First name Yuriko, last name Asami. A name I’m all too familiar with.

“...Yuriko?” (Ren)

“Kyaaaaaaaa~!!! You remembered me! I’m sorry I’m sorry, I can’t handle it! Take care of him for me!” (Yanyan)

When I was younger, I had a childhood friend named Yuriko. We would play on the sandbox, swing on the swings, run around the block and basically do childish things.

That all changed when a random woman appeared at our house. Both of us were crashing toy cars when suddenly...

(Flashback)

After a long day out with my bestest friend, Yuriko, we both took a bubble bath at the same time. We’ve never been apart for more than 12 hours and that’s due to Yuriko’s insistence to be with me.

The only times she isn’t with me is when I’m out with obaa-san, the owner of this house, and when obaa-san takes me to ojii-san.

I’ve heard that since my mama and papa were working hard in the big palace up there, I’m living with obaa-san who is a “fem fetal”. I’m not sure what that meant, but I assume it was a good job since we are fairly comfy in this mansion.

“Wahahaha! Stop it Ren! You will get me dirty again!” (Yuriko)

“How? We are in the shower, dummy!” (Ren)

As I splashed her with the soapy water, we both kept on laughing and laughing until our cheeks hurted and our stomachs were in pain. It was very worth it.

Since obaa-san told us to finish in under 40 “minots”, I pulled Yuriko out of the tub and made her follow me so that we could play with our beloved toys that ojii-san bought us.

We walked through the long and winding hallways of the mansion and eventually, we ended up at the toys room that ojii-san bought for us. There was only two of us, but it was enough.

The room right next to the toys room was the study room where obaa-san and occasionally ojii-san would teach us about life.

We both learned many things, but the most shocking thing that we learned was that we weren’t siblings. This made Yuriko sad, but obaa-san took her away and when she care back, she was more clingy than ever.

I have no idea how obaa-san made Yuriko, who regularly clung to my back, even more clingy. It was very annoying.

However, I endure it since I get rewarded with things if I am nice to Yuriko. Both of us are enjoying each other’s company, but for different reasons.

Yuriko for me, and me for Yuriko and the rewards. I don’t hate her, I just...find her annoying sometimes.

“Renren! Here, take this big bus. Crash it into this little car I have! Quickly quickly!” (Yuriko/Yanyan)

“Un un! I’m coming~. Mwuahahaha“ (Ren)

The giant yellow bus came straight for her tiny little hatchback and as soon as they collided, we both started laughing and giggling. We continued the beating of the tiny car until she started sweating and panting from our hard work.

Though we were just playing, we also ran around and chased each other. By the end of it, she just resorted to tackling me and was still lying on top of me.

“R-Ren...” (Yuriko/Yanyan)

“Ahhh-a-awawawa. Y-Yuriko, Wu-what are you...doing?” (Ren)

“R-Ren...I lub you. Obaa-san taught me that word...ahehehe” (Yuriko)

“W-w-w-what are you saying, you idiot!” (Ren)

At that moment, we heard the sound of obaa-san and an unknown woman talking to each other. Since I was blushing and turning my head away, we weren’t talking and could hear them quite well.

“I said no” (Obaa-san)

Yuriko and I made eye contact and right then  and there, we decided what we were going to do. We were going to eavesdrop on obaa-san!

Who knows, maybe she is cheating on ojii-san with this woman. It would a good gossip... un un.

I placed my finger over my lips to make sure Yuriko keeps quiet and she just took my finger and placed it in her mouth to suck it. However, I had more important things to do than get angry at her antics.

We tiptoed out of the room quietly and from the indoor balcony, we watched them talk about something in the living room.

The layout of our house was that when you entered, there was a massive space and then to the left was the living room and to the right was the kitchen and dining room.

Two massive stairs were at the end of the massive open space and that’s where we were hiding. It was basically a foyer.

In the living room, obaa-san was wearing a nun’s clothing while the unknown female was wearing a very tight red dress with flowers all over. I think it was called a “cheengsam” or something.

“Is there something wrong? Why wouldn’t you accept?” (???)

“Because I have no need for money, Shasho. You see my house and think I have a need for money?” (Obaa-san)

“This isn’t about the money, granny...or should I say, Madame Janice? Hehehehe...” (Shasho)

All the while this was happening, Yuriko turned to looks at me with a sparkling expression like she just found gold. We were very excited.

For a long time, we thought that obaa-san was her name, but it wasn’t! What the hell! It was... Ja-nice?

We were lied to! However, we continued listening for other possible gossips.

