Money isn't just power, it's the rulebook.
It decides who walks free, who gets buried, and who gets to pretend they're clean.
.
.
.
The moon hid behind a curtain of clouds, and sheets of rain fell from the darkened sky.
From the top of the towering building, city lights blurred by the mist faded into the shadows that cloaked the danger of the night.
Below, the alley stank of piss and rusted metal.
Zen grabbed the man beneath him and punched as hard as he could.
Haah.
He could clearly hear his ragged breathing, but he didn't stop until the man passed out.
Even then, the bastard glared at him until the last moment.
Tch.
Right...
We lived in such a dirty world where you can buy forgiveness and bribe your way out of hell.
Bet he'll be out in a day or two again, even if I report him.
Not to mention, Zen doubted if the cops would even believe his statement.
After all, it's always a matter of perspective before the victim becomes the perpetrator.
"So, can we talk now?"
Zen stood up and calmly glanced toward the scrawny figure in the dark.
"... Dans."
His knuckles clenched tight, blood and rain dripping from his fingers like feelings he couldn't wash off.
Dans, his so-called friend, lay slumped on the pavement. He clutched his ribs, trepidating as he shook his head.
"Zen, I didn't mean it. They said they'd kill me if I didn't talk."
Rain clung to his hair like a curtain, masking his expression.
"You know, I had no choice. They threatened me."
Heh.
"... You trust me, right?"
Zen almost believed it for a second.
If he didn't know better.
He walked over and dragged him up easily with his strength.
"You sold me out for a thousand Rei," Zen growled.
The rain echoed down the alley, muting his voice.
Dans was the only friend he had ever trusted with his life on the line.
They'd scraped by together, cleaning toilets, picking trash, even throwing punches if they had to.
It didn't matter what kind as long as they got paid.
Just two teenagers, crawling for a future.
It was hell. But at least they had each other.
"Cough. Keh, keh!"
Even at this moment, Dans's eyes held no guilt. He looked fearless, even though he knew Zen could easily knock him out with a punch.
"Are you curious why?" He laughed.
"Because they said they'd let me join Kasim if I did."
Kasim.
A notorious gang that surrounds the area, striking fear and terror.
A name that made people flinch.
Even a little member could earn up to a hundred Rei a day.
For a street rat, it was like winning the lottery.
Zen laughed bitterly.
"So you just betrayed me?! We were..."
—Friends?
Huh.
Were they even friends to begin with?
Zen was even starting to doubt his memory. Maybe he was so desperate that his judgment was clouded.
Dans struggled to breathe in Zen's grip, but he didn't show any weakness.
"Zen, you can't survive without me. Who do you think begged for the jobs we got?"
His eyes expressed pity like he held the moral high ground.
"Do you know how many times you would've been scammed if I hadn't blocked it? You're too soft, Zen."
Zen's eyes turned red, and then he raised his hands, ready to strike.
But for some reason, he loosen his grip.
Then he shoved Dans away.
"Don't contact me again. You're as good as dead to me."
Dans crumpled to his knees while coughing up heavily.
Soaking in the rain, Zen turned his back and walked away.
Dans stared at the departing figure and yelled on top of his lungs.
"That's why I said you're too kind! You're not meant for this life! Why don't you just end that pathetic life already?!"
Zen didn't turn around and continued walking like their worlds had finally split for good.
Dans watched him disappear into the night and finally broke down in tears, drowning in the rivers of rain.
Zen walked aimlessly down the wet road.
He acted tough back there.
Beating up those rich kids like he has no worries in the world.
But now the adrenaline was gone, then the cold sense of reality rained down his spine.
If Dans really gave away his location, they'd find him in no time.
More importantly, his pockets were thin...
How was he supposed to handle Emmy's hospital fees?
And mom, she was still waiting for him to take care of things.
Zen paused at the massive billboard above the corporate tower displaying the entitled life of the wealthy.
"Must be nice...to be born into riches."
The word popped in his ears naturally.
Although he really thought so...
But it was not he who said that.
Wow.
Zen flinched when an odd-looking man in a long leather coat appeared next to him, holding a sleek black umbrella.
How did he sneak up so silently?
Then, Zen glanced up and marveled again.
Damn, how tall was he?
The stranger smiled with a disturbing presence and shifted his gaze back toward the high-rise building.
"You can put up quite a fight, huh? Six against one, and you won easily."
Zen frowned and looked at him vigilantly.
"Did you see that? What do you want? You gonna report me?"
The man held his weird, round, vintage-looking sunglasses and laughed out loud like he'd just heard the best joke in the world.
"Well, a little sentimental, but that's not a bad thing. I can see the potential."
He lowered his sunglasses down a bit.
"Boy, do you want to go to school?"
Zen was taken aback.
Then—
Was this guy going senile at such a young age?
"What are you even talking about? Why would you ask me that?"
Obviously, no sane person would walk up to someone like him and ask that kind of thing.
Especially, not to be pessimistic, but he looks like a drowning rat right now.
Still, the man continued like this were the most normal conversation ever.
"Man, I thought it was a simple question. I'm feeling generous today. If you want to go to school, I'll fund you all the way till graduation."
The stranger was spouting the most ridiculous thing Zen had ever heard in his life.
"…Good deal, ain't it?"
Is he joking?
Probably. He should be.
But no, he seemed pretty serious about it.
Well.
"No, thank you. I need to get home."
Zen calmly brushed past him and kept walking.
Right.
Scammers these days are getting really high-end.
Seriously.
That had to be the most ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to him.
Besides, he was not interested in sitting in some classroom pretending the alphabet mattered when he could barely afford a meal.
What was he gonna do?
Learn A-B-C with a bunch of toddlers packed together like a giant nursery?
And more importantly—
Zen paused in his steps.
"Why are you following me, Mister?"