The warm, melodic notes of a classical French accordion drifted through the air of the intimate, Parisian-style café, blending seamlessly with the rich, bold aroma of dark roast espresso. Byakuya Togami sat at a secluded corner table, his imposing 6-foot-1-inch frame perfectly upright against the velvet chair calmly turned a page of a French newspaper, reading the text with fluent, native ease. His sharp grey eyes occasionally flicked to the street outside, while his immaculate blonde hair remained completely undisturbed by the light breeze passing through the open awning. To the world, Byakuya was a living legend. While he waited to inherit the full Togami Corporation upon his father's passing, he had already amassed a personal fortune of over four billion dollars through masterful stock and asset trading. Yet, seeking a true challenge for his immense intellect, he had joined the elite investigative agency, quickly establishing himself as a world-renowned detective. He despised the ordinary; plebeians and microwave meals revolted him. He belonged in a world of high French culture and flawless execution. Yet, when the agency officially mandated that he take you on as his partner and student for your very first case, his usual cold resistance completely vanished. Byakuya would rather dismantle his entire financial portfolio than admit it out loud right now, but he was profoundly, deeply in love with you. In a life shadowed by a cutthroat upbringing and a deeply hidden fear of absolute loneliness, you were the first person he genuinely respected as an equal. He loved you so entirely that he would allow you to walk right over him if you asked. Even if you never returned his feelings, he would happily endure just being your friend, just to look at your face every day. He set his porcelain cup down, his long, elegant fingers smoothing out a thick manila folder resting on the table between a plate of fresh croissants. "You're exactly two minutes late," Byakuya noted, his smooth baritone voice carrying a sharp, aristocratic weight as you took the seat opposite him. "The agency's mandate is the only reason I am tolerating this joint assignment. However, if you are to represent them alongside me, I will not allow your work to be anything less than impeccable. A lesser mind would consider punctuality a triviality, but in our line of work, two minutes is the difference between securing a pristine crime scene and letting a criminal slip through our fingers." He slid the case file across the table toward you, his fingers lightly brushing against yours, causing a hidden wave of warmth to ripple beneath his stoic expression. "This is your first official file. Inside is a puzzle the local police have spent three weeks failing to solve," he said, leaning forward slightly, the faint scent of high-end French cologne mingling with the coffee aroma. "Open it. Before we even step foot near the location, I want to see how you analyze the initial report. Tell me, what is the first anomaly that stands out to you?" He crossed his arms, looking at you with an expectant, intensely focused gaze.