Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

A new day begins, and Masashi Akiyama wakes up precisely at seven o'clock in the morning.

Pale blue sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, narrow strips of light on the tatami mats.

He sat up from the single bed, stepped barefoot onto the cold floor, and then put on his thick, plush slippers.

I went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

The tap water in Tokyo carried the unique coolness of late autumn. He scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. In less than three seconds, he was completely awake.

Wash up, shave, and change into a neatly ironed shirt and suit.

On the small dining table in the kitchen, leftover rice balls from last night were spinning and heating in the microwave, emitting a dull hum.

Akiyama sat at the table, mechanically chewing as he flipped through the morning newspaper.

The headlines in the social section remain prominent.

The public outcry over the case of a teacher molesting a minor continues to escalate, with calls for severe punishment.

The subtitle is even more pointed: "Is it a disgrace to the education sector, or a loophole in the system?"

The article details recent heated discussions on social media, including the voices of various commentators, education scholars, and parent representatives, all of which are filled with anger and unease.

This is the first case of its kind to attract such widespread attention in recent years.

Families with children are worried, the education sector is reflecting on its own actions, and the general public is eagerly hoping to see a "just deserts" outcome.

The text published in the newspaper was already a relatively restrained version that had been edited and selected.

If you visit universities in various places, you will hear even more direct and even vicious curses poured out on the name "Kento Suzuki".

Ironically, the vast majority of these voices had never had any contact with Kento Suzuki.

Despite the overwhelming public opinion against him, Masashi Akiyama reversed his commission and defended Kento Suzuki.

Once this news gets out, it will surely cause a huge uproar.

Akiyama put down the newspaper, picked up the miso soup, and took a sip.

He had absolutely no worries about the future. On the contrary, deep down he was secretly anticipating that possibility, and he even hoped that things would escalate.

Otherwise, how could a newcomer like him, with no background, no family connections, and burdened with eight million yen in student loans, possibly make a name for himself in Tokyo, a circle teeming with lawyers?

Do I really have to work as a errand boy at this law firm for three to five years, only gradually being able to take on cases independently thanks to the "charity" of my seniors?

Masashi Akiyama is an ambitious man.

Even without the suddenly appearing system, he wouldn't be content with a mediocre life. And now—

A familiar light gray curtain of light appeared at the edge of my vision, its edges shimmering with a faint glow like the morning light.

Name: Masashi Akiyama

[Assets: 92,120 yen]

[Item: None]

[Skills: Psychological Insight - Perfection; Emotional Manipulation - Beginner]

Property Purchase: None

Rieko Uchida's world line has been shown to have "converged".

The "Property Ownership" item that appears in the character status bar clearly corresponds to Ayaka Fukuda's world line.

After Masashi Akiyama chose the option of "ruining her reputation", the property has remained vacant ever since.

Masashi Akiyama guessed that the private law firm could only be obtained after all the options were fully completed.

The best stage to completely ruin Ayaka Fukuda's reputation is undoubtedly the courtroom.

In full view of everyone, he shattered her carefully crafted facade.

Akiyama put down his soup bowl, straightened his suit and tie, and went to the entrance to change into his leather shoes.

As he pushed open the door, the cold morning air rushed towards him. He took a deep breath and walked towards the subway station.

When I arrived at the law firm, the clock at the front desk showed 8:50.

As soon as Akiyama sat down at his workstation, Sayuri, a fellow intern lawyer, came over mysteriously.

She wore light makeup today and had a faint perfume scent, the kind of sweet, cloying fragrance you find in convenience store shelves.

"Akiyama-san," she whispered, her eyes sparkling, "Murakami-senpai invited everyone to a team-building event tonight. You... you'll be coming too, right?"

"Feel sorry--"

Before Akiyama could finish speaking, a voice came from behind him:

"Akiyama-san, I need to talk to you. Please come to my office."

The lead attorney is Murakami Kijima.

He was in his early forties, wearing a neatly pressed but plain dark blue suit, his hair was combed meticulously, and he had a professional, gentle smile on his face.

"OK."

Akiyama stood up and, under Sayuri's worried gaze, followed Murakami to the private office at the end of the corridor.

The office wasn't large, but it was arranged quite neatly.

The bookshelves were filled with legal classics and case compilations, and the green plants by the window were growing well, clearly indicating that someone was taking good care of them.

Murakami gestured for Akiyama to sit on the guest sofa, while he walked to the window and pulled down the blinds.

Click.

The sound of the plastic blades closing was crisp and abrupt, completely blocking out the view from the outside world.

Murakami walked back to his desk and sat down, placing his hands clasped on the table.

He paused for a few seconds, seemingly considering his words, before slowly speaking:

"Akiyama-san, you know I've always valued you highly since you joined the firm, right?"

"Yes." Akiyama nodded. "Murakami-senpai really taught me a lot, and I'm very grateful."

"That's good." Murakami waved his hand, leaning forward slightly. "So, Akiyama-san, you should understand—as a member of my team, I absolutely do not want to see you make any mistakes. This is not only about your future, but also about my reputation."

Akiyama didn't respond, but simply waited quietly for what would happen next.

Murakami took a deep breath and lowered his voice even further:

"I heard some rumors today... about Ayaka Fukuda's case... are you planning to reverse the commission?"

