Ryuichi was still dragging through the aftermath of leaving Getsutou last night. The sensation of her voice saying "I won't run away" lingered around his throat. Her voice had trembled. But she'd said it. That much was certain. The 22nd floor of Sougou Tower was filled with the ordinary sounds of morning. The low hum of a copy machine. The ring of incoming calls. The rhythmic clatter of keyboards. Ryuichi poured himself coffee, returned to his desk, and powered up his computer. Today's work was a continuation of yesterday's—sorting through receipts. Assistant to sales. That was his current position. His hand stopped for a moment as he reached to open a folder. Just then, a new email arrived at the top of his inbox. From: Chairman's Secretary's Office, Tanabe Ichiro Subject: We await you at the Chairman's Office on the 32nd floor at 10:00 AM today. Ryuichi stared at the screen. He read it again. He checked the time. 9:47 AM. *(Again.)* He took a deep breath. Slowly, in through his nose. Out through his mouth. It was the breathing technique he used to do before business negotiations. Whether it actually worked, he never knew until the very end. He pulled back his chair and stood. He tugged at the hem of his jacket once. He checked the knot of his tie by feel alone, since there was no mirror. He walked down the corridor toward the elevator hall. He noticed his colleagues' gazes shift slightly away from him. It was the same as yesterday. They all knew. They knew his accounts had disappeared, that something was happening. But no one said anything. No one was in a position to. Ryuichi felt no resentment toward them. He pressed the elevator button. 32. The doors closed. He noticed his fingertips trembling faintly. Ryuichi made a fist once, then opened his hand. ——Let's go. --- When the doors opened on the 32nd floor, the air in the corridor changed. The color of the floor was different. The carpet pile was deeper. The quality of the lighting was more subdued than the lower floors. Ryuichi walked down the corridor and stood before the chairman's office door. He knocked twice. "Come in." Tanabe appeared from the secretary's office. A man in his fifties, thin-framed, always moving with precision. Tanabe showed Ryuichi into the chairman's office, then quietly withdrew. The chairman's office was 120 square meters. More than twice the size of the reception room at the client company Ryuichi used to handle. Through the window, the buildings of Marunouchi spread out. The dome of Tokyo Station was visible in the distance. The October morning sun reflected white off the glass of the buildings. Takatsukasa Genzou stood with his back to that window. Or rather, he stood facing away from it. Even as Ryuichi entered, he didn't turn around. Cigar smoke drifted thinly near the window. It spread slowly upward. In the quiet room, only that smoke moved. Ryuichi stood in the middle of the room and waited. One second. Two seconds. After about ten seconds, Takatsukasa slowly swiveled his chair. The motion was deliberate, without waste. It was a performance, Ryuichi understood. Make the person who just entered stand there, then turn slowly. Build their tension before meeting their gaze. Calculated intimidation. "Sit down." His voice was low and calm. Ryuichi didn't sit on the sofa. He remained standing before the desk. Takatsukasa saw this and his eyebrows moved slightly. He said nothing more. There was a single sheet of paper on the desk. Takatsukasa slowly pushed it toward Ryuichi. Ryuichi took the paper and read it. ——Sougou Bussan Co., Ltd. Sapporo Branch Sales Department ——Transfer Order Effective Date: First of next month ——Kiryu Ryuichi, Section Chief, Current Assignment: Sougou Holdings Third Sales Department He read the first line. Then the second. Ryuichi placed the paper back on the desk. Quietly, in its original position. At that moment, Takatsukasa took a drag on his cigar and slowly exhaled the smoke. The smoke drifted straight toward Ryuichi's face. Ryuichi instinctively narrowed his eyes and turned his face slightly to the side. Takatsukasa said simply, "What?" "The smoke, a little." When Ryuichi answered briefly, something small moved in the depths of Takatsukasa's eyes. His eyebrows rose, just barely. Perhaps this was the first time an employee had complained about his cigar smoke. That reaction was, for both of them, a small surprise. Takatsukasa slowly repositioned the cigar toward the ashtray. The moment between them fractured, just for an instant. But immediately, Takatsukasa's face returned to its usual composure. "You know about Sougou Bussan in Hokkaido. It's our wholly-owned subsidiary. You'll handle your duties in the Sapporo branch's sales department for the time being." Ryuichi said nothing. "Furthermore——" Takatsukasa paused. He raised the cigar again and slowly exhaled the smoke in a different direction this time—toward the wall, away from Ryuichi's face. Whether this consideration was calculated or a response to Ryuichi's earlier reaction, he couldn't determine. "I've confirmed that you maintain a personal relationship with the mama of a bar in Ginza. Company regulation Article 47——prohibition of conflicts of interest. If it's determined that your actions could affect your duties, you could face disciplinary action." His voice hadn't changed. Calm, low, composed. That very calmness made the weight of his words stand out all the more. "In the worst case——dismissal for cause." Something inside Ryuichi went rigid. His feet wouldn't move an inch. Sougou Holdings' internal regulation Article 47——applied when personal financial dealings or romantic relationships with clients or related parties were determined to affect duties. Takatsukasa operated this clause with an interpretation that served his own purposes. Ryuichi understood this intellectually. But hearing it spoken aloud from the chairman's mouth like this, the weight was entirely different. Ryuichi lowered his eyes once. He clenched his teeth. