The Okumura Foods lobby was empty when Makoto arrived. It didn't take long for her to locate the elevator bay, but before she could act, a handsome man in a suit intercepted her.

"Niijima Makoto-san?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Follow me," he said, leading her to the elevators.

Once inside, he took out an ID card and tapped the reader before pressing the button for the top floor.

The elevator ride was quick. Makoto supposed the building was relatively new. Haru's father had only come into his extreme wealth in the last several years of his frowned, recalling just how that wealth had been gathered and the consequences that followed.

When the elevator doors opened, an unstaffed reception area greeted her. The man led her past the reception desk and into the complex beyond it. After passing a few offices, they came to a small sitting room in front of a pair of doors with handles fashioned as small bronze globes.

The man knocked lightly.

"Come in." Haru's call was faint behind the heavy wood.

The man opened one of the doors, ushering Makoto inside.

Haru's office was grand. The space fit several sofas, a stately desk, and a conference table for ten, all with ample walking space surrounding them. There was a wet bar with coffee-brewing equipment along one wall and a fireplace along another, the latter flanked by a small cut-out with stacked logs and a faux stump with an axe sticking out of it. The wall behind the desk, where Haru was seated, featured floor-to-ceiling windows.

Makoto turned to her escort and nodded. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," the man bowed, looking up to smile at her for what seemed a little too long. Makoto wasn't sure what to say, but fortunately he left not long after.

Once the door closed, Haru chuckled softly. "Don't be concerned. It's usually only the young and single ones that work during New Year's holidays. Some of them hope to get ahead in multiple ways, including marrying for status."

Makoto looked back at the door. She wondered if Haru's attendant would still be so friendly if he knew she wasn't rich. Turning back to Haru, she asked, "Do they-"

"Oh no, they wouldn't try it with me, just my visitors." Haru smiled sweetly. "They know I wouldn't consider a subordinate."

"That's…"

"Don't worry, I monitor their behavior," Haru glanced at the portraits hanging above the coffee counter. The middle one featured her father. The other two were older men that Makoto didn't recognize. "I want Okumura Foods to be a company that all our employees want to work for."

"I hope it's also that way for you," said Makoto, taking a few more steps into the room. "It's a shame you have to work through New Year's."

"I don't mind," she shook her head. "It's pretty quiet. It gives me a chance to work on the cafė project."

Haru gestured to the documents spread across her desk. She had been talking about opening acafė since high school.

"It's been hard to find time for it," Her expression sank briefly, but she shook it off and rose from her seat. "Oh but where are my manners? Come, sit. I want to hear all about your relationship with Ren."

Haru nodded towards the sofas as she walked around her desk and headed towards them. Makoto followed her lead and soon they were seated across from one another.

"There's not really much to tell," Makoto said as she sat down. "We met by chance while apartment hunting and then realized we like spending time with each other."

"That's what Ren said too," Haru's gaze shifted to the ceiling above her before returning to Makoto. "But how serious is it?"

"Serious?" asked Makoto.

"You know, is it just for fun or-" Haru suddenly stood up. She balled up her right hand, hitting the palm of her left with it. "I meant to make us coffee!"

She trotted over to the wet bar, filled a glass container with water, and started a burner. Then she opened the cabinets under the bar, rummaging around before retrieving a brown paper sack. After that, Makoto couldn't tell exactly what she was doing, but when she finished, she turned around. "Right. So is it serious?"

Makoto wasn't sure how to answer. "Well, it hasn't even been two weeks yet…"

"So is it for fun then?"

"For fun?" Makoto squinted. Eiko had also used that term when describing some of her own relationships. "Shouldn't it always be fun?"

"Oh my Makoto," Haru raised her fingers in front of her mouth, but the corners of her smile were still visible. "I didn't take you for that type."

"What type?"

"I think I see how things are now," Haru brought her hands in front of her chest in a small clap. "Now, how do you like your coffee?"

"Black is fine." It seemed Haru had her answer, so Makoto didn't press. "Unless you have a recommendation for this blend."

"Good choice," Haru grinned widely. She turned back to the counter. The faint sounds of her work—glass clinking, gas being adjusted, water boiling—filled the air. Makoto didn't want to interrupt, so she waited for Haru to speak again. "Ren didn't seem too different when I dropped in on him… older, sure, with a little more perspective, but that's true of all of us, isn't it?"

"I hope so." Makoto murmured. She wasn't entirely sure whether that applied to her as well. She had made a conscious effort to work on her own deficiencies, but sometimes it felt aggravatingly slow. It wasn't the time to mull though. She spoke more clearly when she answered Haru. "Yes, he still has all the qualities that made him our leader."

Makoto smiled to herself, thinking about how natural and easy their last meeting had felt.

"Perhaps he's a little more confident now," she added. It was nice to see. "But maybe that's because for once he's not under threat."

Haru made a few shallow coughs that somehow converted into a soft giggle. "Right."

It was fortunate that Ren was willing to come back given all that had happened the last few times he had come to Tokyo for any length of time.

Haru continued working on their drinks.

There was a brief flurry of containers opening and closing and of metal hitting ceramic which made the silence afterwards all the more noticeable.

"Hey Makoto…" Haru finally started, still facing the counter. There was a pensive quality to her tone. "Back then, did you…"

She paused again.

"Actually," the warmth returned to Haru's voice. "Maybe this is something for when the others are around. We should plan a girl's night!"

With that, Haru turned back to Makoto, a tray with two coffee cups in her hands. She beamed. "But first, coffee!"