The Problem with Two-Timing
"Catena? What about the reporters' questions?"
"Are you watching the news? Or are you nearby watching it?"
She didn't answer. Instead... why was she looking around? Was she searching for me?
"I'm nearby. Hurry up and talk to the reporters. This is your chance."
I had gone through all the trouble to set the stage. At this rate, all my hard work was going to go to waste.
"You suddenly hung up. I was so startled."
"That's... You have to focus on what's right in front of you!"
"I called because I had something to say." What could she possibly have to say? Her debut as a hero should have been the bigger issue.
"Umm... I was thinking, once everything's finished, maybe we could have dinner together?" "That..."
It was out of the question. If she became this hot of a topic, the paparazzi would start tailing her. I couldn't appear on camera.
"Why? Is eating with me that bad?"
"It's not that, but..." "Ah, so you're surprisingly the shy type. Like how you ran away before the police arrived last time."
Normally, if someone fled from the police, you'd assume they were a wanted criminal. But well... since I had given her my name, it wasn't unreasonable for her to assume that.
"I'm just reluctant to be exposed to the media. I want to avoid the focus shifting to the assistant right from the start."
"Aren't you paying too much attention to me?"
"That's why I became your manager."
The call was dragging on. The time to get home kept getting later. If this continued, I'd get interrogated again.
"I'll arrange the meal once the media quiets down a bit. Somewhere we can take our time. How does that sound?" The plan could be made later. For now, I needed to put a clear end to this matter. A definitive one.
"...Take our time, huh. How lewd."
"Pardon?"
"No, it's nothing." At this point I was starting to wonder if the problem lay with me. Or perhaps every supporting character I had chosen in this world simply possessed eccentric personalities.
"I understand. It's truly a shame we can't meet today, but since you say it's for my sake, I'll hold back."
"Yes, then. Until next time."
"I'll call you after I finish work."
"What?!"
The call ended before I could even respond. Before the screen returned to normal, the name Catena flashed three times.
"Does she have a hobby of tormenting her manager..." They say a frog doesn't remember its tadpole days. She had completely forgotten how she suffered under Angel.
"First, I need to hurry and call Bianca...!"
She had told me not to wear cologne, and besides, that day I had thrown the bottle on the floor and cracked it. I had transferred the contents to a new container, but... there wasn't much left.
Riiiing.
A few seconds after the tone started, as if she had been waiting right in front of the phone, the call connected immediately.
"...Is it over?" "Yeah, I'm on my way back now." "Come here and let's talk." The call cut off after that single sentence. As expected, it seemed I had chosen the wrong person. Just a few days ago I had been confident that I was good at picking people. What was this?
"...Were you waiting in front of the door again?" "You're always late."
If I was late, couldn't she just let it go? Was the time I almost got caught by the police last time still bothering her that much?
"Come here." "...What is it?"
"I said come here." It seemed she had been exercising until just now; her scent washed over me strongly. The body line visible through her sweat-drenched top was an added bonus. Approaching her wasn't exactly appealing, but... I closed the door and set my bag down.
"What is it?"
"Stay still. Spread both arms."
Bianca made me stand there and ran her hands over me as if frisking a suspect. From my arms to the nape of my neck, my waist, and then my legs. She began meticulously examining every inch.
"...Are you suspecting me right now?" "No."
"Then this—"
"I'm suspecting that hero, so stay still."
Her unexpectedly serious attitude left me speechless. I had thought it was a joke or that she was just trying to smell me like last time. She peeled off my outer layers one by one, shook them out, and sniffed...
"Sniiiiiiff." "Hey, hey!"
Why was she sniffing so aggressively? It was embarrassing. It was fortunate I hadn't sweated much today. Otherwise...
"...Good. You're clean."
Even if she mumbled that with hazy eyes, it had zero persuasiveness. And why wasn't she returning my clothes?
"You said you had something to talk about. Shouldn't we start with that?" "Ah, right. The talk. Go sit over there."
Her first impression had been that of a sharp wolf pack leader. Sighing, I sat at the table. Soon she tapped on a pad and sat across from me. Where had my coat gone?
"You turned the sidekick into a hero?"
