Chapter 2: Seized Assets

Yakubo sits on the short brick wall in what used to be his mother's garden. Clutching Mr. Fluffy, his stuffed fox, like it's all he has left, and, for now, that is all he has left in his life.

Close by the front steps of the house, the police ruthlessly pressure Hana.

Corrupted by the top, they work for the people who pay them the most. In this case, they don’t see a tragedy, they see a paycheck.

Investigators will always attempt to pin the murder quickly on someone, to rush through the legal system with little care for the impacts it may cause.

Frequently, people are wrongfully imprisoned and forced to work while imprisoned, it could take years just to get a trial in front of a judge.

For that reason, many avoid the police like the plague. Historically, they escalate problems, and it is unwise to argue with them.

No matter what has happened or what you have done or didn’t do, you will always lose, because to them, what’s right and wrong doesn’t matter. All that matters to them is lining their pockets with easy cash.

“What are your connections to the victims? Why did you find the bodies first? Why were you walking the young boy home?” The investigators press Hana relentlessly with questions, each one sharper than the next, each one more suggestive of their obvious suspicion of her.

The two men are tall, big, muscular, wearing the official Onmitsu identification on their left chest. The symbol is four overlaid fronds of grass, and the jackets covering their torsos show their rank as Kashinin of Kusabue.

“He has a name. It’s Yakubo.” Hana retorts back at the investigator, words sharp, her eyes puffy and red from crying.

“And I already told you. I am Yakubo’s daycare teacher. His mother didn't show up to pick him up. I assumed the storm earlier had held her up. It was getting late, so I had planned to walk Yakubo home.” Hana tells them she doesn’t raise her voice.

That won't solve anything, but she is just as devastated as Yakubo.

Hana had been a family friend to the Kageyamas for half a decade. Now they are dead, and they are trying to blame her for it, they just want a scapegoat so they can seize the expensive home.

“Why walk him home? Why not contact enforcement first before entering the home?” The Investigator's partner pushes more against Hana, searching for a flaw in the story, a reason to pin it on her.

Hana refuses to bend to what isn’t the truth, she has dealt with plenty of Onmitsu who think they can just get what they want.

Across the way, Yakubo isn't faring well at all. In stark contrast, everyone works around him like they refuse to address it.

The police, with Onmitsu working on the scene, only give pitied looks as they pass by doing their duties.

It is uncomfortable to see such a young child so clearly distraught, the young boy doesn’t scream. Yakubo just sits there, crying his eyes out, stuffed fox clenched tight to his chest.

A single social worker sits next to him, staring blankly at the scene in front of her, there isn’t anything she can say

No level of professionalism could prepare a person for something so extreme. What can you say to a child that just saw their whole family dead?

The social worker shifts slightly, reaching for the blanket that is slowly slipping off his shoulders.

Yakubo flinches slightly at the movement of someone reaching for him, he has shut down completely, not a single word.

All he does is sit with the thoughts and emotions too big for such a small child. The concept of death hasn't yet been established for a child his age, but Yakubo understands it.

Yakubo knows exactly what this means, in his head, all he can think about is that his family will never wake up again.

The social worker slowly pulls back, she has seen too many children in this position before, and it never gets easier. Since the war, many children have been shunned and forgotten, yet she can do nothing in the long run.

Systems that were in place had to be destroyed to prevent disasters, famine, and mass deaths, so children were forgotten about.

The young woman watches Yakubo and understands there is no coming back from this.

A child that has just seen what he has will be shut down for months if they are lucky, worst case, he never speaks.

Questions will be asked, the story will be rushed, and the main victim yet again won't have a voice. That’s how these investigations always go, children are the least of the government's concerns.

The worker sees this, takes her cut, and stands slowly, knowing no amount of pushing will get her anything.

Instead, she moves towards the street light, casting soft fluorescent hues, and lights a cigarette.

“Any luck with him, Mei?” A male voice calls out as he approaches the young woman from a short distance.

The man, Ren, a Special Kashinin and lead detective of the ever-diminishing forces of Kusabue, has been tasked with solving the case.

“Kid won’t budge. Seen it before, traumatic mutism. We ain’t getting anything from him.” Mei mumbles to the shuffling Ren, the smoke from the cigarette curling loosely around the shaft right into the open air.

She is blunt in her words, any question the lead officer may have won’t be getting answered tonight, not from Yakubo.

