Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

Nerima Ward, afternoon.

When Masashi Akiyama pushed open the creaking wooden door, the dust that hit him made him cough violently.

"Cough cough cough—"

Before you stands a historic two-story wooden apartment building, located on a quiet street in Nerima Ward, Tokyo.

The exterior walls of the building are covered with withered yellow ivy vines, and the paint on the wooden window frames is peeling off, revealing the dark brown logs underneath.

An empty signboard hangs under the porch, swaying slightly in the autumn breeze.

This is an apartment building that combines home and office space. After confirming that this place truly belonged to him, Masashi Akiyama decisively canceled his previous small and cramped rental apartment and argued his way back to get back the remaining deposit and prepaid rent.

The landlady, Kotoko Kameda, said on the phone in Japanese with a Kansai accent that she had received the first three months' rent and management fees, totaling 21 yen.

The next rent payment will be made in three months.

In other words, Masashi Akiyama needs to earn 21 yen within 90 days.

"That's a huge expense."

Masashi Akiyama, who had less than 12 yen left in his pocket after counting the deposit he had just received and the prepaid rent, stood helplessly in the dusty entryway.

"Cough cough cough—"

A suppressed cough came from behind me.

Masashi Akiyama turned around and looked at Maki Suzuki, who had come with him, his tone apologetic: "Ms. Suzuki, you really didn't need to come here with me."

He gestured to the old building in front of him: "As you can see, this is where I will live and work in the future."

Maki Suzuki bypassed Masashi Akiyama and walked briskly into the apartment entrance.

She changed her outfit today. A light pink knitted dress hugged her slender figure, her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, and she wore a pair of thin gold-rimmed glasses on her nose.

Compared to the haggard and disheveled appearance she had when they first met, she was completely different. She was gentle and intellectual, like a Japanese Nadeshiko who had stepped out of a Showa-era pictorial magazine.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the huge, bulging canvas bag on her shoulder.

Masashi Akiyama stared at Maki Suzuki's back, his thoughts drifting away—how come he hadn't noticed before that Ms. Suzuki's hair had a slight curl at the ends?

Maki Suzuki walked into the living room, looked around, and gave a brief critique of the dusty space.

"The natural light is great, and the ceiling is high enough. Although it's a bit old, it should be very cozy if it's cleaned properly..."

She was speaking when she didn't receive a response from Masashi Akiyama. Turning around, she was surprised to find him staring blankly, a rare sight for him.

Maki Suzuki smiled.

She waved her hand in front of Akiyama Masashi's eyes:

"Mr. Akiyama? Mr. Akiyama?"

"Huh?" Masashi Akiyama finally came to his senses.

"What's wrong?" Suzuki Maki tilted her head, put her hands behind her back, and turned around slightly.

The hem of the knitted skirt spreads out with her movements, like a pink flower blooming in autumn.

"Was Mr. Akiyama stunned?"

Masashi Akiyama nodded honestly, not holding back his praise: "I just suddenly realized that Ms. Suzuki is also very charming."

Maki Suzuki hadn't expected him to be so direct, and her heart suddenly raced. Her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and she instinctively tried to hide her shyness.

"After all... Mr. Akiyama's ideal type is a 'mature woman.' I also want to... win Mr. Akiyama's favor."

The moment the words left her lips, Maki Suzuki mentally covered her face.

Good heavens! Suzuki Maki, what are you saying?! Mr. Akiyama will think you're a pervert!

"Uchida-san even told you something like this?"

Masashi Akiyama looked at Maki Suzuki, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes were darting around, thought for a moment, and then showed an expression of sudden realization.

He stepped forward and gently placed his hands on Maki Suzuki's shoulders:

"Ms. Suzuki, I know you're grateful to me for solving your brother's case. But you really don't need to force yourself to change; it's fine as you are before."

Maki Suzuki froze the moment Masashi Akiyama approached.

She could feel the warmth of his hands through the thin knitted sweater, smell his faint, clean scent, and his handsome face was so close to hers.

A jolt of electricity shot from her tailbone straight to the top of her head.

Maki Suzuki felt her heart pounding so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

While it wouldn't be a bad idea if it were Akiyama-san, or rather, his arrival would be just right, it's not too soon...

"Huh? What? Me? Wait—"

Maki Suzuki hurriedly took a step back to create some distance, and only then did her brain start working again, finally understanding what Masashi Akiyama was saying.

"Akiyama-san, what an idiot!"

"What?"

Maki Suzuki stamped her foot, her voice lowering, "It's nothing..."

