DEAD STARS [ ✓ ] | Bungou Stray Dogs

[ 10 | Falling ]

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❝ʟɪғᴇ ɪs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ғᴇʀʀɪs ᴡʜᴇᴇʟ… sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴜᴘ, sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ.❞

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Paz with a wide grin on her face, joyfully entered the Boss' office. Earlier, after she solved the murder case, Atsushi asked her to walk around the town. Her eyes sparkled as she remember what happened under a certain Sakura Tree.

“You're smiling too wide, Paz-chan. I wonder if something great happened.” She snapped out of her imagination as she heard Mori.

“That was nothing,” she said.

“I just hope it won't interfere to your mission. Just a while ago, we were able to retrieve the girl you said could help us eliminating Tan,” Mori told her. “The Armed Detective Agency went there just on time.”

“I can feel you're starting to build an unforgivable attachment on the Tiger, Paz-chan, but I have to remind you that his anger towards the other you, Grim Reaper, is can't be measured. Did you say it to him already?”

“I tried to tell him but I got interfered by a phone call then he told me that he'll leave already.”

“You know what will happen once he knew you already killed hundreds of innocent lives.”

“But he told me that he won't fight against me.”

“Don't get deceived easily. He knew how inconsiderate you are whenever you kill. Now, Paz-chan. We just received a notice that Yvette Tan had vanished from her room. She also left a message saying, ‘Stop me if you can, Boss!’ A date was written on the back of it, it's tomorrow.”

“Will you go to the Music Fest with me tomorrow?” Atsushi asked Paz while looking at the orange tinted sky.

“Then do you think Yvette Tan will make its move at the Music Festival held at the Park?” The boss nodded at her. “Give me this night to think. I'll tell you the plan first thing in the morning.”

“In that case, I think you should stay here at the headquarters instead on that hotel. Don't worry about your dog... Here she goes.” The door of the elevator opened and Paz's furry friend run towards her.

She greeted her dog with her arms and lifted her up.

“Thank you, Mori,” she said and turned her back to Mori already but---

“Hold up, Paz-chan. Do you think Elise-chan will be happy if I'll give her a dog, too?”

“I don't know.”

*****

“Higuchi-chan?” Paz asked Higuchi who was stressing out.

“Grim Reaper-senpai!”

“Shh. Just call me Paz. What happened, Higuchi?”

“Akutagawa-senpai...”

“Akutagawa? What happened to Akutagawa?!”

“Akutagawa-senpai was beaten up badly. He faced the Armed Detective Agency alone when he tried to retrieve Haruhi. If we didn't make it on time, he probably ended up dead. Even though, he refused to be healed.” In a flash, Paz gave her dog to Higuchi and entered the room then rushed towards Akutagawa who was lying on a hospital bed.

Akutagawa's eyes widened.

“Why are you here? Is your date over?” asked Akutagawa.

“Akutagawa, you're injured!”

“Tch. You're too loud. Aren't you supposed to be with the Tiger?”

“That doesn't matter anymore now. My comrade is injured and you don't want the other's assistance. Seriously, how stubborn are you?”

“Fine. Call some nurse or Higuchi then you may leave already. Just get out of this room. I don't want to see your face.” Paz felt her heart flinched.

“Aku...ta..gawa,” she whispered. “Fine. If that's what you want on exchange of letting yourself get healed. Just make sure I'll be able to use you for tomorrow's big show.”

“I don't want to see your face because every time I see you, I feel something strange. I'll just fall for you even more... every single time. I can't stand watching you falling for someone else,” Akutagawa whispered on the wind when Paz have left the room already.