---May 16, 2016
---At Shibuya Tokyo, Japan
Two weeks had slipped by like shadows in the night, each day heavier than the last with the weight of grief. Ryujin and Kenji remained hidden, haunted by the memory of Sato's death.
At the funeral, Yumi knelt beside the freshly dug grave, her hands cradling her swollen belly, her tears falling freely onto the damp Soil.
"Why did you leave us, Sato?" she whispered brokenly, her voice trembling with sorrow.
"Our baby will never know their father..."
Hiro stood beside her, his small frame quivering with emotion. Tears streaked his cheeks as he struggled to comprehend the finality of death.
"Daddy..." he choked out, his voice barely a whisper.
"Why did you go away? I miss you..."
Yumi pulled Hiro into a tight embrace, her own grief echoing in every tear that fell.
"We all miss him, Hiro," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.
"But he'll always be with us, in our hearts."
Takashi watched from a distance, his expression unreadable as he observed the scene unfold.
(Sato's gone.) he thought, the weight of his absence a calculated move in his twisted game.
(And soon, Ryujin and Kenji will follow.)
As the funeral continued, the air thick with sorrow and unspoken words, Hiro clung to Yumi, his small shoulders trembling with the weight of loss.
"I don't want Daddy to be gone..." he whimpered, his voice barely audible amidst the somber murmurs of the mourners.
Yumi held him close, her own tears mingling with his.
"I know, Hiro, I know," she whispered, her voice choked with grief.
"But we'll get through this together... Daddy will always be watching over us, from up above..."
---Meanwhile...
---May 16, 2016
---At Itabashi Tokyo, Japan
In a modest countryside house tucked away in Itabashi, Ryujin and Kenji found a temporary respite from their relentless pursuit. The night air was still, only the sound of Kenji's steady breathing while he slept on the bed offering a semblance of peace. Ryujin sat rigid on the couch, his pistol disassembled on the table before him, each part laid out with a precision that mirrored the turmoil in his mind.
Ryujin's thoughts were a relentless tide, washing over him with guilt and remorse. He couldn't shake the image of the innocent man he'd shot, the text message on the phone haunting him, replaying over and over in his mind. It was in these quiet, dark moments that his past surged forward, unbidden.
---2 years ago...
---April 12, 2014
---At Shinagawa Tokyo, Japan
Yukiko's voice was sharp, her anger palpable in the small, cluttered living room of their old apartment.
"How can you teach Soya such things, Ryujin? He's just a child! What kind of father wants his son to resolve conflicts with fists?" Her eyes were ablaze, her stance defensive yet imploring.
Ryujin's jaw was set, his own temper flaring as he stood across from her, the weight of her words not fully grasping him yet.
"He needs to know how to stand up for himself, Yukiko. The world isn't a kind place—it's eat or be eaten. I won't have him be weak."
Yukiko's voice broke as she countered, her frustration morphing into desperation.
"Is that what your father taught you? Is that why you think it's okay? Do you even hear yourself? You're just perpetuating the same cycle of violence you grew up with! Is that what you want for Soya? To turn him into another... another you?"
Ryujin paused, his stance softening slightly as the implications of her words began to sink in. He looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
"It's not about being like me... It's about surviving-"
"But at what cost, Ryujin? At what cost?" Yukiko's voice softened, her earlier anger replaced by a sorrowful plea. "I don't want our son to grow up thinking that violence is the only answer. There has to be a better way."
---Present day...
Ryujin rubbed his temples as the memory faded, the echo of Yukiko's words lingering like a ghost in the room. He glanced over at Kenji, sleeping peacefully, unaware of the turmoil beside him. Ryujin felt a surge of envy for that peace, even as he knew sleep would not bring him any respite from his conscience tonight. The weight of his actions, both past and present, bore down on him with an oppressive force, leaving him to wonder if redemption was just a fool's hope.
---Some time later...
