Chapter 117: This time, he lost..
Vermouth's disguise skills were consummate, his mastery over every minute detail and nuance was incredibly lifelike.
From the moment he stepped out of the car, not a single trace of Absinthe could be found on the hunched-over old man. There was only a pitiful old man who had stumbled in by chance, looking for a place to rest his feet.
Innocent, harmless.
He walked slowly, his steps stumbling, leaning on a cane as he made his way toward the seemingly deserted Warehouse, step by step.
From time to time, the old man raised his hand to cover his mouth, letting out hoarse coughs that sounded like a worn-out blower. His shoulders shook, his thin body jolted with every cough, the aged wrinkles on his face reflecting the cruelty of time and his loneliness.
He walked into the Warehouse.
As if he had finally found a place to rest, or perhaps because the old man had walked for too long, a profound exhaustion appeared on his aged face, the old man stopped his footsteps.
She patted her thighs while looking around, seemingly searching for a clean place to sit down.
Akai Shuichi glanced at the old man.
The old man finally found a suitable place, where there was a chair. A sense of relief washed over his aged, wrinkled face as he walked slowly toward the chair, paying no mind to Akai Shuichi's coldness.
The old man coughed a few times softly and sat down in the chair with trembling movements; he seemed to have been startled by the cold, stern young man not far away, once seated, he remained silent, sitting completely motionless.
Akai ignored the old man.
The sound of his heart beating echoed in his ears, the young FBI Agent watched the figure of this Uninvited guest from the corner of his eye, feeling a faint sense of foreboding.
He restrained himself, remaining silent.
Everything was so perfect.
Vermouth has always been professional.
Akai Shuichi has always been vigilant.
Gin leaned back against the backrest, silently watching it all.
A fierce-looking man suddenly stepped forward and, toward the Old man sitting in the chair who appeared startled, used a voice that was still somewhat menacing but actually relatively gentle to persuade him: "Old man, it is dangerous here, you cannot stay here."
In a flash, the Old man revealed a perfectly timed expression of confusion and panic, standing up with trembling limbs.
Everything that happened afterward went exactly as Gin had expected.
The moment that Old man stood up—or rather, the moment Camel came out to intervene, Akai Shuichi instinctively frowned.
And as Vermouth's figure gradually moved away, a hint of solemnity and confusion appeared in the eyes of this FBI elite agent.
This sense of bewilderment caused him to close his eyes.
Because he understood that something had already spiraled out of control.
Fate had already given him its warning, yet he still held onto a sliver of hope that even he could not believe in.
Time passed second by second, the Sun, once hanging high in the sky, gradually descended the mountain cliffs, withdrawing its light; thus, the sun set, the wind died down and the trees grew still.
The Companions around him had long been filled with unease. They vaguely sensed that something had happened, they seemed to realize that they were engaging in a futile effort.
Waiting for someone who will never come again—isn't that just a futile effort?
Finally, amidst Camel's worried and guilt-ridden expression, the uncontrollable disappointment of Judy and the other colleagues, Akai Shuichi delivered his final judgment.
His voice was calm and restrained, as if the exposure of his three-year undercover career had brought him no impact at all; it was as if he had never experienced even a moment of hesitation before, nor would he experience a single moment of confusion afterward.
He simply spoke in a cold Voice, narrating in a heavy tone—no one could discern his emotions from it.
With emotion.
He won't be coming.
This time, he lost.
Akai Shuichi announced.
To others, to himself as well.
The sun had completely set.
..
"I didn't expect it would be you winning after all." Inside the Porsche, the Old man let out a charming, flirtatious giggle that did not belong to his age.
Vermouth removed the mask from his face, beneath the aged skin, a stunningly beautiful and charming face carried a hint of a smile.
And inquiry.
Gin was unmoved by the former and cared little for the latter; he seemed to be thinking about something unrelated to the current moment, his green eyes appearing somewhat deep and profound.
After a long silence, he gave a light chuckle.
"It's a good thing I reacted quickly, otherwise I would have fallen into the trap," the Blonde-haired woman said, his hands busy removing his wig.
His movements were skillful; in just a few minutes, the hunched, haggard-looking Old man from before had returned to his original appearance.
Vermouth was in no hurry to put away the mask and wig; instead, she leaned back against the passenger seat quite casually, his eyes cold and his smile shallow.
Gin replied lazily, "That's not necessarily true."
Thanks for the vote of confidence," Vermouth retorted indifferently. He gazed at the faint, restless movement coming from the direction of the Warehouse, letting out a light chuckle. His blue eyes appeared somewhat cold under the sunlight. "We should be going too, otherwise—
I clearly saw the Mouse, but I was caught because I didn't retreat in time—I don't want to die in such a frustrating way.
