![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
insanenekoMahiru no tsuki
Mahiru no tsuki by Ioka Itsuki and illustrated by Ebihara Yuri is the first of a series of (so far) four books about former detective Kanzaki Shuuichi and yakuza underboss Tatsumi Takeshi of Kiriyama-gumi. Shuuichi had quit the force after being betrayed and shot by his partner and had moved to Osaka from Tokyo to manage the building his grandfather had left him. He happens to meet and draw the interest of Tatsumi. Shuuichi ends up getting involved in the matter that brought him and Tatsumi together and doing some investigating, helping to bring the matter to a close.
I was a bit hesitant to read this because yakuza x detective stories tend to be full of S & M, massive machismo, and angst. And they always set up the characters as hard boiled and tough, but at least the uke turns into either uber-slut or weepy helpless heroine or some horrible combination of the two. But this one....was refreshingly devoid of those cliches. Both Shuuichi and Tatsumi are very manly and confident without being swaggering or needing to always prove their manliness. To a certain extent they understand each other and are very much equals. Tatsumi doesn't fly into fits of rage or jealousy or possessiveness, and Shuuichi never acts weak or girly, or play hard-to-get or remains in denial forever. In fact, Shuuichi is uber-manly in that he is awesomely cool and collected. He also acts like he was a real detective. I love how he knows how to read people and actually comes up with plans to get what he needs while he investigates. Tatsumi is more seemingly relaxed in that Osaka way, but he definitely is the man. And the is nothing more appealing than seeing Tatsumi go wild over Shuuichi being Shuuichi.
There are four volumes, all of them excellent. The relationship between Shuuichi and Tatsumi develop very nicely, there are real plots and the cases are pretty interesting, and there's this one really bad-ass moment in book 4 I love to reread a lot. XD Unfortunately, the publisher went bankrupt so the books are out of print right now. But according to her website Knockout Ouji, she will be publishing the next volume with another as yet unnamed publisher. Her website also has some short stories from the Mahiru no tsuki world that were highly enjoyable. XD
Kanzaki Shuuichi is a former detective from Tokyo who has moved to Osaka to take possession of the small building his grandfather had left him. The building contains a Chinese restaurant on the first floor, a gay bar on the second, a bar on the third, and a club on the top floor. The owner of the club had run off while Shuuichi had been busy with the details of inheriting his grandfather's properties (which included a house he sold to pay taxes), but when Shuuichi arrives at the club he finds several yakuza searching for something. The leader of the bunch ask Shuuichi if he's "that old man's" grandson, to which Shuuichi replies "If you mean my grandfather when you say 'that old man,' then yes I am." The leader takes that as an affirmative. Shuuichi explains that he'll be living in the former club. The leader asks for three days before Shuuichi moves in. Shuuichi, not wanting to get too involved with any yakuza, immediately agrees and they introduce themselves to each other. The leader's name is Tatsumi Takeshi of the Kiriyama-gumi. Shuuichi then leaves.
In the meantime, Tatsumi has his men stop searching. He calls his right-hand man Taira over to the club and orders him to renovate the space into an apartment in three days as well as investigate Shuuichi's background.
Three days later, Shuuichi gets a call from Tatsumi as promised. Surprised that Tatsumi had bothered to call, he heads over to the building to find the space converted into a simple apartment. He demands to know what Tatsumi is up to, as a yakuza wouldn't do something like this without an ulterior motive. Tatsumi comments that Shuuichi certainly knows about yazuka, being a former detective specializing in yakuza. He asks how it had felt to be shot by his own partner and grabs Shuuichi's shoulder (where Shuuichi had been shot). Shuuichi shrugs him off, but as he lets go he turns Shuuichi around and slaps a pair of handcuffs on. He leads Shuuichi to the bed and tells Shuuichi that there's only one ulterior motive for giving someone a present. Shuuichi can't quite believe the situation, making disparaging remarks about Tatsumi's taste and sanity for wanting to have sex with him. Knowing he's at a disadvantage, he doesn't struggle much as Tatsumi proceeds to have his way with him (there's something very appealing about a character who can say "I'll take you to heaven" without sounding totally corny XD).
As Shuuichi wakes up the next morning, Kaori, a new-half working at the gay bar downstairs, comes inside. She had been Tatsumi's classmate in high school, and had been asked by Tatsumi to look after Shuuichi. She urges him to take a bath, providing him with toiletries and clothing. As he soaks, he marvels at how composed he is--he figures it must be proof of how much he'd given up on life. When he comes out, he finds that she had also prepared a simple lunch and had signed for a delivery addressed to the club. He reminds her of the time and she rushes off to get ready for work at the bar. After she leaves Shuuichi opens the package to find two guns and finds out why Tatsumi had been searching the club earlier.
When Tatsumi, the underboss (wakagashira), visits the head (kumichou) of the Kiriyama-gumi, Kiriyama Sousuke, a man that sort of raised him, Kiriyama comments that Tatsumi seems to be doing too much again. He had gotten a call from another yakuza group, Kuroda-gumi, to get Tatsumi to stop looking for Chikada, the owner of the club in Shuuichi's building. Tatsumi complains that it was Kiriyama who had ordered him to search for Chikada, even though it had been the Kuroda-gumi Chikada had stolen from and pissed off. Tatsumi is irritated but tells Kiriyama he's not too upset about Kuroda-gumi since he's found "something interesting." Kiriyama, seeing Tatsumi's expression, expresses some pity for the "something interesting" that's caught Tatsumi's attention. Tatsumi counters that life will just be that much more interesting for that something. Kiriyama notes that it depends on whether that something has the capacity to see things that way. Tatsumi asserts that Shuuichi does, because he'd never be interested in someone who didn't. Kiriyama warns not to do too much, because he might run away. Tatsumi replies with a glint in his eyes that he wouldn't let him get away.
After checking out of the hotel he had been staying at, Shuuichi goes to the convenience store that the package had been sent from a week earlier. The clerk working there fortunately remembered the sender because they had been in such a rush they had knocked something over and left without righting it. It had been a husband, wife and child. Though the clerk didn't know where they were going to, he figured it was the station since they ran in that direction and were carrying lots of luggage. Shuuichi checks out the station and sees that they could have left Osaka. He ponders where they could have gone to. Figuring that the yakuza must have already checked out both the husband's and wife's parents' homes, he decides that they must have gotten help though an associate of the wife. It wasn't likely that a guy that do something that would get him chased by yakuza had people he could depend on for help. He returns to his building and asks the owner of the bar about the wife. The owner knows that the wife had been a hostess before she had married, supplying Shuuichi with a possible name of the club. Shuuichi decides to investigate further the next day. He stops by the gay bar, having promised Kaori earlier to visit. Kaori is happy to be with such a hot guy, but Shuuichi dismisses his looks. He finds appearances to be pretty pointless, which explains his complete acceptance of Kaori and the other new-halfs from the beginning. Kaori, moved by his lack of prejudice, grabs his hand and offers to treat Shuuichi to lots of drinks. They are interrupted by Tatsumi telling Kaori that he didn't tell her to seduce Shuuichi, just to take care of him. Tatsumi sits down between them and starts asking Shuuichi how his body's doing. Shuuichi brushes him off, saying it's none of his business. Tatsumi asserts that it is, since it'd be his fault if Shuuichi isn't well. Shuuichi tells him that if he cares then he should not show up. Tatsumi finds Shuuichi's attitude cold, reminding him that they weren't strangers anymore. Shuuichi coolly maintains that they are perfect strangers. Tatsumi gives up for the moment, figuring Shuuichi's attitude will eventually change. Tatsumi questions Shuuichi about his activities that day, which Shuuichi refuses to answer. Shuuichi leaves and goes to his room. He realizes that he's being watched by Tatsumi's men, but despite any problems he might have with Tatsumi he wants to find Chikada and help his family.
