[Minor revision]
Dazai Osamu paused, raised his head, and looked at Mori Ougai with a deep gaze: "Hey, Mr. Mori, is it really okay to say something like that in front of me?"
Mori Ougai remained unmoved and continued to say, "Although I am just a small-time doctor in a clinic, I can still make ends meet."
Liu, who was standing there stunned with a dry towel on his head, glanced at Mori Ougai, then turned to look at Dazai Osamu, who was covered in bandages and looked sullen. His clear, bright golden eyes shone.
He suppressed his excitement and earnestly asked the kind man in front of him, "Really? Food is provided?"
Mori Ougai's smile faltered, a subtle feeling flashing through his mind, but it vanished before he could investigate further. He dismissed this feeling and nodded sincerely, saying, "Haha, there's no problem with filling your stomach."
Hearing the kind person's affirmative answer, he couldn't hide the joy and excitement on his face.
Sitting in the chair opposite, Dazai Osamu grimaced unhappily at the sight and muttered under his breath, "Tch, still saying he's not stupid, he's been sold out without even realizing it."
After changing all the bandages on his body, Dazai Osamu put the remaining half roll into his coat pocket and aimlessly glanced at the medicine cabinet against the wall. Before he could make a next move, Mori Ougai interrupted his thoughts with a voice.
Mori Ōgai: "Dazai, I've already told you not to take medicine indiscriminately. Especially in the current situation, medicine is in urgent need of supplies, and it will be difficult for me if it's wasted."
Although Yokohama's underworld is complex and intertwined, it is all just small-scale fighting within the framework of a three-way power struggle.
Mori Ōgai, recalling the information given by the blond, skinny monkey, narrowed his dark red eyes slightly, a glint of malice flashing in them. Unintentional rumors often reveal the most telling signs of the bigger picture; he had already seen the undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface.
Dazai Osamu, who had been warned, stiffened and awkwardly looked away. He shrugged at Mori Ougai, looking indifferent: "Ah, I understand, Mr. Mori."
The undercurrents between the two were imperceptible to the fluids. He dried his hair, draped a towel over his shoulder, and looked around the clinic with curiosity, like a kitten arriving at its new home, familiarizing itself with the environment while also surveying its new territory.
The clinic is small, a three-story bungalow. The outer room on the first floor serves as the office and reception area. Inside is Mori Ougai's usual workplace—the operating room.
The second floor is a rest area, with two bedrooms, a living room, and a separate bathroom. The door to the third floor is locked, and Mori Ougai indicates that it contains storage rooms and abandoned rooms.
After a moment's thought, Mori Ougai made a decision: "Ryu and Dazai can sleep together. The tatami mats are perfectly fine for two people. I remember there's a set of bedding in the closet; I'll have Dazai get it for you later."
Although he had anticipated this outcome, Dazai Osamu still protested: "I don't want to sleep with an idiot. Who knows if I'll catch something? Besides, Mori-san's room is much bigger; there shouldn't be any problem with just the two of us!"
Mori Ougai: "Protest denied. Alice-chan will be living with me, so I'll have to trouble Dazai."
Dazai Osamu wanted to say something, but seeing Mori Ougai's warning look, he shut his mouth and looked at Ryu: "Hey, did you hear that? You're coming to live with me from now on, so hurry up and come over."
Ryu blinked, his golden pupils shimmering like flowing honey in the light. He nodded and obediently walked behind Dazai Osamu. His well-behaved demeanor eased much of Dazai Osamu's gloom.
After laying out the bedding on the tatami mat, Ryu knelt on the fluffy, soft quilt and curiously looked around the bedroom. The furnishings were simple and there was very little furniture. Apart from a desk placed by the window, the only other pieces of furniture were the closet next to the tatami mat.
Dazai Osamu's bedding was originally placed in the middle of the tatami mat, but now that there's an extra spot for Nagaru, it's been moved to the side closer to the wall. Nagaru is now on the left side closer to the closet.
