Chapter 23
Since taking on the patient, the leader of the Port Mafia, Mori Ōgai has been working diligently from dawn till dusk, dedicating himself to the Port Mafia and changing his usual bad habit of "working sporadically."
As far as Rokudo Mukuro knew, Mori Ougai's medical skills were indeed remarkable. After Mori Ougai's treatment, the port Mafia leader's health had improved significantly, which made the old man even more dependent on Mori Ougai.
It happened to be a weekend, and the Akutagawa siblings and Dazai Osamu were all at a small clinic in Leibo Street.
Mori Ougai, dressed in his white lab coat, shaved, and styled his hair, sat at the dining table looking quite respectable, enjoying the food that Rokudo Mukuro had paid for.
"Dr. Mori, are you going to the port to perform your duties as a Mafia member again later?" Rokudo Mukuro looked him up and down and chuckled.
"Yeah, after all, this is a job where you lose your head if you don't do it well!" Mori Ougai said with a bitter laugh, but everyone present knew that he was enjoying it.
While intently eating the crab that Rokudo Mukuro had bought especially for him, Dazai Osamu looked up amidst his busy schedule and said, "Mori-sensei's performance is not very convincing. Look at how you're dressed from head to toe. If we didn't know that you were going to meet the leader of the Port Mafia, we would have thought you were going on a date with a pretty lady!"
As expected of Osamu Dazai, he knew everything about how to date pretty girls at such a young age.
"That's right, I never realized before that you cared so much about your appearance, Dr. Mori." Rokudo Mukuro gave Dazai Osamu a thumbs up for his keen observation.
"Dr. Mori's appearance hasn't changed much, has it?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa looked at Mori Ougai, somewhat puzzled. As a straight-laced man with a younger sister, he always made sure he and his sister were neatly dressed and clean every day. He really couldn't see any significant change in the slovenly Dr. Mori. He looked exactly the same as before.
"I shaved..."
"I took a shower..."
"You've tidied your hair up..."
"He even changed into a clean white lab coat!"
"This is truly a rare opportunity!"
"All that's missing is a little more perfume!"
Alice and Dazai took turns piecing together the changes that had occurred in Mori Ougai, while Akutagawa Ryunosuke was somewhat puzzled: "Besides wearing perfume, shouldn't this be something you do every day?"
It was fine before when we didn't have the means, but now that we do, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, a meticulous person who always keeps himself clean and tidy, has raised a question.
"It doesn't seem to be the case for Dr. Mori."
Ryunosuke Akutagawa remained silent. As a perfectionist, he couldn't quite understand Dr. Mori's slovenly appearance.
"Am I really as bad as you all say?" Mori Ougai took out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe away tears, trying to evoke their sympathy.
"Dr. Mori, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about yourself?" Rokudo Mukuro rested his chin on his hand and gave Mori Ougai an innocent and adorable smile.
"Rintaro is such a terrible adult!" Alice said, munching on her little cake while taking a jab at Mori Ougai.
"Eh? Alice-chan~ I'm so sad~" Mori Ougai said in despair, "Gin-chan is so well-behaved and obedient, she never laughs at me."
Akutagawa Gin glanced at him expressionlessly, remaining silent. She had no problem with Mori Ougai, as long as he didn't corrupt her brother.
"However, I'm about to go to the Port Mafia. Who among you would like to come with me?" Mori Ougai looked up at Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu. In his opinion, rather than having that old man from the Port Mafia constantly on his guard, he might as well offer himself up as leverage. In the old man's eyes, these children were his weakness, tools to control him.
Since that's the case, he personally delivered these "weak points" to the port Mafia leader to demonstrate his loyalty and controllability, lower his guard, and ultimately defeat the enemy with one move and kill him instantly!
As for whether he might break his teeth while chewing, that's not something he's considering.
Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu were the two boys that Mori Ougai had his eye on. Akutagawa Ryunosuke was quite capable, but he seemed a bit naive compared to the two boys; Akutagawa Gin, the girl, was completely out of his consideration.
Rokudo Mukuro's thoughts are as unfathomable as a fog, and his strength is even more mysterious and unpredictable. He seems to be surrounded by an atmosphere full of mystery, but one thing is clear: he will never show mercy to those he hates.
Dazai Osamu, the boy he took in, didn't care about his own life, much less others. He was as cunning as a honeycomb; those who offended him might be schemed against to the point of death without even knowing how.
These two are clearly the "Achilles' heel" of bad kids, perfect for dealing with that old man from the port Mafia. Fight fire with fire, let the wicked eat the wicked; to deal with the bad, you need someone even more wicked and vicious.
Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu immediately saw through Mori Ougai's intention to use them.
