By the time they returned to Tokyo from Kyoto on the Shinkansen, it was already past dinner time.
Having only eaten a single bowl of ramen all day, Ritsu felt completely empty. But he couldn't leisurely find a place to eat just yet. He had to deliver the USB drive in his hand to Takai, the head of Laboratory No. 2, and also meet up with Hiro to report on recent developments.
Because his schedule had been packed with missions lately, Ritsu hadn't had time to meet Hiro. The last time they exchanged information face-to-face had been over three months ago. Since then, they'd been using lockers to pass intel back and forth. It was about time they met in person again.
"I'm heading to the research institute. You can go back and rest."
"Mm. Akemi just called me, actually."
The sickly sweet smell of romance hit him straight in the face. Ritsu waved impatiently.
"Go, go already."
He had almost said "Get lost." A single guy really didn't want to fill his stomach with secondhand affection.
Driving his GT40 to the research institute, he went straight to Laboratory No. 2. Knocking on the glass wall, he expressionlessly handed the USB drive to Takai.
"Here. Keep it safe."
"Please rest assured, Macallan-san. I'll take good care of it." Takai was the same researcher who had examined him when he first joined the organization. In just a few short years, Ritsu's status had risen far above his, casual speech had turned into honorifics.
Ritsu glanced at Takai's increasingly thinning hair. As expected, research work really does make people go bald.
He hadn't seen Shiho in a while and wasn't sure how far her progress had come. Since it was still dinner hours and the cafeteria was open, Ritsu quickened his pace toward Laboratory No. 5 and entered after inputting the code.
Shiho, who had been playing with a lab mouse, immediately wiped the smile off her face when she heard movement at the door. Upon seeing that it wasn't Vodka, who had been pestering her about progress lately, but Ritsu, her tense expression softened slightly.
"What are you doing here?"
"You don't seem very happy to see me."
Continuing to tease the mouse with a small stick, Shiho said calmly, "You're a busy man. If you're here, it's probably about progress, right?"
"No. I just wanted to invite you to dinner at the cafeteria."
"…You have that kind of free time?"
"At the moment, yes. Today's mission is done, this is my free time."
"Oh. Then let's talk while we eat. There are indeed some issues with the development. I originally planned to move on to animal testing, but now it seems there are still parts that need adjustment."
"Alright, let's go."
The two found a quiet corner in the cafeteria and sat down. Already starving, Ritsu twirled some clam pasta onto his fork. The clams were plentiful and free of sand, clearly the chef had taken care in preparing them.
The sauce likely included sake during cooking, removing any fishiness while adding a slight sweetness and rich texture. Combined with the fresh clams, the flavor was perfectly balanced, savory and refreshing.
"Compounds naturally have multiple properties. Take your time, there's no need to rush," Ritsu said after taking a sip of iced oolong tea.
"Only stable compounds can fully deliver their pharmacological effects, and at the same time, you need to minimize side effects. That's inherently difficult."
"I've already run countless experiments, large and small, but I still can't find the most optimal solution. And lately, the organization keeps pushing for progress, it's thrown off my rhythm." Shiho held her fork, looking dejected.
Even her favorite desserts didn't taste good anymore.
"Work at your own pace. This isn't something you can rush. And you should know, APTX4869 is basically your solo project. Developing a drug alone is incredibly difficult. You've already done something impressive."
Ritsu offered encouragement. After hearing her concerns, he had a good idea of what the issue was but in order to delay the drug's completion, he couldn't point out the solution.
"Hearing encouragement from you is pretty rare."
"If you like it, I can say more." Ritsu put down his fork, picked up his phone, and continued,
"Success isn't something that exists in the future, it's built from the moment you decide to act, through continuous accumulation."
Shiho rolled her eyes, glancing at the phone screen filled with text. "You can't say that without checking Yahoo first, can you?"
"I don't usually read quotes, especially motivational ones."
"…If you ever date someone, are you going to study books on relationships too?"
"Is that a problem?"
"You're hopeless."
Shiho stared at him with half-lidded eyes. In her view, Ritsu was exactly the type who'd never find a partner. Low emotional intelligence was one thing but relying on Yahoo for everything? That was just bizarre.
If he had to search online even for gift ideas or relationship advice, then finding a girlfriend would require divine luck—like some miracle earned over centuries.
Shiho would rather believe pigs could climb trees or mice could pin down cats than believe Ritsu could get a girlfriend.
"Like you're any better."
Ritsu also thought Shiho was completely immune to romance. For someone so precocious, it was hard to imagine what kind of guy she'd even like.
First, he'd have to be intelligent, otherwise there'd be no common ground. Second, his looks would need to be at least above average. Third, his family background couldn't be too poor, considering her taste for luxury goods.
And finally… he'd probably have to accept that she was part of the organization.
'Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I'm not her dad.'
Ritsu frowned, startled by his own thoughts. It wasn't that he saw her as a younger sister…
It was more like a daughter?
"I'm still underage, so I don't need to think about that. You, on the other hand, are already past the legal age for marriage. Shouldn't you be the one worrying about it?"
"I'm full. Goodbye."
Watching Ritsu leave expressionlessly with his tray, Shiho's mood improved. She swung her legs happily, then returned her tray and hummed a tune as she headed back to her room.
Opening the door, she saw the black cat sprawled on the floor grooming itself. Squatting down, she petted it and complained, "Your unreliable owner forgot about you again. Didn't even come to see you."
"Meow~"
"Such a good kitty. Big sister will buy you your favorite goat milk pudding." She paused, smiling. "Of course, I'll use that guy's money, your big sister doesn't have any."
Meanwhile, sitting in his car after leaving the institute, Ritsu checked his email. Seeing Hiro's reply from five minutes ago, he deleted the message and headed toward 2-chome, Beika Town.
Completely unaware that someone was once again plotting against his wallet.