Chapter Two: FoxHound Solutions
The business card led Keichi to a sleek, modern office building located in a quieter, upscale part of the city. FoxHound Security Solutions, the plaque read in brushed steel. The address was for a corporate office, not a hotel. Keichi felt a mix of apprehension and hope. This was a long shot, but he had nothing left to lose.
He walked over to the front door, which was locked. He rang the intercom.
"What is your business here?" a clipped, professional voice asked through the speaker.
"My name is Keichi Inukai. I'm here to speak with Ms. Tanaka," he replied, holding the card up near the camera for confirmation.
There was a pause, then a different voice cut in, smoother and familiar. "It's alright, Mark. I'll handle this. Please resume your rounds."
The door buzzed open.
Keichi entered a brightly lit, minimalist lobby. Akari Tanaka, the most admired CEO, emerged from a hallway, wearing a sharp navy business suit.
"Ms. Tanaka," he began, "I apologize for the intrusion. I was the man who assisted you this morning. Someone who I assisted earlier, they gave me this card and mentioned I should call if I needed anything. I, ah, recently found myself unemployed and was hoping the job offer was serious."
A soft, genuine smile touched her lips. "Please, Keichi, follow me to my office. We can talk."
She led him to a spacious office with a large window overlooking the city. She gestured to a comfortable leather chair opposite her desk. "Sit down. Let's conduct a proper interview."
During the interview, Akari noticed how tense Keichi seemed, his shoulders tight with anxiety from the past week's ordeal.
"Keichi," she said gently, leaning forward, "relax. Be honest with me about yourself. The Columbus Grand has a notorious reputation. We hear things in this industry; they're known for overworking certain employees and fostering a toxic environment."
Keichi finally exhaled, relieved to hear someone acknowledge the truth of that place. He spoke openly about his work ethic, his martial arts training, and the circumstances of his departure, though he omitted the detail of the doctored photo, feeling the shame acutely.
Akari nodded thoughtfully. "You strike me as a very hardworking and principled young man." She stood up and moved to the window, looking out at the skyline, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I believe you are exactly the kind of person FoxHound needs. We have an opening on our security and client relations team. The position is yours, if you want it."
Keichi felt a wave of relief so profound it nearly brought him to tears. "Yes, Ms. Tanaka. I want it. Thank you."
The following week, Keichi started at FoxHound Security Solutions and fell in love with the job. The atmosphere was calm, professional, and genuinely easygoing. There were regular breaks, fair pay, and a clear chain of command that treated everyone with mutual respect. The staff was welcoming, the work fulfilling, and for the first time in his professional life, Keichi felt like he belonged. The shadow of the Columbus Grand began to fade.
One afternoon, a notification popped up on his desk computer: Please report to the CEO's office.
Keichi's heart skipped a beat. Old habits died hard. He rushed to her office, knocking tentatively.
"Enter," Akari called.
He opened the door. "Ms. Tanaka? Am I in trouble?" he asked, wringing his hands slightly.
Akari let out a bright, genuine laugh. "Goodness, no, Keichi. Not at all. Please, come in and close the door." She gestured to the chair. "I just wanted to check in. How are you holding up? Are you enjoying the new role?"
"I love it here, Ms. Tanaka. It's a great place to work," he said earnestly. "Honestly, I haven't forgotten the woman I helped on the street the other day. If anything, I owe her for leading me here, for giving me the opportunity. I wish I could thank her again."
Akari tilted her head, her smile widening. "Oh?"
She reached up and pulled a pin from the elegant bob, letting her dark hair cascade down around her shoulders. Then, she picked up a simple pair of round-frame glasses from her desk and slipped them on.
Keichi froze, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. The messy ponytail, the slightly frazzled look from the street... it was the same person.
"Do you recognize me now, Keichi?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Keichi's jaw nearly dropped. "You... you're her?"
"In the flesh," she confirmed. "Sometimes I disguise myself, purely to relieve myself of the 'CEO' title for a few hours. I walk the streets, see the city as a normal person. It was just bad luck I ran into those thugs that morning. Thank you again, Keichi. For protecting me."
Akari stretched, wincing slightly as she rotated her shoulders. "Ugh, sitting at this desk all day is a killer."
"A bad shoulder ache?" Keichi asked, immediately concerned. "I can help, if you're comfortable with it. My sensei taught us some basic massage techniques for muscle tension."
Akari hesitated for a second, then nodded, smiling gratefully. "I'd appreciate that, thank you."
Keichi moved behind her chair and began to work on the tight muscles in her shoulders with practiced, strong hands. Akari closed her eyes, sighing in relief. The tension of the office melted away under his expert touch.
Meanwhile, back at the Columbus Grand Hotel, chaos reigned.
The absence of Keichi Inukai was felt in every department. Without his quiet efficiency, mundane tasks piled up, maintenance requests went unanswered, and the cleanliness of the guest rooms plummeted. The hotel had been hit with multiple scathing complaints about poor service, rude staff, and general disarray. The front office was a disaster zone, and Henderson was spiraling. He was worried that if this continued, their revenue would bottom out and the hotel would be forced to close down.
He sat stewing in his office, looking through industry competitor filings, trying to find an edge. His eyes landed on a recent employee report from FoxHound Security Solutions—their primary rival in the corporate security sector. He stopped, staring at a name near the bottom of the new hire list: Keichi Inukai.
"That little rat," Henderson muttered, slamming his fist on the desk. "He jumped ship to the competition."
A nasty grin spread across his face. "If he thinks he can just leave us high and dry, he's got another thing coming. We need him back. And if he won't come willingly, we'll force him."
Henderson picked up the phone, dialing Mark, the maintenance worker who had initially accused Keichi. The scheme began to form in his mind—a plan to reclaim their best (and cheapest) worker, by any means necessary.