Chapter Text
The Armed Detective Agency rarely went out together. Most of the time, they were too busy dealing with paperwork and the constant flow of incoming cases. Fukuzawa, however, was both the Agency's president and the oldest Alpha among them. Seeing just how exhausted his employees—his children, in a way—had become, he decided that having breakfast together every morning would be good for everyone. And it turned out to be exactly that. It was especially comforting for the younger members.
The Agency was fairly diverse when it came to secondary genders. Kunikida, Yosano, Chuuya, and Atsushi were Alphas. The Tanizaki siblings, Kyōka, and Kenji were Betas. Ranpo was the only Omega. Then again, secondary gender had never really mattered to any of them. Fukuzawa was more than happy living with Yosano and Ranpo, and the rest of the Agency felt the same way.
When Chuuya first joined them, everyone had been surprised. He had once worked for the Port Mafia, but he left when he was eighteen and came to the Agency instead. He had openly admitted how disturbed he was by Mori's actions and that he simply couldn't tolerate them any longer. Four years had passed since then.
Fukuzawa was grateful to have Chuuya with them.
Together, they entered the building that housed the Agency. To reach the stairs, however, they had to pass through Uzumaki Café. Since it was so hot outside, everyone decided to grab a cold drink before heading upstairs.
That was when they noticed the young man sitting alone at one of the tables in the very back.
The café was open to the public, of course, but it was also known for its quiet atmosphere. That wasn't what drew their attention, though. His face was mostly hidden, lowered as he focused intently on the book in his hands.
He was blond.
What truly caught their eyes were the bandages wrapped around his neck and wrists.
Yosano couldn't help wondering whether he was alright.
"He's been sitting here for about an hour and a half," Uzumaki said as he placed their drinks on the counter. "He seems to be quite fond of tea."
Just then, the blond man rose from his seat.
When his face finally came into view, they realized he was remarkably handsome... and painfully thin. His blond hair fell over his forehead, while the sunlight made his brown eyes appear almost wine-red. Freckles stretched from the bridge of his nose across his cheeks.
He carried no scent.
He was a Beta.
"How much do I owe you?"
Since the young man was now standing beside them, they caught sight of the title of the book in his hand.
Every one of them grew uneasy.
A Guide to Suicide.
That alone was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
"1,800 yen, sir. I hope you enjoyed your tea."
As Uzumaki answered, the blond young man offered a faint smile before placing the money on the counter.
"It was wonderful. I've been looking for a quiet café like this for a long time. I'll definitely be coming back."
As he slipped the book into the inner pocket of his trench coat, he turned toward the exit.
The moment he did, he found himself face-to-face with the group.
"Is something wrong?"
He asked the question in a soft voice, one eyebrow raised slightly.
Unable to hold back any longer, Yosano finally spoke.
"The bandages caught my attention. Are you alright?"
The young man merely pursed his lips and shrugged. It was obvious from his expression that he couldn't care less.
"Of course. They're simply part of my fashion sense."
His tone remained completely indifferent. There wasn't the slightest tremor in his voice or any sign that he was lying.
Ranpo frowned.
"The book you're carrying isn't exactly normal."
The blond man simply chuckled and lazily waved a hand.
"Wanting a beautiful, painless death shouldn't really be considered a problem."
With that, he slipped both hands into his trench coat pockets and walked toward the door, leaving as though he had no idea how strange—or how worrying—his words had sounded.
"What a strange guy."
Chuuya frowned as he took a sip of his drink. There was something undeniably odd about him... and, for some reason, Chuuya couldn't shake the feeling that they would be seeing him again.
"Everyone expresses their struggles in different ways. Now then, everyone, back to work."
Although Fukuzawa found himself thinking about the mysterious young man as well, there was nothing they could do for the time being.
A few minutes later, after everyone had returned to the office and settled into their seats, Yosano walked over to Ranpo's desk and leaned forward.
"He was strange, wasn't he?"
Ranpo reluctantly nodded as he unwrapped one of his lollipops.
Even without using his ability, he could usually learn a surprising amount about a person simply by observing them.
But he hadn't been able to do that with the blond man.
"He said he'll be coming back to the café often."
"I'm going to play chess with him!"
Yes.
That sounded like a good idea.
The blond man looked intelligent.
And Ranpo intended to find out exactly how intelligent he was with a game of chess.
Fukuzawa let out a slow breath as he ended the call.
The news he had received from the police was as surprising as it was unsettling. He lowered himself into the chair in his office and sighed, meeting Ranpo's expectant gaze.
"The police intercepted a conversation on a secure line. It's connected to an organization called the Collectors. They're hunting an ability user. The name they mentioned was Dazai Osamu, and they've confirmed that he's somewhere in Yokohama."
Ranpo frowned, realizing he shared the same uneasy feeling as his father. He had read about the Collectors before, and none of what he'd learned had been reassuring.
"Do they know what his ability is?"
Fukuzawa's expression answered part of the question on its own. Ranpo could already tell there was a real possibility that the Port Mafia would become involved.
"Not one ability... abilities. They didn't explain what they do. They only mentioned their names."
"No Longer Human."
"The Setting Sun."
Ranpo crushed the lollipop between his teeth as he rose to his feet.
Not one ability...
But two?
That made the situation far more serious.
"We're going to find him first."
What even Ranpo didn't know was that Dazai Osamu had already been standing right beside them earlier that day...
And had simply walked away.