It was a quiet morning, the type of quiet that made you want to stay in bed and just soak it in. Laying under the warm comforter, holding onto the fragile peace before the chaos of the day starts. A mother was busy making breakfast for her daughter. She look through the cupboards to see what she had left over. She noted the bag of chocolate boom booms. The cereal is noted for its rich chocolatey taste and affordability.
"But no milk, god i really need to go grocery shopping today…if i have any money left over." The mother thought with a grimace as she tries not to focus on the negative reality of her life and focus on the here and now. She look back at her daughter who was off in her own little world, coloring.
"Hey Emi dear? Are you ok with eating cereal without milk?" She hesitantly asked her.
Emi look up from drawing with her crayons and smiled brightly. She was drawing a picture of herself as a famous idol, singing on stage in front of millions of fans. She had fairy wings too and a magic wand that was also a mic. And also she fights monsters between shows.
"That sounds yummy!" Emi replied, although she will miss drinking the chocolate milk afterwards, Chocolate boom booms can be enjoyed in any way. Trust her, she tried a good majority of them.
Emi's preferred method was crushing them up and sprinkling them over the rare donut she would get.
The mother took out a bowl and poured the cereal in it, her messy brown hair tied up in an equally messy bun, she had to figure out what she was going to make for Emi's lunch that she can take to school. Then afterwards walk her to the bus stop and then go back and get ready for work at the pub. Then get off in time to welcome Emi home and then get ready for her second job as a night dancer, as she eloquently told her daughter when she caught her mother coming back around 1 am as she couldn't sleep.
"Oh so you dance?"
Chiyoko slowly nodded.
"I want to be a dancer too! Just like mommy!" Emi said proudly.
Emi never saw the look that her mother had on her face before this moment as she got in real close and place both hands on her small shoulders.
"You are going to go to college and will become a famous idol." She said seriously with the tone that indicated there was no room for arguing.
She sighed and closed her eyes and opened the refrigerator. She slowly opened one eye to see a half-filled carton of eggs, some leftover rice and grilled fish from a local restaurant. And some left over fruit that was still good.
"Alright! Enough to make a budget bento!" The mother thought with relief and glee for her good fortune.
"Ok Emi, i'm going to make your lunch real quick and then it off to school!" She told Emi happily as Emi nodded with a smile that reminded the mother of her own youth.
She sometimes wishes she could go back and punch herself in the mouth. Repeatedly. And maybe twice in the stomach.
She reaches for the ingredients. "But we can't change the past, i can at least try to make my daughter have a…semi-normal childhood. That what all parents should strive for." She thought to herself, her motivation soaring thinking of Emi's smiling face to get her through the rest of day. Her eyes caught the end of a blue wrapper, she grabbed it and saw that it was a chocolate bar. A big grin made it way to her face.
"I think you going to enjoy your lunch Emi!" Chiyoko said slyly.
"Well mommy always make the best lunches!" Emi responded with delight, and Chiyoko teared up. She didn't deserve a daughter like her, and Emi certainly didn't deserve a mother like her.
A few knocks at the door shattered their peaceful moment. Fear seized the mother's chest as she looked at her daughter and Emi looked at the door with wide unblinking eyes. Emi immediately took her crayons and drawings and went into the closet and shut the door, just as mommy taught her.
Chiyoko composed herself and approached the door. "Who is it?"
"You already know who it is, we just wanted to check on you." A man at the door said, he had a smooth sounding voice that put one at ease.
She gulped and opened the door. Standing in front of her were two men well dressed in colorful suits. The taller one leaned against the door frame with a smug smile, he was dressed in a baby blue suit with a black undershirt, he had black hair that was shaved close to his scalp, you can see the colorful tattoo peeking out from his collar. the other stood back with a neutral expression, he had long and admittedly pretty hair, gorgeous green eyes and wearing a salmon pink suit with a olive green shirt.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes Chiyoko?" The tall man asked her as he made his way into the apartment. The second man followed as well, His eyes roaming across the small apartment. He usually just hanged back while his partner took care of the negotiations with this lady. The small apartment just screamed 'single mother' to him. From the few toys that was in a small plastic bin by the corner to the drawings that was pin to the refrigerator.
