ON A DATE?! Majima freezes at that suggestion, not sure if he should fight or flee. Yeah, he loves Kiryu alright, but he can't say it is anything like that. Taking him on a date is totally out of the question. Kiryu definitely deserves love and dates and attention and all, but he deserves it from someone better, someone even a little bit good, not the flaming dumpster that is Majima.
His face is all red, and it probably isn't the alcohol as he tries to casually wave the suggestion off, rolling his eyes and scoffing. "Ain't no way!" That's not a 'no, I don't want to' or anything, just an observance of facts! He's down horrendously bad for Kiryu, but what would something like that even look like? "Guys like me don't go on no dates, and we sure as shit don't get no happy endings", he just can't help but say. He's just kind of resigned to the fact. Besides, he's got it pretty good anyway, right? Saejima and Daigo still hang out with him, and Kiryu is at least seeking treatment now. That's the best ending he can think of for himself. He's no yakuza anymore, and can just live out the rest of his life as like.... a fisherman, when he feels like working.
"I consider it a blessin' that I ain't gotta ride out old age behind bars. Besides, Kiryu-chan's gotta have better prospects than an old dog like me." Someone like him? Good looking, good natured, strong and convicted. He just goes around helping everyone he meets, anyone would be lucky to have him. Not like Majima, who has spent most of his life scamming or beating folks.
Zhao groans, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. He's about 10 seconds away from booing Majima for that response with no mercy at all for his old man gay panic, but he manages to reign it in at the last possible moment (so he doesn't get stabbed) and switch gears to: "Come on, man! Didn't we all just learn a big important lesson about trying for a better life instead of resigning ourselves to fate, or whatever?" This is maybe not exactly the application of that lesson that anyone expected, but well, why not?
Because, sure. Maybe Majima doesn't 'deserve' a happy ending, whatever that means, but people get shit they don't deserve all the time: both in good ways, and in bad ones. Even Kiryu seemed to think he deserved to wither away and die of cancer while still on his feet, working off some debt to the shadiest bunch of suits Zhao has ever met (he's been in organized crime his whole life, mind you) but they both know there's no just world in which that's true.
So he scoffs, even as he reaches for the cooking oil and pours some in the wok which is now thoroughly pre-heated. "Majima-san, that's stupid. Who else can even, like, get him? The shit he's seen would probably make a civvie run screaming." Shared life experience is not exactly a guarantee of romantic compatibility, but with how things go in their business, it seems like it would really help. "And anyway, I bet he's spent his whole life having to run around saving everyone's ass, all the time. He seems real scared of putting anyone other than himself in danger, now. But you can keep up with him." Zhao casually chucks the shelled shrimp into the wok next, and immediately gets them moving with a spatula to keep them from sticking down to the surface and shredding apart later. The smell of hot oil and seafood finally starts to take over the lingering scent of cleaning supplies throughout the tiny restaurant, and over the sound of metal scraping against metal, he tacks on the extremely important: "Plus, you're hot as fuck. Who's gonna beat that?"
Majima is ready to continue denying, but 1. he is drunk and 2. Zhao did call him hot. He can't help but be a little flattered. How many 60 year old dudes get called 'hot' just in their daily lives? Especially since Majima is not doing anything to look nice right now. He gets fully distracted, smirking and touching a hand to his chest as if he's surprised to hear it.
"I'm hot am I?" Yes, flatter him more. He is happy to single that out and not look down the barrel of 'who else could get Kiryu better than you?' "Ya think I'm the best-lookin' prospect that Kiryu-chan has, eh? What about that little Geomijul Queen?" Probably too young for Kiryu, but it's fine! She's an adult, she could handle it if she wanted to. Though he supposes that would also be the last thing Kiryu would want. She's got a criminal empire to run! "I think Kiryu-chan is more interested in women anyway." Excuses, excuses. Anything not to have to be so vulnerable.
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His face is all red, and it probably isn't the alcohol as he tries to casually wave the suggestion off, rolling his eyes and scoffing. "Ain't no way!" That's not a 'no, I don't want to' or anything, just an observance of facts! He's down horrendously bad for Kiryu, but what would something like that even look like? "Guys like me don't go on no dates, and we sure as shit don't get no happy endings", he just can't help but say. He's just kind of resigned to the fact. Besides, he's got it pretty good anyway, right? Saejima and Daigo still hang out with him, and Kiryu is at least seeking treatment now. That's the best ending he can think of for himself. He's no yakuza anymore, and can just live out the rest of his life as like.... a fisherman, when he feels like working.
"I consider it a blessin' that I ain't gotta ride out old age behind bars. Besides, Kiryu-chan's gotta have better prospects than an old dog like me." Someone like him? Good looking, good natured, strong and convicted. He just goes around helping everyone he meets, anyone would be lucky to have him. Not like Majima, who has spent most of his life scamming or beating folks.
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Because, sure. Maybe Majima doesn't 'deserve' a happy ending, whatever that means, but people get shit they don't deserve all the time: both in good ways, and in bad ones. Even Kiryu seemed to think he deserved to wither away and die of cancer while still on his feet, working off some debt to the shadiest bunch of suits Zhao has ever met (he's been in organized crime his whole life, mind you) but they both know there's no just world in which that's true.
So he scoffs, even as he reaches for the cooking oil and pours some in the wok which is now thoroughly pre-heated. "Majima-san, that's stupid. Who else can even, like, get him? The shit he's seen would probably make a civvie run screaming." Shared life experience is not exactly a guarantee of romantic compatibility, but with how things go in their business, it seems like it would really help. "And anyway, I bet he's spent his whole life having to run around saving everyone's ass, all the time. He seems real scared of putting anyone other than himself in danger, now. But you can keep up with him." Zhao casually chucks the shelled shrimp into the wok next, and immediately gets them moving with a spatula to keep them from sticking down to the surface and shredding apart later. The smell of hot oil and seafood finally starts to take over the lingering scent of cleaning supplies throughout the tiny restaurant, and over the sound of metal scraping against metal, he tacks on the extremely important: "Plus, you're hot as fuck. Who's gonna beat that?"
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"I'm hot am I?" Yes, flatter him more. He is happy to single that out and not look down the barrel of 'who else could get Kiryu better than you?' "Ya think I'm the best-lookin' prospect that Kiryu-chan has, eh? What about that little Geomijul Queen?" Probably too young for Kiryu, but it's fine! She's an adult, she could handle it if she wanted to. Though he supposes that would also be the last thing Kiryu would want. She's got a criminal empire to run! "I think Kiryu-chan is more interested in women anyway." Excuses, excuses. Anything not to have to be so vulnerable.