Chapter Text
“I know I’m partly to blame. I am already indebted to him. I owe him more than this.”
“Debatable, but I meant why me specifically. Kiryu-chan wants me here. Ya know that.”
“Because Kiryu-san trusts you,” Daigo stated, voice low. “And you are the one who had a construction company.”
“Could just send my boys.”
“Majima-san. I know you’re dreading his departure.”
“Bold claim there, boss.”
“Just help him rebuild,” he asked. “It’s a small orphanage. It won’t take you long. I’ll be fine here.”
Majima opened his mouth to argue, but spotted a small figure approaching, a grocery bag on the wrist. His expression twisted into that of a welcoming one. “Haruka-chan!” he chirped.
She blinked, then smiled. “Majima-san. Are you here to visit Uncle Kaz?”
“Yup,” he replied, giving an overexaggerated nod. “Just chattin’ with the bossman here before I head in.”
“He’d like to see you both.”
“Kiryu-chan sending you to do his shopping now?” he teased, ruffling her hair.
“Uncle Goro,” she giggled. “You know he’s stuck here.”
“And you’re big enough to do shopping. I know. Stop growing! Now go on. Don’t let us keep you.”
Haruka pushed through the door. Daigo waited to speak until it clicked shut. “‘Uncle Goro?’”
“Aah…” Majima waved it off. “She came by the construction site with Kiryu. Might have done some babysitting. When Kiryu was real desperate.”
“And yet you hesitate to go to Okinawa,” Daigo grinned.
“The last thing they need is me putting ‘em in danger,” he said low. “I won’t do that to Kiryu-chan.”
“I’ll take extra precautions. And you would wear literally anything else to avoid being recognized.”
“Why’re you so intent on this?!”
“The two of us need to make sure no one ever touches that orphanage again,” said Daigo.
Majima grumbled. “Fine. But yer doing the talking. Kiryu-chan isn’t gonna just let you give him the cash. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
“I’ll figure it out,” Daigo smirked.
--
Kiryu’s strong, so it didn’t take long for him to get checked out of his hospital bed. After extensive arguing, the Tojo Clan and its Majima family donated a hefty amount of yen to Morning Glory. An abnormal move for yakuza, but the clan wasn’t exactly traditional these days. It was driving down that route ever since their fourth chairman took the throne and resigned within 24 hours.
Maybe Kiryu just accepted the money out of pity. Daigo wasn’t exactly living the high life lately. Yanking around the reigns of the Tojo Clan, trying to steer it out of collapse, was the most obvious to onlookers. But Kiryu was by his side when he woke from his coma, rolling out of the stretcher and somehow immediately reaching a weapon to defend Kiryu and Mine, then losing Mine in a matter of minutes. Daigo was strong, ridiculously so. But sometimes Kiryu couldn’t help but see the little boy in suspenders, trying to act tough because that is what the world expects of him. Kiryu was secretly thankful it was only Daigo and himself on that rooftop, then only Haruka and Kazama in the helicopter, or else Daigo might not have let himself tremble, let Kiryu keep his arm around his shoulders. Maybe Daigo wouldn’t have begged Kiryu to fill him in on what happened when he was asleep. Maybe Daigo wouldn’t have let anyone see the tears in his eyes when Kiryu told him how much Mine loved him.
So if accepting money made Daigo happy, then Kiryu would do it. Haruka was all Kiryu had when Nishiki permanently left his life, and he’d never forgive himself if he let Daigo go through something similar with no one there. That’s why he wanted Majima to stay in Tokyo.
“It wasn’t his responsibility to rejoin the Tojo Clan for you,” Daigo had told him. As if he needed a reminder of the favors Majima had done him. The flash of the image of Majima coughing up blood in his arms was what solidified Kiryu’s agreement to Daigo’s terms. In the end, Kiryu dreaded the idea of something happening to Majima without Kiryu being there to stop it. Not having Daigo around to protect was bad enough.
Daigo’s terms were simple. Kiryu would accept Daigo and Majima’s donation of yen. Majima, Nishida, and a few other guys from the Majima Family would help rebuild the orphanage as Daigo felt responsible for being destroyed. There would be extra precautions in place to protect those kids, as well. Kiryu hated being indebted to anyone, let alone the people closest to him, but Daigo was very persuasive -- especially when he played dirty and got Haruka on his side.
