Back in his room…
Thud!
Ethan collapsed onto the bed, arms sprawled out, staring blankly at the ceiling. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
Ethan "And I'm back in this room. Yeah… f**."
He turned his head toward the window. The streetlights outside flickered dimly, casting long shadows across the small, unassuming bedroom. Nothing fancy. Nothing luxurious. Just… normal.
His eyes lingered on the glass, reflecting the faint glow of the outside world. His thoughts drifted back to what Izzy had told him earlier.
[Leon- This place ain't exactly high-class, huh?]
It was their parents' house. Or… had been. Ethan remembered Izzy telling him about them in the hospital. Her words echoed in his mind.
A logging truck. A broken rope. A load of heavy wooden logs crashing down. Their parents… crushed right in front of them.
It wasn't just tragic. It was brutal. Ethan swallowed. His chest felt tight.
[Leon- And these kids… managed to survive in this cruel world after that?]
He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face.
[Leon- But there are some good people too. Not everyone's a piece of s**, y'know.]
Rebecca and Daniel Kade.
Their neighboring family. The ones who took them in when their parents died. Now that he thought about it… Izzy never really told him much about the Kade family.
Ethan (thinking) "She mentioned they had a son… but he died in an accident."
[Leon- Tch. Another accident? Are there not too many goddamn accidents happening these days?]
Ethan frowned. It did feel strange. So much tragedy packed into one neighborhood. "But… was it really just bad luck?"
He shook his head. No point overthinking. What mattered was what came next.
When Izzy was finally old enough, she threw herself into work, barely taking a moment to breathe. Two jobs: chef at a café from morning till evening. Running a food truck at night.
All to keep herself and Ethan afloat.
Nonstop. No breaks. Just survival.
A small chuckle slipped from his lips.
Ethan "She's been busting her ass just to support her little brother."
[Leon-Kid, you were blessed with a great sister.]
Ethan's eyes closed for a moment. Then they snapped open, filled with something sharper.
Determination.
Ethan "But don't worry, Izzy. I'll make sure you won't have to work like this forever. After all…"
His fingers curled into a fist.
Ethan "I was once a billionaire."
Leon Blackfang Mercer wasn't just a name. It was a goddamn legacy. He built an empire from nothing. Transformed a small gang into an international syndicate.
Businesses. Properties. Land.
Not all of it came from dirty work. He was a businessman. A strategist. A man with luck sharper than a blade.
[Leon- Thank you for the badass intro, narrator. If I were still Leon the criminal, I'd gift you a COLT M1911A1. Hahaha!]
Ethan smirked.
A new game had begun.
And this time, he wasn't planning on losing.
That's it for today Good night...Zzzzzz
Next Morning...
Ethan's eyes cracked open. "Ugh… still here."
His body sank deeper into the bed, refusing to move. "What time is it…?"
A loud voice cut through the morning haze.
Izzy "Ethan! Wake up! Breakfast is ready!"
Ethan "Hmmm…?!"
[Leon-Oh yeah, right. I'm Ethan now.]
With a groan, he dragged himself up, his hair a mess. He rubbed his face before stumbling toward the bathroom.
Izzy "Wash up first."
Ethan "Hmmm… yeah, yeah."
He turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on his face. The shock jolted him awake. "Shit, that's cold." He grabbed his toothbrush and started brushing.
[Leon- What? You think criminals don't brush their teeth?]
After freshening up, he made his way to the table where Izzy had already set breakfast. Eggs, toast, and some coffee. Simple but warm.
He dug in, enjoying the meal, when Izzy suddenly spoke.
Izzy "Ethan, what do you think about rejoining high school? I mean, if you want to. There's one close to the café I work at."
Ethan paused, chewing on a piece of toast.
Ethan (thinking) "High school, huh?"
[Leon- What to do… Do I really need to? I mean, I do want to live a normal life now… so I guess school is important. How hard can studying be anyway? I was good at it in my past life… even though I ran away from home back then.]
He swallowed his food and nodded.
Ethan "Yeah, okay."
Izzy "Oh, if you don't want to, I was just—wait, did you say yes?"
Ethan "Yeah."
Izzy (blinking in surprise)"Oh… okay. But won't it be difficult? You've been out of school for a while."
Ethan "I guess so. Hm…"
Izzy "Ah! How about I find a tutor for you?"
Ethan smirked.
Ethan "That's a good idea."
[Leon-Kid, you were really blessed with a great sister. I envy you. Also… I already feel sorry for my soon-to-be tutor.]
Izzy (grinning) "Great! I know someone who can help. How about I ask her to come tomorrow?"
Ethan choked on his coffee.
