Chapter 244 The Third Player

The peaceful daily life always passes quickly.

Xihai Qingdou thought.

After he successfully met with Odasaku and Dazai Osamu, it was no surprise that the relationship between Dazai Osamu and Odasaku progressed quickly.

That Dazai Osamu guy - after finding out that Oda had no objection to him, he took advantage of him and by the time Saikai Haruto came to his senses, they both made an appointment to go to the bar for a drink, and they also dragged him along.

Saikai Haruto: Should he say thank you to them for taking him with them?

Drinking with Dazai Osamu and Oda Saku in the Lupin bar where the rogue trio often hangs out is a bit weird... especially since Ango Sakaguchi isn't there yet.

I don't know what Dazai Osamu's attitude towards Sakaguchi Ango is now - he put him undercover in the Hong Kong underworld, but he said nothing and did nothing when he put him in front of him, and even brought him here and put him in front of him and Odasaku. Wait, so this time there is still friendship among the three of them? It won't be gone, right?

…The feeling seems to be more subtle.

As if there were ants crawling all over his body, Xi Haiqing Dou only went there twice before not going again, using the excuse that he had to write. And his reason was quite legitimate: he had to finish the manuscript of the second half of "Book of Shadows".

He wrote "Readers' Letters" because he had time to write the second part of another novel that was supposed to be submitted to the editor and publisher. At that time, he and editor Maeda were planning to publish the same book in parallel... "Readers' Letters" is progressing rapidly, but he has not started writing the second part of his other book, "Book of Shadows" - he submitted the manuscript for the first part at the beginning of this year, and the second part cannot be delayed any longer.

Both Dazai Osamu and Oda Saku expressed their understanding of this.

Fortunately, Saikai Haruto's subtle feeling did not last. When he raised his head from writing in seclusion, he found that not only had Odasaku joined the port mafia, but he even became acquainted with Sakaguchi Ango without knowing when.

When he came to his senses again, Odasaku and Sakaguchi Ango were already dragging him into a drinking contest.

——Who is he, where is he, what happened to him, and why did they suddenly start drinking?

"Teacher Mochizuki, can you still drink?"

Sakaguchi Ango put down the empty wine glass in his hand and gave him a look of hidden concern.

It's no wonder that Sakaguchi Ango was worried. On the one hand, he likes to respect and admire the author, and when "Mochizuki Kaoru" puts on glasses, he still looks like a scholar - in short, a gentleman who is a loser. In short, he doesn't look like the type who drinks.

Sakaguchi Ango was really worried that Saikai Haruto was just trying to save face and accidentally passed out from drinking.

Unfortunately, for Saikai Haruto, "concern" at this time is no different from provocation.

Unlike the other aliases, although "Mochizuki Xun" cannot be said to be an alcoholic, he is also a guy who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. He is good at smoking and drinking, and no one has discovered it until now... It can only be said that his face and his temperament are too deceptive.

...Forget it, let’s just drink!

Xi Haiqingdou laughed and gulped down another large glass of wine without changing his expression. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Sakaguchi-kun, don't underestimate novelists."

Stereotypes won't work. Writers are very deceptive creatures. In his original world, there were many writers who were both good at smoking and drinking.

The wine glasses and bottles in front of the three people were all empty. They had been drinking for quite a while, but Xi Haiqing Dou's expression remained unchanged, as if he had drunk water instead of wine. There were also the most empty glasses placed in front of him.

He said slowly, "The last time I got drunk, Sakaguchi-kun, you might have just been sent to elementary school by your father."

Sakaguchi Ango's face sank.

"——Come on, continue!"

When Dazai Osamu finally arrived slowly, what he saw was three drunkards drinking enthusiastically and wildly.

"Hey, Dazai, you're here too?" Xi Haiqingdou turned around, his eyes lit up: "You're just in time, do you want to drink with me?"

Dazai Osamu looked confused.

...Who is he, where is he, and what is he going to do?

How did the three of them suddenly become close enough to drink together? What happened?

"Mochizuki-sensei, Odasaku. ...Oh, and Ango."

