Chapter 35
Asuka Kazuya always felt that Scotch was doing it on purpose.
“Asuka?” Hagiwara Kenji noticed how Scotch addressed him, glancing at Asuka Kazuya, who was being restrained by Matsuda Jinpei. “Is he talking about Kato?”
See! See! Scotch was definitely doing it on purpose! He told him to keep it a secret! And he didn’t listen at all!
Asuka Kazuya stared coldly at Scotch, never expecting that the first to betray his information would be one of his own.
But didn’t Rokudo Mukuro already know his real name? Why was he pretending?
Asuka Kazuya grumbled inwardly, secretly planning how to get back at pineapple head after he recovered.
“It’s a codename,” Bourbon said calmly, continuing Hagiwara Kenji’s words, smoothly changing the subject. “How did you find this place?”
“Well… Jinpei-chan did some deduction,” Hagiwara Kenji said, “then asked Chisato-nee to ask someone she knew to check the surveillance footage.”
That wasn’t the point.
Matsuda Jinpei looked at the trunk Scotch had closed.
Although he could more or less guess what their jobs were…
“Will he die?”
“What?”
“The person you captured.”
Bourbon followed Matsuda Jinpei’s gaze.
“We only need his brain,” he said. “Sorry, I can’t tell you more.”
Former friends who used to share everything had reached this point. The atmosphere was a bit strange, but Bourbon smiled, then added meaningfully:
“If you insist on interfering, there’s nothing we can do. Three against two, it’s been a while since we last competed.”
Matsuda Jinpei raised an eyebrow: “You’re quite confident.”
Bourbon: “You’ve never beaten me before, have you?”
Matsuda Jinpei: “That was then, this is now.”
After saying that, he shook the non-Newtonian fluid in his hand: “Besides, are you counting this half-dead guy?”
Bourbon hummed, his voice seemingly amused: “I heard that Hagiwara almost had an accident while disarming a bomb a while ago. The bomber couldn’t believe it, and even blew himself up while trying to rearm it.”
Matsuda Jinpei frowned: “How did you know? Did Kato tell you?”
After graduation, Bourbon hadn’t really paid attention to his classmates’ news. But this incident was quite big, and Kazami Yuya, after careful consideration, still reported the incident to Bourbon.
Bourbon didn’t speak, observing Asuka Kazuya’s expression, confirming his guess again.
He was with Calvados when he had a fever that day, and the latter didn’t mention why he was sick. Bourbon thought about it, if it was for someone in the organization, Calvados would have already bragged about his self-sacrifice.
He could do such a thing for his “good friend” after knowing him for only a month, it was imaginable how much he had done for the Special Abilities Division before.
“I know, didn’t you say he’s annoying, crazy, and clueless?” Bourbon looked away, smiling brightly, replying casually, “Since you said so, how can we not count him? He’s on our side, of course.”
This was what top-tier manipulation looked like.
Scotch and Hagiwara Kenji exchanged glances, helpless expressions on both their faces.
Only Asuka Kazuya looked back and forth, still not understanding how they knew each other.
The principle of Rokudo Mukuro’s illusion was to turn what the brain believed to be real into reality, but Asuka Kazuya poked and prodded Matsuda Jinpei’s face, still not finding anything amiss.
…Was it really real?
Then it was even more wrong. They were all criminals, it was understandable for Bourbon to know Rokudo Mukuro, but Matsuda and Hagiwara weren’t from the Criminal Investigation Department, what did they have to do with Bourbon?
“Former classmates?” Asuka Kazuya recalled what Hagiwara had told him about the police academy a long time ago, asking suspiciously, “Then Scotch too?”
“No,” Hagiwara Kenji said deliberately. “We encountered each other a few times in previous cases. What about you, little Kato, how do you know criminals?”
“…”
Asuka Kazuya was at a loss for words, unable to come up with a reason after thinking for a long time. He pursed his lips, deciding to play mute.
Scotch said with a headache: “Is there still a need to keep it from him at this point?”
Bourbon turned his head: “Don’t give up struggling so quickly.”
Scotch: “He’ll find out sooner or later, can’t you see Matsuda is about to beat us up?”
Bourbon: “I already told him not to play with Matsuda, we should have disabled those two surveillance cameras before coming here.”
Scotch: “Reflect on the car lock issue first, Matsuda opened it so easily, we should have noticed this during the modification.”
