"Where have you been?" Lin demanded as the young man entered the hotel room.

"Taking care of a favour."

"And did you leave CCTV footage of yourself at this one too?"

But Naru only rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do with the girl?" Lin asked gently.

"If she returns to work for me, then we will have to take her with us." Naru replied quietly. "To leave her could be dangerous for her if the police are onto us."

"And if she doesn't return?"

"Then we will never see her again."

"You should have killed her." Lin grumbled. "But is taking her with us wise? It's hardly like she will fit in; can she even dance?"

"If she can't, then you can teach her. You taught Madoka if I remember correctly." Naru said smirking.

"I will be doing no such thing." Lin protested. "Have Echigoya do it, he's attending as well isn't he?"

"Yes. I might have him attend her. That might be… Best."

"Yeah, no doubt Hara-san will proposition you." Lin said, but Naru had turned away. "Are you sure about attending this thing?"

"We have to." Naru replied as he stared out of the window. "Someone there might know something."

"Someone there might have done it." Lin pointed out.

"Exactly."

So as soon as I had decided that I would be returning to work for that narcissistic jerk, I decided I would arrive at 9:05.

The only issue was that it was now 8:56 and I was already at the office, or more accurately, sat outside the office door. I flat out refused to go in before 9:05 on principle.

I wasn't entirely sure why I had chosen to come back. I guess the money was good, but I suppose that really, I was too damn curious about this man to give up yet. Plus he still knew how to get into my room and I really wanted to get him back somehow for going through my underwear drawer.

But my plan to wait was somewhat ruined.

At 9:01 by the clock on my mobile, the office door opened to reveal Naru standing there in his usual all black get up.

"Why haven't you come in?" He asked in a tired voice.

"Because otherwise you'll expect me on time every day." I huffed.

"Get up." He ordered and reluctantly I got to my feet. "Make tea and meet me in my office."

Scowling I did as I was told and five minutes later I was entering his office with a mug of steaming hot tea.

"Leave it there." He said, without looking up from his work. "Wait." He added as I was about to leave.

"What?" I asked, not caring that I sounded rude.

"Can you dance?"

Whatever I had thought he was going to say, it had not been that.

"Excuse me?" Perhaps I hadn't heard him correctly.

"Can you dance?"

Yep, definitely hearing things.

"What sort of dance?"

"Waltz?" He offered, waving a hand impatiently.

"As in ballroom dancing?"

"Yes." He rolled his eyes.

"No, I can't…" I replied, thoroughly confused. "What is this about?"

But as usual, he completely ignored my question.

"I presume you are free this weekend?"

"But this weekend is Christmas!" I protested.

"Well I am glad you can at least keep up with the date." He replied dryly. "Are you free or not?"

"I guess I am, but why?"

"We are going on a business trip. I will have Mori-san explain the details to you." He said. "Please return to work." I frowned, but turned and left. Just before I closed the door, I heard him pick up the phone and say: "Echigoya, I need another favour…"

At lunchtime, Naru told me to go to a café a few blocks away. Sighing, I did as I was told and met Mori-san there.

She looked as she had done the last time I saw her, with black hair and the baby bump.

"Taniyama-san!" She greeted me enthusiastically.

"Naru said you were going to fill me in?" I prompted as I sat down.

"Straight to business then!" She said. I couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy around this woman. She had shown me that video and had implied she would have killed me if it wasn't for Naru. I could hardly feel safe.

"What is this business trip?" I asked.

"Every year, certain people from my line of work get together to discuss business." She said. "This year Naru will be attending and you know too much to be left behind."

"Do you mean private investigating or…?"

"You will need some formal clothing. Scrap that, you will need better clothing full stop." She said as she appraised my clothing choice. I noted that she had not answered my question.

"What's wrong with my clothing choice?" I asked, affronted.

"Well you will hardly look like you fit in if you dress like that."

"And all people in your line of work look a certain way, do they? Wouldn't that be suspicious?"

"No one would wear a disguise to this event."

"So what do I need?" I asked resignedly. This was utterly ridiculous.

"We will arrive at midday on Christmas Eve, that evening there will be a formal sit down dinner. You will need a decent kimono. However much you think you should pay for one; add a few more zeros to the price tag." She said. Her face looked bright and cheery, and I doubt that anyone watching us would suspect a thing, but her voice was cold. "On Christmas Day, there will be meetings that you won't be invited to and in the evening, there will be a ball. You will need a ball gown. For the rest of the time, you will need smart and well fitting looking clothing. Everyone leaves on Boxing Day."

"We? You're coming too?"

"Of course. As is Lin and… You know him as Yasuhara I believe."

"You expect me to believe that all these dangerous people just get together and nothing suspicious happens?"

"Yes." She said simply. "The security is tight. No one is allowed any weapons or communication devices and everyone is searched thoroughly before entering. No one is allowed to leave and re-enter during the event."

"But what about the police?" I asked and Mori-san smirked.

