Chapter 159 – Eriri's Blonde Twin Tails Are Simply Too Wonderful? The Joy of Catching from Behind!
"Fine, since you've put it that way, I'll go meet him. But before that, have you arranged everything properly?"
Recently, she had nothing to do. She even visited the angel, who was still the same as before.
Vermouth thought it was fine to accept. Coming back here gave her an excuse to handle matters. If she kept refusing, it would look bad.
Not that she cared—taking this task was simply to kill time.
"Mn."
Gin gave a short reply, though he had no confidence inside. That man was nothing like anyone he had dealt with before.
He suddenly realized—if Renji ignored him, wouldn't he lose all face in front of Vodka and Vermouth?
[There's a job. About the weapons you wanted last time, I can get them for you!]
Gin truly felt he had no dignity left with Renji.
Just to make him agree, he had revealed his hand first.
[Are you sure?]
From how the Black Organization behaved in the movies, it wasn't impossible. But Renji wanted a lot.
Not just destroyers—helicopters and bombers too.
In the pirate world, since he had the strongest creature of land, sea, and sky, shouldn't he also build the strongest land, sea, and sky pirate crew?
Unfortunately, the Float-Float Fruit had already been eaten by Shiki the Golden Lion.
And even with that fruit, it wasn't truly land-sea-sky supremacy. Aerial combat power was still lacking.
Because the ability gave only one person flight, unlike the Earth-Light-Weight Technique, it couldn't make the whole army fly.
So armed helicopters were desperately needed. At sea, if attacked from the air, wouldn't they just be targets?
And helicopters or bombers could be piloted by any random soldier.
[Confirmed. But this job is tricky, and you must give me that thing!]
After being burned last time, he made sure to lay it out clearly.
[Fine, but you sell me those things at a thirty percent discount. And that item? I'll pay for it separately. Treasure money and job money are two different things!]
This damned money-grubber!
Gin almost lost his composure.
But deep down, Renji's obsession with payment reassured him. At least he still wanted money. If he asked for nothing, that would be suspicious.
[I'll send someone to work with you.]
[Fine.]
"He agreed?"
Vermouth snuffed out her cigarette, stood, and headed for the door. "Just let me know when."
"Mn."
So it was settled?
Now it was up to Vermouth.
This first task was only to test Renji's ability. If he proved himself, Gin would consider drawing him in.
If there were no issues, then Renji could be absorbed into the organization fully.
This mission was just the pretext.
"Boss, business came in?"
After finishing her meal, Miko cleaned up the boxes. She looked at Renji, who had suddenly leapt up from his chair. Clearly, work had come knocking.
Were their days of hardship finally ending?
"Not the agency's business."
Renji didn't want his side jobs mixed with the office.
The agency was meant for public matters. His phantom thief identity was not to be known.
"When will we ever get a real case, boss?"
Miko rested her head on her palm, bored, staring out the window. At first she came here just to survive. Later, because it was interesting, she wanted to try exorcism with Renji.
But in the end, she had gone from client to employee. And no other customers ever came.
"Normal. Most people don't believe in ghosts."
Even with countless supernatural incidents, most dismissed them as urban legends.
Renji also knew—if anyone did seek help, it would be from famous masters, not some newly opened agency.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. His eyes lit up as he looked at Miko.
"You're surrounded by ghosts, aren't you? Go look for some ghost nests."
"Boss, if you want me dead, just say it!"
Miko's dead-fish eyes fixed on him in despair. To her, this was no different from suicide.
"Yet you keep saying you're bored."
When given stimulation, she called it death. When idle, she called it boring.
"I'm just worried about this office. We opened it and have no clients. As an employee, of course I care about expenses like rent and utilities!"
"You're right. Miko, you're such an excellent employee—you should pay the company's wages!"
Renji nodded seriously. Since she was so mature, he'd give her a chance to pay his salary.
"Hopeless. Boss, you're really hopeless."
"Enough teasing. Keep an eye online. Spread our agency's name. Call me if anything comes up. I'm leaving now!"
Renji rose from his chair, grabbed his coat, and put it on. He had an appointment tonight and couldn't stay.
Leaving her and Sadako behind together—was he a devil?
"So… can I go too?"
Sadako, seeing him prepare to leave, also wanted to go. At least in her well, she was freer.
When Miko heard that, she felt relief. As long as Sadako left, she, the senior employee, wouldn't be eaten.
"No. You both must stay until five o'clock. After that, you can leave. And from now on, you'll work overtime. I'll put a punch clock here to record your hours!"
Damn capitalist. He should be strung up on a lamppost.
In that moment, both Sadako and Miko cursed him silently.
He could leave whenever he wanted, but they had to stay late. A double standard perfectly mastered!
"And don't leave early. Miko, your job is to search for potential cases. Sadako, you'll hand out flyers. You can crawl out of TVs, right?"
"This…"
Sadako hesitated. But one look at Renji's eyes, and she decided to agree.
If she didn't, who knew what crazy thing he'd come up with.
Advertising it was.
She had just joined, after all. She might as well contribute.
"Work hard, both of you. Whoever contributes the most, I'll name Employee of the Month!"
Employee of the Month?
Sadako suddenly felt a weight called responsibility settle on her shoulders.
"Boss, don't worry. I'll become this agency's number one employee!"
She even cast Miko a challenging look. That gaze said it all—she wanted the title.