The next day Shuuichi calls Inspector Sakisaka, the mentor who had taught him the ropes, currently stationed in Osaka. He hadn't been able to tell Sakisaka that he had quit the force and moved to Osaka, but he figures Sakisaka must have heard the news on the grapevine. At this point he remembers the incident that led to his resignation. During an investigation of a drug route Shuuichi realized that detailed information was being leaked. When he determined that the source of the leak was his trusted partner, he called his partner out to try to get him to turn himself in. Unfortunately, instead of agreeing to turn himself in, Shuuichi's partner shot Shuuichi's shoulder. When he woke up in the hospital, he was greeted by his boss reprimanding him for not consulting anyone and trying to resolve things by himself and making the problem bigger.
Shuuichi meets up with Sakisaka at Osaka Castle and asks if Sakisaka (who is currently assigned to Public Safety but for most of his career specialized in anti-yakuka work) had heard if Kiriyama-gumi had been involved in any incidents. Sakisaka replies that he hasn't, that Kiriyama-gumi rarely does. Sakisaka mentions that Tatsumi is quite a sharp person, who was able to subdue all opposition and gained full control of the group when he took his position as underboss. Sakisaka warns Shuuichi to stay away from Tatsumi as he isn't a police officer anymore. (Shuuichi choses not to mention that he can't really stay away from Tatsumi if Tatsumi keeps approaching him...) Shuuichi then asks which group opposes Kiriyama-gumi. Sakisaka replies that Kuroda-gumi's head hates Tatsumi because Tatsumi was able to take control of all of the turf the Kuroda-gumi had been targeting. Sakisaka tells Shuuichi that he won't ask what Shuuichi is trying to do, and will look away if it happens to be something illegal. He had been told by a colleague that Shuuichi's eyes had looked dead when the last he had seen him, but now Shuuichi didn't seem that way. He figures it's thanks to what Shuuichi is doing now. Shuuichi protests that a police officer shouldn't say such things, but is happy to see that there is someone who still worries about and cares for him. Perhaps he wouldn't have quit the force if Sakisaka had been there in Tokyo. Sakisaka proposes going out to eat one of these days, to which Shuuichi readily agrees.
After going around collecting protection money from various businesses, Tatsumi considers visiting Shuuichi's place. Taira informs him that Shuuichi has been out all day and hasn't returned yet. An employee at a restaurant across the street from Shuuichi's building was being paid to report Shuuichi's comings and goings. Tatsumi decides to return to the office instead. In the car, Taira reports that Kuroda-gumi had learned where Chikada's wife's parents lived. Taira then receives a report that Shuuichi showed up at the club Chikada's wife used to work at. Hearing that, Tatsumi decides to go there.
Shuuichi gains the trust of the club mama, who gives him Chikada's wife's parents' address and asks him to save them. As Shuuichi leaves, he is accosted by some yakuza who had been watching the club. As they try to force him to come with them for questioning, he advises them to leave him alone because Tatsumi will show up. He calls out for affirmation from Tatsumi, whom he had noticed was behind him. In response Tatsumi shows himself and tells the yakuza to leave Shuuichi alone--he doesn't want Shuuichi to sulk from being irritated by yakuza while Tatsumi was trying to seduce him. They apologize and quickly leave. Shuuichi tells Tatsumi that he had actually wanted to ask those guys some questions. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi to come to him with any questions. They sit in Tatsumi's car so that Shuuichi can ask. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that Chikada had been diverting goods from Kuroda-gumi, that the yakuza at the club were from the Kuroda-gumi, and that there was a rumor that Tatsumi had incited Chikada to do it. When Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi knows where Chikada is, Tatsumi demands a kiss as reward for the information. He asks if the reward he wants is expensive. Shuuichi admits that it's rather cheap, grabs Tatsumi's necktie and kisses him. Tatsumi wraps his arms around Shuuichi and deepens the kiss. In order to not lose focus from the intense kiss, Shuuichi diverts his mind by counting numbers. When he finally lets Shuuichi go, Tatsumi is amused and even more pleased with Shuuichi. He explains that while he doesn't know where they are, Chikada's wife's parents probably know. Tatsumi thinks if Kuroda-gumi finds Chikada things will turn out badly for him. As Shuuichi is about to get out of the car, Tatsumi tells him to come to him if something happens, to which Shuuichi replies "LIKE HELL I WILL" (okay, not those words, but the sentiment is all there). Tatsumi comments that Shuuichi really is a funny guy.
Shuuichi manages to temporarily get rid of the yakuza sitting in front of Chikada's wife's parents' house by calling the police and reporting a suspicious person. He convinces the parents that he wants to help their daughter and grandchild, and so they tell him which area the family had fled to. As they don't know where the family is exactly and their only contact is through phone calls from their daughter, Shuuichi asks them to convey his cell number when she calls again.
Tatsumi is waiting when Shuuichi returns home. Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi's group is so free that Tatsumi can waste his time like this. Tatsumi replies that he's making time in his busy schedule to come by. Tatasumi: "Can't you understand my manly intense passion?" Shuichi (coldly): "LIKE HELL I CAN'T." Shuuichi then asks Tatsumi what he'd do with Chikada if he found him. Tatsumi will scrupulously find out where the goods are, but doesn't have much interest in Chikada himself. Shuuichi proposes that if he should find the goods and hand them over, that Tatsumi keep Kuroda-gumi from taking revenge against Chikada. Tatsumi is willing to even crush the Kuroda-gumi if Shuuichi wants him to, but Shuuichi of course doesn't want anything like that. He asks for Tatsumi's cell number, which delights Tatsumi (Shuuichi is taking steps towards him!). Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that he can call any time any day, and leaves to take care of some business.
Kaori stops by to check up on Shuuichi because she had seen Tatsumi leave. Shuuichi asks whether Tatsumi had always been so self-possessed. Kaori responds that he had been ever since she knew him. He also asks if Tatsumi had been into guys from before. Kaori had always seen Tatsumi with women, as he was very popular with them. As Kaori goes back to work, she comments that she might get scolded for visiting Shuuichi by herself since everyone at the bar are fans of Shuuichi. Shuuichi can't help but feel like he's finding a place for himself in Osaka. Maybe he'll even find meaning in living if he finds a place to live.
Shuuichi receives a call from the wife two days later. At first she asks him to not mind them, but he convinces her that she should accept his help for the sake of her child. He heads out to meet them at the hotel they are hiding out at. He finds out in the taxi on the way to the hotel that some yakuza were in town, luckily headed for a different hotel. He knows he doesn't have much time. He talks briefly with the foolish Chikada, telling him that Kuroda-gumi will want his head for the loss of face he had caused them. Chikada tells him the location of the goods. Kuroda-gumi's underboss and some men show up, wanting their revenge. Shuuichi faces off with the underboss until Tatsumi makes his entrance with some of his men. He explains that Chikada himself had floated the rumor that Tatsumi had put him up to the theft, and proposes that Kuroda-gumi gets the goods and he gets Chikada for using his name. The Kuroda-gumi underboss accepts the deal and leaves.
Tatsumi had planned on using Chikada as an object lesson to amateurs thinking they can try things with yakuza and get away with it and letting his family go as Shuuichi wanted. Shuuichi, understanding Tatsumi's position, is okay with it (Tatsumi: "I can't believe those are the words of a former detective." Shuuichi: "Yeah, 'former.' I'm just a normal citizen now.") But the wife shows up and begs for her (worthless) husband's life/safety, and Shuuichi ends up asking Tatsumi to let Chikada go too. He'll do whatever Tatsumi wants in exchange. Tatsumi of course wants Shuuichi to become his. Shuuichi agrees, and the family is free to leave.
