2"No, please no..." "Kill me, but don't do this!" "Just kill me damn it, don't do this!"
"NO FUCKING DAMN IT NO!"
That was the scream of Shogo Akuji. A young Japanese man at about 21 years of age, short, spiked black hair with yellow dyed tips, dark brown eyes, 5'6'', and usually decked out in yellow and black - in fact at the moment he was wearing his golden yellow silk pajamas complete with custom designed black dragon decals to make them look fashionable. Most of the time people mistook him for a fashion model rather than the son of an Oyabun, and he had the good looks to be one in all honesty. At the moment however, one would likely mistake him for a screaming, angry banshee:
"THIS IS NOT FUCKING FAIR!" he slammed his fist down at his computer desk as the monitor displayed a black screen with white text saying only:
Thank You for Playing Saints Row Unfortunately, you have become deceased Your Account has now been temporarily disabled for the next 24 Hours Your character and their stats are now permanently deleted You will have to create a new character to have a second chance at the game
"AAAARRGH!" the 'yakuza prince' slammed his head down on his keyboard in shere anger as he gripped the desk with one hand and his mouse with the other, "FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU!"
He then looked up at the sound of music coming from his computer's speakers. It was the music of the Saints Row title screen, some generic hip hop rap music. His eyes twitched due to the rage he was in now. Saints Row was the only MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game - that was also a sandbox, crime simulation game as well. One of it's main gimmicks was the price of dying - which Shogo was just now, after thousands of hours terrorizing the virtual streets of Stilwater, finally facing. Much to his anger.
"Anata wa jigoku ni sayonara!" he screamed in anger before he stood up, making his computer chair fall to the ground as he picked up his keyboard and angrily chucked it at his bedroom door - it didn't shatter to pieces but many of the keys on it were knocked from their place and scattered on the floor.
Seething with rage still, he was not done. He angrily grabbed his monitor with both of his hands and grunting and growling with rage he pushed it too to the floor and kicked it. However his kick hurt him more than it hurt the monitor.
"Genki-ippai no meinu!" he hissed before grabbing his mouse and throwing it at the fallen monitor - he threw it fast enough to ensure it would be broken. He then spent a few more seconds kicking and punching his computer chair before he heard the door to his bedroom slide open, an extremely angry figure facing him once it did.
"Shogo. Would. You. Shut. The. FUCK! UP!"
It was his older sister, Kiyumi. She was 27 years old in total, and was just as beautiful by societal standards as her brother was - only for a woman. In fact many of the men Shogo knew wished he'd let them flirt with her. However to be fair at the hour that it was she lacked her makeup and her long black hair was very ruffled and unstyled. She also had a look of anger on her face as she were only her golden silk chemise with a black - golden dragon themed - robe loosely put over it.
"Kiyumi" Shogo said after a pause, "Leave me the fuck alone right now."
"Shogo it is Two in the goddamn morning and you wake everyone up bitching over that stupid fucking game."
"IT'S MORE THAN JUST A GAME! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO IT! HOW MUCH BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS I PUT INTO RUNNING THE RONIN ON MY OWN! BUT THEN THOSE SAINTS HAD TO REJOIN THE GAME AND MAKE ALL MY HARD WORK FOR NOTHING! I'VE SPENT THE LAST FIVE YEARS TRYING TO RULE THE CITY, AND THEY RUINED IT! THEY BURIED MY CHARACTER ALIVE! ISN'T THAT UNFAIR!"
"It is just a fucking GAME!" Kiyumi replied to him with, "A game that….how long has it been since you slept?"
"That doesn't fucking matter!"
"Shogo I can see dark circles and bags under your eyes."
"You're not our parents!"
"Who are also probably not happy with your whining over a computer game. In fact, didn't you drag both father and Jyunichi into playing it just because you needed their help?"
"And then Jyunichi fucking betrayed me."
"Sweet jesus" Kiyumi pinched in between her eyes as she folded her arms, "Shogo, you have lost your goddamn mind. You are tearing apart a computer and screaming like a baby over a computer game and I'm going to assume you haven't slept in about, I don't know, twenty-four hours?"
