A Second Lie in April

Chapter 7: The Lie

When Kaori opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar room. Where am I? Her eyes focused on the fluorescent light, buzzing overhead. A generic flower portrait adorned the wall at the foot of her bed. Well, at least I'm awake. And this still looks like the hospital, so it must mean I survived the surgery! Yay me!

"Oh, but my head hurts!" she said, rubbing her head as she sat up in bed.

"Kaori, you're awake!"

"Mom? You're here!"

Her mother was sitting on a chair to her right, at the edge of her bed, watching her. "So good to see you finally coming around!"

"Mom! I'm glad you're here!" Kaori looked out the window to her left, to an unfamiliar cityscape. "But... Where are we? This isn't my old room." She unbuttoned her pajama top, only to find there was no wound. "And... isn't this where the doctor said he'd make the incision? Mom, what's going on?"

"Well, Kaori..." her mother hesitated.

The door behind her mother slid open. "Kaori!" said her father as he entered the room.

"Dad!"

"I'm so glad you're awake!" her father exclaimed as he hugged her.

"Uh, dad?" Kaori looked up at her father. "What is this place?"

"You're safe. You were transferred," he replied as he grabbed a chair. "We're now at Chiba University Hospital."

"But... why? And where's my scar? I thought..."

Mr. Miyazono sat next to his wife. "Kaori. There was a change in plans."

"Change...?"

"You did not have surgery."

"But... that's what we had decided. It was going to buy me some time..."

"We... we found something better."

"Better? But... how?"

Mr. Miyazono sighed. "Two years ago, our family situation had become... precarious. We were dangerously short on funds. We were at risk of losing everything, including the bakery. I needed a loan, just to get us through for some time. I tried going to the banks, but they saw us as too risky. They would not lend to us. Nobody would." He rubbed his hands together, as memories of despair came to mind. "I... I was desperate. So I contacted a local Yakuza organization."

"Aren't they like... the Mafia?" Kaori asked, confused.

"Yes," her father looked up at her. "But when nobody else would help, they did. They got us back on our feet. Everything went well ...at first." He smiled weakly. "I was even invited into their organization."

"You were... in the Mafia? How...? I never knew...?"

"You were in the hospital so often by then, you probably didn't notice me slipping out," Mr. Miyazono said, as he unbuttoned his shirt. He uncovered his left shoulder, revealing a large dragon tattoo.

"Dad!" gasped Kaori.

"It's true. I joined them. But I was just a low recruit. I mostly helped with security, like, at festivals." He smirked. "I had a knack for dealing with, uh, non-paying customers." His expression became troubled. "But then a new Oyabun was named, Takuji Shimano. And things turned ugly. They became violent, even with civilians. The police labeled the organization a dangerous Bōryokudan." Mr. Miyazono covered up his tattoo. "I wanted no part in that. I wanted to get out. I offered to pay back everything they'd lent me. But they said we were family now. I couldn't leave. I had to go along, out of fear that they would take reprisals on me... or mother... or on you."