Chapter 117: War Room 2.0 (Now With Tea)

We need a final plan.

We cannot just storm the palace again. We need to end this permanently. We need to force his father to back down publicly.

The War Room is convened. Not in my bedroom. In Fuji's new (old) rundown apartment.

It is weird seeing the 'Idiots' here.

Hiroto is sitting on a crate because there are no chairs yet. Daiki is sitting on the floor with his laptop. Toujo is juggling apples he found in Fuji's tiny fridge. Rika is furiously scrubbing the sink.

"Okay, team," I say, channeling my inner Daiki. "The objective is total surrender. We need Crown Prince Takahito to publicly accept Fuji's choices. No more threats. No more arranged marriages."

"We need leverage," Daiki says without looking up. "Royals hate scandals. We need a bigger scandal than you."

"Impossible," Toujo says. "Aoi is the biggest scandal since... well, ever."

"Thanks, Toujo," I mutter.

"I might have something," Daiki says. He turns his laptop around.

It is a series of bank transfers.

"Your dad's top aide," Daiki explains to Fuji. "He has been... creative with the Royal charitable funds. Funneling them into 'consulting firms' that he owns."

Fuji's eyes go cold. Ice Prince mode.

"Stealing from the people," he whispers. "My father knows?"

"He probably just didn't look," Daiki says. "He is too busy looking at you."

"This is it," Hiroto says, standing up (and almost falling off the crate). "This is the 'Smoking Gun'! The plot twist that brings down the villain!"

"We don't want to bring him down," Fuji says calmly. "We just want him to stop."

"We need a venue," I say. "Somewhere he can't hide this. Somewhere public."

Hiroto grins. His terrifying, celebrity grin.

"Leave the stage to me, Angel. I have an idea that will get higher ratings than the moon landing."