Into the Lion's Den

The final note lingered in the air, shimmering against the cheers. Confetti rained down like a storm of glitter, and lights flared white before plunging the stage into half-darkness. Akari bowed, smiling for the cameras and fans one last time.

Backstage, fans' screams echoed faintly through the halls. Staff members clapped in congratulations; the cheers mixed with the sounds of crates rolling and equipment being packed away. The show was over, but the energy still hung thick in the air. 

Akari kept a smile on her face, bowing her head and thanking each crew member she passed. When she finally reached the quiet stretch of the corridor leading to her dressing room, the noise began to fade. 

"Miss Akari." The voice came from behind her. Calm. Female. Close.

She turned, a woman in a staff jacket stood a few steps away, clipboard in hand. Akari didn't recognize her. Her smile was polite - too polite.

"Yes?" Akari said, keeping her tone and smile light.

"Management has asked me to escort you to a different exit." The woman replied. "The crowd out front has gotten a little out of hand."

They took the bait. Akari smiled, playing along. "Oh? Okay, lead the way."

They walked briskly through the corridor, fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead. The distant roar of the crowd faded into the low hum of backstage cleanup. Akari matched the woman's pace, every movement carefully measured - controlled.

They exited the building. The night outside the venue pulsed with energy - screams, camera flashes, the hum of engines idling in the parking lot. Around them, the sea of fans and crew made everything look normal. A tactic of hiding in plain sight. 

The woman opened the door to a sleek black car near the exit. "Quickly, miss."

"You're good, Akari. We expected this. I'll be right behind you." Jun softly said through the comms.

Akari smiled and waved at nearby fans as if nothing was wrong. Her smile was bright, flawless - her mask as seamless as ever. Then, with practiced grace, she slipped into the unknown vehicle, the door closing behind her like a curtain dropping after the final act. The woman slid into the seat beside her.

The muffled roar of the crowd outside faded as the car pulled away.

"You look pale, Miss Akari, are you feeling alright?"

Akari continued to smile as if her instincts weren't screaming on the inside. "I'm fine, thank you-"

A hand from behind moved fast. The cloth pressed against her mouth and nose. The sweet, chemical scent hit instantly, thick and dizzying. Akari's hands clawed weakly at the arm, but her strength drained with each breath.

"Jun-" She tried to say, but the word dissolved into static to his earpiece.

Jun's chest twisted. "Akari? Talk to me. Akari?"

No response.

Her tracking signal was moving - fast.

Jun broke into motion. He slipped behind the wheel of the backup car, engine roaring to life as he pulled into traffic. Through the windshield, he caught glimpses of the black vehicle slicing through the city's late-night glow. He stayed back, blending into the flow of cars - never too close, never too far.

They wove through downtown, past neon signs and crowded intersections, until the vehicle finally slowed near an upscale hotel tucked behind mirrored glass and marble columns. 

Jun parked a half a block away; eyes locked on the back entrance. Two figures stepped out - one carrying Akari, the other opening doors.

Jun's jaw clenched as he quietly made his pursuit.

-

When Akari awoke, the first thing she noticed was the low hum of air conditioning and the softness of the couch beneath her. Her vision swam before settling on the spacious hotel suite, elegant but desolate. Curtains drawn. One exit. And one obstacle between her and her way out.

Across from her sat a man in a tailored suit, posture calm, cigar in mouth, expression unreadable. 

"Miss Akari." He put the cigar out, voice carrying an unsettling warmth. "I apologize for the rough handling. But you haven't exactly been the most compliant."

Her mind raced, piecing fragments together - the woman, the car, the gas. She straightened herself, controlling the tremors in her hands.

"I'd ask where I am." She said, voice composed. "But I'm assuming you'd rather talk about why."

The man smiled faintly, folding his hands. "I'm glad there's at least some understanding already."

Akari met the man's cold gaze. Somewhere out there, Jun was behind her. She just needed to buy enough time and keep him talking for information.

"Then perhaps, you can tell me more about this understanding." Her tone polite but edged. "What is it you want from me?"

The man leaned back, studying her with mild amusement. "I see you like to get straight to business. Very well. To simply put it, we want to make a deal with you."

She raised an eyebrow. "And why would I want to do that? I don't even know who you are."

He let out a low slimy chuckle. "Of course, my apologies." He took his wallet from his jacket pocket and slid a business card across the table. "Ritsu Miyazaki. Owner of Daisy Law. I represent the Hanakai Network, I believe you've already made their acquaintance."

Akari glanced at the card but didn't touch it. "I don't know what you mean."

He sighed. "You see, my client has been very displeased as of late. So, I must find a solution."

"And I am that solution? I don't know anything about this network or client."

His expression didn't change, but his gaze sharpened. "Well, they certainly know a lot about you, Haruka Oshiro."

The sound of her real name felt uneasy, but she had to play her part. "I don't know who that is."

Ritsu smiled, faint and knowing. "Denial can only get you so far." He reached into his briefcase and took out a thin black folder, placing it neatly on the table between them. "Go on, open it."

Akari hesitated, eyes locked on the folder. The air felt heavier now, the faint hum of the air conditioner fading beneath the pounding in her chest. Slowly, she reached out and opened it.

Inside were photographs - her as a child, her family in front of a house she hadn't seen in years, and then more recent photos - her leaving her apartment, crossing streets, rehearsing.

Each image was proof she was watched for longer than she had realized.

But then one photo made her freeze.

An older man. Familiar in the shape of his face, the tired eyes, the anger behind the clenched jaw. He looked exactly like what she imagined her father to look like today. Clipped behind the photo was a sheet of paper - a paternity test.

The names Akari Ito and Yuta Oshiro linked to the 99.99% certainty stood out starkly against the rest of the paper.

Akari's pulse spiked, but she forced her hands to stay still and her expression to remain calm.

Ritsu watched her in quiet satisfaction. "You see, your father there has really upset my poor client."

Her throat felt dry, but she forced her voice. "How?"

"He ran off with a large sum of my client's money. But when I confronted him for it" He released a small humorless laugh. "He had already lost it all - gambled it all away as if he wasn't greedy enough."

"So, it's money you're after?"

Ritsu shook his head slowly. "No. No. If this could've been solved with just money, then we wouldn't have gone to this much trouble."

"Then?"

He leaned forward. "It wasn't just money your father lost." His voice grew colder. "We lost a vital product to our income and a very important member... Both gone because of him."

She held his gaze firmly. "What does his mistakes have to do with me though?"

His grin widened, too pleased with himself. "When I told him he had to pay us back, he desperately pleaded for another chance. Pathetic, really." His grin faded to a devious smirk. "He swore he had an idea to make things right. Can you guess what his brilliant idea was?" 

Akari didn't respond and continued to hold his stare.

He let out a low unsettling laugh. "He said he had a daughter out there that was sure to pay off his debt. When we investigated it, we found you. Can you believe it?" His tone turned mockingly sympathetic. "He sold out his own daughter to save himself."

She gritted her teeth; her voice came out sharper than she wanted. "If you don't want my money, then what do you want from me?"

He took out another folder from his briefcase, placing it in front of her. "Simple. Not only will you pay back the sum your father took from us, but you will also work for us." He looked over Akari with amusement dancing in his eyes. "Someone of your status will help us very nicely."

"And if I don't?"

"It's clear neither you nor your father care for each other, so there's no point in using him as leverage." He leaned back, a cruel tease in the curve of his lips. "But we don't mind smearing that delicate little dream of your sister's. The one that you worked so hard for."