Tokyo, Akihabara, Sato Izakaya.
After giving Akane Kosaka's name, Sogo Doma was led by a waitress to an elegant-looking Japanese-style private room. Once she knelt down, slid open the door, and gestured for him to enter, Sogo nodded and walked inside. The waitress promptly closed the sliding door behind him, bowed, and withdrew.
"Ms. Akane Kosaka?" The moment he entered, Sogo spotted a woman in a yukata, barefoot, sipping sake, her entire being exuding the allure of a mature woman. Of course, while he observed her, she was also sizing him up from head to toe.
"Sogo Doma?"
"Yep, that's me." Though he was being scrutinized, Sogo did not seem bothered in the slightest. He walked straight up to the woman, then casually sat down cross-legged before her.
"A student?"
"Bingo, you got it right again. As expected of Ms. Akane Kosaka—being able to tell that much..." Sogo put on an exaggerated performance.
"..." Akane, holding her wine cup, froze for a moment. After a long pause, the corner of her mouth twitched. "If you weren't wearing a school uniform, I honestly might not have been able to tell..."
"So it was because of the school uniform. Tsk, tsk. No wonder my flawless disguise was seen through at a glance..." Sogo pinched his chin, looking thoroughly serious.
Akane felt her eye twitch. She truly had not expected the person who had sent an entire family neatly off to Africa to be this sort of guy. "What exactly were you disguising..."
"Mm! Don't dwell on the details..." Before she could finish, Sogo suddenly looked up, his expression turning solemn. "It was merely a joke to ease the atmosphere, Ms. Akane Kosaka. Let's get straight to the point. Regarding the Aki Family, Ms. Akane Kosaka—or rather, does the Kosaka Family truly intend