Chapter 190
Usuha Izuki's casual few words nearly fried Akai Shuichi's brain CPU.
However, Akai Shuichi quickly came to his senses.
—Usuha Izuki was toying with him again.
The possibility of randomly guessing that he was FBI did exist, but the possibility of randomly guessing that he and Miyano Akemi were relatives was close to zero.
And guessing both things correctly at the same time...
Akai Shuichi couldn't possibly believe such a coincidence would exist.
It's just that Usuha Izuki gave him this information, then turned around and denied it...
Akai Shuichi deeply suspected this guy probably wasn't being cautious about not wanting to chat much over the phone, but was simply malicious by nature, deliberately messing with his mindset.
"...I understand." Akai Shuichi took a deep breath, didn't dwell on it, just hinted: "Looking forward to our next meeting."
Usuha Izuki's tone was disgusted and flat: "Eh? I'm not looking forward to it at all. I hate FBI the most."
Akai Shuichi: "...Alright, I understand. I won't disturb you anymore."
He'd heard words like "hate FBI" from Usuha Izuki several times, but his feelings were different each time.
Now thinking that Usuha Izuki had long known his identity, and every time he said he hated FBI wasn't beating around the bush but was really cursing at him directly... his mood was especially complicated.
So, if he hated FBI so much, why help him?
Usuha Izuki... what was he really thinking beneath those always unpredictable behaviors?
Akai Shuichi felt Vodka was right—guessing Usuha Izuki's thought process was a very profound discipline. The most terrifying thing was that apparently everyone had gotten the research direction wrong.
Usuha Izuki was really amazing. Could he be an undercover? Being undercover to Usuha Izuki's level...
Usuha Izuki's voice involuntarily echoed in his mind.
[Gin is an undercover, right? Vodka must be too, you are too, you are too... Sigh, I'm just an ordinary person who wants to work properly, but I'm surrounded by traitors dragging me down. Life is so hard for me.]
Akai Shuichi: "..........."
Yeah, even if Usuha Izuki wasn't an undercover, being able to recruit someone like this was truly the organization's fortune.
Yes, even at this point, Akai Shuichi still couldn't be certain whether Usuha Izuki was really on the same side as him.
After all, what he could confirm 100% now was that besides Usuha Izuki having long known his identity, Usuha Izuki had a very malicious personality...
Both having silver hair and green eyes, Gin's danger was visible to the naked eye, while Usuha Izuki's danger was hidden very deep. When you suddenly realized it, you discovered you were already deeply trapped.
Especially for people who didn't take Usuha Izuki's words seriously—when they came to their senses, that horror was simply indescribable.
Plus Usuha Izuki's age... when he joined the organization, he wasn't even an adult yet, right?
Akai Shuichi hung up the phone and couldn't help pressing his temples.
...Regardless, such a terrifying guy not being a pure enemy was really great.
As for whether they could cooperate, he'd ask again next time Usuha Izuki was in a good mood.
After teasing Akai Shuichi, Usuha Izuki watched the suspicion values flowing in like water and was satisfied: [As expected, undercover agents think too much!]
The system was very excited: [Worthy of you! You came up with new tricks so quickly!]
On Furuya Rei and Morofushi Hiromitsu's side, because they were Japanese Public Security with their own intelligence network, suspecting Usuha Izuki was quite reasonable. Akai Shuichi was too composed—even after hinting with Akai Shuichi's sister before, Akai Shuichi actually endured without coming to probe. And the trick of calling everyone undercover had made most people immune...
Usuha Izuki immediately thought of a new method, tormenting Akai Shuichi so that one person in one day and night contributed what Usuha Izuki normally averaged in a week when not specifically doing anything...
So productive! Akai Shuichi!
Usuha Izuki said shamelessly: [Helping others brings joy. Akai Shuichi doesn't need to thank me too much.]
System: [...........]
It couldn't respond to that... Usuha Izuki exposing the relative relationship between Akai Shuichi and Miyano Akemi might not necessarily be a good thing for both of them.
If it were like the original work where Akai Shuichi entered the organization by dating Miyano Akemi, then Usuha Izuki telling them about this relative relationship now would indeed be helping them.
The current situation was different. Even if Akai Shuichi was exposed later, the Miyano sisters could still maintain their previous status in the organization—one continuing to develop drugs, one continuing to be Usuha Izuki's housekeeper.
But now that Akai Shuichi knew the Miyano sisters were both his cousins, with one being an important executive who might know core intelligence, it was impossible for him not to think anything. Maybe he was already figuring out how to get them back to the FBI.
