Chapter 174
Bourbon glanced over and noticed that Vodka's hand under the table had silently clenched into a fist...
Sigh, it's not like Vodka doesn't know what Usuha Izuki is like—why did you have to provoke him!
No wonder Vodka complains about Usuha Izuki the most. Obviously his reactions are the most cooperative, so Usuha Izuki enjoys chatting with him too!
But how strange—Usuha Izuki really does treat women preferentially. Chianti still hasn't been attacked even once...
"Speaking of which, what mission were you all doing?" Usuha Izuki asked without any reservation. "With so many people having fun together, why didn't you call me?"
Vodka had originally wanted to play dead, but since Usuha Izuki was staring right at him, he had to reluctantly answer: "Don't you dislike this kind of fieldwork? You said you were worried about undercover agents among us getting you killed."
Usuha Izuki's gaze swept around the room: "...True, it really is dangerous."
The implication was that among these people, there really were people he considered to be undercover agents.
"Korn and I definitely aren't." Chianti curiously looked over Vodka and Bourbon. Her attitude showed she wasn't taking it seriously—just found it amusing. "So either Vodka or Bourbon is an undercover agent?"
Vodka couldn't take it anymore. Chianti had been perfectly normal before, but now after just a short while she'd been led astray: "How is that possible?! He's reported us to the Boss so many times! If we were really undercover agents, we would have been discovered long ago!"
Though the Boss hadn't seriously investigated... but it was enough to shut people up.
Bourbon said quietly: "I think someone who calls the police at every turn, acting so fearless, is more like an undercover agent."
Usuha Izuki advised him: "Always trying to avoid police actually makes you look suspicious. Like me—calling police when it's appropriate makes no one suspect anything! Like when we encountered that situation at the hot springs, we clearly looked like righteous people, but you and Scotland refused to call police!"
Bourbon just silently looked at him.
This logic was universal—acting unrestrained in the organization like Usuha Izuki made it hard for people to suspect he had problems...
Shifting his gaze, Bourbon noticed Vodka looking at him with an indescribable expression.
"...What?"
"You actually went to hot springs with Botanist!"
What happened to hating Botanist together?! How did a traitor appear!
Bourbon's face darkened: "He blocked me and Scotland at our safe house—could I refuse?"
Chianti watched the two suddenly turn on each other and pondered: "Could it be that your relationship with Botanist is actually very good?"
Though they seemed to be bickering, when Botanist privately went out to play with someone, others immediately got upset!
This terrifying statement made both Vodka and Bourbon freeze simultaneously.
Only Usuha Izuki could still laugh: "Of course! They're my good friends!"
Chianti complained: "You men are so troublesome—fighting means good relationship, cursing at each other means good relationship..."
Usuha Izuki went along with it: "Reporting people is also a sign of good relationships. Otherwise why don't I report others? Obviously it's because I see them often that I notice something's wrong!"
Chianti was silent for a moment: "...Then don't report me. I don't like being reported."
Usuha Izuki: "Okay!"
Vodka: "...???"
When everyone's treatment was similar, though Vodka felt frustrated, it wasn't unacceptable.
But seeing Usuha Izuki blatantly show differential treatment right in front of him, Vodka's indignation immediately exploded.
People aren't afraid of having it bad—they're afraid of comparing with those who have it good!
Vodka: "I also told you not to report me, but you still did!"
This was gender discrimination! Total gender discrimination! Why was his attitude so good toward women? That Usuha kid really lacked maternal love!
Usuha Izuki looked at him disdainfully: "Chianti and Korn were recruited by me—how could I damage my own reputation? You weren't recruited by me. I have to be responsible to the organization, so if something's suspicious I obviously have to mention it."
Vodka: "..."
What?! Does Usuha Izuki consider Chianti and Korn his own people?! Does this count as having a faction within the organization?!
Though he knew it wasn't really like that, just thinking about it made Vodka feel extremely horrified.
This time it was Bourbon's turn to poke Vodka: Stop getting entangled with Usuha Izuki on this topic! Change the subject quickly!
Vodka refused to speak anymore and gave Bourbon a look telling him to take over.
Bourbon asked directly without much technique: "Let's not talk about this. What have you been doing lately? You seem very idle."
Usuha Izuki: "I really am very idle. Just came back from a scenic little island, planning to buy some games to play at home. The days of lying around doing nothing while collecting money are so painful—I'm really envious seeing you all have work."
Everyone: "...???"
This time even Chianti's fists hardened, suddenly understanding a bit of the feelings of those who spread bad things about Botanist in the organization: "What are you bragging about..."
Just then, Vodka's phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up and saw it was a call from Gin, immediately feeling relieved and quickly answering: "Big Bro, do you need me for something? I'll come back right away!"
Gin, who hadn't gotten a chance to say anything: "...?"
