[ Nishikiyama reenters his office at this point. There's a can of black coffee in his hand, and he squints at Mine only after realizing he's on the phone for some reason. ]
Mine. Who're you talking to?
[ Kazama? Kashiwagi? Despite the time of day, Kiryu is not on his mind. He drops a binder on the desk beside Mine, closer and increasingly more suspicious of whoever's on the line. ]
[ Kiryu hears the annoyance in his voice. He hears something thunk loudly on a surface and even the way Nishikiyama comes into the room hot. Had he just come back from somewhere? Hearing him so accusatory like this is strange. In over his own headβ a little manic. It's different than the whining Kiryu had grown used to over the years. Without realizing it, Kiryu leans forward in his metal chair. ]
[ Kiryu's answer leaves Mine with room for interpretation. He can guess that the other man doesn't say everything he wants to. For a minute, Mine's of the mind to hang onto the conversation for a moment longer.
Then, the door opens; Nishikiyama doesn't hesitate to walk into his own space, right up to his desk. Cadence to his step, a flavor to his voice that Mine is more familiar with and used to than Kiryu. Mine lifts the handset away from his ear. He can pass on the call, not just the message, as he said he would. He still hears Kiryu speaking, faintlyβ A click. On Kiryu's end the line beeps rapidly, the call disconnected.
He looks up, from the binder dropped in front of him to Nishikiyama. He hesitates before answering, it's obvious. Mine has placed the handset back on the receiver, hanging up as if the call'd already been ended. ]
[ The name hadn't crossed his mind, but when it does, something snaps in Nishikiyama. He looks at where the phone is and swats at Mine's handβ reaching to pick the receiver back up and hit a button to redial the number that had just been received. He doesn't see Mine at all. Just color. His fingers clench the can in his hand. They tremble as the phone rings. ]
[ He stands by, dazed by Nishikiyama's prompt reaction. Mine doesn't expect it, the way he's only been letting the same call ring until it ceased, week in week out. Tension translates to his hand, Mine's gaze sinks there for minutes, it feels like, until the line chirping busy again warns Nishikiyama that no one is picking up his call. Mine isn't sure whether he should speak up, but does eventually. Maybe to placate his patriarch, divulging conversationβ ]
He mentioned they would inform him, in case you called back...
[ Nishikiyama clicks his tongue in annoyance before slamming the phone back down onto its rig. It clacks around and slides on the mount because he'd done it messily. ]
If you catch him calling again, tell him to quit.
[ He can't deal with it anymore. Week after week. Kiryu won't leave him alone. ]
[ Mine fixes the receiver, thinking to mitigate whatever resentment Nishikiyama is about to aim at him. Instead, he's released from the scenario where Nishikiyama'd wanted the conversation he'd just hung up on. ]
Understood.
[ Quietly satisfied, now Mine doesn't feel responsible for sharing Kiryu's concerns either. ]
[ Nishikiyama takes a moment to himself, gazing at the phone where it sits. Sick of the thought, he moves around Mine and the desk, lowering into the seat in front of the binder he'd brought in. His coffee can is empty, so he leaves it on the corner unattended. ]
[ Glad to have the topic abandoned, Mine feels placid in Nishikiyama's new request. ]
Of course.
[ It's what he does day in day out, on his white-collar job. It's where Nishikiyama may rely on him. Mine comes around to the other side of the desk too. He stands close to Nishikiyama in his chair and flips open the binder. His shoulders drop comfortably to skim through the pages of the portfolio. After a while his head dips in a nod, having decided. ]
I'll take a closer look, keep an eye out for any insider information that could give us an advantageβ
[ What's more: ] I'm pleased to see that you're willing to push forward with these investments.
[ His concern over Nishikiyama hoarding the money he was getting has only grown recently. This is a smart move; Mine's obviously at ease with it. Nishikiyama can trust what he says. ]
[ The territory in question. He side-eyes Mine from where he bends, wanting his opinion and advice first. ]
They seem small now, but I think with how the city's been growing they'll be relevant soon. We can sandwich the Champion District and put pressure on it that way later too.
[ Mine flips back and forth through the pages a few more times, focused on some numbers to pad out his assessment. As the century comes to an end in less than two years, the country is slowly growing out its economic setback. Buying right now has some advantages, some risks. They have money to leverage it. ]
Yes, they look good.
