Casablanca dedicated to Mr. Nakahara

[The bar on the second floor of the Yamano Chaya, 22:27. 】

Boss Sugimoto, who was sitting on the inside of the bar, was holding a long shamisen in his arms, and the body of the piano rested on his right thigh.His left foot stomps the floor rhythmically, subtly in time with the plucked strings.The pure and passionate string music flows out from the square speaker, and the white ivory plectrum is so fast that you can almost see afterimages, colliding with the strings to create a vigorous momentum.

Suddenly, the music changed and the rhythm slowed down.The passionate performance was gradually replaced by melancholy and melodious, and an unknown story was being told to the audience.It depicts an irresistible natural disaster, a city that needs to be rebuilt after the natural disaster, and the people's hearts that are surrounded by haze.Accompanied by the narrator's soft sigh, a cool night breeze poured into the room through the bamboo window.In the dimly lit bar, the elegant and soft aroma of wine and the slightly bitter fragrance of bamboo leaves blend together instantly, making you slightly drunk.

At the end of the song, he stood up and bowed to those present.

Half an hour before closing time, Sugimoto counted the drinks sold tonight.The group of strong men in black suits who left the table not long ago almost drank all the spirits in the warehouse, and when they returned to their rooms, only the table by the window remained.

Putting on his chin in one hand, Mori Ogai, who put on a loose yukata, took a sip of sake with a very relaxed expression.Sitting opposite him were Chuya Nakahara and Liulang Hirotsu. The former was still wearing his favorite three-piece vest, while the latter chose a simple gray bathrobe.

"Nakaya-kun, are you not used to drinking sake?" Mori Ogai put down his glass with a chuckle.

"...the taste is a bit strange." Zhong Yuanzhong also answered vaguely.He prefers full-bodied red wine to slightly spicy sake.There is also some brandy and whiskey in the wine cabinet, but there is no domestic sake.

"Lord Zhongyuan is still very young." Guangjin Liulang teased gently.

The unsmiling old man in the workplace showed an approachable side in private. As a veteran of the organization, he had worked for the port mafia for many years before Mori Ogai became the leader.Leaving aside the qualifications, the relationship with the Black Lizards is quite harmonious.

Zhong Yuanzhong also cleared his throat, and immediately picked up the wine glass in front of him.The cup made of bamboo joints is less than the size of four coins, and one-third of the full wine is drunk.Slightly sour, with a bit of spicy taste, the wine taste is very light.

——Sure enough, I can't get used to it.

The vibration from the mobile phone interrupted his thinking, and the number belongs to unknown.Nakahara Chuya frowned slightly, motioned to the two of them, got up and left his seat.

The soundproofing in the restroom is so-so, but the music from the bar is not disturbing at all.As soon as the call was connected, a series of urgent beeps came from the receiver.

... hung up?

Zhong Yuanzhong also glanced at the screen, the call was over.

Just as he was guessing whether the other party had made a wrong call, the phone vibrated again.

"Which one."

'Yo, Chuya—are you in a good mood, at the bar? '

"Dazai?" Zhong Yuan also narrowed his eyes slightly, and a little doubt flashed in his cobalt blue pupils.Since they met, the two rarely used mobile phones to communicate, and they were equipped with communicators for missions during the period when they formed partners.

"Tsk, why is it you?"

'Is it convenient to come out and meet? '

"Now? What the hell are you thinking of?"

'Heh, the address has been sent to your phone, I'll wait for you here. '

"Don't go."

'Really not coming? '

"I have nothing to talk to traitors about."

'Although I also hate Chuya, but this time the situation has changed.If you don't come, you will definitely regret it. '

"what do you want to say in the end."

'It's related to Mr. Qianli. '

Three minutes later, a young man with orange hair in a coat appeared in the parking lot of Yamano Chaya.He eagerly started the car, and the navigation software loaded on the phone automatically planned the shortest driving route.

Osamu Dazai's current location is displayed on the screen.

Nakahara Chuya's pupils suddenly constricted as he scanned the sign representing the end point.At the same time, the inner doubts became more and more intense.

//////

An hour later, the black S450L drove into an open-air parking lot near a large shopping mall.Zhongyuanzhong also turned off the car, and according to the information displayed by the navigation, there is still 800 meters away from the destination.

Near midnight, the bustling downtown area faded away from the hustle and bustle of the day.Shopping malls, office buildings, shops and other places were completely silent, and apart from wild cats, there were only swirling fallen leaves on the empty streets.

This is Yokohama.

The originally two-hour drive was forcibly shortened to one hour, and Zhong Yuan Zhong also put away his mobile phone and hurried to the agreed place.

The width of the uninhabited alley sandwiched between two buildings can only accommodate an adult male, and the striped sky above his head is dotted with a few dim stars.The brick walls that have not seen the sun all year round are covered with dark green moss, and a damp and musty smell can be faintly smelled in the air.

The final location displayed by the navigation is here, and Zhong Yuanzhong also looked around for a week-not to mention people, not even a ghost.

Undoubtedly, it was tricked.

Zhong Yuanzhong also let out a 'tsk' in displeasure, and when he was about to explode, his sight was attracted by a red dot that flashed frequently.Taking a closer look, there is a signal transmitter buried in a piece of green moss at the base of the wall.

'Crack', this little thing was crushed into powder by gravity in the next second.

The slight sound seemed to be a trap specially set up by someone, and Chuya's cell phone vibrated again.

"Dazai—" The orange-haired young man stretched out his index finger and raised the brim of his hat, even the corners of his eyes and brows were stained with murderous intent.The red light with an unknown color was only on for a moment, and the ground paved with stone slabs was overwhelmed and cracked like a spider web.

"I will definitely kill you!"

'Wow~, a thousand and one threats from the dwarf, so scary. '

The male voice from the receiver made Nakahara Chuya's anger reach a critical point, and Osamu Dazai, who has always been keen to provoke him, did not disappoint this time. "Just wash your neck and wait!"

'I don't want it, it's too sad to be killed by Chuya. Osamu Dazai, holding a binoculars, was on the roof of an office building one kilometer away, his sand-colored windbreaker rattling by the night wind.He sat on the fence with a relaxed expression, his legs hanging in the air. "I can think about it if I change to Qianli-kun. Suicideists have very picky tastes."

"Shut up, Dazai." Nakahara Chuya walked out of the alley furiously, searching for something around with sharp eyes. "When I find you, I will definitely dig out your conspiracy from my mind."

'conspiracy?There is no such thing. ' Osamu Dazai's voice sounded a bit obviously happy, and he didn't even intend to hide it.He overlooks the whole city from a high position, and Yokohama at night has a kind of fascinating magic.Human beings can't restrain their yearning for the sky. Will they end up flying or falling to death?

'Don't move, Zhong Ye. '

Zhong Yuanzhong also frowned, and the other party's sudden serious tone pulled him back to his reason. "What's the meaning."

'Look to the right. '

The Central Plains also followed the instructions, and all they could see were ordinary streets.

'You should remember it clearly, six years ago in the middle of the night, the time was 37:[-].Yes, same as now.That's where we first met Sensato-kun, less than one kilometer from Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's lair. '

Nakahara Chuya: "...What exactly do you want to say?"

'I lied about one, two...four things that day, and one of those lies was about you. '

"You—" was interrupted by Osamu Dazai forcibly in the middle of the sentence, and then Nakahara fell into a long silence.

"The young little dwarf fell in love with Qianli-kun at first sight."