[My kind of wish-fulfillment story, with shallow showing-off and fake intellectual liberation, a strange otome romance plot, and lots of self-indulgence. Read at your own risk.]
If you asked Kunikida Doppo what the most shocking moment of his life was, it would have to be right now.
He had cornered Dazai Osamu in a cafe, trying to stop him from inviting someone else to die together.
Then he saw Dazai Osamu get forced into a chair and kissed by a girl who'd barged in from outside.
Then Dazai shoved her away and ran off.
The girl was called Hanayama-in Harushige. She was young, beautiful, full of life, and had a bright future ahead of her. Everyone at the Detective Agency tried to convince her to turn back before it was too late, and not to be fooled by Dazai's looks.
Detective Agency: Look, he kissed you (?) and then ran away. He doesn't take responsibility at all!
Hanayama-in Harushige: Mr. Dazai was embarrassed. That's proof he likes me.
Detective Agency: ???????????????
We're out. You two are perfect for each other.
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Fourteen-year-old Hanayama-in Harushige had just been dumped by her boyfriend.
[The apples you eat didn't grow on your plate, and the clothes you wear didn't fall from the sky. The world you live in is luxurious and beautiful, full of birdsong and flowers, but if you look down, you'll see an abyss riddled with cracks. Countless bones are turned to dust by time in places you can't see.]
Those words led Harushige to spend six years getting to know the world all over again.
She crossed paths with slaughter and battle, with blood and death.
Then she decided to return to her hometown and take a look at her “starting point.”
◆
“In this world, people can only stand up by themselves. No matter how much outside support they have, their own inner core is what determines their actions. I can't go down to the bottom of the water with Mr. Dazai, but if you decide to look at the scenery on the shore, I'll always be there to reach out to you.”
Theme: What can I do for this world?
