Skeletons in the Closet: A Friendship Short

Matsumoto Residence
Tokyo, Japan
May 2014

“Are you enjoying yourself, A?”

“Definitely,” the woman replied. She took a sip from her glass of champagne, “You always pull out all the stops to make your parties as amazing as possible,” she complimented him, glancing at the rest of the guests as they interacted. Kenichi gave his trademark smirk.

“Of course. Anything for my guests, friends and associates.” Kenichi stopped a wandering waiter and took a bottle of beer, “Would you like some more champagne, A?” the black-haired lady nodded and the waiter poured more into her glass, soon leaving the pair alone. “I’m sorry for taking Matt away. He didn’t want to leave you, but he’s the best negotiator I’ve got.”

With that, both of them looked towards the corner of the room, where the ginger was chatting up a young businessman in a suit. By the looks of it, the meeting was going well – Matt seemed to be hitting all the right points, as the other was looking genuinely interested in what Kenichi’s right hand man offered.

“No, it’s alright. He needs to do his job too.” A smiled. Kenichi gave his own smile and both of them stayed silent for a moment, the Japanese then straightening up his figure and fixing his tie. A blinked. “What is it?”

“I’ll ask Matt something for a bit and come back to you,” he promised. She nodded and watched as he walked to Matt, greeting both Matt and the other guest. He whispered something to the ginger, who blinked, looked at A and then gave a short nod before going back to the conversation.

Returning to A, Kenichi offered his arm, his other hand holding on to the beer. “Would you come with me, A? I’d like to talk to you about certain matters.” She blinked and looked at him for a moment, the businessman then giving her a cryptic smile. “Matt knows. I’d just…like to take this somewhere a little more private.”

She took his arm. “Of course. Where would you like to go?”

“Outside would be nice.” Kenichi began to lead the way, A taking sips from her champagne occasionally as they walked. “It’s nothing too serious, sweetheart. I can promise you that. Well.” He pursed his lips, “It’s something that’s been on my mind for a while, to be honest.”

“Oh?” they exited the grand room and walked outside, “…does Matt know about it?”

The other’s smile faded a tad bit. “He’s involved.”

“Oh.”

Silence met them as they walked, eventually reaching a secluded area shrouded in trees. A bench with a glass table awaited, Kenichi letting A sit first before taking his place next to her. He left the beer on the table, A finishing her champagne before setting it down as well. The Japanese cleared his throat and glanced back at the mansion, faintly hearing the sound of classical music being played. “…Christ,” he managed, “I don’t know how to say this to you.”

She felt her throat dry and instead blinked, narrowing her eyebrows at him slightly. “Kenichi…what exactly is this about?” the male detected the suspicion in her tone and looked at her, A’s expression unreadable. “I’m sorry, but I’m already forming my own assumptions. What’s so personal that you took me out like this?”

His mouth fell open and Kenichi laughed suddenly. “Fuck – it’s nothing like what you’re thinking, I promise. I’m committed to my work. I barely have enough time left for, ah…a little other things on the side,” he confided, and A’s cheeks flushed a bright red.

“Oh my God, I didn’t mean it like that,” she stammered, and he flashed her a reassuring smile before patting her hand. “I – I am so sorry. You just looked really apprehensive for a moment there, and then it’s about Matt, so I thought…” she ended hastily, running her fingers through her hair to mask her embarrassment.

“So you thought I might have had a thing for him or you?” he asked, amused. A said nothing and Kenichi shook his head with another chuckle leaving his lips. “A, both you and Matt are very attractive with your own endearing qualities. But I have no time for that. I see Matt as a brother and you as my own dear friend – perhaps even a sister. So no romantic feelings. Purely platonic,” he added as an afterthought. She nodded slowly.

“…so what did you want to talk about?”

At that, he sighed. “It’s quite complicated. But. I assume that you know how long Matt and I have been business partners, yes?” A nodded. “He has been there for me since I was trying to make KM rise once again. Somehow, he knew his way around businesses and such almost as well as I did. However, Matt…he had a very unconvential way around it.”

“Unconventional?”

“Yes. Somehow, he knew his way around – and not in the innocent sense.” Kenichi closed his eyes and A studied him, seeing his form shift from relaxed to slightly tensed. “Matt knew both the shady and the clean. He’s mighty good with computers. Eventually? I learned he was good with them. He was a hacker.”

“As time went on and business was still slow, I…I grew sort of desperate. I won’t exactly elaborate,” he said carefully, “Not too much. Not tonight. So I asked Matt, who was now part of the company, a few favors. A few tips, if you’ll call it that way.”

