Outbound

Looming Danger

Saturday 

"Okay, today's paperwork is done." Jun sighs with tiredness. Naoya smiles at him and replies, "Good job. It looks like everything is in order." Jun simply nods his head in response, still feeling a bit weary from the work. It's been a lengthy day, and he's ready to relax and wind down. However, his feelings of tiredness seem to go unnoticed by Naoya. Naoya continues to smile at him, oblivious to his tiredness, and he speaks casually as if he doesn't notice anything. "So, what do you plan to do now that you're done with your work?" Naoya asks, directing the question at Jun. "I'm just going to head home," Jun responds simply, not in the mood to engage in any lengthy conversation. He plans on going back home and taking a nap, as he's already exhausted from work and would just prefer to relax. "Oh, okay," Jun responds calmly and plainly, not bothering to ask any further questions and simply accepting the offer. He holds the keys in his hand and smiles faintly, grateful for Naoya's offer. "So, you'll be staying here from now on?" Jun confirms this with a simple "Yes". "Good. Just make yourself at home and treat this place as if it was yours." Naoya speaks in a warm and welcoming manner, which seems to put Jun at ease and ease any possible concerns he may have about moving in. Additionally, Naoya's attitude towards Jun himself shows no trace of disdain or rudeness, which helps to make his gesture seem more genuine.

 Naoya scratches the back of his head and speaks again, "Just make sure to be at home during the time period I will be returning. Or I won't be able to enter my own house." Jun nods after hearing this, "You are going on a date with Ms. Fujiwara today right?" "Naoya looks up at the time, sees it's 5 PM and responds, "She took a day off today so I will be picking her up on my own today." "I understand but you are being searched by different gangs all over the place. Will you really be fine or rather, will Ms. Fujiwara be fine?" "We'll be fine," Naoya says confidently, not seeming at all worried about his safety for himself or Fujiwara. "I'll take care of everything. Don't worry." He says this in a calm and reassuring tone, as if he's already thought this through and has everything under control. "Okay, I trust that you'll handle things," Jun says cautiously, not entirely convinced that their security will be handled properly. But he knows that pressing the issue further will only make Naoya more determined to go through with his plans. "Just trust me," Naoya says confidently. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Ms. Fujiwara, or myself for that matter. So you don't need to worry." "Okay, if you got everything under control, I got nothing more to say. I'll be off now. See you later, Mr. Naoya." He gets up from his chair and begins to walk to the stairs to exit the building.

Naoya takes Ms. Fujiwara to a five-star restaurant. The two are now sitting at a 5-star restaurant, enjoying a nice dinner together. They have been having a good conversation throughout the meal, and the mood is pleasantly relaxed and cheerful. "The food has been really good so far," Ms. Fujiwara says with a smile, taking another bite of her food. "I am glad you have been enjoying everything so far." Naoya says with a smile. "It's been great, thank you for bringing me here," Ms. Fujiwara replies with a smile, her gratitude for the outing being visible. Naoya's also seemingly enjoying himself. The conversation has been flowing nicely and effortlessly, and the food and atmosphere have made for a pleasant date. "It's good to hear you're enjoying the date," Naoya says pleasantly, smiling at her. After a few moments of silence, he continues with his question. "Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to take the day off today?"

Ms. Fujiwara looks down at the table thinking for a few seconds and then looks up at Naoya responding, "Do not turn your head to the left. Those two men in suits have has been following me since our initial date." Naoya's smile instantly fades as soon as he hears her words. He keeps his head turned towards her and doesn't dare move his gaze to the side, as she had instructed.
"I can assume you have never seen those two men your entire life. You think they are creeps or they want something more?" "Well, they seem pretty suspicious to me," Ms. Fujiwara replies, her tone slightly concerned as she watches the two men. "I don't think they're just some ordinary creeps, because they look way too professional. They look more like hired thugs or something similar. And the way they're keeping tabs on me is definitely unsettling." Right after she said that, Naoya begins to think to himself. 

If they are following her instead of me, they are more interested in taking her hostage to lure me and make me surrender. Which also means they know who killed the boss of Jun. They are not only being cautious with me, they are playing this like a chess match. Shit, there are way too many people here. I can't just get into a fight and get away with it. Think Naoya, think... What's the best way to handle this without making a scene? I don't want to risk hurting innocent people. I have to stay calm and play my cards right.

He continues to ponder the situation, trying to think of a solution that will ensure both his and Ms. Fujiwara's safety without causing a scene or putting other people around in danger. He speaks to Ms. Fujiwara. "They just follow and do nothing else?" "They've been following me everywhere I go, but they just keep their distance and don't do anything else," Ms. Fujiwara replies. Naoya responds without losing his cool. "I think I might know what they exactly want from you." he states. "Okay, I trust that you've got things under control," Ms. Fujiwara replies calmly, albeit slightly concerned and intrigued by Naoya's vague explanation. She doesn't intend to press Naoya to elaborate further, as she wants to keep a cool head and trust in his ability to handle the situation. She focuses on keeping herself composed and waiting to see what happens next. "For now, let's just go on with our date like normal so they do not suspect anything. We don't know how many men there are that could be after us. Best way to do this is learning how many of them they are." He says. "That's a sensible plan. Let's just pretend like nothing is happening for now," Ms. Fujiwara responds, agreeing with Naoya's suggestion. She realizes that it's better to stay calm and pretend like the two of them are just minding their own business on this date. That way, the men following her won't grow suspicious of their behavior.

I didn't come all this way to get our heads popped in a crowded restaurant. I will give each and every single one of you hell.