Chapter 30
Asuka Kazuya had a long dream.
The person in the dream had blurry features, looking a bit younger than him, yet lecturing him seriously not to run around.
“When I’m not around, stay with Shirase, stay away from those mafia members, and don’t play the friend-making game.”
It was a small room. Asuka Kazuya sat on the bed, looking around, finally looking down at his smaller hands.
…Who was it?
Asuka Kazuya looked up, trying to see the person’s face clearly. But the other person sighed, finally raising his hand and touching his forehead.
“You haven’t been sick in a long time.”
Asuka Kazuya woke up from this dream. He first saw the white-painted ceiling, then noticed the sound of the heart monitor beside his pillow. Asuka Kazuya turned his head, his gaze meeting Dazai Osamu’s, who was propping his chin and watching him.
“How rare,” seeing that Asuka Kazuya didn’t speak, Dazai Osamu released his hand, standing up leisurely from the sofa. “I thought you would ask where this is.”
“…Where’s Bourbon?” Asuka Kazuya’s throat was very dry. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep, his thinking slower than usual.
The scenery outside the window was unfamiliar. Asuka Kazuya tentatively deduced that this was a hospital owned by the Port Mafia.
“I don’t know,” Dazai Osamu walked over, looking down at him. “You should ask Chuuya, his expression was quite scary when he brought you back.”
Asuka Kazuya spaced out for a while longer.
He stared at the ceiling, squeezing out a sentence after a long while: “I was cursing you to be swallowed by a shark when I passed out.”
“Hmm?” Dazai Osamu’s tone was light. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“…You told Chuuya-kun that I would be there, didn’t you?” Asuka Kazuya chuckled, staring at the liquid in the IV drip, suddenly understanding the cause and effect. “Picking this time… your brain is really annoying, did you know I would be like this?”
“It wasn’t that hard to guess,” Dazai Osamu said indifferently. “After all, it was like this back in the interrogation room. Not very kind, but also unable to make the decision to completely eliminate others.”
“Honestly, if you hadn’t shared your dinner with me back then, I probably wouldn’t have to be a mafia member now.”
Dazai Osamu always felt that Asuka Kazuya was a very amazing person.
When there was nothing going on, he would argue with him every other day, and when something happened, he would dig tunnels to find him. Every time Dazai Osamu felt like he was about to be free, this annoying guy would grab his collar and shake him awake.
[“Don’t do it, Dazai, what will I do if you die?”]
[“There are still several days until the mission ends, if you die, no one will chat with me, no one will play chess with me.”]
Asuka Kazuya rambled on and on back then. Dazai Osamu, forced to regain his will to live, thought he was an idiot, only realizing after a while that he wasn’t an idiot, just afraid of being alone.
—If he can’t be used by the Port Mafia, then eliminate him early.
He wasn’t really sincere. Killing Asuka Kazuya was easy for Dazai Osamu back then, but his aim shifted, deliberately avoiding vital points when ending the mission.
Whether he lived or died depended entirely on Asuka Kazuya’s own abilities. Hearing that Gin picked him up, Mori Ougai asked him with a smile if he did it on purpose. Dazai Osamu shrugged, innocently saying that he had obediently followed orders.
Did he act? Yes.
Did Asuka Kazuya die? No.
To him, Asuka Kazuya was like a puppy, a bit troublesome to raise, but a pity to kick away.
So giving him to Chuuya to raise was perfect.
Dazai Osamu didn’t have to worry about him, and when he wanted to play with him, he could just go find him.
“Haha, a cosmic joke.” Asuka Kazuya tugged at the corners of his lips weakly. “You would have been a mafia member even if I didn’t save you, don’t blame me.”
The room was quiet for a few seconds again.
Seeing that Dazai Osamu was staring at him without speaking, Asuka Kazuya pulled off the pulse oximeter on his finger: “How’s Makino-senpai?”
“Like that.”
“Like what?”
“Still unconscious, not sure if he’ll live or die.”
Dazai Osamu replied indifferently.
“When you were unconscious, Chuuya asked me to forcefully remove your ability. But if we did that, the police officer would definitely die. Chuuya clicked his tongue, looking like he wanted to go abroad and take down that organization.”
