'Who was that boy, Kasumi?'
Mother glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
'A friend.' I replied quietly.
Outside the window, the city rushed past us:
-Lamp posts.
-Pedestrians.
-Cars.
Everything blurred together and vanished in seconds as our car sped down the road.
'As long as he doesn't interfere with your studies.' Mother said. 'Remember, you must uphold our family name.'
'Yes, mother.'
The words left my mouth automatically.
They always did.
Both my parents were like that.
Uphold the family name.
But what family name?
We weren't rich.
We weren't famous
We weren't from some prestigious lineage.
We were just normal.
A middle-class family like everyone else.
Every day was the same:
-School.
-Study.
-Cram school.
-Home.
-Repeat.
-Again, again and again.
'Ku-reiji.'
His name slipped quietly from my lips.
My first friend.
The first person who shared his food with me.
The first person to sit beside me.
He sometimes talked strangely, like an old man.
And he would force me to do things without waiting for my answer.
But somehow…
I enjoyed it.
Today, when he took me to the K-BBQ restaurant, I experienced things I had never experienced before.
I saw things I had never seen before.
And I enjoyed every moment of it.
At home, eating was silent.
Today, eating was filled with laughter.
At home, we sat apart.
Today, we sat across from each other.
Sharing heart to heart.
In my quiet, colourless world.
Ku-reiji was something new.
Something bright.
———————————————
[Dylan's pov]
'Oof.'
I stared proudly at the enormous booger on my finger.
'That's a big one.'
Years of heroic training had given me many skills.
Swordsmanship.
Magic.
But booger picking?
That was a skill I honed myself.
I wiped it onto a tissue just as the big nanny arrived.
'Here, boss.' He handed me a folder. 'This is what we've been doing recently.'
I opened it.
Inside were reports from the gang members.
Fights with other schools.
Purchase record.
Daily activities.
Then I reached the income section.
Extortion.
Drug trafficking.
Loans.
I looked up slowly.
'You guys are aware that this is illegal, right?
The nanny scratched his head awkwardly.
'Ah… yes boss.'
'Good.'
I smacked his head with the folder lightly.
'We will find other means of revenue using legal means.'
I then looked at the loan interest rate.
'80%?'
I looked at him again.
'That's not interest.'
'That's attempted murder with paperwork.'
The nanny coughed.
'Without those, our income will decrease.'
'Then I'll find another way.'
I closed the folder.
'Get me a list of what everyone in the gang is good at.'
'… Good at?'
'Skills. Talent. Or jobs they desire.'
He looked confused.
'Boss… we're criminals.'
'Criminals, corporate, same thing.' I said. 'One wears a suit while the other wears… a tattoo?'
He stared at me.
'… U-Understood.'
'Good. Bring the list when you can.'
I stood up and grabbed the debt list.
'Now I'm going to meet our clients.'
———————————————————
*Knock knock*
The first debtor lived in a run-down apartment.
Debt: 6 million yen.
Interest: 80%
The door opened slightly.
A nervous man peeked out.
'Do you need something?'
'I'm here regarding your debt with -'
I turned to the boys from my gang who tagged along.
'What's our gang called?'
He leaned closer and whispered.
'The Freedom Fighters, boss.'
I stared at him.
'The Freedom Fighters?'
'That sounds less like a gang and more like a movement.'
I turned back to the man.
'I'm here about your debt with the Freedom Fighters.'
The man panicked.
*SLAM*
'PLEASE!' He screamed from behind the door. 'Give me another week!'
'I'm not here to collect-'
'I'LL PAY SOON!'
I sighed.
'Alright.'
'We'll leave.'
I gestured for the boys to walk away loudly.
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
Then I waited.
Three seconds later…
The door opened slightly.
The man peeked out.
I shoved my foot in between the gap.
'Hello again.'
'AHHHH!'
He fell backwards.
'Please don't hurt me!'
'Relax.' I said. 'I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to discuss your debt.'
He began begging again.
I raised my hand.
'Stop.'
He froze instantly.
'First of all.' I said, sitting down on one of his chairs.
'I'm lowering the interest rate.'
He stared at me.
'What?'
'But first.' I continued. 'Tell me your financial situation.'
'And don't lie.'
'Because if I find out you lied…'
I smiled.
'We'll see what happens then. '
The man explained everything.
Poor background.
University debt.
Loneliness.
Friends dragged him to a hostess bar.
Addiction. Financial collapse.
Classic story.
I nodded.
'Five-year plan or ten-year plan?'
'F-five years.'
I scribbled on a piece of paper.
'Estimated interest rate: five percent. That's what I'll give you.'
The man burst into tears.
'THANK YOU!'
He slammed his head into the floor repeatedly.
I stood up awkwardly.
'…You're welcome.'
Honestly, I didn't expect gratitude.
I just didn't like regret.
——————————————————-
We continued going down the list and now we only had one person remaining.
The last person on the list was a high school girl.
Great.
My least favourite thing.
A kid.
The apartment building looked terrible.
Flickering lights.
Cracked walls.
Insects everywhere.
I could see cockroaches having a dance party.
*Knock knock*
The door opened slightly
'Who is it?'
'I'm here to discuss your debt with the Freedom Fighters.'
*SLAM*
'I'll PAY NEXT MONTH!"
I sighed.
'What reputation did you idiots create?' I turned to face them.
They just looked away and whistled.
I used the skills developed from the drunken thief and picked the lock to open the door.
*Squeak*
Inside the room, the girl held a baseball bat.
'Stay back!' She shouted. 'If you touch me I'll smash your head!'
One of my boys stepped forward.
'Oi! That's our boss you're talking to!'
She froze.
'B-boss?'
I raised my hand.
'Relax.' I said to my boys, 'She's just a kid.'
The girl immediately dropped to her knees.
'Please don't increase my debt!'
'As the new boss,' I said calmly, 'I'm lowering the interest rate.'
She blinked.
'…What?'
'Your current rate is ridiculous.'
'So I'm adjusting it.'
Her story was simple.
Both her parents divorced and went their separate ways.
She chose to stay with her grandparents.
Her grandfather needed surgery.
So, being a stupid kid, she borrowed money from a loan shark.
'Five-year plan or ten? I asked.
'T-ten…'
I wrote on a piece of paper.
'Two per cent interest.'
'And I'm pausing interest until you turn 23.'
She burst into tears.
'Thank you so much!'
Right then-
The door swung open.
'Hina! I'm back.'
A blonde girl entered carrying grocery bags.
She froze.
Her friend was crying on the floor.
Three men are inside the apartment.
She instantly jumped to the worst conclusion.
'GET AWAY FROM HER!'
She dropped the bags and launched a flying kick at my head.
I caught her leg mid-air.
Then tossed her onto the bed.
Sigh.
'I hate kids.