in the shade of trees ; n. chuuya

.neuf

The neon sign above the door flickers and buzzes, briefly illuminating the two faces below.

The bar Lapin is a sanctuary for the four unlikely friends: Dazai, the chief executive, Ango the intelligence agent, Ineko the subordinate of Dazai's partner and Odasaku, the only mafia member who refuses to kill.  All four are enigmas in their own way, and Dazai knows that this is their downfall.

After all, being in the mafia does mean that time runs out quickly, and one day, unexpectedly, four will become three, three will become two, and two will remain no more.

The door swings open with a creak, and the two tired mafia members subtly embrace the homely warmth of the dimly lit bar. Ineko seats herself a stool away from Dazai and slumps against the table, the silence tense yet familiar. The clinking of glass makes Ineko's eyes snap open. She didn't realise she closed them in the first place.

The creak of the door is heard as Odasaku enters, each step purposeful and graceful, yet he puts in no effort. Dazai greets Odasaku casually as the cat beside him stretches with a purr.

"Sorry, sensei," Dazai says gently to the cat as it bounds off the seat, allowing Odasaku to sit himself next to the executive. Ineko gives a small wave and closes her eyes again, shutting off their conversation. She daydreams a little, causing more than one glance in her direction at her odd behaviour.

Ineko sits there quietly, not a single noise elicited from her, until another familiar bespectacled man walks in and sits down next to Ineko who flinches slightly. She ignores Ango's presence.

"Shot of vodka," Ineko tiredly orders after Ango requests tomato juice. Odasaku looks disapprovingly. She still needs two more years before it is legal, but the bartender pays no heed. She looks old enough to drink anyway. Dazai and Ango, on the other hand, briefly glance at her in surprise. Ineko had previously said herself that "shots of vodka are too prissy and fancy. Get the whole fucking bottle!"

She pays no attention to the three men talking until Ango swivels around to face her.

"Sata," Ango begins and his glasses flash. Ineko's gut twists. She doesn't trust him; she never did, and never will, but Dazai and Odasaku welcome him, so she puts up with it.

"Hah?" She nods at the bartender as he hands her a small glass and tips it back, her eyes half lidded in bliss as she feels the alcohol course through her system and numbing the pain. She sits there and savours the taste; quite the contrast to her usual competitive nature that makes her view drinking as a who-can-drink-the-most-in-the-least-time competition.

"You usually bring your own rum," Ango says with a gentle voice before distractedly ordering a shot himself.

"And? What's it to you?" She scowls and her bloodshot maroon eyes narrow down at her newly bandaged fingers that grip the glass harshly. Odasaku and Dazai have already ordered their beverages and are sipping it contently, seated on either side of Ango and Ineko.

"You're disturbed and upset. What happened?"

"You and I both know that we don't like each other," Ineko points out rather harshly.

"It seems that the alcohol isn't helping your sharp tongue," Ango's voice is curt. Ineko's eyes are suddenly drawn to his mole as he talks.

"Fuck off, please. I don't want to talk," Ineko says tiredly and crooks her finger at the bartender, asking for another shot. Dazai's eyes narrow. Ineko is always in the mood to talk. Odasaku silently hopes that she is rethinking her decision of unecessary killing, and Dazai hopes that she will finally listen to orders for once. She is a pain, after all. He swears that he has aged 10 years within that week.

"Some things should be said," Dazai says with surprising gentleness. He's being out of character, Ineko thinks. He's a stone cold mafia executive, he shouldn't be acting like this.

"And some things are better left unsaid." Her eyes are slightly downcast and her hair hangs limp against her face. She glances down at her scuffed boots that hide many small pocket knives and daggers, grimacing at the splash of dried blood and vomit that comes from when she reached the breaking point after Chuuya forced her to lug tires for hours.

Dazai drops the subject. He understands that she feels abnormal- he does too.

"Come to think of it, Odasaku, I don't hear you complaining about your work."

Ineko sighs during Odasaku's adventures during the day, knowing that Dazai will overreact. She hisses in annoyance as her prediction comes true and slams her face onto the table over and over again. Without lifting her face from the table, she crooks her finger at the bartender and straighten two fingers, feeling some sort of comic relief when he places two shots next to her head. Ineko tunes back into the conversation as Ango asks,

"Are you three here for a meeting?" He is still wincing at Dazai's obsession with suicide.

"Dazai and Sata just happened to be here when I walked in," Odasaku explains.

"Ah, jeez Oda, just call me Ineko," the girl complains. The atmosphere dims again as Dazai replies,

"I just had a feeling I'd run into you two if I came here tonight."

Ineko spares a glance at Dazai. The other two didn't notice the slightly strange tone in his voice, but Ineko somehow does. She narrows her eyes at Dazai's slightly out of character-ness.

Something is wrong, and Ineko's feral instincts knows that Dazai has something to do with it.