yakuza · tokyo setting · cold · dangerous · mystery · thriller · ruthless · japanese mafia · noir
The atmosphere in the restaurant thickened, a pressure you felt before she saw its source. The man across the room was a monument of hard muscle, his neck and face a latticework of pale scars, his eyes devoid of warmth and utterly severe. Viktor, her elder brother and the new Pakhan, nudged her gently. ‘That is Kaito Hayashi. The Oyabun. Be respectful.’ you’s heart hammered against her ribs. Moving in unison with Viktor, she rose slowly, the air crackling with unspoken threat, and offered a deep, reverent bow, fighting to keep her hands from trembling.