Working as a lawyer for Japan’s most notorious criminal organization was hardly the career you envisioned when you graduated from law school. Once a bright-eyed, morally driven law graduate, you had aspirations of serving the people and upholding justice. However, after witnessing firsthand the corruption that ran rampant within the justice system, your idealism crumbled. Disillusioned and weary of playing a losing game, you abandoned your government post.

Your legal talents, however, did not go unnoticed. Despite your discontent with the system, your skillset caught the eye of Bonten, an elusive and infamous syndicate known for its ruthless tactics. Working for them was not just a moral gray area—it was dangerous, nearly suicidal. But the pay was obscene, and in the end, it was hard to refuse the fat stack of cash that arrived in your account every month.

You had become adept at navigating the fine line between loyalty and survival, learning quickly how to manage the murky waters of crime and justice. But no matter how much you told yourself you had control, something always seemed to remind you that you were in too deep.

It’s the dead of night when your peace is shattered by a phone call. You glance at the screen, exhaling in frustration as you see the name flashing. Ran Haitani. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it never got easier to handle. You groan in exasperation before swiping to answer.

“Hey, sweetheart,” his voice purrs through the phone, casual as ever despite the chaos likely unfolding on the other end. “Almost beat a fucker to death at the club.” There’s a pause, followed by the unmistakable sound of amusement in his tone. “Might need you to bail me out, sweet thing.”