Chapter 152, it's not what you think...
After a brief farewell, Nekono Ikuya restarted the engine, and the black, streamlined body quickly glided into the lane and soon disappeared at the end of the road.
Rei Furuya watched Nekono Ikuya leave until he was completely out of sight before turning away. The tenderness on his face quickly vanished, replaced by his usual calm and collected demeanor. He then turned and walked towards the agreed-upon location.
He hadn't walked far when he saw the inconspicuous car parked in the shadows, and Kazami Yuya sitting in the driver's seat, his expression seemingly no different from usual.
"?" There's no difference, right?
He glanced at Kazami Yuya.
Kazami had clearly been waiting for a while, and the moment their eyes met, he immediately straightened his back: "Mr. Furuya." He respectfully opened the car door.
"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Kazami." Furuya Rei nodded, gesturing for Kazami Yuya to wait until he got in the car before continuing the conversation.
At the same time, I have some doubts.
Is it just my imagination? Why does Kazami seem a little nervous today?
Rei Furuya glanced at Yuya Kazami again.
Kazami Yuya: "!" Kazami Yuya's body stiffened noticeably, and he looked even more nervous.
Jianggu Ling: "..."
Jianggu Ling stopped talking.
Although he is usually a bit strict with Kazami and is a rather stern boss, it shouldn't be enough to make him this nervous.
Is it really that scary?
A Furuya Zero fell into deep thought.
Rei Furuya sat in the back seat, the car door closed, shutting out the outside world.
As Kazami Yuya started the car and smoothly drove into the lane, he quietly reported on the progress of the search for Curaçao, the police's deployment arrangements, and other follow-up matters.
Rei Furuya listened attentively, occasionally asking questions or giving instructions.
The report was temporarily concluded, and a brief silence fell over the car. Kazami Yuya secretly glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror. The man was deep in thought, his profile appearing somewhat hard in the dim light.
Rei Furuya: Rum...Curaçao...
Police officers in deep thought.jpg
Kazami Yuya's lips moved a few times, feeling somewhat hesitant to speak. As a subordinate, he knew he shouldn't pry too much into his superior's private life, but...
Some scenes he had recently witnessed had made this honest man quite uneasy.
Kazami Yuya: Hesitant to speak, yet still wanting to speak; should he speak or not?
Rei Furuya noticed something amiss with the other person in the car and glanced in the rearview mirror, meeting Yuya Kazami's complex gaze, the meaning of which was difficult to decipher. (Yuya Kazami: Gaze Pie Chart.jpg)
"?" Furuya Rei: Kazami is acting strangely today.
“Kazami,” he frowned slightly, “what do you want to say? Just say it.”
Kazami Yuya: "!"
Mr. Furuya found out?!
Then there's no need to hesitate.
He closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and spoke boldly and directly—but no, when he met Mr. Furuya's serious gaze, he immediately chickened out, and so he said hesitantly and subtly:
"Mr. Furuya! I... I know that undercover work is very difficult, requiring you to navigate between various people, and sometimes you even have to make some sacrifices."
He paused, a blush creeping across his face, before stubbornly continuing, "But, but isn't your sacrifice a bit too much? Uh, I mean, your lover?"
Yuya Kazami: I would rather believe that it was Mr. Furuya's sacrifice than believe that his serious and upright boss had mutated. Although he vaguely knew about Bourbon's reputation in the organization, he had the most contact with Furuya Rei.
He spoke the last two words with extreme difficulty, the last syllable almost fading into the wind.
Good heavens, what is he saying?!
Kazami Yuya inwardly groaned, but since the words had already been spoken, there was no going back.
He was genuinely worried!
He had clearly seen the intimate interaction between Mr. Furuya and that outstanding young man with black hair, a wolf tail, and exceptional appearance and demeanor when they said goodbye.
He had previously seen Mr. Furuya and Mr. Nekono on a date outside a cat cafe.
There's also the alluring Sakuragi, the shy Shiraki, and other fleeting, ambiguous romantic interests...
Kazami Yuya felt a chill run down his spine!
He knew that undercover work required disguise and the use of various people and relationships to advance the work; even the police were not a profession with high moral standards or bottom lines.
But... but isn't this going way too far?
Moreover, given the brutal traditions of the Mika people, what if a crime of passion were to accidentally occur?
If the organization fails to eliminate Mr. Furuya, and Mr. Furuya unfortunately dies in this kind of situation instead, then Mr. Furuya would be too wronged!
Kazami Yuya: Praying for my boss's colorful yet fraught emotional life.
I hope he doesn't get hacked to pieces.
Rei Furuya sensed that Yuya Kazami's gaze was a bit strange, as were his words.
What is all this nonsense?
Lovers? Sacrifice?
"What's wrong with my lover? Our relationship is great!"
Although he remained undercover for seven years, it did not affect his relationship with Yumi in the slightest, let alone involve any sacrifice. He wasn't Akai.
No offense intended, but I heard he broke up with his girlfriend to go undercover, and it seems there's no reconciliation.
So what exactly happened? Furuya Rei looked at Kazami Yuuya with a puzzled expression.
Kazami Yuya's gaze shifted for a moment, then he hesitated before adding, "I mean... uh, 'them'." Romantic partners.
Kazami Yuya: One word: Courage!
Kazami Yuya: A subtle look in his eyes.jpg
Jianggu Ling: "...?"