When had Vodka become so proactive about work? Though he'd never been lazy before, he'd only had a normal office worker attitude. Today's behavior was very abnormal.
"No rush." Gin frowned. "Chianti and Korn are both with you, right? Ask them if they want to take on a mission in three days."
Calling each person individually was too troublesome—directly calling his subordinate and having him ask was more convenient.
Vodka responded and then turned to ask: "Chianti, Korn, there's a mission in three days. Will you go?"
Chianti, having just been irritated by Usuha Izuki, thought about how busy she'd been lately—earning money without chances to spend it made the money feel wasted. So she refused: "I don't want to go. I need to rest."
Korn glanced at Usuha Izuki, who seemed suddenly energetic, and cautiously went along: "I also need to rest."
For this kind of non-mandatory mission, it mainly depended on the organization members' own willingness. When they refused, Vodka didn't say anything and just reported to Gin: "They want to rest."
"Mm, then we'll find someone else..."
Before Gin could finish speaking, he heard commotion from Vodka's side—specifically Usuha Izuki's voice.
He heard Usuha Izuki ask enthusiastically: "What mission! Tell me about it!"
Gin: "..."
Vodka was hanging around with Botanist again? It definitely wasn't voluntary—absolutely Botanist getting bored recently and looking for entertainment!
So Gin, who had been relatively relaxed, immediately became alert: "You wouldn't be interested."
"Sounds like you need snipers—I can help!"
Gin sneered.
What a joke. Bored Botanist didn't cause him trouble would be good enough! What help!
Every time he had Botanist do something, there would be all sorts of complications. Volunteering to help never led to anything good. No matter how much he felt Botanist's talents were being wasted, he wouldn't fall for it again!
Gin suspected Botanist had thought of new ways to torment people, but refusing harshly might also invite trouble, so he redirected: "If you're bored, you can go find Vermouth."
"I saw her yesterday." Usuha Izuki asked directly: "Just tell me straight what you need someone to do. If it's boring, I won't bother going."
Gin was silent for a moment, then still answered: "Confirming whether someone has betrayed the organization."
"Oh, then I'm not going." Usuha Izuki's attitude immediately cooled. "Do you think that by pointing fingers at others as undercover agents, you can stay above suspicion? Let me tell you, impossible. Once I find evidence I'll report you to the Boss."
Gin: "................"
Vodka: "Big Bro, stay calm, Big Bro!"
Gin was very calm: "What I just said applies to you too. And you simultaneously point fingers at others as undercover agents while getting unhappy whenever real undercover agents are found—who looks more like an undercover agent, you know in your heart."
Chianti and Korn were shocked.
After all, they had little contact with Usuha Izuki and only heard some organization rumors, but the organization's highly secretive structure meant internal personnel were also cautious about gossiping. So though they'd heard Botanist liked to report others as undercover agents, they really didn't know his attitude toward already-discovered undercover agents.
Hearing Gin's words now, they suddenly found it somewhat reasonable... Botanist's reaction really was a bit strange!
After speaking, Gin smoothly hung up. Vodka regretted losing a chance to leave, but still had to say: "Big Bro is right. You should reflect on yourself."
Chianti and Korn were shocked again.
Huh? That's how lightly you treat someone suspected of having problems? Just one casual sentence?
Though they wouldn't immediately conclude Botanist was a traitor, they should at least interrogate him a bit, right?
Usuha Izuki sighed deeply: "Gin has gotten smart now..."
Chianti and Korn felt a bit tense, because this statement was full of déjà vu.
It was like dialogue a TV drama villain would say after being exposed—similar to "Hmph, didn't expect you to be so smart. Since I've been discovered, I'll stop pretending."
As if next Botanist would reveal his true identity, saying he'd been deceiving them all along...
Just then, Vodka, completely oblivious, said: "Big Bro was always smart. I've always known that. If he hadn't suspected you just now, you'd definitely call the Boss again, saying you acted so much like an undercover agent but Big Bro had no reaction, so Big Bro must have problems..."
Chianti & Korn: "Again???"
Botanist acting deliberately like an undercover agent was already shocking enough, but this "again" was even more overwhelming... Thinking about how Gin's response was a practiced counter after who knows how many times, they felt dazed.
They'd thought the rumors were somewhat exaggerated—what going crazy or not, being psychotic or not—he'd seemed perfectly normal when recruiting them!
Now it seemed like all rumors related to Botanist were actually too conservative?
Usuha Izuki looked at the suddenly dropping suspicion value from these two organization members he'd recruited and couldn't help but fall silent.
"...That's completely based on analysis—what's the difference from cheating? Not sincere at all! Isn't there anyone who sincerely suspects I might be an undercover agent?"
Bourbon suddenly spoke: "Me."
Everyone looked at him.
But Bourbon's usually smiling expression was unexpectedly serious at this moment: "I suspect you really are an undercover agent."