Yoshimura Eto sat there in silence for a long time.
Unsure of what to do, she opened the book in her hands, 'Dear Kafka' and absentmindedly stared at it.
"Please enjoy."
At that moment, Yoshimura Kuzen arrived with two cups of coffee.
"Thank you."
Uchiha Byakuya politely accepted the coffee and handed one of the cups to Eto.
Eto, however, avoided any contact with Yoshimura Kuzen.
She neither wanted to speak nor knew how to start.
By now, Yoshimura Kuzen's attention was no longer on Eto. Since he had already dismissed the possibility of her being Eto, his primary concern was Byakuya.
From the beginning, he had been paying close attention to the black-clad young man, noting that Byakuya didn't seem to recognize him.
After all, he had kept his face hidden during their previous battle.
However, if Byakuya was a member of V, then that was another matter entirely.
Eto continued reading while sipping her coffee, thinking to herself that the taste was actually quite good.
Kirishima Touka didn't dare approach Onii-san and Onee-san casually. Based on Yomo Renji's earlier reaction, he seemed to have a strong opinion about them.
As for whether the investigator was dangerous or not, she wasn't too sure.
Meanwhile, Kirishima Hikari pulled Yomo Renji aside to a quiet corner.
"Renji, is that really the investigator you and Uta-san encountered?"
"Yes, I'd never mistake his face. Luckily, it seems he isn't here to cause trouble today. Otherwise, Anteiku might not even be around at the end of the day..."
Yomo Renji was well aware of how terrifying the strength of that black-clad investigator was.
"Also, Nee-san, you and the others should avoid interacting with him in the future. If he ever discovers that you're ghouls, it would be incredibly dangerous."
"I understand..."
Hikari nodded slightly.
She, too, realized the severity of the situation. For the safety of Touka and the others, they couldn't afford to be careless.
After exchanging a few words in secret, Hikari and Renji returned to the front counter.
Hikari didn't immediately say anything to Touka. She decided to wait until after the investigator left before having a proper talk with her.
Meanwhile, Byakuya quietly drank his coffee.
He didn't say anything to Eto, nor did he intend to push her into acknowledging Yoshimura Kuzen.
This was something that should be decided by Eto herself.
However, in the end, Eto still couldn't figure out what to say to Yoshimura Kuzen.
By the time she reached the bottom of her coffee cup, nothing had changed.
Byakuya wasn't surprised. It was only natural—letting go of resentment wasn't something that could be accomplished just by talking about it.
Just then, another customer arrived at the shop.
Or rather, it was one of Anteiku's employees.
A quiet and cute girl dressed in a JK (High school) uniform; Uruka Minami.
She had come straight to Anteiku to work right after school.
"I'm here... eh?"
The moment she stepped inside, she immediately spotted Byakuya and Eto.
She hadn't expected to run into them here at Anteiku.
However, after hesitating for a moment, she didn't greet them right away.
She knew that Byakuya was a CCG investigator and had even accompanied her to Anteiku before.
If she acknowledged him too openly, she might accidentally expose herself.
Unbeknownst to her, the manager and employees of Anteiku had already figured out that Byakuya was an investigator.
After careful consideration, Minami decided to pretend that she didn't know him.
But greeting Eto-sensei should be fine, right?
After all, she had already instinctively let out an "Eh?" earlier. If she now pretended not to know either of them, it would seem even more suspicious.
"Eto-sensei, I didn't expect to run into you here. By the way, is the person next to you your boyfriend?"
Minami deliberately mentioned Byakuya's presence, making it sound as if she had no prior acquaintance with him.
Conveniently, she was the only person in Anteiku who both recognized Eto and actually knew the name "Eto" as well.
The moment the name Eto was spoken, the others in the shop showed no reaction, except for Yoshimura Kuzen.
His usually narrowed eyes suddenly widened.
Not only did this girl resemble Ukina, but she was also named Eto.
Could there really be such a coincidence?
No... this couldn't be mere coincidence.
However, Yoshimura Kuzen wasn't completely certain yet. He simply continued observing in silence, listening to the conversation between Minami and Eto.
"...Yes. Minami-chan, do you work here?"
Eto's expression carried a complex smile.
Since Minami had just called her by name, Kuzen had surely begun to suspect her identity.
To think that this was how he would recognize her.
But perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.
In a way, Minami had unintentionally helped her overcome her own hesitation and inner conflict.
"Yeah, everyone here treats me really well. I really like working here."
Minami said cheerfully.
"That's nice to hear."
Eto replied.
At this moment, Yoshimura Kuzen became more and more convinced that this girl was the child he and Ukina had left behind.
He even suspected that the reason Eto had looked at him so coldly earlier was precisely because she had already recognized him.
And yet, with a girl who might be his daughter standing before him, Kuzen found himself unable to ask the question.
The guilt he carried toward Eto was too heavy; he had no face to confront her.
Aside from Yoshimura Kuzen, the other employees were merely surprised that Minami and Eto knew each other.
"Minami-nee actually knows that Onee-san too? What a coincidence!"
Touka said in amazement.
"Calling her 'Eto-sensei'... That sounds like something a writer would be called. Maybe she's a well-known author. And since Minami-chan likes books, it makes sense that they'd know each other."
Kirishima Hikari reasoned.
Renji remained expressionless, though inwardly, he remained highly vigilant.
After chatting for a while, Minami got to work.
Meanwhile, Yoshimura Eto no longer felt as conflicted.
Just by looking at Kuzen's solemn expression, she knew that he had likely realized who she was.
"It's about time we head back."
Eto said to Byakuya.
"Yeah."
Byakuya simply nodded.
He didn't say much; just the fact that there had been progress in this situation was already good enough.
Even as the two of them prepared to leave, Yoshimura Kuzen still hadn't found the courage to acknowledge Eto.
His emotions were a complex whirlwind of bitterness and regret.
But just then, Eto turned to look at Yoshimura Kuzen.
Her expression was no longer as cold as before.
In a calm voice, she left him with one final remark.
"The coffee was really good. I'll come again some time."