Chapter 84
Miyano Akemi sat in the hospital beside an unconscious man's bed, gripping her phone with an anxious expression.
Why did it have to be today, at this exact time, that a car accident happened... Even if this had occurred a day earlier, she wouldn't be in such a passive position now.
As an outer member of the Black Organization, Miyano Akemi had always been very clear about her status.
Her parents were organization researchers who had already died. She didn't have talent in that area, but her sister Miyano Shiho had inherited it, so the organization vigorously cultivated her sister, gave her the codename [Sherry], and even sent her abroad for training.
As for Miyano Akemi, she served as a hostage and insurance, allowed to remain in the country and attend school and make friends like a normal person...
All along, the organization rarely sought out Miyano Akemi, and her understanding of the organization wasn't very deep. So when she suddenly received a call from Vodka, an important organization executive, a few days ago, her heart immediately sank, almost thinking something had happened to her sister.
It turned out they wanted her to work as a housekeeper for an executive.
For Miyano Akemi, this was quite strange, because previously the organization had only monitored her without making further demands. She hadn't even graduated from university yet and had originally thought she could at least live peacefully until graduation... How could they think to have her work as a housekeeper?
"Why me?" Miyano Akemi had asked directly on the phone.
Vodka didn't tell the truth, speaking evasively: "You have a good personality, you're studying in Tokyo so you're close by, and Botanist has a rather odd temper... But don't worry, working as his housekeeper isn't without benefits. The last person who worked as his housekeeper got a codename within a few months. If you get a codename, it should be easier to see your sister again, right?"
Miyano Akemi didn't really believe that working as a housekeeper for a codename member would let her also get a codename and become closer to her sister. This sounded more like dangling a carrot because the task was too difficult.
But she had no choice. She could only hold onto a small hope that the organization would fulfill even one-tenth of what they promised her—she didn't expect a codename, but surely she could see her sister more often?
Besides, even just to control her sister, the organization couldn't possibly put her with someone who liked torturing people or would kill her. Most likely he just had a bad temper.
Thinking more was useless. The organization hadn't given her the right to refuse anyway, so Miyano Akemi agreed to the proposal, got Botanist's contact information, and arranged to meet today.
But halfway there, she inexplicably hit someone. Miyano Akemi couldn't just leave an unconscious person and continue to Botanist's house, so she had to quickly apologize to Botanist and take the unconscious person to the hospital.
Unexpectedly, Botanist said he was coming too...
Miyano Akemi immediately became even more nervous.
Was he suspicious that she was dissatisfied with him and making excuses? Coming to the hospital specifically to check? That seemed unlikely—as a low-level member, how would she dare stand up an executive?
But Vodka seemed to have mentioned that Botanist's mental state wasn't very good... Normal people wouldn't think that way, but with mental patients you never knew. What if he was also a paranoid...
Right, she needed to think of an explanation: "If I had ignored him and continued to Botanist-san's house, the police would have traced it back to me and implicated Botanist-san, so I had to take him to the hospital"—would this convince Botanist?
She didn't know what kind of personality Botanist really had...
Ever since receiving Vodka's notification, Miyano Akemi had joined the team of "contributing massive suspicion values" along with the recent Vodka.
Vodka had lately been constantly suspicious, wondering if there was something fishy about Usuha Izuki agreeing so readily. Miyano Akemi was constantly wondering just how bad and terrible Botanist's personality was, and why the previous housekeeper had left...
Recently when Usuha Izuki opened his system notifications, he could see these two flooding the screen, making him happy inside. Even drawing instant noodles in flavors he didn't like from daily lucky bags for three consecutive days didn't make him angry.
Akai Shuichi, who had staged the collision with the organization's low-level member, lay on the bed pretending to be unconscious. When he'd had enough, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Miyano Akemi beside the bed with confusion: "You are..."
"I'm Miyano Akemi. Sorry, I hit you. How are you feeling now?"
Miyano Akemi was still anxious about Botanist, not knowing when he would appear. This showed externally as her seeming very worried about Akai Shuichi, but when making small talk, she gave the impression of urgently wanting to leave.
She didn't want to involve innocent people with the organization. What if Botanist's mental state really was abnormal and he came over and talked about silencing witnesses in front of this person?
So after saying a few words, Miyano Akemi couldn't help glancing at the clock on the wall, silently calculating when Botanist would arrive: "Well, if there are any problems, ring for a nurse. I still have some business to attend to. I'll come see you again when I have time."
She thought it would be better to meet Botanist in the lobby and not let these two encounter each other.
Not knowing what Miyano Akemi was thinking, Akai Shuichi slowly formed a question mark: "...?"
This wasn't quite the treatment he'd imagined!
