Platinum Platinum, 32nd Floor. 9 PM. Toshiya Shirogane and Runa Kirihara sat facing each other on the living room sofa. Beyond the window, Tokyo's night view sprawled out, the Sky Tree glowing coldly. But that scenery no longer entered their field of vision. A mobile phone was gripped in Runa's hand. The lingering afterglow of the call that had just ended still enveloped her. "I got a strange contact from Chisa," Runa Kirihara said, her voice small, tinged with anxiety. Her hand unconsciously touched the star-shaped birthmark beneath her left collarbone. That gesture spoke volumes about her tension. "What happened," Toshiya Shirogane asked. Toshiya gazed at Runa. His eyes appeared cold, but within them dwelt a faint softness. He moved to sit beside her, closing the distance between them. "There's a senior in the sales department... someone named Tachibana. That person suddenly had to take a leave of absence," Runa said. Runa drew a deep breath. Fragments of words raced through her mind one after another. Chisa's voice. The anxiety hidden in that voice's tone. The moment when everyday life in Marusei Foods' sales administration department suddenly transformed into something ominous. "The transaction records that Tachibana was handling... Chisa says there are signs that those records have been falsified," Runa said. Toshiya's expression shifted slightly. The change was subtle, but Runa caught it with certainty. That look of someone lost in thought. "Is it a transaction you were involved in," Toshiya asked. "...I don't know. Chisa said, 'It might be a transaction you were involved in, so be careful,'" Runa said. Runa's voice grew even smaller. Anxiety seeped through. The suspicion from that board meeting. Toichiro's cold words. All of it came rushing back in this moment. "If there's a possibility you were involved, we need to find him," Toshiya said. Toshiya made his judgment immediately. That response was the calm of a company president. But his eyes were directed at Runa. Within that gaze lay the will to protect her. "Finding Tachibana is the key to everything," Toshiya said. Runa nodded. The nod was slight, but certain. A stretch of silence. The air in the living room had grown heavy. But within that heaviness, something was being born that bound the two of them together. 11 PM. Runa and Toshiya returned to the living room and faced each other once more. Having finished work communications, Toshiya had removed his suit jacket. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, his muscular arms subtly telling of his tension. "You've done nothing wrong. This is Toichiro's scheme," Toshiya said. Those words suddenly fell into the living room. Runa gazed at Toshiya. Her eyes were direct. Not as a company president, but as a man, he was looking at her. "But because of me, you're being..." Runa began. "That's not true," Toshiya said. Toshiya grasped both of Runa's shoulders. The warmth of his hands made her entire body tremble. His eyes reflected in hers. Those eyes she'd thought were cold. But within them lay a warmth she was seeing for the first time. "I will protect you. I promise," Toshiya said. Those words pierced Runa's heart. Deeply, gently, and with certainty. The living room's lighting softly illuminated their faces. The distance between them was now less than fifty centimeters. Runa's heartbeat began to race violently. Thump, thump, thump—something pulsed fiercely in her chest. Toshiya's hand moved from Runa's shoulders upward. His hand touched her left collarbone. The star-shaped birthmark. His fingers gently traced that mark. "What's this scar," Toshiya asked. At that question, Runa held her breath. That spot was her secret. An injury from childhood. Each time that scar was touched, she was pulled back into the past. "An injury from when I was a child," Runa said. A short answer. But that brevity expressed her unwillingness to say more. Toshiya's expression clouded slightly. The cloud lasted only a moment. But it was certainly reflected in Runa's eyes. Something had caught in his heart. What that something was, Runa couldn't tell. Yet in that moment, Runa understood. This man was truly looking at her. He wanted to know all of her. That desire was evident in his expression. The next day. Early afternoon. Marusei Foods' sales administration department. At her desk, Chisa Miyazono was reviewing documents. Her chestnut-colored medium-length hair, loosely waved, shone with brightness as always. But her expression was different from usual. A shadow of worry had fallen across her face. When Runa approached, Chisa looked up. "Runa, I found out where Tachibana is," Chisa said. At those words, Runa's heart leaped. "Really," Runa asked. "An old apartment in Kuramae. I've given you the address. But... Runa, be careful. Tachibana seems pretty worn down," Chisa said. Chisa's gaze was directed at Runa. Within that gaze lay the concern of a friend. 