Tatsumi had taken the best room in the hotel, and he and Shuuichi head up to it. Shuuichi initially admires the beautiful view, and brushes aside Tatsumi's overture to take a bath. When Shuuichi finally emerges from the bath wearing a bathrobe, Tatsumi is impatient. "Was I supposed to fantasize and have sex by myself?" Shuuichi laughs off his grumbling and tells him to take a bath, the water's nice. He once again gazes outside, but Tatsumi is interested in Shuuichi. He comes up from behind and embraces Shuuichi. Shuuichi still can't quite believe that Tatsumi is interested in him, a 30 year old man, but Tatsumi shows him just how much he's interested. He kisses him, and as he runs his hands along Shuuichi he realizes Shuuichi isn't wearing underwear. (Tatsumi: "Hey, you're all ready to go too!" Shuuichi: "It's pointless to put them on if I'm just going to take them off immediately." Tatsumi: "This is what makes you so irresistible.") And so they proceed to have sex against the window, then move on to the bed. (Shuuichi: "We should have done it here in the first place." Tatsumi: "Nothing wrong with doing something different at times. Didn't it feel like we were having sex outside?" Shuuichi: "Did it look like I had any room to feel something like that?" Tatsumi: "Yeah, that would be problematic. It'd mean my technique was lacking." (especially since during the first round he asks, "Isn't my sex good?")) When Tatsumi makes overtures for another round, Shuuichi brushes him off to take a nap. Tatsumi protests that the night is still young, to which Shuuichi responds that since the night is still young there's enough time for a nap and goes to sleep.
A week later, Shuuichi meets up with Sakisaka. He tells Sakisaka he has no intention of going back to the force, but he doesn't know what he wants to do otherwise. They are interrupted by Tatsumi, demanding to know what Shuuichi is doing with another man. Sakisaka and Tatsumi recognize each other, and Tatsumi quietly leaves when Shuuichi asks him to. They've been seeing each other every day and having lots of sex because Tatsumi is insatiable. Sakisaka had heard a rumor that Tatsumi had swung the other way and was chasing a guy's ass, and asks if the object of Tatsumi's desire is Shuuichi. Shuuichi doesn't know about Tatsumi changing his preferences, but he does confirm that he is the one Tatsumi had been pursuing. He assures Sakisaka that though things had just ended up the way they did, he wasn't desperate. He feels alive when he's with Tatsumi.
Leaving the restaurant, Tatsumi meets up with Taira outside. Taira had received a report that Shuuichi wsa seen entering a restaurant with another guy, and while Tatsumi figured Shuuichi was meething Sakisaka he stopped by just to see Shuuichi's disapproving expression. But when Taira calls for a car to pick them up, they find out that the car had been in an accident when the breaks had stopped working. Tatsumi takes a taxi back to his place, wondering which of his enemies had done it, while he sends Taira to see the driver in the hospital. When Shuuichi shows up Tatsumi immediately starts caressing Shuuichi. Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi isn't going around talking about him...that Tatsumi was chasing a guy's ass. Tatsumi replies that he had talked about Shuuichi when he had cut his ties with all his women even as he continues his assault on Shuuichi's body. Shuuichi can't believe Tatsumi had bothered to break up with all his women, but Tatsumi cuts off more talk with a deep kiss.
When Shuuichi wakes up Tatsumi is gone, and he leaves for home. Just as he gets to his door, a woman attempts to stab him with a knife. He dodges, and finds out that the woman was one of Tatsumi's former women, resentful that she had been let go because of him. She runs away, and Shuuichi wonders in what manner Tatsumi had broken up with the women. He calls Tatsumi's cell but gets Taira. When he asks for the names and workplaces of all of Tatsumi's women because he had almost been stabbed, Taira rushes over. He shows Shuuichi pictures of the women Tatsumi had recently broken up with. Shuuichi recognizes his attacker as one of them, Yano Hitomi. Turns out she couldn't be located. When Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi is fighting with the women, Taira says that's not possible because Tatsumi is good at that kind of thing. When Shuuichi asks why in the world Tatsumi had decided to break up with the four suddenly, Taira tells him to ask Tatsumi himself. Taira asks Shuuichi to avoid going out and to be accompanied by one of the members if he has to while they investigate the matter. Shuuichi, displeased, offers to do the investigation himself. He hates waiting around, and he'd be better at getting to the bottom of things than the youngsters in the group. Taira agrees to offer support and hands Shuuichi all the information he has on Hitomi. Shuuichi asks what else had happened, since there had to be a reason Taira had all this information already gathered. Taira explains about the brakes on Tatsumi's car.
Tatsumi had been talking to the police about the accident, claiming that it had been an accident. He didn't want the police to have any reason to start investigating the group. He finds out from Taira about the assault on Shuuichi and Shuuichi's decision to investigate and orders him to support Shuuichi full-time. He also decides to go to Hong Kong with Kiriyama. Kiriyama had been trying to get Tatsumi to go to Hong Kong with him and Tatsumi had been declining...
Later that night Shuuichi is woken up when Tatsumi comes visiting. After grumbling about being disturbed, he asks why Tatsumi had come by. Tatsumi had heard about Shuuichi's new diversion, to investigate the true reason why Hitomi had assaulted him. Shuuichi asks why Tatsumi had bothered breaking up with all of his women. Tatsumi replies that he doesn't need anyone else besides Shuuichi. He's too busy a man to make time for women when he's already seeing Shuuichi so much. Shuuichi tells him he'd rather have Tatsumi see him less. When Tatsumi asks if it's because Shuuichi's body can't keep up and tries to put his hand on Shuuichi, Shuuichi knocks it away and tells him not to touch if he knows already. Shuuichi grumbles that sex is all that's in Tatsumi's head--they'd had tons of sex just yesterday. Tatsumi declares that he gets hard just from seeing Shuuichi, and initiates sex. Afterwards, Tatsumi and Shuuichi have a conversation about Taira. Tatsumi explains that Taira is married to the 17 year old daughter of the head of Kiriyama-gumi, and that Taira had been a very good salaryman but had become a yakuza in order to marry her. That was why Taira was not very yakuza-like, he had spent most of his life as a normal person. In the course of the conversation, Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that frankly, Shuuichi could probably seduce any man or woman if he really tried. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that Shuuichi simply doesn't realize just how hot he is...he (half-jokingly?) proposes videotaping him during sex. Tatsumi realizes he should have done taped that night, to take with him to Hong Kong. He tells Shuuichi that he'll be gone for about three days. When Shuuichi tells him he should go for a month or so, Tatsumi claims that Shuuichi's body and heart will be lonely. Shuuichi assures him that his body will be quite all right, since according to Tatsumi he can seduce anyone if he really wanted to. Tatsumi wonders if he really should be going to Hong Kong, to which Shuuichi replies that he was joking and that he'd have the case solved by the time Tatsumi comes back. Tatsumi complains that Shuuichi shouldn't make him fall even harder for him, which makes Shuuichi laugh.
Shuuichi goes to the club Hitomi had worked at, pretending to be a client. He talks amicably with the hostess he is assigned, telling her that he had been introduced to the club by a friend who was a client of Hitomi's. When he asks about Hitomi, the hostess tells him that she had suddenly quit a week ago without saying anything. He joins her in worrying about Hitomi, mentioning that Tatsumi (whom the hostess knew as Hitomi's client) hadn't heard either. The hostess then volunteers the name of a friend of Hitomi's, a beautician named Kenji, who might know where she might be. Shuuichi returns home, after which Taira comes and tries to serve him as he would Tatsumi (serving tea, remembering the brand of tea Shuuichi likes, etc). Shuuichi asks Taira to find out about Hitomi's friend, intending to pay him a visit.
After receiving Taira's report, Shuuichi waits for Kenji to finish work. Using a more aggressive manner, he gets Kenji to admit that Hitomi had told Kenji that she had been threatened by a yakuza group. Shuuichi proposes they join forces to uncover the threat. Kenji decides to trust Shuuichi and tells him that Hitomi is at his place. They head over to Kenji's apartment immediately. After Hitomi calms down at the shock of seeing Shuuichi, he gets the story out of her. She had slept with a yakuza from Kuroda-gumi once while she had been dating Tatsumi. A video of that night had been taken, and she was blackmailed into doing whatever they wanted her to do. Shuuichi decides that the first thing they need to do is to get that videotape back. He proposes a deal--he'll get the tape back if she doesn't try to kill him anymore. Of course she agrees. He tells her to call him the next time she gets orders from Kuroda-gumi and leaves.
