Yakuza

It became an ordinary thing in my life to wake up with a massive headache because of some street thug; this time it was a little different, though. There were certainly going to be some serious consequences. I lived enough to see what kind of world we were living in, and those guys were definitely connected to the Yakuza. However, now it wasn't the time to worry about that; I was in a room that I wasn't familiar with. There were only a few candles lit up, so I couldn't really see around me. The top of my head was bandaged, and except for the headache I had, I wasn't feeling bad at all.

I didn't know the exact time, but I could say that the sun hadn't risen yet. I was unconscious, but probably not for very long. Of course, I had some ideas about where I was right now; the question was how she carried me all the way to her place. Well, on second thought, the answer was pretty obvious. She hadn't done this alone. Someone, maybe a few men, helped her out. Since you can't call your friends over to carry a random unconscious man to your house, it was certain that the girl wasn't someone ordinary.

I would have preferred not to intervene in some Yakuza's business if I could. It wasn't like I was in trouble or something. If that girl was really related to the Yakuza, they would probably want to thank me for saving her. Of course, that was mostly my assumption, but I chose not to be such a pessimist in that situation. Either way, getting involved in Mafia's business had never been for the better. That's why I prepared myself for the worst in that dark room. I was still kind of sure that they weren't going to hurt me, but you know what they say. It's better to be prepared than to regret it later.

It didn't take long until I saw a very old man entering the room where I was resting. Another middle-aged man with glasses was accompanying him with a comfy-looking chair in his hands. The man put the chair right next to the bed, but they kept standing still in front of me for a while even after doing so. As they proceeded to bow their heads against me, I was unsure how to react. Finally, the old man raised his head back and sat down in his chair. He said a few words, but since I couldn't understand their language, I just kept looking at them. After a very short while, the man with the glasses started speaking in English.

"How have you been, lad?"

Now that was something I wasn't expecting. He didn't just talk in a kind manner, but he was showing a perfect fatherly attitude for a stranger like me.

"Never been any better, sir. Thanks to you," I answered him while showing the bandages in my head.

"Glad to hear that. We're very grateful for what you did back in that alley. Would you please give us your name?"

It's usually not a good idea to share your real name with another mafia family, unless you're looking for trouble. But for them, I was probably like an ordinary high schooler. Still, I had an uneasy feeling about giving my name to them. They probably realised it as well; the man immediately corrected his words.

"Oh, sorry, you don't have to tell us. You must be afraid of getting into trouble because of what happened today. It must be even scarier for someone who came to our country from overseas."

I didn't say anything, but I couldn't deny that I was relieved.

"However, we cannot promise that you can return to your ordinary life from now on. The people you encountered today were... well, bad persons. A little too bad, actually."

They seemed to choose their words carefully. They probably didn't want to scare me, but I already knew it, so I decided to say the word instead.

"Yakuza?"

"Yakuza."

They didn't say another thing after that word; I guess it was because they wanted to see my reaction specifically. Of course, I didn't even flinch. After all, I was already inside a mafia organization, even though I never wanted it to be so.

"That's why we have an offer to you," said the man with the glasses. "We want you to work for us. Not only for us to protect you, but for you to protect the young lady from danger."

That was so unexpected that I literally didn't know how to react.

"Of course we have our own reasons. First of all, we are very grateful to you, and we want to return the favor in some way. But most importantly, we need someone around the age of our young lady to keep an eye on her. What happened today was not the first time, and we know that it won't be the last as well. All the other associates are drawing more attention around her because of their age. But you, son, seemed to know how to deal with troublemakers out there. That's why we want you to join us. In the words of our boss, Mr. Kurokawa, I can assure you, we'll return the favor wholeheartedly."

Honestly, I was speechless. Yet I knew that he had got a good point. It was very possible for the other Yakuza's to come after me. I probably couldn't even leave the country anymore. I was kind of desperate; at least it was until now. The offer they made wasn't bad at all.

"May I ask one question?" I asked.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why are you trusting me this much? Won't it be risky to accept people like this, especially when they're strangers?"

The man conveyed my words to Mr. Kurokawa. The answer came quickly.

"You saved the young lady, haven't you? Most people wouldn't have done it to a stranger, but you did. You are a good man, lad. That's the reason we can show up with such an offer to you."

I was honestly happy to hear those words. It was my first time hearing such words. They were trusting me about something very important for them. I felt honored. Maybe it was a chance for me to start anew with a new identity. I could erase my old self; there was only my brother left anyway. He would understand me. He would run away just like me if he could. Still, I felt like I had to talk with him before I made a decision.

"Thanks for your kind words, sir. I'd appreciate it if you could give me some time to think about it."

Erasing my name wasn't a big deal. It probably wouldn't be a problem if I chose not to hide my real identity, though. I'm very far away from my home right now, and it's not like I could run some kind of covert operation to get myself a slice from the cake. I'd immediately get caught, and, well, I don't want to think about what could've happened afterwards.

Erasing my name to start anew wasn't that bad. Yet, it doesn't mean that I can finally escape my past like this. No, not at all... It'll keep haunting me until the very day I die.

It was my destiny to suffer, and I was the one who knew it the best.