Jukstapositioned

Chapter twenty four has been uploaded. This story is turning out to be considerably longer than I thought. If I must make a vague guess, I would say 60 chapters? That sounds like such a horrifying number! @Naraka00 Kirin certainly is unconventional, but I thought it could be more interesting if not everyone followed the stereotypical image fitful for a job. However, there are more chapters to go, and there is room for Kirin to grow still. I will not leave Shuusei's whereabouts a mystery, there will be answers in the future. Thank you for your review, I am glad that you liked the story! @Gslinger The butterfly is taking much needed time to himself? He is trying his best as well. I am sorry to hear that you were in such conditions before and am glad to hear that you have recovered. Thank you for the review. @Nekoii-desu: That scene happened before Shuusei left with Kirin, it was at the party that owner threw for Shuusei. It was a brief scene. I did not realize that it had become angsty, I'm just worried about yakuza politics and fights as this is my first time writing them as well. However, needless to say, given the setting, it would be a little darker than Heaven Far Away. Each character has their own use, I'm sure you are well aware of that now, and Riki will not stay elusive either. He will certainly make his entrance in future chapters as well. Thank you for your review!

Chapter twenty three has been posted. Even though Subaru only made brief appearances in the earlier chapters, he will certainly be showing himself much more in the future chapters. @Miko: I'm glad you thought it was a fitful to wrap up the traitor situation. Thank you for your review! @Gslinger: I would make a horrible kumicho as well, so it's a good thing that neither of us are. Kirin still has weaknesses, and slowly, he will learn to overcome them. Or at least, I hope for that to unfold in the future. Thank you for your review! @Nekoii-desu: (laugh) I'm planning on keeping Akira around for a while, so there wouldn't be any threats of him dying. Now the traitor is dead, there is certainly going to be gaping holes everywhere to fill. We'll see how Kirin will have to grow and mature to fill in those holes, I suppose. And I'm sure all good things will come if he is patient. (laugh) Thank you for your review.

Chapter twenty two has been posted. Finally, there is closure and finale. It is the closing of one arc and the beginning of another. @Nekoii-desu: Because this story is set in Tokyo, there are only those three docks because its west side is land and there is no water. Therefore, it worked out well for this setting. What seemed like reckless decision making was actually pre-meditated, to an extent. And we'll finally see the product of what Shuusei told him all those chapters ago. Now that Daiga is no longer around, Akira will be more automonous and will certainly increase in his time spent with Kirin as well. The next phase would be for them to deal with Shigeki-ikka. The little plan was actually very simple and used often, so it's nothing genius. (laugh) They do say that the best route is the most simple one? Thank you for your review!

Chapter twenty one has been posted. This time, it did not take as long as I thought it would. Hopefully, future chapters will continue without much hassle as well. @Miko: I won't punch you, because you know what, that just might happen. I do have a direction for which Kirin and Akira will head towards, but it's only a blue print right now, and the details still need to be filled in. I guess time will tell for both of us. I am sorry the last chapter took so long, I will try my best not to have it happen often! Thank you for your review! @Nekoii-desu: Akira will show up more as some people clear space. (laugh) And yes, I concur with you, writing Kirin alone is somewhat dull without Shuusei. (laugh) I think I much prefer the latter to the former, but they are the best when written together! Thank you for your review!

Chapter twenty has been posted. Sorry it took a while, I had a hard time writing this chapter and the one that follows. Hopefully, I won't have too much trouble writing the chapter after that. @Nekoii-desu: Story leak, can I call it that? Akira will stick around for a while, I don't plan on killing him off. At least, not as of right now anyways. (laugh) Shuusei probably won't show up again 'till he decides to come back sometime in the future. So we will be Shuusei-less for a long while, both in chapters and in the time line in the story. He is somewhere getting treatment, that is a given though. Thank you for your review!

