The Weight of a Conversation

"Ah, right. My apologies." She straightened her posture as her tone and eyes sharpened to the point that Akari wasn't sure this was the same woman. "I'm the one that oversees everything. You can call me Hana."

"Hana?" Akari kept her tone light. "A fake name I presume?"

Hana chuckled lightly. "Of course. You think I would tell you who I really am. We only just met."

Akari took the envelope of money out of her bag and placed it on the table between them with trembling hands. "I'm sure it's not enough but it's all I could gather on short notice."

Hana glanced at the envelope then back to Akari. "It's a start." She leaned back against the couch with a casual smile. "But I'll need a lot more from you than just that if you want your friend to still be in one piece."

Akari ignored the distasteful twist in her stomach. "Please..." Her voice shook as she lowered her head slightly. "Please don't hurt him."

Hana watched her carefully as if reading a book she'd read many times before. "How touching. You care for him that much?"

Akari swallowed. "I-I do..."

A faint smile curled onto Hana's lips - not cruel but condescending. "Do you mind showing me how much you care?"

Akari met her gaze, eyes wavering. "I'll do anything." Her voice cracked as tears threatened the corners of her eyes. "Just please don't hurt him."

"Akari." Her tone serene as if genuine. "I don't hurt people without purpose."

"Then... Then what is your purpose with Jun?"

Hana took her teacup and took a slow sip. "To persuade you."

Akari's breath stuttered. "What do I have to do?"

"You're eager to comply. It's endearing, really." Hana set her teacup down, the sound echoing louder than it should've. "But it's also suspicious."

"Suspicious?"

"Most people in your position thrash around a little bit. They bargain. Deny. Shout. Offer some sort of reaction." Hana's gaze hardened on Akari - scanning, searching, probing. "But you... You folded instantly."

"I thought that's what you wanted..." Akari's eyes looked at Hana as if pleading for her to stop. "I thought if I just stopped running and gave in then it would fix everything..."

"While I do appreciate cooperation." Hana tapped a finger against her teacup; each quiet click like a sigh of disappointment. "This? This is too boring."

"Then..." Her voice cracked more than she would've liked. "Then, what was I supposed to do? You took Jun. I didn't know what else I could do."

"Put up some sort of a fight at least. You gave up quicker than I expected. It's disappointing, honestly." Hana rested back against the couch with a bored sigh. "You're making my tea taste bad. I thought you'd be more entertaining."

"Entertaining?" Akari was taken aback. "I'm not here to entertain you."

"No?" Hana's lips curved into a smile of mocking amusement. "Isn't that what your whole life is about? Entertaining people?"

Akari's breath stilled. "Then what's entertaining to you?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Sending someone to kill me?"

Hana tilted her head; a flash of confusion briefly threatened her eyes. "Kill you?" A soft, dismissive laugh. 

Akari's body tensed. "You didn't deny it."

"What's there to deny?"

"You tried to kill me." Akari's voice wobbled in disbelief.

Hana took another sip of tea, her gaze and body unbothered by the accusation. "I wouldn't sully my hands with petty errands such as that."

"I never understood it though." Akari's tone carried a layer of fear and confusion. "If your goal was to have me be obedient to you, then why would you try to kill me before I had the chance to?"

Hana shrugged it off as if it wasn't important, her tone too gentle in comparison to the topic. "If someone under me decided you were not worth the trouble... Well, what can I say then? That's more about their initiative than my orders." 

Akari's brows furrowed slightly. "Doesn't that just mean someone acted without your permission?"

A brief flinch. Small and just barely, but Akari caught the way Hana's hand twitched around her cup.

Another slow sip of tea. "I see you're trying to find a way to get under my skin. I wouldn't waste your breath if I were you. This is not about my people. This is about what you can offer me to fix the damage you caused."

"Are you still wanting me to sell this?" Akari hesitantly pulled out the silver lighter with the lotus engraving that she took from the club.

