Chapter 33
Hearing Rokudo Mukuro's laughter, Dazai Osamu barely snapped out of his daze. He forced a genuine smile, looking both gentle and handsome. "Akutagawa-kun, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
Ryunosuke Akutagawa paused for a moment, then walked over and replied with unusual seriousness, "I say you flatter me. I am not worthy of such praise at the moment."
Dazai Osamu clutched the magazine in his arms, then stared blankly at Akutagawa Ryunosuke walking towards him.
He desperately wanted to shout back: "I'm not talking nonsense! My ghost teacher completely deserves such praise! My ghost teacher is the best!"
However, being as clever as he was, he was already at this point, so how could he not know Akutagawa Ryunosuke's hidden identity?
Akutagawa Ryunosuke's blunt words and Rokudo Mukuro's overjoyed laughter clearly laid bare a fact before him: the Oni-sensei he so highly admired was none other than Akutagawa Ryunosuke himself.
Rokudo Mukuro had long wanted to see Dazai Osamu suffer a setback, and now that this scene was unfolding before his eyes, he was in a very good mood.
After suppressing his laughter, he turned to look at Dazai Osamu, then shifted his gaze to Akutagawa Ryunosuke, "Ryunosuke-kun, Dazai-kun likes you very much~"
At this moment, Dazai Osamu lowered his head and did not react to these words. He was almost petrified, and his mind was in turmoil.
He had only one thought in his mind: Ryunosuke Akutagawa is actually my teacher?!
He is finding it difficult to sort out his current thoughts.
He had always considered Ryunosuke Akutagawa to be someone somewhat similar to him, but they weren't particularly close. Even though they lived together and were forced to attend school together, he didn't have much interaction with him.
People similar to myself, ah...
But what has happened now?
Ryunosuke Akutagawa is my teacher, the demon teacher.
"Aaaaaah!" he screamed inwardly. "Ryunosuke Akutagawa is my demon teacher! How could he be my demon teacher?!"
Waaaaah! I just met my ghost teacher like this?! Is this really real...? I'm in a daze...
Dazai Osamu's reaction now was as if he knew that the classmate next to him was actually a textbook genius, a mixture of disbelief and barely perceptible excitement.
I greatly admire the great writer, and I am standing right in front of him.
He could only process his complicated feelings on his own at this moment.
Upon hearing Rokudo Mukuro's words, Ryunosuke Akutagawa quickly glanced at the silent Osamu Dazai, his already reddened earlobes turning even redder.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who had overheard their conversation, was still somewhat bewildered. The usually aloof and mysterious Dazai-kun was praising his work so highly, and the words of praise made him feel like he was digging his toes out of a sixth building for Dr. Mori.
He fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond to the compliments.
Rokudo Mukuro looked at the two of them with a smile, unable to hide the mischievousness in his eyes.
To avoid an awkward situation, Ryunosuke Akutagawa could only change the subject, "Mukuro-kun, are you reading a new novel?"
Upon hearing this, Rokudo Mukuro raised an eyebrow. Ryunosuke Akutagawa had mentioned his new work last night, but he hadn't expected it to be completed in just one night. He must have stayed up all night again. He would tell Gin-chan later.
Dazai Osamu quickly lifted his head from his slumber. A new novel?!
He quietly sat up straight and moved a little closer to the two of them.
Rokudo Mukuro: "If I have the honor."
To avoid continuing that tedious topic, Ryunosuke Akutagawa quickly placed a small notebook on the table. "The first draft is complete. I'll revise it a bit when I have time, and then it will be published."
Looking at the small notebook on the table, Dazai Osamu's eyes practically gleamed with greed. He composed himself and asked in a serious tone, "Akutagawa-kun, would I have the honor of reading your work?"
Looking at Dazai Osamu so serious and solemn, Akutagawa Ryunosuke felt a little uncomfortable, but he still nodded: "Of course, please be sure to tell me if you have any suggestions after reading it."
A small notebook, shared between two people—it seemed like an unequal distribution, yet Dazai Osamu was determined to be the first to read it, so he kept making small movements.
Hey, Teacher Gui's new novel! He'll definitely be the first reader.
Rokudo Mukuro wasn't particularly concerned about being the first to see it, but seeing Dazai Osamu's competitive spirit, he smiled and started vying with him for it.
Don't ask, because the answer is that he's rebellious by nature, and that his happiness comes from the unhappiness of others.
Dazai Osamu held his breath, glanced at Rokudo Mukuro, who was smiling slyly, and then at the small notebook held in their hands. A pang of heartache flashed in his eyes.
This is my teacher's first draft. How can you treat it so carelessly? It's the right thing to do is to treat it with respect.
In the end, they had no choice but to compromise. They watched it together.
Word by word, paragraph by paragraph, Dazai Osamu's entire being was immersed in the following text.
The more he read, the more he reflected on his earlier thoughts. After finishing the book, he felt deeply sorry for being a fan of Teacher Gui's books.
What exactly was he shocked about just now, and what was he hesitating about?
Ryunosuke Akutagawa is my teacher, what does that mean?