As Shuuichi walks to the station Taira stops by in a car to pick him up. Shuuichi refuses to sit in the back seat as it's less convenient to talk. Taira laughs that Tatsumi says the same thing when it's only the two of them. Shuuichi explains what he learned from Hitomi. He finds Taira's calm stance of watchful waiting against the Kuroda-gumi odd and wonders about the timing of Tatsumi's trip to Hong Kong. He has Taira call Tatsumi, and basically gets a confirmation that Tatsumi had left Japan to let Shuuichi do as he wanted. Tatsumi has seen that Shuuichi is the most alive when he's pursuing something and enjoys seeing him that way. He doesn't care what happens to Kuroda-gumi. Shuuichi hangs up on Tatsumi as Tatsumi declares that he'll dote on Shuuichi thoroughly when he gets back tomorrow night. Shuuichi then finds out from Taira that Kuroda-gumi has an adult video production company and decides to use himself as bait. Taira warns Shuuichi not to go too far and get hurt because Tatsumi will kill people if that happens, but he will support Shuuichi in his efforts.
In the meantime, Tatsumi laughs at how typically Shuuichi his attitude and actions were. He had brought a girl back to his hotel room for the night, but loses interest in sleeping with her after talking with Shuuichi. He can't help but put the blame on Shuuichi for Hitomi's jealousy because Shuuichi affects him so.
The next day Kenji shows up at Shuuichi's place to offer his help, but Shuuichi turns him down and sends him home. After Taira arrives and gives him information and a locator, Shuuichi heads to Kuroda-gumi headquarters and proposes a deal with the underboss. He offers to do whatever they want in exchange for Hitomi's tape. He knows that the underboss wants to embarrass Tatsumi, and nothing would be better than having Tatsumi's current "woman" for that purpose. He makes it seem as though he is quite unhappy in his relationship with Tatsumi and would like to see Tatsumi lose face. The underboss agrees, and Shuuichi is at first directed to be taped using sex toys on himself as they can't get someone for him in such short notice. But a yakuza guy, irritated at Shuuichi's cool attitude, offers to fuck him. Shuuichi maintains a cool, disparaging attitude in order to rile the guy up and stall for time. The guy first makes Shuuichi give him a blow job. Tatsumi had never made Shuuichi do it, but Shuuichi makes do by remembering how Tatsumi would do him. As things progress they are interrupted by a report that the production company office had been robbed of everything. The underboss suspects Shuuichi of being involved, but Shuuichi maintains his ignorance. He points out that they should probably start investigating the robbery, and the underboss knows things more important than videos have been stolen and cuts the taping short. The underboss gives Shuuichi the tape of him and the yakuza just now, because he figures something bad will happen if he tries something with it. He asks what will happen, and Shuuichi responds that he doesn't know but he figures Tatsumi will step forward to deal with it. The underboss mocks that idea, since he figures Tatsumi had ordered this plan as well. Shuuichi protests that Tatsumi is in Hong Kong and he would never have let someone else touch what's his. He leaves it up to the underboss to believe him or not. In fact, Shuuichi had ordered Taira to break into the production office and find the tape. He figured that Kuroda-gumi wasn't actually going to hand over Hitomi's tape and used himself as bait to empty the production office. After everyone else leaves, Shuuichi gargles to get rid of the unpleasantness in his mouth. He then burns the magnetic tape portion of the video tape. Another member of the Kiriyama-gumi is waiting for him when he emerges to take him home.
As soon as they arrive back in Japan Kiriyama is met by his right hand man with the news that the head of Kuroda-gumi had called him numerous times. Kiriyama calls the Kuroda-gumi head back and gets upset about being accused of breaking into the production office. He confirms that Tatsumi was with him in Hong Kong the last three days. Tatsumi leaves Kiriyama talking on the phone and heads for Shuuichi's place.
Shuuichi gets a call from Taira informing him of Tatsumi's return. He didn't ask for a call, but figures it's a warning to let him know that Tatsumi's heading over. He takes a quick shower, ostensibly to get ready for bed. But when he comes out Tatsumi is there and embraces him. Tatsumi, declaring that he has to get inside of Shuuichi immediately, pushes him onto the table and does just that. Tatsumi carries Shuuichi over to the bed, where once again Shuuichi complains that they should just have sex in bed instead of in more uncomfortable places. Tatsumi explains that the variety is fun as he takes off the rest of his clothing. Tatsumi notices Shuuichi noticing Tatsumi's dick and asks if Shuuichi is comparing his with the yazuka from Kuroda-gumi. Tatsumi goes on to wish he could've seen Shuuichi's video. Shuuichi is surprised that Tatsumi knows, but quickly realizes that the locator also was a listening device. Tatsumi sees a bite mark from the other guy and feels a rush of possessiveness. He orders Shuuichi to not let anyone else touch him again. Shuuichi agrees, admitting that he probably can't have sex with any man other than Tatsumi as he had not been aroused with the other guy. He wonders if Tatsumi had done something to him, but Tatsumi calls him an idiot and declares that it must mean Shuuichi had fallen for him. They flow into round two, during which Shuuichi pushes Tatsumi down and rides him from on top. He does it to express his gratitude to Tatsumi for recognizing that he is most alive when pursuing something and basically giving him the opportunity to do so.
The next morning Shuuichi is visited by Kaori and Kenji. Kenji asks Shuuichi to hire him. Kaori disparages Kenji as a useless kid and offers to help him out during the day. Shuuichi has no idea what they are talking about and is told that there's a sign for a private investigator downstairs. Shuuichi immediately realizes it must have been Tatsumi. Taira shows up at that time with a phone and fax machine. He had put the sign up. Kenji and Kaori start arguing again about who will be Shuuichi's admin. Shuuichi notices Taira suppressing a smile and remembers the business with the listening device. He plants a kiss on Taira's cheek and orders him to pass on the "message" to Tatsumi. End of volume 1.
There's a short side story about Shuuichi going to Tokyo for a day to visit his parent's grave, to report having found a place for himself in Osaka and becoming an investigator. When he finally bothers looking at his cell phone he finds he's had many calls from various people, including Sakisaka. Taira had even called Sakisaka to ask about Shuuichi's whereabouts. Shuuichi apologizes for the bother, and takes the opportunity to report his new job. He then calls Taira and explains that he's coming back to Osaka. When he gets to the station he finds Taira waiting to escort him home, where Tatsumi is waiting. Tatsumi seems upset that Shuuichi had left Osaka without telling him (or getting his permission?), to which Shuuichi asks if he has to ask Tatsumi for permission to do anything. Tatsumi then weakly protests that Tokyo is where Shuuichi was born and raised...He had thought that maybe Shuuichi had gone back for good. But Shuuichi plainly states that he hadn't gone back to Tokyo, he had visited Tokyo and come back home to Osaka. Tatsumi had created a place for him in Osaka. After which, Tatsumi regains his confidence and they...er...cuddle? In any case, medetashi medetashi.
This was a hard story to summarize because what makes it sparkle is the dialogue, as well as little details...And a summary, by definition, isn't about explaining all the details. In any case, I hope I was able to give a sense of what makes this story so enjoyable. The other three novels are just as enjoyable, with lots of great interaction and solid plots and exciting action.
Shuuichi and Tatsumi
Shuuichi with his arms handcuffed as Tatsumi proceeds to fuck him.
Tatsumi barging in on a friendly drink between Shuuichi and Kaori.
Tatsumi demanding a kiss from Shuuichi for information.
Tatsumi offering the deal of the goods for Chikada to Kuroda-gumi's underboss.
Tatsumi enjoying having finally made Shuuichi his in the hotel room.
Tatsumi barging in on a friendly meal between Shuuichi and Sakisaka.
Shuuichi picking out the girl who tried to stab him.
Mostly serious post-coital conversation...
Shuuichi talking to Tatsumi who is in Hong Kong.
Shuuichi being very nonchalant about the whole sex video thing, even when they insult him for the marks Tatsumi left on him.
Sex at a table!
Sex on a bed!
Shuuichi giving Taira a "message" for Tatsumi while Kenji and Kaori are shocked.
Shuuichi coming home...
I almost forgot to mention that the cd drama is excellent as well. I was rather taken aback by the voices for Shuuichi and Tatsumi (Hamada Kenji and Ookawa Tohru, respectively) at first because they weren't what I was expecting, but I quickly grew to like them both.
