| It was around the time when I had been the same age as Hyodo.
Rough and roughed up, I felt the burning need to fight on a daily basis. |
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| All I had done in the end was to worry my mother who had single-handedly brought me up to no ends with this baseless agitation I had.
I was so ashamed of myself for that. I had neither the face nor courage to look straight at the faces of the adults from my favourite Theatrical Company. So much that I couldn’t even bring myself to enter the MANKAI dorms. |
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| …Even so, I’d still go watch every single one of their plays, in secret. |
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| One day, a fight with the gang from another school had erupted before the play. I ended up barely making it in time for the opening, tattered and roughed up. |
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| The performance that day had been the Summer Troupe’s classical, a comedy play. They had been kicking up a well-spirited but idiotic fuss on top of the stage. |
| As always, I was totally focused on the play as the curtains came up. However, even though I was laughing, I didn’t know the reason as to why my tears couldn’t stop flowing. |
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| Looking up at the MANKAI Company members shining brightly up on stage, I realised just how pathetic I must have looked…
I’ve not only troubled my parents, but I’ve also betrayed the people of the company who had thought of me as their own son. |
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| I honestly wondered what the hell was I doing with myself. I started working as somewhat of a Yakuza’s underling for a shady acquaintance of mine in order to get rid of this guilt I felt.
It was a job which only concerned small disposable errands but it was one that could I could earn quite a lump sum from. I lied to my mother that I had found a job and began putting in my share of money for the family. I still can’t forget the face of relief she had shown back then even now. |
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| However, I’m certain that working under the Yakuza might cause problems for my parents one day. So that feeling of irony has followed me ever since.
That’s also when I met the chairman of the Gin Izumi-kai. |
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| “So you’re the one…Are you the one that’s been conducting shady business on our territory, young man?” |
| “Aah?” |
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| It was a night similar to today, where a downpour had suddenly started out of nowhere.
I had been in the middle of work, transporting a bag with unknown contents within. Although I had a faint idea of what was inside, I was pretty sure that it was something unpleasant. |
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| Izumida Kikuo, the very chairperson of the Gin Izumi-kai himself had appeared and left me bruised and battered. Of course, the group who had been with me had taken that opportunity and had already ran away, abandoning me. |
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| Even then, the chairman had lent a listening ear to me when I refused to let go of the bag.
“Why do you want to earn so much money?” |
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| My completely soaked body throbbed and my head was spinning. It seems like I had told him everything while my own consciousness was starting to fade.
…I guess I don’t remember much about then.
What I do remember, though, was of the sarcastic smile he had on his face as he dragged me up by my collar. |
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| “You’ve caught my interest.” |
| “……?” |
| “I’ll take you under my wing so you should come to our place.” |
| “We’re an old group who’s been around for a long time. I’ll teach ya’ how a real Yakuza earns their keep.” |
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| To think that he’d say something like how a genuine yakuza earns their keep…furthermore, he was saying something so contradictory while being violent. I couldn’t help but laugh whilst holding my stomach in laughter. |
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| That as when I entered the Gin Izumi-kai and acted only upon the chairman’s orders. |
| That rainy night. |
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| To me… |
| That was also the very night where my “family” had expanded. |