Dazai opened his mouth and said something nonsense: "Are you drinking together?"

"Good evening, Dazai." Odasaku raised his glass to him.

"Good evening, Dazai-kun!" Perhaps because he drank too much, Sakaguchi Ango rarely showed a trembling look in front of Dazai Osamu - or perhaps because of the presence of Kaori Nozomi and Oda Saku beside him, he was emboldened. In any case, the elegant young man with a slicked-back hair and round-framed glasses raised his glass to Dazai Osamu casually.

"Evening is the best time to drink! Do you want to have a drink together?"

"Yeah, Dazai, come with us?"

Saikai Haruto nodded, stared at Dazai Osamu without sincerity, and then turned his head back hastily as if he suddenly discovered something, saying, "Ah, sorry, I forgot that you are underage and cannot drink... Then let's continue! Dazai, please be the referee."

"Ah... I forgot. Dazai is not old enough to drink yet."

Odasaku nodded calmly and put down the wine glass in his hand: "Then there is nothing we can do."

"Ha!" Sakaguchi Ango drank the wine in his hand in one gulp: "Minors...Minors cannot drink!"

He loudly and righteously repeated Saikai Haruto's words.

"Then let's renegotiate the bet."

Xi Haiqingdou sat upright and said, "The loser will be the victim in my next novel."

"So what about the person who won?"

"Act as a murderer."

"The murderer doesn't sound any better than the victim, right?!"

"Then just act as a policeman or detective who catches the murderer." Xi Haiqingdou quickly changed his words.

"So no matter what the outcome is, you, Mr. Mochizuki, will be the winner, right?"

Sakaguchi Ango's eyes are sharp. Oh, a novelist!

Xi Haiqing Dou slowly smiled, and his tone was still calm: "Ah, you found out."

“…No, wait, I want to come too! This sounds interesting. I want to be a victim or a murderer!”

Dazai Osamu immediately jumped up and down and complained: "Mr. Mochizuki, you guys are going to drink together and you don't plan to take me with you? This is too much!"

"After all, you're already the leader of the Mafia, why do you still care about underage drinking?"

He feels excluded and he's going to make a scene!

"Even the mafia leader is still a minor! This is an objective fact."

Saikai Haruto said as a matter of course: "At least we have to wait until you, Dazai, turn 18."

Dazai Osamu's expression was solemn: "Actually, I am already 18 years old this year. The age before was just a lie to you, okay?"

Odasaku: "Eh? So Dazai, you are already 18 years old, so it seems you can drink now."

Sakaguchi Ango: "No, Odasaku, he is lying, right? He just lied to get a drink, why did you believe it?"

Oda Saku was surprised: "What, Dazai is lying?"

Dazai Osamu said innocently: "How is that possible? Of course I am not lying, Odasaku."

Ango Sakaguchi was speechless: "Dazai-kun doesn't look like he's 18 years old no matter how you look at him!"

Odasaku pondered: "Really? I thought Dazai just looked younger."

"Stop talking - you know too much, Ango." Saikai Haruto suddenly interrupted and gave Sakaguchi Ango a sympathetic look.

"Mr. Mochizuki, you're too late. What a pity that my perfect lie was ruthlessly exposed by Sakaguchi-kun..."

Dazai Osamu sighed with a smile, then suddenly changed his expression and said sternly: "So, Sakaguchi-kun, have you thought about what kind of punishment you will receive for exposing the leader's lies?"

Sakaguchi Ango was a little slow to react: "...What? Didn't we agree that after get off work, there will be no distinction between leaders and subordinates? And what kind of perfect lie is this!"

Dazai Osamu smiled: "Ah, but I suddenly want to regret it."

Sakaguchi Ango's hands trembled slightly: "That's too much..."

Odasaku: "But, if he's the leader, there's nothing you can do even if you want to go back on your words, right? He's the leader after all."

Sakaguchi Ango supported his forehead with his hand: "Don't nod to everything, Odasaku! You should complain now! Complain bitterly about this black-hearted leader!"

