And finally, the best picture goes

And finally, the best picture goes to this!" Ishida announced pompously as he pressed the next button again.

Asami was seen crouching next to the Chinese man with a gun pointed to the man's cheeks. Akihito's hands went weak. Asami had just called him, announcing arrogantly that he had finished his business meeting. Could it be this was the meeting he was referring to? Akihito shuddered a little and was thankful that Ishida was too preoccupied to notice his pale look or his trembling hands.

"Great isn't it?" Ishida bragged as he showed Akihito a few more shots.

"Ho—How did you manage to get these?" Akihito asked when he finally gotten his strength back.

Ishida gave a wide smile when he noticed how shocked Akihito was. Not wanting to miss the chance to prove that he was better in the industry, he quickly revealed his sources, "One of Asami's men told me this."

Akihito's eyes widened at the statement. Asami's guard betrayed him?

"I had to bribe him and it didn't come cheap. I have to admit, I was quite surprised when he called me personally to offer the information. I wondered if he's with the police." Ishida continued.

"Akihito! Are you all right?" Kou shouted.

"Yeah! I'm just talking to Ishida!" Akihito shouted back, trying to mask his nervousness.

Ishida kept the camera in his bag pack. "Takaba, looks like I won this round. Your stories on Inoue Kyousuke and Sion might have been successful but this is the cream of the crop! I have to get these to the editor, ASAP. See you around!" Ishida mocked and left the photographer standing on the same spot.

Kou and Takato immediately came over the minute Ishida left. "Hey, buddy you all right?" Takato asked when he noticed how pale Akihito looked.

Akihito didn't answer Takato. He was too busy thinking about the photos Ishida had just shown him. He hadn't realized that seeing a gun pointed at Asami would affect him so much. He knew the yakuza had dangerous dealings but seeing the evidence with his own eyes shocked him to the core. He swore his heart nearly stopped just now, thinking what would happen if Asami was shot.

But that bastard called an hour ago and said that his business meeting had been successful. That meant that he was all right, wasn't he?

The photographer vaguely heard his friends calling him again but he ignored them. There is another problem right now. If the photos were leaked to the press, Asami would be arrested for drug dealings, gun possession and a string of other charges Akihito didn't want to even think about. God, what should he do now?

Akihito closed his eyes and took two deep breaths to calm his raging heartbeat. He pondered for a few seconds before opening his hazel orbs again. This time, there was fire in his eyes. I'll get the photos back; there'll be no questions about it.

Decisions made, Akihito began to feel his temper rising. That bastard, Asami! Who said he could have his photos taken by another photographer? I should be the one taking photographs of his underworld dealings, not some lowly photographer like Ishida Atsuki!

"Hey Kou, Takato! Ask Toru to drop you guys off. Tell him I'm taking a detour," Akihito pushed his present to Kou's hands and sprinted off before his friends could question him.

Toru was mistaken if he thought he managed to survive another day without any incidents. After a satisfying dinner, the guard left his master with his friends at the front door of the restaurant to bring the car around. Luck was not on his side; his boss's BMW was blocked by another patron and he had to jog back into the restaurant to knock on doors.

By the time Toru managed to locate the owner, fifteen minutes had passed and he hoped Akihito wasn't going to give him an earful for being late. He was momentarily alarm to see Akihito wasn't standing with Kou and Takato when he drove the car to the front of the restaurant. Thinking that Akihito had probably gone back in to get something, he killed the engine and stepped out.

"Where is Takaba sama?" Toru asked, expecting Kou and Takato to giggle silly at his friend's forgetfulness.

His friends' worried looks had Toru broke into cold sweat. "Akihito bumped into a colleague from work. Ishida, I believe was his name – he showed Akihito some pictures and he looked a little troubled," Takato said uncertainly as he looked at Kou.

Kou nodded his head. "Yeah, Akihito was paled for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he had this fierce, enthusiastic look on him and chased after the guy."

"Toru san? Are you all right?" Kou asked when he noticed the guard had gone slightly pale.

Toru looked at Kou. "Do you know how to drive?"

Kou looked surprised by Toru's unexpected question. "Huh? Yeah, I do. I just got my license – "

"Good, drive the car home. I'll collect it from you later," Toru cut him off and threw the keys to Kou.

"Which way did he go?" Toru asked again.

