Chapter 28: The Double Black
Dazai Osamu had no idea what world he was in. The only thing he was sure of was that he seemed to have encountered a murder case, and the victim was himself.
The body seemed to have been declared dead before he arrived, so his sudden struggle to get up startled everyone around him.
However, Dazai Osamu didn't seem to care. He clutched his abdomen, blood still flowing from the wound. His vision was still somewhat blurry, but he could see his surroundings a little better.
He tried to make out his surroundings; it was noisy, but the dizziness from excessive blood loss eventually caused him to faint again.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. His abdominal wound had been properly bandaged, but the pain still stubbornly reminded him that his body had not yet recovered.
A middle-aged man, an unfamiliar figure, stood beside the hospital bed. He was well-dressed but had an anxious expression on his face.
"Mr. Dazai! You...you're finally awake!" The man was instantly agitated when he saw him open his eyes, almost lunging to the bedside. Then, as if remembering something, he abruptly turned around and frantically pressed the call button, "Doctor, doctor! He's awake!"
Soon, a group of doctors in white coats rushed into the ward.
Dazai Osamu made no other move, allowing them to examine his body, and when asked how he felt, he only responded with the fewest syllables or nodded or shook his head.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Dazai? Do you remember what happened?" the head doctor asked cautiously.
Dazai Osamu slowly shook his head. He knew nothing about his current identity, nor did he have any related memories. But that didn't matter; he remembered what happened before he fell into a coma. Reasons like being traumatized and closing himself off could easily serve as excuses for his amnesia.
So he deliberately used a blank voice to ask, "...What happened? Who...am I?"
These words instantly turned the middle-aged man's face deathly pale, and even his voice changed tone: "Mr. Dazai! You...you don't remember me? Sato! I'm Sato Goro, your manager, you really don't remember me at all?"
Dazai Osamu shook his head again, looking at him with a puzzled expression, as if he were looking at a stranger he was meeting for the first time.
Sato Goro was struck dumb, muttering to himself, "How could this happen..." He exchanged a few glances with the equally grave-faced doctors, and then the group walked out heavily. They pushed open the ward door and gently closed it again, cutting off the sound, leaving only blurry, swaying figures outside, presumably discussing solutions.
Dazai Osamu didn't seem to care much. He turned his head and first looked around the room, then noticed a cell phone on the bedside table. Although the style was unfamiliar, he had seen similar models before, so he figured it must be his.
He picked up the phone and studied how to unlock it for a moment, but had to give up because he didn't know the password.
Just then, the ward door opened again, and Sato Goro walked in. The professional smile he forced onto his face couldn't hide the worry and exhaustion in his eyes, but he had clearly convinced himself to accept the explanation of "post-traumatic amnesia."
"Mr. Dazai, are you looking at your phone?" Sato saw Dazai holding his phone but unable to turn it on and immediately realized, "Ah, you don't remember the password, right? Let me help you."
He recited a string of numbers with practiced ease, and Dazai Osamu typed them in as instructed. The screen lit up instantly. Instantly, the notification bar was flooded with messages, one after another, from emails and social media, most of them containing words like "condolences," "take care," and "unbelievable."
“Look,” Sato Goro’s voice carried a mixture of relief and lingering fear, “you probably don’t know, but right now there’s a deluge of news about you, with all sorts of headlines.” As he spoke, he took a folded newspaper from his briefcase, unfolded it, and handed it to Dazai Osamu.
The front page headline of the newspaper, in bold black, was extremely impactful:
Breaking News! Newly crowned TV King Osamu Dazai was assassinated but mysteriously resurrected! Police are investigating!
The accompanying picture is a blurry photo of an ambulance, obviously taken secretly, along with a retouched headshot of this body at an awards ceremony. The man in the photo has a face that is extremely similar to his, with a gentle and dazzling smile, but his eyes reveal a clarity that Dazai Osamu would never have.
As he read the newspaper, the stranger began to explain things to him. The man introduced himself as Sato Goro, his manager. Dazai Osamu, on the other hand, was an actor who had recently become very popular through a Japanese drama.
They had a lot of engagements recently due to the drama's popularity, but all of them were postponed because of Dazai Osamu's injury.
He continued, describing the current situation: "The hospital is swarming with reporters, like sharks smelling blood, eager to get information about you. If you want to go out for some fresh air, you must let me know in advance; we need to be fully disguised. As for the culprit..." Sato Goro's face darkened. "The police are still investigating with all their might. The person who stabbed you hasn't been caught yet. For now, all we can do is cooperate with the police and focus on recovering."
Dazai Osamu listened quietly. After finishing the newspaper, his fingers began tapping on his phone screen, quickly scanning the explosive news headlines and the frenzied discussions on social media. However, he had no interest in the identity or the murder itself, as if he were watching a story that had nothing to do with him.
