Chapter 943. Night of Flirting / Line Off

「 People who are cunning because they have half-assed skills are the most troublesome 」

Edie said.

「 They know their strength, and so they won’t pick fights with the top since they will lose if they pick a fight. Furthermore, they don’t want to become stronger by putting more effort, they will only overpower people that are weaker than themselves 」

They don’t look up and only think of how to overpower those who are below.

「 Tendou Sadao’s like that and Otome who watched her father as she grows up thinks the same way 」

Edie looked at me.

「 That’s why we had to go this far. Otome will no longer think that her martial arts is stronger than ordinary people 」

Edie’s full power Qi attack lets her experience the fear of death.

「 They often say that you should start from scratch, right? People who failed say that they’re starting over from zero or something. That’s wrong. Life isn’t a game. Nobody can erase all that happened so far and start from zero point. The recovery point isn’t zero, but the current place in their life. All you do is continue your life. That means it’s a positive or negative point 」

Edie said.

「 If you have plenty of experience and connections in your life, then your recovery point starts at a positive. On the other hand, if you have criminal records or some hateful circle around you, then you will have to start from the negative. Saying that you’ll start a new life from scratch is just a spoiled behavior. It’s because the person is saying that his or her life so far becomes null 」

That’s true.

「 Sonoko, don’t misunderstand that becoming a prostitute means resetting your life so far 」

Edie talks to Sonoko-san.

「 You’re making a big mistake if you think that you can abandon your thoughts, and entertain customers as you were told. You will carry the past that you had so far 」

Sonoko-san looked up at Edie.

「 Otome saved you so many times before, hasn’t she? If that’s the case, you’ll shoulder that 10 million debt for Otome’s life. Your life so far has been negative, and so you’ll have to start your prostitute life from negative as well 」

Sonoko-san…

「 Otome-chan 」

She stands up feebly and goes to Tendou Otome who fainted in agony and peed herself.

However, all she does is look down on the unconscious Otome, not touching her body.

Then.

「 I understand what you’re saying. I’ll carry the debt of 10 million yen for Otome-chan’s life. I accept that. But… 」

Tokuda Sonoko-san turned to us.

Her eyes show the color of hatred.

「 Why do you people go this far, say this far?! What are you all?! Why are you so cruel to Otome-chan and me?! So arrogant, so condescending 」

I…

「 Yeah, we have the power to do that 」

「 Don’t joke with me! You’re all just children near the same age as me! It’s not your power! You all borrow power from scarier people, don’t pretend that you’re the boss here just like our fathers! 」

Sonoko-san’s father and his group, Tendou Sadao’s group. They are Yakuza who sticks out.

「 Yeah, we’re like them. I’m a criminal, and so I will use the power I borrowed from others to become arrogant. Despite having no power myself. Sure, I have no qualifications to criticize Sonoko-san and Tendou Otome 」

「 That’s right! I hate you all! 」

Sonoko-san glares at me with her face on the verge of tears.

「 But, Edie’s strength is real. You’ve seen it, haven’t you? Edie’s strength, her power 」

Sonoko-san should know how awful it is to receive Edie’s full-power Qi.

「 Also, Haiji-san. She fought Tendou Otome, someone who might’ve been stronger than her, and won, hasn’t she? Her courage is the real deal 」

I point at Haiji-san.

「 Yomi, she can read other people’s thoughts, and also has that mysterious power to control bodies. That is Yomi’s power! She didn’t borrow it 」

Yomi smiled at me.

「 Sonoko-san just saw the real deal. These are people who don’t rely on others, they have their power. That’s right, we’re not that far from each other when it comes to age. But, these girls of the same generation exist. Girls who can use their powers as weapons 」

I said.

Then, Nei…

「 Sonoko-san, you never became independent from your father, a half-hearted Yakuza. Well, maybe it’s because you can’t abandon that parent and daughter sentiment, but you know. You’re just in high school, so maybe you can’t do anything about it. But, the world has people like this. Haiji-chan, she’s 13, and yet, she had to support herself. Yomi-chan’s also like that. She’s 14 though 」

「 Yes, I have joined Sensei’s family, and so I have to do the best of what I can do 」

Yomi said.

Right. Our family isn’t a charity.

We all work with whatever we can.

Mana and Ruriko are helping out with housework.

Agnes and Koyomi-chan are helping out with the bakery.

「 A gathering of weak people will only cause trouble for society. Just like Sonoko-san’s father and his group 」

Nei said.

