“I’ve been scheming since you were in diapers.”
Dazai hadn’t been exaggerating. Kunikida then lowered his head to Tanizaki apologetically.
“Sorry, Tanizaki.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Tanizaki smiled. “It was a good experience.”
That was the truth. He had made it this far in life because he was easily swayed by others. He went along with Kunikida’s scheme because he was asked to, and he was going to play the bomber because that was the role shoved onto him. Despite having a slightly bizarre skill, he wasn’t great in combat like the other agents, nor was he especially cunning. Tanizaki didn’t have any mortal enemies, nor did he have a dark past or any trauma. He was an ordinary guy. The only thing he really even wished for was his little sister’s happiness.
Even then, he didn’t care where the tide took him as long as he was in the detective agency. Therefore, he even planned on having fun with the bomber’s role that was pushed onto him. Fortunately, nobody had ever rebuked him for being weak-willed.
“Nothing wrong with being weak. Let the tide take you somewhere far away.”
Tanizaki thought back to something a former teacher had once said to him. Just when he lifted his head back up with a wry smirk, the waiter brought their food to the table.
“Sigh. We wasted an entire day for nothing,” muttered Kunikida. “Tanizaki, have whatever you want. I know it’s not enough to pay you back for all that lost time, but tonight’s on me.”
“Hooray!” cheered Dazai.
“I’m not paying for you.”
Kunikida asked the waitress for another glass of sake before facing the table once more.
“By the way, we never got to finish talking about why the detective agency was founded, did we?” Tanizaki commented while picking up a slice of potato with his chopsticks.
“Oh, right…” After taking a taste of his sake, Kunikida let out a deep sigh. “The president rarely talks about his past or himself. He doesn’t give much instruction, either. When the time comes, he’ll tell us how the agency was founded.” Kunikida stared off into space and continued as if he were talking to himself. “I’d love to meet the person who convinced the president to start it.”
Dazai ambiguously smirked. Tanizaki then thought to himself that if it was someone that well acquainted with the agency, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if they had already met the person. Perhaps it was even somebody they knew very well.
“But I bet you everyone’s dying to know. Go ask the boss next time we’re at work, Kunikida.”
“Why me? You do it.”
“All right, let’s all draw slips of paper to deci—”
“I am never drawing lots again.” Kunikida scowled at Dazai.
“How about we play a game where the four of us, including the president, draw lots, and the loser has to tell an embarrassing story from their past? That could work, methinks.”
“Well, ‘methinks’ you need to shut up!” Kunikida yelled. “The only outcome I can see is me telling embarrassing stories about my past alone!”
He tossed back his sake, then lazily drooped his head. Tanizaki slightly bowed when the waitress brought them another dish.
“I ended up somehow helping you avoid taking responsibility today. It’s humiliating. I really thought I had you this time,” groaned Kunikida. “I don’t care how I do it. I just want to win and make you say uncle.”
“Ha-ha. All you had to do was ask, and I’ll say it as many times as you’d like. Uncle. Uncle… Now, I wonder what kind of food awaits us under this lid here,” Dazai said while reaching out for the plate the waitress left.
“By the way, Dazai, you drew a three, the smallest number after mine…which means you’re supposed to bring the new guy on the day of the test.” Tanizaki curiously tilted his head to the side. “Why didn’t you try to avoid doing that, too?”
“Uncle, uncle, uncle. That’s because during the meeting today I felt that Kunikida wasn’t just trying to make me pay for everything I do to him on a daily basis. It was like he also wanted me to learn something during this entrance exam, and, well, you have to show a little gratitude for people’s goodwill every once in a while.”
“Hmph. You’re just the absolute worst,” Kunikida spat before looking away as if to hide his expression.
Dazai dragged the plate closer and reached for the lid. As he glanced toward the back of the pub, he commented, “Huh. I feel like I’ve seen that waitress from somewhere before…”
He removed the lid, which instantly made a clicking sound.
“……Hmm…?”