Himiko knelt to Haruto's level, her eyes soft with empathy, gently wiping away the trails of his tears. "It's going to be okay," she whispered.
The boy, with eyes red from crying, hesitantly looked up at the elegant, red-haired woman before him—almost ethereal in his childlike vision.
A tender smile graced her lips as she gently held his face between her hands. "I'm right here, always."
His voice shaky, Haruto mumbled, "If you want to leave too... I'd get it, Miss Aikou. I really would."
She leaned in, placing a comforting kiss on his forehead. "You're so brave, Haruto, thinking of others even now." She ruffled his hair affectionately. "But I'm staying right here."
"Really? Even when Dad said he's never coming back?" His eyes, wide with hope, searched hers.
She held his gaze firmly, her voice soft yet determined. "I'm staying. You won't ever be alone again. That's a promise. And," she paused with a playful glint in her eyes, "how about you start calling me 'Mommy' from now on?"
A hint of cheerfulness returned to Haruto's eyes, his lips curving into a hopeful smile. "Really? Mommy?"
She nodded, her smile stretching wider ever so slightly.
"Now, how about we go hiking tomorrow? Just you and me?"
"Sure, mommy!"
-------SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE HARUTO'S ASCENT--------
In a forlorn corner of the city, bathed in the dim light of a solitary streetlamp, a decrepit apartment stood. The windows were murky, almost hiding the scene of chaos within – bottles littered the floor, the air hung heavy with the stench of old booze, and the sagging furniture looked as defeated as the man it bore.
Suddenly, the relative quiet of the room was shattered by a creaking sound, followed by the silhouette of an intruder framed in the doorway. Dressed in a black hoodie, the hood obscuring his features, Yuuto entered with purpose. In his hand, he held a baseball bat, painted red in what looked like dried blood.
The man, stirred from his drunken stupor, squinted through bloodshot eyes at Yuuto. Confusion and fear evident on his disheveled face. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Without a word, Yuuto advanced, tapping the bat menacingly against his other hand, conveying a silent threat.
"W-WHO THE FUCK are you?!" The man's voice was slurred, alcohol and confusion making his tone erratic.
Yuuto smirked, setting a small camera on a table, positioning it to face the man and turning it on, discreetly. The man being too intoxicated was unable to discern Yuuto's actions in his blurred vision, "My name's ain't what's important right now, Mr. Narukami. What is important is why you hired Kyoya to ruin your son's life."
A flicker of recognition flashed in the man's eyes, but he quickly masked it with a defiant glare. "Why... W-*burp*would I know anything about what that little shit*hic* does with his life!? You his BUTT BUDDY or some shit?!"
Without breaking stride, Yuuto moved closer, the bat casting long, ominous shadows on the wall. Each tap against his palm seemed to reverberate throughout the room. "You're not in a position to play games, the last person who tried to play one with me... He didn't quite understand that I've long since transitioned to adulthood.."
I can understand how he'd have made that mistake.
'SHUT. Just do your job.'
Yuuto turned his bat, making sure the alcoholic scum saw the reddish splatter on Yuuto's metallic bat. He gulped as Yuuto drew near him.
"I've seen men like you, drowning in their self-pity, using others as scapegoats for their own failures." Yuuto recites quotes he meticulously wrote in his countless scenario pages.
'Hey, as long as it works,'
The older man shifted uneasily, his bravado visibly crumbling. "W-what's the little shit got to do with you?! What the fuck you want?! Is it Money?!"
Yuuto leaned in, his voice low and dripping with menace. "Money?" He let out a chuckle, "Forget playing games, you're one foot in a cardboard box outside." He replied, lifting his back up again.
"w-WHAT DIDJA-!" He tilted forward, weariness and fatigue evident with his every movement as he swung an arm at Yuuto's leg, landing a hit - although with the force of a flyball. Yuuto didn't budge a bit as he looked down on the ruined man who tumbled at his feet.
'Disgusting... So fucking weak, so pathetic... I can take the stench, I can take the shit stains on the floor... But this man... To think you were this fragile, this much of a shell. You couldn't even do the NTR yourself... Well, it would fail horribly even if you tried. I bet you'd fail even when trying to kill yourself. What a pathetic excuse of a meatsuit... You're not worth this baseball bat.'
The man shivered as Yuuto glared at him as he narrowed his eyes in disgust and anger.
"I roughly knew what kind of man I'd be dealing with, coming here... But I didn't prepare myself to the possibility you wouldn't even be human. Use your teeth. Come on. Bite my leg. That's the only mark you're ever going to leave on this world." He hissed calmly.
"You... FUCKING kids... All you do is take... All you do is cry when things ain't workin' out to us adults... I WORKED HARD TOO!!! All for that... All for that.... That little shit... Who took everything away...!!!" The man cried as his eyes pointed at Yuuto's shoes.
"...That 'little shit' has a future, a chance at happiness. Something you tried to rob him of, all because of some fantasy you've created for yourself." His eyes were sturdy and firm as his gaze was affixed.