Of course, Mori Ougai wouldn’t allow Nakahara Chuuya to do that.
The Vongola and the Crows were dealing with Theos, why should the Port Mafia bother?
“Chuuya-kun must have been scolded by that damned pervert,”
Asuka Kazuya sat up from the bed, the blanket covering his chest sliding down.
“It’s all your fault, I was planning to ask him properly in a more relaxed setting.”
“Mori-san?”
Dazai Osamu thought for a moment.
“Mori-san would actually be happy if Chuuya got closer to you. Or rather, the moment Chuuya discovered your existence, Mori-san already anticipated our plan.”
Asuka Kazuya: “…”
Asuka Kazuya: “It’s so tiring to interact with someone with eight hundred tricks up their sleeve.”
Dazai Osamu: “Inducing Bourbon-kun to upgrade the Metropolitan Police Department’s passwords, you’re not much better.”
Asuka Kazuya: “I’m severing ties with you, don’t talk to me.”
Dazai Osamu: “I advise you to give up on the idea of sneaking back to save that police officer. Maintaining the current situation is already the limit, you won’t be able to use your ability normally for at least a month.”
Asuka Kazuya sulked.
“Is there any kind of potion that can restore my ability after drinking it?”
“Do you think this is a game? Why don’t you develop one yourself?”
There was a bit of backflow in the transparent needle. Asuka Kazuya glanced at it indifferently after hearing Dazai Osamu’s words, supporting himself on the railing to stand.
“What does Chuuya-kun like?” he suddenly asked.
This question was quite shocking at first, and still quite shocking upon second thought.
Anyone who knew Nakahara Chuuya wouldn’t ask Dazai Osamu this question. Dazai Osamu looked thoughtful, finally believing that this guy really didn’t remember anything.
It was this attitude of wanting to repay any kindness that was annoying. Dazai Osamu suddenly thought, if Nakahara Chuuya received a fish tank full of mackerel, his expression of wanting to explode but holding back would be quite funny.
After all, if he said he didn’t like it, Kazuya would be sad, and if Kazuya was sad, Nakahara Chuuya would reflect on himself.
Dazai Osamu didn’t care if he would be chased and beaten, only if he could tease two people at the same time.
“I’ll kill you if you say I like mackerel.”
The ward door opened. Nakahara Chuuya didn’t know how long he had been waiting outside. He had a “I know exactly what you’re going to do” expression, looking like he wanted to roll his partner into a ball and kick him.
Dazai Osamu: “That’s so mean.”
Dazai Osamu: “Can you not disturb my reunion with Kazuya-kun?”
“Ha?!” Nakahara Chuuya gritted his teeth. “I told you not to call him so intimately!”
Dazai Osamu: “None of your business, Kazuya didn’t even refuse.”
Asuka Kazuya: “Would it be useful if I refused?”
Dazai Osamu: “No, and besides, it’s none of your business, Kazuya.”
Asuka Kazuya pondered, almost getting confused by Dazai Osamu’s words.
“So what does Chuuya-kun like?”
Nakahara Chuuya was stunned, not expecting him to be so persistent about this question.
The young mafia executive frowned: “I already said you don’t have to repay the favor.”
“It’s like this,” Dazai Osamu smiled, continuing to add fuel to the fire. “Chuuya would love for you to toss and turn all night, thinking about how to repay him. Don’t let his appearance fool you, there are no decent people in the mafia.”
Nakahara Chuuya: “…”
Nakahara Chuuya: “When did I say that, you trash Dazai?!”
If Dazai Osamu hadn’t dodged quickly, he might have been embedded in the wall by Nakahara Chuuya’s punch.
The young man’s ears reddened, starting to regret letting Dazai Osamu in.
“I didn’t think that way,” Nakahara Chuuya explained. “You’ve been asleep for three days, the doctor said you would wake up tomorrow, so I came a bit late.”
Three days, 72 hours.
His longest record of being out of contact so far, he didn’t know if the organization had labeled him a traitor yet.
And Theos, the invisibility incident was so big, it was troublesome for the Special Abilities Division to catch every witness and erase their memories one by one.
