Predation

"Where’s that girl I liked? Call her over!"

A drunken voice bellowed loudly, mixed with Madam’s humble apologies and placating laughter. When Sean heard the man speaking English, he frowned slightly. Then he rose from the pool, leaped out of the hot spring, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked outside.

In the corridor outside the hot spring area, two Black men in camouflage uniforms were shouting loudly and acting arrogantly. One of them had begun getting handsy. Barefoot, Sean walked over and pushed aside the Black man’s arm as it groped Madam.

Normally, the red-light district around Kabukicho Ichiban Street did not do business with foreigners, especially men openly dressed in military uniforms. One look made it clear they had come from a United States military base stationed by Tokyo Bay. Even Japan’s dominant yakuza organizations found such people troublesome.

The United States military bases in Japan had been established after the United States occupied Japan in 1945. They were among the remnants of World War II and remained a vital part of the United States’ global strategy to this day. Their continued presence formed an important foundation of the military alliance between the United States and Japan.

The headquarters of Yokosuka Fleet Base was stationed by Tokyo Bay, serving as the United States’ primary naval facility in the western Pacific Ocean. The aircraft carrier Reagan was stationed there, along with an escort fleet of eight vessels. In addition to docking facilities, Yokosuka had first-class ship repair facilities, as well as strategically significant fuel and ammunition depots.

Beyond that, places such as Kyushu Island, Yokota, Zama, and Okinawa Island also housed United States military bases and headquarters. Under the banner of protection through overwhelming military strength, they in fact used the island nation as a center from which to project their influence across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

As soldiers stationed on foreign soil, these American troops had always carried a sense of superiority. The Japanese government’s repeated concessions only further emboldened their arrogance in causing trouble and committing violence.

For instance, in 1995, three United States soldiers stationed in Okinawa raped a twelve-year-old elementary schoolgirl. The case provoked enormous public outrage in Japan and triggered large-scale protests. Incidents like this were far from rare—hit-and-runs, serial arson in residential areas. These criminals often received no punishment at all, with most cases simply ending inconclusively. The relocation issue surrounding United States military Futenma Air Station even led to a prime minister resigning to take responsibility.

These examples were enough to show just how strong the public’s resentment toward foreigners was in Japan. Many citizens harbored complicated feelings of both fear and hatred.

"This isn’t a place for you to make trouble."

The Black man seemed surprised when Sean pushed his arm away. He looked Sean over and, realizing he was not Japanese, relaxed.

When they usually made unreasonable trouble, no Japanese person ever dared step forward. Even officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department generally avoided intervening for fear of causing diplomatic disputes, at most offering a verbal warning.

"Hey, buddy! I carried a gun all the way from the United States to this godforsaken place to protect these weak mongrels!" the leader said in English, completely ignoring Madam’s ugly expression. "We didn’t come out to soak in hot springs. We came to play with women—where’s that little girl? I clearly saw her just now…"

"Haha, so the little lamb was hiding here… Bill, go find yourself a suitable woman. I’m going to have some fun!"

The Black man spotted the girl carrying warm tea as she appeared around the corridor corner and let out a satisfied laugh. The guests who had rushed out to watch the commotion saw the foreigners in military uniforms and immediately pulled their heads back in one by one.

"This isn’t a brothel. You are attempting to rape a Japanese girl through violence. I imagine that behavior is bad enough for the commander of Yokosuka Fleet Base to send you before a military court after you create an international scandal."

The Black man stopped in his tracks. He turned and stared at Sean’s calm face, his teeth grinding loudly. If not for the solid muscles exposed on Sean’s body and his tall, powerful frame, this soldier who had come out seeking pleasure would have dearly loved to smash that face flat.

"FUCK!" The Black man spat, his vicious gaze sharp as nails. "I’ll be back next time. I hope you’ll still dare to step out then! Don’t worry, I’ll fuck that little bitch hard!"

Sean grinned without saying anything and headed straight back to the hot spring pool. The girl, seemingly frightened senseless, followed him inside and crouched behind him, trembling. For a while, silence filled the air.

"Thank you…"

After a long while, she finally forced out those two words.

"You don’t need to thank me. This kind of thing happens often, right?"

Sean rested both arms on the edge of the pool and asked lazily.

"Mm. Even the gangs collecting protection money don’t care, and calling the police is useless."

The girl nodded instinctively, then remembered that the guest could not see her and answered properly.

"Doesn’t it make you sad?"

Sean was slightly surprised by the calmness in her voice. He had expected her to show more grief or fear.

"These are the ordinary costs Japan must pay for choosing to rely on a great power. We started a war, then lost, so we have to be punished… That’s only natural, isn’t it?"

The girl lowered her head, her messy short hair covering her eyes as her small hands kneaded the guest’s shoulders.

The tea on the wooden tray gradually went cold, and the girl brought over another pot of sake. Sake was Japan’s national liquor, developed from Chinese yellow wine brewing methods, and had always been one of the drinks Japanese people consumed most often. They often said, "Sake is a gift from the gods."

Perhaps because Sean had just helped her out, Madam specially sent over Hakutsuru from Kobe. It was one of Japan’s most famous brands. Kobe and Nishinomiya were known as Japan’s premier sake-producing region, collectively called Nada Gogo, and were quite famous throughout the country.

Soaking in the hot spring, Sean took a sip of the clear, transparent sake. Its flavor was pure, smooth, and refreshing, with a faint fragrance—put simply, it tasted very light.

Half an hour later, Sean finished a pot of Hakutsuru sake from Kobe and ended his hot spring service. He also casually left a generous tip. He did not try to ask the girl whether she was interested in accompanying him to a love hotel.

After getting off work, the girl named Yoshimura Eto silently changed into casual clothes and walked out of the still brightly lit, bustling red-light district.

Her nose twitched as though she were catching some scent. She searched through the glittering Kabukicho Ichiban Street, then finally crouched beneath an eave, her petite body concealed in the darkness.

About an hour later, two Black men came out laughing with their arms around each other’s shoulders, spouting filthy obscenities.

"What a shame we didn’t get that little bitch! Little girls are my favorite!"

The Black man who had argued with Sean in the hot spring area cursed under his breath. If some bastard had not appeared out of nowhere, he would have already had that girl beneath him tonight.

"It’s not like there won’t be another chance. Hahaha, I wouldn’t mind doing her with you!"

The two drunken Black men walked into a dim alley. The streetlamp cast a hazy glow, beneath which stood a petite figure in overalls and square-toed leather shoes.

The night wind swept past, lifting the girl’s messy short hair and revealing an eye gleaming with scarlet light!