Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

"Cheers!"

The glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Orange juice, beer, and oolong tea—several different liquids swirl in the glass, reflecting the dim light of the old chandelier on the office ceiling.

"Congratulations to Mr. Akiyama on his second victory!"

"And congratulations to Ms. Suzuki on her promotion—from assistant reporter to a reporter who can now write her own article!"

Saionji Kiyoshi's voice was filled with genuine joy.

The long-standing gloom on his face finally dissipated, and even fine smile lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.

After the conclusion of Aiba Rika's case, the frozen assets have been gradually unfrozen, and the lost property is slowly returning.

Life seemed to be wound up again, starting to move in the right direction.

Masashi Akiyama's private office has been temporarily transformed into a small celebration banquet venue.

Saionji Ki used readily available materials, washing and laying down a discarded old table board, covering it with a clean tablecloth, and it became a simple dining table.

A small grill pan sits in the center, where beef sizzles on the hot plate, the aroma of fat mingling with the flavor of sauce, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Maki Suzuki picked up a perfectly grilled slice of beef and gently placed it on Masashi Akiyama's plate.

"Please use it."

"Thanks."

Without hesitation, Masashi Akiyama picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The meat slices were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the sauce was perfectly balanced between salty and sweet, and the cooking time was just right.

He pondered for a moment, then gave an honest assessment.

"tasty!"

"Um?"

Saionji Norimasa carefully flipped the meat on the grill with tongs, and smiled somewhat shyly when he heard the praise.

"Well... this is the only area where I'm somewhat competent."

He paused, "Xiao Lin has always been a picky eater, refusing to eat this or that. I could only put in the effort to hone my culinary skills and feed her little by little until she's this big now..."

Saionji Ki looked at Saionji Rin, who was sitting quietly in the corner, with a gentle gaze.

"Those were truly memorable times."

Rin Saionji nodded, extended her slender finger, first pointing to her brother, then to herself, her voice soft.

"Brother...Mom."

"Hi, hi."

Saionji Ki responded naturally, her smile full of affection.

Faced with the slightly puzzled looks from Suzuki Maki and Akiyama Masashi, he scratched the back of his head and explained somewhat embarrassedly.

"My parents passed away early... When Xiaolin was little, she missed her mother, so I would play house with her. For a long time, she regarded me as her 'mother'."

"Mr. Saionji is so kind." Maki Suzuki smiled understandingly, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes. "Seeing you two together reminds me of my own younger brother."

"Huh?" Saionji Kijiro's eyes widened in surprise. "Ms. Suzuki has a younger brother?"

"Yes, that's right." Suzuki Maki nodded with a smile, her gaze drifting to Akiyama Masashi. "Not only that, my younger brother... is also Masashi's first client."

"That's quite a special coincidence," Saionji Kiyomi remarked.

Perhaps because they both had siblings to take care of, his impression of Maki Suzuki improved, and his tone became more intimate.

Rin Saionji glanced at Masashi Akiyama, who was silently eating meat, and then at Maki Suzuki, who had a gentle smile. Suddenly, she spoke up, interrupting her brother's conversation with the reporter.

"The second one..."

"I... am Mr. Akiyama's second client."

"Yes, yes, yes." Saionji Kiji skillfully reassured her younger sister, "The second client is also a very precious person, Rin."

Rin Saionji ignored her brother's perfunctory response.

Her eyes were fixed on Masashi Akiyama, the man who was engrossed in eating meat, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

Masashi Akiyama noticed a subtle change in the air.

He slowed his chewing, looked up, and met Saionji Rin's amber eyes.

"Yasa," Suzuki Maki explained at the right moment, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Miss Saionji seems to care a lot about her 'place' in your heart. She seems to be a little resentful because she's not the 'first client'."

What the heck...

Masashi Akiyama reluctantly put down his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and then said very solemnly, "Of course it's important."

He paused, and as Saionji Rin's eyes suddenly lit up, he added earnestly, "Miss Saionji is a very special person to me."

—After all, she is currently the only client who has brought in two cases at once.

Masashi Akiyama silently added in his mind.

"Of course," he added, as if remembering something, "Maki is also a very important friend of mine."

Some inexplicable intuition led him to add that sentence.

