Meeting an Old Friend Again

"Daytime business hours have ended, you should leave now."

Li Nai leisurely rested his chin on his hand, smiling with interest: "Of course, if you want to stay, I won't stop you."

"I don't think it's necessary for me to do so."

Fyodor stood up first, bowing slightly and saying, "Then I shall take my leave first."

"Goodbye." Li Nai waved lazily, "Until next time."

Fyodor's turning movement paused, but he still smiled and replied: "I don't think there will be another opportunity like this."

"There will be." Li Nai asserted, his eyes half-hidden in the shadows showing an ambiguous smile, his tone casual but carrying a suggestive prophecy.

"You will... return to this place."

Fyodor's pupils contracted. Those words entered his ears, instantly linking with countless memories of mixed reality and illusion, bizarre sculptures, chaotic colors dissolving in whispers, crazed screams, and echoing holy hymns—

But as the voice faded, everything instantly vanished into the warm light of the shop, leaving a blanket of silence.

Li Nai still sat in place, lazily resting his chin, letting out a bored yawn.

"..."

"And you?" Li Nai's gaze shifted to Dazai Osamu, smiling: "I recall that previously, Dazai ran faster than anyone."

"...Because I am not stupid. Death is nothing to be feared, but I know there are things in this world far more terrifying than death."

A soft sound rang out. Oda Cat nimbly jumped onto the counter. Dazai Osamu watched it, seeing it walk past him without even casting a glance, only habitually lying down next to Li Nai's hand.

Dazai Osamu closed his eyes heavily.

"Oh?" Li Nai casually stroked Oda Cat's ears, smiling: "Then why are you still here now?"

The light grew even dimmer—dusk was fading.

Dazai Osamu suddenly spoke.

"Ranpo-san said that the target the book page was aiming for from the very beginning was me." Dazai Osamu looked straight at Li Nai, his gaze sharp, "Please answer me. During the three-way struggle earlier, did you intentionally give it to me?"

In the dim light, Li Nai smiled.

"That was everyone's choice. I was merely a bystander." He placed a finger on his lips, the smile between his brows seeming to keep a deep secret, yet also like playing an interesting, mischievous game.

"Didn't I already say? —You are the chosen one, Dazai Osamu."

"...Is that so."

Dazai Osamu smiled faintly, a self-deprecating smile: "Becoming the main character on the stage you set up, I truly don't know if it's a good or bad thing."

Picking up his suitcase and standing up, Dazai casually asked: "By the way, are you still going out?"

"Probably not in the short term." Li Nai sighed, saying gloomily: "I still have to sell three more types of goods before I can go out."

...So it was related to the types of goods sold.

According to the "rules" Ranpo-san found, these words were not lies.

Thus, for Yokohama's safety, even in an inevitable situation, they could only buy at most two more types of goods from Li Nai's shop. Of course, it was best not to buy anything else.

Although the three-way battle of wits currently had each side plotting their own schemes, this common point would definitely reach a consensus. —Absolutely do not let Li Nai have the chance to appear in Yokohama again.

And he...

After experiencing a series of events over the past few days, he also needed to start thinking about whether he should step into this shop again.

Even if the stage was set, actors always had the right to refuse to perform, right?

After all, the information about the book page had been acquired. Based on the clear description of danger on it, this piece of paper would definitely be permanently sealed after being brought back. As long as he didn't enter this shop again, all danger would be eliminated.

Dazai Osamu shook his head and smiled, carrying his suitcase and stepping out of the door without any lingering attachment.

Li Nai said nothing, only smiled.

That smile seemed to have never changed. In the sunset filling the shop, it was like a swaying image of honey, slowly and stickily flowing down, freezing that brief illusion into a timeless piece of amber.

In the warm sunset, Dazai Osamu walked a few steps with his suitcase, but his footsteps became heavier and slower with each step.

—Only this once.

Li Nai's smiling voice echoed in his head.

"...The holder of the book page will have the chance to see the person they normally cannot see..."

—Only once. His chance to hold the book page was only this once.

Dazai Osamu's footsteps suddenly stopped. His fingers tightly gripped the handle of his suitcase.

His own words also echoed in his ears.

"...I am not stupid... There are things in this world far more terrifying than death..."

That's right. He wasn't stupid. Any intelligent person would know that bringing the book page back to the detective agency right now was the safest and most appropriate choice.

But.

Dazai Osamu suddenly turned around, running back toward the shop.

—Only once!

His heart beat wildly, the sunset gradually fading. With just a few steps, Dazai Osamu began to pant.

—Only once!

The door was right before his eyes. Dazai Osamu quickly reached out and pushed it open abruptly!

The door hit the wall with a loud bang. The person in the shop, who had been facing Li Nai to speak, stopped. Li Nai only smiled, looking straight at Dazai Osamu as if he had understood everything. The person speaking also paused, slowly turning their head.

Dazai Osamu's lips began to tremble.

Appearing in the dim light of dusk, although looking quite a bit younger, it was undoubtedly the face of his deceased close friend.

Dazai Osamu's pupils dilated and then contracted, his fingers curling tightly, his body trembling. After a long while, he opened his mouth, calling out softly in a nearly stalled voice.

"...Odasaku!"

Calm brown eyes looked at him, as if in acknowledgment.

The light grew colder and colder. In the twilight before the dark night began, Oda Sakunosuke's figure also began to turn illusory along with the blurring vision. In the intertwining of light and shadow, Dazai Osamu only paused for a moment before running frantically.

"Odasaku...!" Dazai Osamu tried to reach out, wanting to grab Oda Sakunosuke's wrist.

But he only grabbed empty air.

*Flop.*

Night had arrived. That beautiful illusion seemed to vanish with the sunset, like a soap bubble rising into the sky and suddenly popping, disappearing without a trace.

His palm clenched, containing only a piece of cold night.

Dazai Osamu stood in place, his fist clenching tighter and tighter, using so much force that his entire arm began to tremble violently.

—Only once.

"Only once..." Dazai Osamu said in a deep voice, "Even if it's only once, it's fine. Odasaku... I really wanted to see you again."

/

Oda Sakunosuke looked at his wrist in a daze.

That man who had just rushed toward him, although he searched his memory and found no similar face, when facing such an explosion of emotion, even if they were strangers, he still instinctively raised his hand to grab the other's hand.

But unfortunately, before they could truly touch, the sunset vanished just in time, the shop's time officially entered the night, and Oda Sakunosuke also returned to his familiar world.

"...Shopkeeper." Oda Sakunosuke remained silent for a long time, then asked.