"And Teacher Wang Yue——Did you guess it just now and that's why you kept silent on purpose?"

"You are still too young, Ango."

Saikai Haruto sighed, "The leader is a monster made of lies. You can't trust everything he says. You have to stay alert even after get off work."

Sakaguchi Ango realized it belatedly and was horrified: "So, am I the only one who said something wrong?"

Saikai Haruto and Dazai Osamu nodded without hesitation.

Odasaku was still thinking about Saikai Haruto's previous words: "Ah... I remember now, what Mochizuki-sensei said just now was from "The Last Day", right? As expected of Mochizuki-sensei."

Oda Saku was filled with respect.

…You’ve lost the point again, Odasaku!

Sakaguchi Ango grabbed the table with his head.

——So, the result of this incident was that the next day, Ango Sakaguchi had one month's salary deducted for "being late for work due to drinking the day before."

...In any case, he was probably the only one who was hurt.

But even so, Sakaguchi Ango didn't seem to have much memory, and the habit of the four of them getting together to drink remained.

後來偶然一次的情況下，甚至還多了一個中原中也——港黑首領加班加到一半突然失蹤把事情都扔給了其他幹部，時間久了就算是中原中也也發現不了不對。更別說太宰治的隐瞞也沒多走心。

于是乎，怨氣深重的中原幹部就在一家小小的酒吧裏逮到了自家不靠譜的首領。

“找到了——原來你這家夥每天一到點就不見了是跑這裏來了啊！”

中原中也咬牙切齒：“給我回去批文件啊你這混蛋首領！留下那麽多的文件給我你是想把首領的位置也扔給我麽？！”

西海晴鬥與織田作面面相觑——坂口安吾在加班因而當天并不在場。

……然後還沒等中原中也把首領給拎回去，就稀裏糊塗地被人給忽悠着一起留下了。

接着三兩杯下肚，很快就直接醉倒在了旁邊的酒桌上。

太宰治表情憐憫：“真菜呢中也，這麽容易就醉倒了啊。”

可惜太宰治也沒高興多久，喝醉了的中原中也的酒品非常一般，搖晃着太宰治就開始大吐苦水破口大罵……總之主打一個真誠，幾乎将所有人的目光都吸引了過來。

而到了最後，他甚至差點連自己的銀行卡密碼都被太宰治給套了出來。

西海晴鬥當時簡直要憋不住笑。

這件事後，雖然把太宰治拎回去的任務失敗、那天還被太宰治拿着他的卡在酒吧幾乎差點把卡刷爆，但好在中原中也勉勉強強還是有那麽點收獲的——至少以後太宰治一丢，他就明白該上哪去抓、不是，找人了。

于是lupin酒吧的常客裏勉勉強強又多了一個中原中也。

——一個武力值只有一條青花魚的首領和半點武力值都沒有的文職成員再加上一個底層成員，他們這群人是生怕他們港口黑手黨的首領遇到的刺殺太少了嗎？中原中也完全想不通。

太宰治這家夥到底是哪來的底氣身為一個黑手黨的首領卻天天在外面晃悠的？！哪有首領出門不帶自家武裝部下的啊？——哦，原來是他們港黑自家的首領。

西海晴鬥笑而不語。

不過中原中也的擔憂也不是毫無緣由的。自從太宰治在港黑上位以後，遇到的刺殺只會一次比一次多，“港黑首領的項上人頭”對于許多人來說可都是有着極大的誘惑力的。

就算是太宰治，在後面港口黑手黨的地盤越來越擴大以後，随着時間的推移，他想要離開港口黑手黨的五棟大樓、獨自前往lupin酒吧也成了一件難事——因為總會遇到各種各樣的危險。

于是太宰治出現在lupin酒吧的頻率直線下跌。

——他改去了望月薰的家中聚會喝酒。

“望月老師的保密和隐藏工作做得簡直比我還好……”

太宰治感慨：“果然到望月老師的家裏這邊來的選擇沒有做錯！幹杯！”

西海晴鬥撇了他一眼。

“說這話的時候，太宰你可以先把阿敦給松開麽？”