But… it was just a meaningless title. Was it really worth caring about?
"Don't worry, I won't compete with you."
Miko's weak reply made it clear she couldn't match Sadako's zeal.
"Hmph. Don't think I don't see through your trick. You want me to relax, then swoop in for Employee of the Month!"
"Smart! Sadako, you're so clever!"
Renji gave her a big thumbs-up, praising her endlessly.
Her brain circuits were incredible!
He finally knew how to "manage" Sadako.
"Hmph, don't underestimate my wisdom!"
What was she even proud of?
Miko couldn't help but admire Sadako's lack of intelligence. So easily tricked, and yet since Sadako believed it wholeheartedly, Miko decided not to interrupt her illusion. If Sadako worked hard, maybe she herself could slack off a little.
"Alright, Sadako, then make sure to supervise Miko while you work hard. Do your best!"
"Mhm, boss, don't worry!"
"..."
So everything she just thought had been for nothing?
Miko had assumed Sadako wouldn't affect her at all, but now it seemed Renji was far more sinister than she imagined—he had made Sadako monitor her.
And Sadako had agreed so quickly? Just why was she integrating so fast?
Was she now part of their little play as well?
[Tomorrow night at eight. I'll manage the timing. I'm busy tonight.]
[Fine.]
On the other end, Gin noted the time and forwarded the message to Vermouth.
"Big brother, he didn't say the place."
They had only a time, no location. Vodka frowned—were they planning to meet by telepathy?
"He gave a code. Not my problem. Let Vermouth figure it out."
"What code? I didn't see one."
Vodka thought back. That text had no code at all. Why hadn't he seen it?
"Don't waste your brain, Vodka."
"Alright, big brother."
He admitted it was a waste. Just thinking about it made his trigeminal nerve ache. Best to stay the underling—thinking wasn't his job.
"Control the time? Like a phantom thief and detective? Not cute at all."
Vermouth mused over the coded words. Where exactly was "control the time"?
"Miss, you seem troubled. Want me to listen?"
"Not interested."
Vermouth rose, left money on the bar, glanced at the man with a contemptuous smile, and walked out.
Another boring attempt at a pickup.
She had no time to waste. Tonight she had to crack this puzzle.
Gin seemed to care a lot about it, yet had thrown the problem onto her shoulders.
That was why she hated working with him.
Rain began to fall as she stepped out. Droplets streaked down her cheeks. Looking up at the sky, the downpour seemed ready to burst.
"Shi Yu-chan, didn't you say it was just the two of us tonight? Why is Eriri here too? Is this supposed to be some kind of extra program?"
"You stupid loudmouth! What are you saying?!"
Eriri's eyes widened at Renji's words. She nearly jumped in outrage.
It was infuriating!
What did he mean, her tagging along was just to spice things up?
She hadn't even wanted to come. But when she learned Kasumigaoka Shi Yu had invited Renji alone, she couldn't risk them doing anything beyond friendship. Losing like that was unacceptable.
"Indeed, he's just all talk."
Though she and Eriri never got along, Kasumigaoka Shi Yu agreed on that much.
If only he would act instead of boast.
"Ahem, who says I'm just talk?"
"So, Renji-kun, if you had to choose between me and Eriri right now, who would you take away?"
Since he had already brought it up, Shi Yu wasn't going to waste the chance. As she spoke, she subtly emphasized her advantages. Compared to Eriri, hers should be clear enough.
"Can't I take you both?"
"Fine by me."
Shi Yu lifted her chin and nodded in agreement.
"No way! You idiot, didn't you hear that fat woman's hidden meaning?!"
Eriri whipped her twin tails at Renji in anger. But before she could strike, he grabbed both sides.
"Mhm, looks like Renji-kun has already learned the proper way to use twin tails."
Shi Yu's eyes gleamed with mischief. At that, Eriri froze. She realized this scene had appeared in certain books before.
A girl with twin tails—once seized, those tails became steering handles.
"What about Megumi? Isn't she with you two?"
Strange.
He had pushed for the three girls to become a group of friends. By now, they usually did everything together.
Especially Kato Megumi, who had always had low presence. With two good friends, she had started sticking close to them often.
"Megumi hasn't been with us lately. She hasn't joined us for a while."
Shi Yu also found it odd.
They used to walk home together every day. Recently, Megumi hadn't joined them at all.
"Eriri?"
"Let go of me!"
Eriri blushed in anger. He still had hold of her twin tails and now wanted her to answer him too?
"Megumi's been taking leave lately. I don't know why."
"Leave?"
Renji was surprised. Was she unwell?
"Mn. She hasn't told me the reason. Just that she's absent."
"Should we go see her?"
The date was already ruined by Eriri's presence, and Shi Yu had lost interest. She had wanted time alone with Renji to use her methods. Maybe then she could have won him over.
But with Eriri here, that was impossible.
"We should go check."
Eriri, too, was worried. Megumi was one of her few close friends. Whether she was sick or something else, she had been absent too long. As a friend, it was right to visit.
"Alright."
Renji, though all talk most of the time, knew when to be serious. He had expected something from Shi Yu tonight, but with Eriri present, that was impossible.
As for Megumi, her situation piqued his curiosity.
He had been busy with the office lately and hadn't gone to school. He hadn't known Megumi was absent too.
(End of Chapter)
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