Something Irreversible

Another normal day had come to pass at the Hidaka ramen shop in Tokyo. Mika was beginning to enjoy her life as a waitress, often mimicking Nozomi's work ethic, down to her cheerful smile and ability to converse with the restaurant's regulars.

Nozomi returned home from a long day of school and the summer rain pelted down on the fragile roof of the Hidaka residence. The air held a humid steam to it, causing Mika and Nozomi to retreat upstairs while their father, Jin, tended to the handful of customers taking refuge from the storm with a hearty bowl of ramen. The girls enjoyed the air conditioning inside their room, eagerly flipping through television channels to catch reruns of Nozomi's favorite drama shows.

"This is one of my favorites, Mika-chan! The lead male actor is such a hottie!"
Nozomi stripped off her school uniform, donning a cute, orange t-shirt over her slender body.

Mika glued her eyes to the screen, noticing the subtle romantic gestures of the actors.
"Do people do gross stuff like this when they're dating? I thought it was just kissing and making babies."

Nozomi burst into a high-pitched laugh, enjoying Mika's reaction to learning about the real world. She gracefully pulled Mika into a hug from behind, kissing her neck with delicate lips.
"That's what a real date looks like. It's all about taking your partner out for a day of fun activities. Plus, girls can't make babies together, silly."

Mika gently pushed Nozomi away from her collarbone, wearing a pink blush on her cheeks.
"I know that, idiot! I just didn't realize how much effort really went into dating."

Nozomi curled up by Mika's side, holding her hand tightly.
"Well, do you wanna try it sometime? You know, a real date? We can get crepes and watch a movie or something."

"Sure... I'd like to experience a real date."
Mika and Nozomi's chat was cut short by a loud, male shriek from downstairs. They both locked eyes, unsure of what to make of the situation. Nozomi was the first to break the silence.
"Was that Papa?!"

Mika jolted from her spot on the carpet, gently guiding Nozomi back to the edge of her mattress.
"Stay here, Nozomi-chan. Whatever you hear, don't come out of your room."

Mika made a mad dash down the stairs, knowing that Jin must have received an unwelcome visit from the Bara-gumi. This was her chance to finally find out firsthand what had been happening in the organization since she left. Her head peeked from the doorway of the kitchen that faced into the dining room. Hidaka Jin was being held at knife point by an unfamiliar face. Mika took a shaky breath, noticing the man's flashy jewelry around his neck and fingers, as well as the various rose petal tattoos on his forearms.

"Boss says you're overdue, so that means you're overdue! No ifs, ands or buts. Fifty-thousand in cash or your head comes off!"
The yakuza member held his tanto blade dangerously close to Jin's eyeball. Mika took a step forward, gripping the chef's knife that had been left on the counter from Jin's cooking. She stayed beneath the countertop, using her small stature to her advantage to sneak around.

"I told Kazuya, I'm flat broke! If you just give me some more time, I swear-"

Jin's pleading was cut short. The man sliced directly into his cheek, the blade resting between both sides of his mouth. It was a perfect piercing; if he had aimed even a hair lower, Jin's teeth would be torn from his very mouth. He let out a howl of pain, echoing off the walls of the now-empty ramen shop. Mika seized the opportunity, swiftly grappling the large man from behind; her legs acting as a clamp around his muscular neck.
"Stay still and shut your mouth, Bara-gumi. Leave my adoptive father alone, and I won't resort to drastic measures."

The man wrapped his hand around Mika's thigh, gripping her flesh with an unforgiving grasp.
"If it isn't the loser dog of Tokyo. I recognize your voice anywhere, little bitch!"
He used his overwhelming strength to slam Mika into the table below, knocking the air from her lungs in an instant.

She lay atop the destroyed remnants of a wooden table, watching as the large yakuza loomed over her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He yanked his tanto blade from Jin's mouth, splitting his cheek flesh open; leaving a sickening, gaping hole on his face.

"Sweet, I'm in for a pay raise! Not only do I get to kill Hidaka Jin, but I'm retrieving the boss's puppy in the process!"
The unfamiliar yakuza grabbed Mika by her neck, slinging her weightless body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Jin extended his arm toward Mika, using the last of his strength to grip the man's ankle tightly.
"Let my new girl go! You can kill me all you want, but don't you ever lay a hand on my family!"

