It's been about five hours since as we left Japan. We take a helicopter to board the Ichinomiya's private jet... and we finally arrive in Hong Kong's airport.

Meimei: "So this is Hong Kong... but there's so much energy everywhere... like my home."

(Soryu's somewhere in the city...)

I get out of the plane first and Mr. Ichinomiya hands me a sheet of paper when I take it.

Eisuke: "Take Inui and head to this address."

Ryosuke: "Huh? What about you and Mr. Kisaki, Mr. Ichinomiya?"

Ota: "We have something else to do."

Meimei: "So what's at this address?"

Eisuke: "You'll see when you get there..."

Eisuke: "Ah, it's a phone call from Baba."

(...Baba?)

Ota: "Alriight, if you work hard as I'll give you a treat."

They leave the two of us and go off somewhere.

Meimei: "Looks like they're gone..."

Ryosuke: "Alright. Let's go, Miss Yae!"

Meimei: "Okay!"

(Is Soryu really here?)
____________________________________________

We go to the address on the map and we look all around.

Meimei: "Well, this the place on the map, but..."

Ryosuke: "Did Mr. Ichinomiya wants us to come to this apartment building?"

Meimei: "Well, it looks like pretty normal..."

(But does it is Soryu really here?)

Meimei: "Ryosuke, shall we check inside?"

Meimei: "Nothing's going to happen if we just stay here."

Ryosuke: "You're right!"

Ryosuke: "But can we really just go in without permission?"

As while we're standing there, a familiar person emerges from the building.

Mei Ling: "Over here, you two!"

Meimei: "Hm? Oh! Mei Ling!"

Ryosuke: "Mei Ling!?"

She looks around first and then she comes up to us.

Mei Ling: "You came all the way here for Soryu, right?"

Meimei: "Well... um..."

(Maybe I should tell her when I came here to tell him how I feel about him.)

Mei Ling: "I know! Eisuke told me!"

Meimei: "Hey, what are you talking about?"

(Everything's been set up already... I'm confused...)

Mei Ling: "Anyway, I don't have time to explain! Just hurry and get change!"

Ryosuke: "Aren't those your clothes, Miss Lee?"

Mei Ling: "Yep."

Mei Ling: "But right now, Meimei is Mei Ling!"

(Heh... I see.)

Meimei: "Alright. Let's do it!"
________________________________________________________

Ryosuke: "This building belongs to the Bell Crickets, right?"

I've dressed myself like Mei Ling. Ryosuke and I go inside the building.

(Occasionally people will say hello to us... they haven't realized if I'm not her.)

Ryosuke: "She said Mr. Oh is in the back room, right?"

Meimei: "Yeah..."

Now that we're getting closer, my heart starts to pound.

(Will Soryu be annoyed that because I came all the way here? Or...)

Ryosuke: "Miss Lee!"

Ryosuke gestures ahead of him and I see...

(Soryu!)

Soryu is just coming out of the room in between two men in black.

Meimei: "Sor-..."

Meimei: "!?"

I start to talk to him when I see something strange glittering on his wrists.

(Don't tell me... handcuffed!?)

Soryu: "You...!"

(He's wearing handcuffs! What happened!?)

He widens his eyes with surprise... but then he presses his lips and he starts walking somewhere.

Ryosuke: "Sir! Where are you going? What happened!?"

Man: "..."

As suddenly, another man slips past us and he talks to the men beside Soryu.

Lackey 1: "Yes, sir!"

The men in black quickly run off somewhere, leaving the other unfamiliar man behind.

Man: "Come inside, please."

(What the? He's speaking Japanese? But who's this man?)

Ryosuke and I exchange glances and then I follow the man.
__________________________________________________________

Man: "Phew, that was a tough act, even for me!"

The man says in fluent Japanese as soon as we go inside the room.

Ryosuke: "Who are you?"

Man: "Hm? You still don't know?"

The man puts his hand on his face and he starts peeling his skin away.

Ryosuke: "W-W-What are you doing!?"

Meimei: "What the! Baba!?"

Baba: "Correct!"

Meimei: "That mask... wait a second... you were in disguise!"

Baba: "Yep. Ota made it for me."

Meimei: "But why?"

Baba: "So we could help out the guy over there with the frown on his face."

Baba: "You realized it was me didn't you, Sor?"

Soryu: "...Even if you disguise your voice, I still recognize it."

