Akiko placed a hand on my arm. “Kenji, you don’t need to carry that guilt. I don’t blame you for what happened to me. I’ve been through enough to know I can handle myself. That’s all I want. And for you to believe that too.”
“You’re right,” I said, forcing myself to look at her. “You’re here, after all. That says a lot.”
“It does,” she said, her smile growing.
I chuckled. “Yeah, look at us now. Here we are in the most prestigious apprenticeship in the country.”
“Exactly. Let’s focus on why we’re here in the first place.”
I smiled and kissed her forehead, a small gesture I’d come to love. “This, us—it feels right.”
“It does.” It was soft, barely a whisper, but she said it, and that was what mattered. “And Kenji, I also want to say I could’ve tried to find you too.”
“How could you? Even I didn’t know where we were for a while,” I said, shaking my head. “So, do you believe me now? That my worry isn’t about the apprenticeship or our alliance. It’s about you.”
“I do,” she said. “But you need to understand something. I’ve been on my own for a long time. I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, I know that, but it’s dangerous here, and I can protect you. I want to protect you…even if you don’t think you need it.”Why can’t she just accept I’m right?
Akiko gave me that warm, knowing smile that always made my heart ache a little. “Kenji, I know this competition is dangerous. I know the others will do whatever it takes to win. But a bodyguard isn’t what I need right now. I need a friend.”
Friend.Every time she said that word, it was like an uppercut to the gut. I forced myself to remain positive.She wants to fight her own battles. Fine. Knock yourself out, Akiko. But it won’t stop me from doing what I know is right. Whether she admits it or not, she needs me.
“It’s just that my feelings for you…” I started, trying to find the exact words. “I guess they cloud my judgment sometimes.” I looked at her, letting my eyes roam over her face, neck, and body. She had no idea how much I thought about her, how much I wanted her. She had no idea how far I’d go.
Before she could say anything, I pulled her close. She didn’t resist as I wrapped my arms around her. My hands slid down her back, slow and deliberate, until they found the curve of her ass. I grabbed her, relishing the feel of her cupped in my hands. For a moment, I thought she might stop me, but she didn’t.
That was all the permission I needed.
I leaned in, my mouth hovering just above hers, ready to claim what was mine. But she turned her head at the last second, pressing her hands against my chest.
“We’re out in the open, Kenji,” she said, looking around.
“So?” I shot back, my grip on her tightening. “Let them watch. I don’t care.”
“Well, I do. When we’re in public, we need to keep it professional.”
Her rejection stung like a slap to the face. For a moment, I considered pushing back, but then Iron Face appeared and interrupted us.
“I have an announcement. Go to the dorms!”
Akiko didn’t wait. She slipped out of my hold and walked away, her steps quick and determined. She didn’t look back, not once. I balled my fists as I watched her go.
She wanted space. She wanted to do things her way. I was fine with it. But I’d be watching. I’d always be watching. If she thought she could shut me out, she was wrong.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
AKIKO
We had just been briefed by Iron Face on our next challenge: It would involve the poisonous fugu blowfish. Reina’s haunting warning about poison had come true. Iron Face’s instructions were vague, as always, but everyone assumed we had to prepare a dish using the fish. The bitching started immediately after Iron Face left us and continued into the dorms.
“Twelve hours?” Kenji muttered as we headed to his room. “What’s next, six hours’ notice?”
“I have something to tell you,” I said.
I plopped down on his bed and began telling him about my second meeting with Reina. If he was jealous about the attention I’d received from her again, he was hiding it better this time. Maybe he realized by now that whatever Reina told me, I’d pass along to him.
“She was right about the poison,” I said.
