Extra 11 (Watching Boss Dazai's Life)

["Tell me who the culprit is."

"I'm not telling."

"Hey!"

"Tch."

"..."

"You actually have no idea who the culprit is, do you?"

"No, of course I know. How could some grade-schooler compare to me?"

"Come on, come on! You'll never beat me if all you do is defend."

"..."]

"This feels familiar."

The scene successfully reminded Shoko Ieiri of the first time she had met Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto.

Those two had gotten into a fight the moment they met. Although it hadn't been this kind of fight, the way these two went at each other was very much like Gojo and Geto.

Of course, those two had become best buddies in no time, joining Osamu Dazai as Jujutsu High's three greatest menaces.

Still, seeing such a childish side of Osamu Dazai was truly astonishing. It was something the younger group had never encountered, something no one had ever told them about even after they grew up.

Because even Masamichi Yaga had never seen Osamu Dazai like this.

["Oh dear. What a shame."

In fact, they had already been playing here for over twenty minutes. Osamu Dazai and Chūya Nakahara had made a bet on their game: the loser had to obey one command from the winner, as faithfully as a dog.

There was no need to say who had won. After all, Chūya Nakahara getting played by Osamu Dazai was perfectly normal.

"What command should I give you?~" Having won, Osamu Dazai teased Chūya Nakahara in a peculiar tone.

"I was really confident about this one!"

Chūya Nakahara rose and roared indignantly, then stood off to the side in frustration, seemingly unable to understand why he had lost at the game he was best at.

"Your ability is too powerful. That's why you lost. Because it's so powerful, you never developed any cunning or an eye for detail."

Osamu Dazai casually waved his right hand, putting on a helpless expression as he continued to hoodwink Chūya Nakahara.

"Whether in video games or deduction contests."

"Deduction contests?"

Chūya Nakahara looked confused for a moment, then braced both hands against the arcade machine and roared at Dazai.

"When did I ever compete with you at deduction? When did I ever lose to you?"

As always, Osamu Dazai wore an indifferent expression as he watched Chūya Nakahara rage in front of him. He waved his hand again and continued, utterly unconcerned.

"Then let's compete. We'll see who catches the culprit first and makes them answer for it."

"If you win, we'll forget the result of this game."

"If I win, you'll be my dog for the rest of your life."

With a distinctly ill-intentioned smile, Osamu Dazai looked at the thoroughly enraged Chūya Nakahara and spoke lightly.

"Fine! I accept your challenge!"

"You've got some nerve saying I'm not cunning or meticulous!"

"As if I'd ever show someone like you my trump card!"

Chūya Nakahara spoke furiously.]

"..." Had the audience fallen completely silent?

"Did he just get suckered?" Yuji Itadori ventured cautiously, looking in confusion at his seniors and teachers from Jujutsu High.

"Yes." But the one who answered Yuji Itadori was Toji Zenin, sitting many seats away from him.

Toji Zenin couldn't understand it. If he remembered correctly, his boss had always shown a very obvious loathing for dogs.

Making someone else his dog-was that really possible?

"Isn't the real issue that Dazai would never make someone swear an oath like that?"

As far as Suguru Geto was concerned, Osamu Dazai had always been a lone wolf, walking through the abyss alone. Perhaps a tiny handful of people could see him, but absolutely no one could see through him.

Twice outright telling someone to be his dog, and bickering with Chūya Nakahara the moment they met-it really was astonishing.

In an instant, every trace of that gloomy boy's refined air had been swept away.

"Mr. Dazai must have his reasons for doing this."

Nanako and Mimiko were confused. Nanako and Mimiko were resolute. And they spoke in unison.

Suguru Geto: ...

Suguru Geto: Dazai, I really didn't raise them this way on purpose. Even if your spirit is watching from beyond the grave, at least let me explain. The Buddha is merciful. This has nothing to do with me.

As for Masamichi Yaga-oh, Teacher Yaga was absolutely delighted by this scene.

Compared with the lifeless Osamu Dazai, seeing him play games, make bets, or fool around with someone made Masamichi Yaga, who truly regarded him as a child, very happy. Although this behavior wasn't quite right, that didn't stop Yaga from shamelessly taking his side.

"Fifteen. He's still a child," Masamichi Yaga murmured.

The younger ones forced to listen to their principal's muttering: "..."

["When you fight, you tend to hold back your fists and use kicks instead. Does that have something to do with your trump card?"

In contrast to Chūya Nakahara's angry voice, Osamu Dazai seemed to have suddenly lost all the liveliness in his earlier speech, becoming calm and lifeless in an instant.

"I'll fight however I want."

After that little interlude, Chūya Nakahara quickly calmed down as well. He silently lowered his foot from the arcade machine, slipped his hands into his pockets, and turned his back on Osamu Dazai.

"I see. So you deliberately held back during the fight."

"By the way, why are you looking for Arahabaki? Why are you interested in him?"

Although Osamu Dazai's words were questions, his tone didn't sound questioning at all.

It was as though he had expected this all along, as though there was something else behind it.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you always trying to die?"

"...!?"

Chūya Nakahara turned his head to look at Osamu Dazai, who had been sitting in front of the arcade machine. Then, seemingly catching an accidental glimpse of something, he curled in on himself.

"What's wrong?"

Osamu Dazai rose like a ghost, looking at Chūya Nakahara with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Just shut up for a second."

Chūya Nakahara said this in a lowered voice.

Osamu Dazai calmly shifted his gaze to the two people entering through the doorway.

They both looked about fifteen or sixteen. The white-haired one was clearly a little older, though not by much.

"They're wearing blue wristbands. Sheep members, right?"

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"How am I supposed to face them like this?"

Chūya Nakahara lowered his voice again, trying to keep the two people at the entrance from hearing him.

After a brief moment of thought, Osamu Dazai loudly called out to Chūya Nakahara.

"Hey! Chūya Nakahara, get to work! These are the Boss's orders!"

"You bastard! Shut up!"

Chūya Nakahara sprang up from the floor, his face full of fury, looking very much as though he wanted to punch Osamu Dazai.]

"Pfft..."

Satoru Gojo, at least, thoroughly enjoyed this part. On a scale of ten, his enjoyment was a twelve.

Fun was fun, no matter whose expense it came at. Embarrassing history was embarrassing history, no matter whose it was.

Anyway, he didn't care about his own embarrassing history.

"How does Dazai manage to keep picking on the same person?"

"Getting targeted by him is the beginning of someone's misfortune, in every sense."

Toji Zenin fell silent. He had plenty of authority to speak on this subject.

Although everything had begun with nothing more than a deal, had no one considered how he had survived these past five years?

His boss had absolutely no human decency. Although he would do anything for his wife's sake, that didn't stop him from harboring a great deal of resentment toward this lousy boss.

I'm losing my mind. I ran a fever of 40°C all day. The doctor said it wasn't a big deal, but I feel like I'm about to die.

But apparently it really isn't a big deal? Like hell it isn't. I've got COVID.

I was wondering why this was so ridiculous.

When I got sick before, I never stayed sick for days on end like this.

There was probably someone with COVID on the plane I took. I started running a fever after I got back that day, and it got so bad I fell apart before finally remembering that COVID was still a thing.

Cursing up a storm here. Today's the last day of my leave. Considering I've already had COVID three times, I'm incredibly used to this by now.

Ignore my rambling. I haven't reached 1,000 words yet, so I can't post this. This chapter will still be filled out to around 6,000.

Once I'm better, I'll make up whatever's missing, counting it at 6,000 a day.