Work, but I hang out with Akiko again.

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow over your otherwise dark room. The previous night's conversation with Akiko comes back to you, stirring a curiosity about her in your morning thoughts.

You get out of bed within a few minutes, rinse off the morning dizziness in the shower, and brush your teeth before heading to the lobby to check today's agenda. As expected, it's more indoor work with the dancers practicing, warming up, and running through their routines. Kenji is there, along with all the familiar faces: Mikka, Zuprik, Sachio, and, of course, Akiko, who captures your full attention while she's on stage with the others. Despite her confessions of feeling like an outsider, she seems warmly welcomed.

While you keep an eye on Akiko from the corners of the room, you also monitor Mikka and Zuprik. Your primary focus is on Akiko, but you're also ensuring Sachio stays away from Mikka and his cohort.

The tension with Mikka is palpable; your interactions are sharp, brief, and sometimes offensive. He makes odd remarks and petty jabs, which grinds your gears. You recall McKinley and Sasha's warnings about Mikka's deep involvement with the RTE, contemplating whether to discuss this with Kenji.

This thought lingers with you as the day winds down. You only start to relax when you see Sachio with Kenji at the same table. At least she's safe for now. Your vision is suddenly blocked by someone stepping in front of you. Annoyed, you glare up, but your expression softens upon seeing it's Akiko.

She's in the same leggings, red skirt, and black coat as earlier, her face relaxed after a recent shower post-practice.

Akiko's smile makes you smile. “Good evening, sir,” she chimes, sitting across from you. “I want you to take me out again tonight.”

“Wow,” you nod, giving Sachio one last glance before focusing on Akiko. “Was I really that good of a tour guide last night?”

Akiko chuckles. “I think you’re the only one who will let me do what I want. I’d like to go back to the bar tonight.”

“If you’re serious about it. Sure, I can do that for you again,” you say, eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “As long as you don’t get completely drunk.”

Akiko scoffs and crosses her arms. “The studio would kill me if they found out I was drinking. I’m supposed to be 100% sober. Consider yourself my, uh, patrol officer?”

“Parole officer,” you chuckle and correct. “If I knew you were supposed to be sober, I wouldn’t have allowed you to drink last night either.”

“I’ll meet you outside… Actually, I’m meeting you at Tree Tip. Just so we’re not officially seen together by the hotel staff,” Akiko looks around. “Not that we haven’t been together already.”

“This kind of setting is different,” you explain, catching Kenji and Mikka in conversation, with Mikka pointing at you. You look away. “But, yeah. We probably shouldn’t be seen together outside of workplace gatherings.”

“Good,” she chuckles. “We can both be sneaky then.”

Later that night, you meet Akiko at the Tree Tip. The place reminds you of Tiny's Tavern, where you spent time with Delilah, your last romantic interest. There's small talk about Japan, touching on cultural differences between a war-torn America and an expanding Japan reclaiming its territories.

There's a lot of pride in Akiko's voice as she talks about national pride, though she steers clear of discussing Japan's historical brutality. Instead of pretzel bites, you opt for a meat and cheese platter. Molly, behind the counter, is quick but now splits her attention more evenly among the patrons. The mood is casual, making it easy to forget the tensions of the day.

Molly returns with a platter of homemade chocolate pieces. "These aren't on the menu," she says, setting it down. "Just something I made for you to try."

Akiko's eyes light up. "Can I have one?" she asks eagerly.

"Sure, they're whiskey-infused, kind of like shots," Molly replies with a cautious smile.

"Oh, chocolate shots?" Akiko gasps, her curiosity piqued. She picks one up, her eyes meeting yours with a mischievous twinkle. "I love chocolate."

You watch her pop one into her mouth, her face quickly betraying her surprise at the unexpected kick. "Whoa, slow down," you warn, catching her wrist as she reaches for another. "These are strong."

Akiko's cheeks turn rosy, and her pupils dilate. "Chocolate shots?" She covers her mouth with her fingers to hide a burp. Her eyes widen, then she smiles sheepishly. "I can taste it."

"I should take you back," you say as you watch her reach for another piece. Molly leaves the platter behind and runs to serve someone else. Akiko giggles and goes for another one, managing to eat it before you can move the platter away. "Stop it."

Between the drink she ordered and the chocolate shots she's technically taken, you know she's had enough to make anyone drunk, especially someone of her size. She giggles, then bursts out laughing. "My head is spinning so fast, Warren. I might be in trouble!" Akiko's clearly off her rocker, and you focus on taking care of her.

"Are you going to carry me home now, Mr. Contractor?" Akiko can barely speak past her giggling.

You smile, worried about the implications of getting one of your clients drunk, especially since Akiko is Japanese. Your smile fades. "I need to get you back before someone sees you with me like this."

Akiko leans in. "What are you going to do?"