The tired mother known as Chiyoko smiled at them, trying to disguise the pure fear she felt. She knew that she needed to placate them somehow and get them away from her daughter.
"Good morning Sugimura, good morning to you too Hayato." Chiyoko said cooly to the two.
"Good morning Chiyoko, how's Emi?" Hayato asked calmly with a knowing smile.
"She fine, she's been doing well in school, I actually just dropped her off not too long ago." Chiyoko lied easily, looking them straight in the eyes.
"Is that right?" Hayato asked.
Chiyoko nodded.
Sugimura's smile grew a little wider.
"Hope she been keeping up with her grades." Sugimura said a little too happily.
Chiyoko's jaw tightened.
"She is doing very well in class." Chiyoko responded, equally as cooly.
They shared a look with each other. A moment of tense silence pass between the three.
Chiyoko hopes that they brought her lie-
"WHAM!"
Emi jumped at the sound but kept quiet, she wanted to help her mom but she stayed glued to the spot mom told her to hide.
"Remember if you were to come out of this hiding spot when they come, they will take you away from me. And we might never see each other again." Chiyoko tearfully explained to her one night, it broke her heart to drop this reality on her daughter but she had to ensure Emi's safety first and foremost.
"No matter what you hear, don't come out." Chiyoko told Emi with a tone indicating that once again there was no room for argument.
She never saw it coming, the backhand of Sugimura sending her spiraling to the floor. Her mouth filled with the taste of metal, she spit out the glob on the floor, Sugimura roughly grabbed her by her hair and forced her to look them in the eyes.
"Now i hate to mess up a pretty face but i also hate liars. You already know the deal, every friday, you pay us a fee and we…don't have to do this." Sugimura then patted her now swollen cheek in order to emphasize the mistake that Chiyoko had made.
Chiyoko choked back the tears and swallowed.
"I'm sorry i know about our arrangement, it just i had to pay rent-"
"You hear that Sugimura? she had to pay rent." Hayato asked.
"Understandable." Sugimura responded with a casual nod.
"If you just give me til next friday i will have the mone-"
A kick to her stomach knocked the air out of her.
"Now you know that lying is wrong right?" Sugimura asked as he knelt down again and look at her writhing on the ground.
"She is not setting a very good example for her daughter right now." Hayato observed as he leaned back against the wall.
The loan shark grabbed Chiyoko by the throat, wondering should he do with her? He had a few ideas.
"Do you really intend to keep your promise to us?" Sugimura asked her while licking his chapped lips.
Chiyoko nodded.
"Sorry i don't do non verbal communication." He told her before slamming her head down onto the floor, he didn't put all his force behind because he needed her to still be semi-conscious. She has a job to go to after, he ain't heartless. Chiyoko's vision was swimming, she was seeing two of the awful bastard.
"Yes. Yes. Please I pay you the money…just please…" Chiyoko tries to keep from breaking down in sobs.
Sugimura laughed and stood up.
"I think there is a way you can make the full payment right now." Sugimura said in a happy tone.
Chiyoko stared up at the absolutely demonic grin that Sugimura had on his face and felt a chill down her spine.
"Hayato can you get our dear Emi out of that closet?" Sugimura said with glee as Hayato nodded.
Chiyoko felt her stomach drop.
"But…Emi already went to-"
"WHACK!"
Her right eye began to swell shut from the blow that Sugimura had administered to her.
"Again with that lying. That is not good at all Chiyoko." Sugimura purred.
Hayato walked over to the closet.
Oh god.
"Please i do anything…just don't hurt my baby." Chiyoko pleaded.
"Oh we're not going to hurt her, can't say the same for our clients who might be interested in a young girl like her." Sugimura responded with a chuckle as Chiyoko snapped and clawed at his face and drew blood.
"AH! BITCH!" Sugimura screamed as he delivered a sharp kick to her ribs, he deliberately held back because he wanted her to still be awake for this. She digged her nails into his ankle and bit him hard. Drawing blood, he ripped his ankle from her and added another hard kick to her leg.
