After receiving the request from the woman who had given him everything—
Toshi began the operation immediately.
The very first thing he did after stepping out of the meeting room was pull out his phone… and call Roxxy.
"[...H-Hello...?]"
"...Roxxy, are you free to talk right now?"
"[...Um...well...]"
<<< Hey hey hey, who's calling?! Heyy—Wooohooo! >>>
"[...Syd!! Get out of here! Go away!—Ugh… sorry about that…]"
"..."
"[...Okay. I'm free now. S-So… what's up?]"
"..."
Toshi didn't feel great about this—not at all. But… since he'd taken this on, he had to see it through to the end.
"...Can we meet? Outside the base."
"[...Huh? Are you... done with work?]"
"...Yeah. There's something I need to tell you."
"[W-What...? Are you g-gonna—]"
"...."
"[...O-Okay... sure.]"
At the wide-open area by the lake… at the Thrak organization's Australia branch base…
Toshi stood on a suspension bridge, looking out over the lake—and before long, he sensed the presence of the girl.
"...Ah. There she is."
She hurried toward him, flustered. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she couldn't control her excitement.
"...So? What did you call me here for?"
Toshi continued staring out at the pale blue waters surrounding Sydney…
"...We've known each other for half a year now..."
"...Y-Yeah..."
"There's something I need to say."
He shifted his gaze from the lake—to Roxxy's flushed face.
"I like you. I've liked you since the first day we met."
"!?"
Roxxy's knees nearly gave out. She took a step back, clutched her chest—her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode…
Was this a dream? It had to be, right?
"...Will you go out with me, Roxxy?"
After hearing all this… Sera had to admit—she couldn't judge him. For Toshi, this was difficult too. But even so—
"Toshi… you're such an asshole."
"...Wait, Sera—just listen first!"
Not long after Toshi began his operation, he and Roxxy officially started dating.
And just as Lady Annie had said—it was all true. Roxxy was even more innocent than he had expected. Their relationship was like something straight out of elementary school.
A day of texting, holding hands, saying goodnight—and that was it.
That really was all there was.
One day, not long after finishing a mission, Toshi was strolling leisurely around the base. Chatting here and there, teasing a few girls along the way—his usual.
Eventually, he found himself settling down on a public bench, relaxing in the shade of a small garden.
He closed his eyes, enjoying a moment of peace… until a chorus of rowdy shouting burst from behind the bushes across from him.
It was a group of young men being loud and obnoxious.
"..."
How rude. He figured he'd better say something.
Toshi stood up and walked around to confront them. As he approached, the voices became clearer...
"Did you pull garbage, bro?"
"...What a moron..."
"You loser! The game doesn't even want trash like you, you know that?"
"Stop whining. Wait till the download finishes, then talk, dumbass."
Toshi spotted three boys around his age.
The first, seated to the far right, had brown hair with yellow highlights, blood-red eyes, and wore a red shirt.
The second was a Black kid with dark locs and streaks of purple—just as chaotic as the first.
The last one… it was hard to tell if it was a boy or girl. They had long green hair, wore pink glasses, and were the quietest of the bunch.
They were all hunched over their phones, playing a mobile gacha game together.
"Yo, Knight! Where's the top-up button? I can't read this crap."
"My face look Japanese to you, bro?"
"Do you even know anything?"
"I know you're too dumb to play it without a VPN, that's for sure."
Toshi decided to place a hand on the shoulder of the brown-haired boy in the middle.
"...!?"
All three of them looked up at him.
"...Shh."
Toshi put a finger to his lips—signaling that they were being too loud.
"Ah... sorry, man..."
The red-shirted one scratched his head awkwardly. Toshi turned to head back to his seat—but just then...
"Hey, you."
"...?"
It was the red-shirted boy who called out.
"You Japanese?"
"...Yeah..."
"Whoa... sweet."
"...Why?"
"Can you help me translate this message?"
