"Who's here?"

Yuki whispered as Sousou opened the door.

"I'm not sure, but I know they are related to the previous kidnapping incident," Sousou replied in a low voice.

Then, as the door was pushed open, the rope was pulled, causing the wind chimes to sway, producing a crisp sound.

As a result, the sound of the wind chimes caught the attention of the bartender at the coffee shop counter, who saw the two young customers entering the store and professionally greeted them with a "welcome."

The term "professional" was used because this "welcome" was not as sweet and polite as the usual ones heard in stores. Instead, it came from a rough baritone voice, with a tone of arrogance and disdain, making the waiter seem reluctantly welcoming.

This unusual greeting immediately caught the attention of the two young girls, who thought they were unwelcome. They looked toward the counter and saw a man they didn't want to see.

His hair was messy and rebellious, not conforming to any rules, just like his personality, never willing to be tamed.

He was Watanabe Gengo, a man as arrogant as a lion.

This man had obstructed Itou Yoshihiro's rescue operation during the child kidnapping case and was subsequently arrested by the police after the case ended, remaining silent ever since.

Until today, a chance encounter.

Yuki and Sousou recognized Watanabe Gengo almost instantly. They stood at the door, shrinking in fear, not fully entering, ready to escape at any moment.

Watanabe Gengo, on the other hand, after staring at the two young girls for a while, vaguely remembered that he had seen them before, possibly related to the place where he previously worked.

But it was just a blurry memory.

Watanabe Gengo didn't care about that and had no intention of making an effort to remember. Instead, he focused on wiping the glass in his hand.

In this dimly lit and old-fashioned coffee shop, exuding a faint warmth like a home, there was a delicate balance between Watanabe Gengo and the two young girls — one ignored, the other trembling in fear.

It could be said that it was fortunate or unfortunate that there were no other customers in the store at this dinner time. This coffee shop, which only served coffee, including light snacks, didn't attract customers other than coffee enthusiasts.

In the end, Yuki and Sousou managed to observe Watanabe Gengo at the door for a long time, feeling somewhat at ease. They took small steps and slowly moved into the store.

As the glass door closed, the wind chimes chimed again, making a tinkling sound.

Watanabe Gengo glanced up briefly, then continued to focus on his glass, softly saying, "Please, have a seat, two guests."

Yuki and Sousou glanced at each other and, although they didn't speak, their eyes communicated their thoughts. Together, they walked to the farthest spot from the counter, closest to the exit, and sat down.

Once seated, the two young girls were not idle. Swiftly, they took out their "self-defense tools" from their bags, hiding them behind their backs, quietly waiting for Watanabe Gengo to approach.

They were confident that Watanabe Gengo would come because there was no menu on the table, and as customers, there was no reason for Watanabe Gengo, as a waiter, not to come and take their orders.

The sunset's glow seeped through the window, shining directly on the table where Sousou and Yuki were sitting. Watanabe Gengo put down his glass, held the menu in one hand, leaned on his cane, and walked on the orange glow, hobbling over.