A slightly chilly breeze brushed against his face.
The young man's brows, still furrowed even in sleep, gradually relaxed.
Leaning against the passenger seat, he unconsciously tried to shift into a more comfortable position, only to pull at his injuries and let out a muffled groan.
"Too cold? Want me to roll up the window?"
Only then did Ritsu fully regain his senses. Remembering what had happened before he lost consciousness, he asked,
"When you took me away, nobody saw you, right?"
"Don't worry. None of your colleagues from the MPD noticed me. And when I carried you into the car, I wrapped you in a blanket."
Vodka answered while keeping his eyes on the road. Looking down at the blanket covering him, Ritsu couldn't help but think,
'Concealing my appearance while preventing further heat loss, huh?'
He hadn't expected Vodka to genuinely study medical knowledge.
"This time, I owe you one. Sorry for ruining your idol-chasing plans."
"Do we really need to be so formal with each other?" Vodka laughed. "In the Organization, aside from Aniki, you're the person I respect most. Climbing to the same rank as Aniki at such a young age... that's got to be exhausting, right?"
'Exhausting? Yeah... Very.'
Every day, he had to face different people and play different roles. Actors only needed to perform in television dramas and movies.
The role he played... was his own life.
"Yeah. It's pretty exhausting."
"Then rest a bit longer. We've still got some distance before we reach the lab."
Ritsu blinked. "We're not going to one of the Organization's hospitals? Why the laboratory?"
Normally, members of the Operatives Division sought treatment from Taylors whenever they got injured.
The woman who used physical examinations as an excuse to behave even more outrageously than Vermouth.
For once, Vodka's expression turned serious.
"Aniki says there's something wrong with that woman. The Operatives Division doesn't report to Taylors anymore."
"Something wrong? What kind of problem? Is she one of their people?"
"No."
Vodka shook his head. For some reason, the memory of a certain manga cover created by Taylors surfaced in his mind, making him shudder.
"Augier, trust me, you don't want to know. Anyway, nobody from Operations is dealing with her anymore. Minor injuries we handle ourselves, and anything serious gets sent to Sherry."
Ritsu wrinkled his nose slightly. He could smell faint traces of alcohol disinfectant. Apparently Vodka had already treated his wounds to some extent.
"I'm surprised. I never thought you and Gin would acknowledge her abilities. I always felt the two of you disliked Sherry."
"Credit should be given where it's due. Otherwise we'd just be sticking our heads in the sand like ostriches. Self-deception isn't a good habit."
"...Now that's unexpected." Ritsu stared at him. "You actually used a fairly advanced four-character idiom."
Vodka chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, well... Chianti started reading books recently, so I figured I should read something too."
"She actually listened and started reading? The books I assigned?" Ritsu looked genuinely surprised.
He couldn't help feeling impressed with himself.
'Have I somehow mastered the art of dog training?'
Even Gin had never managed to tame that "wild dog."
Yet somehow he had.
"Yeah. By the way, Augier, when are you planning to carry out that plan? If she finds out you're still alive, she'll definitely be happy."
"Now isn't the right time." Ritsu lowered his eyes.
"One step at a time... We'll make our move when the people over there can no longer tolerate this peace."
"Hahaha! I don't think we'll have to wait very long. That important person is the type who constantly says, 'Time is money.'"
Ritsu glanced down at the unbuttoned collar of his white shirt. The bloodstains extending from his left chest toward his shoulder were clearly visible. He hadn't bothered using the special solution to conceal them this time.
And he'd almost been discovered because of it.
The claws that had pushed him deeper into the abyss, he would personally rip them out one day.
...
The sapphire-blue Porsche 914 pulled into the parking lot of Meisen Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
After parking, Vodka hurried around to the passenger side and thoughtfully opened the door for the injured Ritsu.
"Wait. Let me remove the disguise first."
Taking out a bottle of makeup remover he always carried, Ritsu quickly erased Onizawa's appearance and returned to Augier's face.
Every time Vodka watched the process, he found it incredible. It was like watching magic.
"Augier, can I ask you something?" Vodka rubbed his large hands together excitedly.
"If you're about to ask me to teach you disguise techniques, my answer is no."
Calmly tossing the empty remover bottle into the car's trash bag, Ritsu used the door for support as he stood up.
"Huh? How'd you know what I was thinking?"
"You write your thoughts all over your face." Ritsu sighed.
"Vodka, sometimes you should learn to hide your emotions. If you're completely sincere with everyone in the Organization... you're going to get hurt."
His feelings on the matter had become strangely complicated. Whenever someone in the Organization treated him well, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.
The other side was supposed to be his enemy. Yet he continued acting, earning their concern and trust.
On the other hand, when dealing with everyone else, he felt deceitful for hiding his identity. He found himself wanting to see their reactions toward his original self. Wanting to hear what they said whenever that identity came up.
In short, Ritsu felt as though he had been split into multiple pieces.
And perhaps the piece called Augier... had truly become part of the Organization.
Perhaps it had already turned black.
"Really?"
Vodka scratched his head. "But the only people I'm close to in the Organization are you and Aniki. I don't really care what anyone else thinks."
There it was again.
Those words.
Ritsu couldn't help sighing inwardly.
'That's exactly the problem. You treat me too much like a brother.'
He knew he shouldn't form bonds of camaraderie with people in the Organization. Yet after all these years...
He could no longer deny reality.
The current him truly couldn't do what he had done when he first infiltrated the Organization. Put handcuffs on them with his own hands.
Or raise a gun and fire at their vital points.
Looking at Vodka standing rigidly beside the car door, Ritsu rubbed the bridge of his nose.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Are you planning to stand there like a hotel doorman forever?"
Only then did Vodka realize what he was doing. Quickly moving over to support the injured Ritsu, he laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry, forgot your mobility's a bit limited."
Limping forward, Ritsu entered the laboratory building while Vodka carefully supported him. The sight nearly frightened the two actual security guards stationed at the entrance to death.
After all, whenever these two intimidating figures showed up together, nothing good ever followed. But when they got closer, the guards finally realized,
'Mr. Augier was injured? Ah. Then everything was fine.'
They weren't here for an inspection or supervision. They were simply here to see Sherry for treatment.
"Which laboratory is Sherry in?" Vodka asked with a stern face.
"At this hour, she should be in Laboratory Four."
"Should be?" Vodka raised an eyebrow.
"Hmph. Don't let me hear such vague answers again."
"Y-Yes, Vodka-san!"
Watching the exchange, Ritsu was actually a little impressed. He had been about to walk a few steps ahead and compliment Vodka for handling the situation quite professionally.
Then Vodka pushed up his sunglasses excitedly and said the one thing that nearly made Ritsu trip.
"Augier, how was it? I copied Aniki's expression and tone perfectly, right?"
There are fools.
And then there are bigger fools who applaud them.
Suddenly, a quote from Sherlock Holmes surfaced in Ritsu's mind. It felt as though it had been written specifically about him.
Who would've thought that one day he would become the "bigger fool" applauding a fool?
Vodka hadn't improved at all.
He never should've considered complimenting him.
Still...
He couldn't exactly crush the man's enthusiasm.
"...Yeah."
After a long silence, Ritsu nodded. "That was pretty accurate. Next time, though, don't announce that you're imitating him. It'll be even more convincing."
"Got it! Hehe!"
Vodka grinned happily.