The Face of Another

Five

Before another protest came, she quickly grabbed her bag and left the office.

First the colours.
Then the humans.
That's usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

HERE IS A SMALL FACT
You are going to die.

Isana sat in a café in the back in a booth, a book in her hand. Her coffee stood on the table before her. She was reading a book called 'The Book Thief'. She was reading it for the fourth time, actually.

Back in her apartment — that she shared with her big brother — she had quite a lot of books from all sorts of genres, while her brother only possessed one genre; how to commit the perfect suicide.

She really liked this book. Maybe because Death was the narrator and she had also been quite a suicidal teen back then, meaning that she's faced death a lot of times. But never had she come further than his doorstep.

REACTION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FACT
Does this worry you?

No, not really... Isana thought to herself. Everybody will die, if they want it or not.

I urge you — don't be afraid.
I'm nothing if not fair.

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips. Death isn't fair. Death is merciless and takes everything in his grasp. Death is careless.

"You shouldn't be outside of the agency like this without any protection." A voice all of a sudden said, making the brunette jump slightly in her seat.

Before her sat the elder male she had enhanced one day — Hirotsu Ryurou. "You still think I belong to the agency?" Isana quietly asked and placed her bookmark into the page where she was, before closing the book and shoving it to the side. She took her cup of coffee in her hands and took a sip.

"You don't want to work for the Port Mafia, so I suppose that you want to work for them, Dazai-chan." Hirotsu stated, as he nodded at the waitress who brought him a cup of tea.

"I don't think I belong with the agency, Hirotsu-san, that's the problem. I feel like I belong somewhere else, just not...there." She said and sighed, placing the cup back on the table, staring at the dark beverage swirling in the small cup.

"So you think you belong to the Port Mafia?" The elder male questioned, to which she quickly shook her head and replied "That's not it either. I just wish I didn't belong into this world. Not even my brother can stop my ability. I'd only enhance him."

A short moment of silence lingered above them, before Hirotsu asked "Is there something between you and Nakahara-kun?" At those words her head shot up and her eyes widened a little. "What do you mean?"

"Is it because of him that you don't feel like you belong there?" Hirotsu replied, watching her like a hawk. A frown found its way to her face and she looked back down at her coffee, thinking. Was it really because of him that she was feeling unwell in the agency?

"If there is and if you decide to come back, don't fall for it. I don't believe that the boss will approve of that." He motioned for a waitress to come over and paid for not only his tee but also for her coffee. "Think about it, Dazai-chan."

With that said, the older man left the café and left behind a quite baffled woman.

I'm in most places at least once, and in 1943 I was just about everywhere.

This last line of the last chapter before the epilogue of The Book Thief came was always stuck in her mind. It was true, in 1943, Death was everywhere. But today he still is. People still get killed. People still die. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second.

Isana shoved her hands deep into her pockets, her head hanging low, as she entered a tall building. Immediately was she stopped by guards.

"I need to speak to your boss." She said and stared at the guards, a short silence lingering over them, before one of them said "Name." "Dazai Isana."

Just a short while later she then finally walked into the office of Mori Ougai, accompanied by two guards behind her, holding their guns ready to shoot her if she dared to try anything.

"Ah, Dazai-chan, I was wondering when you would return." Mori stated and smirked a little as he turned his head to face the younger Dazai sibling.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me?" He then asked and watched her, awaiting for her to speak up.

"I am willing to join the Port Mafia."