"You're absolutely right, sir. I couldn't agree more."
Rinto sincerely supported Judge Yoshizawa's words.
In truth, Rinto did believe the judge's views were correct—that was precisely one of the reasons he had once intended to retire from being a Phantom Thief.
He couldn't continue acting as a private arbitrator forever. Using this kind of power was itself a form of bullying. He couldn't even guarantee that he'd never use it for his own benefit.
That's why he'd considered stopping while his morality still outweighed his impulses—but that was all in the past.
Now, giving up being a Phantom Thief was impossible for him—unless Ann and the others decided to retire as well.
Although Rinto kept his reply brief and understated as always, the judge clearly favored his maturity beyond his years.
Even though he deeply disapproved of Rinto "stealing" the hearts of his daughters, Judge Yoshizawa genuinely appreciated him.
"Rinto-kun, you really are a promising young man. Given this opportunity, I'd like to introduce you to someone."
"Please go ahead, sir," Rinto replied immediately.
At that very moment, the café door swung open again.
Accompanied by the pleasant jingle of the bell came the crisp, decisive sound of high heels clicking against the floor, each step somehow landing squarely on Rinto's heart.
Then followed a clear, dignified female voice:
"I'm terribly sorry, Yoshizawa-san, for arriving late... And this young man is...?"
Judge Yoshizawa spoke smoothly: "This is my distant nephew, Asakura Rinto. He just transferred to Shujin Academy as a second-year student this year. I believe he attends the same school as your younger sister, Niijima-kun."
His introduction was flawless. He then turned to Rinto to complete the introduction:
"Rinto, this is the young ace prosecutor from our Special Investigations Unit I mentioned earlier—Niijima Sae-san."
Rinto immediately stood up respectfully, discreetly observing the woman in front of him.
This was a beauty with a sharp, striking presence.
Her finely-tailored business suit gave an impression of sleek competence, yet the lace frills on her sleeves and collar edges seemed deliberately designed to highlight her femininity, suggesting a strong desire to express herself.
The judge continued his introduction: "Though she's only been working for a few years, Niijima-kun has already solved several major cases, making her a rising star in our Special Investigations Unit. Moreover, her younger sister is also a student at your school—I recall she is the student council president, correct?"
"Yes, that's right!"
The young prosecutor responded with clear pride.
Her dignified, sharp features broke into an enthusiastic smile, eyes similarly assessing Rinto closely:
"My younger sister is Niijima Makoto, currently the student council president of Shujin Academy, third-year. Rinto-kun, do you perhaps know her?"
Rinto smiled warmly: "Of course! In fact, President Niijima took great care of me today. I never expected she'd have such a cool older sister—I'm honestly jealous. It's a pleasure to meet you, Niijima-san. Please look after me in the future."
Taking advantage of his identity as a high-schooler and as her sister's junior, Rinto swiftly closed the distance.
The radiant smile appearing on Sae's usually professional face proved his approach was correct, as she reached out to shake hands immediately:
"The pleasure is all mine. I'm the one who's deeply grateful to Yoshizawa-san for introducing you to me."
Good… It seems I've cleared the first hurdle.
So then, what exactly is the purpose of this introduction?
Judge Yoshizawa, acting as a mediator, gestured for Sae and Rinto to take seats together.
Once the young beauty prosecutor and Rinto sat side by side, the judge continued:
"Rinto, I'd like to entrust you with assisting Niijima-kun in her work. Specifically, to gather clues regarding these mysterious 'Phantom Thieves' within Shujin Academy and regularly report to her."
"...You suspect this Phantom Thief group is at the school?" Rinto feigned surprise.
The judge nodded solemnly:
"Kamoshida's confession happened too abruptly. Moreover, it only occurred after my daughters enrolled and after I started investigating him. There must have been some leak or oversight along the way, partly my responsibility."
"I'll investigate thoroughly within the courts and administrative institutions, but a detailed inquiry within the school is also necessary. Furthermore, I've noticed the media's suspiciously swift coverage of this incident—likely someone from the media leaked information as well. We're facing an unprecedented criminal organization with immense reach. Therefore, I especially need young people with clean backgrounds to handle this investigation. Niijima-kun, Rinto-kun, I have great expectations of both of you."
"—Absolutely! I won't disappoint you, Yoshizawa-san!"
Unlike Rinto, Niijima Sae had immediately committed herself with full enthusiasm. Her slender figure straightened impeccably, clearly determined to demonstrate her unmatched zeal for work and leave her colleagues far behind.
Rinto, meanwhile, deliberately showed a flattered but slightly overwhelmed reaction, taking his time to process.
He couldn't help wondering if the judge secretly suspected him and was testing him deliberately.
Because, even though Judge Yoshizawa clearly admired him, the notion of a high school student assisting a prosecutor from the Special Investigations Unit was simply too flattering—almost suspiciously so.
But Rinto soon realized he had underestimated how much this judge valued him.
The judge's next words made it crystal clear how deep the fatherly (father-in-law?) affection for Rinto truly ran, and how much he was preparing for Rinto's future:
"Niijima-kun, you mentioned before that the apartment next door to yours is vacant, right? Rinto recently returned to Tokyo and is currently renting an apartment in Kawasaki, which is quite inconvenient for his daily commute."
"I'll arrange for the rental so he can move in next to you. Since you two will be neighbors for a while, exchanging information will become much easier. You're close in age, so you should have far more in common than either of you would with me. Please do me a favor and take good care of him."
Niijima Sae immediately nodded graciously: "Understood. It'll be wonderful. With such a promising young man as my new neighbor, I'm sure my sister will also benefit greatly from Rinto-kun's influence. I feel honored."
Ah… This really is something, isn't it?
Listening to this series of parental-like arrangements, Rinto maintained an expression of amazed gratitude.
He understood clearly that Judge Yoshizawa's intention in assigning him to help the prosecutor wasn't merely investigative—it was to build a solid foundation for Rinto's future career.
The judge clearly wanted him to cultivate strong ties with the Prosecutors' Special Investigation Unit and other officials, ensuring smooth integration into that world upon graduating high school and university.
He was earnestly grooming Rinto as someone genuinely reliable—someone he fully trusted. This was real kindness.
In other words, Judge Yoshizawa had already accepted that Rinto would become his future son-in-law… though surely he didn't anticipate it would be doubled.
This kindness is really too generous… Under the circumstances, refusing the judge's arrangements was impossible. Rinto graciously accepted.
However, abandoning his cohabitation with Momoka was also absolutely out of the question.
He'd have to quickly figure out a solution for that…
Rinto immediately started brainstorming rapidly.