Suzuki Maki and Saionji Rin's eyes lit up at those words.

horrible……

Looking at the two women who were overjoyed by a single sentence, and then at Masashi Akiyama who continued to eat heartily as if he had only said "the weather is nice today," Kiyoshi Saionji felt a deep sense of respect.

So he's... a herbivore guy with a rather aggressive mindset?

After the dinner, Maki Suzuki took her leave because she had work to do at the newspaper.

Masashi Akiyama naturally got up to see her off.

Upon reaching the entrance, Maki Suzuki turned around and gently waved to Masashi Akiyama.

"That's enough for you, Yass."

Masashi Akiyama nodded silently.

He has never known how to deal with situations involving "separation," even a brief farewell where he can see each other again tomorrow.

Masashi Akiyama's fingers unconsciously traced the rough wood grain of the door frame, his gaze drifting vaguely behind Maki Suzuki.

Maki Suzuki noticed his embarrassment.

She turned her head to the side, her gaze passing over Masashi Akiyama's shoulder and glancing towards the inner room.

Rin Saionji was eating the fruit her older brother handed her, taking small bites, but her gaze kept drifting towards the entrance.

"That girl," Maki Suzuki sighed softly, her voice carrying a complex emotion, "likes you a lot."

"Is there?"

Masashi Akiyama's tone carried genuine confusion. He glanced back at Maki Suzuki, following her gaze, then turned back, his brow furrowed as if pondering a difficult question.

Maki Suzuki sighed.

She carefully examined Akiyama Masashi's face, which was always expressionless.

With well-defined features and regular facial structure, his eyes behind the glasses were as calm as a lake in late autumn, reflecting no ripples.

Sure enough, she couldn't find the emotions she wanted to see.

"Never mind." Maki Suzuki smiled again. "Masayuki, you're just fine as you are."

"What?"

Masashi Akiyama felt that he had more questions today than he did in the entire previous month.

But Suzuki Maki had no intention of explaining. She smiled at Akiyama Masashi, bent down, picked up the huge object, and pushed open the door.

The night breeze blew in through the cracks in the door, carrying the chill of late autumn.

"Well then, see you next time—"

Her voice, carried on the wind, drifted in softly:

"Masashi-kun."

The door closed behind them.

When they returned to the inner room, Saionji Ki had already cleaned everything up with her younger sister.

The baking trays and tableware were washed and put back in their places, the tabletop was put back up against the wall, and even the floor was mopped and glistened with moisture under the light.

Saionji Norimasa took off his housework apron and saw Akiyama Masashi return, scratching his head sheepishly.

"This is all I can do..."

"This level?"

Masashi Akiyama looked around the newly renovated meeting room.

Everything was in its proper place, the tabletop was spotless, and even the windowpanes were sparkling clean.

A faint scent of cleaning agents wafted in the air, mingling with the lingering aroma of barbecue, creating a wonderful, homey atmosphere.

He finally realized the gap between himself and "male mothers".

The next second, he stepped forward and grasped Saionji Kiyoshi's hand. The movement was swift, the switch in address remarkably smooth:

"Ji Jun, what are your plans for the future?"

"what?"

Saionji Ki was taken aback by this sudden enthusiasm and answered instinctively.

"I haven't thought it through yet... Because of Aiba Rika, I lost my job a long time ago. She even sold our old house... Now, we don't even have a place to stay."

He paused, then said with a wry smile, "At least we need to find a place to stay, right?"

Masashi Akiyama nodded, his gaze earnest to the point of being almost burning.

"If you can't find a place to stay, please consider my humble abode."

"How can this be?!"

Saionji Ki was shocked. Their family already owed Akiyama Masashi so much that they could never repay it. How could they have the audacity to move in?

"It's alright." Akiyama Masashi continued to look into his eyes, trying to make the other person feel his complete sincerity. "There's no need for any fees. All I need is for you, Ki-kun, to let me see such a clean house again."

While Saionji Ki was still declining, Saionji Rin had already sprung up from the sofa, ran to Akiyama Masashi's side, looked up, and stared at her brother with her big, watery amber eyes, her gaze filled with silent pleading.

Even if you're like this, Rin, I still...

This time, Saionji Ki managed to resist her sister's "offensive" with great difficulty.

He took a deep breath, looked at Masashi Akiyama, and spoke solemnly.

"I will... seriously consider it."