"You don't understand, sister! That game was my life! The Saints ruined everything! They ruined everything I had achieved! They ruined everything I love and care about! They ruined me!"
"Tell me, are you actually buried alive right now?"
"Yes!"
"Outside of the game."
"No."
"Exactly. You are a spoiled baby brother of mine yelling over dying in a computer game."
"I'M NOT A BABY!"
"You throw tantrums like one."
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAINTS ROW!"
"Okay you know what, I do not have time for this! I am going back to sleep, you enjoy your psychotic addiction." and with that Kiyumi stormed off back to her bedroom, leaving Shogo his own devices.
"And fuck you too!" Shogo shouted back at her - but got no response. He then tried to do the task of fixing his computer back. Grumbling and cursing to himself all the while though. Not being much of a bodybuilder or buff type, he ended up dropping his monitor back onto his foot. "MOTHERFUCKER! AGH!"
"Shogo!"
That voice came from the aforementioned Jyunichi - six feet tall, buff, bald, known for being Shogo's bodyguard and also usually decked out in black and yellow - his eyes also had signs of being quite tired but he hid the anger in his voice:
"Are you alright?"
"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, TRAITOR?!" Shogo snapped, "I LOST THE GAME AND NOW THERE'S THIS MESS ALL OVER MY ROOM, HELP ME CLEAN IT UP!"
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME CLEAN IT UP!"
Jyunichi took a deep breathe before he said his next line:
"No."
"Ex...EXCUSE ME?! Are you BETRAYING me AGAIN?!"
"You wanted me to join that game because you started having trouble defending yourself in it. I played along with it, you assured your father it was to help you be a better yakuza leader. But you seemed to literally substitute that game for reality….and even in the context of what happened I committed no betrayal to you or the Akuji clan, your father merely did not wish to speak with you."
"AND I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH HIM!"
"He didn't want to."
"OH JUST SHUT UP AND HELP ME CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!"
"I said no."
"WHY THE FUCK NOT?!"
"Because it's two in the morning, because it's your own fault, and because you were the one who betrayed me."
The mix of snark and coldness in the larger man's last few words actually made Shogo go quiet for once, even swallowing as he looked back at Jyunichi. Jyunichi gave Shogo a silent bow to show respect for him before sliding the door back closed and presumably also returning to his own slumber - or at least his own work. Shogo spent the rest of the early morning trying to clean up the mess in his bedroom, though he took no pleasure in doing it and ended up screaming again once he learned his mouse was indeed broken and that he would need to get a new computer monitor. He spent a few further minutes complaining and grumbling to himself until he tripped on his own office chair onto his bed, at which point he finally succumbed to the temptation of sleep.
When he awoke, it was 11:30 am. He woke up without checking what time it was though, and did his morning ritual of spiking his hair back to it's normal position, shaving what little hair he did grow on his body to keep himself a twink, brushing his teeth, and then he hissed in anger once he saw is still broken computer before going off to eat his breakfast.
However, as one might expect, he was surprised when he saw no breakfast was prepared for him. Rather, his family was gathered at the table to eat a traditional Japanese Christmas dinner - he could tell by the inclusion of K.F.C. which had become a traditional holiday dish in Japan since the 1970's.
There was Kiyumi, who was still in her sleepwear though her hair was more properly fixed into a bun fashion, and she now had her face with proper makeup put onto it.
There was Tomoyuki, or Tomo for short, who was Kiyumi's 10 year old son and Shogo's only nephew. He was an adorable little kid, with thick and short but fashionably ruffled hair, adorable big brown eyes, and a face and body set to be just as good looking as his uncle. He was also in his silk pajamas that were also mostly black and yellow with dragon decals though he also had his plush doll of that two-tailed yellow-orange fox sitting at his side, his favourite video game character.
There was Honami, Shogo's loving and spoiling mother, who had her makeup long put on and was wearing a mostly black but also bits of yellow kimono, and had her long hair straightened. An eye cancer survivor, she had a black eyepatch - with a yellow dragon decal - over her left eye. In terms of age, she was somewhere in her 50's, though did have extensive cosmetic surgery done on her over the years.
