31 Chapter 31
After being in a daze all day, Nakajima Atsushi's mind was far more chaotic than the branches of the bushes. He couldn't figure out which direction he was going, nor could he tell the changes in his emotions.
He was hiding in his bedroom at home, but the dry and tidy wardrobe gave him the damp and cold feeling of the orphanage's confinement room - it was so strange, like an absurd nightmare.
Is this some kind of punishment?
Punishment for him plagiarizing warmth that did not belong to him.
In his mind, the figures of Baili Bian and the dean changed back and forth. Sometimes they stood on each side, sometimes they leaned on each other. The figures were hazy and blurry, but the different voices and words seemed particularly clear.
But just as he was about to fall asleep, the two people who had overshadowed Nakajima Atsushi's life seemed to have reached a consensus and said the same words in front of Nakajima Atsushi...
Can't hear clearly,
So sleepy...
The consequence of forgetting that he was sleeping in the closet was that the surroundings were dim, making Nakajima think it was still night. When he finally grasped a trace of clarity in the blur and got up in a panic, he found that the alarm clock on the bedside table had rung two hours ago.
After hurriedly finishing the task of dressing and washing up, Nakajima Atsushi quickly went downstairs, "I'm sorry, brother, I got up late..."
Where is your brother?
The living room was empty, and there was no sign of Bailibian in the front yard.
Turning his head, Nakajima Atsushi only saw Dazai Osamu still eating at the table.
There was no speech, just a look into each other's eyes. Although they were iris-colored eyes, they made Nakajima Atsushi feel as if he was falling into the deep sea and suffocating to death.
But clearly, there was a huge sadness hidden in those eyes.
"Baili is out."
Dazai Osamu, who was eating breakfast, looked at Nakajima Atsushi who was standing there in a daze and said helplessly.
It wasn't until 5 seconds later that his blank brain received a signal from Dazai Osamu, and he manipulated his body to respond, "Ah? Ah."
There was no need for Dazai Osamu to explain further, the still warm food on the table had already told Nakajima Atsushi the rest of the story - he had just left.
The two of them ate breakfast in silence at the dining table. After they finished, one returned to the sofa and the other went into the kitchen.
After washing the dishes and walking out of the kitchen, Nakajima Atsushi was about to go upstairs when Dazai Osamu, who was leaning on the sofa, waved to him. When Nakajima Atsushi stepped forward, he heard Dazai Osamu drop a bombshell.
"Baili is not coming back."
"Murase invited him out for dinner."
"Can you cook, Don?"
Three sentences made Nakajima Atsushi give his heart to Dazai Osamu.
Nakajima Atsushi actually knows how to cook, and Bailibian has been teaching him all along.
Although his cooking skills were far from the level that Baili Bian could safely hand over the kitchen to him, he still had no problem cooking simple meals that would be safe to eat.
But with Dazai Osamu's eyes shining, he didn't know how to answer this question.
I always feel that Dazai-kun is looking forward to having the opportunity to cook.
Before Nakajima Atsushi could finish his thought, Dazai Osamu couldn't wait to say that he had a special dish to share with him - hard tofu, which was easy to preserve, so Baili Bian could also have the opportunity to taste it.
It's really strange. Dazai Osamu's confident look made Nakajima Atsushi even more panicked - he always felt that after this meal, no matter whether Bailibian came back or not, he would never see him again.
But the excited Dazai Osamu rushed into the kitchen without giving Nakajima Atsushi any chance to hesitate.
Nakajima Atsushi watched as Dazai Osamu, who had never entered the kitchen in his memory, skillfully took out ingredients from the refrigerator, happily took out various cans from the storage room, and then brought out kitchen utensils that he had never seen before.
Does making tofu require so many tools?
Outside the kitchen, Nakajima Atsushi tried hard to ignore the noise coming from the kitchen, but the sound of the decoration was the only thing that could wake up the person who was pretending to be asleep.
Time is still passing, like the rolling river water that never returns. In a trance, Nakajima Atsushi thought that the river water was his lost life, but suddenly he thought, how can he see the river water at home?
It was the sound of water coming from the kitchen.
Very disappointed.
Dazai Osamu spent the entire morning clanging around in the kitchen and actually made a dish of tofu that looked ordinary, smelled ordinary, and even had an ordinary aura.
In order to make it easier to eat, Dazai Osamu even cut the tofu into small pieces that are suitable for eating one at a time.
Dazai Osamu did not sit at the table but came to Nakajima Atsushi, acting like a waiter guiding guests to their seats, and with the reserved posture of a traditional Japanese housewife, he expressed his expectations in a considerate and gentle voice: "Try it ∽ Atsushi-kun ∽"
The rippling tone was a joy that Nakajima Atsushi had never heard before.
Snap——
The crisp sound reveals the crisp taste.
The rich bean aroma blended with the sauce, paired with warm rice. This weird and interesting combination gave Nakajima Atsushi an unprecedented taste experience.
But this is tofu, right?
