“Come to think of it, Halloween’s almost here.”
As they walked back to their apartment after class, Momoi suddenly remembered.
“Mm-hmm.” Ringo nodded before asking curiously, “What are you doing for Halloween, Satsuki? Spending it with your boyfriend?”
Momoi rested a finger against her chin.
“My boyfriend’s in America, so he won’t be able to come back for Halloween. But some other friends are planning a party, so I’ll probably head to Tokyo. What about you, Ringo? Are you spending it with your boyfriend?”
Ringo blinked.
“I haven’t asked him yet. I don’t know if he’ll have time on Halloween.”
Momoi raised a finger and lectured her solemnly.
“This is exactly when you need to prepare a Plan B in advance. Especially since your boyfriend stands you up all the time—having a backup plan is even more important. Otherwise, why don’t you come to Tokyo with me and hang out with my friends? You know Ryota Kise, that really famous model? He’ll be there too~”
“I know who he is, but…” Ringo shook her head vigorously. “No. I don’t know any of your friends, Satsuki, so I’d rather not.”
“I’ll introduce you to everyone!” Momoi said sincerely. “They’re all really easy to get along with!”
“I’ll pass.” Ringo still declined her offer. “I’m really bad at handling situations with lots of people.”
Knowing how socially anxious Ringo was, Momoi didn’t press the issue and naturally changed the subject.
“All right then. Halloween’s still a few days away anyway. Oh right, what should we have for lunch today?”
Neither Ringo nor Momoi could cook.
Every attempt ended in culinary disasters.
The only thing they could make that was barely edible was hot pot.
But they couldn’t eat hot pot every meal.
“Um… the convenience store?” Ringo suggested uncertainly. “We could buy bento—”
“Waaah—”
“Ahhh!”
Before Ringo could finish, a playful shout suddenly rang out from behind them.
She froze instantly.
Her face turned deathly pale, and even the little cowlick on top of her head stood straight up.
Even Momoi jumped.
“Who was that?”
“Little Ringo?”
Dazai waved a hand in front of her face.
“Did I scare you?”
Seeing it was Dazai, Ringo’s heart, which had nearly leaped out of her throat, finally settled back into place.
But once she relaxed, the lingering fear hit her all at once.
Her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“You scared me to death, Haru-kun!”
Momoi immediately caught the key word.
Haru-kun!
That was what Ringo always called her boyfriend.
So this guy who had suddenly appeared…
Was Ringo’s boyfriend?
She certainly wasn’t expecting to meet him like this.
Seeing Ringo’s reaction, Dazai also froze for a moment.
…She was crying?
“Little Ringo?”
He bent down slightly.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
Ringo sniffled, looking utterly aggrieved as tears streamed down her face.
“My heart almost stopped. Didn’t I tell you before not to suddenly scare me from behind? It really frightens me!”
Dazai scratched his head.
“I forgot.”
He pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to her.
“Here. Wipe your tears.”
Standing nearby, Momoi silently observed Dazai.
So this was Ringo’s boyfriend.
He was pretty handsome, and his height wasn’t bad either.
Though with all those bandages—including one over his eye—he looked a little… chuuni.
Still…
She could completely understand why such a well-behaved girl like Ringo would fall for someone like him.
Ringo took the handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
After quietly waiting for a while, Dazai reminded her,
“Hey, Little Ringo. Isn’t this the entrance to your school? I don’t mind, but if you’re crying here…” He glanced around. “A lot of people are staring.”
Ringo immediately looked around.
Sure enough, quite a few people were watching her.
…This was so embarrassing.
If there was such a thing as dying from social embarrassment, this was it.
She instantly stopped crying, grabbed Dazai’s coat with a bright red face and lowered head, then hurried away.
Dazai let himself be dragged along with an indifferent expression, though he did put on a slight air of being forced into it.
Momoi hurried after them.
“Wait for me, Ringo!”
They didn’t stop until they reached a quiet alley with hardly anyone around.
