I remained silent for several seconds, and he encouraged me.
"Be honest, there's nothing wrong, nothing worse than anything else... We can have varied tastes; just as we can like a classic, we can also enjoy something that critics consider bad, and that's okay."
"I like paranormal romance stories, human-alien romances, and mysterious creatures transforming into humans," I said with fear, as people often tended to mock these preferences. "I mean..."
"You like the dirty aspect of those kinds of relationships, right? Or am I mistaken?"
His direct and honest conclusion left me speechless, so I was truthful.
"I like that those were created by women and tailored to our ideals," I admitted, my face flushed. "Within those ideals, there's pleasure, love, and the needs that most women have when it comes to relationships."
"Don't you find that concept naive?" he asked, his tone almost sounding mocking.
I furrowed my brow at that.
"Not because it helps us escape from reality..."
"But it distorts women's perspective of ideal standards, and that leaves us guys in a bad position because we can't meet those expectations," he said with a touch of mockery.
At that point, I narrowed my eyes, finished putting the books on the shelf, and then crossed my arms.
"You guys don't meet women's expectations because you don't even try to meet the basic requirements for that," I argued with a sharp tone because I found his attitude quite audacious. "You only put in some effort at the beginning when you want to get what you desire from a woman, but then... You don't do anything more, you leave most of the work, most of the burden to them... Women end up not only supporting the foundations of relationships but also doing most of the things to make it work, while men only contribute financially and often hide them like a dirty secret."
Well, I realized I went a bit overboard when I took it too personally and let out what I thought about my analytical comparisons of my parents' relationship.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry about it. I understand your perspective to some extent," he said seriously, but his voice had a warmer tone, making me realize he was being more receptive. "It was nice talking to you. I'll look for some alien books; they should be fun to understand."
After that, I heard him walking toward the other aisle, and curiosity got the better of me. I peeked around the shelf to try to see who he was talking to. I hadn't been able to see him before, but at that moment, I saw a tall, well-built man with a generous backside dressed in a suit walking toward the stairs leading to the upper floor.
I was quite curious, but not curious enough to follow him like a stalker. I had my limits, and despite the little debate we had, I was happy enough to smile.
I had had an honest conversation with a man about books, tastes, guilty pleasures, and I hadn't died of embarrassment in the process. So much so that when I reported my departure half an hour later, Kendra, the librarian, looked at me with amusement.
"What happened? You went from almost crying because the kids asked you something tough to having that satisfied woman's smile like you just had a roll in the hay?"
"Kendra!" I scolded her.
Though yes, it had been something like an intellectual roll in the hay.
"Oh, don't be so prudish. I know what you read—classics and non-classics—so don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I know all about those books with Martians," she teased.
"Of course, I know what you're talking about, but it's a topic I'm not going to discuss with you."
She burst out laughing in a decidedly immodest manner, and I remembered she always did so without malice but with the intention of bringing up entertaining topics. Honestly? The woman was my heroine in more than one sense; she had a confidence that hardly anyone else possessed.
"Alright, you puritan, but before you go, three more books about werewolves in love came in. You can add them to your list of borrowed books," she added with a triumphant smile.
"Oh, my God! You're terrible..."
"And you adore me for it. I already registered them in the system for you and left them under the cabinet where you keep your stuff."
"Thanks, Kendra."
"Not just thanks; give me an extended review with all the details about what happens in them, and we won't have any problems."
I shook my head, said goodbye, grabbed the books, and put them in my bag. Then, I left the library and walked the blocks I usually did to get to the student residence.
I felt amused, but during the journey, I felt like I was being watched, and it wasn't the first time that had happened this month; it had occurred several times in different places. I wondered if my father had something to do with it.
After all, he was a very controlling man.
I stopped at an ice cream parlor nearby and ordered a tub of pistachio ice cream, my favorite above all. I ate it as I got closer to the building and greeted the girl who did the checks. She stopped me after I took three steps toward the elevator.
