Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

The office was deathly silent, with only the low hum of the heater and the faint sound of the wind outside the window.

Rio Arimura was already in tears. She bit her lower lip tightly to stop herself from crying out loud, but her shoulders were trembling violently.

Rieko Uchida fell silent; her tears had long since dried, leaving only an empty, burnt-out calm.

Masashi Akiyama remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the blank agency agreement on the table, the signature section for the principal still empty, it seemed he would never see anyone come to sign it.

"Where's the suicide note?" Masashi Akiyama asked.

"Her parents...kept it away," Rieko Uchida said hoarsely. "They didn't want anyone to see it...it's too shameful to say..."

"Did you call the police?"

"I reported it... but the police said that the preliminary judgment is suicide, and there is no suspicion of homicide. Moreover..." Rieko Uchida paused, her voice filled with intense hatred.

"That store manager, Kenichi Nakajima, his brother is a district councilor... It seems... he's been contacted by the police..."

Just then, Masashi Akiyama's phone, which was on the table, vibrated.

The screen displays "Maki Suzuki".

He answered the phone and pressed speakerphone.

"Masashi?" Suzuki Maki's voice came through the receiver. "There's a new development in the case you asked me to investigate. That student from the private girls' high school, who worked at a convenience store, committed suicide after being accused of theft. Now the school gate is surrounded by reporters..."

"I've heard about it," Masashi Akiyama said calmly.

"You..." Suzuki Maki paused, seemingly sensing the unusual tone in his voice, "Things have already blown up this much, and public opinion is spreading rapidly. You're not... going to get involved, are you?"

Masashi Akiyama did not answer directly, but instead asked, "What's the public opinion like?"

"It's all one-sided." Suzuki Maki's voice turned somber. "Everyone is criticizing the store manager, criticizing the school for trying to cover it up, and criticizing the parents for not caring about their child. But this case... there's no direct evidence of sexual harassment by the store manager, and the theft is impossible to prove. The police have preliminarily ruled it a suicide, the store manager insists it was just a routine check, and the school is also trying to distance itself... I'm afraid in the end, it will all just fizzle out."

She paused, then added, "And I heard that the store manager is already contacting lawyers and preparing to sue the media outlets and individuals who defamed him. Yasi, if you're going to get involved, be prepared for a tough fight."

"I understand," Masashi Akiyama said. "Thanks, Maki."

"You..." Suzuki Maki wanted to say something, but in the end she just sighed, "If you need any help, feel free to contact me."

The phone hangs up.

Silence returned to the room.

Rieko Uchida raised her head, her swollen eyes fixed on Masashi Akiyama. Those eyes, which were always evasive and timid, were now burning with a kind of almost insane light.

"Mr. Akiyama... please... you must help Yuna..."

A familiar gray light screen unfolded before Masashi Akiyama's eyes.

[Rieko Uchida: Yuna… Yuna is dead. The only Yuna who would smile at me, who would quietly hand me a tissue when I was bullied, who would say, "Rieko's smile is beautiful," is dead. Everyone says she was a thief, that she deserved it, that she brought shame to her parents. But I know she didn't steal. She was just too kind, too cowardly, just like me.]

[That day, after returning from Mr. Akiyama's place, I should have gone to see her immediately. But I hesitated. I was afraid she would find me annoying and meddlesome, like the others. I always hesitate, always back down. I'm such a useless person, no different from those who drove her to her death.]

Now she's dead. What were those people doing when she was found? They all deserve to die! If the law can't give her justice, if this world is this filthy, then it's better to destroy it all! The convenience store, the school, those indifferent police officers, and that…beast who touched Yuna with those disgusting hands. All of them, go to hell!!!

【…】

[Can converge world lines]

[Branch 1: As you can see, the deceased was Rieko Uchida's last projection of beauty. With Yuna Sakura's death, Rieko Uchida has completely descended into madness. Taking on this case means you not only have to contend with an impenetrable wall of defense formed by the convenience store manager, district councilor, school, and police, but also constantly be wary of the client's potential loss of control. However, high risk often comes with high reward. If handled properly, this could not only be a world-shaking victory but also propel you to new heights in the legal profession. (Reward: The absolute loyalty of a mad dog)]

[Branch Two: Rieko Uchida's hatred has overrided reason. You've taken on not just a case, but a ticking time bomb. It might not be too late to back out and return your legal fees. (Reward: A good night's sleep)]

Rieko Uchida stood up, staggered to her desk, placed her hands on the surface, leaned forward, and squeezed each word out as if it were coming out from between her teeth.

"Mr. Akiyama, Yuna can't... she can't just die like this... and bear the stigma of stealing... that scum... that beast... he ruined Yuna... he must pay the price..."

"Two hundred thousand... I'll find another way... I'll pay any amount... Please... send that scumbag in... let everyone know... Yuna is innocent... she was driven to her death..."

Masashi Akiyama looked at her.

Watching this girl, who once only knew how to depend on others and trembled in fear of bullying, now erupt with such astonishing, almost obsessive hatred and determination for a dead friend.

He recalled the question he had asked yesterday.

What kind of person could inspire Rieko Uchida to be so selfless?

Now he knows.

"I'll take the commission," he said.

"I can reimburse you for your lawyer's fees, not a single penny. But I need you to promise me one thing..."

Masashi Akiyama paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Remember this: before it's all over, don't do anything foolish. Don't seek revenge in private, and don't become a criminal yourself. I want you to live so you can see with your own eyes how the person who ruined your friend walks step by step into the hell he deserves."

Rieko Uchida was stunned.

She looked at Masashi Akiyama, at those seemingly cold eyes, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

She nodded vigorously, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I promise you... I'll agree to anything... as long as... as long as justice can be served for Yuna..."

Masashi Akiyama nodded, walked back to his desk, picked up the blank agency contract, and slowly wrote a few words in the client's signature column.

Yuna Sakura.

Then, sign your name at the lawyer's office.

Masashi Akiyama.

Thus, the commission was established.