After completing the routine preparations for the firearms, Gin took him onto the Shinkansen bound for Fukuoka.
Vodka had been sent by him to Kanagawa a few days ago to deal with the local □□ for an arms deal. The Black Organization's connection with this □□ had existed since five years ago; now, it was merely a routine matter, as long as nothing went wrong.
Although he couldn't help but feel he had been somewhat negligent by not appearing in person, but—
He truly was negligent.
After all, that □□ was merely an existence attached to the Black Organization; even if he neglected her, she could only harbor her anger in silence.
It was precisely because of this that Gin brought Rye along—otherwise, he would have no desire to go on a mission with an undercover who was impossible to read.
After arriving in Fukuoka, he didn't even look at the mission, instead taking Rye directly onto the tram and making several winding transfers.
Akai Shuichi was completely bewildered by Gin's actions; if he hadn't been certain that his identity had not been exposed (..), he would have thought Gin intended to take him to some remote location to murder him and dump his body.
After transferring once more, the calm and composed Black-haired agent couldn't help but speak up: "Where exactly are we going?"
Is this agent always this unpredictable when on a mission?
No wonder he is a first-class Assassin of the Black Organization—no, he should be called a Top Killer now!
Gin turned his head and gave him a cold, sidelong glance; although he didn't say a word, Akai could still see the deep disdain in his eyes.
Are you planning on walking to the mission location?" The deep, mellow voice carried a strange sense of mockery, as if asking, "Why is my subordinate so stupid?
Akai Shuichi's eye twitched. He told himself it was just an illusion, then spoke up to ask, "Are you planning to—?"
Gin did not look at him, his expression unchanged, spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "First, we go pick up the car."
“?” Akai raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
They really went to pick up the car.
A blue Lamborghini Huracan convertible, it looked incredibly cool and stylish; its price was proportional to its quality. The deep blue outer layer, shimmering with a subtle metallic luster, made it look fashionable while exuding an aura of wealth.
It was not low-profile at all.
It was the kind of aura that screamed, "I'm cool and I'm flashy, come and get me!"
Akai felt a bit itchy to use his hands; for most men, a car like this was truly an irresistible temptation. Even if he couldn't go for a high-speed drive to satisfy his craving, just touching the steering wheel would be quite nice.
His salary in a formal institution was not high, at least not as much as the money he earned in the Black Organization.
As it turned out, aside from the honor it brought, the value of the title "Ace" was not well-reflected in his salary.
Gin's Lamborghini Huracan is worth as much as several—even as many as twenty of his other cars combined.
However—
This car was certainly excellent—Akai was certain that anyone who said otherwise was either too high-minded or simply jealous—but thinking back to that certain person's previous Porsche, considering his usual style, it just didn't seem to quite fit.
Moreover, Akai felt a slight curiosity as to why it wasn't a Porsche—after all, according to rumors within the Black Organization, Gin's favorite car was the Porsche 356A that he had caught a fleeting glimpse of before.
—This was also why he had been surprised when he heard he was going to pick up the car earlier.
—Because previously, Gin didn't seem to have any intention of bringing a car. However, seeing the car now.. it indeed wasn't that Porsche.
His mind was spinning wildly around the single theme of "Gin's car," yet Gin's own demeanor was nothing short of indifferent.
Gin walked a few steps toward the Lamborghini Huracan, resting his fingertips on the car's body. His fair, slender fingers stood out against the deep blue chassis, looking relaxed yet radiating complete elegance.
Akai's gaze followed his finger to the spot he touched for a split second, before he nonchalantly looked away.
"I'll open it?" Although they hadn't had much contact, Akai felt he already understood Gin's personality to some extent.
Maybe he's been bullied too much?
But to be honest, even without knowing the details, he knew this person would be unwilling to act as a driver himself—especially when there were people around.
Gin gave him a lazy glance, as if he had just said some nonsensical nonsense, his words coming out with an air of absolute certainty.
What else?
Akai felt like laughing.
Gin opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, while Akai leaned against the exterior of the car for a moment, clearing his mind of the repetitive thoughts from the tram earlier that morning while simultaneously contemplating the upcoming mission.
He didn't stay for long—he couldn't keep the boss waiting—but he opened the door and got into the car.
This car had clearly been driven for some time before, but not for very long; the interior carried a distinct, faint scent of leather, with a subtle hint of oak lingering in the air.
He also caught a faint scent of smoke.. Turning to look at the person beside him, Gin was fiddling with the car's cigarette lighter.
The flickering light of the ember glowed at the tip of the cigarette as Gin's long fingers gripped it, casually bringing it toward his lips.
His beautifully curved lips parted slightly as his white teeth bit down on the cigarette filter. Gin's movements exuded an air of languid exhaustion, yet the moment his green eyes flickered up to look at him, there was an unexpected hint of sexiness.
Seductive.
Akai's gaze paused for a moment before shifting toward the steering wheel.
The person beside him didn't notice anything unusual, the Black-haired agent felt a sense of relief in his heart, before realizing after the fact that his actions were somewhat inexplicable.
The smell of burning tobacco spread throughout the car.
"I'm driving?" He was the first to speak.
"As you wish." Despite saying this, Akai was certain that if anything went wrong, he would certainly pay the price.