Haruka’s recent friendship with Majima didn’t help either. It was a shock to both the men when she came back from a shopping outing with him calling him “Uncle Goro.” Majima said he would have never suggested anything like it.
Majima had expressed to him in private that he deeply regrets kidnapping Haruka. It was years ago now, but he apologized before Majima Construction was even a thing. It apparently was a suggestion from another member of the clan, and at the time Majima thought it to be mutually beneficial. Majima then asked, assuming Kiryu could forgive him, that he could apologize to Haruka too. That was the start of the three of them spending time together. Majima thought Kiryu was insane the first time he asked him to look after Haruka, but after spending ten years in prison there was a short list of people he could trust. Even if Majima acted crazy, Kiryu knew he was more than that. He trusted Majima. Especially now.
How could he not? Majima got fatally hurt for him-- on more than one occasion. And yes, he sought out fights with Kiryu, but sparring would be a more appropriate term. They never tried to hurt each other in a way that they could never come back from.
Yet Kiryu grew to enjoy it. He’d be caught up in his own thoughts, sulking down the streets of Kamurocho when his shrill laughter would pierce through his mind’s fog, alerting him but knowing Majima would give him a distraction from the hell that was his life. The sing-song “Kiryu-chan” was often the hand that brought him back down to earth.
When Haruka started to trust him too, it was like weight was pulled off his shoulders. There was a lengthy conversation about Kiryu and Majima’s complicated, unorthodox friendship that Kiryu had with Haruka. Majima probably went overboard to make up for his guilt, buying her stuffed animals and nail polish in her favorite color. But despite his crazy, Majima was excellent with her. Secretly, some part of him was anxious to know what the kids at Morning Glory would think of him.
.
Majima and his men arrived in Okinawa before Kiryu was fit to travel. Given that the orphanage was in shambles, Nakahara and Mikio were sheltering the kids, but it was no place to raise eight kids. Everyone wanted the situation to be as temporary as possible.
Deep down, Kiryu was pleased to see Majima back in that stupid yellow construction hat. This time, however, he wore a blue tropical shirt patterned with flowers, similar to Kiryu’s frequented red tropical shirt. It was hardly buttoned at the top, but mostly concealed the tattoos on his chest. His pants and shoes were the same, but at least those were less loud than the snake-skin jacket.
Majima was yelling about the placement of a plank of wood before Haruka called out to him from Kiryu’s side. “Uncle Goro!”
“Ehh?!” He spun around to the entrance gate, eye spotting Haruka and gasping dramatically. “Haruka-chan!” he sang before running up to the pair and holding out a hand firmly to stop them. “Little lady, this is a dangerous area. I’m gonna have to ask ya to stay back until you have the proper attire.”
She giggled as he scrambled to dig in a crate, yanking out an extra hardhat and running back. He placed it on her head as one would place a crown on a princess, then clipped the chin strap securely.
“Ah, Sawamura-san. Majima Construction has been so lost without you here. Yer the moral of all these stinky men.”
“What about Uncle Kaz?” she questioned. “Doesn’t he need a hardhat?”
“Haw? Yer daddy here has the thickest skull in all of Japan,” claimed Majima. “I figured he’d be fine.”
“Majima-san, what happened to safety first?” she teased.
“Well, yer the boss,” he said, quickly moving to toss another one at Kiryu.
“The orphanage looks so much better already!” Haruka grinned. Kiryu frowned, wishing he knew just how much progress Majima had done. How bad it was before. Seeing it unlivable like this was hard enough.
They heard Mikio spot them and greet Haruka. Kiryu suggested she go talk to him and help him so he could talk to Majima.
Majima’s demeanor visably shifted, gaze trailing to Kiryu’s stomach. “Sure you’re okay to be walking around?”
“I’m fine,” he assured.
“Well you aren’t helping, before you even think about asking.”
“Majima-san.”
“I mean it,” he said. “Ya need to rest. We--”
“Majima-san,” he repeated. “Thank you for your concern. But more importantly, thank you for this.”
Majima waved him off. “Don’t sweat it, Kiryu-chan. I’d rather do this than sit in a stuffy clan meeting any day.”
