Assignment 21:

Not All Friends Are Imaginary

Kouyou stared at the small blue notebook in her hands. She had read it, over and over the moment it had been placed in her hands. She smiled, though it was wobbly, and her eyes had stopped being dry by now. They held a natural ochurus glow in them that hadn't been in Kouyou's life for a very long time.

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

In this small blue book were Kyouka's honest feelings. Her source had no reason to lie. He leaned against a wall now, giving her some privacy to process what she'd read.

"Why…be kind to me and show me this?" Kouyou asked quietly, gazing at Dazai now. She was genuinely baffled. It was one thing to have a strange young woman who was from the outside sticking her nose into Kouyou's business, but Dazai Osamu?

"I have a feeling that person was planning to give this to you at some point," Dazai shrugged. "I just thought, I'd beat her to it~" he sounded bemused, and mischievous but there was a contemplative tone to his teasing. "Besides, you said you'd tell me what she said about me!"

"You wanted to know about what we talked about?" Kouyou said softly, gazing at Dazai.

Dazai nodded. "Yep! Don't leave out any of the juicy details!"

Kouyou almost felt bad about dashing this boy's hopes but well, perhaps it would be doing him a favour instead. Kouyou was tired of heartache. She gripped the blue book in her hands, tightly. She gazed at Dazai. "She said that you're not her type and that 'men that are full of themselves are not cute', her words," she said, bemused at Dazai's crestfallen expression.

"Eh…seriously?" Dazai groaned. "She really had nothing nice to say about me?"

"I'm afraid not," Kouyou said, with a small amused chuckle. "Fret not, I have a feeling she just needs more time to get to know you," she teased, smiling at Dazai.

"Well, it sounds like she already knows me," Dazai complained. "Tch. How am I supposed to make a good impression if she already has one made up on me?"

"I get the feeling that she guards her heart closely," Kouyou said, gazing at Dazai. "You don't exactly hide the fact you use and throw away women," she deadpanned.

Dazai pursed his lips. "Funny…she mentioned something similar," he mumbled. "Uhrk…"

Hohoho, was that some genuine self-reflection Kouyou was seeing Dazai inwardly tantrum over dealing with? Kouyou let out a small puff of laughter. "Maybe it is true after all…"

"Hm? What?" Dazai blinked at Kouyou.

"That you have changed…just a little," Kouyou hummed.

Dazai blinked and scratched his nose with his good hand. "I already said I have changed. Of course, you've changed too."

"It only takes one ripple," Kouyou said thoughtfully, gazing at the blue notebook in her hands.

"So, besides her apparent dislike for me, what else did you talk about?" Dazai huffed, disgruntled.

"She did mention that you two met through a mutual friend," she added, feeling oddly nice.

"A mutual friend?" Dazai furrowed his brows.

Kouyou chuckled. "I know, that's how I looked too when she said that. She said that you two met in the past but that you have a tendency to forget about the women you meet," she said behind her sleeve, feeling something akin to pity for this boy. "She didn't expound anything further, though I wish she had as I found it quite entertaining to talk with her about you…" She couldn't help herself. It was ironic that the one girl Dazai did want to know ironically seemed to hold all the information on their past to herself.

Dazai looked like he was sucking on a lemon. "Tch…"

"She didn't say she disliked you," Kouyou found herself admitting to Dazai. She just couldn't bring herself to leave him looking so dejected. He seemed to care about that person's opinion of him which absolutely tickled Kouyou because Dazai normally cared about no one's opinion other than his own. No, there had been one person, a long time ago…but that red-haired man had been gone a long time. It couldn't be that person though. They'd been dead a long time and Dazai certainly would have remembered if she'd been friends with that person of all people, of that, Kouyou had no doubt.

"That's reassuring," Dazai mumbled. "So, besides Kyouka-chan, what else did you two talk about?" he asked again, resting his good arm over his sling.

Kouyou's smile was genuine and light. "I'll show you."

Blossom materialized, before Kouyou and Dazai. Dazai's smile froze on his face. His eyes widened with genuine surprise and bewilderment. His eyebrows nearly shot out of orbit. The speed at which they left orbit would have put Chuuya's anti-gravity wielding ability to shame.

"Is that…your ability?" He couldn't believe his eyes.

Blossom looked like Elise-like a person. She stood near Kouyou now, and bowed respectfully to Dazai, a sign of acknowledging Dazai's silent seniority. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Dazai-dono," she said formally. Around Kouyou's height and age, she had bright green eyes, like lily pads, with long pink hair, and billowing robes. She was elegant and ethereal. Captivating, even.

