Sleeping With Money (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 18🌻

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I have to do it.

Gulf stood on the embankment and checked out Rachan's small factory. At first he hadn't seen what the fuss was all about. But now that the nearest train station had recently been improved, the demand for residential land around here would definitely increase. And people naturally wanted to build on the Rachan factory grounds.

I see.

Because of its value the land had been used as collateral. Now, instead of collecting the loan, he needed to force Rachan to sign the land over. Someone else apparently had a claim to it, but that didn't matter to Gulf. This was a Yakuza's job. He just had to use his powers of persuasion.

I'll just have to do it.

It should have been an easy task for any hard-boiled gangster. But Gulf still had emotional ties to this place. If he had sorted this out from the start he would have never been in this mess. He would have never needed Mew's help.

But he couldn't be sentimental. He hadn't chosen the honest life. Gulf had to forget about Rachan.

Why me? I was just a stray dog!

Gulf had only been trouble for Rachan. Though Rachan had tried and tried to help him, Gulf had ignored it all.

"Showtime," he said to himself, steeping down from the embankment. There were lights on at Rachan's place, even at three in the morning. The other debt collerctors had come and gone. Only Gulf had hung out this late.

Just then, a Lincoln Navigator came down the embankment road. Regular people didn't drive cars like that. It must be a gang leader. Gulf strained to see who was inside. The future successor to Lovely smiled at him through the window.

Gulf averted his eyes and quickened his pace, but the car stopped in front of him. Out stepped Mew. Gulf glared at him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he snapped.

Despite Gulf's look of pure loathing Mew kept on smiling.

"I know everything about you, Gulf," he said.

"I'll kill you," Gulf growled.

"Well I'll let you in on my trick this time," Mew said. "I didn't want to drink alone, so I phoned your office. Some kid name First picked up. When I asked him out for a drink, he told me about your ridiculous task here. Just thought I'd see if I could run into you."

"Goddamn First," Guld cursed. That idiot had loose lips. But then Gulf could probably never hide anything from a man like Mew.

"I see. I don't have time to go drinking tonight. Get outta here." he snapped and started walking.

"I can't do that," Mew retorted. "I have business here."

"What business?" Gulf asked.

"Collecting debt," Mew replied. "Well, more like making sure it won't be dishonored."

"What debt?" Gulf asked.

"A body I need to protect," Mew answered with a large grin. "You could call it my investment. If you needed another loan, Gulf, you could have come to me. The conditions might be a bit harsher than last time, but I would gladly help you out."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Gulf screamed. "It's only a wrinkled old man."

Mew just smiled. Gulf ignored him and walked on.

I'm a fucking hardcore criminal and he treats me like a girl.

Mew was making a fool out of him again. Normally, people immediately kept their distance when they found out he was Yakuza. Any idiot knew not to mess with him.

Gulf circled the building. The lights were still on. He would show Rachan no mercy this time. No one would notice if anything unsightly happened here. The neighboring iron factory had been sold for development and was already being dismantled. The grass growing around it was up to his knees. The cop car from last time hadn't even shown up tonight. Gulf had no worries about attracting unwanted attention.

"Old man!" he yelled. "You there? Old man!"

He kicked on the door of a shabby house next to the factory. sensing Rachan was unside. He'd just kick until the old man came out. He had never come to Rachan's actual home before. Nothing much had changed from the days he had recovered bere. But he firmly pushed down the memories that floated into his head.

The door opened.

"You again," Rachan grumble.

He'd already doused Gulf twice now. Rachan probably recognized Gulf's face. The Yakuza saw a dirty, dirty kitchen behind the old man.

"Go home already!" Rachan yelled. "I ain't giving my factory to you!"

Such a stubborn old man. He must be over 60 by now. It looked like he had already his employees go. All of the shoes the hallway must belong to Rachan. Since his son was killed in an accident, Rachan had no one in his life.

The old man looked haggard, probably from chasing off the hordes of debt collectors. Gulf folded his arms and softened a little.

"Just listen, old man," he said. "I'm here for a different debt. You owe ten million to Hanamura Finance. Look, here's the document. You must remember borrowing it. You have to pay back what you borrow. You honor your word, don't you?"

"I won't give up this place," Rachan said stubbornly. "I don't care how many times you come. I won't give my factory to anyone!"

"This rundown dump?" Gulf sneered. "What good is it? That big factory took all the work. You could retire, take life easy! I could help you get some money together."

He talked, pleaded, and cajoled for at least three minutes, but Rachan would have none of it.

"I was tricked. I didn't borrow that money," the old man kept repeating. "They made me sell off my equipment. They stopped the contract. Just kill me, all right?"

They really had gone after Rachan. But Gulf had heard many sob stories like this and no longer felt sad about them.

Mew who had been standing behind Gulf the whole time, suddenly spoke up. "But why can't you leave?" he said.

Rachan glared at Mew and then looked back at Gulf. A light of compassion glittered in his eyes.

"I can't leave this place. I made a promise," he simply said.

"A promise?" Gulf echoed.

Rachan looked behind Gulf, a twinkle in his bloodshot eyes.

"Long ago, I worked as a probation officer, helping wayward kids," he explained further. "I told them if they ever had nowhere to go,  they could always come here. They're all grown up now, maybe married, got kids, who knows. But in case they slip up, they still need a place to come to. They can't come back here and find nothing."

Gulf felt as if his heart had been ripped out. All the blood drained from his head. Was Rachan saying this because one of those kids was standing before him right now? But the old man didn't make a move.

"Oh?" said the voice behind him.

Gulf turned around and ran.

"I'll be back! Then I'll force you to sign!"

Those were his last words as he dashed away.

TBC