Thorns. A Soukoku Au.

It is not yet over. Right?

After that, Dazai didn't talked to Chuuya. He asked the nurse for his room to be changed which they did. Chuuya didn't have an idea with all of that.

Chuuya have been visited by some of his friends from work. Tachihara always came to talk to him, leaving his boredom. Akutagawa went there once, asking how he have been, until when he will be there, and what happened.

Kouyou, on the other hand, have questioned everything to Chuuya. It all went fine until she managed to put the topic of Dazai.

Chuuya forgotten his memories with Dazai currently but he still remembers their childhood. Kouyou talked to him and excused herself to leave for a moment.

She went to Dazai's room to talk, not leaving without her questions answered.

She is the most worried about the two. She felt like they were her children. She questioned Dazai about it and learned about what happened to Chuuya.

Minutes have past and she got her nerves away. She agreed to do a little favor for Dazai and Chuuya. Walking away, Kouyou bade farewell and expected to see him in few years. She have seen some agency folks already so she knew that Dazai would be fine.

Going inside Chuuya's room, she started to talk as she took steps toward Chuuya's.

"My child, there is something I want to talk to you about."

She sat near the bed.

"About Dazai. He is, a friend of yours. A really long time ago. He is the youngest executive and next to be the boss. Dazai is also your partner, gaining the title of 'soukoku'."

Kouyou paused. She is taking a deep breath for this.

"So my child, the two of you were really good friends and hang out together but eventually, all good times have come to an end.... Dazai left the mafia without a trace, my child. I am glad that the two of you were able to see each other here."

She faked a smile. She had been asked by Dazai to make him look bad but she can't do something as jenjunvile as that.

She left Chuuya to his own thoughts. He is thinking about why he left the mafia anyways. He remembers few things like their childhood and things like that.

A few days have passed and Chuuya is completely recovered. He still need to take the bandages, out of sheer luck. He planned to talk to Dazai before leaving but they said that he is already gone yesterday.

Walking to his home, Chuuya saw a shop that is selling food. He entered and bought a strawberry pocky and walked away for no particular reason.

He got the urge to go to someplace but didn't know where it was. He let his feet drag his towards random places. He went to the park, a shopping hall, a street that is full of food vendors, to different bridges and lastly....

His feet draged him to a place near the forest, a sight where the city's night lights illuminate. The cherry blossoms that already fell. The lanterns that is only the source of light.

He sat there, not knowing what to do, until the lanterns have turned off. The city of Yokohama is now dark. The car's light is the only visible.

Chuuya looked disappointed and closed his eyes. He lay on the grass, feeling the cold breeze of the night.

He opened his eyes to see the stars. The night sky, forming a beautiful scene. A very familiar one. He swiped his hand on the blades of grass, letting the fireflies fly away. It felt so beautiful. The only missing now is a presence of someone.

Someone........