Chapter 32 Fifteen Years Old (Part 8)

As Yokohama's first snowfall approaches, Yokokawa Rei and Edogawa Ranpo are waiting for chestnut cake.

The store manager, Ms. Kato, specially sent a message to reserve the new product for her. On the day of the first snow, she and Edogawa Ranpo made an appointment to get the small cakes.

"Xiao Ling-chan has a new hairstyle."

Kato Nanako took a cake out of the cupboard and looked at her with a smile.

The shop manager, a kind and gentle woman with long, straight black hair, treated her like a younger sister in her family.

"Yes, today is the first snowfall."

Yao Chuanling nodded, the little white ball on her twin ponytails swaying with her movements.

She had been learning this hairstyle for a long time. When she went shopping with Jingzi, she specially bought hair accessories and paired them with a white dress, making her look like a snow fairy.

Kato Nanako asked knowingly, "Did you spend the first snowy day with the famous detective?"

She glanced at Edogawa Ranpo as if casually observing him. He was dressed in all black, with a snowflake brooch pinned to his collar.

"It was Yosano who chose it."

Edogawa Ranpo knew what she wanted to say, so he spoke first.

Yosano chose the style, but he bought the clothes and brooch. Edogawa Ranpo just didn't want to admit it.

Now is not the best time.

“Jingzi picked out my clothes too.” Yaochuan Ling raised her hand happily, but her expression turned gloomy the next second. “It’s a pity that Jingzi had something to do today, otherwise the three of us would have watched the snow together.”

The famous detective remained silent.

Yosano Akiko's thoughts are obvious, only this idiot can't see it.

"You guys chat, Yuna's off today, I'll go entertain the guests."

Hearing the wind chimes at the door, Kato Nanako turned around, leaving the two of them alone.

The person who came was an acquaintance of hers, and they had come specifically for her.

"elder sister!"

Yumeno Kyusaku lunged at her, taking the spot next to Youkawa Rei.

He ran the fastest, followed by Alice and the Akutagawa siblings, while Mr. Hirotsu, the guardian of this trip, walked slowly at the back.

On the day of the first snowfall, Chuuya Nakahara and Koyo Ozaki were on a business trip abroad. When Osamu Dazai heard that the group of children were going to find Rei Yokawa, he immediately ran away. In the end, the heavy responsibility fell on Ryūnō Hirotsu.

Since getting drunk, Yokawa Rei has never seen Dazai Osamu again. When she was hanging out with the Port Mafia, Dazai was away on missions, and when she went to the Armed Detective Agency, it was even less likely that she would see him.

It was as if Dazai Osamu was avoiding her.

"Hello, Xiaomeng, Xiaoyin, Alice, Ryunosuke, and Mr. Yanagi."

Yokawa Rei caught Yumeno Kyusaku and waved enthusiastically to them.

Alice ran to sit on the other side of her, and both seats were occupied. Helpless, Ryunosuke Akutagawa pulled the unhappy Gin to sit opposite him.

"Miss Yaochuan, so you had an appointment. I apologize for disturbing you."

Hirojin Ryūrō adjusted his monocle, looking apologetic.

It's that kid from the detective agency.

It's peacetime now, so relations between the two sides aren't so tense, and they can still exchange a few words when they occasionally meet.

"It's okay, it's more fun with more people."

Yao Chuan Ling comforted her.

She has always enjoyed lively gatherings, especially when these people are her close friends.

However, since they were the two parties involved, she listened to Ranpo's opinion.

Edogawa Ranpo had anticipated this outcome. He sulked for a while before finally relenting and saying, "This cake was bought for Lord Ranpo. If they want to eat it, they can buy it themselves. You are not allowed to buy it for them."

A bunch of brats.

Do you really think the famous detective can't see it? This is definitely Dazai Osamu's cowardly retaliation for pointing out the listening device to him.

"Of course," Yao Chuanling coaxed him. "Today, we're only buying small cakes for the famous detective."

The two of them often teased each other, telling Yosano Akiko that they were childish elementary school students.

Edogawa Ranpo was satisfied with these words. He adjusted his hat and offered Akutagawa Gintoki a seat.

The sensible old gentleman went to buy a cake, while the tactless child said jealously, "Are you a child? You need your older sister to coax you."

Yumeno Kyusaku clung to Youkawa Rei's arm, his face full of hostility.

Dazai Osamu said that this person would take his sister away, and he would absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not allow it.

Alice thinks so too.

Alice followed suit, clinging to Yao Chuanling's other arm, eager to watch the drama unfold.

Yao Chuanling pulled his hand away and flicked each of them on the forehead.

She used to only get Reborn to tap her on the head, but she never expected it to feel so good.

She tapped it again on a whim.

"elder sister!"

After being knocked twice, Yumeno Kyusaku covered his forehead and called out to her in a wronged tone.

It's all Edogawa Ranpo's fault.

"Xiao Meng, be polite."

His sister straightened her expression, both gentle and stern.

Yumeno Kyusaku, who was always obedient and compliant in front of her, reluctantly responded.

