Gratitude System: From Class F To a God

Chapter 5

Hiroshi woke up that morning from the floor. He laid there while Ren took the couch last night. His body aches. His arm hurts from being tucked under his head throughout the night.

Ren woke up tired that morning. His head ached from drinking too much than his body could carry last night. His breath still smelled like alcohol.

He stood up from the couch and found Hiroshi sitting on the floor. He stopped and placed his hands on waist. He said, “Hiroshi. Why are you on the floor? You have a room, don't you?

“I didn't feel like lying on the bed last night, " he replied. He observed his hands. His hands and entire body were still strangely strong. He picked his phone and checked his account balance. 24,000,000 credits. 

He checked his messages again to confirm if truly, this system thing was true and he wasn't hallucinating. No messages from new loan sharks, no unknown texter about mistakenly sending him money. 

He asked, “Ren. Do I look different?

Ren chuckled. “You look like you have been going to the gym lately. Nothing more. Why do you ask? Oh. I see. Don't be worried. Your efforts at the gym are showing.” He leaned downward, parted his back and walked back to the couch.

Hiroshi got up. “I am going to the hospital. You wanna come?”

“Yea. Let me freshen up then”

Hiroshi and Ren walked to the hospital from the house. It was just a fifteen minute walk. The ground was wet. Their shoes squeaked on the floor of the hospital. They reached the front door of Emiko’s room. Hiroshi held the handle of the door and was about to open it when a nurse stopped him. “Sorry. Who are you? The nurse said”.

“I am Hiroshi and this is Ren, my friend. The woman in here is my mother. Emiko is her name.”

Ren waved and said, “Hi.”

“Oh. Okay. I was just making sure. Uhm, I was gonna go in to check on her. Shall we? The nurse said.

“Yea. After you, Hiroshi replied.”

The nurse stepped inside followed by Hiroshi and Ren. “ Mrs Emiko. You are awake. How are you feeling?” She said smiling 

Mrs Emiko was sitting in her bed. The tube was still inserted deep in her neck because she couldn't breathe the day before. 

“I am Nurse Ann. I will be attending to you today.”

Emiko spoke slowly. “Hiroshi. Come here.” Hiroshi then stepped closer to her. Nurse Ann finished her observation and vital signs, and then she left.

Hiroshi held Emiko’s hands. “Are you okay mum. You scared me that night.”

She replied, “I am okay now. How did you grow this much muscle in just a few days? What happened to you, my son?”

Hiroshi chucked. “I have always been like this mum. You just don't remember. You are growing old.” He started to laugh 

Ren moved closer. “Hi Mrs Emiko. It's been a while. I heard you were hospitalized so I came. Get well soon.”

“Oh dear. Thank you for coming.”

She turned to Hiroshi. “Hiroshi my son, how were you able to get the ambulance? We were a Class F citizen the last I remember. How come they came?” 

Hiroshi stepped two steps backward. He scratched his neck and rubbed his palm on his trouser. “I borrowed again. Someone gave me a low interest loan. Yes. Low interest loan. That was how it happened.”

He knew the system thing would sound unbelievable hence he has told no one about it yet. He wanted more evidence before he would spill the details.

“I don't believe this. Emiko looked at him like he was tryna figure his face out.

Hiroshi walked away from the bed. “I will sort out the bills. I will be back shortly.”

Nurse Ann came in. Gray hair. Tired face. She checked the machines and wrote on her clipboard.

Then she pulled him into the hallway.

"Your mother needs long term care," she said. "She cannot go home. Maybe not for a long time."

"How much?"

She told him.

"I will pay for it," he said. "All of it. Upfront."

She looked at his jacket. His shoes. "You have that kind of money."

"Yes. And yea. I have cleared the outstanding bills. New ones will be cleared too."

She nodded with a smile and went to get paperwork.

Back in the room, Emiko was looking out the window.

"What did she want," she said.

"Nothing. Just paperwork."

"I ask again, Hiroshi, where did you get the money?"

He did not answer.

"Did you steal it?"

"No."

"Then where."

He looked at his hands. "I cannot tell you."

She closed her eyes and opened them back. "You used to tell me everything."

"I know."

“I see. You got more loans.” She did not say anything else. She had no strength for more questions. Hiroshi didn't reply either.

He walked back to the apartment.

Yuki was sitting on the steps. Duffel bag. Phone in her hand. Short black hair. Same jaw as his. Same eyes.

She stood up.

"I heard what happened," she said.

"Who told you?"

She waved her phone. "Does it matter?"

She opened her wallet and handed him some cash. A few thousand credits.

"Take it."

"Yuki…"

"You would do it for me." She pushed it into his hand. "So take it."

He put it in his pocket.

"Thanks."

She shrugged. "That is what family does."

Hiroshi put his lips together while shaking his head. “Poor Yuki. You have no idea what your cousin has become. If only I can tell you. I will find a way to send this morning back to you.” He thought.

They went upstairs.

Ren was already upstairs awake. Head in his hands. Hair everywhere. Shirt still untucked.

Yuki looked at both of them. "You two look terrible."

"Yeah," Ren said.

"Have you slept?"

"Some," Hiroshi said.

Yuki put her bag down and looked around. Empty cabinets. Dirty counter. Thin carpet.

"This is where you have been staying," she said.

