The massive explosion didn't draw much attention, perhaps the residents of this street were already used to living near a scientist whose inventions frequently failed with a bang.
The only one who couldn't hold back his complaints was Shinichi, who had just managed to fall asleep. But he was quickly suppressed by a young, beautiful woman with long wavy hair.
Bam!
A single punch landed on his head, raising a big bump. "Shin-chan, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and get the first aid kit to treat the doctor's wounds!"
"That really hurts, ol—"
Shinichi was about to say "old," but the moment he felt a cold gaze sweep over him, he realized his mother was extremely sensitive about that word. To avoid earning another bump, he immediately corrected himself, "M-Mom."
"Hmph. Go, quickly."
"Yukiko Kudo… so this kid's mom is Yukiko?"
Hearing Hiro say that, Ritsu tilted his head in confusion. He was extremely lacking in knowledge when it came to celebrities, so he had no idea who this beautiful woman was.
However, he knew he absolutely couldn't let that deduction-obsessed brat see him. As he passed by Hiro, he gave a light cough and prepared to leave.
Once again, the two walked in opposite directions.
Back in the car, Ritsu took out his phone, opened Yahoo, and began searching keywords.
#Kudo Yukiko #
#Original name: Yukiko Fujimine. With an angelic face and extraordinary acting talent, she retired from the film industry after marrying the famous mystery novelist Kudo Yusaku at the age of 20.#
Friends with the famous American actress Sharon Vineyard?
Seeing that piece of information, Ritsu couldn't help but pause. He hadn't expected Yukiko to have a connection with Vermouth's mother, this was quite an unexpected gain.
Driving back to the apartment building, he pushed open the door and saw two people sitting on the sofa watching TV.
"You're back?"
"Yeah."
Ritsu took off his coat and said, "I'm heading to the U.S. tomorrow for a mission. Not sure when I'll be back, Gin didn't explain clearly over the phone."
Akai nodded, tidying up the mess on the table as he said, "Then get some rest early. I'll take the trash downstairs."
"Thanks."
Rei glared and complained, "He barely cleans anything, what's there to thank him for? It's what he should be doing!"
As expected, Rei would seize any chance to complain about Akai. Those two must have been rivals even in a past life.
Since he had a long trip tomorrow, Ritsu went straight to the bathroom, took a shower, and then returned to his room to rest. He didn't like sleeping on planes, so to avoid losing focus during the mission, maintaining proper sleep was necessary.
For someone like him, constantly running around doing jobs for the organization, a good night's sleep and a proper meal were luxuries. And as an undercover agent, Ritsu had even more to be cautious about.
A peaceful night passed.
----
December 2nd, 6:28 AM
Fully dressed, Ritsu had already arrived at Tokyo International Airport. This time, he wasn't heading to Charleston, but to the most bustling city in the United States, New York City, famously known as "The Big Apple."
[Passengers for Flight UA48 to New York, please proceed to Gate 14 for boarding. Once again…]
Listening to the airport announcement, Ritsu, sitting in the lounge, quickly finished the last two bites of his cheeseburger. Tossing the wrapper into a nearby trash can, he switched his phone to airplane mode and slung his bag over his shoulder before heading toward the gate.
He was traveling light as usual. Since he didn't know how long he'd be staying in the U.S., he hadn't even packed extra clothes. As long as he had enough money, there was nothing to worry about.
A fourteen-hour flight was dull and exhausting. Fortunately, Ritsu had brought a book to pass the time, Network Security Offense and Defense. Though his hacking skills were already quite good, occasionally reviewing theoretical material was always beneficial.
"Excuse me, sir. Sorry to disturb your rest. Would you like breakfast service?"
The first-class service was excellent. A blonde, blue-eyed flight attendant bent slightly at the knees and looked at him with a professional smile as she politely asked.
After seeing Ritsu's face, she even subtly fluttered her big eyes, trying to catch his attention.
Unfortunately, she was dealing with a "cold-hearted," completely oblivious straight man.
Clearly, the book in his hands was far more appealing than any beauty. Ritsu didn't even bother to look up, his gaze fixed on the page as he replied, "No. Bring me a blanket, and please don't disturb me for the rest of the flight."
"…." The flight attendant gave an awkward smile. She hadn't expected her attempt to strike up a connection to fail so completely. Nodding, she said, "Understood, sir. I won't disturb you further."
Several hours later, when the cabin announcement informed passengers that the plane was about to land, the ever-diligent Ritsu closed the book he had just finished.
This time, no one came to pick him up, there wasn't even a car arranged.
He headed straight to the taxi stand and spoke fluently in American English with the driver.
"I would like to go to the Manhattan International Hotel."
"All right."
The Manhattan International Hotel was located near the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. It was a five-star luxury hotel. If he remembered correctly, even a standard room came with over $100 in taxes and fees, bringing the total close to $700.
As Gin had mentioned on the phone, the person he was meeting was staying in Room 1909. At the very least, that would be a lower-tier suite, definitely costing over $1,000.
'Are organization members in the U.S. this extravagant?'
Ritsu glanced at the balance in his account… yeah, he definitely couldn't bring himself to stay in a suite like that.
After all, the organization didn't reimburse miscellaneous expenses during missions and transportation costs in Japan were already expensive.
Entering the luxurious hotel without changing his expression, Ritsu headed straight for the elevator. Fortunately, it didn't require a key card, security awareness seemed rather lax.
Well… maybe that's just how a "free country" operates.
"Room 1909… this should be it."
Standing before the grand double doors, he pressed the doorbell. To avoid raising suspicion, he introduced himself first:
"Hello, I am Macallan."
The door slowly opened. Inside stood a blonde beauty in a form-fitting crimson dress, holding a glass of red wine. With a charming smile, she said. "Welcome~ Handsome guy~"
"!!!"
He hadn't expected it at all.
The person he would be working with on this mission… was her.