In Between Two Worlds (X*Crown RP #3 for NoC)

[Raiden Ishimori]

{The weather was surprisingly better compared to what it was like over the weekend, but on this Wednesday, it was practically boiling as the sun beat down on Osaka with the mixture of humidity only adding to the torture that everyone was facing. Despite the sudden heat wave, Raiden was still dressed rather formally for the day, this time sporting a red dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and white dress pants with matching shoes. Probably not the best attire to wear for such a hot day but given what had been revealed to him in recent times, he could’ve cared less. Throughout his walk, he didn’t even bother wiping at the sweat that profusely ran down the entirety of his face, with some droplets even landing on his shirt. One almost had to wonder if he would make it to his destination without collapsing from heat exhaustion.}

{After about another twenty minutes of winding through multiple alleyways, the Lone Wolf of Osaka found himself standing across from a relatively decent sized convenience store that simply read “Gempachi’s” across the top of the exterior. A slight smile of happiness crossed Raiden’s lips upon laying eyes on the sign. It had been awhile since he last stopped by the place, but the memories it held was something that almost no one could replicate in a thousand years. Crossing the pavement to the other side, he took his time opening the door, letting the air conditioning rush by him with a sigh of relief as he entered.}

???: “Well look who’s finally come around for a change of pace.”

{An elderly man who appeared to be somewhere in his mid-sixties approached the younger man. His white hair extending back in a braided ponytail while most of his lower face was covered with a beard and mustache that almost made it impossible to see if the man did have a mouth or not. His attire was a lot more informal compared to Raiden’s as he wore a simple short sleeve button up that had a tropical design on it along with tan cargo shorts and sandals. The two exchanged smiles as they bowed to one another.}

Raiden: “It’s been awhile Gempachi-san.”

Gempachi: “No kidding. I swear you only come here during the time I’m not out front and by the time I come out to say hello, you’re already out the door and on your way.”

Raiden: “Well, guess you got lucky this time.”

{Both share a laugh as they head towards the counter. Given today, there wasn’t really anyone else inside except for one of the other clerks and a customer who was finishing their purchase.}

Raiden: “How are the grandkids doing?”

Gempachi: “They’re holding up well. Sora’s been working as a nursing assistant and Toru’s recently started doing work as a chemist. In case you’re wondering, Toru still hasn’t left that playboy lifestyle. I swear everytime he comes by the house, he has a new girl around his arm.”

Raiden (laughing): “Not surprised in the slightest.”

Gempachi (groaning): “If I had a thousand yen for every new girl that he brought by, I’d be retired.”

Raiden: “No doubt that you’d be a rich man.”

{Moving past the counter, the two walk through a door that leads to a spacey back room area that had a computer pushed up against the back wall. The cooler air washed over Raiden with another satisfied exhale as the two entered the room. Any other ordinary person would practically be begging Gempachi to be let back here to catch their breath, even if it was only for five minutes.}

Gempachi: “What have you been up to yourself?”

Raiden: “Wrestling full-time.”

Gempachi: “So the rumors were true then. Was wondering why I started to hear your name pop up a bit more around the country.”

Raiden: “Well...I wouldn’t say I’m that popular. Only recently did I start signing on with some of the bigger companies, so it’s a start.”

{Gempachi nods along with the answer as he seats himself at the computer desk.}

Gempachi (curiously): “So tell me, what brings you out here today, Raiden?”

Raiden (serious): “I’m looking for answers.”

{The elderly man raised a cocked brow at the young man, unsure of what he fully meant.}

Gempachi: “And what kinds of answers are looking for?”

Raiden: “Answers about Jotaro.”

{Silence immediately swept over both as they stared back at one another. It almost seemed as if mentioning Jo’s name brought about some curse that Gempachi didn’t want, but instead he let out a soft laugh.}

Gempachi: “Figured you’d eventually come around to know the truth. Who told you to come here?”

Raiden: “Reina told me what happened to the others, but I came here since knowing you, you’d be the most reliable one to keep a secret within our group.”

Gempachi: “Well, you're not wrong there.”

Raiden: “So you do know more to this story?”

Gempachi (nodding): “That I do.”

