Hiromitsu Morofushi still felt that something was wrong, but since Yamawashi was present, he was destined not to get an answer today.
Because of Yamawashi, his plans were disrupted, he left Ino Seigo's villa ahead of schedule. On the way back, Yamawashi showed no intention of speaking; his cold face was reflected in the car window, his expression somewhat blurred, yet that aura of keeping others at a distance remained clearly visible, sharp and intimidating.
"What are you doing here?" Hiromitsu Morofushi asked.
"Same as you," Yamawashi said.
Hiromitsu Morofushi tried to judge the truth of Yamawashi's words by the silhouette in the car window, but that was as difficult as climbing to heaven, because Yamawashi's face mostly wore only one expression, let alone in such dim lighting.
That reason is hard to believe.
Yamawashi gave no reaction, which could likely be interpreted as disbelief.
He tactfully changed the subject: "You haven't returned to the Safe House lately."
Yamawashi slowly turned his head. "Do you have an objection?"
No, it's just that I haven't been able to get in touch or see him for a long time, so I can't help but feel a bit worried.
".." Yamawashi turned his head back and continued looking out the car window.
Hiromitsu Morofushi couldn't help but wonder what was so special about this stretch of road outside, but even upon arriving near the Safe House, he still couldn't make anything of it.
If you have anything else you want to ask, ask it all at once.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's internal translation: Ask whatever else you want to ask now; once we enter the safe house, keep quiet and don't disturb me.
"What happened in Training Camp No. 57?" he asked.
There must be some special reason that would lead to no one taking over Training Camp No. 57.
Competition." Yamawashi held the key in his hand but did not insert it into the lock. "The owner of Training Camp No. 57 is someone who refuses to be left behind.
Hiromitsu Morofushi didn't quite understand: "So??"
Yamawashi's tone was flat and matter-of-fact, like an emotionless narrator in a game, objectively stating the stories of others: "In Training Camp No. 57, only those ranked at the very top have the chance to walk out alive. Under special circumstances, the rules might even be changed temporarily to allow only one person to emerge victorious from this survival game.. Under this life-or-death philosophy, the talent output and the cost incurred are not equivalent; no sane person would rush to take on such a task."
“But the decision to fill it in will still need someone to carry it out, right? Is it an arrangement made by the Organization?” Hiromitsu Morofushi mused.
Yamawashi repeated, "No sane person would rush to take it over."
Hiromitsu Morofushi was uncertain: "Abnormal enough to take over and then abolish it?"
After a moment of silence, Yamawashi said, "That was not a wrong decision. Whether it was the founder or the one who abolished it, both had their own reasons."
Silence fell at the entrance, Hiromitsu Morofushi asked the final question: "How could you know about those things?"
Yamawashi turned his head, a thin shadow casting over his eyes, his gaze so calm it carried a chilling, inhuman quality: "The strongest among the last batch of assassins from Training Camp No. 57—I obtained the dagger from him."
Chapter 28
The investigation into Training Camp No. 57 was driven more by the unresolved mystery of the Organization's leadership transition; even though he was a candidate who failed to ascend, he was still far more significant than the previous void.
When the intelligence obtained from Yamawashi was passed along, his good friend revealed a rather complex expression.
Easier than I imagined," he explained, "Actually, Yamawashi is quite a good helper.
Yamawashi just likes peace and quiet, but when he is willing to interact with people, he is not stingy about answering sensitive questions.
Obtaining new intelligence was certainly a cause for celebration, but the joy lasted only a second before Furuya Rei couldn't help but feel filled with anxiety.
Mentioning such things easily triggers suspicion, so just pretend you're asking out of curiosity. Leave the rest of the investigation entirely to me; don't get involved anymore.
Hiromitsu Morofushi could not explain why Yamawashi wouldn't suspect him of being an undercover agent because, in Yamawashi's eyes, he was a complete Public Security officer with no suspicion of being an undercover agent. Ultimately, he could only offer comfort: "I'll be careful. Contact me anytime if you need anything; Yamawashi really is a great helper."
The more he insisted that Yamawashi was trustworthy, the more solemn Furuya Rei's expression became, leaving Hiromitsu Morofushi to give up in frustration.
After returning, Hiromitsu Morofushi found several more opportunities to ask about Training Camp No. 57. He wanted to know how the candidate in charge of Training Camp No. 57 had died, or any other intelligence at all, to use it to deduce how the Organization's successor was chosen and how they won. However, the investigation did not proceed smoothly. Once, Yamawashi truly found him annoying and pressed a dagger against his throat, telling him that if he couldn't stay quiet, he would slit his vocal cords.
