“Kenta,
please take care of your brother.” He patted me on the head, smiling. I wanted
my parents to know I could take care of the family. I wanted to prove that I
was big and strong, my name said so. Even though my dad was young, somehow he always
sat by the bed and took pills of some sort, and then he’d go
to sleep. This process would repeat again every day, and it would only get
worse. My mother used to go to work early in the morning and get home very late.
She was always holding a bottle and always smelt really weird. Her body would
look shaky and she’d stumble onto her bed every day. That process was repeated
too. I never complained though. All I cared about was my baby brother. His name
is Rengae. It’s a lovely name, even if it is a little girly for a boy. I helped
name him that. It’s a type of complex poem in Japan, and I like complex things.
“I am so tired of this- I’m leaving!” Those were the last words I
said before I left. I was in High School back then. After that, I joined a
tribe. Well, more like a gang. They weren’t like those violent, obnoxious,
free- shooting American gangsters you see on films. They were more like the Yakuza
– a quiet, stealthy, mafia- style gang. I was just a young teen back then who
saw something I shouldn’t have, an innocent witness. I was almost killed back
then but luckily, I was seen as a possible candidate for their gang. It was a
strange initiation though. I was just told to shake the leader’s hand. ‘Meh…Why
not?’ I thought, as I shook his hand. Wrong move. As I shook his hand, a
strange aura surrounded me. It felt like I had become far stronger than I ever
was before. My head was in the clouds after that, and the last words I heard
before blacking out were: “Welcome to our gang.”
Then, it was time for training. I trained for ten years slowly
earning my ranking. I stood out amongst the other members - I was different,
they said. That was how I got promoted to become boss. Well, almost. There was
a final mission before I officially became boss. They told me to defeat the
rival - the police force captain. ‘Easy.’ I told myself, before I actually
realized who I was facing. It couldn’t have been - It shouldn’t have been him!
Why was he the captain out of all the
people? I hesitated as we both stood face to face, with our teams behind us. It
was raining heavily back then, I remembered. Then again, how couldn’t I? I
remembered his face. He looked just like mother, a bit girly for a young man.
I held my sword tightly, before I charged at him. He didn’t move…he
was paralyzed. His eyes, before he fell crashing to the ground- were filled with
confusion and disappointment, I remembered. How couldn’t I? I regret my decision
now- I really do. I broke my parent’s promise; I remember the dying captain’s
last words…
“Big
brother…why?”
