Tokyo, a city of contrasts. Its streets are like veins, pulsing with life, but beneath the neon signs and glittering windows lie filth, shadows, and cold steel. On the main avenues, it's noisy, bright, and crowded. But take a step into the alleys, and the world changes. There, under flickering streetlights, reality bares its teeth.
In one of those alleys, beneath the sign of a bar with half its letters burned out, came the dull thud of blows. A metal pipe hit the asphalt with a hollow clang, playing a melody that sent shivers down your spine.
On the ground in front of me lay a young man, about twenty years old. His face was bloodied, his lips split, yet his eyes still burned with defiance. He looked up, staring at me — Raisuke Fujiwara.
Raisuke. Leader. Boss. The man who ruled this area. A name everyone knew but avoided speaking out loud. Black hair falling over my forehead, crimson eyes like blood, and the tattoo of a rose peeking from beneath the collar of my jacket.
The guy lying in front of me — or rather, the guy who used to be standing — had clearly overestimated himself by deciding to cross me.
— Do you even realize who you messed with, idiot?
The guy stayed silent. Instead of answering, he struggled to lift his head and spat blood onto the ground.
I almost found it amusing.
— Still stubborn, huh?
Crouching down, resting my elbows on my knees, I spoke calmly — like a teacher explaining something to a dim-witted student.
— You see, kid, it's simple. In this world, you either survive or get eaten alive. And the ones who survive are the ones who know how to respect the rules.
I slowly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it.
The smoke always helped me think clearly.
— You thought you could cheat me, didn't you? The money you stole—it's nothing. But the fact you dared to take it from me…
I exhaled a puff of smoke directly into his face.
— …that's unforgivable.
— Raisuke, maybe that's enough?— came a voice from one of my guys standing behind me. — We've already shown him who's in charge.
— You think he's learned his lesson?
He lowered his gaze without answering.
— Let him go. Get out of here,— I said.
The guy tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. His friends, who had been lurking in the shadows the whole time, rushed over and helped him up.
— Leave before I change my mind,— I added, exhaling another cloud of smoke.
When they disappeared around the corner, I stood alone, staring at the dark sky. The cigarette smoke mixed with the cold night air.
As always, when things grew quiet, my grandfather's words came back to me:
"A man must always know what's important to him and what's just trash."
What's important to me? Power? Money? Control?
All of it feels empty somehow.
— Such a... crappy feeling...
At that moment, headlights suddenly blinded me. It all happened in a split second. The screech of brakes, a hollow thud, and I hit the cold asphalt.