Leaving Eden

Crimson streaks poured from Shuhei’s ruptured lip and broken nose. More thuds of blunted boots struck his stomach and back, causing him to choke out in agony. All the while, Reiji stood over him.

“I told you. I FUCKING TOLD YOU what would happen if you let this get out of hand. Because of you and that girl, the mayor is threatening to upend all of this. EVERYTHING WE BUILT! GONE! DONE! Because you had the audacity to fall in love, you stupid, sensitive son of a bitch!”

Reiji’s knuckles came crashing down into Shuhei’s temple. Reiji let out a yelp from the impact, and Shuhei collapsed onto the floor as white spots erupted across his field of vision. Every breath came like knives. But he didn’t care. He only cared about Kaho.

“Reiji, please. Leave her out of this. We didn’t mean for this to happen. We tried to be hidden. Please leave her alone,” Shuhei gagged as he felt a tooth wobbling loose in his mouth.

Reiji snarled as he shook his hand.

“Think I broke my goddamn hand!” he sneered through gritted teeth.

He turned to look at Shuhei. The violence wasn’t enough. Yet. Reiji tilted his head upwards slightly and the two guards lifted Shuhei onto his feet.

As they hoisted him up, one of them patted him on the back. The other turned his back on Reiji and winked at Shuhei. They had all three always gotten along. Shuhei had consistently introduced them to girls looking for one-night stands and had paid them well after big nights. As their fists balled and reared back, he knew the punches would at least be pulled.

It still hurt, but at least he wouldn’t be in a coma by the end of this.

Bone met bone. Teeth came loose. Cheekbones ripped open. Consciousness began to flicker like a dying flame. Then it was over.

Shuhei was subtly lowered so that he could brace his fall as he collapsed onto the carpet once more. There was enough clarity left in his mind for him to continue his pleading, so his hand reached out for Reiji’s leg.

“If you’re retiring, then I don’t mind leaving you broken and swollen. It’s not bad asset management anymore if you aren’t my asset any longer.”

“I’ll pay you, Reiji. I’ll pay out my contract plus extra. Plenty extra. Just leave her alone. None of this was intentional, and we tried to not cause you problems. No harm to her, I beg you.”

Shuhei lowered his head to the ground in a complete bow of surrender. His childhood friend sighed and pressed his finger into the swelling that was forming on the back of his hand.

“That’s definitely broken. You sure are hard-headed. You always were.”

“And you never could punch correctly. That’s why you had me do it,” Shuhei said as he tried to laugh.

Reiji almost smiled.

“Yeah. I guess you did cover me a lot back then. I never thought it was fair that you were so tall and strong and I was always sick. But I guess I won in the end,” he sneered as he looked down at Shuhei’s humiliated beg. Wobbling limbs forced themselves to tense so that Shuhei could sway upwards to face his boss.

“Please, Reiji. Not her. I’ll pay you whatever you want. I don’t care anymore. I just want to leave Tokyo and never come back. And I want her left alone.”

Reiji inhaled and fixed his hair.

“You would have made me at least another two hundred million yen in the remainder of your contract. And your behavior will likely lead to a loss of another two hundred million in revenue for me while we recalibrate under this new pressure. And now you’ve broken my hand. That’s another fifty million, I think.”

Shuhei sighed a slightly prolonged sigh. Reiji had no way of knowing how much he’d actually saved during his plan. This was eating away at nearly all of it. It couldn’t all be for nothing, but also, Shuhei would give up every penny just to flee Tokyo’s claws and know Kaho would never be harmed. Even if he never got to see her again, he just wanted to be sure she wouldn’t be hurt.

Reiji continued.

“Also, I will need new bribery money for certain city councilors and Diet members. So that’s another one hundred million. And lastly, to make sure nothing ever befalls dear Nozaki Kaho OR her family…” Reiji said with an honest inflection of recognition.

“Another one hundred million. So that’s six hundred and fifty million yen.”

Shuhei choked on a smile of defeated release. Nearly all of his savings were now gone. It had all been for almost nothing. But it had led him to her. No matter what, he wouldn’t have met her if not for the path of self-loathing he’d slowly stumbled down for years. Now, that path was ending. Reiji’s eyes were sincere. After a lifetime of knowing one another, Shuhei believed he meant what he was saying. It was done.

“Thank you, Reiji. I’ll get the money wired tonight. You can post guards at my house or whatever you need to do to feel sure. I’m not running. You know I’m good for it. Thank you.”

Delirious, gracious tears burned along his ripped skin. It was over.

Reiji reached out his swollen hand and helped Shuhei up from the floor.

“I would tell you that you can never set foot in Kabukicho again, but I don’t think I have to worry about that.”

Shuhei laughed and shook his head.

“I fucking hate this district. You might never see me in Tokyo again.”

“Where are you going?” Reiji asked in genuine curiosity.

Shuhei lowered his head slightly.

“You know I’m not telling you that.”

Unsteady legs carried Shuhei out of Eden. Behind him, Reiji stood in the hall and dipped his head goodbye.

Once he was outside, Shuhei retrieved his phone from his pocket to message Kaho. That was when he saw her frantic messages. Terror shot through his bruised and broken frame as he read each desperate note.

The last one simply read:

“Someone attacked me. Can you please come to my home?”