Hikari stretched, a soft groan escaping her lips as she blinked against the light filtering through the heavy drapes. She tapped the power button on her phone. 4:30 PM? A confused frown creased her brow. Did I really sleep for that long? I wonder if I have anything planned today.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!" she called, her voice still thick with sleep.
The door opened silently, and her personal butler, a stoic man named Kenji, entered. He held a sleek, black tablet. "I apologize for the delay, my princess," he began, his voice smooth and respectful. "I had just checked on you, and you were still sleeping soundly. I didn't anticipate you would be awake so early."
Hikari, already rummaging through a drawer for clothes, cut him off. "My dad drugged me again, didn't he?" she asked, her tone surprisingly nonchalant.
Kenji remained silent for a moment, his gaze unwavering. "Yes, my princess. You were insistent on attending a mixer today, and you wouldn't listen to his counsel. It was... the only way to ensure your safety and compliance." He offered a slight, apologetic bow.
Hikari sighed, a long, weary sound. "Relax, Kenji. It's not the first time he's done it. Where is he right now?" she asked, walking towards her full-length mirror, idly arranging her sleep-tangled hair.
"He's off for an important Kuro-Kyoufu meeting," Kenji replied. "He won't be back for the next week or so."
A small, genuine smile touched Hikari's lips. "Good. I might have missed an opportunity today, but he's not going to drug me tomorrow." She paused at the bathroom door. "So, what do I have scheduled for tomorrow?"
Kenji's fingers danced across his tablet. "I believe you expressed a desire to visit the Mega Mall tomorrow, my princess."
"Yes!" Hikari chirped, already splashing into the large, steaming tub, her bare skin disappearing beneath the bubbles. "Latest news says hot guys go there every day! So if I'm lucky, I could actually find love!" Her voice echoed playfully from the bathroom.
Kenji's shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. "My princess, you are aware that almost everyone in this world desires your father's downfall, and you are a prime target. They can and will use you to get to him."
Hikari pouted, deepening herself in the water, blowing bubbles across the surface. "But my best friend, Sakura, has a boyfriend, and she seems so much happier now. And now you're saying I shouldn't date because of my dad? That's ridiculous!"
"No, my princess, that's not what I meant," Kenji quickly interjected, trying to clarify. "You can certainly date within the mafia business. We even had to select some of the finest young men from the Kuro-Kyoufu for your consideration, but you turned them all down."
Hikari leaned back against the smooth porcelain of the tub, her expression thoughtful. "Because I didn't feel that spark."
Kenji visibly facepalmed, a rare show of exasperation. "The 'spark,' princess? What might you be referring to now?"
Hikari explained, "It happened a while ago. I noticed my friend, all happy and giggly, and that's when I learned she had a boyfriend. I asked her how she would know if the person she was dating was the right one, and she said it's like a spark that happens. You would immediately feel your worlds collide, and then love comes in. She said it's love at first sight, and it's the best feeling. I can tell what 'best feelings' are—my life revolves around luxury—but the way she looked, I've never seen that before. So I'm going to keep trying until I feel that spark, whether it takes years or if the person isn't even in this country. Love will always happen, and I'll find him eventually. That's why I'm not really bothered that Dad drugged me. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, because you can't stop true love."
Kenji's eyes widened for a few seconds, surprised by her conviction, before he regained his usual composure. "Okay, princess. But I still do think it might be hard, since people are afraid of your father and indirectly fear or have nothing to do with you."
Hikari emerged from the tub, wrapping a small towel around herself as she stepped back into her lavish bedroom. She met her butler's gaze. "You might be right about that, Kenji, but we don't know how it will play out." She began to brush her wet, silky hair.
The butler sighed, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Very well. But I strongly suggest you take some of our finest bodyguards when you leave tomorrow. I'll go inform the chef you're awake now. You must be hungry." He bowed deeply and quietly left the room, leaving Hikari alone with her swirling thoughts as she continued to brush her hair. I wonder if I'll meet him at the Mega Mall? What outfit will he be wearing? How handsome will he be? And especially, how attractive will he look?
Meanwhile, back in the bustling city, Tanaka Sato stumbled through the crowded streets. His hair was a chaotic mess from the market's frenzy, his clothes rumpled, and his energy almost completely drained. He forced himself to walk home, looking like the polar opposite of the 'handsome' and 'attractive' man Hikari was dreaming of. People are animals, he thought, exhaling sharply.
He glanced down at his shopping bag. Well, at least I got what Mom wanted. I better get this to her fast. Wonder how many customers we have now. He pushed open the door to their small, unassuming home, which doubled as the front of their local restaurant.
