Saturday, eleven in the morning. Corpo Minase was quiet. Nakano on the weekend was laid-back. The sound of bicycles from outside. A child's laughter somewhere. An ordinary Saturday. But Ren's head was anything but ordinary. The email from Mika that arrived last night——I've obtained detailed data on Null Field. Next, I'll come see you in person——those words hadn't left his mind since he woke up. He'd spent about an hour lying in bed in a daze before finally getting up. He washed his face. He toasted a slice of bread. He ate it. Since he didn't want to think about anything, he turned on the TV and found a shopping channel. A set of six frying pans on sale. (Not relevant.) He turned off the channel. Come to think of it, he hadn't checked the mailbox yesterday. With bedhead still in his hair, he opened the door in his loungewear. Two people were in the hallway. Ren froze completely for a second. Silver long hair. Loose waves. Golden eyes. Hikawa Akane stood in the landing, clutching a white tote bag with croissants and melon bread inside. And beside her——deep green short hair. Bangs swept to the right. Left eye red, right eye silver. Shinomiya Shu stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed, a single paperback wedged under his arm. Neither of them was looking at the other. More than that, they had the distinct air of "completely ignoring this person's existence," each facing a different direction. The hallway felt impossibly narrow. "[surprised]……Good morning" That was all he managed to say. He tried to quietly close the door. Two hands reached in from both sides, holding it open. "[serious]Wait a moment, please" "[serious]Wait" Their voices overlapped perfectly. The two finally looked at each other. Both had the expression of "why are you here too?" They didn't say it out loud, but it was completely written on their faces. Ren looked between them. "[sarcastic]……Why are you both here?" "[serious]I was worried about you, Namba-san" "[serious]Same reason" Akane glanced at Shu. Shu glanced at Akane. Then both turned away from each other again. Ren put his hand to his bedhead. "[sarcastic]……I'm going to change, at least" ＊　＊　＊ The family restaurant near the station was nearly full despite the early hour. Families, groups of friends, a salaryman eating breakfast alone. The three managed to secure a booth by the window. Akane set down the melon bread she'd brought. Shu glanced at the menu and ordered hot coffee. Ren chose the drink bar, poured himself a cola, and came back. For a while, no one said anything. The family restaurant hummed with activity. A child was complaining about something at the next table. Dishes clattered from the kitchen. BGM played softly. In the midst of it all, Ren fiddled with his cola straw and spoke. "[serious]I've been thinking about something since I found out about Null Field" Akane looked up. Shu set down his coffee cup. "[serious]Maybe you two got close to me because you felt safe with my skills not working. And if that's the case……it's not like I have any real value as a person. You're just drawn to a convenient trait. I didn't know if it was okay for me to interact with you two normally in a relationship like that" He took a sip of cola after finishing. He wasn't sure if he'd explained it well. But if he didn't tell someone, he felt like he'd keep spiraling, so he'd pushed through. Akane's face went tense. "[excited]That's not true! It's not like that——" She started to stand. Her arm hit the edge of the table. Crash. Her tea spilled. "[surprised]Oh" Tea flowed across the table. Akane hurried to lift the menu. Shu silently grabbed napkins. Ren quickly moved his cola away. The three of them bustled about for a moment. After wiping up the tea, they each returned to their chairs. Shu placed the napkins down and spoke quietly. "[serious]Being drawn to Null Field and having a personal interest in you are separate matters" "[surprised]……What do you mean?" "[serious]Even if the initial catalyst was your skill nullification, what you feel afterward is another thing entirely. You're confusing the catalyst with the reason" Ren thought for a moment. "[gentle]……I see. Thanks for the clear explanation" Shu's expression became subtle. Like he was confused about something, searching for a response for just a moment. His face returned to normal quickly, but Ren saw it. (What was that look? That's rare.) Probably he wasn't used to being thanked sincerely. With a skill that saw through lies——Judgment Line——maybe he'd developed a habit of always "reading between the lines" in people's words. When he received words without deception, maybe he didn't know how to respond. "[serious]What I'm trying to say is——" Akane, this time slowly and carefully to avoid spilling anything, moved the fresh water glass that had been brought as a replacement to the side. Then she looked directly at Ren. "[serious]It's true that at first, I wanted to be near you because I couldn't read your heart. My skill, Voix du