Chapter 56
The boy, still unconscious on the tatami mat, had his wet suit shirt clinging to his skin, creating countless messy wrinkles as he struggled, outlining his excessively thin back and narrow waist; even his water-soaked hair, like withered black vines, curled listlessly and fell weakly onto his pale cheeks.
Compared to the smug and confident detective Ranpo, who always gave him a radiant smile, the black-haired boy before him... Ye Yihe felt that he was surrounded by a dark and negative aura of death.
Even though his delicate eyebrows were furrowed in pain and half of his right face was covered by bandages, there was no doubt that he had most likely fallen into the water voluntarily.
At this moment, the water beneath him had gradually seeped onto the tatami mat, wetting that small area.
Ye Yihe squatted beside him and examined him for a long time before slowly raising her head to look at Oda Saku, whose clothes were also soaked, and gave him a question mark with her expression.
Even if he was rescued after drowning, shouldn't he have been taken to the hospital? Why did they carry him all the way home?
"The feeling he gave off, and the way he dressed, was unlike that of an ordinary person."
Oda Sakunosuke, who spoke up to explain, gestured for Ye Yihe to look at the white shirt and black trousers made of excellent fabric.
"I don't have any identification in my pocket. If I take me to the hospital and the doctor questions me, it will be very troublesome."
Because his own work was not entirely legal, Oda Sakunosuke was quite sensitive to these matters. If sending the other person to the hospital would lead to police questioning, it would be better to just take the person home.
Of course, there must be more than one reason for carrying the person back like this.
"The point is, this outfit looks familiar, right?"
After the game console was paused and set aside, Chuuya Nakahara leaned back on the sofa and looked at the guy who was about his age.
"They look so much like the Port Mafia members who attacked me a few days ago..."
"I think so too."
Oda Sakunosuke nodded calmly, "I originally planned to go there to find the information merchant, but I happened to see him floating over from upstream, and his clothes looked very familiar."
Rather, he thought at the time it was the corpse of a port Mafia member who had been killed... but there really was someone floating face down on the river, motionless and not struggling at all.
If he hadn't noticed the series of tiny bubbles rising from the other person's face, he would have completely overlooked the fact that the other person was still alive.
"So you rescued him?"
Pushkin, who was also squatting beside him, curiously poked the cheek of the still unconscious boy with his finger, feeling the skin slightly indented, and then softly regaining its elasticity when released.
"He's actually still alive, so why hasn't he woken up yet... Wouldn't it be bad if we didn't let him spit out the water?"
Did he suffer from oxygen deprivation after the water entered his lungs? It turns out the assassin who pulled him out was a dummy who specialized in assassination but didn't know how to save lives.
“...In fact,” Oda Sakunosuke began slowly, “he woke up shortly after I pulled him out of the river, struggling energetically while accusing me of being a kidnapper who had disturbed his suicide attempt by drowning.”
Pushkin: "...Oh...and then what?"
"I knocked him unconscious."
Oda Sakunosuke made a chop-like gesture, his dark blue eyes blinked, and a hint of guilt finally showed through his calm demeanor.
"He might be a bit too strong, so he hasn't woken up yet."
He hadn't expected the boy to be so physically weak... maybe only slightly stronger than Fei Jia, which caused him to misjudge the force he used when he struck.
Ye Yihe's eyes widened in surprise, "…………"
His good brother Oda Sakunosuke has really learned to bring people home!
So the other person looked like they were in great pain, not because they were in pain from choking on water, but because they were in excruciating physical pain from being chopped with a knife...
"Since this guy is a lackey of the port mafia,"
Chuuya Nakahara rolled up his sleeves and came over to help. "Should we find a rope to tie him up somewhere? If you think it's inconvenient to do it because he's a minor, you can let me do it. I can interrogate him for information too, I'm good at that."
He would interrogate people about the whereabouts of the [Sheep] members who had been taken away, or about information related to [Wild Ba Tu]... In short, what he used to do most often was kick all sorts of people.
"Wait, we're not even sure if he's a real member of the Port Mafia yet. How can we entertain him with ropes?"
