Chapter 14
Surveilling Miyano Akemi was an easy task for Bourbon, an information broker. Her apartment was in the suburbs of Tokyo. Perhaps considering that she sometimes needed to meet with Sherry, the curtains were drawn on every window, making it difficult to see the layout inside.
Asuka Kazuya watched from the window for a while, then also closed the blinds.
“Where did you get the money to rent an apartment?”
Bourbon, who had been fiddling with the surveillance equipment at the entrance, stood up upon hearing this: “Aren’t you still angry, telling me not to talk to you?”
Asuka Kazuya: “…”
“Using the organization’s funds,” Bourbon replied casually. He hung a painting on the wall, glancing at Asuka Kazuya. “And the organization’s salary is quite high, right? When you stop tormenting Rum and the others one day, they might consider returning the money they deducted from you.”
What did he mean? Was Rum withholding his salary his fault now?
Asuka Kazuya was dissatisfied: “Aren’t you Public Security? How can you surrender so easily?”
Bourbon: “Oh, then what isn’t considered surrendering?”
Asuka Kazuya thought for a moment, but before he could come up with anything, he saw Bourbon walking over.
“And what’s the benefit of you doing this?” Those grayish-purple eyes looked down at him, Bourbon’s eyes inquisitive, half his body hidden in the shadows.
Antagonizing and attracting attention, besides Chianti, no one else intended to bail him out of jail this time.
Even knowing where he came from, Bourbon didn’t completely trust him. Especially since Calvados’s relationship with Rum and the others was too close, if it was to catch other undercover agents through him…
Bourbon didn’t speak, his expression calm, just standing in front of Asuka Kazuya, waiting for his answer.
But Asuka Kazuya didn’t seem to sense the danger.
“How is there no benefit?” he retorted, looking at Bourbon with a puzzled expression. “Look at Japan, besides Gin, who else has the energy to catch undercover agents? Besides, if it weren’t for Matsumoto-senpai reminding you, would you have guessed that I’m undercover?”
Bourbon: “…”
Indeed. Calvados had turned half the organization upside down, and the other executives ran when they saw him, how could they have the time to guess?
Moreover, Bourbon had originally thought that undercover agents were all serious people. Looking at the whole world, Asuka Kazuya’s undercover methods were a breath of fresh air.
Bourbon sighed with a headache: “Sorry.”
“…Don’t apologize yet,” Asuka Kazuya paused and said. “After all, that’s all secondary. I’m doing this for senpai.”
According to the executive officer, Sakaguchi Ango disappeared a month after entering the organization. In all the lists sent back by Ango-senpai, the names of Gin, Rum, Vodka, and others were clearly listed.
Ango-senpai couldn’t be wrong.
So it must be Rum and the others who were wrong. They must have harmed Ango-senpai while he was away, so it was only natural for him to torment them.
“…”
Bourbon caught the key point in Asuka Kazuya’s words. He knew nothing about the “senpai” he mentioned, guessing that he was probably from the same place as Asuka Kazuya and had most likely lost contact with him.
Putting aside other things, Bourbon didn’t agree with sending someone like Asuka Kazuya on missions. He joined the organization when he was only a teenager. Although it could effectively dispel the organization’s concerns, this period was crucial for personality development. If he returned to society in the future, his experience in the organization might have a negative impact on him.
Calvados’s mind wasn’t normal to begin with, and it might become even more abnormal after he left.
“What’s with that look?” Noticing Bourbon’s silence, Asuka Kazuya frowned. “I know Gin and Vodka’s bank passwords. Overall, I have much more money than you, don’t pity me.”
Bourbon: …Who’s pitying you?
Bourbon, unable to reason with him, gave a subtle look. He took out eavesdropping equipment from the apartment’s hidden compartment, casually fishing for information as he assembled it: “But even so, Gin doesn’t care?”
“…He seems to care more about his mission efficiency than money.” Asuka Kazuya recalled. “Should I tell you? Anyway, I see you expensing everything to the organization, it’s the same thing.”
Bourbon was expressionless.
How was it the same? Gin didn’t care because he couldn’t be bothered. If he squandered Gin’s money, he would see Gin sitting here waiting for him tomorrow.
It was a bit presumptuous. If he hadn’t known that Asuka Kazuya was also a police officer, Bourbon would have thought he was trying to harm him.
“By the way, when did you enter Akemi-nee’s apartment?”
Seeing that Bourbon had tuned the eavesdropping channel, Asuka Kazuya leaned closer and asked curiously.
“Did you sneak in by picking the lock? Weren’t you afraid of being seen by the neighbors?”
“She hasn’t seen me, I can create an opportunity.” Bourbon said, putting on his headphones.
“Also, don’t call me Bourbon when we’re outside.”