The conversation between these two childhood friends was like that of parents blaming each other for their child’s bad behavior. Matsuda Jinpei’s teeth itched, angrily replying, “What do you mean ‘I already told you not to play with me’?”
Since Matsuda Jinpei started it, Asuka Kazuya also widened his eyes and protested: “What?! Amuro Tooru! So all four of you are classmates?! I even created opportunities for you and Scotch to become friends!”
“Don’t you tell them what you did?”
Unexpectedly, Bourbon didn’t play along, just staring at him with those grayish-purple eyes.
“If you don’t say anything, they’ll never know, at least say thank you.”
Asuka Kazuya choked, realizing what he was talking about.
“I…” the young man said righteously, but his voice stuttered, “I didn’t help because I wanted to hear thank you, I helped because I wanted to thank Hagiwara-kun for teaching me how to swim.”
Bourbon stared at him, suddenly smiling.
“I think I understand why Matsumoto-senpai entrusted his hopes to you back then.”
Before his death, Matsumoto Yamato refused Bourbon’s offer to help him escape, instead calmly telling him to get along well with Calvados. At that time, Bourbon didn’t know that this annoying guy was also undercover, only thinking that his respected senpai had been deceived or had some other purpose.
[“Theoretically, I shouldn’t say this,”]
[“But that child’s ability is too special, and he’s gone astray. If this misunderstanding continues, we might all be wiped out before the truth is revealed.”]
The older officer held his police badge, sighing.
[“Bourbon, I’ll leave the rest to you two.”]
As one of the organization’s undercover agents, Matsumoto Yamato also didn’t report Calvados’s ability. Of course, it was also possible that it was intercepted by the Special Abilities Division on the way, but judging by Matsumoto Yamato’s reaction, Bourbon was more inclined towards the former.
“This is the second thing I’m telling you,”
Bourbon’s tone was flat, seemingly casually bringing up the time he told him “living is also important.”
“Sometimes friends also need a response. If they’re true friends, constantly giving without receiving will only make the other party angrier.”
This contradicted the education Asuka Kazuya had always received.
He frowned, replying, “I don’t understand.”
Bourbon walked over, bending down to pick up the empty bottle on the ground.
“There are many things you don’t understand.”
“…Why are you scolding me?”
“I’m not scolding you, I’m telling you it’s okay not to understand.”
After putting the bottle back in the car, Bourbon reached out and pulled Calvados, who was looking at him, closer.
He couldn’t explain how he felt, Bourbon always felt like he was raising a stray dog that had suddenly wandered into his home. It brought him gifts and secretly saved him and his friends.
“I’ll be with you until you can make your own judgment.”
“Calvados, learn slowly.”
Meanwhile, in Yokohama.
This was Nakahara Chuuya’s fifth day of insomnia. Since sending Asuka Kazuya away, every time he closed his eyes, he would hear, “Do you think Mori Ougai will let him go?”
Nakahara Chuuya wasn’t an idiot. He conducted his own investigation and soon found out why Dazai Osamu shot at Asuka Kazuya in the interrogation room.
Dazai Osamu: “No need for thanks.”
“Who’s thanking you?”
Nakahara Chuuya’s expression was gloomy, a stark contrast to Dazai Osamu, who was leisurely basking in the sun in the lounge.
“Why?”
Dazai Osamu: “Why what?”
“Your marksmanship isn’t so bad that you can’t hit the heart at such close range, right?” Nakahara Chuuya lowered his eyes, looking coldly at Dazai Osamu lying on the sofa. “What was your reason for letting him go back then?”
Dazai Osamu was undoubtedly not a good person. Nakahara Chuuya didn’t believe he really considered Asuka Kazuya a friend, let alone that he would disobey Mori Ougai’s orders because of this.
Nakahara Chuuya couldn’t understand, his intuition telling him something was wrong, but if he investigated further, the matter would reach the Boss’s ears. Akutagawa had been waiting by his car this morning, subtly giving him a warning.
Absolutely obey the Boss’s orders.
Never betray the organization.
These were two of the three rules of the Port Mafia.
When the old Boss was replaced, the Flags without hesitation sided with Mori Ougai.
Everyone followed this. Nakahara Chuuya had even personally executed many traitors who harbored dissent.
He lowered his eyes, watching Dazai Osamu raise his hand and pull down The Complete Suicide Manual that was covering his eyes.
