The price of debt

Japan, 1998…Some would say the rainy night was too quiet and peaceful in the Shirogawa district.Rain poured endlessly, blurring the street lamps and soaking the dark alleys.There was no one in sight.Only the sound of thunder and distant sea waves echoed through the night.No one would hear your scream.No one would hear your call for help.It seemed as if Shirogawa was sleeping peacefully.

No one heard the desperate begging of a man inside a small, poor house.Even if they had, no one would have dared to come.No one messes with the Shirogawa Mafia clan.

“Please… give me a few more days. I’ll get the money. This time it’s real, I swear!”He begged on his knees, staring at the barrel of the gun pointed at his face.

“A few more days, huh? You think this is a game?Do you have the money or not?”

"No… but I’ll have it. I’ll have it tomorrow!”

"Tomorrow?”The man let out a quiet laugh.

“Very impressive. They always say tomorrow. And tomorrow never ends.But my patience does.Get him out of my sightsa

 he said to another man who was holding a young woman tightly by the waisll

“He’ll pay another way…”he added casually, lowering the gun behind his back as if the matter had already been settlewo

“The woman too?” one of his men asked, just to be sure

“Both of them. We need to send a message.”

"And what about the child?”He glanced toward the small, malnourished figure with messy black hair, barefoot in pajamas, curled up in the corner of the room

The boy was shaking in fear, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

“We’ll take him with us. We still need to collect the debt,”the man said coldly, looking at the child.

The mother screamed.

“No! Don’t hurt him… please, let us go!We didn’t do anything!”She struggled desperately to free herself from the tight grip of the man holding her.

“Damn you, Hiroshi!Look what you’ve done! Look what you’ve done to us!”Her voice, filled with rage, echoed through the room as she glared at her husband in disgust.

“Sota, honey… don’t cry.Mommy is sorry. Mommy loves you so much…”Her voice trembled as they were dragged out of the house

Through the open door, the sound of heavy rain and thunder filled the room as their silhouettes slowly disappeared into the darkness of the night.The boy remained in the corner, trembling.

“Sota… don’t cry. Mommy loves you so much…”Her voice echoed in his mind long after she was gone.But the rain outside was louder.And soon… it was the only thing he could hear.