Midnight Affairs: Tokyo Secret Wives Club

This day had come.

Monday. A day Riku had never thought would feel this heavy on his chest.

Not for a man like him.

Not for the new version of him.

The hallway leading to the executive boardroom felt quieter than usual. Or maybe his ears were just trained for the storm that was already gathering—one built behind closed doors and hushed loyalties.

Riku adjusted the silver cuff of his dark suit, straightened the clean lines of his collar, and exhaled.

This wasn't just a meeting.

This was a battle.

It wasn't supposed to be this complicated. He hadn't come here to play power games. He hadn't returned for ambition. He was content being temporary. A name on paper until the dust of a broken contract settled. But Yua… she had different plans. She always did.

And now he was Vice President of Apex.

A seat not just powerful—but visible. Vulnerable.

And someone else had been waiting for that visibility.

---

As the elevator opened on the executive floor, he saw him.

Kenji Hayasaka.

First time since returning. The man who had once watched Riku from the shadows of every boardroom meeting, the man who used to be barely a footnote in Yua's meetings—now stood tall, smug in a pinstripe suit and eyes too eager to measure.

"Riku," Kenji said, smiling too wide. "Didn't think we'd be crossing paths this soon."

He offered a handshake. Riku accepted it. Briefly.

Kenji's grip was firm. Fake. He leaned closer, as if to whisper camaraderie.

"Strange, how fast things change here. One moment, you're out. The next, you're handed things on a silver platter… or rather, on someone's thighs."

The smile remained on Kenji's lips, but his eyes sharpened, dark with something deeper than rivalry—resentment.

Riku's own face didn't flinch. He didn't blink. Just held that stare.

"Don't worry," Riku murmured. "Some of us don't need silver platters to rise. Others… still waiting for someone to feed them."

Kenji's jaw clenched. Just slightly. Enough to confirm what Riku already knew.

He was planning something.

And not alone.

---

As Kenji disappeared down the hallway, Riku moved toward his office. But the next distraction came wrapped in curves and audacity.

Fuyumi.

She leaned against his office door like she owned the wall. One leg crossed over the other, her body poured into a burgundy dress that defied corporate rules.

"Look who's early," she purred. "You always did take Mondays too seriously."

Riku said nothing. He stepped past her, but Fuyumi slid in with him, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Her fingers were immediately on his chest. Then lower. Slipping past his blazer. Testing the edge of his belt like it was a stress toy.

He caught her wrist gently.

"Really?"

Fuyumi smirked. "I like men who fight. Especially when they win."

Her other hand came up, trailing across his shoulder.

"If you survive today… I've got a surprise waiting for you."

"Should I be scared?" Riku asked.

She laughed lowly. "Only if you lose."

He tilted his head. "Isn't your husband my opposition today?"

She shrugged, nonchalantly. "Is he? I stopped checking."

Riku arched a brow.

Fuyumi leaned up, whispered, "Break them, Vice President," and walked out like nothing had happened.

___

Yua's Office — Morning of the Meeting

The door to the President's office swung open without a knock.

Riku stepped in, unannounced, but not unexpected.

Yua was standing by the window, arms crossed, the city's skyline mirrored in the glass behind her. Her silhouette looked carved out of elegance and control, tight, clean ponytail, high-collared black dress, and a silver watch ticking too loudly in the silence.

She didn't turn immediately.

"Look like Fuyumi is very interested in you," Yua said calmly, voice cold but dipped in something else. Not quite amusement. Not quite anger. Something quieter. "She always did prefer men on the battlefield."

Riku walked in, the door clicking shut behind him.

"You knew she would."

"I know many things. Including the fact you're late."

He glanced at the clock. "I'm early."

"I meant emotionally," she said, finally turning to face him.

Her gaze was sharp. The kind of sharp that didn't cut skin but bled truth. Riku met her stare, and for a breath, silence pressed between them like an unfinished memory.

She took a step closer, heels clicking softly.

"You know what this meeting is," she said. "It's not about the quarterly reports. It's not about the merger. It's about you."

"I know," Riku replied.

Yua's lips twitched, just enough to almost be a smile. Almost.

"You're the visible wound in their perfect illusion. They want to disinfect you, then forget you were ever here."

"And you're not worried?"

"I'm always worried," she said simply. "But not about you."

That flicker again in her tone. Not warmth, but not detachment either. Like she had placed him in the one drawer in her mind labeled fragile but necessary.

She stepped even closer, reached for the edge of his collar, and adjusted it without asking.

Her fingers lingered a second too long. Not romantic. Not maternal. Just… aware.

"Don't let Kenji bait you," she said softly. "He'll push. He always does. He wants to break your tempo. Not your logic."

Riku remained still, watching her like one might study the flame that once burned them.

"And the others?" he asked. "The ones he's whispering to behind the walls?"

She pulled back. Crossed her arms again.

"I'll handle them."

Silence again. Thicker now. Something unsaid sat between them like a third presence. The past. The unslept nights. The deal they never put into words.

"I'll do my best," Riku finally said.

Yua looked up at him, and for the first time, her voice dropped—not in volume, but in armor.

"You'll do better than that," she said. "Because you don't have the luxury of failing."

Her eyes lingered.

Not on his face. Not on his body. But on the space between them. The years. The cracks. The bond they once pretended didn't exist.

Then she turned back to the window.

"You can go now," she said quietly.

He left without another word.

But even with the door closed behind him, her reflection didn't move from the glass.

And her hands… were trembling.

___

Author's Note:

So, Fuyumi promised Riku a "big surprise" if he wins.

Now the real question is....What is that surprise?

Take your wildest guess in the comments.

And stay tuned....it's going to be deliciously unexpected.