Chapter 34: Welcome to the Oasis

At 8 PM, my phone buzzes.

DEMON: The 'uniforms' have arrived. There is a package at your door. Be ready in one hour.

I open my apartment door. A large, flat, ridiculously expensive-looking box is just sitting there. There is no one in the hallway. I bring it inside, my hands shaking.

I open it. The smell of new, expensive fabric hits me. Tanaka-san is a miracle worker.

Inside is the "blending" attire: a pair of sharp, black slacks, a dark grey, fitted shirt that feels like silk, and a light, unlined black jacket. And underneath is the suit. It is not just "blue"; it is 'midnight'. It is so dark it is almost black, but in the light, it flashes blue. It is beautiful. And it is terrifying.

There is a note. Minatawa-kun. Wear the 'blending' attire. The suit is for later. -A.K.

I put the clothes on. I look in my small, cracked bathroom mirror. I do not recognize myself. The clothes fit. Not like my sloppy jeans or my old t-shirts. They fit perfectly. The jacket is cut in a way that I can move. It is weird. I am not "Sloppy Shoujo" anymore. I am not the "delinquent." I look adequate.

My phone buzzes. DEMON: Outside.

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. You are an asset. You are an anomaly. You are... going to puke."

I go downstairs. The Lexus is there. I get in. This time, the partition is down. Kenichi is driving. The man who kidnapped me. Ayako is in the passenger seat. She is in her school uniform.

"You are on time," she says. She does not look at me, but I see her eyes flick to the rearview mirror. She is analyzing my new look.

"You look..." I start. "You are... in your uniform?"

"We are blending," she says. "For now."

"Kenichi-san," she says, her voice all business. "To the first location."

"Yes, Ojou-sama," Kenichi says, his voice a polite rumble.

We drive. This time, we go to a different part of the city. A very high-end, high-class business district. We pull into a private, underground garage of a massive glass skyscraper. The garage is empty, except for a single, black SUV.

"Here," Ayako commands.

Kenichi stops the car. "Give us ten minutes, Kenichi," she says.

"As you wish, Ojou-sama."

Ayako gets out of the car. I get out. She walks to the back of the car. Kenichi pops the trunk. Inside is her other "uniform." The black dress. And a bag.

"Turn around, Minatawa-kun," she says.

"What? Here?"

"I am not changing in the car. Turn around. Do not be problematic."

My face is on fire. I turn around and stare at the concrete wall, my heart hammering. I am standing guard while a yakuza princess changes clothes in a parking garage. My life is insane. I hear a zipper, the rustle of fabric.

"Okay. You can turn."

I turn. And my brain stalls. The schoolgirl is gone. The goddess is here.

The black dress is different from the mall. It is more formal. It is simple, elegant, and it fits her like it was made for her. Her hair is still down, but she has... makeup? No. Not really. Just... something. She looks older. She looks powerful.

"You are adequate," she says, her eyes scanning my new clothes. She is evaluating her purchase. "Tanaka-san's work is acceptable."

"You... you too," I mutter, like an idiot.

She almost smiles. "Good. Now. The rules." She is all business again. "We are going upstairs. To a party. It is my father's establishment."

"The Oasis," I whisper.

Her eyes sharpen. "You are quick. Yes. The Oasis. Tonight," she says, "I am not 'Ayako Katsumi'. I am the 'Successor'. I am 'Ojou-sama'."

"And you," she says, taking a step closer, "are my bodyguard."

"Your... what?"

"You are my new asset. You are in-training. You are my shadow. You are my plus one. Your job," she says, her voice low and intense, "is to observe. You stand behind me. You look adequate, which you now do. You do not talk. You do not touch anyone. You do not get into a fight. And you watch. You watch everything."

"This is your real training," she whispers. "Welcome to my world, Shoujo."

She turns. "Kenichi. We are ready."

Kenichi gets out of the car. He is not just a driver. He is a presence. He walks with us. We do not go to the main lobby. We go to a private, steel door. Kenichi presses his thumb to a scanner.

BEEP. The door opens.

We are in a private elevator. It is all gold and dark wood. Kenichi hits the button. The top button. 'P'. For 'Penthouse'.

The elevator glides up. It is silent. My ears pop. The elevator stops. The ding is soft. The doors slide open.

And my world just ends. It is not a "room." It is a place. We are on top of the world. The entire wall in front of us is glass, looking down on the glittering lights of Tokyo.

The room is massive. It is full of people. Men in tuxedos. Women in dresses that look like they cost a million yen. They are politicians. I recognize a guy from the news. They are CEOs. They are movie stars. And they are all gambling. Baccarat. Roulette. Poker.

This is the Oasis. This is the real power of the Bokumuchi-kai.

As we step out, every single person, every suit, every dealer, they stop. And they bow. They bow to her.

"Ojou-sama," they all murmur, like a wave.

Ayako does not even look at them. Her face is the cold, perfect, goddess mask. She is a queen.

"Now," she whispers, just to me. "Let's go hunting."