Ch.34 No Turning Back

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The sun has set. Odasaku, Dazai and I were walking through a back alley.

"Evenings are so nice... We mafioso own the night."

"...What do we do now?" Odasaku asks.

"That is a good question... What a disaster we have on our hands. I can't believe enemy's boss would try to court you the moment you met. Such passion..."

Odasaku responds to Dazai's joke with a serious tone.

"What a strange bunch, fighting wars in order to find a place worthy of death."

"Oh? I've never imagined devoting time to thinking about how I should die."

Odasaku glances at Dazai out of the corner of his eye. He calmly asks his next question.

"...How long will this war go on?"

"Forget Mimic's soldiers. That leader is gonna be quite the hassle to deal with. An ambush won't work...which means we need insider information. And do you know how we can get that?"

Dazai sounds at peace as he speaks. A few moments pass, then Odasaku answers.

"...We need Ango's help."

"Agreed."

I stop walking.

"...No."

They stop walking and look back at me.

"...I know you're not happy with Ango, Ori-chan. But, like it or not, we need to speak with him."

"...Fine."

I walk pass them and take the lead. The two go back to talking as they follow me.

"Is there a way to find him?" I hear Odasaku ask.

"Yep."

"Really?"

"Actually, to be more precise, we don't even have to look for him."

"We don't?"

"We're here." I stop in my tracks.

"Here?"

To answer Odasaku, I point at the sign above us. We were at the Lupin bar. I open the door and walk inside as the two follow me in. We find Ango sitting in his usual seat from when the four of us would drink together. Ango notices us right away.

"Oh, hey. I started without you three."

Ango, me, Dazai, then Odasaku... We sit in the same order as we always have. It was silent between the four of us. Odasaku was the first to break the silence.

"What happened to your hand?"

Ango's right hand was wrapped in bandages.

"...It's from when Shiori shot me."

He was talking about the night he poisoned Odasaku. He must have been the one I shot. There was a pause before Odasaku continued.

"Couldn't you have let us know beforehand?"

"Well, it's quite the pain to cover your tail when you're being followed. It's fine though. We can relax and drink now. So? How did you know I was here?"

"Just a hunch." Dazai answers.

"I'm pretty lucky. I didn't think I'd be able to drink here ever again."

"Awfully sentimental for an undercover agent, don't you think? You had another identity before becoming a part of the Port Mafia... An agent for a secret government organization-the Home Ministry's Supernatural Ability Special Investigation Division. Your mission was to keep an eye on the Port Mafia."

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