“H-Hey, hey!? Where did all my money go? And my wallet?! MY MONEY INSIDE MY WALLET’S GONE!” the man shouted, and got up from his seat. “All he left are the casino chips?!”

His screeching voice was then followed by the woman beside him, which I had also played with earlier. “M-Mine too! I have five hundred thousand Yen! I-It’s all gone! B-But my ID card is here… My credit cards are all stolen! The only thing the thief left is the vouchers!”

Yeah. Why would I even want those beauty product vouchers? It was not like my sister and I needed it for anything. Money was my priority, so I took the cash inside their wallets and got out as snappy as I could without grabbing much attention.

It was not even just them. Besides those people that heckled and belittled me, there were dozens I had passed by. And I stole every money they had and left those casino chips, considering I had to exchange them first before turning them into cash.

Just like what I had envisioned, I took the lift and followed the crowd. Those participants playing the games looked left and right, wondering where I, the thief, had escaped. It was happening through the window. They must have already realised that the man they denigrated was the one who looted their belongings.

But by the time those people had finally involved the security guards, the lift arrived on the second floor. I traversed through the line of slot machines and made my way in front of the door, directing towards the parking lot. Before taking each step, I ensured I wasn’t perceptible from the camera. And my efforts bore fruit. It seemed none of those guards looking for me on the ground floor noticed my presence. And when these guards were watching their post near the parking area door, I was already outside. And they let me out of the building.

The parking lot was a maze and a tunnel. But according to the layout of this area, the car park led exactly where I wanted to go. And if I had to take a guess, I could find my house after treading this area and exit this place for good.

Even though we were at the exterior part of the casino, there were tons of emergency exits scattered everywhere. There were ones in the bathroom, some random stalls, and even the janitor and the electric site room, or whatever they called it, could be found here. Outside. And the spaces available here were also present inside the building, which made little sense to me. But I wasn’t the architect or the one who built this building, so… I had no right to speak ill of them. Besides that, the escapeway I found could also be the means where some random security guards, apart from the ones already here, could come out. And that would screw me over.

Moreover, I found two fire extinguishers on each side, right near the entrance doors. Fortunately, they were placed there. In addition, the cars, in spite of being parked in a straight line, had various lines that served as a gallery. It could conceal my presence if none of the guards inside shows up, but that may be far-fetched. And if something happens, I could easily note those items and use them to my advantage, specifically when the time arises.

Nobody told me this was going to be easy. In fact, I already knew this was going to be as hard as a motherfucker could be.

As soon as I found my route, leading on in a straight line, men and women sporting black suits came out from the exact doors I mentioned early. Fucking great. On top of that, more of them - security personnel with different uniforms - clustered themselves as if some sort of terrorist had attacked the casino. Roughly thirty people traipsed around the place, and ten of them wore stylish individuals wearing obsidian suits. Not police officers, but personal bodyguards, I assumed. Thankfully, there were no civilians in the area. But it didn’t mean this place was a haven for my life.

As it turned out, I was treated like one. Everyone seemed keen to kill me, especially when each guard and those personal officers with suits and ties held their guns like in the movies. I also had a gun with me, but… I hadn’t killed anyone before.

And if the time came where I needed to take one’s life, I was bloody sure I would do it to save my sister.

When those people showed up, I immediately burrowed myself and hid behind a truck among all vehicles. It was the worst possible automobile I could find, but it did the job. The car was enough to cover my fat (not really) body. But based on the movements by the guards, it was likely for them to inspect such an area, especially near the emergency door I just left.

But that thought didn’t fret my mind. Although I only had six bullets, roughly half the amount a Glock 22 normally would have, fighting them with brute force wasn’t an option. And if I somehow ended up battling them with my fist, surely I would lose. I was just an eighteen-year-old kid and a thief who stole money from the customers of the casino.

“What should I do next?” I asked myself, and surveyed my situation.

I was running out of time. And if this hesitation kept up, I might be thrown away into a cell or, even worse, killed by these people. There was no way I would accept that proposal, especially since I had a sister with me! The only thing that forced me to bring up this card was that my sister needed some medicine, and our financial needs were running low.

Why did it end this way? Why were we the ones who were suffering the most? Why can’t people experience what I had been experiencing? And why… Why was the world unfair?

All these questions, and yet nobody dared answer them for me. Not even God. if there was a deity above us, I wanted to ask them… Was it fun watching us suffer?

Then again, I didn’t care about anything except for my sister. Kirameki was the only one I had, and abandoning… dying right now was not the option.

After analysing the environment, I dashed straight to the tunnel of automobiles and avoided any unnecessary movements. But since I raced against the night, someone would obviously see my shadows. And I already expected that to happen.

