mua～
Chapter 61: But if the two of us were in the same for..
Columba is a breathtaking bastard.
It is true that she is breathtaking, it is also true that she is a bastard.
This "unrealistic beauty" refers not only to her looks, but more so to her elegance and grace.
He acted with extreme freedom, to the point where it could even be described as following his own whims, as carefree as a passing breeze that never lingers; those who loved his praised his endlessly, while those who hated his loathed his to the bone.
This girl possesses the tolerance of an elder, allowing her to treat the weak with gentleness, her speech and mannerisms poised and gentlemanly; yet she also hides the cynicism of youth, such that her sharp-tongued sneers and sarcasm make one want to strangle her.
She was born in a war-torn region of Cuba, but her parents were both Asian, forced to stay in a foreign land after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. From a young age, Columba wandered through the streets and alleys, using the fighting skills and reckless courage she learned on the streets to win over a group of local thugs who used to discriminate against him.
Even after returning to his home country later on, that sense of defiance and cold sharpness remained within him, giving his a blade-like edge in his youth that both captivated and stung people.
Columba is a genius, possessing not only extraordinary combat talent but also mastery over various skills such as intelligence gathering, tracking, firearms. His youth allowed his to acquire fluent English, Chinese, Spanish, his later studies have made his proficient in Italian and French.
"His understanding of emotions.. seems quite indifferent." Heine's mood was complicated when he mentioned this woman.
Gin understood him; after all, not everyone could view someone who had a thing for both their father and mother as an ordinary person.
“Let me give you an example..” The Black-haired man paused, his tone hesitant, his words floating in the air without finding a place to land: “She is very close to my father, but it seems to be merely a mutually beneficial arrangement, a fleeting romance even in bed; yet she is very good to my Mother, caring and considerate, but it seems she only treats her as a friend in need of care.”
Even if Heloise didn't count as her romantic rival, such an attitude was far too strange.
To the point where Heloise even brought up my father on purpose just to get her attention.
Gin: ……
The relationship between these three was deformed and twisted, their emotions complex yet seemingly fragile enough to snap at a touch; the Mafia leader had many mistresses, one-night stands were commonplace to him. Columba was also indiscriminate; his exceptional skills and appearance stirred the hearts of both men and women, leaving many admirers among his peers, not to mention his casual partners.
On the contrary, Heloise was like a young girl experiencing her first taste of love; she had fallen headlong into the obsidian-like eyes of this Eastern mercenary—though Heine had not answered directly, Gin felt that Columba's style was truly like that of a mercenary—and simply could not pull herself away.
This affection even continued, causing his to love everything associated with Columba's child as well.
“Wait a moment?” Gin quickly made a pausing gesture, his green eyes filled with surprise: “Child?”
“That's right.” Heine nodded, his expression quite nonchalant. He even poured Gin a cup of black tea, amidst the rising steam, he casually pulled Wool toward him. “The child.”
He was very good to the Columba child, almost like his own flesh and blood." Heine narrowed his eyes lazily, taking a sip of the coffee beside him to moisten his throat. "But the little one was indeed very lovable.
Then he lowered his eyes, his voice as usual, yet containing a hint of something he could not quite hide, faintly revealing a trace of melancholy: "A pity they died."
Gin: ……
The Silver-haired youth suppressed the twitching at the corner of his mouth and picked up the black tea beside him, taking a sip of the slightly scalding tea to calm his nerves.
He had a premonition that the developments to follow would become even more chaotic.
However, Heine did not intend to continue telling this story of "how messy the social circles are." He shifted the topic and began to talk about his own affairs:
Later, I was brought back by my father. He is quite good to his children—if you compare him to the way he treats his other Family. However, I truly have no desire to inherit his position.
It wasn't an act.
He still remembered that, back then, Father was very patient, as if dealing with an unruly child, his Blue eyes filled with tolerance and understanding: "You are different from me back then; there is no need to hide your light, just do as I tell you."
Like hell—
The youth Heine roared in his heart: I am truly not interested, I'm not pretending!
He was just like any other cringey adolescent, having a heated argument with his Father; and then doing what most cringey adolescents fail to do—running away from home.
Considering his family's special circumstances, running away from home was a difficult feat, so much so that Heine felt quite proud of his younger self for accomplishing the heroic act of "running away."
Of course, the subsequent chaos and the misfortune of falling headfirst into the Black Organization.. there is no need to mention those.
"So this incident was actually because your Father discovered your whereabouts?" Gin offered no comment on his colleague's ups and downs, which could easily be written into a novel. He possessed excellent psychological composure and immediately focused on the core objective of this meeting.
In a way, yes." Heine fell silent for five seconds before answering helplessly, his voice sounding dejected. "She had probably suspected it for a long time, but this time, I really was the one who stumbled upon it.
The Silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow and let out a single-syllable huff. "Oh?"
Heine chuckled, lifting his eyes to look at the relaxed youth sitting opposite him, his gaze shimmering with a hint of amusement. "You know exactly what I'm asking."
He stood up, stretching and loosening his limbs with a leisurely sway. "How many undercover agents do we have here? Don't tell me you don't know."
Gin: I really didn't know at first.
There is an old saying in China: 'Husband and wife are birds of a feather, but when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.' I don't intend to sink with the Organization.