“If you need anything-”
He shushed him. “Enough of that. I wanna show you what we’re doing.” He turned on his heel, gesturing for Kiryu to follow.
It was merely the skeleton of the building with only a few walls put up, but a lot of it followed the same outlook of how it was before. The entrance had the dining room to the right and rooms to the left. Kiryu walked to the farthest part of the hall to find a staircase that wasn’t there before, confirming his suspicion that the building seemed taller. “You’re making an upstairs?”
“Just a little one,” grinned Majima. “I only got a little details from Nakahara-san about how this place looked before. Figured you deserve a little more space. And your own room.”
“What?!”
“You take care of nine kids. You deserve your own place to relax.”
“I don’t--!”
“Fine! If you don’t like it, you can just give it to the kids or something!” Majima barked. “But yer getting more space whether you like it or not.”
“Nii-san.” He shuffled. “Thank you.”
“No need. I want to do this. I’m just sorry it’s not done for your arrival.”
“Majima-san. You’re not serious. This is already so much.”
“I am!” he retorted. “So what if I wanted it to be done so you could come home to your bed?!”
“I’ll just stay with the kids. I want to be with them.”
“Kiryu-chan, I was thinking… maybe they could help when we get to the painting and putting furniture in. Small furniture. I don’t want them getting hurt.” He shifted his gaze away. “Then, ya know, it’ll really be theirs. But I get if that’s a shitty idea.”
“No,” he assured. “That’s a great idea. And it’ll build some character, too.”
“Nice,” Majima said, trying to conceal his relief. “I can help out somewhere else, too. Ya probably don’t want me around the kids.”
“What?” Kiryu blinked. “Why not?”
“I don’t know. I’m me, Kiryu-chan. Haruka has already been to hell and back, but those kids will probably shit their pants seeing me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Kiryu scolded. “If there’s one thing I want to teach these kids, it’s not to judge someone by how they look. Or by their background. I’m taking care of them, after all. If I’m deserving of their respect, you are too.”
“That’s just like you, Kiryu-chan,” he said softly. “You have to be certain.”
“I want them to meet you,” he said firmly.
Majima flinched, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright, alright. That shouldn’t be too far off. We’re working fast. This is a ‘noble cause’ or some shit. The men are motivated, and I bet seeing Haruka-chan again’ll help too.”
“No one better be overworking themselves,” Kiryu huffed.
“Overworking?! Nah. They get plenty of breaks n’ shit.”
“You will call me if you need anything.”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it, Kiryu-chan.”
--
“Kids,” he started, fourth chairman-esqe voice in tow, “this is Majima-san. He is a very good friend of both Haruka and myself, and has been for a long time. As you can see behind me, he and his team have worked very hard to rebuild the orphanage. Our home. I expect you all to treat him with respect.”
They greeted him in a chorus, to which he laughed and greeted them back.
“We’re going to help him fix the house, like we talked about. So you should listen to anything he says.” Kiryu paused. “Any instructions he gives, anyway. Any questions?”
Koji’s head tilted to the side. “Why are you wearing an eyepatch?”
“Koji…” sighed Haruka.
“Are you a pirate?” added Izumi.
Kiryu groaned as well. “Now, guys—“
“It’s okay, Kiryu-chan,” he smiled. Majima squatted to their level. “It’s not for decoration. I got no eye under here.”
“Woah!” said Taichi. “What happened?!”
“Got in a pretty nasty accident,” he lied. “Now I gotta wear this thing all the time. And no, I ain’t a pirate, but I’m sorta thinking I should try it. I already got the looks for it.”
Kiryu watched some of the kids smile and laugh, catching himself smiling with them.
“But right now--” he hopped back on his feet, hands on his hips. “I’m a construction guy! And today, so are you guys. We need painters! We need heavy lifters! Well, there’s not much painting to be done. But there is some. Now, I gotta learn the names of my employees.”
.
In about two hours, they had the majority of the new furniture moved in. The kids seemed pleased to help organize their new rooms, and not so thrilled about redoing the kitchen. The whole ordeal was less about making it look good and more making it livable so they’d have a home again.
