Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

Masashi Akiyama had no interest in what kind of predicament Ayakako Fukuda would face.

He has returned to the law firm.

Masashi Akiyama took off his coat, hung it up, and sat down at his workstation.

The case file of Kento Suzuki was spread out on the table.

The kraft paper folder was somewhat worn, and the label on the side read "Suzuki Fukuda Case - Child Abuse" written in black marker.

The sky outside the window darkened completely, and the twilight spread like ink, stretching the shadows of the cherry blossom trees along the street long.

The senior colleagues at the firm had already gone home, leaving only the desk lamp above Masashi Akiyama's head lit up.

This case was previously handled by a senior colleague, who was responsible for compiling and archiving all the testimonies, evidence, and surveillance footage.

Masashi Akiyama had been handling this case for less than 24 hours.

Originally thought to be just the final document preparation before the trial, who would have thought that with only a week left before the first trial, unexpected complications would arise.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, the light gray light curtain appeared as expected at the edge of my field of vision.

[Branch 3: As a lawyer, you have your own principles. But as a recent graduate burdened with eight million yen in student loans, you also have your own considerations. So you secretly accept that simple toy bear, feigning acceptance of Ayaka Fukuda's invitation, intending to play a trick on her. (Reward: Psychological Insight - Perfect Award)]

【…】

[The world timeline of Ayaka Fukuda has been resolved]

Apart from that, the other two branching paths of the world lines have completely disappeared without a trace.

"Psychological Insight · Perfection..."

Almost the instant the words fell, an indescribable sense of clarity spread through my mind.

It's not about imparting knowledge, but rather about sharpening the senses; details become exceptionally clear in everything you see.

You can clearly hear the faint sound of airflow from the air conditioner vents, and even smell the mixture of old paper ink and coffee stains.

He had already tried using this newly acquired skill when he was dealing with Ayaka Fukuda in the coffee shop.

For lawyers, psychological insight is a core skill that integrates psychology and legal practice.

Through precise language guidance, micro-expression capture, and logical analysis, we can see through the true thoughts of the person we are communicating with and grasp their emotional vulnerabilities.

Especially when dealing with parties involved, this skill can help distinguish the truth from falsehood in testimonies and uncover details that are deliberately concealed.

This is a required course for every practicing lawyer.

However, "knowing how to use" and "being proficient" are two different things.

Even renowned lawyers in the industry wouldn't dare to guarantee that their insight into other people's psychology is 100% accurate.

But the current Masashi Akiyama is capable.

He opened the file, his fingers brushing over the pages of photocopies of testimonies, then stopping at one of them.

This is a transcript of an interview with Rieko Uchida, a classmate of Ayaka Fukuda.

Unlike other testimonies, this transcript is filled with a great deal of ambiguous wording—

"I might have seen it..."

"Perhaps you've heard of it..."

"It must have been around that time..."

"Not quite sure..."

Masashi Akiyama pulled out this piece of paper.

In Masashi Akiyama's view, such testimony was completely insufficient to serve as evidence of Kento Suzuki's guilt.

In contrast, the testimonies of Ayaka Fukuda's other friends were unequivocal, each claiming to have personally witnessed and heard the incidents in which Ayaka Fukuda was harmed.

Masashi Akiyama separated Rieko Uchida's testimony and placed his fingertip on the ID photo in the upper right corner of the paper.

The girl in the photo has bangs, curved eyebrows and eyes, and is giving the camera a slightly reserved smile.

……

It was nearly 8 p.m. when I left the office.

As night deepened, the evening breeze, carrying the chill of late autumn, slipped in through the open window, causing Masashi Akiyama to shiver.

He quickly tightened the collar of his coat, carefully locked the files and the teddy bear into his briefcase, and strode out of the office.

The wind lifted the hem of Masashi Akiyama's coat, and a chill crept in through his trouser legs.

He was born with a fear of the cold, and the autumn and winter seasons were an especially long and arduous time for him.

Masashi Akiyama couldn't help but think that if it weren't for the recording inside that teddy bear, Suzuki Kento's guilt would be almost certain based solely on the chain of evidence in the case file.

Surveillance footage, physical evidence, and multiple testimonies—all the evidence points to the same conclusion.

The only point of doubt is Rieko Uchida's vague testimony.

"Classmate, not a friend..."

As he walked, he pondered. The other witnesses were all identified as "Ayakako Fukuda's friend," but Rieko Uchida was identified as "Ayakako Fukuda's classmate."

A simple difference in terminology led him to make a bold guess.

Perhaps, the relationship between Rieko Uchida and Ayaka Fukuda is not as close as it appears to outsiders.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice a slender figure walking towards him on the sidewalk ahead.

"Bang--!"

With a muffled thud, the two collided solidly.

Masashi Akiyama felt a sharp pain in his chest and staggered backward a few steps, almost falling over.

He instinctively clutched his briefcase tightly, his arms trembling slightly from the force.

"ah--!"

A girl's gasp rang out.

Akiyama steadied himself and looked up, only to see a girl in a dark blue JK uniform sitting on the sidewalk.

The convenience store's plastic bags lay scattered to the side, the milk carton was torn open, and milky white liquid spread across the cement ground. The triangular rice balls rolled to the side of the road, their wrappers covered in dust; a melon bread lay in the puddles, gradually becoming soaked.

The girl disregarded her own safety and hurriedly crawled over to gather the scattered items into her arms.

Masashi Akiyama noticed that her knee was badly scraped, and her stockings were torn, with blood seeping out and mixing with the dirt, making her look particularly disheveled.

Just then, the light gray light screen in front of Akiyama Masashi reappeared without warning—

[Rieko Uchida's inner monologue: Ouch! Damn it! My dinner is ruined! Doesn't this old man even watch where he's going? Waaaa, my knee is bleeding, and my school uniform skirt is all dirty. How am I going to go to school tomorrow? Why does bad luck always seem to happen to me? I wish all those annoying guys would just die!]

[Can converge world lines]

[Fork in the road 1: Ignore the other person's tragic fate, even if you caused it. Mature adults should be this ruthless. (Reward: A small, insignificant stroke of luck)]

[Branch Two: Offer assistance and comfort. Even the most cold-hearted adult can't say no to high school girls. After all, they are in the prime of their lives, both physically and in other aspects. (Reward: 2 yen in cash)]

[Branch 3: Simply offering help and comfort isn't enough! There's a lovely young girl in front of you who's upset; of course, you should warm her heart with sincerity. Rush over immediately and lick her wounds from head to toe! Don't worry, struggling is normal; it's just a girl's shyness. (Reward: You'll be treated like a pervert, a creep, and a scumbag; besides getting beaten up, you'll also be spat on.)]