It pulls a laugh out of Togusa, and he bats at her hand as if to wave it off. "Not like that, get your head out of the gutter, Mariko!" He points at her accusingly. "See? See. This is why we're not at the meeting the friends stage yet. But by all means do your worst. There's no way you're scaring her off."

He is able to find a picture on his phone and hands it over. The tone of his voice grows very fond. "She is brilliant and philosophical and completely out of my league but I'm going with it." He leans back in his chair casually. "The actual challenge is going to be finding a day that the both of us are off. You and me. Gentiana's on a University schedule."

"How bad they got you working right now?"