Collaborators and Newcomers

The deafening explosion could be heard several streets away, and a wave of heat swept outwards, turning the sky red with flames. Tsurumi Nagare was waiting for someone under the neon sign in Fukami-cho when the explosion occurred; he was squatting next to a fire hydrant with a cup of oden in his hand.

After the loud bang, the cars parked on the roadside started blaring their sirens one after another, and people realized what was happening and ran out in a panic. Tsurumi Kawakami finished eating the last piece of radish, threw the trash into the bin, and looked back towards the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Thick smoke billowed straight upwards, people shouted and dialed the fire department, and a cacophony of sounds assaulted the ears. At that moment, Tsurumi Kawakami, who was a beat slower to react, also pulled out his phone; the screen was lit up, displaying a text message that had just been sent—

[Finishing complete.]

Tsurumi Kawakami blinked, stared at the line of text for a while, and then typed: Where to meet?

The other side replied to the text message quickly. After seeing the address sent, Tsurumi Kawa thought for a moment, put the phone back in his pocket, and walked out, avoiding the crowded streets.

In the back alley of a nightclub, a black sedan was parked in the shadows. The windows were tinted to prevent peeping, and a man wearing a baseball cap could be vaguely seen in the driver's seat through the windshield.

Hikaru Midorikawa placed the bass bag on the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and then took out his phone from his pocket to text another collaborator.

After meeting and talking with his childhood friend, Hikaru Midorikawa's nerves, which had been tense since he went undercover in the Black Organization, relaxed a little. Before going undercover, he knew that it was impossible to enter such a transnational criminal organization without getting blood on your hands.

Despite having mentally prepared himself beforehand, Hikaru Midorikawa still felt some reservations when it came to actually doing it.

This mission was to infiltrate the Black Organization, the final hurdle to shed the label of a low-level member. Before accepting the mission, Midorikawa Hikaru hadn't expected any collaborators, nor had he anticipated that the task would be to destroy a batch of drugs lost by the organization.

During his time infiltrating the Black Organization, Hikaru Midorikawa secretly gathered some rumors about the organization, which he combined with information passed back by his predecessors who had previously infiltrated the public security system.

He felt that this batch of drugs that urgently needed to be destroyed was likely related to the core secrets of the Black Organization, so Midorikawa Hikaru accepted the mission with a sense of vigilance and a desire to get closer to the secret.

Encountering Furuya Rei with the Yamaguchi-gumi was both unexpected and fortunate. Midorikawa Hikaru couldn't help but smile knowingly as he recalled the actions of his childhood friend, who was using the alias Amuro Tooru, in the Yamaguchi-gumi earlier.

After planting the bomb, he planned to drag the person guarding the warehouse away. Now, with Amuro Tooru's cooperation, the reconnaissance mission was so precise that it was foolproof. The only thing Midorikawa Hikaru needed to be wary of was his collaborator in the intelligence group.

As Midorikawa recalled Amuro Tooru's description before he left, a strange expression appeared on his face.

Knock knock—

Tsurumi Kawaru walked to the black sedan and tapped on the closed window with his finger. With a click, the locked door opened, and he bent down and stepped inside.

Tsurumi Kawaki sat in the back seat of the car, then leaned against the back of the front passenger seat, staring intently at the person in the driver's seat.

Hikaru Midorikawa paused in his grip on the steering wheel, trying to ignore the head of Nagaru Tsurumi leaning out from the back seat. He slightly raised his chin and glanced to the side out of the corner of his eye.

Tsurumi Kawakami stared intently at Midorikawa Hikaru's profile for a long while before introducing himself in an unconventional way: "Hello, my name is Tsurumi Kawakami."

Midorikawa Hikaru: “…”

After a subtle two-second pause, he finally spoke, revealing his name. However, compared to Tsurumi Kawakami's polite and friendly introduction, Midorikawa Hikaru's introduction, which only revealed his name, was clearly somewhat cold.

But Tsurumi Kawakami didn't pay much attention, or rather, he didn't take it to heart. To him, once he said his name and the other person followed suit, the goodwill they had exchanged had been conveyed, and then they could move on to becoming friends.

Then, Tsurumi Kawakami blinked his golden eyes, and due to the angle of light refraction inside the car, the brilliant golden color of his eyes turned into dark gold, with a strange metallic texture.

He seemed unable to read emotions; his words were blunt and sharp, piercing straight to the heart, yet his tone was remarkably friendly, as if he were casually asking, "Did you cause that explosion just now?"

Hikaru Midorikawa was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to ask so directly. But he only remained silent for two seconds before his expression changed under the shadow of his hat.

At this moment, he was like a wary, prickly person, sarcastically saying, "Although we're in the same organization, we have different roles, and you're not a member with a code name. Are you asking me this because you want to interfere with the action team?"