He turned his phone around to show Toshi—it was the same gacha game Toshi had been playing!
"...You guys play too?"
"Of course. You play?"
"Yeah. But it's only released in Japan, right? You guys using VPNs?"
"Yup."
And so his plan for a peaceful rest went out the window. Toshi ended up sitting down with the three of them—blending right in without even realizing it.
Time flew by fast. Within just a few days, they'd already become close friends.
Toshi liked these guys right away.
"What's your name?"
"Toshi. And you?"
"I'm Syd."
The boy introduced himself, then pointed at the others one by one using his middle finger.
"This Black dude's Denji."
SMACK
"It's 2019 and you're still living in 1890, huh?"
Syd got a solid slap to the head from Denji, but none of them seemed to mind. They were obviously very close.
"And that albino over there is Mickey. And yes, he's a guy."
"...I really hate racists..."
Mickey muttered under his breath. But Syd heard him.
"Yo, what did you just say?"
"He said he doesn't like your face, bro. Oops—"
SLAP
From that day forward, the group became four.
Toshi still drifted around, mingling with various groups, being his usual smooth-talking self. But over time, he found that the one place he could truly be himself—say whatever, act however—was with Syd, Denji, and Mickey.
Meanwhile, in his private life, he was still secretly dating Roxxy.
But because of their jobs, they rarely saw each other. Their schedules never aligned, and Roxxy was still just a Nova.
Still, the distance didn't matter much. Toshi had his ways. And Roxxy? She was loyal—painfully loyal. Too innocent for her own good.
She never doubted him. Never questioned him. She trusted him fully, gave him everything she had—heart and soul.
She even confided in him about her personal insecurities… during one of their dates, in fact.
Hug
While they were standing on a bridge overlooking the river, she suddenly hugged him from behind.
"...Hey... Toshi..."
"...Hmm?"
"How do you grow taller?"
"...Why, little one?" He gently patted her head.
"...I wanna be taller..."
"...You'll grow. Don't worry."
"...I'm 14 now... and in four years I'll stop growing... This morning I measured myself—only 160 cm. And Syd keeps calling me a handbag. Even if it's a joke… it's starting to sting."
"Aww~ There, there, Kan~"
Toshi turned and pulled her into a hug. Roxxy had a side he never expected to see from her. At first, he thought she was just a quiet, brooding girl… not much emotion… But with him, she turned into a soft little kitten.
She even opened up to him about her small, hidden insecurities. She had a few… but the biggest one? Her height. It was something she couldn't even talk about with her own brother.
She was serious about it. So serious she asked Toshi for advice.
But seeing as he himself was lactose-intolerant and still ended up 178 cm tall, he had no idea what to tell her either.
As time passed, Toshi's new lifestyle—his fate-altered path—slowly changed him.
His playboy ways faded. He was down to only about 25% of the womanizer he used to be. All thanks to his new crew and his conversations with Roxxy.
It was like they'd pulled him out of that shallow world. Those people were only ever drawn to him for his sex appeal. But these three? Especially Syd? No matter how good-looking he was, they'd smack him down just like anyone else.
Toshi loved that. He never had to pretend with them.
And Roxxy—she was a great girlfriend. She even respectfully called him P'Tosh. Whenever she went home to Thailand or had food, she'd always save some for him. Just like her mother.
She never asked to see his phone. Never demanded attention or care. They both understood—being in the covert world meant no guarantees.
But before he knew it, five months had passed.
It was time.
Time to fulfill the promise he made to his benefactor.
Toshi contacted Grandmaster Annie Barrett for a private meeting through Jade.
"...Miss Annie… this afternoon… I'll complete the assignment you gave me."
"...I see... Five months exactly, huh?"
"...Miss Annie… Roxxy's really serious about this... I'm afraid once I break up with her… she might end up hating me forever..."
"...That's the lesson I want her to learn. Once you break up, don't explain. Don't look back. Just walk away—like you've always done with everyone else."
