Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818622170659087884
….Don’t tell me…it’s that detective? Were we being followed?
No, I took a little detour and was extra careful.
Peering out through the dimly lit warehouse, I see the silhouette of a car coming up the dusty mountain road.
Lights cut through the trees, revealing a familiar black sedan as it approached.
…It’s the boss’s car.
How could it be a coincidence that he comes at this time? My car parked in front of the warehouse is in full view, so he probably already knows I’m inside.
The rusty sound of shutters echoes, and the footsteps of several people approach.
The sound of the boss’s heavy leather shoes treading on the gravel mixes with the chatter of employees.
I guess I’ll just have to be honest…
A code is entered, and the shutters rattle up.
Dust rises and a pale light shines into the warehouse. The boss takes the lead, followed by two employees.
The boss’s sharp eyes catch mine, and his quiet voice echoes.
“….What are you doing here, Yamasaka?”
My back straightens.
“…..Hello…..boss.”
“…Who’s that guy?”
His gaze shifts to the scum tied to the chair.
“He’s…my friend.” Soichi replies, bowing awkwardly as he is overwhelmed by the boss’s overwhelming presence.
Sweat beads on his forehead, his knees tremble slightly.
”…So? What are you doing here?”
“….I’m sorry. ….I was…trying to deal with Ito.”
“….Why? Didn’t you already take care of that case?”
“….No. …..It seems that he had filed a missing person’s report for Yua chan. I had forbidden any contact with her, so I went to her house wondering what he was up to…and he attacked me… Just as we were about to arrest him and question him, that detective showed up…I somehow managed to get past the situation and brought him here.”
It’s all true.
There is no lie.
But I knew what the boss would say next.
“…..Why did you try to do it alone?”
My chest tightens.
I was the one who made the promise to him in the first place.
“Why did you act on your own without telling me? You…are hiding something from me.” the boss’s voice echoed low.
His eyes became sharp, and the air in the warehouse became heavy all at once.
What to do….. Should I tell him the truth?
Do I tell him that the detective threatened me and told me to take advantage of the boss’s weakness?
But if such a thing is found out, the detective will come to take Yua chan away from me.
If that happens, I will no longer be able to protect her with my own hands.
Everything I’ve built up to this point and everything I’m trying to do will come to nothing.
My head is a mess.
“…Yuito. you should tell him.” Souichi whispered softly.
Don’t be scared.
He looked straight at me and said that with calm eyes.
Right….
Even if I seize the boss’s weakness and hand it over to the detectives, there is no guarantee that I can protect Yua chan.
There’s even a possibility that they will take her away from me after they get everything.
I don’t think they will help me with Akino san after all.
Even if they do, it will only give them more material to use to keep me from betraying them.
After all…let’s talk.
“…..Boss…I’m sorry.”
I kneel down, pressing my forehead to the floor. The cold concrete bites into my forehead, and the smell of dust stings my nose.
“…..For what?”
“I was…about to expose…the boss’s secret…and…tip off…that detective.”
At that moment, the two colleagues beside the boss start to move.
One of them raised his voice, “Hey, what the hell are you saying?” One of them shouts, “What did you just say?”
The sound of footsteps echoes through the warehouse, and dust dances slightly.
But the boss raised his hand to stop them.
“Quiet, all of you ! ….I’m talking to him now. Go on, Yamasaka. Depending on the content, I may have to kill you right now. You know that, don’t you?”
His low voice, like that of a debt collector, echoes off the walls of the warehouse.
Cold sweat runs down my back and my throat tightens.
“…I know. I don’t care what happens to me. I just…..want you to wait…until this matter is settled…until I can leave Yua chan with someone I can trust. As you can see.”
My voice trembled as I pressed my forehead to the floor.
Then, next to me, Soichi kneeled down on his knees in the same manner.
“…I’m asking you to do this for me too. Please.”
A few seconds of silence.
The dusty air is heavy, as if it were clogging my lungs.
Soon, the sound of a single footstep approaches.
The heavy sound of leather shoes hitting concrete. It is the boss.
“….Why did you betray me?”
“….Because the safest option for Yua chan was to betray you.”
“…….Did he threaten you? That detective.”
“……Yes.”
“……Why didn’t you tell me that first? Why didn’t you tell me that it was that detective’s fault that you betrayed your boss?”
The answer is obvious.
I liked the boss.
I didn’t want to betray him, who is compassionate, friendly, and kind.
I didn’t want to snoop around behind his back or lie to him anymore.
“….It’s my fault.”
“…So what? Did you find out anything by looking into me?”
“…I didn’t find anything. I didn’t even know what that detective wanted to know.”
“…..I see. All right. Look up.”
When I look up fearfully, tears are falling from the boss’s eyes.
The drops running down his cheeks make stains on the dusty floor, and his shoulders are trembling slightly.
[Illustration.]
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tanakamatao01/news/16818622171016275077
“…You stupid son of a bitch ! ……If you think she’s important……don’t throw your life away so easily…. You’re all she’s got left…”
Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight of him.
Sobs leak out and I choke.
“…..I am…so…rry…”
“…..You stupid bastard….”
After that, two of my colleagues tapped me hard on the shoulder. It hurts, but I know it’s a sign of forgiveness.
“…Speaking of which…why did you and the others come here?” I asked, to which the boss replied, sniffling.
“Oh, that…you’ll find out when you check your car. I felt bad, but I planted a GPS in it. Then I found out you’re going to that person’s house, and you’re headed to this warehouse…. I mean, you’re good at your job, but you’re basically stupid and clumsy, so there’s no way you can do anything like a spy.”
“….I’m sorry.”
“So? What are you gonna do with him?
The boss points at the scum with his chin.
The scum’s body is moving slightly on the chair.
“…..If we let him live, he’ll be used as a tool to threaten you again, and we don’t know what he will do next.”
“…I know. But he’s still Yua chan’s father. I’ll give him one last chance…if he passes…I’ll let him leave. But even if I let him live, I’ll take him to a certain country where he can live his life as he pleases…where he won’t cause trouble for anyone. If he doesn’t pass…I’ll kill him.”
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