Ch.121Over there!

#121

Steve, rather embarrassed by such a gaze, turned his chair slightly to avoid Himena’s eyes and said:

“I thought you would have considered it since you’re always hanging out together?”

“Well, Mr. Dexter is an honorary agent, but he doesn’t really give off OSA agent vibes, you know.”

“What does that have to do with establishing a special investigation team?”

“It’s just… it feels like we’re forcing him to attend someone else’s family business?”

Steve frowned at Himena’s odd remark, clearly not understanding.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, discuss it with Hughes.”

“Oh, so will you schedule the private meeting with the Director for me instead?”

“…Do I have to do that too?”

“If you’re going to take responsibility, you should see it through to the end!”

At Himena’s confident declaration, Steve sighed deeply and turned his chair completely away from her.

“I’ve never regretted becoming friends with Rodrigo more than I do now.”

“So you’ll do it, right?”

Steve glanced at Himena’s bright smile and sighed again before answering.

“…I’ll do it. Just keep that permit safe.”

“Yes! Thank you, Uncle Steve.”

“Section Chief! Not uncle.”

“Oh come on, same difference.”

Himena even blew a kiss from her hand before leaving the office. Once she was gone, Steve, still with his chair turned away, spoke in a displeased voice.

“She’s definitely been corrupted by that Hughes.”

As soon as he said this, Steve took out a glass bottle of brandy from the cabinet, poured it into a crystal glass, and took a sip.

“Damn, I promised myself not to drink while working.”

As the brandy traveled down his throat, spreading warmth, Steve felt his tired mind clear momentarily.

He found himself missing the Himena from nearly twenty years ago, who used to call him uncle and act cute around him.

“I can’t tell if Rodrigo even cares about his daughter or not.”

Steve took another sip and slightly lifted the blinds to watch Himena walking away with a bright smile.

“Himena, please stop giving me headaches.”

* * *

As soon as his shift ended today, Dexter was practically dragged away by Himena, who had been waiting in front of the prison.

Forcibly summoned by Himena, Dexter sat at a table in a quiet café near the Strip. After she finished explaining about the special investigation team, he looked at her with an indifferent expression and said:

“Me? Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? Help me.”

“You’re taking it for granted.”

By “taking it for granted,” he meant that she seemed to assume it was natural for him to solve her problems.

Dexter patted the seat beside him and said to Himena:

“Come here.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? Just come here.”

When Himena moved closer and sat next to him as instructed, Dexter tapped his cheek with his right hand and said:

“Kiss.”

“What?”

“Kiss.”

“…You want me to kiss you? Here? On your cheek?”

“If you want me to grant your request, you should at least do this much.”

“…I would have helped you anyway.”

Without hesitation, Himena slightly rose from her seat and gave Dexter’s cheek a light kiss.

After briefly feeling the soft touch on his cheek, Dexter looked at Himena’s slightly sulky face and said:

“You don’t even get embarrassed anymore?”

“This much doesn’t embarrass me, you know? So, will you help me?”

Dexter smiled lightly at Himena’s sulky tone that matched her expression.

“When is the private meeting scheduled?”

“This coming Friday.”

“Hmm.”

Though he was just teasing by pretending not to help, Dexter had naturally intended to meet with the Director for Himena’s sake.

The issue was Director Makoa, the head of OSA.

‘So the special investigation team would be a subdivision of the Secretariat.’

According to Himena’s explanation, the OSA Secretariat wasn’t just a higher department but more like a leadership group responsible for the OSA, consisting of important figures.

‘From what I saw last time, he seemed to have a rather straightforward and refreshing personality, but will he show the same character regarding this establishment approval?’

If the Director had a personality like the Deputy Director’s, Dexter would have prepared thoroughly before confronting him, but he had only properly met Director Makoa once.

Even then, it was only for a few minutes, so he had only a fragmentary understanding of the Director’s personality.

“But why don’t you do it yourself, Himena?”

“…I’d just end up getting completely pushed around by the Director.”

Himena shook her head, looking intimidated.

Himena only took the upper hand in conversations when she was brimming with confidence that she could win against the other person.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it for now.”

“Really?”

“But.”

“But?”

“There should be a condition, shouldn’t there?”

“…What kind of condition are you trying to set?”

When Himena looked suspicious, Dexter returned the same look, as if offended by her assumption.

“What are you thinking? I was just going to ask you to gather some information about Director Makoa.”

“…Yet earlier you asked me to sit next to you and kiss you.”

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Himena grumbled, and Dexter put his hand on her shoulder.

“That was obviously a joke. When you say it like that, you make me sound like a terrible person.”

“You keep teasing me, so this wouldn’t happen if you didn’t tease me.”

“But that would be boring.”

Dexter shrugged with a playful smile, and Himena wrinkled her nose, making a sulky expression.

“So, when will you give me the information about the Director?”

“Well, anytime before the day of the meeting is fine.”

“Hmm, okay.”

As Himena started to get up from her seat, Dexter grabbed her hand.

“…What is it?”

Hoping he might ask her not to leave or to stay by his side, Himena looked at Dexter with a slightly disgruntled expression.

“Since you’re already standing, help me up.”

“…Are you that weak?”

“It’s comfortable and nice when someone helps you up.”

“Seriously.”

It was another joke.

“Men really are just big children.”

Himena did as Dexter wanted and pulled on his hand.

“Whoa?”

But Dexter didn’t try to stand up. Instead, he firmly gripped Himena’s hand as she stood pulling, and yanked her toward him.

Losing her balance, Himena fell straight into Dexter’s arms, ending up in his embrace.

