Territory of Light (Bungou Stray Dogs X OC)

Episode 24: Old Friends and Old Pack

"Welcome, miss..." The bartender greeted as I made my way downstairs.

"A cold coffee, please, with some ice."

"Certainly."

I took a seat at one of the stools and rested my head down the table.

I glanced at the several stools beside me and an image of Odasaku flashed inside my mind, the very first time I saw him in this bar.

It's already been a week.

For the whole week I thought I'd just stay still and hide for the mean time, but I ended up visiting all the places that reminded me of that man, instead.

I was waiting for my money so that I can pay Chuuya as soon as possible, and also for the heads up from the old man that he's finished his side of the bargain.

If you're curious of how I ate and where I slept, it's better not to get curious.

Right now, I find myself in Giza, Tokyo.

At Bar Lupin.

The place where I saw him.

The place where we met again.

"Here's your cold coffee, miss. I added a bit of sugar for it to match your mood." The old man said with a smile.

I smiled a bit.

Sugar to match my mood?

I'm not feeling sweet, though.

I put a straw to my glass and started drinking it. The coffee's good, it tasted bitter and sweet.

Now I understood what the old man meant about sugar.

I stayed there for a while since I don't really have anything to do. After more than an hour of sitting, a customer climbed down the stairs and took a seat next to me.

"Tomato juice, please."

Tomato juice, it sounds...weird.

"Tomato juice...is it good?" I asked without looking.

"It's good for the health." He timidly replied.

"Really? I don't really see the effect...Ango-san." I took another sip to my cold coffee.

Ango didn't reply.

When he got his juice, he took his time drinking it and just sat beside me in silence.

He wasn't wearing his suit today, just his casual clothes which still looked formal.

One thing I noticed about him though, is that he looked terrible. The air around him was heavier than mine. There were dark circles under his eyes which confirmed that he really is in an awful state.

Well, at least I'm not the only one.

"The Director has finished dealing with your case. The government approved of your dismissal and already cleared your charges. It wasn't easy...those who opposed had a heavy stand in the ministry but the Director managed to do something about it." He continuously said while opening an envelope in front of us.

What a hard working person.

"Who went for an opposition first?" I asked while tapping the ice on my drink.

"The military, including your former unit."

Heh, of course they'll oppose to it, especially that girl.

She hates me.

"But it was successful, right?" I probed.

Ango stared at me. His eyes stayed at me for a while before he nodded.