A understood all too well.

“You asked him to hack for you.”

“That I did. However? Personal information and business-related I knew where to draw the line. It was simple. I merely analyzed the data and took their weaknesses into my hands, and then might have…exploited it or two. Figured out where they were weak and ventured more there. Found out their most popular and what technology went on behind it, and made something better. I created, ventured, explored. And Matt was there, giving me the information.”

“Business-related espionage. Like what you’re asking him to do to the young man he was talking to,” she said slowly. A rueful smile came to his lips.

“More on convincing. He’s a very good conversationalist. Matt knows how to read people, can convince and meddle with them just a bit. He can haggle and does it well. All for the company.”

“He’s your conman,” A concluded bluntly. Kenichi made a face, taking back his beer and drinking soon after.

“You make it sound horrible. But yes…Matt’s my conman. A legal one. He doesn’t win money directly. He plays with people, gains their trust…” he drifted off, “And the rest happens. You might have an idea.”

She did. “That’s all?”

“I just wanted you to know that Matt and I had our own share of shady deals and shady strategies,” he exhaled. “That’s it. Playing clean wasn’t always our thing. We weren’t afraid of getting our hands dirtied.”

“And you’re admitting it to one of Tokyo’s leading detectives,” she pointed out, but it came out as a question than a statement. He smiled sadly.

“That I am. And I trust you – a lot. Also…” Kenichi hesitated a bit, “…take it as. An apology. Sort of.”

“…why is that your apology?” she asked softly. He exhaled and finished off the bottle, playing with the rim of it soon after. Kenichi looked back at his mansion and then at A, the former confidence and charm he had displayed in front of the guests melting away into a much more reflective and even mildly ashamed expression. He fiddled with the bottle until A took it away.

“That little stint of his. Leaving you a few years ago without explanation and then coming back one day.”

A felt a slight tug at her heart, indeed remembering. She blinked rapidly, causing the CEO to look down at his lap.

“I’m the reason why he had to do it. We were stupid, we didn’t cover our tracks well – we had to leave. Matt didn’t want to, asking me to protect both of you, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t because I somehow knew that having him stay would endanger you,” he let out. “I suppose he told you that it was for your benefit?”

A could only nod. Kenichi hesitated slightly and then took her hand.

“It really was for you. Leaving – as much as it hurt him, it was for your safety. I had to be the one to convince him. But in exchage, I…I promised to at least protect you to the best of my ability.” She blinked and looked at him, seeing his lips curve up slightly, “I trust that nothing too bad happened to you?”

“Not one thing,” she said slowly. “Not much. All the ‘danger’,” she laced it with air quotes, “Came from work. But…there wasn’t even much harm. How did you–”

“I have eyes and ears everywhere,” he answered quietly. “Connections. Associates. I know people who owe me favors, and I cashed in one of them to make sure you didn’t get too hurt. It was the least I could offer Matt. It made him happy, and I owed him so much…so I made sure you were safe.”

A said nothing.

“…that’s it,” he finished. “I…I understand if you think less of me – if you think less of Matt, just cast it onto me. I’m why he’s in mildly deep waters. We’re both trying to claw our way out of the hellhole. He’s slightly out – Matt cleaned up well. But this…” Kenichi sighed, “…my father wouldn’t be proud if he knew what I did. I’m not proud of myself either.”

“But you’re clean, right?” Kenichi nodded. “Haven’t done anything remotely shady or suspicious?”

“Right. Proud to say that I’m innocent.” Kenichi grinned just a little bit, his usual demeanour peeking through. We play our cards giving a fair chance to others. It’s hard. But…it’s what keeps us safe – keeps both of you safe.” Saying nothing more, he stood up, took the bottle, and offered his hand to A. She took it and stood up, taking hold of the champagne glass. “Are you alright?”

“Hm? Oh – I’m fine,” she replied easily. Kenichi hesitated.

“…you don’t seem to be so phased.”

“I’ve heard worse admissions,” she told him. He laughed nervously. “Trust me on that. Your case is easier to swallow.”

“Because you’ve heard worse?”

“That,” she said. A smile reached her face and she put a hand on Kenichi’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “Kenichi. You shouldn’t be afraid.”

“How can I not be, it’s one of the skeletons in my closets,” he tried, yet A shook her head and gave him a cryptic smile of her own.

“Really. Don’t be afraid.” He narrowed his brows and opened his mouth again, but A cut him off, her next statement almost making him drop the glass bottle in pure shock.

“I’ve known the truth for a while, Kenichi. Now,” she let go of his shoulder and offered her hand, “Shall we go back? Matt might be looking for us.”