他嘆了口氣：“不要帶壞小孩子啊。”

“望月老師……”中島敦竭力将太宰治遞到他眼前的酒杯給推開，求救地看向西海晴鬥。

太宰先生真的是太壞了！明明望月老師都說了他還是個小孩子，不可以喝酒的，太宰先生卻還要一直想要喂他喝酒！

太宰治撇嘴嚷嚷：“什麽啊，望月老師你現在越來越偏心了！”

他笑嘻嘻地：“只是給敦君喝一點點小飲料而已，不會有什麽問題啦。而且難道望月老師你不想要看白虎麽？”

“酒精飲料不算是飲料。”

西海晴鬥冷酷無情道：“如果他喝醉了的話，我會告訴給織田作的。至于白虎——我相信敦有一天會努力控制好自己的，對麽？”

接收到西海晴鬥鼓勵目光的中島敦瞬間挺直了腰背，大聲應答：“是、是的！望月老師請放心，我會努力不辜負你和織田先生還有太宰先生的期待的！”

“……不用這麽緊張，敦。”西海晴鬥溫和淺笑：“你還是一個孩子，不要給自己太多壓力，現在你的身邊還有我和織田作在，再大不了也還有太宰和中原君也在呢。”

中島敦瞬間又淚眼汪汪了。

“望月老師——你之前明明說過我也還是個孩子呢。”太宰治在一旁語氣幽幽地控訴。

“我知道了，望月老師你果然是和織田作一樣，收養了新的小孩就再也關心不下其他人的存在了吧？”

“但是太宰你現在已經長大了。”

西海晴鬥說：“不管是敦，還是織田作收養的那幾個其他的孩子，他們的年齡可都比你還要小多了。”

太宰治：“……”

太宰治：“但是，我現在也還沒有成年哦？”

西海晴鬥微笑：“所以太宰你是想要提醒我，我差點忘了你現在還不能喝酒麽？”

太宰治的表情一僵。

中島敦看向西海晴鬥的眼中滿是崇拜，差點沒忍住下意識地想要露出一個笑容——望月老師果然好厲害！比太宰先生還要厲害！

然後就飛快地收到了來自太宰治的眼神威脅。于是中島敦瞬間忍住了沒笑出來。

——中島敦，在半年以前，還是一名孤兒院的普通的孤兒……唯一不太普通的可能是孤兒院裏有那麽一名極其嚴厲的、會對裏面的孩子進行各種懲罰的院長。

中島敦在孤兒院裏成長到了12歲，本來以為自己的命運就是要在孤兒院裏痛苦地挨到18歲、被院長趕出孤兒院在橫濱到處流浪，沒想到在半年前，他的命運神奇地迎來了一個新的轉折。

半年前，為了新書積累靈感的望月薰和織田作一起來到了那家孤兒院。他聽到了中島敦的求救聲。

于是，他對敦的求救做出了回應。望月薰和織田作将敦從那家孤兒院中帶回家了——不顧院長說着的“不建議領養這個孩子”的勸阻的話語，依舊堅持着将中島敦帶了回去。

……雖然敦是由兩個人一同帶回去的，但因為織田作本人已經領養了好幾個孩子的緣故，為了稍微減輕好友的負擔，望月薰一開始信誓旦旦地覺得自己可以獨自照料好敦——但很快就因為“不會養小孩子”而手忙腳亂地将敦重新半托付給了靠譜的大人，織田作。

織田先生就住在望月老師的隔壁，同樣是個性格非常溫和的老好人，他的家裏領養了好幾個孤兒，因為房子空間不足平時借用了附近一家西餐廳店的二樓，因此對于照顧小孩來說很有經驗——至少，對于望月薰來說，是這樣的。

不同于望月薰偶爾會有一些無傷大雅的惡趣味，織田作之助是個性格非常天然的家夥，看上去非常平易近人，即使知道了對方是那個傳說中的港口黑手黨的成員，還是港黑首領的貼身保護人員，中島敦也無法對其升起什麽敬畏之心。