"So that how you want to play?! Alright then, Hayato bring that little runt out!" Sugimura screamed at Hayato went to open the closet door.
Emi shrunk in all on herself, hoping the large winter jacket would hide her well enough.
"I WILL KILL YOU BOTH!!! GET OUT OF MY HOUS-" Chiyoko's wrath was silenced by Sugimura choking her with both of his hands, he tilted her head up to look at Hayato slowly opening the closet door.
"Please...someone...God...save her..."Chiyoko thought, praying to every God in existence.
A few quick knocks at the door interrupted them. The two partners turned to each other and then look down at Chiyoko who shook her head frantically.
Sugimura walked to the door and looked through the peephole. He saw a woman with long greasy looking black hair in a ponytail and dressed in a baby blue sweater. And what Sugimura swears were the deadest eyes he has ever seen, and that says a lot considering his occupation.
"Who is it?" Sugimura asked cooly.
"Hello! Sorry to bother you, I just heard some sounds and wanted to see if everything was alright?" She asked in a voice that screamed friendly and unassuming.
Sugimura chuckled to himself and flicked a thumb at the door to his partner with an expression that screamed "Can you believe this?"
"Yeah sorry about that. Me and the misses were role-playing, didn't mean to bother ya." Sugimura said smoothly with a grin.
There was a brief moment of silence before the woman responded.
"Role playing? Oh I know all about that!" The woman behind the door states casually with a laugh.
Sugimura shared a look with Hayato before he burst out laughing.
"Oh is that right? Well me and the misses were talking about adding another partner to spice things up, what do you say?" Sugimura asked with glee.
"Sugimura." Hayato said curtly, getting annoyed at Sugimura's playfulness.
"That sounds like a plan." The woman responded with no emotion in her voice, unnerving the three in the apartment.
And then Sugimura felt something pierce him in the lower regions.
Sugimura looks down to see the blade now cutting straight into his groin. He felt the pain spread throughout his nervous system and before a scream could rip out his throat, the woman moved the blade upwards. To the other two it was like a chef knife going through melted butter.The sword stopped at the stomach and pulled back quickly. Sugimura cried out in agony as he was now fully aware of his ruined and split apart manhood as he fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood and viscera. Tears ran down his face as he belted out colorful curses.
Chiyoko wanted to vomit, she admitted to herself that there was some dark satisfaction in seeing that smug bastard crying like she often does during late nights when her daughter was asleep.
Emi stayed in her spot, trying to drown out the screaming and the many,many bad words that wormed their way into her ears.
"OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!" Sugimura screamed as he was wide awake,the pain he was in intensifying by every second.
Hayato wanted to vomit. "Oh god Sugimura, shit." He uttered in complete disbelief.
Hayato angrily takes out his blade, He keeps his distance from the door.
"Ok I'm just going to come in now since you won't be kind and open the door." The woman said casually.
The door exploded into sharp jagged wooden pieces. One of which went right into Hayato's eye. He screamed in rage and raised the blade to defend himself, half blind. The sound of a blade hitting the floor made him look with his good eye to see his knife's blade laying on the floor. He then look to the handle in his hand. And then his eye focused on the woman standing inches from his face. Her brown eyes baring into him like a angry tiger to a trembling deer.
"Hello Hayato." She greeted with a smile.
Hayato tried to take her down with a quick jab but felt something was off. He look to his hand that now resided on the floor and then to the bloody stump that was formerly his right hand.
Hayato stumbled back from the smiling woman. Chiyoko let out a short scream and covered her hands with her mouth as she scooted back on her butt to get away from the gorey scene in front of her.
The Woman's dead brown eyes turned to her, her face one of silent rage.
"Stay. You put yourself in this position, be a responsible mother and see it through to the end." She said simply.
Hayato knew that this woman wasn't-
"Human?" Yasuna asked, tilting her head at him, finishing his thought as his eyes widened in fear.
And then he couldn't see anything anymore.
"You bitch…oh god what the fuck even are you?!" Sugimura asked, still surprised and mortified that he was still alive because every second his eyes was open was pain beyond what words can put to paper.
