Kinda have to be if I'm marrying her someday. [There's a light grin, but...he stares at the water and looks thoughtful.]

I've known Akane since we were six. We met in elementary school when we both lived in Japan. When we were kids, I always used to see her sitting alone curled up away from everyone. People thought she was strange and most people didn't want to be friends. It...didn't feel right. Back then, I wanted to protect her and always be with her so she wouldn't have anything to be afraid of and she wouldn't be alone. [He shakes his head.] We had these pet rabbits in our class, and Akane was pretty attached to them. One day, she was at their hutch and...these middle school kids had come by and killed the rabbits in the hutch. She just kept crying and apologizing to them and...I didn't want to see her hurt like that ever again. She got kind of mad when I found those kids and fought them, but it was worth it. [He grins again, almost fondly.] We were best friends for years, but at the end of elementary school I had to leave. We had one last day together, and then after that I didn't see her for a really, really long time.

[But...okay. The hard part.] ...did I ever tell you about what happened before I dropped out of school and started my detective job?