Fuyuhiko stood in front of the mirror, tightening the knot of his tie with practiced precision. His reflection stared back at him, sharp and cold, the usual tension in his expression heightened by the weight of the responsibilities ahead. It was rare for his father to be away during such an important gathering, but tonight, it fell on him to represent the Kuzuryu clan at the meeting with the other clans.

"Typical." he muttered under his breath, yawning as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. Nearly 10pm. The meeting was scheduled for 11, but being late was not an option. Not when so much was at stake.

Across the room, Peko was quietly gathering the necessary paperwork from his desk, her movements swift and efficient. Fuyuhiko watched her for a moment, appreciating the way she always managed to remain calm and composed, no matter the situation. She was like a rock in the chaotic storm that was his life, always there, always dependable.

"You ready, young master?" Peko asked, her voice soft but direct as she handed him a small folder filled with the documents for the meeting. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, steady as always.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be." Fuyuhiko grumbled, taking the folder from her. "I can't believe the old man's leaving this to me. A meeting this big... if anything goes wrong tonight, it's on me."

Peko straightened, her eyes filled with quiet reassurance. "You'll do fine. You've handled yourself in these meetings before."

Fuyuhiko gave a small, humorless laugh. "Yeah, but I've never been the one sitting at the head of the table. It's different when it's your name on the line. Everyone's going to be watching me, waiting for me to slip up."

Peko's gaze remained steady, her expression unreadable. "You're more than capable, young master. The other clans already respect you. All you have to do is make sure they remember why."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before nodding. "I know, I know. Doesn't make it any less of a pain in the ass, though."

The tension in the room was thick, a sense of anticipation hanging in the air as the clock ticked closer to the hour. The clans wouldn't just be there for formalities tonight, there had been rumors of shifting alliances, whispers of unrest among some of the families. Fuyuhiko knew that any sign of weakness could be exploited, and if he didn't handle the situation carefully, it could mean trouble for the Kuzuryu clan. The thought made his jaw tighten.

"I don't have a choice anyway," he muttered, shrugging on his jacket. "I'll just have to deal with whatever comes my way."

Peko handed him a black leather binder, the final set of documents he'd need. "I'll be with you the entire time, young master. If anything goes wrong, we'll handle it."

Fuyuhiko nodded, his confidence bolstered slightly by Peko's presence. He glanced at his watch again. Almost time to leave.

"Right. Let's get this over with." He turned toward the door, pulling it open.

Hannah sat slumped on the sofa, her legs curled beneath her as the flickering glow of the TV cast soft light across the dimly lit living room. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, from the events of the day, her focus only half on the show playing in front of her. The sound of footsteps descending the stairs caught her attention, breaking her out of the haze of tiredness.

She glanced toward the hallway, expecting it to be nothing important, but when Fuyuhiko and Peko came into view, her brow furrowed. They were both dressed impeccably, Fuyuhiko in a tailored suit and Peko in her usual professional attire. It wasn't the kind of clothing they'd wear for lounging around the house this late at night, and it definitely wasn't anything they'd wear to bed. Something was going on.

Hannah straightened slightly on the couch, eyes narrowing as she watched them head for the door. "Where are you going?" she called out, her tone curious but also laced with suspicion.

Fuyuhiko, already on edge, barely spared her a glance. "It's none of your business." he muttered as he adjusted his tie one last time. His voice had that clipped tone, the one he used when he didn't want to be bothered.

Hannah's frown deepened, not satisfied with that answer. She sat up fully now, the tiredness fading as her curiosity grew. "It's late." she pointed out, eyeing the seriousness in their attire. "And you're dressed like that? What's happening?"

Fuyuhiko paused at the door, clearly agitated. He turned to look at her, his gaze sharp. "We've got a meeting." he finally said, his words short and to the point.

Hannah blinked, taken aback. "At this time of night?" She tilted her head, her frown deepening. "What kind of meeting?"

"One you don't need to know about." Fuyuhiko snapped, clearly not in the mood to explain anything further. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration before turning to Peko. "Let's just go. We're already running late."

Peko, as calm as ever, gave a slight nod, though her eyes flickered toward Hannah for just a moment, perhaps sensing the tension that was brewing.

But Hannah wasn't about to let them walk out without pressing for more. "Wait, hold on-" she called after them, standing up from the couch now. "Is this about the clans? You've got some big meeting, and you didn't even think to mention it?"

Fuyuhiko let out an irritated sigh, his hand already on the doorknob. "Like I said, it's none of your business, Hannah. Just stay here and don't make things harder than they already are."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "You're leaving me here without telling me what's going on? I'm a Togami, I have a right to know what's happening if it affects the family."

Fuyuhiko turned to face her fully this time, his patience clearly wearing thin. "This doesn't concern you, alright? It's Kuzuryu business, not Togami business. Stay out of it."

His words hit harder than Hannah expected. She felt a surge of frustration rise up in her chest. "Oh, so I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing while you go off to some sketchy meeting? What if something happens?"

Fuyuhiko's eyes flashed with anger. "Nothing's going to happen. And even if it did, you'd just get in the way. So, like I said, stay here. We don't have time for this."

Peko stepped forward, sensing the conversation was spiraling. "Miss Togami, it's important that we leave now. The meeting is crucial, and we don't want to be late."

Hannah clenched her fists, biting back the urge to yell. She hated feeling like this, like she was being shut out of something important. She had responsibilities too, even if they didn't always see it that way.

Fuyuhiko glanced at her one last time, his expression softening just a fraction. "We'll be back later. Don't worry about it."

And with that, he turned and opened the door, stepping out into the rainy night with Peko following closely behind. The door clicked shut, leaving Hannah standing alone in the living room, her frustration simmering beneath the surface.

She let out a long, shaky breath and sank back onto the sofa, staring at the now-forgotten TV. It felt like she was always being kept on the outside, treated like some fragile thing that couldn't handle the real world of clans and politics. She hated it. Hated feeling helpless, hated being ignored.

But most of all, she hated that part of her understood why Fuyuhiko was trying to keep her out of it.