A Security Breach

Mio was beginning to get bored in that place. Hours had passed since Tanaka had taken her to that break room, hours that felt like torture to her. The only interaction she had was with Tanaka herself, who came in and out bringing her tea and some old magazines.

Mio tried to read them, but she couldn't concentrate.

Mio began to realize that something was happening outside. She couldn't hear the usual office noise, but rather something like a low, muffled sound that penetrated the walls of the skyscraper. It sounded like a distant tide, like muffled screams. Mio, uneasy, put the magazine down on the table. “ Tanaka.. ” she asked when the assistant came back in. “ What's that sound? Why does it feel so agitated out there? ”

Tanaka, keeping a straight face, poured her more tea without her hand shaking. “ It's nothing to worry about, Mio.” she lied. “ It's just that... President Kaguya's birthday is coming up. The staff is excitedly preparing a surprise, and there are a lot of suppliers coming and going at the entrance. That's why it's so noisy. ”

It was a white lie for Mio, but she, in her innocence and trust in them, believed it. “ Oh, that's true! We should bake her a cake. ” said Mio, smiling a little.

But then, the calm was broken. Tanaka's phone, which she carried in her inside pocket, began to vibrate.

At first, Tanaka ignored it, determined to keep up the facade. But the vibration was insistent, seeming urgent. Annoyed, she frowned and discreetly took out the device to silence it. But when she saw the name on the screen, her eyes widened in pure shock. Master Tomoki.

Tanaka's heart raced with panic. “ Excuse me for a moment, Miss Mio. ” said Tanaka, his voice a little higher than normal. “ I have to take this urgent call from... from the party organizers. I'll be right back. ” He left the room and closed the door behind him, making sure Mio couldn't hear.

Outside, in the hallway, Tanaka answered the call with trembling hands. “ Young Minamoto? ”.

“ What's going on, Tanaka? ” Tomoki's voice on the other end was not warm, but cold and direct. The voice of a Minamoto. “ Why is all of Shibuya, and even all of Japan, insulting Mio's name? I watch the news and there's nothing but lies. ”

Tanaka swallowed nervously. “ We're... we're investigating the source, young love. President Kaguya has the legal team on it. What we are sure of is that it's an attack by the Shinomiyas. ”

“ It doesn't sound like they're in control. ” Tomoki interrupted. “ It sounds like they're dying. ” There was a pause on both sides. “ I'm on my way.” Tomoki said.

Tanaka began to sweat coldly. “ Young man, wait! ” she exclaimed, forgetting her rank. “ You can't come. It's the worst possible moment. The press is surrounding the building, the President is in crisis, if you show up now- ” 

“ I didn't ask for your permission, Tanaka. I'll be there in a few minutes. ” Tomoki hung up the phone.

Tanaka stared at the phone. For the first time in years, the impassive assistant was visibly nervous. Tomoki was coming. And Kaguya knew nothing about it. The clash would be catastrophic.

Tanaka made a desperate decision. He left Mio alone in the break room and ran to the floor security post, grabbing the radio. “ Attention all units! ” he ordered. “ No one enters or leaves the building from now on. Block the main elevators and service entrances. We are on Code Red for security to prevent reporters from infiltrating. This is a direct order from the President!"

This was just a facade, something temporary. It was a lie to keep Tomoki out, or at least delay him.

With his heart pounding, Tanaka ran back to the break room. He had to make sure Mio was still there and then go warn Kaguya.

But when he reached the door to the living room, he realized his mistake. In his panic over that call, he had left Mio alone for too long.

Tanaka opened the door. “ Mio-san, everything is-” The living room was empty. The magazine lay on the floor. The blinds, which she had left closed, were slightly raised. 

Mio was gone.

“ Damn it... ” Tanaka whispered. And as if things couldn't get any worse, in the distance, at the end of the hallway connecting to the elevator lobby, he heard a voice. A male voice, deep and terribly familiar.

Terrified, Tanaka slowly turned around. It was the last person she wanted to see right now. The person her guards should have stopped. In the distance, Tomoki stood in an impeccable black suit. He was talking calmly to a secretary who seemed mesmerized by his beauty, asking for directions to the President's office. The security guards were nowhere to be seen; he had entered as if he owned the place. Because, technically, he knew the access codes better than anyone else.

Tanaka had no idea how he had gotten past security so quickly. “Young Master...” he gasped. Tomoki turned his head and their eyes met across the hallway, but that didn't stop him. He started walking toward his mother's office.

Tanaka knew he couldn't stop him. He had to get ahead of him. With panic visible on his face, Tanaka ran in the opposite direction, taking the service shortcut to Kaguya's office. He had to get there before him. He had to warn Kaguya that the past had just broken down the front door.