"...Hard to say."
Takeda Mie shook her head, then looked at Yuria beside her and sighed again.
"But, Yuria, you'd better not sign this contract."
"Mm... I'll take it home and read it over, then think about how to turn it down."
Yuria nodded in agreement and calmly put the contract in her backpack.
"Let's get back to studying Spiritual Power."
Yuria's Resolve
"Will she sign it?"
On the way back, Ogine glanced at Okita in the back seat through the rearview mirror and asked abruptly.
The news that the Divine Gate was recruiting was true, as was the Investigation Department director's request. Even the contract was real. Plenty of people who'd been dazzled by the generous benefits balked when they learned it was a long-term contract, but most still understood the pros and cons.
"Who knows?"
Okita looked through the contract in his briefcase. This one was different from the copy they'd given Yuria. He'd originally planned to give her this version, a contract without any restrictions, and claim it was a special concession for a minor.
But after meeting Yuria, he'd signaled Ogine to switch it for the standard contract.
He folded the contract into an utterly ordinary paper airplane and set it beside him.
"Don't get your hopes up about whether things will work out. You know I've always wanted a position higher up, and I never got one."
As he spoke, he crumpled the paper airplane and put it in his pocket.
"But I'm pretty good at reading people."
He'd understood from the very first look in those eyes.
"Desire, or a powerful conviction."
Okita murmured to himself,
"Whether it's revenge, becoming stronger, or simply getting promoted and making money, these powerful convictions have always been what keep people going. They're also what set people apart