The man laughed bitterly, alcohol-laden spittle flying from his lips. "Happiness? There's no such thing!!! SUCH A SHITMUNCH OF A CHILD DESERVES NOTHING!!! EVERY TIME HE SMILES IS A SIN TO THE WORLD!!! He killed my wife!!! He deserves every bit of suffering HE'S GONNA GET!!!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, clumsily flinging an empty beer bottle to the side, almost immediately gauging Yuuto's reaction - seeing no change in his demeanor.
Yuuto's grip tightened around the bat. "Your wife's death was tragic, sure. But Haruto was also a victim, just like her. He did, after all - came out of your stinkin' ballsack."
The man's eyes grew wild, emotions and alcohol wreaking havoc on his coherence. "HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!!! ME, HIRING THAT THIRD-RATE THUG??! THAT'S A CRIME COMPARED TO WHAT THAT SHIT-STAIN KID DID?! THAT BRAT KILLED MY WIFE!!!! HE KILLED HER... KILLED HER!!! HE TOOK HER AWAY...!! I hope that Kyoya gives him NOTHING to be happy for the rest of his life... Hahah... Serves him right... Now that's... That's money well spent,...!!"
'Wow.' Yuuto raised an eyebrow, glancing swiftly at the camera he placed on the table, double-checking that it is, in fact, recording. He relaxed himself a bit after hearing the man confessing. He remembered his original goal.
'...Things achieved easily are just as easily taken away... I'm pretty sure I didn't even need the ketchup on the baseball-bat to scare him... Hm... Well, maybe Sendo is smarter than he looks... I'll admit.'
Does that make you dumber than you think?
"No," Yuuto corrected coldly, "you ruined your own life, with your own hands. And now you're trying to make your son pay for your own self-inflicted misery. But make no mistake," He lowered his bat, while turning around, grabbing the camera and heading to the exit. "Your boy will live a looooooong happy life with your current ex-wife, as you rot in a jail cell full of ugly dudes."
'There's enough here to put that heap of garbage in a prison cell for a good while, I'm done here.'
"I... I heard a little of what Kyoya did, haha..." The father adds as he struggles to stand up; burps between his words, a reek of alcohol leaving his mouth.
Yuuto stood still, a mere step before heading out.
"That... That failure of a kid... If he was so happy about his... His "NEW" mommy... "MY" New wife... Ha... Then... Then why'd he let that thug take her away like that...?! Haha, that's because he's just a failure. He's... He's even worse than I am right now. He's not even a man..."
Yuuto looks down on, seeing his stained reflection on the baseball bat as it stared back at him.
"Maybe not yet," He added, his tone relaxed.
"...But he's trying to be."
The man looked at Yuuto, unable to make a counterargument.
Yuuto raised his gaze from the stained baseball bat, turns around to the man, as the man struggles to keep his balance while standing.
"Well, have fun dying alone, old man. Honestly, I wanted to swing even once at you for what you did, but the booze and the ungodly amount of money you've spent on, well, nothing, seems to have beat me to it. If I do anything now, it'll be just beating a dead horse. A DEAD-dead horse. Toodles." Yuuto smirked at the man's face before leaving, slamming the door shut - leaving him no chance to reply.
"Phew, well. We're done with that... I'll send the footage to the police. This is the cherry on top that I was looking for." Yuuto walked outside of the building.
"But, before that... I gotta take care of another shitstain... Oh, I was waiting for this one for a long time, too."
"Kyoya's right-hand man... Kazuki Tanetsuke. I'm coming for you."
----------
In a dimly lit corner of a hidden alleyway, an inconspicuous door stood, easily overlooked by the casual passerby. However, pressing an ear to its rough surface would reveal the cacophony behind it — the unmistakable sounds of revelry. This was their hideout, currently bursting with fervor as its occupants celebrated their recent victory: a seemingly trivial task involving a woman and her stepson. Yet, the client, driven by deranged motives, had emptied his life-savings to ensure its completion. The staggering amount not only funded a lavish feast filled with king-sized meals, premium alcohol, and assorted drugs but also promised them a ticket into legitimate businesses.
Presiding over the jubilation was Kazuki Tanetsuke, the chief lieutenant to Kyoya Guuji. The atmosphere was thick with the heady mix of whiskey, the aromatic trail of cigars, and the unmistakable musk of freshly counted money. Typically, Kyoya would dominate the gathering, lounging confidently at the head of the table, surrounded by loyalists. A cigar would smolder between his fingers, and a glass of top-shelf Scotch would accompany him, as his calculating eyes roved the room. He would relish the moment, savoring his triumph over his latest prize, Himiko. But that evening, Kyoya was absent, reveling in his own manner.
Kazuki, seizing the opportunity, had taken his place at the helm. His face was lit by a smug grin as he surveyed the wild festivities below.
"To the BOSS!" a voice yelled out, raising a glass.
