16:17 PM, outside Osaka Station
When Hayashi Yoshiki stepped out of the station with only a small piece of luggage, he immediately spotted Tequila pulling up in a black Hummer, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"That's all you're bringing?"
Tequila had half a mind to help with luggage, but seeing the minimal bag in Yoshiki's hand, he waved him off and pointed with his thumb. "Hurry up and get in!"
"Isn't it risky for you to show up at the station with the situation being what it is?"
Yoshiki wore a mask and a hat. Even with most of his face covered, his fair skin and composed demeanor gave away his identity to those who knew him.
"They're just a bunch of spineless assassins. Don't worry about 'em!"
Tequila chuckled in his deep voice. "Once we're in Kansai, it's our turf. I'll take you to get some real food and good drinks."
"And Gin has no objections?"
The reply came from Chianti, sitting in the passenger seat.
The tattooed sharpshooter, with her signature butterfly markings, blew a bubble of gum and then sucked it back into her mouth before turning around. "Wearing a mask in this heat? Come on, take it off already!"
Yoshiki smiled and complied, removing both his mask and hat.
There were four people in the vehicle: Chianti and Tequila up front; Cohen and Yoshiki in the back. Gin and Vodka were notably absent.
Cohen, anticipating Yoshiki's silent question, said: "Gin and Vodka aren't available right now, but they might show up later. Oh, and Gin told me to warn you about a woman in the Organization codenamed Vermouth."
"...Vermouth?" Yoshiki tilted his head.
"She's just a pretentious freak," Chianti growled. "Intelligence team. Different division. She's trained Calvados like some lapdog—it's disgusting."
"Calvados is good," Cohen interjected. "But he lacks maturity."
"Ha! He wouldn't even go out for drinks with us," Tequila scoffed.
"Why not ask Gin to join you?" Chianti teased.
"Hah! Didn't think so!" Chianti laughed loudly.
Tequila rolled his eyes. "Ask Gin out? I want to live, thanks."
Yoshiki pulled a notebook and pen from inside his jacket.
Though unexpected, the fact that Tequila and company came to pick him up was useful. Since Tequila had a bounty on the assassination platform, Yoshiki casually jotted down the meeting time and place as a precaution. It was better to keep a log to prevent walking into any "friendly fire."
Of course, nothing was absolute. The Death Note couldn't rewrite cause and effect if he walked straight into a bullet.
"You writing something?" Cohen noticed.
"Just a little inspiration. Notes for future essays," Yoshiki said lightly.
"Then... could you put me in one of your next books?"
Cohen, ever the stoic, blushed slightly. He looked away, visibly embarrassed.
"But I've already used your name, Cohen."
"I'll come up with something. Just put me in."
Yoshiki paused, brows lifting.
Gin thinks I'm the crazy one, but Cohen—he's the truly unwell one.
Chianti, too, looked baffled.
"Cohen, you're seriously messed up!"
"You don't understand, Chianti."
"There it is again!" she snapped. Cohen's calm replies always seemed to push her buttons.
"So what name are you going to change to, Cohen?"
"I'll think about it."
"Let me know when you decide."
Though his face remained stone-cold, a subtle smile tugged at the corner of Cohen's mouth—reflected faintly in the car window. He already knew what name he wanted. But to avoid seeming too eager, he'd wait two days before telling Cointreau.
"I heard some new wine names. Are those our allies in this operation?"
"Yep," Tequila said easily. "Looks like the top brass are treating this mission seriously. Besides Calvados and Vermouth, there's Ireland, and some guy named Bourbon I haven't met yet."
He wasn't being careless—Gin hadn't instructed them to keep these names from Yoshiki. Besides, most of them only knew vague outlines anyway.
Yoshiki began connecting dots.
Bourbon, who had recently taken leave, had never shown up to meet Tequila. That meant Toru Amuro was probably already deployed.
If Intelligence was working, and even Calvados and Ireland were summoned, the mission scale must be considerable. This was still in the recon phase.
Vermouth wasn't traveling with Bourbon, so she was likely support staff. Perhaps she was aiding his disguise and cover.
...So they really were shaken.
Yoshiki thought back to how he had used the Death Note to provoke Karasuma Renya.
Seeing the ripples it caused at the core of the Organization, he smiled.
Tequila picked up his phone.
"Hello? ...Ah, got it. Yeah, we got him. Eight o'clock? Sure."
"Gin and Vodka will be out after eight. We'll meet up then."
No one in the car objected.