[ With his eyes back on Nishikiyama. Mine likes his initiative, it's not hard to tell when he stands leaning close still. ]
I'll factor that in as well. Champion District is small too, but I expect similar growth in the future. There's enough time, it makes sense to position ourselves now.
[ While the Nishikiyama Family is still being undervalued. It's the middle of the day, Mine means to go back to his office; he can do some work right away. He looks intently, trying to gauge Nishikiyama's eagerness and compare it to his own, too. Kiryu's concerns are nothing more than an annoying itch in Mine's ear. ]
I can take these with me and let you know if anything comes up. You can make the purchases soon, I imagine.
[ There are different colored tabs in the binder to separate the profiles. ]
There are two people I have some business with. I need you to bring them to me alive.
[ He checks Mine's face to see if he's up to the task. The implications of his request are mysterious and dark, and he's not sure if Mine is as eager to assist. In a way, Nishikiyama is testing him. He wonders if he can bring the same intensity he brought to the coliseum on his behalf before. ]
[ Now, Mine tries to placate himself by asking for clarification. His expression is stiff, like it typically is, but even faint dynamics get frozen in the moment. Why does Nishikiyama place emphasis on the second half of his request? He expects it to culminate with Nishikiyama opening to one of the marked pages.
Mine doesn't notice that he holds his breath until he needs to take one in order to speak up. He makes a headlong decision. ]
[ Nishikiyama hooks his nail under the corresponding tab in the binder, flipping it open to a page. There, a printout copy of a business card, medical license, and photo ID are provided. A former address, no longer accurate, is there in the records, and in the lone photograph is a man wearing a white jacket. A surgeon.
The name written is Hiyoshi Kiminobu. ]
This doctor first. He up and vanished two years ago.
[ Nishikiyama's eyes are fixed on the page. An immense hatred burns through him, but he's managed to kept his tone cold and even so far. He can't look away from the profile, and his nails scrape the corner of it restlessly. ]
All I know about him is behind the blue tab in the binder. I need you to bring him to me, Mine.
[ He glances over the page, following Nishikiyama's fingers to look at the profile. ]
A surgeon? Why?
[ Mine reacts without considering that he might be asking one too many questions right off the bat. Two year ago puts him just before Mine'd met Nishikiyama, maybe with a few weeks of overlap. Had he been in some sort of treatment at the time? There's history Nishikiyama doesn't know, that makes Mine sensitive to the subject and leap ahead.
The scowl reads to him as urgency, in turn missing some backstory himself. Hesitancy his answer before'd hinted at gets washed over by concern. Mine's gaze splits from the page as he straightens himself next to Nishikiyama. ]
It's personal business. Nothing you should worry about.
[ Filling Mine in on the details will take a while, not to mention shine a light on his festering grudge. It's best to keep him in the dark, he thinks. Mine might refuse to assist if he realizes what it is Nishikiyama actually wants Hiyoshi for. ]
It's long overdue. You won't have to involve yourself beyond bringing him.
[ He curls the page in his hand some, ready to flip to the next tab. ]
[ It'd be naive to think no other explanation would matter to him, Mine knows. He wants one, though, and is willing to make that claim in case it lets Nishikiyama share more intimate details. Mine is kept mum when the other man repeats himself and uses phrases obviously meant to reassure. They do very little of that, and Mine's brow furrows to spell out his worry instead of wording it. ]
Yes. [ Even so. Wariness again, like with Kiryu, makes him reply in a terse way. ] I'll find him.
[ If Nishikiyama needs help, though... Mine can look for someone else. He clears his throat; he has to, not about to make an offer in the same space that'd seen his reaction shut down quickly. Instead: ]
[ He turns the pages on that cue, not hesitant to quit looking at Hiyoshi. Behind a red tab are copies of another profileβ adoption papers, some photographs of Yumi during her time as a hostess at Serena. There's more information on her than there had been on Hiyoshi. ]
Sawamura Yumi.
[ His face is softer when he looks at what he's gathered about her. There's a melancholiness to it, and he looks at Mine again. ]
She went missing on the night Kiryu went to prison. We grew up together.
[ He doesn't know what else to say to Mine about Yumi. Can hardly explain why he wants him to look for her. ]
It'll be harder to pinpoint her because she doesn't remember who she is anymore. I want you to try, though.
[ Mine's own speculations don't disappear with the page being turned, but he watches Nishikiyama's face more closely, seeing the change. The Kazama Family patriarch brought a number of children under his roof; Mine sees his name penned in on the adoption paperwork. Nishikiyama and his sister, Yumi and Kiryu...
