The hand operating the ride-hailing app came to a stop. Ringo couldn’t help looking at Dazai. The moment he answered the phone, she sensed a subtle change in his demeanor.
“Right now?” the young man said, his voice dropping slightly. “Got it.”
Hearing that, Ringo’s eyes dimmed.
She began wondering how to refund the movie tickets.
Looks like today’s date is over.
After hanging up, Dazai silently looked at Ringo.
“Work?”
“Yeah.”
Ringo pressed her lips together. Though she felt disappointed, she still forced a smile and tried to sound cheerful.
“Then it can’t be helped. Go take care of your work first.”
Sigh… We’d finally managed to have a proper date.
But she couldn’t really complain.
There had been another time when Dazai had left in the middle of a date because of work. The next time they met, she’d only made a small complaint, and Dazai had simply replied,
“What else was I supposed to do?”
They hadn’t contacted each other for several days after that, and Ringo had ended up reflecting on herself instead, wondering if she’d been too unreasonable.
After that, she never complained again.
Ah… Little Ringo looks like she’s about to cry.
For perhaps the first time in a long while, Dazai felt the tiniest pang of guilt.
Just as he was about to say something, Ringo asked,
“Do you need me to call you a taxi?”
She held up her phone.
“I was just about to book one.”
“No need.”
Dazai took out his own phone.
“I’ll just have someone come pick me up.”
After saying that, he dialed a number.
As Ringo listened, she noticed that his tone had become much brighter than it had been during the previous call.
“Chuuuuuya—”
Dazai called out in an exaggeratedly affectionate voice.
“Come pick me up~”
The person on the other end shouted loudly enough for even Ringo to hear.
“Pick you up, my ass! You definitely went and jumped into the ocean again, didn’t you?! I’m busy!”
Jumped into the ocean?
Ringo blinked in confusion.
“I’ve got an emergency,” Dazai said, instantly switching to an urgent tone. “I’ll send you my location, so hurry up and come get me, okay?”
“I said I’m not picking you up!”
“I’ll expect you here within ten minutes!”
Without waiting for a response, Dazai decisively hung up and immediately sent his live location to his partner, Chuuya Nakahara.
Seeing Dazai looking completely relaxed—even humming to himself—Ringo asked worriedly,
“Osamu… who did you call?”
“Chuuya?”
Dazai slipped his phone back into his trench coat pocket.
“My partner.”
“Will he really come?”
Ringo looked doubtful.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I just called you a taxi?”
The person on the phone had clearly said he wasn’t coming.
Dazai pulled his game console from another pocket and answered confidently, completely unconcerned.
“He’ll definitely come. Don’t worry.”
Ten minutes.
Just enough time to finish one game.
Ringo hesitated.
How can someone arrive late and leave early on a date… and then spend the last ten minutes playing video games?!
As if sensing her thoughts, Dazai suddenly looked up.
“Want to watch me play?”
“…Yes!”
…
By the time Chuuya Nakahara rushed to the location Dazai had sent him, he found the man squatting on the side of the road, happily playing a video game.
…Where’s the emergency, you bastard?! You look completely carefree!
His blood pressure shot up so fast that he nearly ripped off his helmet and threw it at Dazai’s head.
How do I keep forgetting the golden rule? Never believe a single word that comes out of Dazai’s mouth.
Taking a deep breath, Chuuya twisted the throttle and sped straight toward Dazai.
Then, just as he noticed the girl standing beside him, he slammed on the brakes and stared at her in confusion.
Who’s this?
Ringo had been completely absorbed in watching Dazai’s game. Just as it seemed he was about to finish, the roar of a motorcycle approached from afar.
Looking up, she saw a black heavy motorcycle stop in front of them.
The rider removed his helmet.
His slightly long orange hair was tied into a small braid beside his ear.
Being scrutinized from above by a complete stranger instantly made Ringo nervous.
Just then, triumphant victory music rang out from the game console.
“I won~!”
Dazai held up the console triumphantly.
Looking excited, he turned to Ringo.
“Little Ringo, did you see that last move? It was super cool—”
Then he noticed the blank, bewildered look on her face.
His own face immediately fell.
“Ehh? You didn’t see it?”
“I thought you were going to watch me play.”
“You’re so inattentive!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Ringo apologized in a panic before pointing at Chuuya.
“B-But… um…”
“Hm?”
Dazai followed her finger.
“Oh. It’s just Chuuya.”
He stood up.
“Little Ringo missed the moment of my glorious victory.”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s Chuuya’s fault.”
“You bastard…”
Chuuya ground his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
The hand gripping his helmet trembled.
“You’ve got a death wish, don’t you?!”
Since this idiot is always trying to kill himself anyway, maybe I should just do everyone a favor and send him off myself. It’d count as cleaning up the organization while I’m at it.
Dazai casually put away his game console, completely ignoring Chuuya’s threat.
Instead, he smiled at Ringo.
“My chauffeur’s here.”
“I’ll get going~”
“Who the hell is your chauffeur, you damn mackerel?!”
