Chapter 37: The occasion at the winery...tons, tons, tons...
"Is it okay to just let them go back like that?"
Kenji Hagiwara turned around again and glanced at the backs of the three people leaving.
Although it was obvious from the degree of slump in his shoulders that the gig bag he was carrying was most likely filled with a sniper rifle, he still symbolically asked Fushimi Kyoji.
Ugh…
If Lei and the others choose to stay, the atmosphere will become very strange.
"Well, work is more important. It wouldn't be nice to keep customers waiting too long," Hagiwara Kenji said sympathetically. He closed one eye, used his fingers to create a tiny gap, and peered at her through it. "It's a little bit of a shame, though. While I won't get to know Fushimi-chan's friends in depth, I do think we'll be surprisingly compatible."
Matsuda Jinpei said nonchalantly, "Is there anyone in this world you don't get along with?"
"Just consider it a compliment to me, Jinpei~" Hagiwara Kenji winked at him.
“Tsk.”
Hagiwara Kenji briefly instructed the team to pack up, then made an apologetic expression to Fushimi Kyoji from a distance, pointed in the air, and indicated that she was going to go to the car to change out of her police uniform. Then, impatient with his actions, Matsuda Jinpei pressed her shoulders and pushed her into the car.
Fushimi Kyoji didn't have to wait too long, and the two people came out soon after changing into casual clothes.
"It's already this late... Do you want to go get something to drink?" Hagiwara Kenji winked at her suggestively. The 'drink' here clearly didn't refer to a beverage or even water. "Just to calm down after today's unexpected event?"
"A guy who was almost killed by a bomb actually still has the mood to drink... I really can't stand you." Matsuda Jinpei said with a sour face and very disrespectfully.
"Well... don't say that, Jinpei-chan." Seeing his friend's concern hidden beneath his discontent, Hagiwara Kenji smiled and smoothed things over, not ignoring anyone present. He lowered his head slightly and said, "There's a nice izakaya nearby. Jinpei-chan and I occasionally go there for a drink after get off work."
"Eh..." Fushimi Kyoki stretched out his words, "Is this how office workers relax?"
Hagiwara Kenji also cooperated by putting on a miserable expression: "Yeah, life has almost squeezed me into a middle-aged uncle with no motivation at all. I can only rely on drinking to drown my sorrows and complain."
What on earth is this guy talking about with such a handsome face...
"Every time I think about bringing little Fushimi here, the rule 'no drinking for those under 20' comes to mind... It's a bit ironic that a police officer knowingly breaks the law."
Fushimi Kyoji poked his head out: "Then it doesn't matter today?"
Hagiwara Kenji paused for a moment, pretending to think, but was interrupted by Matsuda Jinpei, who couldn't stand his hesitation and blocked the door with his hands. His harmless drooping eyes curved up: "Because I believe that Fushimi-chan is already a qualified adult."
"Hiss...but..." Hagiwara Kenji put his index finger to his lips and whispered mysteriously, "To prevent the innocent store from facing a 500,000 yen fine, this is just one time."
"Would you like to start with a wine that's not too strong?" Kenji Hagihara gently pushed over a glass of light amber wine and asked the player what he thought.
Matsuda Jinpei was even more direct, pushing the juice that the izakaya provided to minors who couldn't drink alcohol in front of him and saying, "Underage guy, drink the juice honestly."
Fushimi Kyoji stared at the low-alcohol wine/juice handed to him by two people, without touching it.
"Don't you like the taste?" Hagiwara Kenji, who had been paying attention to this side, glanced sideways, then noticed that the other person was looking straight at him, and turned his head slightly, "What's wrong?"
"I just feel..."
The player slowly composed his words.
He turned his head left and right to look at the liquor placed in front of the two men.
"This is the first time I've felt that Officer Hagiwara can be very strong."
Kenji Hagiwara glanced across the table and quickly guessed the player's reason. "Since Fushimi-chan has probably never had alcohol before, I took the liberty of recommending a wine that's easier to drink... Sorry, do you want to try the wine we're drinking?"
Hagiwara Kenji took the bottle: "It's bourbon and scotch."
Fushimi Kyoji waited for a while, but didn't hear Moroboshi Dai's code name, so he asked, "Why is there no rye whiskey?"
