The promotion banquet was held at a hotel owned by the Port Mafia.
Throughout the banquet, the gazes of Asou Akiya and Randou crossed repeatedly, making them the unquestionable "protagonists" of the evening.
Asou Akiya was at the height of his prestige. He treated everyone with courtesy and refinement, as though he had been born incapable of acting arrogant or overbearing. Such a temperament often invited others to underestimate him within the Mafia. Yet now that he occupied a position of power, many veteran members of the Port Mafia found themselves looking back on the past in astonishment. Only then did they realize that his upbringing and self-discipline were impeccable. Over all these years, not once had they heard him utter a vulgar word.
He preferred to speak softly and gently, his voice warm and mild. He treated everyone as though they were honored guests. Whenever someone complained that they could not hear him clearly, he would never argue back, even if embarrassment caused his face to flush red. Instead, he would patiently explain himself again.
At this moment, he was still exactly the same person he had always been.
The difference was that no one dared to exploit his weaknesses anymore.
He conversed with the three Executives. Executive Nishida, the least willing to show him any courtesy, sat with a cold expression while drinking, responding perhaps once for every ten sentences directed at him. Executive Yagishita, with whom he had previously maintained only an ordinary relationship, took the initiative to chat with him. As for the Colonel, who appeared to have the best relationship with him and had once worked alongside him to make money, he lounged comfortably in his seat, occasionally joining the discussion whenever the topic turned to fine alcohol.
Seen in this light, the other Sub-Executive—Satou Yujiro—possessed a much weaker presence. His relationships with the three Executives were nowhere near as harmonious, making his position seem rather awkward by comparison.
Officially, the Port Mafia claimed to possess five Executives.
The truth, however, was that two of them had died during earlier wartime conflicts. The remaining three surviving Executives were all members of the combat faction. Each had rendered tremendous service to the Port Mafia and had earned their positions through genuine merit. None were frauds who had risen through luck or connections. Individually, all three surpassed Ozaki Kouyou in combat ability.
Before Watanabe Yukisada's "death," there had been two Sub-Executives: Watanabe Yukisada and Satou Yujiro. Only now had a third been added to their ranks—Asou Akiya.
The upper echelons of the Port Mafia were composed entirely of men. The only person with any real hope of being promoted to Sub-Executive was Ozaki Kouyou, but she had been trained as a geisha-style assassin. As a result, she would not be able to join their ranks anytime soon. Had Watanabe Yukisada not grown impatient and attempted to secure an Executive position before Ozaki Kouyou had fully matured, he would never have moved against Asou Akiya. In that case, his own chances of becoming an Executive would have remained extremely high.
Down below the stage, Randou sat among the members of the Black Lizard unit. As he watched his lover, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. His colleagues naturally misunderstood the expression, assuming he was simply delighted by the promotion of his "guide."
"Randou-kun, you can go offer him a toast later."
Hirotsu Ryuurou thought highly of Randou and believed that he would eventually become a Battalion Leader. That assessment was influenced not only by the fact that Asou Akiya had privately asked him to look after Randou, but also because of Randou himself. His combat style was decisive and efficient, free from hesitation or indecision. The gentle aura that surrounded him made it seem as though he had been subtly influenced by Asou Akiya's presence over the years.
Randou's gaze never gave others a dark or sinister impression. There was a faint haze of melancholy in it, but it only enhanced his elegance and nobility.
Hirotsu Ryuurou, who likewise carried himself with the manners of an English gentleman, was very fond of this style of conduct. Speaking with someone like Randou was simply comfortable. He privately guessed that Randou must have come from a respectable background. Back in France, he was probably from at least an upper-middle-class family. The way he spent money like water only reinforced the impression that he had joined the Mafia for amusement rather than necessity.
Randou nodded. When the appropriate moment arrived, he would go and offer a toast to Asou Akiya.