This means that the two of them lived under the same roof and lived together;
This means they can go to and from school together, and do anything together;
This means that from now on, he will be the first to see my work, Teacher Gui.
This further proves that his connection with my ghost teacher was preordained!
The more he thought about it, the happier he became. After reading the novel called "Rashomon," Dazai Osamu had completely won himself over.
"How was it?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa asked expectantly and nervously after the two finished reading.
Rokudo Mukuro closed the notebook and smiled gently: "It's a rare masterpiece."
He was very experienced and had read many world classics, including those by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Now, all he could say was that, regardless of whether it was a parallel world or not, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's literary spirit shone brightly.
Compared to Rokudo Mukuro's simple praise, Dazai Osamu was much more direct. He looked at Akutagawa Ryunosuke with sparkling eyes and showered him with compliments without any regard for the lives of others.
Before long, he was praising Ryunosuke Akutagawa to the skies.
"Dazai-kun, watch your image." You look exactly like a pervert right now.
Rokudo Mukuro swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Dazai Osamu completely dismissed it, "What's there to worry about in terms of image? I'm a huge fan of my author, Oni-sensei. What's wrong with me getting a little excited when I meet Akutagawa-sensei?"
As he spoke, he took out the three magazines he had been protecting and placed them on the table. "Mr. Akutagawa, please sign them for me! This is my biggest request."
Ryunosuke Akutagawa looked into Osamu Dazai's eyes, which he had thought were lifeless and empty, but now they were sparkling with his own eyes, filled with love and longing.
This made Ryunosuke Akutagawa wonder if this was really Osamu Dazai.
Moreover, faced with such a gaze, Ryunosuke Akutagawa was completely unable to refuse. Being stared at with such sincere eyes made him want to look away.
He looked away and glanced at the three magazines. "Where should I sign it?"
Dazai Osamu quickly turned to the page of Akutagawa Ryunosuke's novel.
Rokudo Mukuro, watching the scene unfold before him, chuckled and handed a pen to Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
Watching the excitement was something he always excelled at.
Rokudo Mukuro repeated his unanswered words: "It seems Dazai-kun really likes Ryunosuke~"
This time, Dazai Osamu broke his silence and nodded without hesitation, "Of course I like my demon teacher, Ryunosuke-kun."
A direct approach caused Akutagawa Ryunosuke's already faded earlobes to turn red again. "...It is my honor that you like my humble work."
Looking at the satisfied Dazai Osamu, Rokudo Mukuro suddenly spoke up discreetly, "Since you like it so much, why don't you try writing novels yourself, Dazai Osamu?"
He certainly wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass by, seizing every opportunity to make these "literary giants" behave like what "literary giants" should.
Dazai Osamu, who had previously rejected Rokudo Mukuro, looked at Akutagawa Ryunosuke in front of him and began to waver. Should he really write a novel so that he could find some common ground with Akutagawa-sensei and get closer to him?
As the saying goes, "Those who are near the water get the moon first."
Ryunosuke Akutagawa wholeheartedly agreed, saying that the literary world is currently in a state of disrepair, and the influx of fresh blood is exactly what Natsume-sensei would like to see.
So he hesitated and said, "...If it were Dazai-kun, he would definitely be able to write a very good work."
Upon hearing this, Dazai Osamu agreed without hesitation, saying, "I will definitely do my best to write a novel that you will appreciate!"
All three got what they wanted.
…………
Dazai Osamu then turned his gaze to Rokudo Mukuro.
Seeing Rokudo Mukuro, who seemed to enjoy the drama, Dazai Osamu finally couldn't help but ask, "Actually, I've always been curious, just who exactly is Mukuro-kun?"
While seemingly involved in their affairs, they still maintained the mindset of bystanders.
It seems that the only thing he's obsessed with is getting some people to write.
"You seem to be very passionate about literary works."
Rokudo Mukuro tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, looking at Dazai Osamu with inquisitive eyes and Akutagawa Ryunosuke with curious expressions. "I'm just a passerby who stumbled into this place by mistake. As for literary works, I am indeed quite persistent."
"Don't you think it would be a loss for the entire literary world if Ryunosuke Akutagawa stopped writing novels?"
Dazai Osamu nodded emphatically, "Of course! Akutagawa-sensei's existence is absolutely a ray of light illuminating the barren literary world!"
Rokudo Mukuro tilted his head and smiled, "So, is there a problem with me asking you to write more?"
A thoughtful look flashed across Ryunosuke Akutagawa's eyes. No matter what, Rokudo Mukuro had helped him and his sister. Without him, they didn't know what would have become of them. So, whatever Rokudo Mukuro's purpose was, as long as it didn't endanger Gin, he wouldn't investigate further.
Moreover, everything Rokudo Mukuro is doing right now is in their best interest, and Ryunosuke Akutagawa can sense who is truly good to them.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 18:52:52 on December 13, 2022 and 17:59:44 on December 14, 2022!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: "Rock Sugar" 10 bottles; My Favorite is Crab Sake 5 bottles; Six Paths of Reincarnation 2 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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