"Ah, no, don't call him that, he's not a part of the Mafia," Kouyou sighed, patting her ability on the shoulder. "Blossom is still…learning," she explained to Dazai.

Dazai just stared.

He was speechless.

Osamu Dazai had no words for what he was looking at right now. Because it shouldn't be possible for someone's ability to change-Mori's ability was unique to him, but that was still just an ability. But Dazai couldn't deny this sense he was getting from Kouyou's ability, 'Blossom'. Unlike Elise-chan however…It almost…felt human.

"Blossom?" he found himself asking, dumbly.

"It is…her name, one that the young lady and I discussed," Kouyou replied lightly. "I think it suits her, don't you?"

Suddenly, Dazai understood the kind of impact that mysterious girl could have on someone. She didn't just affect their decisions with her powerful language, she had a strength for changing someone to the very core of their soul.

"I can see it now…" he said, eyes wide. That person wasn't merely shaking up the status quo like he had first guessed. Her presence was changing the entire narrative.

"Please don't check Blossom out," Kouyou deadpanned. "She is an innocent flower and I won't have you corrupting her," she chided teasingly, even though they both knew that if Dazai touched Blossom she'd disappear. Maybe.

Dazai pursed his lips.

"I need to test something," he confessed.

"At least you're honest about your dishonest intentions," Kouyou sighed, shaking her head at Dazai.

Dazai pouted. "Kouyou-Anee-san! I actually am being serious!" he held up his arms, even the injured one in the sling comically. "I want to test a theory."

Kouyou quirked a brow. "Do anything uncouth and I won't be responsible for what happens," she said lightly, beaming brightly at Dazai.

Dazai had no doubt, haha. This woman shared a serious likeness for stabbing things with sharp knives that Miss Yosano did.

It wasn't like he couldn't win against her, but still, Kouyou was a force of nature. She was someone that Dazai did mildly respect in the Port Mafia. "Understood," he said comically docile. Kouyou sighed, and she let Dazai approach her and Blossom.

Dazai reached out a hand to touch Kouyou's arm. Kouyou felt the blue light. Blossom disappeared. Kouyou wasn't quite sure what Dazai was up to, but he stepped back. "Are you done? I knew your ability still works," she said, bemused. "Did you get worried for a second?" she teased him.

Dazai smiled. "Ah, not at all, although I can't let myself become obsolete either!"

Kouyou paused as she thought about that. True, Dazai's ability was focused on canceling out other peoples' abilities, but that girl tended to 'evolve' abilities instead, it would appear. Dazai however seemed satisfied.

Kouyou recalled Blossom to come out. Blossom bowed again to Dazai. "It is nice to meet you, Dazai-dono," she said politely.

Dazai chuckled. "Did you already forget you met me a few moments ago?"

"I don't have a sense of 'moments ago'," Blossom confessed.

Dazai glanced at Kouyou. Kouyou shrugged. "I told you…it's a work in progress."

Dazai patted Blossom on her arm and Blossom blinked. She patted Dazai back on the arm, mimicking his movements cutely. Moments later, she disappeared into the blue light glowing from Dazai's fingertips. Dazai chuckled, pulling away now. "Well this certainly is a development."

Kouyou gazed at Dazai. "It is one I will have to tell Mori-san," she said suddenly, seriously and regretfully.

Dazai quieted.

But, he sighed, closing his eyes. He understood and he didn't fault Kouyou for it. But at least the Port Mafia didn't know the true extent of what that girl was apparently exhibiting herself to be capable of. Self-healing was one thing but this? Just what sort of ability-user was this person? She had disclaimed she wasn't one.

So what did that make her then?

And who was this mutual friend they shared?

A person capable of getting past Ranpo's 'ability' of all things…

He opened his eyes again, sensing Kouyou moving to put Kyouka's small blue book back into his hand. "...I thought you wanted to hang onto it," he remarked, surprised. Dazai had the feeling Alu wouldn't mind if Kouyou was the one holding it, after all. It had been meant for her eyes. He had a hunch and he'd bet Chuuya's tacky coveted favorite fedora on it.

"I don't want to keep it from Kyouka," Kouyou said softly.

"Ah..." Dazai sighed inwardly. "Kyouka won't need it right now. Why don't you hold onto it for the time being?" he said brightly.

Kouyou's eyebrows furrowed, confused. "But she is with that young woman?"

"At the moment, not exactly," Dazai confessed cheerfully. "The Guild attacked that young woman and the tin soldiers of the government got their hands on Kyouka-chan at the moment," he revealed to Kouyou whose eyes widened with horror.

