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Strange. I should be part of the on-field team, but why am I doing paperwork like this every day? Well, yeah, I do know that it’s because there were complaints from the last job.

「O~i, the supervisor called us.」
「Roge~r」

My partner Kyousuke is also doing office work for joint responsibility. I suppose we’re finally done with boring paperwork now. I can only hope the next client is a bit more flexible.

「Next time, just shut up. Leave the talking to me.」
「Nonono, that was the other party’s fault, wasn’t it?」

I always get pointed at the one at fault, but this time I’ll rightfully deny it. It’s dangerous if us bodyguards leave, so there’s no way I’d just agree to being told to leave the room so she can change. After all, people occasionally throw off their bodyguards that way.

「Be a bit more subtle when talking. You know people get offended when you say it up front, don’t you?」
「I tried simply warning her at first. But she wouldn’t listen at all, you know.」

It’s too complicated dealing with them, especially the daughters of wealthy families. They’d complain even if they just don’t like how you look. There are even some idiots who’d request a personnel change just because I’m a woman. Are they aiming for a reverse harem or something?

「Your next protectee is this individual.」

The first thing I thought after seeing the presented investigative report was Not another wealthy family’s daughter. Please, give us a break supervisor.

「Moreover, of all people, it’s the daughter of the Kisaragi family. Supervisor, do you want us to get fired that badly?」
「That’s right, supervisor. She’s definitely going to file a complaint against us.」

I’ve heard nothing good about that lady. I hear a lot of things just standing around at high society parties, but doesn’t she have like the worst rumors?

「Do you think you have the luxury of being picky about your job?」

It’s a harsh world we live in.

「You can just permanently transfer to the office team too. As it is, even if you two stay in the on-field team, you’re not going to have any summer bonus anyways.」
「Please have mercy on us, supervisor.」

There’s a lot I want to buy, so a bonus cut is tough. I even have some payments relying on it. And office work isn’t attractive at all. Since with my abilities, I’m not going to survive there for long.

「I guess we have no choice but to accept, Akira.」
「We don’t have any right to decline. Supervisor, we gratefully accept it.」

Since it’s a non-contact dispatch, we probably won’t have any communication with the protectee. That part itself suits us well. In exchange, it’ll be highly likely that we’ll get exhausted from unexpected behavior patterns. And we can’t guide her movements. This is on the difficult side.

「The Gojima pair is already guarding her.」
「Are we going to work together with them?」
「You two are on the morning shift. The Gojima pair will be on night shift.」
「Wait a minute. Do you mean to say that the only personnel are us and the old man’s pair?」
「That’s right. You four are the only assigned personnel.」

Normally at least four people are assigned per shift, with just the two of us, the difficulty is a lot greater. The worst part will be when the protectee enters a building and we lose visual contact with them. Maybe this just shows this isn’t given high priority.

「Additionally, there’s been information that the protectee had attempted suicide prior.」

I’m getting a headache. The problems keep piling, there’s no hope in sight. If she ever kills herself while we’re assigned to her, it’ll affect our reputation. That’s something we absolutely have to prevent.

「Umm, can we have permission to employ listening devices?」
「I’ve already checked, but it’s a no. I was told though that if she tries to commit suicide again, we won’t be held liable.」

It’s good that the family won’t demand liability. Still, that and our reputation is a different thing. If we get fired from this, it’ll have an impact on our chances of reemployment. Also, it’ll most likely spoil the company’s reputation.

「This is crazy. This is absolutely dangerous, supervisor.」
「It’s a commission from the twelve families. There’s no way to refuse it. Normally, I’d rather not accept this.」

Right? It just reeks of danger. Are the two already guarding doing alright? Mentally, I mean.

「Take over for the Gojima pair tomorrow. When you do, acquire the information regarding previously observed behaviour.」
「Understood.」

It’s painful how we can’t refuse it. For this job, I really don’t see this ending well at all. Even Kyousuke next to me is looking gloomy. In a sense, isn’t it just a roundabout way of getting us fired? The Gojima pair practically just got dragged into this.

「I guess I’ll start looking for new employment.」
「Look for some openings for me too.」

I seriously need to think about my future. Since this job might be my last ever from this company. It’s honestly depressing.