2 PM. Near Marusei Foods. In front of an apartment in Kuramae. An old wooden building. A desolate atmosphere enveloped the structure. The entrance had no nameplate. But if Chisa's information was correct, Tachibana should be here. A black taxi arrived. The man who stepped out was Toshiya Shirogane. A man dressed in a black suit. There was no one less suited to this downtown area than him. Yet his face was utterly serious. Runa stepped out of the taxi. The two climbed the apartment stairs. Third floor. A dimly lit hallway. At its end, one room came into view. They knocked. No answer. But there was a sound. A faint sound from inside. "Is this Tachibana," Runa called out. The door slowly opened. A man in his early forties stood there. A gaunt face. Deep exhaustion was etched into it. His hair was disheveled, his eye sockets sunken. It was hard to believe this was a senior from Marusei Foods' sales department. "Ms. Runa..." Tachibana said. His voice was thin. Trembling. "What happened," Toshiya asked. Toshiya stepped forward. With that single movement, the air in the room changed. An overwhelming presence. Tachibana immediately grasped what kind of man this was. "I was threatened by Toichiro..." Tachibana said. With those words, everything began to move. Tachibana invited the two into his room. A cramped space. An old table. From the window, the Kuramae streetscape was visible. "He told me to falsify the transaction records. He said to add fake transaction numbers to the records of the transactions you handled, Ms. Runa," Tachibana said. Toshiya sat at the table and gazed at Tachibana. Within that gaze lay no mercy. But there was no hostility either. Merely a confirmation of facts. "What exactly did you do," Toshiya asked. "I falsified five... no, five transaction numbers with the Shirogane Group under your name, Ms. Runa. Toichiro said those records would be used as evidence for an internal whistleblowing," Tachibana said. The color drained from Runa's face. Her name had been linked to falsified transactions. That fact overwhelmed her. "Why would he make you do that," Toshiya asked. "My family. My wife and two children. Toichiro said, 'Harm will come to the children'..." Tachibana said. At those words, Tachibana's shoulders trembled. He was crying. Large tears traced down his cheeks. Toshiya immediately took out his smartphone. His movements were swift. "I'll arrange with a security company. They'll protect your family," Toshiya said. At those words, Tachibana gazed at Toshiya. Words of gratitude caught in his throat. Deep night. Platinum Platinum. Runa and Toshiya were reviewing the audio data of Tachibana's testimony. A voice file was displayed on the smartphone screen. That audio file would have a decisive impact on the factional struggle within the Shirogane Group. "With this, we can corner Toichiro," Toshiya said. At those words, Runa nodded. But her eyes were directed toward the night view beyond the window. "Will Tachibana's family be all right," Runa asked. "I've arranged with the security company. They'll protect them twenty-four hours," Toshiya said. Toshiya's hand was placed on Runa's shoulder. The warmth of that hand enveloped her. Meanwhile, in the underground parking garage of Shirogane Tower, 38th floor. Saya Himuro stood before Toichiro. Long chestnut-colored straight hair, sharp gray eyes. Those eyes held complex emotions. "It seems Tachibana has betrayed us," Saya said. Toichiro's expression didn't change. A gentle-seeming face. But deep within his eyes, an icy coldness gleamed. "I see. Then let's make our next move," Toichiro said. At those words, Saya understood something. Toichiro's scheme was only just beginning. Tachibana was merely a pawn. Runa was too. And Toshiya. Perhaps the entire Shirogane Group was dancing in the palm of Toichiro's hand. The power struggle within the Shirogane Group churned fiercely in its depths, belying the surface calm. The testimony that Toshiya and Runa had obtained—would it truly corner Toichiro? Or was it part of Toichiro's scheme? That answer still lay hidden in darkness.