Counted 3 days after the death of Mr. Ryota. All Zenkyo did was contemplate all day. She doesn't want to eat, drink or work. All she did was sit contemplating in her room while inhaling the scent of her father's clothes.
Clang!
A sound of something falling. Zenkyo hastily stood up and ran towards her father's room. She stopped right at the brown door. Zenkyo was about to grab the doorknob. Her tears suddenly flowed.
"I know Tou-chan must be inside, right? Tou-chan is taking a nap for sure, right?"
For a moment Zenkyo wiped her tears. In her imagination, Mr. Ryota was still behind the door of the room. Zenkyo doesn't mind if her father destroys all the furniture in the house. As long as her father was still by Zenkyo's side, it was fine. But it was too late, Mr. Ryota had left Zenkyo and this world for good.
Now only regret remains in Zenkyo's heart. Zenkyo feels that he is the most useless child in this world. In fact, he thought that if Mr. Ryota committed suicide like that, it must be because he couldn't live with Zenkyo.
"Please! Please! Just once! I just want to meet Tou-chan, Kami-sama! Sob sob... I haven't even said I love him so much."
Zenkyo said a prayer. She opened the door, and it was empty. This room was quieter than the previous days.
Zenkyo sat limply and leaned against the wall.
"I'm sorry, Tou-chan. I can never make you happy."
*Otou-san/Tou-chan = daddy
***
Mrs. Minama, Zenkyo's neighbor, comes to visit Zenkyo's house. She brought some food. Zenkyo's house is never locked, because Zenkyo still hopes that her father will come home as usual, someday.
Aunt Minama stepped towards Zenkyo's room. She knocked on the door first before finally opening the room slowly because there was no answer from inside.
Seen Zenkyo still sitting pensively in the corner of the room. She hugged her father's photo tightly. Don't want to do anything.
In the end, all humans will die. So, why did she have to go through the trouble of living this difficult life? After all, eternal life is not here. Zenkyo's mind was getting more and more chaotic.
"If reincarnation really exists, I want to be reborn as your daughter, Tou-chan," muttered Zenkyo.
The faint Zenkyo was still heard by Aunt Minama.
Aunt Minama patted Zenkyo's shoulder. She really couldn't bear to see her down. Could it be that happiness is not in her destiny at all?
Realizing that she didn't get any response, Aunt Minama sat in front of the girl with her back. Zenkyo's eyes were blank. There was only emptiness in her haggard eyes.
Zenkyo didn't shed any more tears. Either tired, or the tears have dried.
Aunt Minama couldn't take it anymore, she gently shook Zenkyo's shoulder.
"Cry! Don't cry at least, Zenkyo-chan! Cry as hard as you can!"
Zenkyo looked at the neighbor who was like a relative for a moment. Her lips trembled, the next second she was sobbing. Aunt Minama took Zenkyo into her arms.
"Why did Tou-chan have the heart to leave me, Ba-chan? Does he no longer love me hu hu sob ...?" Zenkyo wept bitterly in Aunt Minama's arms. Zenkyo feels like she has no one else in this world.
"Nakagwa Ryota loves you, Honey. Really loves you more than anything in the world." Aunt Minama spoke softly. She continued to stroke the black mane of the beautiful teenager.
"Then what about me, Ba-chan? What will I do after this sob??" Zenkyo spoke again amidst sobs.
Aunt Minama pulled Zenkyo's chin to face her. "Live well, Honey. That's what all parents want for their children."
Zenkyo no longer answered. She hugged Aunt Minama as if he didn't want to let her go. She needed a place to lean on now.
A few minutes passed, Aunt Minama still let Zenkyo hug her.
BLAM!!
CLANG!!
There was a crash in the living room.
"WOY! FUCKING NAKAGAWA! GET OUT! DON'T HIDE!" A scream came from the living room.
Aunt Minama and Zenkyo jumped in surprise. They ran outside to check who was making such a fuss while the house was still shrouded in deep sorrow.
In the living room, they saw 2 burly men and a well-dressed man. The appearance of the 2 men behind the well-dressed man was really frightening. Their bodies are covered in tattoos, dreadlocks and pierced ears
"Hey! Nakagawa Ryota! Where are you? Get out!" they shouted, rummaging through things in the living room.
"Get out! Give me back my money, Damn it!" shouted the man who was dressed neatly.
