Chapter 2: Gaining Through Losing - A Hyogo Kaga x MC fic.
Asuka couldn't believe her ears; was Kaga inviting her to his place? Could it be....surely not!
Kaga must have read her mind, because he scoffed, “I'm not taking you home for that! Ugh, you're such a moron.”
She blushed. She really was foolish for thinking he would ever cross the line. They were still police officers after all.
“Um, Captain Kaga?” she spoke up meekly.
Kaga didn't reply immediately, but he suddenly snapped.
“Speak up, I don't have all day!”
“Why are you doing this? This....training. What is it even about?”
Asuka braced herself for another tongue lashing, but instead Kaga responded in a level voice.
“Our department doesn't lack in brains and brawn. In fact, we probably have a bit of a surplus.”
He turned a corner and pulled up in front of an apartment block.
“What we do lack, is in the beauty department.”
Asuka stared blankly at him. Did he just...compliment her looks?
“So...you're training me to be a honey trap?” she asked.
Kaga gave her a sly look and he brought his face inches towards hers. Asuka immediately flinched and closed her eyes tightly.
He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face and smell the stale cigarettes from his clothes.
Kaga gave another exasperated sigh.
“Good lord, you really are frigid aren't you? If I didn't know for a fact that you and Soma had sex, I would have thought you were still a-”
“YOU LEAVE SOMA OUT OF THIS!”
There was a ringing silence. Even Asuka was shocked by that outburst. Did she just yell at Kaga?
That's it, he's going to turn the car back and get her suspended for insubordination.
To her surprise, Kaga smirked.
“Touched a nerve, have I?”
Asuka's face was burning hot. She realized that she wasn't embarrassed by Kaga bringing up her personal life, but that she now couldn't get the memories of Soma and their most intimate moments together out of her head.
To her horror, she felt a lump in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes.
She tried to wipe her eyes as discreetly as she could.
“It was pretty ballsy of you to talk back just now.”
She looked at Kaga incredulously.
“I've seen you run headlong into dangerous situations”, he drawled. “That takes guts. Why not channel that courage towards overcoming your fear of being that close to a man?”
“A....are you telling me to not be scared of having sex with strangers?” she cried out.
He gave a loud laugh. “I'm not going to control your personal life. What I'm saying is, we are in desperate need for an elite female Public Safety officer who can get close to powerful and dangerous targets. That means going undercover as a hostess, exotic dancer, even a sex worker. Not only do you need to know how to seduce information out of them, there are also certain things you will be at higher risk at.”
He gave her a serious look.
“When you're a woman cornered by a man, they will often use sex to intimidate you. What you need to learn, is to stay strong in the face of sexual threat. And that is what I'm here to train you for.”
Asuka gulped. It all sounded very scary, but she also knew Kaga was right; if she wanted to be the best Public Safety officer she can be, she will need to toughen up.
She didn't want to admit it, but she had relied too much on Soma and the other instructors to save her previously.
Was this why Soma left her? She couldn't help but ponder that question again. He never gave her a proper reason for the break up, which was why it hurt so much. All he said was that he was going to stay in New York indefinitely, and that they could no longer be together. And he said it with that gentle, assuring voice and smile that made it so much worse.
Asuka slapped herself in the face.
Pull it together, stop being so weak and useless!
Chief Namba, Kaga and Ishigami believe that she had what it takes to become a trump card for the Public Safety team.
No more wallowing in self-doubt, she decided .
She will get stronger and be the best damn version of herself she can be.
“So, Officer Hayashi,” Kaga spoke in an orderly voice.
“Are you ready for the challenge?”
She nodded with a determined look in her eyes.
He gave a satisfied smile.
“In that case, let's go upstairs.”
*
Kaga's apartment is neatly furnished, but that was another way to describe it being basically empty. Asuka noticed that even the fridge was empty when Kaga opened it to offer her a drink.
“I have some soda and beer. Which do you prefer?”
“Soda please, I don't drink.”
Kaga reached in and grabbed a can of beer instead.
“Hey! I said I don't-”
“Wrong answer”, Kaga interrupted. “What sort of hostess can't hold her liquor? For your own safety, you need to build some level of tolerance to some kind of alcohol.”
Asuka gingerly opened the can of beer. It opened with a loud click and fizz. She took a sip and immediately made a disgusted face.
Kaga laughed. They had a long way to go, but he couldn't help but think that she looked quite cute when she pulled that face.
”Gross”, she declared.
“Why can't beer be sweet instead?”
Kaga raised his eyebrows.
