...?

"...aren't you? You've gotta be," he says, starting to look anxious, a feeling which is reflected in the increasing agitation of his Smoke.

"I can't be wrong about this... You're Towa, aren't you?"

"I'm guessing I should interpret that silence as a yes, right?"

"...maybe."

His Smoke slowly calms back down as he confirms that he was not wrong. "You're Towa... Right, and the reason I know... is because he knows... Right..."

"...he who?"

"I'm going to surpass him... Heheheh... Or my name isn't Inada...!"

...what the fuck is up with this dude.

Whatever it is, he seems happy enough to fuck off for now.

Well, that wasn't even the strangest conversation he's had this week.

His feet take him northwest to Douraku St., the main street of District E. It's lined with diners, convenience stores, discount stores, and drug stores, all packed together like sardines making it really easy to find whatever you need. It's not as packed as District D, but that's not saying much; everywhere you look there's people, people working and people buying stuff and people walking and people getting wasted.

He's not looking anywhere in particular as he walks with a cigarette between his lips, but just as a traffic light changes and the crowd starts walking he spots a familiar face out of the corner of his eye.

It's Rei, carrying a paper bag in one hand. "Oh, hi, Towa. What's up?"

"Just wandering. You?"

"On my way back from Tajima's. She gave me a bunch of stuff, so I thought I'd share some with Taku."

"Again?"

"It was a thank-you gift for helping her move some stuff in the store."

"Oh, but that reminds me. I left a croquette in the fridge for you; did you eat it?"

"A little."

"For real?"

"Just a bite."

"Still, that's a big step for you! I added condensed milk when I was making them. It's supposed to improve the consistency."

"...condensed milk? In croquettes?"