Chapter 17: I’ll Give You Everything I’ve Prepared.

There are 11 international airports in Japan.

Even if Narita Airport is the most likely, the chances of guessing correctly are slim.

And even if it’s certain that I’m arriving late at night… how did she know the exact location I’d be coming out of?

The possibility of someone tipping her off is zero.

Kim Kyuseok couldn’t possibly have any acquaintances in Japan. He’s never been to Japan and has no reason to meet any Japanese people. Besides, he would never leak my information.

Kang Shimjeong? That guy only knows that I’m going to Japan. He doesn’t know enough to give information to anyone.

And that gun… no matter how I look at it, it’s real.

The feel and weight when I touched it were dangerous. Exactly the same as the one I held at the shooting range.

A gun that uses gunpowder and real bullets, not an airsoft gun. The fact that she knows so much about it is also suspicious… considering all this, Inuko-san is…

“I’m a kyouhaku.”

“…Huh?”

Inuko-san tapped the steering wheel and chuckled. It was hard to find that laughter pretty. My brain was completely fried trying to process what she just said.

What? Is she addicted to martial arts novels?

Is she a local crazy woman?

“In layman’s terms, a yakuza… Well, I always use a double, so almost no one knows my face. The chances of you getting into trouble are slim.”

“…?”

Yakuza? A double means she’s high-ranking?

What is this? No, wait, is it even safe for me to be in this car? Inuko-san, ignoring my fidgeting, continued her story.

“A faceless shateigashira. That’s what they call me. I only give advice to the organization.”

I quickly took out my phone and searched.

Shateigashira. The highest-ranking member besides the chairman and his siblings. Doesn’t participate in the organization’s operations but gives advice…

That’s super high-ranking.

“Th-Then my information…”

“I told my brothers in Korea to look for a woman in her early twenties or late teens with timid gestures at the airport. They told me right away that you were on the Narita flight.”

…Dangerous.

Although I’ve never shown my face, what about Kyuseok, who drove me here? If something happens to me, will he be harmed? Him, who always acted for my sake, because of me…

“Oops. Don’t be scared. I’m not the type to harm anyone.”

Inuko-san gently squeezed my trembling hand. Her serious gaze calmed me down…

“Uh… is it okay for you to be looking at me? You’re driving…”

“Ah. We arrived a long time ago. Didn’t you notice?”

What?!

I hurriedly turned my head to look out the window. It was indeed the Kaganazuna Hotel in Shibuya. The same one I saw on the website when I made the reservation.

“I-It’s already been an hour…?”

“You didn’t notice? You were trembling for so long after I told you I was a yakuza… and even before that, you were so deep in thought. I almost poked your cheek.”

Inuko-san grinned and got out of the car, opening the door for me. The Shibuya night streets suited Inuko-san’s strangely decadent aura.

“Now that you’re gone, I can finally smoke… but I still think it would be better if you were here.”

Inuko-san fiddled with the cigarette pack in her pocket and looked at me. Her red eyes curved refreshingly.

Step… step…

Inuko-san approached me, adjusted my slightly tilted hat, and whispered. A heavy rose scent. Mature. Much richer and deeper than my own scent.

“How about it? Want to hang out with onee-san without Haru-chan knowing?”

Those are captivating eyes.

…This person is scary. My appointment with Sayo is tomorrow, but I feel like I won’t be in one piece if I hang out with Inuko-san.

I bowed politely and said,

“I… made a promise with Haru three years ago… I’m sorry.”

“Ah. Don’t worry about it. I was just testing the waters.”

Inuko-san stepped back and put a cigarette in her mouth. With a strange expression, she held a fancy-looking lighter in one hand and waved at me.

“Get some sleep, Soohyun-san. The nights in Shibuya aren’t very pleasant for your kind.”

“Yes… You too, Inuko-san. Get home safe.”

Scary. I need to get to the hotel quickly.

I hurried inside, checked in without even remembering how, and threw myself onto the chair in my room.

It wasn’t particularly soft, but it was spacious. The woody scent calmed my racing heart. The phytoncide scent erased the mature scent that lingered in my nose.

“…That was really draining.”

Soohyun-san? Isn’t there a… what’s it called, yobisute? A culture of calling people by their first names in Japan? She used honorifics so naturally…

“Huh?”

