Tender Love & Care

Worst Case

It was an early and sunny morning in Yokohama. Kouyou yawned loudly as she stepped into the Child Protective Service Agency. She was absolutely beat. Social worker by day. Mafia executive by night. It was all so overly exhausting. But the pay was good on both end so how could she complain? She sipped on her coffee elegantly as she stepped off the elevator walking into the office. She was automatically greeted by the receptionist. 

“Good morning Ozaki-kun! How are you today?” 

“Worn out. But I’ll manage.” 

“Good. Because you have a new case on your desk. Boss said it is of the upmost importance and that he wants you to handle it immediately.” 

“Certainly. Details?” 

“Let’s see.” The receptionist pulled out her own copy of the file. And she opened it up reading the information out loud to Kouyou. 

“It’s a 5 year old little boy. There was a call a couple months ago about the parents being abusive but the other agency didn’t take it too serious. Last report here says he was always covered in bruises, dirty, malnourished.. some of the witnesses said they assumed he was only 3 given the poor condition he was in. They say he’s with drawn, no friends, and that they never see him outside. People claimed they don’t see him with his parents at all and when they do he’s being scolded for something.” 

“And the other agency just ignored all this?” Kouyou said with anger in her eyes. 

“Apparently they didn’t think it was serious enough. Just took it as normal discipline. Said he looked okay.” 

“Did they even talk to the boy?” 

“No.” 

Kouyou shook her head. “Half assed social workers I see. I’ll handle it. Thank you.” 

The receptionist nodded and she handed Kouyou the file she had copied. Kouyou took the file and walked back to the elevator. She waited for the doors to open and stepped in and pressed P1. Kouyou tapped her foot as she waited for the elevator to get down to the parking garage. Kouyou went to her car and unlocked it. She got in and she sat the file on the seat but she read the address before she did so, typing it into the GPS. 

“Alright. Let’s go.” Kouyou backed up and she drove off heading towards the house on the file. 

◇ 

Kouyou pulled up in front of the house that was in the file. She looked at the house in shock. It was in horrible condition from the outside. Kouyou could only imagine how the inside looked. It definitely didn’t look like a place fit for a child. Kouyou sighed and she got the file out of the passenger seat. She turned off her car and she opened the door getting out of the car. She locked the car and then shut the door. Kouyou walked up to the house and she came to the front door. She cleared her throat before knocking and then she knocked loudly. 

She waited but there was no answer. 

She knocked again. 

Still no answer. 

Kouyou knocked a third time. “Mr. and Mrs. Nakahara I need to have a word with you! It’s about your son!” 

She waited again and there was still no answer. Kouyou was pretty frustrated at this point and she went to turn the door knob which to her surprise was actually unlocked. Kouyou opened the door slowly and she stepped in the house. Once she was completely in she closed the door behind her. 

“Hello?” 

Kouyou walked further into the house. The first thing she saw was the kitchen and living room. The living room was a complete mess. It had looked as if a tornado hit it. There was heroin all over the coffee table and the kitchen was in an even worse state. There was piles of dirty dishes. Little to no food. And the kitchen was so filthy that some things started to have there own little maggot party. And it smelled god awful. Kouyou was trying her best not to retch at the sight. She stomached it as best she could and she walked deeper into the house. She walked into the hall way where there was 3 doors. Kouyou opened the first door. It was obviously the parents bed room. Then she moved to the second door which should be Chuuya’s room but when she opened the door the only thing in the room was a deflated air mattress. One little thin blanket and a chain connected to the wall. Kouyou stepped back from the room in shock and she turned her head slightly, looking at the third door. The third door had a lock from the outside. It was obviously meant to keep someone in but also someone out. Kouyou rushed back to the kitchen and living room area. She tore it apart looking for something, anything that could break that lock. She had found a hammer. It definitely wasn’t her ideal choice but it would have to do. She ran back to the hallway going straight for the locked door. She took a hard swing at the lock. But it didn’t break. She took a second swing. Still ineffective. She swung a 3rd time and on that swing the lock had broke. Kouyou took off the lock and she threw it on the floor. She quickly opened the door and what she was met with completely broke her heart. Kouyou was a strong woman and didn’t cry at many things as that was just apart of her nature being in the Mafia. But even this was too much for her to handle.