Yoshimura Kuzen was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Eto to say those words to him.
As expected, the girl before him was indeed Eto, and she had already recognized him.
"You're welcome to come again next time."
Yoshimura Kuzen said with a smile.
Eto didn't say anything further. Instead, she closed 'Dear Kafka' and placed it on the table.
It was clear she didn't intend to take it with her, leaving the book behind instead.
Then, Eto left together with Byakuya.
Aside from Yoshimura Kuzen, no one in the shop could understand the significance of the words Eto had just spoken or the meaning behind the book she had left behind.
Yoshimura Kuzen walked over to the table where Eto had been sitting and picked up the book.
Looking at the title 'Dear Kafka' and the author's name, "Takatsuki Sen," Yoshimura Kuzen fell into deep thought.
Of course, he didn't know that "Takatsuki Sen" was actually Yoshimura Eto's pen name.
However, once he read the contents of the book, he would probably be able to guess.
Yoshimura Kuzen didn't plan to start reading it immediately. He set it aside, intending to go through it when he had time.
"I have a feeling something just happened... What's going on?"
Kirishima Hikari's instincts picked up on something unusual in the air.
Yomo Renji didn't understand what his sister meant. The only thing on his mind was a sense of relief; thankfully, that black-clad investigator hadn't recognized them, and nothing terrible had happened.
At this moment, Yoshimura Kuzen felt a slight sense of relief.
Before this, he had assumed that Eto wouldn't want to see him at all.
However, there was still one thing that concerned him; why was Eto working with a CCG investigator?
And their relationship was clearly not just a simple one.
It seemed that if the opportunity arose, he would need to have a proper conversation with that black-clad young man.
But before that, perhaps he could first have a talk with Uruka Minami.
"Uruka, could you come upstairs with me for a chat?"
Yoshimura Kuzen asked.
"Of course, Manager."
Minami agreed immediately.
She then followed Yoshimura Kuzen up to the second-floor break room.
"The Eto-sensei you mentioned, how long have you known her?"
Yoshimura Kuzen asked.
"Not for long... Wait, does that mean you know Eto-sensei too, Manager?"
Minami replied.
She had no idea about the true relationship between Yoshimura Kuzen and Eto.
"Hmm..."
Yoshimura Kuzen merely responded with a sound, not elaborating further.
Then, he continued,
"The young man who came here with her... He's an investigator, isn't he? Do you know him?"
Yoshimura Kuzen hadn't forgotten that on the day Minami first came to Anteiku, that black-clad young man had also shown up; along with another blue-haired youth.
He didn't believe in coincidences, so he deduced that Minami likely knew that investigator.
"..."
Minami was momentarily taken aback.
She hadn't expected the manager to know that Uchiha-kun was an investigator.
Now, should she continue hiding the truth?
It seemed there was no longer a need to keep it a secret at this point.
Minami suddenly felt conflicted. She saw no point in lying anymore, but at the same time, she didn't want to betray Uchiha-kun.
However, her brief moment of hesitation had already given everything away.
Yoshimura Kuzen could more or less guess what Minami was struggling with. He then said,
"I've encountered him before and even fought against him, so I know he's an investigator. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. I have no hostility toward that young man."
Everything he said was the truth.
In his eyes, he and that young man had simply been on opposing sides. Losing both arms in their fight was simply because he wasn't strong enough. He held no grudge over what had happened back then.
If he had to name a true, unresolved hatred, it would be toward the Washuu Clan and the V Organization.
But what he had failed to avenge in the past, he was even less capable of avenging now.
Moreover, upon realizing that the black-clad young man knew Eto and that their relationship was not a simple one; Yoshimura Kuzen felt even less inclined to harbor any hostility.
"Alright..."
Minami could tell that she had already given herself away, so she had no choice but to admit it.
"I do know him. In fact, it was because of him that I met Eto-sensei. And the reason I came to Anteiku for help before... That was also Uchiha-kun's idea. I'm sorry for hiding it from you all this time..."
"It's fine, I completely understand your situation."
Yoshimura Kuzen said with a gentle smile.
Now, he had gained another valuable piece of information; Minami had actually been helped by that young man. Moreover, the investigator knew that Anteiku was a place that helped vulnerable ghouls.
Although Anteiku wasn't a secret within the ghoul community, it had always been relatively low-key, so the CCG had never paid much attention to it.
A typical investigator wouldn't have such detailed knowledge about it.
This only made Yoshimura Kuzen find the black-clad young man even more mysterious. It was rare for an investigator to be willing to help ghouls.
And he also had a strong feeling that the young man likely knew Eto's true identity.
Yet, despite that, he still stayed by her side. Likewise, Eto couldn't possibly be unaware of the young man's status as an investigator.
Yoshimura Kuzen couldn't quite figure it out; what exactly had happened between Eto and that young man? And what was their relationship?
"By the way, do you know what Eto-sensei's full name is?"
At this moment, Yoshimura Kuzen wanted to confirm once and for all whether that girl was really Eto.
"Um... Uchiha Eto?"
Minami said, recalling that name from her memory.
But then she remembered that Eto-sensei had mentioned it in a joking manner.
However, given the way Eto-sensei and Uchiha-kun interacted, even if they weren't officially married yet, it was just a matter of time.
Eventually, she'd have to take that name anyway.
After thinking about it for a moment, Minami decided not to correct herself.
"Uchiha Eto?"
Yoshimura Kuzen repeated, before asking,
"She's siblings with that Uchiha-kun you mentioned?"
"No, no, they're not siblings. But Eto-sensei told me that was her name at the time, though she said it in a joking tone. Still, I think they'll probably get married soon anyway."
Minami found her own speculation to be quite reasonable.
What she didn't know, however, was that even she was older than Eto in terms of actual age.
"Married..."
Yoshimura Kuzen found it difficult to imagine.
There was no way he could be mistaken about Eto's age, so...
However, he didn't bring this up to Minami.
At any rate, Yoshimura Kuzen had now confirmed that Eto and that young man had an extraordinary relationship; in fact, they were extremely close.
The fact that Eto was so intimate with a CCG investigator was something that truly surprised him.