Chapter 57 The Sorcerer Ertian
After the welcome party ended, the cheerful atmosphere seemed to have faded away along with it.
Maki, Panda, and Thorn continued their previous lives, and Megumi and the other first-year students also continued on their normal path.
Although I returned to the vocational college, I was unable to directly integrate into the life of the second-year students in the magic college.
For a period of time afterward, Maki and I lived in different ways.
At first, when Panda saw me, she would hug me and rub against me, saying, "You're never with us. I'm starting to doubt if your return is just a dream."
I could only smile helplessly and joke, "What can I do then? I'll buy you an armband with the words 'Echigawa Ichiro' written on it. Just wear it on your arm, and you'll know it's not a dream when you see it."
During that period, I always followed Gojo Satoru.
Even I sometimes have fleeting moments where I feel like it was just last year, as if I had just started college. In my memory, my first year is over, life is a dream, and everything in Yokohama is a dream too.
But that daze was very brief; I would come to my senses in the next second.
Gojo Satoru was wearing a high school uniform, and his short white hair was sticking up in the eye patch. That's what I saw of him at first glance.
He even leaned closer to me just like when we first met, but what he said was, "Or, ask me a question."
“Okay, teacher.” I nodded.
For some reason, his movements suddenly paused, and as he retreated, he drawled out, "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" I was completely confused. I looked down at myself but didn't find anything amiss.
He stroked his chin, as if he was thinking about something seriously, and then said, "Since it's about integrating into second-year life, then we need to integrate in terms of how we address each other first."
As he read this passage, his tone gradually rose, and he concluded: "So you can just call me 'Wu'."
I was both amused and exasperated by this seemingly reasonable but actually illogical statement, and casually retorted, "Teacher, even if you want to integrate, you have to take it slowly. You can't integrate all at once."
He tilted his head, raising his chin and tilting his neck upwards slightly, as if he were analyzing what I was saying.
After a couple of seconds, he lowered his head slightly and said, "That seems to make some sense."
When Gojo Satoru spoke, I was slightly surprised, thinking to myself that it was rare to see Gojo-sensei being so perfunctory and just moving on.
The next second he told me that Gojo Satoru was still the same Gojo Satoru.
Because he said, "But there's no need to reason with me or with others."
They said it so matter-of-factly and confidently.
I:"……"
As expected of you, Gojo-sensei.
I had initially thought that the scene of me calling him Wu would be a little awkward, but after he clutched his chest and started acting like he was performing a play, saying something like, "It's so sad that my favorite student won't even call me by my name," my awkwardness vanished instantly.
Perhaps I subconsciously put myself in his shoes and found that the awkwardness was nothing compared to shouting "Wu!"
"Alright, teacher." I sighed softly.
Upon hearing my words, Gojo Satoru immediately stood up straight.
I:"……"
I made eye contact with him through the blindfold.
His blindfold reflected the endless sky, and I wonder if I could see the stars twinkling in the sky if I went over and lifted it now.
"Enlightenment".
He paused, a smile playing on his lips, but his voice remained calm: "Yes."
Suddenly, a mischievous thought popped into my head, so I deliberately laughed and said, "I wouldn't want to make the teacher sad."
Suddenly, my eyes felt cold, my vision darkened, and my smile froze on my lips.
Gojo Satoru raised his hand and covered my eyes, his tone suddenly turning indifferent: "What you said, or."
****
Before leaving Yokohama, Osamu Dazai asked me if I would come back.
I said I would. Especially since Yokohama needs sorcerers, I will definitely come back as soon as possible.
In hindsight, I was right.
I returned to Yokohama again because of a curse.
The handover with the higher education institution was to the port mafia.
Yokohama is such a city.
Under the Three-Tier Plan, the military, the Special Abilities Division, the Armed Detective Agency, and the Port Mafia can all appropriately intervene in Yokohama affairs.
I had been hoping to see Osamu Dazai, but the Port Mafia representative was Chuuya Nakahara.
Of course, I'm not saying that Chuuya Nakahara is shy. My few interactions with him and the mindless criticisms from Osamu Dazai have actually made me think that Chuuya Nakahara is a pretty normal person.
I simply felt that I was more familiar with Osamu Dazai, and theoretically it would be easier to chat with him.
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, Gojo Satoru reached out and tugged at my sleeve: "What were you feeling down about just now?"
I blinked. "Is it obvious?"
“Of course not,” he said, smiling smugly. “I just noticed it.”
I couldn't help but squint and smile: "Are you trying to praise me?... Wu?"
As I became more and more familiar with my identity as a sorcerer, I also became more and more familiar with the word "enlightenment" when I said it.
Maki was the first in the high school to notice the change in address, and she immediately said, "Edagawa, you're hopeless."
I:"……"
I tentatively said, "Perhaps it's not that serious, Maki?"
Maki said, "I should have helped you shatter the filter you had for Gojo Satoru back then."
Then he stared at me for a moment, sighed, and changed the subject: "Forget it, your filter is too thick, I probably can't break it."