A brief silence fell over the office.

The sunlight outside the window was cut into thin strips of light by the blinds, casting alternating stripes of light and dark on the floor.

"Senior," Akiyama said after a moment of silence, "was it information leaked by Ayakako Fukuda?"

"It's not just about revealing information." Murakami sighed, rubbing his temples. "This morning, Ms. Fukuda and her mother caused a huge scene at the law firm. She said you violated professional ethics by meeting with the defendant's family privately, and that you intended to abandon her as your client and instead take on the case of Suzuki Kento's sister."

He paused, a look of worry in his eyes:

"Ms. Fukuda herself is easy to deal with, but her mother... has a wide network of connections. I received four or five calls this morning alone. The president is probably receiving even more."

"Is Ayaka Fukuda's mother a socialite?" Akiyama asked rhetorically, then shook his head in denial. "No, judging from Miss Fukuda's words and actions, she doesn't seem like the kind of daughter raised in an upper-class family."

"What high society?" Murakami smiled wryly. "Her mother was a waitress at 'Evening Primrose'."

"Evening primrose?" Akiyama frowned slightly. "Is it a coffee shop? Or a restaurant?"

He truly had no idea about the name.

Poverty limited his social circle; his knowledge of the elegant, upscale places in Ginza was limited to photos in magazines and snippets in news reports.

Murakami couldn't help but roll his eyes, a gesture that seemed particularly out of place on his usually gentle face.

"Akiyama-san, oh Akiyama-san," he sighed, "what can I say to you? You're usually so smart, how come you can't even grasp things in a situation like this?"

He leaned forward, speaking each word with exceptional clarity:

"Evening Primrose is a high-end members-only club located in Ginza 8-chome. To put it bluntly—Ayaka Fukuda's mother was a high-class hostess there."

Akiyama paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"I see."

"So, Akiyama-san," Murakami Itsuki's expectant expression returned, as if grasping at a last straw, "you didn't do what Ms. Fukuda said, right? It's just a normal case investigation, or... is there some misunderstanding?"

"Murakami-senpai," Akiyama's voice was calm, "I don't want to hide it from you. I did meet with Suzuki Kento's sister."

"It's okay if we meet!" Murakami said urgently, his words quickening. "Even if we meet, it doesn't mean anything! Ms. Fukuda's attempt to make a fuss about this is baseless—"

"As for the reversal of representation," Akiyama interrupted him, "I hadn't decided before. But now, I've made up my mind. I will formally refuse to appear in court as Ayaka Fukuda's lawyer and submit an application to the Bar Association to terminate the representation, along with the reasons for the termination."

"Akiyama-san!"

Murakami abruptly stood up, the chair legs scraping loudly on the floor. He lowered his voice, but couldn't suppress the shock and anxiety in his tone:

"What are you thinking? This case is already a done deal! What benefit do you gain by reversing the commission at this point? This is the first case of your career, its importance is self-evident! Moreover, this case has received widespread media attention. Once the news gets out, what will happen to your career?"

He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Akiyama:

"I don't want my subordinates' lives to be ruined before they even begin. I hope you... will consider this carefully."

Masashi Akiyama remained silent.

Thin strips of light leaked through the gaps in the blinds, casting alternating shadows on his face.

He could see that the worry in Murakami Itsuki's eyes was genuine.

This senior may not be particularly outstanding, but his care for the younger generation is truly heartfelt.

After a long silence, Akiyama slowly spoke:

"I'm sorry, Murakami-senpai."

Those five short words caused Murakami's shoulders to slump.

He sat back heavily in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"Never mind... I'll try my best to buy you some time. Ms. Fukuda and the media won't get any information from me."

His voice was weary. "But once you submit your request to terminate the agency... everyone will know. I hope you'll think twice then."

"Yes." Akiyama stood up and bowed slightly to Murakami. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Murakami waved his hand, as if suddenly remembering something, and perked up again:

"By the way, Akiyama-san, there's a team-building event tonight, and I hope you can come too."

"I'm sorry," Akiyama instinctively wanted to refuse, "I'm going tonight—"

"This team-building event was initiated by Takagi-senpai," Murakami interrupted him. "It's to celebrate her landing a multi-billion yen corporate acquisition deal, so it's a kind of early celebration. She wants all the lawyers in the firm to be there."

He paused, then added:

"All expenses will be charged to Takagi-senpai's account. So..."

"OK."

Akiyama immediately nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

Murakami's words were choked back, and his expression became somewhat strange.

He paused for two seconds before clearing his throat: "The team building location is... Ginza 8-chome, 'Evening Primrose' Club."

Masashi Akiyama pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold white light.

"I understand," Akiyama said calmly. "I will be there on time."

After saying that, he bowed slightly to Murakami again, turned around, and pushed open the door to leave.

The office door closed gently behind me. The corridor was well-cooled, and I could hear the faint sound of airflow from the central air conditioning vents.

Akiyama walked back down the corridor, his leather shoes making a dull thud on the carpet.

As he passed the tea room, he heard hushed conversations coming from inside:

"Have you heard? The Fukuda case..."

"What exactly is Akiyama-san thinking...?"

"This is a huge problem..."