"Don't worry, you won't." Gin gave Vodka the command to drive. He blinked, looking up at the clouds not far away, which drifted and changed endlessly, before slowly shifting his focus back to Vermouth.
"You will die on some beautiful, sunny evening, at the hands of the lover you hold so dear in your heart," Gin said, tilting her head slightly.
!!" Vermouth's blue eyes constricted, she suddenly turned her head, still holding the prosthetic she had just removed for her disguise in her hand. "You.. are you serious?
Even Vodka, who had already started the car and was preparing to leave, could not help but tremble, nearly stalling her Porsche just as she started it.
Pausing for a moment, the Poppy beauty, who had experienced many ups and downs, calmed down. "Lover? You must be joking, how could I possibly.."
“It doesn't have to be a Lover,” Gin interrupted her. “Maybe it's some kind of kind and gentle Angel.”
He said these words in a calm, emotionless tone, his sarcasm reaching its peak.
As the wheels rolled, the scenery outside the window gradually changed. They had been quiet and reserved on their way here, their departure was naturally no more eye-catching.
A hint of gravity and suspicion surfaced in Vermouth's blue eyes. He stared at Gin's seemingly indifferent green eyes, his speaking pace slowing as his gaze turned cold. "How was I to know you could also prophesy.."
"Of course you don't." Gin interrupted her again.
A few seconds later, a wicked smile curled the corners of the Silver-haired youth's mouth: "Because I just made it up."
Vermouth: ……
Vodka: ……
"Just call Rum to come and arrest them." Ending the topic with a cold joke, Gin showed no awareness that he was the one responsible for killing the mood.
“……”Vermouth was almost speechless. “Aren't you going to do it yourself? After all—"
The Blonde-haired woman raised his eyes, his gaze full of implication.
“Rye used to be your subordinate, didn't he?”
This blatant suspicion clearly failed to shake Gin; he tilted her head slightly, her mocking smirk unchanged: "I doubt Rum would think that."
After all—I need to avoid suspicion.
..
FBI Agent Akai Shuichi had spent over three years as an undercover agent within the Black Organization. His career was not ended by his own lack of ability, nor was it interrupted by the organization's suspicion; instead, he was completely exposed due to a single mistake made by his colleague during an operation to apprehend Gin—
I have to say, when a terrible teammate causes trouble, the destruction they cause is far greater than that of an opponent.
Good luck and may you win the game with caution.
Or perhaps, he was simply a poor match for his future Nemesis, every time they met, all sorts of accidents occurred?
In any case, the greatest accident in his life came from that guy.
But regardless of Akai Shuichi's mood, Gin did not invest much energy into it.
At this moment, he was at the Lemon Bar. Amidst the colorful neon and the shimmering projections of light, he casually lit up his mobile phone screen.
Just like the orders he had issued many Riri Yeye ago, the content of this SMS was equally concise, clear, indisputable.
Even the address remained the other party's codename—his former codename.
The moment the SMS was sent, even Gin himself felt that he was acting a bit strange.
"This sounds more like a story I just made up," Gin thought, his expression remaining impassive.
But since the message had already been sent, he had no intention of leaving halfway through.
Of course, in all fairness, he didn't think that guy, who he had just played a trick on this morning—even though the other party had been the one planning to catch him first—who should now be busy rushing to evacuate Japan before the Black Organization could react—
—He left behind his FBI Colleague and came alone.
So, this person, who had always treated being willful as a way of life in certain aspects and was unwilling to waste even a moment of time, looked at the Tequila before him and made a decision all on his own—I'll wait until I finish this drink.
The vibrant orange-red Cocktail appeared even more dazzling under the Light.
As time passed second by second, the liquor in the glass grew less and less.
After finishing the last sip, Gin set down her wine glass, her heart calm and undisturbed.
He stood up, preparing to settle the bill and leave.
However, at that very moment, he heard another person's voice coming from beside him.
Low, thick, seemingly blending into the boisterous atmosphere of the Bar, yet standing out so incongruously amidst the background of music and shouting.
Gin was somewhat surprised that he could distinguish the newcomer's voice.
However, he was even more surprised that—
That guy, who he had just played a trick on this morning and who should now be busy racing against time to flee Japan before the Organization can react—
The cold-faced black-haired youth looked at him under the light, his green eyes still showing a hint of warmth under the light. She put her hands in her pockets, tilted her head slightly, greeted softly, "GIN."
Gin slightly raised an eyebrow.
—To think she would actually abandon his FBI Colleague and come to the appointment alone.
Alone.
-----------------------