He shut his mouth at the right time, yet he remained fearless. After all, Yamawashi still held onto the idea that Scotland would one day return to the Organization, Yamawashi cared even more about Scotland's persona within the Organization—Scotland absolutely could not be someone who was unable to speak. But such words could never be spoken aloud; Yamawashi simply wouldn't strike him in the face, but that didn't mean he wouldn't strike elsewhere. Facing a Yamawashi who cared so much about Scotland, he could never bring himself to fight back; even dodging felt like a sin.
Sometimes he almost suspected that if it weren't for maintaining Scotland's mission success rate and keeping up an active presence within the Organization, Yamawashi would actually be evaluating whether to break his limbs and lock him in a Safe House when he looked at him. That way, there would be no risk of causing trouble for the real Scotland; while it would be pathological for a high-ranking member to imprison a member with relatively shallow seniority, it would still be somewhat normal.
A week later, he did not receive another invitation from Ino Seigo, but he did receive a text message from Ino Seigo inviting him to come sit in a bookstore for a while.
Before heading out, he specifically informed Yamawashi, but Yamawashi had read the message and not replied, so he took it as a default agreement; after all, Yamawashi had demanded that he not go, yet he was going anyway.
That bookstore could be considered the starting point of his intersection with Ino Seigo. The weather forecast isn't always accurate, as a sniper, he is more sensitive to air humidity than the average person. Walking into a random bookstore on a rainy day was simply a reasonable twist of fate; no one would question the ever-changing weather.
Ino Seigo is a clerk at the bookstore, but he had long ago bought the place; he seems to be more interested in enjoying the pleasure that this ordinary identity brings.
When they met again, Ino Seigo was completely different from the cheerful and talkative person he used to be. He casually gestured toward the chair beside him for him to sit down, then rested his chin in his hand and said, "I really didn't expect that you knew Yavin."
"I didn't expect us to have such a connection either," Hiromitsu Morofushi said.
He wasn't lying; he truly hadn't expected that Yamawashi and Ino Seigo would be friends.
.. Whenever he felt like he understood Yamawashi a little better, reality would always come crashing down to wake him up; he clearly still knew nothing about Yamawashi.
“How did you two meet?” Ino Seigo asked. “In another bookstore?”
We just met by chance, perhaps you could call it fate.
He did not want to use Yamawashi as a topic to achieve his goals, but clearly, Ino Seigo was very interested in his relationship with Yamawashi, which might serve as an excellent opportunity to investigate Aotsuki.
We've met a few times. Later, he asked to start dating, we've been together since then.
And then you started living together?
Hiromitsu Morofushi nodded, "Yes."
Ino Seigo drank a glass of water, but he didn't hold the glass steadily, the bottom of the glass bumped against the corner of the table. He ignored it and set it down carelessly. "I am not someone who looks for trouble, but do you know his true identity?"
Hiromitsu Morofushi felt a chill run through him. "Ino-kun, do you mean??"
“He is a mercenary, or more accurately, he is a terrifying killer.”
Hiromitsu Morofushi was somewhat surprised. Ino Seigo did not know his identity within the Organization, which could originally be explained away as him not thinking in that direction, but Yamawashi dating Scotland was common gossip within the Organization. Perhaps at this time, Ino Seigo's involvement with the Organization was not that deep, or perhaps it had not yet become deep, but it also meant it made sense that Yamawashi had not told Ino Seigo the truth; staying silent was quite normal for Yamawashi.
Hiromitsu Morofushi said with an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry. I thought you might mind, so I never revealed the truth.. Actually, just like Ya.. Yamawashi, I am also a killer."
Ino Seigo's expression looked as if he had swallowed a live fly. "You're Gin?"
".. Oh? You've heard of me?" The smile on Hiromitsu Morofushi's lips faltered slightly. Just as he was about to press further, the wind chime hanging at the entrance rang, its crisp, pleasant tinkling interrupting his train of thought.
Through these few interactions, Hiromitsu Morofushi discovered that although he was a young master who acted on every whim, Ino Seigo actually took his job as a bookstore clerk very seriously. He knew every book inside and out, could recommend the perfect book to any kind of customer.
As soon as the girl in the school uniform entered the door, Ino Seigo stood up as if he knew exactly why she had come, pulled open a drawer, took out something wrapped in a handkerchief that appeared to be some kind of accessory. "You're here for this, aren't you?"
The girl took it, opened the handkerchief, saw a corner of the brooch inside, nodding in pleasant surprise.
Hiromitsu Morofushi took a casual glance, his pupils contracted slightly; he failed to snap out of it even after the sound of the wind chimes had returned to silence.
Do you like young and beautiful ladies?" Ino Seigo suddenly took an interest, completely forgetting the previous topic. "I can introduce some to you.
Hiromitsu Morofushi withdrew his gaze. "Are they students from a nearby school?"
