DEAD STARS [ ✓ ] | Bungou Stray Dogs

[ 07 | Old Friend ]

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❝ʟɪғᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴏғғᴇʀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ. ɪᴛ’s ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ.❞

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“D-Dazai-san?” Paz asked.

She was about to enter the building where the Armed Detective Agency was located when she bumped to the familiar brown-haired man.

“You're Atsushi-kun's friend, right? What are you doing here—no, let me replace that. What does the Port Mafia want?” asked Dazai. Paz eyes widened upon surprise and gulped as her heart started to beat faster than usual.

She asked herself if the man remembered him.

“I remember you. You were the kid from six years ago,” said Dazai.

“How? I was confident that puberty struck me so hard.”

“It's because of the anklet you were wearing. That's supposed to be a bracelet, by the way.”

Her eyes shifted down to her ankle. Indeed, she was wearing the bracelet. It was designed like a dog collar, the band was color black and a black round gem was hanging on it. She smiled on the memory of how she got the bracelet.

“Oh, that was so stupid of me.” Paz chuckled.

“Six years ago, you were just a sad, lonely kid. I can still remember what you've said to me, you don't have any friends. The previous boss prohibited you from socializing even though you've transferred into another country,” he started telling her.

“Your smile was shining along with your eyes when I told you that I can be your friend. You—we were so happy back then. But you told me you have to leave Japan at the same day. You promised that you'll come back the next year.”

“I was running out of time already so I ended up giving you a bracelet, to remind you how our friendship started. I am very happy that you still have that. I waited for your return every year but you never came back again until I decided to leave the Port Mafia.”

“Thank you. I forgot to express my gratitude to you,” she replied. “Thank you because you made me feel happiness. Being the illegitimate daughter of the previous boss, I always need to prove myself to him, to everyone else.”

“I needed to be something else—the one who exceeds any human capabilities,” she continued. “I forgot being human and became the creature that almost everyone is afraid of. But because of you, I was able to feel what it's like to be a human, to be normal. I wanted to feel that feeling again.”

“Then why aren't you leaving the Port Mafia yet?”

“They're my only family. I was meant to live this life with them. They are everything I have so I won't give up on them anymore.” A thought struck her hard. If she leave, she won't be able to be with them anymore. She grew a huge attachment towards those people.

“How about you? Why did you leave?” she continued.

“A friend of mine told me that nothing in this world could fill up the lonely hole in my heart. I should be on the side that saves people. If both sides are the same, become a good man. Save the weak and protect the orphans. It'll make me a little bit better.”

“Well, then---”

“Dazai—Ai-chan?!” The gray-haired boy, Atsushi, bursted out at the door. “What are you doing here?'

“I shall go now. Ai-chan, see you again!” Then Dazai left the two of them in front of the building's entrance.

“A-Ano. It just happened that I was heading home from somewhere and I came across this building. I thought it's the building where the Agency you work can be found. I... I just want to say hi,” explained Paz.

“Oh...” Atsushi nodded his head repeatedly. “EH?! WHERE DID DAZAI-SAN GO?!”

“He left, just milliseconds ago.”

“Then, I think you're the last one we can rely on!” said Atsushi and grabbed Paz's hand as they climbed the stairs leading to their office.