「 We’re a family of criminals, but we’re not a gathering of weak people. We absolutely hate weak people gathering together and licking each other’s wounds. We only want to gather those who are strong. Of course, my strength isn’t enough, but, I want to get stronger, and I’ll do anything to achieve that. After all, my strength isn’t just for my sake, it’s for Yo-chan, it’s for the family 」

Yeah.

I see the reason why Edie approved Haiji-san, but not Tendou Otome.

Haiji-san is a girl who puts on the effort, wanting to become stronger.

Tendou Otome is conceited with her pride, not wanting to do anything more.

Edie accepted Haiji-san’s heart, not her current combat skills.

「 That’s right. That’s why I can speak as bossy as I want with you. After all, you two are weak. If you’re frustrated, then get stronger. It doesn’t matter what genre you take, make me acknowledge your power. If it’s the current you, people will oppress you, no matter where you go. After all, you’re too weak! You’re at the bottom of the food chain!! 」

Edie speaks domineeringly.

「 I can’t do that. I’m not like you. Unlike you people, I don’t have anything 」

Sonoko-san screams?

「 Really? At least, Sonoko-san’s cuter than ordinary girls 」

I said.

「 You have enough foundation to become a successful prostitute 」

I need to turn her into a good prostitute.

Black Forest’s core business is managing a high-class brothel. I’m a member of that organization.

「 Also, after you served your time as a prostitute, you will earn at least 10 million yen. Then, if the business is a success, you can triumph over us 」

「 That’s right. We had lots of people who took lessons of what life they want next while still a prostitute and reached qualifications for it 」

Nei, who watched the veteran prostitutes, said.

「 I-I… 」

Sonoko-san looked down.

「 Huh? I thought that Sonoko-san hates us? 」

「 I-I do! I hate you all! 」

She glared back at me angrily.

「 Then, prove yourself to be the superior! Or do you want us to look down on you for the rest of your life? 」

I speak with a straight face.

Then.

「 Okay, that’s enough 」

Minaho-neesan enters the dojo’s entrance.

Kinoshita-san’s with her.

「 Tendou Sadao and everyone all are heading to Kansai riding rental cars. They have some men following them but Reika-san and others have returned. Therefore, I’m free now 」

Kansai Yakuza’s dispatch team is no longer around the Kouzuki mansion.

In fact, they will be gone from Tokyo soon.

Therefore, the alert level is lowered now.

Rei-chan took over Minaho-neesan’s monitoring job.

「 With that said, I’ll return to my business. Hello, Tokuda Sonoko-san. I’m Kuromori Minaho. The owner of the prostitution ring you’ll be working from now on 」

Minaho-neesan greets Sonoko-san.

「 I’m a former prostitute, by that I mean, kidnapped when I was 12, raped, and forced to entertain customers. I got pregnant but my child is aborted forcibly. Because of that, my body can no longer bear a child 」

Minaho-neesan drops her heavy past in one go.

「 Therefore, to be honest, I can’t sympathize when I heard that your father’s comrades raped you for a week. You’re 17, aren’t you? I was 12 back then, and if it’s rape, I had it worse than you, both in numbers of the rapist and the time. Have you experienced a 60W light bulb shoved there and lit up? It lights up your insides. The light bulb gets hot, and the thought that it breaks inside you is scary. It’s too scary that you’ll pee yourself. You’ll die from electrocution if you short it, see? 」

Minaho-neesan smiles. Sonoko-san’s dumbfounded.

「 I was on the lowest side of prostitution, actually, I was a slave. Back then, I didn’t earn a single yen from entertaining a customer. The people who kidnapped and raped me exploited me to the bone 」

Minaho-neesan talks calmly.

「 However, I rose up from there and become the boss of the organization. I was 16. I took control of the same organization that tormented me. Then, I took revenge on the man who kidnapped me and turned me into a prostitute. I gave him the same suffering I had, humiliated him, and killed him 」

「 K-Killed? 」

Sonoko-san’s surprised.

「 Do you know Shirasaka Sousuke? 」

Shirasaka Sousuke’s scandal and brutal death was half a year ago.

Back then, the media was reporting it on a grand scale

Sonoko-san should know about it.

「 My friends and I did that to him. We socially and physically destroyed him. It was for vengeance, yet I wasn’t satisfied with it. It can’t be helped. He only has one life 」

Minaho-neesan talks about it, this means…

She won’t let Sonoko-san go.

If there’s no intention of releasing her, then she can talk about this scary story without care.