“I am not Janice. I left that life many, many years ago” (Obaa-san)

“You don’t just up and leave, Janice. You never can leave. Even now, did you know who my hero was? Just so you know, I was in Room 003 for most of my adolescence” (Shasho)

“...” (Obaa-san)

“Yeah, ahahaha. That entire facility is decorated with Janice propaganda. To think, a nun killing Dictator Abayomi and even Emperor Chai Charoen amongst oth-“ (Shasho)

At that moment, Janice quickly stood up from where she was sitting and took the other woman to somewhere we couldn’t see.

Yuriko wanted to go check it out, but I held her back in fear that we might be scolded. However, the woman that obaa-san, or Janice, took to the back left the house after an hour.

The next day, Yuriko was taken away from me. I never saw her again and she never saw me. I don’t know how much she missed me, but I missed her. A lot.

I wouldn’t sleep without crying for nearly 3 months straight. Obaa-san would always look at my disheveled appearance with pity and sadness.

After that, obaa-san never came back. Now, all I had was ojii-san with me. He was my only familiar person.

(Ren POV)

As I dumbfoundedly stared at the space Yuriko was standing, an old man came into view.

“Thanks a lot Ronda. You can leave him on the stools” (Big boss)

“Un un. Weak man, you fight very hard, but hard is no use when you weak” (Ronda)

“Ahak ahak! Ummm, thanks?” (Ren)

The woman named Ronda nods her head with a hard expression and walks up the stairs into the second floor. Meanwhile, the old man with a gentle expression had a small smile on his face.

Okay, this is quite scary. Just by looking at him, one could tell that he wasn’t a good man. The smile was followed by his creepy eyes that seemed to look through everyone.

It was like I was trash.

“Hmmm, your leg isn’t too injured so don’t worry. Seems like just a flesh wound” (Big boss)

In my mind, I was screaming thanks to this old man and whoever was up there that decided I can still walk. In fact, all it took was some wiping off the blood on my leg and the cut wasn’t as bad as I thought.

Another woman was watching us from the side with her arms crossed, looking very intimidating. However, her slightly shaking legs and arms were testament to what she was really feeling.

“Ummm, who is that?” (Ren)

Pointing at the shaking woman, the old man looks at her with a confused and slightly surprised expression.

“Right. You will call me big boss, that’s Erina, the girl you call Yuriko is Yanyan and that buff woman that carried you here was Ronda. There’s others, but we’ll get to that” (Big boss)

As I slowly nodded my head to this, I looked around the bar and realized that this was fairly close to school.

Normally, this kind of establishment would be destroyed and the owner of the bar would have his license suspended. School areas aren’t meant for bars.

Seeing my questioning gaze, the old man smiles lightly at me.

“This isn’t a registered bar, son. Also, welcome to the team! We called you here and you eventually made your way here! Welcome welcome! Woohoo!” (Big boss)

“...not registered? You called?... Yen_Maker_666?” (Ren)

Big boss ignored my numerous questions for himself and he brings his hands to chest height and starts clapping slowly.

Clap clap clap clap...

The slowly clapping big boss was shortly joined by Erina on the side and eventually, Yuri- Yanyan came down with an embarrassed expression and started clapping as well.

Previously silent, the bar is now filled with the claps of three people, slowly getting more and more intense until it suddenly ends. The big boss looks at me with a soft expression.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you, Tsuchiya-san” (Big boss)

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can work for a bar nearby a school in good faith, especially an unregistered one. I really appreciate the care for my leg, but I’ll be leaving now...” (Ren)

My deep bow towards Big boss and the girls was followed by silence. When I looked up, they were all looking at each other with slight sadness and a bit of anger towards me.

Yanyan however just looked infatuated... well, since Yuriko is here, I hope she is having a good life.

As I was leaving however, the old man held his hand on my shoulder and squeezed really hard. I collapsed on the ground and look up at him.

“You can’t leave, young man. Unless, your wife would like to hear about that incident in that specific night...” (Big boss)

“You... you piece of shit!” (Ren)

At this point, I really wanted to kill this old guy, no matter if Yuriko was here. He has stalked me, led two men to me to beat me up and is now blackmailing me.

With my brain clouded with rage, I charged at him, but then, the old man immediately punched my face so hard I started crying.

He pounced on top of me and held his knee against my lower back, pinning me to the ground unless I wanted to be paralyzed.

“Listen here, you experiment. You will not leave this place before you work for me. Either you make the money I promised, or worse things will happen to you” (Big boss)

With my body shaking and fear and my bladder almost letting go, I looked towards Yuriko for help with puppy eyes. I didn’t mean to have cute eyes, but the tears were just reflective.

“Uuuuuuu... I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry! Please don’t look at me like that! Waahahahaha...Hic! Hic! Sniff...don’t hurt him, big boss” (Yanyan)

‘I’m screwed...’

 

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a.n | thanks so much for reading up un til this point and I hope you are enjoying it so far. I hope you can consider supporting this novel by adding to library, reviewing and commenting on this chapter! Thanks so much!