The meanings of the Chinese characters are the same.

A question mark, it’s a way Hyakki can express questions.

“Love？” Dazai was perplexed. He had experienced rare love in his fleeting life, but he had never loved anyone. His fondness for Hyakki was already an unprecedented intense emotion.

“Dororo, do you love me?”

The fourteen-year-old Hyakki used precious words to ask the person he liked.

Dazai couldn’t deny it. This person was on the brink of despair, clumsily questioning his own feelings.

He thought to himself: If I reject him, will this person leave me?

No.

He didn’t want that.

Such a complex emotion. He didn’t have time to think about it anymore. Love and not loving should be left to explore in the future. He just wanted Hyakki to regain his former self and face this frightening world for him.

Dazai cradled Hyakki’s cheek, kissing his lips tenderly.

“Yes, I love you.”

— That’s the answer I can give you.

Hyakki forcibly closed off his inner world, unable to perceive the outside, yet it was pried open a crack.

He “saw” the gray soul flame burning, nearing his own.

He sensed…

Dororo kissing him, even his ugly self.

Outside the world of “Dororo,” he found another Dororo of his own.

Hyakki wanted to cry out in pain, frantically searching for his mask. The ground was covered in ash, and the mask had fallen not far away. He reached for it but was stopped before he could put it on.

Dazai closed his eyes, envisioning the blurry face of the other person in the same darkness.

“The Hyakki I see isn’t ugly.”

“Your soul is the most dazzling among countless others I’ve seen.”

He held Hyakki’s hand and drew an expression on the ground.

——^_^.

Smile a little. Hyakki looks best when smiling. Show me everything that looks best on you.

At the headquarters of the port mafia, Mori watched the clinic’s surveillance video without saying a word.

Alice lowered her head to draw with crayons and said, “Mori, is it okay to continue like this? Is it Dazai who led Hyakki into darkness, or is it Hyakki who pulled Dazai out of darkness?”

Mori’s fingers brushed his lower lip, his expression indifferent. As an adult, he retrieved a little warmth from his thoughts full of scheming.

“It’s good that he has weaknesses.”

Compared to the unpredictable Dazai, the emotional Dazai seemed so tender and cute.

“Hyakki can accept darkness.”

Since Hyakki started calling him “father-in-law,” Mori had discovered that this interesting puppet-like youth wasn’t so single-minded. Despite knowing he was an unflinching killer, he was willing to accept himself for Dazai’s sake, because understanding and forgiveness were possible among family.

Hyakki, who embraces darkness, will be stronger than Hyakki who can only live in light and kindness.

“Oh, that’s right, I need to continue reporting to Teacher Natsume!”

Mori raised his index finger.

Every day finding an excuse to contact Teacher Natsume—how wonderful!

Received a call from his disciple, Natsume glanced at the two walking away supported by each other, his calm gaze seemingly seeing their future. He found his phone, then hung up with a kick.

“I’m not feeling happy about this!”

“The student you’ve taught, at such a young age, already spouting sweet words like ‘I love you’! How can one say such things so easily?”

…

At home, Kusuo sighed without expression, retracting his “Clairvoyance” state. He ate the coffee pudding on the table, feeling none of its sweetness.

“Mom.”

His mother, Kurumi, came out of the kitchen, smiling like a girl. Behind her natural demeanor was her love for her family. “Kusuo, did you go out for a while? Did you meet that poor child?”

Kusuo swallowed the coffee pudding and calmly replied in his mind.

“I met him.”

Yeah, and almost drove him crazy.

His conscience was a little uneasy.