Dazai Osamu curled his lip and said, "Alice is absolutely right. Dr. Mori is such a terrible adult, trying to push two innocent and adorable children into a pit of fire. How awful and vicious!" His eyes were full of condemnation.
Mori Ougai's lips twitched. "Simple, innocent, and cute"—who is he describing?! You?! That's a disgrace to those words.
"Dr. Mori, doesn't your conscience hurt?!" Dazai Osamu said with great distress, looking at Mori Ougai as if he were looking at a scoundrel who had gone astray and was unrepentant.
Mori Ougai placed his left hand on his chest, tilted his head, and smiled in a deliberately cute way: "Eh? Not at all!"
This disgusted Dazai Osamu to no end.
"You overestimate Rintarou! Of course he wouldn't have any conscience at all!" Alice rolled her eyes at Dazai Osamu. How could she expect Rintarou to have such a thing? Wasn't she just making things difficult for Rintarou?
Having understood the meaning behind Alice's words, Dazai Osamu immediately put away his expression and replied with a single word, "Oh," without any emotion.
Rokudo Mukuro, who had already been to the port Mafia with Mori Ougai, was quite interested. He had seen many Mafia members who were greedy for fame and fortune, arrogant, and cowardly, and he had personally dealt with quite a few of them. However, he did not mind witnessing the fate of that port Mafia leader once again.
Watching plays is one of his few hobbies.
"Dr. Mori, would you like me to go with you?" Rokudo Mukuro asked Mori Ougai with a smile.
Mori Ougai looked touched: "If you're willing, Mukuro-kun, I'd be more than happy to oblige."
Ryunosuke Akutagawa frowned: "Mukuro-kun, the Port Mafia is dangerous, and their leader is like a madman. Who knows what he might do? Dr. Mori can go. You shouldn't take the risk."
For Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Rokudo Mukuro was the one who brought him and his siblings into the sunlight, allowing them to live a life they never dared to dream of before, even though Rokudo Mukuro himself was still a child. Therefore, he was very concerned about Rokudo Mukuro's safety.
"Why didn't Ryunosuke-kun care about me before?" Mori Ōgai now deeply felt that he was not well received.
“Dr. Mori, you are an adult and need to take responsibility for your actions. But Mukuro is different,” Ryunosuke Akutagawa said slowly.
"Thank you for your concern, Ryunosuke-kun, but I am genuinely quite interested in the Port Mafia." Rokudo Mukuro was in a good mood because his favorite author was concerned about him.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa then remained silent.
"Then I'll go take a look too, just to see how Dr. Mori is so obsequious and subservient in front of others~" Dazai Osamu said loudly, revealing a smile of anticipation.
"Ryunosuke-kun, I heard from Gin that you have plans today?" Rokudo Mukuro asked curiously. Ryunosuke Akutagawa had always been alone since starting school, except for his younger sister Gin, but today he had plans. Everyone has a gossipy side, and Rokudo Mukuro was no exception.
“Yes. Didn’t Mukuro-kun suggest I start writing? I gave it a try…” Ryunosuke Akutagawa paused, seemingly a little embarrassed, “It was just some casual writing, but someone really liked it and asked me to come over for a chat. That person is a writer; he doesn’t have many novels, but I really like them.” His eyes lit up as he said this.
Rokudo Mukuro also perked up immediately. If he could truly witness Akutagawa Ryunosuke embarking on his literary journey, he would be incredibly honored. No one could stop Akutagawa Ryunosuke from this appointment!
Have a great date!
Ryunosuke Akutagawa nodded, still wondering whether he should bring a gift for Mr. Natsume Soseki. Mr. Natsume Soseki admired him, encouraged him, and strongly supported his writing, and he also greatly liked and even admired Mr. Natsume Soseki's novels. He didn't want to be impolite on their first meeting.
Mori Ōgai and Dazai Osamu both knew that Akutagawa Ryūnosuke wanted to pursue a career as a writer, but neither of them paid much attention. After all, people like them contemplated a vague and unrealistic future, which seemed unrealistic to them.
…………
This time, the difficulty of reaching the Mafia leader's office at the port was no less than the previous one. The security was still tight, the surveillance was everywhere, and the same person was in the office.
"Dr. Sen, you've arrived." The old man's deep voice rang out in the office.
Mori Ougai stood in the office, bowing respectfully to the old man.
"It's the weekend, and it's rare that all five of your children are here, yet I've asked you to come to the port Mafia to take care of me. Will Dr. Mori have any complaints?" The old man's expression was somewhat mysterious and unpredictable, with a hint of arrogant superiority.
Mori Ōgai and the two shrewd men behind him both knew that the old man must have people constantly watching Mori Ōgai's movements, since no one would willingly entrust their life to an uncontrollable person.
