Chapter 194. [Exclusive Guard]

Angu Ogu arrived at the police station where I was undergoing questioning.

Everything seemed fine until…

<<Hey, why are you crying?>>

<<You fool, Iroha! Idiot! Uwaaaah!>>

Angu Ogu clung to my chest, wailing loudly.

Her face was a mess, wet with tears and a runny nose.

<<How much do you think I worried!? I was waiting at home, and then suddenly, I got a call from the police… I was horrified! And no matter how many times I called, I couldn’t reach you!>>

<<Oh, sorry. My phone broke.>>

<<I imagined the worst! What if something happened to Iroha? I was… uwaaaah!>>

<<Oh, come on. There, there.>>

To comfort a crying child (at least in appearance), patting the head seemed to be the best approach.

At this point, it wouldn’t be wise to discuss physical contact.

<<Uwaaaah! I’m so relieved you’re safe! But you’re hurt! I let Iroha go alone!>>

I chuckled.

Was she angry, worried, or relieved?

<<Your emotions are running a bit too high, don’t you think?>>

<<Whose fault do you think that is?>>

As we exchanged these words, female customers or perhaps her friends appeared.

Had they also undergone questioning?

<<Oh, let me introduce you, Angu Ogu. She’s the one who saved me from the robber.>>

<<Oh, really! Thank you for saving Iroha… huh?>>

Angu Ogu’s movements stopped there.

The female customers also looked uneasy.

<<Is something wrong?>>

For some reason, Angu Ogu’s expression turned stern.

Then she asked, <<Why are you here?>>.

<<Huh? Are they friends of Angu Ogu?>>

<<Iroha, don’t you realize?>>

<<Huh?>>

I involuntarily stared blankly.

Angu Ogu sighed.

<<No, it was my mistake to ask. You’re only interested in VTubers. But Iroha, you should know these people.>>

<<…?>>

I stared at the faces of the female customers, but I had no idea.

Where could I have met them?

<<Even though she’s in disguise… she’s members of my Secret Service.>>

<<Huh!? Really!?>>

<<Well, it might be more accurate to say the ones I thought were members.>>

I hadn’t noticed at all.

But now that she mentioned it, there seemed to be a faint recognition.

<<Oh, wow. So she happened to be at the scene and helped me. I was lucky.>>

<<It’s not that simple!>>

Angu Ogu glared at the female customers—or rather, the members of the Secret Service.

She seemed angry with them.

<<She was supposed to be part of my guard, but in reality, she was supposed to guard—no, ‘monitor’ you.>>

<<…I see.>>

I recalled Angu Ogu’s mother’s face.

She seemed like the type who would casually do something like that.

<<Secret Service work isn’t just about guarding the First Family. We also engage in investigations, such as cracking down on counterfeit currency, which was the reason for our establishment.>>

<<No, our mission is solely to protect Iroha-san. I apologize for not conveying this information earlier, but it’s also our job to safeguard high-ranking foreign visitors to the U.S.>>

<<In name only, I suppose. If it really was an escort, shouldn’t you confirm it? Unless you’re the next president, you should have the right to choose whether to accept or refuse personal protection!>>

Ah, so that’s why they were upset.

Indeed, if my mother had been investigating my friends without permission, I might not feel great about it either.

However, I completely understand in my case. I was quite suspicious, to be honest.

And although Angu Ogu wouldn’t know, I had been under suspicion from the start. So…

<<Iroha, you can’t forgive this, right!? You can’t let your rights be violated like this!?>>

<<Huh? I don’t mind at all. Do as you please.>>

<<See! Isn’t Iroha angry… or not!? Huh!? Are you really okay with this!?>>

I unintentionally ended up responding like a comedy duo.

Is it normal to be concerned about this?

<<Yeah, I really don’t mind at all.>>

<<But, you know! There’s privacy and stuff! You don’t know what they’ve seen so far!?>>

<<Hmm. I’d be mad if they interrupted my streaming, but other than that? Oh, but there was one thing that annoyed me, too.>>

<<See! I knew it!>>

Angu Ogu urged me on, pushing my back.

I vented my dissatisfaction.

<<Why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you had, then when I went to see the live performance last time, I could have asked for a guardian role!>>

<<Is that what you’re mad about!?>>

Because, if there had been a guardian role at the event I attended with Angu Ogu’s invitation…

I wouldn’t have missed the pre-show announcement because someone next to me struck up a conversation!

If she had been my escort, she must have been discreetly following me even back then.

I had thought she couldn’t stray far from Angu Ogu’s surroundings.

<<By the way, can I request transportation when I want to move alone in the future?>>

<<Um…>>

Unconsciously, I directed my gaze toward the Secret Service woman who had been pretending to be a female customer.

However, she had a somewhat troubled smile.

<<I’m sorry. I made a significant mistake in this incident, so…>>