Chapter 109
Hearing the system's sales pitch, Usuha Izuki fell silent for a moment.
[......Are you really the Suspicion Value System?]
System: [Huh? I really am, aren't I? What's wrong?]
[Nothing, just shut up. You can't even use my suspicion values, so stop making me suspicious of you.]
System: [......???]
Usuha Izuki ignored the system and focused on talking to Vodka: "I suggest you strengthen the investigation on Moroboshi Dai. Why would he be involved in this kind of mission? I've said before that he's not trustworthy. Look, the mission failed as soon as he came, and he was the first to jump out and accuse me of being an undercover agent, trying to divert everyone's attention... Oh, and there's also Gin......"
"Got it, got it, we'll investigate everyone."
Vodka was very perfunctory.
After all, Usuha Izuki's nominations were obviously full of personal grudges, making it hard to take them seriously.
Among all of Usuha Izuki's nominations, only he himself seemed somewhat reasonable, since Usuha Izuki really was suspicious, but the fact that he nominated himself made it particularly bizarre.
But thinking that this was Usuha Izuki, it became understandable. Vodka stopped making a big deal of it and arranged overnight for people to investigate this batch of troublesome guys.
In the short term, the members who participated in this failed mission would probably all be marginalized for a while. Among them, the one with the best relationship with Vodka was Scotland. He regretted getting him implicated like this, but this was also for safety's sake, and Scotland expressed understanding.
What? You ask if Gin doesn't have a good relationship with him?
Big Brother naturally wasn't within the scope of investigation! Arranging someone to investigate Usuha Izuki was already a waste of human resources—how could they waste resources on Big Brother too! Really don't know how expensive rice and firewood are until you're running a household!
Usuha Izuki had already gone back next door to sleep, but Vodka was still working overtime through the night, and Gin was also trying hard to think of other ways to make up for the hole left by the mission failure.
Another sleepless night. When they woke up the next day, only Usuha Izuki didn't have dark circles under his eyes.
Usuha Izuki acted as if he didn't know how annoying he was, having the hotel send breakfast to his room, then carrying the tray next door, watching Vodka and Gin work while turning on the TV and eating his breakfast.
Vodka: "......Can't you go back to your own room?"
"Of course not. I might be a traitor now. Normal people who are suspected of being traitors would try to reduce suspicion by staying within others' sight."
Usuha Izuki said this righteously, then took a bite of his steamed bun.
The hotel breakfast was good. The steamed bun still had heat even after being delivered for a while. Taking a bite opened up the rich meat aroma, making Vodka's stomach, who had no appetite due to staying up late and being overly hungry, start rumbling.
Vodka: "............"
Usuha Izuki looked at him: "Want some?"
Vodka was already planning to wash his hands: "Yes."
As soon as he spoke, Vodka saw Usuha Izuki's condemning gaze.
???
What now?! Can't he even eat?!
"You're too careless." Usuha Izuki was deeply pained. "I'm under suspicion. Aren't you afraid I put drugs in the food?! How did you survive until now with such trust!"
Vodka: "............"
"But whatever, since we're friends, and I can't finish eating anyway, I'll give you this steamed bun." Usuha Izuki said generously.
Vodka's mouth twitched: "I'll just order room service......"
"I ordered right at the end of breakfast time. You can't order now, only takeout, and by the time it's delivered you'll starve to death... Besides, I'm right here. Don't you trust me as a friend?"
Vodka screamed internally "Weren't you just saying I had no vigilance?!!!" but exhausted from the whole night, he didn't want to argue with Usuha Izuki anymore. He dryly said thanks, then went to wash his hands and came back to eat the steamed bun Usuha Izuki had left for him.
Usuha Izuki didn't ask Gin, because Gin had already been blocked by him.
Vodka knew Gin's habits—he definitely wasn't in the mood to eat now, but he really had to eat, and eating was also for better work. He believed Big Brother would understand! He wasn't slacking off!
After filling his stomach a bit, Vodka went back to continue working.
But shortly after sitting back down, Vodka suddenly felt his concentration becoming difficult, and even his consciousness began to blur.
Usuha Izuki's voice seemed to come from far away: "Vodka, are you feeling very sleepy?"
"Mm......"
Vodka struggled desperately, slowly realizing something was wrong: "Botanist, you actually, drugged......"
Before finishing his words, Vodka collapsed face-first onto the desk.
Before falling asleep, he contributed a wave of suspicion values to Usuha Izuki.
[Getting suspicion values from Vodka is really not easy.] Usuha Izuki sighed deeply. [The short-acting sleeping pills from the lucky bag work well! Although I don't need them, they've come in handy now. Not a loss.]
[Who told you to sleep so well... I don't understand why your sleep quality is so good.]
The system recalled previous hosts—each one either suffered from stress-induced insomnia, hair loss, or stomach problems... Usuha Izuki was actually this healthy, which was really absurd.
[Do no wrong and fear no ghosts knocking at the door. I live uprightly and honorably, with no worries on my mind, so naturally I sleep well.]
