“I didn’t start my investigation convinced you were a cybercriminal. I was just gathering information to determine whether or not Kengo Kousaka was suitable. Since I found blackmail, I decided to shift to using that, but originally I intended to just hire you for money.” “Suitable? For what?” “For what I’m here to talk about.” A silence fell between the two. The man seemed to be waiting for Kousaka to speak. “…So what is it you came to threaten me to do?”, Kousaka asked, half in desperation. “I don’t think I can do much…” “I’d appreciate if you made it quick. If you’ll keep being honest like that, then I won’t have to threaten you any more than necessary.” After a breath-long pause, the man broke the subject. “Kengo Kousaka, I want you to look after a certain kid.” “A kid?” “Yes, a kid,” he repeated. — ◆ —