“The thought never crossed my mind,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “But now that you mention it…”
Iron Face returned to our team, a black strip of cloth in hand. “The puppet in each team will be blindfolded.”
Wait, what? That’ll leave me totally dependent on Jiro!
Just before Iron Face covered my eyes, I stole one last glance at Reina. She seemed lost in thought, her gaze drifting beyond the line of competitors in front of her. Did she even want to be here? The thought disappeared as Iron Face secured the cloth tightly around my head, plunging me into total darkness.
“Trust,” Jiro whispered after Iron Face left us. “It’s the foundation of any successful relationship.”
“Partnership,” I corrected quickly, keeping my voice firm.
“Relationship, partnership,” he said with a light chuckle. “Semantics, really. Speaking of relationships, though…” His tone dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do I detect a little lovey-dovey action between you and Kenji? If only you could see the daggers he’s throwing my way. He must be broiling right now, knowing I’m pressed up against you like this, my hips at just the right… Well, I’m sure he gets it. Has he gotten this close yet?”
I refused to dignify his comment with an answer, clenching my jaw to keep from reacting.
“Wait, I bet he hasn’t. Poor guy.” Jiro’s voice dripped with exaggerated pity. “He’s followed you around like a lost puppy, and now the pack’s alpha has taken what he wants. Perception is reality, Akiko. And right now? We look like the perfect couple.”
“You didn’t take anything,” I shot back, my tone sharp. “I’m being forced.”
“You are,” he said, his smirk practically audible. “But does anyone else see it that way?”
“You haven’t changed one bit,” I grumbled. “You’re still the asshole I dumped.”
“We all make mistakes,” he said lightly.
Before I could fire back, Iron Face cleared his throat. “Think hard about how you move forward. Slow. Fast. What will it take to win?”
“I think slow and steady is the right strategy,” Jiro said, suddenly serious.
“From what I remember, your style was more like a rabbit, fast and furious,” I replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice.
He ignored my jab. “There’s something we’re missing here. It can’t just be about speed.”
“Then what?”
“I’m not sure yet,” he admitted. “But the setup, our hands bound, you blindfolded… Moving slowly and cautiously eliminates the danger that the blindfold intended.”
“So, you think there’s something else that hasn’t been revealed yet?”
“I do. For now, we take it slowly. Agree?”
I nodded.
“You will have five minutes,” Iron Face shouted. The countdown clock reset, its mechanical beep echoing through the room.
“So much for moving slowly,” I said.
“I expected the time limit,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s the big twist.”
The buzzer rang out, and Iron Face shouted, “Begin!”
“Trust me, Akiko,” Jiro whispered, his lips brushing against my earlobe. A jerk, and we were moving, our bound arms working in unison. Blindfolded, I had no choice but to let Jiro lead.
“We need fruits, vegetables, and a paring knife,” he said, calm and steady despite the chaos erupting around us. I felt our hands move forward, his grip on my hands firm and deliberate.
“Let me grab the items.” He let go of my hands and continued. His movements were quick and precise. A second later, I felt something cool and firm shoved into my uniform through the opening near my neck.
“What are you doing?” I said, shifting uneasily as he continued stuffing items inside my uniform.
