Gathering Pieces [2]

I signaled to Akumi and then both of us paced toward the table he was sitting at, settling into the seats in front of him.

He was startled a little by our sudden arrival, as until then he had his head down while looking at his cup of tea—which I could see had gone cold by this time.

"Why did you choose to meet up in a place like this? It's literally out in the open, I can get caught any second!" he said once he calmed down a little, although his voice still contained a hint of anxiety.

"That's precisely why I chose this place. No one would be expecting you here, right out in the open. In fact, you kind of ruined my plan a little by dressing up like that—it makes you stand out too much," I replied.

"I couldn't help it! Everyone is looking to kill me. It's impossible for me to come here casually as if nothing was wrong," he stated hurriedly.