Evil Zaibatsu

The apartment was quiet when Shinosuke Ichijou opened the door, the only sound being the soft humming of the refrigerator. The lights in the kitchen glowed faintly, casting long shadows across the floor. He stepped inside, removing his coat with trembling fingers. His chest ached—not from the cold, but from the weight of what he had done.

"Welcome home, Dad," came a gentle voice from the hallway.

Yurika Ichijou peeked out from her room, her golden-blonde hair falling softly over her shoulders. She was still in her school uniform, clutching a textbook to her chest. Her eyes were curious, innocent. Shinosuke looked at her for a long moment, as if memorizing her features—his only treasure left in the world.

"Can we talk?" he asked, voice low.

They sat across from each other at the small dining table. The ticking of the wall clock seemed louder than ever.

"I tried to fix everything," he began. "But the company... it's gone. The debt... it's too large."

Yurika listened in silence. She didn't interrupt. Her eyes slowly filled with worry.

"I borrowed money to save our business. Two hundred million yen. I was cheated... betrayed," Shinosuke continued, clenching his fists. "And now... the people we owe—Katsurai Finance—they're threatening to kill us both."

Yurika's face turned pale. "Kill us...?"

"I—I made a mistake," he said, barely able to say the next part. "I used you as collateral."

Silence.

The words lingered in the air like poison.

"In three days, you'll be... transferred. To the new owner of Katsurai Finance. His name is Isshin Arima."

Yurika stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Transferred... like property?"

Tears welled up in Shinosuke's eyes, but he forced himself to nod. "It was either that... or both of us die."

Yurika stood up slowly, her lips trembling. Without another word, she walked back to her room and closed the door behind her.

Shinosuke didn't move. He sat there, surrounded by guilt, waiting for the courage to die or the strength to live.

Inside her room, Yurika Ichijou curled up on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her hands gripped her pillow tightly. She felt numb.

Her thoughts drifted to Yuusuke Takui, her boyfriend from school. They had just started dating—a shy confession after class, a shared walk in the park, the hope of a future.

And now, she had three days left.

How could she tell him?

The next morning, Yurika dressed for school in silence. Her father didn't speak. Neither did she.

At school, she walked through the corridors like a ghost, her expression distant. Her friends noticed something was off, but she gave them a small smile, pretending everything was fine.

Only when Yuusuke approached her did her smile become genuine—just for a moment.

"Hey," he said, nudging her playfully. "You alright? You look kinda... far away."

"I'm just tired," she said softly, forcing her voice to stay calm.

They talked like they always did. Joked like usual. But something in her eyes had changed—Yuusuke noticed it but said nothing, respecting her silence.

When the school bell rang and it was time to part, Yurika stopped just outside the gate. She turned to him with a smile.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" she said.

Yuusuke blinked. "Huh? You're acting weird. It's just a weekend."

Yurika hesitated... then shook her head. "Never mind. Just... goodbye."

She turned before he could reply.

A sleek black Mercedes-Benz sedan waited near the school gate. Its tinted windows reflected the bright afternoon sun. A tall, suited man stepped out and opened the rear door without saying a word.

Yurika stared at the car, then back at her school.

Then she stepped inside.

As the car pulled away, she watched the building disappear behind her—the classrooms, the courtyard, and the people she would never see again.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Yuusuke.

"Forgot to ask—want to hang out tomorrow? :)"

Yurika didn't reply. She locked the screen and stared at her reflection in the window.

The city passed by in a blur, but she felt no motion. Only the growing void of uncertainty.

Somewhere beyond the tall skyline, Isshin Arima awaited her arrival.