Why is there a crisp sound?
"Because this is frozen tofu that was originally intended to be used for suicide!" Chef Dazai Osamu kindly answered the doubts of his diner Nakajima Atsushi.
Fear, confusion, curiosity, relief... finally converged into one sentence - "You are really amazing, Dazai-nii."
This faint feeling of admiration disappeared when Nakajima started cleaning the kitchen.
Dazai Osamu shamelessly made an ineffective excuse for his behavior, "Because I was really curious∽Bai Li never lets people into the kitchen∽"
"But there's no need to cover the ceiling with seasoning!" Nakajima Atsushi found it hard to accept the tragic scene before him. Even if there was a gunfight inside, it couldn't make the situation so chaotic, right?
Kitchen, who had experienced the gunfight, thought that Nakajima Atsushi was right.
Although the master-disciple relationship had not yet been made public, Dazai Osamu taught Nakajima Atsushi an important lesson in life on this day: there is no free lunch in the world.
After a whole afternoon of hard work, Nakajima Atsushi finally restored the kitchen to a state where Bailibian wouldn't ask Dazai for money. Nakajima Atsushi walked out of the kitchen dejectedly. Dazai was standing in front of the French window in the living room, watching the sun set in the west, and the sky in the east gradually changing colors.
As if expressing regret, Dazai Osamu said: "I can't see the sunset."
Nakajima Atsushi didn't know how to respond. Although Dazai Osamu was talking to himself, he always felt that this sentence was directed at him.
But what should he answer?
"Just like Atsushi."
The floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting the eastern sky do not offer a gorgeous sunset to admire, but the sky, which is gradually being eroded by gray, still reveals the direction of the sun.
Nakajima Atsushi never thought that he would hear about Bailibian's past from Dazai Osamu, as Bailibian had never told him.
Bailibian never mentioned the past on his own initiative. Even though they had not been together for a long time, Nakajima Atsushi thought that Dazai Osamu was the same person.
"The location of this house was chosen by Baili himself. The appearance, layout, and decoration were all his own choices. Do you know how long this house took to build, Dun?" Knowing that the child in front of him didn't know the answer, Dazai Osamu didn't pause for long before answering, "One year."
The doubts in his heart were not resolved, and the uneasy fear did not subside, but Nakajima Atsushi's heart inexplicably calmed down.
"He's a very patient man, Baili."
The sun sank into the sea, and the sky returned to its most monotonous color. Dazai Osamu turned around, returned to the sofa, and sent a text message to Bailibian.
"Dazai-nii and my brother are really good friends, right?"
These unexpected words made Dazai Osamu stunned. He hid the confusion in his eyes in time and heard Nakajima Atsushi continue, "Because my brother only wants me and Dazai-nii to be alone together for such a long time."
Bailibian didn't mention it specifically, but Nakajima Atsushi was keenly aware of it. Whether it was the Armed Detective Agency or Murase, whether it was the first meeting or the subsequent visits, Bailibian would always be by his side.
The time he spent alone with these people was not as good as the time he spent with Dazai Osamu that day.
I always feel that my brother is very confident in Dazai-san.
After receiving the text message, Bailibian said goodbye to Murase and returned home. The lights in the living room flickered with a warm atmosphere. When he opened the door, Nakajima Atsushi was still waiting for him to eat.
The hard tofu, which is easy to preserve, finally made it to Bailibian's home.
Nakajima Atsushi's mental state had obviously improved, which made Bai Libian feel relieved - fortunately, he did not become the second Akutagawa.
The lights went out and only Dazai Osamu was left on the first floor, but there were two people in the room who were not asleep.
Bailibian was of course confident in Dazai Osamu, because he knew that Dazai Osamu was different.
Behind Mori Ougai's greetings lies the Port Mafia; behind Taneda's apology lies the choice of the Special Ability Department; Edogawa Ranpo, Yosano Akiko, Kunikida Doppo, and Yumeno Hisasaku, they all have their own sense of belonging to the Armed Detective Agency.
As for Murase, if he knew what Bailibian had said in the Special Ability Agent Department, he would probably understand Bailibian's code of conduct of "not understanding, but respecting".
But Dazai Osamu is different.
Dazai Osamu’s uniqueness lies not in his identity, but in his character.
Baili Bian was not sure whether Dazai Osamu could understand his choice, but he was sure that no matter what position Dazai Osamu was in now, he would not try to pull Baili Bian to his current position.
He might even be the only one who would not feel any emotional fluctuations because of Baili Bian's previous dangerous remarks - curiosity and excitement did not count.
Because of this, Bailibian was willing to let Dazai Osamu contact Nakajima Atsushi, who was in an unstable mental state, and even entrusted the important task of treatment to him.
Because he knew that this favor involved only the two of them, and would not involve the wishes of any other party, nor would it leave any handle.
So, are we good friends?
So what about Dazai Osamu?
What does he think of Baili Bian?
Are they good friends, as Nakajima Atsushi said?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
