DECEPTION (Female Reader) [SAKAMOTO DAYS]

12: "Talk About Me"

I let out a small laugh before speaking, "You know, Sakamoto, you're pretty impressive back there. That stunt with the grenade? Caught me off guard. Not many could pull that off without flinching."

Sakamoto glanced over briefly, his expression remaining stoic as he kept his eyes on the road. "Just doing my job."

"Come on, don't be so modest." I said with a smirk. "I've seen plenty of so-called 'professionals' get rattled by half that pressure. You, though, you've got nerves of steel."

He grunted slightly, almost as if brushing off the compliment. "When you've trained long enough, things like that don't shake you anymore."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Still, not everyone could stay as cool-headed as you. Do you ever get tired of it all? The constant pressure?"

Sakamoto was silent for a moment before responding, "There's no point in dwelling on it. We move forward. That's how it works in this line of work."

I nodded. "True. But you handle it better than most. Guess that's why I wanted to ride with you-figure I could learn a thing or two."

A subtle grin appeared on his lips. "Just don't get in my way."

I leaned back slightly, eyeing Sakamoto with a curious smile. "So, what was life like back at that assassin school of yours-JCC, right?"

Sakamoto's eyes remained on the road, but I could see a flicker of memory pass through his expression. He didn't hesitate to answer. "It was intense. Brutal, too. But I didn't mind it."

"Didn't mind it?" I raised an eyebrow. "Most people would crack under that kind of pressure. What made it tolerable for you?"

Sakamoto shrugged slightly. "You get used to it. Besides, it wasn't all bad. I had friends there. We did some... chaotic things." He let out a rare, almost amused sigh. "Kept things interesting."

"Chaotic, huh?" I grinned. "I bet you guys caused all kinds of trouble. What was the worst thing you did?"

Sakamoto remained focused, but there was a glint of something in his eye. "Let's just say... we didn't always follow the rules. You learn to find your balance, even in chaos."

"Sounds like you found more than just a few ways to keep life interesting." I chuckled. "I get the feeling you weren't exactly a model student."

Sakamoto gave a small, almost imperceptible smirk. "Depends on your definition of 'model.' We got the job done."

I laughed. "Fair enough. Sounds like you made the most of it, though. Brutal or not."

A long pause settled between us, the sound of the road filling the silence. I watched the passing scenery for a moment before curiosity got the better of me. "So... about Uzuki." I began, glancing over at Sakamoto. "Rion mentioned earlier that you just met him today. He's really quiet, you know that? Something off about him that you've noticed?"

Sakamoto didn't respond right away, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. After a few moments, he simply said, "We'll see."

That was all I got. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I expected from him. Sakamoto wasn't the type to make assumptions or throw out judgments so easily. If he was suspicious, he wouldn't show it outright until he had concrete proof. I nodded, satisfied with his response (or lack thereof) and decided not to push further.

Uzuki's POV:

--
"BWA HA HA HA!" Akao burst out laughing, her drink spraying out of her mouth and all over me. "Oh, sorry!" she said between fits of laughter. "You're killing me! You seem so glum, but you're actually super positive!" Her laughter didn't stop.