Aoki, The Infinite Onion

The shower stops.

It's time, Aoki thinks as he dries his thick black hair with a towel.

It was always time for Aoki—a man perpetually on the run. On the run from his government. On the run from foreign agents. On the run from the underworld to which he belonged. On the run from himself.

Still naked, he walks over to the window and pulls back the drapes, letting in a flood of sunlight and revealing the vast city skyline stretching as far as the eye can see.

"This is my playground, my jungle... my concrete jungle. And I'm the lion in this bitch."

Yet even as the words left his lips, doubt gnawed at him. Was he truly the predator he believed himself to be? Or was he the prey? Or perhaps a mix of both?

The thought lingers as he strides into the walk-in closet, selecting a black tuxedo suit and matching black leather boots. He was dressed to kill—literally.

Just as he finishes dressing, a knock sounds at the door. A firm, deliberate knock. It could only be Ryan, his driver and personal security detail.

Aoki grabs his laptop bag and heads to the door, exchanging a brief nod with Ryan before they make their way to the elevator in silence. Their steps are perfectly synchronized, like soldiers marching in formation. They never spoke unless necessary—an unspoken rule.

From her window, Emi watches the interaction, curiosity sparking in her chest. The man who had just arrived at Aoki's door was massive, his muscular frame straining against the fabric of his suit. A security agent? A bodyguard, maybe?

Her eyes flicker to the tattoo on his neck. She's seen it before—somewhere—but she can't quite place where.

And that synchronized, silent walk… Was Aoki a trained ninja assassin? She chuckles, amused by the ridiculous thought, though a small part of her isn't entirely joking.

There was something lurking about this man. This Aoki guy. Something intriguing, something sinister...something...dangerous?

Danger always appealed to her. Maybe that's why she kept falling for the wrong men. "But then again, good boys ain't no fun." Is how she always justified her love for risqué loving.

"The Onion that was Aoki is peeling itself, one layer at time..." she thought, "while piling on more layers."

"The Infinite Onion," she chuckles, "The Onion that can't be peeled."

She couldn't wait to see what lay beneath the next layer, and the next, and the next one after that...

"Be careful what you wish for, " the Angel on her shoulder warned.

She wouldn't have to wait long.