Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

"Sizzle—"

Thinly sliced ​​Wagyu beef curls and changes color in a scalding cast iron pot, the aroma of the fat mingling with the sweet and salty scents of sugar and soy sauce, filling the enclosed space.

The soup was bubbling and bubbling with tiny bubbles.

With her sleeves rolled up, Saionji Kiyoshi skillfully placed slices of beef into the pot one by one.

First, quickly blanch the meat slices in the boiling broth until they change color, then pick them up with long chopsticks, dip them lightly in the sterile egg mixture, and place them on the plate in front of Masashi Akiyama.

"Mr. Akiyama, please enjoy. The beef here is specially selected Wagyu beef, and it tastes best when it's lightly blanched."

The slices of meat, coated in golden egg yolk, glistened enticingly under the light.

Masashi Akiyama picked it up and put it in his mouth—the tenderness of the beef almost melted on his tongue, the smoothness of the egg yolk enveloped the savory meat juices, the salty-sweetness of the soy sauce and the mellow sweetness of the sugar were perfectly blended, and finally, the rich and mellow aroma of the beef itself spread out layer by layer in his mouth.

"Delicious," he commented simply, his eyes lighting up.

Saionji Kiyoshi laughed, then picked up a few more slices of beef and placed them on Saionji Rin's plate:

"Xiao Lin, eat more too. You've lost weight lately because of your brother's situation."

Rin Saionji nodded slightly and awkwardly poked at the beef in her dish with her chopsticks.

Her movements were somewhat stiff, as if she was not used to being taken care of like this, and even less used to eating in such a noisy place.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the slice of beef, without dipping it in egg, and carefully placed it directly into Masashi Akiyama's plate.

"Mr. Akiyama..." she said softly, "This... is done."

Masashi Akiyama glanced at the extra piece of beef on the plate, then at Rin Saionji, whose head was bowed and whose ears were slightly red under the brim of her hoodie.

"Thank you," he said, picking up the slice of beef and putting it in his mouth.

Rin Saionji's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming warm and almost peaceful, the shop door was pushed open again.

"Welcome!"

The proprietress's loud greeting rang out, followed by a burst of chattering laughter from the girls, clear and noisy, like a flock of birds that had suddenly appeared.

Masashi Akiyama subconsciously looked up.

A group of girls dressed in private high school uniforms, about five or six in total, were pouring into the store. They were all impeccably made up and carrying the latest designer bags.

Following behind them was a familiar figure.

Rieko Uchida.

She still had that timid and submissive demeanor.

She followed behind the group of glamorous young women, silent as a shadow.

Her footsteps were light, her head was bowed low, and her hands gripped the shoulder straps of her schoolbag tightly.

The uniform skirt was a bit wrinkled, and the collar of the shirt wasn't ironed properly, creating a stark contrast with the well-dressed classmates around her.

It seems that even if she escapes the shadow of Ayaka Fukuda, given Rieko Uchida's personality, it will be difficult for her to truly integrate into other groups.

Or rather, the fact that she wasn't bullied was already a good outcome.

The group of girls chattered as they sat down, just in front of Masashi Akiyama and his friends at an empty table.

The wooden partition wasn't high, so their conversation could be heard clearly.

The next moment, even clearer mocking sounds came from the direction of the group of girls.

"Rieko, I heard that your former 'good friend,' named Fukuda, is in juvenile detention?"

A girl with brown hair drawled out her words, casually poking at the salad on her plate with her fork, the metal making a slightly jarring sound as it collided with the porcelain plate.

"Oh dear, how pitiful~" another girl chimed in, "But she deserves it, right? Who told her to do something like that?"

Rieko Uchida lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the tablecloth, creating tiny wrinkles in the cheap synthetic fabric.

She didn't respond, but simply lowered her head further and hunched her shoulders slightly, as if trying to hide herself in some non-existent shell.

