AKIRA HONMA

A collection of oneshots related to the Chinese Zodiac.

On his trip to New York City, college student Takeru gets lost in the wrong part of town. He gets attacked, but is rescued by a man named Rei. Touched by Rei's kindness, Takeru can't help being attracted to him. But then Takeru discovers that Rei is the second-highest-ranking mafia man in New York City. Can love overcome such odds?

Yamato works for his father’s company, is subordinate to his older sister, and harbors a secret affection for his sister’s fiancé, Sakaguchi. The day before his sister’s wedding, Yamato privately confesses his feelings to Sakaguchi. The answer he receives is surprising and unexpected, but at this last hour, can Yamato face the consequences of having his wish fulfilled…? Included in “Last Portrait” is the independent story of “Stairway to Heaven" : Narumi Imai has been with the FBI in Washington DC for six months, and already he has been recognized as the best man for... odd, chore-like jobs. As much as he wants to work in the field, his first opportunity comes under a bizarre set of circumstances. Narumi is the personally chosen bodyguard of Keith Coburn, a former FBI agent brought in from prison to HQ just seven days before his scheduled execution. Both Keith's mission and life have a time limit, and for the next seven days, Narumi will be his companion on the stairway to Heaven.

Yamato works for his father’s company, is subordinate to his older sister, and harbors a secret affection for his sister’s fiancé, Sakaguchi. The day before his sister’s wedding, Yamato privately confesses his feelings to Sakaguchi. The answer he receives is surprising and unexpected, but at this last hour, can Yamato face the consequences of having his wish fulfilled…? Included in “Last Portrait” is the independent story of “Stairway to Heaven" : Narumi Imai has been with the FBI in Washington DC for six months, and already he has been recognized as the best man for... odd, chore-like jobs. As much as he wants to work in the field, his first opportunity comes under a bizarre set of circumstances. Narumi is the personally chosen bodyguard of Keith Coburn, a former FBI agent brought in from prison to HQ just seven days before his scheduled execution. Both Keith's mission and life have a time limit, and for the next seven days, Narumi will be his companion on the stairway to Heaven. From DramaQueen

Two abandoned boys, Kyou and Toudou, were raised at an appalling orphanage where physical violence was a part of the day to day life. One day Kyou’s real mother came searching for him and took him away from this dreadful existence. The byproduct of a man and his mistress, Kyou’s mother was forced to give him away. Many years passed and Kyou Sugiura is now a successful prosecutor and pursing an investigation of government corruption involving a young parliamentarian named Tatsuki Toudou – the same Toudou that he grew up with in the orphanage. How the times have changed! Both men growing up in the present of uncertainty; to become, in the future, the height of success, and to stand on the opposite sides of the law. Kyou had never really forgotten Toudou, and Toudou had never really forgiven Kyou. The meeting between the two ambitious young men results in an unintended consequence that neither had been prepared for. In this stand off between the enforcer and the law maker, there is a past that binds them together. And it is the strength or weakness of this past that will determine the outcome of their duel. ***This volume contains the complete works of “The Judged” and “Spring Haze,” a short story involving Toudou’s assistant and ex-lover, Hachiko.***