Emi sat at the dimly lit bar, nervously tapping her fingers against her glass. She had been waiting for Ren—the host she had asked to seduce Akemi and uncover more about Ryo's complicated relationship with her. When the door opened, and the man walked in, Emi straightened her posture, trying to look composed and more confident since she had to act like a proper superior in front of these kids.
"Good evening, Emi-san," the host greeted with a polite smile, sitting beside her.
"Good evening," she replied, her voice steady though her heart raced from curiosity. "Did you... find out what I needed to know?"
The host sighed and leaned back in his chair, swirling the drink he had just been served. "I did. Akemi is—well, she's using her family's influence to control Ryo. Their relationship is purely business just as you suspected. She and her family has him in a chokehold, like you suspected." He looked Emi in the eye. "Akemi's not a good person. She's manipulative and dangerous. I even heard that her ex-husband was driven insane by her."
Ren didn't stop their instead he kept going about Akemi's bad spending habity, and how she didn't hesitate to cheat on her ex-hsuband for Ryo since he richer than him. Emi only felt disgusting listening about this woman, and had to wonder how awful someone can be as a person.
Emi frowned, gripping her glass tightly. "I knew it. I always knew she wasn't good for Ryo. I could see it in Ryo's eyes. He wants to be free from that woman." She looked at the host, concern in her eyes. "Are you okay? I mean, with seducing her? That must've been difficult."
The host gave her a small smile. "It's fine. I kept my distance when necessary. I know my limits." He paused for a moment, then looked at her curiously. "But I have to ask, Emi-san... do you like Ryo-sama? Why are you going through all of this for him? Honestly, I do think Ryo-sama deserve a better woman, but it is not our duty to interfere with his personal life...unless"
Emi's face flushed, and she averted her gaze. "I-I don't... I mean..." She fumbled for words, but then stopped herself. Deep down, she knew. If she kept denying her feelings, Akemi would continue driving Ryo to madness. He already confirmed he was attracted to Emi, and she could say the same about Ryo.
Was it the looks? Was it the money? Who cares? Emi knew she could treat Ryo far better than Akemi could ever imagine. She had the confidence that she was the woman for Ryo.
"I... I do like him," Emi finally admitted, her voice soft. "But I don't know if it's love yetore just simple attraction. More than anything, I just hate people like Akemi—people who use their family's power to destroy other people's lives." Her eyes darkened. "My own parents tried to use me for business deals, arranging marriages I didn't want... I won't let that happen to Ryo."
The host raised his glass, smiling at her resolve. "I see. Well, congratulations for being true to yourself, Emi-san." He stood up to leave, the faintest smirk on his face. "He was right about you."
Emi blinked. "Right about me? What do you mean?"
The host chuckled but said nothing more as he walked away. Emi watched him go, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Earlier, the host sat in a private room with Ryo after Emi left the host club. The atmosphere was calm, but there was an underlying tension in the air.
"Do what Emi asked," Ryo said, his voice steady. "But not exactly how she told you."
The host looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Ryo leaned forward, a calculating look in his eyes. "Tell her everything about Akemi—make sure she knows Akemi's dangerous. But..." He paused for moment. "I want you and two of your friends to seduce Akemi's circle. Her friends. Ignore Akemi herself. Show her that her lifestyle is fragile. It'll hurt her more than anything if her closest people turn their backs on her."
The host raised an eyebrow. "Her friends?"
Ryo nodded, smirking slightly. "Do you think I have no idea about your talents? I know our host have been rather extraordinary when it comes to seducing women. I heard the stories about how most of you have been getting rather expensive gifts from really rich women. I don't blame any of you for hiding it since it is against our company policy, since we are a host club and not a whorehouse, but I'll overlook it."
"I'm not threatening you with that fact. You are free to refuse if you want, since some of the women you are going to seduce are going to be awful selfish women." Ryo added.
The host hesitated but eventually nodded. He trusted Ryo's judgment. "Alright, I'll make it happen."
"Make them see that she's not as powerful as she pretends to be. It'll break her."
In a luxurious hotel room, the Ren stirred awake, the soft buzz of a phone ringing on the bedside table. He glanced to his side and saw Akemi's friend, Yumi, lying next to him, half-naked and smiling.
"It's Akemi," the host said, nodding at her phone.
Yumi glanced at the screen and then snuggled closer to him, a mischievous grin on her face. "She can wait. I have more important things to do right now." She kissed his neck and let the phone ring out, ignoring Akemi's call.