According to the intelligence he'd investigated, this low-level member should be a relative of organization core members. So while people from the organization constantly monitored her, they didn't really interfere with her life. She'd grown up almost like an ordinary person and had a gentle, considerate personality.
University student life was quite free—she didn't necessarily have to stay on campus, so Miyano Akemi would often drive out for rides.
Theoretically speaking, someone with this personality would feel extremely guilty after hitting someone with her car and would worry about whether he'd have any lasting effects. According to past intelligence, Miyano Akemi had no appointments today, so she should stay at the hospital to keep this patient company...
How was she leaving already? And so eagerly? Was he so unsightly that people couldn't stand being around him for even a second?
However, just as Miyano Akemi was standing up, the door to this hospital room was suddenly pulled open.
Akai Shuichi thought it was a nurse or doctor and instinctively glanced over, then was blinded by unexpected reflections.
The newcomer had silver hair, wore brown sunglasses and golden star earrings, a light green haori revealing a red T-shirt underneath with the Chinese characters [侠义] (Heroic Justice), dark purple pants, several shiny chains of various lengths around his neck, a diamond-studded watch on his left wrist, and a mess of colorful hair ties and lucky beads on his right wrist.
This outfit packed with details made even the exceptionally observant FBI ace Akai Shuichi dizzy, his CPU nearly overheating.
The person cheerfully greeted them: "Good morning everyone, and good afternoon too~"
"Sorry." Miyano Akemi didn't react immediately. "Are you..."
She was about to ask if he'd entered the wrong room when she saw this fashionably dressed person push up his sunglasses and turn to look at her.
"You're Miyano Akemi? This is the person you hit, right? If he's not dead then he's alive, and if he's alive that's fine. Should he be discharged?"
Akai Shuichi: "...?"
This guy who suddenly appeared—was he from the organization? His style and way of speaking were so hard to understand... He was just looking for a low-level member to stage a collision with, so how did such a strange guy appear?
Variables like this at times like this were the most troublesome. He hoped it wouldn't affect his undercover mission.
Miyano Akemi was also shocked.
Someone who appeared at this time, found the hospital room, dressed abnormally, and called out her name...
Could this be Botanist, who she was supposed to have met by now?!
Vodka hadn't told her Botanist's age or even gender, making her think Botanist was some eccentric guy at least in his thirties or forties... But this fashionable outfit and way of speaking—he was simply a rebellious young person.
"Yes, sir, I'm Miyano Akemi." Miyano Akemi couldn't very well call out an organization member's codename at a time like this. "Sorry for making you come all this way..."
"No problem, just call me Usuha." Usuha Izuki naturally gave his surname, not afraid at all of the watching FBI investigating him. He even swaggered over to Akai Shuichi, pulled down his brown-tinted sunglasses to look, "Mm, looks very healthy, could beat ten of me. I think he can be discharged."
Akai Shuichi: "...I'd rather hear the doctor's judgment."
"No problem, tell me where you're still uncomfortable—it's the same."
Saying this, Usuha Izuki sat down.
Miyano Akemi had stood up, but Usuha Izuki didn't sit in the available chair, instead rudely sitting on the bed edge and directly pinning down one of Akai Shuichi's arms.
"..." Akai Shuichi was silent for a moment. "Sorry, you're pressing on my arm."
Usuha Izuki said seriously: "If you can feel it, that means your spine is fine and you're not paralyzed. That's wonderful."
Akai Shuichi had vaguely sensed something wasn't quite right.
Even if he was an organization member, he wouldn't be this arrogant in front of ordinary people, right? They supposedly pretended to be ordinary company employees when out and about.
This Usuha-kun's attitude... had he already discovered there were problems with his identity and was deliberately tormenting him here, or was his personality just genuinely terrible and he liked tormenting people?
From the corner of his eye, Akai Shuichi caught Miyano Akemi's worried expression, then looked at this guy's outfit, especially his neck hung with crosses, Buddhist beads, and punk skull necklaces. He figured it was probably the latter.
Dressed like this, his personality definitely had nothing to do with being well-behaved and obedient. This level of behavior wasn't unbearable for him, but with this person barging in, he didn't know if his original undercover plan would still work...
"Thanks. Since you've finished your examination, could you get up?" After his internal deliberation, Akai Shuichi spoke with the expression a victim should have—somewhat irritated but having to endure it out of politeness. "There was nothing wrong originally, but if you keep sitting like this, it might go numb."
"Eh? It should be fine, right? After all, you're left-handed, aren't you?"
Akai Shuichi: "?!?!?!"
—From the moment this guy entered, his hands hadn't moved at all. How did he know he was left-handed?! Had he been exposed?!