23:39.
Returning to the apartment, he saw the two already changed into their pajamas, sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Noticing that Rei's gaze was still fixed on his injured right arm, Ritsu walked past them expressionlessly, sounding a bit tired as he said,
"Bourbon, there's something I want you to help me investigate."
"What is it?" Rei sat up straight, picking up the remote to lower the volume of the late-night variety show.
"The mercenary who escaped is called Scorpion. Does he have a habit of specifically targeting the head?"
Replaying the scene in his mind, it didn't seem like he had aimed for the head. More precisely, somewhere slightly above and to the right of center.
Ritsu couldn't help but ask, "When he stabbed at you with the dagger, do you remember exactly where he was aiming?"
Rei frowned, thinking back before answering, "My right eye. He was aiming for my right eye."
"So that's how it is… It seems Scorpion has a habit of targeting his victim's right eye. I'd like you to have the intel team investigate this mercenary called Scorpion. I hope he can settle the bill with me."
A double entendre, what Ritsu truly wanted him to "settle" was the debt of more than thirty innocent lives. They had only taken on a job to guard cultural artifacts, yet all of them died in the explosion and toxic smoke. The method was far too cruel, unforgivable.
"Got it. I'll do my best to look into it."
Akai glanced toward Ritsu, who had gone into the bathroom. He was finding it harder and harder to understand this man. What exactly was he thinking? Unlike Gin, Ritsu gave off a strangely ambiguous vibe, neither wholly good nor evil.
But one thing was certain, he was extremely dangerous. If allowed to grow, he could become a major threat to their efforts to eliminate the organization. Looks like he'd need to report this to the FBI. The list of targets to be eliminated would have to grow by one more.
Stripping off his clothes, Ritsu stood before the bathroom mirror with a medical kit, carefully removing the bandages and applying medicine to his wound. After wrapping it again with clean bandages, he stepped into the shower, raising his right arm and washing himself in an awkward posture.
The last time his hand was injured had been during those six months at the police academy. Time really had flown, three years had passed since graduation in the blink of an eye. Lately, he'd heard less from them too. Everyone had grown busy. Only his assistant, Hayasaka, still kept up the habit of writing in her diary every day, she'd even been promoted to Assistant Inspector now.
As her former superior, he naturally felt gratified. The girl who used to feel uncomfortable at crime scenes and act a bit emotionally had finally become someone capable of standing on her own.
Drying off, he changed into a newly bought blue-and-white striped pajama set. Walking out of the bathroom, Ritsu saw the two still curled up on the sofa watching variety shows. Looks like neither of them planned to sleep anytime soon, which worked out, since he was a bit hungry.
Thinking about the half-eaten eel rice Vodka had left earlier, Ritsu coolly walked to the fridge with one hand in his pocket. Opening it, he found only ingredients, nothing ready to eat.
Ever since Rei moved in, it seemed all unhealthy food had disappeared.
The only unhealthy thing left was probably the cigarette that Akai never let out of his hand. In that regard, he and Gin were cut from the same cloth. It was hard not to imagine that decades later, two long-haired, handsome old men would meet again in a hospital ward and even after doctors strictly forbade smoking, they'd still rack their brains to hide cigarettes and cover for each other.
The image made Ritsu's mouth twitch slightly. Turning to Rei, he asked, "Bourbon, can you make me something to eat? I didn't eat much today, I'm a bit hungry."
Rei stood up from the sofa and limped toward the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves. "What do you want?"
"I'll leave it to you. I'm not picky."
"Oh?" Rei raised an eyebrow. "Then let's use green peppers for a late-night snack."
"…Let's go with that tomato chicken baked rice you made last time."
"Alright. Let me check if we have the ingredients."
After confirming everything was available, Rei got to work. Ever since he'd taken responsibility for feeding these two kitchen disasters, he felt his cooking skills had reached Hiro's level, good enough to run a restaurant on his own.
He diced the tomatoes and sliced the onions into thin strips. After skillfully cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces, he mixed it with starch and cracked black pepper. To remove the odor, he added a bit of green plum wine, then covered it with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge.
"Pass me the butter."
"Okay."
Though he couldn't really help with prep work, passing things over was still manageable. Ritsu stood quietly beside him, watching him cook like someone waiting to be fed.
As soon as the butter hit the pan, a rich aroma filled the air, instantly tempting Ritsu's appetite.
The onions went in first, stir-fried until they changed color, then the chicken and diced tomatoes were added. Once the chicken was cooked and the tomatoes softened into a sauce, Rei added a bit of ketchup, light soy sauce, and water, simmering until the sauce thickened before seasoning with a pinch of sea salt.
Ritsu took the heated instant rice out of the microwave and, following Rei's instructions, transferred it into a ceramic bowl. Thinking that more rice meant he could eat more, he started pressing it down with a spoon, only for Rei to immediately stop him.
"Hey! Don't pack it down. If you do, the texture will turn bad."
"It's that bad?"
"Of course. If you want to cook well, you have to take it seriously!"
Pouring the tomato chicken over the rice, Rei sprinkled a generous amount of shredded cheese on top. After all, Ritsu was a cheese lover, with a peculiar habit when eating pizza… he only ate the crust and not the toppings, often ordering salami pizza just so he could easily remove them.
If Italians saw that, they'd definitely curse him out.
After baking it in the oven for about five minutes, Rei took it out, added another layer of cheese, and put it back in for another ten minutes. Just then, Akai, who had finished smoking on the balcony, opened the door and immediately caught the aroma. He subconsciously licked his dry lips. Suddenly, he felt hungry.
He strolled into the kitchen, looked around, and asked, "Is there a portion for me?"
"No." Rei shot him a glare and quickly tried to hide the third serving. But without gloves, he forgot how hot the freshly baked ceramic bowl was, burning his fingers and making him jump on the spot. He immediately grabbed his earlobe to cool his reddened fingertips.
Ritsu sighed, grabbing Rei's left hand and looking at the burn marks. "Rye, could you get the burn ointment from the medical kit?"
"Sure."
Looking at Rei, who had his head lowered, Ritsu muttered softly, "You're already in your twenties, why are you still so clumsy? Did Jinpei rub off on you?"
"Ahem… I just don't want to give him any. He keeps forgetting the 'no smoking indoors' rule from our agreement."
"Just treat him like Gin. Maybe one day he'll die from lung cancer."
"…I-Is that so? Wait, he's your brother, right? Is it okay to curse him like that?"
Ritsu rolled his eyes and sneered, "A brother who can't recognize his own sibling? I'd say cigarettes are his real brother."
'So that's what it is, he's jealous of cigarettes.' Rei thought silently, glancing at Akai walking over with the medical kit. 'Maybe he's smoked himself half-blind… can't even recognize his own little brother anymore.'
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Bonus chapter @20 PS