Hidden Motive

Chapter 18

Saruhiko

We burst into the meeting room, our frantic expressions quickly changing. we walked calmly to the only two empty seats at the farthest end of the table (tabl•e ^~^). Hidaka sat across from me and for awhile everyone was silent, just sitting there and watching us.

"Anyways, as I was saying" Munakata spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

He stared speaking again but I honestly wasn't listening to a word of it. My mind was so cluttered at that moment that words came slow to me, running through my brain like molasses.

"How are we going to get the information on the Strains in Homra? They won't willingly give it to us with an explanation and the last thing we need is to bring people in so that they can start problems" I heard someone say.

I dismissed their idiotic question for the moment and proceeded to drown in my own thoughts. How could I get that information without Akane figuring it all out? I clicked the pen in my hand and stared intently at the table in front of me. Akane isn't stupid, that's for sure. She distrusted me from the beginning, which means that her instincts are pretty much right on the money...

"Fushimi is taking care of that for us... Is my assumption correct?" Munakata asked, drawing my attention back to the conversation.

I looked up, sitting straighter than before, "Hm? Oh yes, I am taking care of that."

"And what do you have for us as of right now?"

I inhaled deeply, "I don't quite have anything at this moment-"

Munakata pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed in disappointment, "You mean to tell me that you haven't found the slightest bit of information on Aki?"

"Yes."

"Not even something insignificant like her favorite color? Or worst fear? Anything?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Well her favorite color is obviously not blue..."

I clicked my pen one more time and turned back to staring at the table in order to avoid the triumphant expressions of my subordinates.

"Fushimi."

"Yes sir?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Don't make me regret moving you up in rank..."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as almost everyone at the table smiled mockingly at me.

I resumed an expressionless face as if I didn't even care but in reality, I did. A lot. My point of view suddenly shifted. When it came to either me or Akane, the choice as clear. I wasn't about to let some girl ruin everything I've worked so hard to achieve.

"I'll get right on it..." I muttered as I stood up and walked out of the conference room, all eyes on me as I opened the door and slipped out into the hallway.

One way or another, I was going to keep my position, even if it meant breaking a new friendship, no matter how unstable it was to begin with.