There is a silence that settles between them for a moment, both adults watching the young boy staring at the ground alone in his own world right now.

“The state's not going to take another. We’re running out of space and funds.” Ren’s words hang in the air, grim but the unfortunate truth behind this violent crime.

Mei hums in acknowledgment, cigarette dwindling slowly. She knows all too well that soon, she'll be out of a job too, as part of the cuts.

The reality is that the system is already bloated, they are behind on dozens of cases as it is. This case is harder than most, twenty minutes of searching to find nothing, no weapon, no DNA, no evidence.

All signs point to a clear targeted assassination, but there is no suspect, and even less of a motive as to why this family.

“I ran a background check on mother, name’s Akio Kageyama. The family moved here after the war, with some connections to a top-ranking Onmitsu. No criminal history, no clan, clean record, no father on record for any of the three kids. Neighbors said the family was great, never had problems with anyone.” Ren tells Mei the circumstances, a family moved here right after the war through connections.

Now they have been deliberately assassinated without reason or cause, nothing to point to. This whole situation is wrapped up in mysteries way above their pay grade.

“The case is going to get shelved by morning,” Ren mutters to Mei, his eyes trailing back to the young boy still sitting in the same position he was in moments earlier. They know what happens to cases like these no prime suspect, no motive, no evidence.

Short-staffed and underfunded, they put away anything that isn't clear-cut, never to be touched again.

“And the kid?” Mei huffs as she blows out a small bit of smoke from her mouth, the cigarette slowly shrinking with each inhale.

Mei knows what is going to happen, but it is her job to understand what the detective does next with the child.

“We’ll take him down to the station, see if we can get anything from him. If we get nothing, he goes to the group home. While the file goes up to the state as we wait.” Ren answers Mei.

Their hands are tied here, the kid has no direct family to take him.

No one is allowed to house him because of the investigation, and they have to bring him down to the station.

When they inevitably find nothing, they have to hand him off. From there, whatever happens is out of their hands.

“Alright. I’ll handle the kid, you deal with…whatever that is.” Mei sighs, the cigarette releasing its last bits of smoke as the embers die off.

With a single motion, Mei gestures to the interrogation that is happening against Hana, the daycare worker. It looks more like two bullies trying to get someone to admit to it rather than an investigation.

Mei has nothing else to say to Ren, stomping out the cigarette she begins to stalk over to the young boy.

“Hey,” Mei starts in a gentle voice, approaching Yakubo as if expecting him to run away the second he is spoken to.

“You don’t have to say anything, but I need to bring you to the station for a bit,” Mei reassures the young boy who has not so much as glanced up at her, too trapped in his own head to speak.

“They are just going to ask you some simple questions. Okay? Does that sound good to you?” Mei soothingly stated in a calm voice, one hand raising to rest on Yakubo’s shoulder, thumb brushing in rhythmic circles.

Mei does not get a response from Yakubo, nothing more than the slightest flinch at her touch, but it does not deter her from the goal.

Across the path, a short distance away, Ren had finally approached the two men interrogating Hana. Ren has seen enough they are not going to get anywhere by attempting to bully her into a confession.

“Alright, that’s enough! We don’t bully witnesses and victims. Right?” Ren questions the two officers, clearly in disagreement with their unethical method of questioning.

In response, both officers share a look before the taller one grunts in acknowledgment to his superior officer, while the other looks away.

“Hana was it?” Ren asks, turning to face her, ready to end this professionally where his subordinates have not

“Yes, I’m Hana, and I didn't do anything!” Hana repeats, she has had the same story. Yet they keep treating her as if she is the suspect and not just as much a victim.

“I’m not saying that you did, ma’am. They were just doing their jobs.” Ren gives the two officers another pointed look, a promise of what is to come later.

“Look. We are not getting anywhere here, ma’am.” Ren sighs as he faces her once more, this has been, so far, a brutal night, and it isn’t getting easier.

“You have a family?” Ren asks Hana for more information to understand the next steps better.

“Y-yeah, I do. I don't live far from here.” Hana stammers, clearly not expecting such a question in a situation like this.

“Okay, it is getting very late. I understand that you have witnessed a very traumatic thing.” Ren acknowledges what no one else seems to have grasped during this whole process.

“However, you are not free to go yet. I will have my team take your address and personal information. Properly.” Ren emphasizes the proper way to pass the message to all parties involved.

