Survival Game, Book 1: The Fool

Act One: Chapter One

                Act I, The Magician's Arcana

"The victim was a man named Satoshi Akasaki-san (40), a local resident. He was found at a hotel near his place of work, with evidence of assault. Along with him was Yuriko Shimamura-san (22), who has now been linked to several other deaths in the recent years as well as Akasaki-san's assault after a knife was found at the scene. She has been taken into government custody and according to government aid, Azumi Kimura-san (28), the crime appears to be the work of a gang calling themselves the Grandmasters, as the new AX drug was also found at the scene. Kimura-san states that she has recently been approved for a program to counter this threat and will follow up with more information next issue." The magazine article read as Ryou skimmed through it quickly before putting it on the rack for sale. A small touch of guilt coursed through him for looking at it, but the magazine rack he re-stocked weekly was his only source for news as of late. More crime reports, huh... He thought to himself solemnly as he unboxed another stack of magazines. Seems like that's all they ever report lately with that weird drug. Maybe I should start locking our doors now... Originally, the quiet neighborhood his home nestled in posed no need for anything like that. After all, why would it? Ryou's mother knew all the neighbors fondly and his younger brother had some friends next door who was on the elementary school's soccer team with him. But as of recent, rarely anyone left their homes for anything but errands or work. They were all afraid of the news reports and everyone felt the heavy unease at being the next potential victim. Ryou pushed away his concerns with a sigh and picked up the next magazine to skim through. This time, it was a woman's magazine with a young woman on the cover, seated happily on a park bench surrounded by sakura trees and dressed in a laced pink blouse with a pair of jeans. Ryou recognized the woman's long black hair and olive eyes from previous issues. She seems pretty popular, I guess. That makes at least over 10 issues she's been on the cover of. He guessed as he placed the copies of the magazine on the rack with the others.
Finishing up the remaining boxes, Ryou stood up to examine his work, ensuring the rack was full and every magazine was lined up perfectly with each other. He was always chided by his mother for his constant perfectionism, but he yearned for any way to please his supervisor. It was only a part time job at a simple convience store, but Ryou hoped his manager would see promise in his teenaged employee and open more doors to promotion or a raise. Inwardly, he knew it was a far fetched dream, but he didn't care. Only time and effort could tell if his dream would be reality. He had tried everything, even missing school to work extra days, figuring his high academic performance would help him get by with a few days off. Anything... I'd do anything as long as it means I can get enough money. He had thought on the first day he missed, back in April soon after his first day of his third year. I'll graduate next March anyway. Then things will be okay and I can devote myself to working. It was his way of reassuring himself for not feeling guilty of his actions.
"Nakahara-san." His supervisor, an elderly woman who'd worked at the store for several years, addressed him in a raspy voice. "You've done well today. You may be dismissed and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you." He replied politely, forcing away the pride that coursed through him from her praise. "I'll be back tomorrow. Please stay safe!"
He quickly clocked out his time card and hurried out the door, hoping to make it home on time. Mom won't be back until late again. I'll have to make it home before 8:30... He only had 30 minutes to make it, he realized painfully as he got onto his bike and rode off. I can make it, I think. He continuously planned out the night's schedule over in his head several times, not wanting to skip even a minute. Hideo will need dinner then be in bed before 10:00. And I'll have to save Mom some dinner as well for when she comes home. And I guess I could do some housework as well tomorrow... Hideo has soccer practice after school, so he won't be able to help out. He'd already decided to miss school once again, figuring there was too much to do for him to attend. As long as I get the test done Friday. He'd studied hard for it already so he was sure there was nothing to worry about.
When he returned to his home, a 3 LDK house packed in the middle of the several other houses crammed into their small neighborhood, his 10 year old brother was waiting at the entrance, his brown eyes gleaming hopefully as the door creaked open. His hopefulness faded at the sight of Ryou closing and locking the door behind him. "Oh, I thought you were Mom..." He muttered disappointedly as Ryou removed a pair of 3 year old leather shoes at the door beside a pair of much older rain boots that his brother still wore. Despite their age, both still looked new.
Ryou glanced at his brother as he removed one shoe. "Yeah, sorry about that, Hideo. I tried to get home as quickly as I could. I'll get dinner started in a moment." He paused for a brief moment to make sure he'd locked the door good enough, twisting the handle and gently pulling it a few times before he was satisfied enough with the secured latch. "Did Mom call you from work while I was gone?" He asked, beginning to head to the kitchen immediately afterwards, his brother following behind.
"No, but she said she would be late today when I first got home." Hideo replied, his mouth curved into a frown. "I hope she'll be okay..." Ryou knew Hideo was more concerned about their mother's safety than disappointed about her not being home. Their father had passed away 10 years ago when Ryou was 7 years old, obtaining a strange illness 4 months after his wife's pregnancy and dying a few weeks after Hideo's birth. Even though Hideo had only heard stories about his father and little details about his death, the boy still worried something similar would happen to their remaining parent. His worries only managed to increase after he heard a story about their mother getting an unknown disease shortly after that had kept her bedridden for a whole week, though she recovered afterwards. Ryou had to resist a shudder at the childhood memory of his mother's sickness, watching her cough up blood and phlegm while he fretted by her bedside, worrying if it was the same illness that his father had caught. He quickly forced the memory away and focused his attention on preparing dinner. Just focus on Hideo. He reminded himself. He's probably more worried than me right now, anyway...