After their conversation with Aiko, Chuuya and Dazai left the bakery and returned to talking on the street.
"Even though we've explained about her abilities, it seems like Aiko doesn't realize that what happened to her parents was her fault too," Chuuya said.
Dazai nodded in agreement, "You're right, it seems Aiko-chan still doesn't understand about her own abilities. So she doesn't understand that the spark that appeared during the fire in her own house six years ago was her doing without her intent."
However, Dazai decided not to tell Aiko the truth because he was worried that the girl would be shocked and very surprised when she heard the truth.
"She's already very traumatized by her past, so it's better for us not to tell her about this. If she gets really shocked and further traumatized, I'm afraid her ability will get stronger and more dangerous," he continued.
Chuuya understood and agreed with that, he knew that it was better for them not to tell to protect Aiko as well as many people from the dangerous ability.
"Even if she eventually realizes that it was all her doing, maybe by then she'll be more mature and better able to manage her emotions," Chuuya said.
They both knew the great risks they would face by covering up Aiko's ability. But everything was also for the good of Aiko, the innocent girl who never expected ability to be that horrible.
Since their business was over, they decided to go back to their respective places to continue their activities and keep the matter quiet.
"Then I'll return to the agency office today. You won't miss me right away because I didn't drive you all the way to your penthouse, right?" Dazai teased, which annoyed Chuuya.
"I JUST WANT TO KICK YOUR FACE IN!"
*****
When the sky was dark, Aiko closed her shop at 6pm as usual.
She cleaned everything including the tables and chairs as well as mopping the floor.
She also tidied up the kitchen so that she could use it in the morning.
"It's so tiring. But it feels good because there are so many customers today," she said happily.
Finished with all her work, Aiko went to the back room behind her kitchen where it was her small home.
Ever since she lost her home, and left the orphanage, Aiko had chosen to live in the small space of her bakery.
She transformed it into a cozy room, with a television, a table and a futon bed. She thought she was just living alone and didn't need too many exact or other items.
Plus she felt that renting an apartment would be quite expensive, and she had to come to her bakery early in the morning to make bread and cakes so that she could sell them at 8:00 am.
Aiko flopped down on her sitting pillow and turned on the television after she finished bathing. For some reason the girl was still thinking about Dazai's remark about her ability being dangerous.
She felt that she must be a big threat to many people if something happened. And that was quite worrying for Aiko, because she never wanted to hurt others especially if it happened because of her.
"What if one day something bad happens? And it's all because of me?"
Suddenly fear came over her, making Aiko hug her own legs and hope nothing bad would happen later.
She hoped that Dazai could stop her, because Dazai said that his ability was able to neutralize other people's abilities.
Although in reality, Dazai himself would have to cross a huge hurdle if he wanted to stop her. Because the power of molecular manipulation can make reality rub against each other and make objects around it unstable.
In order to reach Aiko and touch her so that he can neutralize her ability, Dazai has to go through dangerous things just to stop her.
But Aiko doesn't understand that, so she thinks that everything will be fine in the end.
*****
The days went on as usual, Aiko was happy that nothing strange had happened since she found out about her ability. Why she knew the name of her ability even though she couldn't control it, was because she often heard the whisper of Flashpoint Bloom.
So she thought that it must be the name of the ability she currently had.
Since that day, Dazai has been coming more often. In one week he could come twice or more, just to check on Aiko.
However, when he couldn't come, Chuuya would come to check on Aiko.
"And for some reason lately, Chuuya-san has been coming more often than Dazai-san. Does that girl Elise like my cake so much that Chuuya-san often comes to buy it for her?" muttered Aiko in confusion.
The mafia man did come often with the excuse that he was buying a cake for Elise.
He was just checking to make sure there wasn't someone who might harm Aiko and trigger her ability.
"But actually, what does Chuuya-san do?"
Ding!
As the doorbell rang, Chuuya walked into the shop while looking around.
Seeing his arrival, Aiko's face immediately broke into a smile and greeted the man as usual.
"Good afternoon and welcome, Chuuya-san!," she said.
"Yes, I came as usual," Chuuya replied in a tone that was still somewhat flat as usual.
From his face, Aiko realized that Chuuya looked exhausted. Because in fact, the man had just completed a rather strenuous mission.
However, he had to come in for a check-up as usual because Dazai was out of town on a mission from his agency.
Seeing the exhausted Chuuya, Aiko immediately came out from behind the cash register to him.
"Are you okay, Chuuya-san? You look very weak and tired," she said with concern.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, it was Aiko's nature to care about someone she met often. Especially since the man was a friend of Dazai, Aiko's close friend whom she had known for a long time.
"I'm fine, ask a little tired. I want to-" Not yet finished speaking, Aiko suddenly took off Chuuya's hat and brought her face closer to his.
She stood on tiptoe a little, then pressed their foreheads together to check whether Chuuya had a fever or not.
Of course this made Chuuya very surprised, because he was not used to someone who seemed to have no boundaries towards others.
Reflexively his face turned red, and his heart skipped a beat when Aiko's cute face was right in front of his.
"Wait... What are you-"
"No fever... But why is your face red, Chuuya-san?" she asked again so innocently.
'Her face is so close...' he thought.
"I-it's not because of the fever. Your face is too close, can you..."
DING!
"Good afternon, Aiko-chaaaaaannn! I came as usual-" Dazai was paused as soon as he saw the scene in front of him right now.
Aiko's face was close together, even her forehead was pressed against Chuuya's.
"DAZAI?!"
"Dazai-san?"