Chapter 01: My Parents Ran Away at Night and I was Abducted

Translated by Hikaru

Edited by VampireKnight

“Good luck.”

My father and mother said this and left me in the 20,000 yen rundown rented apartment. I never thought that my parents would say that to me, perhaps they were influenced by a cool meanie and expressionless western movie or manga. It was ten o’clock in the evening. Are you going to a pub or something? Well, they’ll be back by the time the sun goes down, …I thought at the time.

No matter how many days later, my parents didn’t come back to the apartment. I had been abandoned.

“…….. you’re kidding.”

It seemed that my parents ran away at night rather than abandoning me. At the time, our family’s finances were in trouble, mostly because of my father’s love of drinking and my mother’s love of gambling. The reputation of the family had spread to the people around us, and the neighbors had witnessed the scene of my parents running away at night. I heard from the neighbors that my parents had run off somewhere in a panic, and I finally understood what was going on.

“Saying ‘good luck’… it’s too irresponsible.”

Or rather, if you’re going to leave your son behind, at least leave your money behind too. I guessed I have the blood of the trashy parents in me since I worried more about myself than my parents.

“…I mean, I have my high school’s opening ceremony tomorrow.”

Originally, it was a miracle that I was able to attend high school. While taking care of my parents, I would have had to work part-time every day to earn money for school, and somehow I would have been able to attend for a second year. Now…I don’t know. What about rent? What about utilities? What about the food? I have been living on my own money for most of my life, but my parents had been paying some of the rent. I couldn’t suddenly bear all of that.

…Let’s go get some lunch.

I gave up my thoughts. The hands of the clock were pointing at four o’clock in the afternoon. I haven’t put anything in my mouth since this morning. I searched all over the house, but there was no money left, so all I have is two hundred yen, which I happened to find in my wallet. I wondered how many more days I could spend with… two hundred yen.

Should I talk to the police? Should I talk to my friends at school before that? No, I feel like I would only get in trouble if I talk to them.

The bright sunshine made me feel even more depressed. As I walked through the familiar streets, I could hear voices talking from somewhere.

“Ufufu.”

“Well, that’s right.”

It was a very polite tone. I looked over to see a pair of girls in neat school uniforms walking down a gentle slope. From what I heard at the top of that gentle slope is one of the three most prestigious schools in the country. It is a so-called “elite school”. It has a different nuance from a vocational school, and to put it bluntly, it is a school for the rich.

It seems that the school is full of the children of wealthy people ― in other words, young ladies and young masters. The standard grade is extremely high, the facilities are gorgeous, and the content of the classes is so advanced that it is hard to believe that it is a high school. It is said that they lead a sophisticated life in many ways. The first day of school for my high school is the next day, but I guessed the girls’ school has already started. Maybe prestigious schools have shorter vacations.

“We live in different worlds…this is not funny, I can’t even laugh.”

Even the way she walked was different. The goodness of her upbringing exuded from her. I didn’t even feel jealous anymore. People are helpless in the face of the luck set by the heavens. The fact that I was born to trashy parents, and the fact that those two girls were born into a blessed family, was an irreversible destiny.

However, it was unusual to see students from that school walking around here. It was after school now, but I was sure that the children attending that school were being picked up by car. It was rare to see them in the city like this.

“…Hmm?”

On my way to the convenience store, I noticed something had fallen at my feet. It looked like a business card holder made of black leather. I picked it up and looked inside. ―It was a student ID card. It seemed as though it was dropped by one of the two girls who had just passed.

“This is Hinako Konohana, right. No…, this is not the time to be checking names.”

The person who dropped it was right in front of me. There was no need to bother checking her name or address. I ran and was able to catch up with her easily. The friend she was walking with had already parted ways with her, and now she was walking alone.

“Um, excuse me!”

When I called out to her, the girl turned around. Her bright amber hair fluttered in the air, and her neat profile was lit up by the sun. I was fascinated by her figure, thinking, this is what I call a beauty looking back at me.

“―e?”

Suddenly, a black-colored car pulled up right next to the girl. The door of the car opened and two strong men appeared from inside. The men quickly dragged the girl into the car.

―What is happening?

No, it was very obvious what was going on. I was just astonished because it was something unrealistic, something that I have only seen in manga and dramas…

This was not the time to be surprised. A kidnapping was about to take place right in front of my eyes!

“Whoa, wait a minute!!” Deciding that I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see it, I shouted out loud.

“What the hell, man!!”

“Do you know this woman!?”

The two men who looked like kidnappers shouted. Unfortunately, there was no one else in the area, but us. That was why my shouting just now only made these two men irritated.

“Damn it, I can’t let that witness go! You, come on!”

“What the hell!?”

I was forcibly grabbed by the arm and dragged to the car. This was how I was kidnapped along with one of the girls.

“Oh, now you’re gonna stuck with us. You guys, sit still,” One of the kidnappers, a man of short stature, said.

We were in the depths of an abandoned factory. The kidnapping seemed to have been planned well in advance, and the girl and I were bound hand and foot with pre-prepared handcuffs. In addition, the girl’s and my handcuffs were connected with thick chains.

“… Um, I don’t think my parents can pay the ransom.”

“Shut up. You’re just here incidentally,” The kidnapper said as he spat.

A sigh escaped my lips. My parents ran away at night, and I was involved in a kidnapping. I was not sure what I did wrong in my previous life…

I was already desperate because of the misfortune of the past few days. My parents ran away in the middle of the night, and I was in the dark before I was kidnapped. When this kidnapping was over, I would have no money for food tomorrow. In any case, I had no dreams or hopes anyway.

“You’re in luck, brother. She’s the daughter of the Konohana family. Isn’t she the biggest hit among the targets?”

“Oh, …the Konohana family is one of the richest students in the Imperial Academy. We’ll be able to squeeze a lot of ransom out of this.”

The two kidnappers discussed the situation with a sneaky smile on their faces. As I listened to them, I looked at the girl next to me who was also tied up.

She could have been kidnapped for something other than a ransom. She has such a perfect appearance. Her eyes are round and innocent, but there is a hint of intelligence behind them, a combination of cuteness and intelligence. The straight bridge of her nose gives me a sense of elegance, and her moist vermillion lips gives me a sense of loveliness. Her light amber hair is silky and shiny, and her skin is as white and fine as the first snow. Her arms and legs are slender and long.

“…Hey you.” The girl leaked her voice.

What could I say, her attitude was a little different from when I saw her on the street. When I saw her on the street, she exuded a very ladylike atmosphere, but now she seemed languid and depressed.

That’s right ― she has been kidnapped, so she must be worried. It was only natural that she could not act as usual. Unlike me, this young lady who attends a prestigious school has a promising future ahead of her. That was probably why she was so much more scared than I am.

Even though I have a bleak future ahead of me, maybe I could at least comfort the girl in front of me. I desperately tried to cheer the girl up by choosing my words.

“Oh, it’s okay. Kidnapping for ransom has a very low success rate, as I recall.”

“Toilet.”

“Besides, the Japanese police are so good, if we just wait and see, …wait, what?”

Did I hear wrong? It seemed like I just heard a very fast-paced word.

“Toilet. I’m leaking.”

The girl indicated her need to urinate forcefully.