The smile on Asou Akiya's face immediately grew brighter. A tenderness appeared in his eyes that only a handful of people present could truly understand.
The Director of the Intelligence Department thought to himself: This brat is openly showing off his relationship right in front of everyone.
Nishida Shibashi remained expressionless as he picked at the dishes accompanying his alcohol. What does it have to do with me? It's not as if I can beat him anyway.
Colonel only half understood what he was seeing. His sharp instincts told him that the two shared an unusually close relationship. Otherwise, someone as emotionally reserved as Asou Akiya would never reveal so much of what he was feeling. He concluded that they were probably friends who had known each other since their days at the bottom of the organization.
Yagishita Kazuyuki took a sip of alcohol and remarked, "One of Black Lizard's members, huh?"
Randou looked toward him and replied in fluent Japanese, carrying the distinctive accent of a Yokohama local. "Yes. I am a member of Black Lizard and was brought into the Port Mafia by Akiya-san."
The information was easy enough to verify through a background check, so Yagishita Kazuyuki found nothing strange about it. He merely responded with an "Oh."
Thanks to Asou Akiya's influence, Randou had the opportunity to appear before the Executives. After courteously bowing his head, he withdrew.
He had never considered bowing to weaker people a humiliation.
It was simply part of the job.
If he wished, every person present could become a member of Illuminations.
As the banquet continued, it gradually became rather dull. Taking advantage of an opportunity, Asou Akiya slipped a birthday present to Ozaki Kouyou.
Accepting it, Ozaki Kouyou moved to a corner of the room. Hidden behind the sleeve of her kimono, she secretly examined her gift.
It was a cosmetics set targeted toward young women, produced by a company in which the Port Mafia had invested.
A smile appeared on her face.
She was quite pleased with the gift.
Then she opened the lipstick.
A deathly Barbie pink!!!
The smile on Ozaki Kouyou's face froze.
"..."
Her rose-colored eyes immediately shot a vicious glare toward the man responsible. No matter how wonderful a man might be, the moment he proved incapable of choosing lipstick properly, his evaluation plummeted straight into negative territory.
Refusing to give up, she hurriedly opened the other two lipsticks as well.
Only then did the anxiety hanging over her finally subside.
One was a classic crimson red.
The other was a rose-red shade similar to the color of her eyes.
At least there were still a couple she could actually use.
After the promotion banquet ended, Hazama Kan'ichi finally found an opportunity to present his gift to Ozaki Kouyou.
The emotional roller coaster she had been riding all evening immediately began to level out.
Hazama Kan'ichi's gift was a bracelet.
The fifteen-year-old Ozaki Kouyou of today was no longer the cold, withdrawn little girl she had been two years ago. Her figure had grown taller and more graceful, and beneath her kimono, the soft curves of adolescence had begun to emerge. Because her work constantly exposed her to the darker side of the Mafia world, both her body and mind had matured far more quickly than those of girls her age. She was at that age when a young girl stood on the verge of blooming.
Naturally, the person she liked was Hazama Kan'ichi, who had always looked after her.
The thoughtfulness and gentleness of a mature man were irresistible weapons against a young girl's heart.
Moreover, thanks to Asou Akiya's efforts in guiding and polishing him, Hazama Kan'ichi's shortcomings had gradually begun to disappear. Little by little, he was becoming someone capable of shining brightly in Ozaki Kouyou's eyes.
A hardworking man was always the most attractive.
Could someone truly find a home within the Port Mafia...?
The thought filled Ozaki Kouyou's heart with sweetness as her fingers lightly brushed over the bracelet now adorning her wrist.
As for the deathly Barbie-pink lipstick?
What was that?
It was obviously something destined to be thrown into a drawer of her vanity and never touched again.
That night, Asou Akiya and Randou were able to ride home together for once.
Having consumed alcohol, Asou Akiya confidently handed the steering wheel over to Randou. Slightly tipsy, he leaned back in the passenger seat.
