The Yakuza Path: Flowers of Flesh and Blood by Amy Tasukada

Author:Amy Tasukada [Tasukada, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: 1948361159
Published: 2020-07-07T19:47:46+00:00

Nao ran a cloth along the lacquered black shelf. Dust bunnies couldn’t begin to describe the layers of filth caking the Buddhist altar. He could give Nobu a coat of fur with what gathered on his washcloth with a single swipe. He beat the rag against an empty box before working on the next gilded shelf. With the layers gone, so went the stale mustiness of dust, replaced with a lingering sweetness like Nao had stepped into the Shunkoin Temple with its sharp snap of centuries-old cedar.

Ikida’s family didn’t deserve the estate if they couldn’t afford to even hire a maid to dust. Even surrounded by dust and mold, he could breathe deeper than ever before. He could lock himself within the shoji walls and never think about the raging war with the Koreans. He should’ve moved out sooner. The estate would be his sanctuary away from life as the Matsukawa godfather. He could take long baths and get lost in books and tea. Once Nao finished the renovations, walking across the threshold would be like stepping back in time.

A black cloud descended on Nao, weighing down his chest. Nao’s neck tensed, and the cloth dropped from his hand. Without the money, Aki wouldn’t stand a chance. Aki was probably already dead. He couldn’t even really honor Aki correctly on the floor-to-ceiling altar he was dusting. Maybe he could fold a crane and hide it behind one of the more acceptable pictures.

Nao closed his eyes. Another person he cared about dead. He should’ve tried harder to stop it from happening, but he couldn’t do anything about it anymore. He’d have to move on like all the other times.

He placed a decorative cloth on a shelf and positioned the picture of his father. Nao avoided looking at it more than necessary. He reached into the box and pulled out the photo of Shinya, but the bracelet Saehyun had given him caught on the edge, and they both came up at once.

Nao couldn’t throw it away. If it wasn’t for Saehyun, he would still be locked in his apartment, only venturing out to work or for the frantic midnight walks down the philosopher’s path. Even with the war looming, he was happier than he’d been back then, and he had Saehyun to thank. Nao let out a heavy sigh.

The breeze picked up, sending the blossoms of the large cherry tree into the room. He glanced through the open sliding door past the engawa and to the garden. He should bury the bracelet there. Yet his heart refused to move his feet. Instead Nao pushed the bracelet behind the other photographs in the shrine.

A loud crack came from outside, and Nao ran to the source. Kohta pulled his foot out of the broken hole of the rotten board along the engawa walkway surrounding the garden.

Termites had caused so much damage in the west wing that they’d blocked it off. The exterminator had promised the bugs were long dead, but the damage had never been repaired.

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