work chair. He felt like he might regret it if he pretended to be out. If he didn’t clear up the visitor’s identity and purpose here and now, he’d no doubt be tormented by an unfathomable unease in the weeks to come. And at any rate, they already knew his address and email, so it would be futile to hide. The door camera was broken, so he’d need to look through the peephole to see his visitor’s face. He cautiously left the living room and stood at the front door. Peeping through, he saw a man wearing a coat over a dark suit. Seeing the outfit, Kousaka’s wariness lessened slightly. Certain suits and uniforms have a power of putting people at ease unconditionally. After checking that the chain lock was on, he opened the door. As if anticipating that he’d be received from behind the chain lock, the man had moved to a position opposite the crack in the door. The man was a good few inches taller than Kousaka. Kousaka was 5'8", which meant this man was 6’ or more. He also had a solid physique. The Chester coat he wore over his suit may have originally been black, but appeared gray from dirtiness. His eyes had deep bags, and his jaw was covered with an unkempt beard, with white hairs mixed among oily ones. He had a friendly-looking smile, but his eyes seemed hollow. “Hey,” the man said. His voice was low and hoarse, but