justice's true face?

Although he was about to playfully nudge Susato with his elbow in jest, there is an awkward reluctance to hold himself back as Kazuma simply nods his head to encourage the judicial assistant to express herself more. "Surely you have something to anticipate for once we have landed our very own feet onto the streets of London. The sights, the smells, the food, and all the brewed tea - I cannot help but wonder what it must feel like to breath the same air as the English," Kazuma candidly admits as he puts both his hands on his hips.

With his chest elevated with gusto, Kazuma takes a steady breath as he briefly reflects on an answer to share with Susato. "And I do, it is an exhilarating opportunity," his confident yet rehearsed tone states, "I get to learn the various foundations and intricacies of the English Judicial System first-hand, and see how we can incorporate these aspects into our own." As if he has not recited this very answer to everyone else in either Yumei University or the Judicial Chambers alone.

Nonetheless, Kazuma believed it was a good answer that people liked to hear - detailed enough to see how passionate he was about the study abroad opportunity, but...distracting enough to keep those with a prodding personality at a distance from his true intentions.

"W-well, you can't blame me for that! Mr. Sholmes is quite the staple of British culture, I'll have you know!"

Susato immediately goes to defend herself against Kazuma's teasing, a little embarrassed at being called out so easily. But a smile quickly finds it's way to her face again; expression softening as Kazuma continues to talk.

Indeed, his answer is certainly one she's heard before. And it makes sense - Kazuma does hold a great deal of passion about the law, and there's no doubt that this tour is a fantastic opportunity for him in more ways than one. Still... the importance the tour holds to him has sometimes seemed so immense that Susato is almost overwhelmed by his intensity... and yet when he describes his plans for, she can't always spot as much of that passion as she'd expect.

Privately, she wonders if there's some other reason he's excited to travel, one he hasn't shared. But she hasn't a clue what it could be, and if it's not something he wants to share, it must be personal, so she won't push. When Kazuma expresses his joy to have her by his side, though, Susato can't help but feel surprised - and glad in a way that's difficult to express.

But the determined defense lawyer from the East was smarter, now.

And as van Zieks sat himself down across from him, giving Ryunosuke a perfect view of his face—and in closer proximity than to what they were typically accustomed—Ryunosuke could read the lines on his expression as if he were a book: the writing somewhat too small, somewhat blurred, but visible enough if one squinted.

Can he claim to know what precisely runs through his head? Certainly not. And he would choose not to let his audacity command something so fragile, but— Ryunosuke sees it. van Zieks wants to say more, to unbury all of that hurt he’s kept contained for too many years to count. Briefly, the silence mounting between them feels like the last breath of cold before spring; Ryunosuke waits and watches, just as well knowing better than to rush what had to come naturally—

When the other finally speaks, though, what comes out of his mouth surprises him.

“Me—?” His voice squeaks at first, more proof (if it were, in fact, needed) that he’s never been good at concealing his own feelings. Ryunosuke fidgets for a moment, gaze dipping simultaneously with an impressive effort to clear his throat and steady his tone. “I— No. No, I suppose it hasn’t been.” But he nevertheless smiles again. “More importantly, though, it’s all been worth it. And I haven’t been alone, either. If not for the friends supporting me, then . . . well, I doubt I’d have gotten this far. It makes a difference, you know.”

But really... what good has that done him? When he thinks about everything Ryunosuke's managed to accomplish, and how he's had people to support him by his side along the way... well, it does strike him that maybe that's the difference between them. Things don't have to be the same as they've always been, now.

And while instinctively, Barok can't help but blame himself, seeing that difference as yet another mistake he's made that proves his foolishness... maybe it's best to set that feeling aside for now. Ryunosuke certainly wouldn't stand for it. And what reason does he have to doubt his friend's words, after all this time?