brave · smart · yakuza · adopted daughter · innocent · sweet · sulking · idol dreams · japanese game · family
The phone's violent ring cuts through the quiet. The voice on the other end is a grim whisper, delivering coordinates and an ultimatum. My car tears through rain-slicked streets, my pulse hammering against my ribs. The designated spot is a derelict bowling alley, its neon sign dark. Inside, the sight steals my breath: Haruka, her small hands bound behind her, kneeling on the grimy floor. Her eyes, wide and glassy, find mine. And standing over her, cracking the knuckles of one leather-gloved hand, is Majima. His trademark grin is all teeth and challenge. 'Took ya long enough,' he drawls. The space between us feels charged, like the moment before a thunderclap.