Chapter 246
While Scotland and Bourbon were over there discussing whether Usuha Izuki had let Miyano Akemi die or had a hand in keeping her alive, and whether he had any conscience, Usuha Izuki was happily counting his suspicion value income.
The system was also very happy: [Although with Edogawa Conan around, the undercover agents' suspicion values pale in comparison, but they do have weight multipliers after all. We really can't bear to give them up!]
Usuha Izuki sighed: [It's just a pity about my housekeeper. But according to Gin's original plan, if he had her do drug trafficking, she probably wouldn't have time to come clean anyway. Thinking about it, it's not really a big loss.]
System: [............Can't you clean yourself?]
Usuha Izuki said righteously: [I don't come back here often! Without anyone cleaning, it'll get dusty!]
The system thought about it and was very worried for Usuha Izuki: [So what will you do now?]
[That's easy to handle.] Usuha Izuki picked up his phone. [I'll ask Vodka how he plans to compensate me.]
He was so good at passing problems to others to solve!
While the system was speechless, Vodka answered the phone: "...Botanist, what do you want now?"
Vodka's tone carried suppressed pain.
Because he was currently restraining his urge to complain—Big Brother! Can I call you Big Brother? You just had Chianti ruin my Big Brother Gin's mood today, and now you're calling again. You're not trying to show off, are you?
Once a day is about enough! Even when going crazy, you should consider other people's tolerance levels!
It's already evening—won't you let people get a good night's sleep!
Usuha Izuki didn't care about Vodka's well-being at all, only concerned with his own comfort: "I just suddenly remembered that Miyano Akemi died today. When are you going to assign me a new housekeeper? You wouldn't think that after taking someone from me, everything's fine, would you? You wouldn't, would you?"
Vodka shuddered all over.
Oh no, with so many annoying things recently, he'd forgotten about this!
But he couldn't admit it verbally, or Usuha Izuki would definitely cause trouble with the excuse "are you looking down on me." Vodka quickly made an excuse: "Of course not, it's just that people who meet your standards are hard to find. I've been looking! I'll tell you when I find someone!"
Usuha Izuki pressed aggressively: "How long will you look? What am I supposed to do during this time? Let my house gather dust?"
Vodka: "...???"
If you came home more often, it wouldn't get dusty! It's precisely because no one lives there that houses get dusty more easily!
But he didn't dare actually say this to Usuha Izuki, and could only weakly reply: "As soon as possible, as soon as possible. How about I coordinate with someone for this period, have Scotland... no, Scotland won't work."
Scotland was from the action group. With Gin recently being punished, work was distributed to other capable people, so Scotland was busier than before. If he had rare free time, he should want to rest himself. Making someone deal with Usuha Izuki would be too inhumane—after all, Scotland was his ally who often badmouthed Usuha Izuki with him!
But Usuha Izuki said: "I think Scotland works fine. Today he temporarily came to help me cook a meal, and he seemed quite free. You arrange it."
Vodka: "............"
Scotland, you have my sympathy...
Although they were both codename executives, because Gin had been leading him when he joined the organization, due to this relationship, Scotland barely counted as one of Gin's people. Even though Gin was occasionally marginalized by the Boss, Scotland still mostly listened to Gin.
This matter didn't need discussion with Gin. Vodka, as Gin's partner, could arrange it himself. Soon he called Scotland and asked if he was willing.
After hearing Vodka's purpose, Scotland was silent for a moment: "I feel like my status hasn't risen at all over these years."
Soon after joining the organization, he was Usuha Izuki's housekeeper. Now he was a codename member, and they still wanted him to be a housekeeper!
"Didn't you go cook for him today anyway..." Vodka said guiltily. "Just help out as a transition. Your relationship isn't bad, right?"
"Actually, we haven't been in much contact these past two years..."
Scotland didn't really want to see Usuha Izuki right now.
Although he had indeed found some reasonable explanations that let him maintain a sliver of hope for Usuha Izuki, there was still the possibility that what his senior raised was a heartless ingrate. And Usuha Izuki had always been unconcerned about showing his cold, ruthless side in front of him. Even for his own mental health, he didn't want to go recently.
Because it would affect his senior's glorious image in his heart.
Vodka pleaded earnestly: "But after Miyano Akemi was gone, he immediately thought of you. This already shows he treats you differently! This special treatment that others don't have!"
"...How would you like this treatment?"
It was just having him clean and cook! What kind of different treatment was this!
If this was the little brat's special treatment for his foster father's colleague, then he'd rather not have it!
Just then, Bourbon gestured from the side.
Scotland frowned and gave a "are you sure?" look. Bourbon nodded affirmatively.
So after another round of Vodka's persuasion, Scotland said: "How about this—let Bourbon go instead? He owes me a favor, just the right time for him to repay it."
"Uh... I have no objection." Having someone take this landmine made Vodka satisfied, but he had to remind: "But Botanist might not agree. Bourbon isn't even a woman—Botanist won't show any mercy..."
"...Let me try anyway." Scotland said. "Speaking of showing mercy, didn't he plead for Miyano Akemi?"
Vodka: "No. But this is Botanist—not surprising."
Indeed, since it was Usuha Izuki, nothing he did would be surprising.
Scotland couldn't say whether he was disappointed or what about this answer. He calmly hung up and looked at Bourbon: "You actually want to make contact with him again? Didn't you say before that you never wanted to think about Usuha Izuki's affairs again?"
"Just once." Bourbon said. "I haven't been to his current home yet. I want to observe and update his files. Although I don't want to deal with him, I can't completely ignore him either... I think it's time to update his information."
The reasoning was sound.
The person in the organization who most wanted to ignore Usuha Izuki was Gin, and everyone could see what he was like now.
Many people and things don't stop existing just because you ignore them.
Bourbon continued complaining: "Besides, I think you're not suitable to see him right now. You seem to have unrealistic expectations of him."
Scotland sighed: "Actually, I've realized that too... After all, unlike you, I've actually benefited from him. Without him, I wouldn't have gotten my codename so quickly. When I was by his side, my mission targets were all people who deserved to die... How should I put it, looking back, those days were actually pretty good."
It was only after leaving Usuha Izuki that he truly entered the organization's dark side. You could say comparison brings out beauty—even remembering the past when Usuha Izuki scared him into irregular heartbeats seemed like small matters now.
Bourbon had only one assessment of this: "You should see a psychologist."
Although that Usuha kid seemed like he couldn't read the room and always talked nonsense, since his ability to judge people was ridiculously accurate, his grasp of human psychology probably wasn't weak either. His usual behavior could only be explained by him simply not caring about others' feelings.
The period when they first entered the organization as undercover agents was when infiltration investigators' minds were most unstable, and Hiromitsu unfortunately became Usuha Izuki's partner...
Who knew if Hiromitsu's current state was also within Usuha Izuki's calculations!
Bourbon was deeply suspicious.
Usuha Izuki, who in Bourbon's mind was almost becoming a master manipulator, woke up after a nap and unusually woke up at noon.
His new house wasn't very far from Kudo Shinichi's home—just two streets away to reach the Kudo house. Since he had nothing else to do anyway, he planned to return the borrowed books first, then consider what to eat nearby.
If Dr. Agasa wanted to eat something, he'd eat with Dr. Agasa. That way he wouldn't have choice paralysis—perfect.
But just as he put the books back on the shelf and before he could choose what to read next, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Usuha Izuki: "...?"
At this time, who would come to the Kudo house?