If an accident were to happen—
Well.
The subspace created by Illuminations would certainly be able to save both of them in time.
Randou glanced at him and asked, "Will you still have the energy to eat cake tonight?"
With his eyes half-closed, Asou Akiya replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Of course I will. They bought it, after all."
Randou extended one hand, removed his glove, and pressed his palm against Akiya's cheek.
"You feel a little hot."
Asou Akiya let out a soft laugh.
"That isn't heat. It's warmth."
Randou humored him immediately.
"All right, it's warmth. Akiya is warm all over."
Asou Akiya was not truly drunk, but he deliberately used the lingering effects of alcohol as an excuse to become clingy. Leaning closer, he gently bit one of Randou's fingers.
"I'm twenty-four now, and Randou is twenty-three."
"Yes, that's right."
"How does it feel?"
"Akiya, you've gotten saliva all over my finger. Can you wait until we get home before biting me?"
"Randou wears gloves every day. I never get to touch your hands~."
"Not true. When I'm in bed, I'm not wearing anything at all. You can touch me as much as you want."
"I suppose that's true..." Asou Akiya mused drowsily. "Have you written any poetry lately?"
"No."
"Don't you feel inspired to improvise something? Come on. It's been so long since I heard you recite poetry."
"...Mm. Then give me an opening line, Akiya."
While driving, Randou split his attention in two, though most of it remained focused on Akiya.
"The star has wept down... rose… into your ears' deep nests..." Asou Akiya's thoughts drifted in fragments. Guided only by instinct, he somehow recalled a somewhat risqué poem. "Infinity rolled white along your nape... and back... The sea turned ruddy at your vermillion nipple... Mm... I remember now. It's 'The Stars Wept'*—a poem you wrote long ago..."
*{Note: I used Norman Cameron's translation for this, but I tweaked it a little to fit the scene more}
The tips of Randou's ears immediately grew hot.
What was going on?
Had he really written poetry like that before?
"Akiya, are you sure you're not remembering it wrong?"
"Haha—maybe."
Tonight, inspiration seemed to flow endlessly through Asou Akiya. Memories surged upward from the depths of his soul.
When they reached a dimly lit stretch of road where no surveillance cameras were present, he wrapped an arm around Randou's shoulders and gently caught his earlobe between his lips.
Then he murmured dreamlike words in French:
"When we are very strong, - who draws back? very gay, - who cares for ridicule? When we are very bad, - what would they do with us."
Randou's soul trembled.
Within his eyes, the golden glow of Illuminations rose and fell like a sea of stars.
Poetry had been the beginning of their love, and now it was reshaping him once more.
"Dress yourself, dance, laugh." Randou turned his head away from the road ahead, abandoning any intention of watching it. He fiercely captured the lips that had been relentlessly teasing him with a kiss. "I could never throw Love out of the window!"
"Tell me," Asou Akiya said, his voice soft, "what should this poem be called?"
"It already has a name..." Randou answered. "I just can't remember it anymore. Why don't you give it a new meaning instead?"
"I feel as though it's a treasure hidden within my soul. The more I think about it, the more turbulent my emotions become. I can't control them." Randou's eyes shone with wonder. "It's incredible, Akiya. My soul tells me that I'm a poet, while the other half of my soul is telling me, 'What nonsense are you daydreaming about? You can't make a living by writing poetry!'"
Randou burst into laughter, no longer bothering with something as trivial as the steering wheel.
The two of them kissed in their seats.
"Randou...!"
Clinging to Asou Akiya, Randou said urgently, "Illuminations!"
Golden subspace instantly enveloped them.
The vehicle, now completely out of control, left the road and hurtled toward a wall.
There was spirit in Randou's eyes.
There was light in his expression.
Unable to stop himself, Asou Akiya whispered,
"Illuminations."
This poem had come from Illuminations.
"Randou... write it down for me. Let go of your restraints for my sake. I want to see the chapters hidden within your soul."
