Chapter 76
Although they felt somewhat stunned by Usuha Izuki's statement, since the two had gotten somewhat used to it, they quickly found their voices again.
"Your classmate? You really went and made friends with ordinary people?" Vodka couldn't quite imagine what kind of person could tolerate Usuha Izuki.
Usuha Izuki denied it: "Not a classmate, just met him that way."
Scotland was also quite interested in Usuha Izuki's life outside the organization: "Why would he think you're doing dangerous things? You haven't done anything, after all."
This wasn't Scotland speaking up for Usuha Izuki, it's just that Usuha Izuki really hadn't done much—at least he slacked off whenever possible on organization tasks. He couldn't think of any "dangerous things" that ordinary people might discover. It couldn't be that while pretending to be an ordinary person, he had joined some illegal organization, right?
Vodka also realized this problem and immediately asked warily: "You've been exposed? What does he know?"
Usuha Izuki looked with satisfaction at his rapidly rising suspicion values, feeling that spending the organization's money to treat them to this meal was very worthwhile.
This material was provided by Hagiwara Kenji... What is a best friend? This is a best friend! Even when angry, he's still indirectly helping him!
When Kenji isn't so angry anymore, he'll figure out how to coax him. First, let him harvest all the wool he can!
"No, I just acted heroically like an ordinary person would, but my friend thought I didn't value my own life and said he wanted to settle accounts with me."
Usuha Izuki said in a tone of having his eyes opened: "So ordinary people even get angry about this! Looks like my studies aren't thorough enough, I still need to keep learning!"
Vodka choked: "...You... acted heroically...? You were doing a mission and still called the police—I was too lazy to even mention that, and now you went and acted heroically?! With such a strong sense of justice, why don't you just become a police officer?!"
Scotland hadn't been fazed by Usuha Izuki, but was actually choked up by Vodka's complaint.
Imagining Usuha Izuki joining the police force, Scotland couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his face, hiding his inner turmoil.
The image was too beautiful—he didn't dare look.
Usuha Izuki was different. Someone who trolled others every day wasn't so easily trolled by others. He even responded naturally, looking like he found Vodka's suggestion quite valuable.
"So I can become a police officer? Not bad, Vodka, I didn't expect you to make such an inspiring observation!" Usuha Izuki looked delighted. "But I heard Japan particularly emphasizes seniority and background. I don't really want to start from the bottom. Can the organization help me work something out? I want to be the Superintendent General."
Vodka: "............"
"Is that requirement a bit too high? Then Deputy Superintendent General would be fine too."
"Your requirement isn't just a bit high, it's so high it's about to escape Earth's gravity!" Vodka's emotions were about to explode. "If the organization could directly install someone as Superintendent General, why would it be your turn!"
At the very least, it should be his big brother! If not that, it must be a normal person!!!
With Usuha Izuki taking the stage, he didn't dare imagine what it would become. He felt the whole world would become fantastical.
Scotland's emotions had already calmed down, and he normally joined the conversation: "Regular police work is very hard and very boring. It's impossible to allow you to suddenly go missing for several days like now."
"Oh, forget it then." Usuha Izuki instantly calmed down. "Thinking about it carefully, police uniforms really aren't good-looking. Making me wear a police uniform every day—I couldn't stand it."
Vodka: "............"
No matter how the police uniform looks, it's much more pleasing to the eye than what you're wearing!!!
Scotland said quietly: "Looks like Botanist's daily life is quite rich. No wonder you don't come home."
"So that's what you think of me." Usuha Izuki was very moved. "Then I'll stay home and keep you company tomorrow and the day after!"
Vodka: "...??? Tomorrow's Thursday—a workday! What are you doing at home?"
"Can't I be at home on workdays?" Usuha Izuki was displeased. "Before, when I didn't come home on workdays, you nagged for ages. Now when I have time on workdays too, you're still not satisfied. You're so hard to please! What exactly do you want from me! Tell me!"
"No... different times call for different measures..."
Vodka was suffering in silence.
Before, he thought that Usuha Izuki was at least a worker—when needed, calling him to do some work wouldn't be bad. So he was very annoyed when this guy would disappear from time to time, and he tried to correct it, ending in failure.
Having finally gotten used to Usuha Izuki's behavioral patterns, and planning to have Scotland secretly come out to do more work, this guy changed again!
Although he said he'd find someone to replace Scotland as a babysitter, considering Usuha Izuki's ability to cause trouble when he went crazy, even Vodka with his big brother as backing didn't dare to forcefully make the switch right away.
He had originally planned to gradually shift Scotland's focus to the organization side, then when Usuha Izuki discovered it, stuff in a new babysitter while having Scotland continue to stabilize Usuha Izuki until the two were completely disconnected... But now Usuha Izuki's whereabouts had become irregular again. Scotland could easily be caught in the act like before! The buffer time might suddenly be reduced by more than half!
What? You ask if Scotland agrees? What he thinks? That's not important—what's important is that big brother is short-handed!
The organization doesn't just have influence in Japan—there are many places abroad that need people too! Relying entirely on those idiots who expose themselves at every turn, the organization would be finished!
Thinking about it this way, while Usuha Izuki wasn't good at other things, his secrecy ability was really quite strong.
Everyone knew Usuha Izuki was in Tokyo, but it was only when Usuha Izuki unilaterally saw them—there was never a time when they accidentally discovered Usuha Izuki. The organization never knew where Usuha Izuki was or what he was doing.
Now even Usuha Izuki's friends thought this guy was a good person who would act heroically, so they definitely wouldn't suspect he had any connection to the organization...
Was this also a skill trained in the Middle East?
