"Hehe!~ I'm single no more!" I said while having a silly smile.
Not realizing that I am technically not single because of my "Official" relationship with Chitoge but we won't talk about it here.
As I walked down the street towards a limousine, a bunch of suited guys could be seen.
"Bocchan, you are alright!"
"We are so worried about you young master that we are about to send a squad there to extract you!"
Yes, unknown to me, if I stayed more than 10 minutes there, these guys would bust open the Onodera residence, believing that I was kidnapped or something.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry guys if I worry you but I have a girlfriend now, I need to celebrate!" I said proudly.
Hearing my words, the Yakuza members stared at each other in confusion.
"Uhm y-young boss, you mean you met with the young lady of the Bee-Hive?" One asked timidly, scared if he'll anger me.
But hearing those words froze me in my tracks. I and the Yakuza underlings looked at each other confused.
"O-Oh! Right right. Whatever you say ha-ha." I answered stiffly.
'I need to think before I speak! What will these Yakuza do if they found out I'm not dating Chitoge. Jeez, it seems I'm starting to think like a real resident of this world.' I grimaced.
Now that I think about it, there must be a reason why my father, an almost legendary figure that had established the current height of our Shuei clan, will have a truce with the leader of Bee-hive, even to the point of marrying me off.
'Oh, I see.' I thought as I seemed to have a general idea why.
Realizing the vision of my father. I realized it is better to know more about the gang before I do some radical stuff. I don't want to do something stupid that will harm the interest and plan of my father, as the next head, I am also a member of that vested interest.
"U-Uhm bocchan are you alright?" The Yakuza underlings were looking at me worriedly as I stood there thinking deeply.
"Oh... Anyway, let's head home." I said nonchalantly.
"Yes, young master!"
I then entered the limousine and I saw motorcycles and other vehicles escorting us along the way.
We drove our way towards the Ichijo residence.
I then finally arrived at our residence and I can't help but gawk at our residence, it is large. A day ago I'm still not taking my experience seriously but now I am starting to notice it.
'Damn I am a big shot now.' I thought, yes. I am the next-in-line head of this syndicate and I can't help but feel pumped up!
Imagining that my whole life I struggle with money and instantly now I am not lacking money, what a funny fate. A Supreme being must have been nuts to take interest in me. Welp, I'm not complaining.
I took my time looking around the residence, this is my first time walking around. I mean I do have Raku's memory but I want to experience it first-hand!
When I walk around, from time to time I'll see "patrols" of stout and strong-looking people with scars and tattoos of generally fearsome-looking people, they are seriously doing their thing but when they see me, they bow.
'I don't dislike this feeling. Walking around and people would pay respect to me. Not bad! I think this befitting a man like me!' I thought.
'But firstly, it seems I am only the weak-looking guy here! I need to change my physique!' I am ashamed that I looked like a bean sprout around these tough-looking guys.
---
The Shuei Clan is the biggest group among other Yakuza groups. Controlling the regions of Chubu, Tohoku, and some parts of Kanto. Of course, this is not magic but over a decade of work of my father, and the predecessor of my father.
Since the time of my grandfather, he started an expansionist policy to make our territory and authority bigger. My grandfather for almost his whole life was just in constant warfare and domination of territories until the day of his assassination.
My father continued the work in those turbulent times as the conquered territories rose to break off. Splinter groups rebelling, vassal clans betrayals but my father pulled through it by sheer force and paved the way to today's glory.
Or so I heard, at least that's how I understand the memories of Raku about the clan. The original Raku seems not to be in this Yakuza world and instead wants to become a civil servant. What a fool! Or is it?
You see, I am quite suspicious of Raku's mentality. I do think rulers are tempered to be that way and him being the successor but development of him into a quiet benevolent guy and timid and not quite war-like like his predecessor is very… fishy.
As if he is made to be this way…
"Raku, you seemed to be thinking deeply. Is it about your fiance?" As I was thinking, I heard the voice of an old man.