When Hirotsu Ryūrō returned, he happened to see this scene and stroked his beard, teasingly saying, "Only you can control this kid, Kyūsaku."

Previously, he couldn't control his supernatural ability and could only be led out by Dazai Osamu; now, with Yokawa Rei teaching him to control his supernatural ability, Yumeno Kyusaku's activities have been restricted, and he's been causing a ruckus all day long.

Especially when Alice is around, the members of the Hong Kong Triads avoid her whenever the two children are together.

"Ling, it's going to snow."

The older and younger children all looked out the window at the same time.

3

2

1

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

One patch after another, it suddenly intensified.

Yokohama has become a fairytale town inside a crystal ball.

Edogawa Ranpo took her hand and placed a snowflake necklace in her palm.

It's a matching set with the brooch.

Yaochuan Ling instinctively curled her hand to grasp it, but Edogawa Ranpo's hand did not withdraw; instead, it covered her hand.

So she looked away and turned her head to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"Here's the first snowflake of winter for you."

The famous detective stopped, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Thank you, Ranpo!"

She wore it around her neck happily as a return gift for the chestnut cake.

She likes it because it's sparkly.

"My sister is like a snowflake fairy."

Sitting directly opposite her, Akutagawa Gin cupped his face in his hands and exclaimed in admiration.

Pure white and flawless, powerful and beautiful.

She was the most perfect being in her heart.

Yao Chuanling made a heart shape with her hands, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "I love hearing Xiao Yin praise me."

The elf was smug, like a pampered white cat, waving its paws whenever it heard someone say something nice.

Akutagawa Gin smiled shyly, burying half his face under his sweater collar.

I couldn't resist her laughter at all.

Yao Chuanling just posted on her WeChat Moments, along with a picture of a snowy scene and a group photo of everyone eating cake together.

Yosano Akiko immediately commented: Have fun.

All her efforts to create a private space for Edogawa Ranpo that was frequented by so many Port Mafia members were wasted.

Fortunately, she didn't go; she didn't want to have any further involvement with the Hong Kong Triads.

Chuuya Nakahara replied with a picture of a snowy scene in Moscow.

[Little Tangerine]: It's snowing in Yokohama too. I won't be back for a while, would you do me the honor of having a meal with me then?

Yokawa Rei was so happy that he hugged Yumeno Kyusaku and laughed so hard he bent over.

[Afternoon tea today too]: I grant your permission.

She zoomed in on the snow scene and noticed a man sitting on a street corner playing the cello; from the angle of the photo, she could see his profile.

Snowflakes were falling in Moscow, one or two at a time, drifting down onto his gently closed eyelashes.

On one hand, it was his appreciation for beautiful things, and on the other hand, it was an expression of his appreciation for looking at the photos carefully. Yao Chuanling responded to him sincerely.

[Afternoon Tea Today Too]: That cellist is so beautiful!

Yuan Zhong did not reply to this message, and Yao Chuan Ling guessed that he must have been busy.

So she put down her phone and prepared to eat her cake, only to find Edogawa Ranpo staring intently at her.

The young detective's eyes held a hint of grievance and an expression she couldn't understand.

"You've never praised Lord Ranpo."

His hair stood on end, as if in protest.

To conclude that the cellist is good-looking based on just one photo when you've never even met him is simply absurd!

Yao Chuanling retorted, "I told you you're smart and cute!"

It's such a huge injustice; how could she not have praised him?

She always admired the detective's intelligence, so she accepted it when he occasionally called her an idiot.

Edogawa Ranpo looked at her bewildered eyes, which showed she understood nothing, and suddenly lost his temper.

"What's the use of being cute? You idiot."

He forked a piece of cake, chewing and muttering to himself.

Yokawa Rei had praised Yumeno Kyusaku, Alice, Akutagawa Gin, and even Akutagawa Ryunosuke and Nakahara Chuuya for being cute. She had said so many people were cute, yet she only ever told one person they were beautiful.

Edogawa Ranpo felt a subtle sense of imbalance.

But he knew she didn't mean anything by it; she was just saying it casually.

"Ranpo, for me, 'cute' means 'I can love it'."

Yaochuan sensed his displeasure, and although she didn't understand what he was struggling with, she immediately explained.

Because she liked them, she found everything they said and did incredibly adorable.

She didn't want him to be upset over something like this.

Edogawa Ranpo suddenly opened his eyes.

"Then you should tell me more that I'm cute."

He was pleased again and began to make demands that were too much for him.

This was an explanation that even the great detective hadn't considered.

The elf was full of sweet words, but he knew perfectly well that she never lied to him.

Just like now, she replied very naturally: "I always say you're cute."

Snow fell into his heart. Edogawa Ranpo tasted it and found it to be as sweet as chestnut cake.

Guangjin Liulang saw it clearly and shook his head inwardly.

Dazai Osamu has no hope.

According to his observation, the two people haven't interacted at all in the past few months, and he's even been in contact with Chuuya, who is always on business trips.

