Found (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Chapter 3

Dazai and Jane walked in silence to Jane's aunt's place. Jane was still upset with Dazai for knowing information about her she hadn't revealed herself, and Dazai knew better than to make her angrier. Luckily the place Jane was staying at was on the way to the agency's dorms so there was no need for them to talk to each other.

"It's here," she said when they'd arrived in front of an apartment building. "I'll go up ahead."

"I'll come with you," he said, quite determined.

"No you don't have to."

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

Jane had had enough. "No, Dazai. Stay here. I'll be down soon."

Dazai maintained his serious expression but didn't try to stop her. Instead, he let his eyes scan the street, hoping to notice anything suspicious. But he found nothing. That's when he picked the lock of the front door and entered the hallway to wait.

Dazai was leaning on the stone wall when Jane made it downstairs.

"Got everything?"

"Yup. But my aunt wasn't home, so I guess I'll have to call her and tell her that I won't be home tonight. Could you lend me your phone?"

"Uhm, Jane, I'm sorry to ask you this but..."

"What is it?" Jane asked with an improved mood.

"Could I use the bathroom?"

"Good grief. I guess I must if you must," she said and started walking up the stairs.

She unlocked the door and let Dazai into her aunt's apartment. Dazai did his business and even had the sense to compliment the beautiful kitchen before exiting. Jane locked the door and they left for the street.

The two walked on. Jane tried calling her aunt but she never picked up. They continued in silence until Dazai expressed a wish to go to a convenience store.

"You're so needy," Jane joked.

"I just want to buy something to celebrate our first meeting."

"That's unnecessary." But that didn't stop him. "Dazai!" Jane pleaded again. The man entered the store. Jane quickly caught up to him, not allowing the doors to fully close and began to tail him.

"Which cake do you want?"

"I don't really mind any."

"No allergies?"

"None."

"Then let's take this one," he said, picking one from the open-air cooler. Jane didn't see which one this one was. "And let's get some drinks too."

"The cake is enough," Jane protested.

"But I don't have anything at home besides water!" he whined, happily.

"Fine."

Dazai took his time shopping and Jane just walked along with him, arms crossed. She realized that Dazai was trying to make up for earlier, but it was all unnecessary. He should have just said sorry. The fact that he hadn't apologized irritated Jane, so at a moment when there wasn't anybody else in the aisle she just asked,

"So how did you really know about my gift?"

Dazai laughed. His laughter was so light, anybody could tell that he was happy to have been asked that question.

"I looked you up after you left. And do you remember Ranpo? He deduced the rest. We are the Armed Detective Agency."

"He was able to deduce what my ability is?"

"Yup. That's his special skill," Dazai explained while examining the contents of a tomato purée. "Besides, with gifts it's 50-50. You either have a gift or you don't."

Now it was Jane's turn to laugh. "That's not how it works though."

Without saying a word, Dazai smiled. He stood up and started walking to the cashier. Jane followed.

By the time they exited the store, the sun had already started to set. Yokohama looked like it had been painted with one layer of orange-pink paint, as if they were living in a painting.

Dazai and Jane continued walking until they made it to the dorms. It looked like any other two-story apartment building with an exposed corridor leading to the apartments. Jane also noticed Kunikida who was about to enter his room. They were just on time.

"Aah! Kunikida!" Dazai called. "Long time no see!"

Kunikida halted. "Dazai."

"Look who was a lot of help today at the agency," Dazai said, putting his free arm around Jane's waist and pulling her close to his side. "I thought we should celebrate," he added with a lower voice and his face so close that Jane could feel Dazai's breath colliding with her cheek. She squirmed.

"Dazai, I don't know what you're planning but I won't let you," Kunikida said before pulling Jane away from Dazai's weak grasp and leading her to wait in his living room.

"Please wait here, I'll go and knock some sense into that buffoon."

"Oh, um, thank you," was all she could manage as a response. The door clicked and Jane put her hands to her cheeks, feeling the cold hands on her warm cheeks. He actually pulled it off, she thought.

Back outside, Kunikida barged into Dazai's room. Dazai was already in the middle of cutting the cake, the rest of his groceries sitting on the table. "Oh, you're already here, Kunikida. Would you like some cake?"

"Cut the bullcrap, Dazai. What are you scheming?"

"I had two objectives," Dazai triumphantly began his explanation. "The first one was to give you and Jane more time together to get to know each other." Kunikida looked as annoyed as ever at that piece of information. "The second," Dazai began in a grandiose manner but quieted down, "Jane might actually be in danger."

"Huh?"

"Her gift allows her to find anything or anyone. I bet you could imagine how some group of people might be interested in getting their hands on a gifted with that kind of ability. We need to keep her close to us to keep her safe."

"So you kept her at the office and brought her here."

"Right. But I don't know how long we can keep this up. She doesn't realize she could be targeted so she can't be on guard against any attacks."

"And if she were, she probably wouldn't have the skills to defend herself. Now that the masterminds in Yokohama have caught wind of such a gifted, she can't return home either," Kunikida finished his thought. "Do you think she's a strong person?"

"Yeah, that she definitely is."

Dazai jolted as the realization hit him. "We might have messed up, Kunikida."

Kunikida seemed to catch on to Dazai's meaning instantly. They rushed out of the door back to Kunikida's room, pulling open the door and calling for her, but Jane was nowhere to be found.