The Memories Our Bodies Tell [Part 1]

October 13th, 2012. At exactly 1:30 AM, Umeda Mika was born. Her infant cries echoed through the dimly lit alleyway located deep in the red-light district of Tokyo. Umeda Sora, Mika's prostitute mother, had just given birth to the secret daughter of a certain political candidate who had been running for mayor. If anyone ever found out, Umeda Sora would be slaughtered and fed to the fishes in Tokyo Bay. The natural course of action was to abandon her life as a prostitute and secure a safe, comfortable home to raise her daughter away from prying eyes.

Sora rose from the piles of garbage she had just given a natural birth on top of, cradling Mika closely to her sweaty chest. She had a gleam in her eye, staring at Mika as if she were the most precious thing in the world- more than any expensive diamond ring or even the cherry blossoms fluttering under a full moon.
"Welcome to the world, my little Mika~"

Mika made a soft coo, bringing her mother's finger to her mouth for a nibble. Sora entered a private restroom near a gas station, washing Mika's soft body beneath a stream of warm city water.
"Don't look at me like that, Mika. Mommy doesn't have a home. Luckily for you, I know just the right people to lend me some money. We'll be living like queens before you can say your first words!"

Sora followed suit, using the paper towels to wipe the grime of childbirth from her weary body.

Sora made her way down the empty streets of Tokyo, carrying Mika in a bundle of paper towels she had taken from the standalone restroom, ensuring she was surrounded by as much warmth as possible. She desperately hoped that it would provide enough comfort.

Mika let out a wailing cry, reaching for her mother's chest with greedy hands.

"Jeez, Mika. You're hungry, aren't you? Be careful, okay? Mommy doesn't have a lot of... padding around her chest. You'll probably grow up to be a tiny girl like me."
Sora allowed for Mika to latch onto her breast, wincing slightly as Mika guzzled a generous helping from her teat. Despite the pain in her legs, Sora pushed on, desperate to reach the headquarters of Tokyo's well known gang, the Bara-gumi.

"I think I can see the apartments in the distance, Mika. We did it! Let's ask the Bara-gumi for a little loan to get us on our feet."
Sora's smile could light up even the darkest of nights. Her knuckles thudded against the door, the morning sun casting an ominous glow as it illuminated the large building.

Opening the door was a girl in her mid-teens, wearing her long, silver hair in a messy ponytail. Her eyes had heavy bags beneath them, accentuating her vibrant green eyes as they squinted.
"Yeah? What do you want?"

Sora felt a surge of animosity coming from the young girl. She quickly pushed her fears aside, cradling Mika closer to her chest.
"Um, I need to speak with Ninagawa Charlotte. I'm interested in... a loan."

The silver-haired girl looked at Mika, studying the sleeping infant's face. She had seen this kind of situation before, and found it in her best interest to act on her own selfishness to spare the clueless mother of a dreadful future.
"Look, I don't recommend asking Charlotte for a loan. She can be pretty bitchy when it comes to meeting deadlines. How much do you need? I'll pull it from my own pocket."

Sora's eyes widened, she quickly counted on her fingers.
"Let's see... housing, clothing, food. Maybe... five hundred thousand yen?"

The silver-haired girl let out a sigh of annoyance. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, typing angrily against the screen.
"Five hundred thousand? Alright, give me your bank info. This is coming from an illegal transfer account, so don't blame me if you get questioned by the banks. Just say you sold a vehicle or something. Works every time."
The girl handed her cell phone to Sora, waiting for her to input her private information as if the situation were normal.

Sora quickly tapped on the screen, handing the cell phone back to the silver-haired teenager.
"Okay... When should I expect the money?"

"About... now. If you ever need more, come directly to me, not Charlotte. My name is Kawaguchi Harumi."
Harumi extended her small hand to seal the deal.

Sora shook her hand with a weak grip, allowing tears to flow from her yellow eyes.
"Thank you, Harumi-san. I'll never forget you. I promise I'll return your loan when I have my life together."

"Don't worry about it. It's only five hundred thousand. I'll be around."
Harumi closed the door, leaving Sora with a feeling of fondness for her carefree attitude.

"Mika... I want you to grow up to be as kind as Harumi-san."
Sora planted a tender kiss atop Mika's head, letting the morning air fuel her to find the nearest real estate office to start her new life.

Within a matter of hours, Umeda Sora had an unfurnished apartment that she could call home. Together with her daughter, Mika, she could finally leave her past as a prostitute behind her. No more scandals, no more sex friends- just a loving personality and a drive to provide her daughter a better life than she had while growing up.

Sora held Mika's small body against the kitchen sink, removing the paper towel blanket surrounding her. Mika let out whimpers of distress, which eventually turned into a howl of discomfort as she released her bladder.
"Aw, did someone have an accident? Let's get you all cleaned up, Mika."

A knock at the door caused Sora to quicken the pace of Mika's diaper change. She rushed to the door, leaving Mika in the sink.
"That must be the neighbors. Agh, I should apologize for making such a ruckus. I don't want to be a nuisance on my first day."

Sora opened the door with a friendly smile, watching as a woman in a black, rose-patterned kimono puffed the tip of her pipe. She was in her mid-twenties and had a face that resembled Japan's famous pop-star, Utada Hikaru.
"I'm so sorry! I'll try not to be so noisy. It's just that my little Mika made a-"
Sora stopped mid sentence, watching as the mysterious beauty held a silver pistol to her forehead.

"Are you Umeda Sora?"
The woman bit the edge of her pipe, scowling hard enough to wrinkle her smooth face.

"Y-yes... I'm Umeda Sora..."
Sora stood perfectly still, not daring to peel her eyes away from the dangerous woman before her. No matter how much her mind screamed to save Mika, she just couldn't move.

"You're a bold woman, stealing five hundred million dollars from my organization."
It was now evidently clear who this mysterious temptress was: Ninagawa Charlotte, the ruthless leader of the Bara-gumi.

"Five hundred million?! N-no! I only took a five hundred thousand loan from Harumi-san!"
Sora's eyes filled with tears. Her legs began to tremble violently. She could see the dilation in Charlotte's pupils, indicating she must have been high.

"Bullshit! I have the evidence right here! Five hundred million! You used an illegal bank account to steal my fortune!"
Charlotte held her cell phone to Sora's face. It was true: five hundred million had been deposited into Umeda Sora's bank account as of 5:53 AM.

Sora began to panic, her breathing became erratic.
"Wait! Harumi-san must have accidentally put too many zeroes! I swear, I'm not lying!"

"How do you know Harumi?! Your story doesn't add up! Harumi was on a mission by the time I woke up at 6:00 AM!"
Charlotte cocked the hammer of her silenced pistol.

"Please, don't! I have a bab-"

The sound of suppressed gunfire echoed through the housing complex in the slums of Arakawa-ku. There lay Umeda Sora, face down in a pool of her own blood. Charlotte, along with Sora's phone, were nowhere to be found, gone in an instant, much like Sora's short life.

Laying in the sink, Mika began to cry. She cried louder with each passing second, loud enough to draw the attention of the homeless men who had witnessed the Bara-gumi claim yet another soul. It was a normal experience, and most of them had become desensitized to the violence as a whole. But one man refused to let Mika's cries go unheard. He stepped over Sora's body and into the barren apartment, watching as an infant girl sobbed in the warm water of the sink. With gentle hands, he lifted her from the basin, clutching her head close to his chest as he exited the crime scene. The man's name was Sato Ichiro.