Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 22.1. Longing Sighs in the Air
Mornings on Makang Street are always peaceful.

At six o'clock in the morning, the white morning light shone through the gauze curtains by the window.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the clothes on the balcony swayed softly.

Inside room 301 of Qingyuesen Apartment, a young woman was leaning against the sofa in the living room. She had a strand of messy black hair in her mouth, her long eyelashes drooping, and she was curled up, clutching a pillow, seemingly asleep and not caring about her appearance.

Meanwhile, a white Garfield cat wandered into the living room, came to the food bowl, and scratched at the edge of the bowl with its paws.

Ever since the man left, the Garfield cat has been eating only twice a day for three days, with no regularity compared to before—it has now learned to paw at its bowl to indicate its hunger.

"Meow."

Soon, all that could be heard was the soft sound of claws scraping against the bowl.

Yugiri, who had been resting on the sofa, had already woken up.

She slowly opened her eyes; they were beautiful, like red roses, containing both thorns and the innocence of a flower. But they quickly dimmed, replaced by the weariness of sleep deprivation.

Yugiri propped herself up with her hands, shuffled over to Garfield in her indoor cotton shoes, patted its head, and then squatted down to put the dried fish into a bowl.

"Meow." Garfield buried his head and started eating.

Then she went back to the sofa, hugged her pillow, and tried to fall back asleep. But as time went by, the cat disappeared, the dawn was getting closer, and the once quiet Makang Street was filled with voices and car horns.

Yugiri knew she would never be able to fall asleep again.

It seems like we've gone back to the old days.

Leon Rossi has been gone for a week, and Yugiri couldn't wait for his return because there was no 32 this month.

He might not be back until next month.

It will take a long time, and she thinks she should see a psychologist to deal with her recent insomnia and some of her irritability.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Yugiri had already decided to do it. She stood up wearily, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she walked towards the bedroom, while recalling the psychiatrist's residence.

Soon, I remembered where the psychiatrist lived.

Yugiri, who was standing in front of the mirror, had changed into her outdoor clothes, placed her hands on her chest, and gently lowered her eyes while blinking.

The top is a light gray knitted cardigan, which is perfect for the warm spring weather;
The bottom is a wool A-line midi skirt that covers above the bare white calves;
The shoes are low-heeled Mary Jane shoes.

This outfit was chosen for her by Leon two years ago in a clothing store. The understated and low-key attire, yet exuding the elegance of the upper class, allowed her to successfully attend Count Corsair's banquet and complete the assassination mission.

However, something seems to be missing.

A hat.

When I picked up the 30cm wide-brimmed hat from the cabinet, its black edge was embroidered with waves. If I pressed down on the brim slightly, no one could see my face. It was the best accessory for a lady to wear when going out.

The black iris girl reappeared in front of the mirror. She paused briefly, then silently left.

Hitchhiking by taxi on the roadside.

The scenery changes, and the buildings along the street recede into the distance.

Then, I got off the bus at the roadside.

The beautiful girl, with her black iris-like hair, drove for 20 minutes to Northern Street, where she arrived at a store called "Monica Psychological Clinic".

She watched the people coming and going at the street corner, a newsboy hawking the last few newspapers in his pocket, sunlight dappling the ground, leaves swaying in the breeze. She couldn't quite remember when she'd last gone out, and, not being good at remembering, she ultimately decided to give up.

Push the door open and enter.

"jingle."

The silver bell at the door rang as she entered.

There was already someone in Monica's psychiatric clinic. He was a greasy middle-aged man in a mandarin jacket, sitting opposite the psychiatrist with sighs and muttering to himself.

"Should I also start a new life?"

Mark, the leader of the spy squad, was sighing. He held a newspaper in his hand; the cheap newspaper was no less than toilet paper in quality, but the contents printed on it made him feel sentimental.

"Grilli City Morning Post"

"Headline: Greenley's rat infestation worsens again; mayor offers one kronor per cat, causing stray cat prices to skyrocket!"

1. Wine merchants in the Cohen region protested against tariffs imposed by Country B, threatening to switch to selling vinegar if they were not lowered, causing fluctuations in wine prices.

2. The St. Matthew Welfare Home sparks controversy; its new confessional booth is criticized, with worshippers complaining about poor soundproofing.

