"Of course. Dazai has tried it again," I say to Kunikida.
We run down the side of the river till we find Dazai on the other side.
"Is this what you've been doing?" Kunikida shouts.
"Dazai! I told you to not do shit like this!" I shout as I summon ice, bridging across the river.
"Oh! Hi Kunikida and Bellatrix!" Dazai says happily.
I grab his collar. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't go killing yourself? I still need you! You can't leave without me and I'm not ready to die!" I say in a winy voice.
"I'm not going to leave you!" Dazai says back matching my tone.
"Good."
"We're hungry," Dazai says.
"Oh, who is this young lad?
"This is Nakajima Atsushi."
"Yeah, you need food," I say directed at Atsushi. "Dazai, let me guess. You lost your wallet in the river."
"You know me so well," Dazai says laughing. "Kunikida will pay for the food."
"You're always making him pay. Anyways, let's go. Lead the way to whatever restaurant."
After Dazai and Atsushi are done eating, Kunikida says, "We have to return to work, Dazai. What kind of fool goes 'Oh what a nice river' and then dives straight into the river during work hours?"
"This fool," I say, pointing at Dazai. "Now we are behind on the schedule Kunikida set."
"He does love his appointment book. You do, right Kunikida?"
"It's not an appointment book! These are my ideals! The precepts that guide my life! And nowhere does it advise partnering with a suicidal maniac!" Atsushi tries talking with his mouth full. "Shut up," Kunikida responds. "My financial ledger says nothing about 'feedin some brat all the chazuke he wants' either." Atsushi tries talking again but Dazai and I can't make out what he's saying. It seems Kunikida could though. "I said we are working! The military police assigned us to exterminate a wild animal."
"How are you guys communicating?" Dazai asks.
"Whew! What a meal! I don't even want to see chazuke for another ten years!" Atsushi says. "You guys really saved my hide though! Ever since I got kicked out of the orphanage and arrived in Yokohama, I've been homeless and starving. I feared I'd meet my end soon."
"Oh?" I say, curious.
"You came from an orphanage?" Dazai asks.
"I was until they kicked me out. Something about the lack of funding and having to downsize."
Dazai and I look at each other out of the corner of our eyes. We both agree that there is something else going on.
"Quite a heartless orphanage, no?" Dazai asks.
"Dazai, Bellatrix, we are not volunteers who give unfortunate youngsters compassion! Back to work!" Kunikida says.
"You three... What exactly is your work?" Atsushi asks.
"We're detectives," Dazai says.
"Yes, we are detectives, but not ones that find lost cats or investigate infidelities. Our field is the wild cases. Murders and the like. Have you heard of the 'Armed Detective Agency?'"
"That beam looks durable. It could even support a man's weight," Dazai says.
"It probably could," I say in agreement.
YOU ARE READING
Icy Protector
FanfictionThere are those who are good and those who are evil. Some though are neither good nor evil but a mix of both. 24-year-old Bellatrix Eirlys has been by Dazai Osamu Dazai's side since she met him when he was 14. Bellatrix is now part of the Armed Dete...
