The Missing Photo

The logo outside the bar reads Lupin.

Oda-san and I are sitting beside each other. I guessed Oda-san comes here regularly because the bartender already knows what drink he would order without asking any word. He carefully places the drink in front of Oda-san as soon as he takes his seat.

"Atsushi-kun, are you going to drink too?" Oda-san asked. I look at him with a startled expression, thinking of what I should answer.

I am not good at drinking, but I felt my head nodding on its own to answer him yes.

After a few minutes, Oda-san is now starting to drink and I am also drinking a juice. I blink in confusion, looking at Oda-san as he is the one who ordered that drink for me. He told the bartender to give me a juice and because he's a regular customer here and the two are quite close, the bartender didn't hesitate to give Oda-san what he asked.

I raised the glass in front of me and took a sip on my juice. The flavor is lemon. It refreshed my lungs so I drank more. The taste lingers on my tongue for a while.

After a minute, I glanced at Oda-san when I didn't hear him speak and noticed that he was looking somewhere at the bar entrance, waiting for someone.

"Are you expecting to meet someone here, Oda-san?" I asked. He looked at me and shook his head twice.

"Not really... I mean, it's true that I'm waiting for someone, but I know he's not coming back here again."

It's the first time I heard Oda-san's voice sounding sad. His eyes also look lonely and tired.

"He?" I asked. Tilting my head as I heard the pronoun he used.

"Someone who I met here a year ago," he answered.

"May I know the reason why you're waiting for him?" I asked with hesitation. I thought he wouldn't answer my second question, but he still did.

"He left something here."

Oda-san opened the book he brought and inside of it, there's a photo. He held the picture with his hand and gave it to me, I accepted it and stared at the photo for a few seconds.

My jaw dropped and I almost fell down from my seat. There are three people in the photo and I can recognize all of their faces.

The first one is a man with short, dark hair that has bangs cut so they regularly show his eyebrows, and lightly-colored eyes behind circular framed glasses... He is Sakaguchi Ango, a government worker from the Special Division for Unusual Powers.

In the middle, there is Oda-san with his usual work outfit and beside him, is a face of a person that I could recognize and see everywhere. He is wearing a black suit and a bandage that is covering one of his eyes. It's Dazai-san.

I look at Oda-san, puzzled.

"I-Is he the one who left this photo here?" I asked while pointing at the man in the picture wearing a black coat. Oda-san nodded his head.

"Yes, he's the owner of that photo. The late former boss of the Port Mafia, Dazai Osamu."

I blink twice as the puzzle starts to find its missing pieces now. It now made sense.

Dazai-san was here in this world before and he has left this photo here—the reason why Dazai-san can't find it in the original world.

He's been searching for this photo for a long time.

"I met him here at this bar a year ago. He told me that it's the first time we've met, but I know that it's not true because I remember that I saw him before, 2 years prior to the day we met here for the second time. The first time we met was the time when I went outside my house and spotted him on the ground with several wounds and gunshots. I nursed him and let him stay in my house until he recovers, but sooner, I found out that he's working for the Port Mafia. He didn't stop until he convinced me to tell him about the whereabouts of the painting that I hid after killing the owner of it for a mission. 2 years later after that, we met again at this bar, and I actually have a lot of regrets about everything that happened during that time."

I listened to Oda-san patiently. It's about Dazai-san so I don't want to miss even a single word that he's going to say.

"I know that I hurted his feelings. I should've been careful of the words that I told him that time. He said that we are friends in the original world, but I didn't believe him. I consider him as my enemy after finding out that he's the boss of Port Mafia... I also told him not to call me Odasaku." Oda-san's face saddened, I saw a brief pain cross his eyes.

"I can still remember his reaction after I said that. I remember the look on his eyes that reflected his pain as he told me that it was so hard and difficult for him... I know that he's just trying to stop himself from crying in front of me at that time."

I felt my heart start breaking into pieces as I listened to it. I can't imagine Dazai-san in such a situation, but there's something off...

In this world, Oda-san knew that I was the White Reaper of the Port Mafia who once worked for Dazai-san, yet he told me about Dazai-san being the Port Mafia's boss like it's the first time that I would hear about it. He is acting like he knows that I am not the Atsushi they all used to know here.

Did he know that I am from the original world?

