Chapter 51 It rained at the winery, and my heart

“…”

The officer in charge of picking him up was silent for a long time, and his tall figure in the shadows slumped a little, as if he was sighing.

"Since you insist on asking..."

He also raised his eyes in the darkness, his lips moving: "Also, I think..."

The man, who was much older and more experienced than the young man, noticed that he was hesitant to speak and quickly took over.

"Feel free to ask for anything. Although the spy within the Public Security Bureau hasn't been found yet and your identity can't be restored for now, you can only contact me directly. However, I will do my best to meet any request within my ability."

"...Yes, I understand." He was neither humble nor arrogant, with a gleam in his eyes.

After graduating from the police academy with excellent grades and being offered an olive branch by the Japanese police, he had already examined and confirmed the path he wanted in his heart, and naturally would not make a request that would embarrass his superiors.

However, expressing the thoughts that he had been hesitating about for a long time to others truthfully still made him feel inexplicably hesitant.

Fortunately, after I started speaking, everything became smooth and there was no longer the difficulty at the beginning.

"I'd like to apply for a witness protection program."

He paused and said, "I will use my personal name as a guarantee."

"Who is the one being protected?"

"Fushimi Kyoki."

…………

…

"Has Scotland contacted you recently?"

Standing in front of the vending machine with the person next to him, when the other person looked distressed about making a choice, the long-haired young man in a knitted hat and carrying a gig bag opened his mouth, his lips moving imperceptibly, keeping the volume neither too loud nor too low, just enough not to be ignored by Fushimi Kyoki, but not loud enough for others to hear the specific content.

The player stared intently at the snacks being pushed off the shelf, replying to Lei, "Um... no."

Could it be that the character is reminding her that if Scotland's favorability reaches the required level, she will receive a message from the other party?

Shuichi Akai took in the other party's reaction, as if he didn't think Scotland would contact her on her own initiative. She didn't show any dissatisfaction with the player staying in front of the vending machine for a long time. After the snacks fell out, she leaned over and reached out to lift the baffle at the pickup port to make it easier for Kyoji Fushimi to take out the snacks.

Instead of asking further questions, it aroused the curiosity of those around him.

"What's wrong?"

Ley neither confirmed nor denied it, saying only, "I don't know how he's been doing since that day, and I'm a little concerned."

"Scotland has the closest relationship with Bourbon. After escaping, they will definitely report their safety to Bourbon. As long as they ask Bourbon, they can find out about Scotland's situation..." Fushimi Kyoji was halfway through his words when his eyes finally fell on the side of Lei's face. He stopped talking suddenly, his eyes sparkling, and he said meaningfully, "...Oh~"

Faced with the players' belated realization, Shuichi Akai reacted calmly, without any disgust at being teased, and seemed to have calmly accepted the fact that Bourbon disliked him.

I don't know if it's because they're used to acting as a group of four, but without Scotland, Bourbon was quickly ordered to act alone, leaving only the player and Rye. After revealing his identity, Shuichi Akai wasn't as taciturn in front of the player as before, and occasionally he would still feel a little uncomfortable.

——For example, now.

Facing the candy bag that Fushimi Kyoki held up to him, Akai Shuichi lowered his eyes, picked up a blue-green hard candy at random, and put it in his mouth without hesitation. No emotion could be seen on his cold face.

Fushimi Kyoji looked at the strange-tasting candy in his hand and then at Lei.

In order to make it easier to play pranks on others, there are no standard colors corresponding to the flavors on the packaging bags.

If Bourbon and Scotch are also there, players can guess the flavor of the one Rye chose from their reactions!

...Although Toru Amuro won't give her a direct answer.

"How does it taste?" The player leaned in eagerly.

Akai Shuichi lowered his eyes and shifted the mint candy in his mouth. A slightly spicy and refreshing feeling that was not unbearable filled his mouth: "Not bad."

Fushimi Kyoji looked at Lei suspiciously, trying to find some flaws, but unfortunately he found nothing.

She picked through the bag, finding a candy of the same color, staring intently at Lei, not missing a single expression.

Sniff.

The chocolate layer on the outside doesn't smell like anything...