He blinked his purplish-gray eyes, looking at Kazami's hesitant expression, and then considering the half-finished sentence he had just uttered...
Jianggu Zero: "!!!"
Falling valley zero pupil earthquake.
"Wait, it's not what you think!"
...
The motorcycle came to a smooth stop outside the Nekono residence's courtyard. Nekono Ikumi deftly removed her helmet, her black hair slightly disheveled in the wind.
He had changed his clothes, and the disguise of the wolf-tailed youth on his face had been removed, restoring his original handsome and elegant appearance. Even his motorcycle and instrument case were different from before.
He opened the door and walked straight into the house. The room was quiet; Jingguang and Conan had not yet returned.
This did not surprise him.
After thinking for a moment, Nekono Ikuya walked happily to the tea room and slowly began to boil water. He decided to brew himself a cup of soothing herbal tea to relieve his fatigue.
Although he was not tired.
Ikuya Nekono: It's all about rituals! Life needs rituals!
Mood +1.
Just as the kettle began to make a soft chiming sound, the doorbell rang.
Nekono Ikuya looked towards the entrance with some surprise. Who could it be at this time?
Jingguang is still with the Public Security Bureau, and Conan has the key, and he just happened to arrive at the door right after Jingguang returned...
He walked to the door and looked through the peephole. (Nekono Ikuya: Nekono looking through a cat's eyes.)
Standing outside the door was Subaru Okiya.
He was still wearing his signature high-necked shirt—Nekono Ikuya knew this was to conceal the voice changer, the helplessness of someone who couldn't fake a voice.
He was carrying a rather ordinary-looking food box, and with his usual gentle smile on his face, he was patiently waiting.
Ikuya Nekono hallucinated scenes from movies and TV shows, such as: FBI! Open the door!
He raised an eyebrow and opened the door: "Good afternoon, Mr. Okiya. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Subaru Okiya held up the food box in his hand: "Good afternoon, Mr. Nekono. I'm sorry to bother you. I tried making a new dish today, but I accidentally made too much, and I can't finish it all by myself. I thought I might share it with the neighbors, so I took the liberty of coming over."
Yes, the FBI recently spent a large sum of money to rent a house near Ikuya Nekono's home, and now they are neighbors.
He paused, then added, "It should taste pretty good, if you don't mind..."
Nekono Ikuya's gaze lingered on Okiya Subaru's face and the food box for a moment, quite quickly.
He then smiled and said, "How could I mind? Mr. Okiya, you're too kind. Please come in. I just boiled some water; would you like to have a cup of tea?"
"Then I'll take my leave." Subaru Okiya stepped in without hesitation, naturally placing the insulated box on the cabinet next to the entrance, and followed Ikuya Nekono into the tea room, where he sat down at the tea table.
Nekono Ikuya quickly brewed two cups of hot tea, the refreshing aroma filling the air. She placed one cup in front of Okiya Subaru, keeping the other for herself.
"Please use it."
"Thanks."
The two raised their teacups, the rising steam momentarily blurring their faces. For a moment, only the soft clinking of porcelain and the gentle sipping of tea filled the tea room.
A brief silence filled the air with the aroma of tea, but it wasn't awkward. Both seemed to be enjoying the wonderful tranquility.
Sometimes, Ikuya Nekono quite enjoys having tea with Subaru Okiya.
After a while, Subaru Okiya was the first to put down his teacup. His eyes behind his glasses curved slightly, and his tone remained gentle and casual.
"Speaking of which, the weather is nice today. Did Mr. Nekono go out for exercise earlier? He looks even better than usual."
Nekono Ikuya remained calmly holding her teacup, her emerald green cat eyes blinking as the steam rose from the cup, her smile deepening.
"I guess so," he said in a light tone, his voice rising slightly at the end. "I did some light stretching. Sitting for long periods isn't good, you need to go out and stretch your legs sometimes, right?"
After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Subaru Okiya with a smile. "We have a great understanding, don't we? Mr. Okiya, aren't you the same? You seem to be more relaxed today as well? Much more relaxed than usual."
Upon hearing this, Shuichi Akai slowly opened his eyes behind his glasses, revealing a sharp edge instead of his usual harmless, gentle gaze.
"Is that so?" he said slowly, still using Subaru Okiya's pseudo-voice, but it seemed as if he had shed his disguise and gained a touch of sincerity. "Perhaps it's because... I've finally resolved a question that has been puzzling me for so long, and I feel much better now."
He looked up, his dark green pupils meeting Nekono Ikumi's emerald green eyes through the steam from the teacup, an unspoken understanding filling the air.
Nekono Ikuya said softly, "That's wonderful."
That's enough to say.
Neither of them said anything more.
Shuichi Akai looked at Ikuya Nekono's relaxed demeanor...
He didn't actually see through Nekono Ikuya's disguise, but that didn't stop him from getting here.
Just as his ability to so quickly accept the possibility that Bourbon was one of his own, and even to help him without hesitation, was not based on logical reasoning or solid evidence, but rather on intuition and a decisiveness that dared to overturn his past understanding.
The young man with wolf tail hair possesses Morofushi Kagemitsu's sniper rifle and similar sniping techniques; the way he looks at Bourbon is worth pondering.
He was also an expert in disguise—Morofushi Kagemitsu once said that his disguise skills were not learned from Kudo Yukiko, but from the teachings of his close friend.
That's enough for him to make bold guesses, isn't it?
The odds are even.
He won his bet.
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