Finally there was Kazuo, the father of Shogo and Kiyumi and patriarch of the Akuji family. An old man in his 60's, wearing his usual gray business suit with a yellow dragon tie, his short grayed hair perfectly joined up with what was almost always either a grumpy scowl or at the least an emotionally in different expression. The man was known for rarely smiling, it's said in Japan that even as a child Kazuo Akuji smiling was the number one rarest thing in the country.
The family was silently eating - and in Honami's case drinking red wine - when Shogo walked into the dining room and took his position at the table. It was ultimately Honami who noticed him first, and in her usual doting tone of voice said sweetly to him:
"There you are, my darling son! I was wondering when you would wake up!"
"Hey mother" Shogo spoke tiredly, "What's for breakfast?"
"Breakfast is long over with, Shogo" Kazuo bluntly spoke from the other end of the table, "It's almost noon. You slept for ten hours straight."
"What?!" Shogo exclaimed, "Almost noon?! Ten hours?! I skipped breakfast?!"
"Maybe if you weren't so addicted to a computer game you would have been able to have breakfast today" Kiyumi snarked.
"Watch yourself, Kiyumi."
"Shogo" Kazuo was swift to scold him in a tone that actually made his son flinch, "You will respect your sister in my presence, unless you want to be punished like an eleven year old again."
Shogo gulped at the reminder of what happened when he was that age - he learned very well not to ever lay a hand on his sister again. After all, it's hard to forget getting spanked with the side of a katana sword. Kiyumi just smirked as she saw her brother's reaction, her attitude angered Shogo but he knew it best to not say anything, just respectfully bowing his head and saying a quieted:
"Yes, Father….I will respect Kiyumi."
"Good. Now eat your dinner, unless you actually want to starve."
Shogo silently bowed and got himself some of the food on the table. Honami, taking a sip of her wine, was the next to speak:
"Kiyumi, I think you should consider returning the favor to your brother. That game was teaching him how to be a better leader, after all."
"It was teaching him how to forget what reality was."
"How do you know that? As if my Shogo would forget what was real and not real."
"He wasn't even paying for the game's monthly, you and father were."
"And how does that matter?"
"Don't you think that defeats the purpose of teaching him how to lead?"
"So making my son happy is wrong?"
"You're not seeing my point, mother!"
"Since when do you even have a point, Kiyumi?"
"What's that supposed to mean, mother?"
"It means-"
"Enough!" Kazuo exclaimed, bringing the attention of all the family to himself, "I am not in the mood to hear bickering during my meal. If you two want to continue this argument elsewhere, you are free to do so now, but for this moment I would appreciate peace."
"Yes father" it was then Kiyumi's turn to bow her head and become silent. Honami just silently resumed her wine sipping. Shogo smirked silently at seeing his sister being reprimanded, he always got this childlike joy from seeing her get it for a change rather than himself all the time.
The rest of the family's holiday meal went along mostly silent, as it was what Kazuo wanted. It wasn't but for a few minutes more until Tomo spoke up, directed at his mother:
"Mother, I'm finished now." he said, his plate being empty.
"Very good, Tomo" she said with a soft smile, "You may go."
With that, Tomo bowed, put his dish in the sink to be cleaned later, and was off on his way to enjoy playing with either his video games or with Shogo's dog Aki. Eventually, the only two left at the table were Shogo and Kazuo - with Shogo noticing his father appeared to be waiting for him to finish eating long after Kiyumi and Honami left the table. This made Shogo's anxiety easily grow.
He couldn't even try to pretend like he wasn't finished either, the moment his father noticed he finished his plate of food, he spoke to his son firmly:
"I'm going to assume you want me to pay for a new computer for you, Shogo."
Shogo swallowed before he responded in a rare meek tone of voice:
"I...would appreciate it, father."
"Only because your mother will inevitably want to convince me to give in, I will do so. Besides, I need to pay for a new computer for my own use as well."
"Why's that, father?"
"It is none of your business!" Kazuo snapped, before calming himself and adjusting his suit and tie, clearing his throat, "As I was saying, I do in fact think that it is for the best that you refrain from joining the game again…...it only proved to me what I already knew. Sending you off to run any branch of Ronin will only bring me shame."
