June 1st, Sunday.
Because two "rats" had been executed the night before, Gin deliberately didn't assign any missions to Ritsu. He even told him to check in on Rena, who had already earned the Organization's recognition and received a codename.
Kir, a well-known French cocktail made from white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. It has a relatively low alcohol content and is usually served as an aperitif.
Ritsu didn't rush to Rena's apartment. Instead, he first headed to Beika Town to meet Hiro. Since it was close to Rena's place, it would be convenient to bring her some takeout. She definitely wouldn't be in any condition to cook for herself.
In their coded system, "Point E" was set by Hiro. It was also Ritsu's first time coming here in recent years, a ramen shop located on 2-chome Street in Beika Town.
"Ramen so good it'll kill you, Ramen Ogura…"
Seeing the name, Ritsu narrowed his eyes. He couldn't understand why the owner would pick such a name. It sounded incredibly unlucky, like the place might go out of business due to food poisoning or something.
It was the weekend, the shop was packed. All eight counter seats were taken, and even the temporary two-person tables were full. Since Hiro hadn't arrived yet, Ritsu simply sat on a bench outside and waited in line, all while keeping an eye on his surroundings to make sure there were no suspicious Organization members watching.
Dressed in a gray suit, Hiro arrived a bit late. Ever since becoming a public security officer, the guy seemed glued to his suits, wasn't he hot?
Ritsu glanced down at his own outfit, still his usual operational gear.
…Yeah, maybe he wasn't in a position to complain. Ever since joining the Organization, he'd somehow developed a strange resistance to heat.
The two exchanged no greetings, instead pretending to be strangers waiting outside. Both lowered their heads and fiddled with their phones, communicating through an encrypted app that only worked at close range.
[Ritsu: I need a favor. Use the National Police Agency's intelligence network to investigate a man with the surname Hondō.]
[Hiro: Hondō? Can you tell me why? You know the Agency requires a reason to access files.]
[Ritsu: He was an undercover agent who infiltrated the Organization. I executed him after his cover was blown. I want to know his background and there's something strange I want to confirm.]
Hiro paused at the message, then deleted it and sent another.
[Hiro: Got it. I'll look into it. Any direction I should focus on?]
[Ritsu: His accomplice had an American accent. Prioritize the FBI and CIA. It's my turn, I'm going in.]
[Hiro: Understood.]
Inside Ramen Ogura, the setting was simple. But since it was a place Hiro liked, the taste was probably good.
Ritsu noticed a customer finishing up and leaving. After taking the open seat, he quickly messaged Hiro, telling him not to come in right away. The seating arrangement would put them side by side, so it was better to let the next person in first.
After reading the message, Hiro pretended to take a call and turned to the man behind him, a scruffy-looking guy in a black shirt with stubble and round glasses.
"Sorry, I need to take this call. Mind swapping numbers so you can go in first?"
"Sure. You like this place a lot too, huh?"
"??"
Noticing Hiro's confusion, the man smiled. "I've seen you here a few times. You might not remember me, but I have an eidetic memory, so I remember you."
"Oh… I see."
After thanking him politely, the man entered the shop and took the empty seat. Almost instinctively, he glanced at the black-haired young man sitting to his left and froze.
Sensing the gaze, Ritsu looked over coldly. The icy look in his eyes snapped the man out of it.
"Ah, sorry… You just look a lot like someone I know. My apologies."
"It's fine."
Noticing Ritsu hesitating over the menu, the man enthusiastically recommended, "You should try their signature Enma King Ramen, it's insanely good."
"…"
What kind of overly familiar weirdo was this? If he weren't a guy, Ritsu might've thought he was awkwardly trying to hit on him.
"It really is delicious (*ω)!"
"…."
Ritsu wanted to ignore him, but he was curious about the recommendation. He called out to a passing waitress, "Excuse me, I'll have one Enma King Ramen and a side of rice."
Carbs with carbs, definitely a bad habit he'd picked up from Rei.
The man blinked, realizing he'd been ignored but he didn't seem offended. Smiling, he told the waitress, "Same here, one Enma King Ramen and add two soft-boiled eggs, please~"
"Got it~ Haneda-san, you never get tired of it, huh? You could try dipping noodles sometimes!"
"Hahaha, how could I? This place has the best ramen."
'Haneda… was that his name?'
Ritsu's eyelids drooped slightly with fatigue. Right now, all he wanted was for this overly friendly "Haneda" to stop bothering him but clearly, that wasn't happening.
When Hiro pushed the sliding door open, he was greeted by a bizarre sight. The man who claimed to have an eidetic memory was practically "flirting" with Ritsu.
"Come on, try it, it's really good!"
"…."
"The bamboo shoots here are amazing! Sorry, I'm not great with words, but they're seriously delicious."
"…."
Ritsu suppressed his irritation, eating his noodles in silence. The ramen really was excellent, perfectly suited to his taste. He even felt like recommending it to others. But having this chattering, mouse-like guy beside him was seriously killing his appetite.
"Why won't you talk to me? I'm Shukichi Haneda, can we get to know each other?"
Shukichi had been carefully observing Ritsu's features. The eyebrows really were similar but the skin tone didn't match.
Thinking back, he was sure he remembered correctly, young Ritsu had a healthy tan. But this guy in front of him was like a super pale version, almost unnaturally white, giving off a cold, distant aura.
Maybe it was because this handsome guy reminded him of that Ritsu from his memories that he felt an urge to get closer. Shukichi genuinely wanted to be friends, which was why he hadn't stopped talking since sitting down.
"You're very noisy."
"??"
"Can you let me eat in peace?"
…Yeah, that temper was nothing like him.
Mentally crossing Ritsu off his list, a dejected Shukichi sulked as he slurped his noodles. He even considered calling Yumi to complain, she'd definitely comfort him. Actually… that didn't sound like a bad idea.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Hiro buried his face in his bowl, quietly laughing.
He hadn't expected Ritsu to run into someone like this.
'Shukichi Haneda, huh… I'll remember that name.'
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