Mahiru no tsuki by Ioka Itsuki and illustrated by Ebihara Yuri is the first of a series of (so far) four books about former detective Kanzaki Shuuichi and yakuza underboss Tatsumi Takeshi of Kiriyama-gumi. Shuuichi had quit the force after being betrayed and shot by his partner and had moved to Osaka from Tokyo to manage the building his grandfather had left him. He happens to meet and draw the interest of Tatsumi. Shuuichi ends up getting involved in the matter that brought him and Tatsumi together and doing some investigating, helping to bring the matter to a close.I was a bit hesitant to read this because yakuza x detective stories tend to be full of S & M, massive machismo, and angst. And they always set up the characters as hard boiled and tough, but at least the uke turns into either uber-slut or weepy helpless heroine or some horrible combination of the two. But this one....was refreshingly devoid of those cliches. Both Shuuichi and Tatsumi are very manly and confident without being swaggering or needing to always prove their manliness. To a certain extent they understand each other and are very much equals. Tatsumi doesn't fly into fits of rage or jealousy or possessiveness, and Shuuichi never acts weak or girly, or play hard-to-get or remains in denial forever. In fact, Shuuichi is uber-manly in that he is awesomely cool and collected. He also acts like he was a real detective. I love how he knows how to read people and actually comes up with plans to get what he needs while he investigates. Tatsumi is more seemingly relaxed in that Osaka way, but he definitely is the man. And the is nothing more appealing than seeing Tatsumi go wild over Shuuichi being Shuuichi.
There are four volumes, all of them excellent. The relationship between Shuuichi and Tatsumi develop very nicely, there are real plots and the cases are pretty interesting, and there's this one really bad-ass moment in book 4 I love to reread a lot. XD Unfortunately, the publisher went bankrupt so the books are out of print right now. But according to her website Knockout Ouji, she will be publishing the next volume with another as yet unnamed publisher. Her website also has some short stories from the Mahiru no tsuki world that were highly enjoyable. XD
Kanzaki Shuuichi is a former detective from Tokyo who has moved to Osaka to take possession of the small building his grandfather had left him. The building contains a Chinese restaurant on the first floor, a gay bar on the second, a bar on the third, and a club on the top floor. The owner of the club had run off while Shuuichi had been busy with the details of inheriting his grandfather's properties (which included a house he sold to pay taxes), but when Shuuichi arrives at the club he finds several yakuza searching for something. The leader of the bunch ask Shuuichi if he's "that old man's" grandson, to which Shuuichi replies "If you mean my grandfather when you say 'that old man,' then yes I am." The leader takes that as an affirmative. Shuuichi explains that he'll be living in the former club. The leader asks for three days before Shuuichi moves in. Shuuichi, not wanting to get too involved with any yakuza, immediately agrees and they introduce themselves to each other. The leader's name is Tatsumi Takeshi of the Kiriyama-gumi. Shuuichi then leaves.
In the meantime, Tatsumi has his men stop searching. He calls his right-hand man Taira over to the club and orders him to renovate the space into an apartment in three days as well as investigate Shuuichi's background.
Three days later, Shuuichi gets a call from Tatsumi as promised. Surprised that Tatsumi had bothered to call, he heads over to the building to find the space converted into a simple apartment. He demands to know what Tatsumi is up to, as a yakuza wouldn't do something like this without an ulterior motive. Tatsumi comments that Shuuichi certainly knows about yazuka, being a former detective specializing in yakuza. He asks how it had felt to be shot by his own partner and grabs Shuuichi's shoulder (where Shuuichi had been shot). Shuuichi shrugs him off, but as he lets go he turns Shuuichi around and slaps a pair of handcuffs on. He leads Shuuichi to the bed and tells Shuuichi that there's only one ulterior motive for giving someone a present. Shuuichi can't quite believe the situation, making disparaging remarks about Tatsumi's taste and sanity for wanting to have sex with him. Knowing he's at a disadvantage, he doesn't struggle much as Tatsumi proceeds to have his way with him (there's something very appealing about a character who can say "I'll take you to heaven" without sounding totally corny XD).
As Shuuichi wakes up the next morning, Kaori, a new-half working at the gay bar downstairs, comes inside. She had been Tatsumi's classmate in high school, and had been asked by Tatsumi to look after Shuuichi. She urges him to take a bath, providing him with toiletries and clothing. As he soaks, he marvels at how composed he is--he figures it must be proof of how much he'd given up on life. When he comes out, he finds that she had also prepared a simple lunch and had signed for a delivery addressed to the club. He reminds her of the time and she rushes off to get ready for work at the bar. After she leaves Shuuichi opens the package to find two guns and finds out why Tatsumi had been searching the club earlier.
When Tatsumi, the underboss (wakagashira), visits the head (kumichou) of the Kiriyama-gumi, Kiriyama Sousuke, a man that sort of raised him, Kiriyama comments that Tatsumi seems to be doing too much again. He had gotten a call from another yakuza group, Kuroda-gumi, to get Tatsumi to stop looking for Chikada, the owner of the club in Shuuichi's building. Tatsumi complains that it was Kiriyama who had ordered him to search for Chikada, even though it had been the Kuroda-gumi Chikada had stolen from and pissed off. Tatsumi is irritated but tells Kiriyama he's not too upset about Kuroda-gumi since he's found "something interesting." Kiriyama, seeing Tatsumi's expression, expresses some pity for the "something interesting" that's caught Tatsumi's attention. Tatsumi counters that life will just be that much more interesting for that something. Kiriyama notes that it depends on whether that something has the capacity to see things that way. Tatsumi asserts that Shuuichi does, because he'd never be interested in someone who didn't. Kiriyama warns not to do too much, because he might run away. Tatsumi replies with a glint in his eyes that he wouldn't let him get away.
After checking out of the hotel he had been staying at, Shuuichi goes to the convenience store that the package had been sent from a week earlier. The clerk working there fortunately remembered the sender because they had been in such a rush they had knocked something over and left without righting it. It had been a husband, wife and child. Though the clerk didn't know where they were going to, he figured it was the station since they ran in that direction and were carrying lots of luggage. Shuuichi checks out the station and sees that they could have left Osaka. He ponders where they could have gone to. Figuring that the yakuza must have already checked out both the husband's and wife's parents' homes, he decides that they must have gotten help though an associate of the wife. It wasn't likely that a guy that do something that would get him chased by yakuza had people he could depend on for help. He returns to his building and asks the owner of the bar about the wife. The owner knows that the wife had been a hostess before she had married, supplying Shuuichi with a possible name of the club. Shuuichi decides to investigate further the next day. He stops by the gay bar, having promised Kaori earlier to visit. Kaori is happy to be with such a hot guy, but Shuuichi dismisses his looks. He finds appearances to be pretty pointless, which explains his complete acceptance of Kaori and the other new-halfs from the beginning. Kaori, moved by his lack of prejudice, grabs his hand and offers to treat Shuuichi to lots of drinks. They are interrupted by Tatsumi telling Kaori that he didn't tell her to seduce Shuuichi, just to take care of him. Tatsumi sits down between them and starts asking Shuuichi how his body's doing. Shuuichi brushes him off, saying it's none of his business. Tatsumi asserts that it is, since it'd be his fault if Shuuichi isn't well. Shuuichi tells him that if he cares then he should not show up. Tatsumi finds Shuuichi's attitude cold, reminding him that they weren't strangers anymore. Shuuichi coolly maintains that they are perfect strangers. Tatsumi gives up for the moment, figuring Shuuichi's attitude will eventually change. Tatsumi questions Shuuichi about his activities that day, which Shuuichi refuses to answer. Shuuichi leaves and goes to his room. He realizes that he's being watched by Tatsumi's men, but despite any problems he might have with Tatsumi he wants to find Chikada and help his family.
The next day Shuuichi calls Inspector Sakisaka, the mentor who had taught him the ropes, currently stationed in Osaka. He hadn't been able to tell Sakisaka that he had quit the force and moved to Osaka, but he figures Sakisaka must have heard the news on the grapevine. At this point he remembers the incident that led to his resignation. During an investigation of a drug route Shuuichi realized that detailed information was being leaked. When he determined that the source of the leak was his trusted partner, he called his partner out to try to get him to turn himself in. Unfortunately, instead of agreeing to turn himself in, Shuuichi's partner shot Shuuichi's shoulder. When he woke up in the hospital, he was greeted by his boss reprimanding him for not consulting anyone and trying to resolve things by himself and making the problem bigger.
