"Are you going to kill Head of House Kurumaru?" Yamawashi asked.
“That depends on the verdict.” Hiromitsu Morofushi thought this was Yamawashi's concern for his own future, so he softened his tone, “Yamawashi, you have made sacrifices, Public Security will surely give you the corresponding reward.”
In fact, Kurumaru Soshi's death at that time indeed had no direct connection to Public Security; the orders they received were by no means to kill Kurumaru Soshi.
Kurumaru Soshi's death was not just a failure to add luster to the victory; it was a complete blunder.
There are certain secrets that only Kurumaru Soshi, as the BOSS, could know best. Because Kurumaru Soshi perished in a fire while carrying a vast amount of data, capturing Aotsuki, who was intricately linked to Kurumaru Soshi, became the top priority, which was also the key to his years of dedication to investigating Aotsuki.
Hiromitsu Morofushi was unwilling to talk much more about this; he did not want to delve too deeply into a topic that would likely make Yamawashi feel uneasy, so he instead shifted to a new topic.
“Is there anything you've wanted to do but haven't been able to?”
No.
Then what about the places you want to visit? You mentioned before that you rarely leave Japan.
No.
“Food you want to eat but haven't tasted before?”
No.
Hiromitsu Morofushi racked his brain, only to receive several more "no"s, before finally breaking into a silent laugh and shaking his head helplessly, "Alright then."
"Once everything is over, I want to go back to my hometown and visit," he said, speaking of the things he wanted to do.
The person beside him turned their head to look over, Hiromitsu Morofushi continued sharing, "I want to go on a proper trip, turn off my phone, not think about anything, just relax for a few days in a normal and peaceful way.. Maybe even a bit longer, wouldn't half a month be better? I want to travel to places I've been to before but never got to see closely, experience the local customs of different places, eat some local delicacies, ideally, I could even learn a few recipes."
Yamawashi picked out the key point and asked, "Places you've been to, but haven't seen properly?"
“Before becoming Scotland, I had never left Japan.” Hiromitsu Morofushi looked up at the night sky. “Most of the places I've been since becoming Scotland weren't places I truly wanted to go. There were too many things piling up, too many things waiting for me to complete. Even if a place of interest was only a street away, I couldn't spare those few hundred meters.. They were just ordinary places I wanted to visit, but passing them by only made me want to go even more.”
Hiromitsu Morofushi spoke expansively the entire way, mentioning every place imaginable that was worth visiting, from the grasslands and lakes of New Zealand to the lavender of Provence. It wasn't until he arrived at the entrance of the Safe House and began fumbling for his keys that he realized Yamawashi had been watching him the whole time.
As their eyes met, his fingers trembled, the keys he had just found slipped from his hand. The crisp clatter broke the silken air, he instinctively crouched down to pick them up.
The key pressed into his palm. Hiromitsu Morofushi gripped the key tightly but did not stand up immediately. Leaning his back against the door, he looked up into those gray eyes and said slowly, "Actually, you don't have to decide what you want to do right away, you don't necessarily need a destination before you set off. It's fine even if you never set off at all."
Yamawashi just looked down at him quietly.
Yamawashi was far too quiet; the idea of this person talking incessantly was likely a fantasy. Yamawashi maintained his usual silence throughout the journey, Hiromitsu Morofushi had long since grown accustomed to this silent conversation.
If you just want to go out for a walk but don't have anywhere in particular you want to go, you can come with me, if you don't mind. Perhaps you'll like my hometown, that coffee shop on the streets of England that I've passed twice but haven't had the chance to visit yet. I heard the donuts there are delicious; they might just be to your taste..
Hiromitsu Morofushi took a breath, slightly averting his gaze before continuing, "The world is vast. If all you want is Scotland, then once Scotland no longer exists, I hope you can be free. Yamawashi—standing at the end of the world watching the last lighthouse, when you turn around, everything can start anew. If you don't want to set off with me, then—"
The shadow cast in the corner swayed, Hiromitsu Morofushi's words came to an abrupt halt.
The keys slipped from his fingers once again, this time he didn't even notice. His blue pupils constricted, Hiromitsu Morofushi stared in shock at those narrowed eyes so close at hand, his body unable to move.
The hand cupping his cheek and the lips resting against his eyelid were almost devoid of warmth; rather than a kiss, it felt more like a mindless nudge of comfort and intimacy from within a pack of beasts.