Cœur——hearing the voice of the heart——worked on everyone for sixteen years. You alone have been completely silent from the beginning until now" There was a brief pause. "[gentle]But" She gently cupped the water glass in both hands. "[gentle]Now the reason has changed. I can say that much clearly" Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She didn't seem to notice. Ren searched for a response. Nothing came. Something wordless sat in his chest, but before he could form it, Shu spoke. "[serious]Her motivation and mine are different. I became interested in you because you don't lie. With Judgment Line, you develop a habit of always searching for red lines in people's words. Around you, I've never seen a red line appear once. That's what first caught my attention. That reason hasn't changed now" Akane looked at Shu with an intense expression. "[angry]Could you not summarize things from the side?" "[serious]I'm not summarizing. I'm comparing" "[angry]You are summarizing!" "[serious]That's incorrect" "[angry]It's not!" (This is escalating into their argument at an incredible pace……) Ren watched the two of them. Watching them go at it like this, he felt something strange. They were angry, but somehow it didn't feel scary. The thing he'd been spiraling over all last night was starting to come loose a little. Both of them were here. Not by arrangement, but on the same Saturday morning, in the same apartment hallway. That fact communicated something before words could explain it. Then. Ren's phone lit up on the table. All three voices stopped abruptly. The number on the screen was unfamiliar. But Ren knew instantly. The sender of last night's email——MC Representative Mika——same number. The call kept coming. Akane whispered "[whispers]Don't answer". Shu started to say "[serious]Before you answer, we should record——" and pushed up his glasses. Ren stared at the phone, hearing both their words. In the end, he didn't answer. The three of them watched in silence until the screen went dark. The family restaurant's BGM continued playing. The child at the next table was saying something. The world moved on normally. The call ended. Silence. Ren put the phone in his pocket and spoke. "[serious]……But I can't keep running forever" Both looked at him. "[serious]Next time it rings, I'll talk to them myself. I won't leave everything to you two. I'll do it" Akane started to say something, then stopped. Shu slowly nodded. Ren continued. "[serious]I'll find out what Mika is, what Marriage Connect is thinking. I'll confirm it myself. That much I can do. The email last night said they'd come see me in person next time, so if they come, let them" He was surprised at himself. He didn't think he could say it so calmly. But the words had come out, so he thought they were honest. After a brief pause, Akane spoke. "[gentle]……If that's what you say, Namba-san" Her cheeks slightly flushed, she looked directly at him. "[serious]I'm definitely going to the next party with you. Don't go alone" Shu spoke without hesitation. "[serious]I'm coming too" Akane immediately turned to Shu. "[angry]Why are you coming too?" "[serious]It's dangerous for Ren to handle this alone. It's not emotional reasoning——it's a matter of situational judgment" "[angry]I trust emotional reasoning more!" "[serious]That's incorrect" "[angry]There's that 'that's incorrect' again!" Ren watched them. Both were pointing in the same direction——"don't leave Ren alone"——and arguing about it. Had these two ever aimed at the same goal before? Probably not. "[sarcastic]……Thanks, anyway. Though it feels like a lot" He murmured that and stood to refill his cola at the drink bar. He left the two of them to their argument and walked alone. ＊　＊　＊ They left the family restaurant just after noon. Outside, it was cloudy. The wind was a little cold. The sound of people drifted from the direction of the station. Ren spoke to Akane and Shu. "[gentle]Thanks for coming last night and today" It was short. But that was all of it. Akane turned her face away. She nodded quietly. Shu simply said "[serious]I'll come again" and walked ahead. Akane watched his back. Then she spoke to Ren. "[cold]……I have no intention of giving the same answer as Shu, so remember that" With just that, she walked away quickly in the opposite direction. Her silver hair swayed beneath the cloudy sky. He was alone. Ren touched his phone in his pocket. He took it out. He opened the screen. The call history showed Mika's number. Below it, a text message had arrived. He opened it. 'Monday, I'll be waiting at the first-floor café of Natsuka Corporation. If you don't come, I'll contact Shiori next. ——MC Representative' Ren stared at that message for a while. Shiori's name was there. The wind grew a little stronger. The sound of people drifted from the station. The ordinary Saturday scenery continued. Two days until Monday. Ren put his phone back in his pocket. He looked up at the sky once, then started walking toward the apartment.