Heine spoke to this point, his blue eyes blinking as he took a long stride toward Gin, his words half-teasing and half-flirtatious.
But if the two of us were 'birds of a feather,' I might just be willing, you know~
These words were half-truth and half-lie; the deep affection in his Blue eyes and the half-smile playing on the corners of his mouth both spoke of just how "abnormal" this statement truly was.
It was hard to tell how much of it was sincere amidst the layers of truth and lies.
Gin let out a cold sneer, grabbing Heine's limp right hand in a counter-grip, his eyes flashing as he leaned closer to the Black-haired man. "Don't let it happen again."
He didn't use any more force, so the blade hidden in Heine's gripped right hand had no chance to reveal its edge.
Heine sighed, seemingly feeling a genuine sense of regret: "I can't hide it from you, you're truly amazing!" His final compliment sounded quite sincere, but considering his current state, whether it was sincere or not no longer mattered.
After a moment of confrontation, Gin slowly released his grip, his black-haired colleague followed suit, as if the previous tension had never existed.
The Silver-haired youth stood up, his cold voice carrying a hidden warning, as his black trench coat swept through the air in a smooth and sharp arc: "Watch yourself."
His departure was as decisive as his style, leaving nothing behind and taking nothing with him.
—Or perhaps he did.
For example, that half-finished cup of Black tea.
Such as the Sofa that still held its warmth.
And for instance, a few minutes later, within the dim and silent Safe House, there came a sigh of ambiguous meaning.
..
The fate of Heloise and Columba was like a joke played by the goddess.
The former's name is a metaphor for "wholeness" and "battlefield," but her greatest wish is for a life of freedom and peace.
The latter is clearly a symbol of peace and hope, yet he craves the vividness of blood and combat.
Gin, sometimes I feel like you're a bit like her.
..
Gin, who had walked an unknown distance away, was unaware of the chaotic thoughts in Heine's mind; however, even if he had known, he would likely have just let out a cold sneer and said he was overthinking it.
In fact, even Heine felt that his thoughts were a bit off.
Of course, these matters can be set aside for now. What is worth mentioning is that after the Silver-haired youth left the Safe House, he swiftly sent an SMS to Takao Haruki, immediately deleted it after confirming that the other party had received it.
What Heine said might not necessarily be true—if he told the truth all the time, Gin would have doubted his intelligence—but perhaps a momentary lapse in concentration caused him to unintentionally reveal a few flaws.
Without his own knowledge.
This gave Gin an opportunity to seize the moment and pry into the Truth—after all, personal relationships are one thing, but some matters must be kept distinct.
He wasn't like that young master, who could leave the Organization and still go on to inherit a family business!
But for now, rather than that story of "how messy the elite circles are," he wanted to ask—
—Why is Scotland here?
..
Scotland also really wanted to ask this question.
One must know that he and Gin had virtually no connection—perhaps a tiny bit, such as that last drink—but due to the cautious mindset of an undercover agent, he had no desire to have any contact with this Black Organization high-level member.
Although the risks are high and the rewards are great, it is clearly more cost-effective to choose to avoid Gin.
But meeting him meant he couldn't simply turn and walk away without looking back—after all, he didn't know that the other man desperately wanted him to leave without looking back.
Driven by the desire to avoid being targeted by his Boss and not wanting Furuya to be targeted either, seeing that the other party seemed to have no intention of leaving, Scotland spoke up first: "You seem to be in a bad mood?"
Answer me quickly; whether it's good or not, I can choose to leave you alone and slip away silently!
But the one he encountered was clearly unconventional.
Not bad," the Silver-haired youth said, his lips curling into a half-smile devoid of sincerity, a hint of mockery flickering through his enigmatic expression. "I suspect you aren't feeling very well yourself.
Scotland looked completely bewildered.
While I can see that you're indeed in a terrible mood, you shouldn't be so self-aware, should you? Shouldn't your personality be more like, 'I don't give a damn if you're in a bad mood, just deal with it'?
However, Gin's next words soon proved that Scotland had completely misread the situation.
Or rather, your mood won't be getting any better anytime soon.
Considering the Black Organization's recent movements, Gin felt quite confident in those words.
He gave a "kind" reminder and then turned to walk away, leaving Scotland's mood entirely to his own devices—
—Does it have anything to do with him?
However, the latter clearly did not think so.
"Wait!" the Youth called out to him quickly, his voice even cracking slightly from urgency.
Gin stopped in his tracks, but he did not look back. His figure appeared somewhat desolate in the somewhat empty alleyway; the afterglow of the evening sun stretched his shadow long and cast dappled light and shadow upon his eyelashes.
“What you mean is—?”
The Silver-haired youth found it somewhat amusing; he turned his head back nonchalantly, his slightly cold gaze meeting Scotland's, the meaning within it far too obvious to be ignored.
What makes you think I would tell you?
Scotland pursed his lips slightly, the curve at the corners of his mouth showing resolve; his gaze was not aggressive, yet it was exceptionally persistent.
He did not remain silent.
Nor did he back down.
The two stared at each other in silence, an atmosphere that was not intense, yet exceptionally rigid, permeating the air between them.
Gin suddenly felt a sense of boredom. He let out a cold sneer, then turned around, intending to find a well-reviewed restaurant to have his dinner.