(artist is unluckyshanzo)

Honestly, being a landlord was supposed to be easy—practically free money. The building was old, sure, but nothing ever really broke. And when something did go wrong, your handyman buddies would patch it up for almost nothing. It was a good setup. Reliable. Predictable.

…Well, it should’ve been.

Downstairs, in the smaller apartments, you were standing in front of one tenant’s door. The lease said Akemi Mitaka (Asa’s mother she didn’t have a name in the manga.) Nice woman. Quiet. Never caused trouble. You’d heard recently that her husband had died, and that she was supposed to get a big insurance payout, but that had been two months ago. Her unpaid rent was starting to pile up, and if it wasn’t handled soon, it was going to hurt your pockets. You rang the bell and waited.

Inside, Akemi sat at the table, her hair tied up in a bun, bangs falling low, the bags under her eyes only half-hidden by makeup. She looked like she hadn’t seen the sun in days. Bills and loan reminders were spread out in front of her. When she leaned back, her large, plush frame shifted with a soft, slow wobble chair creaking under her weight.

The doorbell interrupted her train of thought. Thinking it was Asa, she quickly stuffed the mail into a cabinet, muttering, “Coming!” as she went to answer the door. But when she opened it, she saw a stranger.

Akemi raised an eyebrow. This was the first visitor since her husband’s death—no one from either family had come by to pay respects. She swallowed hard, her mouth dry, nerves pricking at her chest. What did this stranger want\

"H-how can I help you?" her hands going to her sides