Osamu Dazai's Entrance Exam (Bungo Stray Dogs 1)

—So just who is this client?

—Why wasn’t there a name?

—Perhaps the client really is a vengeful spirit?

Dazai’s words spring to mind.

Nothing but darkness in every single direction. The howling wind blowing through the building’s cracks is reminiscent of a woman’s sobs.

…………

I don’t believe in ghosts. I teach algebra, and I’m a believer in the sciences. Vengeful spirits appearing to kill the living is nothing more than a delusion created by a fear of the dark—the unknown.

…………

I’m not afraid, I’m not shaking, and I’m not crying, either!

“Ghost!!”

Gyaaah!!

Dazai’s sudden shrieking from up ahead causes my heart to skip a beat. He turns around, staring at me with his mouth opened wide. Then, after getting a good look at me, he slowly but surely begins to grin.

That bastard…!

“I’m going to fire you for that!”

“Aw c’mon, you just looked so nervous that I wanted to take your mind off things.”

“Go to hell!”

I hurry ahead and push past him. Damn it. It’s dark. I can’t see a thing. Eyes peering from the shadows, sighing coming from empty space: It’s so dark that my mind’s starting to play tricks on me.

Dark.

So dark.

I can’t take it anymore.

“The Matchless Poet: Flashliiight!!”

Let there be light.

After examining the inside of the abandoned hospital, it becomes clear that people have been coming here. There are scuff marks on the floor from a cart of some sort, footprints left from leather shoes, and threads from clothes. But it still isn’t clear if this is evidence left by someone who sneaks in here every night or just the remnants of past lootings. I illuminate my surroundings with the flashlight I created, but it’s not enough to eliminate the overpowering darkness and its hold over the hospital.

I am quite literally groping in the dark. The ocean of nothingness engulfs my feet as I light up the path before me, but casting the flashlight across my feet only throws the path forward into shadow. I timidly move forward, yet I still find nothing of importance.

“Looks like someone was just playing a prank. C’mon, let’s head home,” Dazai says as he turns on his heel, finally weary of this.

“Hold on. What happened to ‘carefully and thoroughly investigating, examining, and reaching logical deductions’? Calling it quits already? We need to find more evidence bef—”

“That won’t be necessary. Here, check this out.”

He picks up a black cord with both ends disappearing into the floor… Wait.

“Is that…an electrical wire?”

And a rather new one, at that. It’s obviously different from the interior wiring originally used in this old run-down hospital. This wire must have been installed within the past few months.