"I see," Kouyou sat on her bed, letting this new information process. She shut her eyes. "Damn…" Kouyou hated feeling so powerless to help-either that young woman or Kyouka. She actually didn't blame the ADA. She knew they had their hands tied. And if even that young woman was impacted, then it was serious.

Dazai was silent.

Kouyou finally sighed. "Does The Guild have the young woman, then?"

"No," Dazai said, tilting his head at Kouyou. "She protected Ranpo's life, putting her own at risk and is in recovery under the watchful eye of Miss Yosano," he said lightly. "I suppose you'll have to report that as well to Mori-san?"

"...If I don't see her with my own eyes, then I have no knowledge of her location therefore, I cannot disclose it…even if it's him I would seek to tell," Kouyou said softly, looking away.

"Oh? You could get in trouble," Dazai remarked, offhandedly.

"Until Mori-dono gives me the order, I will not participate in being on another side other than the one she has shown me," Kouyou said whimsically. "I know that once I leave this room, we will be enemies. But while I am here, contained, I am content to protect that young woman the only way I know how." She implied she had no plans to leave until absolutely necessary.

Dazai blinked.

Then he smiled again, a foreign genuine soft expression on his face.


Fukuzawa sat at his desk. It wasn't the ADA building's one. But it was a temporary one in the building they were currently in, procured by Dazai for the time being while laying low from The Guild. He had been in thought, and watching Alu now with Kenji and Ranpo, playing 'Go Fish' of all things, blending in rather naturally with the ADA members, his mind wandered to the conversation he'd had previously with Ranpo in regards to this person.

Fukuzawa just gazed at Ranpo as Ranpo began to eat into his stash of chips. Alu had already been moved to another building. Kunikida and Tanizaki were on patrol. Naomi was with Haruno-san at the moment.

Kenji had gone with Yosano to get some essentials. This left Ranpo and Fukuzawa alone for the time being.

Fukuzawa had wanted to address the 'kiss' incident but Ranpo had adamantly just completely brushed it off the whole time that everyone had asked him questions. The dismissive nature was concerning Fukuzawa. He knew Ranpo had the capacity to compute when someone liked him. It wasn't like Yosano and Ranpo were living under a rock. They were educated and Fukuzawa could actually usually rely on Ranpo's indifference towards other people to not have too much concern about his romantic pursuits.

Because Edogawa Ranpo and romance didn't float in the same hemisphere normally. Ranpo was fixated on just solving cases and eating junk food. The young man was already almost twenty-seven years old but Fukuzawa had honestly never really seen him express any real interest in anyone.

For a while, he thought maybe there would be something kindled between him and Yosano, but those two were thick as thieves-a real sibling relationship more than anything. Their relationship had been platonic and remained so even to this day.

However, Ranpo was acting odd when it came to that young woman, Alu. Fukuzawa couldn't help but worry about Ranpo. What if he liked that person and that's why he was so intent on going to her despite the danger? What if Ranpo had fallen for this person? What if that person had fallen for Ranpo? What if Ranpo and this person just weren't careful and suddenly Fukuzawa would have a litter of baby Ranpos with cat ears…meowing… Fukuzawa's hair stood on one end. No. No, he had to get to the bottom of this.

Before his worst nightmare of being a parent came true.

His baby boy growing up.

No, growing up is a good thing, Fukuzawa inwardly scolded himself, but he still rested his face on the table, downwards, that he was sitting at. He wasn't sure he was emotionally ready for Ranpo of all people to be in a romantic relationship… he wasn't even sure Ranpo was emotionally ready to accept another person's feelings.

He'd been confessed to in the past but he turned them down every time. Of course, most people found it off putting how he just psycho-analyzed them and steered clear of him because of it. People don't like to feel criticized or called out and Ranpo had a bad habit of just doing so with a devil-may-care attitude.

It wasn't like Fukuzawa hadn't met people in the past with romantic interest in himself either, but due to the nature of his work and his general personality, he preferred cats to romance, let's just say.

"Ranpo…um, I don't mean to intrude, but what was the nature of that kiss?" he found himself asking in a completely direct manner.

Ranpo chewed his chips. He tilted his head at the president from where he was sitting, at a desk, checking some monitors for any activity that may be headed their way from the new cameras. "Nature?" he furrowed his brow. "Like something warm and comforting…I guess?" he shrugged.

That did nothing to calm Fukuzawa's beating heart. "You…do you want to talk about…your feelings…for that person?" Fukuzawa asked in the most awkward way a grown man with limited romance experience of his own, in his forties, trying to parent his twenty-something year old son, could possibly muster.