“Still need to finish the roof,” Majima had told Kiryu. “And I need to call a guy to look at the plumbing and electricity. Oh, and the toilet is old and prone to breaking. Bunch of shit we had on a moment’s notice that needs upgrading.”
Mikio arrived with dinner-- enough for a handful of grown men and nine hungry kids. They devoured it, only slowed by Kiryu’s scolding. Majima dismissed the kids, insisting he’d continue on his own and they should go play. The baseball equipment wasn’t lost when the place was demolished, so the kids agreed to play that.
“Majima-san is a pretty good hitter,” Kiryu mentioned with a smirk.
Koji and Mitsuo’s eyes lit up in interest. “Do you like baseball, Majima-san?” asked Mitsuo.
“Can you play with us, Majima-san?!”
“Haw?” blinked Majima. “Uh, I should probably keep working…”
“Majima-san! Please?!”
“Majima-san!!”
“Uncle Kaz can’t play; we need a grown-up to hit it far!”
”Majima-san!!”
“You deserve a break, too,” said Kiryu. “Go on.”
Majima smiled to himself, then big. “I just can’t say no to you scamps. But I’m not going easy on you!”
“We can only play for a little bit; it’ll get dark soon. Go set up,” said Kiryu, and every kid but Haruka tripped over themselves heading to the beach.
“I’ll sit with Uncle Kaz and watch,” smiled Haruka.
.
“You’d better start runnin’, Koji-kun,” Majima said with a shrill laugh. As promised, the metal sound shot through the air, sending the ball soaring across the beach. The kids scrambled for it, and Kiryu was grateful that for once it wasn’t him he was smacking with a bat.
He and Haruka watched them repeat this a few times, but the kids were already tired from helping, so he sent them to bed for the first time in their new home.
Koji, Taichi, Mitsuo, and Izumi kept asking if Majima was going to come back tomorrow. Kiryu promised he would and they cheered.
When they finally passed out and the other men left, Kiryu sat with Majima on the porch, offering him a light. “They really like you,” commented Kiryu.
“I guess,” shrugged Majima, taking a drag of his cigarette. “I’m mostly just trying not to swear.”
“I’m sure the kids at school swear all the time when the teacher isn’t around.”
“I got to be a model citizen for you, Kiryu-chan!”
“You’re doing well,” he said. “I hope this isn’t too bothersome for you.”
“Nah,” Majima assured. “They’re good kids.” He smiled to himself. “That older girl kinda reminds me of Sae—“ He shrunk, pressing his lips together. “Sorry. Forgot where I was.”
“It’s alright,” Kiryu said softly. “Is it something you want to talk about?”
“You don’t want to listen to me whine, Kiryu-chan,” he joked, trying a smile. “Real snoozefest, I tell ya.”
“It’s not to me. Not if it’s important to you.”
Majima flinched, searching for any sign of mockery in his features only to find none. “It’s not a big deal. I was just gonna say she reminded me of Saejima’s little sister.”
“Saejima… Saejima Taiga?”
“Yeah. He was my oath brother. Ya know. Before my life dove into the toilet. His sister was a goddamn peach.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’ve never told anyone about this.”
Kiryu furrowed his brow. “No one?”
“It ain’t exactly a topic over drinks,” he hummed.
Kiryu paused. “Do you still talk to his sister?”
“I…” Another puff of his cigarette. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Can’t face her,” he muttered. “I check up on her every now and then, but…”
“You don’t have to tell me about what happened,” said Kiryu. “But just know… if you ever want to talk about it, or anything, I’m here.”
The lit cigarette trembled between Majima’s fingers. “No need to waste time on me, Kiryu-chan.”
“It’s not a waste,” Kiryu said firmly. “We’re friends. Not a traditional friendship, sure. But friends.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what?”
“For saying it outloud. That you think of me. As a friend.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Majima turned to give him a look. “I’m not a good friend.”
“Bullshit,” he grunted. “Not very many people I know would ram through a crowd with a truck to save me.”
“Heh.” The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Or watch over Daigo for me.”
“Well…”
“Or build my orphanage back up.”
“Yer making me blush, Kiryu-chan!” He tried carrying it as a joke, but if there was one thing Kiryu was good at, it was making the mad-dog mask slip.