Beauty and the Bull

One...Two...Three...the amount of time it took for me to spot an enemy, and pull the trigger.

One...Two...the amount of time it took for me to fall in love with Elena Ivanov that night, on January 19th, 1989.

'Tokyo Bull', they called me. But not to my face.

Those kids on the streets think they're gangsters till you put a gun to their head, and they run off to their Mommies. But the real gangsters, the kind you don't wanna bring home to Mom, that's the kind of people that work for me. And I wasn't accepting any less.

I ain't saying I'm some God, but I've become infamous on the streets of Tokyo. I mean, the cops won't even cross me. One look into the Bull's eyes, and they knew I wouldn't take shit from anybody.

I had this one buddy, his name was Kazan. His parents didn't want him, sent him to an orphanage, and he spent most of his younger days going from home to home. Till eventually, he ended up on the streets. He was 16 at the time, a young kid, looking for a family. He had a fire in his eyes. Reminded me of myself as a kid. So I took him in.

Kazan was my right-hand man, whenever I needed help with something or somebody, he'd be there. Hell, this guy would even take a bullet for me. Kazan and I started out doing a few heists here and there. And we spent every other day recruiting others into the gang. It wasn't long till we took on more complex jobs. We weren't the kind of gangsters that sold drugs, we were classier than that. We'd rob jewelry stores, and dress our girls with them, and sell the rest.

These days, Kazan keeps to himself, but you know, interrupt his coffee and cigarette in the morning, and he'll show you what he's made of.

And me, I'm running Tokyo's most high-end bar. The most elite and famous show up here. I mean, they got no idea who's running this joint. All they care about is how fancy they look with crystal glasses in their hands.

Most days, I'll sit in my office, with a cigar in one hand, and an old-fashioned in the other, discussing 'business plans' with the gang. I mean with all that money we made over the years, we had to hide it somewhere.

When the customers left for the night, I'd sit on my own, in the middle of the bar, thinking about three things that mattered: money, power, and liquor.

One night, I was in the office late, finishing some paperwork for the business. I never finished school, so all these numbers and stuff took me a while. But eventually, I gave up and went for a drink at the bar.

And there she was...Elena Ivanov. The warm red lights were hitting against her blonde hair, pale skin, and innocence. It was as if someone had waved a red flag in front of me, and I was charging towards her like a raging bull.

I didn't question how she got into the bar after closing time. All I wanted to know was who she was, and everything else about her.

"Hello, I'm Elena", she said, as she took out her dainty hand to greet me.

I stood there, still in shock, and for once, speechless.

"Well...are you going to say something, Sir?...", she asked in her sweet, innocent, voice.

"Yes, yes, hi, how can I help?", I asked.

"I see you're looking for a waitress. I'm here to put forward my application", she said, as she hands me a piece of paper.

I mean, this girl didn't look like she needed to work a day in her life. Those clothes, that accent, I could tell she came from a wealthy family.

I knew if I refused her, I may never see her again. So I grabbed the paper, glanced at it quickly, and asked if she could start the next day. She smiled, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Sir".

The next day, she came into the bar. I didn't speak to her, but I would watch her from my office. And each time, she walked back and forth from the customers to the kitchen, she'd walk the long way, past my office. I'd look up, she'd smile, then look away shyly.

I was too in love to notice something strange was happening in the coming weeks. I mean, paperwork went missing, Elena would come in early. By then, she had keys to the bar. I mean, she asked for them, and I wasn't going to refuse her...

One night, Elena stayed back late. And so did I.

So I went into the bar, and I asked her to pour me a drink. She asked for my preference. So I told her to surprise me.

She took out a bottle from the back. It was a 200-year-old whiskey. She took out two glasses, poured them gently, gave me one, and held the other.

"To us", she said, as she lifted the drink.

"Us?..." I asked, in shock.

"Sir, I found some paperwork around the bar. So I picked it up and had a read of it. This business is a mess. But I can help...", she said.

"Well, I don't say this much, but, I agree with you...", I said.

So she picks up her glass and says: "So...let's make a toast".

"A toast to what?", I asked.

"Well, to us being business partners", she said.

I picked up my glass, tapped it on hers, and said: "Cheers, to us working together..."

I don't know how I agreed to this. But it was hard to say no to her.

The next day, she came into my office. She had a different vibe that day. It's like she went from this innocent girl looking to rebel against her rich family, to a straight-up gangster lady. And she did it with class too.

It was the way she sat in my office and lit her cigarette. She wasn't afraid of me. Hell, she wasn't afraid of anybody.

And, as promised, she helped me out with the paperwork.

One night, I decided to invite her to my house. It was a cold night, so I lit up a fire for her. She sat down, lit her cigarette, and looked at me like I was King of the world.

And she...she was the Queen of my heart.

Not much went on that night, other than a few drinks and some laughter. But that was enough for me. She was enough for me.

Weeks went by, and things seemed different on the streets. Usually, I don't have people look my way. Mostly because they're afraid. But all of a sudden, random men dressed in long coats, would walk past the bar, and look at me.

I didn't want to think Elena had something to do with it, but I couldn't gamble with the unknown. So one night, I sat Elena down, and I asked her if she was hiding anything from me. She paused, lit a cigarette, and asked me to sit down. She poured us both a drink, as I waited anxiously.

"You know, I've been keeping this business afloat for the last few weeks, and you're accusing me of hiding something from you?...", she asked.

"Well...I've had some strange people walk around the bar, I thought you might know why?...", I asked.

She put out her cigarette, finished her drink, and sat on my lap.

As she looked deep into my eyes, she asked me: "Is this a face that would betray you?..."

I couldn't resist, so I grabbed her face and kissed her passionately.

The next morning, before the bar opened, three men, dressed in long coats, stormed into the bar. Elena came out of the office and pointed a gun at them.

"And...who are you, boys?", she asked.

"We're looking for the Boss, they call him: Tokyo Bull", one of the men said.

"Any business you have with the Bull, you have with me too.", she said.

I was still in the office at this point, waiting for the right moment to interrupt.

"Okay, well, in that case, Miss, we have a few questions for you. So put the gun down, before you hurt somebody...", one of the men said.

Elena slowly put the gun down, as I came out of my office.

"Elena, are these men giving you trouble?", I asked.

She looked at me, smiled, and said: "I've got this handled".

She handed me the gun, winked, and asked the men to follow her to my office.

I followed behind, but she closed the door before I could walk in. I trusted her. But I wanted to make sure she was okay. So I stood by the door and listened.

I didn't hear much, but I heard enough. It was clear Elena was working with these men. And the scene they made that morning, was all for show.

And then, I suddenly remembered these guys. They were private investigators, who've been trying to take me down for years. And now, they've decided to send in Elena, to finally get what they want.

All these years, I made a name for myself for being one of the most notorious gangers in Tokyo. How did this happen to me?

Their meeting ended, and I quickly walked away from the door. I didn't want them to see I was listening. As Elena came out of the room, she looked at me, as if she knew I was onto her.

It was the first time I've seen fear in her eyes. And though she betrayed me, all I wanted to do was protect her.

So I took her hand, gently pulled her into the room, and lit a cigarette.

"There's still time to get yourself out of this mess Elena.", I said.

She stood up, held her gun towards me, and said: "Those men who came before, they were working for me. I've heard about you for years, but I was afraid to come close. But then I met you, and well...I fell in love."

I gently grabbed the gun off her, dropped it on the floor, grabbed her tight, and kissed her with all the fire I had within me.

The investigation was soon dropped, and Elena, well she became the beauty next to the Tokyo Bull...