Bungo Stray Dogs (文豪ストレイドッグス)

One bowl of tea on rice...

Pickled plums, slivered nori ,

and leftover chicken...

All doused in piping-hot water,

then shoveled in with salted kelp.

That was so good...

All those bowls of tea on rice

I'd sneak into the kitchen to make at the orphanage...

Damn it...

I'm gonna die of hunger.

My name is Atsushi

And due to unfortunate circumstances,

I'm gonna die from starvation.

After being thrown out of the orphanage,

I had nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep

and, of course, not a cent to my name.

And I don't even have the courage to steal to survive.

That's how I've arrived at my current predicament...

However...

If I wish to live,

I have no choice but to steal and take from others!

Get out, you good-for-nothing!

No orphanage wants someone like you!

The world would be a better place

if you'd just die in a ditch somewhere!

Shut up... Shut up!

Shut up! Shut up! Shut uuuup!

"Die in a ditch"?

I won't let that happen! Just you wait!

I am gonna live, no matter what!

Right! I'm gonna rush the first person who comes along,

and then steal everything they've got!

Huh?!

Maybe someone going a little slower?

Okay, the next person!

Hah!

Hut, two, three, four!

Hut, two, three, four!

Hut, two, three, four! Hut, two, three, four!

I don't imagine the military police carry wallets

while they are in training.

Next time...

...and this time I really mean it!

You're mine, man!

Uh... Uh... Eh...

H-He wasn't quite what I had in mind.

Uh, I'll let that one pass, thanks.

He'll be okayyyy...

Fine!

You were floating down the river...

Are you okay?

I made it.

Damn.

What's that?

Did this guy just say "damn"?

Tell me: Are you the one who interrupted my submersion?

You don't remember?

Yes, I saved your life.

Wait! "Submersion"?

You don't get it?

I was trying...

...to kill myself.

S-Suicide?!

Sure.

And I think everything was going just swimmingly.

But you... interfered and ruined my day.

Uhhh.. Is he scolding me for saving him?

It's not all your fault.

My goal is to commit a completely clean suicide

without burdening anyone.

Yet, I did trouble you, so really the fault lies with me.

I should apologize or better still, make it up to you.

Are you by chance... hungry?

Well...

The truth is I haven't eaten in several days.

How odd. I'm also hungry.

Lucky coincidence!

But I'm afraid the river has taken my wallet.

Just my luck.

There you are, you troublesome blockhead!

Oh, hey...

You found me.

Nice work, Kunikida.

"Nice work"?

And just who caused all this "work," you suicidal maniac?!

I've had enough of this.

Do you realize

how often you disrupt my schedule with your shenanigans?!

Hey, I know! I just had a great idea.

He's a colleague of mine from work.

Let's have him treat you to a meal.

Hey, are you even listening to me?!

So tell me, what's your name?

Ehh... Atsushi Nakajima, sir.

Very good. Why don't you come with me, Atsushi?!

What would you like to eat?

Um... Well, if it's not too much trouble...

Oh, come on, there's no need to hold back!

I'd really love some tea on rice.

Hmm?

So a boy on the brink of starvation

wants to eat tea on rice?

Very well, let's have Kunikida treat you

to 30 large bowls of it!

Don't you get all generous with my money, Dazai!

Hmm?

You're Dazai?

Yep, that's my name.

It's a pleasure to meet you, my new friend.

I'm Osamu Dazai.

You're unreliable, and you're a fool, Dazai.

Who says, "Wow, that's a nice river," and then jumps into it

in the middle of a job?!

Now we're late.

I'll have to revise our whole schedule.

You're obsessed with your schedules, Kunikida.

Ugh! This book isn't just some day planner.

This is an ideal.

This is my sole guide in life!

And nowhere in this book is it written

that my co-worker should be a suicidal maniac!

You mean he's tried to kill himself before?

Be quiet!

And nowhere in my projected expenses

is there a line item for a million bowls of tea on rice

for a snot-nosed kid!

What kinda work are you in?

And now he's got questions.

Well, you keep talking about it.

Fine, I'll tell you.

It involves the military.

How are you two communicating, with each other?

Hmm?

Oh... I'm so full.

I've had enough rice to last me a good ten years!

I strongly suggest you show a little gratitude

after you ate this on my dime!

You're a real lifesaver.

Hmm?

I came to Yokohama straight from the orphanage.

I've had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep since.

I thought I'd starve to death.

You're from... an orphanage?

I was, yes.

But they kicked me out.

Sounds like a real philanthropic organization.

Look, Dazai!

We're not a couple of do-gooders going around

helping hard luck cases.

We've got a job to do.

That reminds me,

you said that your current job involves the military.

What kind of work do you do?

We're private... investigators.

Investigators?

But we handle more than lost pets and cheating spouses.

Our office has... uniquely gifted investigators.

We're the Armed Detective Agency.

I've heard of the Armed Detective Agency.

But I thought those were stories...

Tales of an agency specializing in cases

that can't be entrusted to the police or the military...

An armed force that straddled the natural

and supernatural worlds.

But there was even more,

I'd heard that many members of this elite agency possess...

...supernatural powers...

Am I in the presence of two super humans?

Huh?

Ahh!

Check out that support beam up there!

Huh?

Don't even think about hanging yourself in this teahouse!

I'm not. I'm thinking of the "hanging health technique."

What are you talking about?

What?! You don't know?!

It's so good for releasing muscle tension

and shoulder cramps!

Whoa! That would be perfect for me!

It would, you should write this down!

This effective technique is the hanging health method...

I'm messing with you.

Are these two weirdos actually

with the Armed Detective Agency?

...partner leaps into a river, but it doesn't end there!

No! Then I have to foot the bill for an ungrateful kid

on death's door to stuff himself.

My schedule for today was perfect,

but now I have to start over from square one!

So, about the job you said you're both working on...

What?!

Sorry, sorry, sorry!

I really shouldn't have asked!

Right, that was my mistake.

Of course your jobs are classified!

Please forgive me and don't hurt me!

Actually, since you mentioned it,

today's job doesn't require any secrecy.

It's for the government...

We're looking for a tiger.