"It should be called Illuminations."
The only response he received was the increasingly brilliant golden radiance blooming from his lover after something deep within his soul had been stirred awake.
Ability users.
Gifted beyond ordinary measure.
Every ability user whose name existed in the real world possessed astonishing potential. Their upper limits corresponded to the great literary figures of history and the masterpieces they had left behind. These ability users were rich in emotion, varied in temperament, and rarely willing to accept an ordinary existence. The more deeply they understood their abilities and the more they refined themselves, the more of their abilities' true potential they were able to uncover and bring forth.
Randou was not an uncut diamond. He was already a top-grade gemstone that had been polished to near perfection.
All Asou Akiya had done was add the final touch of brilliance.
— I love you.
...
By the time they returned home, Asou Akiya's car was completely totaled. Judging by its condition, there was no point even sending it to a repair shop.
He did not have time to mourn the loss of the vehicle. Staggering slightly, he followed Randou back inside.
The villa was brightly lit.
Bang! Bang!
Two party poppers exploded, and colorful streamers rained down onto their heads.
Randou calmly brushed the decorations from his hair and looked toward Edogawa Ranpo and Nakahara Chuuya.
Behind the two boys stood a table that had already been prepared with a large two-tier birthday cake.
Edogawa Ranpo grinned.
"Akiya! Akiya-san! Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday, Akiya-san! Akiya-san!" Nakahara Chuuya immediately chimed in, unwilling to be outdone. "I bought everything myself! Ranpo only held us back the whole time!"
Edogawa Ranpo pretended not to hear that.
Instead, he looked at the two adults who had clearly been drinking and waved a hand through the air in front of his nose.
"You drank alcohol and still drove. You deserved to get into a traffic accident!"
Asou Akiya replied weakly, "You're right. That was my fault."
Randou had protected Akiya's body so thoroughly that he had not suffered a single scratch.
Unfortunately, protecting him from psychological trauma was another matter entirely.
Anyone would be shaken after watching their own car slam headfirst into a wall.
Anyone except Randou.
Akiya's heart was still pounding furiously in his chest.
Seeing the concern written on the faces of the two little cats he had raised, Asou Akiya gradually recovered his composure.
With a gentle smile, he said, "Thank you. Let's eat some cake. Tonight, you're both allowed to eat as much as you want."
Edogawa Ranpo immediately cheered.
"I'm going to eat all of it!"
Nakahara Chuuya did not believe for a second that Ranpo could actually finish the entire cake, but he chose not to spoil the mood.
Blushing slightly, he walked over to the two adults and stuffed a gift into each of their hands.
"These are the presents I bought." he said.
Randou accepted the gift and opened it.
Inside was a fountain pen.
He immediately glanced at the present in Akiya's hands and discovered that it was exactly the same.
A custom-made pair of matching fountain pens for couples.
The little guy was surprisingly thoughtful.
Edogawa Ranpo chirped energetically, "My gift is two thermoses! I already put them beside your bed!"
Asou Akiya reached out and lightly flicked Ranpo's nose.
"If you tell us in advance, it won't be a surprise anymore."
Ranpo looked completely unconcerned. Hugging Akiya's arm, he gazed up at him expectantly.
"Do you like them?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Asou Akiya replied firmly, "I do."
Randou smiled as well.
"I like them too. My current thermos was due for replacement anyway."
Before he even realized what had happened, Nakahara Chuuya had once again lost to Edogawa Ranpo's ability to act cute.
He stood there in a daze.
What?
Wasn't it just acting spoiled?
Damn it!
There was no way he could say something that embarrassingly clingy.
Inside his head, Chuuya was practically clawing at the walls in frustration. On the surface, however, he managed to maintain the fragile brotherly camaraderie he shared with Ranpo.
"What about Mr. Fukuzawa?" Asou Akiya asked. He had assumed that, given their relationship, they would celebrate the birthday together.