{Humming to himself, Gempachi opened up the bottom right desk drawer. Inside was a cluster of papers, all separated by individual folders that kept them organized. Taking his time, the elderly store owner began to rummage through it, his fingers slowly leafing through the numerous amounts of papers.}

Raiden (slightly annoyed): “Are you going to tell me or just do some filing?”

Gempachi (chuckling): “You’ll find out soon enough. Now, where did I put them in here…”

{Gempachi continued his search amongst the folders, even doubling back a few times before going further into the series of folders that lied in the drawer. With each passing moment, Raiden consistently grows more annoyed to the point that he even feels the need to start tapping his foot during the time he’s being forced to wait.}

Gempachi: “Ah, (holding up a small stack of papers) found them.”

Raiden: “The hell?”

Gempachi (handing the papers over): “Just read through it and you’ll have your answers. Now if you’ll excuse me for a few, I got to make sure that new employee isn’t messing up. Enjoy reading it.”

Raiden: “It?”

{Gempachi let out a gruff laugh as he walked past the young wrestler, patting him on the shoulder before going back through the door. Taking a moment, Raiden flipped through the papers to see how many pages there were to it, at most he counted three pages worth. With a sigh, he sat at the computer desk as he began to read the document to himself.}

Raiden,

    By the time you’re reading this letter, I’ve most likely already moved on from this world and into the afterlife. There are a lot of things I wanted to tell you during the time we spent together as part of our little group with Eizan, Hideo, Yoshi, and Meiji, but at the time I couldn’t let the truth slip. Not because I couldn’t, but because we wanted to protect you from the danger that we were exposed to during our lives here in Osaka. Waking up every day was always an unsettling feeling because we were always unsure if we would live to see tomorrow given what we were putting ourselves through as the damned souls that we were. Yet, with our passing, I can now tell you what it was that I was hiding from you all those days you spent here. The five of us were part of a local Yakuza gang here, and as much as I hate to admit it, but most of us were only in the Yakuza for the potential financial gain that we could make out of it. There was a voice in everyone’s head that told us to go through with it, no matter what the cost was. Of course, at the time, you hadn’t arrived in Osaka yet so there was no immediate issue at hand.

    However, when you did show up, that’s when I knew things escalated to a dangerous level. Not only were the guys and I now exposed to the danger of leading a Yakuza life, but there was the danger that you would serve as collateral damage if any other gangs knew about your affiliation with us. So, as a group, we had to make a promise between each other...and that was to not to get you involved in any of our affairs no matter the cost. Even if it was a simple debt collection we were doing, we couldn’t risk it. People would think you were Yakuza and that was something we didn’t them thinking. You’d be as ruined as we were, and you wouldn’t want that would you? The number of questions you asked in regards to our whereabouts had to be shot down countless times because of this promise, and trust me, you’ll be thankful for it once you finish reading this letter. On another note, I’m not sure if Reina has told you or not, but I did get engaged to her sometime back in October of 2013. I don’t know why, but she just felt like another person that made me forget the pain that I was causing for others in the city and I felt that if I was able to marry her then I would be able to walk out of this alive, and then maybe I would’ve had a chance at peace and live a quiet life somewhere either in Honshu or up north in Hokkaido once all this Yakuza bullshit was said and done. As a request of mine, please, PLEASE, check up on her regularly and ensure she stays happy in this life. I don’t want her to go into a downward spiral because of the damage I’ve done not only to her, but to you, and the rest of the group…

    There is one last thing I want you to know though, Raiden. The more I realized how much time I spent with you, and protecting you from the dangers that lied within this forsaken life as a Yakuza, I was practically treating you as any brother would. I wanted you to be safe, I wanted you to be happy, and I wanted you to stay on the path that the rest of us had strayed so far from. Even so, it still didn’t feel right, no, it wasn’t just of me to keep living between two worlds that had such different values, but sometimes, there are sacrifices to make sure that everyone in those worlds is happy and satisfied. To further ensure that, I request that you don’t try to go out and personally seek vengeance against those who may be our responsible killers. From the get-go, we already knew what we were messing with when we entered the Yakuza world, and the dangers only heightened after the murders of Eizan and Hideo. Again, do not seek vengeance, but just accept that fact that we were fools being led down the dark path of greed and power in a skeptical world filled with all kinds of dangers. On top of this, always know that Gempachi-san has your back. You were with us long enough to the point that he accepted you for who you were, sometimes he even wished you were one of his own grandchildren to a degree because of the values and morals you held.

