The notification from last night still lingered in the corner of his mind. Tachibana. Nothing more, nothing less. A single brief message—"I'll be waiting in the break room"—had refused to fade even after he'd fallen asleep. It had been a long time since Kageyama Tobio had felt the sensation of being waited for. He left Corpo Minase at 8:15. A little earlier than usual. Not that he'd consciously decided it. He simply couldn't find a reason to stay in bed. The October air was dry, and the Kinshicho shopping street still had its shutters mostly down. The fishmonger's owner swept the storefront with a broom. White steam leaked from the tofu shop. Tokyo at this hour had an honest face about it, Tobio thought. Several employees were already on the open floor of Travis Tower's 12th level. Tobio set his bag at his desk and removed his jacket. He casually confirmed the nameplate three seats away that read "Tachibana Rin." The desk was empty. Around 9 o'clock, he headed toward the vending m