Follow the Signal

Jun slipped through the back entrance of the hotel, a hood drawn low, his movements a whisper. 

The tracker on his phone glowed faintly - Akari's signal, steady but unmoving, somewhere on a higher floor.

Two guards stood near the elevator. Jun didn't slow. He moved in behind the first, one hand over the guard's mouth, the other striking at the pressure point at the neck. The guard slumped soundlessly. The other guard turned, too confused and too late - Jun's elbow met his temple, and the man dropped beside his partner.

Jun dragged the two bodies out of sight. His breath stayed even and his eyes constantly scanning. A camera above blinked red from the ceiling corners. He used the camera jammer that was attached to his belt. The camera feed fuzzed and then went dark.

The elevator doors opened to the twenty-first floor.

"I'm sorry, this floor is closed-"

Jun struck the guard before he could finish. His knee caught the first guard's rib with a dull crack. The second guard swung, but Jun ducked, pivoted, and drove his elbow into the guard's throat. Both dropped with muffled thuds.

Jun checked the tracker on his phone again. Akari was somewhere close.

He peered around the corner of the elevators. Guards lined up throughout the hall. Stealth was no longer going to be an option.

Jun exhaled once. Then he moved.

He stepped out from the corner with a blur of motion - Jun caught the first guard's wrist, twisted hard, and drove a strike into his solar plexus. The guard collapsed with a loud thud.

The rest of the guards turned their attention to Jun, batons snapping open with sharp metallic clicks.

The closest one lunged first. Jun sidestepped, caught the man's arm mid-swing, and slammed his elbow into the guard's ribs before sweeping his legs. The man hit the floor, gasping.

The second charged Jun from behind. Jun turned just in time to block, his forearm receiving the blow. The baton connected with a solid crack - pain shocked up his arm, but he brushed it off, twisting his body and countering with a hook to the jaw. The guard stumbled over, dazed.

Two more guards advanced, their coordination tight. Jun ducked under one swing, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and spun him into his partner. Both guards crashed into the wall. But as Jun went to finish them, one recovered faster than expected - the baton smacked into his side, a shock of pain traveled through his body.

Jun staggered, hand instinctively pressed against the sting of the hit. The guard took the opportunity to swing - Jun reacted quickly, grabbing at the guard's wrist hard and drove his knee into the man's stomach. Jun took the guard's baton and parried against the last guard's swings. He managed to parry the guard enough to slip in close enough to slam an elbow into his chest and land a final strike to the neck.

The hallway fell still except for Jun's breathing. He straightened himself, steadied his breath, rolled his sore arm. Blood dampened his shirt where the baton had grazed his arm and side - shallow but sharp.

-

"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."

Akari's chest tightened, her nails digging into her palms. "What is it you want me to do?"

Ritsu's smile widened. "Now we're talking." He opened the folder he had placed in front of her and slid a familiar looking silver lighter across the table. "By signing this contract, you agree to pay back your father's debt and to aid us in the selling of this new product. You do that and your life as a star remains intact." His voice developed a disgusting smug tone. "How does that sound?"

Akari stared at the contract and lighter in front of her, her heart and mind torn. I can't let them ruin what I've worked so hard for. I need to protect this dream... But I'm sure getting involved with them will ruin me just as much... What do I do? Jun... What do I do?

Ritsu watched Akari's internal struggle with amusement on his lips, until a message lit up on his phone - his smile faltered.

Ritsu took the folder and lighter back, placing them neatly in his briefcase. "It seems your knight in shining armor has arrived." He stood, briefcase in hand. "You have my business card, and you know the terms to be able to make a decision. Since I'm feeling generous, you have until Sunday at midnight to think over it." He turned to leave the room, looking over his shoulder once more. "Otherwise, I don't know what the headlines will be come Monday morning."

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence.

Akari's breath was shallow and fast, trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions about to break through. Her chest ached, the weight of it unbearable. Her ears rang, blurring out the sounds of the air conditioning and hallway into static. 

The thought of her sister's innocent hopeful dream being destroyed because of him... Because of her... She couldn't bear it. She couldn't sacrifice it.

For a moment, she wanted to cry. To scream. To break the perfect composure she always wore. But she didn't. She couldn't. 

Her body felt distant, her mind echoing Ritsu's deal, her family past, her sister's dream. Everything blurred - sound, light, her thoughts, time itself.

The door creaked open, soft at first, then a whisper of footsteps.

"Akari." A voice called - low, urgent.

She didn't hear it. Couldn't. Her gaze locked on the business card on the table, the way it stared back - mocking, teasing, tempting.

"Akari."

This time it was closer.

A hand touched her shoulder - steady, warm, gentle.

Her breath caught. Her eyes focused, finally seeing the figure in front of her - Jun.

The sight of him shattered something in her. The wall she had built, the past she had buried, the mask she had worn. It all cracked.

She tried to speak but no words came out. Only a quiet, broken sound that trembled in her throat.

Jun sat down beside her. His voice quiet but firm. "I'm here. You're safe now."

That was all it took.

The tears she was so desperately trying to run away from finally caught up to her. She reached for him without thinking, burying her face against his shoulder, trembling as everything she'd been holding inside all this time poured out - fear, anger, anxiety.

Jun's hand stayed on her back - secure, grounding, present.

"I've got you." He murmured softly.