Saskia got inside her car with a slam of the door. She immediately regretted her actions and apologized to the car. Her anger was simmering down. Not seeing Dazai before her eyes and not hearing his mocking voice was helping more than she thought. He was an exceptional bastard. He didn't tell her something, she felt it. And he continuously refused to disclose it. How is she supposed to trust him then? The rev of the engine soothed her mind further.
Yet Dazai never left her thoughts. Her mind was constantly going back to the incident inside ADA office. He said he was attacked by a gifted. Fortunately for them, Dazai's ability only neutralizes and does no harm. She wondered what kind of a person he would become if he could cause harm with his ability. Would he leave Port Mafia then? And she had no doubt Dazai had a plan on how to catch his attacker. But he didn't disclose that plan to her. The car stopped before a red , what is she supposed to do? Patiently wait for the story to unfold? Or worse, waiting for Dazai to give her commands? And Dazai dared to bring Tanizaki into it too. She sneered at his irresponsibility. The kid is gifted but that doesn't excuse —
"It's green," Junichiro said. Saskia jumped in her seat, restrained from hitting the roof by the seatbelt, yet accidentally pushing on the horn.
"What the fuck, Junichiro!" she shouted despite being startled near half-to-death. The driver's instincts kicked in first. Her foot pressed on the gas pedal, and the vehicle moved without creating a line of annoyed drivers. But Saskia could feel her heart in her feet and pressing on the pedals.
"Sorry, sorry!" Junichiro started to frantically apologize. She didn't spare him a glance, she couldn't. The car made a sharp and unplanned turn. Blok parked the car in the nearest lot to have a moment to calm down. She dropped her head on the wheel and started to count her breaths. The pounding in her chest barely subsided. Tanizaki chose the right moment to reveal his presence, but it didn't excuse her frightened state.
"I didn't mean to," Junichiro said. He was sincere with his words. "I'm sorry! I thought you knew!"
The woman sighed but not from pain. That's exactly what Dazai meant when he said Junichiro could be unnoticeable. What a way to make the introductions happen. How meticulous. But she couldn't call it cruelty. Merely a vicious prank. If that was his way of getting back at her, he had done an incredible job. Harmless enough, but she doubted she'd forget about the incident for a while.
"So, you turn invisible?" she asked passively, slowly calming down.
"No," he shook his head. "I project illusions." She lifted her head and turned to look at him. There were ambers of anger burning in her eyes. Someone broke into her car. Whether it was Junichiro himself or Dazai mattered little.
"S-sorry," Junichiro said, averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He was sincere even now. And Saskia was angry. But she couldn't be angry with Junichiro. She doubted it was his idea to do what he did. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Junichiro didn't follow.
"Come," Blok beckoned, "I'm sure you are hungry too."
"Okay," the young man replied.
"You are not staying with me, are you?" she asked absentmindedly. It was a question she thought worth asking to fill in the rift between them. Dazai never once stayed at her place despite knowing the mafia was watching her. Mori showed his face to her for whatever reason but if they wanted her dead, she would be one of the recent bodies found. She would be given a case number and given either to Ueda or Matsukata. But she was still alive and well and watched. Port Mafia would watch the gifted whose files were stolen. She held no doubt anymore.
"No!" Junichiro answered in a panic voice. His eyes were wide and held an expression of shock. He even blushed a bit. Saskia chuckled in amusement. She could understand why Dazai was so childish at times with his colleagues. Pushing people like this was certainly entertaining. She felt disgusted by the thought.
They didn't talk much. She had so many questions and yet none that she could voice. If Saskia could understand one thing about Dazai: he wouldn't simply give her Junichiro on a silver platter to answer all the questions. In fact, she barely understood why he gave her Junichiro at all. If it was her safety he was worried about, they were covered. The attacker's ability didn't work on Dazai — no ability did — and Saskia believed herself to be able to throw a mean punch. And there was that gun Kunikida issued her with that precise purpose. He said it was a sign of their trust. Saskia's mood turned sour. Yet her mind was on Dazai's case again. That prank in the car already proven Tanizaki was just a pawn just as she was. She'd blame it on her anger and frustrations and how Dazai is so impossible to comprehend. He could manage to be pleasant and trustworthy. He could have easily won her over. He did so at the bar. At least he did it the first time. But then he stopped wearing one mask and put on the other. And she couldn't understand what happened and why and what was his goal. Because he never intended her to know. He didn't play her like a fiddle. Dazai Osamu was conducting an orchestra, and she didn't know what instrument she was.
"Are you thinking about Dazai-san?" Junichiro asked, lowering his eyes as if in shame. Saskia gave him a questioning look. As if it was a hard guess. He had seen her behaviour in the car. He heard the beginning of their argument. "You look angry," he explained awkwardly before taking a bite from his plate. The woman scoffed with amusement. Anger wasn't covering the range of emotion she felt. It was a carpet term for that. She opened her mouth to explain herself. Only a huff of air came out as a response. She never was gifted with words and it wasn't about to change now. Instead, she turned to eating her soup. Talking about how she felt or what she thoughts wasn't going to change anything for the better.
"Hor shomeone," she said chewing. Noticing the expression of unease on Tanizaki's face, she decided to shut her mouth, chew and be a decent human being with manners. "For someone so dull he certainly is frustrating," Saskia said.
"Dull?" Junichiro asked as if unsure what he heard. It took a few moments for him to click with what had been said. And then he laughed awkwardly. "That's — that's something to call Dazai-san."