Ye Yihe quickly grabbed the imposing Chuuya, "First, get a towel to help him dry off... and change his clothes while you're at it."
Chuuya Nakahara immediately lost interest and simply said, "Oh," then added, "Pushkin, go."
Pushkin: "…………"
Pushkin looked around and, realizing he couldn't get anyone else to do the job, resignedly picked up the still unconscious black-haired boy, laid him down on the soft sofa with his head resting on the armrest.
Ivan had laid out a blanket beforehand so that his still-wet clothes wouldn't wet the sofa.
Chuuya Nakahara, whose physique was closest to his, went back to his room to get a new set of his own clothes and asked Pushkin to help him change into them later. "What a loss! I just bought them and haven't had a chance to wear them yet... Here, you can help him change into them."
Despite muttering to himself, he still handed it over quite readily—until halfway through, a hand that had struggled to rise reached out and slapped the clothes with its five fingers, intercepting them.
"Who wants to be seen naked by others..."
The voice that followed was soft and low, still carrying the clear, youthful quality of a boy, but with a hint of hoarseness and resentment in its enunciation.
It's like the disappointment of dropping a delicious ice cream on the ground the moment you open the packaging and are about to take a bite.
"Not enough force... Damn it, it hurts so much! But the force and the position are off. Why didn't you just aim at the carotid sinus? That would have been a quicker and easier death..."
"...He doesn't seem to want to be rescued at all," Pushkin said softly. "Are we meddling in his business?"
"Yes, that's right, it's meddling in other people's business."
The black-haired boy, who had keenly caught the words, turned his head, his left eye, which was sticking out of the bandage, staring at him with a sinister look. "After I successfully commit suicide and become a bound spirit next time, I'll curse you all first."
"Ah," Oda Sakunosuke responded calmly, showing no fear whatsoever.
He didn't even offer any comment—after all, if he were worried about people turning into earthbound spirits to curse him after death, what kind of assassin would he be?
Upon receiving this threat, Ye Yihe pondered for a moment, "Would the curse of a Japanese earthbound spirit have any effect on foreigners?"
He actually wanted to add, "What about artificial superhumans?", but that would expose Chuuya's identity, so he couldn't.
But if we disregard Chuuya, only Odasaku and this black-haired boy in this room are Japanese citizens—and if we include Japanese passports, Fyodor barely qualifies as half a Japanese citizen.
"…………"
The black-haired boy's hawk-like eyes turned to Ye Yihe, a slight tremor revealing an indescribable shock. "Is this the key point?"
Ye Yihe looked back at him innocently.
How can I tell him that he has already died once?
"Hey, now that you're awake, answer our questions before you curse us."
Chuuya Nakahara placed one foot on the edge of the sofa, his tone extremely dissatisfied.
"Are you or not a member of the Port Mafia?"
You can't judge someone's status and power based on appearances alone.
The most striking example is him. Countless people ridiculed him as nothing more than a little brat, and it was considered a good ending if they were kicked by this little brat until they lost all their front teeth.
"...Phew, I see. So this is your purpose."
After a brief silence, the black-haired boy let out a short laugh. "Unfortunately, I'm just an ordinary suicide enthusiast, not a member of that kind of organization."
"Suicide enthusiast?"
Chuuya Nakahara frowned.
Suicide can become a hobby? If it succeeds, isn't it just a one-time transaction? Can you really keep committing suicide for fun?
"You really are a clueless brat..."
The thin, black-haired boy looked to be about the same age as Chuuya Nakahara, and spoke in a soft voice, yet it seemed to gather into a smoky gray mist, falling heavily with each syllable he uttered.
"Living is the most boring thing."
Chuuya Nakahara, who was completely indifferent to death, exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Death is the only boring thing, isn't it? Besides, you're a few years older than me, you bastard, don't look down on people like that!"
No, once you die, you'll be bound to a system that will force you to do good deeds to be resurrected. Ye Yihe silently added in his mind.
"At least if I die, I can become a bound spirit and curse you."
The black-haired boy, still lying on the sofa, lazily raised a finger and poked at him in the air.
