Tokyo Exorcism Diary

Hoshino Gen glanced down at the hand resting on his shoulder, sighed softly with a hint of resignation, then casually lifted his arm to brush it aside. His right hand seized the wrist, twisted, and pushed in a fluid motion—instantly subduing the blond-haired young man, forcing him onto one knee.

The guy himself had no idea what had just happened, his face frozen in stunned confusion.

Had the guy not touched him, Hoshino Gen would’ve let this slide—after all, aside from the two people he brought with him, the rest had nothing to do with him. But unfortunately, the punk was too rude and had dirtied his clothes.

With a slight increase in pressure, a crisp crack echoed. The blond-haired guy let out a scream, instantly drawing the attention of nearly everyone around.

A crowd quickly gathered.

“What’s going on? Starting trouble?” A burly man glared at Hoshino Gen, his thick brows furrowed. “Which gang are you with, huh? Come over here, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Hoshino Gen kicked the subdued guy aside without sparing him a second glance. The guy collapsed onto the ground, clutching his twisted arm and howling in agony. Hoshino Gen, still wearing his faint smile, turned his gaze to the burly man and beckoned with a single finger.

The man’s eyes instantly burned with fury. With a stomp of his thick legs, he charged like an enraged bull, barreling straight toward Hoshino Gen.

Just as the brute was about to crash into him—amidst the eager anticipation of the onlookers—Hoshino Gen sidestepped effortlessly. The man, unable to stop his momentum, hurtled straight toward Itou Saki behind him.

Itou Saki’s eyes widened, panic flickering across her face, but before the fear could fully surface, Hoshino Gen’s elbow struck the man’s neck with a dull thud.

The burly man collapsed instantly, nearly smashing his head against Itou Saki’s polished leather shoes.

The once-rowdy onlookers froze, their expressions shifting from amusement to stunned silence. Behind Hoshino Gen, the girls who had been cowering together were too shocked to utter a single word.

With another casual kick, Hoshino Gen shoved the unconscious brute aside and swept his gaze across the crowd, his smile never wavering.

The murmuring among the crowd grew uneasy when suddenly, a young man in a short-sleeved shirt rushed over, his delicate features tight with urgency. He glanced around briefly before locking eyes on Itou Saki behind Hoshino Gen. His expression twisted into rage as he stormed forward, grabbing her shoulders.

“Who the hell let you come here?! How dare you come here?! This isn’t a place for you—get the hell out!”

Itou Saki winced as his grip tightened painfully, tears welling up in her eyes. In a choked voice, she pleaded, “Onii—”

“Shut up! If you still consider me your brother, then go home right now!” The young man cut her off harshly. 

His furious gaze then shifted to Hoshino Gen. “Was it you? Did you bring her here?!”

Without waiting for an answer, he reached out to grab Hoshino Gen’s collar, but Hoshino Gen easily evaded him, replying in an indifferent tone, “Don’t misunderstand. I simply took on a job—to save someone who’s about to be beaten to death in the ring.”

“What?!” The young man’s eyes widened. His already flushed face darkened further, veins bulging with barely contained fury. He took a step forward, looking ready to fight.

But before he could act, Itou Saki clung to his arm, sobbing, “No, Onii-san, Hoshino-kun is really here to help you!”

“Help me?” His face contorted with rage. “You call this helping me?! Bringing you here?! I’m going to kill this bastard—”

He shoved Itou Saki aside and lunged—

“Tomoya, what’s going on?”

The sudden voice made Itou Tomoya freeze. He turned toward the speaker—a man in a slightly unbuttoned suit, a thick gold chain around his neck, his slicked-back hair framing a cigar between his lips. Flanked by two burly men in black suits, he exuded an aura of quiet menace.

Itou Tomoya inhaled sharply, straightened up, and bowed. “Wakagashira.”

The man waved him off with an easygoing smile. “Starting trouble at a time like this isn’t very wise, Tomoya.”

Itou Tomoya kept his head bowed. “Apologies.”

The man, now standing closer, patted Tomoya’s shoulder before shifting his gaze to the group of girls huddled behind Hoshino Gen. Finally, his eyes settled on Hoshino Gen himself.

A friendly smile spread across his face. “I don’t recall our Akita-gumi having a member like you.”

Hoshino Gen simply smiled, offering no response.

“Just because you got a tattoo, you think you can run around pretending to be yakuza? If no one catches on, fine, but you do realize what happens when you borrow someone else’s name and get caught, right?” Though his smile remained, an unmistakable chill crept into his eyes.

Hoshino Gen kept smiling.

By now, more and more people had gathered around, eager to watch the unfolding spectacle.

The man chuckled. “Well, I admire your guts, kid. It’s a lawful society, so I won’t take your hands or your arms. But since you’ve been using our Akita-gumi’s name, you owe us a little favor.”

He removed the cigar from his lips with a gold-ringed hand, exhaling smoke as he grinned. “You’re quite the fighter, aren’t you? Perfect. Tonight, we’ve got a match against those Yamashita-gumi bastards. Since you claim to be one of us, you can represent Akita-gumi in the ring.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Itou Tomoya’s face paled. “Wakagashira, wait—he’s my sister’s friend! He only came because I bragged about Akita-gumi to him! He’s still a student—let me take his place—”

The man’s smile vanished. He clapped a firm hand on Tomoya’s shoulder. “Tomoya,” he said coolly, “once you’ve joined the yakuza, your life is no longer your own. You exist to serve the group.”

“B-But—”

“Alright,” Hoshino Gen interrupted with a casual smile. “A small favor, right? No problem. Consider it a fair trade.”

Tomoya’s face twisted in fury. “Do you even realize what you’re saying?! This isn’t just some sparring match, you idiot—”

“Tomoya!!”

The Wakagashira’s sharp bark cut him off. Behind him, his two subordinates shot Tomoya cold, warning glances.

Tomoya clenched his jaw, his face dark with frustration. After a long, tense moment, he let out a harsh breath, then shot Hoshino Gen a vicious glare. Without another word, he grabbed Itou Saki’s wrist and dragged her away.