I stepped into the hotel room, tossing my jacket onto the bed with a tired sigh. The day had been long, and the weight of everything—Subaru, his father, the damn 100 million yen debt—hung heavy in the back of my mind. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the wall before I decided to go through my bag.

I rummaged through it, half out of boredom and half out of habit, until my fingers brushed against something small and crumpled at the bottom. I pulled it out and unfolded the worn fabric, revealing a small bag I hadn’t touched in years.

I opened it, and there it was—bank account information. I stared at the papers for a moment, almost forgetting what it was, but then I saw the numbers: 100 million yen. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, a quiet, bitter laugh.

All those years working for the yakuza, saving up this money in secret, hoping that one day I’d have the chance to use it for myself. Back then, I had a ridiculous fantasy that I’d be free one day, that I could disappear with this cash and start over. But now? That hope felt like a distant dream—a dream that had no place in my reality.

"Sometimes, saving someone else is the only way we can save ourselves," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

I laughed again, this time louder, realizing the irony of it all. In the end, it wasn’t going to be used for my freedom. I wasn’t even sure I’d ever be free.

The next day, I arrived at school with a duffle bag slung over my shoulder, filled with American-printed money. My heart was heavy, but I kept my head down as I walked through the halls, looking for Subaru. I found him waiting by the lockers, as usual, and waved him over.

“Boss!” Subaru called out eagerly as he jogged up to me, his face lighting up like an overenthusiastic puppy.

I sighed, tossing the duffle bag at him. He fumbled with it for a second, almost dropping it before pulling the zipper open. His eyes widened as he stared down at the stacks of cash inside. "What… what is this?!"

"That," I said, nodding toward the bag, "is for when the yakuza come knocking. Hand it over when they pay you a visit tomorrow."

Subaru’s face lit up with joy, his eyes sparkling as if I’d just given him the keys to a better life. "B-Boss, I don’t even know what to say—this is… this is incredible!" His voice was breathless, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

But then, his expression shifted, a flicker of worry passing over his face. "Wait, where did you get this money? You didn’t, like, rob a bank or something, did you?"

I stared at him for a second, the question hanging in the air, and then I raised my hand and smacked him upside the head. "I’m a yakuza, not a reckless idiot!"

Subaru rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, Boss. I just… this is a lot of money."

"Yeah, well, guard that bag with your life," I warned, crossing my arms. "When the yakuza come, you hand it over. No questions, no funny business."

Subaru’s eyes were wide with determination. He nodded so hard I thought his head might fall off. "I swear, Boss, I’ll protect it with my life!"

"And stop calling me Boss," I said, sighing. "You aren’t gonna stop, are you?"

Subaru blinked up at me, his puppy eyes wide with innocence. He shook his head slowly, his face all but saying, Never.

I groaned inwardly. "Great. Just... go."

Subaru scampered off, the duffle bag practically glued to his chest like it was a precious treasure. As I watched him go, I suddenly felt a wave of regret wash over me. My stomach twisted as I thought about the decision I’d made. Was giving him the money the right thing to do? What if it all backfired? What if I should’ve just kept it and saved myself the headache?

The thoughts swirled in my head, each one more ridiculous than the last. I could’ve spent that money on a beach somewhere. No, wait—what about buying myself a nice car? A sports car? No… a condo!

I groaned out loud, feeling the stress build up. I was stuck between feeling like an idiot for giving away my hard-earned money and knowing deep down that it was probably the only decent thing I’d done in a long time.

By the time P.E. rolled around, I’d had enough of the constant back-and-forth in my head. I skipped the class entirely and headed straight for the nurse’s office, figuring I could rest and get my mind off things.