Kiryu. The thought hasn't fully reformed in Mine's mind, but after hanging up the phone call, his want to ask the man about some of the things he'd said is still there. ]
I see.
[ Looking for Yumi inherently makes more sense to Mine than searching for that doctor. He doesn't ask for justification, unlike for Hiyoshi. Having learned some about Nishikiyama's past and sharing portions of his in turn, Mine thinks he understands. He has a desire to, at least. He can't bear the thought of losing family. ]
Searching for someone with memory loss... [ βis difficult.
It's not that Mine doubts his efforts, but wouldn't Nishikiyama have looked everywhere already? Mine lets a moment of silence into the conversation. In the end he's unsure though, whether his concerns reach Nishikiyama this way. He decides not to say them out loud again. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
2/3
Date: 2024-02-22 12:40 pm (UTC)Mine. Who're you talking to?
[ Kazama? Kashiwagi? Despite the time of day, Kiryu is not on his mind. He drops a binder on the desk beside Mine, closer and increasingly more suspicious of whoever's on the line. ]
3/3
Date: 2024-02-22 12:46 pm (UTC)[ Kiryu hears the annoyance in his voice. He hears something thunk loudly on a surface and even the way Nishikiyama comes into the room hot. Had he just come back from somewhere? Hearing him so accusatory like this is strange. In over his own headβ a little manic. It's different than the whining Kiryu had grown used to over the years. Without realizing it, Kiryu leans forward in his metal chair. ]
Let me talk to himβ
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 01:09 pm (UTC)Then, the door opens; Nishikiyama doesn't hesitate to walk into his own space, right up to his desk. Cadence to his step, a flavor to his voice that Mine is more familiar with and used to than Kiryu. Mine lifts the handset away from his ear. He can pass on the call, not just the message, as he said he would. He still hears Kiryu speaking, faintlyβ A click. On Kiryu's end the line beeps rapidly, the call disconnected.
He looks up, from the binder dropped in front of him to Nishikiyama. He hesitates before answering, it's obvious. Mine has placed the handset back on the receiver, hanging up as if the call'd already been ended. ]
Kiryu Kazuma-san called.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 01:22 pm (UTC)[ The name hadn't crossed his mind, but when it does, something snaps in Nishikiyama. He looks at where the phone is and swats at Mine's handβ reaching to pick the receiver back up and hit a button to redial the number that had just been received. He doesn't see Mine at all. Just color. His fingers clench the can in his hand. They tremble as the phone rings. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 01:45 pm (UTC)He mentioned they would inform him, in case you called back...
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 02:00 pm (UTC)If you catch him calling again, tell him to quit.
[ He can't deal with it anymore. Week after week. Kiryu won't leave him alone. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 02:19 pm (UTC)Understood.
[ Quietly satisfied, now Mine doesn't feel responsible for sharing Kiryu's concerns either. ]
I let him know that you're busy.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 03:20 pm (UTC)I want to buy out these properties further east.
[ An easier subject for him. ]
Can you look?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 04:13 pm (UTC)Of course.
[ It's what he does day in day out, on his white-collar job. It's where Nishikiyama may rely on him. Mine comes around to the other side of the desk too. He stands close to Nishikiyama in his chair and flips open the binder. His shoulders drop comfortably to skim through the pages of the portfolio. After a while his head dips in a nod, having decided. ]
I'll take a closer look, keep an eye out for any insider information that could give us an advantageβ
[ What's more: ] I'm pleased to see that you're willing to push forward with these investments.
[ His concern over Nishikiyama hoarding the money he was getting has only grown recently. This is a smart move; Mine's obviously at ease with it. Nishikiyama can trust what he says. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 05:27 pm (UTC)[ The territory in question. He side-eyes Mine from where he bends, wanting his opinion and advice first. ]
They seem small now, but I think with how the city's been growing they'll be relevant soon. We can sandwich the Champion District and put pressure on it that way later too.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-22 11:11 pm (UTC)Yes, they look good.
[ With his eyes back on Nishikiyama. Mine likes his initiative, it's not hard to tell when he stands leaning close still. ]
I'll factor that in as well. Champion District is small too, but I expect similar growth in the future. There's enough time, it makes sense to position ourselves now.
