Suribachi's vagabond (english vers)

Chapter 6 part 3 : Refuge

Suribachi District, 4 AM.

The storm had lasted all night.

Thus, the small dwelling that sheltered them was subject to the constant patter of rain on its tin roof, while the only sound coming from its occupants was the crackling of the fire that had been lit to warm them.

Inside, Toru had hung most of her clothes to dry on the edge of a crate, keeping only the tank top she usually wore under her shirt and pants. She sat near the fire on the ground, her chin resting on her arms, which were crossed over her knees. Her expression was overshadowed by sadness and worry, despite the glow of the fire illuminating her face. Even the faint light that emanated from it to her eyes seemed to fade into the void that had now settled within her.

She hadn't closed her eyes, watching over the boy who lay on a mattress on the floor, not far from her. Given his condition and what she had deduced from the intentions of the two assailants from the previous evening, she had come to understand that he was simply under the effects of a tranquilizer, and it was only a matter of time before he woke up. She had thus taken it upon herself to keep watch through the night. She wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. Her mind was racing with a thousand possibilities since the events of the previous night. This made her envy the detachment with which Dazai often reacted, if only she weren't aware that it was merely a defense mechanism.

Under the thick blanket of sleep, Dazai gradually felt the fog of the tranquilizer dissipating. His body, still heavy, refused to move, but his mind was slowly awakening, emerging from a dream without contours or colors. He first sensed warmth. Soft, reassuring, it came from the fire but also from a nearby, familiar presence. The sound of the rain drumming on the roof helped him locate the place: they were still in Suribachi. He couldn't quite remember how they had gotten there.

A sigh escaped him before he even realized his body was awake. Slowly, his eyelids opened, revealing a dull tin ceiling barely illuminated by the flickering light of the flames. His eyes scanned the room before landing on Toru. She was sitting there by the fire, her face almost spectral in the dim light, frozen in an expression of fatigue that he recognized all too well. She was watching over him. As always.

"You should get some sleep," he murmured in a voice still heavy with lethargy.

He wasn't ordering or blaming her, just stating a fact.

"How do you feel?"
Toru asked without looking at him, her voice betraying a restrained concern.

Dazai shrugged slightly, even though he knew she couldn't see it.
"Like someone who could have avoided the blow but didn't."

He replied with a smile.

Toru sighed, looking at him as he groaned while sitting up.
"How did you know, anyway?"

Dazai answered her with the same cheerfulness once he had rid himself of the burden of simply sitting up with a body that felt as heavy as lead.
"When I saw you using your power to float during your fight against Ryu, I realized that unlike my previous observations, your power doesn't just work on objects but also on living beings."

She let out another sigh, exasperated, as she uncrossed her arms, letting one drop onto her thighs while stretching the other back to rest her palm against the ground.
"Do you realize the risks you took just to verify that?"

Dazai didn't lose his smile and even allowed himself to shrug at Toru's almost admonishing tone.
"Well... since they clearly intended to capture me, I would have gotten out sooner or later. As for you, you could have gotten away since he clearly didn't expect that facet of your power. But... to be honest... that's not really what I wanted to check by letting myself get touched like that."