Chef meets Girl

Daisuke Oyama paced the room of his massive private office as a group of men all looked downcast in his presence. "...and you still don't have any answers on who hired the men who killed my son?"

"We have our people on the streets running down every source, but so far it's looking like revenge from one of your enemies for our narcotics operations," the security officer reported. "Katsumi had several people in the various import and export companies on payroll to handle the product flow; taking him out of the picture would be a quick way to disrupt our operations in the short term until we can reestablish those connections."

"Find out who could have leaked that information, and how we can get those connections rebuilt or replaced," Daisuke ordered.

"We need to reach out to a patron or someone with significant resources to replace those connections," the security officer suggested. "With your permission, we'll reach out to the next available business option to reestablish our operations."

Daisuke nodded. "Very well... as for the man who killed Katsumi, I want word put out, whoever order that hit, I want that person put down! No one kills my family and gets away with it!"

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"So... um, how did you find me?" Kyouske asked.

"Well, you said you were a chef here, right?" Kyoko asked.

"Oh yeah... right, I did say that didn't I," Kyosuke confirmed. "So... can I take your order?"

"Sheesh, man... did you never talk to a girl in the States?" Yoriyoshi bemoaned with embarrassment. "Ask for her number!"

"Shut it!" Kyosuke whispered before turning back to Kyoko, who watched the exchange with amusement. "Anyway, did your entourage come with you?" He asked, looking through the restaurant's entrance.

"No, I gave them the slip again," Kyoko assured.

Not the best habit to have, Princess, Kyosuke thought before turning back to Kyoko. "But yeah, I work here. "Maybe something off the menu?" he suggested.

Yoriyoshi nodded silently. OK, not a bad move, he thought, chicks like to think they're being offered something special, even if you whip out last week's special. He turned to the rest of the customers, leaving Kyosuke and Kyoko in the corner of the restaurant.

"So, what does the noodle chef recommend?" Kyoko asked with a smile.

Kyosuke took a breath and smacked his lips after a moment of thinking. "There was a platoon mate of mine back in the service who was an old school Italian who always preached to me the notion that the best food was found in simplicity and classic ingredients without pretentiousness," he recalled before reaching for several ingredients from behind the shelves, including olive oil, garlic and parsley, while dropping pasta into a pot of boiling water.

"You keep olive oil in a ramen shop?" Kyoko wondered.

"Not for the regular menu; I keep some of this around for after-hours meals," Kyosuke admitted as he chopped the garlic into thin slices and sautéed them in the oil.

"So, my father told me you were in the American Army. Was that exciting or anything? Kyoko asked.

"No... nothing like that," Kyosuke deflected. "I just joined to pay for college, nothing more. I mean sure, I went through basic, but after that, all I did was run a mess hall for the guys who did the real work. The truth is, in a modern military, less than one in twenty guys are actually shooters; everyone else either drives trucks, cooks food, files paperwork, and does all the boring stuff that you see every day in normal civilian industries. Trust me, I'm sure your life's a lot more exciting than anything I've done."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Kyoko denied. "Sometimes, I feel like all I've done so far with my life is being born. Everything else after that has been planned and mapped for me like someone painting their perfect work of art."

"Come on, it can't be all that bad," Kyosuke insisted, as he pulled the spaghetti from the boiling water and into the garlic-infused olive oil, tossing the mixture as he added chopped parsley. "Don't you get to travel the world in private jets, or stay in first-class hotels and visit important people?"

"There's some of that, sure," Kyoko admitted. "But there's also spending every moment of your life in the public eye, constantly being judged and everyone wondering who you're dating and what scandal you might be tied up in. That's why I try to slip away from my escorts when I can."

"Well, I get that being a celebrity can feel like living in a glass house, but maybe try and take your situation and make it your own," Kyosuke advised, as he added red pepper, salt and grated cheese to the finished dish before carefully twisting it into a bowl. "You have a platform that gives you a voice and opportunities that few others have. Find something you're passionate about and make that your goal," as he presented the finished bowl of pasta.

Kyoko slowly took a bite of the offered pasta and nodded with approval. "Maybe I should get into the food business with you."

"You know what, if you're interested in how the other half lives, I can take the day and show you around if you'd like," Kyosuke offered. "It might not be the high society places you've seen before, but maybe the change of scenery will inspire something for you."

As they left, some of the customers started whispering and pointing in recognition as phones came out, and some began to take pictures. Moments later, the pictures were already making their way across social media as rumors began spreading like wildfire.

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Isamu Ikemoto nodded gravely as his guest finished his presentation. The group of men were in his office on the top floor of their company headquarters. "Gentlemen, I have to say, I'm surprised you would come to me with your situation."

The group of men all nodded and bowed respectfully. "Ikemoto-kaichou, our group has recently taken losses in manpower and resources. Your company is by far the most suitable candidate to replace those missing assets. With your help, we'd be able to restart operations within a few weeks, which would be profitable for both our corporations."

Isamu grunted. "What about law enforcement?"

"Councilman Shosuke Matsui is an ally working with us and provides political and legal cover. The only real obstacle in the district is the Tanaka syndicate, whose territory we've been fighting for years. With our recent loss, we need someone to step in to replace the connections he held."

"What you're asking for... it could be a significant risk to my company, both financially, and a personal risk," Isamu suggested.

"We're offering you a seat at our table, Ikemoto-kaichou. Naturally, that includes our protection from General Tanaka's people. His organization currently runs drugs and illegal weapons, not to mention human trafficking. Of course, we would never ask your company to conduct such illicit contraband, but if your legitimate businesses would expand into territories to fill the areas we've lost, he would have no room to expand," the local businessman suggested.

Isamu nodded, "Present your proposal to my lawyers and I'll think it over. We'll have an answer for your group in a few weeks," he promised.