Thanks to Jack's orders, the special project team had been having a tough ti lately.
Not to ntion the bugs, the CIA monitored all their communication software and storage devices, with the added inconvenience of personnel tracking when they were out.
It was just short of telling them outright that everything was under CIA surveillance.
The only ti they weren't tracked was when mbers of the special project team were off-duty.
Under such circumstances, the CIA would only monitor chat software and the like, without extending surveillance to their daily private lives.
This was the small sliver of privacy the CIA afforded them.
After all, the special project team was considered semi-allies, so there was so asure of restraint.
Although in Emily's eyes, that tiny bit of privacy space was as good as non-existent.
But for Morimoto Chiyoda, it was still decent treatnt. At least it spared her, who just wanted to clock out and relax after work, any additional hassle.
"What can we, re subordinates, do about decisions made by the higher-ups?"
"Compared to the Pri Minister, that Sekizo clearly trusts the CIA more."
Morimoto Chiyoda's comnts made Emily chuckle. Picking up a piece of at, she said, "You're being quite disrespectful to the president, you know."
"I can't help it. I respect the elderly, but I also have to admit that when a person's body ages to that extent, the presidency becos a truly challenging job for his health."
"Indeed. Sotis it feels like he's a robot being controlled by soone else."
Emily criticized the aging president, then her expression turned worried. "That's what makes it tricky. The old guy practically has one foot in the grave. Discovering a Superpower User at this ti ans his desire for potential immortality will surpass anyone else's. No one knows what kind of extre actions he might take."
At this point, Emily's brow furrowed sharply.
An imnse military empire ruled by an old man who might not wake up once he falls asleep—that's an extrely dangerous situation. Nobody knows what crazy actions that frail body will take when desperation sets in.
Emily pondered for a mont, her thoughts shifting back to work. She mused, Is there really a second person who controls superpowers besides Dio?
No one answered her question, and she didn't mind, continuing to herself, Why can Dio beco a Superpower User while Suzuki Kojiro and Mayers failed? If it's a matter of willpower, Suzuki Kojiro's might be considered lacking. But Mayers' willpower definitely surpasses ninety-nine percent of people in the world. Even he failed, which ans that awakening and mastering a superpower doesn't require tenacious willpower. Other conditions must be necessary.
"From a genetic standpoint, it might be related to a person's genes," Ito Oto broke her silence, offering her own hypothesis about awakening superpowers. "If Dio had ancestors who were Superpower Users, then as a descendant of Superpower Users, it wouldn't be strange for Dio to have a certain chance of becoming one himself."
"If we follow your logic, then for those mythological stories recorded in history, if they were real, who are the people who inherited those mythical bloodlines?"
Emily bit into a piece of at; its juicy tenderness briefly banished her troubling thoughts.
"PHEW." She exhaled in satisfaction, then noticed Morimoto Chiyoda across from her wasn't eating. Following her gaze, Emily asked, puzzled, "Morimoto, why are you always staring at that young couple?"
"I just think the boy is rather handso."
Morimoto Chiyoda withdrew her gaze, a smile gracing her lips. She didn't deny watching Aozawa; lying to Emily would be sowhat difficult.
"You're already past a certain age, yet you're still crushing on those kids. An old cow shouldn't try to eat tender grass."
Emily shook her head, rather rcilessly criticizing this adult mber of society. "The age gap between you and him is more than single digits, isn't it?"
"Enough," Morimoto Chiyoda said, her tone laced with displeasure.
She hated it most when soone ntioned the age gap.
Because, in truth, she did care about the ten-year difference.
It was like a thorn.
Every ti she considered making a move, an irritating voice in her head would say, You're older than Aozawa. He might be immature, but how can you be too?
Such thoughts always stopped Morimoto Chiyoda in her tracks.
Occasionally, a wave of anxiety would intensify her unease.
Especially when she saw Aozawa on a date with a girl his own age; the impact was greater than she had imagined. She thought she could be magnanimous, but a thread of displeasure still spread through her heart.
"HAHA," Emily laughed, a cheerful sound. She rarely heard Morimoto Chiyoda speak with such a tone, which indicated her last remark had hit a nerve.
"Speaking of which, you're also housing a male high school student. Surely you don't have any ideas about him?"
"So what if I do? As long as he's of age, the law won't care."
Morimoto Chiyoda, noticing the suggestive glint in Emily's eyes, didn't deny her own thoughts.
Emily was montarily stunned. She had just been joking casually, not expecting the other woman to actually entertain such notions.
She couldn't help saying, "Raising a boy to be your future husband isn't exactly a good custom, you know."
"Haha, nowadays, plenty of guys like older won," Okayama Buji hastily interjected, trying to smooth things over, a bittersweet feeling in his heart.