    I pray you to do well in what is that you’re pursuing now, Raiden. You always did look like the type who was going to be able to do great things in the time that he has here on this earth. Make good use of that time and do the guys, Reina, Gempachi, and I proud.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Jotaro Mizushima

{Steady streams of silent tears were already rolling down the sides of his face as Raiden read the last few lines that Jotaro had left him. Throwing the papers onto the desk, he simply leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed as he processed everything. Jotaro had practically predicted his own demise and this wasn’t more of a letter addressed to Raiden...it was more the will that Jotaro had left behind for him to follow by in the coming years. His eyes shot open the moment he heard the door creak open, and in stepped Gempachi.}

Gempachi: “You read all of it?”

Raiden (wiping his face): “Yeah...I did.”

Gempachi (grinning): “Satisfied with it?”

Raiden: “Mostly, but enough to stop making me ask questions for the time being.”

Gempachi: “So, what’s next on your to-do list?”

Raiden: “A lot of things, but, I’ve still got something to train for.”

Gempachi (raising a brow): “And that is?”

Raiden: “The X*Crown Championship match.”

Gempachi (confused): “The what now?”

{Raiden simply laughs at the elderly man, who’s left scratching at his head.}

Raiden: “I got thrown into the big match for the promotion’s most prestigious title at the upcoming PPV that’s happening at the end of this month.”

Gempachi: “How the hell did you manage to land a spot?”

{Raiden shrugs at the question, but a little bit of gloominess returns to his face as he thinks it over.}

Raiden: “It’s a question I’ve been asking myself since my first win in Suzuki Blitz. It was an honor to receive such a spot, but looking at who I’m facing, I’m practically the biggest underdog going into this match.”

Gempachi: “So why not just bow out of it if you don’t feel up for it?”

Raiden (shaking his head): “I can’t. I already made the promise to the boss that I would follow through with it. The decision was last minute too, so I figured I may as well just roll with it rather than resist the decision. It wouldn’t be right if I just flat-out said no and force the company to go through the rest of roster on who to pick on such short notice.”

Gempachi: “So you’re basically stuck in a massive rut.”

Raiden: “More or less. You got me, a rookie, going up against seven others who are veterans in this industry. How am I meant to overcome those odds with such little time to prepare? If this was to take place about three months from now, maybe I’d have more confidence in my abilities, but this...I just don’t know.”

{Gempachi softly laughs at the remark.}

Gempachi: “You doubt yourself too much, Raiden. Clearly, if you were chosen for this match, your boss sees something in you.”

Raiden: “That’s what I keep saying, but I don’t know if it was meant to give my confidence a boost or what.”

Gempachi: “No matter how you take it, I think it’s more about how much you believe in yourself when you go into this.”

Raiden: “I don’t know…”

Gempachi: “Hey, none of that. You know you got support from me and Reina going into this. Physically, you’re on your own in that match since it is you up against seven other competitors, but know you got supporters on the sidelines who are cheering you on no matter how dire things get.”

{Raiden sits in stunned silence with Gempachi laughing at the change in his demeanor.}

Gempachi: “Don’t act so surprised. You know we got your back.”

Raiden: “I...thanks, Gempachi-san.”

Gempachi (smiling): “Don’t mention it.”

{Noise is heard past the door as it sounds like a rush of people have entered the store, alerting both to their presence.}

Gempachi (groaning): “Sounds like those kids on summer break just arrived. You want anything before you leave?”

{Raiden shakes his head.}

Raiden: “Nah, I’ll be fine. Tell the grandkids I say hello at least.”

{Gempachi gives another smile in response as the two exit the room while Raiden folded the letter up and tucked it into his shirt pocket. Before them was a cluster of four teenagers crowding the counter with the clerk struggling to keep things in order as she walked around trying to figure out what each person was asking. Moving over, Gempachi started assisting in keeping the situation under control as Raiden slipped out of the store.}

Clerk: “Who was that?”

Gempachi: “An old friend.”

{The sun continued to beat down on the city, but Raiden seemed more at peace in the heat as he walked his way back to his residence. Knowing the justice that Jotaro was trying to give, he now knew that there was only one way to pay him back for all the things that he did for him...and that was to become the X*Crown Champion.}