「 Therefore, you should become strong. If you don’t become strong, you’ll be devoured in this world. It’s okay, you can do what I did before 」

Minaho-neesan pats Sonoko-san’s shoulder.

「 Oh well. I have prepared a room above to tell you about the details, we can talk there. Kurosawa-san is in there too. Let’s talk together, okay? 」

She’s called over Kurosawa-san, the other prostitute candidate.

Well, if Minaho-neesan talked to them separately, there will be some suspicions about what she says that she didn’t tell the other.

「 U-Uhm 」

Sonoko-san looked at Tendou Otome who fainted in agony.

「 Oh, Kinoshita-san, take this girl 」

「 Got it, I’ll bring some medical team in here. That said, all the blows show that they went easy on her, right?

Kinoshita-san turned over Tendou Otome’s clothes and look at the bruise from Haiji-san’s kick.

「 The mental attack after the physical one had more effect 」

Nei laughed.

「 Oh, I guess I should call a therapist among the medical team? 」

Kinoshita-san asks. Minaho-neesan;

「 No need. She only needs medical treatment and brings her to a confinement room. It’s better if she’s alone once she wakes up. She can cry without reserve if she’s alone 」

She’s going to cry after losing completely.

「 Sonoko-san will shoulder her life. We’ll keep her alive, but, we’ll have another talk next time about her future 」

Minaho-neesan concludes the talk before Sonoko-san can say anything.

「 Kou, good job. You delivered Sonoko-san to a better state. Thanks 」

That means, she’s no longer a prostitute who is dragged by her despair.

It’s about creating a situation where she has to earn money as a prostitute as she has a 10 million debt.

It’s the revere of the situation where Tendou Otome saves Sonoko-san, even though it’s an unwelcome favor.

Now, Sonoko-san’s saving Tendou Otome’s life.

Also, making her feel hatred towards us.

To provoke Snoko-san who became apathetic, giving up on anything.

「 What’s left is is my job. She already knows experience with men, and so there’s a need for you to give her lessons. Oh, but you can have your way with her if you want to. Maybe you can check it out if she learns a technique to please the customers? 」

「 !!! 」

Sonoko-san shows a displeased look after hearing Minaho-neesan said.

Then.

「 What’s with that face, Sonoko? 」

Minaho-neesan called her.

「 Let me tell you beforehand, Kou has no interest in your body. He’s having sex with Nei and Edie over there everyday 」

「 Yomi too 」

Yomi added.

「 U-Uhm, I also want to do it 」

Haiji-san too.

「 Oh, I see. That’s great 」

Minaho-neesan smiled at Haiji-san. Then once again faced Sonoko-san.

「 You will use your body to sell sex. The customers who will pay are people with a fastidious social status you know? Training also costs a fee. If you can’t serve Kou, then you can’t serve the customers of our brothel 」

Sonoko-san can’t past Minaho-neesan’s sharp words.

「 Ah, yes 」

If this goes on, Minaho-neesan will drag her to her flow.

No, is this okay?

If Minaho-neesan can get her grips on her…

Minaho-neesan’s denying the independence I told her.

Sonoko-san can’t ask for that much right now.

For now, her hate is good enough, if Sonoko-san can stir up emotions from her inside, then that’s good enough.

What’s left is for Minaho-neesan to control it.

Sonoko-san can’t become independent unless she earns money from prostitution.

That’s the reality.

「 Then, Kou, you can go back to the room earlier. You’re good to go back to the mansion 」

「 No, I still have one of the twins left 」

I said.

I turned Rie to my slave but Eri’s not done yet.

「 Why not do it tomorrow? 」

Minaho-neesan said.

「 No, I should strike while the iron is hot 」

I have to finish it up by tonight.

「 I see. Then if that’s what you want. That girl is yours anyway 」

Minaho-neesan smiles.

◇　◇　◇

We return to the monitoring room for now.

Ruriko and the girls are still over there.

「 I’ve met a lot of girls too, but… 」

Nei speaks while we’re in the elevator hall.

「 It’s my first time seeing a girl who has no other path but to become a prostitute 」

「 Sonoko-san? 」

I asked.

「 Yeah. I mean, that girl has no willpower. Or should I say that she’ll only follow what other people order her, I don’t see people who don’t have anything to answer when asking themselves “what do I want to do,” “What do I want to become?” 」

Nei said.

「 That’s why, good job on making her angry, Yo-chan and Edie. I think that’s cool 」

「 She even said that she hates us. It was gushing 」

Haiji-san said.