"...."
"Don't act like you'll run into her again. There are thousands of agents out there, Toshi."
She was right. It was hard enough just to meet up as things were. After this? It'd be over for good.
"...Understood..."
In the garden beneath the hidden base—
"...P'Tosh? You called me here—what's up?"
Roxxy's voice was sweet and casual. Today, Toshi had asked to speak with her.
"Uh… well…"
"Oh—wait, wait..."
She pulled out a plastic bag and handed it to him.
"I brought you some sun-dried beef. Here you go."
"...."
Toshi's face grew even heavier with sadness. He accepted it.
"...Is something wrong?"
"...Kan... I..."
"...?"
"....."
"Let's break up."
"Wh-Why?! ...Why are you saying that, P'Tosh?!!! Why would you say that!!!???"
Roxxy Barrett's trembling voice echoed through the garden.
Her crimson eyes were shaking violently, tears forming and beginning to trickle down her cheeks.
"...Kan... These past five months... I've come to see you more like a little sister. I'm sorry..."
"P'Tosh! What did I do wrong!? I can change, I—"
Grab!
Toshi gripped her shoulders tightly, forcing the words through clenched teeth.
"...You did nothing wrong, Kan. Nothing at all. You're perfect just the way you are. It's just... the way I feel about you... it's more like how I'd feel about a younger sister..."
"...."
"..."
"...I'm sorry..."
He let go of her and walked away, leaving Roxxy standing there, shaking, tears pouring down her face.
Later that day…
Toshi sat quietly in the cafeteria with Syd. The other two from their group couldn't make it.
"..."
" What's up with you, Jap?"
Syd turned his face away from the livestreamed football match. He noticed something was off about Toshi today—he seemed oddly gloomy.
"..."
"Oi, you good twin?"
"...I feel like shit bruhhh "
Toshi finally said it, leaning back, face covered with palms.
"fuck happened?"
"...I broke up with someone."
"...Damn. You had a girlfriend? This is news to me."
"...I didn't tell you."
"...So why'd you break up?"
"...It's complicated."
"Bro, spill it. slaps the table release it all over me. pause tho."
"...Alright, alright... clicks tongue..."
The two of them leaned in close.
"A few months ago... a big shot called me in for a meeting. Told me to pretend to date their daughter, 10/10 huzz btw—and eventually break up with her. I wanted to say no, but I couldn't. This person... they were someone who gave me everything. I owed them. They told me straight up that their daughter had a crush on me."
"Man... that's deep. Sounds like a damn webtoon. Twisted as fuck bruh."
"And they made me dump her at the height of it—said it was to teach her a lesson about heartbreak or something. Cold as hell. And... that girl... she was amazing, man. Seriously. The more I talk about this, the more of an asshole I sound like. But I had to do it. And I did. This afternoon."
"...Damn. You're not an asshole, man. You were doing your job. Wait, who's this big shot, anyway?"
"...You wouldn't know even if I told you."
"Try me."
"...Grandmaster Annie."
"..."
As soon as the name left his mouth, Toshi noticed Syd freeze—eyes wide with disbelief. 😳
"..."
"...Yo, what's wrong?"
"...Annie? You mean Grandmaster Annie?"
"...Yeah..."
"...That old hag?"
"...Whoa! The hell did you just say?! Watch your mouth! She's the one who made me who I am!"
"Why? What's wrong if I say it? I can say what I want."
"What the hell!? Who even are you?! Why're you talking about Annie like that?!"
"THAT'S MY MOM!"
"?!?!?!?!?!?"
"HUUUUUUUUH!?!?!?!"
Now both of them were in total shock, staring at each other, stunned. 😳
"W-Wait a second… G-Gif... don't tell me... you're Roxxy's brother?!"
"...You—YOU DATED MY SISTER!?!?"
They leapt up, pointing fingers at each other in a panic.
