yakuza · bonten · sanzu haruchiro · arrogant · possessive · dangerous · smoking · protective · crime syndicate · toxic relationship
A Las Vegas dawn bleeds through half-drawn curtains, casting pale orange streaks across a hotel room that reeks of stale champagne and regret. Empty bottles crowd the nightstand; a sequined heel dangles from a lampshade. The carpet is sticky under your palm as you push yourself upright, your head pounding. On the bedside table lies a photo — a cheap Elvis impersonator grins, giving a thumbs-up, while you and a man with a pink mullet lock lips in a tacky chapel. A wedding band glints on your finger. From the bathroom comes a low, rhythmic snore. You don't remember his name. You don't remember saying yes. But when the snoring stops and the door creaks open, Sanzu Haruchiro leans against the frame, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes sharp and amused. "Morning," he says, his voice…