"But still, who makes the damn plan to infiltrate the place? I doubt that you guys actually came up with that."
"Uh…"
While walking home, I suddenly had the urge to ask them about the whole "rescue" thing, as Atsushi started to express a dumbfounded face.
"It's… Dazai-san…"
"Hm…?"
I raise my eyebrow with his awkward response, feeling surprised with the answer.
You mean to tell me that the guy, the one who outplayed Dostoevsky, the current final boss of the series, is the one who came up with this one-way plan?!
… I mean, it's not that hard to see him goofing around like this, but to make such a risky plan without any contingency, still hard to think about…
"Then how do you guys come into the building? Disguise?"
"Eh… by ventilation…"
Atsushi made some weird noise answering me, as I slowly looked back at him with a truly shocking gaze…
"Well then… seems like I gotta pay a visit to the guy…"
With an evil grin, my step steadily became faster, with the duo starting to become worrisome with my shift in attitude.
The place that I'm going for right now is the Agency, as it's the only place I knew Dazai may be at. Even if he isn't here, I could just return tomorrow morning, so he has no way to avoid me for the moment…
"Oh my, can't believe that they actually go for it ~"
Lazily complimenting the duo acts while still lying on the couch, is the one and only Dazai Osamu. In the original work, he's exactly what you would expect in a lazy character: having an outstanding past, being a cold headed one, and having beef with the antagonist…
Well, not all of them are true, but you guys know the drill.
And standing in front of the guy, is some unknown individual with no special feature on the face, with relatively normal brown hair and eyes, smiling with the guy while radiating an opposed aura.
"I know right, they're such an idiot for risking it all for a nobody like me…"
I giggle with his "funny" compliment, as I then close up my face to him, which expectedly earns no response from the guy.
"But isn't that due to your carelessness, Dazai-san ~ ?"
While still hanging my smile up front, I slowly asked the guy with a calming yet threatened voice, as Dazai slowly raised his brow.
Behind me, Kyouka and Atsushi were just standing there witnessing me interrogating him, albeit only Atsushi expressed some concern for the guy with Kyouka just looking at me with an indifferent look.
"Well, I did help them get in the place—"
"—But no plan to get out, right?"
I cut off Dazai words with a slightly intrigued voice, still with the same smile on his face, as his eyes slowly widened in surprise.
"Well, I expected you to come up with one. And in the end, you all come home alive, so I would say that wasn't a bad plan at all…"
"…"
This guy… Now I get why the damn organization wanted a piece of him… Something never changes, I suppose…
Let out a sorrow sigh, I turn around walking away with a clearly distraught expression, which may freak out the duo as they step aside making way for me.
"Close the door on the way out, Jouno-kun ~"
With a wave, Dazai sent us all off with a cheerful smile. But as everyone then left him alone, unnoticed by me, his eyes then darkened until there's no light left in him.
"… You pass, kid."
I then stormed my way down the coffee shop, now relatively empty with only 3 customers left, 2 of which is an office worker wearing a tuxedo while one is covered in a long coat wearing a black fedora.
Ignore all the customers, I sit down at the stall and call for the manager, who's cleaning his cup in the back as the duo have made their way beside me.
"You okay, Jouno-san?"
"I'm fine… just being annoyed by his recklessness…"
I answer them with a hint of anger deep in my voice, as their concerning expressions become more serious.
This guy… he seriously wanted to pay back the wallet thing that much?!
Knowing his personality, that could be the case. Not only he forced both of them into the enemy lair, he also forced me to bail them away from every single elite ability user without one of my own!!
I grunting while hastily clicking the wooden table out of impatience, as the manager then returned with a smoking black chocolate and placed it in front of me.
"You seem angry, young man."
"… Yeah."
"I see… well then, take your time to calm down, will ya?"
"I will…"
With a warm smile, the old manager then shifts his gaze to the duo, as they become more uneasy with his calming gaze.
"And what will you choose, young couple?"
"I… may I have a latte?"
"Ice tea, please…"
"Understood."
After confirming their orders, he turns to the stand and begins to make our drink, and Atsushi then slowly turns to me with a concerning expression.
"… You seem horrible, Joino-san."
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"
I answer his concerns with a clearly distraught voice, as my clickling slowly speeds up.
Of course I have to be angry!! Dazai just sent Atsushi straight to those who wanted his head!! To be honest, without Kyouka's ability, we sure are all gonna lie there rotten in their care!!
… But that's precisely the reason I can't get angry at the guy… If he didn't go to such lengths, then he can't see how it would work out in the end…
And yet! Despite all of his intentions! I still want to give him some beat down right now!
Silently struggling with my own confliction within my head, I stared blatantly at the stall with an emotionless gaze, as the duo beside me just glanced at me with a guilty yet curious look.
After a few minutes of absolute quiet which I swear feels like infinity, the manager finally returned with our order and placed it in front of us with a warm smile.
"Thank you sir…"
"Don't mention it."
With a long sigh against his friendly attitude, I hold back my issues for now and smile back at the guy with a smile, as I then finally started to drink the black chocolate cup.
Hm… taste real good… No wonder why the Agency always comes down here while on break.
While I slowly indulged myself with such aroma, the other two also started to drink their order with a relieving expression, seemingly genuinely enjoying the drink for now.
After some moments of peace, we then placed our cup down with a deep look, as I then started to remember about the chat group…
I wonder what they are doing right now? After getting abducted by the Guild, I kinda forget them for a while now.
Although I doubt that anything remotely interesting might happen in the last few hours, it wouldn't hurt anyone to check-in.
WIth that, I open the chat group and look through the messages…
[Saruyama Kenichi: So you say that harem is nothing more than a disgusting dream?]
[Shinji Iwakura: Indeed, harem in the end is nothing short just to satisfy our fantasy.]
[Saruyama Kenichi: … Isn't that what's going on with every tag?]
[Shinji Iwakura: But harem is different! In every other story, they always have something going on with them, but harem is just… there. They provided nothing more than the delusion of love, the feeling to be greedy yet controlling. In harem, no one wins except those who were chosen…]
[Saruyama Kenichi: I suppose… that's true. Harem, in a way, only hurts the others…]
[Saruyama Kenichi: That's… pretty harsh to say. Sure harem in general is pretty underwhelmed, and their ending did feel a bit dissatisfied, and everyone in the end may suffer from the main character's decision throughout the story…]
[Shinji Iwakura: … Are you trying to argue with me or going through with it?]
[Sauryama Kenichi: … Both?]
… Ignore Saruyama's weird response, it seems like those two are talking to each other again, with a topic that is pretty deep honestly… Which is kinda ironic in some way, since Saruyama himself is in one of the most influential harem manga.
Still no word from Aya… I should pay her a visit tomorrow…
"Are we… a burden to you, Tsukami-san?"
While I was scrolling through the past message, Atsushi suddenly looked straight into me with a hint of fear and asked me such a question, startled me for a moment.
"… Why the question?"
I asked him again with a confused look, although I already have some doubt in me right now, as Atsushi then scratched his head as he answered my question with a smiling facade.
"It just… we didn't do much for you throughout the whole thing…"
"Why should I hate you guys? You guy's risked it all to save me after all? In fact, the one I have a grudge against right now is that damn Dazai."
With a small huff, I immediately dismissed his concern as I continued to enjoy my drink, while also secretly taking a glance at the fedora customer, who just shivered a bit at my words…