"I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH HER!!!"
"YOU DATED MY SISTER CUH!?!?!?"
And then, as if fate were mocking them…
"...Hey, I'm back—huh?"
A familiar voice rang out behind Toshi. He recognized it instantly.
Roxxy Barrett.
CRASH!
"..."
Roxxy dropped her food tray on the ground when she saw the familiar face of her now-ex-boyfriend sitting at a table—talking with her brother.
It all happened so fast. Chaos. Confusion. What? These two? Brothers?!?
"Why... why would you do this to me?"
Her face twisted. She stared at Toshi in disbelief as anger surged in her expression—eyes wide, teeth clenched—and in the very next second...
Toshi took an ice-coated punch to the face.
"...What the hell did I just listen to?"
Sera frowned, eyebrows drawn tight in total bewilderment.
She didn't know what to feel—but she was leaning toward understanding Roxxy.
After all, she had dated across the entire gender spectrum—she got what Roxxy must've felt.
"...Put me in the hospital. I was out cold for seven days."
Toshi scratched the back of his head.
If that really was the full story...
"...And you didn't realize at any point that those two were siblings?!!!"
"...Not at all, 👉👈... Roxxy mentioned she was half-Thai… but Syd never said anything. I didn't find out till that day..."
"...Wait wait wait... and their mom never introduced you guys or anything—what?"
"...Never. I'm not the only trainee Annie raised, you know. She's got hundreds. But me ending up in the same team as Syd? That was off-plan. Even Annie was shocked."
"...Haaahhhhh?????"
Sera was at a loss for words.
Turns out, whenever Roxxy was around, Toshi was tied up with missions—and when he was free, she'd be off on assignments.
That ridiculous cycle had been going on for almost half a year.
"So what happened after that?"
"Been crazy for her ever since I woke up."
Roxxy sneered while lifting her weights.
And it was true. Toshi must've hit his head hard, because after waking up from that KO, he'd been inexplicably simping hard.
"...I'm not crazy... I just really like girls who punch hard—"
"..."
Toshi had to shut up when Roxxy turned with a glare like she was about to hurl a dumbbell at him.
"...This is insane! But... but still, isn't the real one to blame your mom?"
Sera placed her hands on her hips and stepped on Roxxy's dumbbell to stop her from lifting—so they could talk first.
"...Then why didn't you just say no??? You could've said no!"
"..."
"...See, Annie has a... unique parenting style..."
"And who are you to say that?"
Toshi immediately backpedaled behind Sera, using her as a human shield from Roxxy's icy wrath.
He was literally trembling.
Sera rubbed her temple in exasperation. At this point, she could see the bigger picture.
Toshi was just following the orders of someone he owed his life to.
And Roxxy? Well, if she were in that position, she'd be furious too.
As for Roxxy's mom... Sera had no right to judge. She was an outsider.
Still, due to an oversight... they'd ended up in the same team, of all things...
"...You've held it together this long... I'd say you're pretty damn tough."
Sera said to the younger girl.
"...Aren't you angry at your mom for all this?"
"...It's complicated... but no. That's just the way she is..."
"...So you're not mad at her—but you're mad at him? From what I heard, it's not entirely his fault..."
Roxxy didn't answer. She turned away and walked toward the treadmill instead.
"...Hey, Toshi..."
"...Yeah?"
"...Your Annie… the mother of those two Barretts… what kind of person is she?"
"...Uh..."
Toshi paused to find the words.
"...Hard to explain. You'd have to meet her to really understand. But imagine someone who..."
"What kind of someone?"
"...Someone who can make Syd sit still."
"...Ohh..."
"..."
Sera was genuinely stunned by that answer.
She couldn't even begin to picture the kind of person it would take to calm a wild dog like Syd Barrett...
Her mind went completely blank.
Well—except for one name that popped up.
Someone who may not have been able to tame him entirely... but could rein him in just a little...
Jody Johansson.