“I know,” Asuka Kazuya nodded. “I usually only listen to the punctuation marks in Dazai’s words.”
Nakahara Chuuya: “…”
Dazai Osamu: ???
Dazai Osamu: “I’ve changed my mind, let’s sever ties after all, Kazuya.”
“In your dreams,” Asuka Kazuya snorted, putting on his shoes. “If we sever ties just because you say so, wouldn’t I lose face?”
Nakahara Chuuya noticed his movements: “You’re going back to that organization?”
“If I can’t use my ability, I’ll die if I don’t take the antidote within 80 hours.” Asuka Kazuya said calmly, knowing the medicine Rum used on him. “Besides, Amuro Tooru is a good person, if I run away, he’ll be labeled a traitor too.”
Asuka Kazuya, halfway to the door, walked back.
“By the way, was there a painting of sunflowers on the wall in our house in the slums before?”
Nakahara Chuuya noticed he used the word “house.”
“You remember?”
“No,” Asuka Kazuya admitted. “Just a fragment, very blurry.”
Those green eyes blinked. Before Nakahara Chuuya could speak, Asuka Kazuya asked again,
“Can I come and play with you when you’re free? I’ll pay.”
Nakahara Chuuya was silent: “What’s your misunderstanding about my salary?”
“Then call!” Asuka Kazuya said excitedly. “I know a gemstone that would really suit your eyes, I’ll bring it to you next time!”
When Asuka Kazuya said this, it usually meant someone was going to suffer.
But Nakahara Chuuya didn’t care. He said “okay” to Asuka Kazuya, not mentioning that he controlled the entire underground gemstone trade.
Dazai Osamu: “Why don’t I get one?”
His attitude towards Dazai Osamu was completely different. Nakahara Chuuya scoffed: “Don’t you have hands to buy it yourself?”
Dazai Osamu: “Free is different.”
Nakahara Chuuya: “Then go die, you’ll have it in your dreams.”
Dazai Osamu: “I’ll consider it if you ask Kazuya-kun to jump into the river with me. Besides, you’re too nice to him, why don’t you let Kazuya-kun gift-wrap himself and send himself to you?”
Nakahara Chuuya: “…”
Dazai Osamu: “Why aren’t you speaking? Did you learn Mori-san’s despicable methods after just one year?”
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Only after Asuka Kazuya’s figure completely disappeared did Nakahara Chuuya turn to his annoying partner with a gloomy face.
“Jump into what river?”
“What did you teach him again?”
“And gift-wrapping, I warned you, didn’t I? Don’t say such things in front of him.”
A triple threat.
Dazai Osamu remained unfazed by the threats, only thinking that Nakahara Chuuya hadn’t learned the essence of the mafia.
Things you like should be taken by force.
Although this idiot probably didn’t know what “like” meant.
“He’s crazy.”
“Slacking off again.”
“The Boss only torments me, not you.”
Seeing Asuka Kazuya, who had been missing for a long time, these were the first sarcastic words that came out of Vodka’s mouth.
Asuka Kazuya pulled his face to both sides, raising his hand to Vermouth: “I request a replacement for the defective Vodka clone!”
Vodka: “…”
Vodka: “Who’s a clone?! I’m just asking you to explain what’s going on with Bourbon’s report!”
Asuka Kazuya was also quite curious, turning his head upon hearing this: “What did Bourbon write about me?”
[Year X, Month X, Day X, Sunny]
[Calvados said he wanted to relive his childhood and went to the amusement park and aquarium. Repeatedly informed him of the importance of the mission, Calvados replied to tell the Boss if I dared, persuasion ineffective, hereby reporting.]
[Year X, Month X, Day X, Cloudy]
[The days of monitoring Calvados seem endless. Because he watched some unknown anime, he was particularly excited. Calvados has been running around the room since 3 am, requesting a replacement for the person monitoring him, rejected, continuing observation, hereby reporting.]
[Year X, Month X, Day X, Rainy]
[The days of monitoring Calvados seem endless. Extremely excited after watching an unknown anime. Calvados has been jumping around every corner of the room since 3 am, requesting to replace the person assigned to monitor him. Request denied. Continuing observation. Reporting.]
