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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

JIRO

I glanced at my watch. It was time.

Iron Face had deliberately assigned me an outdoor task, away from Akiko and Kenji. After hanging the last tablecloths on the drying line, I made my way toward the maze.

My pulse quickened with each step as I navigated the memorized path to the dead end with the stone bench. Reina was already there, sitting with her hands neatly folded in her lap, her scowl sharp enough to draw blood.

“You told me Kenji would not survive the next challenge,” she said, her voice hissing. “Yet here he is, alive and well. It was supposed to be just you and Akiko left by now.”

I sat beside her in deliberate defiance; I had not been invited. “And you told me the challenge would involve the venomous spiny sea urchin,” I countered. “I had it all worked out. Kenji would get poisoned and, in his delirium, stumble into the industrial meat grinder.” I turned to her, my voice rising despite myself. “But no, instead, we get thrown into an ice cage. That’s not even close! I could have died!”

“My husband changed the challenge without telling me. What was I supposed to do?” she said, cold and unbothered.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I snapped, rolling my eyes. “Maybe warn me? Did it not occur to you that was an important detail?”

She whipped her head around. “Be careful how you speak to me.” Her words were clipped. “I am Chef Sakamoto’s wife. You will address me with the respect I am due. Am I clear?”

I swallowed the sharp retort that I had ready to fire off and forced myself to nod. “I apologize for raising my voice,” I said.

Reina’s expression softened slightly. “We were both caught off guard,” she said, as if offering an olive branch. “But the question is, Can you still do what you promised?”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “What, get rid of Kenji?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I’ll try.”

She clicked her tongue impatiently. “I’m not asking you to try, Jiro. I need an absolute. Kenji must die, and it must happen before the next challenge. It needs to look like an accident.”

I leaned back, studying her carefully. “Why is this so important? Are you afraid Chef Sakamoto might pick him?”

Her lips stretched into a thin smile. “My reasons are my own. We had an agreement, Jiro. I’ll keep my end if you keep yours. So, can I count on you?”

I exhaled sharply, raking a hand through my hair. “What exactly do you expect me to do? Sneak into his room and stab him in his sleep?”

She waved off my sarcasm as if it were a pesky fly. “I don’t concern myself with the details.” After a moment, her expression shifted, and a faint smirk appeared. “You aren’t having second thoughts, are you? The three of you looked awfully friendly during the last challenge. Are you becoming BFFs?”

I let out a dry laugh. “Hardly. Look, I’m not a trained killer. If you want this done, I’m going to need help.”

She tilted her head, considering for a moment. “Fine,” she said at last. “I’ll make arrangements with Kanshisha-san.” She paused. “You know he’s aware of the nickname given him, don’t you?”

My stomach tightened. “Really?”

“Of course,” she said with a laugh. “And he takes it as a compliment, the opposite of what was intended.”

I stared at her, unsure whether to believe her, but before I could respond, she stood, brushing a little dirt off her skirt. “Iron Face will be in touch. Be ready.”

And like that, she was gone, leaving me alone in the maze, wondering if my plan would work the way I intended it.