True Information is Hidden Beneath Gossip
In the end, I held back.
After all, nothing concrete had happened yet. If I revealed it to Gin too early, not only would he not take it seriously, he might even laugh at me.
However…
“So, what’s the deal with your brother-in-law?” I asked, lying on my stomach on the bed, flipping through the latest fashion magazine while having a long phone call with Miyano Shiho. I was still a little puzzled. “Could it be that he found out I’ve been secretly making things difficult for him, so he’s trying to butter me up?”
That shouldn’t be it. In a way, wasn’t I helping him? Could he be overwhelmed by the favor and thanking me?
“You really did that… Also, don’t call him my brother-in-law directly. He and my sister aren’t married yet.”
“Fine,” I agreed casually, turning a page in the magazine. “Do you remember what you said to Mr. Moroboshi? Can you repeat it for me?”
Miyano Shiho didn’t hide anything on this point and repeated the conversation for me directly. While her memory wasn’t as good as mine, it was still quite sharp.
After listening, I fell into deep thought.
Rather than worrying about me making things difficult for him… it felt more like a deliberate attempt to get closer after finding out about my relationship with Gin.
However, compared to Bourbon’s unclear motives, I could understand Moroboshi Dai’s situation better. After all, a person with his personality wouldn’t like having matters involving him in his blind spot; he would definitely want to get to the bottom of it.
Although, apart from their hairstyles, I didn’t really think they looked that much alike.
“Hmm… it’s hard to say. There are other possibilities. I feel like I need to wait and see,” I muttered.
In any case, there was still a long time before the one-month deadline I had agreed upon with Gin. It was better to wait a little longer.
Moroboshi Dai’s skills were indeed formidable. According to mission feedback, his sniping abilities were among the Organization’s T0 team. His other comprehensive qualities weren’t bad either. Perhaps because he used to be a lone wolf, he had no real weaknesses.
In our Organization, there are people who slack off and others who ride on their family’s coattails, but those with real ability do indeed rise through the ranks quickly. I estimated that after building up his record a little more, Moroboshi Dai would be noticed by the Boss and given an official codename.
At that time, I could ask both Bourbon and Moroboshi Dai to help me under the pretext of needing assistance. I firmly believed that such a situation would make it easier for them to reveal their true thoughts, which would be more advantageous for me.
As for Gin’s side of things… how I describe it after the mission is over, well, doesn’t that just depend on my eloquence!
After formulating the plan, I did a mental review, found it to be absolutely perfect, and praised myself inwardly with delight. Then I continued chatting with Miyano Shiho. “By the way, Shiho, the new Hermès bags should be out next week. Want to go check them out together?”
“I can… but didn’t you say before that the new Hermès collection was ugly?”
“Yeah, but after seeing it more, I think it’s okay. Besides, among luxury goods, Hermès bags hold their value better and are easier to use as hard currency. I’ll just treat it as an investment,” I said slowly. “If the Organization ever goes under, these will all be my assets.”
I spend money like water, but it’s not a burden for me. Most of my purchases can be reimbursed under the reason of needing outfits for mission disguises. And because I also do R&D in the technical department and have some patents to my name, I’ve earned a bit of money. The Boss already turns a blind eye to the lavish spending of many in the Organization, so he’s even more lenient with me. Not to mention, I can also sponge off Gin, since he doesn’t actually have many personal expenses.
“But don’t you have to buy other items to qualify for those bags? What else do you plan to buy? Their womenswear isn’t very good-looking.”
“Not just the womenswear, right? All of Hermès’s clothes look ugly to me. I don’t want any of them at all.”
“Then who are you planning to buy for, Gin? But I’ve never seen him wear anything other than that work uniform.”
“I’m definitely not buying them for Gin. I’m the one who sees him the most, so of course I can’t buy him ugly clothes! Although it’s true he rarely wears casual clothes,” I said with a sigh.
Actually, with Gin’s height of nearly 1.9 meters and the good physique he maintains through daily training, he looks good in casual wear. It’s just that he rarely wears it. After all, he’s always in that standard uniform for work. To avoid attracting attention and to accommodate the bulletproof vest underneath, stylishness and handsomeness are certainly not his top priorities. The other clothes he wears are ones I forced him to change into. Specifically, by sneaking into his room while he’s showering and swapping his clothes, leaving the new ones on his bed.
If he ignores me, my goal is achieved. If he gets angry and comes out mid-shower to drag me out or teach me a lesson, I also win.
Either way, I can’t lose.
“As for the ugly clothes I buy to meet the quota, I gave them to Vodka,” I said calmly.
I told Vodka to wear them when he attends his idol’s concerts to show off his wealth. That way, he doesn’t look like a suspicious person, but more like a rich, foolish otaku. Anyway, Vodka was quite happy about it. Afterward, he became much more willing and proactive in giving me his little reports. It’s clear my recycling of unwanted goods to bribe him was a success. I truly am a genius at not being wasteful.