"Nakagawa Ryota!!"
"STOP!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE, HUH?" Zenkyo snapped. She was ready to beat the strangers with a broom.
The well-dressed man smirked. He walked over to Zenkyo.
"You... hmm you must be Ryota's daughter, right? Where is he now, heum?"
"Don't say my Otou-san's name like that!"
The burly man in black touched Zenkyo's hair. There was a disgusting grin on his pierced lips.
"Your father has taken my money, so you must pay it, Sweet Girl." The stranger was about to touch Zenkyo's cheek.
Zenkyo immediately brushed off the perverted man's hand.
"Is there any money here?"
The man in the suit rummaged through the cupboard in the living room.
"STOP! DON'T MAKE UP IN PEOPLE'S HOMES!"
Aunt Minama took part in arresting the three frightening men.
The man in the gray shirt grabbed Aunt Minama's hair roughly.
"This is none of your business, Old Lady!"
"Arrgghhh!!" The man groaned as his hand was bitten by Zenkyo until it bled.
His other friends didn't accept it, they immediately pushed Zenkyo to fall down. Zenkyo's forehead hit the wall leaving a red scar.
***
"You owe a child a debt at this time of night, huh?" I snapped at them. I glared at the three men I believed to be loan sharks. They just ransacked the house of a girl named Zenkyo. They were reported by Mrs. Minama, who was none other than the neighbor of the girl around the age of 18.
"We just want to take our money, Sir," replied the man in neat clothes. From the data I got his name is Ryohei.
In front of me, Detective Takeru was typing all their reports.
"Can we see the loan receipt contract?" he said.
"What are you looking for? It's the same anyway," answered Ryohei. I immediately gave him a death glare. How dare he.
Ryohei took out a piece of paper from under the suit he was wearing.
My partner, Takeru, read the contract agreement. It was true that Mr. Akira had borrowed a large amount of money, and he was using the house that Zenkyo was currently living in as collateral. However, there was something Takeru realized.
"Wait! You're asking for 40% interest? That's against the law. You could get in trouble for this!" snapped Takeru.
The man sitting next to Ryohei glanced briefly at Zenkyo who was on their left. He tugged at the girl's hair roughly.
"We only collect the principal loan. Hey! Give us back our money quickly!"
Thwack!!
I directly punched the man who grabbed the innocent girl.
"KEEP YOUR ATTITUDE AT THE POLICE STATION, FUCK!"
"Takeyuki-kun!" called the figure of the woman who had just entered our police station.
I turned my head. I had no idea that my mother would come here unannounced.
Mother's eyes are now focused on Zenkyo, the girl who reported earlier. She had been sitting quietly. Her eyes were blank. I don't know what's wrong with her.
"Oh Kami-sama! I finally found you, Honey! I was told by the neighbors that you were at the police station. Oh, no! My honey, why did you have to go through all this, honey?" Mother said while hugging Zenkyo. Does my mother know her?
I saw that Zenkyo was still frozen. Maybe she's still in shock. I heard from Takeru that this morning she had just buried her father's body, that night her house was ransacked by loan sharks. What a poor girl.
"I want you to severely punish those who hurt my future daughter-in-law, Takeyuki!"
"WHAT??!" I and Zenkyo shouted at the same time. We looked at each other.
Mother patted me and Zenkyo on the shoulder.
"Yes, Son. Mother has been planning this matchmaking with Ryota, Zenkyo's father, for a long time. Yesterday we discussed it again, but I was so shocked to hear the news of his death this afternoon. I had no idea that yesterday was our last meeting."
Mother said. Her eyes filled with tears as he remembered her first love, who would soon become a Family..
Zenkyo frowned. She was confused and shocked at the same time. So am I.
"Sir! How long are we going to watch this family drama, huh? Can we go home?" interrupted Ryohei in the middle of my and Zenkyo's confusion.
I kissed mother's forehead. It's really hard to argue with my parents' wishes, so I prefer to surrender.
"Mother, instead of making a fuss all night here, you'd better take this girl home first, okay?"
My mother agreed, she invited Zenkyo to go with her. My business with me, later later. I want to settle things with these three damn loan sharks.
Ryohei and his two companions left
"We have to go too!"
However, I immediately grabbed their shoulders. "Where are you guys going, huh? Sit down!" I pat Ryohei's shoulder roughly. "I need your data first."