"I don't know how I feel about her," Ranpo frowned. "I just know she's a case I need to crack."

"...And you don't feel anything besides a need to crack her case…?" Fukuzawa furrowed a brow.

"No, not really," Ranpo deadpanned. "I just want to know who she is and why she's in this city. She's…not a bad person, and as this world's #1 Detective, if I let her walk away without figuring her out…well, that's just not happening because I plan to decode everything about her!" he declared, determinedly.

Fukuzawa pursed his lips. He may be a bit dense himself when it came to certain parental things, but uh, well, with the way Ranpo was talking, it definitely had Fukuzawa a little concerned. He decided to be more direct since Ranpo wasn't quite clicking with what Fukuzawa was trying to ask.

"Ranpo…considering you left the safe sanctuary of The B. Hall in order to go after this person who you referred to as a 'warm rock' according to Miss Yosano's recording…do you think you are in love with this person, by any chance?" Fukuzawa asked him point-blank.

You could hear the comical 'quack' sound effect. "Huh?Love?! What the hell?" Ranpo began to choke on his chips, grabbing his Ramune Soda to chug. Ranpo's comical blank expression as the chips fell out of his mouth prior to this made Fukuzawa wonder if Ranpo and Romance with this person even computed in the same universe…maybe he had been overthinking this. Hahaha.

Ranpo had reassured Fukuzawa that the kiss wasn't romantic or anything. He had pouted even. Still he hadn't talked too much further on that subject, merely stating that once Alu was awake he had a plan to get her to join the ADA in an alliance.

"Hey, president!" Alu called to Fukuzawa, as she stepped before his desk.

It happened so quickly without warning that Fukuzawa's white hair floofed, comically, like he was a fuzzed out cat. He just glanced at Alu, quickly recomposing himself. Yosano had left with Tanizaki and Naomi to do some shopping. Ranpo had demanded more junk food and Fukuzawa was not inclined to shove his son back into Fitzgerald's line of fire so soon.

Yosano agreed, and since she could self heal, she was more than happy to tag in to get groceries. Kenji sat cross legged, still playing Go-Fish with Ranpo.

However, Ranpo was eavesdropping as well on whatever conversation Alu was having with Fukuzawa. "Yes?" Fukuzawa said politely, gazing at her.

"I was just wondering, do you know who Osamu had gone to talk with prior to the car accident occurring?" Alu asked with a curious head tilt.

Ranpo noted how she didn't use Dazai's first name a lot but didn't actually pry. Fukuzawa as well just figured it was best to leave it alone, considering Kunikida had already brought up that this young lady seemed to keep Dazai at arm's length-for good reason- he'd added with his own stamp of Kunikida approval.

"Oh…" Fukuzawa blinked. "He mentioned you had come across him after the fact. He was originally discussing the government's involvement in how to handle The threat of The Guild."

"Not that it did much," Ranpo interjected, fiddling with his cards. "That government agent ended up telling Dazai that we're totally screwed and we should leave the country," Ranpo sounded irritated. "He straight up 'fessed to the fact that the government brass is bought with money from foreign hands along with other amnesties. Just a bunch of excuses, if you ask me." Ranpo seemed particularly worked up but Alu was on the same page as him.

"What? The government is just letting The Guild get away with everything?" she repeated, eyes wide, looking at Ranpo.

Ranpo nodded.

Fukuzawa decided to let the kids talk, lol. He just leaned back in his chair, while Alu's conversation was redirected to Ranpo.

Alu groaned. "That puts us in a serious pickle…" she rubbed her chin, thoughtfully. "Although, maybe this can still be turned around in our favor…"

Ranpo grinned. "I've got a few ideas myself on how to counter," he said, puffing out his chest proudly. It was a pose that screamed 'praise me' though Alu had a funny feeling he wanted that praise from Fukuzawa.

"Great you do you and I'll do me," Alu said with a thumbs up heading over to the door.

Ranpo deflated comically in the background, but Alu didn't catch it. Kenji just pat Ranpo on the shoulder like he had just choked on something. Fukuzawa did however and he pursed his lips together. Was Ranpo actually trying to get someone else's attention other than his own for once? Fukuzawa casually glanced out of the window.

A police helicopter passed overhead, caught through the window as it moved further away.

Ah, so pigs were flying.


Dazai had much to think about.

About that young woman.

About the mysterious connection between them both.

It didn't feel romantic in nature, Dazai just got the feeling there was something else.