Chuuya snapped before looking at Ringo again.
“By the way… who’s she?”
They seemed awfully close.
Dazai had already climbed onto the motorcycle.
Hearing the question, he answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“My girlfriend.”
Chuuya’s pupils shook violently.
Then he whipped around and shouted,
“Don’t introduce your girlfriend that casually! At least tell me her name!”
Damn it! How does trash like Dazai have such an adorable girlfriend?
He tricked her, didn’t he? He definitely tricked her!
Ringo had been watching Dazai.
Even after getting onto the motorcycle, he leaned his upper body backward, leaving a noticeable gap between himself and Chuuya.
So he really doesn’t like physical contact with other people.
But when she heard Dazai call her his girlfriend, happiness welled up inside her.
She didn’t mind the casual way he’d introduced her.
Summoning every ounce of courage she had to speak to a stranger, she said politely,
“Hello. My name is Ringo Shirakawa.”
“I’m Osamu’s girlfriend.”
Chuuya had been glaring furiously at Dazai.
The moment he heard Ringo introduce herself, he hurriedly turned back, his tone becoming much gentler.
“Hello.”
“I’m this guy’s partner.”
“My name’s Chuuya Nakahara.”
“See?”
Dazai shrugged.
“She introduced herself just fine.”
Then he looked back at Ringo.
“We’ll make up today’s movie next time we go on a date.”
Ringo’s eyes immediately lit up.
“When will that be?”
“Hmm…”
“The next time I don’t have work.”
Dazai answered.
The vein on Chuuya’s forehead throbbed violently.
“When have you ever worked seriously?!”
“That hurts.”
Dazai sounded aggrieved.
“I work seriously every single day.”
“Heh.”
Ringo stepped closer and took an exquisite little paper bag out of her backpack.
“This is for you.”
“What is it?”
Dazai accepted it curiously.
“Cookies.”
Ringo smiled sheepishly.
“I wanted to bake them myself, but… I’m terrible at cooking, so I bought them instead.”
“But they’re really delicious.”
“When you’re tired from work, have some.”
She clenched her fists encouragingly.
“Good luck with work!”
Standing beside them, Chuuya was so moved he almost wanted to cry.
Dazai’s girlfriend has been completely fooled…
That bastard doesn’t work hard at all!
Dazai looked down at the paper bag in his hand, his emotions unexpectedly complicated.
Meeting Ringo’s clear violet eyes, he narrowed his own slightly.
“Then I’m off.”
Ringo waved vigorously.
“Bye-bye!”
Then she politely said to Chuuya,
“Goodbye, Nakahara-san.”
“Yeah. See you.”
Ringo watched as Chuuya’s motorcycle carried Dazai away in a cloud of dust.
Then she sighed and reopened her phone.
Ahhh…
The movie tickets can’t be refunded… What am I supposed to do now?!
…
After returning to the Port Mafia headquarters, Dazai got off the motorcycle and casually tossed the helmet back to Chuuya.
“What a pain.”
“Work interrupted my date.”
Chuuya barely caught the helmet before hurrying after him.
“Your girlfriend has an amazing temper.”
“Anyone else would’ve thrown a fit.”
“Mmm…”
Dazai shoved both hands into his pockets.
“Little Ringo really is easygoing.”
“Come to think of it, I was late today too.”
“She didn’t complain at all.”
“Hah?”
Chuuya’s face filled with disbelief.
“You showed up late and left early during a date with your girlfriend.”
“As expected of you, you damn bastard.”
“Seriously, how did your girlfriend ever fall for someone like you?”
“You tricked her, didn’t you?”
“You definitely tricked her!”
“Nope—”
Dazai stuck out his tongue at Chuuya before declaring proudly,
“My girlfriend was the one who asked me, ‘Please go out with me.'”
“So I agreed~”
“Liar!”
“Tsk, tsk.”
“Chuuya, your jealousy is showing.”
The two continued bickering as they walked.
Coming toward them were Hirotsu—and another man neither of them had seen before.
The newcomer was tall and well-built, easily around six foot three. He wore a black suit over a teal-blue dress shirt. The hilt of a Japanese sword protruded from behind his back.
Despite carrying a sword, he didn’t seem intimidating.
If anything, he gave off an easygoing, friendly impression.
“Ah, Dazai-san. Chuuya-san.”
Hirotsu greeted them.
“The Boss has been waiting for both of you.”
Turning to Dazai, he asked,
“Dazai-san, did your date go well today?”
“So-so.”
Dazai replied casually.
Chuuya looked curiously at the unfamiliar man beside Hirotsu.
“Hirotsu-san, who’s this?”
“My apologies.”
Hirotsu stepped aside slightly.
“Allow me to introduce him.”
“This is Takeshi Yamamoto, the Rain Guardian of the Italian Mafia family, the Vongola.”
The man named Yamamoto flashed Dazai and Chuuya a bright, open smile and raised a hand in greeting.
“Yo.”
“Nice to meet you.”