There are many schools nearby, so there are many high school girls.. there are also many high school boys. That person just now was a student from Ikubunkan Academy; students from there don't come around here very often.
Ino Seigo erupted with extraordinary enthusiasm regarding this topic, throwing an arm around his shoulder and saying, "I graduated from Ikubunkan Academy myself. Although some of the small details have changed in ways that are quite annoying, my connections are still there. I can introduce you to people from that school. Why don't you come to the banquet again next week? I promise you won't be disappointed."
He spoke to himself, as he continued, his tone grew strange, sounding both nostalgic and full of regret, finally ending the conversation with a half-smile and a remark, "Midorikawa-kun, those were unforgettable times."
**
Ikubunkan Academy, an elite private school where the students are either incredibly wealthy or of high social standing. The first time he noticed that high school was in Ino Seigo's file; he had merely noted the name without conducting any field research. Recalling it now, he realized he had actually come into contact with that high school as early as his first encounter with Yamawashi.
Yamawashi picked up a crow-patterned brooch during a mission but accidentally lost it in his car. He mistakenly thought it belonged to Yamawashi, when he returned the brooch the next time they met, it resulted in a misunderstanding.
Ikubunkan Academy happened to be located right between the gang mission where he and Yamawashi met and the bookstore where Ino Seigo was located; it was no surprise that prominent gang families would send their children to an elite high school.
He recalled carefully; it truly was a prestigious private school. All sorts of supplies were visibly expensive, even a simple school badge brooch was designed no differently from a luxury brand, both unique and exquisite. Thus, even having seen only a corner of it in the bookstore, it was enough to make him remember that crow brooch with the tiny ruby embedded in its eye.
His phone suddenly rang.
[I know what No. 57 means now. Bourbon]
Chapter 29
Aotsuki walked into the restaurant, as expected, there were the familiar figures again.
Red wine was placed on the table. With this nauseating arrangement, Gin always arrived earlier than him. He glanced over and said, "I've checked it; the wine isn't poisoned."
Aotsuki picked up the wine bottle to inspect it, while the person sitting opposite him spoke again, "There's no drugs this time either, but you can go back to find Scotland like you did before."
He continued to inspect the glass with a cold expression. It wasn't that he didn't trust Gin, but rather that he didn't trust Kurumaru Soshi's bizarre obsession with playing matchmaker between him and Gin. Only after inspecting the fresh flowers on the table and even the unlit incense did he finally sit down.
“That person still hasn't grown tired of this game, has he?” Gin said as he poured himself a glass of wine. He wasn't worried about anything being in the drink at all; even if there were something suspicious, the first one to fall for it would definitely be the guy sitting across from him.
Aotsuki drained the wine in his glass in one gulp. The door surprisingly remained closed; he frowned deeply, stood up, poured himself another glass.
Let's chat, after all, we've known each other for over a decade." Gin lightly swirled his wine glass. "Met in our youth, with similar strength, we were both rivals and companions. Yet, beneath such a superficial relationship, an irreconcilable hatred lies buried.
The wine glass shattered on the table with a "bang."
Hatred. Even if it's one-sided, I don't mind having one more person who hates me.
Gin took a sip of his drink and finished speaking calmly, "But don't forget, you're the one who killed him, not me. I don't even know what that guy looks like, so why give me that kind of look.. Yes, exactly this kind of look—the look of someone who wants to kill me."
Just as the words fell, the door opened.
Gin rose up with a smile. "That person still loves listening to stories like this, no need for thanks.. I'll leave the rest of the wine to you, Yamawashi."
**
The number of people competing for the position of leader varies with each generation. They give themselves codenames and operate under false identities, only returning to their original identities once they truly inherit the Organization.. For example, the creator of Training Camp No. 57 mentioned by Yamawashi; his codename is No. 57.
Hiromitsu Morofushi lowered his eyes in contemplation. "I see.."
The current boss of the Organization is Kurumaru Soshi. No matter how much one investigates, no information regarding this man can be found. It was originally suspected that this was also a pseudonym, but it turns out that it was only a pseudonym used before he became the boss; no wonder no intelligence could be found even if one searched every inch of the earth.
“No. 57 is already dead, so studying him isn't actually of much significance, but we have no other choice at the moment.” Furuya Rei shrugged. “It's better than nothing.”
“How did No. 57 die?” Hiromitsu Morofushi asked.
Furuya Rei shook his head. "I thought news of a loser wouldn't be buried so deep, but that person was completely wiped out, just like Training Camp No. 57. Whether useful or not, besides the intelligence expanded from the information regarding Yamawashi, no new information can be found at the moment."
In this way.. the only effective source of intelligence at the moment has actually become Yamawashi.
Furuya Rei grit his teeth. "There must be another way; there's no need to rush this matter."