You mean everything to me

Sumire laughed weakly. "Is it silly? I am a woman. I shouldn't allow myself to be disgraced. It's not like I don't fight back against pushy and clingy men. If I do not like them, I won't let them get close."

"But, if they were a male companion or somebody you chose?"

"I'd probably allow them."

Toh didn't flinch or look troubled even once. If it was Ru, he would be showing a disturbed expression right about now.

"Then, allow me to build your resistance." Toh brings his lips dangerously close to her neck. "What do you say? If I show you slowly, maybe you will get used to it."

"I-" Sumire couldn't believe where this conversation was heading. Is it right for him to do this? "C-can I - refuse?" She somehow managed to get some words out.

"I don't mind if you do. Like I said, I am leaving all the choices regarding us up to you. You're the one who is in control."

Right from the very start, he has always been like this. Toh has always said that it is up to her. Even if she pushed him away now, he would not get offended.

"But, I will offer suggestions just like now. I want you to consider this one properly."

"I'm frightened."

"That's alright too. Like I said, this has progressed very quickly." Toh moved his lips away from her neck and instead leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. Her forehead, eyelids, and then nose. He stopped at her lips. "I want to be somebody you feel comfortable around. I don't want you to feel suffocated around me."

"I-I don't feel suffocated when you're near me," Sumire mumbled.

Strangely, even on the first day they met each other, she was comfortable around him. Just now, when he kissed her in areas other than her lips, she did not feel uncomfortable. However, to take that any further, and allow what happened that night to happen again. It is something she cannot do.

"That will do." Toh moved her away from his lap and stood up. He pulled out his own laptop from a drawer. "Send that file to me. I will write what I know."

Sumire blinked. Should she be surprised how quickly he changed the topic?

"Is it okay for you to divulge information like that?"

'I still suspect that Toh is part of an underworld organization like me. But, since his records came back clean. It's hard to find out that information.'

"It is. I want to see what you have so far."

"Then let me edit it with my theories." Sumire quickly started to edit and highlight the document with notes. This process only took ten minutes before she sent the file over.

"I see." Toh's lips curved into a smile. "You truly are fascinating."

"I am?"

Sumire didn't get a chance to reply when Toh suddenly sent the file back to her. Has he finished editing already? Sumire saw a green tick mark on all her notes.

"Ah, I'm correct?" Sumire said, surprised.

"Yes, this case is a fairly simple one despite the large amount of money as a reward. Sasara's close female friend Cecil called out to her during the day, saying she needed her help. Let me share something about Cecil. She comes from a domestic abuse family. So the assistance she needed was most likely due to her family. Sasara had been edging her on to move out and saying that she would support her. But Cecil did not want to leave her siblings behind, so she had been distancing herself from Sasara initially. So when she approached her again, Sasara was very relieved."

"It almost sounds like you heard the conversation."

"Hm? Sasara told me personally."

Sumire frowned, hearing the words 'personal.' It shouldn't be unusual for Toh to have female friends, but it feels wrong somehow.

"Jealous?" Toh said knowingly.

"Just a bit disturbed."

"I see. That's an improvement."

"Is it? It just seems strange to me. So she told you this personally, but weren't you abroad?"

"It was the morning before I left when she told me that piece of information."

"Did you sleep with her too?"

Toh chuckled. "You're making an unhappy face."

"It's just I am trying to sort out my thoughts. I understand that you are not a player, Toh. But you still sleep with women who your interested in, correct?"

"It's true I don't necessarily have to be in a relationship with them. Your right. I slept with Sasara."

'It seems like there is more to it than that, but he isn't telling me. Even though he has been so honest about everything.'

"Does it bother you?" Toh asked.

Sumire nodded. "A little, probably because it feels like I am missing something. I have already concluded that you're not a bad person. But, there is something strange."

He isn't bad, but it's not normal to sleep with a woman with whom he isn't in a relationship. Yet he always remains loyal to one woman. Sumire sighed deeply. This is troubling. She doesn't understand relationships very well. Is this the reason why she is struggling to understand Toh's behaviour?

"We have plenty of time to find that out. So she told me this, that's why I knew what happened. Later on, when I returned, I heard that she had gone missing, so I asked Cecil. The girl seemed visibly shaken and kept running away whenever she saw me."

"Did it not occur to you to go to the police with this information?"

"The police certainly questioned me upon my return. But those people were more interested in trying to make an arrest than learning the truth."

"They wanted to paint you as the culprit?" Sumire guessed.

"Right, because everybody knew Sasara liked me, and she was the last one I saw before my departure. So others gossiped that she was special to me."

"But she isn't, is she?"

"Correct, she means nothing to me," Toh stated flatly.

She supposes it makes sense why he wouldn't go to the police with the information. They wouldn't listen to anything he says if they were so hung up on making him the culprit.

"Then, what about me?" Sumire wondered. It was a stupid question, and she was only joking. But before she could retreat her statement, Toh replied.

"You mean everything to me," Toh said as he kissed a strand of her hair.

Sumire could only stare at him, speechless. She didn't think he would say that to her. Then again, didn't Toh just mention that they would work on her resistance toward guys? Perhaps this is part of that? But when she looked into his eyes, she felt like that wasn't the case.

Although she feels relaxed around him, whenever she sees how serious he is about his feelings toward her, a part of her wants to retreat and push him away.