Baba: "Perceptive as always, Sor."

Soryu's acting just how he always does, despite wearing handcuffs.

Meimei: "Can you explain what's going on here?"

Meimei: "Why's Baba disguised and why are we at the Bell Cricket's place?"

Meimei: "And why's Soryu wearing handcuffs?"

Baba: "I'll leave the explaining to Sor."

Baba: "A guard won't come by for a while. So you two go ahead and talk."

Baba: "Let's go, Inui."

Ryosuke: "But..!"

Baba: "Don't do anything stupid."

Baba has to practically drag Ryosuke outside. Once they leave as the room is complete silent.

Soryu: "Why are you here?"

Meimei: "Because there's something I have to tell you."

Soryu: "I thought we talked back at my office."

Meimei: "No, I couldn't say it then."

Soryu: "..."

(But how many days has it been since I've seen him?)

(I'd almost given up on him... as thinking I'd never talk to him again.)

(But I love him.)

Soryu: "Then make it short."

He sighs and he stares at me, his gaze sharp.

(This is my only chance to tell him as how I feel.)

I clench my fists and I look up at his face.

Meimei: "I came to tell you... because..."

Meimei: "I love you, Soryu!"

Soryu: "...!"

Meimei: "But... I know you're getting married to Mei Ling."

Meimei: "So I'm not asking you to do anything."

Meimei: "I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Soryu: "..."

Soryu's silent as usual and my chest tightens painfully.

(This is just a nuisance to him...)

Soryu: "...I said no to the marriage."

Meimei: "What?"

Soryu: "It's not going to happen anymore."

But I didn't expect him to say that and I'm totally bewildered.

Meimei: "But why...?"

Soryu: "I don't know."

Soryu: "The image of you crying when I told you goodbye was burned in my mind."

Soryu: "I didn't want the kind of happiness that would make you cry."

Meimei: "Soryu."

Soryu: "...You got the best of me."

Soryu says bitterly, but the look in his eyes is gentle.

Meimei: "But why are you wearing handcuffs?"

Soryu: "Because I went back on my agreement to marry Mei Ling."

Soryu: "I made Simon lose face and that made him extremely angry."

Soryu: "So I offered myself up so the Bell Crickets don't start a feud with the Ice Dragons."

Meimei: "So... what's going to happen now?"

Soryu: "...I'll probably be killed."

Meimei: "Oh, no!"

(How can he be so calm when his life is in danger!?)

Soryu: "Don't make that face. I don't regret anything."

Meimei: "But!"

Soryu: "...You just won't shut up, huh?"

He laughs quietly and gently crounches down...

Meimei: "!?"

(No way... is he going to kiss me!?)

(But Is Soryu going to kiss me!?)

It's a light, fleeting kiss, almost like the feel of wings grazing against my lips. It's over so quickly the warmth from it disappears in no time.

Soryu: "See ya."

He says when he turns his back on me and he heads towards the door.

Meimei: "Soryu...!"

I call out of him, but he doesn't turn around. He just takes one step after other and he's closer the door.

(No... he's going to leave!?)

Meimei: "Soryu.. I want to stay with you a little bit longer."

Soryu: "It'll just make it harder to leave."

Soryu leaves the room, a smile on his face.
_____________________________________________________

I fall to the floor, unable to do anything for a while.

(He's gone... and now he might be going to a place because I can never reach him again.)

(Is it hopeless?)

Ryosuke: "Miss Yae! Are you okay!?"

Mei Ling: "Meimei! Wake up!"

Meimei: "Ryosuke... Mei Ling..."

I'm totally dazed and Mei Ling shakes my body.

Mei Ling: "You love Soryu, don't you? You want to help him, right?"

She says to me because I nodded my head without speaking.

Mei Ling: "Then you can't just sit here spacing out!"

Meimei: "But..."

Mei Ling: "Don't you care if he dies!?"

Meimei: "!?"

(Soryu's going to die!? But... of course I don't want that...)

Meimei: "No... of course not!"

Meimei: "So where is he!?"
_________________________________

Mei Ling: "Over here."

I follow Mei Ling to an underground execution site.

(Please be okay, Soryu!)
____________________________

The walls in the execution room are made of cold, hard metal. Soryu's standing on a platfrom in the center of the room, his eyes cast downward.

Ryosuke: "Sir...!"

Mei Ling: "Shh, they'll hear you!"