The host smirked, knowing the plan was working. It wasn't just Yumi either—Saki, the other friends of Akemi, had similarly brushed her off after spending time with his friends. Akemi was starting to feel the isolation, and it would only grow worse as her so-called allies turned their backs on her.
All except for Miho, the serious and sharp one. She had been harder to sway, but that wasn't a problem. Not everyone needed to fall for the plan to work. The main reason she couldn't be swayed because she had a rather healthy relationship with her boyfriend, which tryl brought the question why did she even join Akemi's friend gang.
As the host lay back down, the phone rang again, but Yumi didn't even glance at it this time. "Akemi's not the boss of me," she whispered playfully.
The host smiled, thinking back to Ryo's words. "Show her how fragile her world is."
Akemi might have been a formidable woman, but her control was already slipping. And with every unanswered call, the walls around her would continue to crumble.
***
The afternoon sun filtered through the windows of the private shooting range which Ryo brought in a secluded area, casting a golden light on the polished steel of the guns laid out on the table. Ryo stood, arms crossed, watching as Adrian Johnson—a tall, broad and blond-shouldered American with a serious yet friendly expression—began explaining the weapons before him.
"So, Ryo-sama," Adrian said with a grin, picking up a sleek black pistol, "this here is a Glock 19. More of a standard issue for a lot of law enforcement in the U.S. Lightweight, easy to handle."
Ryo nodded, eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the details. "And this... is what you're suggesting for me?"
Adrian chuckled, handing the gun to Ryo. "Maybe. But we'll try out a few options first. You're new to firearms, right? So, it's all about finding what you're comfortable with."
Ryo hesitated for a moment before holding the Glock, testing its weight in his hands. "Yeah, never really had to use one before. My family... we've always dealt with things a bit more traditionally." He gave Adrian a sideways look, a smirk forming. "You know, katana, blades and all that."
Adrian let out a laugh. "Yeah, I figured. Harada family's known for keeping it old school, huh? But man, you'd be surprised how different it is in the States. Guns are... well, let's just say it's easier to get one than a driver's license sometimes."
Ryo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? That easy? I sure like to visit your country someday."
"Hah! You will find it hard to do that because you're somewhat popular there. It will have to be a official trip from your part," Adrian said, as he was reminded why he came to Japan in the first place to work under Ryo.
"Back to the topic!" Adrian shrugged. "In some places, yeah. Bringing them into Japan though? That's a whole different nightmare. Strict laws here. That's why we gotta be careful." He gestured to the other guns on the table. "Everything you see here? Took a lot of hoops to jump through to even get these into the country."
Ryo examined the pistol in his hands, frowning slightly. "The Yakuza don't really play by those rules though," He placed the gun down, crossing his arms again. "Harada family has their ways. Guns are part of the business, but it's always been... controlled. Carefully smuggled in."
Adrian nodded, the smile fading as he grew more serious. "Yeah, I've seen some of the hardware your guys handle. Scary stuff, Ryo-sama. Real heavy-duty. But it's good you're learning to handle one of these. The situation is getting... rougher."
Ryo's eyes flickered, understanding what Adrian meant. "You mean the attack on my car?"
Adrian nodded, looking down at the table. "Yeah. That was no random hit, Ryo-sama. I've been digging around, and I might have a lead on who's behind it."
Ryo, however, didn't seem surprised. He picked up another gun, inspecting it casually. "I already know who's responsible."
Adrian's eyes widened in surprise. "You... do?"
Ryo smirked, glancing at the gun before setting it back down. "It wasn't exactly subtle. I got a message after the attack. Harada-sama wants me to pay a visit with my car repaired. Apparently, I've been... neglecting my duties." His tone was calm, but there was an edge of amusement there, like the whole situation didn't faze him at all.
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling slowly. "Damn. That's... one hell of a message."
Ryo shrugged, as though it was nothing. "It's just how things are in the family. They don't send polite invitations more than twice."
Adrian shook his head, impressed. "You Yakuza, man... you've got a different way of doing things. I don't envy you, Ryo-sama."
Ryo's smile faded slightly, but he still held a calm composure. "Neither do I, Adrian."
Adrian placed his hand on another gun handing it over to Ryo, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Then you're gonna need more than just a lesson. Let's get you comfortable with a few more of these. And if things get messy with your family... well, you'll at least know how to handle yourself."
Ryo gave a slow nod, picking up another gun from the table. "Yeah... let's get to it."