The powerful elite were that untouchable, according to him. Everything that had happened had been swept under the rug. News reports about the burning compound faded quickly, inquiries stopped, and it became just another blip on the news cycle, forgotten by everyone except those who survived it.
It was clear to me that Jiro knew more than he let on but insisted it was too dangerous to talk about. Besides, he said, knowing wouldn’t bring me the closure I sought.
Still, he told me what he could, though it wasn’t much.
“Bodies were recovered from the wreckage, but they were burned beyond recognition,” he said. “DNA analysis was inconclusive due to the intensity of the fire—that part is true. I don’t think it’s bullshit.”
“So, everyone assumes the remains were those of Chef Sakamoto, Reina, Kenji, and Iron Face?”
“Yeah.”
“What about those mystery men the investigators never believed when I mentioned them?”
“As far as I know, they’re not in the report.”
“Figures.”
Jiro shifted in his seat. “Reina’s family demolished what was left of the compound, including the famed House of Sakamoto.”
I hadn’t heard that, or maybe Miki had decided not to tell me. An empire of culinary greatness, gone just like that—vanished from the history pages and erased from the culinary guides.
“I heard all that’s left is an empty lot for sale.”
The weight of the silence grew heavier between us. I knew I was avoiding the real conversation. Yes, the investigation’s outcome gave me some answers, but I couldn’t shake the question gnawing at me. Was Jiro’s insane declaration to die for me out of love the truth? Or just a spur-of-the-moment reaction, fueled by the horrors unfolding around us?
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said as he stared into his cup of tea. “I’ll make it easier and just get started.”
He explained his actions during the program—the calculated cruelty, the cold indifference. It had been vital that everyone, including me, believed he hated me. If anyone discovered his true intent, we’d both be killed. Still, I was bothered by his admission and felt foolish, realizing how easily I had been manipulated.
“I joined the apprenticeship to save you, Akiko. That’s the truth. When I found out you were accepted, I couldn’t just sit back. It wasn’t about trying to win you back. If I’d contacted you to warn you about what was coming, you wouldn’t have believed me. And I knew that.”
He was right.
“The deal my father and I orchestrated with the Sakamotos—mostly Reina—was stupid and dangerous when I think back on it. She said yes on a couple of conditions. I had to make sure you made it to the end. I also had to play the game like a real player. No special treatment. I entered the program knowing full well I might not leave.”
“Your father actually agreed to that?”
“Not initially. He was against it. But I pushed a few of his hot buttons and was able to change his mind.”
“But you could have died. What kind of father?—”
“My father isn’t the typical father. Let’s just leave it at that. I never told him the worst part. Reina insisted that if I failed on my part of the bargain, she’d see to it that I was killed.”
In exchange for allowing him to participate, the Sakamotos would gain access to his father’s valuable contacts and influence. He had taken all the risk while they stood to reap all the rewards.
“Did Reina say why she wanted me to make it to the end?” I asked before taking a sip of my tea.
“She never said. From what I gathered, I think she wanted you to believe you were going to win only to tear you down at the last minute. It’s sick, I know. Can you think of a reason?”
“The only reason I can think of is my father. He and Chef Sakamoto were best friends. She mentioned my father more than once while I was there. Enough to make me believe something happened between the three of them.”
“Do you think she knows what happened to him?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice hollow. “But I’ll never find out now.”
In the end, Jiro had agreed to everything Reina demanded. He entered the program knowing he had six weeks to find a way to save both of us without revealing his true intentions.
I accepted that full closure would never come and thanked Jiro for being as honest as possible.