As soon as the guards and those individuals wearing dark and formal attires sniffed me out, I hastily pulled the trigger and launched my first two bullets. I didn’t intend to have a gunfight in the carpark. I was up against thirty people. The only way for me to win this fight was to escape this place undetected. My win condition was to arrive in the streets of Tokyo and eventually reach the heart of the city. And thereafter, I can finally commemorate my victory. But, until then, I had to squeeze my wits and use everything I could to my advantage.

Fortunately, my plan worked. The moment my shells hit the fire extinguishers, a cloud of dry chemical foam burst into the area, creating a thunderous shock and a cover that blinded everyone, including me. However, I had already memorised the layout of the parking lot. Well, it was just a straight line, so there was no point in forcing my brain to think more than it should.

As the white fog popped up from the place, I booked it! I ran as fast as my legs could and slipped past the towering adults as if I held the Olympic torch with me. I was basically flying. Even Usain Bolt, the motherfucking fastest man alive, could watch me in awe!

“Surely nothing could go wrong!” I told myself.

If this continued, I would escape this place in no time! The police officers, guards, and those people wearing suits and ties were still struggling to look for me. It was as if they were looking for a stray cat! The only thing that I had to do was to sprint in a linear path and steer clear of any obstacles that could slow me down!

And that was what I did.

But as I pivoted around, someone, a police guard wearing a noble uniform, had a… PORTABLE FAN with him. Out of all the appliances, he had a fan. How on Earth could I believe it?! As I brushed my thoughts aside, I watched the entire haze clear through the surroundings as if it never happened. As luck would have it, I was near the exit. Just a few steps closer, I would finally reach the buzzing streets!

Everything should go as planned. I already knew that I had fucked up, and the only way to save myself was to leave this place unscathed. My bones were still intact. And the money I snatched was still inside my pockets, all set and ready to pay for anything if needed.

“STOP RIGHT THERE! WE DON’T WANT TO SHOOT YOU! BUT IF YOU KEEP RUNNING AWAY, WE WON’T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO SHOOT YOU!” a man’s voice from behind reverberated through the parking lot.

But I didn’t heed such words. I continued on.

However, little did I know my ignorance would come and bite me back. I miscalculated. After turning around to dash away from the crime scene, my body sprang forward, and blood splattered through my sides. Something hit my liver. It was then followed by an excruciating pain radiating through my chest and around the right side of my abdomen. My lips eventually turned tepid and bleak as the crimson blood flowed down my knees.

It hurt like hell. The puddle of blood right beneath my feet became a ticking clock for me to go to the hospital. I was losing blood. I bit my lips and gritted my teeth just to bear the pain, but the stinging sensation never went away. When was the last time something hurt me this badly? I couldn’t remember. But right now, that sensation was unimportant. If I stopped and rested, chances were… those people pursuing me wouldn’t wait for me to run away.

The next shot would surely not miss. So instead of lollygagging, I bolted like a wounded dog and joined the crowd. Luckily, those pursuers hesitated to pull the trigger, thinking they would hit another pedestrian. Therefore, twenty people ran with me, while the rest went back to the carpark to fetch their automobiles.

I wasn’t out of the woods just yet. While I was in the middle of the crowd, I hobbled and caressed my abdomen, hoping I could stop the blood from gushing out of me. If this carried on, I had a terrible feeling that… I would die from bloodlessness before I could even give my money to my sister.

I didn’t want to die. Not yet.

It seemed that those individuals wanting me dead were not totally hoodlums with guns and weapons. They were just doing their job. So I deduced they wouldn’t do anything to a civilian unrelated to the crime. I noted that fact, unsure if it was reliable or not. But as long as I was up against those police officers, maybe everything could turn out right.

I rushed back home, thinking I finally made it. It looked like I had lost them. After glancing around, those people chasing me had question marks on top of their heads as they tried to look for me in the sea of people. Thankfully, it was around midnight. Although the moon was on top of our heads, the city was still vibrant. Everyone was alive.

“Find him no matter what, or else the boss will kill us!”

“We need to get our client’s money back!”

“I think I could see him from here!”

Those were the shouts coming behind me as the men and women with black clothes came looking for the thief. The police officers were also on my tail as they requested reinforcements via police cars and other officers guarding their posts. But since I was still with the crowd, these people couldn’t touch me. None of them can. As long as I stayed within this path, those pursuers would eventually lose sight of me.

At least, that was what I thought.

After playing the game of cat and mouse, I eventually reached my apartment, went towards my room, and locked the front door. As luck would have it, nobody was tailing behind me. My instincts told me so.

But when my ears discerned the door click, the agonising pain in my abdomen still fanned through my body as if a dagger pierced through me. It hurt. A trail of blood even followed my steps, but I brushed it off as something trivial. But it wasn’t. Every cell inside my body screamed that I should call it a night and rest for the entire week. But I couldn’t. Not like this.

