[FAN FIC] Message in a Cup (Chapter 4)
Summary: Satoshi meets a shinigami (angel of death) and his guardian angel. He only has 3 days to find out how is he going to die or who is his murderer.
Warning: Major character death
Notes:
- 99% of those who will read this are familiar with Arashi, but for those who aren't, please refer to this video to have visual of the members (their names are shown as Last Name First Name as what is common in Japan. In this story, their name format is in English with Japanese honorifics).
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“Good morning, Toma-kun. You’ll be a free man tomorrow,” Reiji said.
It was a plain day in prison and not a lot of people have visitors.
“I can’t wait to leave this place, Reiji-san,” he said.
“I can imagine,” said Reiji. “I had a word with Ohno and I told him that he had to give me back my company by tomorrow or I’ll kill him. You can be part of the execution tomorrow to get back at him. You know where to find me.”
And with that, Reiji left.
Toma Ikuta had been counting the days before he can get out of prison. He had a luxurious life as the Assistant Secretary of Reiji Samajima. The pay was decent, but it was the other perks that made his job worthwhile.
Things turned ugly for him when Satoshi Ohno became a business partner and bought the company from Reiji but kept the company name.
He did not enjoy the usual perks of leaving the office early and have unlimited number of leaves. When he was promoted as the Secretary, he basically had to be on call 24/7.
He lost his social life, lost his other income from Reiji and practically had no life.
He became clumsy that he forgot to clean up his mess after stealing a huge amount from the company, which lead him to imprisonment. Reiji got away with it, though.
Tomorrow will be Toma’s big day. He will turn things around when he gets out.
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“You’re a very clever man, Sakurai-san. Who knew that you can plan all of these?” Said the man on the phone.
“I’ve been watching his every move, even from afar. He’s not aware of what will happen tomorrow,” Sho grimly said.
“Very good.”
“I am tired of just watching in the sidelines when I knew I can do something. I hated having my hands tied up. Now, I can finally do it and nobody suspected it at all.” Sho smirked.
“And your trip to Singapore is an excellent alibi. Don’t go to the hotel or office right after your plane arrives. Go someplace safe or with someone you trust a few moments before we execute the plan. That way, you will have an alibi. Wait for our message.”
“I can’t wait. I can finally enjoy my life after this,” Sho sighed.
“Indeed. Tomorrow is the start of your better life.’
The man on the other line hang up.
Sho put down his cell phone and stared at the new coffee cup that he bought at Universal Studios.
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Masaki reviewed the file on his laptop. He feared that this time would come. He might have to close one of his bars in the Samajima hotels due to lack of profit. In fact, he might close a few bars or risk bankruptcy.
It has been a long time since he’s gone near bankruptcy. The last time was seven years ago when his unknown but competitive restaurant was in the brink of closure.
At that time, Satoshi was scouting for a restaurant to provide daily breakfast buffet to all of his hotels. If his was selected by Satoshi, it will save his restaurant.
His restaurant passed Satoshi’s standards, but his friend selected another one, instead. He didn’t know that Satoshi planned to open an exclusive bar to all Samajima hotels and make him as the Managing Director.
Oblivious to Satoshi’s plans, he didn’t take the restaurant decision well and sank into depression. He was already getting depressed about his drowning restaurant and didn’t tell Sho nor Satoshi about it. Satoshi’s decision to choose another restaurant over his was the final blow and he lost it. Only Sho knew about his depression history and how bad it can get. Sho went there to prevent the worst, but ended up being caught in the middle. It was a miracle that he survived and Satoshi was not hurt.
This time though, he may lose some of his bars because of Satoshi’s wrong decision.
They had several heated discussions about bar logistics and cost and Satoshi made a decision to choose quantity over quality, against Masaki’s advice. Now, they are suffering the consequences.
He clenched his fists and inhaled slowly. He had the fearful urge to be aggressive and he knew what can happen next.
“No, Masaki! You can control yourself…” He shouted and banged his fist on the table.
His face became dark and he gripped a Swiss knife in his hands.
“Someone has to pay for my misfortune,” he declared.
Disclaimer: This is an original fictional work loosely based on the members of the group Arashi and does not promote any specific brand or product. People, places, and others used in this story are purely for fiction.