HOTD: A New Dawn

What does success taste like?

Cigarettes, alcohol, and a warm, welcoming pair of breasts? Or is it something else entirely? Like, the scent of freshly printed cash that was still hot, and the feeling of it sliding against your fingers?

Who the fuck knows?

Still, Tysone felt like laughing. 

"Why are you cackling like some meth head?" Saya said, warily. She stood next to him on the rooftop of a very tall building. "You seriously had to come up here to watch the city below and act all smug? Seriously, what the hell?"

Tysone looked at her and laughed. "It's called being a tycoon. And besides, I'm not being smug. Just happy." He sighed. "You know, Saya. There's a lot of stuff I want to do and achieve before I die."

She scoffed and crossed her arms under her chest. Her pink hair flowed with the wind. "What, do you want to own the world or something?"

Tysone shook his head, still smiling.

"I want to own a little piece of it." His black eyes glistened as he watched the sun slowly rise from the horizon. The sky turned blue, pink, and red. It was beautiful.

Yes, he wanted a piece of it. A big piece. 

The little bit that he could see of Tokonosu from his viewpoint, all the tall buildings, the cars, and the people… they made his heart pound with excitement. His dream had always been to become successful, ever since he was a little boy. 

A poor little boy. 

He was still on that path. He wasn't sure where it would take him, but he was happy that he was getting somewhere, that his effort was paying off, even if only a little bit. 

He knew that if he failed, then the next try would be the charm. And so on and so forth. Until he became something great. Someone who could stand proud and look at the world from the highest peak and declare themselves king.

"The system is rigged. But so what if it is. It's all about how much effort I can put into this and how much I'll get back." He turned and looked down at Saya, who stood there with a cute tilt of her head. "And if I succeed, it will be the sweetest thing in the world. So yeah, I might cackle a little when it happens, because I'll feel like I'm the best."

Saya rolled her eyes.

"You're such an idiot." She muttered, an amused smile on her face.

"Come on, admit it, you like this idiot." Tysone teased.

Saya snorted, rolling her eyes again. "As if."

Tysone chuckled, leaning over the railing to get a closer look at the streets below. Cars honked and people hurried about, their voices and footsteps creating a constant hum that rose up to meet him. The wind tousled his hair, carrying with it the scent of the city—car exhaust, food from street vendors, and a hint of something unnamable.

"This is what it feels like to be alive." He murmured, more to himself than to Saya.

Saya glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah? And what does that mean?"

Tysone turned to face her, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "It means I've got something to lose. And I'll be damned if I let anyone or anything take that away from me."

"..."

Saya stood in silence for a moment.

Then...

"So, what do we do next, Mr. Tycoon?"

Tysone chuckled. "We continue building on this, of course."

She arched an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "Really? That's your big plan? Just keep going like we're on some sort of treadmill?"

"No, no, no, Saya." He waved his hand, as if disgusted by the words that came out of her mouth. "It's not just about moving forward. It's about evolving, growing, adapting, expanding."

She glanced at him, a glint in her orange eyes. "I see… you want to open up in more locations?"

Tysone thought for a moment. "Yes, maybe it's a bit too early, but we should consider opening up in other locations. Franchising our business model, if you will. We can't stagnate, Saya. Think of it this way. Right now, we're the only game in town for what we offer. But what happens when someone else comes along with a better, more innovative idea?" He gestured out towards the bustling city below. "There's always going to be someone looking to one-up you, to take what you've got and make it their own. We can't afford to rest on our laurels."

Saya frowned. "But that takes capital, and lots of it. Capital we don't have right now. It's risky, especially when we've only just got started here."

He nodded, acknowledging her concern. "True, true. But that's why we're here, aren't we? To take calculated risks, to think outside the box. If we don't, we'll just become another one of those run-of-the-mill, forgettable businesses."

She sighed. "You're right, but we have to be smart about this. We need a plan."

Tysone grinned, patting Saya's shoulder. "And that's exactly why I've got you here with me, little missus. To help me think of just that."

Saya glanced away. She hated that nickname. But still, Tysone was not going to relent. He was not going to give up on it. It was a habit of his.

She let it go and sighed instead. "I'll do some research. I'll see if we can expand, but don't be surprised if I tell you that it's impossible."

He nodded. "Sounds good. I trust your judgment, Saya." He winked, and she scoffed.

She looked up at the sky, watching a flock of birds fly overhead, their dark forms stark against the sunset. A gentle breeze ruffled her pink hair and she took a deep breath. "Say…"

"Hmm?"

"About Mai… is her presence truly necessary?"

If it were anyone else other than Tysone, she would've kicked up a huge fuss about it, but with him, she just couldn't do it. There was a weird power dynamic between them—one where it felt like they were equals, but she always felt like she was being played by him. Maybe a bit led on, perhaps? She was not entirely sure, though.

Oddly enough, she was not repulsed by it. 

He raised a curious eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "Just wondering if her fame really adds anything to the table."

Tysone hummed. "You know it does." He elaborated. "You don't have to like her, Saya. But she's my friend as well, so I expect you two to work together without problems. She isn't here to play around; she's not the type. She doesn't need fame or money. I guess she's doing it for a humanitarian cause."

Not that Saya would know anything about it. But it wasn't like he could say it to her face.

Saya nodded, understanding the point. "Okay. But if she does anything fishy..."

"She won't."

"... then we won't have any issues. I'll work with her, even if I don't particularly enjoy it. As long as she pulls her weight, we'll get along fine enough."

Tysone chuckled and patted her shoulder once more. "That's the spirit!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

He chuckled. "Come on, let's head back. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, and I want to get started right away."

Saya sighed and followed him. 

…

Tysone could hardly keep track of the days. As Mai promised, she helped them promote the Rage Room on social media. Saya had also gotten into contact with potential investors and was busy raking in enough funds to expand their business.

As for the Rage Room itself, it was doing amazingly well. A steady stream of customers kept coming in every day, and Tysone couldn't be happier with the profit they were making. Each day, the Rage Room got a little bit more famous, especially with Saya and Mai's involvement—after all they were quite well-known. 

One was a celebrity, the other the sole daughter of an influential politician. Tysone, who was caught in the middle of it all, was also under quite a bit of scrutiny. 

They had even been featured in several online articles and magazines. Some praised their business model as a new and exciting way to relieve stress and frustration. Others criticized it as a form of glorified vandalism, a glorification of destruction.

But regardless of the opinion, they couldn't deny that their business was a success. 

The Rage Room had struck a chord with the average salaryman and high schooler. 

People came from far and wide to experience the catharsis that the Rage Room offered. The success was so great, in fact, that they had to hire more staff to manage the growing demand. Saya had been busy, and Mai was a part-timer. 

Now that he thought about it, Tysone himself was also supposed to start university soon. And, honestly, he didn't even know if he'd be able to frequent it at all. 

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione. [ *Special offer going on right now 50% 0ff till December 28* ]