The city of Yokohama was a maze of salt-air breezes and unfamiliar streets.
As Ryu walked alongside the shivering Atsushi, he felt the weight of the "plot" pulling at them like a magnetic tide. They had been rejected from every storefront and warehouse in the district.
"I'm going to die," Atsushi groaned, leaning over the ground at the river bank.
"I'm going to starve to death, and that tiger is going to eat my remains. It's just like the headmaster said… I'm a useless, cursed—"
"Atsushi," Ryu interrupted, his voice cool and grounding. "The headmaster isn't here. But the river exists. If you're that hungry, maybe we should see if there's any fish in it."
Ryu's eyes scanned the Tsurumi River. He wasn't looking for fish. He was looking for a pair of legs.
...
It didn't take long. A few dozen meters upstream, a figure was drifting lazily with the current. Two legs pointed straight up toward the sky, bobbing rhythmically.
"A corpse!" Atsushi shrieked, his face turning paper-white. "Ryu-san, there's a corpse floating in the river!"
Ryu sighed, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It might still be alive. Go on, hero. This is your moment."
Driven by a mix of panic and lingering kindness, Atsushi scrambled down the embankment and plunged into the water. With a great deal of splashing and wheezing, he dragged the man onto the grassy bank.
Ryu followed at a leisurely pace, stepping over the reeds just as the "corpse" sat up.
The man was tall, wrapped in mysterious bandages beneath a sandy-colored trench coat, and looked thoroughly annoyed to be breathing.
"I was so close," the man lamented, his voice a smooth, dramatic baritone. "The flow was perfect, the temperature was ideal... and yet, I've been hindered once again."
He turned his gaze toward Atsushi, then toward Ryu. His eyes were dark, sharp, and carried a weight of intelligence that didn't match his eccentric behavior.
"Are you the one who interrupted my drowning?" the man asked, staring at Atsushi.
"I... I suppose so," Atsushi panted.
"I was attempting suicide," the man explained with a sudden, eerie cheerfulness. "Submersion. But you've gone and interrupted it."
...
"My apologies," Ryu stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "My friend here hasn't eaten in days. His survival instincts are a bit... overactive right now. I'm Ryu Murakami. This is Atsushi."
The man stood up, shaking water from his coat like a stray dog. "Ryu Murakami, eh? And Atsushi. I am Dazai. Dazai Osamu."
Before they could exchange more than a few words, a loud, angry voice boomed from the opposite bank.
"Dazai! You suicidal blockhead! Do you have any idea how much you've delayed our schedule?!"
A man with blonde hair tied in a neat ponytail, wearing a green vest and clutching a notebook, stood there fuming.
"Ah, Kunikida-kun!" Dazai waved enthusiastically. "Perfect timing! My new friends are starving, and I've lost my wallet to the river. Use yours to buy them some tea-on-rice!"
"Why should I—"
"Because," Dazai interrupted, his tone suddenly dropping into something more serious, "these two might have the information we're looking for."
...
A short while later, they were seated in a small tea house. Atsushi was inhaling bowls of tea on rice as if it were his last meal, while Ryu sat back, sipping green tea and observing the two men across from them.
"So," Kunikida said, tapping his pen against his notebook, which had the word "IDEAL" embossed on the cover.
"You're telling us you saw the white tiger in the forest?"
Ryu nodded. "It followed us. Or rather, it seems to follow wherever Atsushi goes. I saw it clearly under the full moon. It's no ordinary animal."
Atsushi froze, a grain of rice stuck to his cheek. "You... you think it's following me? I knew it! It's been stalking me since I was kicked out of the orphanage! It's going to kill me!"
"Calm down, brat," Kunikida snapped.
"We are members of the Armed Detective Agency. An organization of supernatural detectives. perhaps you've heard of us."
Dazai leaned his chin on his hand, his dark eyes fixed on Ryu. "And what about you, Ryu-kun? You seem remarkably calm for someone who encountered a man-eating tiger. You haven't shown a hint of fear."
Ryu met Dazai's gaze. He knew Dazai was a master of reading people, a man who could see through any lie.
"Fear is superficial," Ryu replied simply, using his new persona's catchphrase.
"Besides, I've already 'died' once. Why should I be afraid of a tiger?"
Dazai's grin widened, a glint of genuine interest appearing in his eyes. "I see. How interesting."
"Atsushi," Dazai said, turning to the boy. "Since the tiger is after you, why don't you help us lure it out tonight? We'll provide protection. And Ryu-kun... you should come too. I have a feeling you'd be quite helpful in a pinch."
Ryu glanced at the moon beginning to rise outside the window. The first stage was nearly over. He had no "Ability" that he knew of yet, but he was standing at the center of the story.
"Fine," Ryu said, standing up. "Let's go catch a tiger."