Last night's conversation still lingered in the corner of her mind. While gazing out the window, she'd whispered to herself, "Be yourself, Kozue." That sensation of her chest dropping in that moment. A night had passed since then, and today's Kozue was slightly more composed than usual. The message from Yuto had arrived that morning. A short text: "Could you come to Park Tower this afternoon? I'd like you to meet a friend." Kozue had read it twice, then replied, "Understood." 2 PM. The "Setogawa Park Tower" in Marunouchi, Chiyoda Ward, stood out as always—the most prominent building in the area. Stepping into the first-floor lobby, a marble fountain quietly released its water. She passed through the card key and facial recognition, then boarded the elevator to the 37th floor. This routine was becoming familiar, bit by bit. Not that she'd resisted becoming accustomed to it, but with each familiarity came a subtle, complicated feeling. The 37th-floor lounge offered an unobstructed view of Tokyo's sky. Sofas lined the windows, and two coffee cups sat on a low table. Yuto was already there, and across from him sat a single man. Kozue was first struck by his atmosphere. He appeared to be in his late twenties. Not particularly tall, with a slightly lean build. His black hair, with its natural wave, could have been bedhead or intentional—impossible to tell. His clothing wasn't as polished as Yuto's. A simple gray jacket, a white shirt with one button undone. Yet there was nothing unkempt about him—just the impression of someone who "wasn't particularly interested in how he dressed." The man noticed Kozue and stood up. "Ah, you're Shirakawa-san, right? Um, so you're... the... fake—" For a moment, the air in the lounge stopped. Kozue doubted her own ears. The man's face flushed red before her eyes. "I'm sorry, let me start over. You're the fiancée, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Kenta Sakakibara." "...H-hello. I'm Kozue Shirakawa." She tried to hold back her laughter. She really did try. But it was impossible. "Hff—" A sound escaped. Kozue pressed her hand to her mouth, but her shoulders were trembling. When was the last time she'd laughed like this? Since coming to La Cresta Minami-Azabu, since learning the etiquette of high society, even laughter had felt like it required effort. And yet now, she was laughing without any effort at all. "Please don't laugh! I was nervous!" "[laughing] I'm sorry, but..." "This really isn't helping! I know exactly what I shouldn't have said. I know, but I couldn't stop myself!" Yuto spoke quietly. "[serious] Kenta. This is becoming Kozue's first impression of you." "I know, I know, but... Shirakawa-san, I'm truly sorry. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Kenta Sakakibara. I was Yuto's classmate at university, and now I run an AI startup. It's called Noveluce—have you heard of it?" "No... I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with it." "That's actually the right answer. We're not that famous yet, and honestly, I'm more relieved that I managed to introduce myself properly than anything else." Kozue felt another laugh coming on. This time, she managed to hold it back. So this was the "genius entrepreneur," she thought. When Yuto had mentioned him beforehand, he'd described an AI startup CEO with a company valuation of 20 billion yen or some figure like that, and Kozue had vaguely imagined someone unapproachable. But the person actually standing before her was someone who, in his nervousness, had blurted out something fatal and turned completely red—someone foolish and oddly endearing. The three of them settled onto the sofa and took a sip of coffee. Yuto began discussing documents. The content was lost on Kozue, but it seemed to be some kind of meeting about future arrangements. She nodded along while gazing out at Tokyo beyond the window. The view from the 37th floor was a different height than from the 18th—a sprawl of buildings stretched out below. After a while, Yuto's phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment." He stood and walked toward the far end of the lounge. Kozue and Kenta were left alone across the table. Silence came. Awkward, Kozue thought. But Kenta spoke first. "Um, can I ask you something?" "Y-yes." "Shirakawa-san, before you came into this world, what kind of life were you living? I'm sorry if that's a rude way to put it." Kozue was slightly surprised. It was an unexpected question. She'd expected him to ask about parties, about Yuto, about high society—not about "yourself before you came here." "...I worked in administration at a trading company. Marutomi Trading, in Chuo Ward." "I see. What was the work like?" "Ordinary office work. Processing documents, answering phones, managing supplies. I lived alone in a small apartment, and after work I'd buy half-price prepared food at the supermarket on my way home—that kind of thing." As she spoke, Kozue felt a slight tension. She wondered if it was okay to talk about something so ordinary. But Kenta nodded along, genuinely interested. "That's so much more real." Kenta murmured those words. Kozue considered their meaning. *Real.