He had no doubt that, in someone's heart, this car was far more important than his own life.
If he accidentally brushed against it, who knows if he'd leave a few marks on his own face as well?
Ah.. thinking about it like that, the part of his left cheek that had already healed quite a bit seemed to start aching again.
Well, well—but he wouldn't let himself scrape or bump into anything.
He was very confident in his driving skills.
Akai Shuichi gripped the steering wheel, his eyebrows rising slightly as a faint, inscrutable smile curled his lips, his green eyes shimmered with an expression of keen interest.
He stepped on the accelerator.
The performance of the Lamborghini Huracan was exceptional, its acceleration from a standstill was top-tier. In an instant, the stationary supercar revealed its true splendor, like a Leopard racing down the highway; the roar of the engine sounded like the roar of a Leopard, the car's body transformed into a deep blue blur.
The speed continued to climb, Akai was clearly not satisfied. Though his expression remained calm, his green eyes clearly revealed a sense of intense interest as he pressed down harder on the accelerator with his right foot, accelerating once again.
The Lamborghini Huracan sped madly forward.
Gin leaned back due to the inertia as the car suddenly surged forward. Fortunately, he was already leaning against the back of his seat, so he didn't lose his composure. However, the sudden swaying caused by the reactionary force caught him off guard, nearly sending his head crashing forward.
He reacted quickly, immediately stabilizing his center of gravity; his face remained indifferent, but in his heart, he silently cursed.
Gin glanced at the person in the driver's seat who was driving like a maniac, a cold sneer forming in his heart.
Then, he pressed a button, opening the windows and the sunroof.
The whistling wind lashed against Akai Shuichi's face, the long hair beneath his black knit cap flew wildly, looking messy enough to attend a masquerade—the kind with a jazz soundtrack.
Obstructed by the long hair blocking his vision, Akai had to slow down the car—he didn't intend to leave any permanent souvenirs on his face or the vehicle just yet. After a frantic struggle to bring the speed down to a proper range, Akai finally found a moment to glance at the person beside him.
The Silver-haired youth still maintained an air of detached indifference.
Akai Shuichi sighed helplessly in his heart, yet the corners of his mouth curled up slightly of their own accord.
Mission begins.
The wind rushing while speeding in the Lamborghini, the stench of splashing blood, the roars of enemies and the explosions of gunfire, the exhilarating, bone-crunching combat.
—And a teasingly implied "Boss," met with a cold glance from the one being addressed.
The black-haired youth's figure stood in the wind on the rooftop, his left hand holding a handgun, a sniper rifle with a slightly warm barrel. The wind blew his long hair, the radiance between his eyes shimmered with vitality.
The youth's handsome face bore a slight, provocative smile, the light in his green eyes held a vitality as vigorous as wild vines. He leaned against the rooftop railing, nonchalantly shifting most of his weight onto it, indifferent to whether the seemingly precarious, dilapidated railing could support him.
He had always enjoyed the danger of walking on the edge of a blade.
I still don't know what to call you." The youth's voice was low, but the end of his sentence rose slightly with a hint of teasing, "Working under you, I should probably use a respectful title.
The wind lightly blew up his long hair, but Akai did not care. He continued, speaking as if in a monologue, "We are about the same age, so calling you 'Big Brother' feels a bit strange—"
Nonsense.
Both of them thought at the same time that what Vodka was calling him was "Big Brother."
"How about 'Boss'?" He spoke tentatively, as if he had finally settled on a title he was very satisfied with.
Gin gave him a cold look, filled with a hint of indifference and condescension—but it didn't seem to dampen the man's clearly abnormal interest (in his eyes).
That man gave him a smile in return.
Gin turned and left without hesitation, his black trench coat fluttering in the wind with a beautiful arc.
Boss.
A teasing voice rang out from behind.
He felt like turning around and giving him a shot with his Beretta, but thinking about the enemies he would face later, he temporarily dismissed the idea of wasting bullets.
Akai tilted his head, a rare, strange expression appeared on his face, which was usually calm and easygoing.
He didn't know why he had acted so irrationally.
Perhaps.. it was because the previous mission was too intense, he couldn't adjust all at once?
..
Teaming up with Rye was incredibly hassle-free, especially since the control group consisted of Korn, Chianti, his subordinate Vodka.
Although Gin didn't really want to admit it, Akai Shuichi's strength was indeed beyond question.
After successfully completing the mission, he left the car to the people here. His casual attitude made Akai wonder if his Boss was the literal embodiment of someone who "treats money like dirt."
After the mission ended, they should have gone their separate ways, but since their return times were roughly the same, they happened to take the same Shinkansen.
The scenery outside the train window receded rapidly. Akai, sitting across the aisle from the silver-haired youth who was casually reading a magazine, said nothing.
The journey back was spent in such a taciturn silence.
The moment they stepped off the tram, sunlight spilled down. As Akai walked ahead, his back to him, he suddenly thought of something.
He was not a man of many words.. but when he was with Gin, he seemed to be the one who spoke more.
Well.. although it's still not much.
—Is it because, by comparison, Gin is more taciturn?
This seemingly insignificant thought flashed through his mind; he did not dwell on it, nor did he know if he would ever think of it again in the future.