“The reason…”
“Why should I tell you?”
Nakahara Chuuya frowned: “That’s why your subordinates send you a complaint letter every day.”
“Whatever, I can just play with Kazuya.”
“Kazuya is Kazuya,” Nakahara Chuuya pulled a long face. “He can even play with snails.”
Dazai Osamu imagined the scene, vaguely remembering seeing him training rats next door when he was locked up before.
He even mocked Asuka Kazuya at the time, saying that he used all his dinner to train rats, what would he eat when he was hungry at night?
Then, that night, the rats brought the guards’ extra food, expertly sneaking in through the crack under the door. Dazai Osamu watched him, Asuka Kazuya striking a victory pose, taunting him for ten minutes, successfully making Dazai Osamu, also a child, laugh.
“There were signs of a break-in at the Boss’s office last night,”
Seeing Dazai Osamu spacing out, Nakahara Chuuya frowned, coldly saying,
“The pianist is investigating, someone bypassed all our alarms, do you know anything?”
Dazai Osamu chuckled.
“Mori-san didn’t tell me about this, isn’t his attitude of not letting me interfere clear enough?”
First the Flags, then a certain Transcendentalist looking for his younger brother.
Dazai Osamu recalled seeing Verlaine in the shipping container a few days ago. The young man’s expression blanked for a moment after hearing the news “the older brother is looking for his younger brother,” then muttered to himself, “Kazuya?” and left thoughtfully.
This was beyond Mori Ougai’s expectations. With this incident, no one could figure out Verlaine’s assassination order.
“Are you sure Kazuya picked you up in the slums?”
Dazai Osamu stood up, realizing the contradiction.
Nakahara Chuuya stood there, expressionless upon hearing this: “Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t tell me?”
“Those police officers also called Kazuya by his name directly, why don’t you target them?”
Nakahara Chuuya couldn’t bear it any longer: “Who’s targeting you because of this?”
He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm in front of Dazai Osamu: “I don’t have any memories before the age of eight, at least that’s what I remember—what are you thinking?”
“Don’t you find it strange?” Dazai Osamu said. “According to you, Kazuya-kun lived alone before picking you up, he was only a few years old back then, with that personality, how could he survive alone?”
Either he was taken in by some organization, or sold to someone with special fetishes. Asuka Kazuya clearly didn’t have the ability to survive alone. He couldn’t even use his ability at that time, it was Nakahara Chuuya who taught him little by little later.
…Why did he think Kazuya was an ability user?
Nakahara Chuuya froze, unable to recall when he first discovered that Asuka Kazuya was an ability user.
He seemed to have taken it for granted that he was an ability user from the moment he first saw him. This feeling was strange, as if they had known each other long before.
According to this line of thought, the only one who knew the truth was probably the Special Abilities Division, who took Kazuya back later.
“You’re suggesting I break into their base and capture their people?”
Nakahara Chuuya sneered: “I’m not an idiot.”
Dazai Osamu immediately put on a sympathetic expression.
“Isn’t there a Special Abilities Division mole here?” he said, adding fuel to the fire. “And he’s the companion Kazuya mistakenly believes grew up with him in the slums. He respects him so much that he’ll chase me with paintballs if I say anything bad about him.”
Nakahara Chuuya couldn’t smile.
“Who?”
“Find out yourself.”
“…”
“Or I’ll tell you if you bark like a dog twice.”
“…”
The two of them started arguing expertly in the lounge. Ozaki Kouyou, just opening the door, saw this scene and closed it again automatically.
Until a few minutes later, Dazai Osamu yawned and suddenly heard a “thank you.”
It was squeezed through gritted teeth. Nakahara Chuuya looked like he wanted to punch him into the ground, but held back in the end.
“…”
Unfortunately, Dazai Osamu didn’t feel happy, but rather creeped out.
He looked like he wanted to vomit but couldn’t, taking two steps back with a strange expression: “Even so, I won’t tell you who it is.”
Nakahara Chuuya was so angry that a vein throbbed in his forehead.
“I already said it wasn’t for that,” he said in a low voice.
The young mafia member faintly displayed the calm and composed aura of a future executive. Nakahara Chuuya ruffled his hair irritably, having already walked out, but upon hearing this, he stormed back.
“Thank you for Kazuya’s matter.”
