Someone came to collect a debt...

(Chapter originally by faith at writing.com)

It was early in the morning on the weekend. Makoto was of course studiously up and about with the early morning, the thought never entering her mind that she could simply sleep away the early hours like the rest of her team was doing. She was wearing her more casual clothes, a white button down dress over leggings and a pair of sandals. Sae, for better or worse was sleeping off another late night. Makoto was just finish up her chores when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She said, slightly out of breath.

"Makoto Niijima?" Came an unfamiliar voice.

"Yes?" Makoto asked.

"Let's make this brief. Go out your front door, turn left. Under a telephone pole at the closest intersection you'll find a box with a phone in it. Little old fashioned, but I trust you'll figure it out. Leave your normal phone and your keys behind. Make sure to turn the lock in the doornob of your front door. When you leave you won't be able to get back in the house. Remember that. Ignore my instructions and it won't end well."

"Who...what is-"

"Time's up. We'll talk more on the other phone. For now let's just say I'm here to collect a debt. One involving you pawing around a dive bar underaged. Don't expect me to text you the pic, don't want it ending up on your normal phone. But I trust you remember it well enough."

"Wait...your...but those pictures-"

"Talk to you soon." The voice hung up.

Makoto stared at her phone. The old trouble with the **** should have been well and truly ended with Kaneshiro's arrest. How did anyone still have those pictures? What did they want? For a moment she considered calling Sae or the Phantom Thieves. However, she realized immediately that this would be an obvious move. Her caller most likely had a way to monitor her phone. Any deviation from her instructions or any hesitation would likely get the photos sent out to everyone she knew. With butterflies in her stomach Makoto realized she could not risk defying her caller. Not until she had time to think of a plan, which her new blackmailer very obviously did not want to give her. Tossing her keys and phone aside, Makoto left her house, locking her door behind her as instructed. She was nervous about being outside with no way back in and probably being watch but what else could she do?

She found the intersection and the phone without any trouble. As expected, the device immediately started ringing.

"Hello again, Miss Nijima. Thank you for being punctual. That's a good sign we can get on with business and not make this any more painful than it has to be."

"Look, I..I don't know how you found Kaneshiro's-"

"Let's not bring up that name. He's dead to us.He only matters now because of the mess he's left people like me to clean up."

"I thought the pictures were destroyed." Makoto whispered.

"He tried. Unfortunately, our mutual "friend" is not as tech savvy as he thought. It took some effort, but we have been able to recover most of his sordid little network."

"Look...I...I don't have a way to pay back 3 million yen. This is a waste of time. Its impossible." Makoto said.

"Of course. Rest assured, Miss Nijima, we are far more reasonable than our former associate. We aren't asking for money. Kaneshiro typically asked for the impossible from his victims. Frankly, the full extent of his enterprises went well beyond what many of us consider to be respectable. Frankly, I'd rather just forget the matter entirely. But that isn't my call to make. The men in charge don't like debts to just be forgiven, no harm or penalty. So I'm in the awkward position of finding a compromise between exposing your secrets and collecting an absurd debt. Obviously I don't expect you to trust me, Miss Nijima-"

"Just...say Makoto. Miss Nijima sounds too much like my sister."

"Fair enough, Makoto. I'm going to be candid with you. My job is to make your life a living hell for a very short period of time. This whole Kaneshiro betrayal puts us all in a very awkward position. We have to get our fingers out of certain places in this city very, very quickly and not draw too much attention or blood in the process. But honor and good business mean we can't just let you and other debtors be either. So I have a bit of a tight wire to walk here, Makoto. Personally, I think Kaneshiro was scum and I loathe the way he did business. But I don't have the luxury to be **** or gentler about this. And your particularly problematic cause of the way you blundered into his business trying to play hero in the clumsiest way possible. I need your debt collected in a way that's quick and awful enough to warn others not to mess with our business, but done without money changing hands or blood being spilled. Not an easy job, let me tell you."

"You don't expect me to feel sorry for you, I hope?" Makoto asked.

"Not at all, Miss Makoto. Not at all. I'm expecting the opposite from you before this is all over. But for what its worth, its not something I do out of malice. Hell, if the people I work with allowed for such things I'd pass it on in a heartbeat. But they don't. Its my job to make you regret ever hearing the name Kaneshiro."

"Way ahead of you..."

"Sorry, Miss Makoto. Not good enough."

"Sigh. I get it. Can we...just get on with it?"

"Of course, Miss Makoto. The bosses say I have a habit of rambling. That's why they call me Mr. Words. Say I talk everybody to ****. Which has only actually happened once or twice, and mostly because of the bloodloss, not the conversation."

Makoto decided not to touch that comment with a ten foot pole. Instead, she cleared her throat. "What do you want me to do, Mr. Words?"

"Nothing major, honey. Don't worry. Very simple, very straight forward..."