Ringo finally let go of Dazai and took a deep breath.
Just as she was about to say something, she noticed Momoi had caught up.
She quickly introduced them.
“Satsuki, this is my boyfriend, Osamu Dazai. Haru-kun, this is my neighbor from the apartment. She’s also the friend I mentioned before who wanted to meet you—Satsuki Momoi.”
Introducing her boyfriend to her friend…
It felt a little sudden.
Ringo thought to herself silently.
“Oh—is that so?”
Dazai turned to Momoi and greeted her.
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Momoi smiled warmly.
“Hello.”
“Um…”
Ringo unconsciously clasped her hands together.
She looked at Dazai with curious, expectant eyes.
“What made you suddenly come to see me, Haru-kun?”
“No particular reason.”
Dazai looked away.
“I just happened to be working nearby. After I finished, I felt like stopping by.”
Even Dazai himself couldn’t figure out why he’d come.
He hadn’t even planned to let Ringo know.
He’d simply happened to run into her as she was leaving class.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Ringo tilted her head.
“I don’t have classes every day. If you came, you might not have been able to find me.”
With both hands tucked into his coat pockets, Dazai answered solemnly,
“Fate would guide me to Little Ringo.”
Ringo’s face instantly turned bright red.
“D-Don’t suddenly say things like that!”
“Ahem!”
Momoi coughed loudly.
Once she’d gotten both of their attention, she smiled brightly.
“Could you two please remember that I’m still standing here?”
“Eh? Ah, um…”
Ringo flushed with embarrassment before asking Dazai,
“Satsuki and I were just about to have lunch. Would you like to join us, Haru-kun?”
The moment she invited him, something suddenly occurred to her.
Introducing her boyfriend to her friend…
Then eating together…
Did that mean she would have to keep the conversation going and prevent awkward silences?
Oh no…
She was terrible at that!
“No need to include me.”
Dazai declined immediately.
Running into Ringo hadn’t been part of his plans to begin with.
Having lunch with both her and her friend had certainly never crossed his mind.
Momoi, however, smiled and said,
“I think I’m actually the one who doesn’t need to come.”
She looked at the two of them with a grin.
“You two go enjoy your date~”
“What about you, Satsuki?”
“I’ll just find another friend to have lunch with.”
She answered so casually that after saying goodbye to Ringo and Dazai, she skipped off with light, cheerful steps.
Ringo puffed out her cheeks.
She’d forgotten.
Unlike her, a socially anxious person…
Momoi was a social butterfly.
Finding someone to eat with at the last minute was effortless for her.
As soon as Momoi left, Ringo immediately looked at Dazai again.
“Haru-kun, shall we go together?”
“Mmm…”
Dazai lowered his head slightly.
“Since your friend’s gone, I suppose I’ll take in the lonely Little Ringo.”
“What do you want to eat?”
Ringo answered happily,
“There’s a really delicious ramen shop near school. Everything’s self-service, so you don’t have to talk to the staff at all. Let’s go there!”
“Oh? Paradise for socially anxious people?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Dazai had no objections, so Ringo led him toward the ramen shop.
As they walked, she remembered she was still holding his handkerchief.
She handed it back.
“Haru-kun, your handkerchief.”
“You used it just now, didn’t you?” Dazai looked at her face. “Wash it first, then give it back to me.”
“Then I’ll return it to you the next time we meet!”
The two of them ate ramen together.
Afterward, Dazai suddenly announced that he wanted ice cream.
“In weather this cold?” Ringo asked uncertainly. “Are you sure?”
Dazai answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Isn’t ice cream supposed to be eaten when it’s cold?”
Before Ringo could respond, Dazai had already started walking away.
She hurried after him.
“There’s a really good shop up ahead. I’ll take you there.”
After arriving at the ice cream shop, Dazai studied the menu.
“Don’t you have crab-flavored ice cream?”
The employee maintained an awkward but professional smile.
Seeing that, Ringo quickly whispered,
“Of course they don’t!”
“Then there’s nothing here I really want.”
