The Promise is Canceled
I took a deep breath and tried to push down the sadness welling up inside me. At first I had begged, then my eyes had filled with tears, and finally I had broken down sobbing. But the silver-haired woman hadn’t budged at all. What’s more, her words about letting me go if I just answered her questions properly had caught my attention.
“You must have been shocked and scared. I’m really sorry about that… I was too hasty.”
“Th-then—!”
“Yes. I’ll let you out of here.”
She asked a few more questions. Each time I answered, her expression grew a little darker. Still, she seemed determined to keep her word. Holding my hand, she led me outside.
The mansion was far larger than I had imagined. From inside the room, the architecture had looked Japanese, with sliding doors, but now it felt completely different. A Western-style hallway stretched ahead, lined with expensive-looking paintings and ornaments on both walls. One display case even held what looked like a real gun framed inside. Right now… this doesn’t feel like the yakuza. More like the mafia.
The building’s atmosphere was so unlike anything Japanese that I started doubting whether I was still in Japan at all. After walking down the corridor, we descended a staircase. A massive front door stood right in front of us—or rather, an enormous entrance gate. Once we passed through it, I would be outside. Freedom. The thought filled me with joy.
“W-wait a second!”
“Yes?”
The moment I tried to let go of her hand, she suddenly gripped mine tighter. My feet stopped moving.
“Um… you know…”
“Y-yes…?”
A bad feeling crept over me. I prayed desperately that it wasn’t what I feared, but the moment she tightened her hold, freedom slipped away.
“Let’s stay together a little longer!”
“What!? Wh-what do you mean…? You said you wouldn’t lie—you promised to let me go if I was honest!”
It was so absurd that tears wouldn’t even come. Mixed with frustration, my voice rose as I protested.
“N-no… hic! I just… I just wanted to stay with you a bit more… sob… Why do you only look at my appearance… waaah!”
“S-sis!?”
Suddenly she burst into tears like a child, crying even harder than I had earlier. It felt as if our roles had reversed—she was the victim and I was the culprit. Caught off guard, I found myself trying to comfort her.
“Why!? Why are you crying!? Sis!?”
“Hic… N-no… I only asked you to stay a little longer… and you got angry right away…”
She was easily over 170 centimeters tall and looked far more mature than me. Watching someone like her throw a tantrum while sobbing left me speechless. I wondered if she had been planning to keep me locked up all along, but her subordinates nearby only watched with flustered, hesitant expressions. If she had truly intended to imprison me, we never would have made it this far, and she certainly wouldn’t have untied the ropes.
“Sis… I have to leave Japan tomorrow… Th-that’s it! How about we exchange contact info and message each other? We can talk that way and get closer!”
I had to get out of here somehow. Only now did I realize her subordinates weren’t just yakuza—there were mafia members mixed in as well. With the exit right in front of me, I needed to seize this chance. Everything I said was true, not a lie. Her appearance was intimidating, but her personality didn’t seem bad.
“No.”
“What?”
“You said you’re leaving Japan… So we’d still be apart.”
“……”
This time she dug in her heels, still sniffling as small teardrops continued to fall.
“What are you saying!? I have to leave tomorrow! You know that, Sis! And… if I ever come back to Japan to visit, I’ll come see you again! Okay!?”
I carefully pried her fingers off mine and reached for the door. The moment it opened, she grabbed my hand again in a panic and yanked me back.
“W-wait! Hold on!”
“Agh! Wh-what are you doing…? It hurts…”
“Please… don’t go… Please… I won’t lock you up anywhere… Just… just stay by my side!”
“!?”
That sounded dangerously close to something I didn’t want to hear. Had I misheard? Lock me up? If I had kept resisting, would that have been her real intention? Now she held my hand with both of hers, refusing to let go. Convinced she had finally shown her true colors, I screamed toward the outside.
“Help! Is anyone there!? Some crazy lady is—!”
I had been too frantic to think straight. Of course a mansion this size would have a garden. The people I was trying to escape were her own subordinates. The women who had been guarding the entrance—and even those working in the garden—came running.
“Is something wrong, Boss!?”
“Boss, are you all right?”
The people I had seen inside had been men, but everyone rushing over now were women. Those in kimonos had Japanese swords at their waists, while those in suits carried pistols.
“Eeeek!”
The moment they reached for their weapons, I screamed again—this time out of pure terror.
“What do you think you’re doing!? Put those away right now! Damn it—who gave you permission—huh?”
Before she could finish, I tore free and bolted forward. Her voice faded behind me. Yakuza and mafia members stood at every turn, so in my panic I just ran in whatever direction my feet took me.
― ♠ ―
The sudden turn of events left me flustered and angry—not at him, but at my subordinates. They had shown up out of nowhere and drawn those dangerous weapons, scaring him even more than he already was.
“You idiots! He was already terrified of me, and you made it worse!”
“W-we’re sorry, Boss… We just—”
“Shut up! Go find him right now! If you lose him, I’ll bury every last one of you here!!”
At my command, they immediately set off after him. Their quick response was good, but there was a problem.
“Morons! Who told you to draw your swords!? Put the guns away too! No—throw them away! Just drop them on the ground!”
Because we were constantly at war with other organizations, my subordinates only knew how to solve things with force. In my fury, I ended up yelling at them.
“Anyone who uses a sword or gun—I’ll dig their graves myself! While they’re still alive… N-no! Bring him back without scaring him!”
After my roar, the subordinates paled and dropped every weapon they held. But the damage was done—he was already disappearing from sight, still visibly terrified.
― ♠ ―
She seemed to be shouting orders in a rage, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention. Women in kimonos suddenly blocked my path—the same yakuza who had been carrying swords moments ago.
“Eeeek! H-help me! Someone—aaagh!”
Behind me, men in suits had formed a blockade. I veered toward the wall, but it was too high. R-right! That way! There had to be a main gate in the center of the wall. I tried to turn toward it.
“Got him!”
The suited men who had been guarding the rear grabbed me in an instant, holding me tight so I couldn’t run.
“Let’s take him to the Boss.”
“N-no…! Please… I was almost there…!”
Just a few more steps and I would have been outside. Instead, they dragged me back into the mansion.
The woman in the revealing outfit checked me over with a worried expression the moment she saw me.
“Are you hurt!? Phew… Thank goodness… I was so worried!”
“Let go! You broke your promise! You said you’d send me home—hic…”
This time the tears came from sheer frustration rather than fear. When I confronted her, her expression softened into sadness, then resignation.
“I’m sorry… I really did mean to let you go… But the thought of parting hurts too much. So I’m canceling that promise.”
“Wh-what!? Are you joking right now!?”
While I kept protesting, the subordinates nearby all reached for their weapons.
“(Glare) Don’t. The moment you touch him, I’ll break your necks myself.”
“……”
At her single threat, everyone lowered their hands and backed away. Ironically, they now seemed like the safer option, so I begged them for help instead.
“I’ll become your home… So come back inside with me.”
“!?”
Her hand was already gripping mine again, practically dragging me deeper into the mansion. The door to freedom I had seen just moments ago vanished, and no matter how much I struggled, she refused to let go—as if she would never lose me again.