November 6th.
The sky was gray and overcast, as if rain could start at any moment.
Time had passed quickly, before he knew it, Ritsu had been in the organization for nearly half a year. Whether as a member of the research division or the operations team, he had performed exceptionally well. At the very least, he hadn't made a single mistake so far.
Well… aside from that one time with Vodka, when things got a little out of hand. Just that.
The development of APTX4869 was progressing smoothly. The large-scale data screening had already been completed, and now it only needed further optimization. At this rate, it would likely be finished by the end of the year. He had done his best to delay the process, shifting most of the burden onto Shiho, which left him feeling guilty.
He had just completed another task: escorting two lower-level members of the organization, who had become addicted to drugs, to meet Gin. As for their fate… judging by the two gunshots he heard, they had most likely been executed.
The organization allowed drug trafficking but absolutely forbade its members from using drugs. Once someone got hooked, it was nearly impossible to shake off. Just like the relentless agents from various countries pursuing the organization.
Late autumn evenings were supposed to carry a chill, but today the air felt damp and heavy, even the wind carrying a stifling warmth.
Dragonflies flew low, and dark clouds blanketed the sky like a curtain. Rain was coming.
Drip.
A cool sensation landed on his arm. Ritsu looked up just as large raindrops began falling in rapid succession. After hesitating for half a second, he gripped the chilled bottle of Calpis in his hand and quickly stepped back.
Whoosh—
In an instant, the rain poured down in sheets, almost exaggerated in its intensity.
"…Looks like I won't be getting to the car anytime soon."
He disliked the feeling of soaked clothes clinging to his body, so he stayed under the convenience store awning, pressing himself as close as possible to the glass wall. That was when he heard hurried footsteps splashing through puddles nearby.
"Seriously, this rain came out of nowhere! Jin, what were you just saying? I didn't—"
The rest of the sentence died in his throat the moment his gaze landed on the person in front of him.
Kenji hadn't expected that, while out wandering on his day off and taking shelter from the sudden rain, he would run into Ritsu, whom he hadn't seen in half a year.
No… the person he had run into last month with his sister, that must have been him too. It hadn't been his imagination.
Ritsu was just as surprised. Instinctively, he tried to leave, but his arm was suddenly grabbed. The grip on his forearm was firm, clearly unwilling to let him go.
Afraid Ritsu might break free, Kenji hurriedly said, "Something came up on my end, I'll call you back!"
On the other end of the line, Jinpei was fiddling with a newly bought robot vacuum at home. Hearing the call abruptly cut off, he cursed, "Hello? Kenji? You just hang up halfway through? So annoying!"
He stared at the robot vacuum, a faint smirk forming on his lips. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Let's see what you've got inside, little guy."
After hanging up, Kenji slipped his phone back into his pocket and frowned. "Ritsu-ya… just a few words, okay? Don't go."
He knew that if Ritsu truly wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to stop him.
The words of the man behind the folding screen surfaced in his mind.
"To become a successful undercover agent, you must first kill your former self."
Now, Ritsu's hands were already stained with blood. He was no longer Sasajima Ritsu.
He could be Nanase Tōru.
He could be Macallan.
He could even be Alex Felton.
But he could never be Sasajima Ritsu again.
"…Find somewhere quiet with fewer people. You've got ten minutes, max."
Kenji had a nagging suspicion that Ritsu had been assigned some dangerous mission by higher-ups. Seeing him suppress his emotions like this made his chest tighten with a dull ache.
The most talented and youngest student of the Onizuka class, why did he have to shoulder something this heavy?
"Alright. I know a good café nearby. It's quiet and not crowded."
"…Okay."
Following Kenji, they arrived at a café and went up to the second floor. Strangely, there wasn't a single customer inside.
After sitting down in a corner, Kenji smiled and explained, "The owner's a rich kid. He opened this place just to pass the time. The prices are ridiculously high, and the coffee tastes terrible, so no customers."
Quite the eccentric and willful owner.
Ritsu lowered the brim of his hat, staring at the glass of lemon water on the table. "Time starts now."
Seeing the countdown timer on the phone screen, Kenji gave a wry smile. "Ritsu-ya, are there questions that, even if I ask, you won't answer?"
"…Yeah."
"Then let's just talk about how things have been. You've seen the emails we sent you, right?"
"I have."
Kenji leaned back against the sofa with a relieved smile, taking a sip of lemon water. "That's enough. I don't expect you to reply. But… every once in a while, can we meet like this? Is that okay?"
"I'm allowed to refuse that."
"Why?"
Ritsu stared blankly at the glass, his fists clenched tightly on his knees. His voice was low and steady. "It's for my own good… and for yours. Don't have too much contact with me anymore."
"Ritsu-ya, you're really cold… just like Zero. At least he told Hiro before he left."
Ritsu froze slightly. Did that mean Rei was also preparing to infiltrate the organization? Which department would he join? Given his intelligence-gathering skills, most likely intelligence…
That kind of work didn't usually involve killing. That was… better. Much better than his situation.
"Hiro and Captain are really worried about you. Because you disappeared without a word, Hiro isn't even working at the Metropolitan Police anymore."
"!!"
Ritsu was stunned. Thinking back to the email he received half a month ago, it did mention changing jobs. Did that mean he had given up being a police officer?
"He quit?"
"I don't know. He didn't say. As for Captain, he's passed his evaluation. He's now a sergeant in the First Investigation Division, Section Three. Super busy every day. Unlike me and Jin, we only deal with bombs a couple of times a month."
"You should still be careful when handling explosives."
"Heh~ Rei says the same thing all the time… Oh, and Jin brings you up every time he comes over to drink."
"Probably to curse me out, right?"
Kenji grinned and made an "OK" gesture. "Bingo! Exactly right! He's the angriest one. Says he's going to beat you up when he sees you."
"Heh… figures. Still as hot-headed as ever, even after graduating."
"Not really. He's only like that around us in private." Kenji thought of how calm Jinpei was in the bomb disposal unit. After Ritsu disappeared, both he and Jinpei had even picked up smoking, something they once associated with adulthood.
And now… they couldn't quit.
"I see."
People really do change. That wasn't a bad thing. If Jinpei could fix his temper, he'd definitely become the top member of the bomb disposal unit.
"Time's up."
Ritsu stood, carefully taking out a lint-free cloth from his pocket and wiping his fingerprints off the glass, like he was trying to erase all traces of his presence.
"Goodbye."
"…We'll meet again, right?"
There was no reply.
He didn't know when, or if, they would meet again.
So he couldn't make a promise.
After all, an undercover agent could lose their life the very next second if their identity were exposed.
----
Notes:
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