The morning air was crisp, unusually quiet as Hina stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room at the Kazama estate. Gone was the softness of her college attire or the delicate elegance she wore at the auction.
Today, she wore a fitted charcoal blazer with structured shoulders and a tapered waist, paired with sleek black trousers and low heels. Her hair was pulled into a polished ponytail, exposing the lines of her neck and the subtle shimmer of pearl studs in her ears.
She didn't look like a student today. She looked like a Kazama.
A quiet knock came at the door. Hina turned to see Yuto standing there, dressed sharply in a dark navy suit. He offered her a smile that was both reassuring and proud.
"You ready?" he asked.
Hina gave a small nod. "As I'll ever be."
They descended the main staircase together, where Ren was already waiting in the foyer. He glanced at them once—his eyes sweeping over Hina's outfit—and gave the smallest nod of approval.
"Let's go," he said simply.
The drive to the meeting location, a private compound in Minato ward, was silent but steady. Yuto sat beside her in the backseat, his hand brushing lightly against hers on the leather seat between them. She didn't pull away. She needed that quiet anchor.
*****
The meeting room was dimly lit, minimalist in style, with black lacquer walls and a long obsidian table that stretched the length of the room. At least twelve seats surrounded it, and three of them were already filled by the time they entered.
All eyes turned toward them.
Ren moved first, unbothered by the attention. He entered the room with steady steps, his presence drawing every eye.
Yuto followed a step behind him. And Hina, shoulders squared and chin high, walked beside them.
The moment she walked in, the whispers started, quiet but clear.
"Kazama's daughter?"
"She brought the boy too… Daiki's son."
"So it's true—they're grooming the next generation."
Hina didn't flinch.
Hina took her seat beside Ren without being told. Yuto sat on her other side, calm and relaxed, but his eyes stayed alert.
Across from them sat two regional leaders: Kuroda from Nagoya and Seki from Kobe. Both were older, experienced, and watching Hina with quiet curiosity and doubt.
The conversation started.
At first, Hina listened, letting the rhythm of the room settle. Ren spoke with sharp efficiency, covering recent changes in port control, discreet shipping routes, and a smaller group in Yokohama causing trouble with local deals.
It wasn't loud or aggressive.
It was a strategy spoken in quiet layers, using coded phrases, subtle references, and names that never appeared in public records.
Yuto took notes on a sleek tablet, occasionally whispering clarifications to Hina under his breath. She listened closely, absorbing the weight of every pause and every word unspoken.
Then came the moment.
Kuroda leaned forward, steepling his fingers.
"And the girl?" he asked directly, glancing at Hina with a thin smile. "She is here for the experience… or the influence?"
Hina's heart kicked—but she didn't show it.
Ren didn't answer.
He simply turned slightly, letting the question fall into her lap like a test.
Hina met Kuroda's gaze, her voice clear. "I'm here to learn. And eventually, I'll be here to lead. So today, I listen. But don't mistake that for silence."
The room paused.
Seki let out a soft chuckle, not unkind. "She speaks like her father."
"No," Yuto said quietly, eyes still on the tablet. "She speaks like herself."
Ren said nothing.
But Hina noticed, just for a second, a flicker of pride in the stillness of his face.
*****
The meeting stretched for nearly two hours. By the end, Hina had asked two questions: one about the distribution chain across central Japan, and one about media silence in recent border skirmishes.
She wasn't trying to impress anyone, she just wanted to understand. And it was clear that they noticed.
As the group rose to leave, Kuroda approached her.
"You'll have enemies, you know," he said lightly, adjusting his coat. "If you keep speaking like that."
Hina smiled politely. "Then I'm on the right path."
Ren said nothing as they exited the room.
But as they reached the car, he opened the door for her himself, something he hadn't done since she was a child. She stepped inside without a word, heart pounding, eyes forward.
Beside her, Yuto looked over, his voice low.
"How did it feel?"
Hina stared out the window for a moment, watching the city slide by.
"Like stepping into deep water," she said. "But I didn't drown."
Yuto smiled. "You won't."
And from the front seat, Ren spoke without turning around.
"She'll learn to swim with sharks soon enough."
Hina sat back in her seat. She wasn't afraid, she was just getting started.
The sun was dipping low by the time they returned to the Kazama estate.
The car rolled to a smooth stop in the driveway, and as the door opened, Hina stepped out first, exhaling a quiet breath. The power suit still hugged her frame, but her posture had eased, less tense, more steady.
Yuto exited after her, stretching slightly as he turned toward her with a quiet smile. "You did well."
"Thanks," she murmured.
"You really did."
Before she could reply, the front doors opened, and Emi stepped out, her robe trailing behind her in the soft breeze. Her gaze swept over her daughter with immediate attentiveness.
"You're back," Emi said, her tone gentle but purposeful.
Ren joined them a few seconds later, stepping past Yuto with his usual quiet stride.
"I'll be in my study," he said.
But just before he disappeared into the hallway, he paused for a beat and turned his head slightly toward Emi.
"She did better than I expected," he said simply.
Then he was gone.
Hina blinked. "Wait… was that supposed to be a compliment?"
Emi chuckled. "From your father? That's practically a standing ovation."
*****
Later that evening, Hina sat curled on the velvet sofa in Emi's private sitting room, now dressed in one of her soft home loungewear sets. A warm cup of floral tea rested in her hands, and the golden lamplight made the space feel like a cocoon of calm.
"So," Emi said, sitting across from her, her legs crossed elegantly, "how was your first swim with sharks?"
Hina let out a breath. "Intense."
Emi's smile was knowing. "Good kind of intense or the 'I might throw up' kind?"
"Both," Hina admitted. "There were moments I felt completely out of place. But also… I didn't want to leave. I kept thinking, I want to know more. I want to understand."
"You asked questions?"
"Two."
"And how did they react?"
"Like I had no right to be there," Hina said. Then her lips curled faintly. "Until I proved I did."
Emi nodded, clearly proud. "Good. It's not about yelling the loudest—it's about saying the one thing they can't ignore."
Hina's fingers tightened around her teacup. "One of the men, Kuroda, asked if I was there for experience or influence. Papa didn't answer. He just looked at me."
Emi's brow lifted. "And you?"
"I said I was there to learn," Hina replied. "And that eventually, I'd be there to lead."
Emi set her cup down slowly, eyes glinting with emotion. "That's exactly the kind of woman I raised."
There was a pause.
Then Hina said softly, "Mama… is it bad that I liked it? That part of me… wants more?"
Emi shook her head. "No, darling. It just means you've found a fire inside you. You don't have to use it the way your father does. But you owe it to yourself to let it burn."
Hina looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think I'm scared of becoming too much like him."
Emi reached across and touched her hand. "Then don't forget who your mother is."
Hina smiled, eyes misty. "How did I get so lucky?"
"You were born into fire and raised with grace," Emi said softly. "And you're just now starting to realize how powerful that is."
*****
Meanwhile, in the study, Ren sat alone, reviewing a brief on one of the smaller Osaka factions. His fingers hovered for a moment before turning the page.
But his mind was still with Hina. He hadn't planned to let her speak, and he wasn't even sure he'd bring her to the next meeting. But the moment she answered Kuroda, measured, clear, and unflinching, something shifted in him. She wasn't just a presence anymore. She was a player. And the world would have to start adjusting, soon.