Oboi considered himself a master at his profession. And this wasn't a notion solely conceived by him; his colleagues, family, and associates frequently supported it.
After all, how can a bodyguard be more dedicated than him? When he accepted a contract to protect a client, he practically became the client's guardian angel.
From the client's toilet schedule to their networking activities, be it open or hidden, offline or online, he dug out every detail, analyzed them with the mindset of a lifelong enemy, and took not just preventive measures, but also set pitfalls and traps to erase any threat for good.
Whether his clients permitted such a breach of privacy was never an issue to him. He got the information he needed regardless. But ever since he had been employed by the Bloodfly Clan to protect a couple of rising stars, this morally grey practice of his had been facing obstacles after obstacles.
This clan was a major shareholder of several megacorporations, and they had fierce competitors in every district, every superhuman circle, and every business field. Naturally, the lifestyle they maintained was somewhat secretive. The age and gender of the clients further complicated the work.
Being a new recruit to the team, Oboi had very little opportunity to proceed with his wanton research on his clients. The little info he could salvage from his new colleagues was of no use to him.
In fact, his colleagues were just as good as him at this job, leaving him feeling like a useless addition to the team.
Most of his duty time was spent standing outside meeting rooms and training chambers. He wasn't even trusted by the miss to stand inside. He could only find creative ways to have fun with whoever was nearby.
Teasing this young student who had seemingly approached him out of curiosity was just another one of such instances. Noticing how annoyed the boy got at being teased, Oboi's enthusiasm spiked further.
You want to play guessing games with this daddy? Hahaha! I will leave you just as confused as that casino casanova who tried to make moves on the miss last week!
"Bloodfly Clan."
Those two words sent a wave of electricity across his giddy mind. Pupils shrinking back into full focus, Oboi took a second to survey the kid from head to toe from the footing of an enemy.
Slim, maybe a little malnourished build that gleamed a silver of rough upbringing; a visible patch of wound above his head, stance too relaxed to enter combat, gaze not ready to perceive sudden strikes, hands positioned too open to counter or defend, no bulging pockets, no wires under the cheap clothing...
If this kid was an enemy, he was just a pawn being used as a distraction. He probably had no idea what he was doing; just a follower of simple orders.
Oboi exchanged a very brief glance with two of his colleagues who had reached the same conclusion, and their movements immediately fell into a synchronized regulation.
Being the closest to the bait, Oboi would have to handle the interrogation; his colleagues would handle the internal communication, and those who had followed the miss inside would handle the neutralization.
Taking a step forward to shield the colleague who was sending warning signals to every unit, Oboi asked the boy in a calm tone, "How did you reach that conclusion?"
A look of delight appeared on the boy's face as he replied, "You didn't deny it! It must be the truth, then!"
"Mind explaining why?" Oboi asked again.
"Well, in my experience, in such a game, if I manage to catch the opponent unprepared, a majority would react with a blank pause before denying it. The second most probable reaction is to not answer at all and instead turn aggressive. The third most..."
Oboi listened on as he started explaining basic psychological manipulation tactics in corporate negotiation scenarios for almost half a minute before realizing that just as he had made fun of the kid's question a minute ago, he was the one being made fun of now in return.
Leaning forward, Oboi stretched out his hand at the fastest possible speed while the boy was blabbering on. He didn't even manage to react, unsurprisingly. This boy was clearly no fighter.
Oboi's hand landed on his shoulder and gripped his collar. Then he tugged—
The balanced stance he had adopted for a chokehold was sent into disarray because even after tugging with all of his strength, Oboi had failed to draw the boy close enough.
'Am I fighting someone physically as strong as my colleagues? Impossible!'
Oboi wasn't a superhuman, nor a martial arts champion. His skill set was limited to taking down opponents with surprise attacks and avoiding direct confrontations. But dealing with a kid from slums shouldn't be out of his league! Not by techniques, nor by strength!
So why did it feel like he was fighting a full-grown adult?
No problem. Since he couldn't tug him over, he would close the distance himself.
With a long step forward, Oboi placed his body to the boy's left, neutralizing the threat of being struck effectively from that side. While the boy struggled to detach the hand gripping his right shoulder, Oboi kicked at the side of his left calf to destabilize him again.
Only, his kick failed to connect. The boy had seen through his plan and retracted his leg in, avoiding the kick by millimeters.
Caught off guard and off balance, Oboi's left hand turned into a claw, releasing his shoulder and grabbing his ears. But at the same time, the boy made an amateurish counter by planting his left elbow on Oboi's solar plexus.
Ha! Without gaining enough momentum, that stick-thin arm cannot possibly-
"Hngghhh!"
The pain wasn't strong enough to leave him dazed, but Oboi still winced at the unexpected power behind the elbow strike. He tugged hard at the kid's left ear, making him yelp in far more pain.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fucking stop it! What the hell is wrong with you, man?!"
One of his colleagues slid in beside them, and the boy immediately shut his cursing upon seeing the flash of a silver barrel under his fist, raising his arms up in a motion of surrender.
"I'll ask for the last time," Oboi spoke again. "Who told you we're employed by Bloodfly Clan?"