Chapter 35 The Whiskey Trio's Daily Life 2 [VIP]

The Whiskey Trio stood silently to the side. Gin, as the person in charge of this base, was naturally very troubled, but he couldn't hit him or punish him severely, so he could only give him a few light reprimands.

Vermouth smiled and said, "This mission is rather difficult, so the three of you can work together." She admired her newly done emerald manicure. "We'll have to rely on you guys to clean up this place."

"..." Gin glanced at the other person's well-maintained fingers and cat-eye green nail polish, and did not refuse.

Just then, Vermouth smelled something burning and couldn't help but ask, "But Bourbon, Ray, how did you manage to blow up the kitchen?"

"Because the kitchen is too old..." To prevent the two of them from arguing again, Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly spoke up.

However, it still didn't stop.

The two of them continued talking, one after the other.

Vermouth couldn't help but chuckle. "But it smells a bit like burnt beef, and... coffee?"

Shuichi Akai snapped out of his reverie, clapped his hands, and exclaimed, "Yes! It was me who made the beef stew with potatoes!" With that, he went into the ruined kitchen and, from who-knows-where, brought out a bowl of beef stew with potatoes; the coffee aroma was even stronger now.

"Did you spill your coffee? It smells so strong." Rei Furuya asked, frowning.

“Coffee? No.” Shuichi Akai shook his head. “I added black coffee to the beef stew with potatoes.”

"What?" Furuya Rei exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of food is this?"

“I think the beef flavor is far from enough; it needs some black coffee to balance it out.” Shuichi Akai said, taking the bowl away and placing it on a wooden box next to him. He wiped the dust off his face and picked up a piece with his chopsticks.

"..." Shuichi Akai was carefully savoring the food he had made, but his expression didn't seem too good.

The bowl of beef stew with potatoes was somewhat dark from the coffee, and a bit thick from overcooking the potatoes. Looking at this bowl of dark, sticky, unidentifiable food, Morofushi Hiromitsu's lips twitched. Noticing that Akai Shuichi's expression was off, he couldn't help but step forward to ask with concern, "Ray, are you alright? This…"

Shuichi Akai put down his chopsticks with a serious expression, took a few napkins to wipe his mouth, and said, "Hmm...not bad."

"..." Morofushi Kagemitsu was speechless for a moment. How could this thing be good? He remembered that he used to teach Zero to cook and tasted many failed attempts. Every single one of them was hard to swallow, but he would still eat a few bites and then comfort and encourage his stubborn childhood friend.

So much so that Morofushi Kagemitsu could tell the quality of food with just a glance. It's amazing that he could finish this stuff without batting an eye.

"Tsk, can this black mud-like stuff taste good?" Furuya Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Here, you try." Shuichi Akai smirked and handed the chopsticks to Rei Furuya, who shook his head in refusal.

"What is our mission this time? Is it difficult?" After extricating himself from the kitchen explosion, Morofushi Kagemitsu looked at Vermouth.

Vermouth smiled and said, "If the three of you work together well, it shouldn't be too difficult. Gin, talk to them about the mission."

Gin said calmly, "The Ruby Building needs to have its confidential documents found and its boss shot."

“Finding classified documents may be difficult,” said Morofushi Kagemitsu.

“No, killing their leader is just as difficult. That guy rarely shows his face, so you’ll need to stake out the location, which could take a long time,” Gin said.

“Then we really need to get a good rest after this mission,” said Morofushi Kagemitsu, rubbing his temples.

"Alright, after this mission is successful, you'll get a two-week paid vacation." Gin said without changing his expression.

“Okay,” Furuya Rei walked over and briefly explained his plan for the operation. “Scott and I will infiltrate the Ruby Building to find classified documents. Rye, you set up a sniper rifle in the building next door and keep a close watch. We don’t know when their boss will show up.”

“I think Scotland and I are a great team, we understand each other well,” Shuichi Akai suddenly said. “I can snipe from high-rise buildings with Scotland, which will make it easier to spot their leader.”

"Huh? If you're not capable, just say so." Furuya Rei looked at him with his crescent-shaped eyes.

Shuichi Akai spread his hands regretfully: "Tsk, what a pity. I wish I had met a partner as compatible as Scotland first."

Morofushi Hiromitsu thought about the problem carefully. He understood that Zero meant well and didn't want him to have any more contact with the dangerous Ray in the organization, but this mission was definitely not that simple. He paused for a moment and said, "I think it's too dangerous for Bourbon to go looking for classified information alone. So I'll keep a sniper rifle on standby over there and watch over you."

"Hmm...that works too." Rei Furuya nodded, his wariness of Rai growing even stronger. Just who is this person?! To think he could make Hiro risk his life like this! Damn it! He's stolen the heart of my childhood friend!!

“Good idea,” Shuichi Akai nodded in satisfaction, glancing at Rei Furuya, who appeared calm on the surface but was filled with displeasure in his eyes, and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow provocatively, “We can each guard one side in a bit, and we can also exchange sniping knowledge while we’re at it.”