*

The snow in Yokohama finally stopped in the evening. The snow reflected the moonlight, and for a moment it was hard to tell whether it was snow from the sky or the moon on the ground.

With the moon high in the sky, Yaochuan Ling couldn't sleep and wandered around Yokohama.

The snow was loose, and it crunched crisply under her feet.

She was in a playful mood and hopped and skipped around on the snow.

A midnight snow adventure begins!

"Ouch."

She tripped over something without noticing and fell to the ground in the snow.

Fortunately, the snow was thick, so falling to the ground didn't hurt much; instead, it stirred up a wave of snow.

After Yao Chuanling's destruction, the originally white snow surface was now covered in black.

Could there really be a treasure?

She dug it open and was speechless with emotion.

Having not seen Osamu Dazai for several months, I suddenly felt that his face was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Won't this disturb his suicide attempt?

Yao Chuanling glanced at him secretly and found that his eyes were still closed. Relieved, she brushed the snow onto him.

Bury it back, bury it back.

Just as she was huffing and puffing as she buried him back down, her wrist was grabbed.

Lying in the snow for so long, Dazai Osamu's hands were as cold as ice, even colder than the body temperature of an elf.

Yao Chuanling felt a chill, but didn't shake off his hand.

Using his strength, she looked down at him.

His eyes had opened at some point, and his iris-colored pupils remained silent.

Perhaps it was the cold moonlight and the snow that made Yao Chuanling feel even more lonely and desolate.

"you……"

She pursed her lips, unsure of what to do, and suddenly pulled him up forcefully.

She didn't understand why she did it, but she just did it on a whim.

"Miss Ling."

Dazai Osamu, who was so cold that he sneezed and his voice became hoarse, was still calling out to her.

Because his voice was hoarse, he spoke slowly, with a touch of tenderness and elegance.

The soft-hearted elf couldn't bear to see others vulnerable and helpless, so she covered his hand, transmitting a continuous warmth from her palm.

Like snow melting, it transforms into gentle moonlight, inch by inch.

"Govern the king."

She called him by the same name as Dazai Osamu. The three syllables were gently ground between her teeth, carrying a precious and caring tone.

The fairy was still dressed in her daytime attire: a white fluffy dress, a small pom-pom in her hair, and a sparkling snowflake pendant.

She gently brushed the snow from Dazai Osamu's hair, smiling broadly: "Happy first snow."

It is neither the moon on the ground nor the snow in the sky.

She is the one and only Yaochuan Ling in the human world.

"Winter is too cold, please live until next summer, okay?"

Although suicide is a niche hobby, since it was his own choice, she could only respect it.

Everyone has hobbies, some of which may not be understood or approved by others, but without exception, they are all ways for them to find their own way of life.

"When Chuuya and I went shopping, I bought a linen kimono with fine stripes in a light brown color. It's perfect for summer, and it'll suit you too."

Edogawa Ranpo was right; he was a coward, absolutely true and beyond dispute.

Ever since that drunken incident, he had been avoiding Yao Chuanling, but he never expected to run into her today.

Cowards are afraid even of happiness, and they get hurt even by touching cotton.

"Can I have it?"

Even cowards have moments of courage.

Dazai Osamu cautiously observed her expression and spoke in a low voice.

He always distanced himself excessively from others, so he was cautious even when asking the most trivial requests.

In the still of the night, the wind slept, the stars remained silent, and the spirits, hearing this clearly, readily agreed.

"Okay. Chuuya and I were planning to give it to you as a New Year's gift anyway."

When she saw the kimono, she and Chuuya both thought it suited Dazai Osamu very well. Although Chuuya said that he deserved it, he still did not object to buying the kimono for him as a New Year's gift.

Once Yao Chuanling started talking, she chattered on and on, her eyebrows dancing with excitement, about a whole bunch of random things.

They were all trivial matters of daily life, but she described them as fascinating and interesting.

Dazai Osamu listened silently to the scene she described: lush flowers, trees, birds, fish, and all sorts of people.

In her eyes, all things are equal, and the world is free and beautiful.

Inevitably, he became somewhat curious about her world.

It was a completely different world from what he had seen.

How can someone become your friend?

He was both straightforward and confused.

Dazai Osamu had no friends; he didn't know how to make friends. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and knew she wouldn't understand if he beat around the bush, so he asked her directly.

When it comes to matters of the heart, she is much more oblivious than he is.

Yaochuan Ling got stuck.

No one had ever asked her such a serious question before, and everyone seemed to understand each other perfectly and became friends without even realizing it.

"Then, then you can take one step forward."

If becoming friends requires taking a hundred steps, she will take the first step and then run towards him for the remaining ninety-nine.

Dazai Osamu really took a step forward.

Yao Chuanling reached out her hand to him, the moonlight shining brightly behind her and the stars twinkling.

"Welcome to my side."

This century has been mad, inhumane, and corrupt, yet you have remained clear-headed, gentle, and immaculate.

Dazai Osamu gently placed his hand on hers.

To my little moon.

The boy's eyes were filled with moonlight.

With the moon by my side, the night is no longer lonely.