She stared at her open suitcase for fifteen minutes.
Most of her clothes didn't match the season anymore. She'd packed for a short solo holiday with comfortable walking shoes, a few dresses, a coat light enough to layer but not heavy enough for colder weather.
But this was different.
This wasn't sightseeing. This was… the beginning of something.
She pulled out a navy dress she hadn't worn yet, clean lines, soft fabric, simple. Neutral enough to look like she wasn't trying too hard, but nice enough to make her feel like she hadn't given up.
She laid it on the bed and sat beside it.
Was this a date? An interview? A social experiment wrapped in government paperwork?
She'd agreed to meet him in a neutral café not far from the hotel. Mr. Sato had arranged the time and confirmed the man Hino was willing and looking forward to it. He'd also added, with the subtle grin of someone trying too hard to be casual, "He asked what kind of tea you like."
She smiled at that. It had been weeks since someone asked her a personal question without it being tied to a form or a policy.
She went to the mirror and tried to fix her hair. Gave up. Then tried again.
"You're not falling in love," she muttered to her reflection. "You're gathering information."
But her fingers hovered at her neck for a moment before she found a small pendant tucked at the bottom of her bag. It had been her mother's silver, worn, shaped like a tiny star. She hadn't worn it since the day she left home.
She clipped it around her neck and stared at herself.
Not quite the woman she used to be. But not entirely someone new.
"Okay," she whispered. "Let's meet the stranger."