"Hey, come down for dinner once you've made the bed." Dazai Osamu appeared at the door, arms crossed, his eyes filled with a probing gaze.
Upon hearing the word "eat," Liu's radar instantly went into action. He quickly went to the door, and his eyes lit up when he smelled the aroma of food wafting up from downstairs.
Liu: "I can smell the aroma of food."
When Dazai Osamu saw Ryu's starving appearance, he raised an eyebrow with an ambiguous expression, then lowered his hand and led Ryu downstairs.
In the small reception area downstairs, Mori Ougai was setting out tableware, with three large takeout boxes on the glass coffee table.
Dazai Osamu glanced at Mori Ougai with slight surprise when he saw the logo on the takeout box, then quickly walked to the table and sat down: "Mr. Mori, did you win the lottery today? You actually dared to order takeout from this place."
Mori Ougai paid no attention to Dazai Osamu's mild teasing. After inviting Liu to sit down, he opened the three takeout boxes, which contained sukiyaki, rice bowls, and a serving of oden.
Liu scanned the food in front of him, his gaze finally settling on the generous amount of fatty beef on the rice bowl and the Wagyu beef in the sukiyaki. As a lover of high-calorie food and a staunch carnivore, the moment he saw meat, nothing else could be seen in Liu's eyes.
only--
Ryu looked at the three takeout orders and three sets of cutlery on the table, then looked at Mori Ougai with a hint of suspicion: "Is this enough for three people?"
Mori Ougai, worried that they wouldn't be able to finish the food, said considerately, "Don't worry, Ryu, although it may be a bit much, you can still finish it if you try."
Ryu frowned, looked at Mori Ougai seriously for two seconds with a suspicious expression, and made sure that he was not being sarcastic or trying to fool him.
Sitting opposite Ryu, Dazai Osamu didn't miss the expression on his face. Combining Ryu's initial assurance that Mori-san would provide a full meal with Ryu's current reaction, Dazai Osamu came to an incredible guess.
But he didn't say anything to remind Mori Ougai, and even interrupted him before he could speak: "Well, Mr. Mori, may we begin?"
As soon as Dazai Osamu finished speaking, a long, hungry cry echoed throughout the clinic.
Standing before Mori Ougai and Dazai Osamu, who had inexplicably stopped moving as if frozen in place, Ryu shyly clutched his stomach, gave them an embarrassed smile, and bluntly said, "My stomach is growling; I'm so hungry."
Mori Ougai's eyelids twitched, and a bad premonition arose for no reason. He looked at Dazai Osamu, who was behaving himself and not causing any trouble, and was somewhat puzzled as to where this premonition came from. In the end, he shook his head and suspected that it was a hallucination caused by staying up all night.
until--
Are you a starving ghost?
Dazai Osamu glared angrily at Ryu, who was engrossed in his meal. Despite his rage, he quickly grabbed some beef and sukiyaki and put them in his bowl before Ryu finished eating.
On the coffee table, three boxes that were originally full of food were emptied in just a few minutes. The large portion of beef over rice was only partially eaten by Mori Ougai and Dazai Osamu, who were too slow to grab any. The bland, watery oden sat untouched to the side.
The sukiyaki, the main source of the aroma, was completely devoured, leaving only the thick broth and some overcooked vegetables. Meanwhile, the culprit behind all this was wolfing down rice.
When Ryu heard Dazai Osamu's cursing, he looked up blankly from his bowl, a grain of rice soaked in soup still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
He blinked innocently, glanced at the leftover food on the table, then turned to look at Mori Ougai, whose lips were twitching: "What's wrong? Aren't you eating?"
As he spoke, his chopsticks kept moving, picking up vegetables that he was slightly disgusted with but were still passable and putting them into his bowl.
