>>5977118>>5977253You make a point to step away, giving Luna the room to breathe and the privacy she needs in an unfamiliar place. She finishes the meal you prepared, cleaning every bit off the plate—a rarity for kids these days. "Thank you very much for the food," she says, her gratitude sincere.
"Don't mention it," you reply, a smile unexpectedly crossing your face—the first genuine one in a long time.
That night, you let Luna sleep in Hoshiko's old room, on a bed that hasn't been used in six years, while you settle onto the couch with a makeshift bedding. Although tomorrow you plan to take her to the police station to find her legal guardians, tonight there's a certain comfort in seeing your daughter's room occupied again, even if just for a little while.
Morning arrives too soon, and with it a silence that feels out of place. You rise to find Luna gone, only a note left behind: "Thank you for being so kind to me." The words are simple, but they leave a hollow feeling in your chest, echoing louder than the quiet of the apartment.
As you're lost in thought, your phone erupts with the shrill ring of urgency. It's the police chief, your boss. His voice is urgent, cutting through the morning haze. "Kurosawa, get your ass to the station now!" he barks. "Boss Yamada of the Yakuza clan got hit last night. We're looking at citywide gang warfare soon."
"Shit," you mutter under your breath as you light a cigarette. The implications are clear; this shit is going to spiral quickly. "Where was he killed?"
"His penthouse, right near that dive bar you haunt," the chief continues. "And you know what the weirdest part is? Word on the street is that he was whacked by a little girl with a gun."
~[End of Prologue]~