His first love had completely burst like a bubble in that instant. He had thought their reunion and working together again was a chance bestowed by heaven. Looking back now, how could soone like him ever receive such a wonderful opportunity?
"TSK." Emily wasn't dissatisfied with Morimoto Chiyoda, but rather with Okayama Buji's cowardice. She wasn't blind; she'd long since figured out Okayama Buji's feelings. When she and Katerina were investigating Dio, Okayama Buji never bothered to dress up, always opting for a casual look. However, ever since Morimoto Chiyoda joined the special project team, his attire had noticeably changed. Emily definitely sided with Okayama Buji over so random young man Morimoto might be interested in, but the coward clearly lacked the nerve to confess.
"Whatever, relationships are such a hassle."
Emily suddenly sighed like an elder, poured herself a drink, and raised her glass. "Let's eat and drink, then get back to work."
"Right. After this drink, I want to get a good sleep."
As Morimoto Chiyoda said this, she noticed Aozawa getting up to go to the restroom. She didn't remain seated but hurriedly took a sip of her drink and said, "I'm going to the washroom."
She then rose and left.
Emily glanced at the young couple's table; the boy's seat was empty.
She touched her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.
OH-HO, could it be that boy is the little rascal Chitose is keeping? This speculation excited her, and she really wanted to follow and take a look. But if she followed now and Morimoto Chiyoda discovered her, the drama would surely be ruined. All Emily could do was suppress the urge to follow, silently guessing Morimoto Chiyoda's next move. A confrontation? Or perhaps a confrontation? She was so curious.
She glanced towards the restrooms, no longer paying attention to the at in her mouth.
The restrooms in the barbecue restaurant were around the corner.
Most restaurants were designed this way; having the restroom doors open directly into the main dining hall would inevitably make so custors uncomfortable.
n's to the right, won's to the left.
Aozawa entered the n's restroom. He found a spot and was just about to unzip when he detected a distinctly feminine fragrance, out of place in a n's room.
He was suddenly yanked into the nearest stall.
THUD. Aozawa's back hit the wall. He looked at Morimoto Chiyoda before him, astonished. "Chitose, this is the n's restroom!"
Morimoto Chiyoda's hands were planted on the wall on either side of his shoulders, her eyes appraising him like a lamb caught in a trap. She chuckled lightly, "I know. Isn't this more exciting?"
Her seductive voice seed to ignite the sumr heat.
Aozawa couldn't help but laugh. "You're jealous."
"Did you think I wouldn't get jealous?"
Adopting a posture that brooked no refusal, Morimoto Chiyoda leaned in and bit his lips, as if to brand them with her breath or her own unique mark.
She then grabbed his hands and pinned them against the wall.
She took what she wanted with the deanor of a tyrannical queen.
For a full three minutes, Morimoto Chiyoda vented her pent-up frustrations and also noticed that a certain soone had beco remarkably...aroused.
She pulled away, her delicate, oval face flushed a faint red. In a low voice, she asked, "You've improved a bit. Which girl taught you that?"
"In this regard, boys are self-taught."
"Hmph, I bet it's that girl outside, Iroha, who's been giving you private lessons."
Morimoto Chiyoda didn't believe his nonsense. Still holding his hands pinned, she stared at his handso collarbone with the hunger of a wolf eyeing a rack of ribs.
"No, her na is Hojo Shouko. I invited her to dinner simply to thank her for her kindness in the past. My feelings for her are like those of an older brother for his younger sister."
"You're really playing the field more and more."
Morimoto Chiyoda retorted, seriously suspecting that Aozawa, perhaps due to being abandoned, had an exceptionally strong desire for a family—seeing her as a mother figure and Hojo Shouko as a sister.
Your ideas are getting more and more dangerous.
"Chitose, I think your thoughts are the dangerous ones," Aozawa rolled his eyes. He truly didn't have such intentions at the mont. Besides, what he'd said to Chitose earlier was just playful teasing. Guys, well, they get it. So even want their partners to call them 'daddy' during intimate monts. That's just a way for couples to enhance their connection and fun, not a genuine desire to be the other person's father.
"It's best if you're not a pervert."
Morimoto Chiyoda released his hands and turned to leave.
Aozawa, in turn, grabbed her hand, his expression serious. "Chitose, no matter what, you're my number one."
Through eavesdropping via Catalyst Induction, he had realized that Chitose seed genuinely bothered by the ten-year age gap.
"Little kid, I'm a woman like Yun, free as a cloud."
A hint of sweetness blood in Morimoto Chiyoda's heart, but she didn't let it show on her face. Turning her head, she said, "Whether you can hold onto or not depends on your future performance."
"My performance is always excellent," Aozawa replied with a grin, watching her leave the stall. He then looked down at himself.
Ah, looks like I'll have to wait a bit before I can relieve myself.
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