What the old man wanted to do was to keep Mori Ōgai firmly under his control. His words were both a test and a warning. He was warning Mori Ōgai that his life and the lives of his five children were in his hands, and that he had better obey him obediently.
"Of course not, sir, you flatter me. It is my honor to serve you." Mori Ougai's face showed a hint of fear and unease.
The old man smiled with satisfaction as he watched Mori Ōgai's performance. His gaze shifted behind Mori Ōgai, looking at Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu. "These two are your children, aren't they?" Indeed, the old man had long forgotten that Rokudo Mukuro had ever been there.
“Yes, they are both free today, and they have both heard of the Port Mafia’s reputation and have been wanting to come and see for themselves. Knowing that the leader is kind, I took the liberty of bringing them along. Please forgive me, leader,” Mori Ougai explained cautiously.
"What's the big deal?" The old man waved his hand. "Dr. Mori, your medical skills are excellent; they've made me much healthier. These two are your children. Not only will they broaden their horizons, but I'd also agree to them joining the Port Mafia."
The three people with ulterior motives rolled their eyes inwardly at the same time.
Mori Ōgai: That's a good idea, but only if I'm the leader of the port's Mafia.
Dazai Osamu: This old man is so annoying. If I have to share a room with him again, I'd rather kill him and then commit suicide.
Rokudo Mukuro: If Sawada Tsunayoshi were like you, I'd take him down in a heartbeat and rise to power myself!
"My lord, Lady Kureha requests an audience." A voice came from outside the door.
"Hongye is here? Let her in."
A moment later, the door opened again, and a red-haired woman in a kimono entered. Her features were delicate yet beautiful, like a flower in full bloom. However, her aura was like a sharpened sword, sharp and fierce.
Hongye looked at her leader with eyes devoid of any emotion, only emptiness and coldness.
"My lord, Hongye has come to report to you."
The old man simply took the task report from Hongye's hand without saying anything more.
Mori Ougai bowed to Momiji and said, "Lady Momiji, it's been a long time." As the personal physician of the Port Mafia leader, he had naturally met the Port Mafia's officers and knew about what had happened to Lady Momiji.
Ozaki Koyo is an unlucky person, and also a victim of this old man. A young girl's longing for love in late spring is perfectly normal, but this old man is abnormal! They're just a young couple dating, and he had to interfere, break them up, and even kill Koyo's boyfriend. Now he demands Koyo's loyalty—is he afraid he won't die soon enough?
Hongye glanced at him and replied coldly, "Dr. Mori."
Their eyes met, but they quickly looked away without exchanging much words.
Rokudo Mukuro, who had been secretly observing, naturally noticed the unspoken tension between the two and knew that they were definitely having some kind of secret deal. It turns out this old man is even less popular than Mori Ougai! His subordinates' attempt to kill him by hiring a doctor was like inviting a wolf into the house. What a failure!
Look at that arrogant and pathetic old man, oh, he's enjoying Mori Ōgai's adoration and Momiji's submission.
A person like that, if he doesn't die, who will?!
Next, Mori Ougai conducted the old man's routine physical examination. The old man showed no intention of dismissing Ozaki Koyo; instead, he insisted that she accompany him throughout the entire examination.
"I've been feeling much better lately, all thanks to Dr. Mori." After the routine check-up, the old man praised Dr. Ozaki Koyo again with satisfaction.
"It's because the leader has a good constitution." Mori Ougai lowered his eyes. So good that he's almost been completely drained.
Time passed little by little as the old man idly boasted about his "past glories," Mori Ōgai offered his supportive remarks, and Ozaki Kōyō gave him a cold shoulder.
After Mori Ougai left the Mafia building at the port with Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu, Dazai Osamu made a face as if he was about to vomit: "The air inside was nauseating, and Dr. Mori really opened my eyes. It was so boring. Don't call me next time."
"I would feel like committing suicide." Going there would just make him a background figure, and seeing those people's ugly faces made Dazai Osamu feel disgusted.
"Isn't it quite interesting to watch Dr. Mori change his expression? And that old man, he's a complete clown." Rokudo Mukuro found it quite amusing.
"That seems to be true." Dazai Osamu nodded in agreement.
"What do you think, Dr. Mori?"
"I think we should go back quickly. I want to hug my lovely Alice-chan~ Only Alice-chan can heal my wounded heart right now!" He had been dealing with that old man all by himself, and he had endured far too much.
"If you can't stand that old man, just kill him!" Dazai Osamu said nonchalantly.
Mori Ōgai gave Dazai Osamu a meaningful look. "Just for that sentence, Dazai-kun, I'll bring you next time!"
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