Ichijō Mirai stepped into the alley.
The alley was quiet, devoid of people, like the perfect amplifier, echoing in a circle with the sound of aggravated footsteps, like a thriller sound effect in a suspense movie, where all you need to add is a locker and a somewhat rapid breathing sound, and you can easily draw a tense scene of the killer slowly searching for his victim.
But Ichijō Mirai is not the victim; he wears a ceremonial smile, and his expression doesn't fluctuate when he walks into the middle of the alley and sees the black car parked at the entrance.
"Not a good afternoon, what can I do for you?"
The car had been waiting for a long time, the driver's and passenger's doors were open for ventilation, the driver's seat was unoccupied, while the passenger's seat was occupied by a familiar yet unfamiliar person to Ichijō Mirai:
Gin.
Familiar because Ichijō Mirai not only knows him, he knows him, and he knows how to make his blood pressure go up with the flick of a finger.
Ichijō Mirai doesn't know him in reality.
Meeting a 'game character' in real life would be a bit of a sticky wicket, Ichijō Mirai thought, and looked Gin over a few times.
In the passenger seat, both of Gin's hands were empty, and his expression was as cold as a corpse that had been in the freezer for months with its hands folded, and his tone was stoic, "It's not me that's looking for you, it's you that's looking for me."
"...What is it? Tell me."
Huh?
There were some troubles that Ichijō Mirai was a bit uninterested in and just wanted to get rid of as soon as possible, and there were some troubles that interested him, and the current situation was a combination of both, on the one hand, he was a bit impatient due to the fact that he had to deal with the troubling interpersonal interactions that 'Ichijō Mirai' had left behind.
On the other hand, there was a kind yakuza on the other side.
It was a good-hearted yakuza who was somewhat sociopathic, who couldn't say anything praiseworthy even though his coworker was very powerful and perfectly played the spirit of a black person, but instead, he was silent and pretended to be dead, and who was exceptionally good at patience, who was able to swallow his anger again and again, and who was able to do part-time pinches of fun.
And he's really good at bullying, squeezing his opponents like they're black cotton and only getting pleasure, making Ichijō Mirai's hands itch a little bit.
He was tickled by the amount of slander in his assessment of Gin.
Originally, before Gin spoke, Ichijō Mirai was more inclined to the former attitude, inclined to trouble impatience: tsk, some people really deserve to die, just play with themselves, and die without leaving any useful last words, and have to figure out 'Ichijō Mirai's' position and relationships in the organization by himself.
But after Gin spoke, he quickly favored the latter: a good bully! It's freshly popped black cotton!
He stared at Gin's impatient face, surprised enough to leap to his defense, "You're angry."
"I just said one thing. Why are you mad?"
"Why don't you just say it to cheer me up instead of keeping it to yourself? Thank you, kind hearted person."
Gin: "..."
"No," he repeats, waving off a cold cut, "What is it that you called me here for?"
"Go ahead."
What's the difference between a Gin and a corpse?
When Ichijō Mirai was told to say something, he took a hidden breath to compose himself before saying it calmly, looking like he was just hanging on for dear life, not really dead.
But not far from death.
He was ready for his heart to finally die.
It seems that he was sure that Ichijō Mirai would come up with something that would have the beauty of creating death for all.
Ichijō Mirai: "..."
"You're really pissed off," He said, no longer stopping at a distance and stepping up to the car, his nose twitching as he approached a meter closer, "Have you been smoking?"
And sincerely concerned, "Smoke less, smoking will make you get angry, you look angry but dare not say anything, and can't find the culprit, you can only put on a face to comfort my innocent colleague and provide me with positive emotional feedback."
Gin: "..."
The smell was familiar, so familiar that one's blood pressure spiked when one's eyes went black.
But while veins popped up on his forehead, he adjusted his breathing, and habitually endured it, Gin actually felt a little bit of subtle reassurance: well, well, well, Ichijō Mirai is still the same Ichijō Mirai, and he's going to make a blood feud the moment he opens his mouth.
Ichijō Mirai has been so well-behaved in the last few months that it's a wonder he's been able to keep quiet in a small dessert store, not making any fuss, but actually going out on dates with his young girlfriends.
The kid's quiet, but he's up to something.