At this moment, Mori Ougai finally realized where his bad premonition had been. Looking at the completely devoured food, and the fact that Liu, who had eaten enough for two people, was still unsatisfied, his bad premonition gradually came true.
He forced a gentle smile and asked, "Has Liu eaten enough?"
The black-haired, golden-eyed boy puffed out his cheeks and shook his head: "Hmm, I'm only about two or three tenths full. Mr. Mori, is there any more rice or meat?"
With his innocent, watery eyes wide open, Liu looked pitifully at the kind person who had taken him in, trying to exchange this for some more food to fill his stomach.
Mori Ougai's expression changed, and his right hand holding the chopsticks trembled involuntarily as he began to worry about his wallet.
Dazai Osamu sat on the sofa, holding a bowl and watching the commotion. When he saw Mori Ougai's face constantly changing colors, he finally couldn't help but burst into laughter after holding it in for a while.
He put down his chopsticks, clutched his stomach, and laughed so hard he fell onto the sofa. He laughed until his stomach muscles ached and tears welled up in his eyes before he finally stopped.
Dazai Osamu looked at Ryu with a newfound curiosity and admiration: "Seriously, so even an idiot can be this destructive?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Mori Ougai, whose face was not looking good, with a mocking expression: "Oh, Mr. Mori, you don't regret your decision, do you? After all, you just made a promise in front of that idiot Ryu that you would make sure he was fed!"
Upon thinking of this, Dazai Osamu burst into laughter again.
Ryu, who was being subtly mocked and shocked by his large appetite, used his not-so-bright brain to think for a moment before understanding what Dazai Osamu meant. He angrily stopped eating, frowning and looking at Dazai Osamu, who was laughing so hard he was sprawled on the sofa.
Even though he only had 4 points of intelligence, he still knew that "idiot" was an insult. After being called an idiot by Dazai Osamu time and time again, even with his good temper, Ryu couldn't let him bully him like that.
Ganfan walked angrily up to Dazai Osamu, grabbed his bandaged wrist, and said seriously, "Apologize!"
"Huh?" Dazai Osamu, who was laughing in a broken voice, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Liu insisted, "I'm not stupid, apologize!"
Having figured out what Ryu meant, Dazai Osamu was a little annoyed. He sat up with Ryu grabbing his wrist, then looked at him with an air of "What are you going to do if you don't apologize?" and said fearlessly, "But Ryu is just an idiot."
Ryu's eyes widened in anger, but the next second his gaze hardened, and he raised his fist and punched Dazai Osamu.
"Whoa—!!!" Dazai Osamu was caught off guard and punched in the stomach, falling backward onto the sofa.
Just as Ryu's punch was about to land, Dazai Osamu grabbed a cushion from the sofa to shield himself, then broke free from Ryu's grip. He rolled away on the sofa, and because the living area was a bit cramped, he ran outside.
Ryu threw down a cushion and chased after Dazai Osamu, demanding an apology. His movements were nimble and agile, dodging Dazai's throws one after another. Finally, he pounced, knocking Dazai to the ground and straddling him: "I'm not stupid. Apologize to me, and I won't hit you anymore!"
Dazai Osamu, pinned beneath him, struggled fiercely, but was suppressed one by one. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at Mori Ougai, who was watching the spectacle with a smirk, Dazai Osamu roared in anger, but finally gave up completely when he couldn't break free.
Dazai Osamu: "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Upon hearing this, Ryu withdrew his hand and stared at Dazai Osamu for a few moments before getting up from him, making sure he wasn't just being perfunctory.
Dazai Osamu got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and seeing that Ryu had his back to him, he suddenly felt a wicked sense of amusement and kicked Ryu in the butt.
But the next second, Dazai Osamu felt as if he had been kicked from behind, and he fell forward uncontrollably.
Upon witnessing this scene, Mori Ougai's smile froze, and he looked at Ryu with a somewhat shocked expression. Then, a hint of pleasure appeared in his dark red eyes, as if he had found a treasure.
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