@Nekoii-desu: Thank you for pointing out the typo, I have fixed it. I have tried to see what each character could develop towards and to be when writing this side story and that was all I could come up with. (laugh) I do hope that it brought some closure, but at the same time, there are always new chapters to write about with their new lives. Even if Opiate may not be there anymore, the foundation upon which they have built their relationship certainly will allow that relationship to grow. I haven't planned that far ahead for In the End yet, maybe that is why I'm having trouble with the upcoming chapter. Perhaps we'll see more of Opiate in there as well! (laugh) As for your temporary confusion, it's okay, it happens. Sometimes, it's hard to keep my own head straight about which one I'm writing and what sort of time line I'm writing in. As for a Chitose side story... if that urge ever comes, I won't push it away. However, as of right now, it doesn't look very probable. Thank you for your review! @Gslinger: There is no need to apologize; honest thoughts are always welcome! Who knows, maybe the type of person for Chitose really might have to be someone who is from a humble up-bringing and knows nothing about the glamorous world. (laugh) As a little confession while I was writing this story, in my opinion, the only person whom I could see with Chitose was actually Konbayoshi Atsushi. However, that relationship is way too messy and completely unhealthy that I did not even want to enter the room. Of course, if you promise to be kind and loving, maybe you will be the best answer for Chitose after all! (laugh)

Side story posted. Done upon request, and hopefully it wasn't too horrible. At least it seems to offer some closure and wrap-up for everyone involved? @Gslinger: Regarding Chitose, truthfully, he is my favorite character as well; even if it sounds rather strange to say so from such a perspective. I explained in semi-detail regarding the other characters' whereabouts over the past ten years and where they could project to, but I left Chitose's status a blank for that precise reason. Personally, I cannot think of someone who could be the fitful match for Chitose. I have envisioned many times, people, and scenarios as to what his continuation would be like, but I couldn't. Therefore, rather than placing him with someone whom I am only 70% sure of, I'd rather leave his status a blank to give imagination room for everyone who enjoyed the character. Therefore, you can choose to think that he suffered for 10 years and will continue to suffer; or you can choose to think that he had the best 10 years of his life, found someone to love and someone who loves him and gets his own "happily-ever-after" as the convention goes. I give the readers and myself that breathing space. On a side note, happy endings are over rated in my humble opinion. And happy endings with a lover and a family are even more over rated in my humble opinion. That does not mean no one in my stories will have that happily-ever-after; it just means that unless it is absolutely, 120% fiftul for the story, plot, and character, then I won't feel the need for such an ending. I like to think that in a story, even without the words "happily ever after", if it was truly happy, then even with the most mundane activities, the readers can sense the happiness from conversation, action and the feelings that have been generated. And I digressed quite a bit! Thank you for reviewing and sharing your honest thoughts with me!

Chapter nineteen has been uploaded. I anticipate the traitor will be discovered and gotten rid of in three chapters. @Nekoii-desu: Kirin is still young and has been living under the care of his elders for too long now. I think this will be a good opportunity for him to grow and take control as well. In his current state, he would not be able to out smart Shuusei in anything, especially not yakuza related. Of course, that is not to say he will not in the future, but everyone needs to take steps forward, no? Thank you for your review!

Chapter eighteen has been posted. Sorry for the long delay, I had been busy for the last couple of weeks or so. The events of this chapter will certainly open up room for new characters to be added and other previously, briefly mentioned characters to come back into play and into the forefront as well. I am working on the next chapter, and hopefully, it will be up by next week. This chapter cites Pulmonary Embolism as a source of illness for Shuusei, and I must admit that the symptoms and consequences have been sensationalized for the sake of plot. The symptons that Shuusei were experiencing are seen in PE patients, but they were heightened in Shuusei's case. Usually, in chronic cases of PE, the chances of sudden death are lower as compared to acute PE due to the medicine and precautions that will be taken. It is with acute PE that there is a higher chance of sudden death. The surgery to treat PE takes anywhere between 5 to 6 hours, and because I have never had personal or even second hand contact with PE, I am uncertain as to exactly how the surgery will take place. Therefore, any mentions of the surgery will be brief and vague; I hope you can understand. This was not meant to be a medical fiction after all. With that said, although I have dramatized PE, it is not an illness to be glossed over. I am sure for those who are diagnosed with PE and their families and friends, it is a trying ordeal. @Nekoii-desu: The surgery will be talked about later, I do believe. I have a basic structure set up, but there are no details just yet, so I can't say anything either. In the next few chapters, we should see Kirin finally taking some sort of a stand against whomever the traitor might be. They say short term pain is better than long term pain and I am a strong believer of that; hopefully, Kirin will be one as well. (laugh) Thank you for your review. @Miko: I am delighted that I can make you emotional? (laugh) Even though that sounds awkward, I hope you understand what I was trying to say. Thank you for the review.