Seeing her hesitate, Akai Shuichi put the mint candy into his mouth, savored it for two seconds, and then... froze.

“…”

"...It's raining." The player's face immediately turned cold and he said with a blank expression.

Akai Shuichi first quickly analyzed the possibility that this was some kind of secret code in his mind, and at the same time glanced around: "Where?"

The player opened his half-moon eyes faintly: "My heart."

After a moment of confusion, Lei understood what the player wanted to express.

Confused by his expression and stung by the mint, are you expressing your dissatisfaction by saying it's raining in your heart?

Not wanting to be tortured by the mint flavor until the candy was fully dissolved, the player simply swallowed the candy with difficulty, even though Lei beside her looked ready to use the Heimlich maneuver to prevent her from suffocating.

Fushimi Kyoji put away the strange-tasting candy and tried to win back the game from Bonito later.

...However, since the last time I played Bourbon's personal cg, I haven't spoken a word to Bourbon for a while.

There were players who partnered with Lei to carry out missions, but he couldn't be seen, which made Fushimi Kyoji think.

Is the task so busy?

Could it be that Rum is very optimistic about Bourbon? She and Rye are very relaxed.

"Maybe we can get some updates on Scotland from Bourbon next time we see him," the player suggested. "We haven't heard from Scotland in a while, and even the safe house I told him about doesn't seem to have been entered."

Speaking of which, this temporary base is a promotion gift given by Vermouth to players who have obtained code names.

"I originally thought that if there was nowhere to go in Scotland, there might be a place for him to recuperate."

Akai Hide's pupils moved slightly, and a flash of the address quickly passed through his mind.

It was that day when he accidentally overheard the conversation between Black Label Whisky and Scotland. His sensitivity to information made him unconsciously memorize the address.

"It's better to be cautious. Attracting Gin's attention will only make the whole thing more troublesome."

The player said nonchalantly: "Senior Gin probably doesn't have the energy to pay attention to us."

Hearing the player addressing Gin with honorifics even when she was not around, Shuichi Akai didn't even frown, but just looked at the top of her head.

"He and Vodka have been tasked with monitoring Sherry, so I'm afraid they won't be able to get away for the time being."

Shuichi Akai had heard of the sherry in the organization.

But it is limited to knowing that the other party is a scientific research talent favored by the organization.

"How much do you know about sherry?" Ley asked.

The advantage of having a public identity is that he can ask directly in similar situations instead of beating around the bush or simply giving up on getting the answer from the other person.

Sherry?

Players didn't pay much attention to her.

Click on the magnifying glass icon behind the name of [Sherry], and the current [Perception] value of the player will instantly pop up the keyword about Miyano Shiho.

【Miyano Atsushi】

【Elena Miyano】

【APTX4869】

The names and content above were read to Lei, and Fushimi Kyoji, who was walking slowly, looked into her gentle blue eyes through the glass of the street cafe.

The player leaves Lei, who is lost in thought.

When it comes to cooking food without cooking, Lei shows a proficiency that is hard to ignore.

But even though the ingredients are the same, the texture of the sandwich is still different from what you get in the store.

The waiter who put the two sandwiches into a paper bag generously shared some tips on how to improve the taste: "Wait until the last step to wash the lettuce and dry it out. This will help the lettuce maintain its best texture. If you prepare it in advance, it won't be as crispy."

As Zhu Fujingguang spoke, his voice gradually lowered, and finally he stopped talking.

Fushimi Kyoji came to his senses after hearing no one speak, picked up the packed food, paid, and left.

You can't skip the dialogue, so it can be boring sometimes, especially in scenes where there are no characters to pursue, and you just know that it's just a side story that has nothing to do with the main storyline.

Zhu Fujingguang's gaze followed the other person until he disappeared from his sight.

This was the first time he felt the... distance that Black Label Whisky brought to strangers?

Or rather, indifference.

A guest stopped him and Zhu Fujingguang paused.

The other party just came to ask why there were no cocktails on the menu.

He lowered his head slightly: "Sorry, we don't sell alcohol to the public."

“Eh—why is that…” There are many coffee shops that serve drinks, and this answer immediately caused a wave of complaints.

He smiled apologetically, but showed no intention of relenting.