Maruki laughed along with her, thoroughly amused as he rested his elbows on the railing again- almost proud of himself. It made Ichinose laugh...better than being vexed with him. He could make small guesses of why she was expecting a different answer, he could already tell from the ongoing injustice brought about by her relatives and her social circle that she had only considered this relationship to be a transactional one.

To an extent, Takuto related to that considering his relationship with Akira-kun started similarly.

"Very nice to meet you, Kuon," he bows almost out of theatrics before rubbing at the bottom of his nose. "I would like to get to know you better for as long as time permits us."