The chant was infectious, and soon the room erupted in synchronized cheers. Sprays of alcohol punctuated the air, mingling with the rich aromas of the feast.
Once the room settled, Kazuki, raising his mug in a sly toast, declared, "Let's also toast to the man responsible for this lavish spread: the ever-generous Mr. Narukami."
Laughter echoed, cruel and mocking, as they toasted to the gullible father whose life savings they'd effortlessly pilfered for such a menial task.
"But wait!" Kazuki's voice pitched with excitement. "I've prepared a special surprise for all of you."
The room, filled with a mix of intrigue and anticipation, turned their collective gaze to Kazuki.
"In you go, ladies~..." He signals to the girls, who are standing naked in a line, their bodies on display for the pleasure of the men. These girls are the ones that Kazuki has blackmailed for sex, and he has decided to treat his men to a taste of these women.
The men of the gang roar with laughter and approval, their eyes feasting on the sight before them. They clink glasses and toast to their success, eager to indulge in the pleasures that Kazuki has provided. As the night wears on, the atmosphere becomes more charged with lust and desire. The men become increasingly brazen in their advances towards the women, their hands roaming freely over their naked bodies.
Amid the chaos, Kazuki remains firmly seated, a sly grin playing on his lips. Beside him, a bashful, naked girl, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, attempts to modestly shield herself, yearning for just a shred of cover.
"Fuck yeah, baby!" one of the gang members shouts, leering at the women in front of him. The others join in, raining obscenities down on the helpless women. "Fondle your boobs, give us a show~!" The rest of the women shared the sentiment of the girl sitting in Kazuki's behalf.
Embarrassed, and helpless.
She mustered the courage to speak, her voice quivering as she approached a seemingly amiable Kazuki. "I've... I've done as you asked," she whispered, hesitantly. "I ended things with my boyfriend... came here without... Without a s-stitch on... Now, you need to uphold your end of the bargain."
Kazuki regarded her with a sly smirk. "You've been quite the compliant little doll for me," he commented. "And since I always pride myself on being a man of my word..." His hand slid into his jeans pocket, two fingers teasingly hooking the fabric. The girl's eyes shimmered with a mixture of hope and anxiety,
Amidst the merriment...
"GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY WAY! I'm going in first!" One of the men at the entrance hollered, snapping Kazuki out of his moment.
Kazuki's gaze sharply shifted, zoning in on the ruckus by the door where the procession of scantily clad women he'd brought as a treat for his group were. As they squabbled over their turn, the girl beside him sunk further into despair as his fingers left his pocket to wave.
"What's all the fuss about?" Kazuki demanded from his position.
"Boss! I just got discharged from the hospital... I deserve the first go on this bitch! She's the only one available, these fucks all hogged the rest!!"
"You nearly lost your jewels from when that hoodie-guy nearly popped them off! You've got no use for that dick anymore." A fellow gang member who fought for the right snapped back.
"Hey, hey, calm down! We're all brothers here. Let the semi-eunuch have her first... Bet he won't even last a minute, so everyone gets their turn," another joked.
"Phooo~ so reliable. Well, good thing you've figured it out like grown-ups. Just gangbang a bitch or something if all of 'em are taken." Kazuki dismissed, looking uninterested as he relaxes once more.
"Now, where were we~"
Their laughter filled the room. The previously injured man, prideful, retorted, "You'll see! I'm back in perfect form—" Yuuto stepped forward, twirling the bat nonchalantly. "-Perfect form for the hospital bed," he quipped, alluding to his perfectly timed strike; the man choked on his words as a resounding thud interrupted him. Between his thighs lay a baseball bat, one that had just made a brutal connection with his vulnerable, freshly restitched nuts.
The entire room went deathly silent for a split second. The merriment and debauchery were replaced by a palpable tension. All eyes were fixed on the unexpected guest and the man writhing in pain on the floor.
Among the twenty or so faces, a mixture of shock, curiosity, and fear was evident. The women exchanged worried glances, sensing the change in atmosphere. Some moved discreetly, attempting to shield themselves from the potential conflict. The men, previously boasting and laughing, now looked on, hands twitching as if to reach for hidden melee weapons, gauging the threat before them.
Kazuki kept his face composed but his eyes held a deadly glint. He leaned forward slightly, fingers flexing against the arms of his chair. It was clear he was assessing the situation, calculating his next move.
In contrast to the chaos, Yuuto seemed eerily calm. With a deliberate slowness, he stepped over the downed man, pressing his boot on the man's back to further immobilize him, accentuating his dominance. As he pushed the woman aside without sparing her a glance, the metallic twirl of the baseball bat echoed in the room, demanding everyone's undivided attention.
The dim lighting of the room glinted off the metal of the bat, casting eerie reflections. The room had transformed from a den of vice and revelry to a potential battlefield. With Yuuto at its epicenter, the underlying message was clear: anyone who dared challenge him would meet the business end of that baseball bat.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes, demanding, "Who the fuck're you?"
"The guy who's gonna baseball your ass." came the reply.