Kazehara Tetsu walked out of the alley.
The coolness on his face from his encounter with Ibuki Mio had long since vanished, and his usual calm had returned.
The clash with Ibuki Mio had been nothing more than a brief interlude for him.
The main reason he had come down this road was to get away from a "troublemaker" far harder to deal with than Ibuki Mio.
Morishita Ai.
That girl's persistence was something ten Ibuki Mios combined couldn't hope to match.
He'd finally managed to slip away thanks to a message from Kamuro Masumi asking to meet, and he didn't want some unexpected incident to keep him from what mattered.
The café Palette.
The sweet, rich aroma of desserts hung in the air.
Kamuro Masumi had already claimed a booth by the window.
She propped her chin on one hand, idly stirring the ice water in her glass with the straw in the other. Her posture was relaxed, but a hint of unmistakable impatience showed in her eyes.
Kazehara Tetsu walked over and took the seat across from her.
"You're late." Kamuro Masumi didn't even look up. Her voice was flat.
"Can't be helped. No one can predict unexpected events."
Kazehara Tetsu picked up the menu on the table and replied casually, "For example, running into a rather bad-tempered Wild Cat on the way here."
Kamuro Masumi finally looked up at him, sizing him up as the corner of her mouth curled into a mocking smile.
"Oh? Is that so? I'd be very interested in the kind of 'Wild Cat' that rubs up against people of its own accord."
Her gaze didn't linger on his face. It settled on his right shoulder.
Kazehara Tetsu followed her gaze, but there was nothing there.
"I mean the kind that walks on