Yokohama First Reconstruction Division

Shiraki's voice was a little hoarse, which seemed to be the reason why he hadn't spoken for a long time, and even his pronunciation was slower than usual, "The taste should be good, the smell of your flesh and blood is too fragrant. Stay away from me, I'm... really very I want to bite your neck off."

Dazai was not surprised, "Have you become a ghost?"

"...Some accidents happened, and the ghost in the body couldn't be controlled." The figure on the chair in the dark room curled up forcefully, as if resisting something, and said acquiescingly, "In order to wake him up, I performed more than 10 More than [-] million times of cell replacement, 'no accidents' on this scale of statistical probability, is the real accident. Hey, Dazai, you are really too close to me... This smell stimulates my appetite. "

Dazai surprised and suggested: "If you really can't help it, let's cooperate, you can use your powers to make me die painlessly..."

Shiraki interrupted the new discovery of self-shark lovers: "I can't do it...my ability has almost completely disappeared."

Dazai's expression in the darkness finally turned serious, "Xiao Shiraki, is there a way to turn back into a human?"

"It used to be." Bai Mu replied softly, "I didn't expect that after becoming a ghost, the blood ghost technique would be incompatible with the abilities held by humans. Now... I'm not sure."

"Then don't force it." Dazai still looked relaxed, "Come home with me, even if you become a ghost, Odasaku and I will raise you, just like you raised tired."

In the quiet darkness, this silhouette curled up on a chair, with a fragile back arched, "...it's different, after I completely become a ghost, I will forget the memory of being a human being, and no matter how deep the fetters are, It will also turn into empty talk. Don’t believe in the behavior of ghosts. After becoming a ghost, he killed his parents with his own hands... It was hard for him to come back. I can’t take this risk.”

After a long silence between each other, Bai Mu asked softly, "Is he... all right?"

Dazai gave a sly answer, "Odasaku's physical condition... makes me a little worried."

Bai Mu immediately asked: "What happened?"

Dazai said: "After experiencing such a thing... the body is completely normal, like a living person. Is it the strangest thing? So far there have been no major problems, but there are no minor ailments that can be found. Continuously, it greatly affects the quality of life.”

People in the dark don't talk anymore. As the saying goes, caring makes chaos. This is an unavoidable trap for even the smartest people.According to Dazai's judgment, even if Shiraki had doubts about Odasaku's situation, he couldn't remain indifferent.

Dazai said softly: "Your body can always figure out a way. In our detective agency, there is a doctor named Yosano. Her supernatural ability can heal people who are dying... When it gets dark, come back with me." Bar."

"No... no." Bai Mu immediately refused, "With Dr. Xie Ye... Actually, I asked her to try my body before. After her ability is activated, it will restore the ghost blood on my body together. , I must first get rid of the ghost blood before I can accept her treatment with confidence."

Dazai speculated for a while, and probably got the timing right, "... No wonder you readily accepted my proposal and came to our detective agency to take the initiative to accept the protection commission. It was at that time that you hooked up with her in private? "

Shiraki acquiesced, "Dazai... I only have a little bit of body left, and I haven't finished transforming into a ghost yet. If I leave it alone, it will probably not exceed tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and I will fall into complete chaos."

In the darkness, only Bai Mu's voice slowly sounded, "Becoming a ghost...it's quite boring. The advantage is that the body regenerates and has the ability to fight? I can do this with supernatural powers. Immortality?... I don't have this need. I have read books for so many years, and it is not easy. Once I become a ghost, it is too uneconomical to format. Not to mention that I can’t even bask in the sun, it’s really weak... I don’t want to die. ghost."

In the darkness, Dazai slowly groped in the direction of Shiraki, "Odasaku needs you, Xiao Shiraki. Whether it's his body or his spirit. If you let Odasaku know the price of resurrection, it's you In exchange for his own life... Do you want him to spend every minute of the rest of his life in guilt?"

"Even for him, you can't easily give up on yourself." Osamu Dazai approached Shiraki without fear, and put his hand on his shoulder, where the body temperature of a human had been lost, and the tentacles were cold.

Bai Mu seemed helpless, "...you."

Dazai moved his hands with a smile, as if he wanted to feel Shiraki's current appearance in the dark, "Don't give up, I'm here, don't even think about it."

"I always thought that you would understand my final decision." Bai Mu sighed, "But you...you obviously don't care about your own life the least, why do you behave so differently?"

The person on the chair continued to be self-closing, Dazai pinched his face, and felt as if he had touched... small fangs, so while exploring with great interest, he replied slowly, "Little fool, he has already returned Why are you willing to die?"

"Xiao Shiraki, your villa by the sea is so beautiful, but you need someone who can write novels to live in it."

