Soul Game

Chapter 2

[794 words]

Auburn eyes widened and clear shock shimmered in them as Dazai slowly turned in the direction from where the voice came.

But what he saw could not be real. No, that was impossible! Obviously, his brain played a sick game with him. So it was already that far with him.  The youngest underboss in the history of the port mafia has finally gone crazy. At any rate, the events of the day spoke for it.

However, these thoughts were nipped in the bud when the person said "No, you've not gone crazy Dazai." and sat down beside him.

Uncertainly, the younger looked to the older. "But... it can't be... You... you're dead Odasaku!"

The redhead just smiled sadly and stroked through the shorter man's hair.  "You're right. I've been dead for almost five years I think." The only response he got was a gentle nod.

"But... that can't be. You  surely are just a hallucination or..." For a few moments, Dazai's eyes went cold and he pierced his seatmate with that look. "Or you're just an ability user who can take the form of another person. In short, you are an impostor. Aren't you?"

No emotion resonated in his voice as he said those words, which he himself did not want to believe. But that a  deceased person was sitting next to him was even more absurd than his theory.

Silence reigned between the two, while Oda, under the gaze of the cold eyes, felt visibly uncomfortable.

He didn't know how to explain the situation to his friend. It was...  complicated. At least, it was and is for him. Whether the prodigy would feel the same way about it, he didn't know. But he suspected he would.

Meanwhile,  the detective took the silence as a confirmation for his theory and stood up. He did not know what he would do with the man, yet. But the audacity to impersonate Oda Sakunosuke? No, this insolence would not get away spared.

He wanted to go home and come up with a plan. However, his wrist was held and thus prevented him from his plan.

Dazai scowled at the man. Nonetheless, his expression changed to one of skepticism when the following words were uttered. "Wait! Your theory is wrong. Tell me what to do to prove it."

Dazai quirked his eyebrows and looked down into blue eyes. His answer consisted of only six words, "Answer me some questions, Oda!"

While  Oda did not find it pleasant to be cross-examined, he knew that Dazai would probably only believe him that way. Softly he nodded and thus gave his consent.

"What kind of position did you have in the mafia?"

"I was one of the lowest ranking members."

"Who killed you?"

"The leader of Mimic, Gide."

"Who did you take care of and what was their name?"

The redhead's heart contracted painfully when this question was asked. It always hurt to think about his charges.

"They were five orphans. Four boys and one girl. Only you, me, and the owner of the store they lived with knew about them. Their names were Kosuke,  Katsumi, Yu, Shinji, and Sakura. They died before I did."

Dazai heard the pain from the elder's voice and then he knew it. Some tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. For him, there was no longer any doubt. It was Oda Sakunosuke who sat before him.

The Oda who used to be his best friend and the one who died in his arms almost five years ago.

But a Dazai did not cry and so, suppressing the tears, he lowered himself once more at the gravestone and looked gravely at the other. "Odasaku...  But how is this possible?"

The blue-eyed man felt dread at having to answer. He just had no idea how to wrap it up.

"Now, first of all, answer my question. Tell me what happened to you today."

Confused,  Dazai blinked once before smiling and saying "Oh, nothing at all. My colleagues just ignored me and did a great job at it. But now tell me,  how can a... Deceased be sitting next to me?" In good cheer at the beginning, the detective became quieter and quieter towards the end. The grin that appeared on his face, though, did not fade.

But Oda had already seen through him. The smile and the good mood were fake. His companion had always done that. Fake everything for everyone.

Pained, the redhead smirked as he prepared to answer. "It's not that simple."

A questioning look.

"Your friends didn't ignore you, they couldn't see you."

A raised eyebrow joined the look.

"Well, you're... dead."

Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, the brown-haired man looked at his friend as he let out an extremely smart "Huh?"