The rest of the day passed in a blur. I kept pacing around my apartment, staring at the clock, and running over everything that had been said at the station.
My nerves were shot, and every time my phone buzzed, my heart leaped into my throat.
Sasaki and Hana had laid out the plan meticulously, but it still felt like the ground was crumbling beneath my feet.
Tonight was going to be the night.
I was about to willingly walk into a meeting with the Shima-Kai, a notorious crime syndicate that operated in the shadows of the city.
This was the kind of life-or-death gamble I never thought I’d be involved in.
One of the thing you would see in movies.
I played the role of that appearance that always die.
I hoped that this was not my case.
The final call to set up the meeting was mine to make, and that’s what scared me most.
Once I made that call, there was no turning back.
I sat on my bed, the glow of the evening sun casting long shadows across my room.
My phone rested in my hand, the screen glaring back at me, waiting for me to dial the number of my contact.
I stared at it, my thoughts swirling.
My hands were trembling slightly, but I couldn't afford hesitation now.
I needed to do this.
I took a deep breath and opened the contacts list.
The name on the screen sent a jolt of adrenaline through me: Shima-Kai Contact.
I guessed i had a lot of creativity back then.
I pressed the call button and listened as the phone rang, each tone feeling like a countdown to some inevitable doom.
After what felt like an eternity, the line clicked.
“Who’s this?” a rough voice answered on the other end.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
I had practiced this part in my head over and over, but the reality of speaking to an actual gang member made it infinitely harder.
“Uh, it’s Mori. Keisuke Mori.”
I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“I’ve got the money i owe you. I need to set up a meeting.”
There was a brief pause on the other end, then the voice spoke again, more interested this time.
“The fat guy? You got ALL the money, huh? Didn’t think you’d come through after what happened. You know we don’t take kindly to delays.”
I clenched my fist.
The insult about my weight didn’t even register.
I’d expected this kind of attitude.
They probably thought I was dead weight in this whole operation.
But I was prepared.
“Yeah, I’ve got it.”
I replied.
“Let’s get this over with. Tonight.”
The voice on the other end chuckled, a low, menacing sound.
“Alright. You come alone, understand? No tricks. You show up with the cash, and maybe we’ll let you walk out. How does ten sound? Meet us at the old warehouse by the docks.”
I could hear the threat in his tone, but I pushed it aside. I’d expected as much. I agreed to the time and hung up the phone, my heart still racing.
Now came the next part: contacting Hana.
I quickly sent her a message with the details—10 PM at the old warehouse.
Her reply came almost immediately.
“Got it. We’ll be there. Keep your phone on and stay calm. You’ve got this.”
I stared at her message for a moment, letting the words settle over me like a strange kind of reassurance.
I wasn’t doing this alone.
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They were going to be there, watching, waiting for the right moment to move in.
I had to believe that.
---
The hours passed agonizingly slowly.
By the time 9:30 PM rolled around, I was a bundle of nerves.
I threw on the same hoodie and jeans I had worn earlier, stuffing a bundle of cash into an old gym bag.
It wasn’t nearly enough to pay back what I owed them, but Sasaki had said it would serve its purpose—it would make me look serious enough to them without tipping my hand.
I glanced at myself in the mirror before leaving.
My face was pale, and the tension in my shoulders was painfully obvious.
But there was no time to dwell on that now.
I grabbed my phone, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the cold night.
---
The warehouse loomed ahead, a hulking mass of rusted metal and forgotten history.
It was one of those places that no one paid attention to anymore, except for people like the Shima-Kai, who used it for their shady dealings.
As I approached, I could see a few dim lights flickering through the windows, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The place was quiet, too quiet.
The wind howled through the empty dockyard, the only sound breaking the silence as I walked toward the entrance.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was Hana.
“We’re in position. Stay cool. We’re watching.”
I stared at the message for a moment, then slipped my phone back into my pocket, taking another deep breath to steady my nerves.
This was it.
I had to stay sharp.
I pushed open the heavy door to the warehouse, the rusty hinges creaking loudly in the otherwise silent space.
The inside was dimly lit by a few overhead bulbs, casting long shadows over the rows of crates and metal scaffolding.
A group of men stood near the back of the room, talking quietly amongst themselves.
One of them—the one I recognized from Sasaki’s briefing as Ryota Kudo—turned toward me as I entered, his eyes narrowing.
Next to him was my contact, if i remember well his name was something like Hiro.
“So, you showed up after all.”
He said, his voice dripping with condescension.
I nodded, keeping my expression as neutral as possible.
“I told you I’d bring the money.”
Ryota eyed the gym bag slung over my shoulder, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“That all of it?”
I didn’t flinch.