“After that, you are free to return home for the rest of the night. Tomorrow an officer will go to your place of residence to bring you in for questioning. Attempting to flee or evade will be taken as an admission of guilt. A warrant will be put out for your arrest, and your status will change from victim to suspect.” Ren informs Hana of the next steps, he is being very lenient with her because of how much pressure is already on his division.

“O-okay. Thank you.” Hana lets out a very relieved breath, she is finally getting proper treatment.

“I won’t go anywhere, I promise. I want to help as best I can, I’ve known the Kageyama for years.” Hana is kind, and she has been close friends with the Kageyamas.

Seeing such a sight has impacted her greatly, even now, she is still wiping her tears.

“Okay, I understand. Again, no one is accusing. Just provide the information, then you are free to go.” Ren reassures her again that they aren’t after her. All they need is her information, and then they’re good.

“What about Yakubo? What is going to happen to him?” Hana asks, her eyes darting to where Yakubo sits, half-hidden behind Mei, crouched in front of him.

“Don’t worry about the kid, ma’am. I can promise you that he is in good hands. He will be safe within the state’s custody.” Ren says, but even those words taste bitter in his mouth, he knows the truth for kids like Yakubo.

Yet there is nothing to be done, not as of now, their hands are tied in procedures.

“You're lying, I’ve seen what happens to kids in the state’s care. Kids go missing, no one bats an eye. I refuse to leave Yakubo alone through that.” Hana spits out to Ren, the other two officers behind Ren shifting, ready to intervene already before anything has even happened.

Ren raises a hand, pressing the back of it to the shorter officer's chest to stop them in their place.

“I understand your concerns, ma’am. After processing is done and questioning is over. You are free to contact state workers at the institution to enter the adoption process.” Ren remains calm as he explains Hana’s options and the steps she can take over the next few days.

“The only thing you need to focus on now is to provide said information, then return home to your family. If you wish, we can speak more on this matter tomorrow when you are at the station.” Ren quickly de-escalates the situation before it can spiral, keeping herself safe.

She also leaves herself a chance to take custody of Yakubo from the state soon after the investigation closes.

“I just want him to be okay,” Hana whispers to Ren, saying that all of this is coming from deep in her heart.

Hana had spent years with the Kageyamas as a friend, all three children had gone through her daycare. To see them be brutally killed in their own home, leaving Yakubo alone, breaks her into pieces.

“The best way to make sure he is okay is to make the process easier for everyone, ma’am. Stay safe and make it home to your family, the rest can be handled tomorrow.” Ren sighs out the last bit.

This has been a stressful night for everyone involved, no one needs to make it harder.

With that being said, Ren gives his subordinate officers a final look before turning to leave to continue the investigation of the crime scene.

The forensic team has spent this whole time searching for any bits of evidence that could have been left behind. Nothing was found, whoever did this was a professional.

A struggle between Onmitsu had occurred, yet nothing defined it. Unable to find any significant evidence, the forensic team bags what they do have and labels it for lab analysis.

Ren walks in just as the team begins carrying out the evidence they do have. He wordlessly moves aside to let the first person through.

Finally, the bodies that have already been bagged are put onto the stretcher, the three of them each gather with meticulous care.

This scene was particularly brutal even for the veteran squad, a mother protecting her children, slaughtered like cattle.

By the time everything is brought outside, the house is left for whatever hazard crew will be here to clean the scene.

To everyone's relief, Mei has already taken Yakubo away, heading toward the station.

The boy has been through too much for someone so young, he does not need to see his family's bodies once again. Hana had provided the information the officers had needed.

Now she has nothing left to do except go home to her family. The last thing that she sees is the bodies of the Kageyama family being carried to the carrier wagon, to be brought to the morgue.

***

When Mei and Yakubo arrive at the station, it is quiet, only the night shift remains in the building. It is peaceful, all in a way that Yakubo is not.

Mei takes his hand and guides him into the station. The first thing to hit Yakubo is the blinding lights above, shining clinically and sterile.

The receptionist at the front desk stands instantly, maybe to greet, maybe to question, she does not get whatever she wishes to say through. Mei glares right at her, stopping her in her tracks, by now, she would know who Mei is with and what has transpired.

So the receptionist wisely closes her mouth, letting the pair pass through the locked door with the press of a button.

