Okay, Malik makes some sense, from what Naoki knows of him - but it's the first name on the list that trips him up. "Hanamura?"

...Excuse Naoki while he cracks the fuck up, but at least the smile when he finally stops laughing is genuine. "God, we really do have more in common than either of us want to believe, don't we."

They've reached a point where having to work together won't be a total disaster and may in fact go pretty well. And in a way, it's really not a surprise.

"I thought it was worth double-checking, but... good. An end where I lose everything I've gained so far isn't one I can accept."