[ While the Nishikiyama Family is still being undervalued. It's the middle of the day, Mine means to go back to his office; he can do some work right away. He looks intently, trying to gauge Nishikiyama's eagerness and compare it to his own, too. Kiryu's concerns are nothing more than an annoying itch in Mine's ear. ]
I can take these with me and let you know if anything comes up. You can make the purchases soon, I imagine.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 05:46 am (UTC)[ He's happy with that. With Mine's insight provided, his reasoning is affirmed and he's confident that he's made a sound decision. ]
I'll leave it to you. There's something else too.
[ He pulls the binder back towards himself, flipping towards the back of it and sifting through the page. ]
I have some people I need you to find for me.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 08:38 am (UTC)Another person you want to buy from?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 08:41 am (UTC)[ There are different colored tabs in the binder to separate the profiles. ]
There are two people I have some business with. I need you to bring them to me alive.
[ He checks Mine's face to see if he's up to the task. The implications of his request are mysterious and dark, and he's not sure if Mine is as eager to assist. In a way, Nishikiyama is testing him. He wonders if he can bring the same intensity he brought to the coliseum on his behalf before. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 09:38 am (UTC)[ Now, Mine tries to placate himself by asking for clarification. His expression is stiff, like it typically is, but even faint dynamics get frozen in the moment. Why does Nishikiyama place emphasis on the second half of his request? He expects it to culminate with Nishikiyama opening to one of the marked pages.
Mine doesn't notice that he holds his breath until he needs to take one in order to speak up. He makes a headlong decision. ]
It's outside my usual scope, but I'll do my best.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 10:35 am (UTC)The name written is Hiyoshi Kiminobu. ]
This doctor first. He up and vanished two years ago.
[ Nishikiyama's eyes are fixed on the page. An immense hatred burns through him, but he's managed to kept his tone cold and even so far. He can't look away from the profile, and his nails scrape the corner of it restlessly. ]
All I know about him is behind the blue tab in the binder. I need you to bring him to me, Mine.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 12:36 pm (UTC)A surgeon? Why?
[ Mine reacts without considering that he might be asking one too many questions right off the bat. Two year ago puts him just before Mine'd met Nishikiyama, maybe with a few weeks of overlap. Had he been in some sort of treatment at the time? There's history Nishikiyama doesn't know, that makes Mine sensitive to the subject and leap ahead.
The scowl reads to him as urgency, in turn missing some backstory himself. Hesitancy his answer before'd hinted at gets washed over by concern. Mine's gaze splits from the page as he straightens himself next to Nishikiyama. ]
Is something wrong?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 12:59 pm (UTC)[ Filling Mine in on the details will take a while, not to mention shine a light on his festering grudge. It's best to keep him in the dark, he thinks. Mine might refuse to assist if he realizes what it is Nishikiyama actually wants Hiyoshi for. ]
It's long overdue. You won't have to involve yourself beyond bringing him.
[ He curls the page in his hand some, ready to flip to the next tab. ]
Do you think you can handle that much?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 01:28 pm (UTC)Yes. [ Even so. Wariness again, like with Kiryu, makes him reply in a terse way. ] I'll find him.
[ If Nishikiyama needs help, though... Mine can look for someone else. He clears his throat; he has to, not about to make an offer in the same space that'd seen his reaction shut down quickly. Instead: ]
You mentioned a second person?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 01:55 pm (UTC)Sawamura Yumi.
[ His face is softer when he looks at what he's gathered about her. There's a melancholiness to it, and he looks at Mine again. ]
She went missing on the night Kiryu went to prison. We grew up together.
[ He doesn't know what else to say to Mine about Yumi. Can hardly explain why he wants him to look for her. ]
It'll be harder to pinpoint her because she doesn't remember who she is anymore. I want you to try, though.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-23 05:03 pm (UTC)Kiryu. The thought hasn't fully reformed in Mine's mind, but after hanging up the phone call, his want to ask the man about some of the things he'd said is still there. ]
I see.
[ Looking for Yumi inherently makes more sense to Mine than searching for that doctor. He doesn't ask for justification, unlike for Hiyoshi. Having learned some about Nishikiyama's past and sharing portions of his in turn, Mine thinks he understands. He has a desire to, at least. He can't bear the thought of losing family. ]
Searching for someone with memory loss... [ βis difficult.
It's not that Mine doubts his efforts, but wouldn't Nishikiyama have looked everywhere already? Mine lets a moment of silence into the conversation. In the end he's unsure though, whether his concerns reach Nishikiyama this way. He decides not to say them out loud again. ]
I'll do everything possible to find her.