Page 9

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kenji and I stood at the entrance to the shower area. One of the showerheads still dripped, the faint plink-plink breaking the silence. The rest of the apprentices had finished bathing. Kenji had made sure of that. The narrow entrance was no wider than a doorway, shielding most of the shower area from prying eyes.

“I recommend showering in the far corner,” Kenji said, his tone casual but his expression serious. “I’ll be right outside. Just holler if you need help scrubbing your back.”

I gave him a playful pat on the chest. “Oh, I’m sure you’re the best back-scrubber in the business, huh?”

He grinned and stepped back, leaving me alone.

Six weeks of this, Akiko. Better get used to it.

I quickly stripped off my clothes and stepped under the farthest showerhead, letting the hot water cascade over me.

Okay, this isn’t so bad. The pressure is good, and the water’s still hot. I can live with this.

The moment of calm didn’t last. A noise echoed faintly from beyond the shower area as I switched off the water. A door closing.

“Kenji?” I called out, my voice steady but quiet.

My towel and clothes were hanging on hooks by the entrance, inconveniently far from where I stood. I tiptoed toward the edge of the showers, straining to hear anything beyond the faint drip of a faucet. Nothing. Had Kenji left?

I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around myself, the air suddenly feeling colder. “Kenji?” I called again, softer this time. No answer.

I peeked out, scanning the sink area and the stalls beyond it. Kenji was nowhere to be seen. To the left, rows of sinks lined the wall. To the right were urinals and the bathroom entrance. I crouched, peering under the stalls for any sign of feet. Empty.

A chill ran up my spine. I returned to the shower area, where I dried off quickly before slipping into my uniform. Just as I fastened the belt around my waist, the faint squeak of a door froze me mid-movement. Someone was out there.

My heart raced as I pressed myself against the tiled wall, straining to listen. The air felt thick with tension. Kenji wouldn’t ignore me, which meant it must be one of the other apprentices.

Anger bubbled up, cutting through my fear. I could let them believe they could intimidate me, or I could stand my ground.

Screw this.

I inhaled sharply and stepped out of the shower area, moving quickly and slamming into someone. Kenji.

“Akiko!” he said, steadying me with his hands. “Are you okay?”

I looked away, a little embarrassed by my wild imagination getting the best of me. “Yeah, I’m fine. What happened out here?”

“I had to chase away two guys, but it’s nothing this shower guard can’t handle.”

The rest of the night, Kenji hung out in my room. By now, we’d figured out that Kanshisha-san didn’t check in on us at night. The subject of Jiro inevitably came up. There was no avoiding it.

“I can’t believe it,” Kenji said, his mouth agape as he sat beside me on my bed. We had our backs against the wall, legs stretched out. “You and Jiro were boyfriend and girlfriend? Wait, I thought you said you didn’t have time for a relationship.”

“I didn’t. I mean, I don’t now. But this thing with Jiro happened back when I was in university.”

“So, what was it? Like a fling? A few months at most?”

“Um…a little over three years.”

Kenji whipped his head around to face me. “Three years? You dated that asshole for three long years? Oh my God, Akiko. I can’t believe this.”

“Kenji,” I said, rolling my eyes, “you’re overreacting.”

He shifted to fully face me, his expression serious. “Did you love him?”

I hesitated, but there was no point in lying. “I don’t know. Yeah, I guess. I mean, three years is a long time to be with someone without a good reason.”

His reaction softened, but I could still sense the tension in his jaw. Beneath his shock, I caught the faintest glimmer of something else… Jealousy.

I looped my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder, hoping to ease his mind. “Look, he means nothing to me now. Trust me. I broke up with him. And from what I heard later, he was walking around brokenhearted.”

Kenji raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t look brokenhearted over dinner. He came across as vengeful. And just to go on the record, I don’t believe you’re here because of your father’s relationship with Chef Sakamoto. But the others…they’ll think exactly what Jiro told them.”

“I know. It’s the one thing I wanted to keep under wraps.”

“Were they really that close? I don’t remember Chef Sakamoto ever visiting when I lived next door to you.”

“We were kids,” I said with a shrug. “I highly doubt you paid much attention to people visiting my father. Even my memory of him is vague. But I do remember enough to know they were very close, and both were rising stars in the sushi world.”