"Headed to the west," Takato said as he pointed to the direction where Akihito took off.

Toru didn't wait for a reply. He sprinted off, leaving Akihito's friends looking at each other, trying to make sense what had happened. The guard contemplated for a second if he should call Asami but he realized failure to inform his boss would result in heavier punishment. With great reluctance, the guard retrieved his phone from his pockets and dialed Asami's number.

"Asami," his boss answered at the second ring.

"Asami sama? We have a problem," Toru spoke clearly despite he was running at a fast pace.

His boss's voice turned cold. "Where is he?"

Toru shuddered at the tone but quickly pushed it away as he explained briefly what Kou and Takato had told him, all the while scanning the busy street for his master.

"Where are you right now?"

"I am heading towards Asakusa."

"I'll send the men. Continue to look around. Check the back alleys," Asami ordered.

"Yes, Asami sama."

"And Toru?"

Toru halted his steps, recognizing the easy tone of his boss.

"Make sure you find him and he better be all right," the yakuza warned.

Toru gulped, nodding his head as though his boss could see his nonverbal reaction. "Understood," he replied when he finally found his nerve back.

Quickly, he disconnected the call and ran into the back alleys, praying that he would find his master before anything happens to him. He'd be damn if he wasn't worried about the boy too. Sure, he's reckless and obstinate but beneath his bratty attitude, Akihito is actually pretty likable. As he worried about the boy's safety, his thoughts switched to Asami's warning earlier. He gulped; he really didn't want his boss throwing his loaded gun at him again.

Akihito followed Ishida from a safe distance, trying to camouflage himself among the busy crowd to avoid being detected. He had thought various steps he could use to take the photos away with minimal damage. The street was busy and Ishida was no fool either; he brought the backpack to the front and held onto it tightly, protecting it from pick pockets. There was no way Akihito could have taken the photos from Ishida without utilizing some force.

He loathed what he was about to do. Akihito knew the way to Ishida's office. In another few blocks, he would have entered the back alley, cutting through main roads to get to the newspaper agency. The plan was to intercept him there and rob him. Akihito shuddered at the word. Never in his entire life would he resort into this: robbing someone.

Akihito pushed the guilt away, knowing that it simply wasn't the time and place to question his morality or journalism ethics. There weren't any options to begin with; either he does it or Asami goes to jail. Despite his mind was set, the next question that popped into his mind was, How am I going do it? It wasn't Akihito could just go right up to Ishida and merrily told him that he wanted to rob the man?

Luck was definitely on his side. Unable to resist the smell of the takoyaki, Ishida stopped by the stall to order a box and Akihito quickly ran to the nearby convenience store to grab a pen knife, a beanie hat and a Santa clause mask. He stepped out, thinking what he should do with his clothes when he noticed an old man draped in his torn jacket begging by the roadside. Akihito went up to him and offered to trade his expensive coat with the ragged piece of clothing. The old man looked at Akihito and blinked at his odd request but since he was freezing from the thin jacket, he didn't protest.

Akihito slipped on the man's dirty jacket, trying his hardest to ignore the pungent smell. He zipped it up to the top and slid his hands into the pocket. Right on cue, Ishida paid for the Takoyaki box and walked away, slipping into the back alley for a short cut.

It is now or never. Akihito thought as he slipped on his beanie and mask. He took out the pen knife and walked along the deserted alley, taking a backward glance every now and then to check if there was anyone following him.

When he was sure that he was clear, he took a deep breath, plucked his courage and quickened his steps to Ishida. Since there was no way he could rob a person gently, Akihito pushed Ishida to the side, slamming his face onto the concrete wall before placing the knife on his face.

"Give me your bag," Akihito growled in a low voice.

When Ishida hesitated, Akihito turned him around and kicked him on the stomach. Akihito's weak punch didn't pose much damage to Ishida. He groaned from the kick but he was still standing.

"I said give it to me!" Akihito raised his voice and hoped Ishida would surrender his bag willingly as he really didn't want to start using the knife.

"Okay, okay!" Ishida raised both his hands up to surrender before slowly reaching for his back pack.

Akihito almost breathed in relief. As he reached out his hand to grab the offered bag, Ishida kicked him on his stomach, causing him to stagger a few steps behind. Before he could regain his composure, Ishida had slammed his backpack on Akihito's head.

Akihito saw stars as he fell back, kneeling on t