Chapter seventeen has been posted. I will be away for a few days, the next chapter should take a little longer than usual. @Nekoii-desu: Indeed, after a few people leave and die, there will be more room to move about. (laugh) However, that sounded rather morbid. Shuusei is considered a wild card in anyone's game. He could be the savior or death. His past should be explored further as we continue with the story. Shuusei's past shaped him for today, so you can imagine how poorly he was treated previously. Those four kumicho and his escape are what led him to Tokyo and this seemingly new life. Perhaps it's because I've never really described his tattoos in detail so that's why you cannot imagine them? (laugh) I wish I could draw. Shuusei does know who the mole is and he does offer Kirin some advice on it as well. As for whether Kirin takes his advice or not will have to wait 'till the future. Kirin's necklace and his lack of tattoos will play a more prominent role later on in the story. As you know, I like to place things beforehand so it won't be a complete surprise. Thank you for the review! @Gslinger: I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Chapter sixteen has been posted. I surprised myself with the speed as well. (laugh) Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon as well. @Nekoii-desu: Indeed, please do not have another asthma attack. I hope you feel better soon. The traitor will, of course, be exposed and be dealt with accordingly. However, aside from the traitor, there are other issues (character wise) that need to be solved as well. So I guess you can say this is a period where multiple lines happen all at once. At the same time, they are there to set up for the next part of the story as well. Those who used to be minor characters will certainly gain some more foreground time once a few people clear the plate a little. Thank you for the review!

Chapter fifteen has been posted. I used to post on Sundays, somehow, that cycle has gotten out of hand. ; I like routines, what happened? @Nekoii-desu: I hope this chapter has been able to provide more action than the previous ones. Shuusei's decision will be evident in a couple more chapters. His health is really deteriorating to the last little bits. Kirin now has his own problems to deal with, so unfortunately, Shuusei will have to be neglected from time to time. However, Shuusei may or may not even care too much at this point, I suppose. (laugh) I hope you are feeling a little better now. Thank you for the review!

Chapter fourteen has been posted. I want to say the first turning point should be in a couple more chapters. Sorry this chapter took a while, I was busy with work and other applications for the past two weeks. @Miko: Sorry for leaving it at such a spot? However, at least there is a continuation now! (laugh) Thank you for the review!

Chapter thirteen has been posted. We're finally drawing near (what I would call) the first turning point. I would imagine it should take two to three more chapters and the sceneries will be a little different for a bit. In terms of the story, the sceneries should be a little different for about 9 months for the characters involved. Anyways, that is in the future, we still need to focus on the now. @Nekoii-desu: The two clans right now obviously want to take the other one out of the picture, but they cannot just do so easily. Rather than eliciting any sort of frontal confrontation, their almost childish antics serve as constant reminders to the other clan to not slip up. It will rest a little bit as both clans need to develop outside of just each other as well. Aside from the obvious tension between the two clans, the relationships between all parties involved, even those mentioned only once, are the backbones of this story. For example, Mukai was mentioned in Heaven Far Away as well, and we've already seen his relationship with the Konbayoshi family. Of course, the Konbayoshi family will be playing a role in this story as well; and that requires all the little details to make sense. Of course, I don't like pain, but I do think that no happiness can be experienced in its extremity without pain. At the same time, there are also thoughts of living a life with mediocre happiness if it means never having to experience any pain. It's all about the mind set, in my opinion. Thank you for the review!

