Okiya Subaru: "..." If that was the case, had Uzo already seen through the guilty reaction he was showing right now?
Thinking that, he slowly took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. I can't keep overthinking! Mr. Akai said it too—if I really can't hide my thoughts in front of Uzo, then I should just empty my mind and think about nothing.
And now...
While trying to clear his mind, Okiya Subaru briefly recalled what he had just done.
Then he decided it was not much of a problem. That bit of traitor-brand guilt he had radiated while Uzo stared at him could also be explained as "a Peripheral Member suddenly meeting an executive and getting a little scared."
—Many Peripheral Members feared official members somewhat, because those people were truly a pack of terrifying desperadoes. Especially someone like Uzo, who acted in the shadows.
Okiya Subaru even suspected that, if some executives sat face-to-face with Uzo, they would not react much better than he had. That executive who had reportedly engaged Uzo in countless Battles of Wits and was still alive and well might be able to remain calm around Uzo, perhaps even flash a provocative smile as Uzo passed by... But for "Okiya Subaru," a Peripheral Member, was it not perfectly normal to be a little afraid?
In short, Okiya Subaru thought to himself: Just get through this stretch, and I'll be able to fly far away soon. Then I can leave the identity of "Okiya Subaru" to Mr. Akai. I heard he's recently made some progress with the disguise issue.
Okiya Subaru drifted off for a moment.
By the time he snapped back to his senses with a faint cold sweat, Uzo had already withdrawn his assessing gaze.
"..." Okiya Subaru silently let