「Old ma~n, morni~ng.」

Within the day, we finished our preparations and headed to the place where the Gojima pair was supposed to be on standby, but it was empty. Kyousuke and I exchanged looks before checking the room again, but this really should be the place.

「What’s happening?」
「Don’t ask me, I don’t know.」

If they’re not here, then that should mean that the protectee went outdoors. But it’s still 6 am in the morning. People normally don’t go outside this early, right?

「Is it for some sort of scheme?」
「Causing a problem immediately after getting chased away by her family? Though based on the investigative reports, I can’t deny that.」

It’s going to be rough from here on out. Since I thought that we’d have some free time anyways, I also brought a job search magazine with me. I hope they have some good job openings on this. Well, it’s best if we just don’t get fired though.

「Hmm, as expected, there’s a lot of demand for manufacture and production-type jobs.」
「Our current job is just special. Other than those, probably medical related or social service jobs too.」

Also a lot of openings for qualification holders. I don’t have any, so these are instantly out. Personally, I suit jobs that’ll have me moving my body.

「They’re back.」
「Welcome back, old man. What happened?」
「The target began training early in the morning.」
「What?」

Nonono, there’s nothing about that even written on the reports. Why did she suddenly start that? Did she have some sort of change after her near death experience?

「Also, it’s better you don’t trust the photos. Thanks to those, we lost sight of her from the get go.」
「W-wait a minute. Weren’t you two on standby outside of her hospital room?」

How did you lose sight of her with that? No matter how thick her makeup is on the pictures, there’s no way that we’d have difficulty identifying our target that early.

「This is a photo we secretly captured of her without makeup.」
「…… She’s a completely different person.」

She’s absolutely prettier without makeup on. Why did she feel the need to wear makeup? Is she picking a fight with me? I’m taking it even if she isn’t, dammit.

「Maybe she had no makeup because it was the hospital?」
「That’s also a possibility, but she also didn’t wear makeup this time.」

Hearing Mizuki’s reply, I’m even more confused. Didn’t the reports say that she regularly has thick makeup at any and every occasion? A lot of stuff isn’t adding up, this is just terrible. Someone, explain this situation!

「This is a summary of her behavior yesterday.」

Mizuki passed me a simplified report. The places she went to are written on it, shopping at a 100 yen shop and eating dinner at a cafe, these I still understand. But isn’t this too long of a time to spend on a cafe?

「There’s a cafe that’s open until that late?」
「No, the target exited a while after the shop closed. We don’t really know what was happening inside.」

Hmm, then what does that mean? If we believe the reports, then it’s possible that she might have used her name or did some kind of coercion. Still, the current situation is too inconsistent with the reports.

「Also, she seems to be in good terms with the girl from the cafe.」
「The reports we’ve read, are these really properly investigated?」

The only people in her social circle should be the Udzuki girl and her lackey, right? Why is she on good terms with some ordinary girl? Besides, if she’s friends with the cafe girl, then coercion theory won’t hold. I don’t get it.

「I don’t think they’d cut any corners in that regard. But considering the current circumstances, it might be best to ask them about this.」

It’s just as Mizuki said. It wouldn’t be funny if they go “Oh, we made a mistake”. We currently can’t properly anticipate her movements, so we won’t be able to react fast enough during emergencies.

「Actually, Akira, Kyousuke. What are you two reading a job search magazine for?」
「「To find our next employment.」」
「Take this job seriously, you fools.」

The old man retorted, but he should know just how difficult this assignment is. A girl with nothing but terrible rumors about her and unreliable reports. Expecting us to do a perfect job with these conditions would be absurd.

「Oi, our protectee is moving. Why a school uniform? The person she came out with is, the nurse from yesterday?…… You two, we’re leaving this to you.」
「Don’t just throw in the towel, old man!」

I understand that feeling completely. I do, but you can’t just do that! I get that you’re a bit lightheaded from not having enough sleep, but at least try to understand how we feel.

「Rather, isn’t it still spring break?」
「It should be. Don’t tell me that she has nothing else to wear other than that school uniform?」