Yamawashi knelt on one knee and pressed his head into his embrace; Hiromitsu Morofushi heard the vigorous thumping of a heartbeat, beat after beat, as if it were striking against his forehead.
“.. Yamawashi?” Hiromitsu Morofushi was stunned.
“Don’t.. don't say any more.” Yamawashi's voice sounded as if it were being squeezed out from deep within his chest. "Don't say any more, I love you."
Chapter 42
I love you.
These words were not uncommon between them.
I love you, so I endure your neglect; I love you, so I secretly clear obstacles for you; I love you, so I am willing to be coerced by you; I love you, so even if my lies are ruthlessly exposed, my feelings for you remain unchanged.
No one could question the love of Yamawashi; it was so pure, so quiet, both incomprehensible and possessed of a moth-to-a-flame intensity and bluntness that made it difficult to look directly at.
I love you, so don't say any more.
Hiromitsu Morofushi failed to grasp the cause and effect of those words, before he could ask for more, he first accepted that true kiss pressed against his lips.
Such a kiss had never existed between them.
In the past, he hadn't failed to think about this question. Before he truly began to gaze at Yamawashi, he wouldn't have resisted a kiss for the sake of the mission, but he couldn't help but wonder—if they kissed, wouldn't it be too much like a real couple?
He believed that Yamawashi shared his thoughts, because there had indeed never been a kiss between them, which seemed to serve as proof in their unspoken understanding that their relationship was not real.
..
In the early morning, sunlight cast through the gaps in the curtains onto his eyelashes. The man on the bed rolled over and suddenly opened his eyes.
He sat up abruptly, only to find that the space beside him was already empty.
Hiromitsu Morofushi stepped out of bed in his slippers, as soon as he opened the door, he heard sounds from the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief.
He walked over, as their eyes met, Yamawashi was actually the first to speak to him: "Do you want something to eat?"
Hiromitsu Morofushi looked toward the dining table.
“.. This is going to be trouble,” he said.
After washing up and sitting down at the dining table, Hiromitsu Morofushi hesitated to pick up his chopsticks when faced with this familiar breakfast.
“Do you feel any..” He rubbed the back of his neck, his voice growing quieter and quieter, ".. anywhere uncomfortable??"
Yamawashi swallowed the porridge, looked up, replied, "No, I feel quite fine."
Hiromitsu Morofushi fumbled and nearly knocked the spoon out of his bowl. He met the gaze of the composed Yamawashi, his ears slowly turning red. He averted his eyes and said quickly, "If you're feeling unwell, you must tell me. And.. the same goes for when you're feeling upset."
Yamawashi likely laughed, but Hiromitsu Morofushi didn't see it; he only heard a faint sound of laughter.
He couldn't help but laugh as well.
This could be described as the closest and most relaxed period in their relationship. Yamawashi's laughter even meant he no longer dreamed of the blood splattered on his face on the rooftop, but the struggle against the Organization remained difficult, the investigation into Aotsuki still yielded no clues.
Hiromitsu Morofushi was in no hurry; he knew well that this was a war of attrition and that every step had to be taken carefully. He also did not mind having another long-distance confrontation with the elusive Aotsuki.
In this situation, where he wished he could split every minute into two, after careful consideration, he temporarily handed the investigation regarding the Ino family over to Yamawashi.
Yamawashi and Ino Seigo had crossed paths before, Yamawashi had also been invited to banquets; with this connection in place, it would be much more convenient and efficient than arranging for someone from Public Security to go instead.
He proposed it just as he had with every previous mission assigned by the Organization, Yamawashi accepted the commission with calm composure.
Every so often, Yamawashi would bring back new intelligence, such as what special events had occurred at recent banquets, that Ino Seigo had gone to Ikubunkan Academy, or that Ino Seigo had once again refused to inherit the family business.. From the fragmented information obtained from Ino Seigo, they could almost reconstruct Aotsuki's first half of life: gaining fame at a young age as a standout in some training camp within the Organization specifically designed to cultivate killers; seizing the initiative as one of the earliest loyal subordinates to follow Kurumaru Soshi, rising from a bodyguard to become one of the most high-ranking codenamed members of the Organization, yet somehow, his whereabouts remained impossible to find.
Every time Aotsuki was discussed, Yamawashi’s expression would fall into an indescribable silence. Hiromitsu Morofushi would wrap an arm around Yamawashi's shoulder to offer comfort, telling them not to worry—they would find him eventually, they still had plenty of time to bring him to justice.
