WORD COUNT: 0.6k // SUMMARY: A man and a girl talk.
Most called it the Syndicate, but Konoe preferred to think of it as home. It had plucked him from the streets and bestowed upon him an education. He could not fathom how he would survive if it were to expel him.
There were times, though, when he genuinely questioned his commitment to the organization.
“Why an idol group, though?“
The girl opposite him rolled her eyes. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with large eyes and a garishly-decorated phone case, but Konoe did not know how old she truly was. She could have been his age, or even older. Her family was remarkably long-lived and well-preserved, after all; it would not have come as a surprise. “Konoe-san, think about it! They’ll never suspect us if we pose as idols!“
“It would be cheaper to buy out a company and use it to funnel resources into Seoul,“ Konoe tried, attempting to sound as polite as possible. “We have a foothold, do we not? We’ll import manpower from our strongholds, and seize control of the trafficking networks, the protection rackets, the -“
“You’re thinking like an accountant,“ the girl sighed. “Have a little more flair, Konoe-san.“ She leaned in, oblivious to how the pair of them would look to outsiders - a serious-looking gentleman sitting opposite an immaculately-dressed coquette - and continued. “In any case, someone else will handle the nitty-gritty. All that you’ve mentioned - the acquisitions, the footwork, the dissemination of orders - that’ll be taken care of. If they need any extra strength, a little bit of a push -“ and here she pressed, gently, into the metal table, leaving a dent - “we’ll be there to help.“
Are you sure this isn’t just you wanting to strike out on your own? Konoe thought. Instead of voicing his thoughts, though (which would have earned him a severe and violent reprimand), he cleared his throat. “As you say, miss.“
The girl smiled. “Excellent, Konoe-san. I’m surprised that you only argued for this long.“
The girl extended her manicured nails and counted them off. “There’s me, and then there’s Chiemi. So, two. There’s the girl whom we’re keeping in the basement - three. The two aspiring idols in Seoul -“ She paused. “Oh, speaking of which, Konoe-san, that’s another reason. They want to be idols. It would be a good way to bring them on-side, wouldn’t you think?“
You wanted to become an idol too, Konoe thought. “Yes, miss.“
“So, that’s five.“ The girl tilted her head, pursed her lips, and smiled. “And, to round things off… well, there was a young lady who came to us for help last week.“
Konoe sighed in the privacy of his mind. “Ah, yes?“
“She’s hiding from the Americans. There was an incident in California.“
Konoe blinked. “Is it…” He swallowed. “Is it the incident which they are calling the Caltech Massacre?“
“Oh, so you’ve heard of it. You suspected the same thing we did, didn’t you?“ The girl giggled. “You’re really smart, Konoe-san. Anyway, we have confirmation. She’ll be the sixth member of our little group, once we’ve ironed out the kinks and cleaned her up a little.” She sighed. “She really is a foul little creature, isn’t she? She deserves that makeover.“
“Of course, miss,“ Konoe said. “Of course.“
“You’ll handle all contacts with the homeland, naturally, and you’ll be our first point of contact when communicating with management. I’ll need some insulation between myself and them.“
“Shall I lay the groundwork, then?“
“Do so,“ the girl said, waving a hand. “Name it whatever you like, but make sure that the staff are loyal beyond reproach.“