He is referring to Marika. A few weeks ago, Raku pestered his father about the promised girl and stuff and so he revealed that he has a fiance.
"O-Oh, pops," I answered instinctively, Raku seems to call his father this way. Yep Raku's father — my father now.
I am currently enjoying the feeling of the night under the gaze of the many bright stars. Just there in the open, thinking.
Raku's father, Issei, is an old man and therefore has long gray hair and bushy gray eyebrows. He has a few wrinkles around his face and has dark sanpaku eyes. He is shown to wear a long black kimono with white trim around his neck.
They say that my father was quite active and reckless when he was young but now I could say he seemed like a wise old man but looks cannot describe a person enough.
My father has a brutal reputation, and just by seeing him now, I could feel pressure from his presence. There seems to be controlled or suppressed bloodlust accompanied by a majestic presence.
"Father," I called respectfully.
"Hm?" Father finally looked at me, the sharp eyes landed on me, and the pressure multiplied.
But I bravely looked back in his eyes, and calmly said:
"I am ready to be the next head."
"Oh." The pressure quickly died down. Father has a surprising look for a second before quickly becoming his normal look. He examined my look for a while.
"I thought you'd whine about not wanting to be the head haha. Did you give up being a civil servant?" He chuckled.
"I just think that the preservation of our clan is more important, father."
"Preservation of our clan… Hmm…" My father nodded as if satisfied with my words.
My father then turned his back on me, as he kept nodding from my words earlier before hearing him say:
"Since you are quite sensible now, how about starting to familiarise yourself with the works of the clan?" He asked as I was looking at his back.
"I could do that," I answered calmly.
"Then it's settled," Father said before walking away, leaving me to the open space under the gaze of the stars.
As I looked at the silhouette of my father that is starting to become smaller as he walks away. I can't help but think: 'This is my first step at becoming a crime boss!' I grinned.
---
Issei, the father of Raku, is now walking in the residence with the administrative head of the clan following closely from behind. This is one of his trusted aides besides the two lieutenants.
"Clan head, the young master has been in the Onodera residence a couple of hours ago and has stayed there from morning till night before getting home." The head of the administration, Akito reported.
"Hmm." Issei nodded from the report.
He is quite surprised by the current unusual temperament of his son. He is indeed surprised by the development.
He knew his son well, his son is the kind of person that will follow the words of his parents and is very filial but the Raku he encountered moments ago is different.
He can't help but remember the defying eyes of his son, and by the aura of his son, he could feel unfulfilled ambitions, a fiery personality, and so on. As if seeing his young self.
The aura of his son now is like "A person that is not willing to be controlled." and strives for more power, an ambitious person and overall sensible. Yep, he could feel it by just little clues and the instincts that have made him be a legendary clan head cannot be wrong.
'It seems he developed faster than I thought.' Issei has always regretted his recklessness when he was young. He had made many decisions that resulted in todays' predicament of the clan.
That's why he had Raku be educated the way he is. That's why his personality differed from his predecessors because Issei wanted the next head to be able to control the clan better than him.
Alas, what happened is too obedient but "timid" and also too virtuous of a son that wanted to be a civil servant. He sometimes regretted how he educated him but now. It seems he is at least on the right path.
"Akito."
"Yes, clan head!"
"Start slowly letting my son be involved in clan matters."
Akito is confused by the sudden decision of the head but immediately obeyed:
"Yes, clan head!" Akito responded but he then saw the Clan head raise his hand means that he has more to add.
"It seems my son likes the Onodera girl, let him do his thing."
"B-But clan head, how about the Bee-Hive?" Akito worriedly said, as now the tension is high between the two opposing forces, the reason they have a truce is because of the arranged relationship with the lady of the Bee-Hive.
"Hmm…" Issei, the clan head is thinking deeply before saying:
"Just let it be, let him be responsible for the consequences of his actions. That will be a good lesson for him."