"I think someone was following you. The man who was doing it left when he saw you come in," she said with a bit of concern, and I nodded.
I was sure it was the work of my father, but I didn't understand why he was doing this now.
"Thanks, I'll be more vigilant, and if anything happens, I'll call security," I told her, and I saw her furrow her brow.
I understood her skepticism, but it was more about downplaying the situation because the first few times I reported an incident, my father did his best to make me look like a complete fool when the campus investigated. So, I learned when to report and when not to.
I went straight up to the suite that had been paid for since I moved in, courtesy of the money my mother earned from event organizing, photography, and owning restaurants. I knew everything she had was the result of her hard work, unlike my father's wealth, which was undoubtedly connected to his position in the Yakuza.
I wasn't going to lie to myself about that.
I shook off the thoughts, opened the door to my suite, and sat down at my desk. I pulled out my journal and recorded my interaction with the mysterious man from the library. It had been so much fun that my smile not only didn't fade but grew even wider, until my phone rang with a call from my mother, which I answered immediately.
"We need to talk, suki."
Those words didn't bode well, especially after she used my affectionate nickname. It meant one thing: whatever she was about to tell me was related to my father.
The problem was that I hadn't spoken to him in five years, and I didn't want to address him. I had forbidden my mother from bringing up the topic, so the fact that she was breaking that promise indicated that whatever she had to say must be quite serious.
"Tell me."
"Boss, I have the investigation on the Yakuza oyabun, and you won't believe it if I tell you, so I'm leaving you the photos," said Massimo, my most trusted man.I took the folder from his hands, and inside were the movements of the man I was doing business with: Hiroshi Yagami. He played the role of the oyabun of the largest Asian mafia, one that had taken root in California during the diaspora of the Second World War. Like many others, including the Camorra itself that I currently led, they had claimed territory and established themselves until the place became their home.The Japanese mafia wasn't just closed and secretive; they followed a system and codes of honor that were much more rigid than ours. Unlike us, they had a head figure who served as a father to all their members. After being pursued in Asia, Hiroshi migrated here to delve into the foundations of a place that provided him with most of his profits.In the images, I saw him change clothes, distance himself from his two
"The man arrived alone," pointed out Massimo, my Consigliere, best friend, and advisor. That made me smile with pleasure, and I thought about my final offer: fifty million dollars, unrestricted passage from Nevada to Washington state, access to ports and shipments. All of this in exchange for weapons, drugs, and his withdrawal of support in the midst of the war we would wage—a war in which I needed the others to be left isolated, without anyone extending a helping hand when I came without hesitation to kill him."Do you think he'll accept?" I asked my friend, and he looked at me with a furrowed brow."The man isn't foolish; he knows it's a profitable deal with you. But he's one of those who follow ridiculous codes, so he'll want guarantees. As for that, I'm afraid I can't read minds. He's quite unpredictable in his actions. Most of the time, he follows the council's decisions, but there are moments when he acts on his impulses," he explained matter-of-factly. "Discovering his affair a
"You must be joking, Mom," I told my mother after hearing the request she made. She wasn't just asking me to set aside my beliefs, but to give a chance to a man who spoke of righteousness, rights, values, and more, yet lacked respect for his own family through an affair. Moreover, he led one of the criminal organizations causing the most harm to the world.This was outrageous!"No, I'm really letting you know, your father wants to see you, and you should go. The meeting is going to happen, whether you want it or not, and for me, the best thing you could do is approach your father without him being forced to do it," she answered seriously, with a touch of concern in her voice. "He... He wants to mend things, Amaya, so just give him a chance.""I'm sorry, but a person who keeps me as his dirty secret doesn't deserve a chance," I replied and hung up on my mother as quickly as I could, tired of even considering that she might be insistent. Before my father no longer directly interfered in