"It is what we have."

She nodded and started unpacking.

Hiroshi went out to get food.

On his way to the store he noticed a car with black tinted windows. The engine was running.

Hiroshi turned the corner and said, “I should have taken the other street. Here we go again.”

Three men. Black van parked sideways, blocking the whole alley. No way around. No way back. They had planned this. Their names were Goro, Kenji, and Takeshi. They worked directly for Lord Kazuo Kuroda. Not for the collection agencies. Not for the rent enforcers. Goro was friends with Saito. Saito had told him about how Hiroshi humiliated them. So, they had come to make him regret that action.

Goro was the big one in front. He was six and a half feet tall. His neck was thick. His hands were very large. He had been a fighter his whole life. First in underground rings, then for the Kurodas. He had never lost a fight. Not once. He did not believe anyone in the city could beat him.

Kenji and Takeshi were the ones with the pipes. They were smaller than Goro but they could run faster. Kenji had a nervous habit of tapping things. Takeshi said almost nothing. He just watched and waited. He doesn't like to speak too much. Both of them had seen Goro break bones of people who owed or insulted them more times than they could count. Neither of them had ever seen Goro scared. They did not know they were about to.

"You Hiroshi Tanaka?" Goro said.

Hiroshi said nothing.

"We heard about what you did to the men with the bats." Goro cracked his neck. Left. Then right. "Those were amateurs sent to collect rent. Not fighters."

He took a step forward. The ground seemed to shake.

"But I am a fighter."

Hiroshi watched his hands. No tape. No wraps. Just raw knuckles that looked like rocks.

"I do not want any trouble," Hiroshi said, raising his hands.

Goro laughed. It was a deep sound that came from his chest. "Trouble already found you, little man. Lord Kuroda wants to know how an ordinary Class F boy broke a man's hands. So I am here to find out."

He threw a punch. No warning. No wind up. Just a fist the size of a brick coming straight at Hiroshi's face.

Hiroshi raised his arm to block.

The impact cracked like a bat hitting a tree. Hiroshi slid back three feet. His feet left marks on the ground. His arm screamed with pain.

He looked at his forearm. A red welt was already forming. Nothing broken. But it hurt. It really hurt.

The big man's eyes went wide. "You should be on the ground! Your arm should be broken!"

Hiroshi lowered his arm. "Your turn."

He stepped forward and punched Goro in the chest and face.

He flew backwards. His feet left the ground. He crashed into the van behind him. The metal dented. The windows cracked. He slid down to the ground and stayed there. He couldn't move.

The two men with pipes froze.

They looked at their friend on the ground. Then at Hiroshi. Then at each other.

Kenji swung his pipe at Hiroshi's head.

Hiroshi caught it. The pipe stopped in his hand. The man tried to pull it back. Hiroshi held on to it. He pulled the pipe from the man's hands and threw it to the ground. The metal clanged against the concrete.

Takeshi then swung at Hiroshi’s ribs.

Hiroshi took the hit. The pipe connected with his side. He felt it. Felt the sting. But his body did not bend.

He grabbed the pipe and yanked it from the man's hands. Then he snapped it over his knee like a twig.

The sound echoed in the alley.

Both men stepped back. Their faces were pale. Their hands were shaking.

Hiroshi looked at them. "Pride kills. Stop coming for me. Ren already paid his rent.”

They did not wait to hear more. They grabbed their friend Goro off the ground. One on each arm. They dragged him to the van. They threw him in the back. The van started and sped away.

Hiroshi stood alone in the alley.

His arm throbbed. His ribs ached. But nothing was broken. He didn't seem to feel the pain for a long time.

He had never hit anyone like that before. He did not know he could.

He flexed his fingers. They were steady.

 "This is not done!”

Hiroshi stood there for a second. His hands were not shaking.

Then he went and bought the food.

He didn't want to draw much attention. He was still playing poor. He came back with two bags. Rice. Vegetables. Cheap meat.

Ren was on the couch. Yuki on the floor.

"Took you long enough," Ren said.

"There was a line."

Hiroshi put the food away.

Yuki watched him.

"Something happened out there?" she said.

"Nothing."

"You are moving differently though. You actually look different."

Ren looked over. "He has been through a lot."

"Maybe," Yuki said. But she kept watching.

Hiroshi turned around. "The three million credits will be due in twenty four hours. I need to figure out what to do."

"Like what," Ren said.

"Like, maybe getting another loan or something. Then get a job. Because, I cannot afford to go to jail. The Kurodas are not going away."

"He is right," Yuki said.

Ren rubbed his face. "I do not have any ideas."

"Then we find some," Hiroshi said.

His phone rang.

It was Hana again

He let it ring.

Ren looked over. "Are you going to answer that?"

Hiroshi did not move. The call went to voicemail.

A text came through. I need to talk to you. It is important.

He read it and put the phone down.

"Who was it," Yuki said.

"No one."

She tilted her head. "That did not look like no one."

He walked to the window. The sun was going down. The sky was gray.

"You should call them back," Yuki said.

"Not yet."

The phone did not ring again.

Hiroshi thought to himself. “Dear Lord Kazuo Kuroda, you have no idea what's coming for you. You will pay with your blood. I will make sure I destroy everything you own. You messed with the wrong guy.”