Ethan (thinking) "HER? That was fast… Is she gonna bring in some old neighborhood grandma to tutor me?"
Ethan "It doesn't matter."
Izzy "Hm? What?"
Ethan (realizing he spoke out loud) "Ah—nothing! Okay, oh yeah, should I come with you today? I can get familiar with the area… and check out the school."
Izzy thought for a moment.
Izzy "It looks like he's bored being stuck at home all day."
Izzy "Alright, why not? Go get ready, we'll leave in a few minutes."
Ethan "Okay."
He got up and started clearing the dishes.
Ethan "I'll go get ready too."
Heading upstairs, he dug through his closet. "Alright… this is good enough."
Then, he remembered something.
Ethan strode over to the desk and yanked open a drawer. His fingers curled around the small piggy bank he had spotted last night, its ceramic surface smooth and cool in his grip.
Ethan His grin widened. "Jackpot."
"Heh heh…" He gave it a shake.
Clink clink clink.
Coins rattled inside. The sound of coins tumbling inside sent a small thrill through him. He weighed it in his hand, then raised it higher—
Without hesitation, he smashed it open.
CRACK!
Shards of ceramic scattered as coins and crumpled banknotes tumbled onto the desk.
Ethan's eyes gleamed as he sifted through the money, his fingers quick, counting, sorting. He gave a satisfied nod.
Ethan "…Yeah, this should do."
From downstairs, Izzy's voice rang out.
Izzy "Ethan, are you ready?"
Ethan "Yeah! Coming in a sec!"
With a quick sweep, he stuffed the money into his pocket and bolted toward the stairs, heart racing with anticipation.
Ethan "Let's go."
Izzy locked the door behind them as they stepped outside.
They walked through the streets, the morning air crisp and cool. The neighborhood was quiet, just a few people starting their day.
After about half an hour, they arrived.
The café doors swung open as Izzy and Ethan stepped inside.
The warm scent of coffee and fresh pastries filled the air, mixing with the soft hum of morning chatter and the occasional clatter of dishes.
Ethan took a deep breath. "This… this is really nice."
Welcome to Neo-Tokyo Café
The café door swung shut behind them, the familiar hum of conversation and clinking coffee cups filling the air. The warm scent of freshly brewed espresso and baked pastries hit Ethan's nose, making his stomach grumble slightly.
Izzy led the way, scanning the café floor for her coworkers. Spotting them near the counter, she turned back to Ethan with a small smile.
Izzy "Come on, let's introduce you to everyone."
Ethan "Yeah, sure."
[Leon- "Let's get this over with."]
As they approached, the three workers—two women and a man—were gathered near the espresso machine, chatting. They looked up when Izzy waved.
Izzy "Hey guys, got someone I want you to meet!"
Miranda, their boss, was the first to react. She adjusted her blazer, giving Ethan a polite but sharp nod.
[Leon- "Huh… she gives off boss vibes. Is she the boss? She sure looks like it."]
Miranda "New face, huh? Who's this?"
Izzy smiled, nudging Ethan forward.
Izzy "This is Ethan—my brother. He, uh…" (she hesitated) "…just got back. Thought I'd bring him by to meet you all."
Ethan gave an awkward wave. "Hey."
[Leon- "Hey, kiddos."]
Lena playful one, Lena's eyes widened, a playful grin spreading across her face.
Lena "Whoa! You never told us you had a brother! What gives, Izzy? Hiding him from us?"
Izzy hesitated before forcing a small laugh.
Izzy "It's… a long story."
Ethan shifted slightly.
[Leon- "Yeah, a damn unbelievable and long-ass story."]
Sophie, ever the quiet one, simply gave Ethan a small nod.
Sophie "Nice to meet you, Ethan."
Jordan, leaning against the counter, studied him with a raised brow before smirking.
Jordan "Hold up—so you're telling me Izzy has a long-lost brother? This some drama series plot twist?"
Ethan let out a short chuckle.
[Leon- "Yeah, you punk. This is some fantasy drama level bullshit."]
Ethan "Feels like it too."
Miranda crossed her arms, giving him a quick once-over.
Miranda "Well, welcome to Neo-Tokyo Café, Ethan. Your sister's a hard worker. Don't go distracting her too much."
Ethan smirked.
[Leon- "Don't worry, lady. I plan to leave after all this chit-chat is done."]
Ethan "I'll try my best."
The group chuckled, the tension easing slightly.
Lena "So, Ethan, what's your plan for today? You sticking around?"
Ethan glanced at Izzy before shrugging.
Ethan "Actually, I was thinking of taking a walk."
[Leon- "I got things to do. I ain't free, little girl."]"Maybe check out the school nearby."
Izzy frowned slightly, concern flashing across her face.
