“Oh my,” he laughs lightly, though there’s a note of quiet bewilderment beneath it. “That was quite the reaction, Akechi-san. I take it you’re not fond of my- right I didn't even really introduce myself? You just-? Know me?”

He doesn’t press further—at least, not yet. Instead, he focuses back on the car, drumming his fingers against the frame. It’s real. Sturdy. Solid. Definitely not a figment of his imagination, though in a place like this, who could say for sure?

“I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised,” he muses with an easygoing smile, stepping back to admire the vehicle. “I wouldn’t have minded something flashier, of course—maybe a sports car, something sleek and modern—but I suppose you can see the logic here, right? A taxi is practical. It’s meant to take people where they need to go. Accommodating others is, after all, what I do best.”

His voice is light, warm, just a touch self-deprecating.

Then he turns, meeting Akechi’s gaze with a pleasant, inquisitive tilt of his head.

“But let’s go back to what you said earlier,” he says, voice smooth, just the slightest hint of curiosity creeping in. "I simply offered my services as a counsellor to Yoshizawa-san."