Ryujin's steps crunched softly on the dew-laden grass as he wandered aimlessly into the night, attempting to escape the shadows that clung to his conscience. The cold air bit at his skin, but it was the internal turmoil that gnawed relentlessly at his soul. Images of the innocent man he had killed replayed in his mind, each recollection slicing through him with renewed pain and guilt.
His troubled reverie was abruptly interrupted by distant voices carried on the wind. Curious and seeking a distraction from his own dark thoughts, Ryujin followed the sounds, his feet leading him across the field toward the commotion. As he drew closer, the scene that unfolded before him was painfully familiar—a group of children encircling a smaller boy, their words sharp and cruel, their actions menacing.
"You're worthless, just give up!" one child jeered loudly, emboldened by the pack.
"Why do you even come to school? No one wants you here!" another taunted, pushing the boy who stumbled but did not fall.
The scene struck a nerve deep within Ryujin. The boy's helpless, frightened posture mirrored that of his own son, Soya, who had faced similar torment. This realization stoked a fire within him, a surge of protective instinct he hadn't felt in so long.
Stepping forward with a purposeful stride, Ryujin's approach startled the group. His voice, when he spoke, was a thunderclap of authority.
"Stop this right now! What do you think you're doing?" His tone was fierce, his presence imposing.
The children froze, their bravado dissolving under his stern gaze. They shuffled their feet, mumbling half-hearted apologies, unable to meet his eyes.
"I said, enough!" Ryujin's command rang out, clear and commanding.
"Go home, all of you. And think about what you were just doing. Would you want someone to treat you like that?" His words hung heavy in the air, a challenge to their conscience.
Reluctantly, the children dispersed, casting nervous glances back at Ryujin and the boy they had left behind. Once they were gone, Ryujin turned his attention to the small, trembling figure still hunched on the ground.
Gently, he offered his hand, helping the boy to his feet. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice now softer, tinged with concern.
The boy nodded, wiping away tears mixed with the dirt on his cheeks. "Yes, thank you," he whispered, his voice quivering with the effort to appear brave.
Ryujin crouched down to eye level with the boy. "Listen to me," he said, his tone earnest,
"You don't have to endure this alone. If they come after you again, you tell someone—tell a teacher, tell your parents. Don't let them think they can get away with this. You have the right to stand up for yourself."
The boy nodded again, a bit of resilience flickering in his eyes, encouraged by Ryujin's words.
"Go on, get home safely," Ryujin encouraged, watching as the boy took a few hesitant steps before breaking into a run towards home.
---But...
Ryujin stood there in the dim light of the field, his mind a tumultuous storm of conflicting emotions. As he wrestled with the memories that clawed at his conscience, the weight of his past transgressions bore down on him with suffocating intensity. The image of his wife, Yukiko, holding their son Soya tightly, shielding him from Ryujin's anger, seared itself into his mind.
---5 months ago...
---December 16, 2015
---At Shinagawa Tokyo, Japan
His chest tightened with the sharp pang of regret, the memory of Yukiko's voice ringing in his ears like a haunting echo.
"Stop, Ryujin! Soya is just a child. He doesn't need this. He deserves better—a father who loves him, not one consumed by his own past!"
---Present day...
The words cut deep, reopening wounds that had never truly healed. Ryujin clenched his fists, his throat constricting with the weight of guilt and shame. How could he have let himself become the monster his wife feared?
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He had failed Yukiko. He had failed Soya. And now, with Sato gone and his own demons closing in, he feared he had failed himself as well.
But amidst the turmoil, a flicker of determination ignited within him. He couldn't undo the past, but perhaps he could shape the future. With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, steeling himself against the onslaught of self-recrimination.
"I won't let this define me," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the rustle of the wind.
"I won't let my mistakes dictate who I am. I'll find a way to make things right—for Yukiko, for Soya, for myself."
With renewed resolve, Ryujin turned away from the field, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. The road ahead was fraught with uncertainty, but he refused to falter. He would carve out a new path, one marked by redemption and forgiveness, no matter how arduous the journey.