He reports what happened, but the group disbands.

When the management from the Katana Arts Studio found out about what was prevented, they ordered an immediate withdrawal of everyone still inside the hotel to meet in the theater. It seems they've got their own personnel tucked away. There's less than a dozen, which explains their need to hire more before going beyond regular American borders. They didn't speak a word of English, making you rely on Kenji even more to translate before all the dancers got together to hear the official report.

The news was taken hard, especially by Akiko and Sachio since they had been with both men killed in "self-defense" while practicing their routines. Not to mention, they went out drinking and singing with them the night before. Kenji took full responsibility, softening the impact on the RTE outfit. His extensive background must've been even more profound than you thought because once he started speaking to the managers and directors, they seemed to trust and believe him completely before the offer for the recorder was made. Another order came - everyone besides you and Kenji was **** out. The vast majority of the security now consisted of regular, field-gray uniform soldiers. The tension in the room was so thick that every step felt weighed down.

After a few hours, the conversation between the officers and the Japanese managers spilled into further disputes. It was calm and collected, but the more they talked, the less interesting the whole situation became to you. Inked names and paperwork were never on your list of fun jobs. You started lounging around and drinking lightly while the morning spiraled down a path of words, pens, and new promises. The rush of the gunfight had long worn off. Even the shock of the news had faded once the talks went behind closed doors. Now, under a more watchful eye, surrounded by regular Japanese guards and standard RTE uniforms, everyone remained in the main lobby like cattle, grazing on snacks as though they were grass.

You started to field strip your Glock on a counter when a voice came from behind you. "Hey."

When you turned around, you saw Akiko with her hands folded behind her. An instant sensation of butterflies fluttered in your stomach. This was kind of embarrassing, honestly. Your work with Mikka wasn't mentioned, but it didn't take a genius to piece together some of the events from the night before. Akiko's expression was dull, yet curious. "Hello."

She strode over and rubbed her arms, careful not to stare at you as you reassembled your gun. "So. Was last night just one big lie?" She came out, not bothering to hide anything.

You stammered and looked away. "Not exactly."

She sucked in her lips, narrowing her gaze, desiring more feedback. It wasn't long before you chased your own words. "I was offered something more. Something worse." She prompted for more.

"I was offered money to get Sachio into a bad situation," you paused, looking around. If anyone heard what you were telling Akiko, you might be strung up and killed too. "Last night, when we were leaving, I realized I couldn't go through with it, so I told Kenji and he put an immediate stop to it. Violently, but it was the quickest and easiest route."

Akiko nodded. "I heard Kenji's recording. Why'd you even consider the offer?"

Greed? The money sounded good. Excitement? This side job wasn't exactly all that fun. It was in the heat of the moment too. But was that really enough to justify getting Sachio and Kenji drunk? No. It wasn't. That didn't stop you from telling her that, though. She listened intently, not interrupting once as you explained what was going on in your mind. When you got to the end of your story, she cleared her throat. "I don't agree with anything you did. I find it absolutely disgusting. If it weren't for your redeeming action of telling Kenji..."

Akiko trailed off, thinking for a moment. "If you didn't tell Kenji, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

And who knows where Sachio would be right now? "Ah, well... It's done. I'm glad I stopped it when I did."

Silence ensued, but you broke it. "What's next for Katana Arts and your show biz?"

"Ha? Oh, with the weather being as bad as it is, we were expecting to unwind anyway. We'll do our routines and group practices still, but we're likely looking at a whole lot of free time now." There was no indication of a smile on her face as she said this. It seemed she was actually kind of saddened by the newly given downtime. Or perhaps she was still bitter about the earlier events, which deserved more attention. "Maybe Kenji can take us around town and let Sachio and me do some sightseeing or something."

"I'm pretty sure any outside activities will be secured by your home guards now. You sure that Kenji or anyone else in the RTE is gonna be used for escorts still?" You asked her, making her look up at you. "I doubt the RTE will just relax either. They'll be sure to interview all of us."

"You're wrong." She said. "Kenji really does have connections, and after this huge reveal, I bet Katana Arts will try to recruit him when we leave."

You remembered Mikka going on about his background. Does Akiko know Kenji personally too? Her eyes had drifted somewhere else. You asked if she knew Kenji; she shook her head. "Not really. I don't know him as well as Sachio did. Her family used him as a-"

She stopped. "I shouldn't say. They were childhood friends, though, so they are more familiar with each other. That's all I'm allowed to say."

"I see." Your lips puckered while your brain became wrapped in thoughts. "Who'd you want from the RTE regiment to be part of your guard?"

This question seemed to make her smile a little. She looked back at you. "Kenji, obviously. I suppose I don't know how many of the others Mikka had around his finger. Look at Zuprik for an example... At least you had a big enough backbone to stand up to them. Even without knowing Kenji was fully on your side."

"Even after telling me my actions were disgusting? And non-redeeming?"

"Hey!" She said. "I did not say it was non-redeeming. I said it WAS the redeeming factor. I do have my doubts though, but you aren't completely untrustworthy... Kind of the opposite, sticking up the way you did."

A subtle blush went over your face. Hearing Akiko praise you was kind of embarrassing for some reason. "You're not so bad, Warren. Thank you for doing what was right for Sachio."

Seeing Akiko now, with her tiny smile and fixed stare, was worth the gunfight. You scoffed to hide your flushed cheeks. "I could have stopped it sooner."

"But you did the right thing in the end, and that's all that really matters." She corrected you. "She's in good health. Plus, this'll make Kenji super protective over her; she got what she wanted, one way or another."

You both laughed somewhat shortly after you agreed to her statement. When you stopped, you continued to look at each other. She cleared her throat, brushed back her brown hair, moistened her lips, and leaned into the table. She was expecting you to carry on the conversation...