YF undid the top buttons of his shirt before pulling it off to reveal his plain white undershirt, raising his right fist to his face with his left extended in front. Niizuma undid his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, standing about two strides away from YF. The sect enforcer then raised his fists in the mirror stance of YF’s.

“Oh shi—”

YF raised his right knee to his right elbow to block Niizuma’s left kick, but the extra distance from the off stance was too much to cover. Niizuma’s kick landed hard against YF’s foot and knocked him off balance, forcing YF to stagger toward the wall. Niizuma switched feet to the standard right side dominant stance, smirking. YF lunged forward after regaining balance, leading with two jabs before pivoting with his right foot and sending a cross toward Niizuma. Just as Niizuma turned slightly and opened his hand to parry the cross, YF stopped his attack mid-air and crouched, upper cutting Niizuma in the chin with his left.

Niizuma backpedaled but did not seem particularly fazed, switching his feet back into an off stance. YF stepped forward, leading with half of a jab before pivoting his foot and throwing a hard cross at Niizuma. YF’s opponent crouched low and kicked hard at YF’s shins, sweeping him off his feet. In a flash, Niizuma was on top of him, landing his first blow against YF’s nose and causing the latter to see stars. YF instinctively rolled his head to the side where he was just hit, parrying the second punch and grabbing Niizuma’s wrist. YF pulled forward and swung his arm around Niizuma’s neck, locking his ankle over Niizuma and rolling him over. YF ate a punch from below just as he completed the roll. He quickly grabbed the back of his own neck, dropping his elbow straight toward Niizuma’s head. Though he could feel Niizuma blocking his attack, YF could hear a loud crack when his elbow connected with a bone.

YF jumped off of Niizuma and backed up. Over the next few seconds, he started to regain some of his sight.

“I see in you the wild rage of a cornered tiger,” said Niizuma, spitting out a wad of blood.

YF wiped his nose with the back of his hand, noticing for the first time that blood was streaming from his nostrils.

“Who is your aniki? You can’t be a civilian,” said Niizuma.

“I’m nothing like you,” YF muttered before clenching his fists and raising his guard. “Come on!”

Niizuma switched feet to a left foot forward standard stance once more, lunging forward twice to close the distance. When he came within two strides of YF, YF moved his back leg forward. Niizuma then switched back to the right leg forward off-stance, planting his left foot against his right in a hop-skip and kicking YF in the ribs with a side kick. Though YF dropped his elbow to block it, it was not enough to completely stop the attack. YF yelled out in pain, clutching his side as he backed up. In the time it took YF to regain his balance, Niizuma leapt forward and wounded his right hand for an overhead punch. YF held his arms above his head to brace for the hit.

“That’s enough!”

YF heard a loud thud. He looked up to see Eiji standing in front of him. Eiji’s left arm, which had blocked Niizuma’s strike, was shaking.

“We yield,” said Eiji.

Niizuma shook his head. “Nii-han. The two of us made an agreement. You were not a part of it. If Mr. Sakai does not yield, this is not over.”

“We yield,” Eiji repeated.

“Step aside!” Niizuma shouted.

Eiji would not move, making Niizuma’s expression grow darker.

“One more round,” said YF, weakly.

“No,” Eiji shot down firmly, without looking back.

YF side stepped Eiji and lowered himself with arms stretched out, rushing Niizuma’s waist. Niizuma placed both hands on YF’s back and jumped back, planting his feet firmly on the ground. As YF dipped forward from loss of balance, Niizuma kneed YF hard in the face, causing him to fall forward onto the ground. His sight completely blurred from the dizziness and the blood, he planted his hands on the ground and lifted himself up as fast as he could. But before YF could fully rise, he felt a hard strike to his face, sending him flying backwards.

***

The shock of the hit was the last thing YF remembered feeling before waking up in a local clinic. It took a long time for him to force his eyes open through the pain and the swelling, but after pushing through the constant stinging sensation, YF was eventually able to open them just enough to make out five figures seated and standing throughout the room. The sight of the other five was enough for him to turn his head in shame. YF was waiting for some response, but nobody said anything, not even Eiji.

“Well?” asked YF.

“We’ll talk about it when we get out. Doctor said you’ll be released after a CT scan,” said Eiji.

What seemed like an eternity later, a nurse came into the room and unlocked YF’s bed.

“Can I just walk myself?” asked YF.

Eiji frowned.

The nurse shook her head. “That is against policy.”

YF sighed, trying his best to sit still as the nurse wheeled him over to the scan room. After the scan, they waited about another two hours before the doctor entered the room just to say YF was fine and the scan did not reveal anything abnormal. YF was notified that a bill may come through the receiver several weeks from then. Afterward, a different nurse wheeled YF out toward the front entrance, followed close behind by YF’s childhood friends.

When they arrived outside and the nurse turned back into the hospital, Saru reached his hand out to try to help him up, but YF waved him off.

“Sorry it was—” Saru started.

“No,” said Eiji. “He’s a big boy, no need for that.”

“When do we have to get out of town?” asked YF, rubbing his temples.

“Now.”

