Chapter 16: Looking Exactly Like a Certain Person
Exactly four in the afternoon, Tokyo Haneda International Airport.
Among the bustling crowd of travelers, a auburn-haired girl pushed a heavy suitcase as she navigated through.
Miyano Shiho—or rather, the thirteen-year-old genius girl who had just received the wine codename "Sherry"—was forcing herself to stay calm as she walked toward the arrival gate.
She had just finished her studies at MIT, graduating early with top honors, and was now returning to Japan on orders.
She wore a plain white shirt with dark pants, layered with a sharply tailored red jacket. Her auburn short hair hugged her cheeks softly, her simple outfit unable to hide her innate cool elegance.
Even without a drop of makeup, she remained as striking as fresh snow.
Among the people waiting at the arrival gate, three figures stood out, making nearby travelers steer clear of them instinctively.
Standing right at the front was a tall man clad in a black trench coat, long silver hair cascading down his shoulders like a waterfall. He wore a fedora pulled down low, yet unable to conceal those sharp green eyes.
Anyone swept by his gaze would look away out of habit.
Beside him stood a stocky man also dressed in black, wearing sunglasses like a textbook bodyguard.
The most mysterious one, however, was the white-haired man leaning back against the handrail, humming a tune.
He was taller than the silver-haired man at the front. A unique black blindfold covered the upper half of his face, accentuating his refined facial structure. Even without seeing his full face, it made people imagine how jaw-droppingly handsome he must be.
When Miyano Shiho spotted those three figures at the arrival gate, her steps faltered. Her tightly pressed lips gave away her inner tension.
Though she had never met him before, she easily recognized Gin from his eye-catching appearance—the top assassin whose name struck fear into other Organization members.
Word had it that he held a high status at the Tokyo headquarters and enjoyed the Boss's trust.
Was she... going to be monitored by a terrifying guy like him from now on?
Before Shiho could get a good look at the two behind him, Gin lost his patience. He walked straight up to her, eyeing her up and down for two seconds, his dark green eyes scanning her features with precision.
Then he gave a slight nod, confirming the girl matched her photo.
"Let's go... The car is outside."
His deep voice lacked any warmth, leaving only that short phrase before he turned on his heel. The hem of his black coat whipped through the air with a sharp snap, not even turning back to check if she was following.
The gesture itself was a command that brooked no argument.
"Wait up, Boss!" Vodka trailed closely behind, scared Gin might lose sight of him.
Intimidated by Gin's heavy aura, the girl shuddered slightly. She grabbed her suitcase with some effort, about to step forward, when a hand reached out out of nowhere and blocked her path.
"A heavy suitcase like this is better left to me."
Gojo Satoru had arrived by her side at some point, his slender fingers resting lightly on the suitcase handle.
"...Huh?" The moment their fingertips brushed, Shiho let go instinctively.
By the time she snapped out of it, the suitcase was already in the blindfolded man's grip. He carried it as effortlessly as an empty box, stepping out with long strides to catch up with Gin, not forgetting to look back and greet her.
"Hey~ Little Sherry, long flights are tiring, aren't they?"
Shiho wanted to thank him out of habit, but the moment she got a clear look at him, every nerve in her body sent off alarms. The words died in her throat.
Even though his manners were overly friendly, even warm, a physical fear made her take half a step back.
The dangerous aura coming off this man was actually scarier than Gin's.
It was completely different from Gin's raw, visible intent to kill. What he made her feel was an instinctive horror of facing the unknown at the edge of an abyss.
She clenched her trembling fingertips, forcing herself to look away.
Every single cell in her body screamed one word: "Run."
[Ding! Impression value from plot character Miyano Shiho increases by 500 points! Analysis: Fear.]
"I'm... doing okay. Thank you for your concern."
After a long pause, she managed a stiff reply.
Not knowing his real name or codename, she could only use such vague polite phrasing.
Given an aura even more dangerous than Gin's, this man's status in the Organization had to be anything but low.
Still... with that blindfold wrapped so tightly, could he actually see anything?
"Don't be so stiff," Gojo Satoru smiled at her. "We're colleagues from now on, so let's get along well."
The moment he flashed that smile, Shiho's heart skipped a beat. A strange, familiar feeling swept over her—the curve of that smile, the habit of tilting his head slightly when speaking, all looked exactly like a certain person.
Teacher Gojo...?
The thought barely surfaced before she shut it down.
How could that be? That teacher who cared for her at school and always wore a warm smile—how could he be a dangerous Organization member standing right in front of her?
She lowered her gaze, quickly clearing away the ridiculous idea, and followed quietly behind him.
Though Teacher Gojo and this man shared a similar build and voice, it was nothing more than a coincidence. As for hair color... she had seen plenty of white-haired people in America, so it wasn't anything special.
The real Teacher Gojo had probably taken over his family business by now, busy with his own career.
Walking out of the terminal, a black Porsche 356A sat quietly by the curb.
Vodka slid into the driver's seat as expected, while Gin opened the front passenger door without asking a thing.
This left Shiho with a tough dilemma: she had to sit in the back with that strange, dangerous Organization member.
She hated the idea of getting close to him, but she clearly had no choice.
The girl opened the back door carefully, choosing a seat close to the window, staying as far from him as possible.
Yet the man seemed completely unbothered by her distance, even reminding her: "Fasten your seatbelt, Little Sherry."
He looked like a senior looking out for a junior, not looking like a person from a dark organization at all.
...Aside from telling others to put on seatbelts while crossing his own legs comfortably.
Shiho pulled her seatbelt over quietly, her eyes drifting uncomfortably out the window.
She could always feel the powerful aura coming off the man beside her. The pressure made it hard to catch her breath.
What the girl didn't know was that while Gojo Satoru seemed to be spacing out, he was actually bickering with the system inside his head.
"I say, Tongzi, isn't your Villain Aura buff a bit too much? Little Shiho doesn't even dare look at me, hey! Making me look like an unlookable Eldritch horror, can you tone it down a bit?"
The system advised patiently: "Isn't this great? If she realizes you're Teacher Gojo, it won't just hurt our impression farming, but might mess up the future plot too. That won't do you any good then."
"I wasn't planning on getting too close to her as Caesar anyway, but this is way too heartbreaking!"
Gojo Satoru got the logic, but couldn't help complaining: "She looks scarier of me than Gin. I feel like some irredeemable big villain..."
"By the way, doesn't Little Shiho think my voice sounds familiar? How did you solve that?"
The system explained: "Well, just like different voice lines from different voice actors, with the Villain Aura adjustment, your voice under the blindfold becomes lower and more captivating... In short, nobody will think you sound like a good guy."
"...Well, thanks a bunch then!"
Seeing Shiho huddling in the corner, wishing she could vanish right under his nose, Gojo Satoru knew full well that saying anything right now would be useless, and would only raise her guard. It was better to keep his distance for now.
So, he opened his mouth out of sheer boredom, asking Gin in the front seat: "Where are we heading now?"
Gin lit a cigarette, answering flatly: "To eat first. Miyano Akemi will meet us at an Organization-owned cafe."
At the mention of her sister's name, Shiho's eyes lit up instantly.
After all, the chance to see Akemi was the sole reason she willingly stayed locked in the lab all this time.
Gojo Satoru sounded surprised: "Oh? I thought you'd take Sherry straight to the lab."
Gin blew out a puff of smoke: "I told you before, that gentleman values Sherry a lot. A minor request like meeting her sister before going to the lab doesn't matter."
"Of course, every move you make will be watched." He let out a cold, sharp smile: "And I'll be more than happy to confirm in person if your conversation fits... the Organization's standards."
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