the beauty of water | o. dazai ✔

chapter twenty-four.

The two walked into a quiet bar in one of the darker areas in Yokohama. Dazai had led (Y/n) to a bar named "Bar Lupin"—an establishment Dazai seemed to be familiar with.

Dazai walked down the flight of stairs first, his hands in his pockets as (Y/n) followed behind him. It was a quiet place, packed with counters, stools, and empty bottles lined up against the wall. They sat down at the bar, each on a stool as they leaned against the counter.

(Y/n) thought as they sat down, I wonder how Dazai knows about this place. It's sort of tucked away, but it's really nice here. I guess it's definitely different from the café on the first floor where the agency is located—I mean, why would that place have the items a bar carries?

A bartender wearing a crimson vest who was polishing a glass turned towards them, asking as he placed down the cup and the rag, "What can I get for you?"

"I'll have a beer," Dazai ordered, resting his hands on the wooden counter.

"I'll have the same," (Y/n) added, the bartender nodding as he turned around to grab two bottles of beer from the bar.

Dazai turned to her, commenting, "I thought you weren't much of a drinker."

(Y/n) shrugged in response, letting out a sigh as she told him, "Today's an exception—er, tonight." She looked back up the staircase, the faint brightness of moonlight shining in through the door's window and down the stairs.

The bartender handed them their beers, (Y/n) quietly thanking him as the cap was popped off. The two sipped their drinks quietly, neither one saying a word to the other throughout the entire time.

"You know," (Y/n) began, breaking the tense silence between them, "when I turned twenty, the president—Fukuzawa—offered to take me out as a celebration of legally being able to drink."

"That's nice," Dazai commented, turning towards her. "So what's the president like when he's drunk? I bet he's a real chatterbox once he's had a couple drinks." He seemed to be joking, but also genuinely curious. It was a nice change of pace from the intense confrontation only almost an hour prior.

"I wouldn't know." (Y/n) shrugged, taking another drink. "I declined." She then pulled at the edge of her jacket and gestured to her boots. "He and Ranpo gave me the coat and boots because they knew my favorite color was (f/c) and they had received all my complaints about getting wet when I summon Ryuji."

"Was there a particular reason why you didn't go drinking with him? Or did you just not like to drink?" Dazai inquired, (Y/n) turning towards him as she put down the bottle.

"I declined because I was scared. Not of Fukuzawa or anyone else for that matter, but because of Ryuji." (Y/n) looked down at her hand, rolling up her sleeve slightly as she looked at her bare wrist. "I don't know how my special ability would react if I ended up drunk—"

"That's not it at all." Dazai cut her off, (Y/n) looking back up at him. "I don't think you were worried about your ability. If that were the case, why would you drink right now? Is it because you know I'll just nullify it?"

(Y/n) let out a sigh, looking down at the bottle as she ran her finger around the glass rim. "No, I suppose not." She turned back in her stool, facing forward as she stared down at her alcoholic beverage.

Dazai leaned towards her, taking another sip of his drink. "Does it have something to do with Fujinuma?"

(Y/n)'s hand froze. She paused for a moment, slowly nodding afterward. She then said, "I was always afraid that if I went out and got drunk, he'd take that opportunity to pop up and finish the job or someone like him would do the same thing."