The clinic had turned into a trap-filled zone.

Upon his return, Mori took a sharp breath, cautiously stepping back from the doorway and asking his dear Alice to cut the nearly invisible wires around him.

“Dazai, you didn’t need to go this far to train Hyakki.”

He had merely given Dazai a book on traps, and the latter had eagerly applied its lessons, turning the clinic into a death trap. Dazai didn’t seem to worry about the possibility of maiming or beheading future patients seeking help.

Dazai innocently replied, “Hyakki is fine with it!”

Hyakki silently “looked” at his beloved, wanting to say, **I think there might be a problem…** His mind’s eye saw danger everywhere, and he had to slash at “obstacles” with his sword just to move a few meters. This also meant that the deity hadn’t appeared today.

Outside the clinic, Kusuo witnessed Mori’s difficult “homecoming” and wisely chose not to go inside.

**Sigh, let’s give them a peaceful night.**

He coldly thought about how kind he was. He didn’t go in not because he was conceding to Dazai’s antics, but out of consideration for Hyakki’s mental state. He was the invincible Kusuo, undefeated in everything from kindergarten rock-paper-scissors to various bets with Kurumi. He had never lost to anyone as an esper.

That night was eerily silent. Dazai, free from the bad habit of snoring, looked angelic while sleeping. His skin was fair, and his small face had a childlike softness.

Through the glass window of the ward, Hyakki saw the faint “white light” outside with his mind’s eye.

**Is the deity waiting for me outside?**

**What should I do?**

**It’s so difficult, Dororo is holding onto my waist.**

**How can I sneak out without waking Dororo? Wait, why am I using that word? Is meeting the deity something I should hide?**

Hyakki was momentarily conflicted.

Dazai, a light sleeper, opened a sliver of his dark eyes and heard Hyakki’s heartbeat.

**…Heh.**

The “No Longer Human” effect was triggered.

Kusuo couldn’t hear Dazai’s thoughts or Hyakki’s thoughts, so he didn’t waste a night waiting outside the clinic. Watching TV and catching up on homework at home were equally important.

After waiting and waiting, it was finally time for Dazai to go to work at the Port Mafia.

During the day, unable to accompany Hyakki, Dazai stuffed the “Complete Suicide Manual” back into his arms, giving him a phone number that he could show to passersby. “Take my book with you and don’t you dare meet that deity behind my back.”

Dazai deeply felt that Hyakki was too easy to abduct.

A husky?

A Samoyed?

Even in Alaska, the goofiest of the sled dogs, wouldn’t be so easily led away, right?

…Well, maybe they could.

Dazai felt defeated. The easier it had been to deceive Hyakki before, the more he now had to guard against others’ tricks.

**Dororo, don’t worry. I know you don’t want me to stay in the bandits’ lair. I’ll wait for you every day. If you don’t come back on time, I’ll go to the lair to see you and Father-in-law.**

With a face that didn’t realize how “completely defenseless” he looked, Hyakki tried to comfort “Dororo.”

“Sigh.”

**Is Dororo unhappy?**

Hyakki, with his heightened sensitivity to life flames, noticed this and gave Dazai, who had to go out and earn a living, a hug. The effect of the hug had been diminishing; it wasn’t as effective as it used to be.

The life flame was gray and wilting.

Hyakki secretly encouraged himself, fumbling to find Dazai’s face and pinpointing a spot.

In the early morning, he placed a kiss on Dazai’s cheek.

Dazai’s listless eyes widened. It wasn’t an accidental bump; it was the most common kiss in the world.

“You…!”

An ordinary day became extraordinary.

Even the slightest action or hint could reveal details to the observant Dazai. Suddenly, his emotions were in turmoil. He didn’t want to delve into its significance, but the soft touch left on his cheek lingered in his mind.