Compared to the waterway, the dry road was rough and much harder to travel.
However, with Vermouth's cooperation and Toru's determination, he still successfully made it through, experiencing a different kind of pleasure along the way.
…
In an old apartment complex in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Hayasaka turned over groggily.
This was the real property that belonged to the Hayasaka family.
After the collapse of the former Hayasaka Group, most of the family's assets had been mortgaged to repay debts, but they had managed to keep this old apartment building. At least it gave them a roof over their heads.
Later, in order to pay off the rest of the debt, the Hayasaka family entered the service of the Shinomiya family, becoming upper management in the Si Gong Zaibatsu.
Hayasaka's parents were rarely in Japan. They spent most of their time working overseas, helping the Shinomiya family expand their business abroad.
This old apartment had become Hayasaka's personal residence.
Still, she only got to come home for a few days each year. It was hard to take a break from her work as Kaguya's maid.
Her salary was good, so Hayasaka would hire a cleaning company from time to time to tidy the apartment. That way, she wouldn't have to clean it herself during the rare moments she could return.
Clutching her thin blanket, Hayasaka blindly reached for her phone beside her pillow.
The incident at the Aquarium yesterday had left her terrified. She'd fallen asleep the moment she lay down.
The phone's screen glowed faintly. One second, Hayasaka was still half-asleep. The next, she bolted upright.
"Oh no, it's already five-thirty! I forgot to set my alarm!"
Flustered, Hayasaka jumped to her feet, then paused.
Right. She had the day off today. She wasn't at the Shinomiya estate, but home.
She flopped back onto the bed in a starfish shape, curled up in the blanket, and closed her eyes again.
"Keep sleeping, keep sleeping. I can't waste this rare day off."
But sleep didn't come.
By eight in the morning, she was still tossing and turning.
"Damn this annoying biological clock…"
Grabbing fistfuls of her hair, Hayasaka grumbled. Her hair was a mess from just waking up.
Since she couldn't sleep, she gave up and dragged herself into the bathroom to wash up. Unlike at the Shinomiya estate, there was no need to apply makeup right away.
She wasn't going out, and besides, her bare face wasn't bad-looking.
Too much makeup ruins your skin anyway.
She wandered into the kitchen, lit the stove, and casually made herself breakfast.
At the Shinomiya estate, professional chefs handled all meals. Even her diet had to be precisely regulated.
So annoying.
Milk and toast, maybe a sandwich. That was enough.
After eating, she curled up on the living room sofa like a lazy cat, soaking up the morning sunlight while flipping on the TV.
Nearly every news channel in Japan was covering the terrorist attack at the Aquarium yesterday.
"Yesterday, a vicious terrorist attack occurred at the Tokyo Aquarium."
"Armed terrorists broke into the Aquarium and opened fire indiscriminately on innocent civilians."
"According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the attack has so far resulted in 57 confirmed deaths and over 100 serious injuries, including more than a dozen police officers."
"The critically injured are receiving emergency treatment across several hospitals. The death toll is expected to rise."
Lying on the sofa, Hayasaka watched the reports. The memories of yesterday's massacre still sent chills down her spine.
The only reason the death toll wasn't even higher was because the Aquarium was so large, and the attackers hadn't gone out of their way to hunt civilians. Their main focus had been fighting the police.
Still, with over a hundred severely injured, who knew how many more wouldn't make it.
Even in a modern war between nations, a hundred deaths in a day was a major incident.
If not for Toru, Hayasaka couldn't say for sure that she'd have made it out alive.
Thinking of him, the image of the Porsche's mobile arsenal flashed through her mind again.
There was no way someone like Young Master Fujiwara had a normal background. Firing a rocket to bring down a helicopter, then using another rocket as a sniper tool… that wasn't something a civilian could do.
Words like King of Soldiers and spy immediately came to mind.
But one thing was for sure—Toru gave people a real sense of security.
When you were by his side, it felt like there was nothing to fear.
"I'm really sorry!"
She numbly watched the Tokyo police executives bowing deeply in a live press conference. Like most Japanese citizens, Hayasaka had become numb to the sight.
No matter what major scandal or disaster happened in Japan, someone would just bow, chug three cups of sake as punishment, and it was over.
At worst, the person in charge would resign. After that, everything would be business as usual. Accountability? That didn't exist in this country.
"As of now, no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack."
"..."
"Experts say that repeated terrorist incidents have caused Japan to lose its reputation as one of the safest countries in the world. The resulting hit to the tourism industry has led to a significant drop in related economic indicators."
"Online, public anger is mounting. Many are demanding that the Prime Minister take stronger action on national security. Some extreme voices are even calling for his immediate resignation."
