Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

The investigation and evidence collection process was more difficult than expected.

Sakura Yuna's death was like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring up waves in public opinion, but was quickly covered up by invisible forces in reality.

Her parents refused to leave their home, refused all interviews, and their phone calls were always forwarded to voicemail.

The school also kept all visitors out of the door.

The convenience store employees who used to work with Yuna were either transferred or suddenly resigned, and the few who remained kept quiet and avoided eye contact.

The only person still active is actually the convenience store manager, Kenichi Nakajima.

This slightly overweight man in his early forties skillfully capitalized on public attention. He hung a white banner with black lettering outside the convenience store, telling everyone, whether they were passing by or came because of his reputation, about his sadness and pain.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't confronted that child when I saw her stealing, things would have been fine."

"She's so young, she just made a mistake for a moment... I should give her a chance."

"Of course, the school's approach was also problematic. How could they hurt a child's self-esteem like that?"

"I also have a daughter, and it's hard to imagine this kind of thing happening to her."

"Do I feel guilty? Of course I do. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely do it more perfectly."

……

Kenichi Nakajima stood in the cold winter wind, speaking eloquently to the crowd gathered around him.

His words were earnest, his expressions were spot-on, and he was extremely deceptive.

Even some passersby who were initially indignant showed signs of wavering and sympathy after listening to his heartfelt story.

Not far away, on the outdoor seating of a café across from the convenience store, Rio Arimura watched this scene through the glass window, her brows furrowed.

The pale winter sun shone on Kenichi Nakajima's face, causing her to momentarily lose her senses.

"This uncle doesn't seem like... a bad person? At least he admitted he handled things poorly and is reflecting on it..."

Rio Arimura hesitated before speaking.

"Lawyer Arimura".

Masashi Akiyama's indifferent voice interrupted her thoughts. He sat opposite her, a cup of black coffee that had long since gone cold in front of him.

"Bad people don't wear their badness on their sleeves. The more despicable the hunter, the better they know how to don a harmless sheep's clothing. Remember, every word he says and every expression he makes right now is not repentance, but a performance. For the living, for the media, for the police and lawyers who might be watching him."

Rio Arimura's cheeks flushed, ashamed of her wavering. She nodded vigorously and turned her gaze back to Kenichi Nakajima. This time, she tried to cast aside the facade and see what lay beneath the surface.

Just then, Masashi Akiyama put down his coffee cup, stood up, and straightened the collar of his dark gray coat.

"Let's go," he said. "It's our turn."

Masashi Akiyama strode across the street toward Kenichi Nakajima, who was surrounded by a crowd.

His expression subtly changed the moment he approached the crowd; his usual coldness and aloofness faded away, replaced by a perfectly appropriate, warm smile.

"Hello, Mr. Nakajima!"

He raised his voice, his smile becoming enthusiastic, completely unlike his usual self.

Rio Arimura, who was following behind, almost stumbled. She stared at the drastically changed Masashi Akiyama, then couldn't help but lower her head and get up with her shoulders shaking.

Masashi Akiyama ignored Rio Homura's laughter and continued to look at Kenichi Nakajima with great enthusiasm.

"Mr. Nakajima, it's an honor to meet you! I'm Takahashi, a reporter for Weekly Asahi Secrets." He spoke very quickly. "We've heard about you and that unfortunate female student. Our newspaper is planning to do an in-depth report, and there are some things we'd like to ask you about in person. Would that be convenient for you?"

As he spoke, he casually pulled a dark blue press pass from the inside pocket of his coat and handed it over. The pass was well-made, complete with a photo, embossed seal, and the newspaper's logo.

This forged press pass was thanks to Maki Suzuki's kind provision.

As journalists, sometimes they don't want to tarnish their own newspaper's reputation but still want to get firsthand information, so they have to impersonate reporters from other newspapers to sneak into various restricted areas. Therefore, these press passes can come in handy.

Masashi Akiyama remembered that the Weekly Asahi Secrets had made false reports about him, so he pettily chose the newspaper's press pass.

"Oh, you're a reporter." Kenichi Nakajima took the press pass and examined it carefully.

He checked the stamp, then looked at the expressionless ID photo of Akiyama Masashi, and then compared it with the enthusiastic face in front of him. He didn't seem to find any flaws.

He handed back the documents, giving a more earnest smile. "Mr. Takahashi, hello. I also want to clarify some misunderstandings and the truth about this matter through the media."

So he flung open the convenience store door and invited Masashi Akiyama and Rio Arimura inside, saying, "Since you're a reporter, let's go inside and talk."

"Then we'll have to bother you." Masashi Akiyama readily agreed, winked at Rio Arimura, and the two followed Kenichi Nakajima into the convenience store.

The automatic doors closed behind me, shutting out the noise and chill of the street. The store was bright and clean, with plenty of merchandise on the shelves, everything in perfect order, as if no ugliness had ever happened.

Masashi Akiyama did not immediately follow Kenichi Nakajima to the rest area, but stood at the entrance, his gaze slowly sweeping over the store's furnishings.

His gaze, like a precise scanner, swept over the cash register, shelves, and security cameras, finally settling on a particular snack shelf.

He stopped in front of a shelf, then turned to Kenichi Nakajima to confirm, "Mr. Nakajima, if I remember correctly... the report said that Sakura Yuna was suspected of stealing a box of limited-edition chocolates worth 5,000 yen, from this shelf?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet shop. Rio Arimura's heart skipped a beat; she saw Kenichi Nakajima's facial muscles twitch almost imperceptibly.

"Yes..." Kenichi Nakajima sighed, and he even raised his hand to wipe away non-existent tears with his knuckles.

"This is it. This shelf... used to be our best-selling section. Sakura-san... she was always very diligent at work, and she would often tidy up this area. I still can't understand how she could... sigh..."

He shook his head, as if overwhelmed by the weight of the memories, but his words continued fluently.

"To be honest, Mr. Reporter, our business has always been good, and we have several long-term, stable employees, so we are not short of manpower."