Ms. Nagasaki was very enthusiastic.
Not only was she generous with money, but she even booked a private room at a nearby high-end hotel to treat the two of them to a meal.
However, it was politely declined by Kaito. He wasn't used to dining with strangers.
Although Ms. Nagasaki was a bit regretful, she didn't force them. After exchanging contact information with him, she personally escorted the two of them downstairs. Her attitude was impeccable.
After that, seeing the transaction notification on her phone, a full two hundred thousand yen, Togawa Sakiko was a little surprised.
"Boss, this is…"
"To celebrate the first successful completion of a case at the agency, your bonus."
Kaito wasn't a stingy boss. Just this one case had earned him thirty million from Ms. Nagasaki. A mere two hundred thousand was nothing but a drop in the bucket.
He had seen Sakiko's busy efforts these past few days. For a capable employee, appropriate rewards could also inspire enthusiasm.
"This is too much…"
Clearly, she had only done what was within her duties. Honestly, she felt unworthy of receiving it.
"Just take it," Once Kaito gave something away, he had no habit of taking it back.
Seeing his easygoing attitude, Sakiko thought for a moment and didn't refuse again.
'Kaito-kun's favors are piling up and up. I can never repay them all, not even close.'
She already owed him so much; one more debt wouldn't make much difference.
The only thing she could do was fulfill her role as secretary and not let him worry about these trivial matters.
After the two of them left the office building, they found a fairly authentic hotpot restaurant nearby. The hotpot base was a dual-flavor pot.
Sakiko took care of all the miscellaneous tasks herself. Mixing the dipping sauce for Kaito, fetching water, putting in the meat, and when it was cooked, carefully placing it in his bowl. Meanwhile, she barely touched her own chopsticks.
This scene was noticed by a nearby couple, leaving the boyfriend deeply aware of the gap in the world.
'We both are couples, why is that guy's girlfriend so obedient, considerate, and beautiful, while my own girlfriend is unreasonable and hard to please?'
But then he saw the other guy's face…
'Bro, you smell amazing.'
At first, Kaito was a bit unused to this kind of meticulous care.
But Sakiko just gave a gentle smile and continued doing things her way.
After a few attempts to dissuade her failed, Kaito had no choice but to accept the girl's service like some pampered nobleman.
The hotpot meal lasted a little over an hour. As they left the restaurant, Sakiko's phone suddenly rang.
She answered and chatted briefly. After hanging up, an apologetic look appeared on her pretty face, "An elder just returned from out of town and wants to meet me. Sorry, I might need to leave for a bit."
Ever since cutting ties with the Togawa family, Sakiko had also broken contact with most of her old social circle.
But the person who called was different, it was the mother of her good friend Wakaba Mutsuki, Mori Minami.
Little Mutsuki wasn't talkative, and she and Sakiko were childhood friends who had grown up together. Even before meeting Kaito, Mutsuki had been the person Sakiko trusted the most. Almost like half of her own self.
Thanks to that bond, she was also close to Mutsuki's mother, Mori Minami.
The other party had watched her grow up. Recently, she had been busy filming, flying all over the world. Now that she finally had some free time, she just wanted to see her once.
And just like that, the considerate little secretary left.
It was dusk. The golden glow of the setting sun lit up the clouds on the horizon, like cotton candy soaked in orange soda, dyed with warm colors.
Though it was still early, there wasn't much worth browsing nearby. Kaito originally planned to take the train home but paused as he passed a certain remote park.
In a patch of grass not far away, a blue-haired figure was lying on the ground with her butt in the air, doing something unknown.
"Yamada Ryou?"
With a brief recall in his mind, Kaito quickly remembered.
'Seems like one of Bocchi's bandmates?'
He remembered she was quite a pretty girl, just had a bit of a "gremlin" personality.
Even when she heard footsteps behind her, Yamada Ryou didn't move at all, maintaining her mysterious prone position, like a little mole focused on digging a hole.
"Yamada-san?", Kaito hadn't planned to meddle, but he held back and held back… and still couldn't resist his curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
His voice was naturally clear and magnetic, very pleasant, and very recognizable. Once heard, it was hard to forget.
Yamada Ryou's tense body relaxed slightly. She sounded uncertain, "Boyfriend-kun?"
"I'm just friends with Bocchi… never mind," Kaito sighed, too lazy to explain more, and asked again, "So, what are you doing?"
"As you can see."
Ryou's voice sounded cool at first, but only someone very familiar with her could notice the faint embarrassment hidden deep within it.
"I was lured by an orange cat and accidentally got stuck in the bushes. I can't get out now."
"...", Kaito was silent.
His understanding of this girl called "Yamada Ryou" being unreliable deepened once again.
Just then, a small orange figure suddenly darted out from nearby, carrying an unopened sausage in its mouth, strutting proudly over while casting a contemptuous gaze at the two-legged creature stuck in the bush.
"That's it!"
Enemies meeting, eyes blazing with fury.
Ryou stared hard at the unopened sausage in the orange cat's mouth, swallowing a bit of saliva subtly.
She had been eating grass for three days straight. She desperately wanted to comfort her little temple.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been lured by a sausage.
But she had clearly forgotten, Cat's reaction speed was two times that of a human.
The girl pitifully said, "Kind passerby, could you please have mercy and free me from this bush seal? Onii-san, I'll do anything!"
There were many crossed branches in the bush. Ryou was dressed lightly, and the exposed skin on her face and arms had red scratches, likely left by her earlier struggles.
Kaito didn't refuse. He crouched down and began carefully moving aside and breaking the obstructing branches, very gently.
Their bodies were very close, separated by only a tiny space. Ryou couldn't move and was still lying on the ground with her butt up. She couldn't see what was behind her and could only feel the unfamiliar masculine presence enveloping her, carrying a faint grassy scent, refreshing and pleasant.
Though it smelled nice, this was her first time being so close to a boy. Naturally, she felt uncomfortable and could only stay silent, pretending to be a Buddha statue.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn't last long. Soon, all the obstructing branches were cleared by Kaito.
Yamada Ryou cautiously tested her movement. There was no more stuck sensation. Her pretty face lit up with joy, and just as she was about to climb out of the bush, a surprised voice came from behind.
"Kaito-san, and…", A blonde girl with a floating ahoge suddenly widened her eyes, "Ryou?"
Looking at the two people stacked tightly one on top of the other, she went into a system crash.
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