The three high-ranking members of the Headless Gang stared at Tatsuya as his phone vibrated violently. Kiyomasa stood, while Hanemiya and Hanagaki sat at the edge of the building's roof.
Tatsuya flinched as he quickly took his phone from his pocket, nearly dropping it.
He tapped the screen repeatedly until it stopped vibrating.
On the screen was a call from Aina, after he rejected it, a message from Rick popped up, followed by a notification from the Guide app.
Hanemiya narrowed his eyes slightly before turning back to the fight below.
Kiyomasa put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, while Hanagaki just watched silently.
" Shut that crap down, before I shove it down your throat, " Kiyomasa stated in a deep voice, blowing smoke from his mouth.
" Calm down, moron. Stop getting ahead of yourself, " Hanagaki said as he grabbed Kiyomasa's shoulder as he stood up.
He then walked between Kurumi and Tatsuya, slinging an arm over Tatsuya's shoulder. A smirk appeared on his face as he noticed Kurumi glaring at him.
" Relax, little Carrier Number Three, it's not like I want to push him off. " He paused, his brown eyes narrowing as he looked to his right. " …Or would I? "
A breeze brushed against their clothes and through Hanagaki's short red hair.
Tatsuya looked down, his black hair covering his eyes.
He subconsciously put his hands behind him, clenching his fists as he suddenly realized how high they were off the ground.
" Relax, relaaaax… It's not like you can do anything about it, " Hanagaki smiled as he turned Tatsuya around and they started walking toward the door.
Tatsuya silently followed, stealing a glance at his phone. On the screen was a message from Rick.
' This is the second time I've met this guy, but he always gives off this eerie feeling… like something's off about him, ' Tatsuya observed Hanagaki's face.
" So, little Carrier, are you compatible? " Hanagaki took his hand off Tatsuya's shoulder and placed them behind his head.
" Huh… what? " Tatsuya raised an eyebrow as he looked at Hanagaki's smug face. " What are you talking about? "
" Don't play dumb. I know you've looked inside the packages you've been delivering… Did you try it out? " he asked.
" No. Our instructions were very clear, and the main one was that we were not to look inside, " Tatsuya stated calmly.
' Well, it's not like I needed to look inside to know what's going on. Besides, if we remove the possibility of anything Guide-related being involved, then a drug is the only realistic thing that connects everything. I'm sure Ren already knows. I wonder what he's waiting for. '
" Good. Not all packages contained what you're aware of. Some contained things you wouldn't have been able to stomach like bugs. You know, not everyone likes those things, " he said, slapping Tatsuya's back. " So, do you want to try it out? "
" Try what out? " Tatsuya replied calmly while maintaining a neutral expression.
" The drug. What else could I be talking about? Try to keep up here, " Hanagaki said as if stating the obvious.
Tatsuya didn't reply immediately. There was a pause for a few seconds before he slowly replied, " I don't think I'd be compatible. My immune system has always been weak. "
" Is that so?… " His voice then changed to a slightly playful tone. " Well, Carrier Number One, I like you. We'll hang out more from now on. "
' So I don't get to say no. This is why I hate real-life interactions it's always a struggle for control. ' Tatsuya sighed as he took out his phone.
While Hanagaki walked away, Tatsuya saw a new notification from the Guide app. It read:
INFILTRATE THE HEADLESS GANG AND LEARN HOW THEY OPERATE, +200 POINTS
(Quest progress: 50%)
' I guess I'm making some progress. Feels like we're about to enter the last part of this episode. '
Meanwhile, Ren and Haru walked down a street in the middle of the night. Lights from buildings, cars, and streetlamps lit the path as they moved.
They walked close together, with no space between them. Her pink eyes were focused on his face, while Ren didn't look her way his red eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.
" How long do you plan on following me? I've already answered all your questions, and… " He paused, moving to create some space between them. " …aren't you a bit too close? "
" You're always noticing things. I knew I was close, Ren. I don't know whether you're dense or just don't care at all, " she pouted for a moment, still moving closer to him.
" But something feels different about you. I wonder what happened? " she mumbled to herself, looking down to hide her flushed cheeks.
In that moment, she tried to grab his hand, slowly moving her arm toward his. Her eyes widened, but she stopped at the last second and let her arms fall. Her expression faltered, and then she stopped walking.
Ren looked back and saw her looking down.
Then she said in a low, gentle tone, " Anyways, I've got to go. I do hope you show up at the cafe soon. "
" Sure, I'll show up, " he added as he continued walking. His red eyes narrowed as he took out his phone and stared at the Guide app.
' I guess I've always been an NPC too programmed toward the goal of getting points, doing anything necessary to get my wish. Why didn't I realize it sooner? '
He stopped walking and looked around, a man sitting at the corner of a building, a man in a delivery truck whistling, a girl serving food in a restaurant, a man in a suit passing by with a cigarette in his mouth.
His expression was calm as he continued walking. ' No. I refuse to believe I'm like these bots. Besides, even if I was like an NPC, I'd be something like a final boss or something. So we are not the same. '
' Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. I can't stop now. I just have to keep moving forward, so I can get to the next cutscene, ' he thought, a smirk appearing on his face.
Immediately upon that realization, a notification popped up on his screen from the Guide app.