"This has to be a nightmare...""If it's any consolation, little sister, he's doing it to protect you," Hiro said.The look he got from our father silenced him immediately, enough for him to turn his face away."What are you talking about?""When we get to Los Angeles, we'll talk about everything, I promise you, suki," my father replied, and I furrowed my brow.I shook my head; I was somewhat afraid, and I didn't miss the serious look Hiro gave Hiroshi. It made me wonder if it was something natural, usual, for the oyabun to be so expressive and affectionate. I didn't want to inquire, so I just looked out the window until we reached San Francisco. To my complete astonishment, my mother was waiting at the door with a large suitcase and a handbag."Why are we going home?" I questioned the man of all my troubles."Because your mother wants to see you before we board the plane, and we also came for some of your things," he explained, narrowing his eyes."I need all my assignments, everythi
If anything in this life had surprised me, it was Amaya's appearance in that dress, looking as fabulous as she could and completely unaware of her attractiveness. I glanced at the favored Yagami girls; both wore expressions of consternation. I could guess their thoughts quite well: the more superficial one was probably thinking she had competition for attention, while the power-hungry one assumed she had another rival in the succession line.That made me smile. However, when I saw her stop next to her brother, who surprisingly had his arm linked with hers as a clear sign of respect and acceptance, I heard the most interesting conversation of my life because it revealed something that was in the report: the girl could speak more than one language.Her response in flawless Italian not only surprised my chatty soldiers but also caught the attention of the rest of the community. I remained silent to see what would happen, but I gave a stern look to the idiots who had opened their mouths.
"She... She's not a daughter from my marriage, but the circumstances of her conception are not a relevant topic in light of the fact that she carries my blood, Yakuza blood, and as such, she falls under its mantle and protection," he retorted with utmost seriousness and clarity, emphasizing an intriguing point, a point not beyond comprehension: Amaya was his daughter and had the same rights as the rest. "The process of changing her name, as well as bestowing upon her a new surname, will conclude shortly, and she will officially become a Yagami."The man's wife was boiling with anger, twisted to the point of being shaken entirely. Her daughters were the epitome of modesty, yet they reached out to comfort their mother, while Hiro held his younger sister who seemed on the verge of fainting. With those words, the table fell into silence, and the council members stood to give a small bow to the girl who was on the brink of tears. With that, she had sealed the poor girl's fate, so it was wi
The presentation was a complete nightmare for me.There was no way to lie about it, especially not after the disaster that unfolded.My father had not only revealed the fact that he had fathered me outside of his marriage, which in itself was an expression of wanting to marginalize me in front of everyone, but he had also made a public declaration that they would protect me no matter what, which meant I had to adhere to certain principles that I knew nothing about.I felt completely out of sorts, out of my own skin.It was a complete disaster, much bigger than I had expected, and I was nervous, especially after he announced that a member of the Camorra, the most violent Italian mafia of all, would marry one of his daughters. This, after the announcement of my paternity, included me and meant an even greater disaster.I didn't want to get involved in this world, I wanted nothing to do with either side, I just wanted to live my life in peace, far away from everything and everyone. So wh
"I... I give them my blessing," he replied, and I felt the wound of betrayal.The Camorra boss took my hands and turned me with infinite delicacy so that I would look at him. The man wasn't ugly; he was tall, somewhat blond, and had imposing green eyes that stood out against his handsome features. The only thing that obstructed the view was the mask, but it wasn't something ugly or extravagant.However, that's what made him intimidating to the rest, and when he fixed his gaze on mine, I felt as if I had been firmly ensnared, with a kind of deep magnetism that put me on guard."Ore to kekkon shite kure."He said it in a difficult pronunciation, but it shook me to the core.I just looked at him, I didn't know for how long, but it was a long time because Hiro cleared his throat, and then he asked again:"Cho ni narou.""I... " I looked at my father for a moment, and he nodded firmly, so I closed my eyes tightly and squeezed his hands. "Yes."People applauded, some without much enthusiasm