watching them leave, Togai shook his head before he turned back to his phone. He once again dailed Miyuki.
"If you hang up, I'll kill everyone at the police station." Togai's voice was ominous as he forcefully said into the phone.
Miyuki choked.
Togai could hear her taking deep breaths, so he took that moment to continue to talk, "I've married Yukiko off."
More choking sounds.
"She'll live with their family for a year before she marries the boy."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! What the fuck do you mean, you married Yukiko off!?!"
"Exactly what I said. She's engaged now."
"Fucker!!! How can-"
"Parental authority."
"Bastard! Where are you right now! I'm coming and beating the shit out of you!" Before Togai could answer, however, Miyuki continued with a more desperate tone. "Where's Yukiko now?"
"At a family home."
Miyuki was silent for a few seconds as she processed his answer. Finally, almost as if a lightbulb lit up in her mind, she answered Togai with triumph, "I'll sue you, fucker. I still have custody over her!"
"Hanko."
Her voice was filled with horror now. "You don't mean-"
"Yes."
"No!"
Togai could only chuckle. Just when his wife and him had started dating, he had coincidentally found her family hanko in her extremely messy home. He took it back to the estate, made a copy of it, and brought her hanko back. Of course, the copy was only good once, but he knew, even then, that her hanko would be useful.
Now it took her one step closer to his side.
"Meet me at the Kawamura-kai clan estate." With that, he hung up the phone, not caring about the many, many curses that escaped from Miyuki's lips.
With a big grin spread on his face, Togai went to bed and had the best sleep he's had since he had been with Miyuki.
Now, he only had to wait for his second phase to begin.
Chuckling, Togai entered his bedroom, falling onto the Western bed.
He was sure that Yukiko wouldn't disappoint him.
She was much too like him to do that. He had raised her well.
With a smile, Togai fell asleep, ready to wake up before the break of dawn to leave his daughter at the Yamamoto estate.
He felt sorry.
Eh?
Of course he felt sorry to the Yamamoto's.
His daughter was an entirely new entity.
She'd turn their entire estate upside down.
Chuckling, he fell asleep and was gone even before light broke.