If Ichijō Mirai can make such a big mess on his own when he nods his head with an open face and says, "Yes, I'm the one who made the first, second, and third bloodshed that made the members of the organization take off their hats in silence...", what is he brewing up when he's suddenly quiet and quiet?
The organization's top brass who know 'Satan' have a fear of mines.
They know there are mines, but they don't know where they are, so the quieter and quieter it gets, the more they're on edge, and every step they take carries with it the fear that they'll step on a bomb.
This included Belmode.
Belmode has been posting something for three days in a row, 'You said, Suzuki group has so many people, won't all of them die out?' and other silent spam messages.
At two or three o'clock in New York.
...Gin also did not sleep.
When confronted with spam messages threatening and intimidating him on behalf of thugs, he would simply glance at them, delete them, and go on with his mission without a change of heart.
But when it comes to Ichijō Mirai, it's hard for him not to. "Well, the door's open, but it's not closed," he says.
"I've been around as long as you've been here," Gin says, ignoring the high blood pressure statement and simply stating that he's concerned about the safety of the world, 'Until today, you looked at me and we met,' he repeats, "I've been here as long as you've been here."
He repeats: "I didn't come to you, you came to me."
The initiative to meet was in the hands of Ichijō Mirai.
"Is it possible," Ichijō Mirai muses, "that I'm upstairs almost all the time and don't get downstairs more than a couple times a month?"
Which means: "I wouldn't know if you lived in front of the store, not to mention the neighborhood."
Today, for the first time, he intuited Gin's presence, and it was because Vodka couldn't help but give him a hell of a stare when he caught a glimpse of him.
In response, Gin's thought was: "Can't you recognize me without being on the first floor?"
As if arguing whether or not steamed buns were made of flour, a vertical crease appeared on his brow, and with some impatience, "It's best if you don't say something you don't believe."
"If you want to know, you can know my whereabouts even if you're not in the dessert store."
Ichijō Mirai had been on the second floor and hadn't shown up on the first floor much, so was Ichijō Mirai really not sneaking out and scouting for a target in the dark?
Doubtful.
Ichijō Mirai heard that 'steamed buns are made of flour, so you know where I am, isn't that common sense?' He heard a subtle pause in his voice.
He paused subtly, tactically watching Gin's expression, and confirmed, "You mean, you think I can smell who's passing by?"
"I don't," Gin denied instantly, immediately changing the subject and putting on an expression of being ready to be a corpse, "Lately, what have you been brewing?"
What's the plan that's been brewing to kill everyone?
No one can please everyone, but Ichijō Mirai can please no one.
Ichijō Mirai gazed at Gin for a moment before asking, "Well... you know how you're looking calm and collected, but like you're on the verge of an enemy?"
"How can I describe it, let me think, ah yes, I think."
"You are like a demon general who betrayed the Demon King. When the hero went through so much trouble to break into the Demon King's palace and interrogate the Demon King, you stood up to smooth things over with an attitude that seemed to be on the side of the Demon King. However, like the hero, you also want to know how the Demon King plans to wreak havoc on the world next."
With the smell of smoke still lingering in the car, he casually pressed his elbow against the door to support himself and tapped the roof with his finger, "Please correct your attitude as a yakuza and don't be unnecessarily kind, Mr. Gin."
Gin: "..."
Ichijō Mirai, who had been killing people on average every day since he was given his codename, and who had received the most comments about his cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness, and who was considered too cold-blooded by his fellow members of the organization, Gin was silenced.
He spoke coldly, "You didn't deny that 'plans are in the works'."
"Why don't you answer my question positively, what are you going to do?"
"It's because I'm a member of the organization that I want to know."
The organization wants to know more.
The Organization, which was known as 'the organization that Satan belongs to', was in the top ten of the world's terrorist organizations, and had become a common knowledge in the neon black world, and had not revealed its existence, but seemed to be just one resignation away from doing so, wanted to know.
And I'm afraid that Ichijō Mirai is really excited about the idea of a terrorist attack that he thinks is just for fun, but is actually a blow to the world.
There are many places in Tokyo that are suitable for attacking, including neon, such as the Imperial Palace, Sensō-ji, the Tokyo Skytree, Mount Fuji, famous shrines, supermarkets, museums and memorial halls.
For example, some world-famous attractions include the Blackhawk Museum, the Statue of Liberty, the High-rise building, the Eiffel Tower...