Rei Furuya originally planned to drive his childhood friend to the target location and let Rae fend for himself, but Rae drove his red Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and followed Bourbon's silver Mazda like a wild horse chasing a little rabbit.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off. Even though he could have sped up, Shuichi Akai refused to do it. He just stayed close behind the Mazda, maintaining a safe distance.

Jianggu Ling:………………

Morobuchi Kagemitsu smiled and said, "I didn't expect Lai to be so motivated."

Rei Furuya: "This guy is really annoying."

"Actually, it's alright. Lei is quite capable, and his personality is also acceptable."

"Are you speaking up for him? What kind of spell has he cast on you, Scotland?"

"Hmm... I always pay extra attention to capable people." Morofushi Kagemitsu smiled helplessly. This was indeed his mission as an undercover agent; he had to keep an eye on the members within the organization.

The two parked the car far from the Ruby Building, got out, and headed to their destination. Furuya Rei used the tools in the trunk to disguise himself, wearing a beige shirt and a warm-colored cardigan, along with black-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the student.

As Morofushi Kagemitsu watched this scene, he was momentarily dazed, as if he were recalling his middle school years, university years, and countless other years across a long period of time.

Back then, Zero would also wear warm-colored sweaters like that. They would go to the library, stroll around the campus together, and practice bass together in Morofushi Hiromitsu's favorite elective class. Even though Zero knew nothing about it at the time, he would slowly learn and accompany his childhood friend to class.

The first song Zero learned from Hiro was "Hometown," with lyrics by a lyricist from Nagano Prefecture. In the past, Morofushi Hiromitsu would miss his time in Nagano Prefecture, but since meeting and getting to know Zero, he felt that his new home was not bad either.

Morofushi Kagemitsu snapped out of his daze as Akai Shuichi and Furuya Rei started arguing again, which was ultimately pointless.

"Cough, finish the task before you argue." He frowned.

Rei Furuya shut up at the right moment, and Shuichi Akai shut up at the same time.

Morofushi Kagemitsu then put on a gentle smile again: "Alright, let's carry out the mission."

Watching Furuya Rei's figure slowly disappear at the horizon, Morofushi Hiromitsu slung his bass bag over his shoulder and went upstairs with Akai Shuichi to find a suitable sniping spot.

"You and Bourbon have only known each other for a short time and you're already so close. I'm so envious," Shuichi Akai said casually.

“Yes? I feel that Bourbon is easier to get along with,” Morofushi Kagemitsu said seriously.

"Easy to get along with? I never would have guessed."

"Compared to the rest of the organization."

The two tried to look out from each floor, searching for the best view.

Am I among the other people in this organization?

“Yes,” Morofushi Kagemitsu said, having found a suitable spot. He put down his bass bag, took out his carefully maintained bass and the partition, placed the bass on the partition, and then went to assemble his sniper rifle.

"It seems you've misunderstood me." Shuichi Akai shrugged and took out a sniper rifle to begin assembling it.

"...But what's the big grudge between you and Bourbon?" After a moment's hesitation, Morofushi Kagemitsu finally asked the question that had been bothering him all day.

"Oh? This... a man's competitive spirit!"

The two men set up their sniper rifles and adjusted their positions.

Shuichi Akai glanced at the Ruby Tower through his scope. "Their boss won't be here anytime soon. Looks like we'll have to keep watch for a long time."

“That’s normal,” Morofushi Hiromitsu said. “Every sniping operation has to be done slowly.”

"Do you mind if I have a cigarette?" Shuichi Akai asked, somewhat bored.

"...Can smoking really wake you up?" Moribushi Kagemitsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Haha, that's great! It can not only refresh you, but also relieve your worries. Want one?"

"..." Morofushi Kagemitsu hesitated, then couldn't help but press his temples. The long hours of intense concentration during the mission had left him exhausted. "Okay." In the end, he nodded.

Shuichi Akai smiled and handed the other person a cigarette, lighting it for him. "Smoking one now and then won't get you addicted."

"I know." Moribushi Kagemitsu took a bite of his cigarette and couldn't help coughing, which made his eyes water, as if something was on fire in his throat.

"Hey, maybe you shouldn't smoke anymore. What happened?" Shuichi Akai patted the other man's back to help him catch his breath. He was surprised that the other man really didn't smoke and couldn't help but worry. Judging from the way the other man was coughing, it seemed like he was about to cough up his internal organs.

"No...cough cough, it's nothing." Morofushi Kagemitsu waved his hand, still holding the cigarette between his fingers. "I really don't feel that tired anymore, hahaha."

"Oh, okay. But your face is really red."

"Maybe it's because it's my first time smoking and I'm not feeling well." Morofushi Kagemitsu waved his hand helplessly, took a few more puffs, then stubbed out the cigarette and put the butt in his pocket.

They observed the area for several more hours, not daring to relax for even a second.

Shuichi Akai couldn't help but touch the cigarettes in his pocket again. "Hmm... I'd like to have another one. Do you mind?"

A note from the author:

Smoking is harmful to your health! Rae took Hiro smoking with him, watch out for Zero! hhh

(It's said that Matsuda Jinpei started smoking because of Hagiwara Kenji, huh...)