"We do not. Yamada-san, we do this pro bono. My husband and I, we became lawyers because we wanted to change things and make it harder for, as you say, 'shitty alphas' to get away with all that they get away with. If this goes to trial we'll be there for you, but we want to make it not go to trial at all. We're going to need your help. Are you up for it?"

"...yeah. Fuck 'em."

"But on a related matter... Are you okay with Kokonoe Tōkan? Do you need help leaving him?"

"What? Fuck no."

"So... you trust him? You believe you are safe and he's on your side?"

"Of course he is! Fuck kinda question's that, I wouldn't let any shitty alphas tell me what to do."

Her voice takes a softer, fonder tone again. "You can understand my worry, though? He is the Kokonoe heir..."

"He's not his shitstain dad, stop making assumptions about people you've never met. Tōkan is Tōkan, not just some alpha."

There's a brief pause before she says, "I see. Then I am happy you found someone who's good for you."

"...yeah."

"Well, we'll be in touch to talk about this further on Monday. If there's anything you'd like to discuss or ask, feel free to message me, and for anything urgent you can call me. I'll message you my email and my husband's phone number and email, too. It's been a pleasure to finally meet you."

...finally? The fuck. "Yeah. Thanks." Then he hangs up and stares at his phone for a few more seconds (during which he does get messaged with the stuff she said she was gonna message him with) before putting it away and going back downstairs.

Suzume's come out of her room while Inori was upstairs and is watching TV, and their dads and Tōkan are talking to each other in low tones. When they spot Inori they stop talking, though, and Kuroji asks, "How did it go? What did she want to talk about?"

"She said she's gonna help with the whole thing. For free," he adds.

    Harutsugu nods. "Tōkan-kun was telling us a bit more about Ōta & Ōta."

"She and her husband are both omegas," he says, "and they're both very vocal activists for omegas' rights."

"Ugh, omega this, alpha that, this shit's exhausting." He pulls up a chair and flops on it.

Tōkan takes the seat next to him and wraps an arm around him. "Yeah, it is. —uh, if there's anything in the conversation you wouldn't want me to hear about..."

"Nah she just thought you were abusing me or some shit." Snort. "As if. It wasn't very interesting, she was talking about how they'd help omegas against shitty rich alphas when 'the System'," and he does air quotes around that, "is rigged. Then she went on and on about how much you sucked because you were a Kokonoe alpha and I told her to stop making stupid assumptions."

Tōkan smiles and buries his face in Inori's shoulder. "Please don't be rude to people who are trying to help you."

"Then they shouldn't be rude about you. Stupid people making stupid assumptions..."

"What I wonder," says Harutsugu, "is how she even heard of it this quickly. 🤔"

"...my best guess is Subaru."

"Huh?"

"You remember how he suddenly ran away earlier today, when we were in the Kokonoe High library? Maybe he has some kind of connection he called on?"

"That's a friend of yours?" wonders Kuroji.