“What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Dexter lightly laughed at her words, then kissed her forehead and said:

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Despite her words, Himena was smiling broadly.

* * *

On a planet several light-years away from Earth.

In front of an ordinary wooden door, not much different from Earth’s architectural style, an argument was unfolding.

“Let me in! Hey, I know you’re in there!”

“Ma’am, if you keep doing this, it’s going to be a problem.”

A cephalopod security guard dressed in an Earth-style suit was blocking a young girl who was trying to rush the door, looking distressed.

“What! Let go! I said let go!”

“Please stop causing a disturbance. He’s still working. Perhaps you could wait in the next room…”

“I’ve been waiting for 3 hours after hearing that!”

“Owww!”

The girl, unable to contain her anger, started jumping up and down, accidentally stepping on the cephalopod guard’s tentacles repeatedly.

“Call that man right now! Or I’m going to start crying!”

“W-wait, please don’t cry!”

-SLAM.

“Why is it so noisy out here?”

The thick wooden door swung open, and a handsome blonde man with a sleazy air emerged from inside.

The scene that greeted him was quite something.

The cephalopod security guard was rolling on the floor in pain, and a girl with pink hair and light pink skin stood there.

The problem was that the girl was stepping on one of the cephalopod guard’s tentacles. As soon as he saw this situation, the handsome man looked at the cephalopod guard and said:

“I didn’t know you had such tastes.”

“No, how can you say that in this situation… Absolutely not, Chief! I was trying to stop her, but this guest…”

As the cephalopod guard tried to explain himself indignantly, the handsome man showed his palm, signaling him to stop talking.

“I can vaguely guess how this situation came about, so you don’t need to explain.”

“Y-yes…”

As the handsome man gestured for him to go elsewhere, indicating not to disturb his work, the girl shouted angrily:

“Eliya! You’re Mr. Eliya!”

“Oh? You know me?”

“Yes! You told me to wait just a moment! Why won’t you see me?”

“I’m sure I had someone tell you I was busy?”

“I know you’re not busy! I saw on the news that you’re always just playing around!”

“How amusing. Stop with these insolent slanders.”

With those words, a woman in provocative clothing emerged from behind the door carrying a bottle of alcohol and glasses, and looked at Eliya.

“Oh my, Chief. What are you doing here? You should come back inside.”

“Ahem, I was just having an important conversation. Miss Tedri, please go in ahead.”

“Yes~”

The girl who had been angry at Eliya pointed at the woman in provocative clothing and shouted:

“You’re just playing with that lady!”

“Is that something a child should say? I’m astounded at how fake news about me has spread throughout the galaxy. What Miss Tedri is holding is alcohol from her own brewery that she’s offering as hospitality.”

“Then what about her clothes!”

“That’s the traditional attire of her planet. It’s different from your planet, Miss Aisha, where modest and plain clothing is considered virtuous.”

Eliya pointed at Aisha’s plain, colorless clothes with a look that suggested she should know better, then grabbed the wooden door handle and said:

“If you have nothing more to say, continue waiting.”

Having said all he wanted to say, Eliya went back into his office and tried to close the door.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

As the wooden door was about to close, Aisha stuck her foot in the gap.

“You’ll hurt your foot that way, Miss Aisha.”

“Just tell me quickly! It’s something you just need to tell me!”

“Tell you what?”

“Are you really going to pretend you don’t know?!”

Eliya frowned at Aisha’s screeching voice.

“Has no one ever told Miss Aisha that she’s persistent?”

“Shut up, just tell me already!”

As Aisha tried to kick Eliya in the shin, the cephalopod guard who was still on the floor wrapped his tentacle around Aisha’s leg to prevent her from attacking.

“What, let go!”

“You can kick me, but not the Chief!”

The cephalopod guard’s firm declaration showed unquestionable loyalty.

But Aisha paid no attention to this and struggled to free her foot from the tentacle, accidentally stepping on one of the guard’s tentacles again.

“Argh!”

“Eww, that leg feels weird!”

The situation quickly became a headache.

“This is like a chaotic nursery. Rather than dealing with this here, I’d better take her with me. You, release that tentacle.”

Eliya reluctantly opened his office door, and Aisha proudly entered.

What unfolded was a provocative scene.

Around a red velvet bed, scantily clad women, each holding a bottle of alcohol, were gathered together, giggling at each other.

As this scene filled Aisha’s eyes, Eliya looked at her as if asking what she thought of the sight.

“This is weird!”

With those words, Aisha looked at Eliya with an expression full of contempt, and Eliya cleared his throat, clapped his hands, and called out to the women:

-Clap clap.

“Let’s end this tasting session here and move to another conference room!”

“Yes~”

As the women disappeared without protest at Eliya’s command, Aisha looked at him with disdain and said:

“You said you were working.”

“I am working. They’re all representatives or daughters of brewing companies. They brought their companies’ signature drinks to build relationships within the same industry…”

“I don’t care what you do for fun! Just tell me the truth quickly.”

At Aisha’s sharp words, Eliya picked up a bottle of alcohol from the floor, slowly poured it into a clean glass, and said:

“Tell you what?”

“I had my dad’s employee help me investigate, you know?”

Aisha took out a bundle of documents from her crossbody bag and threw them at Eliya’s feet.

The scattered documents revealed photos of a man familiar to Eliya mixed throughout.

They were pictures of Dexter wearing the employee uniform of Preston Express, which Aisha’s father operated.

“I heard that big brother Dexter worked here! Where is he?!”

Aisha held up one of Dexter’s photos from the documents and demanded.