"A mutual friend…huh?" He murmured, eyebrows knit together. He tried to wrack his mind but no one honestly came to mind. Then he thought about Atsushi. Well, the kid was sort of more like a pet to Dazai right now than anything…

Kunikida was his colleague but they weren't actually close friends.

The others at the ADA were nice enough but certainly not Dazai's best buddies.

Dazai scrunched his eyebrows, trying to honestly consider where that mysterious young woman fit into the puzzle. The small blue book was just sitting on the counter, near his glass of whiskey. He was currently sitting on a bar stool. The bar he was in was small but quaint. He often came here.

Habit.

He did not believe in unnecessary attachments but this was just one he refused to let go of. If it burned to the ground Dazai honestly did consider just finding a way to ensure that this small lot of land would be his forever.

He'd find a way too.

He was Dazai Osamu.

For now he had to figure out this young woman's connection to him. Perhaps someone from his Port Mafia days. But that also didn't make sense. Dazai thought about Akutagawa and Chuuya. His face wrinkled like a disgruntled pug. He didn't know which was worse-the fact she preferred the both of them over Dazai's company or the fact she just praised Chuuya's 'type' more.

Dazai groaned, resting his head on the counter.

"I met this girl…" he confessed finally.

A gentle gruff voice spoke back to him.

'Yeah? Tell me about her.'

Dazai's gaze shifted to look at who was seated next to him. A man with red hair, three cowlicks, cerulean eyes, dressed in his usual outfit of a tan jacket, striped top, and his own glass in his hand, that he sipped, just giving Dazai his full undivided attention. This man was Oda Sakunosuke. Someone Dazai treasured more than life, more than anything, and more than his own worth on this planet. Otherwise known to him as Odasaku.

"She's the one that I've been trying to figure out for a while now," he continued.

'She did quote me,' Odasaku nodded, gazing at Dazai. 'The only way that would be possible is if she knew about our conversation.'

Dazai groaned into his arms. He already knew that much. He'd been wracking his brain though and for the life of him, he couldn't ever recall having a run-in with this girl in the past. But she knew about Odasaku's speech. Dazai's eyes flickered. He glanced at Odasaku now.

"That would mean she knew us four years ago," he quietly said, running a hand through his hair with a frown. "But that's not possible. I would have remembered someone like her."

He paused, catching the small smile that Odasaku was sending his way. Odasaku didn't say much, but his actions tended to help with that. Dazai pouted, his cheeks turning warm and it was only because of the alcohol he sipped, to avoid Odasaku's gaze.

'She definitely is an enigma' Odasaku agreed but it was not hard to detect the slight tone of teasing.

"I'm not that terrible with women, I do remember some of them!" Dazai groused, pouting at Odasaku.

Odasaku just chuckled.

Dazai huffed.

Both men fell into a comfortable silence. Shoulder to shoulder. Out of habit more than anything, Dazai had his left hand in the pocket of his coat. Dazai gripped the box of matches in his palm tightly. Odasaku would have told him if he knew this girl. Dazai was certain of it. Odasaku had no idea who this person was. So was the mutual 'friend' Chuuya? But that would indicate he was actually friends with Chuuya. Uh, barf.

Odasaku had once mentioned that Akutagawa was caught up in his scuffle with a bastard named Gide. Just thinking about that former leader of Mimic's runaway brigade of France's ousted military, made Dazai's blood boil even now. Even though it'd been four years.

Akutagawa could have overheard their conversation since Odasaku had mentioned to Gide at the time about his dream to be a writer. Could it be possible that Akutagawa was who she had been referring to? Dazai didn't consider Akutagawa and himself friends in any sense, universe, or reality, but that girl had a way of speaking in riddles. Maybe the not obvious answer was the obvious answer. Ugh, reverse psychology inception was a pain in the head when it wasn't Dazai implementing it. Maybe he should get a second opinion before he confronted that kid of all things…

He rested his forehead on the counter, wondering if he should just order another shot, instead.

"Hey…Odasaku…"

But when he looked up, he was alone again. Dazai's eyes dimmed. But he kept smiling.

Once again, he was left with nothing. The only tangibility laid now with that young woman and this possible lead he'd conjured on his own. Dazai rested his head in his hand, gazing now at the cool liquid amber in his glass. "Just who are you…Alu?"

Just then, his phone rang.

Dazai picked up, "Moshi, Mosh~"

His expression paused.

"I see," he hung up after being filled in on the other end of recent developments from the ADA. "Honestly, the last one I would have thought of so good for you on keeping that little detail under wraps for so long," he murmured, as he exited Bar Lupin.

The Mutual friend suddenly had two leads for Dazai to investigate.