"Speaking of which, Rieko, weren't you quite close to her before?" another girl wearing glasses chimed in.

"It's not just that they're very close; I heard that Rieko even testified in court to bring down that Fukuda guy."

"Huh? Really?" The brown-haired girl widened her eyes in feigned surprise. "Could it be... you actually know about those things too? And you're just pretending not to know?"

"I didn't..." Rieko Uchida finally spoke softly, her voice almost drowned out by the noise in the store.

"What? I can't hear you~" The brown-haired girl exaggeratedly tilted her ear, a mocking smile on her lips.

"Rieko, you're still speaking so softly. You can't do that, or you'll suffer in society."

"Exactly, you need to be more confident," the woman with glasses chimed in, but "accidentally" knocked over the water glass in front of Rieko Uchida as she spoke.

The glass rolled off the table, making a crisp shattering sound.

Water spilled all over the floor, also wetting the hem of Rieko Uchida's light gray uniform skirt, leaving dark, irregular stains on the fabric.

"Ah, sorry, sorry~" the woman with glasses apologized insincerely, but a smile was on her lips that she couldn't hide.

Rieko Uchida hurriedly stood up and frantically pulled out tissues to wipe herself.

Her movements were clumsy and flustered; the tissues crumpled in her hands, and the more anxious she became, the worse she managed to tidy them up.

Water stains spread across the hem of the skirt, and the damp, cold fabric clung to the skin, bringing an uncomfortable chill.

The girls around them covered their mouths and chuckled, exchanging knowing glances.

Rieko Uchida finally wiped the table dry and sat down again.

She kept her head down, her wet skirt clinging to her legs, bringing a sticky coolness.

Her fingers were tightly intertwined under the table, her knuckles turning white from the force, as if she were desperately suppressing something.

After a brief silence, the girl with tea-colored hair suddenly changed the subject.

"Rieko, are you free this weekend? We're planning to go shopping in Shibuya, do you want to come along?"

She paused, her sense of superiority almost overflowing.

"Oh, but the store we went to might be a bit expensive... Rieko, are you okay with that?"

Rieko Uchida remained silent for a long time.

The silence lasted so long that the air seemed to freeze, and so long that the other girls began to exchange impatient glances.

Then, she looked up and forced a smile.

"I...I have to work this weekend, so I probably can't go..."

"Oh, another job?" The woman with glasses sighed, feigning sympathy, but her voice was loud enough for the neighboring tables to hear.

"Rieko, you've really worked hard. But then again, your family situation isn't very good, is it? Unlike Aoi, whose father is a politician, Representative Onishi, you must have heard of him, right? But then again, it's understandable that people from families like yours have to work more."

Rieko Uchida's smile froze on her face. Her eyes darted around nervously, as if afraid that someone else might have overheard their conversation.

Just then, her gaze met that of Masashi Akiyama, who was standing behind the partition.

Those still watery eyes widened instantly, and her mouth opened slightly as if she wanted to greet someone, but then, mindful of the people around her, she swallowed back the greeting that almost slipped out.

She glanced at her "friends" around her, then at the Saionji siblings beside Masashi Akiyama, and finally lowered her head, pretending to study the well-worn menu on the table, her fingers gripping the corners of the pages so tightly they almost tore the paper.

Masashi Akiyama withdrew his gaze.

He picked up the last piece of beef from the pot, dipped it lightly in the egg mixture, and put it in his mouth.

The beef was still tender and the egg yolk was still smooth, but for some reason, the flavor seemed a little bland than before.

"Mr. Akiyama," Rin Saionji suddenly spoke in a low voice. She seemed to have noticed the commotion over there as well, her gaze darting under the brim of her hoodie to the next table before quickly looking away.

"Mm," Masashi Akiyama responded calmly.

Saionji Ki glanced at the girl who was being "surrounded" by her companions, then at Akiyama Masashi's expressionless profile, and asked in a low voice.

"Is it... someone I know?"