Without realizing it, spring has come to an end.
Time flies, and summer is already here.
As the weather gets warmer, people on the streets start wearing lighter clothing.
Short-sleeved shirts, short skirts, sun hats, and umbrellas appear one after another.
Kumiko Law Firm.
Ai knelt on the sofa and looked at Keisuke, who was sitting in the boss's chair, playing a game console as usual. She couldn't help but sigh.
"It's such a nice day, and you're staying in the office doing this. Don't you think it's a waste?"
"Link and Princess Zelda will be sad if you say that."
Without even looking up, Keisuke pressed the buttons on his NS handheld game console.
He was currently playing a game called The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a title released by Nintendo for the NS console. It was launched this very month. Keisuke had waited in line for half an hour in Akihabara just to buy it.
"Damn it, the frame rate is dropping again."
In the middle of the game, it started lagging. Keisuke cursed and angrily forced the game to shut down.
"Nintendo, those capitalist vampires! Can't they make their gaming consoles with better specs instead of selling us this electronic junk? Their consciences have been devoured by dogs!"
Ai rolled her eyes. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"
Keisuke righteously declared, "I said they're capitalist vampires, and their consciences have been devoured by dogs. What's wrong with that?"
"No, no, no, that's not something you should be saying, right?"
"What's wrong with it? I'm a consumer." Keisuke pouted and continued, "Do you think I'm one of those gaming losers who don't even understand their own position? Game consoles are trash, mobile phones are trash, computers are trash, and consumers should be criticizing them instead of defending manufacturers like pigs. That kind of behavior is stupid."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Ai was speechless and could only hold her forehead in frustration.
Keisuke especially loved playing video games. When it came to gaming, he acted like this. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall.
Ai thought for a moment and said, "You've made so much money. Shouldn't you use it wisely?"
Keisuke looked at her. "How? Investing? Stocks? Funds? Financial management? Business ventures? Making money from money?"
He had thought about those things before.
Since he loved money so much, of course, he had considered ways to make more of it.
But that was easier said than done.
Finance wasn't just a risky market—it was manipulated by powerful players.
Keisuke had a clear understanding of himself. He wasn't some monstrous genius with expertise in everything. His skill points weren't enough to cover that field. If he forced himself into it, he'd just become a clueless sheep among wolves.
He had no intention of doing anything beyond practicing law.
There were also ideas like copying novels or comics from past lives. But seriously, how would you even know which worldviews would resonate with people? The things you copy wouldn't necessarily become popular. When it came to creative works, success was largely a matter of luck.
So far, Keisuke had handled three lawsuits.
After deducting taxes from his commissions, he had less than 10 million left.
That meant he had to pay taxes. Every time Keisuke received money, he sent it straight to the tax office. He didn't want to be on anyone's radar.
What could you even do in Tokyo with 10 million? Buy a toilet?
"So, save your money and don't waste it on dirty thoughts."
Keisuke patted Ai's head.
Ai rolled her eyes and slapped his hand away.
"Stop patting my head all the time! I'm not actually a little girl!"
"Where else am I supposed to touch you if not your head?"
"Oh? I can't tell you that. Where do you want to touch me?"
"Don't even think about it! I have zero interest in a ragdoll brat like you."
"Get lost, pervert!"
"Old monster!"
For a moment, various documents flew across the office.
The two of them each grabbed a broom, resembling Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu in battle, fighting fiercely as if the sun and moon had lost their light.
In the middle of their scuffle—
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
The two stopped fighting for a moment. Keisuke straightened his disheveled clothes and signaled Ai to open the door.
When the door opened, a young girl with short brown hair stood outside.
She had delicate features and a heroic look in her eyes. She was the type of girl that guys liked.
"Hello, is this the Kumiko Law Firm?"
"Yes, welcome."
"Excuse me."
It seemed like a client had come to request a case.
When it came to business,Keisuke never slacked off.
After asking Ai to prepare some tea, the two of them began their discussion.
"My name is Nanatsuki Koshimizu. I'm 20 years old and a private detective."
The young woman introduced herself first.
"Oh, really? A detective?"
Keisuke raised an eyebrow.
"It's pretty rare for a detective to come to a lawyer for help."
Nanatsuki Koshimizu nodded. "Well, I originally lived in Kyushu, in southern Japan. I saw your name, Attorney Kumiko, in the newspaper, so I traveled all the way to Tokyo to ask for your help with a lawsuit."
"You came all the way from Kyushu?"
Keisuke narrowed his eyes.
"I'm really curious—what kind of case would make you travel from Kyushu? Aren't there any other lawyers there?"
Nanatsuki Koshimizu nodded.
"It's not that there aren't other lawyers, but I believe you're the most suitable one."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Keisuke looked at her with interest, waiting for her explanation.
Nanatsuki Koshimizu smiled. "Do you remember the Beika Wolf case from a while ago?"
"Of course, I remember. The defendant went to prison."
The Beika Wolf lawsuit had made headlines in major media outlets and spread across Japan and the internet.
It wasn't because Keisuke was some legal genius who took down a powerful opponent.
Rather, he had gathered various pieces of evidence, turned a civil lawsuit into a criminal case, and sent the suspect to prison.
Cases like that were pretty rare. It wasn't often that lawyers went beyond their usual commissions in a country with such a high crime rate.
Nanatsuki Koshimizu stared at Keisuke for a moment.
After a while, she suddenly said, "Mr.Keisuke Kumiko, you used extraordinary methods in that case, didn't you?"
"Oh, so you figured it out."
Keisuke raised an eyebrow and admitted it outright.
After all, anyone could see that in that civil lawsuit, the main evidence was the photos he had asked Ai to take—showing the defendant pushing the plaintiff down the stairs. Anyone with a brain could tell it was premeditated.
"But so what? Everything I did was legal! A lawyer must stand for justice! The people will understand me! We must never let a bad guy walk free! Light must fight against darkness!"
Keisuke spoke passionately, looking very serious.
Ai, standing to the side, rolled her eyes. He was at it again, spouting a bunch of lies and nonsense.
However, the girl in front of him, Nanatsuki Koshimizu, didn't seem easy to fool.
She smiled slightly and said, "I agree with what you said. It makes a lot of sense."
Then, she paused.
"But what I'm talking about... is the way you sent that person to prison."
(End of Chapter)