Vodka let out a heavy breath and slumped weakly back into his seat.
"There sounded like a doorbell. Looks like someone else went to see her. This Usui woman is pretty popular—visitors and calls haven't stopped all night."
Vodka scratched his head in agony, trying to speed up his thinking that way. "But visitors are only temporary. She'll be back soon, and I don't have much time to react. I need to come up with a way that won't expose my presence..."
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a short cry rang out, only to vanish the moment it escaped.
Vodka was startled. He shot back up to the screen, and not long after, he saw Usui Ritsuko reappear in the image... but unconscious.
Vodka: "..."
With a snap, all the ambiguous atmosphere and pink bubbles shattered instantly into blood-colored scraps all over the floor.
...So all that buildup had only been for this new script of his?
The corner of one Organization cadre's eye twitched as he realized he'd overthought things. "Good thing I blanked out just now and didn't report straight to Brother Gin. Otherwise, Brother Gin would definitely think I was making a fuss over nothing, and then he wouldn't take my intel as seriously anymore... Wait, was that also that little schemer's goal?"
"No, no, that's not right. First of all! He doesn't even know I'm in Izu, and he definitely wouldn't know I accidentally found the hidden camera in this room."
Vodka pressed between his eyebrows, somewhat rueful. "Without even realizing it, I actually started thinking on the premise that 'Uzo knows I'm watching'... This kind of subtle intimidation is terrifying—relax! No matter how twisted that brat is, when it comes to information technology, he can't crush a professional like me."
"...Taking a step back, even if he's freakishly