"I think I'll go to onsen," Takaba said after they got back to the room. He wanted time to sort out his thoughts; Asami was officially weirding him out after nearly 24 hours of un-Asami-like behavior.
"Go ahead. I have to make a few calls." Akihito wondered just how many calls Asami had ignored during their dinner with the Shinos. It made him a little happy.
"Alright."
Asami was already deep in conversation, in what sounded like Russian, by the time Akihito slipped into the yukata. He left for the water with a backward glance. It bothered him a little to leave Asami there alone; he hadn't seen any of his men the whole time. Whatever, I'll bet that bastard can shoot lasers from his eyes.
Takaba wandered through the graceful gardens looking for a place that wasn't too crowded. Finally, he found a steaming hot spring with only a few people reclining peacefully inside. Fifteen minutes later, he was thoroughly blissed out, sunk in the warm water, purring with the satisfaction of landing his biggest job to date. It was a bonus that Asami seemed to approve. It might even open the door up to working for a paper his kill-joy yakuza didn't have the power to censor his submissions. How would you like that, Bastard? He crowed in advance. He felt a little uncomfortable as he imagined Asami's look of dismay, (somehow it turned into a look of disappointment despite his best efforts) but brushed it off with thoughts of calling Kou and Takato with his news when he returned to the room. His brow furrowed when he noticed it had gotten a little noisier since he'd been lost in his thoughts. When he opened his eyes to investigate, he noticed the bath attendants calmly descending upon bathers who exited the onsen immediately after hearing their whispers. Akihito reluctantly heaved himself out of the water and approached one of them.
"Excuse me, Miss, what's happening?"
"I'm afraid there is an emergency and everyone must go back to their rooms."
"What kind of an emergency?" Akihito's reporter senses tingled.
"I'm afraid I can't disclose that right now."
Akihito hurried back toward the room; all he had to do was get his camera and slip out before Asami noticed. He listened eagerly to the other guests around him for information as they were herded back into the building.
"I heard somebody got shot."
Fear jolted through Akihito's entire frame. Asami. For a moment, he was certain that the man had either killed somebody or been the target himself. He told himself to stay calm; he even slowed his steps a little. It was just a rumor, and that bastard was too evil to be killed by a mere mortal. And as a killer he was tidy, if nothing else; Asami didn't leave incriminating messes. Despite these reassurances, all thoughts of getting a scoop were gone.
AU: What's this? Plot? How did it get into my story? It surprised me, too. I just wanted to say thank you very much to you all for the encouraging reviews so far. They're a real help in letting me know if what I'm doing is working and give me that extra boost of motivation I need to keep going. Have a good day today, friends!