Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

As I left the manga company, the afternoon sun was shining obliquely on the quiet streets of Nerima Ward.

Rin Saionji's request was so simple it was almost absurd.

The other party is indeed a startup company; not to mention the legal department, the president doesn't even have a lawyer friend.

When Masashi Akiyama handed over his business card, the other person already seemed guilty.

However, she still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that with Rin Saionji's timid and cowardly demeanor, she wouldn't be able to find a decent lawyer.

Masashi Akiyama didn't even use any negotiation skills.

He simply exchanged a few words with the other party, pointing out several obvious legal loopholes in the employment contract.

There is no clear stipulation regarding the payment period, no agreement on liability for breach of contract, and not even a clear definition of the ownership of the copyright.

The pot-bellied editor-in-chief immediately broke out in a sweat and hurriedly vomited up all the royalties he had swallowed, and even gave him an extra sum of "compensation for mental distress".

Total of 300,000 yen.

As he walked out of that small, dilapidated office, Masashi Akiyama paused at the door and looked back at the relieved president.

"I've read Saionji-san's manga. Even though it's just a draft, you can tell she's very talented and has her own ideas."

He paused, then added:

"You will regret losing her for the rest of your life."

The president smirked dismissively, clearly not taking his words to heart.

Masashi Akiyama said no more and left with Rin Saionji.

[The world line of Saionji Rin has been resolved]

[Reward: Compliance Insight Awarded]

…………

When I returned to the office, the afternoon sun was shining through the west window, casting warm rays of light on the wooden floor.

Rin Saionji kept staring at Masashi Akiyama with her bright, sparkling eyes.

Masashi Akiyama sat down opposite her, straightened his suit cuffs, and then—

He stretched out his hand, palm up, and laid it flat on the table in front of Saionji Rin.

"Huh?"

Rin Saionji paused for a moment. She stared at the hand with its distinct knuckles.

Masashi Akiyama has long, slender fingers with neatly trimmed nails, and a small section of his white shirt cuff peeks out from his wrist.

As if struck by a sudden thought, Rin Saionji's cheeks flushed rapidly, her eyes darting around in a flustered manner.

"Um... Mr. Akiyama... this is..."

Masashi Akiyama did not move; his hands remained outstretched.

Rin Saionji bit her lower lip, hesitated for a long time, and then carefully and gently placed her hand into that hand.

Her fingers were cold, her skin delicate, and she was trembling slightly.

Then--

"Smack."

Masashi Akiyama decisively withdrew his hand and laid his palm flat in front of her again.

"Final payment."

He said.

"Okay, okay! I'm so sorry!"

Rin Saionji's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed. She hurriedly took out the stack of cash she had just received from her canvas bag, awkwardly counted out 100,000 yen, and handed it to Masashi Akiyama with both hands, her fingertips still trembling slightly.

"Is this... enough?"

Masashi Akiyama took the banknote and weighed it in his hand. The banknote was new and still had the distinctive smell of ink.

He plans to return part of the money, as the case is too simple and the legal fees charged are too high.

"No need, I—"

"Feel sorry!"

Rin Saionji misunderstood him, abruptly stood up, and bowed deeply. Her usually soft voice became louder with urgency:

"I'll pay the rest of the money as soon as possible! This 200,000 yen... I need to hire a lawyer to help my brother extricate himself from that marriage! Please!"

What kind of marriage can be "saved" with just 200,000 yen?

Masashi Akiyama's interest was piqued by this statement.

He didn't respond immediately, but instead took out a Fukuzawa Yukichi note from the 100,000 yen in his hand, and then put the remaining 90,000 yen, along with the stack of 200,000 yen, back into Saionji Rin's hand.

"Huh? Mr. Lawyer?"

"Just call me Akiyama." Akiyama Masashi waved his hand and leaned forward slightly.

"I'm very interested in your brother's situation. Can you tell me about it?"

"Huh?"