Hana's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before quickly returning to normal. "I see Ritsu gave you a sample of our product."

"Ritsu? No." Akari's eyes reflected Hana's growing confusion. "This was given to me by someone at your club - the Lotus Room. Was that also not a part of your plan?"

Hana shrugged as she finished her tea, unmoved by Akari's probing.

Akari continued carefully. "It seems that you don't have full control of your organization. How am I supposed to work for you if there's so many cracks?"

"My, my. Maybe you do have some fight after all." Hana placed her teacup on the table, her gentle smile still not faltering. "I'm assuming you have some conditions. Go on. I'm listening."

"I'll do as you say as long as no harm ever comes to Jun or myself ever again." Akari shakily admitted.

Hana poured herself more tea, pouting at the fact Akari never touched hers. "Is that all you want?"

"All I want is for Jun to be safe."

"My, how precious." Hana slid a folder across the table. "Here are my conditions. Comply and your sweetheart will no longer be in harms way. You have my word."

Doubt laced Akari's words. "How can I trust you?" 

"He's downstairs in the basement." Hana said far too casually. "Once you sign the contract you can go free him yourself if you want."

Akari opened the folder with trembling hands and read over the contract. "You want me to pay off my father's debt, retract my statement, and get you connections abroad...?"

Hana's voice was light as if almost playful. "Surely it's simple for someone of your status. I'm really not asking for a lot." 

"What connections abroad do you mean?"

"Well after your little press conference, our reputation took a bit of a hit, but we've expanded enough in this country anyway. I'd like to branch out to foreign businesses, but I don't quite have the right people for that yet."

Akari tilted her head, worry straining her face. "And the right people would be me?"

"You'd be a start." Hana took another sip of tea. "So, what do you say? Your life in exchange for your sweetheart's life?"

"So, you really are the one in charge of the Hanakai Network?" Akari's voice wavered. "You really tried to have me killed and wanted to use me to sell your illegal products?"

"I don't see why you want any closure on such things." Hana sighed disappointedly. "I thought you'd be more concerned about your friend. I didn't think you were so clingy about the past."

Akari stilled her trembling hands, her fear and concern vanished as her eyes narrowed. She straightened in her seat as her tone shifted. "I don't want closure." She took her phone out. "But they do."

Akari's phone screen revealed a livestream - viewer count in the thousands, comments flooding upward in a rapid blur. They had been listening the entire time.

For the first time, Hana's confidence finally faltered as a realization sunk into her chest - she had not accounted for something as simple as this.

Akari smiled lightly. "You spoke vaguely but still enough to work against you in the investigation."

Hana placed her teacup down, her eyes studied Akari as if in disbelief she made a mistake. "You've never had a livestream before..."

"You're right." Akari stared at her phone, the storm of comments reflected in her eyes. "I guess that's why my first one is filled with so many viewers. Also the fact I'm in the middle of this criminal scandal probably affects it too."

"You're more entertaining than I thought Akari." A laugh of disbelief escaped her lips. "Can't believe I fell for your worried act." 

"You wanted to be entertained." Akari shrugged.

Hana's smile was still unsettlingly gentle. "Takes someone very brave to play me. Like father like daughter I guess."

Her words hit a nerve Akari didn't expect but she held it in. "If I were you I wouldn't be so concerned with me right now. You should focus on damage control before it's too late." 

Akari grabbed the lighter and folder and put it in her bag as she stood. "I'll be taking this as evidence and taking Jun back if you don't mind."

"You think I'm just going to let you walk out of-"

"You will." Akari cut her off. "I'm still live streaming. Even if you turn it off, it'll look worse for you. You can't hurt Jun or me without incriminating yourself more. After all, both of our last known locations are here with you and your syndicate."

Akari calmly made her way to the door. "My apologies for not drinking your tea. If it's any consolation, it smells very nice." She opened the door. "I enjoyed our chat. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Akari shut the door behind her, leaving Hana alone with the weight their conversation left. "This isn't over, you know..."