Home

01. What is a home?

Spending the night awake again did not benefit Manjiro. His mind, once again, wandered through his memories of the past, when he had everything he craved most now.
Even though he remembers the suffering he experienced when he lost so many important things, Manjiro still liked to walk through the good feelings marked in his heart by the good times who lived alongside Shinichiro, Baji, Emma and Toman.

Having a gang and creating a new era of delinquents has always been Mikey's dream. And theoretically, he fulfilled such a dream, but not as he had planned. He hated gangs that harmed people and wanted to get rid of them, but ironically, he had founded one himself for this purpose he so rejected. Bonten was as precious to him as his new companions, but no amount of wealth the gang had gained through years of bloody activities could match what Toman provided to Bonten: a feeling of belonging, a feeling of being at home. A real home.

Home... Mikey didn't even know what that word meant anymore. He was already convinced that he would never remember what home really is, let alone have one again.

Mikey tried to convince himself that Bonten was home now. But... a home didn't smell of blood, let alone provide memories of murder and torture, much less provided space for meetings between criminals.

Bonten wasn't home, but it was all he had.

He had lost his home for fear of destroying it with his own hands, but if he found another he would never let go.

Before he could delve further into his memories, Mikey was interrupted by someone knocking on his bedroom door. It was probably Sanzu, who did this every morning to remind his king that another day had begun. Mikey usually ignored him and left his room whenever he wanted, but from the urgency he felt in the knocks, he got up and went to check.

"Which is?" Mikey asked in his monotone voice.

Sanzu swallowed hard. He knew that Mikey rarely slept, but the possibility that he would accidentally wake him up from such a rare event always crossed his mind. However, today he had a good reason to do so, so good that Haruchiyo deprived himself of his pills this morning.

"The deadline with the mouse Mori expires today, boss."

Bonten was involved in every possible business, including big loans of money. And if that debt was not paid, Bonten would take his life as payment.

Sanzu was especially keen to kill Mori, who was stalling to pay them off. Mikey had let the deadline linger a little longer, but now that it was over, Mori would pay with his life, even if he had cash on hand.

Mikey nodded and ordered Sanzu and the Haitani to prepare.