Chapter 6
1717 Words
It's nightfall already but Hiroshi hasn't slept. He was lying on the couch. He kept thinking about all that had happened within the last three days. He thought about Hana, about how lovey dovey their relationship used to be until recently. He thought about how he was framed and the unknown system that had recruited him. “Now, I can afford to take care of my mother and everyone else around me. The system will remain a secret for now. I will pay up the three million credits debt and tell them I took another loan as usual.”
Hiroshi stood up from the bed and took his notebook and a pen. He wrote down a to-do list.
Pay the three million tomorrow
Pay Ren’s overdue rent tomorrow
Move into a more comfortable apartment soon
Look for an insider that works for the Kuroda empire or used to work there. I need information I could sabotage them with.
Form a group that would help me in this mission.
He hit the under of his pen and said, “Pretty much enough things to do for now.” He dropped it and went back to lay on the couch.
Hiroshi left the house early and found a payphone down the street. He didn't want to use his own. It will be too easy to trace.
He dropped some coins in and called the Manager of the apartment, Mr Yamota. He is a man in his fifties. He has been working for Kuroda's for about ten years now. He had a lean body built and five feet tall. He manages about ten apartments for Lord Kazuo.
"Yeah."
"Calling about Ren Suzuki. How much does he owe?"
"Who is this?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Forty thousand back rent. Fees on top. Sixty total."
"I'll pay for it. Wire transfer. Tell the Kurodas it's done."
The manager laughed. "You got sixty thousand just sitting around. Who are you to that foolish boy anyway?"
"Yea. But not your business."
Hiroshi hung up. He walked two blocks. Found another payphone. He first sent the money to another account so it remains anonymous before transferring it to Mr Yamota. Then he walked back.
Ren was on the steps, pacing back and forth. Hands in his pockets. Eyes down.
"The Manager called," Ren said. "Someone paid my debt. Won't say who."
"Good."
Ren looked up. Eyes squinted. "Is it? Some stranger pays my rent and I'm just supposed to feel good about it!
"Debt's gone. Just celebrate."
"I want to know who did it."
"Does it matter?"
"I don't like owing people I don't know."
"You don't owe anyone."
"Sixty thousand says I do."
Hiroshi shook his head and said nothing.
Ren stared at him. "You sure you don't know anything."
"Nothing."
Ren shrugged and looked back down. "Whoever it was. I owe them."
Rain came back.
"We have to move," Hiroshi said. "Those guys with the bats came right to the door. They'll come back again for me, cuz I pissed them off."
"I don't have money."
"I have some money saved already ."
Ren looked at him. "You were a broke student. Your mother was sick. You had nothing."
"I found a way."
"What way?"
"I took more loans. From loan sharks."
Ren stood up slowly. "You're lying to me. Who in his right senses will lend a Class F citizen money."
"Well, guess I have some potential then."
"You're hiding something. You are definitely not telling me the full story. Oh wait! Are you now dealing with illegal substances like hard drugs?"
Hiroshi had nothing back for that.
Hiroshi shook his head in disbelief and walked out.
Ren called out after him.”Hiroshi, stop walking. You have to answer me. Hiroshi!.”
Yuki was sitting on the floor. She'd cleaned the counter.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Ren said. Dropped onto the couch.
Hiroshi came back downstairs.
Yuki looked at Hiroshi and didn't know what else to add to the ongoing conversation.
"We're moving today," Hiroshi said. "Three rooms. Better area."
From the couch Ren laughed. "He's got it sorted."
Yuki felt the thing between them but didn't ask.
"Leave it," Ren said. "Let's just go."
“And yea, you all can stay. Ren, there is no need for you going back to your apartment. Move your things in with me. Sell off or throw away what you don't need okay buddy.” Hiroshi said and then smiled.
He grabbed his bag and shoved everything in. Shirts. Jeans. Charger. Yanked the zip.
Yuki folded her blanket and laid it flat in her bag.
Hiroshi packed last. A few shirts. His mother's photo. His father's watch. He held the watch a second and put it in his pocket.
The phone went off. Court message.
Notice of Debt Collection
Outstanding Balance: 3,000,000 Credits
Payment Due Immediately
He paid for it. He didn't think much about it. Just sent it.
Three million gone.
Payment Received. Thank You.
Your Class-F status has been lifted. You are now a Class-E citizen.
Class E! Still low. But better than F.
Yuki was watching him.
"What was that?"
"Oh yeah. I just paid the Kurodas the three million credits I owed them."