Ryosuke: "But..."

Meimei: "Be quiet."

Ryosuke: "Sorry..."

Meimei: "Still... how can we save Soryu?"

Mei Ling: "..."

We whisper, hidden in the shadows, when as suddenly a man emerges from an iron door in the back.

Mei Ling: "Oh no... it's already time for the execution!"

Mei Ling: "If we try to take him out now, but Meimei will get caught, too."

(So we're just supposed to stand here and do nothing!?)

The man standing in front of Soryu is holding a gun. He says something to him in Cantonese and then he raises the gun...

*CLICK*

He points the barrel of the gun at Soryu.

Meimei: "S-Sto-!"

???: "Wait."

Just as he's about to pull the trigger, I jump out in front of Soryu. But I hear the stern voice of a man behind me, drowning out my screams.

Meimei: "Huh? That's..."

Mei Ling: "Daddy!"

The boss of the Bell Crickets, Simon Lee is standing among a group of men.

Soryu: "Simon?"

Simon: "The execution's been called off."

Ryosuke: "Called off...?"

Nobody can quite comprehend what's going on and we all stare at Simon. But behind him is...

Soryu: "What are you guys doing here!?"

Baba: "Did you and Meimei say you love each other, Sor?"

Ota: "Soryu, long time no see!"

Eisuke: "So you'll release Soryu as you promised then, Simon?"

Simon: "Yes."

Meimei: "Soryu...!"

They take off his handcuffs and I runs to rush over to him and I bury my face in his broad chest.

Meimei: "Thank god! I'm so happy you're safe!"

Soryu: "...What's going on here?"

Simon: "This youngster here convinced me that it would be more valuable... to gain your loyalty than to take away from your life."

Soryu: "..."

Soryu shoots a suspicious look at the three men behind us.

Eisuke: "Obviously it's important to deal with people who... cause problems in order to protect the organization."

Eisuke: "But managing those people costs money."

Eisuke: "If you two are loyal to each other it's a better way to expand the Ice Dragons. And Fire Dragons too."

Soryu: "Eisuke..."

Baba: "...He's being overcomplicated."

Baba: "But basically the boss was desperate to save you, Sor."

Baba: "He made me sneak into the Bell Crickets, tried to negotiate with them..."

Ota: "And he promised him some of my private works in exchange."

Mei Ling: "Daddy! Are you trying to expand of your collection of Ota's art again!?"

Simon: "Ahh..." *cough* *cough*

Simon clears his throat awkwardly and he walks over to Soryu.

Simon: "I understand why you're so popular, Soryu."

Simon: "I know I would regret it if I let my emotions get the best of me and I lost you."

Soryu: "Simon..."

Soryu: "Thank you."

Simon: "I'd really appreciate it if you let your support to the Bell Crickets from now on."

Soryu: "...Yes."

(So in the other words... everything's solved!?)

(So Soryu's saved!)

I slowly look up and Soryu notices my gaze and then he chuckles wrlyly.

Soryu: "Look like I owe them now."

Meimei: "So you'll have to pay them back little by little."

Soryu: "...I think it'll take a while."

He says it with annoyance, but his face looks calm. That wipes away every bit of doubt as I still had left in my heart. But...

Simon: "I just want to know... who's mafia of Fire Dragons?"

Eisuke, Ota, Baba, Ryosuke, Mei Ling and Soryu stares at me.

Meimei: "!?"

Meimei: "W-Why are you looking at!?"

My cheeks are red when Soryu smirks and he spoke.

Soryu: "Meimei is mafia princess of Fire Dragons."

Simon: "!?"

Simon shocked when he looks at me and he spoke.

Simon: "I met her grandparents who told me to take care of her."

He says as his kneels on the floor when he spoke.

Simon: "My deep apologize... I heard your grandmother is dead. She told me as you will get stronger."

Meimei: "!?"

(My grandmother...)

Meimei: "Did she get killed or...?"

Simon: "No... she's dead about sickness..."

Meimei: "..."

I place my hand on my chest because I hear my grandmother told me to get stronger.

Meimei: "It's alright. You don't need to apologize, Simon."

Simon: "Oh? Wait, I got your dress from your grandmother."

He says cause he hand me the large box of many cheongsam when I take it.

Meimei: "Thank you, Simon."

Simon: "You're very welcome."

~End of Chapter 12~

TO BE CONTINUED....