Looking thoroughly disappointed, Dazai kept his eyes on the menu.
“Any flavors you’d recommend, Little Ringo?”
“Um… the melon and chocolate flavors are both really good!”
“Then I’ll have…”
He paused.
“…strawberry.”
“Then why did you even ask me?!”
Their ice cream was served shortly afterward.
Watching Dazai eat his, Ringo remembered the conversation she’d had with Momoi after class.
“Um, Haru-kun… Halloween…”
She looked at him hopefully.
“Let’s spend it together.”
“Halloween?”
Only then did Dazai look up.
“You mean that festival where people go around begging for candy like beggars, and if they don’t get any, they kill whoever refused?”
“No!” Ringo waved her hands frantically.
“It’s ‘trick or treat,’ not murder! Don’t make it sound so scary.”
She looked at him again.
“So… do you want to spend it together?”
“Hmm…”
Dazai rested his chin on one hand.
“I’m still not sure if I’ll be free that day.”
After all…”
“You know how busy work keeps me.”
Ringo took a spoonful of ice cream.
“I know… but what exactly is your job, Haru-kun? Even that subordinate I met before felt kind of scary.”
“The Mafia is scary.”
Dazai set down his spoon.
“You still don’t believe me. At this point, I guess I have no choice but to tell you.”
He spoke with complete seriousness.
“I’m actually an Ability user.”
Ringo’s eyes widened.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Simply put…”
Dazai thought for a moment.
“A person with superpowers.”
“So…” Ringo asked eagerly, “can you grow bigger and smaller?”
“…No.”
“Then can you fly through the sky or burrow underground? Like Superman?”
“…Also no.”
Ringo looked confused.
Dazai suddenly felt that his ice cream wasn’t sweet anymore.
For the first time in his life, he felt that his Ability—
No Longer Human.
Despite having such an incredibly cool name…
It merely nullified other Ability users’ powers.
It didn’t seem nearly as cool anymore.
Especially when facing an ordinary person.
There wasn’t even any way to demonstrate it.
“About Halloween…”
Dazai looked away as if nothing had happened, casually changing the subject.
“I’m still not sure. I’ll let you know once I’ve decided.”
“Mm-hmm. Okay.”
Ringo obediently didn’t bring up his Ability again.
Instead, she smiled and asked,
“Is the ice cream good?”
“It’s all right.”
Dazai took another bite before suddenly remembering something.
“Oh, right, Little Ringo.”
“What is it?”
Turning back toward her, Dazai realized she was looking at him with complete attention.
She had even put down her spoon.
It suddenly occurred to him that Ringo always listened to him like this.
Proper posture.
Completely focused eyes.
“My friends…”
He spoke very quickly.
“They want to meet you too.”
After blurting it out, he cautiously glanced at her.
Ringo’s eyes widened.
“Haru-kun’s friends?”
“Yeah.”
Dazai nodded before adding,
“If you don’t want to meet them—”
“I do!”
Ringo interrupted him immediately.
“B-But… I might need a little time to prepare.”
“You can take your time.”
Dazai poked at his ice cream with his spoon.
“I don’t even know when they’ll be free anyway.”
“What are your friends like, Haru-kun?”
“One’s a healing-type guy who loves spicy curry.”
“The other’s the ultimate corporate slave who’s completely addicted to working.”
“I’ll prepare gifts!”
Having finally spent such a pleasant day together with Dazai, Ringo was still immersed in her happiness on the way home.
Momoi had returned earlier.
Hearing the sound of the neighboring apartment door opening, she stuck her head out.
“Ringo, you got a package. I brought it back for you.”
“For me? Thanks, Satsuki.”
After closing the door to her own apartment, Ringo went next door, looking puzzled.
“I didn’t order anything. Did someone send me a package?”
“I took a look.”
Momoi placed the package in front of her.
“The sender is listed as ‘Takeshi Yamamoto.'”
“Huh?”
Ringo’s eyes flew wide open.
“Takeshi?”