Chapter 2

~Zaiah~

Earlier as she arrive at school...

I arrived at school with everyone's attention on me as I parked my Ducati alongside their cars in the campus parking lot. I am currently now in Adamson International Academy, which will be my new school, and I am in my final year of high school. People stare as I walk the building's hallway, looking for the registration office to register my name and get my own schedule. Students are not yet wearing their uniforms because it is only the first day back to school, but I will be in uniform with them later as I have my own.

This new environment is making me sick, and I'd rather be in Tokyo than here, but I don't have a choice because this is an order from Goddofāzā (godfather). If these people annoy me, I will kill them all.

"Excuse me," I said as I interrupted a girl in a mini skirt, who was looking at me with her friends. They even look at me from head to toe, which I don't like the way they did it. "Where is the registration office?" I asked, looking blank stares from them.

"We don't know," the girl replied and they walked away from me that I could even hear them laughing.

I'm going to kill them all, especially the girl in the miniskirt.

"I can direct you to the registration office."

A voice appears behind me, prompting me to turn to see who it is. He was sweating while wearing a black basketball uniform and sporting a messy retro-style mullet haircut. I just noticed that every girl was screaming and staring at us. What's the deal with this guy? A type of famous here on campus?

"Don't get me wrong, Miss. I just heard you say you're looking for the registration office, and I'm about to go there to register a new schedule for me; if you like, we can go there together?" he added, and I can see clearly the dripping of his sweat on his face onto his jersey.

"Okay." That's the only word I replied before following him in the hallway with those eyes coming from the girls around us.

"What is your name?" he asked in the middle of our walk.

"Zaiah."

"I'm Vance," he introduced himself and all I could do is to pretend I didn't hear anything because I don't care at all whoever he is.

Present...

"Madden is dead Goddofāzā (Godfather)," I said on the earpiece I'm wearing and start fixing all the stuff I have here in the hotel's room. I have to leave before the police comes on their way on the campus after someone call there and tell the incidents happened. It's just easy to know where she's always doing her paperworks on her table, she just made my mission easier.

"Yoku yatta, Zaiah (Good job, Zaiah)," he replied and I can hear that I made him proud, "Come back here quick."

"Watashi wa tochūdesu (I'm on my way)."

My car was left at the hotel while I drove back to Yakuza on my motorcycle. Someone will just take care of it, or I may ask Kenzie to get my car later. It took me two hours on the road, and I stopped once at a gas station to refuel my motorcycle before continuing. I arrived in the underworld an hour later, and the Ninjahei (ninja soldiers) let me in automatically when they saw me. I parked my Ducati in front of the Pagoda and walked inside, clutching the bag containing my sniper rifle.

"Z, you're back!" Kenzie exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the hallway in front of me. Great, I don't have to look for him because he showed up himself.

"Get my car at the hotel, Kenzie." I handed him the keys and was about to turn around when he started talking again.

"Goddofāzā (Godfather) was not here in the Pagoda," he explained, "but he is in the garden, waiting for your return."

"OK," I only replied and was about to pass him when he grabbed the bag in my hand, "What?"

"Just go in the garden and I'll bring this to your room," he insisted, smiling.

"All right, fine, and don't forget to get my car."

"Don't worry, Z; I'll do it."

I left Kenzie where we met and went outside the Pagoda to meet goddofāzā (godfather) in the Yakuza's ancestral home. Everything is just a breeze as I pass the people I met on my way to the garden. When I saw goddofāzā (godfather) sitting on the chair with his coffee, my brow furrowed as I noticed a familiar picture at the top of the table. I walk through him slowly, and I know that even though he didn't look at me, he noticed me. I took the picture to look at it, and I was almost astounded to see my mother and me as a child.

"What is this all about, Goddofāzā (Godfather),?" I asked, confused with my forehead knotted, "Why do you have this right now?" I raised my hand, holding the picture.

"Do you remember what I told you when you were a child?" He forms a small smile on his lips, which I dislike. I have a bad feeling.

"I can't remember it, Goddofāzā (Godfather)." I'm trying to recall what he's saying, but I've already forgotten.

Goddofāzā (Godfather) gets up and walks towards me. He took the picture and placed it on the table before placing his hands on my shoulders. "I told you before that I would look after you until you turned eighteen; your birthday is two days away, and you will be of legal age; therefore, you can return home—"

"No, Goddofāzā (Godfather), this is my home!" I release his grip on me and take a step backwards away from him. "This is my only home; there is no home for me anymore except here!" My teeth begin to greet, preventing tears from falling into my eyes.

"But there is another home waiting for you, Zaiah. You have to face the life you have left, and you are the only heir in your family, which is your responsibility." I hold my breath, trying to accept what the conversation is about. "Do this in honor of your mother's death, Zaiah," he added, and I can't believe what is happening today.

The silence descended in our midst, looking unbelievable to the man who become my father. The few grey hairs growing on Goddofāzā's (Godfather's) head are a sign that he is getting older. He is in his fifties, but he appears to be in his twenties due to his younger face. He is almost like a father to me because he has treated me like her daughter since I was a child until now, which is why this is so difficult for me.

"But I don't want to leave the Yakuza..." I said quietly.

"Hahaha."

"What's funny, Goddofāzā (Godfather)?"

"Who says you're leaving the Yakuza? You're a family here, Zaiah. What I want you to do is go back to your life and face your responsibility there. You can still visit the underworld and do the mission that I will give you." He walked closer to me and tapped the top of my head once. "Don't overthink it, Child; I can't afford to lose someone like you in our organization; you're my best assassin."

"But..."

"There are no buts, Zaiah. This is an order. Go to your room now and fix your things. I'll meet you in the limo in an hour," he said authoritatively, and I didn't have much of a choice in this situation.

"Hai, Goddofāzā (Yes, Godfather)."