Sato Junko picked everything up and placed it in Kujo Tairou's hands, smiling. "Uncle, be more careful next time. Don't drop them again."
Their fingers accidentally brushed, and Kujo Tairou shivered as if he'd been shocked.
Usually a smooth talker, he was now as flustered as an innocent young man. "I-I'll be more careful. Thank you for helping me."
"You're welcome."
Sato Junko waved and turned to leave.
Kujo Tairou summoned his courage. "Hey, could you tell me your name?"
Sato Junko glanced back with a smile. "My name is Reiko."
She didn't want to reveal her real identity.
"Reiko..."
Kujo Tairou watched Sato Junko walk away, overcome by a sense of loss.
He raised his fingers to his nose and sniffed. It was as if the girl's fragrance still lingered on his fingertips.
No longer interested in browsing the Trade Association, Kujo Tairou returned to the inn, his mind elsewhere.
It was nearly noon when Kujo Go finally came back. He looked completely dejected, so he must have failed to find any trace of the woman he loved.
For the first time, Kujo Tairou didn't mock his son. Instead, he felt as if he understood exactly how he felt.
He didn't know where Reiko was or how to contact her, either.
The father and son silently ordered two meals for delivery and ate in their room.
Kujo Go soon cheered up. He had already prepared himself to stay in Machine City for a long time, and one day of failure was nothing.
Only then did he notice that his father, who usually loved to hold forth over meals, was uncharacteristically quiet today.
His appetite seemed to have waned, too. He stopped eating halfway through his meal.
He asked curiously, "Father, what's wrong?"
Kujo Tairou hesitated before saying slowly, "Go,