"Kurusu?"
"Hey, Kurusu."
It was the light swat with a loosely rolled memo that caused Ren to realize that it was his name being called. He looked over to find Toshiro, memo in hand, staring at him. Nakamura, who was seated next to Ren, was smirking. Toshiro looked significantly less amused.
"Well?" Toshiro asked. "What's got you so distracted?"
Ren looked over the photographs in front of him, part of a larger set of case files the three of them were poring over.
"Sorry. This apartment complex looks a little like the one I visited yesterday," he gestured to one of the photos in his spread.
"You're working awfully hard on that apartment search," Nakamura smirk only deepened. "Almost every lunch, isn't it?"
"I can't rely on Sakura forever."
"Sure." Now Nakamura's eyebrow was raised. "And getting out of your old guardian's hair is why you come back from lunch every day with such a goofy smile?"
Ren shrugged. It was best not give Nakamura anything more to work with.
Fortunately, Toshiro didn't seem interested. Instead, he handed Ren a couple more clear folders. "I didn't find anything in here. Maybe you can."
Ren received the new documents and began examining them. They hadn't found anything concrete yet, but there was definitely something odd going on with a few higher ups in the JTSB.
Was it a coincidence that this would be his first project here?
He couldn't help but let his mind wander again.
"Director Kasukabe?" Ren looked back across the desk at Toshiro. "Why didn't you and Eri-"
"Nakamura." Toshiro interrupted, picking up a very large stack of files. "I need you to get Kimura's approval on all of these."
Nakamura frowned, shooting Ren a dirty look. "Yes, sir."
They watched Nakamura leave Toshiro's office. Once the door swung closed, Toshiro motioned Ren to continue his question.
"Why didn't you and Eri ever get together? You liked her, didn't you?"
Toshiro leaned back in his chair and smiled for the first time Ren had seen all afternoon. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking.
"Back when we were in high school? Yeah." Toshiro gazed downward. "But by the time I met her again, I had crafted such an image of her… it wouldn't have been fair to her. Too much had happened. Eri, Erina, and the girl I remember from high school… they're all different people. Plus, with all the press surrounding me, I'd have just gotten in her way."
"Huh," was all Ren could muster.
"Don't be sad," Toshiro was looking at him again, still smiling. "We're both doing what was set out to and we'll always be friends, even if we don't see each other so much."
Ren nodded.
Toshiro let the comment sit for a moment before crossing his legs, resting his hands on his knee, and adding, "Whichever one she is, make sure you're seeing her for who she is now."