My eyes also glimpsed to my right. And what greeted me was my sister, still asleep like a log on the makeshift mattress. Her eyes were as small as pearls found in clams, and Kira’s hands were soft like cotton. She was the only family I had. And it was the only reason I risked myself outside for the sake of purchasing her medications.

In the end, it was worth it. As long as I could see Kirameki smile, I regretted nothing. The last time I saw it was when the time Kirameki rehearsed a song she made in front of me… with her violin.

“Brother… Did you just arrive?” Kirameki mumbled, as she wiped the drool on her face and morning glory near her orbs.

I nodded to avoid any confusion or worry. “Yeah. I… I just went to the convenience store. Have you eaten yet?”

Kira shook her head up and down. “Yeah… Are you going to sleep now?” she asked.

I rattled my head on each side and replied, “No. I still have to do something. Just… continue sleeping. Big brother has a looot of things to do.”

Thankfully, Kirameki had not noticed the wound on my chest and the crimson liquid flowing from my clothes. Kirameki wanted to pry into my business, but my sister uttered not a single word and accepted my conditions. But I doubted she didn’t notice my graze from the bullet. Still, I was grateful to Kira, considering he followed my request for the time being. It was the only thing I needed.

“Okay, big brother… I will just… rest again.”

I couldn’t help but form a smile on my face after listening to those words. Ah, yes. Everything I did was worth it. I didn’t care if I had to climb a mountain or travel the vast sea. As long as I could see my sister well and happy, it was good enough for me. It will always be good enough for me…

Then again, when I thought it was all over, the threat had just begun. The chasers didn’t waste any time. It didn’t take them long enough before they could track me down amidst the swarm of people walking in the streets.

I wondered what led them to this apartment. But as I gazed below, the stream of blood gave it away. They followed me here. To think that my injury would be the cause of my befall and it would change our lives forever.

“HAVE YOU SEEN A TEENAGER WEARING A HOODIE?”

“HAVE YOU SEEN THIS KID? WE ARE LOOKING FOR A CRIMINAL ON THE LOOSE!”

“N-No, sir! W-We’re all adults living in this apartment!”

“I-It’s just my wife and me”

“W-We have kids, sir!”

Just like that, the intruders had finally made their way to the apartment. And soon they will find me. I led the pursuers right to our house, and those people would not hesitate to kill me, especially if they found out I was the one who stole someone’s money from that casino.

But why were these people tracking me down after snatching some cash from two individuals? Why bother chasing a teenager down? I was a nobody. If these people were wealthy enough to make more money than the rest of us, why on Earth would they want revenge against me?

This world was unfair. Everyone only cared about themselves, regardless if they trampled others for their own benefit. Those who lived on the outskirts of normal life were shunned and treated as dogs, while those who had their seats levelled higher than the rest of us were hailed kings of the jungle. It was unfair. If only we had the same financial status as them, maybe I could’ve… maybe Kirameki wouldn’t have to suffer like this. Maybe… she could live a normal life as a teenager wanting to fall in love and find an interest in living this life.

So I had to make a quick decision. These people didn’t plan on killing everyone on sight. They only wanted me. As long as I kept my sister out of it, everything should be alright. As long as I could hand the money to Kirameki, she should live the lavish life she deserved.

I was her brother, after all. And I will do everything… to see Kirameki smile.

“OPEN UP! FBI!”

Someone was at the door. Those groups of police officer and the people wearing black suits had finally reached my room.

“WE HAVE GUNS! AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!”

What these officers were doing was against the law. And as long as they didn’t have a warrant, those people outside could do nothing to me. At least, that was what I knew.

“Do you guys have a warrant?” I asked, while I was near the door.

“We don’t need any warrant, sir. My team just has to check for your identification and match your facial features from the thief we have been chasing earlier. Please cooperate. We don’t want any trouble, mister,” a police officer answered, matching my voice and tone. “If you don’t follow our regulations, we will have to break this door and enter your room by force! Sir! Sir, open this door! Sir-!!”

“We will fucking blast this door one way or another. And it won’t be a pretty sight,” another man said, which I assumed didn’t come from the line of police officers doing their job.

“Unless you have a warrant, I cannot open this door! I have a sister here!”

So I used the limited time that I had and went to my sister. She had a bag in her sleeves that could fit the money. It would serve as her wallet if... I would leave her. As long as Kirameki could hide the money from these officers and people with formal suits, she would be safe, and her future will be secured. But I wouldn’t. Maybe the best outcome I could take was that Kirameki could visit me every day… or even once a month in a cell. But, for now, placing my sister’s safety was my utmost priority.

“Kira… Kira, look at me… I’m sorry for doing this… But you have to listen to me very carefully…”