She spared him a grin. It wasn't genuine and it didn't last long. But it did the job. They both sunk back into silence. Dazai Osamu is an exceedingly dull man, she thought. She remembered how he figured her out during the mock exam in the agency. How he figured out her ability without having to meet her personally. His mind was truly something else. Not that she meant it to be a positive thing. He was an old well: dark and deep and no one knew exactly how far it was going. Dazai Osamu could play anyone, anytime. He made Kunikida act foolishly in a coffee shop and he made Tanizaki lie to her. He played them all. He took her to dinner with them. He let her believe in forming a bond of sorts even if temporarily. He gave her his word once to fulfill a request for complete and utter honesty. He said he wouldn't give her to the mafia easily. He asked her to trust him. It was a simple and human request so unfitting of a man like Dazai Osamu. He asked her to trust him without if or buts or exchanging favours. He asked to take a leap of faith. She didn't. Perhaps he was right then to behave the way he was. Perhaps he was right to keep things from her. if he understood how much she was wary of him, it would make sense for him to retaliate in such a manner. The gun Kunikida gave her was heavy and of cold metal. What did she give in return? A hissy fit in the office. Dazai's behaviour just may be her fault.
For Dazai Osamu was never was wrong. He was the one who suspected Matsukata. He went with her grocery shopping after encountering Mori. He came to the bar she chose and offered an ear and assistance. She never did thank him for it. She'd like to think a drink she shared with him was payment enough. She didn't believe that thought for a moment.
She remembered the look Dazai had in the bar. That moment when there was nothing on his face written. The moment between changing masks when he was looking at his drink but not seeing. She wished to be able to understand even a fraction of his mind someday. She drowned that desire immediately. There will be no someday. This will end eventually with them either winning or losing. Yet she couldn't piece together his actions right now. Dazai only made sense to her in retrospective and periodically. Dazai knew exactly how to pull the strings. A master puppeteer. She reminded herself how she shouldn't mistake him for his mask. After all, Dazai Osamu didn't do kind. And she wasn't doing it either. He had played her so harmonically.
The spoon fell on the table with a dull sound. "Dazai Osamu is an exceedingly dull man," Saskia mumbled to herself. The realization felt suffocating, chocking her belief in herself. Because he knows what's going to happen and can never live in the moment. Her hands dropped on the table with a louder sound."What is that idiot planning?" she asked, hissing in anger and frustration. If she disturbed Tanizaki with her behaviour, it was a thought too momentary in her mind to be registered.
Dazai was getting a bit impatient. The newspapers were dull. They are a source of information — often useless information — and not a source of entertainment. Yet he couldn't just get up and leave. That would make his efforts and waiting time spent here be a waste. His fingers drummed on the surface of the polished table. Perhaps another hour would do it.
"You've been waiting for me," the man said from behind. "How kind."
Dazai smirked. Familiar voice. He had heard it before. He was not wrong. Was he ever? His new companion walked around the booth and sat opposite of him. Kind, was it? Funny.
"So, you are the one we've been looking for all along," Dazai said, placing his elbows on the table. He placed his head in his hands to cue the man in front of him to start talking.
"Then you have found me," the man said with a rueful smile. At least, it seemed so to Dazai.
"There are more people looking for you," Osamu said, disinterested. "Old friends, I assume."
The man tensed. He recoiled back in his seat and his eyes filled with primal terror. But it was only for a moment. The epiphany dawned on him soon. Dazai wasn't done making up his mind. He could take him and feed him to the dogs as was agreed previously. But he didn't. Not yet. He wanted to know the story hoping it was a good story to hear.
"You are not here to turn me in," the man spoke. He tried to control his voice and not showcase the fear he felt just moments ago. He almost failed. And Dazai noticed that. "Don't turn me in. Not to them. Kill me if you want to, but don't feed me to them."
"The Contemporary," Dazai recalled. "You ran away. You joined mafia. Why run away from them? Because you became aware of something, no, someone special. And you needed to get to them."
The man smiled. It was the same smile as before. Rueful. "I had to. And knowing how foolish it was, I wouldn't do it otherwise. She exists. She exists, and her power is something else."
Dazai tilted his head. If that was his way of putting it, he would agree with that. She was something else. Nothing positive he could mean by that, however.
"I understand why you were the one close to her," the man continued talking. That smile never left his face. Dazai couldn't understand it. "You nullify her ability. You are immune to her ability."
Osamu offered a shrug in reply. He was impenetrable to all abilities. This man's included. What was his name again? Lev. Leo. Tolstoy.
"Just because of that, I wish to kill you myself," Lev said. "But I need you just as you need me."
Dazai smiled at that. This man liked to think he had some power in this situation. Amusing, truly. "You are mistaken," he said with a shake of his head, "I don't need you. I just need to turn you in."
"Then you should do it now. The moment I leave this place, I can become someone else. Anyone."
"Important questions first," Dazai said. "Why do you want Saskia?"
"I didn't," Lev replied. "Not at first. I just wanted to get to her. But now, I'm afraid, I'm not the one who wants her."
"The Contemporary," Osamu sighed. It all became much clearer now. Tolstoy launched forward, laying himself on the table, reaching out to Dazai but never touching him. Dazai never reacted.
"They will take her," Lev said, "and a bunch of other ability users."
"They didn't lie when they said they had no intentions operating in Japan," Dazai recalled. Saskia would have mentioned something as important as that.
"They don't want this city or this island," Lev shook his head. "But ability users? Absolutely. And they have the means to do so."
Dazai didn't say anything to that, sustaining expectant pause.
"Kill me," Tolstoy said. "Kill me and give my rotting corpse to them if it pleases you," he said, teeth grinding, "but don't let them take me, and more importantly, her alive."