Sweet Sounds Of Rock And Roll

"You've got some nerve bringing this sack of shit stray dog back to my office after what she did to me, Kazuya,"
said Charlotte, picking at the frayed edges of the bandages on her hand.

Kazuya lowered his head, bowing deeply as he explained,
"I'm taking responsibility for my subordinate's mistakes, boss. I'm the one who brought her to you, and I will be the one to correct her. Thank you for giving her a second chance."

I studied Kazuya's speech patterns when he spoke to Charlotte, and how his routine voice shifted into a softer, more respectful tone. Of course, I couldn't say anything even if I wanted to. I simply gave her a small scoff and bowed alongside Kazuya.

"Indeed, you have been given a final chance, loser dog. If not for my unbridled respect for Kazuya, I would have fed you to the fishes in Tokyo Bay yesterday,"
Charlotte said while pouring herself a tall glass of whiskey.

"Fuck you. I'll see you in hell when I shove that bottle down your throat,"
I whispered with a hoarse, strained breath.

"As for you, my Wakagashira... I think you know what comes next. Let this be a statement as to how our puppy's actions can cause others' misfortune."
Charlotte motioned toward her pinky finger, making a slicing motion while staring directly into Kazuya's eyes.

"Of course, boss. Please, accept this token of apology for Umeda Mika's behavior."
Kazuya took a seat on his knees before Charlotte's desk, pulling a tanto blade from his breast pocket, and lining the edge against the tip of his distal phalanx. He severed it with a clean cut in an instant, like a veteran butcher preparing a cut of steak.

I couldn't help but wince at the sight of it. Kazuya wrapped it in a handkerchief, not so much as making a face as he handed it to Charlotte with a bow. His dark red blood pooled onto the already stained tatami floor, and Charlotte took a few seconds to admire the display before accepting his gift.

"Don't let this happen again, Kazuya. The next time our cute little puppy bites, I'll have her put to sleep. Do I make myself clear?"
Charlotte tucked the handkerchief into her sash, giving Kazuya a sidelong glance before offering me a threatening one.

"Crystal clear, boss. From now on, Umeda Mika will be taught proper discipline."
Kazuya grabbed me by my hair, forcing me to bow to the woman that I hated with a boiling rage.

"You're dismissed. Those scars look good on you, puppy. They remind me of Harumi's,"
Charlotte smirked at me, implying something wicked.

I thought about what she meant on my way to Kazuya's car. Harumi had barbed-wire tattoos enveloping her abdomen and breasts, much like the fresh scars that trailed my own torso. She must have had similar scars from a similar instance, which prompted her to cover them in tattoos, perhaps to hide the painful memories. As I sat down in Kazuya's passenger seat, he let out a sigh and wrapped his pinky finger in a bandage, staring at it like a sign of weakness.

"I'm sorry, Kazuya,"
I whispered. Thanks to the soundproofing of the car, Kazuya was able to decipher what I was saying.

"You should be. My wife is going to kill me when she sees this,"
He spoke in a sorrowful tone, clenching his fist shut to stop the bleeding.

"It's because of me that Nozomi got hurt. It's because of me that you had to perform yubitsume,"
I whispered, stifling tears that threatened to escape my eyes. I vowed that, going forward, I would never allow myself to shed another tear until Ninagawa Charlotte was dead. I would be Hidaka Nozomi's ideal image of strength, and Kazuya's ideal image of discipline, this time without failure.

"Sometimes, adolescent minds are prone to immature and irrational thinking. Given where you come from, I can only imagine what you've been bottling up all this time, Mika."
Kazuya put the car into drive, not so much as glancing at me as he lit the cigar hanging between his teeth.
"I don't blame you for wanting to harm Charlotte, but I do blame you for actually acting on it. This isn't a life you're used to, but if you don't get used to it soon, you'll be dead before the week ends."

"I understand."
I whispered.

"Good. Now, where do you want me to drop you off? Hidaka Jin's ramen shop?"
Kazuya began to drive in the direction of the red-light district, but I quickly shook my head.

"Anywhere but there! I don't deserve to see Nozomi after what just happened. Take me to Sanya, please."
I gripped the edge of my seat, relaxing slightly when Kazuya made a U-turn and headed back toward the slums I was familiar with.

"Sanya, it is. You can keep that cellphone I left for you at the hospital. Use it to call me in the morning, and I'll pick you up for our usual work,"
Kazuya said.

I nodded, pulling the small cellphone from my pocket and examining it. I fidgeted with the screen a bit, playing around on the app store before asking,
"Kazuya? How do I listen to music?"

Kazuya smiled softly, pulling over to the side of the road as we approached the outskirts of Sanya.
"Give it here, kid. I'll let you borrow my Ringo music account. Just don't go adding all those girly pop songs to my playlists."

I handed him the phone reluctantly, scowling slightly at his assumption of me.

"I don't listen to that crap! I like rock music... like you do."
I could feel my cheeks blush. I knew I must have sounded a bit childish.

"You're a punk rocker, are you? Nice taste, kid. I'll add some of my favorite songs for you in a playlist, okay?"
Kazuya chuckled, handing me back my phone after a few minutes of browsing and tapping.

I glanced at the screen, taking note of the many artists I hadn't been familiar with, even back from when I religiously listened to the rock station with my battery-powered radio at eight years old.
"Yura Yura Teikoku? Hitorie? Melt-Banana? I don't know any of these."

Kazuya sifted through his pockets, handing me a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and stuffing one of them into my ears, pressing play on the tracklist. I could feel my face light up as the noisy, distorted guitar riffs pumped into my brain, causing my head to bob up and down in rhythm.
"Kazuya! I like this music!"
I whispered, feeling my cheeks burn a bit brighter as I met his gaze.

"Glad you like it, kid. Now, don't waste all your battery on music. Call me when you wake up."
Kazuya half-heartedly shoved me from the passenger seat, driving away while screeching the tires down the road.

I found a comfortable hideout along the littered shores of one of Sanya's most notorious waterways, plopping down into the sand as I listened to the profound lyrics pumping into my head. I hadn't noticed until later that night, but Kazuya was treating me like a human today. The similar bliss that accompanied Masaaki, Harumi, and Nozomi's kindness was now something I was feeling with Kazuya. I wasn't sure why, as I had been responsible for his finger shortening earlier, but Kazuya was being nice to me. I thought, in that moment, that just maybe Kazuya was somebody I could trust. For now, I would simply enjoy his amazing taste in music as another lonely night's breeze caressed me into a peaceful slumber.

That night, I dreamed of my closest friend, Nozomi.

Volume 1 End