Shuuichi meets up with Sakisaka at Osaka Castle and asks if Sakisaka (who is currently assigned to Public Safety but for most of his career specialized in anti-yakuka work) had heard if Kiriyama-gumi had been involved in any incidents. Sakisaka replies that he hasn't, that Kiriyama-gumi rarely does. Sakisaka mentions that Tatsumi is quite a sharp person, who was able to subdue all opposition and gained full control of the group when he took his position as underboss. Sakisaka warns Shuuichi to stay away from Tatsumi as he isn't a police officer anymore. (Shuuichi choses not to mention that he can't really stay away from Tatsumi if Tatsumi keeps approaching him...) Shuuichi then asks which group opposes Kiriyama-gumi. Sakisaka replies that Kuroda-gumi's head hates Tatsumi because Tatsumi was able to take control of all of the turf the Kuroda-gumi had been targeting. Sakisaka tells Shuuichi that he won't ask what Shuuichi is trying to do, and will look away if it happens to be something illegal. He had been told by a colleague that Shuuichi's eyes had looked dead when the last he had seen him, but now Shuuichi didn't seem that way. He figures it's thanks to what Shuuichi is doing now. Shuuichi protests that a police officer shouldn't say such things, but is happy to see that there is someone who still worries about and cares for him. Perhaps he wouldn't have quit the force if Sakisaka had been there in Tokyo. Sakisaka proposes going out to eat one of these days, to which Shuuichi readily agrees.
After going around collecting protection money from various businesses, Tatsumi considers visiting Shuuichi's place. Taira informs him that Shuuichi has been out all day and hasn't returned yet. An employee at a restaurant across the street from Shuuichi's building was being paid to report Shuuichi's comings and goings. Tatsumi decides to return to the office instead. In the car, Taira reports that Kuroda-gumi had learned where Chikada's wife's parents lived. Taira then receives a report that Shuuichi showed up at the club Chikada's wife used to work at. Hearing that, Tatsumi decides to go there.
Shuuichi gains the trust of the club mama, who gives him Chikada's wife's parents' address and asks him to save them. As Shuuichi leaves, he is accosted by some yakuza who had been watching the club. As they try to force him to come with them for questioning, he advises them to leave him alone because Tatsumi will show up. He calls out for affirmation from Tatsumi, whom he had noticed was behind him. In response Tatsumi shows himself and tells the yakuza to leave Shuuichi alone--he doesn't want Shuuichi to sulk from being irritated by yakuza while Tatsumi was trying to seduce him. They apologize and quickly leave. Shuuichi tells Tatsumi that he had actually wanted to ask those guys some questions. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi to come to him with any questions. They sit in Tatsumi's car so that Shuuichi can ask. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that Chikada had been diverting goods from Kuroda-gumi, that the yakuza at the club were from the Kuroda-gumi, and that there was a rumor that Tatsumi had incited Chikada to do it. When Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi knows where Chikada is, Tatsumi demands a kiss as reward for the information. He asks if the reward he wants is expensive. Shuuichi admits that it's rather cheap, grabs Tatsumi's necktie and kisses him. Tatsumi wraps his arms around Shuuichi and deepens the kiss. In order to not lose focus from the intense kiss, Shuuichi diverts his mind by counting numbers. When he finally lets Shuuichi go, Tatsumi is amused and even more pleased with Shuuichi. He explains that while he doesn't know where they are, Chikada's wife's parents probably know. Tatsumi thinks if Kuroda-gumi finds Chikada things will turn out badly for him. As Shuuichi is about to get out of the car, Tatsumi tells him to come to him if something happens, to which Shuuichi replies "LIKE HELL I WILL" (okay, not those words, but the sentiment is all there). Tatsumi comments that Shuuichi really is a funny guy.
Shuuichi manages to temporarily get rid of the yakuza sitting in front of Chikada's wife's parents' house by calling the police and reporting a suspicious person. He convinces the parents that he wants to help their daughter and grandchild, and so they tell him which area the family had fled to. As they don't know where the family is exactly and their only contact is through phone calls from their daughter, Shuuichi asks them to convey his cell number when she calls again.
Tatsumi is waiting when Shuuichi returns home. Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi's group is so free that Tatsumi can waste his time like this. Tatsumi replies that he's making time in his busy schedule to come by. Tatasumi: "Can't you understand my manly intense passion?" Shuichi (coldly): "LIKE HELL I CAN'T." Shuuichi then asks Tatsumi what he'd do with Chikada if he found him. Tatsumi will scrupulously find out where the goods are, but doesn't have much interest in Chikada himself. Shuuichi proposes that if he should find the goods and hand them over, that Tatsumi keep Kuroda-gumi from taking revenge against Chikada. Tatsumi is willing to even crush the Kuroda-gumi if Shuuichi wants him to, but Shuuichi of course doesn't want anything like that. He asks for Tatsumi's cell number, which delights Tatsumi (Shuuichi is taking steps towards him!). Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that he can call any time any day, and leaves to take care of some business.
Kaori stops by to check up on Shuuichi because she had seen Tatsumi leave. Shuuichi asks whether Tatsumi had always been so self-possessed. Kaori responds that he had been ever since she knew him. He also asks if Tatsumi had been into guys from before. Kaori had always seen Tatsumi with women, as he was very popular with them. As Kaori goes back to work, she comments that she might get scolded for visiting Shuuichi by herself since everyone at the bar are fans of Shuuichi. Shuuichi can't help but feel like he's finding a place for himself in Osaka. Maybe he'll even find meaning in living if he finds a place to live.
Shuuichi receives a call from the wife two days later. At first she asks him to not mind them, but he convinces her that she should accept his help for the sake of her child. He heads out to meet them at the hotel they are hiding out at. He finds out in the taxi on the way to the hotel that some yakuza were in town, luckily headed for a different hotel. He knows he doesn't have much time. He talks briefly with the foolish Chikada, telling him that Kuroda-gumi will want his head for the loss of face he had caused them. Chikada tells him the location of the goods. Kuroda-gumi's underboss and some men show up, wanting their revenge. Shuuichi faces off with the underboss until Tatsumi makes his entrance with some of his men. He explains that Chikada himself had floated the rumor that Tatsumi had put him up to the theft, and proposes that Kuroda-gumi gets the goods and he gets Chikada for using his name. The Kuroda-gumi underboss accepts the deal and leaves.
Tatsumi had planned on using Chikada as an object lesson to amateurs thinking they can try things with yakuza and get away with it and letting his family go as Shuuichi wanted. Shuuichi, understanding Tatsumi's position, is okay with it (Tatsumi: "I can't believe those are the words of a former detective." Shuuichi: "Yeah, 'former.' I'm just a normal citizen now.") But the wife shows up and begs for her (worthless) husband's life/safety, and Shuuichi ends up asking Tatsumi to let Chikada go too. He'll do whatever Tatsumi wants in exchange. Tatsumi of course wants Shuuichi to become his. Shuuichi agrees, and the family is free to leave.
Tatsumi had taken the best room in the hotel, and he and Shuuichi head up to it. Shuuichi initially admires the beautiful view, and brushes aside Tatsumi's overture to take a bath. When Shuuichi finally emerges from the bath wearing a bathrobe, Tatsumi is impatient. "Was I supposed to fantasize and have sex by myself?" Shuuichi laughs off his grumbling and tells him to take a bath, the water's nice. He once again gazes outside, but Tatsumi is interested in Shuuichi. He comes up from behind and embraces Shuuichi. Shuuichi still can't quite believe that Tatsumi is interested in him, a 30 year old man, but Tatsumi shows him just how much he's interested. He kisses him, and as he runs his hands along Shuuichi he realizes Shuuichi isn't wearing underwear. (Tatsumi: "Hey, you're all ready to go too!" Shuuichi: "It's pointless to put them on if I'm just going to take them off immediately." Tatsumi: "This is what makes you so irresistible.") And so they proceed to have sex against the window, then move on to the bed. (Shuuichi: "We should have done it here in the first place." Tatsumi: "Nothing wrong with doing something different at times. Didn't it feel like we were having sex outside?" Shuuichi: "Did it look like I had any room to feel something like that?" Tatsumi: "Yeah, that would be problematic. It'd mean my technique was lacking." (especially since during the first round he asks, "Isn't my sex good?")) When Tatsumi makes overtures for another round, Shuuichi brushes him off to take a nap. Tatsumi protests that the night is still young, to which Shuuichi responds that since the night is still young there's enough time for a nap and goes to sleep.