"What! Hiroshi! Ren! Come here right now.”
Ren rushed to meet Yuki. “What happened?”
Hiroshi rubbed his hand on his head and clenched his teeth.”Really Yuki. It's not a big deal. Relax okay.”
Yuki said,”Hiroshi just paid the three million credits to the Kurodas.”
Ren chuckled and said, “Hiroshi has been doing things lately. I just hope he doesn't get us all in trouble. As for me, I am tired of stressing my head about it.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yea.” He picked up his bag and walked out. Hiroshi and Yuki followed.
The new place was two hours away.
Three rooms, a real kitchen, and a bathroom door that closed all the way. Windows with no cracks.
The landlord was an old woman. Black hair. Missing front tooth.
"First month fifty thousand credits. Deposit on top."
Hiroshi counted it on the table. Fifty thousand deposit.
Her eyes went wide. She held the money close to check it.
"You're not going to cause me problems."
"No problems."
She handed him three keys.
"You bring trouble, you're out the same day!"
"Understood!"
She nodded and walked off.
They moved in that evening.
Empty rooms. Clean floors. Nothing else.
Ren walked through each room. Touched the walls. He looked out the windows.
"Not bad."
"Furniture tomorrow," Yuki said. "Something to sleep on."
Ren took the small room. Yuki took the one by the window. Hiroshi took the last room at the end of the hall.
He sat on the floor. The carpet was thick. His back didn't hurt.
For the first time in a long time, he had a room to himself.
He took out his mother's photo and looked at it. Set it down beside him.
Took out the watch. The metal was cold.
The phone buzzed.
[New Quest: The Boy Outside]
[ There is a boy sitting alone in the stairwell of this building. He has been there for three hours. He is crying. His father lost his job last week. They are being evicted tomorrow. He is twelve years old. He is too scared to go home and tell his mother.]
[Reward: Unknown]
Hiroshi stared at it.
He was tired. His mother was in hospital. Ren was angry. He just wanted to lie down.
He put the phone face down.
It buzzed again.
Hiroshi closed his eyes.
He thought about being twelve. His father dying. Sitting alone in stairwells with nowhere else to go.
He got up.
Yuki was in the kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"Stairwell."
He kept walking.
It's cold there. Light flickering. A boy sat on the third step. Knees to his chest. Face in his arms. Shoulders shaking.
Hiroshi sat next to him and said nothing.
The boy looked up. His face was wet and eyes were swollen.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who used to sit in stairwells."
"Why are you here?"
"Someone told me you were."
The boy looked at his hands. "My dad lost his job. We're getting kicked out tomorrow. I can't tell my mom."
"What's your name?"
"Kaito."
"How much does your dad owe?"
"Three months. About a hundred fifty thousand."
Hiroshi took out his phone.
“So you have his wallet address?”
The boy replied, “Yes.”
Alright then, let me have it. It's sent.”
Kaito's phone buzzed because he was holding the fathers phone. He looked at it. Mouth open, nothing coming out.
"What is this?"
"Your dad's rent. It's paid."
"Why."
"Someone did it for me once."
Hiroshi got up and walked back.
He went into his room. Sat on the floor.
The phone buzzed.
[Quest Complete: The Boy Outside]
[Reward: 3, 000,000 Credits]
[Stat Boost: Perception +1]
He put it down. Lay back. Stared at the ceiling. “Perception. No strength or agility today. Hmmm. Sounds good.”
Across the city Kazuo Kuroda sat in the dark in a glass tower. Rain kept hitting the window glass.
A man came in with a tablet in his hand. Hands not steady.
Kazuo waited.
"Hiroshi Tanaka. He paid everything. Three million plus interest."
"Where did he get it?"
"We don't know. The account didn't exist three days ago."
Kazuo went to the window. He looked down at the city.
"Broke student! Dying mother! Three days and he's moving millions!"
"Yes."
"Find out where it's coming from!"
"We're looking."
Kazuo turned around. Face calm. Eyes not.
"Look harder!"
The man left.
Kazuo sat back down. Rain kept coming. He didn't move.
Knock at the door.
"Come in."
Yuki stood in the doorway with arms folded.
"You're going to tell me what's going on. One day."
"One day."
"Ren thinks you don't trust him."
"I do."
"Then tell him."
"I can't. For now, all you have to do is trust me, alright?"
"Why."
"Because, it's the right thing to do. It's all you can do right now."
She came in and sat on the floor next to him. Didn't say anything for a bit.
"Figure it out. Then tell us."
- Writer
