𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍

3 | bounties and demons all around us

Not long after Dazai announced Aoi got his previous occupation correct, Jun'ichirō got a call that there was a woman requesting assistance from the Agency. They found themselves sitting and standing across from a blonde, young woman in business attire. There was something about her rubbing Aoi wrong, so she decided to keep an eye on the woman's posture and words.

"So, you've mentioned that you'd like to request an investigation, but what manner of investigation are we speaking of here?" Jun'ichirō questioned.

Dazai suddenly kneeled in front of the woman, taking her hand into his own. "Beautiful. You're a lady as ephemeral and elegant as a lotus blossom," he said, making Aoi's lips twitch in amusement. "Would you be willing to join me in a double suicide—"

Aoi didn't flinch as Kunikida punched him across the room. "Apologies for the disturbance," Kunikida said, walking forward and dragging Dazai into another room. "Please disregard what just happened. Please continue."

The door shut and the woman readjusted herself. "Regarding my request..."

"Y-Yes?" Jun'ichirō stuttered.

Aoi's eyes narrowed in thought. She's acting as if this is normal for her. Quite odd.

"Well, it seems there's recently been a group of distasteful people loitering in my company building's back alley," she continued, unaware of Aoi's inner musings.

"And by distasteful, you mean..."

"They appear to be dressed in rags. Some of them have been heard speaking a foreign language."

Kunikida opened the door, joining the discussion once more. "They must be smugglers or some such," he said, revealing Dazai's twitching form on the ground, having been beaten by Kunikida. Aoi pitied him, but he reaped what he sewed. "The military police may police all they want, but they keep multiplying like rats on a ship. They're unavoidable in a port town."

"Right," the woman agreed, looking down. "If we had some evidence that they're running afoul of the law, we could reach out to the military police. So..."

"You want us to stake out the place and get that evidence," Kunikida deduced easily. "Kurokawa-san."

She hummed, looking up at him from her spot on the couch.

"You go. It's a simple stakeout job, and smugglers are mostly harmless. They're usually only good at making a break for it. It's a perfect first job for you. Tanizaki, go with her."

"If he's going, I'm going too!" Naomi said stubbornly.

Kunikida sighed, knowing better than to scold her about it.

~ — — — ~

Finishing getting the camera bag ready, Aoi looked over at Kunikida, who stood beside her. Dazai sat at his desk on the other side of her, head laying on the table with headphones over his ears.

"There something wrong, Kunikida-san?" she asked.

He sighed. "I figured I'd give you one hint for surviving this job." He held out a photo of a young man around Aoi's age. "Don't run into him. If you do, run."

She took the photo with a frown, not recognizing him. "Who is he?"

"A mafioso," Dazai answered, now sitting on top of his desk with his headphones around his neck. "Though we call them that because we don't know anything else."

Her eye twitched and he held back his amusement.

"They're a vicious criminal organization who claims the port as their territory," Kunikida said, not noticing their exchange. "They're called the Port Mafia. They're the most dangerous bunch in the underground world of this city. Of them, the one in this photo is a very dangerous man beyond even this Agency's reach."