7 Business as usual

It had been several months since Katsu was saved by Vin, and he was now living a new and peaceful life. Or so he tried to convince himself. In reality, something had changed inside him. Every night, that terrible day came back to haunt him in his dreams, and he couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that lingered inside him. He had lost his parents, and he felt lost himself, unsure of what his purpose in life was. The voice in his head kept urging him to avenge his parents' death, but he felt powerless to act on it.

Katsu was now living with the stranger who had saved him. Over the past eight months, the two had grown close, and Katsu had come to trust Vin with his life. Vin was kind and caring, and he had taken on the role of Katsu's guardian, teaching him new things and keeping him company. But even Vin couldn't fill the void that had been left in Katsu's heart.

Despite his peaceful surroundings, the feeling of revenge inside Katsu only grew stronger with each passing day. He longed to become stronger, to do something to avenge his parents' death. But he had no idea how to go about it.

Another day began, and as usual, Vin was up early, urging Katsu to wake up. Katsu, however, didn't feel like getting up just yet. "Just a few more minutes, Vin, please," he muttered, trying to ignore the nagging voice in his head that urged him to get up and do something.

Vin teased Katsu, threatening to tickle him if he didn't get up, and Katsu relented, groaning as he sat up in bed. "Fine, I'm up," he grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Good, breakfast is on the table," Vin said, gesturing towards the small table in the corner of the room.

As Katsu sat down to eat, he couldn't help but wonder where Vin was going every day for his "business." Vin had been going out frequently lately, and Katsu was curious about what he was up to.

"What's this business of yours, Vin?" Katsu asked as he took a bite of his toast.

"Just some business with some old friends," Vin replied vaguely. "Don't worry about it."

Katsu shrugged, knowing better than to push the subject. Vin had saved his life, and he trusted him completely. If Vin didn't want to talk about something, Katsu knew it was for a good reason.

Vin finished his breakfast quickly and headed out the door, leaving Katsu alone in the apartment. Katsu felt a twinge of boredom as he looked around the empty room. He missed Vin's company and wished there was something to do.

After a moment's thought, Katsu decided to pay a visit to Bon, the friendly shopkeeper down the street. As he walked out the door, he saw several poor people begging for money on the street corner. Katsu knew that these people were shunned by society for not following the conscription acts, and their rights had been stripped away, forcing them to live on the streets. It was a harsh reality of life in this city, and Vin had taught Katsu well about it.

Katsu walked past the beggars, feeling a sense of sympathy for their plight. He knew that he was lucky to have a roof over his head and food on the table, but he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

Katsu arrived at Bon's store, the familiar jingle of the bells announcing his entrance. He greeted Bon with a warm smile, eager to lend a hand.

"Bon! Anything you need help with?" Katsu asked, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Ah, Mr. Katsu! Sorry, unfortunately, I don't have anything for you to do today," Bon replied, apologetically.

"Oh, ok then," Katsu said, a tinge of disappointment creeping into his voice.

"Why? Is Vin not available today?" he added, trying to hide his disappointment.

Katsu walked over to the counter and took a seat on a tall bar chair, letting out a sigh. "Vin's been busy with his "business" for a few days now. I'm starting to get bored," Katsu explained.

"Ahh, forgive him. He has no job, so he has to resort to other ways to earn money," Bon said sympathetically.

"Ehh?? Is that so? Well, then it looks like I've got nothing to do today again," Katsu said, slumping over the counter.

Since Bon was the other close friend he trusted, every time Vin did his business, Katsu always went to Bon's store.

Bon paused for a moment, thinking of a way to cheer Katsu up. Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Hmm, how about this?" Bon pulled out a shiny coin from his pocket. "There is a vending machine in the street right next to the station. Take this and buy whatever you like."

Katsu's face lit up with excitement. "Really!? Thank you so much!" he exclaimed, grabbing the coin.

"Be careful on the way there!" Bon said, lighting a cigarette.

"I will! Bye!" Katsu said, waving goodbye to Bon and leaving the store.

As Katsu walked towards the vending machine, the bright sun shining down on him, he felt a sense of freedom and adventure. He was happy to have something to do today, even if it was just buying snacks from a vending machine.

Meanwhile, back at the store, Bon leaned against the counter, taking a long drag on his cigarette. He let out a deep sigh, his thoughts turning to Vin and his dangerous business.

"Vin, how long are you planning on hiding this? Sooner or later, it will eventually reach the boy. It's inevitable," Bon muttered to himself, his expression grave.

Suddenly, the door opened and the bells rang out once again, announcing the arrival of customers. Bon quickly composed himself and put on his best customer service smile.

"Ah, bonjour, and welcome to the shop-" Bon started, but he was abruptly interrupted.

"Where is Vin!?" three large men surrounded the counter, their menacing presence sending shivers down Bon's spine.

"I-I don't know where he is!" Bon stammered, trying to hide his fear.

"You're lying! You know where he is! Tell us now!" one of the men growled, grabbing Bon by the collar and threatening him.

"Boys, stop it!" a deep voice yelled from outside the store, causing the three men to pause.

"We'll find him soon enough. It's not worth it to interrogate him. We'll get nothing out of him," a shady man with a long dark coat ordered the three men.

"Let's go. We'll find him eventually. He can't hide from us," the man added before leaving the store.

Bon breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be alive. He knew that Vin was in deep trouble now, and he couldn't help but worry about his friend's safety.

"Vin, you're in deep trouble now," taking a deep drag of his cigarette as he tried to calm his frayed nerves. It was only a matter of time before Katsu found out the truth about Vin's shady dealings, and Bon could only hope that his friend would be safe.

End of Chapter 7