07:42 AM, Tokyo International Airport.
Three men and women dressed in black entered the first-class lounge. Wondering why there were only three?
Because Rena, whose public identity is a somewhat popular TV host for Nichiuri TV, would stand out far too much if she appeared together with them. So she deliberately kept her distance, at least pretending not to know them.
Holding a fried fish fillet burger he had bought at the airport, Ritsu took small bites. The combination of tartar sauce and yellow mustard inside turned out to be surprisingly harmonious. He lounged comfortably on the sofa, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
He had basically stayed up all night. So once he got on the plane, he planned to take a sleeping pill and get some rest. Otherwise, a high-intensity nighttime sniping mission would be a serious problem.
It had been a while since Chianti last saw Ritsu. She occupied the seat beside him, fawning as she held out a cup of freshly bought warm coffee, even adding double creamer and sugar cubes, just the way he liked it.
Despite having been badly tricked by her during their first mission together, he hadn't blamed her at all. Instead, he even put in a few good words for her in front of Gin. In the missions that followed, they had worked together smoothly.
Especially when it came to tactical planning, Chianti cooperated with Ritsu extremely well. Perhaps the more someone lacks something, the more they admire it in others.
That's right, Chianti herself admitted she wasn't always the sharpest.
"Macallan, want some coffee to wake you up?"
"Thanks, but no." Ritsu took out a sleeping pill from his pocket and explained, "If you take something to calm you down and something to stimulate you at the same time, neither will be very effective."
"Oh, got it. Then I'll drink this myself. I'll get you another one after we land."
Ritsu had been about to say there was no need, but seeing how well-behaved Chianti was around him, he swallowed his refusal and quietly accepted her goodwill.
Sitting across from them, Irish looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the show. He had slept very well last night, so he was full of energy. After glancing back and forth between them, he came to a conclusion. Chianti was basically Ritsu's fangirl, to the point that she even restrained her usual craziness.
Irish stroked his chin with interest. Gin probably knew about this too. He must be quite envious, even if he didn't show it. After all, Chianti had been under Gin for nearly seven years and she had never acted like this around him.
'Macallan really was an interesting person. Despite always wearing a cold expression, he somehow attracted attention and piqued curiosity. Was it because of his looks?
No, more like an indescribable kind of charisma, the way cats can't resist silvervine.'
Of course, Ritsu had no idea so many people were thinking about him. After finishing his meal, he closed his eyes to rest. It wasn't until the boarding announcement echoed through the airport that he slowly forced his tired body up and dragged his heavy steps toward the gate.
Once he settled into the comfortable seat in first class, he realized that Rena was sitting right next to him. So their tickets were together. Thinking back, ever since she joined the group, he had basically left her to her own devices, this was their first mission together in quite a while.
"Macallan, morning."
Rena greeted him calmly, even with a faint smile. Of course, her inner feelings were far from calm. Facing the man who had killed her father, it was nearly impossible to remain completely composed.
"Morning, Kir."
After adjusting himself into the most comfortable position, Ritsu asked the flight attendant for a cup of warm water. He took a sleeping pill with it and finally allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of sleep.
Even knowing that the person closest to him harbored hostility, Ritsu still chose to get a good rest. At this stage, being killed by someone who was also an undercover agent was better than making a mistake during the mission due to fatigue and ending up dead beyond recognition.
As he slept, Ritsu looked different from his usual self. With his arms folded across his chest and his head unconsciously tilted to the left, he seemed less cold and carried a faint, indescribable gentleness. Yet even in sleep, it seemed he had many worries, his relaxed brows soon furrowed again, as though troubled by whatever he was dreaming.
Watching him quietly, Rena pressed her lips together. So even a man as ruthless as him could look so peaceful when asleep, there was no way she could strike at a moment like this.
Or maybe… she was just making excuses for not wanting to kill.
If hatred and revenge became the entirety of her life, her father would surely be angry. He would want her to prioritize the bigger picture, the mission assigned by the CIA.
At the thought of the CIA, Rena couldn't help but sigh. Over the past two years, there had been almost no activity. She had no way to contact them and what she hadn't expected was… she had been treated like a discarded pawn. Since her father's death, no one else had infiltrated the organization.
No informants, no allies, she had been struggling alone in this swamp for two years. She didn't even know what her next step should be. All she could do was believe that one day, someone would stand before her, extend a hand, and tell her—
"I'm here to take you home."
"…"
Better not think about things that would only darken her mood. For now, the best thing to do was follow someone's example and get a good rest. In a dozen hours, a zero-error mission would begin, the most dangerous one she had faced since joining the organization.
With an eighteen-hour flight ahead, one sleeping pill was clearly not enough for Ritsu to sleep the entire time. When he woke up, there were still three hours before landing, enough time to shake off the grogginess and explain the mission plan to Kir.
Turning his head, he realized that the woman who hadn't taken any sleeping pills was sleeping even more soundly than he had.
Instead of waking her immediately, Ritsu called over a flight attendant and ordered two meals. Once the cart arrived, he dismissed the attendant, walked over to Rena, and gently nudged her awake.
Noticing the clear glimmer at the corner of her mouth under the light, he hadn't expected that she would drool in her sleep. It was quite a contrast to her usual intellectual demeanor.
Still half-asleep, Rena looked around in confusion. Realizing she was in an unfamiliar environment, she jolted slightly, a trace of alertness flashing in her eyes. Ritsu found it both amusing and a little pitiful.
This was probably the burden of being an undercover agent, always on edge, always fearing exposure.
"Kir, still not fully awake?"
Her mind slowly reconnecting, Rena replied sluggishly, "Sorry, I slept a bit too long."
Noticing she hadn't realized the trace at the corner of her mouth, Ritsu tactfully suggested, "You should go wash your face. We can eat while I go over the mission plan with you."
"Alright."
Rena held her slightly groggy head as she walked toward the first-class restroom. When she saw her reflection in the mirror, her pale cheeks instantly flushed pink.
'I—I talked to him looking like this just now?!'
She usually let her hair down when sleeping, and now it was completely messy. But more importantly, there was still a small patch of drool at the corner of her mouth!
"…"
At that moment, she had an overwhelming urge, an urge to jump off the plane.
She had no face left to show anyone.