Chapter 9
Discovering the system seemed extremely shocked, Usuha Izuki was also quite puzzled.
[Don't you systems do background checks before binding to people?]
System, dazed and confused: [We generally select from dying souls those who are unwilling to die and whose soul strength can withstand crossing worlds... As for backgrounds and such, that's privacy and can't be investigated casually, unless there are special circumstances.]
Usuha Izuki was speechless: [Oh, so you're quite rule-abiding. I thought you knew what kind of person I was and originally arranged for me to go undercover...]
[No! We didn't know!]
Usuha Izuki felt even more speechless: [So you originally planned to randomly grab someone off the street and have them go undercover in a potentially deadly international criminal organization? You completely didn't consider whether ordinary people could handle it or would have psychological pressure?]
The system felt guilty: [Well, it's a mutual agreement. If it fails, they just return to their original path...]
Meaning, they were already dead anyway, so giving them a chance to live—what's all the fuss about? At worst they'd just be completely dead!
Now reflecting on it, the system finally belatedly realized something was wrong.
The system had originally thought that Usuha Izuki faced Organization members like Gin so calmly and lied without changing expression because he was desperate to live and had gone all out, performing beyond his normal capabilities.
Now it understood—there was no "going all out." Usuha Izuki simply didn't take it seriously. You could tell from how he'd been slacking off in the Middle East—it was completely natural acting from the start...
The system couldn't help itself: [What kind of person are you exactly?]
Usuha Izuki said righteously: [A good person, of course!]
The system no longer believed his nonsense: [Not your own definition of good person, right?]
[You speak incorrectly.] Usuha Izuki defended himself. [Do you know how I died?]
System: [No, how did you die?]
[I died acting heroically.]
Usuha Izuki's tone carried a somewhat strange amusement.
[It's a death that anyone looking at it couldn't find fault with, right?]
[............]
The system sensed something and didn't dare ask further, maintaining silence.
Without the system chattering in his mind, Usuha Izuki saved the energy of multitasking and threw himself wholeheartedly into chatting with Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji.
—Where was home? Remote countryside, the orphanage closed down long ago, and the director had passed away.
—Where did you attend university? Fukuoka Hakata.
—I heard there are many hitmen there? Yes, but I only went there to study and didn't pay much attention to that aspect.
After this round of understanding, Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei's heart rates, like the suspicion values they provided, went up and down.
A remote countryside orphanage that had closed down meant paper records were basically nonexistent, and forging household registration would be very convenient.
Attending university in Hakata meant having opportunities to contact many gangs.
Clearly suspicious no matter how you looked at it, but Samukawa Shinryu seemed to not think these were things that should be hidden, speaking openly when asked—did this mean he had a clear conscience while they were being petty-minded?
But those suspicious points were too obvious to ignore!!!
Suspicion values came in several waves, with Usuha Izuki sustainably fleecing them. Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei were as exhausted as if they hadn't slept for ten days.
Mainly mentally exhausted—reason and emotion constantly fighting, consuming too much brainpower!
Hagiwara Kenji even changed his plans.
The family restaurant already had many students gathering here to eat, do homework, and study anyway. They'd finish discussing everything here and not go to the bar for more drinks.
When he was sober, he was already constantly suspecting his life-saving benefactor. If he got drunk, he might accidentally say something he shouldn't!
So for the remaining time, Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei didn't ask anything more, instead earnestly teaching Usuha Izuki interview techniques and how best to answer certain questions.
When they'd covered most everything and it was getting late, Hagiwara Kenji naturally ended this torturous tutoring session.
"Where are you staying now? I can drive you back."
Usuha Izuki didn't refuse and gave an address.
Matsuda Jinpei was very familiar with Tokyo. Hearing this street name, he was somewhat puzzled: "Are there residential areas around there?"
"I'm staying at an internet café," Usuha Izuki said. "Hotels are too expensive."
Matsuda Jinpei: "............"
Hagiwara Kenji quietly nudged Matsuda Jinpei with his knee, telling him to stop talking—they'd accumulated enough guilt tonight! Any more and they wouldn't be able to sleep!
"Um, how about staying at my apartment? Although it's a studio, there's still space to lay out a futon." Hagiwara Kenji suggested.
He and Matsuda Jinpei lived in studio apartments allocated through police welfare benefits, and they were neighbors. Security was very high.
As for whether Samukawa Shinryu might do something bad... On one hand, they couldn't suspect him without reason. On the other hand, those with money and status had long since moved out. He and Matsuda Jinpei weren't Public Security or Criminal Investigation who often dealt with classified information—what secrets could bomb disposal people have? Having someone stay for a couple days wouldn't matter.
But Usuha Izuki shook his head: "My luggage is all there, and I've already troubled you enough."
Since Usuha Izuki said so, Hagiwara Kenji didn't insist further. Maybe he just didn't like living with others?
After dropping him off and agreeing to meet again before the exam, Hagiwara Kenji drove back to the apartments with Matsuda Jinpei.
"Will it work?" Matsuda Jinpei finally could voice what he'd been holding in all evening. "Even if he gets perfect written scores and all his interview answers are fine, if the examiners are prejudiced, he still won't pass, right?"
Hagiwara Kenji sighed: "You heard his reason for wanting to become a police officer. Could I really come right out and tell him not to be a police officer? I'll go find out who's in charge of interviews this time."
