And Akechi reaches for his hand again. He hasn't been able to hold on to his outrage at what he learned—much of which he's retained—and now he just feels desolate. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should never have said such a thing.

"Have you thought about where you'd like to stay? It would be good to have you close by. The apartment next door is empty, or the one three doors down." In other words, the one Yoshizawa-san isn't in. "Either that, or the last time I was at Leblanc, it was empty. It's a shame to see the place neglected."