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i waited and waited.

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The boy who handled the betting leaned against the brick wall. He wasn't older than twenty, though the lines under his eyes made him look tired in a way that didn't belong to someone so young. The flame caught the cigarette and for a moment he looked the alley like a stray dog checking for strangers.

"Hey, Akie." His voice was low. He took a drag and exhaled the smoke. "I heard you're still looking for that guy. Akie stopped just far enough to hear him. He shifted uncomfortably, tapping ash onto the concrete. "Everyone already knows, but no one talks about it." His eyes flicked to the steel door behind her. "He didn't disappear. He never does. He's in Osaka now, working for the same people who run these rings."

The cigarette trembled between his fingers. He brought it to his lips again, but before he could draw in, his cigarette went out. The boy cursed under his breath and shoved the pack back into his pocket. He pushed off the wall and walked away quickly.

Akie stood still. The ache in her ribs and her jaw. Osaka.

For the first time in years, she had more than a memory. She had a direction.

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