Mei does not waste time speaking to any of the moving officers, nor does she even greet her supervisor. Her entire priority is ensuring that Yakubo does not break down.

If his staying silent is what is keeping him from breaking down, then a silent environment is what will be provided. Mei does not take him to the interrogation room, that would only terrify Yakubo.

Instead, she brings him into the forensic interview room, where their own forensic team is questioned about the evidence they found. Upon entering, the room feels softer, the lights are dimmed, and the chairs are color-coded.

It is organized, clean, and cozy in a way the normal station is not, and the goal is to make the forensic teams comfortable.

The lab lights are on, someone is working. Given what is happening, privacy is the priority. Mei doesn't waste time, steering instantly toward one of the secluded rooms.

The door swings open, Mei holds it, letting Yakubo shuffle into the room first. Yakubo hasn’t looked up from the ground, his crying has stopped, and the tears have all dried up.

The only thing that has stayed through all this is his fox plushie, Mr. Fluffy, still tightly held to his chest.

Mei guides him down to a chair, a firm red sofa with a spacious feel to it, the table a fair bit away, allowing him room to breathe.

Mei moves slowly around the room, silently setting things up for the questioning that will start as soon as Ren arrives.

She places a small, subtle recorder under the table, tidying things to make it feel less like an interrogation and more like gentle questioning.

With a final glance at Yakubo just to make sure, she leaves the room, swiftly moving just across the room to the maintenance center where she flicks on the camera in the room.

With all the preparation done quickly, Mei does the only thing she can, sit and watch Yakubo through the camera, waiting for Ren to arrive, so this nightmare can finally be over.

It doesn’t take long, Ren is not far behind the pair on the way to the station, and he runs without pause.

He arrives, already having been informed where Mei took Yakubo and what the plan was for him. Ren turns the corner, entering the forensic room already preparing for the difficult conversations about to be had.

“Good, you’re finally here.” Mei sighs in relief as she steps out of the maintenance room where she had been watching the cameras.

“He has been…as calm as a kid in his position can be,” Mei informs Ren that Yakubo’s status is stable. If they wish to keep it that way, they have to be calm and patient with him.

“Okay, we can work with that. Aoi should be here soon, the state's already been notified.” Ren takes a deep breath to steady himself after the run.

The person coming is Aoi, the state custody lawyer and psychologist who handles child cases and sees hundreds of children monthly.

Speaking of Aoi, the door to the forensics room opens quickly as a messy man strides through, clearly exhausted, having been woken up in the middle of the night for this.

He holds a briefcase in one hand, the other smoothing out a wrinkled tie, he shakes his head once as if to wake himself up fully.

“I got called, the sergeant filled me in. This case seems clear-cut, no immediate family on record, no friend of kin listed legally, no godparents. The paperwork is already set up for him to stay at the orphanage.” Aoi doesn't waste time explaining to Ren and Mei, there aren't any questions here.

The next steps are simple, the paperwork has already been filed. The last step is seeing if they can get any answers out of him.

“Let’s not push a lot. Kids’ been through enough as it is.” Aoi mumbles as he smooths down his hair for the last time, already preparing himself to watch this questioning.

With that said, a silent agreement passes between all three of them, if Yakubo doesn't answer, pushing won’t help anyone.

Mei is the first to enter, slowly opening the door. Sure enough, Yakubo is in the same spot, staring at the floor, his grip on Mr. Fluffy is still bone white.

Ren is the next to enter, his movements careful, until he slides into the chair across from Yakubo. Finally, Aoi takes the seat furthest from Yakubo, his entire role is to observe the conversation.

“Yakubo…buddy. Would it be okay if we asked a few questions?” Mei gently questions Yakubo, not pushing him but leaving it there as an offer.

Yakubo does not answer, but for his part he gives the very briefest nod, which could have been a flinch. Ren takes the opportunity to ask about the strange gaps in his mother's records.

“Yakubo, can you remember any friends your mother had? Any Onmitsu in your life that you can recall?” Ren probes, trying to get anything he can about Akio and her origins.

The Onmitsu that got her into Kusabue, for a potential suspect or motive. Yakubo doesn’t seem to hear Ren at first, he is in his own head.

The silence is deafening in the small room, five seconds pass, then fifteen, and after thirty, Ren lets out a sharp breath.

At that moment, an understanding spreads, they are not going to get anything out of Yakubo tonight. Aoi doesn't waste time, standing slowly, already heading for the door, brushing Mei’s shoulder on the way out.

