The Protagonist Always Wants to Find Someone to Commit Suicide With - Chapter 6

“I came to this world because I ran into a door that happened to open while I was in the middle of drowning”

The system asked in confusion, “I know all that, but why are you saying this now?”

“So, have you ever considered that the opening of the door might be what triggered the unusual activity among the yokai?” Dazai Osamu asked.

“…” That actually makes a fair amount of sense.

“It seems a proper investigation is in order,” Dazai summarized upon seeing the system remain silent.

He held a bun purchased from Nanatsujiya in his hands. The moment he swallowed the final bite, he let out a satisfied stretch. “Matoba Seiji truly provided a massive assistance.”

“…” Being bought out completely just because he pre-paid your reward? The system expressed total distaste toward its brainless host.

“Don’t look at me with such worldly eyes,” Dazai said with disdain. “I am referring to this request.”

“What’s wrong with the request?”

“This request requires collaborating with Natori Shuuichi to complete,” Dazai smiled. “A person like Matoba Seiji dislikes Natori Shuuichi.”

Recalling the tone Matoba Seiji used when mentioning Natori Shuuichi moments ago, the system expressed agreement.

“Reversing the logic, Natori Shuuichi is bound to harbor minimal trust toward anyone dispatched by the Matoba clan. This request is a bit of a hassle; he will definitely bring someone else along with him.”

“And that someone else is—” Dazai detected approaching footsteps from a distance, lifting his eyes to look over. “See? There they are.”

Natsume Takashi originally held zero desire to step out the door.

Extending a foot outside after turning into a girl was simply a complete blowout on the shame meter, wasn’t it?!

However, after Natori Shuuichi furrowed his brow to explain the immense difficulty and peril of this request, he disregarded Nyanko-sensei’s obstruction anyway, deciding to accompany the exorcist.

“Apologies for being late,” his words carried an apologetic tone.

Catching sight of Dazai Osamu, Natori Shuuichi furrowed his brow imperceptibly, subtly feeling this person wasn’t simple. Better to interact with caution.

“Eh, you’re the person from that day” Natsume Takashi looked at him with astonishment.

“Ah, beautiful young lady, we meet again. It seems all of this is the guidance of the heavens,” the corners of Dazai’s mouth curled upward. “I hadn’t expected you to actually be an exorcist as well; what a wonderful surprise.”

See? A perfectly logical opportunity to establish close contact with a capture target. Matoba Seiji truly provided massive assistance, Dazai noted to the system.

The yokai mentioned in the request wasn’t far from here—merely a few minutes’ walk.

“Did Teacher Dazai only arrive in this area recently?” After learning from Natsume Takashi that the counterpart was a teacher, Natori Shuuichi also began addressing Dazai this way.

“Yes,” Dazai smiled. “Furthermore, I only recently took up the work of an exorcist.”

“Therefore, when we seal the yokai in a moment, I’ll have to trouble you both to look after me a fraction more.”

“…Seal them, is it?”

Though the yokai in this request possessed potent spiritual energy, its executed actions were restricted solely to disturbing the peace of humans; what it did specifically wasn’t detailed at all. For a request of this nature, its existence was typically deemed a hazard simply due to its immense power and instability. The request also clearly stated the final requirement was to slay or seal it.

Sealing was far more of a hassle than slaying.

Natsume Takashi was unclear about Dazai’s actual strength, but within his cognition, anyone associated with Matoba Seiji was bound to be somewhat terrifying. Furthermore, they constantly harbored deep hostility and hatred toward yokai. To eliminate residual complications, they would typically slay the yokai directly.

Hearing the term “seal” emerge from his mouth was somewhat unexpected.

“How does Teacher Dazai view yokai?” Natsume Takashi asked.

“This matter,” Dazai smiled as he turned his head back. “Humans and yokai actually hold zero difference. Though the capabilities of certain yokai provoke dread, aren’t exorcists an identical type of existence?” Humans dread yokai, yet yokai occasionally fell under human dominance too.

“…”

System: “Natsume Takashi’s favorability has risen to 65.”

“I said it already Natsume is a gentle child,” Dazai’s smile remained unaltered.

System: “Then do you harbor even a half-speck of guilt for hoodwinking a gentle child like this?”

“The words I voiced moments ago were genuine,” Dazai extended a hand to brush away a stray leaf resting against his collar. “Natsume is my student. As a teacher, I ought to remain a bit serious.”

System: “Oh.” I nearly forgot your persona as a public educator.

Yokohama

The night curtain had just descended, and a few frantic variables inside the air began to turn restless uncomfortably.

Outside the window lay a prosperous vista vehicles surged across the winding, complex highway tracks, the bright, dazzling illumination blending with neon hues to fuse into the somewhat dark sky. It resembled a shattered red wine glass inside a bar the crimson liquid carrying the scent of alcohol, the fractured transparent glass shards blending with the dust across the floor, possessing an unvoiceable aesthetic beauty.

“Still haven’t found him?” Mori Ougai narrowed his eyes, his right hand supporting his chin. “It seems Dazai has truly settled his resolution to depart this time.”

“Won’t you voice your impressions? Chuuya?”

“…” Nakahara Chuuya, wearing his million-year unaltered black business suit, extended a hand to clamp his fedora low. “Zero impressions.”

“I will definitely find him, and then…” A sliver of a crimson hue reflected within his brown pupils.

“Is that so,” Mori Ougai laughed while masking his mouth.

Hearing his laughter, Elise nearby turned her head with dissatisfaction to glare at him. “Rintaro is so noisy!”

“Ah, apologies, Elise-chan.”

“…” Nakahara Chuuya stood on his original spot expressionlessly watching his superior mess around. Coldness.jpg

Not long ago, one of the five Port Mafia Executives, Dazai Osamu, suddenly went missing. After verifying the counterpart had defected rather than being abducted, the Port Mafia operatives practically expended their total strength tracking his whereabouts. Yet ultimately they merely uncovered that the counterpart was currently heading roughly toward a certain location in Shinjuku.

They tracked along this line of inquiry, yet during the tracking process, discovered the counterpart looked exactly as if he had evaporated from the human world completely unable to be tracked for a single speck of evidence regardless of the methods used.

“Chuuya, in truth, summoning you over this time was to tell you that we have decided to abandon the pursuit of Dazai,” the BOSS of the Port Mafia appeared somewhat helpless.

“?!”

“What?” Nakahara Chuuya was still calculating Dazai’s escape route inside his heart; suddenly hearing him voice this, he was somewhat unable to process it. “Why? He holds a mountain of Port Mafia data in his hands; what if he falls into the hands of the police “

“He won’t perform such actions,” Mori Ougai lifted his head to look at him. “You partnered with him for those many years; you ought to remain clear on that.”

“But!”

“Chuuya, calm down a fraction,” Mori Ougai waved a hand toward him. “It isn’t that I hold zero desire to bring my formerly highly capable subordinate back,” he put on a highly troubled expression. “Given Dazai’s capability, if he desires to run, we simply possess zero method to obstruct him anyway,” he voiced it lighthearted, completely missing any sense of shame regarding this somewhat losing state of affairs.

“…”

“If Chuuya hasn’t forgotten past sentiment, and cares this much about being abandoned by Dazai-kun, I’ll grant you leave go find him yourself then,” Mori Ougai exposed an exceptionally understanding smile. “If you successfully bring him back, I’ll even supply you with a bonus, how about it?”

He looked exactly as if he were mental-imaging some strange scenarios; Nakahara Chuuya could even see small pink flowers rotating near his frame.

Nakahara Chuuya: What a total lunatic.