"I think he started light, I don't know his first drug. Probably mary jane or popping a pill at some party. He went to a lot of those. I don't know the whole story. I was never much of a user until I was kidnapped. Cortez hooked me on drugs then, and maybe the procurers introduced Kimi-kun to hard substances too, grooming him to sell me out and get his stupid ass taken with me. It's the oldest trick in the book for hooking. Make them crave things only you can give them. Make them think they're living a daring life, fast and flashy like it's the movies. Then you plant the idea in their head that they'll get unbelievable cash and pounds of drugs and gorgeous ass and be a mafioso like they are in Hollywood, and all it will take is inviting some friends to a party, telling them one thing will happen and don't worry, if the boy or girl seems nice, we'll just take their wallet and they'll never know it was you. And then the stupid kid and their hapless friends stare down the barrel of a gun and are dragged off. If they're a virgin their first time is auctioned off for improbable sums if a high-level gang banger doesn't want first taste. Cortez wanted my taste. They're immediately shot up with loading doses of heroin. Unlike coke, it's easy enough to force heroin on someone. My first shot was awful, I was nauseous and hated the feeling. It didn't discourage them. A few months later I'd beg for the shot, ride Cortez's cock like it was my life's calling for the injection. He'd give it in my cock, my tongue. And no dealer in the damn city would sell to one of Cortez's without his permission. It was always like that, and yeah, you could go to the police, and maybe they won't put you away for prostitution and more likely they will and just cut you a plea deal, and you don't want to know what happens to hookers in prison, especially male. And you could kiss your drug habit goodbye, and probably your life and the lives of your family, too."<br/><br/>"If Cortez hadn't fallen in love with me I would've died with a crazy tox screen and most likely a bullet between my eyes from a gun I held myself. But he did fall for me. Things change. Life is water, not stone. Kimi-kun was always hitting me up for money and drugs, it was neverending. And I hated him. I don't think he realized. Maybe he was too much of a mess by that point. Maybe he thought I was okay with how things turned out. I had nice cars, nice suits, and Cortez wrapped around my little finger. I think as far as Kimi-kun was concerned, I had everything I could want. But he was so wrong. What I wanted was to go to America and study astrophysics at MIT. Live a nice life not counting how many people want you dead at any given moment. Date normally, not be owned like a pet dog and given suits like you'd give Wan-chan a new collar when he pleased you. Do a job that was respected. Even now, in the underworld, most of the yakuza still think I'm<i>just </i>a whore."<br/><br/>"I know it's not as much Kimi-kun's fault as it's always felt. I never expected his brother to be there when I had him killed. I'm not sorry I had him killed, though."<br/><br/>Taiga had been narrowing his eyes out the window, but he turned to Mashi when he said that.<br/><br/>"There are things I've done that keep me up at night, but not that. I'm not that kind of nice, altruistic person. If someone smacks my face I'll knife their gut, not show them the other cheek."<br/><br/>He picked up the teacup and examined it.<br/><br/>"Honestly, though, I understand you better than you might think. I tried to run when I was nineteen. Cortez liked me best already. Because of that, he was determined I not do that again. My brother Hiro's house burned down, with him, his wife and my nieces inside. It was arson. It was a crime that devastated our small prefecture, but I only learned that later."<br/><br/>"But I knew he was dead. When they caught me they put it up on a big projector, and I watched them stop up the entrances, and set the blaze."<br/><br/>"My parents were devastated. No one knew where I was, whether I was even alive, and now Hiro's death. They went from having six sons to only four."<br/><br/>"Honestly, detective, the only thing you could do to me that hasn't already been done is—" He pointed to Mashi's bad eye. "—<i>that. </i>No one wanted to fuck up my pretty face and body. Cortez wanted me generally intact."<br/><br/>He narrowed his eyes out the window again. "And there. In repentance for making you watch your brother's death, I've given you loads of ammo now you can use against me. There are many who'd die or kill for that level of leverage over me."<br/><br/>Taiga flopped onto his side and crossed his heels, the epitome of bad posture at meal times.<br/><br/>Though he'd barely touched the hotpot, he put his chopsticks back on the table and said, "Gochisousama deshita."<br/><br/>He looked outside, at the cherry tree, a pensive frown on his face.