All in all, it was a summer that he would remember for quite a long time, not just his adventures with his friends, but also the variety of events that occurred within it. From attempted assassinations to a multitude of spies, all of them were dealt with in an efficient manner, ruthless to a fault - or so they would say, and yet, they knew that in their line of business, being ruthless was most certainly not the worst thing one could be, there were worst things to be classified under - such as trusting or kind...
***
"We have just arrived, and will be landing shortly, please excuse the minimal turbulence.", the pilot said in Japanese, and Ace nodded, notifying the nearing air hostess he had understood the message. She smiled at him, her soft brown eyes lighting up when he smiled back.
Ace made a mental reminder, while it had been distorted by the media, the truth was that there was most certainly a 'foreigner' culture in Japan, and there were both good and bad aspects to it. He was tall, handsome, rich, and spoke perfect Japanese, so chances were that he would be mainly a receptor of the good side to it.
With his black hair, he would not stand out as much as a red-haired or blond-haired person would, but his impressive height and build, along with his shining ice-steel blue eyes certainly would. It would be another weapon in his already impressive arsenal.
They landed gently - all things considered, and Ace proceeded to leave the private jet with only his black tactical backpack on, he had stylised it with tags and badges, and now it looked more like a fashion prop than anything else, but only he knew that all of those tags could be removed at a moment's time, and well, the pins and strips that held them to the bag could have many uses, other than just holding the adornments.
He stepped down the stairwell calmly, and smiled once he noticed his attendant/bodyguard. A tall and well-built man, with dark hair, and light brown eyes - for Japanese standards that was.
***
Ichugama inspected the boy that would be in his care for the next months. 'Well, boy would be the wrong way to put it', he thought, he had done his research, and knew that this man - because Ichugama considered him a man, was capable of things beyond his understanding.
And now, as he saw him come down the stairwell, a placid face that would put models to shame, his senses tingled, and his beliefs only reinforced themselves, this m - no, Ace, was dangerous.
Ichugama was an ex-yakuza, and had dealt with his fair share of unsavoury and dangerous characters, and yet, only a few people had given him this sense of… Well, he had no words to truly describe it. Most would call it impending doom, but he knew that was as false as it got. These people, they were not a loud grenade, waiting to go off, they were more as if the shadows had thoughts, a tangible thought of how to annihilate, and the present knowledge to carry it out. These people, they would give no signals, they needed no bells or whistles, they would simply strike...
"Hello", Ace said cheerfully, in flawless Japanese, before he bowed lightly. It may have not been appropriate due to the nature of their relationship, but Ace knew when to break barriers, and considering that they would be together for the foreseeable future, they might as well start off on the right foot.
Ichugama was about to bow deeply and address him, when Ace stopped him, "Do not worry, there is no need for these paltry shows of respect, not when we are in private, we will save more time if we simply address each other by our first names.", Ace said, and as he saw the man was about to argue, he cut him with his hand, "That is an order.", he said with a stern tone, and the man stared at his eyes for a few seconds, and having seen the unwavering emotion there, he nodded with a stern face.
"I understand… Ace.", a brief pause, "But I ask that you allow me some time of adaptation, this is, after all, a bit uncommon."
"Of course,", Ace waved his hand, "That is not an issue."
***
Ichugama led him to the car that was waiting for them, a simple-looking Mercedes, with black glossy paint and semi-tinted windows. It seemed a normal car from the outside, and yet, if one looked inside, they would be able to see a multitude of luxurious assortments, like modified seats, fit with soft beige leather.
Ichugama opened the door for Ace, who thanked him with a smile, and then went into the driver's seat. It was only a second after, that they took off.
They drove through the streets of Tokyo, and Ace stared out of the window, gazing at the bustling streets, even if it was at the middle of the day on a Wednesday. He watched the people, how they dressed, walked, looked and many other mannerisms, noting them down mentally, just in case it was ever needed.
The clothing was something he was impressed by, people wore what they felt like wearing, and no one would look at them sideways, it was commendable, and allowed for much greater creative freedom.
They drove through a nice neighbourhood, only to stop at a lavish house, with an impressive walkway. Ichugama parked the car smoothly, and he stepped out first,, opening the door for Ace.
"Thanks," Ace said, as he walked out of the car, and inspected the house he would live in for a while.
It was, for lack of a better word, beautiful, it had been constructed in a traditional Japanese design, with many small buildings that jutted out from one another with their coloured tile roofs, and stone statues. The main building, which had the tallest roof, was situated in the centre of the compound. The others circled it, and had lower roofs, but were not in the least less imposing because of it.
The many statues that were dotted around the buildings also gave it a more decorative aesthetic, without tarnishing the traditional feel. Ace had to say, they had done a good job.
"Wonderful", Ace said, and making sure to stare at Ichugama dead on in the eyes, "Make sure to reward the builders and architects, they did a brilliant job."
Ichugama was surprised, but he bowed and nodded, "Of course, sir.", he said this in English, and Ace just stared at him, "...Ace."
"Better. Now, let's see what the inside looks like."