“Take him to the orphanage…he’s had enough,” Aoi whispers to Mei as he passes, a moment of eye contact- there is nothing else to say.

Finally breaking eye contact, Aoi excuses himself from the room. Ren casts a final glance at Yakubo, a mix of sadness and helplessness.

Then Aoi follows out of the room, leaving Mei and Yakubo alone once again.

***

The next hour and a half is all a blur to Yakubo, Mei takes him swiftly out of the station. It is late, she has a family to go home to, and this night has been long.

The journey to the orphanage happens fast, in the blink of an eye for Yakubo, they have made it there.

Yakubo pays no attention to anything, staring at the ground, shuffling along with his hand in Mei’s. Only when he feels Mei’s hand let go does he look up, his eyes dilate as a candle appears in front of him.

Two women stand at the steps to a place he has never seen before, the older one already stepping aside to speak to Mei.

The younger one takes a hesitant step towards Yakubo, placing a gentle hand on Yakubo's shoulder to steer him away.

“Come on, little one. I’ll show you to your bed.” The woman says, attempting to guide Yakubo inside, but Yakubo doesn’t hear her.

His tiny hand reaches out for Mei, she’s been the only person through this whole thing, and now they are being separated.

Mei glances at Yakubo for a single second, she says nothing as the woman finally manages to guide Yakubo inside. This is the hardest part of the job.

Once Yakubo is inside, the woman leads him to his bed, carrying a candle to guide them through the dark. The doors to a big room slowly open, the space is quiet and safe, with soft sounds coming from children already asleep.

Yakubo is gently shuffled toward the bed, the woman only hesitates for a second when they reach it, and Yakubo doesn’t instantly lay down.

Only when Yakubo finally lowers himself onto the bed slowly does the woman leave, not before watching for a few more seconds just to make sure.

The bed is stiff, the air is cold, the room is big, nothing like his room in his home. Yakubo stares blankly at the ceiling for what feels like hours.

He doesn't have anything anymore, that is what he’s been telling himself throughout this whole thing. Another wave of depressing sadness washes over him, and Yakubo starts to cry again.

The tears fall silently, the tiny whimpers muffled by the pillow, as Yakubo cries himself to sleep, all alone.

***

Morning comes fast, Yakubo wakes up to the sound of a bell being chimed somewhere within the orphanage itself. Yakubo has very little time to get his bearings, there is a flurry of movement from all around him.

Children wake up, stretch, and talk among themselves as they shuffle around, remaking their beds. Yakubo doesn’t utter a single word in this process as he shifts to his feet with a soft thud.

He watches as all the children funnel out of the room, not a single one speaks to him, and they don't even look at him.

Following them, he sees them all lining up in front of a desk, with a single man sitting behind it with a clipboard in hand.

The other woman from the night before stands next to him, watching and ensuring all the children make it through.

Yakubo peers through the archway to the other room, it is full of children sitting at lunch benches, eating what seems to be some form of breakfast. As the line slowly dwindles, the man efficiently ticks off each kid until Yakubo finally reaches the front.

“Name?” the man asks, a single eyebrow raised at the new face he has never seen before. Yakubo, in response, just stares. His eyes still slightly red from rubbing, Mr. Fluffy still in his hands, he hasn’t let go of the fox plushie.

“His name is Yakubo…he arrived last night,” the woman, the same one who had just shown Yakubo to his bed last night, tells the man behind the desk.

“Yakubo, Yakubo. I don’t have Yakubo on the list?” the man tells the woman, looking up from the clipboard towards her with a puzzled expression.

“That can’t be right,” the woman proclaims, confusion knitting her brow as she looks down at the clipboard to check it herself.

“He was just dropped off by Mei last night?” She clarifies again that Mei, the social worker who comes here frequently to speak with children, had dropped him off.

“He’s not on the list, we can't take him if he isn’t on the list,” the man says, shifting to his feet and looking at the woman.

“Look at him, he’s five, you can’t-” the woman starts to protest, only for the man to cut her off in the middle of it.

“We can barely feed the ones we do have!! If what you're saying is true, then the paperwork probably hadn’t gone through last night.” The man speaks sternly, he is not bending an inch. Yakubo is not on the list he cannot enter today.

“He will be fine for a day waiting for it to process. Now, if you would please show him to the door,” the man firmly states before he turns, already marching through the archway where all the other children are eating.