Hayato head was toss next to Sugimura. Sugimura stared in shock at his friend's severed head.
"No….Hayato..what the fuck…no….NO!" He screamed in despair.
Yasuna walked towards Sugimura who couldn't even move anymore.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME! HELP HELP HELP!!! HELP!!" He kept screaming like a pathetic animal.
Yasuna knelt down, and shoved her hand right into his ruined crotch. And lucky for him she didn't clip her nails in about a month.
The inhuman sounds that came from Sugimura made Yasuna struggle not to laugh.
"You seem so sure of yourself not too long ago. Now you're acting like the women who you strong armed into prostitution. But I guess that to be expected considering the state you're in." Yasuna told him as she rolled his testicle between her fingers and caused manual testicular torsion, leading to him screaming in a higher pitch.She pinched it and his pitch went higher.
Chiyoko wanted to vomit but at the same time she didn't feel bad for the suffering bastard that was getting molested before her.
Yasuna then crush Sugimura testicles in her hands, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he suffered a stroke right then and there.
The now somewhat safe mother look at Yasuna who was giving her a death glare. Chiyoko get on her hands and knees and started pleading with the woman.
"Please don't hurt my daughter. Please i beg of you-" Chiyoko was cut off by Yasuna rubbing her softly on her messy hair like she was a cat.
"Don't let something like this happen again." Yasuna calmly told her before a big cheshire grin appeared on her face.
Chiyoko look up at her in confusion. Was she letting her go?
Yasuna then open her mouth, and to Chiyoko's horror her own voice rang out sweetly.
"Emi! You can come out now!" Yasuna said with a teasing smile as the closet door slowly opened and the daughter stepped out.
Emi ran to her mother and hugs Chiyoko. Chiyoko hugged her back, her eyes still on the warm and devastated bodies of her tormentors. Could Emi not see that?
"Everything is going to be ok sweetie, just keep your eyes closed." Chiyoko instructed her daughter as she held on to her for dear life.
Yasuna watched the two with something resembling warmth in her eyes.
"Whoops, forgot to get their information. Hey Chiyoko, whose family did these two belong to?" Yasuna suddenly asked Chiyoko as the room grew cold.
"What are you going to do?" Chiyoko asked, unsure.
"Does it really matter? Do you really have an option? You do anything to keep Emi safe correct?" Yasuna asked her.
Chiyoko nodded, being brought out of the shocked haze she was in. Of course she would do anything.
"These two belonged to the Matoba family. They operate out of the Rōendo no yume
district." She responded.
Yasuna nodded and head out.
"Wait!" Emi said suddenly.
Yasuna turned to look at the young child.
"Thank you, kind lady!" Emi said with tears in her eyes.
Yasuna smiled back.
"You are going to grow up to be a famous idol one day, i can see it." Yasuna told the young girl whose eyes widen at this, her smile returning bigger than ever. Yasuna walked through the door, Chiyoko blinked and just like that the bodies was gone along with the gore and blood splatter. The door was miraculously fixed as well. Chiyoko look around in shock, there was no way that was a hallucination, she still had the bruises.
"Oh god, did Emi see the bodies?!" Chiyoko thought, terrified. She look down at her daughter who just seem happy to be in her arms.
"Honey…how do you feel about coming to work with mommy and skipping school for today?"
Emi nodded and hugged Chiyoko tightly.
"I was given a second chance…i'm not going to make the same mistake again." The mother thought to herself.
"And after work, how about some ice cream?" Chiyoko said slowly, a smile forming on her face.
Emi cheered and Chiyoko stood up, feeling lighter than she had in years.
She didn't who that woman was, or why did she decided to save her. She wasn't sure she was human but still.
"Thank you Yasuna." She muttered before being surprised at herself. Where did that name come from? How did she knew that it was the woman's name? She was sure she never heard her say it.
"Mommy, are you ok?" Emi asked, placing her small hand on Chiyoko's own. New life bloomed within the Mother's soul.
"Yes honey, come on, let me fix you that lunch real quick and then i take you to where i work!" Chiyoko told Emi, trying to keep her composure. Emi was just happy to spend more time with her mom.