YF merely nodded. He then planted his hands on the wheelchair armrests and pushed himself upright. His legs were slightly wobbly, and there was a throbbing pain where Niizuma had kicked his shins. Saru reached out to grab YF’s elbow. YF did not try to shake him off this time, allowing Saru to help him walk toward the car.

“Mohan planned something out in Hateba,” said Eiji on the way. “Boating trip. Last thing before we head back east. I’ll drive us to Hateba, we’ll eat dinner, sleep till it gets dark, and head out.”

The drive down the mountain was mostly silent. They six ate dinner at an unremarkable Xian restaurant, with YF finishing before everyone else and going by himself to buy alcohol for the boating trip. He waited in front of the liquor store, depleting his vape box under the sun screen until he was sure that everyone had fallen asleep. At that point he activated his sun visor and walked to the cheap motel Mohan had booked. The receptionist at the front desk informed YF that he was rooming with Saru, upon which he started down the hall toward the stairwell. YF did not feel tired on the way from the liquor store, but as he climbed the first few steps, the fatigue of staying up so late suddenly washed over him. YF made his way to the designated room on the third floor and fell instantly asleep on the futon next to Saru.

***

The boat ride from the pier out to the ocean was just as quiet as the car ride down the mountain. Mohan turned off the reactor, and as if on cue, Saru and Ken started to pass around the beers YF had bought. Right after handing off the last beer to Eiji, Saru remained standing and pulled the tab from his can, draining it in one gulp. It was not long before the drinks started flowing and the people started talking, Saru first.

“So Beef, where exactly are you living?”

“Here and there, figuring it out,” Beef replied.

“There’s nothing wrong with sleeping under a bridge, man,” said Saru, making a hissing sound as a reaction to the alcohol. “I did it too.”

“Not everyone is as open as you, dumbass,” Eiji muttered.

“Whoa!” Saru exclaimed. “Chill man, I’m just trying to show some solidarity.”

“Just leave him be,” said Eiji.

“What about you Ken? How’s the lady?” asked Saru.

“She’s all right,” said Ken.

“Gotta get her off the pole,” Saru muttered.

“Hey hey hey—” Mohan raised a hand.

Ken stood up and tossed his half empty beer can on the ground.

Eiji did not respond, merely lowering his drink.

“This is my fault,” said YF, crushing his beer can and tossing it onto the floor. “Saru didn’t get his lay and it’s my fault. He’s riled up.”

“Man fuck you, don’t speak for me,” Saru spat.

“I don’t give a shit how blue Saru’s balls are!” Ken yelled out, startling all of them. “He insulted my woman. It’s time to lay hands.”

Ken grabbed Saru’s lapel and pulled him up from his seat, dumping a cross over the latter’s temple.

“Fuck…” Eiji muttered, putting his head in his hands. “Take the man out of Itsugo, can’t take the Itsugo out of the man.”

YF jumped up between Saru and Ken, using his arms to create distance. “All right let’s stop this!”

“Man fuck you!” Ken shouted. “You already fucked this all up and now you’re going to get in the way again? Step aside!”

“Shut up!” Eiji yelled.

Ken punched YF in the face, sending him reeling back.

“Fucking shut up!” Eiji repeated, stomping on the boat so loud that it echoed across the water.

Ken had already grabbed onto Saru’s shirt as the latter was seated on the ground, though he stopped on Eiji’s command.

Eiji stood up slowly. “I am going to settle this. YF fucked up the party and I’m the fucking groom.” He pointed two fingers at YF. “The two of us will see who can stay on the boat longest. No strikes, everything else goes.”

Nobody said anything, instead, all eyes were trained on Eiji.

“If I win, lays for Mohan, Saru, and Beef, drinks for the rest of us all from YF’s chips. Otherwise, I will pay.”

Before anyone could respond, Eiji pointed to Mohan. “Lower the rails.”

Mohan pressed a button, the railings on the gunwale retracing into the vessel.

“Come on!” Eiji shouted toward YF.

YF did not feel good about what Eiji was suggesting, but found himself walking toward him anyway, as if in a trance, his heart still pounding from getting punched by Ken. When YF reached where Eiji stood, the two of them held their right hands on the back of each other’s necks, bending their knees and digging into the ground. Eiji immediately pulled down on the back of YF’s neck and grabbed his elbow, planting his hip against YF’s waist. Eiji then attempted to throw YF over his hip but YF stumbled to regain his balance. Right before he could get a foothold though, Eiji leaned back and rolled onto the floor using his back. Planting his foot in YF’s waist, he then kicked out and sent YF soaring over the side of the boat, straight into the water.

The murky ocean water instantly flooded his vision. Though YF quickly surfaced, subsequent waves quickly swept him further from the boat, causing him to panic. YF started swimming as fast as he could toward the boat, but each time a wave washed over him he temporarily lost sight of the vessel. Pain from his fight with Niizuma caused him to tire out much quicker than he otherwise would have, and he found himself forced to stop and tread water. The pain from his side and his legs made even treading water difficult, and soon his legs stopped moving automatically, causing him to slowly descend below the surface.