A week later, Shuuichi meets up with Sakisaka. He tells Sakisaka he has no intention of going back to the force, but he doesn't know what he wants to do otherwise. They are interrupted by Tatsumi, demanding to know what Shuuichi is doing with another man. Sakisaka and Tatsumi recognize each other, and Tatsumi quietly leaves when Shuuichi asks him to. They've been seeing each other every day and having lots of sex because Tatsumi is insatiable. Sakisaka had heard a rumor that Tatsumi had swung the other way and was chasing a guy's ass, and asks if the object of Tatsumi's desire is Shuuichi. Shuuichi doesn't know about Tatsumi changing his preferences, but he does confirm that he is the one Tatsumi had been pursuing. He assures Sakisaka that though things had just ended up the way they did, he wasn't desperate. He feels alive when he's with Tatsumi.
Leaving the restaurant, Tatsumi meets up with Taira outside. Taira had received a report that Shuuichi wsa seen entering a restaurant with another guy, and while Tatsumi figured Shuuichi was meething Sakisaka he stopped by just to see Shuuichi's disapproving expression. But when Taira calls for a car to pick them up, they find out that the car had been in an accident when the breaks had stopped working. Tatsumi takes a taxi back to his place, wondering which of his enemies had done it, while he sends Taira to see the driver in the hospital. When Shuuichi shows up Tatsumi immediately starts caressing Shuuichi. Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi isn't going around talking about him...that Tatsumi was chasing a guy's ass. Tatsumi replies that he had talked about Shuuichi when he had cut his ties with all his women even as he continues his assault on Shuuichi's body. Shuuichi can't believe Tatsumi had bothered to break up with all his women, but Tatsumi cuts off more talk with a deep kiss.
When Shuuichi wakes up Tatsumi is gone, and he leaves for home. Just as he gets to his door, a woman attempts to stab him with a knife. He dodges, and finds out that the woman was one of Tatsumi's former women, resentful that she had been let go because of him. She runs away, and Shuuichi wonders in what manner Tatsumi had broken up with the women. He calls Tatsumi's cell but gets Taira. When he asks for the names and workplaces of all of Tatsumi's women because he had almost been stabbed, Taira rushes over. He shows Shuuichi pictures of the women Tatsumi had recently broken up with. Shuuichi recognizes his attacker as one of them, Yano Hitomi. Turns out she couldn't be located. When Shuuichi asks if Tatsumi is fighting with the women, Taira says that's not possible because Tatsumi is good at that kind of thing. When Shuuichi asks why in the world Tatsumi had decided to break up with the four suddenly, Taira tells him to ask Tatsumi himself. Taira asks Shuuichi to avoid going out and to be accompanied by one of the members if he has to while they investigate the matter. Shuuichi, displeased, offers to do the investigation himself. He hates waiting around, and he'd be better at getting to the bottom of things than the youngsters in the group. Taira agrees to offer support and hands Shuuichi all the information he has on Hitomi. Shuuichi asks what else had happened, since there had to be a reason Taira had all this information already gathered. Taira explains about the brakes on Tatsumi's car.
Tatsumi had been talking to the police about the accident, claiming that it had been an accident. He didn't want the police to have any reason to start investigating the group. He finds out from Taira about the assault on Shuuichi and Shuuichi's decision to investigate and orders him to support Shuuichi full-time. He also decides to go to Hong Kong with Kiriyama. Kiriyama had been trying to get Tatsumi to go to Hong Kong with him and Tatsumi had been declining...
Later that night Shuuichi is woken up when Tatsumi comes visiting. After grumbling about being disturbed, he asks why Tatsumi had come by. Tatsumi had heard about Shuuichi's new diversion, to investigate the true reason why Hitomi had assaulted him. Shuuichi asks why Tatsumi had bothered breaking up with all of his women. Tatsumi replies that he doesn't need anyone else besides Shuuichi. He's too busy a man to make time for women when he's already seeing Shuuichi so much. Shuuichi tells him he'd rather have Tatsumi see him less. When Tatsumi asks if it's because Shuuichi's body can't keep up and tries to put his hand on Shuuichi, Shuuichi knocks it away and tells him not to touch if he knows already. Shuuichi grumbles that sex is all that's in Tatsumi's head--they'd had tons of sex just yesterday. Tatsumi declares that he gets hard just from seeing Shuuichi, and initiates sex. Afterwards, Tatsumi and Shuuichi have a conversation about Taira. Tatsumi explains that Taira is married to the 17 year old daughter of the head of Kiriyama-gumi, and that Taira had been a very good salaryman but had become a yakuza in order to marry her. That was why Taira was not very yakuza-like, he had spent most of his life as a normal person. In the course of the conversation, Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that frankly, Shuuichi could probably seduce any man or woman if he really tried. Tatsumi tells Shuuichi that Shuuichi simply doesn't realize just how hot he is...he (half-jokingly?) proposes videotaping him during sex. Tatsumi realizes he should have done taped that night, to take with him to Hong Kong. He tells Shuuichi that he'll be gone for about three days. When Shuuichi tells him he should go for a month or so, Tatsumi claims that Shuuichi's body and heart will be lonely. Shuuichi assures him that his body will be quite all right, since according to Tatsumi he can seduce anyone if he really wanted to. Tatsumi wonders if he really should be going to Hong Kong, to which Shuuichi replies that he was joking and that he'd have the case solved by the time Tatsumi comes back. Tatsumi complains that Shuuichi shouldn't make him fall even harder for him, which makes Shuuichi laugh.
Shuuichi goes to the club Hitomi had worked at, pretending to be a client. He talks amicably with the hostess he is assigned, telling her that he had been introduced to the club by a friend who was a client of Hitomi's. When he asks about Hitomi, the hostess tells him that she had suddenly quit a week ago without saying anything. He joins her in worrying about Hitomi, mentioning that Tatsumi (whom the hostess knew as Hitomi's client) hadn't heard either. The hostess then volunteers the name of a friend of Hitomi's, a beautician named Kenji, who might know where she might be. Shuuichi returns home, after which Taira comes and tries to serve him as he would Tatsumi (serving tea, remembering the brand of tea Shuuichi likes, etc). Shuuichi asks Taira to find out about Hitomi's friend, intending to pay him a visit.
After receiving Taira's report, Shuuichi waits for Kenji to finish work. Using a more aggressive manner, he gets Kenji to admit that Hitomi had told Kenji that she had been threatened by a yakuza group. Shuuichi proposes they join forces to uncover the threat. Kenji decides to trust Shuuichi and tells him that Hitomi is at his place. They head over to Kenji's apartment immediately. After Hitomi calms down at the shock of seeing Shuuichi, he gets the story out of her. She had slept with a yakuza from Kuroda-gumi once while she had been dating Tatsumi. A video of that night had been taken, and she was blackmailed into doing whatever they wanted her to do. Shuuichi decides that the first thing they need to do is to get that videotape back. He proposes a deal--he'll get the tape back if she doesn't try to kill him anymore. Of course she agrees. He tells her to call him the next time she gets orders from Kuroda-gumi and leaves.
