"You're late."
Reiji didn't respond, simply pulling back the chair before him and sitting down after unbuttoning his suit jacket.
Daichi's hands were clasped together on the dining table, his eyes narrowed as he studied his son, who was pouring himself a glass of water from the jug.
"At least you had the common sense of putting on a suit, even though it's a little big for you," he stated indifferently.
"It's fine, doesn't look too bad, does it? And considering you didn't even tell me where we were eating, this is the best you're gonna get for now," Reiji replied, brushing the soft fabric of the tablecloth with interest.
Daichi just hummed quietly before turning to the two men behind Reiji. His already furrowed eyebrows deepened even further when he saw Baldy tugging at the tight clothes that were a complete contrast to what everyone else was wearing.
"What on earth is wrong with you? What's with that getup?" he snapped with his deep voice, making the poor man flinch in anguish.
Reiji and Beardy struggled to hold in their laughter, with the former gulping down some water to force himself to stay silent.
"U-Uh, I.... I'm sorry Boss."
Daichi just clicked his tongue and waved them off.
"Tch, whatever, go on to the side room. Some of the other members are there, so eat your fill."
There was a smaller door to the side of this private dining area, and the two henchmen bowed before rushing away from the scene.
Daichi then leaned back in his chair, and the corners of his mouth lifted just enough for Reiji to notice.
"Swapping clothes was not a bad idea," he said.
Reiji was slightly surprised that he found out due to his previous reaction, but it was not exactly a secret in the first place.
'I guess I'm not the only one who likes messing with them?'
"Forget that, what's with the Yagami Room? How are we VIPs in a place like this?" he replied, changing the subject to satisfy his curiosity.
"Because we're investors."
"Investors? Really?"
Reiji was more than taken aback. He knew that some of their businesses were legitimate, allowing them to diversify their operations and earn more money to expand their influence.
But a Maximus 4-Star?
That was completely out of left field.
"Yes, the owner was a friend of mine when we were young. I saw potential, so I invested," his father explained in very few words.
Just then, the main door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped in wearing a chef's uniform and holding a notepad. He had a bright smile on his weathered face, which lit up even further when he noticed the two men inside.
What stood out even more was that he was clearly not Japanese, presumably either European or American.
"Daichi-san, it's been a while! You should come by more often, I change the menu frequently so I promise you won't get bored!" he bellowed in Japanese, but with a thick English accent.
Daichi stood up to greet the man with a calm but pleased expression.
"You've lost weight, Daniel. I didn't even know that was possible when working in a restaurant."
"Haha, what can I say. I like cooking more than eating!" Daniel replied before turning to Reiji. "And who might this handsome young fellow be?"
"This is my son, Yagami Reiji. Reiji, this is Daniel Wood. He's the owner and head chef of this restaurant."
Reiji, who had also stood up, extended his arm to the upbeat man.
"Hello, Mr. Wood. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said in English while shaking his hand.
"Oh my, your English is really good, young man!" Daniel gasped in astonishment.
"Thank you, your Japanese is quite amazing as well!"
"Well, I've lived here for a few decades now, so It would be more surprising if it wasn't. Anyway, please take a seat and let me know what you would like to order!"
The two of them sat back down, and Daichi picked up a menu. Reiji glanced over it but then put it down almost instantly.
"I'll just go with whatever you recommend," he smiled at the chef.
"Aha, very well! I will do my best!"
His father also handed in his order, and the chef left after collecting their menus. Daichi then locked eyes with Reiji, the atmosphere becoming more serious all of a sudden.
"...When did you learn how to speak English that well?"
"Eh? Oh, I just practiced while watching Hollywood movies," he chuckled nervously, using his go-to excuse.
It seemed like Daichi didn't really believe him, but the approval on his face overshadowed the doubt.
"I see.... Anyway, I heard how you dealt with the Blackmailing task. You did a good job, at least considering your lack of experience with things like this."
".... It wasn't exactly fun," Reiji muttered.
"Maybe so, but it was never supposed to be fun in the first place."
After the task, he'd thought long and hard about seriously cutting himself away from the syndicate.
What was the worst that could happen?
