Transition and Restart, book two: The Billion Dollar Empress

Chapter one, 2016, crescendo, part five

Three days later he received a mail from Urufu in the morning. It was terse and to the point: "Found him. Done."

That started a nightmarish ping pong game of messages which forced Ryu to re-evaluate his friendship with Urufu.

"What do you mean with 'Done' more exactly?"

Two hours later the answer arrived. "Police. Dead."

"Whoa! Urufu, what did he do? Dead, did you two get into a fight? Was he shot?"

Ryu ate a late lunch when Urufu finally responded. "Worked in restaurant. Married. Prison."

"Urufu! Please more information!"

And that information waited until three in the afternoon to materialise. "Prey married after school. Pregnant wife. Found him in restaurant. Called police."

"Urufu. I understand the police part, but what do you mean with dead?"

Ryu deserted his mother in the middle of their late dinner when his phone beeped next time. "Nakagawa nullified marriage. Prey to prison. Killed himself."

"Urufu! Did he suicide! That's too much. I need to understand what happened."

The last message didn't arrive until after Ryu had fallen asleep, and it was the first thing in the morning that he noticed. "Lost family. Suicide when fetched by police. Good riddance."

Almost a day it took. Ryu answering more or less immediately when he received a message and Urufu waiting for hours before he sent one back.

Ryu decided against answering the last message. Instead he called his sister.

***

"Mom, something bad happened in Tokyo. It..." Ryu felt uncertain how much he dared involve his parents. What can I tell her. She'll call dad if I say too much.

His mother must have sensed that something was awry because she put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Friend in trouble and you can't tell me all about it?"

Ryu nodded gratefully. You're the best. "He needs me." Ryu averted his eyes and stared at the sliding doors to their room. On the other side lay a corridor feeding the entrance and outdoors cars passed by, the sound of their engines muted by two walls.

No matter how much he loved his parents this wasn't the kind of problem high school students were supposed to have. He couldn't possibly tell his mother that Urufu had been involved in the death of another person, even if indirectly.

"Is it that bad?" The grip on his shoulder tightened. Ryu had to look back.

"Yes," he admitted. He didn't know what else to say.

"One day we'll talk about this. Promise?"

"Promise." She would hold him to that.

"For now you're needed elsewhere. I'll change your ticket and call father. Good friends deserve good friends. Go and be one!"

Ryu just nodded back. She really was the best.

***

Ryu threw open the door to the café, scanned the room with his eyes and ran for his sister behind the counter. Her part time job. Not because she needed the money, but because she wanted the experience.