Kurushimu bowed.  "Hello, Sir," his smile stretched, "Hello, Itami," he bowed again, smile straining not to rip apart.

The rapturous man hesitated, eyes fixed on the young Itami.  His heart hurt and his head lightened.  All the sounds in the restaurant escalated at that one moment Itami and his eyes met, fixed, stared.  Sweat threatened to drip from his hairline when Itami's mouth made an O shape, as if to say, 'Oh, I remember you, you fucking bastard...' but Jiyuuna's eyes widened in a frightened state and very quickly, briskly he pleadingly shook his head, barely noticeable, even to himself.  Surprisingly to the assistant, Itami quickly understood and merely stared at Jiyuuna in familiarity, in awkwardness.

Reisei, on cue, in an habitual manner, bowed again, then nodded at his two lackeys to position themselves at another table, just beside theirs.  "Good morning Kurushimu, Jiyuuna."

Jiyuuna watched as Reisei cheerfully, uncharacterized, scooted out a chair for Itami who forced his gaze away the instant Reisei's claw clamped on his shoulder.  "T-Thanks," he mumbled.  He appeared intimidate, frightened.

"So, do we have everything set for Itami?"  In his coat pocket, he displayed a tin can object, opening it with one flick of the wrist.  Inside were thin cigarettes.  "Want one?" He passively offered Itami.  Itami refused.  Reisei glanced at Kurushimu as if to ask why haven't you said something yet?  He lit one.

Jiyuuna who kept shifting his gaze from Reisei to the suit wearing Itami shifted in his seat.  Kurushimu cleared his throat.  "Yes," he started reaching for the inside pocket of his jacket.  "All the paper work was drawn yesterday and all the young man has to do is sign," a smug, cynical smile replaced the forced one.

Itami's eyes continuously switched from Reisei, to Kurushimu to Jiyuuna.  Never anywhere else.  Even his ears perked to his name, confused about what they were discussing.  "What?" He breathlessly said as if he hadn't meant to say anything.

"Itami," Reisei began, digging out his own pen from his inside blazer pocket, cigarette bobbing from his words, "I have a surprise for you." A real smile decorated his dark features.

"Yes?" His eyes twitched to not look in Jiyuuna's direction.

Kurushimu flattened the papers in front of Itami, over the small table, slightly bowing in response to his quick glance.

"You're going to own a shop of your very own.  I decided to have something to occupy your days." Reisei flashed the raptor a look.

"What?" He repeated, sinking in his seat.

"It's called the 'Kit Kat Club,' and it's your new store." He forced the pen in Itami's shaky hand, smoke obscuring Jiyuuna's vision briefly.  Jiyuuna stared down at the heavenly white tablecloth.  "It specializes in sex toys," he winked, Itami grimaced a smile.  "Sign here," he pointed to the bottom, "and here," he flipped the first page up and pointed to somewhere in the middle of a paragraph.

Slightly hesitating, Itami followed Reisei's instructions, clearly forcing himself not to glance at Kurushimu or... Jiyuuna. "There," he whispered.  The pen slapped on the table, rolling.

Kurushimu leaned forward and snatched the pen just in time before it dropped off the table.  The paperwork was already in his hands when the pen clicked itself shut and was handed back to Reisei.  "Thank you, Itami," Kurushimu's smile chilled Jiyuuna.

"But why?" Itami asked immediately.  "Why do you want me to run that kind of store?"

"To help our sales, Itami," Reisei answered, sipping at what was Jiyuuna's marmalade.  "Besides, don't you want some income?" He raised his brows, licking his lips.  Suck he went to the cigarette.

"I guess, but--"

Reisei cut him short, "And there's something else." He sipped again at the drink.  "Only you are the employee, you are to hire no one." His hard gaze pierced Itami.

"But, Reisei," Itami pleaded.

"Shut up," Reisei said.  Jiyuuna looked at Kurushimu and the smug way he leaned back in his seat to watch his Phase unfurl ahead of him.  His eyes twinkled in the morning sun.  "Do this." He said in a final tone.

Itami bowed his head.  "Fine, I will," he grimaced, picking at his dark purple hair.

"Oh, one more thing," Reisei added, smiling, touching Itami's shoulder.  "At night, to make sure nothing will happen to you, I will send someone to watch the store with you."  Reisei stood.

Kurushimu lit him a cigarette of his own.

"Who?" Itami asked when Kurushimu's eyes immediately hardened and he uncomfortably shifted in his chair, smoke exiting through his nose.

"Jiyuuna here," Reisei put out the hand holding the thin cigarette and smiled.

For the first time Jiyuuna perked and Kurushimu choked on his smoke.

Jae and Kinjiru popped up, straightening their jackets, ushering Itami out of his seat, by hand signals, to follow Reisei who already cleared half the room.  But Itami had his eyes on Jiyuuna, not in a frightened manner, or harshly, or ghastly, instead he smiled, bowing only in the raptor's direction, disappearing behind two black suits.