Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818093094685910242
◇Day 7
Day 7. It’s the last day of my vacation.
Tomorrow, work begins and the hustle and bustle of daily life engulfs me.
The time I’ve spent with Yua chan is like a dream come true.
But today is the end of that dream.
I had decided to spend my last day relaxing.
Once work started, I would be so busy that I would have less time to pay attention to Yua chan.
I was worried about leaving her alone.
But I can’t take her to work with me.
What if something happens?
The image of her small backside comes to my mind, and I feel a stirring in the back of my chest.
“I should report it to the boss…”
I mumble, thoughts swirling in my head.
But what if I report it and he tells me to return her home?
Yua chan would go back to that hell.
My stomach tightens at the thought of that man’s filthy hands reaching for her.
I would never lether go through that again.
But what can I do….
It’s not something I can hide forever.
If that person makes a fuss that his daughter has been kidnapped, I will be in danger.
I’ve been in the loan shark business, so I know how to get around the law.
But can I protect Yua chan with that?
My head was spinning and I couldn’t see the answer.
“Then…should I just get rid of him?”
That thought flashed through my mind.
I’ve caught people who tried to default on their debts many times.
I know exactly how it will end.
I’ll turn him in to the boss for defaulting on his debt and have him dealt with in the dark.
That would solve everything, wouldn’t it?
I won’t be blamed for protecting Yua chan.
It should be possible to persuade them.
But what would Yua chan think?
Even that man is her only family.
If I erased her father, how would she look at me?
She might hate me.
She might find it unforgivable.
Or would she be happy to be liberated?
To ask, “Yua chan, do you want me to kill your father?”…would I force her to make such a choice?
My head gets heavy and my breath catches in my throat.
But I don’t think that having that man alive casts a good shadow over Yua chan’s life.
I can still see her frightened in that dingy house.
The scars of the abuse remain on her body and have carved a deep gash in her heart.
If that guy disappears, she might be free.
But what right do I have?
“If only I were smarter…”
I mutter, looking up at the ceiling.
If I were smarter, I might not be trapped in this cul-de-sac.
I close my eyes in search of an answer, but my thoughts keep going in circles.
Every time I think about Yua chan’s future, her existence looms over me like a dark cloud.
After thinking it over for a long time, I came to a decision.
I will tell the boss everything.
I will talk to him about how to deal with that man and find a way to protect Yua chan.
It may not be the best thing to do, but it was the only thing I could do.
I stood up with my determination in my heart.
◇Coffee shop
The coffee shop was quiet in the late afternoon.
The sunlight reflected off the wooden tables and the trees outside the window swayed in the breeze.
I take a seat in a private room and reach for the coffee in front of me. As the slightly cooled bitterness spreads across my tongue, I hear the door open.
“…Boss, thank you for your hard work.”
“Oh. How was your vacation?”
The boss sits down on a chair with a thud.
His stout physique fills the seat with his usual intimidating air.
This is our favorite coffee shop.
This store, run by the boss, was a place for those who had washed their hands of shady businesses.
He hires them because they have nowhere else to work, and continues to do so without regard to profit.
The employees move around quietly in the store, and the aroma of coffee wafts peacefully in the air.
“I’m well rested. Thanks to you.”
“You still have the rest of the day left. So? What you wanna talk about when you call me all the way out here? If it’s boring, I’ll beat you up.”
“It’s not boring.”
“Oh? Say it.”
I took a deep breath and told him everything that had happened.
The dire situation Yua chan was in.
I told him that I had advanced that man 50,000 yen, and in exchange, I had allowed Yua chan to live in my house.
I told him that I wanted to make her happy in the future, and that I might take care of her for that purpose.
I spoke carefully, choosing my words carefully.
The boss continues to listen in silence, occasionally exhaling cigarette smoke.
Nothing can be read from his expression.
When I had finished speaking, the boss stood up and slapped me on the cheek as hard as he could.
“Ugh ! !”
The impact sends me tumbling out of my chair and onto the floor.
My cheek heats up and a dull pain spreads.
This was the third time the president had hit me.
“…I’m sorry, sir.”
“What is that apology for?”
“…For acting on my own and not reporting it.”
“So you know what I’m talking about. The reason I hit you now is because you were doing that without telling me. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Then why did you tell me now?”
“…Because I still thought I should tell you, even if it would bother you.”
“…You’re an idiot, you know that?”
The boss returns to his seat and lights a cigarette.
A thin wisp of smoke rises and drifts into the room.
“I’ll tell you something good. How to make it all go away.”
“You mean…get rid of the old man?”
“Well, that’s one way. I was gonna kill him one day anyway. I was planning to catch him and sell his organs for money before he flew away. But there’s another way.”
“…What is it?”
“What, that’s why you approached me, isn’t it? I’ll tell you what, you take his debt. In exchange, we will never lend him money again, and he will cut ties with his daughter. With a written pledge that he will never touch us or his daughter. Then you won’t have to get your hands dirty. It’s not a bad choice for him either.”
My eyes widened at those words.
Surely…there was a way to do that.
Why didn’t I think of that?
That guy’s debt was one million yen in principal.
With the late fees and interest, it must have been close to 12 million….
“Of course, you only have to pay the principal, one million yen. That will save you the trouble of dealing with him and keep the police off your back. Two birds with one stone. What do you think? If you’re really ready…”
“I’ll do it. Please let me pay.”
I answered immediately, and the boss smirked.
“…..All right. Then bring me the money within a week. I’ll talk to her father. And…let me see the kid next time. You can bring her to my house.”
“……Thank you very much.”
I bowed deeply.
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