Yuzu gave Akito a stern look as he approached her with a cloth in his hand. "Oi, newbie. Where's the manners? You should introduce yourself also," she scolded him.
Akito paused, realizing his mistake, and replied with a bow, "I apologize. My name is Akito Yamamura."
Yuzu softened her expression and nodded, "Good. Now, let's get to work. My shirt is covered in dirt and debris. Can you clean it for me, please? Akito.. you're the guy who fought the Boss?"
Akito's brow furrowed with confusion. "Eh, What do you mean?"
Yuzu grinned slyly, "The rumors, of course. The rumors about how you fought Sang-Hyun and won. It's quite interesting. But what's even more interesting is how you won. He's never challenged a recruit like that in an interview before."
Akito's eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected anyone to know about his encounter with Sang-Hyun. "I just did what I thought was right," he replied humbly.
Yuzu nodded thoughtfully, "That's good. But remember, Akito, in this organization, it's not just about doing what's right. It's about doing what's necessary to succeed. Do you understand?"
Akito nodded solemnly, realizing that Yuzu was imparting some important advice. As he finished cleaning her shirt, Yuzu gave a pat on Akito's shoulder and walked away.
As Yuzu was walking away from Akito, she noticed the messy floor and quickly turned back to address it.
"You can go ahead and do your job now. The floor is in a terrible state, so clean it up before Sang-Hyun or any other staff member sees it."
As he started cleaning the floor, Yuzu turned to him and said, "I'm quite curious about your skills. Perhaps I have a new target for this weekend."
He knew exactly what she meant. The company's weekly brawl was coming up, and Akito had been working tirelessly to prepare for it. But as Yuzu's grin filled him with dread, he couldn't help but wonder if all of his hard work would be for nothing.
Yuzu's grin was filled with dread, and it was enough to make Akito feel a little concerned about his promotion and paycheck. He wondered what she had in store for him.
"Yuzu, based on what those guys said.. she is good at the Taekwondo Art.." Akito thought to himself as he mopped the floor, doing his own job as his thoughts run through his head.
Akito couldn't help but think about the possibilities of the upcoming weekend. Would he win the promotion? Would he lose? The uncertainty was almost too much to bear. But he knew one thing for sure: he would give it his all, no matter what.
As Akito pushed open the door to his apartment, he let out a tired sigh. He had just finished a long shift at his cleaning job, and all he wanted to do was collapse on the sofa and rest.
"I'm home," he announced to the empty apartment, but he didn't expect a response.
As he walked into the living room, however, he saw Emi curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. Her peaceful expression made him smile, despite his exhaustion. He tiptoed closer, trying not to wake her, and leaned down to brush a stray strand of hair from her face.
Suddenly, the pungent odor of his own sweat hit his nose, and he recoiled in disgust. "Ugh, god," he muttered, taking a step back. "I smell really bad."
Emi stirred in her sleep, and Akito felt guilty for waking her. "Sorry, Emi," he whispered, trying to be as quiet as possible. "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just so sweaty and gross from work."
Emi blinked up at him blearily, still half-asleep. "It's okay," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "How was your day?"
Akito sighed, sinking down onto the sofa next to her. "It was long," he said wearily. "I cleaned the office, the bathrooms, and a bunch of other places. I'm so tired."
Emi sat up and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a comforting hug. "You're doing such a good job, though," she said softly. "I'm proud of you."
Akito smiled gratefully, leaning into her embrace. "Thanks, Emi," he murmured. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Together, they sat in peaceful silence, enjoying each other's company. Despite the fatigue and the smell, Akito felt content and happy to be home with the person he loved.
Emi's voice was barely audible as she spoke, her sleepy demeanor evident in her words. "You should head to sleep now, Akito. You need it for tomorrow. But before that, go take a shower first."
Akito gave a small nod, his mind racing with thoughts about the upcoming day. As he stepped into the shower, he couldn't help but wonder about the promotion and bonus that were on the line. He knew that Yuzu's presence could potentially affect his chances, and the thought lingered in his mind.
The water from the shower cascaded down his body, and Akito closed his eyes, hoping to clear his mind and find some focus. Suddenly, he remembered that today was Wednesday, and the Brawl was only two days away. His thoughts were quickly consumed by the upcoming event.
"Ah, fuck," he muttered under his breath, fully aware of the potential threats that awaited him. Yuzu, in particular, had her eyes on him, and he knew that she wouldn't hesitate to take him down if given the chance.
Emi lay on the comfortable sofa, her eyes fixed on Akito who was drying his hair with a towel. She could sense his unease, his thoughts seemed to be consuming him. "Is everything okay?" Emi asked, her voice laced with concern.
Akito turned to her and nodded slightly, giving her a soft smile before heading to his room. As he lay down, his mind was full of thoughts that threatened to interrupt his ability to fight properly.
"I'm not okay, but I have to lie. just this once." Akito thought about Emi's question.
He closed his eyes, hoping to relax his mind and find some solace.
As he continued to think and think, he slowly drifted to sleep. He found himself in a field, the wind blowing gently and the grass swaying with the breeze.
The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over everything. Akito looked around, amazed at the beauty before him.
Suddenly, he heard a voice calling out to him. He turned to see a figure with dark hair in the distance, beckoning him to come closer. As he approached, he realized it was his father.
Akito's heart swelled with emotion as he embraced his father, tears streaming down his face.
He couldn't believe his eyes; it had been years since they last saw each other. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest as he ran to his father and wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Dad, is that really you?" Akito whispered, holding back his tears to show that he was a strong man.
"It's me, son. I've missed you," his father replied, a gentle smile gracing his face.
Akito pulled back, studying his father's face, trying to commit every detail to memory. He noticed the wrinkles around his father's eyes and mouth, the same ones that had appeared when he was alive.
"I've missed you too, Dad," Akito said, choking back a sob.
"You've grown into a fine young man, Akito. I'm proud of you," his father said, patting him on the back.