Two days had passed since that moment in the "Shion Room" of the Sagonomiya residence, when she'd said "I understand." The sound of her own voice from that time still lingered in the back of her ears. It had trembled. And yet, it had reached him properly. That alone was what Saori clung to as she boarded the subway this morning. Hotel Grand Cresta Tokyo—the twenty-four-story hotel standing in Shirokanedai, Minato Ward, continued to stir her self-consciousness just as it always did. Marble floors. White ikebana arrangements that reached the ceiling. Piano music flowing through the lobby. Her finger trembled slightly as she pressed the elevator button. The message from Kyoichiro had come last night. ——Come to the business division on the eighth floor tomorrow. As my fiancée, you need to understand the group's operations thoroughly. That was all the message said. Not a single unnecessary word. Saori had typed back "Understood." After sending it, she'd stared at her phone for a while. (As his fiancée, huh.) She hadn't forgotten the contract she'd signed herself. Five million yen as a substitute. But ever since she'd managed to say "I understand" in the Shion Room, her sense of this job had shifted slightly. Had she grown accustomed to it? Or— The elevator stopped at the eighth floor. The doors opened. As she walked down the corridor, she saw a nameplate reading "Hotel Business Division." Aoi was already waiting there. Black hair with a lustrous sheen, swept back. Calm gray eyes that looked at Saori and nodded quietly. "[gentle]Thank you for your hard work, Miss Mizusawa. Kyoichiro is already inside." "Yes, thank you." When she opened the door, a spacious open office spread before her. Desks lined up, documents stacked, several staff members standing and talking. Through the windows, she could see Tokyo's sky. Today it was thinly clouded, and the light was soft. Kyoichiro stood at the far end of the room, his back to the window. Deep black short hair, black suit, a small piercing in his right ear. Everything as usual. And beside him— There was someone she didn't know. Or rather, to be precise—she couldn't possibly not know him. Deep chestnut-colored hair, slightly long and wavy. Warm, pale hazel eyes. A small silver piercing in his left ear, a braided leather bangle around his wrist. Not a suit, but a loose-fitting jacket draped over his shoulders. He had a bone structure similar to Kyoichiro's, but the aura he gave off was completely different. That person noticed Saori and smiled gently. "[gentle]Nice to meet you. My brother has been causing you trouble, hasn't he?" He spoke with his voice slightly lowered, making it sound like a secret. Saori hesitated for just a moment, trying to measure the meaning of those words—but before she could, she was already smiling back. "No, not at all..." It was reflexive. But it was true. It was strange. He said "My brother has been causing you trouble, hasn't he?" while glancing at Kyoichiro with an amused smile. That unguarded quality made Saori feel a little dazzled. "I'm Keita Sagonomiya. I work in this hotel's business division. It's nice to meet you, Saori." "...I'm Saori Mizusawa. It's nice to meet you." He offered his hand for a handshake. Saori took it without hesitation. His hand was large. His grip was gentle. Throughout this, Kyoichiro said nothing. He stood by the wall, arms crossed, simply watching. Saori pretended not to notice. But she felt his gaze. Keita handled the business division explanation. The operational structure of Hotel Grand Cresta, room occupancy rates, future resort development plans—he spoke smoothly while presenting documents. He's competent, Saori thought. His explanations were careful, and he didn't use difficult terms as-is. He broke things down to match his audience. "This figure is confusing to read, isn't it? Basically—" Keita leaned in to look at the documents in front of Saori, pointing with his finger. The distance between them grew closer. Saori shifted her chair slightly. Kyoichiro moved. Though only barely. He stepped forward just two steps from the wall. That was all. Keita didn't seem to notice. But Saori did. (Why did he step forward?) She didn't have time to ponder that question before Keita's explanation continued. "The 'Etoile' on the top floor of Grand Cresta—it's a French restaurant. Why don't we have a meal there sometime? You must be tired of just work talk, Saori." "Ah...thank you." "Let's talk about more enjoyable things than just work. —Since we're at it, why don't we have some coffee?" Keita stood up and walked toward a nearby side table. A coffee maker sat there. He took a cup and held it out toward Saori. As Saori reached out to take it— Kyoichiro's hand moved. It slipped quietly in front of Keita's hand holding the cup. There were no words. Just a small gesture, as if to stop him. Keita looked at Kyoichiro with slight surprise. Kyoichiro's expression didn't change. He simply didn't look at Saori, as if to say "it's not necessary." Saori withdrew her hand. Something in her chest gave a sharp thud. (What was that?) Kyoichiro had stopped his younger brother's coffee. That was all. There were countless reasons—bad timing, a habitual gesture, some other intention. But in Saori's mind, a different interpretation quietly surfaced. Is this person conscious of me? She thought it was a strange idea. There was no evidence whatsoever. That cold person couldn't possibly be thinking such a thing. But—when he heard her answer in the Shion Room, he'd looked at her face properly for the first time. When he'd silently handed her coffee in the hallway. Everything was so small she might have overlooked it. But it had all definitely happened. "...Saori?" His voice brought her back to herself. "S-sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment." "Are you alright? Your face is a little red." "Huh?" Saori hurriedly put her hand to her cheek. It was indeed warm. Why. Why now, like this. Aoi stood at the edge of the room, looking at documents. Or rather, pretending to look at them. The proof was that his gaze wasn't focused anywhere. His face was calm. But his eyes—they weren't smiling. Saori noticed that, and her chest grew slightly cold again. The explanation ended thirty minutes later. On the way to the elevator hall, Aoi fell into step beside Saori. Keita was a little behind, exchanging brief words with a young hotel staff member. Aoi lowered his voice. "[whispers]Miss Mizusawa." "Yes." "[whispers]Keita is a kind person. But—please maintain your distance." Saori almost stopped walking. She didn't. "[whispers]You are Kyoichiro's fiancée, after all. Don't forget that." He was smiling. A perfect smile. But Saori couldn't see what lay beneath that smile. Was he saying it out of kindness, or—something else entirely? "...Yes." That was all she could say. The elevator arrived. The doors opened. The three who rode it were Saori, Kyoichiro, and Aoi. Keita appeared in the elevator hall just as the doors were closing. "[gentle]Let's talk again soon, Saori." He raised his hand and waved lightly. Smiling. The doors closed. Three people remained in the sealed space. Saori was looking at the doors ahead. Kyoichiro stood to her right, arms crossed. Aoi stood to her left, quiet and still. No one said anything. The floor indicator descended from eight. (All three of them are looking at me with completely different eyes.) She understood that much. Keita's eyes were warm, straightforward, a little dazzling. Aoi's eyes were calm and attentive, yet unreadable in their depths. And Kyoichiro—without saying anything, his presence alone changed the air most of all. Saori didn't know whose words to believe. But— Her cheeks were still faintly warm. Embarrassed by that, Saori simply kept staring at the doors ahead. When they reached the lobby floor, the three scattered in different directions. Only Saori remained, and she stepped outside. The air of Shirokanedai was slightly cool. In the pale clouded light, Saori paused for just a second. She thought back through the gazes of the three in order. Keita's smile. Aoi's warning. And that—Kyoichiro's small gesture. None of them had a clear answer. But Saori had a premonition. This was only just beginning.