That afternoon, Yamikaze and Ushishio Tarako stood outside the towering glass facade of Soleil Headquarters. Rosalia—or Bara-chan, as she was known in their messages—had designated this as their meeting point.
The two men stood a few paces apart, shifting awkwardly. It was only natural; despite their long history in Gun Gale Online, they had no idea what the other looked like, let alone their real names or contact info. Each suspected the other might be his comrade, but neither had the courage to break the silence.
Finally, Yamikaze threw a conversational jab into the air.
"Man, I wonder where Bara-chan is…"
Tarako flinched. Staring at his shoes, he muttered to no one in particular, "Shana said I should come here, but…"
They both froze, their eyes locking. The realization hit them simultaneously.
"Yamikaze?"
"Tarako?"
They both exhaled in unison, the tension draining out of their shoulders as they stepped toward each other.
"Oh, thank god," Yamikaze laughed. "I was honestly terrified of being left alone if Bara-chan showed up first."
"I hear you. If a high-powered career woman walked up to me while I was solo, I'd probably lose the ability to speak," Tarako admitted.
"Right?! It's not just me! I knew it!"
With the ice broken, they quickly exchanged real-world introductions.
"The name's Futa Yamada. GGO handle: Yamikaze. Nice to meet ya!"
"I'm Daizen Nagasaki—the one and only Ushishio Tarako. Good to finally see the face behind the speed, Yami-Yami."
"Don't you start with that Pitohui crap!" Yamikaze barked, though he was grinning.
"Hahaha! Man, that girl really is something else, isn't she?"
Because they had fought side-by-side in the game for so long, they fell into a rhythm immediately, chatting as if they had been neighbors for a decade.
"So, what do you think Bara-chan is actually like?" Yamikaze asked, glancing toward the revolving doors.
"She's gotta be one of those intellectual, sharp-suited office types, right?" Tarako replied. "I always imagined her as refined and graceful, but with a heart of steel."
"Totally. There's no way she's some flashy, big-chested beauty, right?"
Just then, a woman matching that exact description—stunning, impeccably dressed, and possessed of a very generous figure—walked out of the Soleil building accompanied by a man in a suit. Futa and Daizen laughed at the absurdity of the timing. Assuming she was just another executive, they turned their backs to the building and began scanning the street for someone more "refined."
They had no idea what the job actually entailed. They hadn't even asked. Their trust in Shana and Rosalia was absolute—or perhaps, more accurately, the 3,000 yen hourly wage was the only detail their brains had bothered to process.
Behind them, the man in the suit spoke.
"Ah, I believe those are the two, Rosalia-sama."
"...'Sama.' Really?" the woman replied.
"Rosalia-sama?"
"...Look, the cognitive dissonance is killing me here."
"I'm afraid I don't follow, my lady."
"...'My lady'..."
"Come now, we're on the clock. Let's greet them."
"...Fine."
The pair stopped directly behind Futa and Daizen. The woman cleared her throat.
"Excuse me. Are you two Yamikaze and Tarako?"
The men spun around, their jaws hitting the pavement.
""B-Bara-chan?!"" they shouted in unison.
"Yes, I'm Bara. And this is my subordinate… er… Ichiro Tanaka."
"Tanaka. A pleasure to meet you both," the young man in the suit said with a refreshing, polite smile.
Futa and Daizen looked at "Tanaka" and immediately felt a surge of envy. Of course, they thought. The guy looks like he's lived his whole life on easy mode.
"You can just call me Rosalia," she said, her tone becoming more familiar. "You're more used to that, aren't you? Well then, shall we head inside?"
"Y-Yes! We're in your hands today!" Futa stammered.
"Ready to work!" Daizen added, standing at attention.
Rosalia chuckled, her professional veneer softening. "Don't be so stiff. Just act like you usually do."
"Easier said than done," Futa muttered. "Acting normal in front of a beauty like you is a pretty high bar for guys like us. But we'll do our best."
Rosalia blinked, looking genuinely stunned. "Beauty? Me? Gosh… it's been a long time since anyone called me that."
"Really?" Tarako asked. "I bet even Shana tells you that when he sees you in person."
Rosalia's expression darkened slightly, and she shot a strangely resentful glance at "Tanaka." "No… that man is… let's just say he's surrounded by people far more impressive than me."
"Whoa, seriously?"
"Sasuga, Shana… his standards must be astronomical."
"Rosalia-sama," Tanaka interrupted, sounding slightly rushed. "We're behind schedule. We should move."
Rosalia snapped out of it. "Right! Of course. Let's go."
"Roger!"
"Time to earn that bread!"
Rosalia turned on her heel and headed back toward the Soleil entrance. Futa and Daizen shared a confused look.
"Wait, Bara-chan is going into the building?"
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