"..."

"9. A legendary band has appeared at the Big Bird Spinning Bar. Lead singer Leon Rossi is a musical prodigy. Can this group, known as TNT (Teens in Times), lead the next wave of music trends?"

Sigh.

Mark looked at the photo attached to the newspaper. Although it was a black and white group photo of the band members wearing masks, he still recognized his friend of many years. He never expected that He Ye, who was pursuing a new life, would choose to debut as a bar band.

But this is also in line with his personality. After all, He Ye is like this. It would be great to debut in a band... He also wants to experience the days of being chased and screamed by young girls, and to lose himself in their snow-white skin.

"If you're just here to complain, don't come here."

At that moment, the woman sitting opposite Mark spoke calmly.

She was wearing a white lab coat and sophisticated black-rimmed glasses, and was reading a book from a street vendor titled "Teach You to See Through Others 100% of the Time with Their Eyes."

Clearly, she is the psychologist here.

“I’m just feeling down,” Mark said, shaking his head. “You’re a therapist, right? Can’t you help me open up?”

“No.” Monica looked up.

Mark hesitated, about to explode and show her what everyone else was going through—like how He Ye, pursuing a new life, was probably snatching girls from the arms of young women!

The next second, Monica's surprised voice was heard.

"Sophia, what brings you here?"

Mark paused for a moment, then turned around.

At the doorway, the girl with the black iris flower politely removed her hat, revealing a head of long, flowing black hair that reached her waist. Then, after thinking for a moment, she said:
"I've been having trouble sleeping lately."

She had suffered from a mental illness for a long time; as a professional assassin, she always had trouble sleeping at night. However, after going undercover in recent years, marrying and living with Leon Rossi, her insomnia gradually improved and has not recurred.

It relapsed after he left this time.

Mark trembled slightly upon seeing her, recalling his conversation with He Ye in the basement not long ago. He couldn't help but quickly turn around, winking and giving Monica a frantic hint—because he had already told Monica about it.

He hoped this guy wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

Monica looked at Mark, who was blinking wildly as if sand had gotten into his eyes, and then, after a moment of thought, decided to ignore him.

"Really? You're having trouble sleeping?" Monica closed her book and asked, "Did you take sleeping pills?"

“No, I haven’t had insomnia for a long time, so in addition to treatment, I think I need some sleeping pills this time.” Yugiri said, gently pressing her hat to her abdomen, her eyes looking forlorn.

Did you have a dream?

"No."

Are you feeling irritable?

"A little."

Okay, okay, listening to their conversation, Mark knew that he, who had come here to chat idly, should move aside and let the two of them have a proper talk.

But it was the same old story. He Ye's spy file had been destroyed. Just recently, on a rainy night, Mark pinched his thigh until it turned purple, crying and conveying the news that 'elite spy He Ye was shot and killed while covering for him' to his people in the organization.

As for why he was shot and died, that's another matter.

It's obvious that Yugiri's presence here is inextricably linked to Heno. He's most afraid of this unreliable girl, not only because he can't beat her in physical combat, but also because of her frustrating communication difficulties.

After thinking it over, Mark stood up.

"Alright, I think I shouldn't stay here any longer. Sophia, come and sit down."

Mark reluctantly stood up and made way for Yugiri. He stepped aside, casually pulled a book from the bookshelf to read, and pretended not to care while eavesdropping—but the greasy old man's prying gaze as he stroked his chin was truly speechless.

"You can go outside."

Monica pointed to the door of the clinic.

Mark licked his lips, wanting to argue, but then he remembered that she was a psychologist and that he couldn't win a fight against them, so he had no choice but to take his book and go outside.

Soon, the room became quiet.

"I heard Leon and you got divorced, is that true?"

After Mark got out, the psychologist Monica got straight to the point, already holding several previously recorded treatment files in her hand.

Sofia's body trembled unconsciously.

Then, he nodded.

"Yes."

Did you dream about him?

"Yes."

Do you miss him a lot?

"Yes."

Behind the simple question lay the logic Monica was pondering. She knew that the Black Iris in front of her didn't know many things. As a national-level assassin, all the lessons she had learned in her life were related to killing, and she had never taken a single day of general education.

“The cause of the insomnia has been found,” Monica said.