Based on the intelligence he gathered during his time in the Black Organization, Rum from the intelligence team and Gin from the action team have always been at odds, and the people under their command also dislike each other.

Therefore, his performance at this moment was flawless.

Although Amuro Tooru said that Tsurumi Ryuu seemed somewhat gullible, Midorikawa Hikaru still remained wary of everyone in the Black Organization.

Tsurumi Kawakami was stunned by Midorikawa Hikaru's sudden retort, then belatedly realized: "Why did I get involved in the action team?"

Midorikawa Hikaru: “…”

He turned to look at Tsurumi Kawakami—the other person looked even younger than he had seen in the previous glance, with unusual golden eyes, a clean appearance, and a pure temperament.

Upon seeing Tsurumi Ryu for the first time, Midorikawa Hikaru recalled his previous assessment of Amuro Tooru—easy to fool.

Realizing what he was thinking, Midorikawa Hikaru immediately pulled his scattered thoughts back, but he couldn't bring himself to make a cold and harsh expression when looking at Tsurumi Kawaru's face.

Hikaru Midorikawa paused, looked away from their meeting gaze, started the car without a word, and glanced at the rearview mirror before stepping on the gas: "Sit back and fasten your seatbelt."

Tsurumi Kawaru said "Oh," and not being very bright, he sat back down and obediently fastened his seatbelt. But his well-behaved demeanor didn't last long. On the way back to the training base to report to Midorikawa Hikaru, as Midorikawa Hikaru drove away from Fukami Town, Tsurumi Kawaru suddenly resumed the previous topic.

He fastened the seatbelt around his waist, his crisp voice ringing out in the car: "Did you see a blond, dark-skinned person when you blew up the warehouse?"

Tsurumi Kawakami's words came suddenly, and the content of his words was too sensitive for Midorikawa Hikaru. He almost slammed on the brakes and lost control of the steering wheel.

Tsurumi Kawakuri was completely oblivious, even though the car had jolted slightly. He simply kept his head down, his gaze unfocused, and his voice seemed a little lower than usual.

"I got my intelligence from that guy. After I sent you the text message, I saw him heading towards the warehouse. Did you run into him when you were planting the bomb, as well as the person guarding the warehouse in the security booth?"

Hikaru Midorikawa listened silently to the seemingly rambling words coming from the back seat. He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Nagaru Tsurumi speaking with a hint of loss and nostalgia. It was as if he didn't necessarily need an answer; he was just saying what he wanted to say.

Tsurumi Nagare was indeed somewhat disappointed and nostalgic, after seeing the thick smoke after the explosion, the panicked shouts of ordinary people, and the belated realization of what had happened.

He was somewhat confused by the Mafia organization he had just joined, and then began to miss Dr. Mori. Tsurumi Nagaru felt that he had probably chosen the wrong place; the Black Organization he had joined didn't seem like a good place.

“…Perhaps I should quit,” Tsurumi Kawaru muttered to himself.

But in the quiet, enclosed carriage, the murmur seemed somewhat abrupt, like someone speaking into one's ear.

Midorikawa Hikaru's eyes flickered, a hint of interest in them. After a minute of silence, he began to probe Tsurumi Kawaru for information, quickly finding out how he had joined the Black Organization.

Upon hearing Tsurumi Ryu say "money can buy you a full stomach," and thus adding that line, Midorikawa Hikaru instantly synchronized Amuro Tooru's thoughts when he saw Tsurumi Ryu earlier.

I feel sorry for his naivety and gullibility, and for the fact that at his age he should be preoccupied with the worries of his studies or university life.

Midorikawa Hikaru mentally criticized the Black Organization. Then he noticed that Tsurumi Kawakita was a good candidate for defection—no, it's not quite right to call him a defector.

He should have been more specific in his wording. People like Tsurumi Kawakami, who were lured into the Black Organization because of the promise of "money and plenty of food," should be described as young people who have been misled into a pyramid scheme and are waiting to be rescued.

Thinking of this, Hikaru Midorikawa's heart, which yearned for justice as a public security officer, suddenly shone brightly.

Even so, Midorikawa Hikaru did not speak rashly. He remained vigilant and did not engage in conversation with Tsurumi Ryu or hint at his undercover identity.

When Midorikawa thought about Amuro Tooru's suggestion to use Tsurumi Gawa's style to infiltrate the Black Organization, he felt that he should find an opportunity and time to talk to Zero again.

The two were lost in their own thoughts the whole way, and only when the car entered the underground parking garage and they returned to the training base did they calm down.

Tsurumi Kawa was already somewhat regretful, so he was a little absent-minded when he entered the elevator to talk to the person in charge of the training ground.

His thoughts were interrupted by a clear, cold female voice.

"He is the new recruit that Lord Rum has been assigned to," said a young woman with a neat silver high ponytail and a serious expression as she looked at Tsurumi Kawaru.