“Do you like sweet things then?”
She nodded her head.
“Well, right now I'll take anything that could take the taste of this stuff out of my mouth!”
Kaga opened the fridge again and rummaged around for a few seconds. He pulled out a light green package.
“Do you like matcha?”
It was a sweet rice cake. Asuka noticed that it was an Uji region exclusive; the place with the highest grade of matcha in the country.
“Whoa, I didn't know you liked this stuff! Uji matcha is my favourite! Most people I know prefer the Shizuoka variant but I prefer the flavour of Uji matcha the most.”
Kaga stared at her with an incredulous expression on his face.
“Are you a middle aged woman? I've never heard someone your age ramble on about tea before.”
Asuka hung her head and blushed. She really was boring, wasn't she?
Kaga rapped his knuckle on her head.
“Watch your body language! This sort of behaviour shows weakness. And who said knowledge of matcha was boring? I just said it was unexpected. Broadening your general knowledge is also important so you can create connections with people from all walks of life.”
He took a step towards her as she instinctively backed up to create more room between them. She found herself pushing against the kitchen bench with nowhere to go.
Kaga's face was suddenly inches from her face again, as his fingers found his way to her chin. Asuka froze, but she did not close her eyes like she usually would. Instead, she willed herself to maintain eye contact with him.
The look in his eyes was truly intimidating, but at the same time there was a suggestive glint behind his glare.
The corner of his lip curled into a small smile as he leaned forward....
Asuka closed her eyes as she braced herself. However, the feeling of his lips never came.
Instead, she heard a derisive snort.
She opened her eyes to Kaga giving her a scornful look as he removed his hand from under her chin.
“Did you think I was going to do it?” he asked, shooting her a sly smile.
“Or should I ask....did you want me to do it?”
“O...of course not!” Asuka sputtered. “That would be wrong,” she finished somewhat lamely.
“Would it though?” Kaga asked searchingly.
Was that a rhetorical question? Regardless, Asuka did not answer him.
Kaga sighed and produced a set of keys from his pocket.
“Here's a set of keys to the apartment,” he said, as he handed placed them in her hand.
“I am now giving you full permission to enter whenever you wish, and to make any move you want on me.”
“W...what do you mean?” Asuka stammered.
“That's not for me to tell you,” he replied nonchalantly as he flicked a strand of hair out of his eyes.
“Your assignment is to seduce me. Think of me as a target you are trying to get information from. Once I believe you have satisfied the conditions, I will yield and give you what you want.”
“What sort of information am I after?” Asuka asked.
Kaga pondered for a second.
“I am suspected to be trafficking drugs, and it seems like I also have ties with the Yakuza. It is now up to you to find out where and when the next transaction will be.”
Asuka was stunned at how quickly he came up with the brief. Kaga would be a tough nut to crack, but if she couldn't nail someone who was deliberately holding back from harming her, she would have no chance against the loose cannon criminals out there.
Regardless of how ridiculous the premise was, she was in a safe space.
“You have full authority from me to do whatever it takes for me to yield.”
“But there is one exception: no weapons allowed. I want you to use only your wit and your body,” he finished, as his eyes gave her the once over.
“Don't think for a second it will be easy though!” Kaga warned.
“Just like in real life, I will respond and retaliate as the situation deems fit. However, you too will have an opportunity to yield if it gets too much.”
Asuka swallowed nervously. “Retaliate?”
Kaga's brow furrowed, but the look in his eyes appeared to have softened.
“Don't worry, I won't hurt you,” he assured her in a gruff voice as he turned away.
“I will respect your boundaries-”
He paused as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his mid-section. He also felt a soft weight press against his back
“I...is this working?” Asuka asked timidly, her head resting on Kaga's broad back. At this close proximity, she noticed that his suit smelt faintly of cigarettes and a mature, spicy cologne. It reminded her of a love hotel, seedy and full of hidden sexual debauchery.
“Hayashi, I am not your boyfriend”, Kaga replied mercilessly.
“Perhaps this might have worked on Soma, but I am not interested in childish displays of affection.”
Asuka's arms fell limply by her side.
Why did he have to say his name again?
Kaga must have felt a minor trace of remorse, because he immediately changed the topic.
“Looks like I have my work cut out for me. I'll give you some homework: find out how to increase your confidence. We'll meet up again same time next week.”
Asuka immediately tried to protest. She wanted more time with Kaga to figure out how she could get better but Kaga shot her a look that was so sharp she knew would incur his wrath if she pushed any more.
“That's it for tonight.”
