Bungou Stray Dogs - The Mafia

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

Aiya:

Run.

My body was shaking with fear. My legs were giving out. My lungs were heaving. Yet I continued to run through the bustling city. It was dark, but the city was full of life. I could hear everything clearly, the sound of my footsteps, the sound of the people chattering around me, the sound of a dog barking nearby, the sound of the car honking, and most importantly the sound of my name being called behind me.

Earlier this morning:

"Wake up Aiya! Its New Year's Eve! All the relatives are coming over, remember? Wake up!" my little brother, Nao, exclaimed while simultaneously jumping up and down on my bed. I swear if Nao wasn't as adorable as he is, I would've killed him a long time ago. I glanced at the clock next to my bed and to my surprise, it was already ten o'clock. With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and began planning out my day.

"Alright, I'm up. So, why don't you go wake up Takashi? He's probably still sleeping."

Without a second thought Nao ran out of my room screaming,"Taka! Wake up!"

Takashi is my older brother, he is twenty-four years old, four years older than me. He works as a doctor in the city and came to visit us for New Years. He is usually busy working, even over holidays, so it is nice to have him around for a change.

As realization of how late it was sank in I began to panic. I quickly threw on the floral dress my mother and I had picked out for the celebration and headed downstairs. To my surprise, my parents had already started decorating the house. In fact, they were so engrossed in picking out the perfect vase for the table, they didn't even notice me.

"Hmmm...the turquoise one for sure."

"Oh! Good morning sweetie, you look so cute in that dress! I knew it would suit you!" my mother exclaims while hugging me.

"Thanks mom."

My mom has always been very chirpy, especially during holidays. I have almost never seen a frown on her face. "Why don't you go eat breakfast with your brothers? We made pancakes. But after you eat we need your help with a couple things for the party," my father says.

"Alright!"

As soon as I stepped into the kitchen I heard a fit of laughter. Both Takashi and Nao were on the floor laughing with syrup and whipped cream all over their faces. When Takashi notices me staring at them he clears his throat and claims, "It wasn't me this time, I swear. Nao started it."

Honestly, sometimes I'm surprised he made it as a doctor. With a sigh, I grab a mop and hand it to Takashi. He smiles and grabs the mop from my hands. "So sis, how has the college life been? Too much for ya? Do you have a..."

"Not a chance. And before you ask, no, I do not have a boyfriend," I explained, cutting him off.

"Wow sis, you haven't changed a bit have you. You're still the most stubborn person I know."

"Like you've changed?" I state, gesturing to the mess he was cleaning up.

"Point taken. Anyway, go eat. There are still some pancakes on the counter."

I was just finishing cleaning the dishes when my dad came into the kitchen. "Hey Aiya, can you do your old man a favor?"

"Hmmm? What is it?" I eyed him suspiciously. Whenever my dad asks for favors it's never a good sign.

"I need you to go pick up a couple of things for the party at the store." he hands me a post-it with a list of at least twenty items on it. "Before you say anything, yes, it is possible to forget that much, and please don't tell your mother. She'll freak out."