I:"……"
No, Maki, it's really not that bad.
However, it wasn't just Maki; between me and Gojo Satoru, Panda and Thorn both seemed like a long and arduous journey for me.
Panda patted my shoulder and said, "Huo, although I really want to say that we can help you fight him if there's anything, I've thought about it and we probably can't beat Wu."
I:"……"
I turned my head and glanced at Dog Curl, who looked rather petite next to Panda. His lips were buried in his high collar, and only his voice could be heard.
As always, he said, "Salmon."
I:"……"
Why does everyone seem to be seeing me off on my way?
Only Iori Shoko behaved as usual.
“Miss Glass seems to have known about this for a long time,” I said.
She glanced at me indifferently, her bright eyes surprisingly lifeless: "Yes."
“Because Gojo Satoru has been like this for a long time,” she said.
"As for you... Edagawa, you are different from them. There is no reason for you not to like him."
It's a scene from my memory. Perhaps it's because it wasn't long ago, or perhaps it's for some other reason, but when I think back on it, I feel like Ms. Shoko's voice is still ringing in my ears.
He whispered: You have no reason not to like him.
"Or, I suggest you just praise me next time." Gojo Satoru's voice brought me back to my senses.
I lowered my gaze, looked down, and smiled gently: "Okay."
Perhaps that's true.
I have no reason not to like him.
Gojo Satoru then asked, "So what are you losing?"
I explained, "I have a friend in the Port Mafia, and I thought I'd be able to meet him, but unfortunately I didn't."
Gojo Satoru was slightly surprised: "You actually have friends in the Mafia?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"I feel that life in Yokohama is more fulfilling than I thought," he said.
Of course, I thought to myself, my life in Yokohama is far more fulfilling than anyone could imagine.
****
After dealing with the Port Mafia affairs, I inevitably went to the Armed Detective Agency.
Gojo Satoru was with me.
I asked him if he wanted to have something to drink while he waited for me at the coffee shop downstairs, but he said no and came up to the fifth floor with me.
Because I was with Gojo Satoru, I was thinking that the other members of the detective agency would be surprised and confused when they saw me.
When I actually joined the Armed Detective Agency, I was the one who was surprised and confused.
The person who opened the door was Atsushi Nakajima; I recognized him.
He recognized me too, but he recognized me as Senior Edakawa from the Armed Detective Agency.
but--
Why are you here, Osamu Dazai?
"Edakawa-senpai, who is this gentleman?"
As Atsushi Nakajima asked me, I was so startled by Osamu Dazai's appearance that my thoughts froze.
So much so that I didn't answer him for a long time, until Gojo Satoru put his arm around my neck and introduced himself: "Gojo Satoru."
Atsushi Nakajima then asked, "Is he a friend of Edakawa-senpai?"
“Yes, but could you elaborate?” Gojo Satoru continued, “He’s my boyfriend.”
Atsushi Nakajima seemed not to have reacted yet. He blinked, and after two seconds, he realized what was happening and couldn't help but shout, "Huh??"
He looked at me in disbelief. "Senior? Is that so?"
"Yes." I nodded, then asked him, "Dun-kun, who is this?"
He followed my gaze to Dazai Osamu, then turned to me and introduced him: "Edaka-senpai, you probably haven't seen him before. This is Mr. Dazai who brought me to the detective agency."
"So he is now...a guest?"
“No.” Atsushi Nakajima shook his head. “At my invitation, Mr. Dazai has now also joined the Armed Detective Agency.”
I:"……"
I:"……"
I:"……"
That's outrageous.
That's outrageous.
That's outrageous.
Even though Dazai Osamu had mentioned to me when we parted last time that he might change jobs, I never expected him to do it this way.
What...what?!
Is this reasonable?
Dazai Osamu sat there quietly. Because of the job change, he had changed his clothes as well, from the black suit that matched the Port Mafia to a sand-colored trench coat that was more in line with the Armed Detective Agency's twilight style.
His gaze fell upon me, and he looked at me with a beaming smile, as if he were pleased by my expression.
“Dun-kun,” he said, his voice sweet and cloying, “I’ve met Huo-kun before.”
"Huh? Mr. Dazai?" Atsushi Nakajima looked at him, then at me, puzzled. "When?"
"A long time ago."
Dazai Osamu looked at me, and I nodded, echoing, "It was a long time ago."
When our eyes met, I hinted to him from afar: "Is this even possible?"
He replied via radio: Why not?
Me: You Mafia members find jobs so easily? Where's your resume?
He: You sorcerers can find sorcerers, why can't we mafia?
I:……
I didn't continue exchanging glances with Dazai Osamu. It wasn't that I backed down; in fact, I had another thought: the mafia and sorcerers are not the same thing, and that was stuck in my mind.
It was just at that moment that Edogawa Ranpo came into my view.
He said, "You're back, or..."
Then, for a moment, I forgot about Dazai Osamu (Dazai Osamu: ?), and only saw Edogawa Ranpo walking towards me step by step.
"Yes, Mr. Ranpo."
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