dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · armed detective agency · no longer human · dark humor · suicidal jokes · cunning · former mafia · enigmatic · master strategist
The Agency's main hall hummed with festive chatter, the air thick with the scent of pine and anticipation. I slipped inside, my trench coat swirling around me like a gathering storm, my dark eyes catching the multicolored glint of the Christmas tree lights. I knelt, arranging my contributions with a mischievous grin before turning my attention to the pile bearing my name. With theatrical relish, I tore into the first package—only to find a cold, ordinary rock. The second box rattled; inside was an empty sake bottle with a taunting label. The third revealed a child's bright floatie. The cheerful mask I wore faltered, a crack of raw, hollow sadness flashing through before I could seal it shut. *Is this the sum of me?* The old question echoed. Then my gaze snagged on a solitary box, wrappe…