A Shining Example (男の背中, Otoko no Senaka, Lit. "A Man's Back") is a substory in Yakuza 0. It is substory 20 for Kazuma Kiryu.
Plot[]
A suspicious schoolgirl approaches Kiryu, telling him that she needs help with a drunk pervert who is assaulting her friend. When Kiryu follows her, he is met with a masked street punk attempting to strike him with a pipe and dodges his attack. The punk mistakes Kiryu as a yakuza and starts a fight.
The fight results in Kiryu winning and the punk begging for mercy. Initially, Kiryu mistakes him as a hitman for the Dojima Family but the punk denies and explains that he was trying to hunt down yakuza. The punk introduces himself as Shinji Tanaka, a member of a biker gang.
Shinji explains to Kiryu that his irrational hatred of yakuza is caused by his family being destroyed after being targeted by the yakuza. As a result, his mother left the moment she noticed trouble and his father abused him until he retaliated. As a result, he ran away from his home.
Shinji notes that he specifically mugs yakuza, justifying his actions by saying that yakuza are thieves as well and that they're afraid to put their pride on the line. Kiryu eventually tells him that he'll put himself in danger if he continues any longer. Shinji replies by saying Kiryu doesn't have to worry and he's with his biker gang, Kiryu advises him to quit hunting down yakuza and reminds him of the consequences if he gets caught before parting ways.
Later on, Kiryu encounters three yakuza goons from the Jinsei Family explaining that he's been caught. The goons tell a confused Kiryu that they've captured Shinji, who claimed that Kiryu sent him to hunt down yakuza and mock Kiryu's concern for him. Kiryu then ridicules the Jinsei Family for the lack of etiquette, leading to a fight.
With Kiryu overpowering the Jinsei Family goons, he explains that he didn't send Shinji to hunt yakuza and demands that they lead him to their office. Arriving at the Jinsei Family office, the members recognize Kiryu, who is currently being hunted down by the Dojima Family and exclaim that they can easily climb the ranks should they kill him. Kiryu fights the Jinsei Family and ends up winning.
Shinji then recognizes Kiryu as the man on the run from the Dojima Family and envies how tough he is. Kiryu asks how he was caught by the Jinsei Family and Shinji answers that one of the members in his biker gang ratted him out, fearing for their safety. Kiryu also asks why Shinji said his name while he was interrogated by the Jinsei Family, with Shinji answering that he'd die if he didn't give an answer and that Kiryu could easily overpower them, believing that he would rescue him.
An angered Kiryu is baffled how the first person that came into Shinji's mind was a complete stranger and not a relative or trusted friend and lived a life of hunting down yakuza. Shinji replies that he had no one to guide him through life, so he figured it out as he went. Kiryu tells Shinji that every person has to fight their own battles, including him.
Kiryu then explains that he was only able to be strong thanks to his mentor and father figure, Shintaro Kazama. Kiryu advises Shinji to leave Kamurocho, despite this, Shinji refuses and Kiryu accepts his decision. Kiryu then finally tells Shinji to learn how to outlive him. Kiryu notes that if he had no one, he probably would've ended up like Shinji himself. After parting ways, Shinji says that he found a new role model in Kiryu. Shinji mutters that he hopes one day he can surpass Kiryu, before addressing him as "Sir." [a]
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