Immediately, his mother, a formidable woman with a perpetually flour-dusted apron, "attacked" him playfully, brandishing a long wooden spoon. "You're late!" she declared, giving him a gentle swat.
Sato raised his hands to shield his face. "Yeah, well, maybe it's because you sent me to get stuff for your restaurant on my way home," he countered, a slight whine in his voice.
His mom stopped mid-swing, realization dawning. "Oh, that's true! Did you get them?"
Sato frowned, handing her the shopping bag. "Yeah, sure."
His mother rummaged through the bag, her face lighting up. "Yep, that's all I need, and—" She paused, her gaze taking in Sato's disheveled state. "You okay, sweetie? What happened to you?"
Sato's mind raced back to the chaotic market scene, his eyes widening in remembered horror. "You do not wanna know," he said, shaking his head.
His mom giggled, swatting him again playfully. "Okay, okay. Just go freshen up. If you need me, I'll be at the back, running the restaurant." She turned to leave.
"Mom, wait!" Sato called out, his voice slightly hesitant. "Well, um, here's the thing. Is it possible for you to give me an early payment today? In return, I'll help you out with the night shift." He desperately wanted the money for the new video game.
His mother considered, her brow furrowed. "I don't know, Sato. Do I really want to overwork my son?"
"It's fine!" Sato immediately responded, his voice earnest. "Plus, tomorrow is Saturday, it's not like I'll be going to school. Please, I just want that early pay for something, and I know I can't get it if I don't earn it."
His mom smiled, then let out a heavy sigh. "Fine." She tossed an apron at him. "You're going to work until your hands burn. You ready?"
Sato's face split into a determined grin. "Ready!"
A few minutes later, Sato was standing at the kitchen counter of Tanaka's Restaurant, his eyes purely red with exhaustion. He swayed, fighting sleep, until the loud, insistent ring of their order telephone startled him. He jerked, losing his balance, and crashed to the ground.
He groaned in pain, forcing himself up, then snatched the phone. "Tanaka's Restaurant business here, how can I help you?" he mumbled, rubbing his bruised rib.
The voice on the other end responded, a male voice, oddly cheerful. "Knock, knock."
Sato froze, holding the phone away from his ear. He could hear muffled giggling through the line. He calmly hung up. The thought that these people had woken him up and caused him to fall just to say a knock-knock joke ignited a slow burn of rage. He tried to leave the counter, but the telephone immediately rang again.
He stalked back, snatched it up. "Tanaka's Restaurant business, how may I help you?" he ground out, his voice dangerously low.
It was the same voice. "Hey! You didn't even let me finish! Is this how you treat your customers?" the voice complained.
Sato's eye twitched. He forced himself to dial down his frustration. "Please, carry on. My bad."
"Okay, okay, okay," the voice chirped. "Knock, knock."
Sato remained silent, his grip tightening on the phone.
"You're supposed to say 'Who's there?'" the voice prompted.
Sato sighed heavily. "Who's... who's there?"
He could hear them giggling again, and the same voice responded, drawn out, "Annoying cow! Moooooooooooooo!" The moos kept going.
Sato calmly, deliberately, hung up and placed the telephone back on its receiver. A tense quiet filled the room as he tried to calm himself. But then, the telephone started ringing again.
That was it. Sato reached his breaking point. "Motherfu—" he roared, grabbing the telephone and smashing it on the ground, stomping on it repeatedly. The crash echoed through the restaurant, loud enough for customers out front to hear.
Just then, Sato's mom entered from the back, carrying a tray of dirty dishes. Sato stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the demolished phone, horror dawning on his face. His mother simply stared at the broken instrument on the ground.
"You know that's coming off your pay, right?" she said, her voice flat.
Sato sighed, defeated, and slumped onto a nearby stool. His mom dropped the dishes onto the counter with a clatter. "Just go work the register, Sato," she said, her tone softening slightly. "I can handle back here."
Sato stood and headed out to the register, frowning at the thought of his outburst and the massive cut to his payment. He stared at the floor, still fuming, not noticing when three figures approached his counter.
"Hey, kid. You looking down on us?" a gruff voice asked.
Sato's head snapped up. Three men stood before him. They wore matching jackets, a stylized dragon emblem stitched on the back, and the words "Kuro Ryū-kai" emblazoned beneath it. Sato's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. The entire restaurant had gone silent, customers staring, captivated by the sudden appearance of men from one of the top two mafia groups.
Sato swallowed hard, his mind racing, desperately trying to find a way to avoid this.