The choices are many and varied. Pick one, and Ichijō Mirai can easily and happily make a world announcement that a place is famous for its tragedy.
It's scary.
"Guess what," Ichijō Mirai said in a casual tone, not a game that could be rewritten after all, "don't hang around the neighborhood, you're too conspicuous, you're likely to have the police checking your ID's when you walk down the road, and you're likely to attract their attention by being around the neighborhood all the time."
He was serious, "Don't come to me, I'm afraid the police will get the wrong idea."
Gin: "..."
Misunderstanding what? Misunderstanding that 'Satan' has become soft and kind after ten years of absence?
It can't be that the police think he's a cold-blooded yakuza, can it?
That's what they should be afraid of.
The organization is afraid that the black, white and grey will mistake 'Satan' for someone who's carrying out the organization's mission.
They really didn't.
After much silence, Gin asked, "What?"
Was that a mistake?
"I have no criminal record as I am now," Ichijō Mirai added, already intending to leave, "at least not on the surface."
"Until I have a criminal record, don't hang around my neighborhood, or the police might get suspicious and investigate me, and it's a pain in the ass, even if they don't find anything."
He waved his hand carelessly, "That's it, let's go, bye."
Just as he turned his head to take a few steps, he was stopped, "Alsace."
Hm?
Belmode had sued, but it was the first time Ichijō Mirai had heard Gin call him by that name, and reacted for a moment before stopping and turning back slightly, "Speak."
Gin was still sitting in the passenger seat and didn't move, but his eyes shifted in the direction of the driver's seat, no longer looking at Ichijō Mirai but in the opposite direction, "Your paycheck."
"This month's paycheck was not paid by me at the bank."
"My salary," Ichijō Mirai repeated, "is not banked by you this month?"
He was a bit confused and shocked.
Huh? The yakuza also pays monthly salaries?
Huh? And it's Gin who pays the salary?
He is not a financial officer, right? He is a garbage disposal worker who is always working overtime.
Wait a minute. If Gin's working overtime in the wee hours of the morning, he's not subsidizing his paychecks out of his own pocket, is he?
...Then there's a chance that he can pay more out of his own pocket.
Ichijō Mirai's expression was the same as Gin's, who seemed to be speaking as if he were listening to common sense, "What's wrong?"
Gin: "This month's financial officer is Furuya Rei."
"Oh," Ichijō Mirai nodded, "This month's financial officer is..."
Huh?
Who's the temporary financial officer of the Black Outlaw Organization?
What was that name Gin called out?
...And so on.
First of all, the police in this world are generally a bit low level, but only to the point of being stupid, not retarded enough to let an officer with a police academy resume go undercover as a real person.
Secondly, Furuya Rei has a normal IQ and wouldn't agree to a ridiculous plan.
Then, Furuya Rei has a police philosophy and wouldn't really play around with blackmail.
Lastly, Gin said, '(Organization) this month's financial officer'.
Then there's only one truth: Unfortunately, Ichijō Mirai and Furuya Rei swapped homes and went undercover in each other's organizations.
That's why Furuya Rei is in the organization, that's why he's this month's financial officer, and that's why Gin knows his real name.
He's a classmate of Ichijō Mirai's, so I'm afraid Gin not only knows, he's been spying on him.
Tokyo is so small. Japan is so small.
Ichijō Mirai: "..."
He thought slowly: no wonder the blonde had been sniffing around him as if he had nothing to do that didn't require him to go to work and fulfill the tasks of both the black and white sides.
It turned out that his identity had been revealed and he had no access to the organization's secrets, so he really didn't have any serious tasks to perform.
"Furuya-san," Ichijō Mirai took the second half of the sentence as if nothing had happened, even frowning in confusion, as if puzzled by the fact that Gin didn't immediately explain why he was talking about common sense after the pause he'd just made, "and then what?"
Gin didn't say anything at first.
He observed Ichijō Mirai's expression that did not fluctuate much, and instead of reminding him that 'you were just trying to pretend that you respect other people's privacy and don't know everything, and now you're trying to pretend to be surprised that your classmates are in the organization', he weighed his tone and said what he had been trying to say for a long time, "There's also Morofushi Hiromitsu..."
"Contacted the FBI."
*
"I contacted the FBI."
Morofushi Hiromitsu said, "Just this morning."