“Most of it.”
I said, keeping my voice steady.
“I’m working on the rest.”
Ryota chuckled, a low, mocking sound that made my skin crawl.
He gestured for me to come closer, and I complied, walking slowly toward him.
The other men flanked him, their expressions unreadable but dangerous all the same.
“Let’s see it.”
Ryota said, holding out his hand expectantly.
I dropped the bag at his feet and unzipped it, revealing the neatly stacked bundles of cash inside.
Ryota crouched down, flipping through the stacks with a practiced hand.
After a moment, he glanced up at me, his smirk widening.
“This isn’t all of it.”
He said, standing up to his full height.
“You’re short.”
“I told you.”
I replied, my heart pounding in my chest.
“I’m working on the rest. This is all I’ve got right now.”
Ryota’s smirk faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look.
He stepped closer, invading my personal space in a way that sent a chill down my spine.
“You think we’re running a charity here, fat boy? You’re lucky we didn’t just put a bullet in you the moment you walked in. You owe us, and you don’t get to decide when or how you pay.”
The tension in the air was thick, and I could feel the situation spiraling out of control.
This was the point where things could go wrong, where the plan could fall apart.
I glanced around, wondering when Sasaki and his team were going to move in.
Just then, Ryota reached into his jacket, pulling out a sleek, silver pistol.
My heart skipped a beat as he pointed it at my chest, his eyes dark with amusement.
“How about this?”
He said, his voice smooth and menacing.
“You can pay the rest with your life.”
I froze.
My mind raced, trying to come up with something—anything—that could defuse the situation.
But before I could speak, the door to the warehouse slammed open, and in an instant, the room was flooded with the blinding glare of flashlights and the sound of shouting.
“Police! Drop your weapons!”
It was Sasaki.
The next few moments were a blur. Ryota turned toward the door, his gun still raised, but he never got a chance to fire.
The room exploded into chaos as Sasaki and a team of officers stormed in, weapons drawn.
Ryota’s men scattered, scrambling for cover, but they were quickly overpowered by the police.
Ryota himself hesitated for a split second, his gun wavering as he considered his options.
That moment of hesitation was all Sasaki needed.
In a flash, he tackled Ryota to the ground, knocking the gun from his hand and pinning him beneath his weight.
“Gotcha, you bastard.”
Sasaki growled, pulling Ryota’s hands behind his back and slapping on a pair of handcuffs.
I stood there, frozen in place, my heart still pounding in my chest as the scene unfolded around me.
The other gang members were being rounded up by the police, their hands cuffed behind their backs as they were led out of the warehouse one by one.
It was over.
Ryota struggled against his restraints, shouting threats as they dragged him toward one of the squad cars.
“You’re dead, Mori! You hear me? Dead!”
His voice echoed through the night as the car door slammed shut, cutting him off.
I stood there, watching as they drove away, the weight of everything that had just happened finally crashing down on me.
My legs felt weak, and I stumbled slightly, catching myself against one of the containers that were nearby.
The whole thing had happened so fast, I could barely process it.
One moment, I’d been staring down the barrel of a gun, and the next, the police had stormed in and saved my life.
Sasaki straightened up, dusting himself off as he approached me, a satisfied smirk on his face.
“You alright?”
He asked, his tone casual, as if we hadn’t just been in a life-or-death situation.
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath.
“Yeah… I think so.”
Sasaki clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring.
“You did good, Keisuke. Real good. Now we’ve got everything we need to put these guys in jail for a long time."
Hana appeared beside us, her eyes full of concern as she looked me over.
“Are you okay?”
She asked, her voice soft.
“I’m... yeah, all good.”
I replied, managing a weak smile.
She gave me a small nod, relief evident in her eyes.
“You were amazing, Keisuke.”
I glanced at her, feeling a strange sense of gratitude wash over me.
It wasn’t just the relief of surviving the night—it was the realization that I wasn’t alone in this.
Hana, Sasaki... they had my back. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could trust someone.
Sasaki stepped back, checking his watch.
“We’ll debrief in the morning. Get some rest—you’ve earned it.”
I nodded, too exhausted to argue, and turned to leave, Hana falling into step beside me as we made our way back to the car.
"Ah and don’t worry about the rent you owe to the landlord, we’ll send him the money needed for at least 6 months, should be fine, right?"
"Thank you Detective Sasaki."
He smiled and got in his car.
Hana offered me a ride home and then I got in the car with her.
On the way home we talked about the operation, our hobbies and our lives.
In short, we got to know each other better.
He left me at home and we said goodbye.
I went back to my apartment, took a shower and threw myself on the bed.
My phone buzzed.
Unexpectedly it was my sister.