With no other options, the woman looks at Yakubo. With a single deep breath, she guides Yakubo back to the doors he had just entered last night.

“Wait here,” the woman tells Yakubo before striding away through the archway, leaving him there, standing alone with Mr. Fluffy.

She returns less than a minute later, holding something wrapped in her hand. When she leans down to give it to him, Yakubo sees a loaf of bread wrapped in napkins.

“Take this, you’re probably starving. Listen to me. Please don’t wander far from here. Do not listen to strangers, and if you can, find the nearest crowded space. If anyone tries to grab you or do anything, you yell as loud as you can,” she instructs Yakubo on the things to do to be safe, but all she gets in return is the same stare.

However, Yakubo gives the tiniest nod in acknowledgment of her words, he did hear her and understood them.

“Okay. Please, stay safe.” The woman mumbles a final time before opening the big front door for Yakubo, who steps outside to the shining sunlight.

All the woman can do now is watch and hope that Yakubo stays safe out there at least until tomorrow, when they can take him.

***

Yakubo is left on the orphanage porch, his tiny head tilting slowly upward as if searching for someone to open the door and let him back in. He waits for a few minutes in silence, no one comes back out for him.

Eventually, Yakubo cuts his losses and turns away from the orphanage, taking small steps down the large stones leading up to the porch.

Padding down the dirt road, it is mostly silent, Yakubo does not know where he is. Armed with nothing but Mr. Fluffy and a loaf of bread, he has nothing to do. So he does what any child in his position would do, follow the noise.

Yakubo assumes the loud noises are voices, voices mean the main road. If Yakubo finds the main road, he can find his way home, back to Akio and his family. As soon as Yakubo hits the main street, he smells food, followed closely by the sights.

People walk in crowds, the street is full of people, both natives and tourists coming to see the main attractions of Kusabue.

He wanders for a bit, people bump into him without so much as a word. He spends most of his time looking up at everyone, trying to avoid drawing attention.

Yakubo decides to cut his losses after what feels like hours of wandering, he stumbles slightly before landing near a crate by the side of a shop.

His stomach is rumbling he hasn’t eaten in over a day, and the loaf of bread is all he has. He begins to nibble on the bread, staring at the street as people pass by, he is looking for anyone he can recognize.

By the time Yakubo finishes the bread, he has not found anyone he knows, leaving him stranded.

He stands slowly, dusting himself off, grabs Mr. Fluffy with both hands, and shifts him back to his chest. The sun begins to sink, casting orange hues over the city.

Just as Yakubo is preparing to head back to the orphanage, he sees something out of the corner of his eye. A sign at the end of the street, hung against the wall, gives Yakubo the clue.

The corner of the sign is ripped off, Yakubo can read what the sign says “Chuo-dori.” Central Avenue, with an arrow pointing to where his family's home is.

Yakubo, seeing this, feels a jump in his pulse, a wave of something he hasn't felt in days washing over him. He figured it out, his mother always told him, no matter what, always come home before sunset.

He rushes down the street to return home, the wind blowing his hair as he runs as fast as his little legs can take him.

Yakubo rounds the corner of the street and heads down the road to his home, breathless as he comes to a halt only a couple dozen feet away.

A stack of bins and items left in front of the home stops him in his tracks. Yakubo’s eyes quickly dart around the things, searching for any sign of his family's personal belongings.

He finds nothing, his family's belongings have already been removed from the home, and he doesn’t recognize a thing.

The garden had been completely changed, the roses ripped up, the tulips gone, the orchids plucked, with no signs of Akio’s touch at all.

Now a strange bush with purple flowers covers the garden up to the porch. The curtains to the living room window have been changed from black to a shade of white.

Yakubo freezes, taking it all in, while struggling to comprehend it. He is stunned, he doesn't understand what is happening to his home, why everything has been changed and moved.

Yakubo is not left alone for long, because in only a few minutes a voice cuts through, startling him out of his stupor.

“Hey kid!! What are you doing?!” A male voice yells out from the open window in the kitchen, followed by heavy footsteps.

Yakubo had come here expecting his home, his family, only to find this. Then, when he is yelled at, he panics, this isn’t the safe home he remembers.

This is not the same place Yakubo was just inside two days ago, and Yakubo's fear overtakes him. The moment the door swings open, Yakubo turns sharply and begins to run the other way.

