[a small bow of his head, but now his gaze is focused on the few pieces he as already put together. he finds a few more, arranging them around the tiny picture that has begun to form in front of him. it's one of the flowers]
. . . I was pretty stupid back then. In the years after my mom died. In all honesty, I'm not proud of the person I was. A cocky kid who felt like he had nothing to lose.
[he admits to that with a surprising amount of clarity and understanding of his own character. when he thinks back on those years-- the years of Japan's greatest swindler-- he almost feels. . . ashamed. what a dumb and hurt kid he had been, making dumb and hurtful decisions, all because he couldn't cope with the turns his life had taken]
But then one day, I met. . . someone else. A man named Laurent. I tried to swindle him, but I was two steps behind his every move. He was the one conning me. And then. . . he recruited me for my biggest job yet.
[. . .]
. . . the world is full of rich jerks who are untouchable by the law, you know? People who get away with shitting on others just because they have cash to spend. He introduced me to one such person: some small-time movie maker who preyed on aspiring actresses. Who ruined lives for his own sick entertainment. Laurent wanted to con him out of his entire fortune as some kind of punishment for the things he had done.
[another piece. another small exhale]
When we completed that job. . . my perspective on the world completely changed.
1/2
. . . I was pretty stupid back then. In the years after my mom died. In all honesty, I'm not proud of the person I was. A cocky kid who felt like he had nothing to lose.
[he admits to that with a surprising amount of clarity and understanding of his own character. when he thinks back on those years-- the years of Japan's greatest swindler-- he almost feels. . . ashamed. what a dumb and hurt kid he had been, making dumb and hurtful decisions, all because he couldn't cope with the turns his life had taken]
But then one day, I met. . . someone else. A man named Laurent. I tried to swindle him, but I was two steps behind his every move. He was the one conning me. And then. . . he recruited me for my biggest job yet.
[. . .]
. . . the world is full of rich jerks who are untouchable by the law, you know? People who get away with shitting on others just because they have cash to spend. He introduced me to one such person: some small-time movie maker who preyed on aspiring actresses. Who ruined lives for his own sick entertainment. Laurent wanted to con him out of his entire fortune as some kind of punishment for the things he had done.
[another piece. another small exhale]
When we completed that job. . . my perspective on the world completely changed.
[. . .]