Chapter 22

Surprisingly, Ginro didn't retaliate. He didn't even lift a single finger. Instead, he ordered; "Someone should restrain this child for me."

Hiro was quickly detained by another muscular man.

"Leave me alone! Let me go! Let me go!" Hiro screamed, kicking and struggling to free himself. "Leave us alone! That money is for our sister! If you take it, you'll become murderers! Let me go! Leave us alone."

"Fuck, I'm sick of him screaming," Ginro complained. "Slap a duct tape over his mouth or knock him out."

Hiro continued to struggle. "Let go of me! Can't you hear me, you big oaf?! I said, let go of m-"

A chop to the back of the neck rendered him unconscious and as Ginro wanted, silent.

Sora could not do a single thing.

"Boss, we found the money!" One of the men announced, rushing out of the house carrying two duffel bags. He placed them on the floor before Ginro. "Here they are."

Sora recognised them and instantly rushed towards the bags, shaking his head. "No, no, please. Please don't do this. Don't do this."

One of the goons kicked Sora away. "Shut up filth!"

"Open it" Ginro ordered.

The man who brought them opened the bags and Ginro was pleased to find them full of money. He smiled. "We'll take these back and count them. If it's up to 5 million then you're lucky. If a single dime is missing, well, " He paused and took a look at the unconscious Hiro. "I'll just take your adorable brother as payment."

"Ginro I beg of you" Sora sobbed, crawling to Ginro's feet. "Please, don't take this money. Whatever I did or said, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Ginro but please, don't take this. Let me save my sister. She has just two days left. Please."

"Make that one day, Sora." Ginro chuckled, looking down at the crying man. "It's just a few minutes to midnight."

Sora continued to cry and beg. He was still bleeding and his entire head hurt but he bowed by Ginro's feet, begging ceaselessly.

Ginro sighed and shifted away. "I wish I could help you Sora but you messed with the wrong people. Now I don't know how your life will turn out. Quit worrying about saving your sister and take care of your little brother here. He's the precious one."

Messed with the wrong people? Precious one? Sora didn't understand anything. All he wanted was the money but to his great disappointment, Ginro left with both bags of money and an unconscious Hiro was thrown on the floor before him.

Now there was just one day left and no money.

********

"You must hate me right now, don't you?" Sora asked, staring at Hiro who was sitting in a corner of the room.

Silence was Sora's answer. Hiro didn't utter a single word. Ever since he woke up, he just sat in the corner of the room with his legs to his chest and his arms around his legs, rocking his body back and forth.

The room was as cold as the Arctic sea. Not just by temperature but also by the deafening silence. Sora had never been treated like this by Hiro before.

"Talk to me Roro." He pleaded. "Please."

But Hiro didn't say a single word. The emotions churning within him made him unable to. Describing it as anger was an understatement. Hiro was shaking with rage but he had no way of expressing it. He wanted to scream and curse at his brother but of what use would that be? It wouldn't bring the money back. It wouldn't save Saika either. So he just bottled it up inside, letting it turn and churn in his heart as he cried silently.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Roro" Sora continued. "But I had no other choice. You weren't taking care of yourself properly and you kept worrying about money every day. I didn't like to see you worry. I wanted you to be carefree and happy. After everything that happened with Mum and Dad, you stopped dreaming Roro. I wanted to give you your dreams back."

Silence.

"If I had told you about the loans, you would have insisted on helping me pay them and I didn't want that. I'm the older brother. I'm the one who's supposed to do all the work."

Silence.

"Please Roro, talk to me. I can't bear this silent treatment from you. It's agonising. Tell me what you're thinking. Please."

Silence.

Sora finally went silent too. He didn't know what to do or say anymore. He had never seen this side of Hiro before. Hiro had always been a bright and sunny boy. Always smiling and willing to help. Always spreading joy and positivity. Seeing him so gloomy and cold was scary. He wished there was something he could do but there wasn't. He couldn't get 5 million anywhere else and Ginro was sure as hell not going to give him the money back. He had to think of another way.

"My dream is to be happy, Brother." Hiro finally spoke. He raised his head and gazed at his Big Brother. The man he had always looked up to. The man he thought knew best and could solve anything.

"My dream is to have Big Sis with us again." He continued. "To be like we were before. Just the three of us. That's all I ever wanted, Brother. For us to be together again but it's impossible now. Tomorrow is the last day. What are we going to do?"

For the first time in his life, Sora uttered the words; "I don't know."

"What about mum and dad?" Hiro asked. "Have you told them about sister's situation? Maybe there's someone they can talk to who can help us."

"You know they won't see me Roro." Sora sighed. "They've refused to see us since the day they got thrown in jail. I won't be able to tell them about Saika. Besides, I do not think they care about us. If they did, they wouldn't have hidden from us for a long time."

Hiro knew it was true. No matter how many times he visited, they refused to come out. He had thought that if they knew about Saika's condition, they would come out but it was as Sora said. If they cared, they wouldn't have cut them off for years.

He sighed. The future seemed so bleak. To think that four years ago, they had no problems. No worries. Just a beautiful happy family.

Now they were all broken up. Parents in jail, two pathetic sons and one ill daughter.

It was like the Gods just wanted them to be miserable. They threw them a gift of 5 million and allowed them to rejoice, to dream, only to have someone cruelly take it away, destroying their hopes for the future.

"We can't let sister die," Hiro whispered. "We can't."