Once Akai Shuichi had this idea, his daily pressure would definitely be much greater than simply being undercover collecting intelligence. After all, the difficulty of trying to steal people from the organization was quite extraordinary...
The system couldn't help thinking—did Usuha Izuki really hate FBI? This didn't seem like kindly helping at all, but like finding a high-sounding excuse to trouble Akai Shuichi, who still had to thank him.
However...
[It feels like your image in Akai Shuichi's mind could achieve similar effects to the "Black Screen Aura" without even needing it.]
Usuha Izuki pretended to wipe tears: [Who told me I'm unlucky, encountering a buggy system? Otherwise I'd be living well in the organization with "Black Screen Aura" directly—why would I need to work so hard?]
System got a headache: [I'll help you file another report asking how the undercover system maintenance is going.]
Being able to achieve effects similar to "Black Screen Aura" through his own abilities, Usuha Izuki really wasn't easy either... Hm?
The system suddenly realized something.
Being able to do this... Usuha Izuki's acting skills didn't seem that bad either...?
"Little Shinryu~"
Just then, the rooftop door opened and Hagiwara Kenji walked over: "I knew you'd be here. You really like rooftops."
Usuha Izuki returned to a flat expression and said casually: "All delinquents like rooftops."
Hagiwara Kenji was used to this kind of self-deprecating humor, knowing it was the other party's dry wit.
But hearing this, he couldn't help imagining what Samukawa Shinryu looked like in middle and high school... Mm, if the uniform was that collar-style uniform with buttons not properly fastened, showing the white shirt inside... would indeed look very much like delinquents from TV dramas.
And definitely the boss among delinquents.
Knowing Samukawa Shinryu didn't mind, he directly asked: "Speaking of which, were you bullied when you were in school?"
"...Who would have the guts?" Usuha Izuki couldn't help complaining.
Hagiwara Kenji asked again: "Did you bully others then?"
Usuha Izuki: "I didn't really like dealing with others back then. As long as they didn't provoke me, I wouldn't do anything."
Mm... Hagiwara Kenji recalled the scene of Samukawa Shinryu isolating himself from everyone at Police Academy and thought it made sense. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to make friends all along.
If he really wanted to make friends but was isolated by others, wouldn't that be too pitiful?
Little Shinryu having this personality was actually more reassuring.
"I kind of want to see what Little Shinryu looked like as a child." Hagiwara Kenji suddenly said. "Do you have photos?"
Usuha Izuki was very calm: "No, what photos would an orphan take?"
Hagiwara Kenji: "..........."
How to put it—being mentally strong was indeed good, just a bit too strong. It felt like Little Shinryu himself didn't care, but the people around him got hit from time to time...
"...That's a bit of a shame." Hagiwara Kenji finally sighed regretfully. "I feel Little Shinryu must have been very cute as a child... And you don't like taking photos now either. When looking back on the present years from now, you probably still won't have any photos."
"It doesn't matter. I remember everything."
Forget photos—he usually avoided cameras when walking, simply not liking to leave traces.
On the other hand, his original body...
Not only were there photos, the photos seemed to be in Gin's hands... Ugh!
Usuha Izuki felt disgusted.
Usually not thinking about this was fine, but suddenly realizing this problem now made it feel so gross!
He didn't even know what he looked like in that photo. It should have been automatically generated by the undercover system to fill in his identity issues... Sigh, the photo that should have been there originally was Samukawa Shinryu's. What was the undercover system thinking back then!
Although it was fake, he should still ask Gin for that photo back later.
While Usuha Izuki was causing trouble for everyone and living carefree, international bomber Plamia, whom he'd handed over to the organization as performance, wasn't having such a good time.
She discovered that her newly changed safe house had another letter. The letter's contents demanded she meet at a certain location, saying there was business to discuss with her.
This letter's tone was much more business-like, even revealing recruitment intentions.
...Hah, so that's it. She wondered how that just-released bomber could find her address—turns out there was an organization behind it!
So that third-rate bomber was jealous that she was also being recruited and wanted to duel with her to make her back down? Or this organization wanted to test her abilities and used cannon fodder to scout the way?
What a joke! She didn't want to join any organization!
And they actually investigated her privately...
Plamia sneered repeatedly.
Since they wanted to recruit her, they should prove their strength first. Otherwise, should she agree just because anyone who investigated her real identity asked?
Let them survive her bombs first, then talk about other things!