"Hey, have you discovered my selfish motives?" He was referring to the fact that he ordered drinks with the same names as the band members' stage names. "It's just that we personally prefer bourbon and Scotch."
Matsuda Jinpei immediately distanced himself from the situation with a look of disgust: "Don't take me with you."
The player couldn't help but give Lei a thumbs up in his heart.
Lei...his popularity is so low.
So pitiful.
Love you so much!
"So what would you like to drink, Fushimi-chan? Most of your needs should be met here." asked Hagiwara Kenji.
"I choose..."
The player makes a fist.
"Black Label Whisky!"
If others don’t drink, she won’t drink either!
Fushimi Kyoji lowered his head, approached the wine glass filled with clear amber liquid, and sniffed it.
Holding up the wine glass, Fushimi Kyoji thought for a while, and it didn't seem particularly difficult to accept. He raised his head and took a big sip.
"Hey! You... don't drink that much in one gulp like you're gargling!" Catching a glimpse of the player's movements, Matsuda Jinpei's hand trembled, and he unconsciously raised his voice and shouted, almost wanting to shake the player's shoulder to make her vomit. "You get drunk easily. Do you think this is some kind of beer without alcohol?!"
Unfortunately, players can no longer hear Jinpei Matsuda's voice.
As soon as he entered, Fushimi Kyoji felt something was wrong.
A subtle spicy and smoky taste mixed with the feeling of alcohol filled my mouth. Without any awareness of wine tasting, I simply swallowed it all with a frown. Suddenly, it felt like a fire was burning from my throat to my stomach.
The indescribable wonderful feeling made the players crash.
“…”
"Ah, that's exactly what happened. You drank too much all at once." Hagiwara Kenji said as expected, reaching out to touch the reddening cheek, then retracting his hand before actually touching it. He said with a smile, "You're completely stunned, Fushimi-chan."
When he heard his own name, the player's frozen eyes moved, and then he looked straight at his personal status on the panel.
"*【Drunkenness Buff】Concentration: 30% Continuously in effect... (Remaining time: 02:59:11)"
Although it shows that he is drunk, the player does not feel it.
Lightheadedness or high spirits after drinking alcohol...
None of them.
The game simply imitates the taste of wine.
As for the buff...
This is reflected in the player's field of vision, which is blurry and shaky, a bit like a person with severe myopia riding a pirate ship.
"Hey, are you okay?" Matsuda Jinpei asked uncomfortably.
Fushimi Kyoji subconsciously raised his eyes, and Matsuda Jinpei appeared in front of him in a vertical wave: "..."
It's a bit disgusting to watch it for a long time.
Jinpei Matsuda looked at the girl, confused, as she stretched out her hand to him. What did it mean?
The next second, his face was fixed on both sides by someone's hands.
The low body temperature made him shudder, and the slight drunkenness he felt instantly disappeared. What was worse was that the drunkard in front of him had no control over his strength at all, and his face... was squeezed together!
He could already hear Hagi's laughter.
Jinpei Matsuda glanced to the side with his dead fish eyes, while Kenji Hagiwara was laughing so hard that he couldn't even lift his hands, and he was still holding up his mobile phone and taking pictures of him frantically.
I can imagine how long Hagi will keep these photos. Maybe he will show them to that bastard Furuya later...
"...You bastard." Matsuda Jinpei, who had broken free, scolded him with a smile, "Your alcohol tolerance is too poor."
Fushimi Kyoji said to him seriously: "I'm not drunk."
"Yeah, yeah..." Matsuda Jinpei agreed nonchalantly, not even raising his eyelids, and said perfunctorily, "Usually, every drunk I've ever met says that."
Player: “…”
I actually don't believe it.
I'm clearly not drunk! It's just that the game automatically makes my vision dizzy!
"Well, it would be better if you mix it with a drink." Hagiwara Kenji handed over the mixed wine and instructed, "But you have to drink it in small sips to avoid choking."
Fushimi Kyoji held the cup, listened to what Hagiwara Kenji said, and took a sip.
The sweetness neutralizes the original taste, and the alcohol taste is not so obvious now, so great!
"*【Drunkenness Buff】Concentration: 50%"
What is this concentration?
After taking another sip, the [Concentration] jumped to 70% right before the player's eyes.
...Huh?