My name.

I never told her.

Pop!

Flick…

A small flame ignited the Marlboro Red.

Even a cigarette lit alone tasted just as good.

It was a loneliness I hadn’t felt in a while.

It was even more lonely because she never imagined there would be a woman in the world who would reject her.

“Sigh. exhales…”

Today was a day that made ‘Inuko-san’ crave cigarettes.

Because a beautiful girl, whom she thought she could seduce with a little effort, turned out to be unexpectedly good at setting boundaries.

As if regretting the missed opportunity, she recalled every detail of Soohyun. Her excited look when they first met. Her frightened look when the car approached. Her surprised look when she realized who Inuko was…

“I can see it even though you’re covered up. That nice body. And that face.”

Even with sunglasses and a mask, you can still see the shape of the face.

A slender jawline and a head the size of a fist.

Even a baggy hoodie can’t hide the contours of the body when you fall.

“She seems to be giving me a chance, but then she shuts me down. She’s like a hundred-year-old fox.”

Tsk.

She should have at least taken off her sunglasses. The reconnaissance took too long. She seemed like the type who couldn’t refuse a simple offer, but she actually refused…

She thought the distance would be close, as is typical of Korean women with other women. But contrary to her expectations, Soohyun kept a huge distance and was very wary.

Even better.

The scent of a flower that’s easily plucked is insignificant.

A flower with thorns is the ultimate prize.

Without revealing her face or body, she captivated Inuko, a connoisseur of beautiful girls in Kanto. A woman like Cleopatra. A woman who suited the nickname “femme fatale” more than anyone.

“She’s a good woman. A fatal attraction.”

Exhale.

The cigarette smoke drifted towards the sky, carrying her thoughts and regrets. All that remained was her resolve and determination.

“If Haru-chan can somehow lower her guard during the meal, it might be possible.”

All she had was the information that they were meeting at a yakiniku restaurant in Shibuya. But combining small bits of information quickly narrowed down the possibilities.

“Haru is a Vtuber. And she’s cautious. She needs a private room so her voice won’t be heard.”

Black ash fell from the tip of the cigarette.

To mark the beginning of her deduction, she flicked away the burning ember with her fingernail.

“Haru is a bit of a hikikomori, but she’d want to treat her benefactor well. It’ll be a high-class franchise restaurant nearby. Because she wouldn’t know any hidden traditional restaurants.”

Then there are three high-class yakiniku restaurants near Haru’s house. And…

“Haru would want to show off to her benefactor. The most expensive of the three would be… this one.”

Having finished her deduction before even half of her cigarette was burned, she slowly picked up her phone, throwing the cigarette on the ground and crushing it.

“Hello. Haru-chan. Did you meet White Palette-san?”

“Eh. Senpai! We’re meeting tomorrow!”

Sayo, hearing her usual kind senior’s voice, relaxed completely without a trace of suspicion. Unaware that her complacency would invite an uninvited guest to her meeting with her benefactor.

“Heh. Where? Jojoen or something?”

Pretending not to know, she confirmed her deduction.

“Whoa! That’s right! How did you know?”

Sayo, clueless, jumped in surprise.

She was simply amazed that her senior guessed correctly, not suspicious at all.

Asking where they’re meeting without context would raise suspicion.

Confirming the result under the guise of coincidence is much more accurate and safe.

Her deduction was correct. All that’s left is to intrude on their pleasant meal.

Unable to hide her wicked intentions, a smile almost escaped Inuko’s lips.

Suppressing her joy, Inuko spoke to her junior in a kind voice until the very end.

“Just a hunch. Enjoy your meal.”

“Yes! I’ll eat your share too, senpai!”

Click.

As the friendly call between senior and junior ended, Inuko anticipated her success. Just like her signature move. She spun the car key on her finger and caught it.

Her voice, filled with anticipation and confidence, replaced the pounding of her heart.

“Even if you protect your mask, you’ll have to take it off when you eat, cutie. Just you wait.”

Seigino Inuko.

Real name, Fujimoto Ookamikko.

The wolf under the wisteria began to move towards its prey.

“Chuckle… Hehehe…”

“What’s with that person?”

“She looks young, but what a shame…”

Even with the strange looks from passersby, the wolf remained aloof.

Because she’s The Wolf… a lone wolf living a solitary life.