Just How Awkward Is This?
I knew Gin wouldn’t give up that easily.
But it’s fine—I’ve prepared for a long-term battle… Although the progress bar unexpectedly accelerated and I achieved a small goal ahead of schedule, I’ve decided to stick to the original plan.
After all, it’s been proven feasible now!
Thinking this, I considerately asked, trying hard not to look too eager: “A Zhen, is there anything you want to ask me?”
The silver-haired young man narrowed his eyes slightly, stared at me for a long moment, then slowly replied: “No.”
After saying this, he released me and went about his own business.
I watched his retreating back, pursed my lips, and my gaze turned resolute. This guy isn’t questioning me because he knows that if he asks, I’ll immediately press him to acknowledge our relationship!
Whatever. Since Gin says this isn’t dating, then we’ll pretend it’s not.
After today, he can forget about finding anyone else to do it with anyway.
Though I have been behaving quite well recently… Besides worrying about whether my body can handle it, another important reason is that the Boss assigned me a mission.
Although I’m also in the intelligence division, I don’t often go out to collect intelligence—my work focuses more on recording and categorizing information. The missions the Boss gives me are mostly development projects from the technical division.
While I often fail to complete the actual assigned tasks, I do develop other things… Anyway, research and development naturally involves processes and uncertainties, and I have produced results… just not the ones the Boss originally specified.
In short, as a developer, I’m actually quite capable. Because I’m trusted, I’m also the overall head of technical R&D, with no immediate supervisor getting in the way besides the Boss himself.
But my failure to deliver what the Boss wants isn’t due to laziness or incompetence… The Boss’s requirements are just utterly unreasonable, to the level of being that ridiculous client.
Why would anyone want to use programming to manipulate time?! Boss, do you think this is quantum physics from movies?! Unless we upload human consciousness entirely to create AIs! But with our current scientific capabilities, that’s way too difficult! And even if we succeed, would someone who becomes an AI still be the same person?! This isn’t like Uploaded Intelligence in “Pantheon”!
The Boss must really be getting old. When people age, they fear death and seek immortality—especially those with power and influence.
I’m increasingly convinced our Organization’s leader isn’t up to par, always hiding and never showing their true face. You know, the last person who did that got overthrown by a fifteen-year-old boy in nine days and sent into infinite death. I’m growing more certain this Organization has no future, and I need to do something.
That’s exactly why… I’m so desperate to understand why Gin protects me so much.
Because… I need to know which side he’ll choose if I ever come into conflict with the Organization.
“Sherry, your drug research is focused on neurotoxins, right?” When my own project hit a bottleneck, I decisively chose to go bother someone else, feeling that even biology research I normally had no interest in suddenly seemed fascinating. “I heard it’s a toxin undetectable by current technological means?”
“Correct, so be careful and stop playing with those test tubes over there.” Miyano Shiho said with half-lidded eyes, “Must you disturb others every time your research hits a wall? Can’t you go bother Gin instead?”
“Seriously! You’re not just ‘others’!” I winked at her and replied honestly, “Besides, Boss Gin is from the execution team – I can’t exactly bother him.”
“…You actually considered it? I was just joking. If it were during a mission, even you would get punished, right?” Miyano Shiho was shocked, though she quickly accepted it as typical behavior from me and stopped paying attention. “Make sure to put the documents back properly after reading them.”
“Don’t worry, my memory can guarantee these documents will be restored exactly as they were.” I gave her an OK sign and continued reading.
Miyano Shiho’s project wasn’t original but inherited – a legacy project from the Miyano couple. The Miyano couple had actually developed a prototype already, but everything was destroyed in an accidental fire, including both research results and data… Subsequently, Miyano Shiho was trained to inherit this project, attempting to reverse-engineer the research using the surviving fragments of data.
When you looked deeper, the Miyano couple hadn’t been part of the Organization for long either – just two years before they encountered that fatal fire… Miyano Shiho was only one year old at the time.
Vermouth never concealed her dislike for the Miyano couple, even extending that resentment to the Miyano sisters… What exactly happened between her and the Miyano couple during those two years that left her so unforgiving?
As researchers, the Miyano couple shouldn’t have had much interaction with Vermouth… Could it be about the research results? If it’s drug research… Could the Miyano couple’s drugs have killed someone important to Vermouth?
Damn, although I’ve been in the Organization for a long time, I couldn’t access much information as a child. Plus, I spent most of my time being emo, studying, and outwitting Boss Gin, so I never paid attention to this aspect.
“Sherry, this drug was originally your parents’ research project, right? Are the remaining research materials in the lab?” I asked.
Miyano Shiho kept her head down while recording experimental data. “Yes, they are. Just check the computer directly.”
I had helped upgrade her lab’s security system, including the computer’s firewall, so naturally I knew all the passwords. I logged in and started browsing quickly. I skimmed over all the specialized knowledge since I only half-understood most of the technical terms anyway – no need to comprehend them fully.