Chapter twelve has been posted. Truthfully, it was written when I was in Cuba. (laugh) There were too many hours during hte day and even more hours spent on the beach. There is nothing better than writing, listening to music, enjoying the beach and sipping a glass of pina colada. The past few days have not been kind, and what started as a wonderful vacation was tarnished by other unexpected, unpleasant negativity. Even though the sights were beautiful and I enjoyed them immensely when I was there, in the future, when I look back on this vacation, it will be other things that I remember. What's happening in Japan is devastating, and Ihope everyone will pray for all those involved. @Gslinger: I am thankful that you decided to give this story a try despite how you felt about it. I will do my best to update it often and keep it interesting! Thank you for the review! @Nekoii-desu: Shuusei's past will be explained slowly throughout the story, it's too long and too intricate to rush out in one chapter or a few paragraphs. His past will play a major role when it comes to Kirin and Subaru and all the other characters who will show up. At the same time, his past is what shapes him to be him right now. I'm not sure if there will be any concrete hospital scenes, but the illness certainly is a major part of Shuusei's life right now; whether Kirin is aware of it or not. With their living arrangements, it's rare that Kirin would know much about Shuusei. And at the same time, Shuusei likes to keep things to himself as well. Cuba is a small island country just a little south of America, close to Mexico and surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic ocean. It's a lovely country. And I wih you all the best; breathing sometimes is the best option.

Chapter eleven has been posted, sorry this took longer. It has been a busy couple of weeks for me and I fear I might have rushed this chapter a little. All the intricate details will be released slowly, each step counts towards the final conclusion. I will be going to Cuba tomorrow for a week, so the next update will have to be after I return, I imagine. I ask for your patience and understanding. @Nekoii-desu: Shuusei is a complex character, but when we go deeper into the story and into his life, we will find that he is a rather simple person with minimal needs and demands. Right now, his outward actions and words reflect the mess and conflict he is feeling on the inside. Regarding their identities, it is unlikely that the general public would recognize either of them. Shuusei being a host first of all, and when he was "popular" among yakuza, it was ten years ago, when he was in Kyoto. After he came to Tokyo ten years ago, he's not been involved with yakuza 'till now. Kirin on the other hand is a kumicho who could only be recognized by other yakuza; I'd imagine the common citizen not have an idea of whom he is. Even in rival yakuza, it is rare to see a kumicho's face, so for now, they can still walk around. However, like you pointed out, if they continue to publicize their relationship like this, someone is bound to obtain evidence. The bomb will be dropped soon, hopefully! Thank you for reading and reviewing, and I hope your life will be sorted out soon!

Chapter ten has been posted. This week has been rather slow, and tomorrow is only Thursday when I feel as if it should be Sunday already. And yet, looking back, every week goes by at a speed that cannot be grasped. Maybe it's because nothing new has popped up for my current addiction that I feel it's so slow. (laugh) @Nekoii-desu: Tanrin is his real name and Kirin is an alias. In yakuza, the kumicho of a clan usually is known by/goes by an alias. His real name is not revelead often, and only those close to him know of his real name. Sometimes, even the lower ranked clan members don't know of a kumicho's real name. It's the same with Subaru. Subaru is merely his alias, so he has his actual name as well. Shuusei and Subaru indeed do know of each other, but their history go way back. It will be explored further in the future. Thank you for the review!

Chapter nine has been posted, and perhaps the pace picked up by one mile, but it's ready to be dropped back down two more miles. I swear there will be some answers given soon. Today, as I was ready to edit this in the morning, I saw news that was distasteful and left a hollow feeling in my heart. I sincerely hope this won't affect my mood and my writing. Then again, I usually perform my best when I'm not feeling emotionally 100%. We'll see what happens. Or maybe this is just my hormones. @Nekoii-desu: We will certainly learn more about Shuusei's past in future chapters. In fact, his past will certainly provide a major push for this story. However, for now, we will let him wallow in his own ideals of death and let him rest before he can make a full return. The meeting between Shuusei, Chitose and Kazuya briefed out in Heaven Far Away is actually a long time from this story line. To put it into perspective, this story is a prelude to Heaven Far Away. The events that are happening right now take place about 10 years before the beginning of Heaven Far Away. So you can imagine how old Shuusei will be when we get to that scene. (laugh) The water and salt is indeed an idiom. ^^ I hope you are feeling better now and thank you for the review!