System: [............]
Have some shame... Vodka, whom you drugged, is still lying in front of you!!! What do you call brazen lying?!!!
Vodka's sudden collapse, combined with the mysterious information leak in this mission, made even Gin, who didn't want to deal with Usuha Izuki, unable to help contributing a wave of suspicion values.
Gin raised his gun and pointed it at Usuha Izuki: "Explain."
"Nothing to explain, just as you can see."
Usuha Izuki began trying to farm suspicion values through cryptic statements, since he should try all methods to see which was more effective: "Is it okay to leave him like this? Something might happen."
This ambiguous but seemingly dangerous statement immediately made Gin, who had become somewhat numb to Usuha Izuki, start contributing large amounts of suspicion values.
"What drug did you give him?"
"Guess."
Gin had already released the safety, but was still hesitating whether to shoot.
This was a hotel, he didn't have a silencer, and if it turned out to be one of Usuha Izuki's more extreme episodes, and the Boss still didn't plan to pursue it, but his shooting caused a commotion and attracted police before they could clean up and left traces...
Gin's gun muzzle remained pointed at Usuha Izuki while his body moved toward Vodka. His eyes stayed fixed on Usuha Izuki, not missing any detail, trying to deduce the reason for Usuha Izuki's sudden attack.
But Usuha Izuki just sat relaxed on the sofa, even casually adding more sugar to his coffee, seeming completely unconcerned that bullets might hit him the next second.
Gin's hand reached Vodka. He checked the major artery in his neck and found a steady heartbeat. Listening more carefully—
Vodka was snoring softly.
Gin: "............"
His heart full of suspicion and killing intent suddenly froze.
Gin was silent for a moment, then asked: "Sleeping pills?"
Usuha Izuki's expression changed slightly: "......Guess again."
Gin sneered: "It is sleeping pills."
After confirming this, Gin planned to go back to work.
Usuha Izuki made a big fuss: "You're just going to ignore Vodka like this? What if he suffocates sleeping in that position?"
Gin coldly thought, oh, so this was what this brat meant earlier by "something might happen"—dying from suffocation due to wrong sleeping position after taking sleeping pills. That really wouldn't be good.
Since it was his subordinate, Gin impatiently turned Vodka's head to the side to ensure smooth breathing, then walked toward his seat.
Usuha Izuki indignantly pressed: "You actually have a grudge against Vodka, right? How can you be so cold when your partner has an incident? Normally, shouldn't you question why I did this? Where exactly do I not look like a traitor? Tell me!"
Gin had already turned off the gun's safety and ignored Usuha Izuki's questioning.
No need to ask—it was probably some nonsense like "As a friend, seeing Vodka working so hard through the night, letting him rest a bit" or "Teaching Vodka to be human, letting him know not to casually eat things provided by suspected traitors."
Vodka really should learn his lesson. Clearly knowing what kind of person Usuha Izuki was, yet not only not staying away but moving closer... Hopefully after this time, Vodka would become smarter and not make the same mistake again.
Gin ignored him and stopped contributing suspicion values. The only somewhat cooperative Vodka who could respond was asleep. Usuha Izuki also felt it was boring to stay here.
"As a suspect, I won't participate in any missions recently... So can I leave now?"
Gin remained unmoved.
Usuha Izuki left the room disappointedly, then went back next door to pack his luggage and leave.
However, when he left, he wasn't alone.
Vodka had worked through the night arranging things, so early this morning, the Organization member responsible for investigating and tracking Usuha Izuki was already in position.
Since this was tracking a codename member, the security level was quite high, so this task was also assigned to a codename member—Tequila.
Tequila was in Kansai and hadn't participated in this mission, so he wasn't under suspicion and was arranged to track Botanist.
Last night was the first time Tequila heard of the codename [Botanist]. After receiving the materials, he even sighed that young people nowadays could get codenames so easily—probably because they had a good father.
Then he focused on tracking Usuha Izuki.
Since Vodka had given him the address, Tequila stayed in the hotel lobby, pretending to wait for someone while secretly observing whether anyone resembling Botanist appeared.
It had to be said that Botanist dressed quite conspicuously. Tequila spotted him as soon as he appeared. Realizing the other party was dragging a suitcase and wasn't just going out briefly before returning, Tequila quickly followed discreetly.
Tequila initially thought that next, Botanist would take transportation, maybe returning to Tokyo, but soon discovered that the other party was winding through turns and entered a bustling alley.
To avoid being discovered, Tequila followed at a distance. When he saw there were more people ahead, he wasn't too worried—after all, Botanist had such a large suitcase and dressed so conspicuously that he couldn't walk fast or possibly disappear.
However, five minutes later, Tequila discovered he was completely wrong.
Botanist was gone!
Thinking about it carefully, this route really wasn't what someone carrying a large suitcase should take... Could he really have unspeakable business to conduct?!
Had he tracked the real deal?! Was Botanist really a traitor?!