Yugiri looked up at her: "What is it?"

"You're lonely and not used to Leon's departure yet, so it's normal to have insomnia."

As the organization's psychologist, Monica cannot steer the issue toward emotional matters, as this would cause her to have unnecessary thoughts.

"In fact, we are all alone. No matter what you are looking for, whether it is family or love, you will be alone in the end. Your parents, your teachers, or even your bedmate will not know you better than yourself. What you need to do is find yourself, and then you will no longer be confused."

"..." The lengthy internal monologue failed to distract Yugiri; she simply asked a question in return.

Can you tell me where he went?

After a moment of silence, Yugiri asked.

Monica had to remain silent about this, but she was also very perceptive; she knew this was the beginning of some kind of emotion, and that she should have kept her with her when she was undercover.

Then she recalled her earlier conversation with Mark, in which, to some extent, their interests and bottom lines were aligned.

"No, he went on some special mission. We have no information about him, we don't know when he'll be back, we don't know where he is, we don't even..."

"He's even dead."

Just as Monica's soft sigh was about to fade, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a grief-stricken Mark walked in—he had once again pinched his thigh until it was bruised, squeezing out tears! Undoubtedly, he had been eavesdropping!
The leader of the spy squad, overcome with grief, announced:
"Yes, Leon Rossi is dead. Two days ago, to cover my retreat, we went to investigate the newly established factory in Kobor. It was a secret weapons research and development base. This intelligence was obtained at the cost of his life."

After saying this, Mark wiped away a few tears that had welled up in the corners of his eyes from the pain, and continued:

"Don't look for him anymore, Sophia."

Monica hesitated for a few seconds, looking at Mark who was talking nonsense with a straight face. After a few seconds of hesitation, she secretly put away the newspaper on the table and decided to keep the lie together.

After all, for them, He Ye's departure in this way was the best for everyone—especially Sophia.

"..."

Strangely, there was a long period of silence.

Yugiri lowered her head and remained silent.

Mark stood to the side, unsure what to say.
Monica, as the psychologist, will not speak at this time.

Mark finally broke the deadlock, because he knew that the news was as bombshell as a meteorite landing, abrupt and without reason, and needed more patching and detailed descriptions to add credibility.

Therefore, in order to further promote dialogue.

Mark sniffled, feigning a tearful voice as he asked:
"You can say something."

After a long silence, Yugiri whispered, "My heart aches so much."

"Monica, do you need to take medicine?"

Monica: "..."

She couldn't speak.

Mark also felt that sadness and suddenly felt that such a lie was terrible. They were comrades who had fought side by side through gunfire, but they couldn't even say a proper goodbye before leaving.

“You can cry at his funeral, and so will I. As a comrade and friend, he was an outstanding person.”

Mark sighed and said he had decided to play the part to the end.

Monica thought for a moment and suggested, "Why don't you stay with me for a while? You don't need to go back. There are empty rooms upstairs in the clinic. I'll clean them up for you to rest in, and it will also make it easier for me to treat you."

"..." Yugiri did not reply.

However, this can be taken as agreement, since she rarely opposes other people's ideas.

The atmosphere became heavy.

It was a somber occasion, even a good one, and Monica decided to move on to the funeral by discussing the location of the tombstone so that the matter would pass quickly.

Mark pinched his thigh again, tears welling up in his eyes. The sight of this greasy middle-aged man with teary eyes was truly a mixed bag of emotions.

Things will always pass.

Don't be sad.

They comforted Yugiri.

Just then, the door to the mental health clinic opened again, and the clear sound of a silver bell rang.

A blue-haired man in a black British-style trench coat walked in, clutching a newspaper tightly in his hand, and said angrily:

"No, his pursuit of a new life is just posing and flirting in those 'Big Bird Roundup' bars? What a joke! I'd rather he'd actually died a heroic death!!"

Lawrence slammed the newspaper onto the coffee table, his blue eyes filled with resentment. He looked around the area where Monica's seat should have been, and found that all the members of the spy team had gathered there—except for the retired guy who was singing loudly in the bar.

"...?"

Anger was replaced by confusion, and Lawrence was puzzled, standing frozen in place.

Then the next second——

Yugiri slowly turned her head to look over.

(End of this chapter)