He is a Sniper, a man who can still kill enemies with precision from six or seven hundred yards away.
"It's relatively easy," Akai Shuichi replied from the side, his response polite yet distant.
He searched through the fragmented impressions in his mind based on a sense of familiarity; fortunately, the way Heine stood beside Gin made it obvious that he was a high-level member of the Black Organization. Thanks to(?) the secrecy of the Organization's hierarchy, the few high-level members he had seen were very few, which greatly reduced the difficulty of the search.
And then—
Akai Shuichi showed nothing on his face, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt in his heart.
The familiarity hidden within a few brief words during their last meeting was even more apparent this time, making the bond between the two clearly detectable. The Black-haired agent felt as if a cat was occasionally scratching at his heart with its claws, a mixture of curiosity and an indescribable sense of concern.
“I see—" Heine laughed, turning his body to look at Gin, his eyes filled with a hint of playfulness and scrutiny. "These two seem to be your subordinates?"
Gin glanced up at him, his tone cold. "That's right."
Don't be so cold.." Life is endless, yet the pursuit of death is ceaseless; with just a few words, Heine successfully drew the attention of everyone present, earning himself the MVP of this match: "Last time, I even helped you score a free meal. Aren't you going to thank me?
Borse: Scrounging a meal? What? Wait, when?!
Akai.. Maybe I should say thank you? I mean, myself. But what exactly is the relationship between those two?
The two people opposite him had different expressions, but neither was someone who wore their emotions on their sleeve; generally speaking, it was still difficult to tell anything.
However, Heine's insight was by no means something an ordinary person could compare to.
He laughed inwardly for a while, his thoughts of causing trouble growing more and more intense.
Borse was someone Gin had spotted by chance at the training ground. After keeping an eye on him and finding him capable, he had recruited him as a subordinate. Even before receiving a codename, he had garnered significant attention due to his outstanding strength. Since obtaining his codename not long ago, he had become even more prominent, serving as one of Gin's trusted confidants.
This youth lacked even a hint of the vitality one would expect at his age; his usual lifeless demeanor was perhaps too much to call robotic, but he was certainly far from enthusiastic.
It was just that he ran into Gin—
It was quite obvious: a brainless fan, wrapped in a shell of rationalized obsession.
Heine was not at all surprised by Borse's attitude—in fact, he had deliberately teased this guy several times already. Although his strength was good, when it came to life experience, it was simply too much to ask of this taciturn boy to compare himself to an old hand like Heine.
However, this fellow, who was famous within the Organization for his strength and intelligence, was equally prominent, even slightly surpassed Borse in every aspect..
His reaction is also quite interesting!
Heine wanted to say something more, but unfortunately, the chill radiating from the core figure beside him forced him to temporarily set aside his interest in watching the drama.
Gin: Like hell I will!
If he hadn't mentioned it, it would have been fine, but the moment he did, the memory of that meal—which started off awkward and stiff, went somewhat smoothly in the middle, but completely fell apart by the end—surfaced once again.
You actually dare bring that up? It seems the memory of our brawl in the Training Room wasn't deep enough.
For a moment, the Silver-haired youth's expression grew increasingly cold, turning almost frostily grim.
The reddish-brown haired man watched Gin silently. Even though he was clearly several years younger than himself, his aura was so powerful that he truly could not muster any thought of resistance.
Heine knew that he had seemingly gone too far. Memories of the past few days—which were ostensibly sparring sessions but were actually just beatings—flashed through his mind. These were clearly not pleasant experiences, just thinking about them made his body feel as if it were still aching faintly.
If he didn't struggle now, he would definitely be the unlucky one.
He managed to force a smile, even though his heart was racing with panic.
Don't be like this.. Are you hungry? Let me treat you to a meal?
As soon as the words left his mouth, Heine wished he could punch himself. Of all things to mention, why bring up "food"? Had he fallen into a rice bucket and stewed his brain along with it? Why did he always have to bring up the one thing that would make the situation awkward?
This time, he had really gone and done it..
Looking at his Friend's expression, a certain person who was usually incredibly reckless felt a sudden surge of trepidation. His clear blue eyes held a hint of caution, much like an elementary student looking at a parent with a dark expression after playing with a friend until midnight; it was a childish fear mixed with his own uninhibited, debauched mannerisms, spontaneously giving rise to a sense of mischievous innocence and pure Evil.
If it were an Ordinary person, they might have softened their heart.
Gin was hard-hearted and was not moved in the slightest; he simply felt a flicker of amusement.
Although his anger had subsided considerably, he could just beat him a few more times in the future (Heine..), Gin still didn't want to let him off that easily.
This guy has always been brave enough to court death; wouldn't it be a waste if he didn't receive a proper lesson?
Gin enjoyed doing so.
Gin's eyes had always been cold and indifferent, even those with some level of acquaintance could never figure out his temperament, but in reality, Gin could sometimes be a bit playful.
So his gaze remained unchanged, he simply curled his lips into a smile—it was neither a sneer nor a mockery, but rather something that revealed a hint of tenderness.
Heine became as quiet as a mouse.
Borse keenly sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere, but Heine's life or death had nothing to do with him; he was still preoccupied with the earlier mention of a "free meal."
Akai Shuichi continued to stand there quietly and casually, his hands in his pockets, his expression unchanging. He maintained a sophisticated silence, composed and observant.
He quietly observed the Silver-haired youth's cap.
Gin slightly raised his eyebrows, his smile unchanged, replied, "Fine."
As soon as that syllable was uttered, Heine's face took on an expression of pure disbelief—the Silver-haired youth caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but complain in his heart about how vivid his expression was.
