Chapter one: Part one: Before the Dive

The sun was setting over Yokohama. Pink and purple painted the skies, a beautiful evening to behold. Clouds drifted across aimlessly and leisurely, without thought. The houses along the river were caught golden in the path of sunlight. Long shadows stretched across the ground, reaching the shifting waters. All in all, to Dazai Osamu, this was a perfect day for—

...suicide?

He was thoughtlessly planning to take a dive when he sensed someone behind him. Like a reflex, he grabbed the hand reaching towards his back. Looking more closely, he found the offender, no, careless passerby a meek young boy with dark brown hair and tired but clear blue eyes. This intrigued him. He was sure he had been told of such a description somewhere, but had forgotten as he was busy stealing from Chuuya's wine cabinet.

"Um, sir," The boy asked. "Can you please let go of my hand?"

"Oh!" Dazai laughed, letting go after a heavy shake. "Right. What are you doing here, young man?"

"Nothing in particular. I will be off now. Please forgive me for disturbing you." He began to walk off, but Dazai held him back.

"Hey, kid, you don't look very healthy. And you don't seem to have good intentions when you first arrived."

"Huh?" He asked. "I am alright. My friend is waiting for me. I have to go."

"A friend?" He questioned out of instinct. "Of what sort?"

"Please, I do not know who you are, but I don't have time to answer your questions. My friend is going to die if I don't go back to him. He is -"

"He is…"

"The two of us have not had any food for a long while, surviving on what's in trash cans. I fared better somehow, but he just collapsed by the river."

"Hmm… how about I treat the two of you with a meal?"

"What's in exchange?"

"So ready to accept, huh? And what's with an exchange? Can't you believe sometimes things are free?"

"That's not how it is." His face grew solemn in just a moment. "You have to earn what you get."

"You're funny." Dazai laughed. "Take me to your friend. I'll treat you two to a meal."

The young boy's eyes widened, shocked by the casual way he offered. "Here, this way," he mumbled. "Come over."

Dazai stuck his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. Crap. He ran out of cash, and he wouldn't bother going to the bank today. Well, he'd see.

"What's your name, young boy?" He asked.

"Shinji. Ayanami Shinji." He looked up. "And I'm not a boy! I'm eighteen!"

Dazai held back a chuckle and followed on. They walked on in silence, for around a minute or so before Shinji ran forward, calling out to his friend.

"Nakajima-kun! This strange man offered to treat us to a meal! Wake up!"

Dazai took in the scene for a moment.

A boy and his friend who claim to have been hungry for days. A boy who can still run and shout after that. The friend, Nakajima, however, did not seem to be in such good shape. He was crouching on the ground, on the brink of fainting. But he spotted them. A pair of purple and yellow eyes.

This was unusual.

He decided to leave a voice message for Kunikida, who hopefully will pay for the meal.

"Yooooooooo, Kunikida-kun! I've got a clue! Go to the restaurant— what restaurant?— hey, what do you guys wanna eat? O, ochazuke? Ok! That restaurant that sells ochazuke! Go there, we'll meet up!"

Nakajima had finally got back up, standing on his two feet unsteadily.

"Let's go," he smiled. "Oh, and—

I'm Dazai, Osamu Dazai, nice to meet you."