These few lines were filled with Bourbon’s bitterness.
If Asuka Kazuya hadn’t been lying in the hospital for three days, he would have believed his lies.
“That’s right,” Asuka Kazuya, after reading the report, said seriously. “I did go to the amusement park and aquarium, what can you do about it?”
Vodka, who only slept two hours a day due to overtime, went completely mad.
“Then at least do today’s mission.”
“No.” Asuka Kazuya swaggered into the compartment, taking out a pile of snacks from his snack stash. “Can’t you see I’m wearing a hospital gown? Vodka, I even saved you before, you’re so ungrateful.”
Vodka: “…If you hadn’t saved me, I would have poisoned you to death long ago.”
Asuka Kazuya, halfway through his snacking, immediately snitched to Vermouth upon hearing this: “He said he’s going to poison me to death.”
Vermouth: “Then are you not going to eat anymore?”
Asuka Kazuya: “I can eat a little less.”
Vermouth chuckled, not forgetting to remind him to go to the research lab to get the antidote later.
Asuka Kazuya: “Oh.”
Asuka Kazuya: “Back to the topic, Vodka, returning to your lack of conscience.”
Vodka: “…Cosplaying as a patient, how many times have you used this trick?”
Asuka Kazuya was very satisfied with his reaction. It was a good thing he had learned makeup from Vermouth before, touching up his pale face before coming here for a symbolic check-in.
“You’re dismissed,” Asuka Kazuya waved his hand. “I can’t walk, lend me your car, I’ll return it tomorrow.”
Besides when partnering with Gin, Vodka also had a dedicated car for his solo missions. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch the good old days when Asuka Kazuya could spend freely, so he was still using his own salary.
To express his goodwill towards Vodka, Asuka Kazuya had once spent five million to gift him a sports car. Vodka tearfully accepted it that day, then tearfully returned it the next day, because the car was registered under Kurosawa Jin’s name, and it was Big Brother’s card that was charged.
Who would dare to drive it?
Anyway, Vodka didn’t dare.
Asuka Kazuya dared, it’s just that he had wrecked several cars before, so Gin wouldn’t let him drive.
Speaking of Gin…
Asuka Kazuya remembered Chianti telling him before that, for some reason, Gin seemed to have taken over some of Rum’s missions, so he was too busy to settle the score with him regarding Miyano Akemi.
Asuka Kazuya thought for a moment, calling Bourbon from the car.
“Gin?” Bourbon hadn’t really thought about this question. “Gin should be in America recently, how are you? I thought you wouldn’t be discharged for a few more days.”
“I got a painkiller shot, I don’t feel anything now.” Asuka Kazuya gripped the steering wheel, turning a corner. “Dazai said Officer Makino is still unconscious? Which hospital?”
“The one Matsuda and the others took you to last time,” Bourbon replied, monitoring his target while speaking. “But it’s best to wait a while before going, Officer Makino shows no signs of waking up. To cover up the ability user incident, your side cleared the scene before Superintendent Adachi arrived. Coupled with your fingerprints on Officer Makino and your three-day disappearance…”
“They suspect I did it, right?”
Asuka Kazuya calmly continued Bourbon’s words.
“But I was with Superintendent Adachi when the sniping happened, are they going to say I have an accomplice?”
“Let’s wait until I get back.”
Bourbon sighed helplessly.
“Your colleagues were originally planning to take you away when they cleared the scene, but they didn’t seem to dare to have a direct confrontation with that person from the Port Mafia.”
In terms of combat ability alone, Nakahara Chuuya was undoubtedly the strongest. Bourbon clearly remembered that person’s expression when he saw Asuka Kazuya squatting silently in the corner, so dangerous that it gave him the illusion that he would kill everyone the next second.
Nakahara Chuuya asked Asuka Kazuya many questions at the time, but the latter was like trapped in a long dream, hearing nothing, just constantly shedding tears.
After knowing him for so long, this was the first time Bourbon had seen him cry.
It could be physical, or it could be mental.
Bourbon didn’t intend to reopen those scars, silently watching Nakahara Chuuya take him away.
