thicker than the mind | dazai o. ✓

twenty eight.

"Please assure all small things are secure. The bus will be leaving shortly."

"Are you secure, Atsushi-kun?" She jokingly asked the new detective who sat beside her. The 19 year old choked as he chuckled but then whined for calling him small even though Taiyo was about an inch taller.

"Hng..." A certain detective sulked from behind them, emitting a dark aura that only Tanizaki noticed. Sweat dripped down the ginger's neck, "Are you okay, Dazai-san?" The brunette didn't answer, but just glared at the two other detectives that were laughing their stomachs out. Tanizaki decided to not question anything further.

Ever since their little interaction the other day ago, the two have yet to speak and yet to question what they are. Dazai decided to not dwell much into it right now since they're in a war that could potentially bring danger to the city. Taiyo, on the other hand, has been constantly thinking about it ever since. She couldn't focus, but she knew she needed to in order to have a step forward in this battle.

"Do you think they'll be alright once we get there?" Taiyo asked to get her mind off the fact that the man she kissed the other night was literally staring at the back of her head. She's a detective, she feels these kinds of things. Atsushi nodded and assured his worried superior that their colleagues would definitely be fine since they're all strong.

"The bus will now be departing. Please secure your seat-"

Hands stopped the automatic door of the bus, alerting the driver and the other passengers. "Wait! Sorry, I'm running a bit late." The driver just sighed, dealing with all these kinds of people almost everyday. "Just go find a seat."

"Yes sir." The man with a clean outfit walked down the aisle, seemingly to be going to his job like a normal person. "I'm surprised he held that door, it's automatic..." The driver sighed to himself, not minding anything else other than getting these passengers to the next stop.

"Yeah, they were hard to listen to actually." Taiyo complained about her recent fight and how the couple kept on babbling about each other. The man passing them grimaced when he heard her complain. 'This woman acts like she didn't defeat them unscathed.'

The man sat all the way to the back, passing by a blonde detective who suddenly felt an off-ish atmosphere when he passed. Since Kunikida sat alone at the very back, the man had no choice but to sit about 3 feet away from him. 

He looked oddly familiar, but maybe it was just his paranoia.

"A good day for some sunshine, don't you think so?" The fresh looking man asked the detective, who was alerted all of a sudden. "Yes, I suppose so." Taiyo heard that Kunikida was talking to someone other than her colleagues, so she knew that something was up.

Atsushi was currently telling a story about what happened while she was gone, "Continue, Atsushi-kun." The albino was confused at first, but decided to listen to her.

"When is a good day for someone to die, may I ask?" Kunikida narrowed his eyes, catching Tanizaki's worried glance in the corner of his eyes. "When the clouds are calm, the sun is not too hot, and your loved one hears your last words for the first time."

The man chuckled deeply, "Is that your ideal scenario? I prefer being surrounded by women and being layed upon hundred of diamonds and gold." Kunikida grimaced at the man's words. He forgot that people so blinded by wealth still existed. "Well, people have different opinions."

"We have arrived. Please do not forget to leave any valuables behind."

Kunikida calmly stood up before the man did. The others began to descend the bus, although still listening to their conversation with guards up if anything was to occur.