"He's your friend, right? The friend that you were thinking about when you almost fell on the river earlier.." asked Oda-san.

My mind suddenly went blank.

"H-How did you guess about that?" I asked.

"I actually know from the very first time I saw you at the agency that you are not the Atsushi who used to work for the Port Mafia. I was just with Atsushi when he suddenly disappeared. My ability is called Flawless, it allows me to see the danger that will happen 5 seconds before, so it's impossible for me to get a simple wound, yet you didn't question me that when you saw me wounded, instead, you didn't hesitate to help me with my wound so I have confirmed that it was just the first time you saw me as you have no idea about my ability."

"Do you mean, you wounded yourself earlier just to check whether I know your ability or not?" I asked in confusion, my eyes widened.

"Yes. I did it on purpose. I have seen with my own eyes how Atsushi disappeared so I went back to the agency immediately to report that he's missing, but I saw you talking with Kunikida-kun already when I got back there."

"Does it also mean... You brought me to this bar on purpose?"

Oda-san nodded his head gently. "Yes."

I didn't speak. I just waited for him to continue.

"I want to ask you about Dazai—your friend, from the original world. After I saw that picture a year ago, I actually want to believe that Dazai and I were really friends like what he told me before. But, I still need confirmation from you who have always been beside him in the original world."

My throat dries. I didn't want to say anything. I have been warned that if three or more people know about the truth at the same time, this world might vanish. If I said something, or confirmed it to Oda-san, then the thing that Dazai-san feared the most might happen anytime soon.

"Can't you tell it to me because something worse might happen? I don't care about it though.. Even if this fake world would crumble or disappear, I don't mind. I still want to know the truth. If he is really my friend from the original world, then I don't want to stay in this fake world writing novels without him..."

("Thank you.." .. "Goodbye Odasaku." .. "But I do have one regret, Odasaku.. I won't be able to read that novel you'll complete one day.")

Oda-san's face looks sad, it's as if he just remembered something that made his heart ache.

I stared at the photo once again.

Dazai-san might have cared about Oda-san a lot that he did everything for his friend to continue living and write novels in this world where he doesn't exist anymore.

"If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you to do it. But can I ask you to do me a favor?"

I nodded my head as I couldn't utter a word. My emotions absorb all of my strength, making me weak.

"Please give this book to him, I want him to read the completed novel that I wrote."

I think about it for a while.

Is it okay for me to do that? If I bring this book to the original world and give it to Dazai-san, would everything just be fine?

I have no idea. But my hand moved to accept the book anyway because right now, I just realized what I desired the most... The reason why Paula-chan's ability brought me to this world was because I have desired to find the missing piece on Dazai-san's heart.

His heart has a big hole because of regrets after Oda-san died and maybe, just maybe... If Dazai-san would read the novel that his friend completed... Maybe if I give this book to him, it would help him fix the big hole of regret in his heart.

I held the book tightly with my hand. I looked at Oda-san again and saw him ask for a pen and paper from the bartender before he started writing.

After he wrote, he folded the paper neatly and also wrote at the back of the photo before he gave both of the paper and the picture to me.

I placed the paper and the photo inside the book so it won't go anywhere.

"Give it to him for me, Atsushi-kun. If you go back to the original world, tell him that I'm doing fine. Tell him that I'm glad and relieved that he has a nice friend like you. Tell him I'm sorry for not being there for him and please hug him for me."

I nodded. My eyes became watery as my tears tempting to fall down. I became very emotional.

"Oda-san..." I called his name as I finally found my voice.

He raised his hand and patted my head gently. I was shocked when he did that, but I still managed to ask him a question.

"C-Can I call you Odasaku as well?" I asked.

It didn't take him a minute to answer me with a genuine smile.

"Sure,"

I returned the smile back to him. We continued chatting and drinking.

##

Time flew swiftly and Atsushi suddenly felt dizzy. He knew that it wasn't because of the alcohol because he only drank juice.

His head hurts so he told the man beside him that he would just take a nap. Oda smiled and nodded his head. Atsushi rested his forehead on the table. He held the book in his hand tightly before he closed his eyes.

Not long after, Atsushi's other hand started to vanish. He remained his eyes closed until he completely disappeared from the sight and it was only Oda left at the bar, sitting and drinking alone—forgetting that he was just having a deep conversation with Atsushi a while ago.