The pad she slid toward me prominently displayed a large photo of Catena. Various news outlets had posted photos and videos of her in action. However, the comments were...
The internet in the novel really wasn't any different from reality. It felt like I had seen something I shouldn't have.
"Why are you looking at that part? The hero bastards hired paid commenters to spout every kind of nonsense anyway."
"Then what do you think?"
"Well. You said she became a hero. It wasn't bad. Her speed is still her weakness, though."
"Tell me in detail."
I pulled my chair closer and straightened my posture. I turned off the pad screen and pushed it aside, then took out my own device and opened a note.
"In detail?" "Which parts were disappointing, what areas could be reinforced to make it better, things like that."
Bianca's evaluation was important since she was a veteran of combat. From ability usage to weapons, the villain who would become the leader of a criminal organization would surely know far better than someone like me.
"...Why should I?" "To solidify the hero's position more firmly—"
"For that bitch's sake?"
With a hollow laugh, the atmosphere began to grow icy. Her words cut off sharply. Her posture became increasingly crooked, and Bianca's glare was far from pleasant.
"Hey, whose side are you on?" "...Don't forget. This is—"
"Yeah. If it's for my sake, shouldn't you just do as I say? Why are you telling me to do something that bitch would like?" She scratched her neck as a low growl escaped. Then she seized my wrist.
"You were doing so well, but then you pull this kind of crap I hate. If it's about making hero connections, you could have half-assed it. Why are you so desperate not to neglect that bitch?"
"Have I ever half-assed my work?" "You've been half-assing it with me lately."
Even so, it had only been two days. Just two days.
"I've thrown aside everything—what I'm doing, what I'm directing, how the organization is running—and poured all my attention into that bitch. Did you like her that much?"
"...I told you I'm doing this for you."
"Aah, so now you're going to use me as an excuse while you flirt with another woman? How funny."
Scraaape.
A scratch appeared on the metal table. The sound of grinding teeth accompanied it.
"I said I'm not interested in women."
"Even without that, you're still conspiring with a hero. You know that? It makes me unable to relax."
"Are you suspecting me? Why?"
But I had no intention of backing down. There was no reason to act subservient.
"If you suspect me that much, why don't you just throw me away? I don't care."
"What?" "You've even owed me your life, yet here you are acting out, Bianca."
At those words, I could see her wavering. Her crooked posture slowly straightened.
"Acting out? I'm—"
"I'm the one who walked the tightrope with the police for you, yet all you do is suspect me." "T-that's..." "I've already confirmed that I'm on your side. If you keep this up, it'll be a problem."
"..."
"Kerberos wrapped things up nicely too."
I had wondered what to do if she exploded, but fortunately Bianca simply deflated. She clamped her mouth shut and fixed her gaze on the floor.
"The one who owes a debt here is you. Not me." "...I got it." "I'm working with the hero, but I told you. She's just a tool to take down that Stahlleder you hate so much and the other two."
When I saw her nod, it seemed she had regained enough reason to understand. As she tried to subtly withdraw her hand from my wrist, I covered it with my own.
"It's for you."
"...Even so, that doesn't change the fact that you're conspiring with a hero—"
"Tsk. Who do you think I'm doing all this for?"
At that she hung her head even lower. Then, in a voice that seemed to crawl from her throat, her lips moved.
"...Because of me." "I can't hear you."
"Because of me."
"Louder."
"You son of a...!"
"Hurry."
Seeing her face turn bright red, I couldn't help but smile. Bianca squirmed even more in her seat at that, yet she couldn't release my hand and simply fidgeted helplessly...
"Yeah, fuck! Me, me, me! Everything you fucking do is because of me, happy now?!" "Good girl."
I roughly stroked her head once. As if she couldn't take it anymore, Bianca shot up from her seat. Had I teased her too much? Why was she making a fist—
"Aaaargh!!"
Her fist drove straight into my arm. The piercing pain that felt like being stabbed with an awl shot all the way to the bone... What kind of monstrous strength was that?
"Take it easy, take it easy, take it easy!"
"Ah, aargh... ah...."
I could barely breathe, but Bianca left me like that and entered the room. The door slammed shut with a loud bang as a bonus. What the hell did I do wrong...?