Sato Goro went on and on about many things to keep in mind, including a healthy diet and getting enough rest. He also told him not to read too much negative news, as the company would handle the public relations crisis. Dazai Osamu, at just the right moment, feigned exhaustion and said softly, "Mr. Sato, I'd like to rest for a bit."
"Ah, okay, okay! You get some rest! I'll be right outside, call me anytime if you need anything!" Sato Goro quickly got up and respectfully withdrew.
The ward had just regained its tranquility when there was a polite knock on the door again.
Two police officers in crisp uniforms entered. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with a serious face and sharp eyes. He showed his identification: "Hello, Mr. Dazai. Excuse me. I am Wataru Takagi from the First Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and this is Officer Miwako Sato. We have a few questions to confirm with you regarding your attack case."
Before Dazai Osamu could speak, Sato Goro, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately followed him in and explained, "Officer Takagi, Officer Sato, I'm very sorry. Our Mr. Dazai has just woken up, and the doctor diagnosed that due to the great shock and possibly a minor impact to his head, he has experienced...temporary amnesia. He can't remember what happened, or even some information about himself." His tone was earnest, tinged with helplessness.
Officer Takagi and Officer Sato exchanged a glance, then turned their gaze to Dazai Osamu on the hospital bed, scrutinizing him: "Amnesia? Mr. Dazai, do you really not remember anything that happened yesterday afternoon near the warehouse in Zone B of XX Mall? Did you see the attacker's face, or had you had any conflict with anyone before?"
Dazai Osamu met the police officer's gaze, slowly shaking his head, his eyes still filled with a sense of bewilderment and confusion: "I'm sorry... I don't remember anything. Even... even who I am was just told to me by Mr. Sato." His voice was weak yet sincere, without a single flaw.
Inspector Takagi frowned, clearly troubled by the result. He took out his notebook: "Alright. So, based on our current investigation, combined with the traces left at the scene and descriptions from some witnesses, we have preliminarily identified three suspects who have close ties to you and a motive for the crime. We're informing you of this in the hope that... it might help you recover your memory."
Dazai Osamu nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
Officer Takagi clearly read out the three names:
"The first one is your former assistant, Kyosuke Yamamura. According to the investigation, he was fired by you a week ago for a work mistake. He was very emotional at the time and even threatened to kill you in public."
"The second person is Ms. Ayako Uehara, a rising actress. Witnesses and some social media photos show that you have been interacting closely with her recently, suggesting a possible romantic relationship. However, according to our understanding, she seems to have reservations about your interactions with other female celebrities, which may indicate a romantic entanglement."
"The third one..."
Officer Takagi paused, then looked at Dazai Osamu with a gaze that seemed to deepen:
"It's your colleague, Mr. Nakahara Chuuya, who also belongs to xx company. It's said that you two had a fierce competition for several important resources. Some staff members reported that they heard him express strong dissatisfaction with you in public."
Nakahara Chuuya.
Nakahara Chuuya?
Dazai's iris-colored pupils contracted slightly and uncontrollably for a moment, but only for a second before he quickly concealed them.
Was he hallucinating?
Dazai forcibly suppressed the jumbled thoughts in his mind, using all his acting skills to maintain a facade of bewilderment. He frowned slightly, as if trying to recall something, "Officer, could you please read these people's names again?"
Without hesitation, Officer Takagi clearly repeated "people" once more.
It's confirmed; it wasn't a hallucination.
A surge of joy and excitement welled up inside Dazai Osamu, but he didn't show any outward reaction. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring the light in them, and when he looked up again, he still looked helpless: "I'm sorry, officer. These names are all unfamiliar, and I still... can't remember anything."
He paused, then added in a slightly pleading tone, "If... if I remember anything in the future, or if I have any clues, I will contact Mr. Sato immediately and have him pass it on to the police."
Officer Takagi closed his notebook, somewhat disappointed but understanding. "Alright, Mr. Dazai, please rest assured and get some rest. If you remember any details, however minor, please be sure to contact us. Mr. Sato has our contact information, so we won't bother you any further." The two officers saluted and left the ward.
Sato Goro watched the police officer leave and prepared to follow him out. But Dazai Osamu called him back, his voice still weak, yet carrying an unyielding firmness:
"Mr. Sato, please wait a moment. Could you tell me more about me, and about my relationships with other people?"
He desperately needed intelligence. The sudden appearance of a man named "Nakahara Chuuya" in this unfamiliar world was no coincidence.
He had to confirm whether this Nakahara Chuuya was the person he knew, or just an accidental coincidence with the same name.
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