reparations | genshin impact

i have a very marketable skill called "jumping to conclusions"

"I can't believe I wasn't here when he did the thing. What kind of father am I?!"

You're in the middle of shaping the bonsai you have on display when Itto sulks behind the counter—chin propped on top as he watches the silk white cocoon inside Itto the Fourth's jar. You roll your eyes.

"Well, if you spent your precious time being here for his milestones in life instead of canoodling with the yakuza..."

"Nope! You are not guilt-tripping me out of this, master!"

"Wasn't counting on it," you scoff.

So, as things might have it, after placing your late-night order at Shimura's, you and Itto decided to lounge in the shop to wait for the food. But the moment he sat down on your swiveling seat, the gang leader refused to take his eyes off the caterpillar-turned-chrysalis that was Itto the Fourth. You actually forgot to bring up that it was finally one step closer to the next phase of its insect life given all the commotion that occurred over the last hour. But your patient didn't seem to mind the delayed info.

"Say," you begin, putting down your shears as you flash him a pointed look. "If you won't tell me exactly what's going on, can I at least know how you got on the yakuza's bad side in the first place?"

Itto hums, craning his neck to meet your gaze. "Eh? Ain't that the same thing?"

"Don't think about it like that! Your origin story is different from your current predicament, you know."

And then Itto makes a motion of pinching his thumb and index finger together before sliding it across his lips like a zipper—shaking his head petulantly. What a damn kid.

To his credit, Itto may be idiotic about eighty percent of the time, but he's still pretty sharp. You're not sure if he'll even spill the details once the entire ordeal is over. You can almost hear your mother chiding you for nosing into another person's business, but what the hell is so important that Itto would have to (literally) break his back for the sake of it? A lifetime supply of yakisoba? A printed certificate that says 'Arataki "The Yakuza Boss" Itto'? The longer you wallow in your own thoughts, the wilder your imagination runs, so you decide to spare yourself the trouble.

As you get back to your feet, you peek behind the blinds you drew at closing time, wondering when your food is going to arrive. Though it's only been ten minutes since you placed your order, you were beyond starved. However, there don't seem to be any delivery motorcycles in sight. Guess your dinner isn't arriving miraculously early.

"Is there anything I can do to make you tell me?" you ask out of the blue, turning your head to Itto, who is now comfortably leaning against the backrest of your chair. "Beating you in an onikabuto battle? An eating contest? Rock-paper-scissors?"

Yeah. You've totally lost it. You don't even know why you're trying so hard to get it out of him. It's none of your business! Repeat until true!

"Those are quite the honorable choices, if I do say so myself." He laughs, cracking his fingers together. "But not even a mountainload of mora can get me to disclose the details. And that's saying something 'cause I'm kinda broke right now, but who cares!"

You do a double-take on that one. "Wait, you're broke?"

"Hm? Is that so hard to believe?"

You're quick to stride back to the counter, placing a palm in front of him as you shoot Itto an incredulous stare. "The rent in this place is forty thousand yen a month. Rent that I pay to your gang. Your gang, who owns this property. Did you just happen to forget that?"