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. Thump-thump, loud and insistent. Then he looked directly at Takatsukasa. "I won't hide my relationship with Misono Seiya." His voice trembled slightly. But it didn't break. "I'll prove my work performance with my own numbers. If that's judged insufficient, I'll accept the regulations." Takatsukasa's expression slowly changed. Into a cold smile. His mouth twisted thinly. The smile of someone amused at what a young man was saying, full of composure. But somewhere in its depths——Ryuichi caught a faint wavering, a hint of something unexpected. The surprise that Ryuichi had spoken Seiya's name without hesitation, something not in his calculations. Takatsukasa didn't answer. He slowly placed the cigar in the ashtray and lowered his gaze to the documents. "Very well." That was all. It was a gesture dismissing him. Ryuichi bowed and left the chairman's office. The moment he stepped into the corridor, he finally noticed the thump-thump sound still ringing in his ears. The tips of his fingers felt tingly. The sensation after tension releases. *(I said it.)* That was all. While waiting for the elevator, Ryuichi thought for a moment. If Takatsukasa moved the Reimei-kai, from which direction would it come? The Reimei-kai——the unofficial network Takatsukasa had created fifteen years ago, a member organization of twenty-two people: three politicians, five bureaucrats, twelve corporate executives, two lawyers. Ryuichi had once heard the name of the secretary, a man named Miyake, in connection with another matter. He knew nothing beyond that. He had no weapons, no evidence. Right now, Ryuichi had nothing. The elevator arrived. He pressed the button for 1. --- When Ryuichi emerged from Sougou Tower's lobby, October air hit his face. It was cold, but not unpleasant. It actually felt like it cleared his head a little. Ryuichi loosened his tie knot once, then started walking. He didn't take the subway. He walked. His destination had been decided from the start. Ginza, 7-chome. Descending the underground stairs, he saw a small handwritten sign. "Kohakudou." A bar with only twelve counter seats, smelling of bourbon and wood. It was unusual to come during the day. It was just after opening, and there were no customers. Behind the counter, Segawa Osamu was polishing a glass. Forty-eight years old. Short white-streaked hair. Former hotel bartender, hard-featured but with gentle eyes. He was knowledgeable about the nighttime district's affairs and never asked unnecessary questions. For Ryuichi, that was the most helpful thing about him. Segawa looked up. Seeing Ryuichi's face, he seemed to sense something. But he didn't ask. "What brings you by during the day?" "I just wanted to stop by for a moment." Ryuichi sat at the end of the counter. Segawa began brewing a cup of coffee. The sound of beans grinding echoed through the quiet shop. Ryuichi rested his elbows on the counter, absently watching the glass being polished. After a while, the coffee was placed before him. "I told him. The chairman." Segawa didn't stop polishing the glass. "What happened?" he asked. "He laughed at me." Segawa paused for a beat. "He laughed because he actually listened to what you had to say." The sound of the coffee cup being placed on the counter rang out quietly. Ryuichi thought about those words for a moment, then answered briefly, "I suppose so." He took a sip of coffee. It was bitter, with a subtle depth. The daytime Kohakudou had a different quality of light than at night—natural light from a narrow window rather than indirect lighting. Being here made the outside world feel like it was behind a pane of glass. "Um——" Ryuichi's voice became quieter. "Today, in the chairman's office, the cigar smoke came at my face, and I almost complained." Segawa stopped polishing the glass. He paused for a beat. "That's the greatest feat of arms from today." His expression was serious. Ryuichi couldn't help but let out a small laugh. A laugh that actually came out. It was the first time he'd laughed today. Something that had been taut loosened, just a little, with that laugh. "Though I didn't actually complain." "That was the wise choice." "Indeed." A quiet silence fell between them. Not an uncomfortable one. Ryuichi finished his coffee and took out his wallet. Segawa said, "I'll give you a discount for daytime," and took it. Since Ryuichi didn't know the regular price, he couldn't verify what the discount was, but he let it go. He left the shop. Climbing the stairs back to ground level, the air of Ginza returned. --- Meanwhile, on the 32nd floor of Sougou Tower—— Shortly after Ryuichi's departure, Takatsukasa Genzou remained facing the window, motionless. The buildings of Marunouchi were brightly lit by the morning sun. Sougou Tower stood among them, and below it, the street where Ryuichi was now walking. Takatsukasa picked up the cigar from the ashtray. His mouth was twisted. An expression that could be called a cold smile, or something else entirely. He pressed the intercom. "Tanabe." His secretary Tanabe immediately appeared in the doorway. "Contact Miyake." His voice was low and calm, cigar smoke slowly exhaling. "Add one item to this month's Reimei-kai agenda." Tanabe said, "Understood," and withdrew. The Reimei-kai——the unofficial personal network Takatsukasa had established fifteen years ago. A membership salon of twenty-two people: three politicians, five bureaucrats, twelve corporate executives, two lawyers. Ostensibly an inter-industry exchange meeting, but in reality a mutual-benefit network to maintain and expand Takatsukasa's influence. The secretary managing it was a man named Miyake, and meetings were held every second Thursday of the month at the traditional restaurant "Kasumi-zuki" in Akasaka. Miyake moving meant——pressure could