"Fukuzawa-ossan already celebrated my birthday with me, so he decided not to come." Edogawa Ranpo grinned mischievously. "It's pretty obvious. Fukuzawa-ossan just didn't want to come here and be forced to eat dog food."
Asou Akiya took Randou's hand and led him into the living room.
"Have you found that person yet?" he asked casually.
"Nope," Edogawa Ranpo replied. "This is the most interesting mystery I've ever encountered!"
WhiteNakahara Chuuya: "???"
He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.
Randou casually reached over and rubbed Chuuya's head.
For a brief second, he offered the boy a bit of sympathy.
In this household, there was no question about it—
The person at the very bottom of the intelligence hierarchy was definitely the still-young Nakahara Chuuya.
"Chuuya-kun, you don't need to understand what they're talking about. As long as the outcome is a good one, that's all that matters."
"Mm..."
Nakahara Chuuya felt even more dejected.
Was this some kind of wisdom born from Akiya-san's personal experience?
No.
Nakahara Chuuya could not have been more mistaken.
Whenever a complicated plan was involved, Asou Akiya would always explain the entire script to Randou afterward. If Randou failed to understand something, he could simply ask Akiya. There was no danger of being left dizzy and confused by Ranpo's thought process.
Chuuya's situation was completely different.
If he tried asking Ranpo for an explanation, he would only end up humiliating himself and getting so frustrated that he exploded in anger.
As they shared the birthday cake, Asou Akiya fed Randou a piece topped with a strawberry.
Randou bit down on the fork and, with deliberate mischief, ate only the strawberry.
The remaining cake was left behind.
Without the slightest complaint, Asou Akiya ate the rest for him.
"There isn't a car left at home for us to use anymore," he said. "We'll buy another one tomorrow. I don't like driving luxury cars that used to belong to other people."
Randou immediately understood that he was referring to the assets and properties that came with his promotion to Sub-Executive.
His eyes lit up at once.
"Leave it to me."
Luxury cars.
Fine wine.
Music.
Poetry.
Works of art.
Every single one of those things fell squarely within Randou's range of interests.
A faint sense of foreboding crept into Asou Akiya's heart.
"Just... don't buy anything too ostentatious..."
Randou's expression immediately became gloomy.
How ugly.
An ordinary business sedan.
Just imagining it offended his aesthetic sensibilities.
Asou Akiya pressed a hand against his forehead. Under the gleeful gazes of Ranpo and Chuuya, who were thoroughly enjoying the unfolding drama, he finally surrendered.
"Fine. Buy whatever you want!"
As it happened, Randou needed a car of his own anyway.
If the vehicle he chose proved unsuitable, they could always purchase another one later.
After finally surviving the busiest year of his life—the year in which he had spent every day carefully protecting a relationship that could never be acknowledged openly—Asou Akiya decided to indulge Randou's hobbies for once.
Even if Randou came home with a convertible sports car, he would accept it.
Then, after a moment's thought, Asou Akiya voiced one humble birthday wish.
"Just please don't make it a limited-edition model."
He knew very little about luxury cars. In his impression, the most prestigious models already cost as much as an entire luxury villa. As for limited-edition vehicles, they were the kind of treasures that appeared only by chance and could not be sought out at will—luxuries so extravagant that ordinary people would never even dare imagine owning them.
Randou looked at him for several seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter.
What a contradiction.
Generous in some ways, yet astonishingly stingy in others.
Edogawa Ranpo immediately came to Akiya's aid and explained, "Akiya wants to spend money on something really big, so he's worried he won't have enough left!"
Randou blinked in surprise.
"What does Akiya want to buy?"
Nakahara Chuuya immediately perked up and pricked his ears to listen.
Resting his head against Randou's shoulder, Asou Akiya breathed in the cool, snow-like fragrance of his hair. The alcohol itself was not enough to intoxicate him, but he was already drunk on the moment.