She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and raised her head:

"Mr. Akiyama, we've known each other for so long... may we address each other by our first names?"

Her voice grew softer and softer, and her cheeks became increasingly red.

"Ya, Masashi...kun."

I said it!!

Maki Suzuki simply didn't dare to look up at Masashi Akiyama's expression.

What should I do if Akiyama-san rejects me?

Did I act too unreservedly?

Isn't this too fast?

Maki Suzuki didn't even dare to breathe too hard.

Masashi Akiyama nodded.

For him, surname and given name are just labels, with no essential difference.

He accepted the offer quite smoothly:

"Maki."

He called her that, his voice as calm as ever, yet it made Suzuki Maki's heart skip a beat.

"Okay, okay!"

Maki Suzuki suddenly looked up, as if trying to hide something, and slammed her huge canvas bag onto the dusty table with a "bang".

"Um, in that case, let's clean up!"

She pulled out one cleaning tool after another from her canvas bag.

rags, brooms, buckets, cleaning agents, rubber gloves...

Masashi Akiyama was utterly amazed.

"Maki is just like Doraemon."

"Yes, yes!"

Maki Suzuki didn't dare to lift her head, squatted down and started organizing the tools, her ears still red.

Seeing this, Masashi Akiyama also rolled up his shirt sleeves, ready to join in the cleaning work.

At that very moment—

"Ding-dong."

The office doorbell rang crisply.

"I'll go open the door!"

Masashi Akiyama strode to the entrance and opened the creaking wooden door.

Rieko Uchida was standing outside the door.

She was wearing a refreshing light blue school uniform, her long hair tied in a high ponytail. She looked quite different from before, suggesting that she was doing well after the case was over.

"Mr. Akiyama!"

When Rieko Uchida saw Masashi Akiyama, her eyes lit up, and she tilted her head with a playful expression.

"Surprise!"

Before Masashi Akiyama could react, Maki Suzuki peeked out from behind him, her voice filled with undisguised surprise:

"Uchida-san? What are you doing here?"

When Rieko Uchida saw Maki Suzuki, she paused for a moment, then her smile became even brighter.

"Ms. Suzuki is here too?"

As she spoke, she walked past Masashi Akiyama without any politeness and went straight into the office.

Rieko Uchida's gaze swept across the dusty room before landing on the cleaning tools that Maki Suzuki had taken out.

"This place doesn't look like a habitable place."

Rieko Uchida picked up a rag, turned around, and smiled at Masashi Akiyama.

"Looks like I've come at the perfect time, Akiyama-san. Let me help you clean!"

"No."

Maki Suzuki reached out and gently placed her hand on Rieko Uchida's hand, which was holding a rag.

She had a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm fine here. Uchida-san, you should go back to school and study. High school students must be very busy with their studies."

"No."

Rieko Uchida also gripped the rag tightly, while covering Maki Suzuki's hand with her other hand.

"Won't this make things too hard for Suzuki-nee-san? It'll be much faster to clean with one more person helping."

"Of course it won't be hard."

"I think I'll stay."

"No need."

"I think it's necessary."

Their hands overlapped on the rag, their fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

Then, they both turned their heads to look at Masashi Akiyama, who was standing to the side trying to make his presence known.

The sounds rang out simultaneously:

"Akiyama-san, what do you think?"

"Yas, what do you think?"

very scary.

Even without activating his psychological insight, Masashi Akiyama keenly sensed that this didn't seem to be the kind of territory he should be venturing into.

Even though Masashi Akiyama had never backed down in the courtroom, he couldn't help but take a step back at this moment.

"Yashi?"

Rieko Uchida reacted extremely quickly.

She loosened the rag, clasped her hands together, tilted her head to look at Masashi Akiyama, her large eyes filled with pleading.

"Why can Suzuki-neechan call you by your name? I'd like to do that too, is that okay, Masashi-nii?"

She paused, then added something even more damaging:

"Could it be that Brother Yasi... is biased?"

Masashi Akiyama didn't think that addressing someone was a big deal.

He nodded. "Of course."

"Very good!"

Rieko Uchida smiled contentedly and turned to Maki Suzuki.

"These things don't have a first-come, first-served rule."

Maki Suzuki muttered under her breath, "Honestly, I was here first..."

terrible.

Masashi Akiyama took another step back, his back almost touching the wall.

Just when the atmosphere was at its most tense—

"Ding-dong."

The doorbell rang again.

Masashi Akiyama immediately turned around and rushed towards the entrance as if fleeing, leaving the two women in the living room staring at each other.

"I'll go open the door!"