于是也可以說中島敦是由望月薰和織田作之助一同領養的孩子。

中島敦和織田作的相處也非常順利，他目前暫時住在望月薰的家中，但甚至還能有空幫助織田作去照料他領養的其他幾個孩子。那些孩子的年齡都不大，就算是最大的那個如今也才7歲，比如今12歲的中島敦還要小了五歲。中島敦對于照顧他們可以說是得心應手。

而除了望月薰和織田作兩個人，中島敦在來到望月薰和織田作的家中後還認識了另外幾位自家監護人的朋友。

比如傳聞中的港黑首領太宰治。

再比如傳聞中的港黑最年輕的幹部中原中也。

再再比如港黑的情報員坂口安吾。

以及望月老師的另一位神秘的朋友，蘭波先生。

……

其中往來最多的就是坂口先生和太宰先生。

而大概是因為工作的原因，太宰先生來的次數要少于坂口先生，但中島敦能看得出來，太宰先生和望月老師還有織田先生他們的關系依舊很好。

偶爾會和太宰先生一起出現的是中原先生。

雖然看上去脾氣不太好的樣子，但是實際上接觸多了也會發現對方其實是也個很好的人……在知道了中島敦的來歷之後，對方對他的态度甚至仿佛下意識地小心友好了許多。

中原先生偶爾也會和望月老師他們一起喝酒……雖然每次他都是最後一個被勸着喝酒、但最先一個醉倒的那個。

老實說，在第一次得知太宰治是港黑首領，還是織田作和中原中也以及坂口安吾的頂頭上司的中島敦很驚訝——因為他看上去實在很不像是一個殺人如麻的、冷酷可怕的黑手黨首領。

甚至有時候，在望月老師和織田先生的身邊，中島敦甚至忍不住覺得太宰先生比他還要幼稚——甚至還沒有坂口先生和中原先生嚴肅可怕。

太宰先生他甚至還會和織田先生以及望月老師告狀！

……雖然聽到他這麽說後，坂口先生和中原先生的表情不知道為什麽突然變得非常奇怪。

But Nakajima Atsushi was still very grateful to Dazai Osamu - because he overheard that Mr. Mochizuki and Mr. Oda had told him in advance that the reason they happened to go to the orphanage that day was because of Dazai Osamu's accidental suggestion.

Moreover, Mr. Dazai helped replace the director of the orphanage at the suggestion of Mr. Mochizuki... The new director was a middle-aged man with black hair and a good temper. Nakajima Atsushi even dared to go back to the orphanage to take a look occasionally.

If possible, Nakajima Atsushi simply hopes that days like this can continue forever.

Mr. Mochizuki and Mr. Oda were chatting about words and writing by the door as if no one was around, and occasionally they would pull Nakajima Atsushi over to ask for his opinion.

Mr. Dazai and Mr. Sakaguchi would sometimes sneak over after “getting off work” to have dinner and drinks with everyone.

Occasionally, Mr. Dazai would be dragged back by his tie by Mr. Nakahara, who would suddenly appear with a distorted and angry expression.

These are very ordinary and trivial daily things that can be seen everywhere, peaceful, tranquil, happy and perfect.

No more violence and painful twisted rules.

No need to worry about not having enough to eat, no need to be afraid of the "tiger" anymore.

This is exactly the life that Nakajima Atsushi has always been pursuing and dreaming of.

If this was a dream, it must have been a beautiful dream. Nakajima Atsushi hoped that he could be immersed in this beautiful dream forever and never wake up.

...but this is obviously unlikely.

He seemed to be cursed with never being able to experience lasting happiness.

After he spent nearly half a year of quiet time at Mochizuki Kaoru's house, two days later, Mochizuki-sensei had another gathering with Mr. Oda, Mr. Dazai, and Mr. Sakaguchi.

Something happened to Mr. Dazai.

——The leader of Hong Kong underworld, Dazai Osamu, suddenly disappeared.

It was after that day that all daily life became chaotic...all the peace was suddenly broken in an instant.

Just like a broken mirror - no matter how hard you try, you can't put it back together to look like it was originally intact.