"I don't shame you, father."
"Is that the best excuse you have? Just that you don't do it? That's all?"
"I….I guess it is…..I'm sorry for my failure."
"Just be happy it was not reality, though I'm not fully sure you understand that."
"I do understand it."
"I will only hope so. Next time, I advise for you to not attack your enemies at a funeral."
"I won't, father."
"Very well then." and then Kazuo stood, walking for the door, "I'm going to purchase the new computers now, try not to break yours again."
"I promise I won't, father."
No further words are stated, Kazuo moving to walk out the building as he had to make the purchase the old fashioned way. Shogo didn't notice that his father rather quickly closed the door to his and Honami's bedroom before he could pass by it though. While the young man ignored this fact, had he not he would have seen a katana sword impaling his father's computer.
Having not noticed that, Shogo just went on to the room where Kiyumi and Tomo were staying in at the moment - Honami going off to take advantage of last minute Christmas sales with Jyunichi accompanying was a white and decorated Christmas tree in the room, though not much else in the way of holiday decorations. Shogo's shiba puppy, Aki, was sitting on Kiyumi's lap and getting himself petted while Kiyumi herself was watching Tomo play on his Sega Dreamcast - one of the games where his two-tailed fox character comes from.
"So, this is all we're gonna do for christmas, huh?" Shogo asked his sister.
"That depends on you" Kiyumi replied with.
"Hmph" Shogo huffed, sitting down on a chair.
"You know, I always thought you thought gamers were 'losers' anyway."
"That game was different, Kiyumi!" Shogo replied, "It was actually fun, engaging, immersive, rewarding! It was testing my skill!"
"And yet all it did was kill more of your brain cells. Do you even have any left at this point?"
"Oh shut up! You're just jealous of me!"
"Jealous? Oh yes, I'm jealous of you because you play a computer game. That makes a lot of sense, baby brother."
"For the last time, I'm not a baby!"
"Then why don't you stop acting like one!"
"Name one instance where I have acted like a baby!"
"Oh I can name a lot more than just one!"
"NO!" that disheartened scream came from Tomo and distracted both Shogo and Kiyumi to him, "I DIED! IT'S NOT FAIR! YOU TWO DISTRACTED ME!" and then Tomo began to cry after he angrily put the controller down onto the floor and folded arms. Shogo and Kiyumi both felt bad for causing him such misfortune, and forgetting he was in the room too. Both of them actually got up from their seats and went to either side of him.
"Tomo" Kiyumi spoke softly, "It's alright, it's just a game."
"But" Tomo said between sniffles, "I was trying really hard! And you and Uncle Shogo made me lose!"
"We didn't mean to." Kiyumi assured her son as she hugged him, and as she turned to her brother, "Did we, Shogo?"
"Of course not" Shogo replied, his own brattiness fading when faced with his nephew's tears, "It's okay, Tomo, you can just try again. Me and your mother promise to be quiet this time….right?"
Kiyumi gave her brother a glare, knowing exactly why he said that. Either way, with a short shaking of her head and kiss to Tomo's forehead she simply said:
"Right."
"Okay." Tomo meekly said, "Thank you."
Kiyumi smiled and went back to her seat, though Shogo decided to stay by Tomo's side, a small smile growing onto his face as the boy wiped his tears with his pajama sleeves and resumed playing the game. Shogo kindly asked to him:
"Hey, Tomo, is that game two player?"
"Yes, Uncle Shogo, it is."
"Oh yeah? Well, mind if I play with you?"
"You….you really want to?"
"Sure! But just so you know, I'm not gonna just hand you victory."
"Alright!"
As Tomo went to plug in the second controller into the Dreamcast so he and Shogo could play the game together, Kiyumi looked at them with a concerned look to her face - as if ready to object to the idea. However, seeing Shogo's calm and kind smile alongside how lit up Tomo's face was made her change her mind. She instead smiled herself as she sat down on the sofa and enjoyed seeing the two spend time together having fun for once.
Perhaps it was going to be a happy holiday season for the Akuji Family after all.