Shiraki didn't speak, but Dazai knew that he listened to every word, and Dazai's voice also fell silent, "This world...how wonderful. He is still alive, and you are here, even I... want to try Let's go and see where we end up."

Osamu Dazai's voice was as gentle as his movements, "I know you're tired, I've seen your appearance after your powers have been overdrawn. Xiao Shiraki... Even if it's for him, for me, for everything, I don't want you to leave people, hold on one more time, okay?"

Shiraki buried his head in his knees, and slowly avoided Dazai's touch. After dodging for a few times, he said awkwardly: "Then don't turn on your phone, don't look at me. My face... after turning into a ghost Ugly, you are not allowed to look at me without my permission."

"My ability...can it touch you?"

"...Don't touch the top of your head, the middle part is automatically insulated."

Dazai coaxed: "Got it, why didn't I realize that you are so stinky before... Ah, I'm wrong, don't say it, take it easy, Xiao Shiraki, it hurts so much when you hit someone now."

Bai Mu withdrew his hand, and after a while, he whispered: "I still have one last solution...but it's just an idea."

"……Um."

"When the sun shows its first light tomorrow morning... let's go out."

Dazai didn't speak.

Bai Mu lowered his head, "You told me not to give up...then I'll take a gamble, bet on whether my ability will come back at the moment when the ghost's body is on the verge of extinction."

After the sun went down, they walked out of the dark and gloomy basement. This night, they chatted intermittently in the sea breeze under the moonlight.

Bai Mu felt tired, so he nestled on the grass and slept for a while, and continued to look at the stars when he woke up.

Dazai didn't seem to sleep all night.Once Shiraki woke up midway, and found that he was hugging Dazai's arm as a pillow. The scent of human blood that was so close at hand almost made Shiraki fiercely bite off to fill his stomach.He hurriedly rolled away for a certain distance, and only after he calmed down a little, he nestled back to Dazai's side again.

After being open and honest, the suspicion and guard that once existed between them have dissipated like yesterday.Shiraki was surprised to find that he was able to chat with Dazai even on those topics that didn't match up.

...He didn't change his mind, Dazai is still an unreliable man.But from a standpoint, after the incident of Oda Saku was exposed, they have become the most trustworthy companions.

Because the person they want to protect the most, the reality they want to protect the most, finally merged into one.Two parallel lines that never intersected reached an astonishingly loyal agreement after the first point of intersection.

After talking all night, Dazai's voice was slightly hoarse, and he asked softly, "The sun is about to rise, Shiraki."

"...The agreement just now still counts, you are not allowed to turn your head to look at me."

Dazai lay down side by side with him, looking at the sky, "Okay."

Shiraki's terrifying words came from the side, "If I fail, my body will turn into ashes, and maybe only half of my head will be left in the end... In this case, even Dr. Xie Ye can't save me, so... I will tell you in advance I said, don't be scared by me."

Dazai didn't speak, he stretched out his hand and spread it on the grass.

After a while, Shiraki stretched out a claw hesitantly, moved slowly on the grass, and slowly caught Dazai's little finger.

Pulling the hook means making an agreement.

Neither of them spoke, but they understood what promises they had made to each other.

At this point, there should be no more parting.

... Now that we have agreed, let's go home together.

When the first ray of light from the sky came down, the icy touch that hooked his little finger dissipated like bubbles in the sun.

At that moment of free time, Dazai raised his finger subconsciously.

The humid sea breeze blows from the palm, as well as the warm sunshine.

Just missing a human touch.

So every second in the silent place is unbearably long.

The surrounding area became quiet, disturbingly quiet, Dazai listened attentively to all the different sounds, and softly called, "...Xiao Shiraki?"

Only the sound of the sea breeze could be heard in his ears, and the distant seabird flapped its wings and uttered short chirps.

No breathing, no rustling of clothes on the grass...here, no sound.

"Nasu Shiraki."

No one answered.

With his hand on the grass, Dazai slowly probed that way, but he only touched the shriveled clothes.

"...I will count from one to one hundred, and if I don't speak again, I will look back at you."

It turns out that these one hundred numbers can be tormented in less than 2 minutes.

Every cry of anticipation only resulted in silence, and even made Dazai wonder whether he should read faster or read slowly, as if this could prolong the trial indefinitely.

When going from tens to single digits, Dazai's heart cooled down bit by bit. When he counted to the "zero" expressionlessly, he still didn't look back.

...Is it possible to keep people hopeful without ever revealing the final outcome?

The bitter sea breeze blew onto the land, and when Dazai withdrew his hand from the grass, there was finally weight from the other end.

Dazai smiled slowly as the sun shone down.

...Could it be that if you hold on tightly this time, you will never be separated again?