The members of the IW "Elder Council" were the ones who built the organization alongside its founder. By now, they had all stepped into retirement. Though they still had the authority to make major decisions, most of them lived lives like regular retired seniors.
They lived mainly in Europe and America. Normally they just played golf, hung out, or attended international conferences. It was a leisurely life.
Back in the early days of the organization—when the global situation was unstable—they were all extremely busy. Even now, some of them were still single.
"George went to see the young master?"
"Just went on his own. If he can go, why can't we?"
"I had two sons back in the day. I'm clearly better at taking care of kids than that lonely old man."
"You already have grandkids. Can't you just focus on them?"
"They've got their own lives. I can't really interfere."
In a massive golf course, a few elderly men were swinging clubs and chatting casually.
"Where do you think the boss disappeared to during those years?"
"Wasn't he said to be running a farm? Who knows where that farm even is." One of the old men said as he launched the golf ball into the distance.
"Only that brat Sagara knows the boss's whereabouts, but he always says things like 'Even if I told you, you couldn't get there.' Hah! When we were out fighting wars, that kid wasn't even born yet!"
"If the boss wants a quiet life, we shouldn't disturb him." A rather gruff-looking elder said. "But still, he really trusts us to send his son here."
"Benson, you know how capable the young master is. The boss wouldn't have sent him to a Middle Eastern warzone if he didn't believe in him."
Another white-haired elder took a swing and leaned on his club, chuckling. "Honestly, if George is looking after the young master, his peaceful days are probably over."
"Hahaha, true."
"Not jealous at all."
Buzz~
A synchronized buzz came from all their pockets. They took out their phones—it was a message from their internal chat group.
This group was mostly used for three things: bragging, planning meetups, and trash-talking Sagara Sosuke.
(And yes, Sagara was in the group too.)
"It's from George."
"What'd he say?"
They all tapped the message. It was a photo and a short text.
[Visited the young master today. He personally made lunch for me.] Attached was a picture of the two of them at the dining table.
"…"
"…"
Thud x N
All of them silently tossed their phones to the ground.
---
"Rinji, in about a week you'll need to come back to school. Don't forget to turn in your written reflection."
"If I don't write it, does that mean I don't have to go back?"
"If you dare not write it, then you better show up at school tomorrow!"
"…"
At home, Takamine Rinji was gaming while chatting with Sagara on the phone.
"Anyway, the school has already uncovered the truth about Ko Ogino's crimes. But to avoid hurting Ootomo's reputation, they're keeping it quiet. You just need to reflect on the fighting incident," Kaya explained. "Also, I heard Ogino suddenly vanished. You didn't do something weird again, like sending him to some lab as a test subject?"
"How could I? Do I look like a demon?"
"You are a demon."
"I didn't send him to a lab," Takamine Rinji said, grinning. "On the contrary, I admired how cooperative he was, so I pulled some strings to debut him as an idol. You might hear his album someday."
"You're that generous?"
"Of course."
"Nothing else for now. Make sure you review properly. If you fail too many midterms, it could affect your promotion."
"Got it."
"That's it then."
Beep—
The call ended. Takamine Rinji listened to Kaya since she counted as a senior to him.
He put down the phone and went back to his game.
Review? He had no idea what that was.
"By the way, Rinji, you're going back to school in a week," said Ishigami, who was gaming next to him.
"Yeah, you should go too. Staying home playing games all day will rot your brain."
"You're one to talk. You game all day too."
"Totally different. I was suspended—officially gaming with reason. You're just skipping class." Takamine Rinji looked at him. "Also, get a haircut. You've been here almost a month, and your bangs are long enough to hide an eye."
Ishigami's messy black hair was now long enough to cover half his face.
"You're one to talk. Your hair's long too. I don't mind mine, but if you don't cut yours…"
"What?"
"…"
"Hey, don't turn away. What'll happen if I don't get it cut?"
Takamine Rinji looked confused as Ishigami awkwardly averted his gaze.
"You'll look… kind of like a Highschool JK."
"Don't be ridiculous."
He took it as a joke, but truthfully, the hair brushing his ears was a bit irritating.
He instinctively brushed his bangs back. Ishigami, seeing this, quickly turned his head away again.
"Tch. You're acting weird lately. Is my hairstyle that bad?"
"No, not that… Just wait till you're back in class. I'm sure you'll want to get it cut then."
"Whatever."
Takamine Rinji ignored him and kept mashing buttons on the controller.
"By the way, did you review at all? Midterms are coming, and I heard if you get too many 'red marks'—like 20 points below average—you might not even graduate. Shuchiin doesn't offer retakes."
Takamine Rinji didn't care about graduation. But Ishigami was different.
"Haven't studied at all. Not like it would help."
"Nice, a real man. I didn't study either."
Of course. They'd spent nearly the whole month gaming. No chance they'd reviewed anything.
They were both fully prepared to flunk.