"But……"

Rin Saionji glanced at the stack of money that had been pushed back, then at Masashi Akiyama, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her hoodie.

"Won't this... bother you?"

"Of course not."

Masashi Akiyama got up, filled a glass of warm water from the water dispenser in the corner, and handed it to her. "Since it's a request, I need to know the whole story."

Rin Saionji took the water glass and held it with both hands. The warm steam rose up, blurring her beautiful face.

She lowered her head and took a sip, then began to speak haltingly.

"My older brother, Saionji Kiyoshi, is ten years older than me. Our parents died early, and my brother raised me single-handedly..."

The story is long and cliché.

Last year, Saionji Nori met his new wife, Aiba Rika.

He was gentle, considerate, and understanding, and Saionji Ki quickly fell in love with him and married him.

After marriage, Aiba Rika changed.

She disliked Saionji Rin and didn't want her to see her brother.

So Rin Saionji moved out on her own initiative. She wasn't good at socializing, and she felt more comfortable living alone.

She later learned that all of Xiangye Lijia's expenses after marriage were borne by her brother.

Luxury goods, overseas travel, fine dining...

Although the Saionji family had some inheritance, enough for the brother and sister to live comfortably, it couldn't withstand such extravagance.

But Saionji Nori loved her, so he indulged her.

Things are getting increasingly out of control.

Things started to get out of control three months ago.

In order to "test" Saionji Nori's love, Aiba Rika asked him to get a vasectomy.

"If you truly love me, you should give up the possibility of having children for me."

That's what Aiba Rika said.

Saionji Ki has passed away.

Then, a week ago—

When Saionji Kiichi woke up, he found his wife missing. His bank account had been emptied, and all his savings had vanished.

He contacted Ye Lijia, who left only a cold message:

"I want to have a child, but you've already had your tubal ligation. It's all your fault. Let's get a divorce."

Saionji Kiyokawa was struck by lightning.

He rushed to the hospital, hoping to have a tubal ligation reversal surgery. The surgery failed, and he completely lost his fertility.

This became the "legitimate reason" for Aiba Rika's insistence on divorce.

"Putting aside what happened before, aren't you also at fault? How can a man so easily get a vasectomy?"

"You have no opinions of your own! I don't like men like that!"

These were the woman's last words.

After that, her lawyer stepped in.

The other party demanded half of the family property and a large sum of "compensation for emotional distress".

Saionji Ki only then woke up from the love scam.

He hired a private investigator and discovered that Aiba Rika had not only lied to him about her background, but also that six months before they met, she was a hostess at a club in Ginza and had had multiple abortions.

With the truth revealed, Saionji Kiyoshi completely broke down.

He wanted to reclaim his property, but the law was in place.

In the event of a divorce, the other party has the right to half of the property, or possibly more.

With nowhere else to turn, he told his sister everything.

This led to Rin Saionji's desperate attempt to get her royalties back and her desire to hire a lawyer for her brother.

After finishing speaking, Rin Saionji curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging her knees tightly as if trying to hide herself.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't cry.

Masashi Akiyama remained silent for a long time.

"W-What's wrong?"

Rin Saionji spoke cautiously, her voice tinged with unease.

Masashi Akiyama waved his hand, signaling her not to speak yet.

He needs time to process this.

There were so many flaws that he was stunned.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"What...what outcome do you want?"

"Is it possible... to prevent that woman from taking a share of the inheritance?"

"Your brother must have consulted other lawyers before, right? What did they say?"

"It's difficult...almost impossible." Rin Saionji lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her hoodie.

"They all say that once you're married, all property is considered joint property. In the event of a divorce, the other party has the right to a share... at most, you can only try to get a smaller share."

She paused, then picked up the stack of money in her hand.

That 29 yen was the only thing she had in the world that could help her brother.

"This is all the money I have left," she said softly. "No matter what... I have to help my brother."

"Mr. Akiyama—"

Rin Saionji took a deep breath.

"If it were you... would it be possible to do that?"