Akai Shuichi's gaze shifted down to his green eyes.
Gin turned and walked toward the door, the hem of his black trench coat fluttering slightly. In the quiet and long corridor, the lights on the ceiling emitted a bright, silent glow, echoing a single phrase:
Just invite all three of them, then.
He brushed past Akai Shuichi, his gaze drifting indifferently toward the distance, much like his indifferent words.
The moment their clothes brushed against each other, Akai Shuichi turned his head, his gaze focusing on the corner of his mouth.
Heine seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Although the road ahead was treacherous and long, at least there was someone there, so Gin probably wouldn't strike directly.. right?
I'm completely uneasy! Borse is exactly the type of person who would hand Gin a knife if he were to take action. Rye seems steady, but setting aside his previous reactions, on the surface, he is still Gin's subordinate!
With these two around, not only would they be of no help, but they might even end up helping to destroy the evidence!
Heine's mouth twitched. He thought to himself that he would have to find a way to calm someone down.. or perhaps distract him?
Setting aside the complex thoughts swirling in his mind, he flashed an exceptionally casual smile, one that carried a hint of flirtatious elegance. He turned to look at Borse, who still seemed to be dwelling on their previous joke, said, "Don't just stand there, shall we go?"
“..” Borse's cold expression fractured for a moment; he gave Heine a faint glance, showing not the slightest hint of outward respect.
Heine twitched at the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself that he wouldn't stoop to the level of a child. He turned his gaze toward Rye; the black-haired youth was watching Gin's receding figure, lost in thought.
“Rye?” he reminded him.
Akai Shuichi withdrew his gaze from Gin's back and gave a calm "Mm" as a response.
In the moment they brushed past each other, he clearly saw a hint of a smile curling at the corners of the Silver-haired youth's mouth, one that was entirely different from before.
A playful, mischievous smirk, tinged with a hint of mockery.
Wow.. He seemed to have discovered some secret, couldn't help but think: How interesting indeed.
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Author's Note: (1) Rye is the transliteration of Rye, just as Vermouth can be Vermouth or Absinthe.
I sincerely apologize to all the Little Angels; I was forced out of hiding by the Little Angels' requests for updates..
The peak of female beauty appears in the next chapter! His name has already appeared.
..
Thanks to Meow Unspeakable Little Angel's landmine, love you, mwah~
Thanks to maty0703 Little Angel's landmine, love you mwah~
Chapter 48 Chapter Forty-six "You've gone too far."..
Inviting Borse and Rye was a total whim, but to Gin's surprise, Heine actually took them straight to his place.
Well, calling it "home" might be a bit of an exaggeration; to be precise, it is Heine's residence in Tokyo.
But it could still be considered one of his few frequently used addresses.
Gin glanced at Heine with a hint of curiosity, but the reddish-brown haired man's expression remained unchanged—he was still smiling that same provocative smile.
So he remained silent.
The four of them made a perfect group for a single car. Gin, having just returned to the country, naturally hadn't brought his car, the same applied to Heine. Borse rarely came to Tokyo—since obtaining his codename, he usually operated around the Kansai area.
And so, the heavy responsibility of transportation fell naturally onto Rye.
Akai Shuichi, who had been assigned the right to use the vehicle without saying a single word throughout the entire process: …………
Is it really okay for you all to just talk to yourselves like this?
"Driver" was a role that would never fall to Gin, unless he chose it for himself. Thus, the Silver-haired youth sat in the back seat with a calm expression, possessing a certain detachment as if looking down upon the world with cold indifference; Borse followed closely behind, sitting beside Gin as if it were only natural, looking so much that Heine's eye twitched.
Heine sighed inwardly, thinking to himself that even if he couldn't control them, he could at least make things difficult for others. He opened the passenger door and sat down, stretching his long legs.
It was a perfect embodiment of the filthy and ugly social reality of "bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
Akai Shuichi, who was being treated like a pushover: …………
Have you already decided who the driver will be?!
He deeply experienced the coldness and warmth of human connections within the Black Organization; the hierarchy of discrimination truly exists everywhere..
However, the Ace Agent was not one to say much—or rather, he knew that speaking was useless—so he simply stopped arguing, decisively got into his own car, sat in the driver's seat, which was the one left by the other three.
So, why on earth do I have to act as the driver when it's clearly my car?
The black-haired youth turned the key to start the car, his movements of releasing the handbrake and pressing the accelerator being skilled, smooth, seamless. His eyes were calm and steady, his face devoid of any unnecessary expression. As he moved, the red Chevrolet let out a roar and then surged forward like an arrow shot from a bow.
Gin, who had long expected this, slightly raised an eyebrow. Without changing his expression, he leaned his weight back against the seat, casting a silent gaze toward the Black-haired agent for a few seconds before withdrawing his eyes.
With his long legs crossed and his left hand resting against the edge of the tram window, supporting his chin with his palm, the Silver-haired youth's posture was lazy and casual.
The remaining two, however, were not quite so relaxed.
The two people, who had lost their balance completely when caught off guard, looked rather disheveled. Heine had reddish-brown bangs covering his face, one strand even seemed to poke him in the eye; Borse was doing relatively better, but as his body slammed heavily against the backrest, his usual expressionless face nearly broke.
Blinking his stinging eyes, Heine turned to look at the person on his right who had driven the car with such flair, as if it were a plane; the Black-haired youth's expression remained as calm as ever, making it impossible to tell if it was intentional.
Hein twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Your driving skills are good enough to try filming movies," the Reddish-brown haired man suggested, half-joking.
Akai Shu held the steering wheel with one hand, casting a sidelong glance at him with his green eyes, remaining silent.