There wasn’t much surviving information, so within ten minutes I found what I was looking for – the list of people who had died during this drug’s testing.
Nobumoto Shoji, Toyoshima Minoru, Kohji Haneda…
I memorized all the names while simultaneously searching through the information in my mind for any possible clues.
Wait a minute… The name Kohji Haneda sounds familiar… I frowned, switched windows to look it up, and discovered he was a professional shogi player who was murdered twelve years ago while participating in an international chess competition in the United States. The killer was never found, and it remains an unsolved case.
Hmm… I actually know how he died.
But this timing…
America, twelve years ago, killed by the Organization’s experimental drug…
“…Ah.” I couldn’t help but make a sound, my expression showing sudden realization. I remember eight years ago, when Rum failed to train me and shoved me back to Gin’s side, Gin disdainfully mocked Rum, mentioning that four years earlier Rum had caused quite a mess… which would also be exactly twelve years ago.
“What’s wrong?” Miyano Shiho noticed my deep concentration and looked over to ask.
“Nothing, I just suddenly remembered some things from the past.” I closed the computer window and smiled at her, bringing up an old matter. “Sherry, you know I have issues with Rum, right?”
“Yes, you’ve mentioned it.” Miyano Shiho nodded. “Was it because Rum previously wanted to train you as his subordinate and arranged many courses for you?”
“Exactly. At that time, my Hyperthymesia had already been discovered, and since I inherited my parents’ talent in IT, Rum was quite envious and directly requested to take me under his wing for training. Back then, Gin was only twenty years old with shallow foundations and couldn’t refuse, so I went. Then because aside from my memory and technical talent, I was a mess in other areas and physically weak, Rum tossed me out again.”
Though thinking back carefully, he didn’t really want to refuse at the time—it seemed more like he was getting rid of a hot potato. Anyway, after Rum discarded me, Vermouth took over. She didn’t raise me for long before I found an opportunity to put myself in danger, Gin came to rescue me, and afterward I returned to his side…
“Ah, so this is the root of the conflict between Gin and Rum?” Miyano Shiho asked, a hint of curiosity on her face.
I was stunned by her guess and looked at her with a complicated expression, hesitating before finally nodding decisively and brazenly declaring, “You could say that!”
Although their conflict is essentially due to clashing interests… I was the earliest source of their confrontation, so how could this not be considered a root cause!
But this was just an accidental discovery regarding Rum’s problems… I should ask Gin for the specifics later and see if there’s any way to use this against Rum.
I haven’t forgotten why I looked this up in the first place.
“Let’s not talk about unpleasant things. Sherry, would you like to see your sister?” I rested my chin on one hand, smiling at her. “Let’s have dinner together tonight!”
I want to see Akemi Miyano to ask about the Miyano couple.
After all, Miyano Shiho was just born at the time, but Akemi Miyano is the same age as me and was already 8 years old then, so she must have memories.
Bringing Miyano Shiho along will make it easier to ask about the Miyano couple. With Miyano Shiho present, Akemi Miyano will treat it as a time to talk to her sister about their parents, so she definitely won’t lie…
“So, what exactly did you want to ask my sister that required this special meeting?” Miyano Shiho asked, crossing her arms and glancing sideways at me as we waited early at the restaurant.
Looking up from the menu I’d been browsing, I smiled at her and said, “I wanted to ask about your parents… I’m quite curious about the history between Vermouth and your parents.”
Miyano Shiho narrowed her eyes slightly. “Vermouth again…”
I closed the menu and looked at her curiously. “Oh? Does this bother you, Sherry?”
She turned her head away, somewhat awkwardly replying, “Not at all. It has nothing to do with me.”
Well… This was just like Sherry’s personality – genuinely a bit tsundere when dealing with people she’s close to. And she’s so mature for her age too. It’s precisely because of this that I sometimes particularly feel like teasing her.
Like right now.
“How can you say that to me, darling!” I got into character immediately, springing up and striding over to the decorative screen in two or three steps, putting on a show of preparing to leave while stamping my foot for emphasis. “If that’s how you’re going to be, don’t blame me for stepping out! Hmph!”
“Wait! Don’t go! I’m sorry! It’s my fault…” Miyano Shiho shot up instantly, almost reflexively reaching out, her expression and tone both carrying a hint of panic.
I hadn’t expected her to play along so well. Falling silent, I stopped and looked at her meaningfully with an expression that said “you’re quite the player too.”
After two seconds of silence, Miyano Shiho quickly came around behind me and wrapped an arm around my neck. “What kind of nonsense are you playing at!”
“Cough, cough,” I choked out, begging for mercy, “Sorry, but you were clearly having fun with it too.”
It was at this moment that Akemi Miyano and Moroboshi Dai arrived at the scene.
They stood by the screen, both wearing slightly complicated, subtle expressions as they watched us.
Miyano Shiho and I froze in our positions, both falling into silence.
What’s going on? Why did the atmosphere suddenly become as awkward as accidentally coming out of the closet?