“Whatever… By the way, there was a release of limited-edition Fusae brooches earlier. I bought an extra one. Do you want it?”
“Hm? Yes, I do!”
Sigh, what does she mean she bought an extra one? They’re limited edition. She obviously intended to buy it for me from the start. This little girl’s personality is so contrary.
Most of my jewelry is given to me by others, with the two main culprits being Vermouth and Miyano Shiho. In the beginning, they just gave me gifts normally. Later, after learning that the other had given me quite a bit of jewelry, they started silently doubling their gifts. Although I have no idea why they started competing, as the beneficiary, I didn’t say a word. I just obediently accepted the gifts and thought about what to get them in return.
After all, both of them have excellent taste, and I like everything they pick out.
Of course, besides being investments, my many purchases also have a proper use. These items are indeed part of the setup for my persona.
Who asked for my other long-term persona to be that of a rich young lady?
I gave Pisco a call and had him arrange a driver for me, then went out in disguise.
For this Masuyama Nana identity, I didn’t actually use a Disguise. Instead, I relied on makeup and acting to change my overall aura, adding a pair of glasses at the end. At a glance, I was completely unrecognizable. With a change in my walking posture and voice, it was a success. If I didn’t greet him first, even Vodka wouldn’t be able to recognize me.
I arrived at our meeting spot early, sipping a drink while replying to Bourbon’s earlier email on my phone.
The reason I waited until now to reply was… one, because I was unsure of his motive and thought that if he had a specific goal, he’d be more anxious, so I let him stew for a bit to see what would happen. And two… Vermouth had mentioned that Bourbon asked her what kind of help I had given her. I felt I couldn’t rule out the possibility that he was interested in the favor I did for Vermouth.
“My, aren’t you kind? What do you want as a reward?”
After sending the reply, I put my phone away and looked at the reddish-brown-haired woman with glasses jogging over.
“Sorry, Nana, have you been waiting long?” Matsumoto Sayuri asked, panting.
I showed her the time on my phone. “It’s fine. There are still two minutes until our agreed time. You’re very punctual… But why were you in such a hurry?”
“That’s good…” Matsumoto Sayuri pulled out a chair and sat down, pressing her hands together apologetically with a smile on her face. “It’s because of my dad!”
…Huh? Can I really get to the main topic and obtain the information I want this quickly? Is today’s work going to be unexpectedly easy?
I nonchalantly took a sip of my drink, placed the cup on the table, and asked, “Mr. Matsumoto? Is it about something at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department?”
“Not really…” Matsumoto Sayuri gave a dry laugh, looking a bit awkward and embarrassed as she scratched her head. “It’s because my dad doesn’t like my boyfriend…”
“Oh?” I adjusted my glasses, my face serene. I even made a “please continue” gesture with my hand, then shifted my posture to resemble Commander Ikari. “Tell me the details.”
It’s not that I love hearing gossip! It’s because a lot of information is hidden within people’s gossip!
The story Matsumoto Sayuri told was a rather common trope. She was dating a rich second-generation heir from a conglomerate named Takasugi Toshihiko, and her dad disapproved. This was because the heir was the ex-boyfriend of her best friend, and her dad felt he had ulterior motives and was a good-for-nothing playboy. He was currently in the opposition phase.
Just from hearing the story, I felt I was more on Mr. Matsumoto’s side.
I had heard of the name Takasugi Toshihiko before. He was the adopted son of the Takasugi Group and its heir, but his reputation was that of a profligate son.
Normally, I might have advised Matsumoto Sayuri to think it over, but my main goal right now was to extract information. So, of course, I adopted a pro-free-love stance. While asking for details, I casually managed to find out that Matsumoto Kiyonaga was about to be transferred. I secretly noted it down and, during a break in our chat, excused myself to go to the restroom and sent a message to Vermouth, thus completing this commission.
With the mission accomplished, things became much more relaxed. Now we could just chat about anything.
“So, Nana, you’ll be in Japan from now on?” Matsumoto Sayuri looked quite happy. And having finished talking about her own romantic problems, she seemed very interested in mine, her eyes shining. “What about you, Nana? Is there anyone you like?”
“There is,” I replied calmly, starting to eat the strawberry cake in front of me.
This shop’s cake is pretty good. I should bring Sherry here next time.
“Oh, what kind of person is he?”
“Hmm…” I thought for a long time before giving a solemn definition, “Like a great white shark.”
Matsumoto Sayuri: “?”
I popped the strawberry from the cake into my mouth and was about to say more when my phone buzzed with a new email reply. I thought it was from Vermouth, but when I took it out and looked, I was stunned for a moment.
It was a reply from Bourbon.