Although he felt very uneasy, always feeling like Usuha Izuki's connection to the organization wasn't tight enough, as if he might disappear at any time, Vodka secretly thought that Usuha Izuki was at least better than those who worked very hard but unfortunately had clumsy hands and feet, causing him and his big brother to have to personally silence them.
This was workplace politics—sometimes doing more wasn't as good as not doing anything; the more you do, the more mistakes you make...
Unfortunately, Gin couldn't stand people who were afraid to work, thinking they were wasting organizational resources, and would throw them to be cannon fodder that didn't require ability.
Fortunately, at this time the waiter began bringing them charcoal and grilled meat, slightly easing the awkward atmosphere in the room.
It's just that the waiter maintained perfect expression management while serving, but as soon as she left, things got subtle.
What was the situation with the customers in that private room? One looked like a yakuza, one looked like a college student, one dressed like a Christmas tree...
Ah, maybe the one dressed like a Christmas tree borrowed money from the yakuza, then his brother brought him to treat them to a meal to plead, hoping the interest could be a bit lower?
When the waiter returned to the back kitchen, one of her friends saw her looking a bit absent-minded and asked warily: "What's wrong? Is there some problem with the customers in that room?"
There had been incidents before of drunk customers harassing waitresses, so her friend immediately suspected this.
"Yakuza... ah, it's nothing." The waiter snapped back to attention. "Which table is next?"
The three-person organization group, unaware of what the waiter had imagined, had already started grilling meat.
Vodka kept mentally urging the meat to cook faster, hoping to shut Usuha Izuki's mouth.
But while waiting for the meat to cook, Usuha Izuki's mouth could still keep babbling: "When you get right down to it, what business is it of yours when I come home? You're not planning something bad again, are you?"
"No, really no." Vodka rebutted guiltily.
Scotland had vaguely guessed something—after all, you can't be an undercover agent without enough cunning.
Probably Gin still wasn't willing to give up on using him, so he had Vodka come test him, right?
Indeed, he had already achieved his initial goal of getting a codename. What he needed next was to make achievements, then enter the organization's core. There was no need to always stay by Usuha Izuki's side—just maintaining the relationship would be fine.
...It's just that Usuha Izuki's side was indeed a bit difficult to handle. He had to think about it.
Scotland gave Vodka a look, and Vodka immediately understood that Scotland already knew why he had reacted so strongly to Usuha Izuki's schedule changes. For a moment, his heart was full of gratitude—great! Not everyone was like Usuha Izuki, seeming to not understand what people were saying while always liking to troll people!
This kind of mutual understanding, where everyone knew what was going on and could communicate about eighty percent with just a long-missed glance, was damn sweet!
Unfortunately, Vodka's good mood didn't last long.
Suddenly, an extremely penetrating scream came from outside. Vodka and Scotland simultaneously stopped what they were doing and instinctively listened carefully.
From the corner of his eye, Scotland noticed that Usuha Izuki had actually taken this opportunity to snatch away several pieces of meat that Vodka had put down... Was it worth being so opportunistic?!
This is the alertness of someone back from a Middle Eastern battlefield?!
Vodka said: "Scotland, go see what's happening outside."
Although the organization said codename members were all equal, Scotland had previously worked under Gin and Vodka. Even after getting promoted, there was still a bit of a superior-subordinate feeling left.
Plus Scotland wasn't the type to argue about this, so when Vodka said so, he went out to check the situation.
As soon as Scotland left, Vodka sighed: "Doesn't sound like just being scalded by water or something... Don't tell me something happened? Look at the place you chose! What kind of luck is this!"
Vodka actually wasn't this aggressive in front of others. It's just that whenever he saw Usuha Izuki, he would remember all the losses he'd suffered, the shoes he'd been made to wear, the bitter water he'd swallowed, and inexplicably get angry, unable to help but speak sarcastically.
Usuha Izuki didn't indulge him: "Your luck is good—you encounter police on patrol just doing a mission."
Vodka was so angry he couldn't swallow this: "Wasn't that police called by you?! If you hadn't called the police, nothing would have happened!!!"
Just as they were attacking each other, Scotland returned with a somewhat subtle expression: "There's been a murder. It's the waitress who just served us."
Vodka immediately switched to professional mode, frowning as he asked: "Will this implicate us?"
"Hard to say. After all, she served us not too long ago. The police might come ask some questions..."
Usuha Izuki immediately said: "I told you not to dress like that, but you wouldn't listen. Now what do we do when we encounter police!"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It's just a normal black suit. How many people outside dress like this!"
"Do those people look like yakuza?! Only you look like a bad person at first glance!"
Usuha Izuki muttered: "Hurry up and change clothes. I don't want to be detained by the police because of you."
"It won't come to that. What does it have to do with us? They should just ask a couple routine questions, or we could just leave now..."
As soon as he finished speaking, police sirens sounded outside.
Vodka was silent for a moment: "That was fast."
Usuha Izuki sighed: "The base you chose—just one street from the police box. That means this barbecue shop is right across from the police station, and you actually forgot?"
"What do you know! This is called hiding in plain sight! This kind of base is the safest!"
Vodka looked around, thinking about where to hide the gun on his body in case they encountered a stubborn police officer who insisted on searching them—that would be trouble.
Scotland said: "I'll go out and check the situation again."
Although everyone was a bit surprised, since they were just here for a normal meal, they were still relatively calm.
Until Scotland saw the police officer walking into the shop, he finally couldn't keep it together.
—Could they actually encounter an acquaintance?! Good thing he came out to look, otherwise if they suddenly met later and the other person accidentally let something slip, big trouble would follow!!!