The person in charge nodded respectfully: "Yes, Lord Curaçao."

The young woman known as Curaçao has eyes of different colors. She is the confidante of Rum, the organization's second-in-command, and also the leader of the intelligence team.

Meanwhile, Tsurumi Nagaru, the central figure in their conversation, was still somewhat confused about what was happening. He looked up at Curaçao with a bewildered expression, completely unfamiliar with the rum she mentioned.

Hikaru Midorikawa was speechless; a tsunami of emotions was raging within him. While deeply shaken, he also felt a surge of admiration for the seemingly innocent and pure-looking Nagaru Tsurumi.

The Black Organization is a mysterious organization; years of investigation and infiltration have only revealed the tip of the iceberg. They have virtually no information about the organization's boss, and even less about its second-in-command.

Many low-level personnel don't even have contact with members who have code names, let alone know who the code name members are or what their code names are.

Midorikawa Hikaru knew that the second-in-command was called Rum because he was appreciated for his sniping skills and was assigned to the action team. Gin, a member of the action team, was one of the core members of the organization and was often responsible for cleaning up the undercover agents within the organization. He was known as the top killer.

The discord between Gin and Rum is an open secret among the organization's top brass.

But compared to the cold-blooded, suspicious, and ruthless Gin, the second-in-command Rum seems to have a low profile in the organization. He only exists in the mouths of codenamed members, and no information about him can be found at all.

That's why Midorikawa Hikaru was so shocked and deeply moved when he heard that the second-in-command, Rum's confidante, Curacao, had appeared there and said those words.

Tsurumi Kawa was still a bit out of it. He stared at the Curaçao sake, pursing his lips in bewilderment. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Midorikawa Hikaru and his eyes lit up.

Curaçao sized up Tsurumi Kawakami, her gaze sharp as an X-ray. After scrutinizing her, she shifted her gaze to the person in charge beside her: "How was his assessment?"

The person in charge bowed and scraped, saying, "The mission is complete."

Curaçao nodded to the person in charge, then looked at Tsurumi Kawaru, raising his chin slightly with a hint of disdain, and said: "Come with me. Starting today, I will be in charge of your work in the intelligence group."

Tsurumi Kawaru stared blankly at her, but Curaçao didn't care about this seemingly dull member. She turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

Seeing her leave the room, Tsurumi Kawaru, urged by the person in charge, hurriedly chased after her, giving Midorikawa Hikaru a bright smile as he passed by.

Underground parking garage.

Curaçao sat in the driver's seat and looked up in the rearview mirror at Tsurumi Kawaru, who was already wearing a seatbelt and looked obedient.

She couldn't understand why Rum would value such a thin-looking boy.

At least when Curaçao received the text message from Rum asking her to go to the training base to mentor a newcomer, her first reaction was surprise and astonishment, followed by a slight wariness and hostility towards the newcomer that Rum valued.

In his early years, before he received a codename, Curaçao was involved in some internal power struggles within the organization.

She inadvertently learned some of the organization's secrets, and later, because of her extraordinary memory, she gained Rum's favor and became his confidante when Vermouth was about to be executed.

Curaçao knew very well what kind of person Rum was, and it was precisely because she knew what kind of person he was that she harbored hostility towards Tsurumi Ryu.

Tsurumi Kawaru couldn't fathom the hostility Curaçao harbored towards him. He watched the trees rushing past the window, mentally rehearsing his words many times before mustering the courage to speak about leaving the organization.

But before he could speak, Curaçao spoke first.

She picked up her phone and glanced at it; it was a message from Rum asking about the progress. Curaçao raised an eyebrow, mentally elevating her assessment of the newcomer by one level.

"From now on, you'll be working with me. Learn and observe as much intelligence as possible, and don't reveal Lord Rum's affairs to anyone. You can stay in the safe house assigned by the organization, but remember you can't stay in a safe house for more than six months. Expenses incurred during missions can be reimbursed, and you can also apply for mission funds before going on a mission..."

"Finally, members without code names within the organization are expendable, so you must obtain a code name as soon as possible."

As soon as they finished speaking, they arrived at their destination.

After Curaçao turned off the engine, she clicked as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She turned to look at Tsurumi Kawaru. The warm yellow lights inside the car made her heterochromatic eyes look somewhat strange.

In the back seat, Tsurumi Kawakami was completely bewildered by her long speech. But he caught the few keywords that mattered most to him, and like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey, he felt he had succeeded again.

"Okay, I understand. I'll get the codename as soon as possible," the black-haired, golden-eyed boy said energetically, clenching his fist.

Curaçao looked at him expressionlessly, her gaze lingering on Tsurumi Kawaru's energetic smile for a moment, then she nodded slightly and said with a hint of satisfaction, "Hmm, good determination."

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There are some personal interpretations.