「 I think that most of it is coming from Yomi’s assistance, right? 」

「 That’s what Sensei wanted. But, I only did a bit. Only amounts that she won’t notice 」

Yomi confessed using her Miko power.

「 But, it was in vain. She can’t think of becoming independent from us, knowing that it’s impossible, Minaho-neesan came to intervene 」

I feel defeated.

「 Really? I think that’s for the better 」

Haiji-san?

「 I think that for her, she needs to face other people’s criticisms, and experience her emotions gushing out in protest. If that’s not done, everything so far will become null 」

That’s…

「 She never had a person who faces her directly, giving her criticisms…Furthermore, it wasn’t just all verbal abuse, it was also filled with affection and tender care, saying “Maybe you should do this instead” 」

Haiji-san said.

「 When it comes to a friend, everyone uses the reason that “If I say this, it will break our friendship,” or “I’m not qualified to say that” and they don’t point at the problem 」

「 Right, I think so too 」

Edie said.

「 But if it’s the parents or siblings, they say it immediately. There could be some slanders from the back, but they speak to the person, saying “this part of you is bad” 」

Is that so?

I hardly have any interactions with my parents so I don’t understand.

My late Grandma scolded me a lot, but it was only when I was young.

「 Kuromori-sama, I’m impressed that you talked to her to think of Tendou Otome-san earnestly 」

Haiji-san said.

「 I mean, if it’s a conversation about a person’s life, one can’t become irresponsible, can they? 」

I think.

「 No, in truth, people are irresponsible. After all, Darling don’t need to take responsibility for it 」

YEah.

I get that.

「 It can’t be helped. It just happened that we’re matched against them 」

I’m a member of Black Forest.

I have to follow Minaho-neesan’s plan on turning Sonoko-san as a prostitute.

I can’t change Sonoko-san’s life by prostrating myself before Minaho-neesan and asking to not let Sonoko-san become a prostitute.

I’ll do anything to prevent my women from that as I’m taking responsibility for them for the rest of my life, but…

Sonoko-san isn’t family.

She’s not my woman, nor my friend.

I can’t be limitlessly kind to such people.

If I do that.

It will give my family a great difficulty.

「 Yo-chan needs to determine how far you’ll lend a hand and where will you shut out 」

「 It’s only until the reach of your hand, and also, Darling can’t make the approach 」

If one asks for my help, then I can help them.

However, if it’s someone who secluded themselves, I shouldn’t come all the way to save them.

If I go that far, then it will no longer become for that person’s sake.

They will become dependent and rely on me on everything.

「 I think that you did great on drawing the line with Sonoko-san and Tendou Otome-san 」

Nei said.

However.

「 Though Sonoko-san will become a prostitute, I have no worries since Minaho-neesan’s watching her, but, what about Tendou Otome, what’s ahead of her? 」

She’s useless as a bodyguard. We can’t introduce her to other nobility with that personality.

Naturally, she can’t become a prostitute either.

That said, she can’t go back home either.

「 For now, Minaho will keep her for Sonoko 」

Sonoko-san saved Otome’s life for 10 million yen.

That means, she will stay in Minaho-neesan’s eyes in the brothel.

「 I mean, I don’t even know what kind of girl Otome will become after she wakes up 」

Yeah, Edie gave her a near-death experience using Qi.

Tendou Otome who is so confident and arrogant might disappear.

「 Ah, I guess Minaho will show us what she got 」

Edie laughed.

「 Yeah. You don’t have to worry about them now Yo-chan 」

Nei?

「 Do you know how many prostitutes Minaho-oneechan took care of until now? 」

I see.

Since Minaho-neesan became the manager of the brothel, she consulted with the prostitutes and improved the labor conditions.

「 There should be someone who sunk into despair like Sonoko-san among the veteran prostitutes, and there should be also a Yankee, just like Otome-chan 」

When Shirasaka Sousuke was in his prime, he would kidnap girls like Katsuko-nee and Nagisa, and drop them to despair.

There should be girls who got aggressive and resisted.

Whatever type of girl it is that came to the brothel, Minaho-neesan took care of them and raised them to wonderful prostitutes.

That’s why, even after retiring, the prostitutes adore her.

「 Therefore, there’s no need to worry 」

Nei said.

I see. She mentioned that she’ll entrust them to me…

It was only for my training.

To see if I can draw the line among the people who don’t belong in the family.

「 Oh, right 」

That’s why I can entrust the rest to Minaho-neesan.

I have other things I need to do and girls to look after.

Next is Eri.

I’ll make the twins my sex slaves.