"Phew, I need to think of a good curse to give you... Hmm, I've decided, I'll curse you to never grow tall."
"...I'm going to kick you to death right now."
With his eyes narrowed, Chuuya Nakahara gritted his teeth and managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"Although I'd love to, I absolutely don't want to be kicked to death by you..."
Even the black-haired boy's sigh of disdain sounded faint, as if even a slightly heavier breath would be a waste of energy—although in contrast, Chuuya Nakahara became even angrier, and Pushkin quickly patted his chest and back to calm him down.
"As for why this is a misunderstanding, it's probably because I attempted suicide a few days ago and was sent to the port mafia doctor for treatment. When I recovered, I was given this outfit as a gift."
Ye Yihe never expected that this young boy was actually a habitual suicide offender.
Compared to this man who is always eager to commit suicide, Fyodor, who only has a bad habit of biting his nails, suddenly seems to cherish his body very much.
The black-haired boy slowly turned over and stood up from the sofa, still holding the new clothes he had snatched from Nakahara Chuuya.
"That's it, you completely—saved the wrong person."
He rubbed his neck, which was throbbing from Oda's tap, and muttered, "It hurts so much," as he spoke.
"If I had to pinpoint my connection to the port mafia, it would be that I witnessed firsthand how formidable even the doctors there were."
“I see,” Ye Yihe nodded. “The bathroom is the second one on the left after you go out. Although it’s actually an empty guest room, you can stay there if you want.”
"…Um?"
The black-haired boy turned his head to look at him. Although his words sounded surprised, his iris-colored eyes remained calm, revealing no emotional fluctuations. Even his surprise seemed like a deliberate act of amusement, as if he was exceptionally good at hiding his true nature.
"I never mentioned that I would be staying here?"
He blinked and asked Ye Yihe.
"I didn't say I believed what you said."
Ye Yihe returned the gaze as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The black-haired boy froze, his expression turning blank—combined with his still-chubby face, making his expression one of utter bewilderment, something he never did before. "Huh?"
These people have already defied expectations several times...
Is today an inauspicious day for him to commit suicide by drowning?
"Who knows if you really don't belong to the Port Mafia? It would be terrible if you left and went to inform the Port Mafia."
While saying he wanted to stay, Ye Yihe wasn't about to let anyone leave easily. The black-haired boy had to stay until he felt everyone was completely safe.
He now keeps in mind the lesson he learned from Fyodor—to remain skeptical of everything.
"So, until we can be sure our lives are truly safe, please stay here."
As he said this, Ye Yihe ran his fingers over Oda Sakunosuke, Ivan, and Nakahara Chuuya, saying, "These guys are all incredibly skilled fighters. If you want to escape, you can try out their skills here first."
"..." Only Pushkin, who had been skipped, blinked and pointed at himself, "Hey, boss, what about me? I'm pretty good at fighting too!"
"Please don't stay silent, boss...!"
Faced with Ye Yihe's nonchalant response of looking away, Pushkin was heartbroken—although he couldn't beat the three mentioned above, he had a much better chance of winning against a slender boy about the same age as Chuuya!
Fyodor let out a soft, pleasant laugh in the palace of consciousness, which, when it suddenly rang in Ye Yihe's mind, was like a fluffy dandelion gently tickling the palm of his hand.
...If the black-haired boy hadn't been there, Ye Yihe would have definitely told Fyodor to be careful and not to laugh indiscriminately.
"I've fully grasped it..."
At this moment, the black-haired boy with slumped shoulders was sighing loudly, "It hurts so much, my neck still hurts so much, ugh, even when Dr. Mori gave me an IV drip, it didn't hurt this much..."
"Nutritional solution?" Chuuya Nakahara asked.
“When I was lying on his hospital bed, I tried to commit suicide by starving myself,” the other person squinted. “But the feeling of dehydration and lack of nutrition was too unbearable, and I also received two injections of nutritional supplements from Dr. Mori for nothing. I felt that doing so would be a huge loss, so I stopped.”
"...You really are a suicide enthusiast."
Chuuya Nakahara was speechless at this person's preferences. "But you should at least tell us your name. I'm not going to call you 'Hey, hey' all the time."