Chapter eight has been posted, two weeks in a row now, I am growing confidence and I will pat myself on the back! (laugh) And I am determined to keep this pace as well. Happy Chinese New Year to all those who celebrate it! 新年快乐! @Nekoii-desu: It indeed does look like Shuusei is moving on a malfunctioning clock. (laugh) Hopefully his clock will begin to pick up a little in speed after a few months. He is more confused than he's ever been in his entire life time, and that barrier around himself is hard to let down. Both Kirin and Shuusei will need to grow used to each other, grow to understand each other, grow to understand themselves in relation to their relationship and then grow to understand where their relationship stands in the face of reality. It will take a long process, but both are smart men, they shouldn't be blinded by the obvious. Hopefully. Thank you for the review!

Chapter seven has been updated! You have no idea how proud I am of myself. (laugh) It's as if I've won a great competition. Anyways, I hope to continue at this pace, or maybe a little slower. @Nekoii-desu: We know that Shuusei isn't going to die, but for him, please do allow him this period to contemplate his death and his life. Many people say that it is those near death experiences that redefine life for them. I guess this is what Shuusei is going through right now. Although his "near death experience" is a little longer in duration compared to some other ones. Like you said, Kirin is still young and inexperienced; especially as a kumicho. I hope this story will give both characters the opportunity to grow and expand. I do watch We Got Married, it's a great show, truly. I usually listens to songs rather than bands/artists, but I'm sure I can list off a few artists/bands off the top of my head. Thank you for the review!

Funnily, it's been exactly a month since I last updated this story. (laugh) Maybe the number 21 is my lucky number? Chapter six should have been done quite a long time ago, but I was (once again) pulled (back) into the world of We Got Married. That show is life, time and energy consuming; and yet, I always have a smile on my face when I watch it. Ah, such must be the life of an addict. If anyone is curious and wants to watch it, my only advice is to be prepared to throw away your whole life for that show. No, seriously. Anyways! Going back on track in regards to this chapter, I must say it's still in the stages of building foundations. Slowly, I like to let everything accumulate, every little thing written or said between characters were done for a reason. Hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter. And I pray to all sorts of deities out there that the next chapter doesn't take ridiculously long again. @Nekoii-desu: Shuusei is indeed a confusing person, as I'm writing him, there are always conflicts within the character himself. Konbayoshi will not be a main character, obviously; but he will certainly continuously to make appearances. Indeed, he is a major player in this story. There are a couple of other major players who have not been properly introduced but have been alluded to already. If we must dissect this story into sections, then I predict Konbayoshi won't get his true portions 'till well into third section. When it comes to sex, Shuusei would probably have no preference. For so many years, he's worked as a host, and the many years before that, he was a bed warmer; to him, sex is nothing but a job for him right now. And as long as it gets the job done, he can take quite the load. Kirin on the other end probably enjoys the dominating aspect of rough sex, and perhaps because he's never really cared for any of his bed partners that he couldn't care less if he was being rough or not. Thank you for the review!

After a month and a half, I finally managed to get a new chapter up. Please accept my apologies. I have hit yet another writer's block and literally could not even think of one word to continue this chapter naturally. Perhaps it's because of the smut that it gave me such a hard time? (laugh) Either way, the new chapter is up and I do hope that the next chapter will not take as long. Slowly, this story will also reach its own plot and the more meaty aspects of each character. For now, I ask for your patience as I build the scene slowly. Thank you! @Nekoii-desu: You certainly have good timing when leaving a comment on this thread! Thank you for your continual support of this story, and I'm sorry for the long wait. Shuusei's health is an important aspect of who he is and what defines him, but as you already know, he is not going to drop dead any time soon, so ideals and images would have to shift eventually. For now, let us enjoy these moments when he is weak of faculty and has certain negative outlooks in that department. Happy holidays and merry Christmas to you!

