𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐅𝐈𝐀 | completed

chapter one - wandering tiger

Chazuke. That was the only thing on Atsushi's mind. He remembered back at the orphanage he'd sneak bowls and bowls of it to the dorm in
the middle of the night when the caretakers refused to feed him. However, that simple yet delicious meal was but a distant memory. That was because right now, Atsushi was starving to death by a river, ages away from the orphanage.

Curse that tiger, Atsushi thought to himself. If it weren't for that wild beast, the orphanage wouldn't have lost so much food and resources, and Atsushi never would have been thrown out to save the institute a bit of money. Though to be fair, he had it coming for himself. The director despised him, and recently, he officially became an adult. Still, they gave him no warning and no chance to make a living for himself. Atsushi was truly lost.

If he was being honest, Atsushi was willing to kill to get something to eat and survive. Well, perhaps not kill, but there was no way he was going to let himself die pathetically like this. Atsushi gathered up the courage to stand up, wait for the next person to pass by, and rob them of everything they had on them.

First, a person on a motorcycle came by, leaving behind a trail of smoke and the echo of its roaring engine. Surely Atsushi would never be able to catch up with them, so he let them go. Next came what seemed to be an entire squadron of the military police, jogging in unison and in power. Atsushi figured they wouldn't have their wallets on them at this hour, so he let them go.

Hours went by, the sun set on the Yokohama horizon, and Atsushi continually made excuses to spare passers and their money. It came to the point that he was so despaired and tired he had collapsed onto the dusty, dirty ground and wallowed in his misery.

That was when he heard the sound of steps meeting gravel not too far away. Atsushi looked up and saw a plain man, likely in his late twenties or early thirties. He didn't seem too poor, not too rich. He didn't seem like he could run fast or defend himself, but it wasn't like he was completely weak either. He was the epitome of a normal guy. There was no reason that Atsushi couldn't threaten this man into giving up his money. So, he got up and used the last of his strength to push himself towards the man.

With the most threatening face and powerful voice he could muster, Atsushi bellowed, "Stop right there!"

The man seemed more confused than terrified. "Um, hello? What seems to be the problem, young sir?"

"Give me all your money!" Atsushi roared, lunging for the wallet-shaped bulge in his pocket.

Was this how robbing people worked? Atsushi wouldn't know. This was his first time, and hopefully (not likely), his last time.

Atsushi successfully wrapped his fingers around the wallet, yanked it out of the man's pants, and began to make a run for it.

"I- What? Thief! Thief!!!" he heard the man scream out into the street. "Oh, Kunikida-san! Thank goodness you're here. That young man over there just stole my wallet!"

Atsushi didn't dare look back no matter what he heard. All he cared about was getting as far away as possible. He dashed across the road and turned onto another street, nearly making contact with a speeding car's headlights. Luckily for him, the vehicle stopped in time.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed.

Mentally, Atsushi slapped himself. How could he apologize for that when he just robbed an innocent person?

Atsushi ran, and ran, and ran. The neon and phosphorescent lights of Yokohama's stores and buildings blurred in Atsushi's eyesight, and the pain in his stomach and his legs united in a dulling sensation that overcame his consciousness. It was only then that Atsushi noticed that he pushed many innocent civilians out of his way just to get to a dark, abandoned alleyway behind a rundown emporium. The young man scrambled to hide behind a dumpster overflowing with trash and foul stenches. Atsushi gave it no care and fumbled around with the stolen wallet.