It was then that he felt a strong hand grab a hold of his arm and haul him up over the water. As YF rose, he could see in Eiji’s eyes the determination he remembered from their childhood. YF searched but found no hint of remorse in Eiji’s expression— regretting decisions was not Eiji’s strong suit. With another heave, Eiji pulled YF onto the boat.

***

“Pass the peanuts,” said Eiji.

Eiji, YF, and Ken had dropped Mohan, Beef, and Saru at shore several hours ago, with YF sending the money as promised. He then went with Ken to buy more alcohol before returning to the boat and heading back out to sea.

“What sort of girls is Saru hanging out with in a fishing village?” asked YF. “You’d think they came from the capital with how much those three took from me.”

“They’re from Hinode,” said Eiji, inhaling from his vape box and sipping his cup of shochu. “Mohan had to get their maglev tickets. Things ain’t cheap.”

YF thought to ask why Mohan needed to find girls from Hinode, but decided it was better to just let it go.

Ken took another sip of shochu, swirling it in his cup.

Eiji glanced at him. “You don’t think our group is going to last, that’s what you’re thinking right?”

Ken took another sip. “We used to deal with much worse bullshit than this. Why is it that it feels worse now?”

“They say tough times make tough men, tough men make good times, good times make weak men, and weak men make tough times. Something like that anyway,” said Eiji.

“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” asked Ken.

“We’re not as tough as we were back on the streets. Makes it hard to put up with as much bullshit as we used to.”

“I disagree,” said YF emphatically. “Tough times only make bitter men. And tougher times make them bitter still. We used to be all right with each other because life could only get better, not worse. Or at least that’s what kids generally think.” YF drained half his drink. “But now we’re in our thirties and we know this is about all we can get. We’ve got more to lose, more responsibility, all of it prevents us from having a good time. The days we were bros are gone, not because of any shitty theories about toughness and weakness. Some people are just not happy anymore. All they have left are living for moments like this on the weekend, when we can drink away the idea that life will stop moving until we’re six feet under.”

Eiji pulled out his beaten vape box and inhaled deeply from the nozzle, blowing out. “Aren’t you Mr. Sunshine.”

“He’s right though,” said Ken.

“So the way out is to buy yourself to freedom?” asked Eiji.

YF could not help but feel uncomfortable about what Eiji was possibly implying, but he merely nodded, pretending as if he wasn’t thinking about his new condo in the city. “Maybe.” He thought about how hard Hiroyuki had worked for so long, how nobody had heard from him except that he supposedly visited their mother occasionally and sent YF the receiver mail here and there. Now that Hiroyuki had reached the top of the mountain, YF thought he would have retired many years ago, living in a countryside mansion with their mother the way Hiroyuki had always said he would. Hiroyuki did buy their mother a house, but was otherwise still at work all the time. In the end, was Hiroyuki really free?

“Ken why don’t you join the force too? I’ve got a pension, and with the new reforms, YF’s about to get one too.”

Ken shook his head. “I’m all right.”

“What are your plans then?” asked Eiji.

“I’m going to go pro.”

YF raised an eyebrow. “NT1?”

Ken nodded.

“Well?” asked Eiji. “Going to need some more details on that.”

“I mean I got a coach. Was always good at throwing a cross.”

“What about your ground game?” asked Eiji.

“Never liked the ground. Joining the striking tournament only.”

“You could make big money in mixed styles.”

“I might train for ground later, not now.”

“Well tell us when your first fight is,” said YF. “I’ll watch it.”

“Sure thing,” said Ken. “But I want to make sure of one thing.” Ken looked serious, more serious than YF had seen him in a while. “If we ever meet again, don’t bring your bitterness and your burdens to our gathering.” He turned to make eye contact with YF. “What you’re saying all makes sense. But we all get enough of it at home. Don’t need a repeat of home problems out here”

“You’re right,” said YF.

“You always say things like ‘you’re right’” said Ken. “But I don’t need you to admit I’m right. Something needs to actually change. Otherwise you didn’t believe I was right in the first place.”

YF inhaled deeply, waiting a few seconds before responding. “I won’t bring my troubles here,” YF affirmed.

“Jerk it twice before showing up,” said Eiji, lifting his cup.

“I’ll do something to let out the steam before showing up,” said YF.

“It’s a promise,” said Ken.

“A promise,” YF repeated.

“Good.”

The moon was bright enough in the night sky that YF could see the whole boat and most of the topography between them and the shore. For the first time in a long time YF thought about Erika more than just a passing image in his memory. It was a summer evening similar to this one when they had gone on their first date on a boardwalk overlooking the Umeha River. YF had blown all the money he had getting a taxi to take them all the way out because he thought it would be more comfortable than the train. Though Erika wasn’t the type to care about riding a train, she did smile through the whole car ride, frequently looking out the window at the sights along the way. When was the last time YF reminisced on a memory like that? Even when they had been together he hadn’t thought about that date. The longer YF and Erika had spent apart, the more abstract the concept of Erika started to be. With only a week left before returning to duty, YF wondered if Eiji was right — he did need to see her.