“Oh, a fake name, right?” Asuka Kazuya seemed to understand. “I also picked a fake name for myself. What’s yours?”
“…Amuro Tooru.”
“What about mine?”
“Didn’t you say you already thought of one?” Not having heard anything useful from Miyano Akemi, Bourbon found the person beside him a bit noisy. He looked over, only to find him hugging his knees, staring at his eavesdropping device in thought.
Those beautiful, marble-like eyes turned. Asuka Kazuya, seeing Bourbon looking over, let out a slow “Huh?”
Bourbon slowly withdrew his gaze.
And they said he didn’t fit the profile of an undercover agent, this guy fit it even less. He could debut on TV, looking pampered and spoiled, hard not to attract attention on the street.
“Anyway, I told the landlord that we’re brothers. Same last name is fine, the rest is up to you.”
Asuka Kazuya propped his chin.
“That won’t do,” he said. “You change your last name. I told those police officers yesterday that I’m Kato from the First Investigation Division. They all know me now, wouldn’t it be a slip-up if we bump into each other on the street?”
Bourbon’s hand trembled, catching the keyword.
He narrowed his eyes, examining Asuka Kazuya’s expression: “…What did you go to the First Investigation Division for? Is Gin planning to plant a mole there?”
“Sort of,” Asuka Kazuya replied. “There are also people from the organization within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I used a fake identity when I boarded the ship yesterday, so it’ll be easier to investigate the guests’ information later.”
Before Bourbon could react, Asuka Kazuya happily patted his shoulder: “But we’re really on the same wavelength. I also told those police officers yesterday that I have a few older brothers. Next time I return their clothes, I’ll take you to meet them, to add some credibility to my persona.”
Bourbon: “…”
Bourbon: “Thanks. But let’s skip the meeting.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Asuka Kazuya blinked, interrupting him before Bourbon could continue working. “I mean I know who’s in contact with Akemi-nee, there’s no need to eavesdrop, just treat these few days as a vacation.”
Bourbon’s grip on the headphones tightened. He slowly turned around, staring at Asuka Kazuya.
“You didn’t ask me.” Asuka Kazuya said innocently, his voice getting quieter. “I didn’t even know Gin sent you to watch me, you just did it without asking, what could I do?”
When he thought Asuka Kazuya was a criminal, Bourbon wanted to beat him up.
After discovering that Asuka Kazuya was a police officer, Bourbon still wanted to beat him up.
“And then?” Bourbon inhaled, patiently asking him. “What’s your plan?”
“Learn to swim?”
“…What’s your plan regarding Miyano Akemi?”
Asuka Kazuya continued to prop his chin.
Bourbon was so familiar, they had only revealed their identities to each other yesterday, he wasn’t going to tell him his plan.
What if Bourbon was exposed and revealed his plan under Gin’s coercion and inducement? He didn’t care about himself, but the Special Abilities Division’s existence couldn’t be exposed yet, and Akemi-nee didn’t seem like she could withstand interrogation.
So Asuka Kazuya pulled a long face, pretending not to understand under Bourbon’s gaze.
“No plan is the best plan, don’t worry about it, Amuro Tooru, just take a vacation, I won’t screw you over.”
I already told you it’s Amuro Tooru!
Looking at Asuka Kazuya walking towards the kitchen, Bourbon had a splitting headache.
“I know you don’t trust me,” he said. “But Asuka, why should I trust what you say?”
Asuka Kazuya stopped.
He became quiet again, standing in the darkness, as if also pondering Bourbon’s question.
“I don’t know.”
After a while, Asuka Kazuya spoke honestly.
“I don’t even know what’s so good about being a police officer, and I don’t think it’s necessary to kill anyone in the organization. I mostly stayed in Eastern Europe before joining the organization. They made me arrest a lot of people, and the criminals there would cry and beg me to spare their families before they died. Honestly, I don’t have a family, so of course, I can’t understand how that feels.”
“But the executive officer changed his number back then to prevent exposure, and only senpai would write to me over the years.”
“Senpai said that good people should receive justice, and bad people should be punished. Because senpai is an important friend to me, I know he wouldn’t lie, so I’ve always followed his words.”
Bourbon was stunned, watching him turn around in the darkness.
Asuka Kazuya joined the organization at fifteen, which meant he went to Europe alone on missions when he was still in middle school?
“That’s right, Bourbon.”
Asuka Kazuya nodded, his tone firm, not caring about other people’s feelings, as if something was burning in his irises.
“I overheard what you said to Rye and the others before. Jealous, right? I’m different from you, I have friends!”
“…” Bourbon fell silent, closing his eyes.
Then he turned around and gently tapped on the keyboard.
“Ah,” Bourbon replied flatly, his feelings complex, humoring him like a child.
“You have friends, I’m so jealous.”