The man landed a vicious kick to Jin's head, sending him flying into the edge of the countertop, with blood gushing down his face.
"Who the hell are you to make demands, you rotten gambler! This girl belongs to Ninagawa Charlotte of the Bara-gumi! Your days of playing family are over!"

Mika watched in horror as blood gurgled from Jin's mouth. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she was dragged away like a helpless puppy.

A weak, feminine voice shouted from the doorway of the kitchen. Hidaka Nozomi appeared with a knife resting in her shaky hands.
"Let Mika-chan go! You hurt my Papa!"
Her arms trembled violently, but she stood her ground as the yakuza inched closer.

"No, Nozomi-chan! Stay out of this! Don't worry about me!"
Mika's voice cracked with a desperate urgency. She clawed against the arms of the yakuza who was carrying her, but her efforts were futile.

"Stay out of this, little girl. Go cower in the corner while I kill this old prick!"
The man ignored Nozomi's cries, holding his pistol barrel against Jin's skull.

Before her brain could process her own movement, Nozomi rushed ahead with incredible speed. She lunged the sharpened chef's knife directly into the yakuza member's left arm. He let out a guttural shout, immediately dropping the injured Mika from his shoulders.
"You little bitch!"
In the heat of the battle, the man sliced his tanto blade toward Nozomi, not considering the consequences of his actions.

Nozomi's chest split wide open, causing a spray of blood to spurt all over the man standing before her. She let out a breathless gasp, falling face first into her own crimson red fluids.

"Nozomi! What the fuck did you just do to her?!"
Mika scrambled to her feet, landing a lethal kick to the Bara-gumi member's thick skull. The man collapsed with a deafening crunch- he was dead. Mika stomped against his chest with barbaric strength, watching as the man's torso caved inward and released a pool of dark blood.

Jin, who had been watching with wide eyes, crawled his way to Nozomi's side, analyzing her pale face as her wound seeped against the floor.
"Nozomi... Hey, Nozomi? No, no, no!"

Mika snapped her head to the side, coming down from the adrenaline rush that had taken hold of her. Her legs trembled violently as she sprinted to Nozomi's side, wrapping her own shirt around the fatal wound on her chest.
"Nozomi-chan! Look at me, Nozomi-chan!"

The pretty girl's face turned completely white. Through the tears spilling down her cheeks, Nozomi mustered enough strength to give Mika one final smile. She extended her hand to Mika's cheek, gently cupping it with her cold fingertips.
"Mika-chan... let's go on... a date... We're gonna... get married... remember?"

Mika held onto Nozomi's dying hand, frantically nodding her head as she watched the life drain from her lover's eyes.
"Yeah... we're going to get married."

Jin couldn't bear to watch any longer. His only daughter was dying right before his very eyes, and it was all his fault. He stroked Nozomi's cold forehead, planting a tender kiss on her hair.
"Just hold on, Nozomi. We'll get you all patched up and I'll quit gambling forever! Do you hear me?! No more yakuza in our shop!"

"Papa... everything feels cold..."
Nozomi's hand slipped from Mika's grip. She had passed away. Her corpse looked like an angel, but the desperate cries of her loved ones filled the room with unbridled despair.

"Nozomi! Wake the fuck up, Nozomi!"
Jin screamed through his torn cheeks, watching as his own blood spurted with each loud shout. The final connection he had to his late wife had been eternally severed, cut short in an instant. He watched with bated breath as Mika stood from the pool of blood; her eyes completely disassociated from the world around her.

Mika grabbed the rose petal painted tanto blade, using the sharpened edge to saw through the yakuza member's neck. She held the man's decapitated head in her arms, using a bag from the kitchen to wrap around the disturbing, bloody scalp. She turned her head over her shoulder, giving Jin a glare full of hatred.
"Nozomi's death is on you... Wait here for the police and take responsibility for your actions... I'm paying the Bara-gumi a nice, long visit."

Jin collected himself, nodding as he wiped the flowing tears from his eyes. He knew Mika was right, and it pained him greatly.
"You still have your whole life ahead of you, Mika. Mine ended the moment I lost Nozomi... I'll rot in jail for the rest of my life to atone."

Mika saved herself the excuses and exited the ramen shop, covered in the remnants of a brutal battle. She cradled the man's severed head close to her chest, seemingly blending in with the nightlife as she trudged down the streets of Tokyo.