Reflections on the Future

Asuka closed the door to his office, hung up the jacket he often wore in his smaller humanoid form, and flopped onto the couch with a sigh and a serious lack of grace. Another trial day. Another long trial day. ...Still, it felt like he had made some real progress today. Masatoshi kept him on his toes, as always. It wasn't the first time that he'd ended the day with the facts of the case looking completely different than they had when he'd walked in, and he expected it wouldn't be the last. 

But at least he wasn't spending three-quarters of the trial stammering and sweating anymore. (It was now more like half, but progress was still progress.) 

 

Frankly, he doubted he'd ever feel perfectly comfortable in the courtroom. That might be too large of a miracle to ask for, especially with clients like these and opponents like a certain prosecutor. But he was making a difference, even if it was only a small one. 

 

He was getting clients actually seeking him out now. ...Maybe, if business kept going well, he would even get a chance to add a junior partner to the office at some point...?

 

That was probably a fantasy. A proper secretary to take some of the burden off of himself and Hinoka was a better priority. But still. ... it was nice to think about being able to do for some rookie lawyer with more eagerness and fire than skill what Chiyo did for him. He wouldn't be who he was today without her.

 

Somewhat literally.