Then his body froze as a single name appeared in the forefront of his mind.
'Tetsuhiro?'
Initially, Ken shook his head. However, the more he thought about it, the more the details started to line up.
'The police said Daichi's mother's murder was from a robbery, but the news reported it as a gang related incident…'
As his mind began to put together the pieces, his body turned cold.
If his Grandfather's words about Tetsuhiro being the mastermind behind the murder was true, did that mean he had used the Hokori family to do so? If that was the case, then could the reason he was captured be at that guys request?
'Is he going to kill me too?'
The thought flickered in his mind briefly, causing a spike of fear.
"Oi, why did you just turn pale." Katsuya's voice called out, snapping Ken out of his reverie.
He hadn't noticed that his fear and dread were being broadcast on his features. But what choice did he have? If his theory was true, then this could be the end of his new life.
"Who is the boss of the Hokori family?" Ken asked, his voice quivering.
But Katsuya scoffed at him in response, "How the hell should I know?"
"Ohh, you guys seem to know who were are?"
The sound of an amused voice came from behind Ken, causing both the teens to turn around and look at the new arrival.
He was average height and rather skinny, donned in a perfectly tailored black suit. His small goatee and sunglasses on his face gave him a typical mobster look.
The guy took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of cruel eyes and a scar on his left. Though he might be a little intimidating, it was the two people who flanked him that were the most imposing.
Their large figures made them look like bodybuilders as they towered over the guy in the middle.
"Well I guess there's no need for introductions then, if you figured out who we are already." The guy said, casually dusting something off his suit jacket.
"What do you want?" Ken asked, glaring at the trio.
The guy in the middle blinked a few times, before a vicious smile appeared on his face.
He looked over his shoulder to one of the big guys and made a gesture with his head, as if giving an order.
It wasn't until the big guy slowly began walking to him that Ken realized his mistake.
THWACK
With his hands and feet bound by chains, there was no way he could avoid the large fist that came barreling towards his face. In an instant, his eyes began to water from the force of the blow.
The metallic taste of blood entered his mouth, followed by a wave of pain.
"Ahem. I hope that taught you a lesson." The one in charge said, fastening his tie casually.
Ken remained silent, despite the pain. Now was not the time to be rash.
"Good good. It seems like you are smart after all." He said, wearing a mocking grin.
One of the big guys grabbed a chair, placing it down in front of the leader without a word. He casually took a seat, crossing his legs.
After he was seated, his entourage produced a cigarette and lit it after placing it in his mouth. Like that, it seemed the guy was ready to get down to business.
"It seems like we caught a big fish as a bonus." The guy said, blowing out a fresh plume of smoke towards the two teens.
'Big fish?' Ken's eyes flashed with confusion as he turned and looked at Katsuya.
The guy didn't seem to react, still wearing his same defeated expression as before.
"Tokuzo family's Katsuya, son of the Lieutenant Tomoya… We'd been trying to find you for so long but your father was way too cautious."
He grinned, as if finding the situation amusing.
Yet Ken's mind was racing. The guy who had tried to help him was also part of a gang?
At the mention of his father, Ken could see Katsuya's body tremble from the corner of his eye. It was tough to tell, but his expression looked to be filled with regret.
"Yet here you are, captured after trying to save a random nobody. To be honest, I almost didn't believe my guys when they told me." The leader said with an amused tone.
The guy seemed to be enjoying himself, flaunting his power over them with practiced ease.
"Well, I guess I can kill two birds with one stone." He said, standing up in the next moment.
He took out his phone, as if he was going to take a photo.
"Hmm, not dramatic enough."
With another gesture, the big guy waltzed over to Katsuya and grabbed his hair, pulling his head up.
THWACK
He sent a devastating punch towards the teen, causing blood to leak out of his nose.
"Much better!" The leader exclaimed.
In the next moment the sound of the camera shutter sounded out, signifying that he'd taken the picture.
"Your turn now." He said, turning to Ken.
Thankfully, it seemed like his face was beaten up to the guy's satisfaction, as he didn't call for one of his lackey's to hit him again.
CLICK
"See? That wasn't so hard now was it?"
Of course, neither Ken nor Katsuya responded to the rhetorical question. He wasn't sure about Katsuya, but Ken definitely did not feel like getting beaten again.
Seemingly satisfied with his work, the leader placed his phone in his pocket and turned his heel.
"You should probably get some rest, you're gonna be here for a while." He said, letting out an eerie laugh.
The laugh echoed in the empty warehouse as he walked off, leaving the two of them alone.
A few minutes passed as both Ken and Katsuya stayed in silence. There was a sense of despair that hung in the air as a result of their helpless situation.
'Mom, Dad, Daichi… Ai… I miss you.'