Afraid of the man who yelled at him, afraid his family is gone, afraid that everything he ever knew has already been destroyed.

So he runs as fast as he can, he doesn’t look back, not for a second. That part of his life has died with his family.

“Honey, what’s going on?” The man’s wife asks from inside the house, slowly approaching after hearing the yelling. The husband responds with only a grunt as he watches the young child sprint away.

“Poor Thing, he’s probably starving.” The wife mumbles, having come near the front door and seeing the child's retreating figure.

The husband does not respond, only watches, then turns and ushers his wife back inside. The door shuts behind them, and with it the remaining kindling of a family that once burned bright.

***

After running as long as he could, Yakubo finally begins to fatigue. His legs have been through enough walking and running today they can't take it anymore. With the sun setting in the distance, Yakubo has nowhere to go.

He shuffles his way down the streets until he hears a voice in the distance, sharp and authoritative, scaring him again. Afraid something bad will happen, Yakubo makes his way quickly down an alleyway to hide.

Yakubo rounds the corner and hides behind the wall as the people pass by, chasing someone or something. It is getting dark, the alleyway is narrow, and the only exit is the way he came from.

The other end is a brick wall, light filters in barely from the streetlights, and shop signs still on give the slightest dim glow.

Yakubo slides down the wall, Mr. Fully in his lap, while he buries his face in his hands for a second. As if he could hide from the world and make it all go away, but nothing can change his harsh reality.

The slightest sound comes from Yakubo’s stomach, he is hungry. He hasn't eaten in hours, the last thing was the piece of bread at noon. Yakubo tries to resist it, but the hunger gets the better of him.

Standing, Yakubo grabs Mr. Fluffy and moves closer to the end of the alleyway where two trash cans line the wall.

He slowly lifts the lid, and his nose is instantly assaulted by the smell, making him gag. Still, he is too hungry not to, and he has no other options.

So Yakubo begins digging through the trash can, looking for anything to eat to satiate the gnawing hunger. Sifting through the first trash can, Yakubo finds nothing of value.

Anything he can’t eat, he drops onto the ground, and things begin to pile up next to it. Yakubo reaches deep into the trash can before he feels a sudden, sharp pain that makes him let out a tiny yelp.

He raises his finger, and a tiny cut has appeared on his finger. Instead of being afraid of it, Yakubo peers back into the trash can to find what had caused it.

Pulling out the item, he finds a broken beer bottle, sharp, with a tiny bit of his blood on the edge of it.

Yakubo stares at it a second longer before gently setting it down to the side of the trash pile.

Yakubo begins to dig again, the hunger has not vanished. However, now he looks at where he is putting his hand.

Yakubo is almost done with the first trash can, about to move on to the second one, when a voice cuts through the alleyway.

“YOU! What are you doing in my trash?!” the voice sharply barks from the entryway of the alleyway.

Yakubo, who had been holding a half-eaten apple, suddenly drops it, fear getting the better of him at the sharp voice. The man, a giant to Yakubo, stumbles closer, one hand nursing a bottle, his movements clearly uncoordinated.

“A kid? The hell a kid doing here?” The man's words are heavily slurred as he's approaching Yakubo, who is shuffling back slowly.

“Do you know what happens to kids like you? Especially ones that go through my things.” He says, looming over Yakubo, his breath stinking of horrid alcohol.

Yakubo’s back hits the wall of the alleyway, his eyes darting around, panicking. He doesn't understand what the man means, but he is scared. In a split second, Yakubo panics and attempts to run past the man to get away.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” He snaps his hand, lashing out and hitting Yakubo across the face, knocking him to the ground before he can manage to run away. Mr. Fluffy falls from Yakubo's hands, hits the dirt, and gets covered in mud.

“You think you can go through my things? And I would just let you get away with it?” He sneers, reaching down to grab Yakubo, one hand pressing against his chest, forcing him to the ground completely.

“A brat like you, thinking you can just go through other people’s things!” He spits with disdain as he wrestles, easily pinning the small boy to the ground beneath him.

Yakubo, seeing that there is no other way out, opens his mouth to scream for help, but the man clamps it shut with his palm.

“Don’t even think about yelling! No one is coming to save you!” He scowled as his hand pressed down harder, the other one moving to stop Yakubo’s squirming.