"Opposition candidate Ishigami has launched a harsh critique of the current cabinet, stating that if he were Prime Minister, he would never allow such an incident to occur."
"..."
Hayasaka's phone suddenly rang.
She looked down. It was Kaguya calling.
That was rare. Kaguya-sama was actually calling her?
Oh, wait. That wasn't so strange. Kaguya-sama still used a flip phone. Not having a smartphone didn't mean she couldn't make calls.
"Kaguya-sama?"
"Hayasaka, why didn't you come in today?"
The moment she answered, her boss was asking why she wasn't at work. Hayasaka couldn't help but feel irritated.
"Kaguya-sama, I already requested time off from Oko-sama. He approved it."
"So my brother gave you the day off? Good. I saw you weren't at work and got worried something happened. I saw the news. There was that terrorist attack at the Aquarium. Didn't you go there yesterday? You weren't hurt, were you?"
Hearing that Kaguya had called to check on her, Hayasaka realized her irritation was misplaced.
But then again, bosses never truly understood the lives of their workers.
"The Aquarium is huge. I didn't run into any danger."
"That's good. I'm glad you're okay, Hayasaka."
Kaguya sighed in relief.
Strangely, Hayasaka didn't mention meeting Toru yesterday, nor the things she'd experienced with him.
After assuring Kaguya that she'd return tonight, she ended the call.
"Young Master Fujiwara…"
She murmured.
Suddenly, she had an idea. Since Kaguya-sama wasn't making a move, why shouldn't she take the initiative?
At worst, she could say, "I'm just setting an example for you!"
"Sorry, Kaguya-sama. You're already blessed enough. In most ways, I can't compare to you."
"But on this front… I refuse to back down!"
Hayasaka clenched her fists, her heart full of determination.
Would she succeed? Could she win against Kaguya-sama?
Before, Hayasaka didn't think she had a chance.
Kaguya was beautiful, came from a prestigious family, was smart and capable. Hayasaka felt inferior in every category.
She was just a servant. A maid meant to serve the Young Lady.
But now, she had confidence.
In terms of appearance, she wasn't lacking. Toru had said so himself.
As for family background or education, she had already confirmed that Toru didn't care about any of that.
He valued personality more.
And that was exactly where Kaguya-sama was lacking—too passive, too reserved. Meanwhile, Hayasaka's greatest strengths were her initiative and approachability.
Plus, after everything she'd been through with Toru, she understood him better than Kaguya did.
This time, the advantage was truly hers!
So why hesitate?
Since she lost her noble status and became a maid, she had learned to fight for what she wanted, instead of waiting for others to hand it to her out of pity.
…
Toru woke up in a warm embrace.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, not moving. His head rested on his arm.
After a long moment, he exhaled and closed his eyes again.
There was a soft rustling. Vermouth got up and fixed her messy hair.
Her gaze was seductive. She moistened her dry lips, picked up a glass of water from the nightstand, took a sip, and swallowed slowly.
"…I'm going to shower. Want to join me?"
Naked, she leaned on the bathroom doorframe, her legs long and her feet elegantly arched, asking playfully.
"Better not. If I go, we'll be in there until noon."
"You've got stuff this afternoon, right? You were busy at the Aquarium all day yesterday, didn't sleep much last night. I won't tire you out again. You should rest."
"I'll have the hotel bring up breakfast. Want to come with me later?"
"You're going to a movie promo event. What would I do? There's a banquet hosted by the Suzuki Foundation the night after tomorrow, right? All of Japan's big shots will be there. I got an invite too."
Vermouth's new movie had been backed by the Suzuki Foundation, so naturally, they were helping with promotion.
At the same time, the Suzuki Foundation was using the chance to host a grand event and build connections—something rich people loved to do.
As the Fujiwara heir, Toru had also received an invitation.
While Vermouth was showering, Toru turned on the TV and flipped to the morning news.
All of it was still focused on yesterday's terrorist attack.
Watching quietly, his brows slowly furrowed.
"This is bad. With Conan's death aura and the Organization's madness, Tokyo's becoming a real mess."
If it were just Tokyo falling into chaos, he wouldn't care. He wasn't some bleeding-heart saint.
The problem was, the chaos had gotten so bad that Commissioner Hakuba of the Tokyo MPD was beginning to falter. Now the situation was encroaching on the jurisdiction of the Public Security Bureau.
And his cheap father, Fujiwara Yoshitaka, just so happened to be the Chairman of that committee.
Which meant the fallout could start affecting his own interests too.
(To be continued.)
Junkdog's Note: It's been a while since I dropped a new fanfiction. I'm thinking of dropping one soon, so if you have any you'd like me to check out, or maybe one that got abandoned, do tell me in the comments.