"Every year, whoever organises the event phones up the police and tells them where it is after the event. Just to rub it in their faces that they've yet to bust a meeting."

"Right…"

So I was going to be going to some place, presumably in the middle of nowhere, which would be full of potentially the most dangerous people in the world and I was just going to join in.

"You will be playing the part of Yasuhara's escort." Mori-san continued.

"Escort?"

"His whore." She smirked.

"I…" I could feel my face growing red at the idea. "I won't have to…"

"Of course not." Mori-san laughed. "Just in front of company."

"But why Yasuhara-san?"

"Naru is going with Hara-san and Lin would never take you."

I tried not to show my disappointment on my face, but wasn't entirely sure I managed it.

"Yasuhara will be teaching you to dance this evening. I imagine Naru will give you tomorrow off to buy the necessary items."

And sure enough, that evening at around 8pm someone else broke into my apartment.

"Hello Taniyama-san!" Yasuhara-san said from the corridor. I'll admit I jumped out of my skin at having someone other than Naru break in. I had been watching the news a moment before, there had been a report about a teacher named Matsuyama Hidehara who had been providing drugs to students. He had overdosed or something and died horrifically. The police suspected that Matsuyama might have had something to do with the death of a student named Sakauchi. It was a horrible thought.

"I suppose you got in the same way that Naru does." I muttered, clutching at my chest.

"Of course." He smiled apologetically. "Now, Taniyama-san, may I have the honour of this dance?" He held his arm out like something out of a movie, and grinning, I agreed.

And so Yasuhara-san taught me to dance. Or at least, he tried. Every time I thought I had the hang of this thing, I managed to trip or go the wrong way.

Yet after two hours of relentless training, I was able to fumble my way through a short song.

"How about we take a break?" He suggested and I nodded. Together we slumped on the sofa.

"Mori-san said I was going to be your escort." I said after a few minutes silence.

"Yes. It was Naru's idea I think." He agreed. "But don't worry; you won't have to do anything but cling to my arm a bit and smile."

"Promise?"

"Of course." He smiled graciously.

"Why are you going to this thing?"

"Part of the job." He said; holding up his left hand and wiggling his fingers. I noticed the little finger was missing up to the first joint. I frowned at it and he continued. "For a first offence, you have to cut off this much." He indicated.

"What did you do?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." He said.

"What is it with you people and saying that?" I exclaimed in frustration.

"We say it because it frustrates curious young women."

I scowled at him.

"I know you're worried about this trip, but you needn't. It's been happening for years and there has yet to be a single death. It's too advantageous for the people going, you see? The Yakuza families make deals, and assassins and informants make new contacts and find new clients. It's sort of a win all round situation."

"But aren't some of these people deadly enemies or something?"

"Very few actually, most just want to conduct their own business. Occasionally a few people are tactically not invited but…"

"I see."

I studied Yasuhara-san's face for a moment. He looked so young and innocent. How could he be involved in this world? Naru, at the very least, had a serious face that fit in with the underworld image.

"He'll protect you, you know." Yasuhara-san said a minute later.

"Huh?"

"Naru, he'll protect you."

"How do you know him?" I asked, not wanting to continue down the path Yasuhara was leading the conversation to.

"We are in the same line of work." Yasuhara replied with ease. "I found out something he was interested in seeing and I have come to respect him for what he does."

"For killing people?" I asked, incredulous.

"Not exactly." He replied, but didn't elaborate.

"Naru told me that if I was ever caught by someone and asked about him, that I should tell the truth. Should I tell the truth about you?"

Yasuhara-san chuckled.

"Of course you should."

"Even if it's the police?"

"Especially if it's the police." He looked almost amused by my question.

I frowned. These two dangerous men, who were mixed up in the underworld, were telling me to snitch on them.

It was just all so confusing.

Author's note: So I had a few questions from guests that I could not reply to in a private message so I will answer them here!

"Y u stop rite the story" I have not stopped writing this story. I did not update for two days. きのう、日本語のテストがありました。 Seriously, chill out Amanda.

"U can rite one more before mi go home mi a go home bout in a dih 5:00" No, I cannot write to a schedule just to please you Guest, unless you decide to pay me.

"One isn't really about the did you come up with the idea for this?" It came from an AU prompt I read on Tumblr that went something like "I'm an assassin that was using this place as a sniping point and my intel said it would be free all week but you've just come back" and thus this story was born...

"Why does naru have such strong feelings toward mai but yet when she was interviewed he pointed a gun at her the story about naru getting raped by masoko a cover?" I think this is meant to be two questions. He pointed the gun at her because he needed answers and had to show her he meant business. And no, that story was not a cover.

Otherwise I answered all the questions I could in private messages, if any of you have any more please don't hesitate to ask though of course I cannot promise I will answer everything because I really don't want to spoil it!

But if there is something you are desperate to know that I wouldn't tell you normally, I am open to bribes :P

Please review with your thoughts and guesses for what is going to happen! I love hearing them :)