Yakubo doesn't freeze, instead, he reacts. Opening his mouth wide biting down with enough force to break the skin, blood coming from the bite.

“AHH!! Fucking Bitch!!” The man jeered in pain, reeling his hand back before bringing it back down hard right into Yakubo’s head, leaving him dazed.

“You're going to pay for that! I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” He snarls, his breath hot and reeking against Yakubo's face, as Yakubo continues to squirm.

The man’s hand moves lower, reaching for the buckle of his belt, the metal clinking as he aggressively pulls at it.

“Quit squirming, brat!” The man barks at Yakubo, pushing down harder, however, one hand is now off Yakubo’s body.

Seizing the opportunity, Yakubo stops for a single second to gain his strength before making a final surge.

Using all his strength, Yakubo reaches his right hand to the same spot where he had put the bottle that cut him to the side.

His fingers brush the bottle's edge, just barely missing it, just short of getting to it.

That is until the man shifts his whole weight to free himself, giving Yakubo just enough leverage to grab the bottle. Under the man, Yakubo's eyes had flashed a different color, taking the man by surprise and stunning him for a single second.

In that moment of hesitation, Yakubo’s hand closed around the bottle, he moved it straight at the man, stabbing at him at random. By sheer luck, Yakubo manages to lodge the sharp, serrated bottle deep within the man's neck.

Instantly, blood splatters onto Yakubo's face, the mud beginning to turn red. The man’s hand shoots up to his neck, the same one he had let go of Yakubo to free himself.

Yakubo, now free from the man’s grasp, scrambles back fast, hands clawing at the dirt until his back hits the wall.

The last sound the man releases is a wet gurgle as he chokes on his own blood, before finally collapsing to the ground in less than thirty seconds.

Yakubo’s breaths come in short, panicked gasps as his eyes remain locked onto the man’s body as if expecting him to get back up.

He doesn’t move a muscle, afraid any movement will wake him. The alleyway falls into an unnatural silence, the only sound is Yakubo’s own sharp breaths echoing off the narrow walls.

After what feels like an eternity, there is a shuffling noise coming from the end of the alleyway. Yakubo’s eyes snap up instantly, fear taking over his body again.

The sound came from a different man, standing there, leaning against the wall, and tracking Yakubo carefully. He didn't so much as glance at the man’s dead body, Yakubo had captured his whole attention.

Yakubo didn't know how long the man had been standing there, or how much he'd seen. But this man had watched what was transpiring, he didn't make a sound or move to help whatsoever.

This man is taller than the first, built, with dirty-blond, almost brown hair and piercing dark green eyes. He wears long dark pants with many pouches, held up by a purple waist cloth.

His black compression shirt shows his muscles, and an Onmitsu identifier rests around his right bicep. The four grass fronds overlap the metal, firmly attached to his bicep like a living extension of his will.

After a few moments, the man finally shifts, taking slow steps with no hesitation, only purpose.

He moves not towards Yakubo, instead moving just short of him to bend down and grab the fox plushie that has been dropped onto the ground.

“You dropped this.” The mysterious man mumbles to Yakubo, his voice is calm, soothing in a way Yakubo hasn't heard in these days of torment.

His hand held the fox plushie, extending it out for Yakubo to take Mr. Foxy back after that.

“What you did is very brave.” He said, undeterred, when the young boy doesn’t respond or reach out for the fox plushie.

He pushes the plushie out for the young boy to take, his movements pointed this time.

“T-thank y-y-you.” Yakubo finally stuttered out, he doesn't know why he was thanking him. Perhaps the politeness is still there, and something about his voice is calming him.

Yakubo takes Mr. Fluffy from the man’s hands with no resistance as he reclaims it.

The man pauses only briefly before speaking. “My name is Gerizo little one.” The man, now Gerizo, introduces himself to Yakubo, his voice not changing.

His hand rises slowly to touch Yakubo’s face, and Yakubo flinches back instantly. Gerizo does not stop until his palm covers his whole cheek, thumb brushing some of the man’s blood away gently.

“You have very pretty eyes,” Gerizo states, holding eye contact with Yakubo’s encapsulating dark violet eyes.

“W-who a-are you?” Yakubo stammers, still a little shaken but less scared now and more confused by this man.

He isn't asking for a name, but for an understanding of what this man truly is. Gerizo does not reply instantly, only gently lifting Yakubo’s chin before whispering.

“Your Saviour…”