Izzy "Are you sure? I could come with you after my shift."
Ethan shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile.
[Leon- "Why are you worried? No one would dare mess with me… and if they do, they'll be the ones regretting it. Kekeke… Hahaha…")
Ethan "It's fine, Izzy. I'll be okay. I just… wanna look around on my own for a bit."
She hesitated but finally sighed.
Izzy "Alright… just don't get lost, okay?"
Ethan smirked.
(Leon: "Like hell I will. I ain't a kid.")
Ethan "I'll try not to."
He turned to the others, slipping into gentleman mode.
Ethan "It was nice meeting you all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading out."
Lena whistled, laughing.
Lena "Whoa! What a cute little gentleman you are."
Jordan "Yeah, come back later and tell us if the school still sucks."
Sophie gave another small nod, while Miranda waved him off.
Miranda "Take care, kid."
[Leon- "Kid? I'm older than you, lady."]
Ethan glanced back at Izzy one last time before heading for the door.
Ethan "See you later, Izzy."
Izzy "Be careful."
The café door swung shut behind him, the bell jingling softly. Izzy watched him leave, a knot of worry twisting in her stomach. But she shook it off—he needed this.
For now, she had work to do.
Ethan wandered the streets, hands stuffed in his pockets, taking in the sights of the unfamiliar city. After a while, he finally stopped in front of a tall, modern-looking building. A large sign above the entrance read:
NEW STAR ACADEMY
Ethan squinted at the emblem on the gate—a silver star with a phoenix at its center.
Ethan "Hmm… Not bad. Looks pretty decent. Guess this is the place Izzy was talking about."
He tilted his head, examining the school grounds from a distance. High walls, well-maintained gardens, and a few students in uniform walking in and out. Looked normal enough.
[Leon- "Should I go in? Nah… there's a guard at the gate. Wouldn't be able to look around properly anyway. Best to explore it after I join."]
With that, he turned away, stretching his arms.
Ethan "Alright, time to go. I'll grab a taxi from the main road."
As he walked, something caught his eye—a narrow alley cutting through the buildings ahead. On the other side, just past the alley, a taxi idled on the road.
Ethan "Oh, lucky! A taxi's right there—"
Without thinking much of it, he stepped into the alley.
The moment he did, a dull, heavy thud echoed through the narrow passage.
Wham! Thud!
Ethan froze.
Ethan "Hm? The hell was that?"
It sounded like… a beating.
[Leon- "A fight? Nah… this ain't some action movie. Probably just some dumb street punks messing around."]
He took another step, then hesitated. The noise had come from a smaller alley branching off to the right. Carefully, he leaned forward and peeked around the corner.
What he saw made him sigh.
Four guys.
Two younger ones—probably high schoolers—dressed in uniforms, smirking like idiots. One was a fat guy, about seventeen, with a cocky expression. The other was short, with long hair, laughing as he chatted with the first.
Then, there were two older ones, clearly their seniors—thug-looking high schoolers.
One was crouched down, cigarette between his fingers, lazily blowing out a cloud of smoke. The other? He was standing, counting money, his foot pressed against the chest of a boy lying on the ground.
Ethan's gaze flickered to the kid on the ground—a nerdy-looking guy, broken round glasses, face bruised.
Ethan "Tch."
He shook his head.
[Leon- "Extorting money and beating up nerds? Kids these days. Do they not fear the law?"]
He paused.
[Leon- "...Yeah, yeah. Who am I to talk? Wasn't exactly a saint when I was their age either. Beat down plenty of guys when I was seventeen..."]
He sighed, adjusting his collar.
Whack!
Guh!
Slam!
The nerd let out a pained grunt as the thug with the cigarette kicked him in the ribs.
Ethan closed his eyes.
[Leon- "Leon, just keep walking. This ain't your problem. Just get to the f**ing car and leave."]
Moving slowly, he tried to step past the alley quietly, keeping his head down, hoping they wouldn't notice him.
But fate had other plans.
A sudden itch crept up his nose. His breath hitched.
Ethan "...Oh no—"
AAAACHHOOO!!
The loudest sneeze in history ripped through the alley.
Silence.
All four guys stopped what they were doing and snapped their heads toward him.
Even the nerd, still lying on the ground, turned to look at Ethan, wide-eyed.
[Leon "...Ah, shit."]
The cigarette thug narrowed his eyes.
Cigarette Thug "Oi. Who the f** are you?"*
Ethan blinked.
Ethan "Uh… hey. I was just… y'know, passing by? Didn't see anything. Yep. Nope. Not a damn thing. Alright, bye."
He turned on his heel, ready to bolt.
TO BE CONTINUED....