Chapter four done and uploaded; surprisingly, this chapter did not take as long as I thought it would. Or as long as it took the previous chapter. Slowly, I'm tediously setting up the plot to lead to faster transitions and more interesting happenings. I ask everyone for their patience 'till the scene has been completely set. @Nekoii-desu: Good luck with your decisions. One piece of advice that I heartily go by is: "in the future, you will regret the things that you didn't do or say than the things that you did or said." Shinya certainly will make appearances in the later chapters. His participation may appear subtle, but most definitely vital. As for Shuusei, he is someone who seldomly makes a move without thinking the consequences through. However, I fear his rigid world of black and white will be turned upside down by Kirin. Everyone's brief biography and names are listed at the beginning of this thread. Even I lose track of their names sometimes. The war between the two clans have already been etched out in my brain and it may seem rather sudden and abrupt, but as the story progresses, the war will serve as a turning point for many people as well. Thank you for the review!

Chapter three has been posted. I apologize for the delay, but it was harder than anticipated to write about yakuza. Quite a bit of research goes into it and not to mention the numerous new characters who keep on jumping into my head. I hope the next chapter will take less time! @Nekoii-desu: Shuusei and Chitose share many points, but if I must compare the two of them, I have to say that Shuusei is a lot more daring than Chitose. There are things that Shuusei can do like breathing that Chitose will certainly grieve over. However, Shuusei is older than Chitose and has been rolling in a group that is quite a lot darker than Konbayoshi Atsushi. Of course, that is not to say Shuusei does not have a heart. From Heaven Far Away, you already know that somehow Kirin and Shuusei ended up as a couple after all. The road towards that though, is a long and tiring one. However, Chitose looked towards them with envy, so there must be something between the two of them after all. Shuusei's illness will be talked about more in the next few chapters. Thank you for the review!

Chapter two has been posted. I am a little surprised that one particular scene could take up an entire chapter, but I suppose it does lay the ground work for many things to come in the future. I anticipate that the future chapters will be of a faster pace. I hope you all enjoy. Chapter One Reviews: @Avernion: Thank you for your advice and compliment. Someone else pointed out to me that I actually had quite a few spelling mistakes in the first chapter, so I guess we both missed them? (laugh) Also, I took your advice about the shifting tenses and have tried my best to improve for the second chapter. I hope to improve and hopefully perfect it by the end of this story, thank you for that, and I ask for your understanding with that. The concern about Japanese phrases have been taken to heart as well. At the beginning of the first and second chapters, I have editted and placed a brief explanation for the Japanese terms that have been used. If you would look at the first post of this thread, I have posted a more detailed explanation of them as well. I hope this will put the story in a better light for you. With that said, no offence was taken, and I want to thank you for pointing these things out to me! I hope to keep the upcoming chapters entertaining and interesting for everyone, so I hope you will enjoy this story in the future as well. Thank you for the review! @Nekoii-desu: Indeed, Kirin isn't really the typical kumicho type, I would suppose. However, the story has just started and I hope to see him grow with the passage of time as well. Taking your note on the Japanese terms, I have placed a brief explanation at the beginning of the first and second chapter regarding the meaning of the terms. Also, if you look at the first post of this thread, I have posted a more detailed explanation of the Japanese terms. Funnily, I was complimented on my lack of spelling errors in the first chapter, but I suppose we could have both missed those. As for the quote in the summary, I anticipate that you will see that exact line some time in this story. By then, perhaps the summary and the characters' feelings would make more sense as well. These two certainly are more animated than the characters that have appeared in Heaven Far Away. However, Shuusei and Chitose do share many similarities, and I hope they will become more apparent as the story progresses on. Kirin will enjoy his growth and further development throughout the story as well, and then maybe the Kirin that was introduced in Heaven Far Away will can be seen in this as well. Shuusei's background will be explored little by little and why he is still working in such an environment despite the many negative dispositions he has will be further explained. Thank you for the review!