As Shuuichi walks to the station Taira stops by in a car to pick him up. Shuuichi refuses to sit in the back seat as it's less convenient to talk. Taira laughs that Tatsumi says the same thing when it's only the two of them. Shuuichi explains what he learned from Hitomi. He finds Taira's calm stance of watchful waiting against the Kuroda-gumi odd and wonders about the timing of Tatsumi's trip to Hong Kong. He has Taira call Tatsumi, and basically gets a confirmation that Tatsumi had left Japan to let Shuuichi do as he wanted. Tatsumi has seen that Shuuichi is the most alive when he's pursuing something and enjoys seeing him that way. He doesn't care what happens to Kuroda-gumi. Shuuichi hangs up on Tatsumi as Tatsumi declares that he'll dote on Shuuichi thoroughly when he gets back tomorrow night. Shuuichi then finds out from Taira that Kuroda-gumi has an adult video production company and decides to use himself as bait. Taira warns Shuuichi not to go too far and get hurt because Tatsumi will kill people if that happens, but he will support Shuuichi in his efforts.
In the meantime, Tatsumi laughs at how typically Shuuichi his attitude and actions were. He had brought a girl back to his hotel room for the night, but loses interest in sleeping with her after talking with Shuuichi. He can't help but put the blame on Shuuichi for Hitomi's jealousy because Shuuichi affects him so.
The next day Kenji shows up at Shuuichi's place to offer his help, but Shuuichi turns him down and sends him home. After Taira arrives and gives him information and a locator, Shuuichi heads to Kuroda-gumi headquarters and proposes a deal with the underboss. He offers to do whatever they want in exchange for Hitomi's tape. He knows that the underboss wants to embarrass Tatsumi, and nothing would be better than having Tatsumi's current "woman" for that purpose. He makes it seem as though he is quite unhappy in his relationship with Tatsumi and would like to see Tatsumi lose face. The underboss agrees, and Shuuichi is at first directed to be taped using sex toys on himself as they can't get someone for him in such short notice. But a yakuza guy, irritated at Shuuichi's cool attitude, offers to fuck him. Shuuichi maintains a cool, disparaging attitude in order to rile the guy up and stall for time. The guy first makes Shuuichi give him a blow job. Tatsumi had never made Shuuichi do it, but Shuuichi makes do by remembering how Tatsumi would do him. As things progress they are interrupted by a report that the production company office had been robbed of everything. The underboss suspects Shuuichi of being involved, but Shuuichi maintains his ignorance. He points out that they should probably start investigating the robbery, and the underboss knows things more important than videos have been stolen and cuts the taping short. The underboss gives Shuuichi the tape of him and the yakuza just now, because he figures something bad will happen if he tries something with it. He asks what will happen, and Shuuichi responds that he doesn't know but he figures Tatsumi will step forward to deal with it. The underboss mocks that idea, since he figures Tatsumi had ordered this plan as well. Shuuichi protests that Tatsumi is in Hong Kong and he would never have let someone else touch what's his. He leaves it up to the underboss to believe him or not. In fact, Shuuichi had ordered Taira to break into the production office and find the tape. He figured that Kuroda-gumi wasn't actually going to hand over Hitomi's tape and used himself as bait to empty the production office. After everyone else leaves, Shuuichi gargles to get rid of the unpleasantness in his mouth. He then burns the magnetic tape portion of the video tape. Another member of the Kiriyama-gumi is waiting for him when he emerges to take him home.
As soon as they arrive back in Japan Kiriyama is met by his right hand man with the news that the head of Kuroda-gumi had called him numerous times. Kiriyama calls the Kuroda-gumi head back and gets upset about being accused of breaking into the production office. He confirms that Tatsumi was with him in Hong Kong the last three days. Tatsumi leaves Kiriyama talking on the phone and heads for Shuuichi's place.
Shuuichi gets a call from Taira informing him of Tatsumi's return. He didn't ask for a call, but figures it's a warning to let him know that Tatsumi's heading over. He takes a quick shower, ostensibly to get ready for bed. But when he comes out Tatsumi is there and embraces him. Tatsumi, declaring that he has to get inside of Shuuichi immediately, pushes him onto the table and does just that. Tatsumi carries Shuuichi over to the bed, where once again Shuuichi complains that they should just have sex in bed instead of in more uncomfortable places. Tatsumi explains that the variety is fun as he takes off the rest of his clothing. Tatsumi notices Shuuichi noticing Tatsumi's dick and asks if Shuuichi is comparing his with the yazuka from Kuroda-gumi. Tatsumi goes on to wish he could've seen Shuuichi's video. Shuuichi is surprised that Tatsumi knows, but quickly realizes that the locator also was a listening device. Tatsumi sees a bite mark from the other guy and feels a rush of possessiveness. He orders Shuuichi to not let anyone else touch him again. Shuuichi agrees, admitting that he probably can't have sex with any man other than Tatsumi as he had not been aroused with the other guy. He wonders if Tatsumi had done something to him, but Tatsumi calls him an idiot and declares that it must mean Shuuichi had fallen for him. They flow into round two, during which Shuuichi pushes Tatsumi down and rides him from on top. He does it to express his gratitude to Tatsumi for recognizing that he is most alive when pursuing something and basically giving him the opportunity to do so.
The next morning Shuuichi is visited by Kaori and Kenji. Kenji asks Shuuichi to hire him. Kaori disparages Kenji as a useless kid and offers to help him out during the day. Shuuichi has no idea what they are talking about and is told that there's a sign for a private investigator downstairs. Shuuichi immediately realizes it must have been Tatsumi. Taira shows up at that time with a phone and fax machine. He had put the sign up. Kenji and Kaori start arguing again about who will be Shuuichi's admin. Shuuichi notices Taira suppressing a smile and remembers the business with the listening device. He plants a kiss on Taira's cheek and orders him to pass on the "message" to Tatsumi. End of volume 1.
There's a short side story about Shuuichi going to Tokyo for a day to visit his parent's grave, to report having found a place for himself in Osaka and becoming an investigator. When he finally bothers looking at his cell phone he finds he's had many calls from various people, including Sakisaka. Taira had even called Sakisaka to ask about Shuuichi's whereabouts. Shuuichi apologizes for the bother, and takes the opportunity to report his new job. He then calls Taira and explains that he's coming back to Osaka. When he gets to the station he finds Taira waiting to escort him home, where Tatsumi is waiting. Tatsumi seems upset that Shuuichi had left Osaka without telling him (or getting his permission?), to which Shuuichi asks if he has to ask Tatsumi for permission to do anything. Tatsumi then weakly protests that Tokyo is where Shuuichi was born and raised...He had thought that maybe Shuuichi had gone back for good. But Shuuichi plainly states that he hadn't gone back to Tokyo, he had visited Tokyo and come back home to Osaka. Tatsumi had created a place for him in Osaka. After which, Tatsumi regains his confidence and they...er...cuddle? In any case, medetashi medetashi.
This was a hard story to summarize because what makes it sparkle is the dialogue, as well as little details...And a summary, by definition, isn't about explaining all the details. In any case, I hope I was able to give a sense of what makes this story so enjoyable. The other three novels are just as enjoyable, with lots of great interaction and solid plots and exciting action.
Shuuichi and Tatsumi
Shuuichi with his arms handcuffed as Tatsumi proceeds to fuck him.
Tatsumi barging in on a friendly drink between Shuuichi and Kaori.
Tatsumi demanding a kiss from Shuuichi for information.
Tatsumi offering the deal of the goods for Chikada to Kuroda-gumi's underboss.
Tatsumi enjoying having finally made Shuuichi his in the hotel room.
Tatsumi barging in on a friendly meal between Shuuichi and Sakisaka.
Shuuichi picking out the girl who tried to stab him.
Mostly serious post-coital conversation...
Shuuichi talking to Tatsumi who is in Hong Kong.
Shuuichi being very nonchalant about the whole sex video thing, even when they insult him for the marks Tatsumi left on him.
Sex at a table!
Sex on a bed!
Shuuichi giving Taira a "message" for Tatsumi while Kenji and Kaori are shocked.
Shuuichi coming home...
I almost forgot to mention that the cd drama is excellent as well. I was rather taken aback by the voices for Shuuichi and Tatsumi (Hamada Kenji and Ookawa Tohru, respectively) at first because they weren't what I was expecting, but I quickly grew to like them both.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-14 07:40 pm (UTC)But thank you for the summary! I'm tempted to check out the drama cd when homework subsides over half-term.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-16 08:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-15 04:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-16 08:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-02 09:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-04 05:44 am (UTC)