“Dazai,” the black-haired boy stared at him intently for a moment before looking away.
"Dazai Osamu."
Upon hearing the author's name, which was already associated with "No Longer Human," Ye Yihe immediately decided that he absolutely could not let the person go.
This Osamu Dazai, who was so famous in his own world, was definitely not just some random passerby who had a penchant for suicide.
Even if the leader of the Port Mafia came and assured him that Dazai Osamu hadn't joined the organization, it wouldn't matter; what if the other party was lying to him too?
Hmph, he now only relies on the system's settlement reports.
“I see,” Chuuya Nakahara replied, “My name is…”
"I'm not interested in hearing your self-introduction, Chuuya."
Dazai Osamu interrupted him, then staggered out the door, looking utterly devastated.
"...Wait a minute, how do you know my name?!"
Chuuya Nakahara immediately gave chase.
We must find out how the other person knew his name, otherwise it would seem as if he had lost, which is absolutely unacceptable!
After watching the two leave, Ye Yihe looked at Ivan, who closed his eyes, as if using the bricks and stones that built the small building as a medium to monitor the surroundings—after a moment, he gently shook his head.
“There was no attempt to escape,” Ivan said. “That Mr. Dazai did go into the second room on the left, and Chuuya followed him in.”
"So how did he know Chuuya's name?" Ye Yihe was also a little curious about this.
"It's said that he was previously invited to join the [Sheep] organization, and at the time he heard them boasting about Chuuya's strength,"
As Ivan listened, he slowly replied, "But by then, Chuuya had already left [Sheep], so all they could do was boast."
"Dazai-san also declined the invitation to join. However, based on this experience, after learning how those port mafia members died, he quickly deduced that the combat marks were caused by [Gravity Master] Chuuya, and based on the conversation and details just now, he deduced that he was Chuuya."
Ye Yihe suddenly realized, "Now we need to be even more careful to prevent him from leaving."
His mind was so sharp that he quickly thought of Fyodor—and considering that Fyodor was so difficult to deal with, how could he possibly underestimate Dazai Osamu?
In any case, we must ask Dazai Osamu to stay until his case is resolved and he earns enough points to survive!
“To prevent him from escaping,” Oda Sakunosuke pondered for a moment, then got up and rummaged through the locker. “I’ll find a rope to tie him up.”
Ye Yihe: "..."
Ye Yihe: "How come you have the same idea as Chuuya!"
“Then, thicker, specially made handcuffs or leg irons.” Oda Sakunosuke blinked calmly, “to prevent the lock from being pried open with wire.”
Because he is very skilled at lock picking, he pays extra attention to whether these tools can be easily opened when preparing them.
"Rejected. If the other party really isn't a member of the Port Mafia, wouldn't we become serious kidnappers...?"
...Although it's pretty much the same now.
“Is that so… Then we can use the simplest but most effective method,” Oda Sakunosuke gripped the pistol handle that was fixed in the holster on his side, his thumb slowly pressing on the safety. “I can control the bullet to only graze the wound, so that he will have to recuperate here.”
"...Your method is a bit too effective, but it sounds painful to me, not to mention that Dazai who complained a lot about the pain after being chopped by you."
Ye Yihe let out a soft sigh, "Don't worry, with Ivan here, he'll be discovered the moment he tries to leave."
"Then I'll listen to you."
Oda Sakunosuke blinked his dark blue eyes and finally withdrew his hand. "I'll go prepare dinner... including his portion."
Because Oda Sakunosuke enjoys cooking custom-made curry—and he has become quite skilled at it over the years—Ye Yihe doesn't refuse when Oda Sakunosuke wants to cook dinner for himself.
Anyway, it's not too late for Oda to cook dinner for the others after he finishes using the kitchen.
Rather, Oda Sakunosuke's willingness to share curry with others was itself a signal of goodwill.
Although it sounds strange, for Oda Sakunosuke, an efficient and straightforward solution and the friendly gesture of cooking curry and inviting the other person to eat are not contradictory at all.
Of course, there are reasons why they're not as willing to eat his curry anymore...
"So spicy!!"
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