As turmoil rose within the Organization, meeting up was no longer a given. During this time, they had even intentionally engaged in a cold war over a certain mission, leading everyone to mistakenly believe their romance was in jeopardy and that Yamawashi and Scotland could break things off at any moment.
It would be normal for them to break up.
Most people on the outside evaluated their relationship this way.
Even if it was just for fun, Yamawashi should have grown tired of it long ago.
When Akai Shuichi repeated these words to Hiromitsu Morofushi in a joking tone, Yamawashi was sitting not far behind them.
Yamawashi's disguise skills could only be considered entry-level, but he excelled in his own outstanding ability to remain undetected; being unnoticed was much easier for Yamawashi than looking like someone else.
After hearing those words, Hiromitsu Morofushi simply smiled and clinked glasses with Akai Shuichi.
It does not matter what the relationship between Yamawashi and Scotland looks like in the eyes of others; once the Organization vanishes from the world, Yamawashi and Scotland will cease to exist as well, they will welcome a new life.
Hiromitsu Morofushi set down his wine glass. "Next time we meet, let's drink under different identities."
"Sure, my treat when that time comes," Akai Shuichi agreed readily.
For them at this moment, this was undoubtedly the most beautiful blessing, carrying both aspirations for the future and prayers for peace, while crises lay dormant beneath these visions, with undercurrents surging.
The moment he turned around, the corners of Hiromitsu Morofushi's lips smoothed out.
Since being reborn, not every trajectory has remained the same as in his memories. The butterfly effect is obvious, so he must be cautious, then cautious again.
The benefits of capturing Kurumaru Soshi alive far outweigh killing him on the spot, but the dangers of carrying out an arrest deep within enemy territory are also difficult to estimate.
No one knew what kind of backup might be left in that villa.
Hiromitsu Morofushi left this task to himself.
When the decision was finalized, amidst many complex and heavy gazes, Yamawashi gazed at him calmly, remaining silent just like in any previous meeting, acting like a shadow of his.
On the eve of the operation, listening to the reports over the radio and waiting for the signal to begin, the blood boiling within Hiromitsu Morofushi grew even calmer.
The day has finally arrived.
Success or failure rests on this single move; once dawn breaks, everything will be turned upside down.
He put down the binoculars and turned his head to look toward the corner of the rooftop.
The assassin with gray hair had almost blended into the night as he sat to one side, eyes lowered, wiping a dagger.
Actually, Yamawashi didn't need to come; appearing at a time like this made it too easy to be caught in the crossfire and could easily provoke retaliation from Organization members. In his plan, Yamawashi should be waiting in the rear for the victory fanfare to sound.
But stopping Yamawashi was too difficult.
When he saw Yamawashi waiting there in advance, Hiromitsu Morofushi's first reaction was not even how Yamawashi knew he would be here, but rather a sense of relief that Yamawashi was not his enemy.
The late summer wind carried a hint of humidity, making the air feel stifling. It was as if the ticking of a countdown timer could be heard in his ears, as his nerves tightened in anticipation of the moment the operation would begin.
“It seems like you have something you want to say to me.” Yamawashi's voice broke the silence.
After a moment of silence, Hiromitsu Morofushi turned around and asked the question he had never dared to ask before.
He was not a pessimistic person, but he always prepared for the worst.
If he truly couldn't make it until dawn this time, then he hoped he could at least leave with the answer.
“If.” Hiromitsu Morofushi fell into silence once again. This time, even the person focused on wiping the dagger stopped their movements and cast a gaze toward him.
I mean, if," Hiromitsu Morofushi said, "if Cognac hadn't been exposed, I was the one whose identity was revealed first, what would you do? Would you find a way to protect me, or would you hate me because of my true identity?
Yamawashi gazed at him for a long time. "You know the answer."
Yamawashi stood up, leaning his arms against the rooftop railing as he gazed at the distant night view, his body leaning slightly forward in a rare moment of relaxation.
If you didn't know the answer, you wouldn't be pretending you aren't from Scotland just to deceive me.
Hiromitsu Morofushi gazed at that silhouette and said earnestly, "I don't know the answer to the other question."
Yamawashi paused for a moment, closed his eyes, felt the breeze brushing against his cheeks, said, "I hate all lies; this has nothing to do with the Organization or the police."
At this moment, Hiromitsu Morofushi suddenly felt that this world was incredibly vast.