He also had some prejudice against the Special Abilities Division. He could tell from when Asuka Kazuya said that he went on missions abroad as a child and only his “senpai” wrote to him, that this so-called organization hadn’t put much effort into nurturing these special individuals.
This was a systemic failure.
Before Asuka Kazuya, the Special Abilities Division didn’t have any experience raising ability users from a young age.
“I guessed as much.”
The black car stopped downstairs at the apartment building. Asuka Kazuya closed the car door, holding his phone in one hand.
“I’ll handle the rest myself, thanks for your trouble.”
Unusually not calling him Amuro Tooru, Asuka Kazuya hung up the phone.
He took out his key, glanced at the doormat, hesitated for a moment, then turned the key and opened the door.
The curtains in the living room were drawn, the only light source coming from the open door. Asuka Kazuya stood at the entrance, a cold gun barrel predictably pressed against his lower back.
He remained unmoved, placing the key in the candy box on the cabinet: “This is my territory.”
Gin snorted, withdrawing his Beretta, commenting: “Your vigilance isn’t too bad.”
“Is that something someone who sneaks into other people’s apartments should say?”
Asuka Kazuya turned around, saying this without blushing or a racing heart, completely forgetting how he used to sneak into Gin’s room to cause trouble regardless of whether Gin agreed or not.
Gin didn’t answer. His sharp gaze swept over Asuka Kazuya, recalling Bourbon’s reports these past few days.
Although his behavior was in line with Calvados’s idiotic style, Gin still felt something was wrong. He always trusted his intuition, so he ended his business in America early and came back to verify it personally.
“Where did you get this?” Gin asked.
Asuka Kazuya looked down at his attire.
“Stole it from the hospital, isn’t it more realistic than before?”
Normally, Gin would retort with “is the organization so poor that you have to resort to this?” However, Asuka Kazuya waited for a few seconds, but Gin didn’t speak.
“Big Brother?”
The young man frowned, waving his hand in front of Gin.
Gin lost his patience, expressionlessly grabbing his wrist and pulling him closer.
“Last time I’m asking, where did you get this?”
The Beretta lifted the golden hair hanging over his shoulder. Gin’s gaze fell on the side of Asuka Kazuya’s neck, where there was a new scar compared to three days ago. There were probably more hidden under his clothes.
Gin wasn’t interested in finding every piece of evidence, nor did he want to waste time. Since Calvados wouldn’t talk…
“I got it while on a mission at the Metropolitan Police Department,”
Asuka Kazuya tried to pull his hand back, not succeeding like before.
“I forced Bourbon to write that, who told you to subtly hint that I should befriend Bourbon.”
Gin sneered disdainfully: “That’s not an excuse for you to disappear. From tomorrow onwards, you don’t have to go back to the Metropolitan Police Department.”
“I will,” Asuka Kazuya mimicked his sneer. “You can’t deprive me of my right to take on missions.”
Such an expression was intimidating on Gin’s face, but comical on Calvados’s, like a child wearing adult clothes.
Ultimately, this was also related to the other members’ indulgence. Every time Gin warned him, that woman Vermouth would say, “What’s the big deal? Don’t you think he’s cute?”
Gin never thought there would be a member in the organization who could be associated with the word “cute.”
“Besides, my schedule is very tight, I still have to go to the research lab later, and I have to learn hand-to-hand combat tomorrow. I’m not uneducated, why are you punishing me?”
Completely unaware of what Gin was thinking, Asuka Kazuya continued to provoke him. He was so angry his teeth itched, currently trying to pull his hand back without using his ability.
Unfortunately, forget about Rye, Gin didn’t even trust Bourbon, whom the Boss favored, now.
“Rye is watching Sherry, he has no time to play with you.”
Asuka Kazuya was suspicious, making eye contact with Gin for a few seconds.
“I’m studying seriously, not playing.”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to teach me? No way! Absolutely no way!”
“…”
“Scotch! I want Scotch!”
Asuka Kazuya struggled, grabbing the cabinet by the entrance, but this couldn’t stop Gin from dragging him out.
He would die! He would be beaten to death by Gin without his ability!
Asuka Kazuya refused, his screams echoing throughout the apartment.
“Vodka! Help! Help! Big Brother is taking advantage of me!”
