Vol 3 Chapter 26 – Deja vu (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

The movie theater’s underground room.

Sakata, completely naked, looked confused.

Hirata lay unconscious with a nosebleed streaming down her face.

Mayuzumi wore an expression of utter bewilderment at the absurdity of it all.

The bathroom was in complete chaos.

“…For now, could you please leave this room? I’ll finish my shower right away.”

“Y-Yes. Understood.”

Mustering all her strength, Mayuzumi spoke as she hoisted Hirata and left the bathroom.

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After leaving the bathroom, Mayuzumi carried Hirata to the living room sofa and laid her down.

“For now, this should be fine….”

She covered Hirata’s nose with a tissue, providing the bare minimum of care.

There was still no sign that Hirata would wake up.

“Why did it have to come to this…”

Mayuzumi sighed deeply.

She never expected to reunite with the Boss in a place like this.

And to have been pinned down while taking a bath—it was just too disrespectful.

Even in death, such a sin might never be atoned for.

With a heavy heart, Mayuzumi waited for Sakata’s return.

Then, suddenly.

“Hmm?”

A ringtone echoed from unconscious Hirata.

Mayuzumi pulled a cellphone from Hirata’s chest pocket; on the screen, the name Kuzuryuu was displayed.

“Kuzuryuu-san…?”

Honestly, she didn’t feel like answering, but thinking ahead, she forced herself to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

After a brief silence, she tried speaking again.

“…Hello?”

“———It’s me. I need you to come here immediately.”

A voice came through the phone—different from usual, yet conveying the situation exactly as it was.

“Hirata-san is currently not in a condition to converse.”

Glancing sideways at the still-unresponsive Hirata, Mayuzumi replied.

(He fainted from a nosebleed after seeing the naked Boss, right…?)

A silence falls once again.
For some reason, Mayuzumi feels an awkward tension.

“You’re done. That’s enough.”
“I’m terribly sorry.”

With those words from Kuzuryuu, the call abruptly cuts off. She ends the call and feels relieved.

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“I got the feeling that Kuzuryuu-san was unusually flustered… Is something happening over there?”
“——————What happened with Kuzuryuu?”

While thinking about the earlier call, Sakata—fresh from his shower—appears before Mayuzumi.
(Seeing the Boss’s post-shower look for the first time…)

Not wanting him to notice, Mayuzumi begins to speak.

“Boss, I am deeply sorry for the disgraceful display earlier.”

Mayuzumi bows her head to the floor in front of him, assuming a dogeza posture. Sakata approaches and crouches down beside her.

“No, this incident is fine. More importantly… the sudden turn of events has left me struggling to grasp the situation. Could you please explain?”

Drawn in by his gentle tone, Mayuzumi lifts her head.

“Understood. I will brief you on the current operational status.”

The two sit facing each other on the sofa. Sakata lays Hirata down, positioning her so that her head rests on his knee like a pillow. Mayuzumi’s eyes widen at the sight.

“Boss, I sincerely apologize for the trouble Hirata-sama has caused. I will handle this matter.”
“No, it’s not a big deal. Although it’s a mystery why she ended up fainting…”
(There’s no way I can ever admit that her fainting was because of you, Boss…)

A churning sensation knots her stomach. With a wry smile, Mayuzumi continues the conversation.

“Where should I begin my explanation?”
“I can somewhat guess why you two came here. You’re here for me, aren’t you?”
“As you rightly guessed, not only we but also the other executives are currently acting on your behalf, Boss.”

Sakata pauses, appearing deep in thought, then speaks.

“You were on a call with Kuzuryuu earlier, right? Where is he now?”
“The details are unclear, but according to Hirata-sama, the only information is that Kuzuryuu-sama and Meido-sama are at a seaside cave.”
“I see… I did hear talk of a suspicious cave yesterday—a well stuffed with corpses and all… Ah.”

At Sakata’s “Ah,” he again seems lost in thought. Though his expression is concealed by his mask, Mayuzumi senses something is off and asks, “Boss? Is something the matter?”
“No… I just remembered something.”
“Something?”
“Yes, earlier, the Sanct———”

“B-B-B-B-B-B-Boss!?”

Suddenly, a scream echoes throughout the room. The sound comes from near Sakata’s knee.

“Hirata, have you finally woken up?”
“W-W-why am I using Boss as a pillow?! I’m so excited I might faint!! This is a dream, right? Eh?”

Hirata shouts as she clings to Sakata. Seeing this, Mayuzumi buries her head in her hands and sighs.

“…Boss.”
“Don’t worry. Taking care of this is part of my duty.”

Sakata lightly pats Hirata’s back.
“Hirata, this isn’t a dream—please calm down.”
“—————Eh, it’s not a dream…?”

At Sakata’s words, Hirata freezes as if turned to stone. Mayuzumi lifts her up and seats her beside her.

“Hirata-sama, please refrain from any further disgraceful behavior in front of Boss.”
“It’s not a dream? Boss giving me a pillow and us hugging—is all of this real?”
“It looked more like you forcibly clung to him rather than a mutual embrace…”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”

With a loud scream, Hirata prostrates herself before Sakata in a dogeza.

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“Is this what they call déjà vu?”
“No, I think that’s not quite right…”
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