He now had friends who believed in him, minimizing the threat of them disturbing his school life, and he doubted that they'd go overboard after seeing that they weren't full-blown evil.
But two things were holding him back.
The first was the fact that he'd genuinely done a good deed and helped out someone desperate, which gave him a sense of fulfillment and responsibility.
But the second reason was what made him frown gloomily when he recalled it again.
Ignoring that sickly thought, he refocused on the stern man before him.
"Is that why I'm here? You have another task for me?"
Daichi tilted his head, a trace of sadness flashing past so quickly that Reiji didn't even notice it.
"....Can't I just have dinner with my son?"
Reiji coughed lightly, feeling a pang of guilt from that despondent look.
"That's not it, but what else am I supposed to think if I'm called on such short notice?"
"Fair enough. I'll give you more of a heads-up next time," Daichi said softly.
After that, an extremely awkward silence fell upon the room, with both sides struggling to come up with conversation topics. Reiji fiddled with his glass of water while the other was akin to a statue, completely frozen in place without the slightest hint of movement.
"Um.... Was there a follow-up in the blackmail task?" Reiji finally asked, randomly saying the first thing that came to mind in order to dispel the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"Yes. I asked someone to contact the client and see if any issues had cropped up, but she was doing quite well. Her life is back to normal, and the target hasn't reached out to her either," he responded, but then his words trailed off as if he was withholding something.
Reiji frowned, thinking something had gone wrong.
"What happened?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
Reiji leaned forward, placing his hands on the table before saying, "I was given that assignment; I have every right to know if there is an issue. Did I overlook something?"
Daichi stared at him in contemplation, tapping his index finger on his glass repeatedly.
"No, that's not the problem. We just have no idea where the man who was blackmailing our client went," he sighed.
"...What?"
"His apartment was empty when someone went to check, and through some investigation, we know that he hasn't contacted his family. This was only discovered recently, though, you don't have to worry. I've already sent men to track him down to ensure he isn't planning something else."
Reiji clenched his jaw.
'Did I go too easy on him? But what else was I supposed to do?'
He couldn't help but think it was his fault, especially since Chinatsu-san might be in danger again.
"Have you let the client know about this?"
"No, that won't do anything except make her worry. I've already assigned someone to guard her discreetly until we've located him, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it," Daichi shook his head.
'...He's right. But should I do something about this? Maybe help in some way?'
"What's with that expression? Don't tell me you think this is your fault?" his father said sternly.
"....Well, if I had been a little mo-"
"Stop. I heard in excessive detail about how you conducted the assignment from those two buffoons. They almost made me cut my ears off with how happy they were, but I didn't because I knew they were right. You did well, Reiji. Things like this just happen from time to time."
Reiji closed his mouth and looked down at his hands that had been trembling a little.
'...Why am I scared?'
He wasn't scared of Keito retaliating against him; no, he could handle that just fine. But if this led to him trying out a different plan, he was scared that his leniency might be the cause.
But could he have been harsher? He doubted it, not even with OG Reiji's ruthlessness.
He wasn't ready for that.
Not yet, at least.
"Don't overthink it. Do you still not realize just how vast our influence is? We'll find him soon." Daichi said confidently.
"...Alright."
The main door opened once again, and Daniel walked in with a cart, pushing it along until he was next to their table.
"Thank you for waiting! Please enjoy these dishes!"
He removed the covers, and a diverse spread of luxurious meals came into view. There were oysters served on a bed of crushed ice, beetroot carpaccio, pan-seared scallops, and different fillets of fish coated in a variety of sauces.
Daniel calmly explained the foundation and purpose of each dish, claiming that they should be eaten in a specific order to maximize the flavor and experience.
Reiji's dull eyes started shining with eagerness, almost itching to get started with the multi-course meal.
"If you need anything else, please press that button and I will be with you shortly," the chef ended his speech by pointing to the panel on the side of the table. He then exited again, hauling his empty cart away.
Reiji picked up a fork, recalling the recommended process as he reached for a dish.
But the door swung open again, this time the small one where the rest of the members sat.
An older man with gray and white hair rushed in grimly, and his voice echoed through the room, "Boss! Something big has happened!"
'Yep, there it is.....Nothing's ever simple.'