"...What if he fails again? Will he keep trying? Does he have enough money?"
"If he's determined to take the right path, that's ultimately good. I'll help him find work, or figure out how to support him if necessary. That's better than him really going to that world."
Usuha Izuki, who was being both cherished and worried about by two police officers who were concerned he might go astray, let loose once he got to the internet café.
No need to worry! The path was already crooked!
"Hello, Vodka? It's me!" Usuha Izuki happily called Vodka.
Vodka's tone was strained: "Oh, it's Usuha-kun. What do you need?"
Usuha Izuki was displeased: "Why do you sound so reluctant? Do you dislike me?"
Vodka quickly adjusted his attitude: "Not at all, I'm just tired from work..."
"That's good. I was worried about what to do if colleague relationships went poorly—whether I should change jobs."
Vodka: "............"
Gin, who heard the phone leaking audio: "............"
Vodka looked at Gin's expression and felt things weren't good, but Usuha Izuki's side was more dangerous. He could only quickly appease: "How could colleague relationships go poorly! Who's giving you attitude? Tell me and I'll go talk to them!"
"Thank you! Vodka, you're actually a pretty good person!"
Vodka, under Gin's gaze, felt his scalp tingling: "More importantly, I remember you just returned from the Middle East, right? Is there something specific you're calling about?"
"How did you know I just returned from the Middle East? Have you been keeping tabs on me?" Usuha Izuki sounded delighted. "You really are my good friend—I didn't bring you a souvenir from the Middle East for nothing!"
Who's your good friend?!!
Vodka swallowed his complaints and reluctantly played along: "What souvenir?"
"Middle Eastern Arak Wine, of course. You've always taken good care of me, so I was thinking about getting you a gift the whole time I was in the Middle East."
"Heh heh heh, no need to thank me, it's what I deserve... what I should do." Vodka felt bitter inside and was about to brush it off when he noticed Gin wordlessly toss some documents onto his lap.
Vodka looked down in confusion and saw materials on two new recruits Gin was paying attention to.
What did this mean?
As Gin's regular partner, Vodka suddenly understood in a flash—right, Usuha Izuki was bothering him because he was too idle. Give him some work and wouldn't that solve it? Wasn't he supposed to be evaluating new recruits?
They hadn't thought to call Usuha Izuki before because they assumed he'd be in the Middle East for several more months. Since things there had been handled surprisingly quickly, there was no need to let Usuha Izuki stay idle. Time to get to work!
What wage worker doesn't work?!
So Vodka got the hint and said to the other end of the phone: "When are you coming to give me the souvenir? I happen to have work to assign you."
Usuha Izuki was indeed interested: "What work?"
"Two new recruits in their probation period. You don't have a place to stay right now, right? How about you go live in the dorms with them for a while and observe them?"
"Of course."
Usuha Izuki arranged a time and place to meet with Vodka, then hung up.
The next day, he dragged his suitcase to the destination and waited for Gin's car to pick him up.
From far away, Usuha Izuki saw Gin's car parked by the roadside. For some reason, the car was hesitating—driving forward a bit, then stopping, then driving forward again, then stopping...
Then Usuha Izuki's phone rang.
Usuha Izuki answered: "Vodka, did your car run out of gas?"
Vodka, sitting in the driver's seat with one hand on the wheel and one holding the phone, looked at Usuha Izuki answering the phone not far away with a complex tone: "So it really is you..."
You couldn't blame him for hesitating. Today Usuha Izuki was actually dressed very plainly in a gray down jacket, bundled up like a ball. From a distance there was no glare, and those messy hair ornaments and earrings had probably been removed too. The difference from his impression was too great—he hadn't dared recognize him for a moment.
...So you can actually dress like a normal person too?!!
With resentment, Vodka drove the car forward a bit. As soon as Usuha Izuki got in, he couldn't help asking like he was watching a show: "Where are all your jewelry and stuff? Why aren't you wearing them?"
Last time in early winter you dressed all flashy, but now as spring approaches you know to be careful of catching cold?
Usuha Izuki looked at Vodka strangely.
"Because I have professional ethics. I said I'd pretend to be an ordinary person forced into the Organization, so I need to pay attention to details from the start... My character setting is an information broker whose family was killed, left with nothing, who reluctantly joined because the Organization promised to help me get revenge. Would it be appropriate to dress flashily?"
Vodka: "............"
Aren't you adding a bit too much to this act?!
Usuha Izuki also reminded him uneasily: "You all seem not very cautious. Remember not to slip up and expose me!"
Vodka: "???"
Where do you get the nerve to lecture me and Boss?! Even if you get exposed, it'll definitely be because you can't control your aesthetic sense!
"Alright, enough of this. Where are the new recruits' files? Let me see."
Vodka said irritably: "In that bag in the back seat. One's called Amuro Toru, one's called Midorikawa Yui. Amuro Toru is just an information broker—I'd suggest you change your character setting and stop pretending in front of a professional."
Usuha Izuki opened the file folder and looked at the materials: "I know what I'm doing."
—Assigning him two undercover agents to evaluate right after starting work—Gin and Vodka were really something.
[PS: Midorikawa Yui = Morofushi Hiromitsu. When the official materials didn't specify what Hiromitsu's undercover name was, I know many people write Midorikawa Hikaru, but that's the voice actor's name, and he's my bias, so writing it feels weird—I keep picturing the voice actor's face. I'll use something similar instead.]