"In a few days... come with me to an auction."
His voice softened.
"I want to buy the Sunset Manor that belongs to Karasuma Renya. I've had my eye on it for years, but I've never been confident that I could actually win the bid."
He hooked a finger around one of Randou's long curls and lifted it to his lips, every movement filled with tenderness that seemed to seep into his very bones.
"And then... I'll give it to you."
A golden house gifted to a beauty.
But Sunset Manor was the true birthday present he intended to give to Randou... and to Arthur Rimbaud.
Hidden within it was a treasure of hundreds of tons of gold.
Shh...
That was a secret.
...
At the beginning of January, the auction was held as scheduled.
The sale of Sunset Manor included the entire mansion, its collection of antique artworks, and the vast estate on which it stood. The starting price had always been extremely high.
Asou Akiya paid an enormous deposit and purchased it outright with a single bid.
To avoid unnecessary complications, he did not resort to loans or mortgages.
He paid the entire amount in cash.
After several failed auctions the previous year, the final price turned out to be somewhat better than he had anticipated.
Even so, acquiring Sunset Manor consumed well over half of his available liquid assets.
As for the money that remained, he handed it over to Randou to spend as he pleased.
There were quite a few artworks at the auction that had caught Randou's interest.
All right.
At this point, he truly no longer cared about money.
Asou Akiya felt a surge of heroic confidence and boundless pride.
Compared to purchasing a luxury vacation estate in Nagano Prefecture, Randou was far more interested in works of art. Thus began a relentless spree of buying, and by the end of the auction he could be said to have returned laden with spoils.
It was the first time in his life that spending money had felt this satisfying.
Using Akiya's card, he became the undisputed biggest spender at the entire auction.
Randou knew that Akiya had purchased the estate for his sake. However, he did not question him in public. Only after all the contracts and paperwork had been signed and they had returned home did he finally give in to his curiosity.
"Akiya," he said, "I looked through the information. The property seems enormous, and it's located in Nagano Prefecture, a famous resort area... Does it have some other special significance?"
Asou Akiya pulled him into an embrace and said with a sense of immense relief,
"It's the place where I want you to retire."
"...?"
Akiya, aren't you thinking a little too far ahead?
When it comes time to retire, we should retire in France!
Randou refused to believe that explanation.
The man before him was extraordinarily shrewd when it came to investments. He was not the type to squander money recklessly. The fact that he had indulged Randou's extravagant spending today without the slightest hesitation could only mean that he had gained something even more valuable in return.
"Come on, tell me~."
Randou wanted to know the real reason.
"I'm not telling you. Hahaha!"
Asou Akiya was unusually excited.
After being tickled mercilessly by Randou and engaging in a brief bout of playful wrestling, Asou Akiya finally suppressed his overflowing joy and said,
"I've already given it to you, so whatever you do, don't sell it."
His expression became unexpectedly serious.
"If you ever need money, you can sell all the antiques you bought today. That's fine. But that place... don't sell it."
He paused before continuing softly.
"You only need to know one thing—that is the best gift I've ever given you."
Randou disliked hearing words like that.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
The French beauty cupped the face of his mysteriously secretive lover between both hands.
"The best gift isn't that mansion."
His eyes softened.
"Isn't the best gift you?"
It's just a house.
If they ever grew tired of living there, they could simply leave it to the two little cats.
Who would ever think of selling it?
After all, one day they were going to retire together in a villa in France.
—
TL Note:
Translating the poems is always a hassle. I usually use Oliver Bernard's translations of Rimbaud's works, but he didn't translate every poem referenced in the story, so I often have to dig through the internet looking for versions that fit the scene. Even then, I usually need to tweak the wording a bit so the poem flows naturally and matches the context of the story.
I'm tired, boss. 🥀
If anyone wants to check out the translation done by Oliver Bernard, you can find it here: https://www.mag4.net/Rimbaud/en/Poetry.html