What if it's 100%?
"*Would you like to end all schedules for today and move directly to the next day?"
"[Yes] (Lock) / No"
【skip】
「*14:50→6:00」
wait……
The player's eyes went dark.
Fushimi Kyoji slumped limply onto the table.
"Ah, I fell asleep already."
Kenji Hagiwara said.
"I forgot to remind Fushimi-chan not to drink too much. Diluting the drink makes it taste better, but it makes it easier to drink too much without realizing it."
Knock knock——
There were two short knocks in quick succession, and Hagiwara Matsuda all looked towards the source of the sound. A blond young man was leaning against the door. Seeing them looking over, he slowly withdrew his hand and said, "I'll pick up our agent."
It was probably a cover-up that all three people present understood tacitly.
Afterwards, he returned again using the excuse of helping Fushimi Kyoji pay the bill.
There are no outsiders this time, and there is no need to consider anyone when exchanging information.
Without saying a word, Furuya Ling went straight to the point: "I want to know what you think of her."
No specific names were mentioned, but everyone present knew who 'she' was referring to.
Matsuda Jinpei chuckled, his tone thick with hostility: "I thought you were here to explain your whereabouts during this time."
Furuya Rei lowered his eyes: "I really want to..."
"Just as you saw," Jinpei Matsuda interrupted him unkindly, "that guy prevented the explosion, allowing you to still see us here."
At that time, he was responsible for dismantling bombs in other places, which did not prevent Matsuda Jinpei from adding himself in.
"Hey, Hagi, why don't you say something?" Matsuda Jinpei, who was unhappy with his colleague's official attitude, turned his target to his silent friend.
Kenji Hagiwara lowered his eyes and stroked the wall of the glass with his fingertips. He stared at the glass filled with amber wine, as if he didn't hear his friend's call, and didn't answer for a long time.
What does he think?
“…”
He just felt...
The scenes of their previous interactions appeared in Hagiwara Kenji's eyes.
The other images flashed by quickly, leaving only unclear afterimages, but the pair of bright green eyes staring straight at him remained unchanged.
...That's not the look a bad kid would have.
"So..."
Matsuda Jinpei's voice was impatient. He stood up and looked down at the dark-skinned colleague sitting next to him. "What answer do you want from us?"
"Xiao Zhenping, you..." Hagiwara Kenji was slightly stunned.
Matsuda Jinpei ignored Hagiwara Kenji for the moment, closing the distance between himself and Furuya Rei, and spoke word by word, "We are not what you think. Just because she appears harmless, you forget her identity as a member of a criminal organization."
"Since you value Hagi, isn't it natural for you to feel grateful to the person who saved her? Of course, blond bastard, you're also my important friend. I won't ask you to turn her against me, protect her, or even get her out of that organization, putting you in a dangerous situation where your identity might be exposed."
The mask of silence on Rei Furuya's face finally cracked, but his downcast eyes concealed his true emotions at the moment.
Jinpei Matsuda didn't mind not getting an answer.
"Don't think of using our attitude to slack off."
Ultimately, the one in the dark is Rei Furuya, and being influenced by the kindness they show to the people in the organization would definitely be fatal.
This kind of thing requires him to experience and feel it personally, understand what kind of person the other person is, and then make a careful judgment.
As an undercover agent, decisions concerning your own life safety must be made with extreme caution.
As a friend, Jinpei Matsuda would never want to see the names of Rei Furuya or Kagemitsu Morofushi appear on the list of martyrs.
"It's just me personally..." Matsuda Jinpei paused, then raised his hand holding the wine glass and drank the remaining wine in one gulp. His voice was calm, and his true emotions could not be heard. "I want to believe that she is not a hopeless bastard."
"...I understand." After a long silence, Furuya Rei replied.
After chatting with them a little more about Morobushi Kagemitsu's recent situation, Fūya Rei looked at the time and said goodbye to them. He stood up, pushed open the shop door, and stepped back into the shadows.
It was not until Rei Furuya completely disappeared from his sight that Kenji Hagiwara withdrew his gaze from him.
"Xiao Zhenping, you said something very cool again."
"Huh?" Matsuda Jinpei, who was completely unaware of this, made an incomprehensible tongue-twisting sound.
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The author has something to say: Matsuda: n) = 3 = (n
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