“Do you think he knows what happened to your father?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve been tempted over the years to reach out to him. I did hear that my father’s disappearance affected Chef Sakamoto—he almost gave up his career.”

“Really? We wouldn’t be here if he had. This all wouldn’t exist.” Kenji gestured around.

“I know, but apparently he pulled it together, and look at him now. King of the sushi chefs. Success beyond belief.”

“It could have easily been your father; he really was a rising star back then. I knew that much about him.”

It was true. As a little girl, I heard it all the time: that my father was destined to become the best, the kind of legend whose name would be whispered in reverence.

“Did you know they were each other’s only competition? My father told me they trained in the same apprenticeship program, pushing each other. He said they always joked about who would claim that crown.”

A look of concern appeared on Kenji’s face.

“I know what you’re thinking: Did Chef Sakamoto have anything to do with my father disappearing? The police cleared him, so no. And I believe it. When my father spoke about how he and Chef Sakamoto had plans to conquer the world of sushi together, I believed him. They were best friends.”

“You’re probably right. You lost your father; he lost a best friend. Kenji paused and turned to me. “You know, Jiro could end up being a real problem for you, Akiko. Especially if you have other secrets he knows about.”

“Trust me, that’s the only one.”

“We still don’t know how this program will play out, but if we’re competing against each other, I wouldn’t put it past him to sabotage you. He strikes me as the kind of guy who holds a grudge.”

“I know,” I admitted. “That’s what worries me too. But if he tries anything, I’ll be ready.”

Kenji snapped his fingers, and his eyes lit up. “If he goes after you, it’ll be psychological. Mind games. Guys like him love toying with women. He’s a fuckboy.”

“It’s a good thing I have you around to make sure I don’t get screwed over by the fuckboy.” Again.

Kenji laughed, the sound easing the tension in the room. “Seriously, though. The fact that he’s here must feel unreal for you. Two guys from your past are showing up at the same time in the same program. Those odds are insane.”

“A zillion to one,” I muttered.

Kenji’s face softened, and he placed a hand on mine. “For what it’s worth, I want you to succeed. I really do.”

The sincerity in his voice made me smile, but it also made my stomach twist with guilt. “But what if you’re not—” I stopped myself before finishing the thought.

Kenji picked up on it anyway. “You mean, what if I get dismissed?”

I swallowed hard. “Well…yeah. I mean, if you accidentally break a rule or something. I mean, we all could, right?”

His expression didn’t falter. “Until we face that issue, we’re friends. And friends look out for each other.”

I studied his face, searching for any sign of doubt, but there was none. Still, I couldn’t ignore the other feelings swirling beneath the surface. I’d missed him. I realized that now more than ever. And yet I couldn’t help but wonder… Were we destined just to be friends? Or could this be the start of something more?

I let out a yawn, and Kenji followed suit. “It’s getting late,” I said. “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s our first full day, and I have a feeling Kanshisha-san won’t take it easy on us.”

“You’re right.” Kenji stood and stretched. “Oh, before I go…” He dragged my chair to the door and lodged the back under the doorknob. “Now, no one can get in. Not without making a racket, anyway.”

I tested the door, tugging on the handle to make sure the chair held. It did. “Thanks, Kenji,” I said softly. I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “For looking out for me.”

Kenji smiled but didn’t say anything. After he left, I replaced the chair and crawled into bed, pulling the thin blanket over me. The chair trick worked, but for the first time, it dawned on me that I was surrounded by strangers, young men with their own ambitions and desires. What was stopping any of them from trying to get into my room during the night? Nothing but a chair.

Sleep didn’t come easy. I drifted in and out, every creak of the building snapping me awake.

And then it happened.

The doorknob jiggled.

My breath caught in my throat, and I froze, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure whoever was outside could hear it. I strained to listen, but the sound didn’t come again. Maybe I’d imagined it.

Then the doorknob jiggled again, harder this time, followed by the faint scrape of chair legs digging into the floorboards.

Someone was trying to get into my room.

I gripped the blanket tightly. What should I do? Should I scream? Pretend to be asleep? Confront whoever it was? My mind raced, paralyzed by indecision.

Then the shuffling stopped.

A faint click of the lock turning sent a shiver down my legs. Whoever it was had locked me in from the outside.