* That word. The sense that half-price prepared food was more real than this 37th-floor view. It was close to something she'd been feeling for a while now. "Sakakibara-san... are you used to this kind of world?" "Not at all. Honestly, I still feel out of place. As my company's valuation goes up, I get invited to places like this, but I always feel like I don't belong. People like Yuto, who've been here since birth, and people like me, who came in partway—I think we're fundamentally different." "...I suppose so." Kozue understood that feeling well. How to maintain yourself when you're so different. She'd been thinking about that last night too, standing in front of the window. Before Yuto returned, Kenta asked one more thing. "Shirakawa-san, are you happy right now? With this life?" Kozue hesitated slightly. "...It's difficult." She answered honestly. "Happy" would be a lie, and "painful" wasn't quite accurate either. Difficult was closest to where she actually stood. Kenta said nothing. He simply nodded slightly and lifted his coffee cup. That silence—neither accusing nor comforting, just accepting—made something warm bloom in the depths of Kozue's chest. It was different from Shoichi's coolness, different from Yuto's perfect gentlemanly demeanor. This person was simply listening, genuinely. Yuto returned. The meeting concluded, and Kenta began preparing to leave. As he put on his jacket, Kenta turned toward Kozue. "Um..." "Yes?" "Can we talk again? I still want to introduce myself properly from the beginning... but also, I enjoyed talking with you." His expression was serious. He wasn't saying it with a smile. He meant it genuinely. Kozue thought for a moment. "...There's no need to introduce yourself again from the beginning." "Then, can we talk again?" "[gentle] ...Again?" Again. She felt the weight of that word. "Again" meant there would be a next time. A next time meant it wouldn't end today. Kozue tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come. "Let's go, Kenta. I'll see you to the elevator." Yuto's voice set things in motion. Kenta said "Thank you" to Kozue and left the lounge with Yuto. While waiting for the elevator, Kozue turned the word "again" over in her mind, letting it roll around aimlessly. He'd said it. And she hadn't denied it. Only now did Kozue realize that she hadn't denied it. --- She returned to La Cresta Minami-Azabu just after evening had begun. Entering the 18th-floor room, she removed her coat and drank a glass of water in the kitchen. Outside the window, darkness was already falling, and Tokyo Tower glowed red. Kozue sat on the sofa, trying to organize her thoughts about the day. Kenta Sakakibara was an unusual person. An AI startup CEO with an estimated net worth of 1.5 billion yen, Yuto's friend—but that wasn't what Kozue had felt. He'd asked her "ordinary questions." He'd listened with genuine interest to her story about half-price prepared food. He'd said, "That's so much more real." That phrase wouldn't leave her alone. Her smartphone vibrated. The sender was "Shoichi Hinata." She opened the message. "I've been informed of your contact with Sakakibara Kenta today. I need to confirm our response strategy going forward." Kozue stared at the screen, unable to move for a moment. *Informed.* By whom. Who had reported this to Shoichi? There had been only three people in the lounge—Yuto, Kenta, and Kozue. And then some staff members at a distance—*ah*, she thought. That was it. Her neck went cold. "Monitored" might not be the right word. But she'd been watched. Someone had "reported" on today's conversation. That much was certain. The word *contact* caught in her mind. Contact. As if Kozue had done something problematic. As if she'd taken some questionable action. But she'd only talked. Only drunk coffee and had an ordinary conversation. It wasn't quite anger. Not embarrassment either. She couldn't name the emotion that was welling up inside her. Kozue looked out the window. Night Tokyo spread out as it always did. Tokyo Tower. Rainbow Bridge. Countless building lights. Beautiful, she thought. But now, Kenta's face occupied more space in her mind than the view. His serious eyes when he'd asked, "Can we talk again?" His quiet voice when he'd murmured, "That's so much more real." That memory and Shoichi's words—"I've been informed of your contact"—existed side by side in her chest. One was warm. The other was cold. Both had happened today. Kozue set her smartphone on the table. She wouldn't reply yet. She didn't know how. Outside the window, Tokyo Tower continued to glow quietly. Inside Kozue's chest, something was beginning to move slowly—something that still had no name.